Hurricane Damage

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I lived in a mobile home that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. My mobile home was on concrete blocks set about 32 inches high on a concrete slab. The slab is about 4 inches thick without footers or anything fancy. It does have the wire reinforcement inside the concrete.

Before Hurricane Katrina came along, we had problems with mildew on the bottom of the walls. We primarily noticed the mildew in the closets. Our home was skirted, and probably not ventilated enough.

We are about to purchase a new manufactured home that is larger than our original one. I saw a mobile home with a black plastic liner over it as a vapor barrier. Should we do this? I read on your site that water passes through concrete. Wow! I don't want to have the same problems we had with the previous home.

Our intention is to raise our new home up 5 feet high on concrete blocks. The home dealer says they will go that height, but no more. We can afford to pay big bucks to have the foundation done with reinforced block. It will be tied-down well. I am hoping that in raising the home 5 feet above the surrounding ground, this will save it from possible flooding. Will raising it this high harm the home's structure? Karen T., Slidell, LA

DEAR KAREN: I am sorry to hear about your loss. Hurricane Katrina had a really bad temper, and I have this feeling some of her sisters, brothers and cousins that will come along in the future will be in as bad a mood or possibly worse. For this reason, you must slow down and do a little research before you have this new manufactured home set on its foundation.

The first thing you need to determine is what might the water level be in the event of future flooding. The local weather department or possibly the folks at your local fire department might know how high the water reached above the soil on your land during the height of the storm.

I can see looking at the map you are located very close to water at the northeast corner of Lake Pontchartrain. Since the center of Hurricane Katrina passed east of you, the winds were pushing the water of Lake Pontchartrain away from you. But if the next monster hurricane makes landfall just west of you, the horrific winds could create a storm surge that might flood the land with water 15 - 25 feet above normal levels.

For this reason, you need to get hold of a topographic map that will tell you the height of your lot above sea level. You can also get this information from free software called Google Earth. Find your lot on this software and it has the ability to tell you the height of land above sea level at any given point on the earth.

The mildew in the closets was caused by high humidity in the spaces during the winter months. The exterior wall surfaces of the closets was cooler and the water vapor condensed on the exterior walls. You can solve this by leaving closet doors open in the winter to keep them warmer and encourage air circulation which evaporates the water fog that starts to develop on cooler wall surfaces.

The black liner you saw might have just been a protective covering used to protect the home from roadway dirt and water as the home made its trip from the factory to the dealer. My guess is they have already installed the proper vapor barriers inside the walls of the new manufactured home.

But I would also place a high-quality vapor barrier over the concrete slab after your new manufactured home is in place. This large plastic sheet will stop water vapor from passing from the ground up into your manufactured home.

You must find a way to reinforce the concrete block that will become the foundation of your new manufactured home. I don't care if it means working a second job for a short period of time to pay for this much-needed structural improvement. You will never regret having steel rods inside the cores of the concrete block. Fill the cores with a mixture of small gravel, sand and Portland cement.

A 5-foot high concrete block foundation will not harm the manufactured home structure. But if the concrete block move because they are not reinforced, you could have serious problems.

Column EM0029

Bathroom Remodeling

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: A bathroom remodeling project is at the top of my list for things to be done in a home I just purchased. I would like to change the layout of the plumbing fixtures. Is this possible, or am I forced to stay with the current layout? I plan to install granite wall tiles and flooring. How long will I be without a bathroom? Is there a way to speed up the remodeling process? Wendy D., Norcross, GA

DEAR WENDY: Bathroom remodeling is a popular project for people who buy existing homes. I think one of the reasons rests in the fact that people want to pamper themselves, and feel very comfortable while they are concentrating on personal hygiene. Remodeling bathrooms also makes good financial sense. Installing high-quality products in a bathroom will produce a handsome return on investment as buyers of homes desire well-appointed bathrooms that sport natural stone, gleaming tile, decorative faucets and sleek plumbing fixtures.

You can almost always change the layout of plumbing fixtures within a bathroom. Often the biggest obstacle is the doorway into the bathroom. If you are able to relocate the doorway or even move it slightly left or right from its current position, your new floor plan options increase dramatically. There are many highly-trained bathroom designers that can help you explore all of your possibilities.

This bathroom has been stripped to the studs. Plumbing pipes must be moved and new electric wires installed because the sink and tub are being relocated within the room. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Once you determine that it is possible from the design perspective to move the fixtures, you then need to study the physical and building code barriers that hinder the movement of plumbing drain and water supply lines. The plumbing code is very strict, and both the drainage and venting pipes must be installed so your plumbing system meets minimum code requirements.

There are structural issues to address and the building code speaks to these important structural challenges. Within the text of the building code you will discover very strict guidelines with respect to notching, drilling, boring through and altering wooden floor joists. If your bathroom is built on top of a wooden floor system, you must pay very close attention to these code issues. If your bathroom is built on a concrete slab that rests directly on soil, these issues do not apply as you can remove the slab and place piping wherever you like.

If you are able to move your plumbing fixtures to the places you desire, this tells me that your bathroom remodeling job is one that requires the most time and resources. Since every job is different, you might expect the job to breakdown in this fashion:

Demolition - Two Days
Rough Carpentry Modifications - One Day
Rough Plumbing - Two Days
Electrical Work - One Day
Insulation and Hang Drywall - One Day
Finish Drywall - Two Days
Install Granite on Walls and Floors and Grout - Three Days
Install Cabinets, Tops, Toilet, Faucet - Two Days
Painting and Wallpapering - Two Days
Miscellaneous Contingency - Two Days

The above schedule shows your bathroom may be out of service for about 18 work days. The schedule can be significantly reduced if you hire a multi-talented individual or company that can multi-task and work ten-hour days. You can shave a day or two off the drywall phase if you use rapid-setting joint compound, and tape the drywall seams moments after the drywall is fastened to the walls and ceilings.

The key to getting your new bathroom completed as fast as possible is to stage all of the materials at your home before the job starts. Make sure every item is free of defects, the right size and you have every single piece of material you need. The only challenge at that point will be the labor to install the materials and fixtures, and getting timely building inspections.

Before hiring a contractor to remodel a bathroom, be sure to discuss all of the temporary arrangements so you can still live in your home as the remodeling work progresses. It is not hard to set up temporary showers in basements or garages. I know as I have done it for customers.

The biggest concern is always toilet facilities, as some smaller homes only have one toilet in the entire house. If this is the case at your home, you may have to rely on a portable toilet that sits outside. Be sure your local zoning codes allow this before you order one to be delivered.

Make sure that you know how to operate the primary water shut-off valve in your home and that it works. Accidents happen and a leak may develop in a water supply line at the end of a work day. You need to monitor the water supply lines after modifications have been made to ensure they are leakproof. If you see a leak, you must shut off the water immediately.

Column 623

Garage Plans

Posted on May 23, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I need plans to build a detached garage. A friend of mine thought he had built a large garage, but by the time he parked his cars in it and placed all of his gear inside, there was barely enough room to move around. What is the best size for a single-car detached garage and a two-car garage? How will I know if the plan will work, especially when dimensions on a drawing are hard to interpret? Denise P., Mobile, AL

DEAR DENISE: Garage plans can indeed be confusing. I have met many people in my career who can't visualize what the finished space will look like when they stare at a blueprint with lots of lines, dimensions and symbols. There are wonderful computer programs that will allow you to see both garages and homes in three dimensions, but even these can be deceptive. When working with computers, always remember that bad data entry results in bad rendered results.

The best way to ensure the money spent on a new detached garage will be well spent is to do one of two things. If you have an existing garage, measure its width and length and add to those dimensions the amount of space you feel the current structure lacks. For example, if you determine that you need 3 feet of space on each side of the car and perhaps an additional 6 feet of depth in front of where you park, then your new garage needs to be 6 feet larger in both width and length than the size of your existing garage.

This garage is doomed from the start. While it is longer than normal, it is too narrow. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

But the method I employ to develop superb garage plans involves a little more effort than just guessing how much space you might need. I prefer to take the car(s), garbage cans, wheelbarrows, bikes, lawn mowers and any other equipment that will be stored on the floor of the garage, and place all of these things on a flat space exactly as they would be stored once inside the new garage.

I always start this planning process by parking the cars next to one another, but far enough away from each other so that you can open a car door completely without banging the door against the adjacent car. You will usually find that four feet of space between cars will give you this needed room. I then place the objects in front of the cars and next to them, so there is sufficient space to walk around the car(s) without scratching its sides.

You will be amazed at how much space you will need once you arrange the objects such as garbage cans, lawn mowers and other such things around the parked cars. For a single-car garage, I'll wager that you will discover the width of the structure will be a minimum of 22 feet and the length of the garage will be close to 26 feet.

A garage for two cars will probably end up being 30 feet wide and 26 feet deep. You will confirm this, once you place all of your possessions around the car. After you are sure you have a comfortable space between the car and all of your gear, take out a measuring tape and measure the distance from the edges of the possessions side to side and from the back of the cars to just past the gear that you might place in front of the car. Be sure to allow an extra three feet behind the car so there is space to walk between it and a closed garage door.

If you really want the garage plans to be some of the best, make sure single-car garage doors are at least 10 feet wide. Consider making the interior ceiling of the garage at least 14 feet tall. This will allow you to create a storage loft that occupies the space over the hood of your car(s). If you plan for a wide garage, you can make a comfortable standard staircase that will provide access to this jumbo elevated storage area.

Be sure you place plenty of electrical outlets in all of the garage walls, and a few just outside the garage for those times when you want to operate tools outdoors. A wall-mounted ventilation fan is also a great idea if you live in a warm climate. Garages can get hot and these fans allow you to bring in cooler air to replace hot stagnant air.

The roof over the garage should not be wasted space. If you frame the roof with trusses, be sure to order attic storage trusses that will allow you to store extra items up above the garage ceiling. These trusses have a special open design that allows you to place a floor within the trusses. You can walk around stooped over in the storage space.

If your garage roof pitch is steep, say above a 10 inch rise in 12 inches of run, then you can order full-sized attic trusses that allow you to have a room over the garage that has an 8-foot high ceiling. You may not think this is a good idea now, but that bonus room may come in handy in the future. Be sure you plan accordingly to allow for a full-sized staircase that will access this room from the floor area of the garage.

Column 622

Brick Patio Mortar Repair

Posted on May 21, 2006 by Tim Carter

"The first thing you need to do is look very closely at your existing mortar joints. Look at the color of the sand."

Brick Patio Mortar Repair Checklist

Matching sand is the top priority
Use hydrated lime in the mortar
A mortar bag is a must-have tool
Mortar must be rich to flow from the bag

DEAR TIM: I have a lovely brick patio that has mortar between the brick. After pressure washing it this past weekend, I noticed several locations where the mortar has disintegrated.

Most of the mortar is in excellent condition, but a few places need to be repaired. Some of the voids are 1 inch deep, while others only need perhaps one-eighth inch of mortar. How do I mix the new mortar, and what tools do I use so I don't make a mess of things? I have lots of free time, so what are the best weather conditions to work in so the repairs last a long time? Holleay P., Kitty Hawk, NC

What is the Best Brick Patio Mortar?

The best brick patio mortar, in my opinion, is one that contains hydrated lime, Portland cement, and a medium sand.

When I am building a brick patio like the one you and I have, I use a special mortar that will withstand years of Mother Nature's abuse.

It sounds like your builder did the same thing, but the mortar in a few locations was defective. That has happened to me in a few spots on my own patio. I traced the defects to excessive water from a rainstorm that happened soon after one section of the new brick was grouted.

What is the Best Mortar Recipe?

I suggest you repair the defective joints in your patio with the same type of mortar mix I used when I installed my patio. It's extremely durable, and will last for 40 - 50 years if you cure the joints once they are installed.

three 5-gallon buckets of dry sand that matches existing sand in patio mortar joints
6.38 gallons of Portland cement
1.12 gallons of hydrated lime

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.

How Do I Match the Sand for the Mortar?

You match the sand by paying attention to the color and size of the individual pieces of sand in the old mortar.

Your biggest challenge is going to be matching the color and texture of the existing mortar. You did the right thing by thoroughly cleaning the brick and mortar first. All too often, people try to match mortar colors and fail to clean the surrounding mortar first. Mortar on walls, and especially on flat patios, can get very dirty.

The first thing you need to do is look very closely at your existing mortar joints. Look at the color of the sand.

Look at the colored pieces of sand. Note the size and different colors. I see white, black, orange, and some gray pieces of sand.

Check out the different colored pieces of sand. Each grain is a small piece of solid rock. The sand for the repair job should match the existing sand as close as possible in grain size, shape and color. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Is All Sand the Same?

Believe it or not, not all sand looks the same. Sand is simply a collection of very small rock particles, and the color of individual sand particles can be vastly different if the particles come from a variety of black, red, white and gray rocks. Visit different building supply businesses and/or sand and gravel pits, and try to find sand that matches both in color and particle size.

Once you have the correct sand, mix your brick patio mortar using my recipe you see above. This will make a very rich mixture that will be exceedingly strong.

You need this strength, even though you do not get too many extremely cold days.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local masons who can repair your patio mortar.

What is the Best Tool to Install the Mortar?

A grout bag is the best tool to install the brick patio mortar.

Extra cement and hydrated lime in your mortar help make the mortar flow easily from the tip of the special grout bag you'll use to fill the defective mortar joints.

This is a great mortar repair bag. I own one and it's installed thousands of feet of mortar into joints. CLICK THE IMAGE NOW to have one delivered to your home.

Mortar grout bags are just like icing bags used by professional cake decorators. They are larger than an icing bag, and have a metal cone tip that has a one-half-inch hole at the end.

What's the Best Weather to Repair Brick Patio Mortar?

I prefer to work on cloudy days when the temperature is in the 50 - 65 F range. Do not work on a hot, sunny windy day. The mortar will dry too rapidly, especially where you are filling slight depressions in the existing mortar joints.

How Do You Install the Mortar in Between the Brick?

Once you have the mortar mixed, lightly spritz the mortar joints you are going to fill. Do not get them too wet, just slightly damp.

Fill the grout bag half way with the mortar mix, and apply slight pressure to make the mortar mix flow just as toothpaste oozes from its tube. If you can't get the mortar to flow, you need to add more cement and/or slightly more water. The mortar mix needs to be fairly wet so that it doesn't clog the grout bag tip.

Carefully guide the grout bag tip so that you apply new mortar only to the joint. Move the bag along and make sure you apply mortar so it rises above the level of the brick by about one-quarter inch.

The fresh mortar needs to touch the top edges of all the brick. Let it set until you see it change from wet and glossy to a flat gray color. Use a small triangular trowel to gently scrape off the excess mortar so the top of the mortar is flush with the brick. Keep the fresh mortar damp for three days so it cures well.

When Do You Scrape Off Excess Mortar?

If you scrape the excess mortar too soon, it will smear onto the brick. You do not want this to happen, especially if the brick has a rough texture or grooves created by the wire-cutting process as the brick is manufactured. If mortar gets in these grooves, it is a nightmare to remove.

You also have to be careful about waiting too long to scrape off the excess mortar. If the mortar gets too hard, you run the risk of breaking the bond between the new and old mortar. If this happens, your new mortar may fail in a few years.

CLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local masons who can repair your patio mortar.

Column 621

French Drain

Posted on May 20, 2006 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We are demolishing a house built in 1923, and intend to build a larger home on the site. There is an active spring on the property, and the old house had water and dampness problems.

What can we do to ensure the spring will not cause problems as we build, and after we inhabit the home? Will the spring cause soil compaction issues and/or soil stability issues over time?

Barry P., Bethesda, MD

DEAR BARRY: Water is the nemesis of many a homeowner. It doesn't make any difference where your home is located, as houses built on slabs, with basements, on flat ground or sloped land can all have problems caused by surface water that eventually becomes spring water. Underground springs are a special situation that affects certain building lots, but with a little extra work, the spring on your lot can be rendered harmless. If you install a french drain on the lot, the spring can be controlled with ease.

Look at the water from the active spring covering the driveway. It hasn't rained for nearly two days, yet water still is flowing out of the soil. The hill continues up behind the house for several hundred feet. Thousands of gallons of water are in the soil, working their way toward this spring. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Freshwater springs are a desired item for some land owners, but they are feared by others. If you own a larger piece of land and are lucky enough to have a spring above your home, you can actually pipe the water to the home using gravity as the delivery method. The spring water can be used for washing clothes, watering indoor plants, and irrigating outdoor landscaping or gardens if necessary. There are countless uses for pure and natural spring water. If you have it tested regularly, it may be excellent drinking water. You may want to consider capturing your spring water to use for some purpose.

The water that is issuing forth from the spring started as rainwater. Rain enters soil and/or flows across bedrock as it starts its journey back to oceans or lakes. The local geology of an area determines whether springs will be plentiful or non-existent. In areas where the subsoil has a clay component or bedrock close to the surface, the rainwater that soaks into the soil starts to find it more difficult to go down and actually starts to move sideways along the top of the thick clay subsoil or bedrock ledge.

If the surface topography of the land is such where the shape of the land is like a funnel, the flow of the water in the soil can be concentrated to a single point. It is not uncommon for this water to create a visible spring where the water flows out of the soil onto the surface of the land. In other areas, the flow of the spring water stays hidden below the surface of the ground.

There are any number of ways to deal with spring water as you build a new home. One method is to dig a trench on the uphill side of the foundation excavation so you can intercept the water before it becomes a problem. The trench can wrap around the jobsite and the water can flow past the construction site. I prefer this method over digging a pit for the water. The pit method requires periodic pumping. Pumps can fail, and when this happens, the excavation can become flooded.

The spring should not cause any problems with the soil stability of your new home. If the existing house built in 1923 had no structural or foundation problems, this tells you the spring is a shallow one and the soil is probably strong enough for your new home. If you have any doubt whatsoever, I suggest you hire a geotechnical soil engineer to look at the soil once the foundation excavation for your new home is complete.

This light-colored area on the driveway was caused by water that flows from an active spring. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Using soil maps and possibly samples of the deep soil inside the excavation, the engineer may give the site a passing grade. If he feels there may be a problem, the engineer may suggest piers or some other system to stabilize the new foundation.

The spring water will not be a problem for your new home if you install a top-quality waterproofing system on the outside of your new foundation. There are many different systems, and the one I used 20 years ago still keeps my basement bone dry. If you are using a high-quality builder, he will know one or more great systems to use. One key to keeping your basement dry is backfilling around the house with plenty of clean, washed gravel.

Click here to order Tim's Streaming Video with the step-by-step procedure for installing a Linear French Drain and keeping your basement dry.

Another necessary component of a foundation waterproofing system is a perforated drain pipe that is 6 inches in diameter placed at the bottom of the excavation next to the concrete footer that supports your foundation. This drain pipe must surround the house and be extended to a low spot on your property where the spring water can drain by gravity. If your lot is too level, preventing the pipe from exiting at grade level, you will have to install an interior or exterior sump pit, and pump the water out to keep your basement dry.

It is nearly impossible to stop the flow of spring water. The best practice is to capture the water and divert it around your home. Water that is flowing underground wants to take the path of least resistance. So make it easy for the water to bypass your basement.

To do this, use plenty of 1-inch diameter or larger rounded washed gravel. Water flows through this with little or no effort. Water loves to travel through rounded washed gravel and struggles to pass through soil, especially soil that has a clay component.

If purchasing a new lot for a home, always try to buy a lot that has natural slope to it. This slope will come in handy when dealing with groundwater of any type.

Read about Kathy's concerns over a wet lot in my March 15, 2011 Newsletter.

Column 619

Concrete Resurfacing

Posted on May 5, 2006 by Tim Carter

Concrete resurfacing is a very popular project for homeowners because it allows one to get a brand-new surface for a fraction of the cost of what new concrete would cost. The concept is not new, and it is gaining in popularity for commercial work and public highways. Many public roads and concrete bridges are getting new thin overlays installed as part of a concrete resurfacing project.

On a smaller level, the products you use to perform concrete resurfacing are readily available and inexpensive. If you want to make your own resurfacing material, all you need is Portland cement, medium or coarse sand and some water. If the concrete resurfacing layer is thicker than 1 inch, you may also need some small rounded pea gravel for the mix.

If you do not want to mix your own concrete resurfacing material, then you can buy products that are in a bag or a bucket. Some of the pre-mixed products are very thin, and will not disguise serious holes or scaled areas in badly worn concrete. Concrete scaling happens when a top thin layer pops off the concrete and reveals the stones that are in the concrete mix.

Thicker concrete resurfacing materials will cover up deep depressions or worn spots in concrete. The tricks to making the concrete resurfacing project last for many years are as follows:

remove all loose concrete
clean the concrete surface well
work when the air temperature is in the 50-60 F range
work on an overcast day with still or no wind
dampen the old concrete and apply a thin layer of cement paste before installing the concrete resurfacing material

If you mix your own concrete resurfacing material for a thin overlay, mix three parts sand to one part Portland cement. Add just enough water to make the consistency of the mix similar to bricklayer's mortar. If you have to add the small pea gravel for a mix over 1 inch thick, then the mixing ratios are: three parts gravel, two parts sand and 1.5 parts Portland cement.

Column EM0028

Deck Cleaning and Sealing

Posted on April 26, 2006 by Tim Carter

! ! ! See Author's Notes at Bottom of Column ! ! !

DEAR TIM: My wood deck needs to be cleaned and sealed. Actually, I have two wood decks; one is made from traditional treated lumber and the other one is cedar. Several contractors want to pressure wash the decks, but I am leery of this. In your opinion, what is the best way to clean a wood deck? Once clean, what is the best sealer? Is there a sealer that will really work well on cedar? Patricia R., Farmington Hills, MI

DEAR PATRICIA: Wood decks, like anything else left outdoors, get dirty and covered with algae and sometimes mildew. Several years ago, I had this happen to a car that sat in my driveway for months, as I was too busy to sell it. Who would think algae and mildew would grow on a painted steel car? Cleaning your wood decks will require a little extra work, if you want to treat them with care.

I do own a pressure washer, but I never use it to clean wood surfaces. High-pressure streams of water wreak havoc on sun-damaged wood decks. The ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun break down sealers, and then they start to blast apart the actual wood fibers of the decking. These weakened fibers are easily removed by pressure washers.

The light-colored wood grain is the wood most susceptible to damage from the pressure washers. This is the spring wood or tree growth that happens between the end of winter and the beginning of summer. Trees grow rapidly at this time, as there is often an abundance of water from spring rains. This rapid growth creates an open cellular structure in the wood that is quite weak in some respects. As summer wears on, and there is less moisture in the soil for the tree, the growth process slows. This summer wood is darker, and is very dense. As you might expect, this dark summer wood grain is more resistant to damage from both UV rays and high-pressure streams of water.

I prefer to use a solution of oxygen bleach to clean outdoor wood surfaces. Do not confuse oxygen bleach with bottles of liquid bleach you find in grocery stores or home centers. These often contain chlorine bleach. Always check the label. If you see the words sodium hypochlorite on a product label, you are looking at a bottle of chlorine bleach.

Oxygen bleach is a powder that is mixed with water. Not all oxygen bleaches are the same. Some have low-quality ingredients that are manufactured offshore. Some have low amounts of active ingredient in them. The best oxygen bleaches have ingredients that are made in the USA, and have the highest amount of active ingredient as allowed by law. As you might expect, these products are typically higher-priced. High-quality ingredients and more of them simply cost more.

Once you mix the oxygen bleach with water, it creates a solution with billions of oxygen ions. These powerhouse ions are non-toxic, and they rapidly clean algae, mildew and oxidized deck sealers. The oxygen-bleach solution does not hurt plants or trees, and it does not hurt the natural color of the wood. Chlorine bleach, on the other hand, is highly toxic to plants and vegetation. It also is such a strong oxidizer, it can and does remove the natural color from the wood. The chlorine bleach can also accelerate the corrosion of deck nails, bolts and framing connectors.

I have had great luck with new synthetic-resin sealers that have an epoxy component. These epoxy deck sealers are UV-stable, and last for years on the flat surfaces of decks. But cedar has always been a problem in the past. The dense summer wood of cedar has often prevented sealers from penetrating into the wood. It was not uncommon for the sealers to peel off of cedar decking.

A new water-based epoxy sealer with a brand-new synthetic resin has been developed for cedar decks. This resin has a smaller molecular structure that can penetrate the dense summer wood on cedar decks. The field tests I have seen are impressive, and I would absolutely give this new sealer a try on your cedar decking. To purchase this sealer, look on the label for the words "water-based" and "epoxy".

Each year, I receive countless e-mails from people who ruin their wood decks with pressure washers. After the cleaning process, the wood decking dries and the people are left with wood that looks like a fuzzy pipe cleaner. Some areas of the wood are so damaged by the pressure washers, they resemble fishing piers that have been exposed to the sun for decades.

If this happens to you, your only choice is to let the wood dry well, and rent power-sanding machines. Be sure to countersink all nails, and then start to sand the wood using coarse sandpaper, and then medium. Always use aluminum oxide sandpaper, as it is self-sharpening. Remove all dust before you apply the sealer. Read the sealer label carefully. The epoxy resin sealers need to be applied very thin, and they always need two coats, with a small amount of drying time between each coat.

Author's Notes:

Read Sheryl's comments about using a pressure washer on her deck.

"Tim,

I am going to order some of your oxygen bleach to clean my wooden deck that is on "the list" this summer. I sure wish I had known about this product before I power washed it two years ago - as I wondered why the wood looked messed up afterwards."

- Sheryl W., State Park, SC

Message from Tim:

Years ago while researching a column about cleaning decks, I discovered the wonders of Oxygen Bleach. It is perhaps the 'greenest' cleaner I know of as it uses oxygen ions to break apart stains, dirt and odor molecules. There are no harsh chemicals, and it works on just about anything that is water washable.

I decided to create my own special blend using ingredients made in the USA. In fact, the raw materials in the active ingredient are food-grade quality registered with the FDA. I call my product Stain Solver. I urge you to use it to help with cleaning your deck or wood. You will be amazed at the results!

Related Column:

Deck Cleaning Dilemma - Cleaning a CCA lumber deck

Column 617

Advertising Partnership Inquiry Form

Posted on April 22, 2006 by Tim Carter

Thank you for your interest in AsktheBuilder.com! To discover more about our new advertising opportunities, please provide us with some information. Click the Submit Form button at the bottom of the page and one of our Sales Representatives will contact you shortly.

Remember - the more information you give us, the better we can serve you.

How to Grout Tile

Posted on April 15, 2006 by Tim Carter

Grout needs to be mixed so it sticks readily to a putty knife and does not droop or fall off. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

How to Grout Tile

DEAR TIM: The new tile grout in my bathroom is a disaster. The grout is crumbling, and I can scrape it out of the grooves with my fingernail. The installer said the grout was bad.

The grout manufacturer said the grout was fine, and the installer ruined it. Who is telling the truth? I have extra grout. Is it hard to grout tile so it lasts for years? Becky G., Pueblo, CO

DEAR BECKY: Both parties can be telling the truth. It is possible the grout is bad, but the odds of that being true are as long as Interstate Highway 90. The better bet, in my opinion, is the installer made one or more mistakes. Fortunately, you can determine who is telling the truth, since you have leftover powdered grout.

The most common reasons grout crumbles and disintegrates with minimal force are water - too much water. Virtually all powdered wall and sanded floor grouts are made from Portland cement. Some grouts have extra additives such as powdered latex or acrylic modifiers that make them bond even better. You can also purchase liquid acrylic modifiers to mix with grout that makes them more durable, but I have had nothing but problems with these liquids when working with colored grouts.

Portland cement is an unstable chemical compound in the grout bag. It becomes stable once it unites with water molecules. It can get those from water vapor in the air or from liquid water that is mixed with the powder. This is why bags of Portland cement or grout are often placed in special bags with plastic liners. The plastic blocks the movement of water toward the dry unstable powder.

If you inspect the leftover grout in your possession, it should be a fine powder with no lumps or clumps. The presence of small, hard lumps or clumping means the grout may have started to mix with water vapor. Clumps or lumps mean the grout is bad or is going bad. But if the grout appears like a bag of fresh baking flour, then it is my opinion the grout is perfect.

When you mix grout with water, it is important to add just the right amount. This is no different than making cake or pancake batter. Add too much cooking oil and water to cake and pancake mix and you get a runny batter that will not produce the desired foodstuff. The same is true with grout. Add too much water as you mix and the grout will never get as hard as grout mixed properly.

The proper consistency for grout is like that of a thick cake batter. The grout, once mixed, should readily stick to the end of a putty knife. When you grab a glob of grout from the mixing bucket, it should not droop off of the putty knife. If the grout is runny and can be poured like a milkshake, too much water has been added. You can fix the problem by adding more powdered grout and blending the mixture until the grout thickens.

This is why I always only mix part of a bag of grout at one time. I always want to have extra powdered grout in case I add too much water to the original batch. Furthermore, you only want to mix as much grout as you can apply to the tile in 30 minutes.

The installer could have also ruined the grout after it was mixed perfectly. He could have re-tempered the grout by adding water to it as it was getting hard in the bucket. This, in my opinion, should never be done. The added water breaks apart the crystalline chemical bonds that are forming as the grout transforms from a plastic substance to man-made rock.

Finally, the installer could have issued a death sentence to your grout as he was finishing the joints. If he used a sponge that contained too much water, the water could have diluted the grout while it was hardening between the individual pieces of tile. The sponge used to strike and finish the grout joints must have all excess water squeezed from it before it touches the grout between the tile.

It helps to cure grout in places that have low humidity. Parts of the West and Southwest have very low relative humidity, and the water in wet grout can evaporate too quickly. When this happens, the grout can lose strength. The best way to cure grout if the humidity is low, is to cover the freshly-grouted tiles with damp white-paper towels. The paper towels will readily stick to the wall tile. The next step is to mist the paper towels with clean water every hour or so to ensure they stay damp.

It also helps to run a humidifier in the tiled area for 48 hours. This water vapor helps the grout gain every bit of strength possible. It takes days for the grout to achieve its final strength and the first few days of the process are critical. If you keep the grout slightly damp for 48 hours after it is installed, it should last a lifetime.

Column 616

Cathedral Ceiling Framing

Posted on April 15, 2006 by Tim Carter

Cathedral ceilings can be a dramatic look. The ceiling can be covered with wood or drywall. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My ranch-style home was built in 1968. It has dreary low ceilings. I would love to create a cathedral ceiling. This past weekend, I poked my head into the attic to see how the roof was built. The roof was not framed with modern prefabricated trusses. All I could see were 2 x 6 rafters that meet at the top where they rest against a center-ridge board. Can I take out my flat ceilings and attach a finished ceiling to the underside of the rafters? Is it possible to install skylights at the same time? Stacy J., Tulsa, OK

DEAR STACY: The simple answer is you absolutely can create cathedral ceilings in your home and install any number of skylights. But before you start tearing out the flat ceiling and cutting away the flat-ceiling joists, we need to talk. The modifications you want to do are structural in nature, and if you don't adequately brace the roof, you can cause serious structural damage. In the worst case, your roof will collapse on top of you.

Traditional roof framing consists of two slanted rafters that are connected at their base with a horizontal piece of lumber. When fastened together, these three pieces of framing lumber create a very simple triangle that can be exceedingly strong. But the strength of the triangle relies on each and every one of the three pieces of lumber. Your existing roof consists of a series of these triangles spaced at either 16 or 24 inches on center.

You didn't mention seeing a bottom piece of lumber, but it is there. You didn't see it, because it is either covered by attic flooring or buried in insulation. The existing ceilings in your home are nailed to this flat lumber that forms the base of each triangle.

If you cut this horizontal piece of lumber, the force of gravity, along with the combined weight of the roof rafters, roof sheathing and roofing materials, immediately starts to push the roof structure down. The result is that your slanted roof starts to transform into a flat roof. This process can happen over a period of years, months or even seconds, depending upon how the house is built.

There are any number of satisfactory structural solutions that will allow you to create the cathedral ceiling. One solution is to install a properly sized beam just under the peak of the roof, where the top of the rafters connect to the ridge board. This beam will carry all of the roof load, but the ends of the beam must be supported by columns that rest on a solid surface. This surface might be a concrete footer in a floor, a steel I-beam that is used to support the floor of the home, or even the top of the foundation. A residential structural engineer can help you determine how to properly size and support this beam.

You can also install smaller, horizontal-framing members, called collar ties, that can be exposed as part of your cathedral ceiling. These collar ties are installed higher up than your current flat-ceiling joists, and they create a new bottom base of the triangle. Once again, the engineer can offer suggestions as to where to install these and how to properly fasten them to the slanted roof rafters.

Plywood gusset plates can also be installed high up in the rafters near the peak of the roof. These plywood pieces are cut in a triangular shape to match the slope of your roof. They are glued and nailed to the sides of the roof rafters. You would be surprised how small these gusset plates can be, yet they provide sufficient strength to prevent a roof collapse. If you use these gusset plates, you will end up with a small, flat ceiling area near the peak of the cathedral ceiling.

The slanted pieces of wood are actual roof rafters. The horizontal piece of wood is a collar tie. You can see how combined, all three pieces of wood make a strong triangle. This collar tie is not at the base of the rafters, yet it still imparts great strength. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Whichever structural solution you choose, you must install it before you cut away all of the existing ceiling joists. If this is not feasible, then you will have to install temporary supports or collar ties that will provide support until such time as you install the permanent engineered solution. The engineer can assist you with advice about how to safely support the roof as you proceed with the work.

Once the new cathedral ceiling supports are in place, and the flat ceilings have been removed, you need to think about how you are going to insulate the ceiling. Do not fill the entire cavity with insulation, unless you happen to use newer breathable open-cell spray-foam insulation. If you use traditional fiberglass or cellulose, you need to create a 2-inch air space between the insulation and the roof sheathing. If you do not have ridge ventilation in place, you will need it after the job is complete.

Remember that the skylights need to be installed before any insulation work is performed. The engineer needs to know about the skylights, because you may have to strengthen the existing roof framing along each side of the new skylights depending upon their overall width.

Column 615

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