Dear Tim,
We are having a driveway built. Our concrete contractor says decomposed granite is superior to crushed rock as a base under concrete. Our local paving products dealer say "absolutely not. Decomposed granite is not recommended as a base under concrete because it is difficult to achieve adequate and uniform compaction of the granite." What do you recommend?
Cheryl W.
Grants Pass, Oregon
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Cheryl,
I have not had the pleasure of working with decomposed granite. It is not available in the Midwest. But I am a geologist and I know about installing rock under concrete. Here we use a product called pea gravel. It is small rounded rock that really does resemble frozen peas. Because of its round shape it moves around as you walk on it. It can be compacted with a vibratory plate compactor and makes an *excellent* base for poured concrete.
My impression of the small granite pieces is that they have slightly angular edges which would make compaction even better as the pieces would interlock as they do with true crushed gravel. Not only that, granite is one of the most durable rocks on the planet because of its high quartz content.
There is nothing like compacted rock under concrete. It is an ideal base material.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Tim,
I have an eight-month old absolute black granite countertops. While cleaning it I discovered a hairline crack, and it has spread. Can you tell me, is this any indicator of poor workmanship? Is there a way to repair them?
Thanks.
Barbara M.
Blackshear, GA
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Barb,
It is hard to say if it is a workmanship flaw. The crack could have been in the rock from when it was quarried. I would call the fabricator and see if there is any warranty. I can tell you that a professional application of black epoxy will make the crack all but disappear.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Dear Tim,
I am a Realtor. Yesterday I showed a home that was constructed out of cement blocks, inside & out. The interior walls were covered with some type of plaster and gave a definate south western look. The weather was warm (about 88 degrees) but the home, inspite of not having central air, seemed to be a lot cooler inside than outside. My clients concern was that the home would be damp & cold just like the cement block basements she was used to. We live in Wisconsin. I'm wondering if this type of construction is not well suited for the cold Wisconsin climate. Can you give us any advise on this type of home? The home was beautiful, but we are worried about the cost of keeping it comfortable.
Thank you,
Larry the Realtor
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Larry,
The thermal mass of the block allows it to store both cold and heat. Since it is still spring up in Wisconsin, the block are radiating cold as they got cold over the winter. This means the house will stay cool until the summer heat starts to change the temperature of the block. Native Americans who lived in the Southwest learned long ago that masonry - adobe - structures allowed them to stay cool in the heat of the summer.
But, they didn't have humidity. Humidity will cause the inside of the house to possibly be clammy as the humid air will condense on the cool surfaces. But you might be able to offset this easily with a few dehumidifiers.
My biggest concern would be the cost to heat the house as your winters can be long and brutal. Can you determine if there is any insulation in the walls?
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Tim,
I am working on a residential project in McAllen, TX (South Texas) and have a couple of questions. Do I NEED to use treated lumber as my base on my stud walls? I see many houses that are using untreated lumber. Thank you!
Ruben
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Ruben,
The code is pretty specific about this. Simply see what it says about lumber in contact with masonry surfaces, *especially* foundation slabs!
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Hello Tim!
We have a turbine vent on the roof that has become very noisy. I wonder if it would do any damage to the attic by simply screwing in the turbine so it doesn't move and in that way we will avoid any further noise. We are retired citizens on a limited income and looking for the cheapest way to fix the problem.
Any help you can give us on this would be appreciated.
Thank You!
Elaine L.
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
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Elaine,
Stop! If you immobilize the turbine, it will surely leak. Turbine vents are fantastic ventilation devices and the spinning motion during the gentlest rain shower expels the water drops that hit the turbine blades. The fins are not only designed to push air out of the vent, but they also push the water as well.
You can buy a superb turbine for approximately $50 US and it would take an experienced roofer approximately 30 minutes or less to switch out your existing one with the new one. You might be surprised how affordable it can be. Plus, you will not hear any more squeaking.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Hi Tim,
My fiancé lives in Ohio in a house that was a new construction when he bought it in December 2002. I live in Boston in a house that is 100+ years old. As if the long-distance weren't enough of a problem, the first time I went to visit him I noticed that every time a toilet is flushed in his house, the sinks and tubs make gurgling noises.
I don't know much about plumbing in new construction, but the only reason for this behavior that I can think of is that the system is not properly vented. Is this a normal thing in new construction? Is this a normal thing in Ohio? I asked him what his home inspector said, but he gave me a blank stare.
If there is a problem with this house, I would like to know now before I marry him and it becomes my problem. ;-)
Thanks,
Megan
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Megan,
Let's see if I understand this. If the problem is too big, then it is time to go on the hunt again...... Well, set the date for the wedding, because all that is probably wrong are vent pipes that still may be capped. Sometimes the plumbers are too lazy to go up on the roof to remove test caps that must be in place to check to see if the plumbing drain system is leak-free. If the caps are still on, the system is starved for air when lots of water discharges down a stack as happens when you flush a toilet. The system gets the air from a nearby trap.
