DEAR TIM: My new home is under construction. I'm in a disagreement with my builder about what's going to happen under my garage slab. Right now there's a trench around the inside on all four walls where they had to dig to install the foundation.
The center of the garage area is undisturbed dirt and rock that's been there since the dinosaurs roamed. My builder says he's just going to fill it in with the dirt he dug out and all will be well.
I think that's a mistake. What should be done? If he does use the dirt is there a special way to install it? Are there other things that can be done? What would you do? Tom M., Binghampton, NY
DEAR TOM: Un-compacted fill under concrete slabs of any type is a recipe for disaster. The slab could be for an entire home, it might be an exterior patio slab, a front porch slab, a driveway, etc. Concrete is an amazing material, but it has an Achilles heel.
Concrete has tremendous compressive strength. This means if you squeeze it, it often takes 3,000, 4,000 or more pounds of pressure per square inch to get it to crack and fail. But the exact same concrete mix, when you stretch or bend it, engineers call this tension, has on average only one tenth the strength as it has in compression.
Soil Settles
If un-compacted, or poorly compacted, soil or fill sinks under a slab you end up with a hollow spot. If you drive on this concrete and apply pressure to it, the concrete tries to bend or stretch to conform to the hollow spot. The result is almost always a crack and the concrete slab drops down. I see photos of this unnecessary damage all the time.
Add Water to Compact
You're correct that the dirt in the center of the garage area is solid fill. Mother Nature, over time, does an amazing job of compacting soils. Rainwater plays an important part of this process. Adding water to fluffed or disturbed soil will go a long way to accelerate natural compaction of soil particles.
When I was still building on a daily basis, I would go to great lengths to water the fill soil in utility trenches and around the outside of a new home to get the soil to settle faster. Many builders don't take this extra time.
Engineering Specs
Your builder can use the soil he dug out of the ground to fill the trenches back in, but to do it right requires lots of work. A soil engineer can develop a compaction plan that speaks to the amount of soil that can go in the trench at a time, the fancy name for this is a lift, what tool needs to be used to compact the soil and how long the tool needs to be used to get the soil compact.
When fill dirt is placed in large amounts for highways and other projects, the fluffed dirt is brought in, spread out in thin layers and then compacted by large machinery designed to compact dirt and rock. The moisture content of the fill dirt is important as is every other facet of the operation. The same process can be done for smaller jobs like yours.
Your builder has all sorts of options if he doesn't want to go to all that work. Each has to be studied to see which is the most cost effective.
Concrete Block Ledges
One option is to lay concrete block up off the interior ledge of the footers to just below where the concrete slab will be. These can be spaced at 4-foot intervals around the interior foundation walls. The concrete slab will rest on these and provide solid support down to the footer.
The slab will have to have steel rebar, no less than one-half-inch in diameter in both directions spaced at 2-foot centers to make this work. The steel bars need to be placed so they line up with the concrete block pilasters.
The slab then acts as a bridge between the pilasters and the compact dirt in the center of the garage.
The easiest fix to the situation in my opinion is to just fill the trenches with self-compacting gravel. This is what I used to do on my jobs. You may be lucky to have a gravel company that has a truck equipped with a conveyor belt that will shoot the gravel in place so very little work has to be done by hand.
I was lucky to build in an area where there was abundant rounded sand and gravel. This was created by the massive continental glaciers that covered much of the northeast USA and the upper Midwest about 15,000 years ago. When all that ice melted on it's own with no help from us, it created untold cubic yards of this wonderful rounded gravel.
Pea Gravel
I preferred to use washed pea gravel for filling trenches like this in garages. This gravel is the size of small green peas and it naturally compacts as it's put into a void space. Visit a few local gravel pits in your area to see if they have this small rounded gravel.
You can also fill the trenches with a gravel product that's a mixture of washed sand and different sizes of rounded gravel. This product requires water to get it to naturally compact and you need to install it in layers no thicker than one foot at a time.
If you have to use crushed stone, be aware that it requires mechanical compaction so the pieces of gravel interlock. This extra step is costly and it must be done correctly so your slab never fails.
Color match paint is possible using a Color Wheel or Color Computer. You can also use a handy hand scanner and phone app. (See Below) If you want to use this older color wheel, you dial up the color you need and it shows you the colors you need to combine to get you there. CLICK THIS IMAGE NOW TO BUY THIS INEXPENSIVE TOOL to create basic colors.
"If you decide to attempt to color match paint yourself, the process requires patience, excellent lighting, soap and water, and lots of luck. You can do it."
Color Match Paint Tips
try using a color match paint app first
take a color chip sample from wall to paint store
last resort is to try blending paint at your home to get the match
DEAR TIM: I need to color match paint in my living room. I recently modified my curtains. This required patching numerous small holes. It's now time to match the flat wall paint adjacent to these patched areas.
I've never had luck in getting an exact color match from the paint store. The shades are close but you can always see the painted area.
Is there a way to match the color so I don't have to paint the entire room? Have you ever had success in matching colors in a situation like this? Vivian S., Cincinnati, OH
DEAR VIVIAN: Paint matching has driven many people close to the edge of insanity. I recently met a frustrated woman in a paint store who said that she had over fifty small cans of paint in her basement. These cans represented failed attempts at trying to perfectly match a wall color.
A paint matching machine scans an actual paint sample and reverse engineers the amounts of pigment it would take to create the color it sees.
Matching existing paint colors can be done. If you expect a paint store to do it for you, you need to bring in a clean sample of the paint color.
Paint stores have amazing optical scanners that can compute the needed pigments to match the sample you provide. Usually, the sample needs to be about 1.5-inch square.
Yes, there are color match paint apps for your smartphone! The last time I checked, there were over five of them.
Sherwin Williams also makes a small hand-held scanner that you press against a painted surface and it gives you the best color match for one of their paints. It's called the Color Muse.
This is the Sherwin Williams ColorSnap Match tool and phone app. CLICK THE PHOTO now to have it delivered to your home.
Watch this video to see how it works.
How Long Does it Take to Match Paint?
A paint store with this equipment can give you a very close match within minutes. Often they'll mix a small quantity of paint, open the can, put a small amount of the new paint on your sample and use a blow dryer to see how well it matches.
How Do You Match the Paint Gloss?
The same color formula will render different shades of a color depending upon the sheen or gloss of the final paint. Keep that in mind!
How Do you do DIY Paint Matching?
If you decide to color match paint yourself, the process requires patience, excellent lighting, soap and water, and lots of luck. You can do it.
I've had great success in the past. Recently I successfully matched a nine-year-old light beige color in a client's living room.
I did this by getting a slightly darker shade of beige than what was on the wall and I started to mix different small amounts of the paint with pure white paint until I got a perfect match. I was very lucky.
IMPORTANT TIP: The color or hue of an object is actually generated by the light that's illuminating the object.
Sunlight produces all of the wavelengths or color possibilities that we can see with our naked eye. If you live in a place with low humidity, it's a cloud-free day and the sun is high in the sky, the colors you see of things outdoors are pretty much the true color of that object.
What are The Golden Hours?
The golden hours are referred to that time of day just after the sun rises and just before it sets. Reds, oranges, and yellows are more vibrant at this time of day.
Let's say you're standing outside at noon on a cloud-free day at the Grand Canyon. You're blown away by the rocks and sky.
But you fall asleep and take a nap waking up just as the sun is about to set. All of a sudden the reds and oranges in the rock formations are far more vivid.
You're in what's known as the golden hour.
What's happening is the sun's light is now passing through lots of the atmosphere at such a low angle in the sky and the blue and green light rays of natural light are getting absorbed by the atmosphere. Only the reds, oranges and yellows of the color spectrum are making it through all the air and they enhance anything that's red, orange or yellow!
The same phenomenon happens at sunrise for about an hour.
Can Artificial Light Mimic Sunlight?
Artificial light created by any type of light bulb has a hard time mimicking all the wavelengths in sunlight. It's really hard to mimic Mother Nature.
Most light bulbs only put out part of the entire visible light spectrum.
As a result, an object viewed in natural sunlight outdoors at noon as we talked above can look very different when observed under artificial light (paint store fluorescent lights, living room lamps, etc.).
Parking-lot lights are good examples. Have you ever noticed how your car sometimes appears a very different color at night under harsh sodium vapor lights?
Many parking lot lights are sodium vapor or halogen. The trend now is to LED bulbs. All of these tend to create a very narrow band of color they produce.
Is Flat Paint the Easiest to Color Match?
Yes, flat paint tends to be the easiest paint to color match.
The sheen or gloss of paint also makes it very difficult to match colors. It's much easier to match flat colors than those with gloss.
High-gloss paints are very unforgiving. It's almost impossible to touch up a defect using the same high gloss paint just days after a new paint job!
Should I Wash Surfaces Before Color Matching?
Yes, you first need to wash surfaces with soap and water before trying to color match them. This process is necessary even if you decide to repaint the entire room. Paint should always be applied to a clean, dry surface.
The washing will remove accumulated dirt, grease, and smoke particles. It is virtually impossible to get an exact match on a dirty wall surface.
Grab the paints that get you close, some disposable cups and measuring spoons and you can start to blend paints until you develop your own custom formula.
Get A Close Match First
Once the walls are clean, proceed to your local paint store and ask for numerous color chip samples that are close or match your wall color. Take these back and hold them against the walls in different spots on a sunny day.
Attempt to select a color on a wall that receives indirect sunlight. Never hold a chip on a wall illuminated by a sunbeam. If you're lucky, a color on one of the chips will match closely.
How Much Paint Should I Buy?
Proceed to the paint store and purchase the smallest quantity of flat paint that can be custom tinted to the color chip you feel is the closest match. Some paint stores or hardware stores can do this with very small amounts of paint saving you money.
Should I Start With A Darker Color?
Yes, when doing DIY color matching, start with a slightly darker color.
I've had the best luck matching colors when I select a color that is slightly darker than the color I am trying to match.
Purchase an additional pint or quart of plain white paint at the same time. You'll need this to adjust the color back at your house.
Does Paint Dry Darker?
Yes, paint has a tendency to dry darker than when first applied.
Apply a small amount of the pre-mixed paint to your wall. It may look like a perfect match when you first apply it. Many flat paint colors deepen as they dry.
The paint tends to dry darker because as the water in the paint evaporates the color pigments concentrate causing this phenomenon. If the paint dries darker, that's fine.
You'll now start to make micro-batches of paint on your own using your plastic measuring spoons and paper cups.
Measure Accurately
Take a teaspoon of the tinted paint and a teaspoon of the pure white paint and mix them together in a paper cup. Always rinse and dry the measuring spoon completely before you scoop paint from a different can.
Apply this to the wall and allow it to dry for twenty minutes. The use of a hair blow dryer will accelerate the drying time.
Different Recipes
Adjust the proportions of white paint and colored paint if you don't get a perfect match. Keep track of the test paint areas and the proportions of paint that you mix with one another. With a little luck and lots of patience, you'll probably get an exact match.
DEAR TIM: My current 1,100 square-foot single-story three-bedroom one-bath home is not large enough for my growing family. To get a somewhat larger new home that barely meets our needs costs $200,000 more than what I can sell my existing home.
It seems as if I need to stay put and add space here. My lot is small so a second story seems the only way to go. How hard is it to add a second story to a home? What do I need to think about? Maria E., Sacramento, CA
DEAR MARIA: It's not too hard to add a second story to a home. You have quite a bit to think about to put it bluntly. There are so many things to consider, I almost do not know where to start.
Old Houses = Big Bargains
Fortunately, you've already done part of the mathematical analysis that has illustrated a point many people overlook. You can almost always buy square footage in an existing or used home for far less than new-home square footage.
A new home in a great location on a nice lot can be very pricey. Older existing homes in great neighborhoods often can be fantastic bargains when you simply compare them to a new home if you find out how much each one is selling for per square foot of finished living space.
The first thing you need to do in my opinion is to visit your local government zoning office. They should be able to tell you if you're permitted to add a second story. Ask them about total structure height.
Many building and zoning codes only allow the top of the structure to be so many feet above the grade level. For example, the Ohio village I used to live in didn't allow the top of any part of the house's roof to be higher than 35 feet above the soil around the house.
You need to do some fast quick calculations to see what the total height of your house would be with a second story. If there are existing homes in the neighborhood with them, you shouldn't run into any zoning restrictions.
Subdivision Restrictions
You may have to visit your local recorder's office at the same time to see if any subdivision restrictions were recorded with your property deed or plat.
As crazy as it sounds, maybe the developer of your land included restrictions that simply do not allow second-story additions. This might be very common in the desert southwest and other areas where a taller home might block the view of another homeowner.
Get Current Remodel Costs
If you determine you can add a second story, it's time to talk with at least two remodeling contractors who have done this type of work.
Interview a few and ask them to provide addresses of several homes where they have added a second story. Ask them what they feel the current cost per square foot is to add the necessary room to your home.
Guesstimates
Be sure to ask what the extra cost might be to add a full bathroom. Remember, these are just guesstimate numbers and you should be prepared to pay as much as 20 percent more as the plans are developed and challenges of your job are addressed.
Do Simple Math
Using these very rough preliminary numbers, see if you can afford to add the amount of space you need.
Let's say you feel you need 800 more square feet of space. If the current cost for a second story in your market is $175.00 per square foot, then you're already at $140,000. (2017 numbers) Add an additional $8,000.00 more for the full bath, you're looking at a possible cost of $148,000.00. Then you need to add the 20 percent contingency. You're now just south of $178,000!
Can you borrow this much comfortably? Visit your local banker or mortgage company and ask them to help you with a quick refinancing analysis.
Pre-Plan Checklist
If you qualify for a new loan, you should now start thinking about the actual project. Here's a partial list of the things I see as issues:
Will the current exterior walls support the load of the second story?
Is the foundation strong enough to carry the new load?
How will the plumbing from the new bathroom connect to the existing?
How will the new staircase between floors impact the existing floor plan?
Is it better to install separate heating and air conditioning for the new space?
Do you have to install a new electric service and panel for the added electrical loads?
Does the contractor know how to minimize sound transmission between the new and old spaces?
Is it wise/affordable to add special storage or possibly attic trusses in the new roof to gain bonus space?
How would you like me to build your new home? It's probably impossible for me to fit your job into my schedule, but I will gladly share hundreds of my tricks and building secrets with you and your builder. Check out my New House Specifications.
If you're lucky and the remodelers you speak with are experienced, they may add several more things to my abbreviated list.
Let's say you are a go to do the job. You can get the money, you can add a second story. It's nothing but rainbows and unicorns.
Here's the reality. Nothing could be more disruptive than ripping off the roof of a home, building a new subfloor, second-story walls and then a new roof.
I've read stories where some very skilled remodeling contractors were able to disconnect the roof of an existing home, have a crane lift it up and set it aside while they quickly build the new floor and set pre-fabricated exterior walls.
This all happened within a 36-hour period so the house would not get rained on while the roof was off.
Even with this kind of blitzkrieg work, it's enormously disruptive. If you do it the old way and it takes days to tear off the old roof, build the floor and walls and then the new roof and it rains at some point, well, you get the picture.
Major Disruption
Furthermore, as you begin to proceed with plans, it would be very wise to speak with two or three homeowners who went through the same process of raising a roof. Ask them about how they dealt with the disruption.
The best questions to ask might be what they would do differently if they could rewind the tape and play the experience over once more. You just might be surprised with their input.
Permanent concrete repairs are possible, well, nearly permanent. It's possible to expect a 20 - 30 year life expectancy from a properly executed repair. That isn't so bad if you ask me.
The trick to a long-lasting concrete repair lies in bonding the new material to the old material. Many people think that the new patching material will magically stick to the old concrete.
The concrete that makes up your steps, driveway, sidewalk, etc. is usually comprised of four basic ingredients: water, sand, gravel, and Portland cement. The cement is the glue that holds the sand and gravel together.
It does this my reacting chemically with the water that you add to the mixture.
Hydration
As soon as you add water to cement powder, a chemical reaction begins to happen. It's called hydration. Very tiny crystals begin to form. These crystals interlock with one another and lock into and onto any irregularities of the sand and gravel particles.
This chemical reaction is what's responsible for transforming the plastic mixture of concrete that resembles thick applesauce to solid rock hours later.
The more crystals that form, the stronger the bond will be. This means you don't want to add the minimum amount of Portland cement to your concrete that you're mixing for your repair.
Concrete Glue
Have you ever seen those home repair shows on TV? Some show the fairy-tale couple who mix a concrete batch up and pour it into a hole.
If we could go back and do an autopsy of the patch, we'd probably see lots of stones from the new mix that are touching the old concrete. A piece of stone aggregate is not going to bond to the old concrete.
It's very important to have a uniform amount of cement paste coating the old concrete. This is the primary reason for most concrete patch failures.
Secret Cement Paint
The old method of securing a patch involves simply mixing up a cement paint. I was lucky enough to be taught this trade secret by an old concrete mason when I was a young man.
Nothing could be simpler. You take Portland cement, add water until you have a paint consistency.
In the first three minutes of this video I show you how to mix up a batch of cement paint:
This cement paint is then brushed onto the old concrete surfaces where the new concrete material will touch it.
Great Concrete Patch Mix Video
Watch this video to see what the concrete mix should look like right before you pour it or use it as a patching material. I was mixing it to use to make large in-ground piers for a large shed.
It doesn't matter. I would have mixed it the SAME if I was doing a small repair.
Clean, Dust-Free and Damp
The area to be patched must be free of all loose stones and grit, free of all dust, and finally slightly damp.
Just before you're ready to install the concrete patching compound, you simply paint a thin coat of the cement paint onto the clean, solid, damp old concrete.
Immediately cover the cement paint with the patching compound. Never allow the cement paint to dry. It can dry rapidly if you're working in the sun on a hot day.
If you chose not to use cement paint, you can use many of the acrylic bonding agents that are available. These chemicals are not much different than the resins used in paints.
Here's a great bonding agent for concrete. It's affordable and works well. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER IT.
There are bonding agents that you add to the patching compound, and there are bonding agents that you paint onto the old concrete. You can actually use both, if you wish. These compounds work very well if you follow instructions to the letter.
Some of the bonding agents you paint on the old concrete must cure slightly before you add the patching compound. They are usually a milky white color when you paint them on.
Depending upon the temperature, wind, and humidity, they then become clear. When the agent turns clear you can then add the patching compound.
Pin the Patch
Large concrete patches such as a step, corner of a driveway, sidewalk, or patio must be attached to the old concrete with a mechanical pin. The cement glue or additives will not do the job on their own.
I've successfully employed standard reinforcing steel bars for years. They're inexpensive, easily obtainable, and the new concrete readily grabs onto the bumps and knobs on the reinforcing steel.
The rough profile of the bar also is an advantage when you drive it into the old concrete. As long as you drill the right sized hole for the rod it is virtually impossible to remove the rod. In fact, as you drive the rod into the old concrete it will feel tighter than when you drive a nail into wood.
Smaller galvanized nails can be used for pins as well for small repairs. Just size the pin for the amount of concrete you're installing. You want at least an inch of concrete to surround a pin.
Concrete Pins VIDEO
Watch this video below please to see what I'm talking about with respect to pins to hold one concrete patch to another.
This video is number five of a seven-part series about putting in a trench drain. In the video I wanted to show a homeowner how to deal with a situation where they ran out of concrete and how to hold the old to the new.
In this particular case, there was no need for the cement paint because the second layer of concrete I was adding was going around the entire drain.
Pay attention in the video how the pins are at opposing angles so they act like anchors once the new concrete hardens around them.
Installing the Pins
I've had the best luck in my repair work when I used 1/2 inch reinforcing steel driven into a 1/2 inch hole. Hammer drills quickly drill holes into old concrete.
If you don't own one, they can be rented at any tool rental shop. You can buy one if you plan to do lots of work. It will pay for itself.
I own this hammer drill and it's a top performer. The lithium-ion batteries provide all sorts of power. CLICK THE IMAGE to BUY IT NOW.
I prefer to drill at least a 3-4 inch-deep hole when possible. Try to stay away from the edges of the old concrete.
You want to drill directly into the center of the old concrete. Use a four-pound, or heavier, hammer to drive the steel pin.
The length of the pin should be predetermined. In other words, don't cut off the steel after it has been driven into the old concrete. Always try to maintain a 1 inch or better coverage of patching material over the pin.
If you have the time, I would also recommend that you paint the pin with a good metal primer. Rebars can and will rust within your concrete patch. If it gets bad enough, the rusting pin will expand and actually crack the patch! The extra time spent painting the steel pins is worth it.
X-0 Rust Paint
Here's an exceptional paint to use to paint steel rebar. It already has a primer in it so you can use it on bare steel.
Here's a spray paint that's great for steel beams and columns. It contains a metal primer. This brand also is available in quart or gallon cans if you have LOTS of steel to paint. CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER IT NOW.
Concrete Repairs in General
Loose paving bricks, flagstone, marble, sandstone, etc. can be successfully repaired. Keep in mind the earlier points concerning concrete paint, dust, and a rich patching compound.
Weather is also important. How many people think that hot or warm, dry, breezy weather is the best time to repair concrete? Raise your hands now.
This is the worst time to do these repairs! Hot sun and wind take the water out of concrete too fast. Water needs to be retained by the concrete for weeks so the magic crystals grow and grow.
Temperatures around 60 F with overcast skies and no rain forecast are the best conditions to do any concrete work.
Hydration Water
Remember earlier, when I said the cement needs water to start the chemical reaction that starts the crystals growing? The cement also needs water to maintain the chemical reaction.
How long? Well, let's say for 2 - 3 months or so. In actuality, it's really longer.
If you mix up a patching compound batch, install it in hot breezy weather, the water may leave the mix before enough crystal have grown. The patch will be very weak. It will crumble.
Has happened to you? Now you know why.
Dampen the Old Concrete
Take the time to dampen the area to be patched. Concrete absorbs water. You want to pre-load the old concrete with water so it doesn't suck too much water out of the cement paint and the repair compound.
Cure the Concrete
Take the time to cover your work with plastic after you are finished. You can also spray the patch with water after it has become stiff. Do this for 4 - 7 days and you will be amazed at how strong your patch will be!
If the patch is out in the open, try to shade it from the hot sun as well. You can do this by covering the patch with a piece of plywood or OSB that creates nice shade.
Mixing - Easy as 3 - 2 - 1 (Well maybe 1.5)!
Concrete patching material can be purchased two ways: premixed in bags or raw materials that you have to mix. The raw material route is almost always cheaper by a long shot. Plus, you'll have the necessary pure Portland cement on hand.
You need the Portland cement to make the cement paint.
Gravel Size
One thing you always need to keep in mind is the size of the gravel you need. If you're patching a deep hole, say 3 inches or deeper, you can use 1-inch gravel. This gravel has pieces of stone ranging in size from large grapes to small green peas.
Common sense would tell you that a shallow hole just can't be patched effectively with a mix containing large gravel. Shallow patches will require pea gravel or coarse sand!
Mix Formula
When you do use gravel in your mix, use these proportions:
3 parts gravel
2 parts coarse sand
1.5 parts cement
0.5 parts hydrated mason's lime
The old rule of thumb was always 3 - 2 - 1. However, since the cement is the glue and you only want to do the patch once, why not add a little extra cement?
Hydrated Lime - Secret Ingredient
Do you recall the great book written by J.R.R. Tolkien - The Fellowship of the Ring? In it was a powerful quote by the character Galadriel,
“And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge.”
This applies directly to hydrated lime. It's rapidly becoming a myth in the building industry. Hydrated lime is an amazing material that makes concrete stickier and it has mystical self-repair capabilities of micro-cracks that might develop in the concrete
I always mix hydrated lime in my repair mixes to boost the holding power of the mix.
This is excellent hydrated lime. It's a fine white powder and it's going to look great on your home. CLICK THE IMAGE TO ORDER SOME RIGHT NOW.
Thin Patches
If you're doing a stucco patch or replacing a flagstone, brick etc., you will not use gravel. Then mix:
2.5 parts medium sand
1 part cement
0.5 parts hydrated lime
Add just enough water to make the mix like stiff applesauce.
This will be a great mix. The patching compound should be at least 3/8 inch thick after it's applied.
Finishing Concrete
Finishing concrete is easy. It takes two things - a little time and some patience. Decent tools are recommended, but aren't always necessary.
Believe it or not, a simple block of wood will produce excellent results. I've done it on many occasions.
Sand to the Surface
To achieve a nice sand finish (the easiest), you need to drive the gravel pieces at least 1/4 inch below the surface. This can be done by rubbing a board across the top of the concrete patch back and forth in a seesaw fashion. You can also lightly pat the concrete just after it's poured or put into the patch form.
Do this several times after you initially pour the concrete. This board removes excess concrete and brings sand and cement to the surface.
Patience
Now you must be patient. Remember the magic crystals?
Every minute that passes, more and more grow. The only issue is the air temperature. The hotter it is and if the sun is beating on your concrete, the faster the crystals will form.
If it's cold out and the materials and mixing water were cold to start with, it can take hours and hours for the concrete to start to get firm enough to finish.
Pro Results
To achieve really nice finish results, enough crystals must form so that the surface of the concrete is firm but plastic. It's hard to describe.
But watch this video to get an idea of how firm the concrete must be so you can trowel it:
When you initially pour the concrete, the mix is fluid. This is no good, as your tool makes marks.
But if you wait too long, the concrete will get too hard and you'll have problems.
You simply need to watch over and experiment. Temperature and humidity play a big part in the set time. Watch yourself in hot weather. The concrete can get away from you!
No Added Water
NEVER trowel back in bleed water which will in many cases appear at the surface. Bleed water is what makes the concrete look as if it is sweating.
Bleed water happens because water is the lightest of the four ingredients in concrete.
Leave this water alone! It will evaporate quickly in most cases. Troweling it into the surface will weaken the surface of the concrete. You're diluting the cement! This is the primary cause of concrete scaling!
This is the same reason you don't want to add too much water to your concrete mix making it easy to install. Too much water weakens the concrete.
Smooth Steel-Trowel Finish
If you desire a smooth, steel trowel finish, you must first finish the surface and achieve a sand finish. This is done by gently swirling a wood float, block, or magnesium trowel over the stiffening concrete.
Once a few more crystals grow, the concrete can be finished with a steel trowel. This trowel and skilled workmanship bring the cement paste to the surface. As this hardens, you can get a surface as slick as glass. It's truly and art form. Don't expect perfect results your first try.
DEAR TIM:I feel our new home has some serious problems but our builder disagrees. The house is less than 6 months old but we have ugly white deposits that are leaching out of our chimney, a wing wall that juts from a corner of our home and a retaining wall
I feel there must be something wrong for this to happen. The more I scrub the worse the problem gets. What's wrong and what can be done to fix the problem? Andrew M., Loveland, OH
DEAR ANDREW: Don't put the noose around the builder's neck just yet. The white deposits you are seeing are probably not his fault, although there might have been some things he could have done during construction to minimize the presence of the powder.
No Harm No Foul
The first thing to realize is that these mineral deposits are just an aesthetic problem. They don't compromise the structural integrity of any of the masonry in and about your new home, but chronic water that gets into masonry can cause problems over time.
The white powder you see is efflorescence. The brick, stone, concrete block, mortar etc. contain water soluble salts that are the source of the white deposits. Soil behind retaining walls can also contain these same salts.
These trapped salts are set into motion when water enters masonry. The water dissolves the salts and carries them through the masonry towards the surface. Sunlight and wind draw the water to the surface but as the water evaporates, the salts are left behind.
Years to Wear Out
The salts contained in the brick, mortar, stone, concrete block eventually exhaust themselves and the white mineral deposits simply go away. But salts within soil can persist for decades.
This is why efflorescence on the face of a retaining wall is almost impossible to cure unless you remove the backfill, clean the wall and apply an asphalt waterproofing compound on the back of the wall.
IMPORTANT TIP: Do NOT try to wash off the powder deposits with water or an acid-water solution.
Each time you try to wash the chimney and wall surfaces to remove the salts, you actually compound the problem. The water you use dissolves the salts again and carries them back into the mortar or the masonry.
The surfaces typically look fantastic when wet and you think you've solved your problem, but the white powder appears again when the surfaces dry within hours or days.
How To Stop It
To stop the efflorescence now, you must stop all water from entering the masonry surfaces. This is somewhat easy to do at the chimney and any exterior masonry walls, but far more difficult to do with the retaining wall.
If you stop the water, there is no transport medium to carry the soluble salts to the surface where you'll see them.
Efflorescence Video
Watch this video to grasp what you're up against.
Silane Siloxane Water Repellents
Your chimney and wing wall can be treated with a great silane-siloxane water repellent. This is a clear liquid you apply with a garden hand-pump sprayer. They'll travel deep into the masonry if you have a helper using a backpack leaf blower.
As you spray the wall with the clear liquid, the helper blasts the wall with the air from the blower. This air pushes the sealer deep into the masonry.
This is a magnificent silane - siloxane water repellent that soaks into concrete. CLICK THIS IMAGE NOW TO ORDER IT.
Here is classic efflorescence. This brick is at my daughter's school and is only 2-years old. This is a small wing wall and the top of it can get wet. Efflorescence is very common on new brick and stonework.
Retaining Wall Woes
The retaining wall that's backfilled with dirt should have been treated as it was built. The back side of the wall where the dirt touches it needs to be coated with an asphalt waterproofing compound.
If the wall builder had done this, even if it was just liquid asphalt, that would have stopped water infiltration into the wall.
Remove The Fill
It's very hard to do now as the fill behind the wall will have to be removed, the wall cleaned and allowed to dry and finally the back side of the wall can be waterproofed. Too bad this wasn't done when the wall was built.
It would have taken hours instead of the days it will now take to stop the efflorescence.
Mild Weather
I would not try to do any remedial work until the weather moderates. You want days where the temperature rises to 65 F or above to get excellent results from the sealants and water repellents.
Be sure to inspect the chimney crown for cracks that might allow water to enter the chimney's masonry core. If you discover cracks, you need a different elastomeric coating for the chimney crown.
The one stone in the center bottom of this photograph is completely covered with a thick layer of minerals. It is perhaps the worst case of efflorescence I have ever seen other than deposits in a cave.
Tough Love Talk
I think you should have a discussion with your builder to see if he will help you out with the retaining wall fix. Perhaps he can excavate the fill and clean the wall and you apply the waterproofing compound. The builder can then backfill since he has access to equipment that can do it rapidly and easily.
Can You Wait?
Efflorescence happens. It is part of building new things. It eventually goes away on its own, but this process can take years, even decades. When possible, it's best to just let the problem diminish on its own.
Stopping water from entering masonry is the best way to make efflorescence stop. But it is not as easy as one might think. Water can enter masonry and travel up, down and sideways!
Rising Damp
You can actually get efflorescence on masonry walls caused by moisture in the soil that wicks up a wall. In Europe this is called the rising damp. It's almost impossible to cure this defect.
Efflorescence growing in the mortar of a brick fireplace. PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Hannum
Over the years, I've seen many different spellings of efflorescence. Here's my growing list: effervesce, effervescence, effervescent, effleresants, effloreflance, efflorescence, efflorressance, effluorescence, eflorescence, eflorescents, ellforesce and ifflorescence.
Tar paper has a proven track record of success. It will keep this shed dry for hundreds of years if the shed is maintained. (C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter CLICK HERE or THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY TAR PAPER
DEAR TIM:I'm building a room addition, and as I demolished my outside wall, I discovered tar paper was in the wall. I thought tar paper was just used on roofs.
Why did they use tar paper in the wall? Should I use it on the walls of my room addition? What about all the new fancy products I see that were developed to replace tar paper? It's all very confusing. Rob R., Lebanon, OH
DEAR ROB: I'd wager that hundreds of thousands of houses here in the USA, and possibly millions across the world, are still standing because smart builders of old used tar paper as a weather barrier.
You're correct that it's been used under roofing for years to help keep wood dry. It does the same thing on walls if given the chance.
Demolition Proves Tap Paper Works Well
I've also had the pleasure of tearing apart many an old exterior wall. On just about every one that was wood-framed, I found tar paper under the exterior siding material.
The tar paper had become brittle in almost all situations, but it still worked. You could put water on the black paper, the water beaded up and didn't penetrate to the wood behind.
Old-Growth Lumber
I don't know what builders of old used before tar paper, but I can only assume that once crude oil was discovered and then refined for it's many current uses, builders immediately saw the benefits of a waterproof product made from oil that could be applied in sheets.
One reason homes built before the 1900's didn't rot at the alarming rate you see lumber rot today is the old homes use old-growth timber.
This timber has a much more equal ratio of hard, dense summer wood to the less-dense spring wood. Summer wood is the dark band you see at the end of a cut log. Springwood is the light-colored band.
The spring wood is added to the tree in the spring when water is usually abundant. Come July, the wood that's added is much denser because it's usually dry that time of year. The summer wood, by it's very nature, is very rot resistant.
How Tar Paper is Made
Tar paper used to be made by soaking a porous paper made from cotton rag scraps with thinned liquid asphalt. Asphalt, of course, is one of the final products that comes out of a catalytic convertor that's used to refine crude oil.
The paper comes in different weights. The most common weights are 15-pound and 30-pound tar paper. The 30-pound tar paper is heavier and has much more asphalt in it.
Not the Same
While impossible to know unless you do an expensive analysis, the asphalt used to make modern tar paper contains much more oxygen than it should.
The tar paper made between 1900 and 1980 probably will last far longer than the tar paper made today.
Fiberglass Mats
Much of today's tar paper is made using multiple fiberglass mats as the cotton rag industry has declined significantly over the past few decades. This is just part of the reason why fiberglass shingles were introduced. There simply was a shortage of cotton scrap to make the mats that are the foundation of shingles.
The big reason fiberglass pushed aside cotton-fiber mats was they could run the giant mills three times faster than if they used cotton. This means more profits for the asphalt shingle manufacturers.
UV Damage
Since felt paper gets covered with something not long after it's installed, there's little chance it will degrade. The ultraviolet rays from the sun attack the exposed asphalt and cause it to oxidize and cross link with adjacent asphalt molecules. This cross linking makes the asphalt brittle.
Tar Paper is Time Tested
Using tar paper to protect wood sheathing and wood framing members on houses, room additions or outdoor sheds is a fantastic idea. This time-tested product is affordable, it's easy to work with and it's readily available.
Tar Paper Video
Watch this video to show you tar paper being installed on a large shed I built in the summer of 2013.
Overlap Correctly
The trick is to make sure you install it so it overlaps correctly. You want each piece to overlap the piece below it. Feathers on birds, fur on animals and shingles on a roof use this same method to stop water penetration.
It's all about shedding water. There are pre-printed lines on the tar paper that help show you where to end the overlap. Usually 2 inches is plenty on a horizontal seam. If you have a vertical seam where one piece ends and another starts, make the overlap at least 6 inches.
Overlap the Top of Your Foundation
Another great installation tip is to make sure the first strip of tar paper is installed so it overlaps the top of the foundation at least an inch. You want any water that does get behind the siding to run down and never be allowed to get near any wood. Many homeowners and builders fail to create this mission-critical overlap at the foundation.
New Weather Barriers
The newer weather barriers made from synthetic fabrics are great products. I've used them as well as tar paper. Some of the new products come in tall 10-foot-wide rolls that allow you to cover a typical one-story house with only one vertical overlap seam!
Here's a typical synthetic water barrier that takes the place of tar paper. This material is 4-feet wide and 250-feet long! CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO BUY IT.
It's not uncommon to have a roll that's over 100 feet long, if not longer.
You surely can't do that with tar paper as it usually only comes in rolls 3-feet wide. This means you'll have at least four horizontal overlap seams in a typical single-story home.
More Labor
Tar paper will take more labor to install than the newer wider synthetic weather barriers, but if you're doing the work, it costs you just your time. You just need to do the math to see what material will save you money.
Drainage Channels
Some of the newer weather barriers have great drainage channels built into them. These channels help direct water quickly down and away from the exterior siding material. They also promote quick drying allowing air to get behind any siding. This is a good thing.
Tar paper does not offer this. Siding applied directly over tar paper creates a sandwich effect and can trap water between the siding material and the tar paper.
If you want vertical drainage with tar paper, you have to add treated lumber strips on top of the tar paper. This is a time-intensive process and requires all sorts of skill.
I don't add vertical drainage strips on my jobs when using tar paper because I take the time to install the siding so that water will have a very tough time getting to the tar paper. Just use the best practices when installing siding and you'll get the same results.
Editor's Note: Trisha, from Hartford, WI, asked on the Happenings Radio Show about filing a void under her sidewalk. Read about it in the September 13, 2020 Newsletter.
DEAR TIM:I'm installing some low-voltage lighting in the planting beds in front of my home. But a sidewalk is blocking me from running the cable from bed to bed.
I don't want to have to break apart the concrete or saw cut a small groove through it. Is there an easy way to go under the sidewalk with disturbing it? Surely you had to do this once or twice as a builder and can share your secret tools and tricks. Mike S, Kalamazoo, MI
DEAR MIKE: How right you are. I can't think of the number of times I had to extend a drain pipe, cable, irrigation line, gas line, etc. under a driveway, sidewalk or retaining wall without disturbing the finished surface material.
Sometimes, the task was easy; other times it was a nightmare. But you're correct in thinking, I learned some creative solutions to the different challenges.
My first inspiration for creating invisible pathways came from my fantastic backhoe operator Jimmy Rolfes, Sr. We had to extend a pipe under a six-foot-wide sidewalk and digging a tunnel by hand with a duckbill shovel gave me a headache just thinking about it much less from doing it.
Jimmy showed up at the job site with a large 16-foot-long six-inch diameter steel pipe that had a coned-shaped metal end. He dug a two-foot deep trench perpendicular to the sidewalk and laid the pipe into the trench with the pointed end towards the sidewalk.
He positioned his backhoe and used the hydraulic power of the machine to push the pipe under the sidewalk. The entire operation took about five minutes.
Sleeve It
After he pulled the long pipe back out with a chain, a perfect 6-inch-diameter hole was there under the sidewalk. I immediately installed a 4-inch PVC pipe that extended on either side of the sidewalk about 6 inches.
This sleeve would allow someone in the future to get more cables under the sidewalk. I marked the location of the sleeve on the edge of the sidewalk with a grinder cut.
Smaller Secret
You don't need this type of machine or tool to solve your problem, but the point is, there are creative ways to tunnel under the surface. I learned another fantastic trick from a fellow plumber that might work for you.
We had to extend a new 4-inch diameter sewer line from an existing house to a new detached garage / pool house that was seven feet away. There was a sidewalk between the house and the new room addition that could not be disturbed.
We drilled a six-inch diameter hole through the concrete foundation of the house so a 4-inch PVC pipe could be inserted and tilted at a slight upward angle for drainage purposes.
4-Inch PVC Hypodermic Needle
This plumber used a reciprocating saw to cut a chisel point on a scrap piece of 4-inch PVC pipe. The tip of the pipe looked like a giant hypodermic needle.
We inserted the pipe into the hole and tapped a block of wood fitted against the end of the pipe with a sledge hammer until it pierced into the clay soil about 4 inches.
Using a large pipe wrench we rotated the pipe so that the chisel point end cut out a soil plug. We pulled the pipe back into the basement, removed the soil from the inside and repeated the operation.
Within an hour, we had a perfect pathway created that passed from the existing basement under the footer of the new building.
You can do this exact same thing to create your pathway, but use a smaller one and one-half inch diameter PVC pipe. You'll have to hand dig a trench as my backhoe operator did so that the pipe you are using is parallel with the top surface of the sidewalk.
If your soil is rocky, you'll probably have to use a steel pipe with the chisel cut instead of the more-fragile plastic piping.
PVC Tunnel Tool Video
Watch this video showing how to use a small-diameter PVC pipe to create one of these magic tunnels.
Use Water
Another ingenious method that's somewhat messy, yet effective, is cutting a pathway using a pressure washer. If your wand has a 0 degree tip, you'll be in business.
A 0 degree tip creates a powerful narrow stream of water not much wider than a pipe cleaner. You'll have to dig a similar trench perpendicular to the sidewalk so you can get the wand parallel with the top surface of the sidewalk.
Wear goggles as the high-pressure stream of water will blast out mud, small stones, etc. back towards you as you point the wand directly into the dirt. This method is very effective and depending upon your soil type, you can create a pathway in a matter of minutes.
Stop the spray every few minutes to inspect the size of the pathway you are creating. A 2-inch diameter pathway one foot under the sidewalk should not create any type of structural problem for the sidewalk.
Sleeve It Same Time
If you use a pressure washer, you can actually use a pipe to help control the size of the tunnel. As you start to cut the soil with the water insert a pipe that is a little longer than the sidewalk is wide.
Slide the pressure washing wand into the pipe and start to tap the pipe under the sidewalk as the water cuts the channel. As you remove mud and rocks, tap the end of the pipe with a sledge hammer to drive the pipe. Do this every two inches or so. Protect the end of the pipe with a block of wood to prevent cracking it with the sledge hammer.
If the end of the pipe is always in contact with the soil as the water blasts away, you'll only remove as much soil as the outer diameter of the pipe that is surrounding the wand. Leave the pipe in place once the pathway is created to eliminate settlement problems.
Always Sleeve It
Once your tunnel is created, always install some sort of PVC sleeve. You'll never regret doing this in case you need to run another cable or irrigation line at a future time. Be sure to mark where the sleeve is.
If you want to minimize or eliminate any settlement problems, fill the cavity with sand after the electric cable is installed. Pour sand into the hole and use water from a garden hose to help move it under the sidewalk.
Hand Dig
You can dig pathways by hand with a special duck-billed shovel. These tools have 16-inch long narrow blades that will create a 6 or 7-inch diameter hole.
But the limit of the digging is limited to about half the length of the shovel. It's also very hard to drive the shovel into soil when you're on your knees or twisted like a pretzel in a larger trench.
PVC Needles The Best
The chisel-point pipe method works very well if your soil is primarily clay or a sandy clay. The twisting motion of the pipe cuts a crisp soil plug each time. Use a smaller diameter pipe shoved into the pointed pipe to remove the soil plug.
DEAR TIM:I have several inexpensive builder-grade exhaust fans in my home. They're noisy, and I don't feel they do a good job of getting rid of the moist air produced while showering.
Is it possible to get high-performance ventilation with little or no noise? I'd like a bathroom exhaust fan with a light. How about a fan that has a light and bluetooth speakers?
Can you tell me how to install a bathroom fan so I do not cause any damage to my home? Faith F., Mt. Crawford, VA
DEAR FAITH: Bathroom fans are a critical part of a home-ventilation system. A bathroom exhaust fan, improperly installed, can create all sorts of hidden damage to a home.
All too often, installers just let the moist air escape into an attic space. This moist air can condense on the cooler surfaces in the attic. This liquid water on the wood surfaces creates mold and can lead to serious wood rot.
The good news for you is that the exact fan you are looking for is available. It's been around for years, but many builders choose to install cheaper fans to try to make their houses more affordable.
The trouble is, I've discovered many consumers would gladly pay a slight up-charge if they were given the option of having great ventilation and less noise while in the bathroom. It's my hope that builders start to learn to offer home buyers more choices.
But I feel that day may never come, as builders will argue that more choices equate to more problems for them.
Up In The Attic
I've had fantastic luck installing bathroom exhaust fans that are actually located in the attic space. They resemble central vacuum systems inasmuch as the fan motor is located perhaps 8 or 10 feet away from the bathroom. Most builder-grade fan motors are just inches away from the bathroom ceiling. This is one reason why they're so noisy. Refer to the photograph at the top of the column.
Flexible Insulated Pipe
These remote bathroom exhaust fans have insulated flexible duct pipe that extends from the fan motor to small exhaust inlet boxes that are attached to the framing members in your bathroom ceiling. The box extends up into your attic, and all you see on the bathroom ceiling is a sleek round inlet cover.
The powerful fans can slurp up massive amounts of moist humid air that rises to the ceilings as you shower. This air is ducted through the roof of your home in a special roof vent cap that is easy to install.
Vent Through Roof
I've found that it is often best to vent fans and dryers through the roof. I'd only recommend this in areas that get very little snow in the winter. If you live where snow can be heavy in the winter, then vent your bath fan out a side wall well away from a roof overhang.
IMPORTANT TIP:NEVER vent a bath fan into an attic space or under a roof overhang. Both of these situations will produce vast amounts of black mold in the attic.
Watch the video just below to see how easy it is to install the correct vent-cap flashing on a roof. Have no fear - if done right you will have no roof leaks.
Insulate Exhaust Pipe
The flexible insulated ducting that extends from the roof to the remote attic exhaust fan, and then to your bathroom ceiling, does two important jobs:
Suppresses noise from the fan
Prevents condensation from forming inside the flexible piping
False Fan Leaks
Many people complain about water that drips down from their bathroom fan in the winter. They think they have a roof leak.
If it were a roof leak, the water would drip all year every time it rained.
If you have a winter-only leak like this, then it's not a roof leak but condensate water that forms inside of uninsulated exhaust piping and flows down the piping into the bathroom.
LED Lights and Fans
The bathroom exhaust fans I use come with or without lights. The ones with lights use brilliant compact halogen or LED bulbs that fit into the center of the small circular vent covers.
Here's a typical Fantech bath exhaust fan setup. The odd cone-shaped metal thing is the fan. The two boxes that have the round white covers are place up in the ceiling joists of the bathrooms. All you see are the sleek round white covers. They come with and without lights! I LOVED these in my last house. CLICK THE IMAGE TO BUY the SET NOW.
Two Outlets Per Bath
I always place two of these inlets with lights in each bathroom, one immediately adjacent to the shower area and the other toward the center of the bathroom. These lights produce good overall lighting for the average bathroom.
You'll need additional lighting above or on the sides of any mirror.
Bluetooth Music Exhaust Fans
How would you like to listen to your favorite music while in the shower or otherwise occupied in your bathroom? While the whisper-quiet fan is vacuuming air out of the bath, music plays from great speakers under the decorative trim.
This is the underside of the rough fan housing. It looks ugly. See that odd squat U-shaped thing at the bottom? Those are two powerful stereo speakers. You'll love this fan. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER ONE.
Read Instructions
To avoid damage to your home while installing a bathroom fan, always follow the written instructions that come with the fan. If you're not comfortable working with high-voltage electric wire so it will pass inspection, then hire a competent electrician to connect the fan.
The most important aspect is to duct the air from the bathroom to the exterior of the house. You should do this through the roof so long as you don't get lots of snow on your roof.
Never Soffits
Avoid the temptation of venting your fan through the horizontal soffit that can be found in many roof overhangs. All too often the moist air billows up under the soffit and is sucked into the attic. If this happens, mildew and wood rot up in the hidden spaces of your attic is a certainty.
Down-the-Road Defects
Problems with bathroom exhaust fans can happen years later. The connections between the flexible duct pipe, the fan, inlet boxes and the roof vent cap must be permanent. Never rely on duct tape to secure these connections.
The high heat and humidity in attics can cause duct tape to fail. It is better to use metal band clamps that are nearly identical to traditional automotive radiator hose clamps. These inexpensive clamps can be found at hardware stores, ductwork shops and some home centers.
Once the band clamp is connected, then use tape as directed by the fan manufacturer.
If you use solid galvanized pipe to duct your fan, then use self-tapping screws to connect the sections of pipe.
No Kinks
Be sure there are no kinks in the flexible duct pipe. Also be sure to install a makeup air duct in your home that allows an equal amount of fresh air to enter your home for every bit of air the exhaust fan is expelling.
If you don't have this critical makeup air, you could cause "backdrafting" to occur. This means poisonous gases are drawn into your home through furnace or water heater exhaust pipes.
This afternoon I'm going on a hike with my youngest daughter Kelly. We're doing a fairly easy hike up to the top of Rattlesnake Mountain just north of Squam Lake.
It's really more like a big hill. It should be a good time and my guess is it will be crowded as it's a fairly popular low-impact hike and the WX today is perfect for a winter hike.
Serious hikers chortle at this challenge because it's like going to hiking kindergarten. We shall see.
I've done the much harder mountain just across the street at the end of a harsh winter.
If you're a new subscriber in the past few days, three weeks ago I embarked on a year-long project. In reality, I feel it's going to run about 18 months.
I'm going back to each old article of mine and doing the following:
creating top tips bullet list
adding new photos
adding new fresh content
adding photos / links to best products
adding photos / links to best tools
Last night, I had an idea I want to try out to encourage you to look at each revised column.
Let's try it now. Let me know if you like the teasers you see below and if they persuaded you to peer at all the goodness I've created for you
Install a New Front Door - You Can Do It
You might think it's beyond your skill set to install a new front door. Don't sell yourself short. CLICK HERE.
Foundation Soil Grade Tips - Higher Please!
Many modern homes have the top of the foundation walls too close to the soil. What do you think is the minimum height a foundation wall should stick up out of the ground? GREAT original hand drawing by me here! CLICK TO SEE IT.
Best Cast / Poured Concrete Wall Thickness
Did you know you can order your foundation walls a different thickness? How do you know what is the best thing to do? CLICK HERE and discover new information.
Do you think it's possible for a concrete block foundation to be better than a cast, or poured, concrete foundation? Are you laughing at me? CLICK HERE smarty pants.
Secret Excess Grout Removal Trick
You did a DIY tile job and messed up the grout leaving too much on the tile. Can you get it off? How? Is there some magic solution, (not acid!!!) that you can put on the grout and grout haze? CLICK HERE and be amazed.
Vent For Washing Machine Drain
I know you don't have your master plumbing license like I do, but you feel compelled to install a washing machine drain. Well, go look at my awesome full-color rough-in diagram so you don't have sewer gas choking you to death. CLICK HERE NOW.
Connect a New Foundation to an Old One
What's the magic method we builders use to connect a new room addition foundation to an existing foundation? GREAT VIDEOS here. CLICK HERE now to tickle your gray matter.
You're building a new home or room addition and the lumber's getting wet. You see black mold and mildew. Should you torch the place and start over? No. CLICK HERE to see what I'd do.
Tape Measure Lines - NEW Friendly Tape!
Have you struggled with all those darn tiny lines on a tape measure? What about the mystery black diamond!!!!???? GREAT VIDEO HERE. CLICK HERE for best tape.
Removing Ceramic Tile Without Tactical Nukes
What do you think is the best way to remove ceramic floor or wall tile? CLICK HERE to see if you should start your own demolition company.
Stair Trim Secret Ninja Tricks - DON'T SHARE THESE!!!!!
Have you ever tried to install that cool molding on top of stair stringers only to throw your angle finder into the closest tree like a tomahawk? CLICK HERE to become a master carpenter in ten minutes!
Best Brick Water Repellents
If you own a brick veneer house, you need to CLICK HERE NOW. Period.
Column and Beam Construction 101
How many beams are in your home? More than you'd ever imagine. How are the sizes determined? Can you get rid of all those HORRIBLE steel columns in your basement? CLICK HERE and discover the depths of your structural ignorance. Dr. Caster made me say that. Blame him. CLICK HERE to read about the great and mysterious Dr. Caster.
Brick Walls Leak - What Else is New?????
I'll bet you thought your brick home was waterproof. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAA.
Three days ago, Tristan and I taped two great videos about two paint products I'll bet you don't know about.
One of them is a spray paint that outperforms the top two brands you're familiar with. Let me tell you, advertising works. You probably feel the one big brand is awesome.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA
Wait until you see the actual TEST PANELS I had in my hands from the TEST LAB!!!
When you see my video and you see the actual lab test panels, you'll NEVER AGAIN BUY that one big brand.
I'll be SHOCKED if you don't run out and immediately buy a can or two of the paint I used in the video.
I'm also going to show you a fantastic interior wall paint that's a dream to work with and it costs MUCH LESS than all the national brands.
I'm waiting for the company to approve the videos. Once they do, you're going to see them.
If all goes well, I'm going to have an exclusive coupon or promo code for you to save some sweet moola.
Next Sunday - Door Eye Candy
Next Sunday is a big day. You're going to see some spectacular door eye candy. Be on the lookout for that newsletter.
WOW!!!!!!!!
Have a great next few days. I'll have hike photos for you next newsletter.
Tim, great reading your tips. I've got a question, I would like to convert the attic above my garage into a living space. Access is not an issue as it's also in front of another room upstairs that I can put a door in the wall.
There's plenty of room to make a 12 x 12 room with 10-foot ceiling at its peak.
Common Trusses
Unfortunately, my home builder had framed out the attic using a common truss system utilizing 2x4's (see attached picture of exact type, although my roof is much steeper, and no middle non bearing wall below).
This is a graphic Mike supplied to me. I don't know if he drew it, but I sort of doubt it. Image credit: Unknown skilled person
There's enough space to switch the floor joists that are 2x4s with 2x10s or 8s, and/or sistering them. The main issue I have what to do about the truss itself (2x4 webs, 2x4 chords, etc.). From what I imagine larger rafters would need to be in place of those 2x4 top chords.
Is this possible, and how costly would a project like this be? (just the structural engineering and framing aspect to allow for live loads and support the roof). I'm trying to decide if it's all worth it."
Changing Trusses
You can modify the trusses, but it's an enormous amount of work. Also, if you decide to do this, you MUST work hand-in-hand with a licensed structural engineer that's familiar with wood trusses.
Here's one challenge. If you feel you'll be sliding new larger common rafters up inside the attic alongside the existing trusses, you're dreaming.
You'll have shingle nails in your way that extend through the roof sheathing. You'll also be dealing with a low heel height on the existing trusses.
Heel Height
Most common trusses have a miserable heel height of just over four inches.
The heel height is the vertical distance up the truss face where it passes over the OUTER EDGE of the building line or supporting wall. This is typically where the face of the exterior wall sheathing is.
Watch these two videos to see very unique things truss engineers can do to create higher ceilings and large overhangs.
Attic Trusses
The sad fact is your builder could have installed attic trusses over this garage for just slightly more than what the existing trusses cost. Attic trusses have a rectangular shape inside each truss.
If the roof slope is steeper than 9 inches in 12 inches of run, it doesn't take much width to end up with a nice room 12 feet wide with an 8-foot ceiling. I have this above my own garage.
Look at this photo of the space created by attic trusses at my home. You can't see the floor, but the window sill is just about 32 inches up off the floor. The flat ceiling that connects the two sloped parts of the truss is just out of the photo frame.
You may find it easier, as crazy as this sounds, to rip off the existing roof and start over. I guarantee you it would be FASTER.
You'd be able to use regular 2x10 or 2x12 rafters and create a gigantic room where now exists useless space.
If you have limited manpower, you'd do this in sections. I'd just rip off about six feet of existing roof at a time, set the new rafters, sheath them and cover them with tar paper.
You'd have a small gap between the new and old roof you'd need to weatherproof in case rain was in the forecast.
It would help TREMENDOUSLY if you increased the new roof pitch so the new roof ridge board would rest on top of your existing trussed roof.
