Felt Paper Vapor Barrier

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Tim Carter

"It's important to realize this permeance rating was achieved just testing a single piece of felt paper on its own. Adding other materials on top of the felt paper could radically change the felt paper's ability to transfer water vapor back out to the atmosphere."

Felt Paper Vapor Barrier? You Bet It Can Be

You may want to know if felt paper is a vapor barrier or vapor retarder. It's a very valid question.

There's no simple answer unless you just consider the felt paper on its own.

What is a Vapor Barrier?

A vapor barrier is a product that would stop all water vapor from passing through it. It's better to use the term vapor retarder as there are many products that slow down the passage of water vapor through them.

A technical white paper produced in 2011 shows that #15 felt paper has a vapor permeance rating of 7. This measurement was derived by using the ASTM E 96 test.

This white paper has very interesting information about the felt paper as a possible vapor barrier. Keep in mind felt paper is almost always covered by different materials that aid or block air flow. Copyright 2018 Owens Corning, Inc.

It's important to realize this permeance rating was achieved just testing a single piece of felt paper on its own. Adding other materials on top of the felt paper could radically change the felt paper's ability to transfer water vapor back out to the atmosphere.

How Does the Permanence Rating of Felt Paper Compare to a High-Performance House Wrap?

High-performance house wraps have much higher permeance ratings. You can check the specs yourself with ease but one that I'm using on my daughter's new home is Delta Vent-SA and it has the following ratings:

31 perms using the ASTM E 96-05 Procedure A
50 perms using the ASTM E 96-05 Procedure B

Those numbers are much better than the perm rating of 7 for typical asphalt-impregnated felt paper! Another key point is the closer the perm rating gets to 1, the less water vapor the product will transfer to the atmosphere.

Is Asphalt a Vapor Retarder?

It's a good idea to think about felt paper vapor barrier questions in the context of what comprises felt paper.

In its most basic form, felt paper is an absorbent paper that is saturated with liquid asphalt.

This same liquid asphalt has been used for decades as a dampproofing compound on house foundations to slow down water vapor from entering basements and crawlspaces. The normal soil around homes has lots of water vapor in it and this vapor will readily pass through untreated concrete or concrete block.

The asphalt that might be sprayed on a foundation can be pure asphalt or a mixture of asphalt with other ingredients. A thin coating much like you might paint a wall can have remarkable vapor retarding properties.

Karnak makes one product that has a permeance rating of 0.5.

You can scour the Internet and discover many other asphalt-based spray-on asphalt compounds that have a permeance rating of 1.0 or less. That should communicate to you that asphalt can be a very effective vapor retarder.

The black goo is asphalt. The red arrow points to the thick coating where it's sagged. Damproofing is applied much thinner like a simple coat of paint. Some asphalt foundation products contain rubber or other compounds that allow the asphalt to bridge future cracks in the concrete. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Your own home may have asphalt sprayed on the outside of the concrete walls. This is why your basement doesn't smell moldy.

Felt Paper Under House Siding

The vapor barrier issue gets very complex depending on what covers the felt paper. Some exterior building products like brick and old traditional cement stucco allow water vapor to pass through them with ease.

Newer synthetic stucco is the exact opposite. It blocks the passage of water vapor from inside a home to the outside air in cold climates.

Vinyl siding allows for lots of air movement because of the manner in which the siding is designed and installed.

Fiber cement siding that's painted could be very problematic because latex paints can act as a thin vapor retarder.

Can Felt Paper Covering Wall Sheathing Create an Odor Inside a House?

The answer is yes. This column was inspired by a phone consultation I did with a homeowner whose house was covered with tar paper in 2012 when it was built.

For six years they never had a problem with odor inside the home. Their house is exposed to the blistering infrared rays of sun all day along the New Jersey coast. I know for a fact that some of the exterior surfaces on their home, those facing east, south, and west, can get too hot to touch on cloudless days in June.

This is the house on the New Jersey shore that had felt paper under the fiber cement siding for six years with no odor inside. As you can see the sun punishes it with lots of infrared light. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Read the story about the above photograph in Tim's November 14, 2018 Newsletter.

Fiber cement siding covered the felt paper. The siding was improperly installed and was removed in early November of 2018. The siding contractor then covered the felt paper with CertaWrap, a modern air barrier.

The homeowners immediately noticed a petroleum odor when for six years there was never a problem.

Infrared photography of my own home makes the case that the CertaWrap was causing the problem.

This photo shows how hot exterior siding can get. The surface of the door was 165.2F. Fiber cement siding will get just as hot. It will transfer that heat to the underlying felt paper with no trouble at all. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

The fiber cement siding could easily reach temperatures of 160F+ and transfer that heat to the felt paper beneath. Previously there was enough air transfer under the siding to vent the petroleum gasses to the exterior.

The Certawrap forced the odor inside. The proof is indisputable.

Can Felt Paper Cause Wood Rot?

Yes, felt paper can cause wood rot if it begins to block water vapor from getting to the outside air. The wood oriented strand board (OSB) that's nailed to the studs can have water vapor condense and become liquid water inside the wall. This water is what fuels fungi that cause wood rot.

Years ago in old homes that didn't have insulation, balloon framing, and were drafty water vapor could evaporate before it caused wood rot. Water can easily get trapped now inside an insulated wall cavity.

Should I Use Felt Paper On the Outside of My Home?

I'd use felt paper on the outside of a shed, barn or other non-heated structure.

My choice on a heated home or building would be a more modern air and water infiltration membrane that readily passes water vapor.

Why Wasn't Felt Paper a Problem on Older Homes?

Old homes, and I'm referencing ones constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, rarely had insulation. Many of them had balloon framing which created a chimney from the basement up to the attic in between exterior wall studs.

The old houses were drafty. Water vapor in the houses could readily escape to the atmosphere. Any water vapor that might have started to condense on the backside of the tongue-and-groove 1x6 sheathing would rapidly disappear because of the air movement in the empty wall cavity.

Modern platform construction creates a sealed chamber at each floor level between exterior wall studs.

Here's a typical 2x6 exterior wall before anything is put in the cavity. Note how the top and bottom plates block air flow. Once the wall is packed with insulation and drywall is installed, condensation starts to feast on the wall studs and OSB sheathing. (C) Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

The cavity is packed with insulation. There is virtually no air movement.

Should water vapor condense in a modern exterior wall cavity, it can lead to mold, mildew, and wood rot in short order.

New Building Blues

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Tim Carter

Building Blues

My oldest daughter and son-in-law are building a new home in Downeast Maine. It’s their first home and you can imagine they’re excited. It’s a good thing they’re young and full of energy because the building process can be stressful and full of surprises.

The project was delayed for any number of reasons, but this isn’t unusual. Perhaps it’s happened to you or might happen should you decide to build a new home. You may have to go back and forth on pricing, your construction loan may take longer to process and close, and your building permit may take a week longer to process than you might like.

The weather can also create delays. Deciding to build in the late fall in Downeast Maine, where rain can happen three times a week, makes it very challenging to get a foundation up and out of the ground. Another key point is you may have a nice surprise under the thin soil as you dig. It’s not uncommon to hit solid bedrock, or ledge as it’s affectionately called by the locals.

When you hit the ledge, it’s time to bring in the blasting boys. This creates an additional delay as local requirements almost always state you have to alert neighbors to give them time to prepare for the ground-shaking experience.

I’ve discovered through the years that the best way to prepare for this mayhem is to create a detailed set of plans and some written specifications. Great plans and specifications become your north star and prevent poor decisions that you might make on a stressful day.

My daughter took the time in the spring to create a very detailed set of plans. I helped her by creating a stack of hand drawings using my colored marking pens. I’ve discovered over the years the use of different colors to represent different building materials helps communicate how things connect to one another.

Architects and builders call these details on building plans. These detailed drawings usually highlight a specific spot or location of the house and put it under a magnifying glass. Looking at one of these details you can almost always visualize exactly how you’re supposed to do something.

Details are very helpful to the tradesmen out in the field. Think of the many details on a set of plans as the step-by-step instructions you might use to assemble a large piece of Scandinavian furniture!

An example of a detail might be how you connect a deck railing post to the floor joists of a deck. The detail would show a specific metal bracket, the through bolts and other smaller bolts that connect the bracket to the post, and other deck framing.

It’s a good idea on your plans to create elevation drawings. These are simple drawings of what a wall might look like in a room as if you took a photo after the house is complete. The elevations might show the exact placement of towel bars, toilet-paper holders, light fixtures, mirrors, and even moldings that might be in a bathroom. You’d even see measurements so things end up exactly where you want them.

The written specifications can prevent arguments and ensure you get great materials on a job. A standard set of plans might just say the builder needs to provide a vapor retarder under a concrete slab. Your idea of a vapor retarder might be far different than what the builder normally installs.

I had my daughter call out a special vapor retarder that meets a specific ASTM standard and is a super high-quality product. It costs just a little more than the crap vapor retarder you might buy at a big box store.

It’s important to realize you shouldn’t wait to pick out the things that will be used on your new home. You might as well pick things out in the planning stage rather than during the job. If the builder and his subs see on the plan the exact fixtures or things you’re using, they can get online at the job site and download special drawings from the manufacturers that show rough openings, the electrical and plumbing connections, and other details that help them save time and your money.

Even with great plans and specifications, there’s going to be some stress. You’ll want to visit the construction site as often as possible to ensure everything is being done as it’s supposed to be. Fortunately, my daughter and son-in-law are staying in a rental home that’s less than ten minutes away. They can stop by each day if they want and I encourage them to do just that and take as many photos as possible to document the work in progress.

You can build a great new home, but please invest the time in a great set of plans and specifications to make the building experience a happy one!

Column 1274

November 11, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Tim Carter

Today is Veterans Day in the USA. It marks the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the Word War I hostilities between Germany and the Allies.

Living veterans, as well as veterans who have passed away after being discharged from active military duty, are also honored on this day.

Today is not to be confused with Memorial Day which happens at the end of May each year. Memorial Day honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while in active military service.

If you're reading this and are active or retired military, my family and I THANK YOU for your service to our great nation. We deeply appreciate you putting yourself in harms way so we can live in the greatest nation on Earth.

I wish I could visit my Dad's grave today, but he's just about 1,000 miles away in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, OH.

Tim Carter's Dad's Headstone
My Dad served in General Bradley's Second Corps or Army as it's sometimes called. My Dad was a medic in Company A, 6th Battalion. He was shipped to North Africa and then was part of the invasion of Italy.

Tim Carter's Dad Army

In the late winter of 1944, my dad was captured by the Germans and shipped to a stalag in Poland to grow potatoes for the German Army.

He was a POW for 13 months and was liberated from the POW camp by a Russian tank commander. My Dad told the story about how he woke up one morning and the POW camp was strangely quiet. The guards were gone.

Then soon after he and all the other prisoners heard a rumbling and a tank came and crashed through the prison camp gate. Dad said he and all the prisoners were afraid.

The next thing that happened is the hatch of the turret opened and a Russian peered out over all the prisoners. He then went back into the tank and came back out but with a 5-gallon tin fuel container.

It wasn't filled with diesel fuel. It had vodka in it. The Russians, my Dad, and all the POW's proceeded to have a little party.

But that's perhaps the high point of the story. My Dad came home a broken man. Back then they didn't call it PTSD. He was severely depressed and by the late 1950's he couldn't hold down a job.
Tim's Dad's Discharge

My mom became the breadwinner as a pharmacist, one of the few women pharmacists in the state of Ohio.

Back when I was a kid, families didn't talk too much about all this stuff, or if we did, I don't remember.

The point to all this is I have a somewhat unique connection to Veterans Day and a deep appreciation for what you may have gone through if you're a veteran.

I know others suffered far more, but I can tell you my Dad dealt with his demons until the day he died. My mom, my sister, and I also were affected. I know other families have suffered more.

There are millions of stories out there about veterans. Our family is but one.

If you know a veteran, please reach out to her or him today. Thank the individual for their service.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

November 8, 2018 AsktheBuilder.com & Super Powers

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Tim Carter

I'm working on a secret project.

What if the secret project would give you super powers when you talk to a contractor who's about to bid work for you?

What if the end result of the secret project was something I give to you for FREE?

Would you then be willing to help me with this project by answering just one or two simple questions?

Yes, I thought you'd be interested!

CLICK HERE so I can bestow upon you SUPER POWERS that will defeat not-so-good contractors!!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com

"The power is always in the question."

Ask the Roofer

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Tim Carter

Scenario:

You need a new roof. You're worried about getting screwed. You're filled with anxiety.

The roofer shows up at your home, but you have NO CLUE what to ask him.

Imagine if you had a list of questions that would give you SUPER POWERS. You'd be asking all the right questions.

But each person has different concerns. What are yours????

What are the MOST IMPORTANT things you want to know about when it comes to your new roof?

What do you want to know that would put you at EASE knowing you're dealing with the best roofer?

Just type your answers below and click the SUBMIT button!

Thanks for doing this,

Tim Carter

Loading...
Tim asked for your help in his November 8, 2018 Newsletter.

November 7, 2018 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Tim Carter

Did you just subscribe? WOOT! Welcome!

Did you subscribe many moons ago? Get ready once again for some information that's going to save you time and money.

The mad rush is on at my daughter and son-in-law's new home building site. You'll see the update from week three below. The footings are going in two days from now and then the foundation shortly after that.

I plan to drive up to Mt. Desert Island (MDI) on Sunday to be there on Monday and Tuesday.

Attic Condensation Phone Call

I had a quick phone call with Marvin about some water he saw on the nails that are exposed in his attic. What do you think is the best way to solve his problem?

It won't take you but a few minutes of your time to see if your solution matches the advice I gave to Marvin. CLICK HERE or the image just below to hear my advice.

I've got GREAT photos and VIDEOS at the above page so you can clearly see what's going on and what's in play.

Week Three of Meghan & Brent's New Home

Sometimes things don't happen as fast as one would like.

new home timeline
CLICK HERE to see photos, videos and text of what happened in week three up on MDI.

Christmas Stocking Stuffer - Magnify Things!

I'm trying to share all sorts of cool things I use around my home and not all are tools you might expect.

This week I tried to give you an inexpensive stocking stuffer, remember my goal was for each one to be $15 or less, but I failed.

This week's suggestion is a little more, but it's so worth it.

hastings triplet 10x

That 10X magnifier you see above is 42 years old! WOW! It's one of my treasured tools. I bought it as a geology student.

We were given two choices, a cheap one for $1. I'm serious, it was $1 in 1972. But I went for the more expensive Hastings Triplet which I think I spent $7 for.

If you like this idea for a stocking stuffer, realize you can BUY a cheaper one once you click my link. You'll see them on the landing page.

It's more than that now, but boy oh boy is it well made.

CLICK HERE to see it in action. I took a photo of a tiny part of my mom's College of Pharmacy lapel pin. You can get even better magnification if you hold the loupe up to your eye.

Do You Shop at Amazon.com?

If so, do you realize you can help me keep this newsletter and AsktheBuilder.com alive by just using a link I provide to get you to Amazon?

Feel free to bookmark the link on your browser if that's easier.

I get a tiny commission from Amazon for everything you purchase. This does not cause you to pay more at Amazon.com.

CLICK HERE to get the link so you can start to shop and help keep this newsletter alive and healthy.

THANKS SO MUCH for doing this for me.

Revised Columns of Great Interest

I think you're going to like these revised columns. Click the headline or the photo to see lots of great information.

Portable Kick-Butt Table Saw

Special Flagstone Mortar Mix

Solder Copper Pipe Tips

That's enough for today.

I've got a boatload of stuff to get done before I drive up to MDI.

Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified ORGANIC Cleaner - www.StainSolver.com
Cool Waves - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

Hastings Triplet 10X Review

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Tim Carter

Hastings Triplet 10X | This is my own triplet that I bought back in 1972. It's super durable and is well worth the purchase price. CLICK THE PHOTO now to have one in your hands in days.

Hastings Triplet 10X Review - Very Handy Lasts Decades

I've owned my Hastings Triplet 10X magnifier since 1972. I was required to buy one for my Geology 101 lab course.

I use my magnifier for these tasks:

wood splinter removal
check solder connections on circuit boards
inspect expensive jewelry settings BEFORE a failure
close inspection of anything, including Tim's finger! (Check the story out in the January 19, 2020 Newsletter)

Hold the Hastings Triplet to Your Eye

For best performance, you need to hold the magnifier very close to your eye. Believe me, you'll be blown away by what you'll see. Watch the video at the bottom of this page for the proper technique.

The detail on jewelry is astounding. Look at how you can count the teeth in the skull on my mother's College of Pharmacy pin from 1946.

Look at the incredible detail you can see. You can actually get BETTER results if you hold it to your eye. This is the best I could do with my smartphone camera which was about 4 inches away from the magnifier. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to order one.

CLICK HERE to order a high-quality Hastings Triplet 10X magnifier.

This is my mother's College of Pharmacy pin. The skull on the pin is perhaps only 1/8-inch wide! Yet look at the detail the Hastings Triplet 10X magnifier picks up. CLICK THE PHOTO NOW to have your own Hastings Triplet 10X magnifier. Don't fall for cheap knockoffs - you'll regret buying a piece of crap.

How to Use a Hastings Triplet 10X Magnifier

Watch this video to see the proper technique to use one of these great tools.

Borders for Wallpaper and Flagstone Mortar

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Tim Carter

Wallpaper Borders

QUESTION #1: Hello Tim. Trends and designs change and I’m convinced wallpaper will rise from the ashes. I’d like to start the resurgence and install some wallpaper borders in a few rooms in my home. What can you share to make this job go smoothly? Have you ever put in a border halfway up a wall? What are the biggest mistakes you can make working with wallpaper borders? Mandy P., Wheeling, WV

Mandy’s right about trends coming back, though I’m not holding my breath for the avocado kitchen appliances and the pink and gray bathroom ceramic tile! It’s important to realize that I don’t know if wallpaper borders ever really dropped out of favor. They’re an inexpensive way to add themed character and eye candy to otherwise bland painted walls.

I’ve installed countless rolls of wallpaper border in my lifetime. I was very lucky that my wife selected interesting ones that accented each room. My favorite border of all time was one that had palm trees on it in a tropical setting. I installed it about 48 inches up off the floor in a themed half bathroom.

Are Wallpaper Borders Hard To Install?

Another key point you should know is hanging giant strips of wallpaper is challenging. Some of the old comedy movies showing actors getting wrapped up in the sticky paper are not too far-fetched. Wallpaper borders, on the other hand, are very simple to work with. It’s almost impossible to goof up.

The biggest mistake you can make, in my opinion, is to ignore any written instructions that might come with the border. It’s very important to use the correct adhesive. Some borders come pre-pasted. Instead of using water to activate the adhesive, I’d suggest a clear paste activator. These inexpensive products brush or roll on with ease.

What Is Booking?

Be sure you allow the border to expand once the adhesive has been activated. Pros call this booking. This simply means you fold the back of the border onto itself so the adhesive is not exposed to the air. Allow the border to rest or expand for about ten minutes before putting it on the wall.

When Should The Wall Be Primed?

I’d highly recommend painting the wall with a special wallpaper primer a week before you install the border. These glossy paints allow you to remove the border in the future with little effort. If you apply the border to normal painted drywall, there’s a good chance you’ll rip off the facing paper of the drywall when you attempt to remove the border.

One of the biggest rookie mistakes I see is when a person wraps the border around an inside corner where two walls meet. When the border dries, it pulls away from the inside of the corner leaving an unsightly 1/4-inch gap.

You solve this problem by pressing the border into the corner very tightly. Use a sharp razor knife to make a straight cut through the border about 3/8-inch away from the inside corner. Overlap the border that was about to run across the wall just 1/4-inch over this small strip of paper that wrapped around the corner. Trust me, you’ll never see this overlap after the job is complete.

I’ve created a page on my website for you that has wallpaper border installation videos and other tips. Go to: wallpaperborders

Flagstone Mortar

QUESTION #2: Tim, winters are mild where I live. The temperature rarely drops below freezing. I’ve decided to install some traditional flagstone on a patio. I understand how to cut it and fit the pieces. I’m wondering about the best mortar to use to install it. I plan on putting the flagstone on a concrete slab that has reinforcing steel in it so it will last for a long time. Mark H., Mobile AL

Mark’s lucky. Mild weather is the best for installing flagstone or any stone or brick that you’d mortar to a concrete slab. If I could pick my conditions, I’d want to do this work on overcast days with no wind and the temperature about 55 F.

I’d recommend a mortar mix that’s rapidly becoming mythical. This happens with many techniques in the building industry. I’d use a mortar that’s got a healthy amount of hydrated lime in it.

Hydrated lime has untold benefits not the least of which is its ability to make the mortar easier to work with. Shrinkage cracks are minimized using hydrated lime. Lime has self-healing properties if small cracks develop over time.

Here’s a recipe that’s worked well for me on all my jobs:

15 gallons of medium sand
6.38 gallons of Portland cement
1.12 gallons of hydrated lime

Blend all of these together in a wheelbarrow until well mixed and the color is uniform. Then add enough water so the final mix resembles mashed potatoes, not runny applesauce.

I’ve got lots of FREE extra flagstone mortar tips for you at my website: flagstonemortar

Column 1273

New Build Home Timeline Part 3

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Tim Carter

New Build Home Timeline Series - Part 3

This is part three of a new build home timeline series following my own daughter and son-in-law. They're building a new home on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine.

At the bottom of the page, you'll discover a link to the next part of the series.

New Build Home Timeline Part Three - Stakeout House, Dig & Blast Prep

Week Three - October 28, 2018

Week three of the project was exciting. The first step was to do a rough stakeout of where the house will be. Once that was completed, it was obvious a few more trees had to come down.

The contractor started to dig for the foundation and proceeded to run into a large chunk of ledge. Ledge is solid bedrock, in this case, granite. The blasting mats were delivered, notices sent out to neighbors, and then the rain came. That was the end of progress for the week.

There are videos below showing you what blasting actually looks like. I encourage you to watch them and be aware of how powerful the TNT is.

It's best to create one of these simple drawings before you get out to the job site. Double check the diagonal calculation. CLICK THE IMAGE to get the cool calculator I use to do this.

This is a panorama shot of the foundation hole. You can see the giant piece of ledge in the center. CLICK THE PHOTO to see a full-size photo.

These are giant heavy blasting mats. They are placed over the ledge after the TNT is drilled and placed. The mats prevent rocks from flying through the air when the TNT is detonated. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

This is the type of calculator you should own if you're going to build a new home. It allows you to CHECK to make sure things are SQUARE!!! CLICK THE IMAGE NOW to have one in your hands in days.

Senco FinishPro Mg18 Review

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Tim Carter

Senco FinishPro Mg18 Review

Professionals normally do tool reviews. I'm talking about people like me who have used tools all day long for decades.

How would you like a review of a nail gun done by someone who's NEVER used one before?

Here it is.

Who Used the Senco FinishPro Mg18?

My friends Ann and Russ Waters who live in southern California used the nail gun. Here's what Ann had to say:

"We had never thought about using a nail gun until Tim, our friend and founder of Ask the Builder, recommended it and it saved this project for us. Instead of being frustrated with driving nails through the expensive wood trim into hard plaster, we're having great fun with it."

Did You Have Any Nail Gun Experience?

"We have no prior nail-gun experience, but the grips feel good and it is comfortable to use them for a long period of time without fatigue. It was easy to get used to using them. We're now spoiled forever. No more hammers and bent nails."

CLICK HERE to have the Senco Mg18 in your hands in a few days.

Was the Senco Finishpro Mg18 Dependable?

"The gun was very dependable. We shot hundreds and hundreds of nails. We had one nail jam and it was easy to clear."

What Did You Like Most About the FinishPro Mg18?

"What we like most while we were using them was the speed and ease of getting the job done. What we are going to like the most for as long as we live in this house, is how much better the finished product is. The nail holes are so tiny that you can hardly see them. Taps, or common nail sets, would have left much more obvious holes. And by pushing with the gun before you nail, you can get the wood very tight against the wall or other wood. I couldn't have held it like that when you're holding a hammer and nail so seams between the trim pieces are nice and tight."

Would You Recommend a Finish Nail Gun to Other Beginners?

"We would definitely tell anyone who has not tried them to get over using a hammer and do this. Get over the horror stories you hear about people getting nailed in the head. Russ and I never felt in danger. Read the safety information and you will feel comfortable using it in no time. We did not use the setting where a nail comes out every time you make contact. In view of our inexperience, we set it so you have to hit the trigger each time and we felt very comfortable with it."

CLICK HERE to have the Senco Mg18 in your hands in a few days.

Felt Paper Vapor Barrier? You Bet It Can Be

What is a Vapor Barrier?

How Does the Permanence Rating of Felt Paper Compare to a High-Performance House Wrap?

Is Asphalt a Vapor Retarder?

Felt Paper Under House Siding

Can Felt Paper Covering Wall Sheathing Create an Odor Inside a House?

Can Felt Paper Cause Wood Rot?

Should I Use Felt Paper On the Outside of My Home?

Why Wasn't Felt Paper a Problem on Older Homes?

Building Blues

Scenario:

Attic Condensation Phone Call

Week Three of Meghan & Brent's New Home

Christmas Stocking Stuffer - Magnify Things!

Do You Shop at Amazon.com?

Revised Columns of Great Interest

Hastings Triplet 10X Review - Very Handy Lasts Decades

Hold the Hastings Triplet to Your Eye

How to Use a Hastings Triplet 10X Magnifier

Wallpaper Borders

Are Wallpaper Borders Hard To Install?

What Is Booking?

When Should The Wall Be Primed?

Flagstone Mortar

New Build Home Timeline Series - Part 3

New Build Home Timeline Part Three - Stakeout House, Dig & Blast Prep

Week Three - October 28, 2018

Senco FinishPro Mg18 Review

Who Used the Senco FinishPro Mg18?

Did You Have Any Nail Gun Experience?

Was the Senco Finishpro Mg18 Dependable?

What Did You Like Most About the FinishPro Mg18?

Would You Recommend a Finish Nail Gun to Other Beginners?

Expert Advice For Your Home