If the vent pipes are open, then they must be clogged. The worst case scenario is the drain system is not designed correctly, in which case, it might be time to look for a new beau. ;-)
By the way, our Ohio pipes work just as good as yours up in Bawston..... Among other things I am a licensed master plumber here in Ohio..... :-)
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Tim,
Do you have any advice to help remove wax that was spilled on our deck? I've used a high-power hose and scrubbed to no avail. Is there any product that will help remove it?
Thanks,
Michele
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Michele,
Most candle waxes are grease based. I have had pretty good luck by boiling water and pouring it on the wood to raise the temp of the wax up as high as possible. While still pouring hot water slowly, I then mix with it regular liquid Dawn dish soap. Using a stiff brush with nylon bristles, I scrub. The person who is helping pour the water needs to be very careful they do not splash or get the water on you causing a burn.
Do this several times and you may succeed. The soap really works to emulsify the candle grease and move it off the deck.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Hi Tim,
I've read a lot of the articles you have on your website regarding basement construction. We are going to go with a concrete block wall, reinforced with rebar and poured solid. But, my question to you is, for the main basement wall that runs horizontally from the left to the right side of the house, what factors determine if 8" or 12" blocks are adequate. We will have a crawl space in the front half of the house so the dirt will not come up but to about half of the way up the front side of the wall. I was told at a local architectural firm here that the 12" blocks are overkill and that the strength of the wall will come from the rebar and the concrete the blocks are filled with. What are your recommendations?
Sincerely,
Leigh
Valdosta, GA
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Leigh,
The wall thickness is a function of the wall height and more importantly how much backfill height is on the other side. For example, let's say the foundation wall is 9 feet but outside you will have 3 feet of foundation exposed because you are duplicating a 1920's Craftsman style home. Since there is only 5 to 6 feet of backfill pressing against the wall, you may get by with an 8 inch thick block. But what happens if there is 8' 6" of fill against the 9 foot high wall? The pressure grows exponentially. You then may need a 10 or 12 inch thick wall.
Don't play a guessing game here. Hire a residential structural engineer and let him do a proper wall design. Be sure the contractor follows the plan to the letter.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Dear Tim,
I have to replace my roof and I want a black roof. All the "black" shingles I have found are really charcoal grey. I tried to find a black shingle 11 years ago when we built our home and was unable to then. I settled for the darkest sold in my area (S.E. North Carolina). The algae growth on the north side of the roof still showed up in time. I'd like to eliminate the problem in the future with a really black roof. What do you suggest? Thanks.
Lynne M.
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Lynne,
They may be tough to impossible to find. I just got off the phone with a friend who owns a roofing distribution business. Years ago shingles were made in solid colors. But there were shading variation problems caused by the rollers that press the colored granules into the hot asphalt on the shingles. If the press pushed too hard, you could actually see a slight color variation even when the granules were the exact same color.
To cut losses from this problem, manufacturers switched to a blend of differnet colored granules. You can stop the algae growth on your new roof by using shingles that contain copper in the granules. You can also install copper stips on your roof at the top. Each time it rains a minute amount of copper washes onto the shingles and inhibits algae growth.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Hey Tim,
I live in a 30 year old home with a finished basement. The carpet in the basement is a very old and is the sturdy short office type pile. It is the most hideous orange shade ever imagined. This carpet is heavily glued directly to the concrete beneath it, and will not come up. Do you have any tips on how to remove it short of using a jackhammer? Any help would be GREATLY appreaciated.
Thank you
Rhea
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Rhea,
You need to slice the carpet into three-foot wide strips from wall to wall. Use a standard razor knife. You will need to change blades frequently as the tip will dull as it runs against the concrete. The trick is to peel the strips off the floor as you might pull a wet piece of wallpaper off a wall.
Starting at one end you need to work with a sharp flat scraper to get the carpet up. This may be done with a hammer tapping the scraper under the carpet backing. Once you have three or four feet detached, you or someone else may be able to start to pull the carpet backwards as you would remove the lid from a tin of sardines. It is not going to be easy, but it is possible. It may require two people pulling on the strip. Be careful not to fall backwards.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB
Tim,
We are searching for a replacement floor tracks for our mirrored closet doors. On the back of the doors there is this information:
Monarch Mirror Door Co. HK G1-72789
We have been unsuccessful in finding the tracks and none of our local hardware or glass door businesses have been able to locate the tracks either. Can you help us out? The door itself is the mirror and I'm not sure if there are any top track systems we could purchase instead of floor tracks that might work.
Have you run into this problem before? Do you have any idea how we could find replacement floor tracks for these doors?
Kathy
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These searches often end up nowhere. Companies go out of business or door styles change. There is no incentive for the original manufacturer to keep making a track that will rarely be purchased. It might be time for new Stanley mirrored doors.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB