Granite Countertops

Posted on by Tim Carter
Granite Countertops under support

Granite Countertops | This wall assembly has two things that ensure it is strong and the countertop will not tip over; a short wall at the end of the long wall and a steel plate that supports the countertop. Some tops have granite stains caused by nature, not oil or water. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I recently cut away the top half of an interior non-load bearing wall so I could open up the space between two adjacent rooms. I plan to put a countertop on top of the wall so we can use it for eating and a conversation center. But the one end of this new half-wall is now very flimsy and rocks back and forth. How can I strengthen this wall and how do you attach the wide countertop to this thin half-wall so that the top does not flip when someone leans on it? Mike S., Richmond, VA

DEAR MIKE: This sounds like a great project to add value to a home. Creating a pass-through space on top of a half-wall or doing major surgery as you have done really helps to make a home feel more inviting. Even if that original wall had been a load-bearing wall, the top half of it could have been removed. When faced with this situation, it is always best to hire a residential structural engineer to help create the plan for the needed structural modifications.

It is easy to understand why the end of the half-wall wobbles. Before you cut the original wall, the top of it was securely fastened at the ceiling. I am quite sure slight or moderate force at this point will cause the half-wall to bend over to the floor. If the floor beneath this half-wall is a traditional wood floor system and you can access the underside of the wood floor via a basement or crawl space, you may be able to remove the wobble in the half-wall in less than 30 minutes.

How do you support a countertop?

If you add one 2x4 stud to the end of the half-wall, making sure this stud passes through the wood subfloor and is long enough to extend to the bottom of the floor joists below, nearly all of the wobble in the half-wall can be removed. This long 2x4 needs to be bolted directly to the half-wall above the floor as well as to the side of a floor joist or to solid-wood blocking that's placed between two floor joists.

It is important for the bottom portion of this stud that is below the level of the floor to be secured at two points to the floor joist or the solid-wood blocking. This double connection minimizes rotation of the stud as a person pushes against the top of the half-wall.

If the floor is a concrete slab or you are unable to gain access to the underside of the floor, you have to strengthen the half-wall from above. This can be done a number of ways, but I prefer to add a second short wall that is oriented at 90 degrees to the half-wall. This short wall needs to be faced on both sides with three-quarter inch thick plywood that is screwed to the short wall studs. This wall also needs to be securely bolted to the half-wall. Do not nail it, as over time the nails may work loose. When you securely bolt this short wall to the floor, you will be amazed at how stiff the half-wall becomes.

Securing a countertop that is perhaps 20 or even 24 inches in width to a half-wall that is only 5 or 6 inches wide is asking for trouble. As you know, it is impractical to bolt the countertop to the half-wall from the visible finished side of the top. The connection must be done on the underside of the top.

Many builders and designers use decorative brackets that help support the top and offset the downward rotation that happens when a person pushes down against the edge of the top. I am not a huge fan of these brackets for any number of reasons. For starters, they can get in the way of peoples knees who might sit at stools as they eat or drink at the countertop. Some brackets can detract from the sleek look of the half-wall and the countertop.

granite countertop no support

This granite top is doomed for failure the moment someone decides to sit on it unless a support is put underneath it. © 2016 Linda Hewing Perpetual license to publish it granted to Tim Carter - AsktheBuilder.com by Linda

Can a steel plate be used to support a countertop overhang?

One method that has worked well for me is to use a piece of flat one-eighth-inch-thick plate steel that is screwed and bolted to the top of the half-wall. (Refer to the top photograph.) I prefer to order the steel plate so that it is four inches less in width and length than the finished countertop. The short wall wall at the end of the half-wall becomes an ally when you use this steel support plate. When the steel plate passes over this small wall and is secured to it, it is very difficult to twist the steel plate farther down the half-wall.

Holes drilled in the steel plate allow you to place screws through it into the underside of the countertop. If the countertop is one that will not readily accept screws - such as natural stone, man-made stone or a solid-surface material, then use epoxy to adhere the countertop to the large steel plate.

The other advantage to using the steel plate is the extra strength it imparts to the finished top. If your countertop will be made from natural stone, the steel plate prevents cracks that may happen if too much weight is placed at the edge of the countertop.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can install your countertop so it doesn't fall.

A well-placed finished cabinet at the end of a half-wall can take the place of the short wall. The cabinet, by default, is very stable. Once the countertop is screwed to the cabinet, there is much less wobble in the half-wall. The width and depth of the cabinets helps to resist the top flipping if people push down on its edge.

When building a new home or doing an extensive remodel, the options a builder has to strengthen these long half-walls are many. Precisely placed steel angle irons can be poured into a concrete slab. Half-walls built above wood subfloors can be located so the long stud at the end of the half-wall passes directly next to a floor joist. There are often as many options as there are clever builders and carpenters!

