Custom Wood Door Styles

Custom Wood Door Styles

Here are some really neat looking custom wood door styles from Byrcon Wood Products. For more information or for a quote, contact them at 905-988-1011 or visit their web site: www.wood-doors.com.

Graphic courtesy of Byrcon Wood Products' website.

Graphic Credit: Byrcon Wood Products

Graphic Credit: Byrcon Wood Products

The doors pictured below are from Madawaska Doors. Visit their web site www.madawaska-doors.com or call 800-263-2358. Pictures courtesy of Madawaska Doors' web site.

 

Illustration Credit: Madawaska Doors

Illustration Credit: Madawaska Doors

 

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Soundproofing Tips

cork flooring steps stairs

Soundproofing Tips | These cork flooring tiles were used to cover the steps as well as the entire recreation room that’s at the bottom of the staircase. Cork is a natural soundproofing material and it even works to soundproof condo ceiling. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Soundproofing Tips - Do It During Construction

Soundproofing Existing Construction is Hard - Really Hard

Existing houses, condos, and apartments are the toughest challenges in sound attenuation (control). The reason is simple: the most effective way to control sound is to incorporate certain materials and building practices during construction. However, there are some things that can help.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local contractors who can soundproof your home.

Where is the Source of the Sound?

The source of the sound might be outdoors, indoors, or some combination of the two.

First, determine the source of the sound. For example, if the sound is originating outdoors, quite possibly you are hearing it because of an air leak. Very often, the sound is working its way around a window or door which is poorly sealed.

Can Replacement Windows Block Outdoor Sound?

Replacement windows can do a fantastic job of blocking outdoor sound if you seal all the spaces between the window frame and the rough window opening. Use a special expanding foam made for windows and doors to stop these sound leaks.

great stuff foam window door insulation

This is a special expanding foam to use around windows and doors. It STOPS sound. CLICK or TAP HERE or the photo to have it delivered to your home.

Often, one of the first comments I hear from customers when installing replacement windows is how quiet the house becomes. Check the caulking around the window both inside and out.

Does Sound Travel Through Air Leaks?

Noise which travels from room to room can also be caused by air leaks. Seal the holes inside of electrical boxes (CAUTION: Be sure power is turned off!), caulk between the edge of the electrical box and the drywall or plaster, caulk any and all cracks at door trims, baseboards, beneath baseboards, etc. Try to imagine filling the room with water. Anywhere that water would leak out of the room as it were filling should be caulked.

How Do You Soundproof a Bedroom Door?

Bedroom doors can be weather stripped, just like exterior doors. You can even go to the trouble to install an exterior door that has full weatherstripping and a bottom door sweep. This is the type of door that is used in my radio studio. It really blocks noise from getting into or out of the broadcast studio.

How Do You Soundproof Interior Walls?

You can fill the cavities between studs with blown-in fiberglass insulation. This will help, to a small degree, control airborne sound that gets into a wall cavity.

sound insulation

Add these batts to keep sound transmission down between the two rooms. CLICK or TAP HERE or THE IMAGE NOW TO ORDER IT.

A more aggressive approach would be to try to increase the density of a ceiling or wall surface. I did this very effectively on a recent job. We had to soundproof a bedroom which was above a family room. So, we installed two layers of 3/8 inch drywall on top of the existing drywall.

Does It Help to Isolate the Ceiling Drywall?

This extra drywall was installed on special metal furring strips called acoustical channels. These were purchased at a commercial outlet that sells steel framing materials for commercial jobs. After the first layer of 3/8 inch drywall was installed, the joints and corners were taped, even though another layer (the final one) was going immediately on top. This was done to block any airborne sound. The net result was incredible. The homeowner said that the difference was like night and day. The bedroom was very quiet.

Can Pipes or Ducts Create Sound?

In the basement, look for and isolate any pipes or ducts that vibrate or rub against wood framing. These things can make floor joists or wall studs vibrate and act like giant tuning forks!

What Soundproofing Can be Done in a New Home?

There are many things you can do to soundproof a new home.

Here's a shortlist:

  • use cast iron drain pipes for toilets drains and wall stacks between floors
  • use different thickness drywall on either side of the same wall
  • install sound batts in all interior walls
  • caulk holes in electric boxes
  • caulk the gap under bottom wall plates between rooms

If you are getting ready to build a new home, remodel, or add a room addition, you can do some small things that will go a long way to minimize noise. Some cost little or nothing, while others add just slightly to the project. The first place to begin, if it can be squeezed into the budget, is to hire an acoustical consultant. For a fee of $300 -500 you may be able to obtain some excellent advice. Trust me, you will never regret obtaining this advice. If you can't afford such services, maybe some of the following ideas will be of help.

Should I Caulk Wall Plates?

Always caulk beneath wall plates when walls are being constructed. Critical rooms should have two wall systems. In other words, instead of a conventional rough wall being one row of 2x4 studs 3-1/2 inches in depth, you would maybe have two rows of 2x4 studs on top of a 2x6 plate. The wall depth would be 5-1/2 inches thick. Inside of this wall, would be sound batt insulation. Also, make sure that electrical boxes are caulked before the drywall goes on. Caulk every hole into the box. Caulk all holes that penetrate wall plates as well.

Should I Use Insulated Ductwork?

Consider using insulated ductwork if you have a forced air heating or cooling system. Definitely use cast iron drainage pipes for your plumbing system. Use type L copper for your supply lines. Where ever a pipe penetrates a floor joist, stud, or wall plate, wrap the pipe with a piece of rubber or strong foam. Do not attach pipes directly to framing members with U shaped clamps! Use special acoustical hangers or wrap the pipe, at the connector, with rubber.

Should Subfloors Be Glued and Screwed?

Glue and screw the plywood subfloor to floor joists. I always screw the floor after the roof is on and just before any finish materials are applied on top of the subfloor. This is especially critical in hallways and other areas where you know you will be walking in a room.

Are Acoustical Underlayments Good Soundproofing?

Use acoustical underlayments (cork, acoustical honeycomb composite underlayments, etc.) under all hard surface floors (tile, slate, hardwood, vinyl flooring, etc.).

Increase the mass of as many wall and ceiling assemblies as possible. This means adding another layer of drywall in critical rooms. It will be worth it!

Will an Air Infiltration Barrier Stop Outside Noise?

Use an air infiltration barrier on the outside of the house. Purchase the best, tightest fitting windows and doors that you can possibly afford.

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Noise Source Checklist

Inspection Checklist for Sources of Sound and Noise

Here is a quick checklist that should help you identify possible locations where sound or noise may enter a house, condominium or an apartment. Use this when inspecting a property to purchase or rent. It should help you as you are often distracted by visual stimulation rather than audio interference!

Exterior Windows and Doors:

  • Is the weatherstripping in good shape?
  • Do you feel drafts?
  • Do you hear outside noise or people talking?
  • Do you hear remote noise like distant trains or highway noise when the windows are closed?
  • If in an apartment or condo building are entrance doors offset or opposite one another? Offset doors are better.

Plumbing System

  • If apartment or condo, ask adjacent residents or agent showing unit to run water in adjacent units or flush toilets in those units. Can you hear their water while you stand in your unit?
  • Flush toilets with bathroom door closed. Listen in other rooms for water noise.
  • Turn on shower water - hot and cold - go to other rooms to listen for sound.
  • Run hot water for 5 minutes. Listen for drain pipe expansion popping. Listen for water heater popping noises as it operates.

Appliances

  • Operate dishwasher and listen for noise from adjacent rooms.
  • Operate heating or air conditioning system and listen for pops, cracks, or whistles.
  • Listen for noise generated by outdoor AC condensing unit. If multi-family, listen for noise from other units.
  • Operate washer and dryer if present. Listen for pounding or rhythmic noise caused by washing machine agitator.

Electrical and Lighting

  • Observe recessed fixtures. They are excellent pathways for noise from rooms above.
  • Listen to fluorescent fixtures. Old ones can buzz.
  • If multi-family, remove random outlet and switch cover plates on party walls and check for oversized holes around electrical boxes. These spaces let noise in and out.

Flooring

  • Look for cracks that might allow noise to travel from one floor to another.
  • Hard surfaces like tile and hardwood create noise easily. If multi-family, are all units like the model unit?
  • Do you hear people walking around above or below?

Elevators / Stairways / Multi-Family

  • If unit is multi-family is it adjacent to elevator shafts or stairways? Are these places noisy?
  • Is unit adjacent to a mechanical equipment room?
  • Is unit entrance door near central core so that all residents walk or pass by your entry door?
  • Do you hear elevator bell?
  • Do you hear stairway doors bang shut?
  • Do you hear other resident doors shut?
  • Do you hear outdoor noise from common areas through sliding glass doors?
  • Do you hear city noise if it is an urban high rise?

Stereo - TV Noise

  • Do you hear stereo or TV noise from adjacent houses or units? Visit house or unit after hours when nearby residents are home!
  • Knock on doors of current residents and ask if there are noise problems within the building or neighborhood. Ask for a description of the noise to see if it is one or more persons or things causing the problem.

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Sound & Noise Control

cork underlayment

Sound and Noise Control | This is a very affordable underlayment that can STOP and DAMPEN sound. CLICK or TAP HERE or THE IMAGE NOW TO HAVE IT DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME ASAP. The information below is SO GOOD I shared it with the 31,000 subscribers who read my October 18, 2020 FREE newsletter.

What is Noise?

Noise is different things to different people. For example, when my son beats on his toy drum, it's noise to me but a very pleasant sound to him. Sometimes, my wife considers my conversation to be noise. That's the funny thing. Certain sounds can pleasant at one time but yet noise 2 hours later.

To protect yourself from these unwanted sounds, you need to understand sound. With this understanding, blocking unwanted sounds from getting to your ears becomes somewhat easy.

How is Sound Created?

Sound is created when something vibrates. It can be the earth rumbling during an earthquake or the inside of a toilet fill valve that whistles.

It's been a long time since my high school physics class, 25 years to be exact. Anyway, I do seem to recall the teacher talking about sound and demonstrating tuning forks. Striking the tuning fork against a hard object, such as my head, made it vibrate. This vibration resulted in a hum. I also remember seeing a movie where they somehow got a camera inside of sameness throat. The movie showed a person's vocal chords vibrating as they talked. It wasn't a pleasant sight, as I recall.

The point is this: sound can only be created when something vibrates. If you stop vibrations, you eliminate sound.

How Does Sound Travel?

Sound or noise travels through the air. If there's no air present, you'll hear nothing.

Once something is vibrating, it begins to push against the air next to it. The molecules of air then begin to push against more air molecules until the air molecules next to your ear push against your eardrum. Your eardrum then vibrates and BINGO, you brain interprets this air movement as sound.

Air is the pathway or super highway of sound and noise. If you want to stop sound or noise from getting to your ears, you need to block as many direct paths of air between the source of the sound and your ears. It's that simple.

Why are Older Homes More Soundproof?

Older homes are more soundproof because they have thicker floors, ceilings, and walls.

Did you grow up in an older home? One that had plaster walls and ceilings, solid pine or oak doors, solid wood floors? Did that old house seem to be more soundproof than your newer home which happens to be constructed of drywall, plywood, and hollow core doors?

Does Thick Concrete Stop Noise and Sound?

Yes, thick concrete stops noise and sound because it's so dense. It requires tremendous energy to get the concrete to vibrate.

Have you ever noticed how outdoor noise is virtually eliminated when you go inside your basement or any other structure which is constructed of concrete block or solid brick?

The reason for this phenomena is very simple. It has to do with energy and vibrations. We talked about vibrations already. Now let's talk about the energy of sound. When something vibrates, it exerts a certain force against the air around it. For example, tap a pencil against a desk. That is a small amount of vibration and energy. Now drop a book on the desk. That's even more vibration and energy. Now imagine how much vibration (energy) there is inside a diesel locomotive engine. Lots!

Bear with me, this will begin to make sense in just a few paragraphs.

Take your desk outside, close your windows, and have someone go outside and tap the pencil on the desk. More than likely, you will not hear the sound, unless your window weatherstripping is shot. Have them drop the book, maybe you might hear a dull thud. Now, have that locomotive rush past your house, not only will you hear it, you will quite possibly feel it as well. The thing is vibrating so much that it vibrates your entire house. That's why locomotives, jets, and big trucks are so noisy.

Blocking loud noises (or any noise for that matter) also depends upon how easily the vibrating air can then, in turn, make another object vibrate. In our previous example, you couldn't hear the tapping pencil outside of your house because the pencil couldn't produce enough energy to vibrate the glass in the window.

In a nut That's why your old house was more soundproof. Plaster is much denser than drywall. It takes more energy to get plaster to vibrate.

Sound and noise can be controlled. You simply need to understand how it's produced. and how it gets to your ears. This is why high quality hotels hire acoustical consultants. They understand sound. They use materials that absorb sound, block air, & minimize vibrations.

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Common Building Code Defects

20 Common Building Code Defects

It is very hard to build a perfect house, but not impossible. The building code is law. If you violate a section of the code, you break the law. Some violations are petty. But some violations can cause serious danger and create life safety hazards. If you have to engage in a legal battle with a builder over defects in your home, you need to check to see if some of the following defects are visible at your home. If so, you are going to make your attorney very happy.

Soil Inspection - Bearing Capacity

The code is clear. The soil must be good. How do you figure this out? The best way, although rarely done, is to have an independent soil testing company check the soil. Building inspectors get some training but they are by no means registered engineers in all instances! Color photographs of hidden conditions like this can be invaluable later. For example, the soil color in my area for great soil is usually a medium brown color. If you see black or grey soil in my region, watch out! This usually indicates organic matter. Somehow, someway, be there before the footer is poured and take photos of the forms and the soil under them!

Footing Width and Thickness

The building code also is very crisp about foundation footers and fireplace footers. Each must be a specific thickness. Make sure these primary building components are right.

Foundation Wall Thickness / Height Relationship

The code recognizes that foundation walls are basically retaining walls. So should you. As a wall gets taller and more earth is against it, the thickness of the wall needs to be greater. See if your foundation wall meets the code minimum.

Foundation / Footer Weather Protection

Certain parts of the nation experience cold weather. Frost can cause the ground to heave. Because of this, footers and foundations need to be poured below the level to which frost penetrates.

Electrical Deficiencies

Any high voltage electric code violations are serious. People die everyday in fires that originate from electrical problems. In fact, these problems drive many of the National Electrical Code sections.

Floor Joist Size and Spacing

Lumber for floor joists is available in different wood species and to make things even more complicated, different grades. Each one of these has different strength characteristics. The code contains numerous tables that state how far wood floor joists can span for a given spacing, species, and grade.

Lumber Drilling and Notching

Plumbers and heating and air conditioning contractors can seriously weaken structural members of houses. The code tells them exactly what they can and can't do. Check to see if your lumber was cut, notched, or drilled improperly.

Trusses and Attic Access

Certain truss roofs have critical bearing trusses called girder trusses. Often other trusses hang from these. Two or three girder trusses are usually nailed together to create the beam. The nails or bolts used must be done exactly right. Often these specifications are produced by the truss company. Get them and see how your framing carpenter did. The attic access panel that leads to your attic needs to be a minimum size. Does yours pass code?

Window Sizes

The code requires that windows from bedrooms and other parts of the house be minimum sizes. In fact the sill height from the floor can't exceed a certain distance. Builders can goof this up if they aren't careful.

Foundation Waterproofing

The code requires that habitable rooms below grade can only happen if the foundation has been waterproofed. Traditional hot asphalt sprays are NOT waterproofing!

Stairs

Stair tread geometry is critical. The code has minimum and maximum limits for stair risers, treads, width, and maximum deviation. See if your steps, landings, and all risers meet code.

Roof Ventilation

If your house has continuous ridge and soffit ventilation you are okay here. But if you have the old fashioned pot vents and occasional soffit vents, you better check this section of the code.

Masonry Fireplaces

The inside dimensions of fireboxes, the smoke chamber, the distance from the top of the fireplace opening to the damper, flue sizes, and overall chimney height are addressed in the code. They must be right for the fireplace to work properly.

Combustion Air

All appliances in your house that burns a fuel like natural gas, oil, propane, wood, etc. need combustion air. Without this source of outside air, appliances can burn improperly or backdraft causing all sorts of problems. Be sure your combustion air inlet meets minimum requirements.

Attached Garages

The code addresses attached garages in a big way. Fires that start in a garage must not be allowed to easily spread to the house. The door leading to the house needs to be a certain type and it often needs special hinges or a closer. Garage drywall needs to be special. See if your garage meets code.

Fire Stops

You need to check for these before the drywall goes up. After the fact you can cut into soffits to see if this part of the code has been violated.

Outdoor Drainage

Does the soil slope away from your foundation the way the code says it is supposed to? If it is like many houses I see, I doubt it. Check out the code requirement for minimum ground slope. The code also addresses final grading and surface water control. Is your yard drainage okay or not?

Safety Glazing

Windows close to floor level and those adjacent to doors need to be made with tempered glass. It is easy to check for tempered glass - it carries a special stamp in an upper or lower corner. Shower doors need tempered glass too.

Brick Flashing - Weep Holes

See what the code says about how brick needs to be installed. I'll bet yours has some deficiencies. Pay attention to the mention of water membrane behind the brick. Usually the code states that a minimum air space must exist between the brick and the frame structure. If the minimum air space is not present, then you need a membrane. A little destructive testing may reap huge rewards here.

Insect Control - Termites

Certain regions have very specific requirements for insect control. Often the soil under slabs needs to be treated. Did it get done? Where is the certificate from the pest control company? What about buried lumber, stumps, etc. in the backfill. It is a direct violation of the code to bury debris. See if your builder did the right thing.

Column B312

Hiring An Attorney

Hiring Attorneys to Win Court Battles

The legal system in our country is complex. It is also a minefield. A legal battle is expensive and fraught with danger. Even with the best facts and defense, you can still lose. Have I scared you yet? Are you still feeling good about your situation? Before you think about going to court, you need to step back and take a deep breath. You also need to be thinking clearly, very clearly.

My Story

In the mid-1990's, I got involved in a legal battle over my name - AsktheBuilder. To make a long story short, I ended up winning the battle. But, I spent all of my savings to do it and went into deep debt at the same time. In fact, the battle almost caused the entire collapse of my AsktheBuilder career.

An individual in California claimed he had rights to the name and had actually registered for a Service Mark with the Patent and Trademark office. I had used to name first in interstate commerce and was awarded the rights to the name.

The crazy thing about the story is that I had actually won the battle in the first 14 days of the 18 month ordeal. But the high priced attorney I was using didn't realize it. He made a huge mistake, that I later discovered 15 months and $12,000 in fees down the road. Fortunately, I challenged the law firm and they admitted through their settlement with me that they had indeed goofed up. They ended up paying the individual a huge sum of money to settle and they canceled another $15,000 in fees that I had accumulated. Can you believe that? A simple battle over a name could have cost me in excess of $50,000.

Selecting an Attorney

You have decided to fight for what is right. So how do you select an attorney that will give you the best chance of success? You have to do this with great patience and resolve.

Most people are intimidated by attorneys. Trust me, they are just like you and I. There are great attorneys, decent ones, and losers. It is the same in every profession.

Write Down the Facts

The first thing you need to do before opening the Yellow Pages is to write down the facts of your case. Do it in chronological order and use bullet points or phrases, not some 10,000 word manuscript.

Give this finished document to a person who is not familiar with your situation. See if they understand it. If not, revise it. With this completed history, you can now begin to interview attorneys. Yes, you are going to interview them, not the opposite!

Experience and Batting Average

Contact attorneys that deal in residential construction contract law. Ask them this right up front. Attorneys specialize in all sorts of different stuff. Some are real estate lawyers, others are divorce specialists, some are tax lawyers. Get the point? You want one who fights over contract disputes day in and day out.

You are looking for one that has at least 10 years of experience in this field. You do not want to be on-the-job training for a young lawyer. Once you have found a person with these minimal qualifications, show him/her your fact sheet. Sit quietly and wait for questions.

After the attorney talks with you about the case, ask him/her what is involved in the process. WRITE down on a pad of paper the responses. This is CRITICAL. The attorney will take note and see that you are a pro. If you have to ask for more time to write, do so. Ask about costs. What will it take to go through the entire process. Write down the responses!

Finally, ask about his/her batting average. In other words, find out how many cases similar to yours this person has worked on. Ask about the final result of each and what it cost to get there. Ask how many actually went to trial. I'll bet it is less than 5 percent.

You need to have a pro, one with experience and one that knows HOW to win and/or achieve a rapid settlement. Don't settle for less.

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Air & Water Barriers

Air and Water Barriers

I am amazed at how certain aspects of building technology seem to die or fade away. A great example of this is an inexpensive yet effective method of paving driveways. It is called tar and chip. This is the way many roadways were built in America prior to the mid-1930's. Hot tar was sprayed onto compacted gravel to a depth of about 3/16 inch. While the tar was still hot and in a liquid state, small angular chips of gravel were scattered into it. The tar cooled and tenaciously adhered to the compacted gravel base and the gravel chips creating a durable slip resistant driving surface. My driveway is paved in this manner.

Centrally mixed and produced blacktop changed this. Road construction crews began to favor blacktop instead of the hot tar method. There are indeed benefits for new blacktop. As the blacktop industry grew, the tar and chip installers began to disappear. It is a dead craft in many parts of the nation. The same thing is happening in the residential construction industry. Certain tried and true methods of construction are being cast to the wayside.

Become a Believer

I have constructed many, many room additions during my building career. If you want to see how effective water barriers are, then this is the place to learn.

Builders have known for hundreds of years that water and wood don't mix. This is why many of the wood framed houses I worked on had felt paper applied to the sides of the wood structures. This felt paper could be found behind cement stucco, wood siding, asbestos shingles, virtually any exterior building material.

When I would make the connection between the room addition and the existing home, I would have to remove all or part of the exterior wall of the house. Often, I would discover that there had indeed been a leak but the tar paper or felt paper installed by the carpenter 70 or 80 years ago had not only done its job but was still working! Yes, the paper would be very brittle, but it still deflected water. You need to follow this same practice. Install a moisture barrier behind your primary weather barrier material.

A Modern Mistake

There are tens of thousands of homeowners across America who are suffering miserably right now. There are thousands more who will begin to suffer once they realize they have a major problem. Who are these people? They are owners of houses that are covered with barrier Exterior Insulating Finishing Systems (EIFS) or synthetic stucco.

These houses are almost exclusively wood frame construction. The barrier EIFS system consists of a foam panel that is glued to the wood sheathing and then covered with a plastic based stucco that is completely impervious to water penetration. That means it blocks water movement in both directions! Water is getting behind the barrier EIFS and cause massive rot failure to the houses.

This could have all been avoided if the manufacturers of the systems had not discarded the use of a water barrier between the foam and the wood sheathing.

Since these problems have been discovered, a new generation of drainable EIFS products has emerged. These products mandate the use of a water barrier.

Expect advancements in building materials technology in the future. If you decide to use a new material, do a quick reality check to see how the material reacts to known physical laws. Gravity is going to be around for a while. Water is going to rot wood that is not moisture resistant. Remember that tar paper works!

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Infiltration Barrier Companies

Air / Water Infiltration Barriers

The following companies make or distribute modern air and water infiltration barriers. Possibly the most famous or well known product is Tyvek made by DuPont. As I recall, it was the first modern barrier in the marketplace. I used it on my own home nearly 14 years ago. As best as I can recollect, it was the only product I could find at the time.

All of these products work very well as long as you install them correctly. Of course that statement is true for just about anything. These products, though, are fairly critical. They represent the last line of defense between the wood components of your home and water. If water gets to the barrier, there is possibly a flaw in the design of construction of the primary moisture barrier. The secondary barrier - the products below or tar paper - must stop and redirect the water to the outside of the structure. Just about any home center or lumber yard will carry one or more of these barrier products. Be sure to get written installation instructions and any of the special seam tape that bonds to the barriers. You must use an approved tape to create a long lasting waterproof seam.

  • Celotex
    800-CELOTEX

  • DuPont Tyvek
    800-44-TYVEK
  • Johns Manville
    800-654-3103
  • Owens Corning
    800-GET-PINK
  • Pemko Mfg.
    800-283-9988
  • Protecto Wrap Co.
    800-759-9727
  • Tenneco
    800-241-4402

Column B311

You Tub (How to Make a Video)

You Tub is not some strange new bathtub that swivels like a Disney World ride. It is the misspelling of a website called YouTube where you can watch countless very funny and informative videos.

I happen to have my own AsktheBuilder channel on the YouTube website. If you subscribe to my channel, each time you log into your YouTube account, you can watch all of the newest videos I uploaded in your absence.

I have over 440 videos on YouTube. In fact, my videos has been viewed over 30,262,000 times! I urge you to Subscribe to my channel. My guess is, one or more of the videos will save you both time and money. Thanks for visiting!

Outdoor Storage Sheds

DEAR TIM: Outdoor storage sheds are popular in my neighborhood. Since I can barely squeeze my cars into my garage, I now need a storage shed in my yard. How do I develop shed plans for this project? Should I just purchase a prefabricated storage shed? The gardener in me wants a garden shed as well. I don't know how to build a shed, but I have all the free time in the world. Do you think I can tackle this project with minimal errors? Marybeth B., Louisville, KY

DEAR MARYBETH: Years ago extra stuff swallowed one-half of my garage. Then not too long after that, I lost my other indoor parking space to a growing list of mowers, mulchers, tractors, bikes, etc. Two years ago, my wife finally said to me, "We need a shed. Build one that matches our house." I had my marching orders from She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, and three months later I had a deluxe storage shed in my backyard. As long as you have some helping hands at critical stages of the construction process, I feel you can do the same.

This Victorian outdoor storage shed was built over a period of weeks. It matches the primary home on the lot exactly in design and color, and adds tremendous overall value to the property. ©2017 Tim Carter

Free shed plans can be found on the Internet, but I feel you should probably develop your own shed plans. It is very easy to get the overall size of the shed by taking all of the things out of your garage that will be stored in the shed. Organize these things on your lawn in the shape of a rectangle or square.

Place enough space around each item so you can easily get to it without having to pull several things out of the way. Use stakes and string to create an outline around all of the things, and this overall dimension becomes the footprint of your shed. I'd be willing to wager that your dimensions approach or exceed 16 feet by 14 feet.

This basic method of planning, in my opinion, uncovers a problem with far too many sheds: they are too small. You may look at an assembled shed kit at a retail store and think it is huge. But once you put your things in it, you quickly discover it is too small. To get things out that you need, you have to move several things outdoors to make a pathway. That misery can be avoided. My neighbor has to do this several times a week. My shed is large enough so that I don't have to move anything to get to each wheelbarrow, mower or mulcher.

My shed does double duty. One-third of it is a garden shed for my wife. It has shelving for all of her pots and supplies, and a clever drop-down potting bench that tilts down from a side wall like a Murphy bed.

If you can build a deck, you have the skills to complete an outdoor storage shed. Use treated lumber for the posts that support the shed floor joists, and treated plywood for the shed flooring. Wet tools and machines will not rot these critical structural members.

Framing the exterior shed walls is very easy. The key is to make sure the walls are square, plumb and level. I prefer to apply plywood or oriented-strand board on the exterior of the walls for strength, but this material makes any wall over 10 feet long fairly heavy to lift into position. You will probably need help when you tilt up your shed walls.

The roof framing may be an obstacle. The good news is that any decent lumber yard can order small trusses for you if you don't want to explore the wonderful things you can do with a simple framing square. Roof framing is not hard to learn, and since you have time, practice cutting some simple rafters before you start to actually build the shed. There are many great books available that show you how to cut simple roof rafters.

Check out the sweet skylight and the clever attic storage just to the right of the skylight. This shed would win a prize if there was an Ultimate Outdoor Shed Contest! ©2017 Tim Carter

Be sure to include a small overhead garage door in your outdoor storage shed as well as one or two skylights. Many people do not realize you can get miniature garage doors that are just 6 feet wide. This is the perfect size to get a lawn tractor in and out of a shed. Skylights brighten up an otherwise dark space. There are many affordable skylights. Consider getting ones that open to allow hot air to escape in summer months.

You can build an outdoor storage shed on a concrete slab if your lot is nearly level. But most lots are not level, and this is why adopting a deck-on-wood-posts design appeals to those who have built more than one shed. The other issue with concrete slabs is they must be protected from frost heave in areas that are subject to cold weather. A storage shed built on posts may only need six or eight piers dug into the soil.

If you build a roof that has an 8 / 12 pitch or greater, you will get added attic space above the floor of the shed. You will get maximum space if you frame the roof yourself. To get a decent amount of space using prefabricated trusses, you will have to specify that you want storage trusses when you place the order with the lumber yard.

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