Drill Holes in Ceramic Tile

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: How do I drill holes in ceramic tiles? Are there special drill bits for ceramic tile? What is the worst thing that can go wrong? Lawrence Fefergrad, Montreal, Canada

DEAR LAWRENCE: The composition of ceramic tiles is as different as there are countries in the world. For this reason, there is no one single answer on how to drill a hole in ceramic tile. There is, however, one drill bit that indeed will go through each and every tile, but you may have great difficulty locating it.

Many ceramic tiles have a fairly soft inner core and a thin hard glaze on the outer surface that you look at. These are the very easy to drill through. The easiest tiles to drill into are very soft tiles that are often found in homes built in the southwestern part of the USA. Frequently these have no glaze or a very thin satin finish.

AsktheBuilder Podcast

CLICK this image and listen to the second call on the podcast. I talked to Greg about what can be done with porcelain tile, including borders to offset certain spaces. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

Tile hardness is a function of the type of clay and its silica content used to make the tile. The final hardness of the tile is also directly related to the amount of time the tile is in the firing kiln and the temperature inside the kiln. High temperature and long baking times can produce rock-hard tile.

Glass and porcelain tiles are very popular right now. These products are the hardest tiles to drill into. You can use a sharp carbide drill, but you need to oil or water the bit to keep it cool as it rotates on the tile. A diamond-encrusted bit will drill into porcelain or glass faster than carbide, but these bits are expensive.

If you are drilling into softer tile, a regular carbide bit works fine. Do not use a hammer drill as the rapid vibrations can crack the tile. The trick is to use a slow drilling speed and carefully grind through the surface of the thin glaze. Once the bit gets into the softer core, the drill will rapidly cut through the softer fired clay.

Do not apply too much pressure when you first drill as the drill and bit can slip away from the marked point and scratch the tile. The worst mistakes you can make are cracking or scratching a tile. If that happens, it will be a considerable amount of work to replace the damaged tile(s). Be careful and proceed slowly as you drill.

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Door Weatherstripping Sticks to Painted Door

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We repainted our front door last year and I guess we didn't allow for full drying. Now, even a year later, whenever we open or shut the door it sticks a bit to the weatherstripping. What would be the best way to get rid of the sticking so we have a clean door opening and closing? Would petroleum jelly or a spray lubricant offer any help? Dave Wojtkowski, San Francisco, CA

DEAR DAVE: I had this happen to me on one of my jobs years ago and it was a learning experience that I shall never forget. Forget about using any of those products you mention, as they will just make a mess of things. You just need to either repaint the door or possibly touch it up if that is acceptable. There is a very good chance you will need to buy new weatherstripping unless you can carefully remove all paint from the stripping without harming it. If the door is newer, you should have no problems finding replacement weatherstripping.

Both water and oil-based paints need to fully cure before you allow them to contact another object. This curing process can take days and sometimes weeks depending upon the type of paint and the weather. For paint to develop a substantial degree of hardness, chemical changes have to occur inside the paint. The paint-curing process advances as certain chemical compounds evaporate from the paint.

The problem is some weatherstrips are so good, they block this evaporation process when the door is closed. This is why your door continues to stick.

To prevent this problem from ever happening again, all you have to do is remove the weatherstripping from the door jamb before you start the painting job. The vast majority of weatherstripping materials for newer doors have a small fin that fits into a small groove in the door jamb. To remove the weatherstripping, start at one end of a piece of the weatherstripping and pull the fin out of the groove.

Paint the door and leave the weatherstripping out for a minimum of two weeks. Hot, dry weather accelerates curing and cool, wet weather slows paint curing.

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Do it Yourself Roofing

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My husband and a friend are planning to install a new asphalt shingle roof on our home this summer. My task is to be the chief financial officer and job superintendent. I need to establish a budget for the project and uncover important installation tips. How do I calculate the cost of the project and what are the most important steps that need to be followed to eliminate roof leaks? Michelle L., East Tawas, MI

DEAR MICHELLE: You and your husband are absolutely sailing into uncharted waters. I am reminded of the clever television commercial where a bare-chested man is sitting at his kitchen table with a dinner knife in his one hand. He is on the phone with a surgeon who is telling him where to start the incision. The man at the table has a perplexed look on his face and says to the surgeon, "Shouldn't you be doing this?"

Installing asphalt shingles is not necessarily hard, although it can sometimes involve strenuous, dirty work. As with many crafts in the home building and remodeling field, there are many small steps and tricks that you must employ to ensure years of leak-free performance from your new roof. To think you will learn them all from this column is a folly. Entire books have been written on the subject and many of the ones I have reviewed have skipped very important steps.

This critical drip-edge flashing is one of the first things that gets installed on top of the slanted wood roof sheathing. It is nailed directly to the bottom of the sloped roof and the roofing felt paper lays down on top of it. Note how the gutter board is already installed, painted and there is a slight gap between the flashing and the gutter board. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This critical drip-edge flashing is one of the first things that gets installed on top of the slanted wood roof sheathing. It is nailed directly to the bottom of the sloped roof and the roofing felt paper lays down on top of it. Note how the gutter board is already installed, painted and there is a slight gap between the flashing and the gutter board. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Let's talk first about the financial aspects of the job. You need to create a detailed material list that will include the needed building permit, the asphalt shingles, underlayment, possible ice and wind-driven rain membranes, nails, flashing materials, drip and rake edge flashings, new or rental tools ladders, roof scaffolding, safety equipment, possible disposal costs if you are tearing off an existing roof, etc.

Roofing materials are sold by the square. One square of material covers 100 square feet of roof area. There is always a certain amount of waste, so calculate the exact square footage of what needs to be covered and add 8 to 10 percent for waste. Once you have selected the actual roofing shingles, refer to their written instructions for the exact type of approved nails. Try to locate hot-galvanized nails that are ring shanked. These have superior holding power in wood roof sheathing.

You can often get superb advice with your material list by opening your phone book. Look under the heading Roofing Supplies. You should find several companies that sell roofing materials to roofers. They typically do not advertise to consumers, but will often sell to them. They can help you make sure you are calculating all the things you will need. Take in drawings and photographs of your existing roof making sure you have all dimensions. Visit these businesses during their slow periods which are often mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

The best tips I can give you are fairly simple. Select the roofing material you are going to use and then obtain the actual written instructions from the local distributor, the manufacturer's website and/or from the package wrapping of a bundle of shingles. Read these until you absolutely understand what you are supposed to do.

Far and away the largest sources of roof leaks are flashings. Roof flashings are transitional roofing materials that connect the actual roofing material to things that are not roofing. You will find flashings where shingles touch up against walls, chimneys, plumbing vents, ventilation vents, intersection points where two different roofs touch one another, skylights, etc.

I suggest that you set up an experiment between now and this summer. I want you to build a test roof in your garage using one or possibly two sheets of plywood. Support the plywood with several 2x4s so that it is stiff just like a real roof. Create a slope by tilting and supporting the panel so you can get the feel of working on a slope.

Cover this piece of plywood with all of the materials you are going to use on your real roof. See how hard or easy it is to maintain straight lines. Try to install all of the flashing types you will have on your real roof. Your garage is the place to make mistakes, not up on the real roof when time, skill and safety are of the essence.

Be sure to be realistic about all of the costs involved in this do-it-yourself experiment. When you add up all of the costs, you may discover you are only saving several hundred dollars over the cost of a professional installation. Remember, a professional works much faster than your husband and his friend. They know all of the shortcuts and they have all of the right tools to make them highly productive.

Plan for disasters. What happens if your husband or his friend get hurt? Who will complete the job? What will that cost? What happens if the inside of your house gets wet from a leak? Will it cost more to fix that problem than what you saved on the roofing job?

Column 605

Ceramic Floor Tile Installation

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I am installing new ceramic floor tile in my kitchen and wonder if it can be installed over two layers of sheet vinyl linoleum. Can you purchase ceramic tile that is extremely hard and will resist damage from heavy appliances that may be moved across the floor from time to time? What is the best way to prevent damage to ceramic floor tile? Jennifer S., Albuquerque, NM

DEAR JENNIFER: It is not a good idea to install ceramic floor tile on top of sheet vinyl or linoleum. Had you told me the existing flooring was a dense vinyl tile that was in excellent condition and well adhered to the floor, I might say that the ceramic floor tile could be installed directly on the existing flooring.

Sheet vinyl and linoleum often have some give or resiliency to them. This simply means that when you apply pressure to them, they will compress. Dense vinyl floor tile usually will not compress except if very high pressure is applied to it.

Ceramic floor tile is a hard product that has great strength when you compress it, but it is fairly weak when you bend or stretch it. If you apply ceramic tile on the sheet vinyl or linoleum and then apply pressure to the tile, the sheet vinyl and/or linoleum below the tile may move which causes the tile above to bend and then snap or crack.

Ceramic tile comes in a mind-numbing number of grades and classifications. There are standards for slip resistance, water absorption, breaking strength, impact resistance, freeze/thaw resistance, abrasive hardness, chemical resistance, etc. These tests and standards are extremely valuable to architects and designers who must specify ceramic tile for locations where it might be subject to extremes of weather, wear and abuse.

The bottom line is that you can purchase certain ceramic tiles that are very hard and very resistant to scratches and abuse. These characteristics are achieved by the raw materials used to make the tile and the manner in which the tile is actually manufactured.

The vast majority of ceramic tile is made from clay. Not all clays are the same and some have vastly different mineral content. During the manufacturing process the soft clay tiles are subjected to high temperatures in a kiln. The final hardness of the tile is directly related to the tile's mineral content, the temperature reached in the kiln and the amount of time the tiles are cooked at the high temperature. The longer you cook a tile at a high temperature, the harder it becomes as the heat changes the soft clay into a man-made rock.

Salespeople who work at stores that sell primarily nothing but ceramic tile know which tiles will withstand light traffic and those that will take the harshest abuse. What you will probably discover is that as ceramic tiles get harder and more resistant to abuse, the color palate and styles become more limited. There is a very good chance you may have to compromise on either color and style or hardness when it comes down to making a final decision.

This ceramic floor tile has been damaged by chair leg glides that chipped the glaze off the tile. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This ceramic floor tile has been damaged by chair leg glides that chipped the glaze off the tile. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Damage to ceramic floor tile happens for two primary reasons. Dropping heavy objects onto ceramic tile can chip and crack tiles. If you want proof of this, just come to my home. You can see a ring of small chips on my kitchen floor around my dishwasher. Family members, including myself, have dropped silverware as it is loaded into the dishwasher and the utensil's direct impact with the floor tile often produces a very tiny chip in the glazed surface.

Dirt, sand and grit that is brought indoors on shoes or pet paws is also an enemy to ceramic floor tile. If these small, hard pieces of rock and grit are ground into the glazed surface, they can and will create permanent scratches in ceramic floor tile. It is best to vacuum a ceramic tile floor every couple of days and walk on these floors without shoes. Wet mopping up dirt and grit is also a good way to clean up this damaging debris.

Some ceramic floor tiles are extremely dense and hard. The glaze on them is also very durable. Years ago I installed some of these tiles and they were so hard they could only be cut with a diamond wet saw. Common ceramic tile can be scored with a glass cutter and then cracked along the cut line with relative ease. If you tried to do that with the tile I was working with, it would shatter every time.

Keep this in mind as you shop for tiles. Ask the salesperson how the tiles are cut and if unsure, request a simple demonstration. Rest assured you will get a very high level of expertise and service when you shop at stores that specialize only in ceramic tile. Shopping at these stores is a delight and you will be overwhelmed with the selection and the sales peoples' depth of knowledge about the different ceramic tile products.

Column 604

Patching Plaster Walls

Posted on by Tim Carter
Patching Plaster

Because of the depth of this hole, it will require two or more applications of patching plaster. PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Caroli

Patching Plaster Walls

DEAR TIM: My husband and I are trying to restore our apartment in an old prewar building. The walls have small to medium-sized areas where some of the plaster is missing and there are numerous jagged cracks in the walls. In some areas I can see down to a rough, sandy brown-colored plaster. Do you think we can repair these defects on our own using skim coat plaster or other tools? All of the paint came off the walls easily to expose the original white-plaster walls. How hard is it to work with plaster? Amy C., Brooklyn, NY

DEAR AMY: My biggest concern at this point is that you may have created a serious health issue in removing the paint from the walls. Because of the age of the building, I would be willing to wager significant money that the paint you removed contained lead. If this is so, there may be significant amounts of small lead paint chips in the rooms and significant amounts of visible or invisible lead dust in the rooms.

Before you do any plaster patching, I urge you to rid the rooms of any residual lead. If you try to vacuum up chips or dust, you must use a special HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaner. Some tool rental stores rent these. Change and wash the filter regularly and dispose of the wash water down a toilet. Mop the floors and wash down walls making sure to change the wash water regularly and dispose of the contaminated water down a toilet. Obtain all approved cleaning procedures and cleaning products from the EPA's website: http://www.epa.gov/lead/.

I think you can successfully patch the plaster if you have some patience and a fair amount of hand-eye coordination. To obtain professional results you will need to practice and use the correct products. Many old plaster patching jobs fail because people use the wrong materials for the job.

Do not use the common drywall joint compounds you often find in home centers. These products are only meant to be used with paper-faced drywall. They bond poorly to traditional plaster. Plaster patching must be done with patching plaster and sometimes plaster of Paris for the best results. You can achieve moderate success with setting-type joint compounds and these might be a good product to use to practice your repair techniques.

Setting-type compounds are powders that mix with water. The water starts a chemical reaction that causes invisible crystals to begin growing. These crystals interlock within the coarse open plaster to create a strong bond. The advantage to using this material is that it is often sandable. If you make a finishing mistake, you can sand down any excess material. Traditional patching plaster and plaster of Paris are not sandable.

Before applying any product to the walls, they must be clean and free of any dirt, grime or grease. All loose plaster must be removed and all cracks should be enlarged so that the top of the crack is at least one-quarter inch wide. If at all possible, try to make the bottom of the cracks wider than the top. This will take extra work, but the patching compound will interlock into the old plaster like a dovetail joint once it hardens. Slightly dampen the areas to be patched with water just before applying any patching compound.

The trick to patching plaster is to start with small holes that are no bigger than two inches in diameter. If the hole is deeper than one-half inch, then only fill the hole halfway with patching material. The patching material may harden within several hours and then you can mix new material to finish the job.

Use regular drywall finish tools to work with the patching materials. I prefer to use different knives, my favorites being five-inch, ten-inch and twelve-inch flexible broad knives. These tools held at a 30 degree angle to the wall allow you to spread the patching compounds much like you spread icing on a cake.

Both the setting type compounds and the patching plasters can be finished with a sponge as they harden. Professional plasterers will often use a small amount of water on their trowels to make the setting plaster slick as a piece of glass. It takes great skill to perfect this method. You can try to do this as the compounds set, but you have to time it just right.

The best way to practice is to mix some of the patching plaster and use it to fill a small hole that might be hidden behind a piece of furniture once the remodeling is complete. Use your drywall knives to apply the compound and get it as smooth as possible with little or no excess on the wall. Make sure you use a knife whose blade is longer than the hole is wide. With the blade spanning the hole, make repeated light strokes over the wet patching compound until no excess material collects on the knife blade. If you press too hard, you might create a slight depression in the patched area.

Use the sponge to wipe any excess patching compound off the adjacent, sound plaster. As the patching compound gets quite hard, gently stroke it with a damp sponge to make it smooth.

Column 603

Box Gutters

Posted on by Tim Carter

Box gutters can be found on many older homes, multi-family dwellings, old stores, factories, etc. They were by and large one of the most popular rain collection devices built into and onto structures built between 1880 and 1925. Box gutters date back much farther than 1880, as they can be found on very old buildings in both the USA and Europe. These time-tested gutters are still being built and re-built today.

A box gutter does not hang onto the edge of a roof or on the edge or side of a house as many modern pre-formed metal gutters do. A box gutter is actually built into the bottom of the roof or into the roof overhang. The foundation of most box gutters is wood that is then covered with thin sheet metal such as tin, copper, lead, stainless steel, or some other metal that will not readily corrode.

The shape of the box gutter is created by a skilled carpenter as the shape and slope of the gutter is completely controlled by this craftsman. The sheet-metal trades person follows and simply shapes the metal to match the wood gutter.

Tin-coated steel is perhaps the most common metal used for box gutters because it is affordable, is easy to form and solder. Copper would probably be the second most-popular metal to use as it is very easy to bend and solder. Copper also has another advantage in that once installed, it never requires any maintenance. Tin-coated steel must be painted immediately after it is installed and then repainted every 8 - 10 years after the original installation.

Here are the specifications I would include in a contract:

  • All wood that forms the gutter must be in good condition and securely fastened. Replace any and all rotten wood on re-lining jobs.
  • The wooden structure that creates the gutter must slope to the outlet hole in the lowest point of the gutter.
  • The slope must be uniform and designed so that once the gutter is lined with metal and all seams are soldered, water readily flows to the outlet hole and puddling is minimal.
  • Use 40-pound tin-coated steel or solid copper roll.
  • All seams where one piece of metal connects to another must be constructed with an interlocking-S seam. The width of the interlocking-S seam shall be a minimum of 3/8 inch.
  • All seams shall be lightly tapped flat, but not so flat as to impede solder from flowing into the hidden areas of the seam.
  • All interlocking-S seams shall be soldered and the molten solder once hardened, must be thick enough that it completely covers and hides the interlocking-S seam.
  • If tin-coated steel is used, the tin must be carefully cleaned with rags soaked in mineral spirits or paint thinner. All mill oil and all soldering flux must be removed from the metal before a special metal primer is applied to the tin-coated steel. A finish coat of paint must be applied within 24 hours of the primer application.

Roof Truss Substitution

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We just put a contract in on a new production home in central Oregon. The builder is quite reputable and builds homes from $200,000 custom homes up to $2,000,000. We loved the model home and bought one just like it. We realized some of the finish options would be different, but yesterday when we toured the jobsite, we found a fairly significant structural change in the home that caught us by surprise.

The model home featured a vaulted great room with 2-foot transom windows above a sliding glass door to the back patio. However, we were told, after our purchase, that the vaulted part of our home utilized more cost[effective manufactured trusses rather than stick frame construction used in the model, which had resulted in a slight reduction in vault height.

We can probably live with the slightly reduced vault height. But when we looked at the home, we were surprised to see that the ceiling pitch did not match at the walls because the bottom ends of the trusses are flat for about 18 to 24 inches beyond the top of the header plate at the top of the walls. In other words, the ceiling extends out at 90 degrees flat from the wall junction about 18 to 24 inches before angling up to form the vault.

What do you think of this? Is this common? We could find no reference to trusses of this design on the web, and to us, it looks like a mistake in the framing. Also distressing is that the nice transom window will now be only about 1-foot high and the ceiling about a foot lower. We are distressed, but wondered how much of a deal to make of this. Is this an example of bait and switch with the design standards, or just the way it goes? Becky Kearns, Corvallis, OR

DEAR BECKY: I am at a significant disadvantage since I do not have access to your signed contract, any referenced plans and any written specifications. My experience tells me that the answer is there in black and white.

The truss that you describe is a common commodity. We call them scissor trusses with a partially extended bottom chord. It is debatable whether the trusses save money for the builder as there are some instances where a common-framed roof can cost less than a truss roof.

Look at all of the documents and determine if there is wording that says if your home was to match the model home. Look at the plans carefully to see if the structural cross section shows the roof framing as it is in the model or the way you see it at your home.

The written specifications may also have valuable clues. Look for sneaky language that allows the builder to make discretionary substitutions. I feel this kind of language in a contract can lead to abuse on the part of the builder and agony for the homeowner.

Your only leverage lies in the written documents. There is a strong possibility you are a victim of a bait and switch, especially if the salesperson told you that your new home would match the model home. But I hate to say that it is your responsibility to ensure that what is promised is put in writing.

I urge you to immediately meet with some of the top level management of the builder to discuss your extreme disappointment. If this is a smart builder, he will try to work with you so that you are happy. Make it very obvious that you are unhappy, but under no circumstances should you threaten him. That is very counter-productive. There is common ground and you need to find it rapidly before it costs too much to frame the roof the way you want it done.

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How To Install a Toilet

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I want to add a second toilet in our house. The existing toilet is on the opposite end of the house. We are on a septic system. How do I do this? I wanted to have someone come in and run the piping from the floor where I want it to connect to the main sewage line leaving the house, but who do I contact for this? I want to do the rest by myself and most contractors don't want a little project like that. Could I do it myself or is it complicated? Angela White, Vancouver, WA

DEAR ANGELA: Adding this new toilet so that it meets the code and works flawlessly for years requires a moderate amount of skill. Many cities and villages allow you to do the work so long as it passes a rough-in and a final inspection. My advice to you is to try to do the job. You can always call for the cavalry if you get overrun.

This new toilet will require a 3-inch waste drainage pipe. You may decide that plastic PVC is easier to work with, but if I was working with you and it was important that the pipe was quiet, we would use cast iron pipe.

The two biggest challenges with the drainage pipe are connecting it to the existing drain line and then properly venting the new toilet. If you can successfully cut into your existing drain line and install the required 4x3 wye fitting, you have what it takes to complete the job.

In case you do get into trouble, a plumber is the primary contractor you will need to bail you out. This assumes that you can do all of the drywall repairs that will be required after the vent pipe is installed.

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Concrete Driveway Apron

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I am currently building a house and was looking to install an asphalt driveway. Several of my neighbors have done the same and I noticed that they all have installed a 10-foot long concrete apron between the street curb and the remainder of the asphalt driveway that extends back to the house. My asphalt contractor doesn't know why they would have done that. I also checked the covenants just in case I had missed that as a requirement, but found nothing. Do you know of any reason why it is preferred or necessary to have a concrete apron with an asphalt driveway? Christian P., Columbus, GA

DEAR CHRISTIAN: You are one smart cookie to have thought to check your subdivision covenants before you start this job. I know of several people and builders who unknowingly have violated private covenants as well as local government regulations with respect to paving that resides in the public right-of-way.

This thick concrete driveway apron may withstand more abuse from heavy trucks than a traditional residential blacktop or asphalt pavement. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This thick concrete driveway apron may withstand more abuse from heavy trucks than a traditional residential blacktop or asphalt pavement. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Often people think their private property extends to the edge of the pavement when in fact it may end 15 or more feet before the edge of the roadway. This buffer zone between the end of a building lot and the actual roadway is called the right-of-way. It is often owned by the local, state or federal government or it is protected with legal easements so that utilities can be extended to reach all property owners along the roadway.

The answer to your question is really pretty simple. If there are no specific paving restrictions with respect to the type of material that must be used, you can use either concrete or asphalt. Both will perform very well as driveway aprons so long as they are installed correctly.

The reason your neighbors have concrete is likely the builder felt it would take more abuse from cars and trucks that might drive onto the apron. Vehicles often turn into private driveways so they can turn around to head the other direction. This is a very common driving practice for people who find themselves going the wrong direction on a road or people who passed up a house and need to go back to it.

The hot summer weather in your region can wreak havoc on fresh asphalt from heavy trucks that might drive on your apron. If you pay attention to the asphalt pavement in front of some bus stops in cities, you will see where the weight of the heavy buses actually pushes and stretches the asphalt as the buses break at the stop. This deformation of the pavement will not happen if you use concrete for the apron.

If you do decide to use asphalt, I highly recommend that the crushed gravel base beneath the apron be at least ten to twelve-inches thick. This gravel should be installed four inches at a time and compacted. Extend the gravel base one foot extra on each side of the location of the actual finished blacktop apron. This solid gravel base will prevent chunks of asphalt from breaking off the edges of the drive should a vehicle tire get close to the driveway edge.

If you decide to pour concrete, I would pour the apron a minimum of seven-inches thick. In my opinion, the concrete mix should be ordered at a design strength of 4,500 pounds per square inch which is slightly stronger than the industry minimum strength standard. It would be very wise to include a grid of half-inch diameter reinforcing steel in the concrete apron. This grid is comprised of two layers of steel rods that are oriented at 90 degrees to one another. The rods in each layer should be two feet on center. The steel should be suspended during the pouring process so that a minimum of 2.5 inches of concrete is between the first layer of steel and the compacted soil.

Be sure no water is added to the concrete once it arrives at the jobsite and do not allow water to be sprinkled on the concrete as it is being finished. This added water dilutes the amount of cement paste and weakens the concrete. In cold climates, this weakened upper layer can and does flake off when exposed to repeated periods of cold and warm weather.

Be sure the soil under the apron is well compacted. Concrete or asphalt are destined to fail if they are placed over low-strength soil or soil that has not been compacted. It is also important for the soil to be well drained. Water that saturates soil will cause it to loose strength.

If you decide to use asphalt for the apron, do not seal the asphalt for at least one year. New asphalt is very tender because it still contains lightweight oils that take months to evaporate from the asphalt. Once the oils leave the asphalt, it starts to get very hard. Sealers applied over fresh asphalt can trap the oils and prevent their escape. If this happens, the asphalt will remain soft for a very long time.

Column 602

Roof Trusses and Cranes

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I am hoping you can help me address a concern I am having with my builder. Being a career military man I have no prior experience in home construction. However, I am planning on retiring in Tampa at the conclusion of my current tour of duty at US Central Command. My wife and I recently placed a down payment on a pre-construction home site with a builder in Pasco County.

Naturally, my wife and I go visit the construction site every weekend to see what progress has been made. A few weeks ago we noticed that there was a piece of particle board used in the framing of the house located at the gable peak above the garage door that has a jagged hole in it large enough for you to put your fist through. It appears as if someone smashed a hole in it with a hammer, and yet the board was used anyway. Since the exterior of the home will merely be stucco, there will be nothing reinforcing the stucco at this particular spot of the house which concerns me a great deal. I also inspected three other homes being built in the neighborhood that were the same model and found that none of the other three had the same damage.

I began sending e-mails to the on-site supervisor concerning the damaged board. This was within a day or two of the board being nailed into place. The supervisor has ignored my weekly e-mails and continues to make progress in the area covering up the board which in turn makes it more difficult to replace.

Yesterday my patience with the supervisor came to an end and I wrote a similar e-mail to the general manager asking for him to look into the issue, and have the board replaced. Much to my surprise he replied as follows:

Mr. Watson,

I reviewed your item of concern. The hole you see in the OSB board at the peak of the gable is a normal construction practice. The framers build the gable on the ground. It is usually done this way. The reason the hole is there is for the hook for the crane. When the framers set the trusses they pre-build what they can and have the crane hoist it up while he is there to set the rest of the trusses.

If you look at other houses with gable roofs you will see the same thing in most of them.

This area gets covered with Tyvek, along with the rest of the gable. It then gets wire lathe and 5/8" of stucco. The hole left from the crane hook does not pose any structural problems and does not require a repair.

I am sorry this was not explained to you when you first brought it up. I will make sure you receive explanations for items of this nature in a timely matter in the future.

Of course, not having the knowledge or experience to know if I can trust the manager's answer above, I am hoping that you might be able to assist me by providing guidance.

Yours in service to our great nation,

James Watson, LtCol USMC - Tampa, FL

DEAR LTCOL WATSON:

In my opinion, the general manager's response was well crafted but it has at least one half-truth in it. My take away from his letter implies that their building practices are indeed industry standards which is debatable. As for a half-truth, I have always felt one is a whole lie.

Let's start with the jagged hole in the oriented strand board (OSB). I am quite sure the hole was chopped by the framing crew so they could indeed insert the crane's sling within the truss webbing. I also agree it is far easier to apply the OSB to the truss on the ground while it is laying flat rather than up in the air in a vertical orientation.

But I have applied sheathing to hundreds of gable trusses myself and I also know it is easy to carefully cut off the top 10 inches of the OSB exposing the truss webbing. This small triangle of OSB can then be quickly nailed in place once the truss is set and braced. From the ground, only a trained eye would see the saw cut line.

Does this method require more work and effort? Of course it does, perhaps an extra minute or two. Would a craftsman invest that time? Undoubtedly yes.

I do not agree with the accepted practice of spanning the void with just wire lath. At the very least a patch of OSB can be installed from the inside face of the truss. This repair will take 10 to 15 minutes, but that is a small amount of time and the penalty should be absorbed by the framing crew or your builder who is ultimately responsible.

In closing I wish to thank you and every other member of the armed services on behalf of my family and myself. We deeply appreciate your service and sacrifice to our country.

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