Related Column: Granite

Column 563

Installing Insulation

Posted on by Tim Carter

truss framing and blown insulationInsulation Installation Tips

Working with fiberglass is easy. Professional installers use a regular knife to cut the batt material. The knife has a six inch long blade that is fairly sharp, but not as sharp as a new razor knife would be. It readily cuts the material. Using a razor knife to cut thick batts can often require two or three passes.

Learn the secrets for successfully installing insulation with my Insulation Installation Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

If you install batts in your attic rather than blown-in insulation, you need to take your time. A tight fit around any object that sticks through the insulation is essential. I suggest you do this type of work in cool weather when your patience will not be affected by your comfort!

You should also consider just how you are going to get the material into your attic. Many attic access holes will not provide enough room to fit a rolled up batt! Be sure to check this out or otherwise you will be tracking unrolled material through the house. Fiberglass fibers will be everywhere!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local insulation companies that can make your house warm.

Fans and Recessed Lights

Insulation traps heat. This is good for your house but can cause fires if you cover fans and recessed lights that contain older wires. The heat from fan motors and light bulbs can easily create temperatures that will melt insulation and cause fires! If you are in doubt about what to do, ALWAYS check with a code official or build a sturdy plywood box over the fixture. Provide at least 12 inches of space between the box and any fixture part. You can then insulate over the top and sides of this box. The air space will help dissipate the heat.

Column B165

Fiberglass – Common Questions

Posted on by Tim Carter
Be sure to read the special Author's Note at the end of this column. It provides updated information on this topic.

blown fiberglass insulationFiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass insulation is a very hard thing to write about. I feel that just about everyone knows about this topic or how the product works. There just isn't any sizzle to the topic. I would hate to work for an advertising agency or public relations firm that had to write about this stuff on a weekly or monthly basis! What can you say about fiberglass to excite homeowners or contractors?

Common Questions

This fiberglass column and bulletin was born with a few basic questions on my part. I was wondering if flow-through ventilation for attics actually sucked air and heat from fiberglass attic insulation. I was told by the experts that batt insulation does not suffer from convective heat loss. Blown-in fiberglass, however, can suffer minimal heat loss in the very cold parts of the USA. Evidently this loss only begins to happen when attic temperatures drop below 32 degrees F.

I also wondered about the R-factors of batts vs. blown-in fiberglass. It didn't surprise me to find out that batts are better insulators. The primary reason for this is the tight tolerances found in the manufacturing process. Batts are uniform. The placement and quantity of the glass fibers can be controlled. This is not the case with blown-in fiberglass. The density of the material is controlled by the installer and settings in the machinery that blows the fiberglass.

Weight Problems

Fiberglass insulation is a very lightweight material. If you are blowing fiberglass and wish to obtain an R-factor of 49, you need to install a thickness of 20.5 inches. This thickness will produce a weight of .922 pounds per square foot if installed to the proper density.

This kind of weight will not overload average ceiling materials. The biggest concern you need to look for is proper installation of ceiling drywall. Many drywall hangers do not install the proper amount of nails or screws in ceilings. You need to install a minimum of five fasteners per four feet. This means one fastener at each edge and then spaced at one foot intervals. Make sure the screws, if used, do not tear through the drywall paper.

Fiberglass and Water

What happens if your roof leaks? Is your fiberglass attic insulation ruined? The answer is "No!" Fiberglass will retain its R-value after it dries. The moisture may cause a mildew problem, so it is imperative to accelerate the drying process.

Wall insulation that is saturated from flood waters must be removed. The flood waters contain massive amounts of bacteria which can foul the wall batts.

Is Fiberglass Corrosive?

Fiberglass does not contain any chemicals that will corrode metal pipes, truss plate connectors, exposed wires, etc. The dyes used to color the material are color fast and non-corrosive as well.

Author's Note:

Routinely I am blessed to hear from professionals and industry experts who share in-depth and updated information about a topic. You'll absolutely want to read the letter I received from the President of NAIMA (North American Insulation Manufacturers Association). It really helps clarify some of the points I just touched on in the insulation columns.

Column B165

Sewer Gas from a Sealed Sump Pump

Posted on by Tim Carter
sump pit backflow backup pump

Sewer Gas Sump Pump - Sewer gas can infiltrate a sump. There are several ways it happens.

Sewer Gas from a Sealed Sump Pump

"Sealed sumps such as yours must have an isolated three-inch vent pipe that leaves the sump and extends up through the roof of your home."

DEAR TIM: We've just finished renovating our bathroom and we have a problem with sewer gas smells. The house is a split-level on a septic system. This lower-level bathroom drains into a holding tank or sealed sump. When the tank reaches a certain level, the water and waste are pumped up to where it can flow into the septic system via gravity. Each time the pump operates, the new toilet bubbles and loses some water in the bowl. Within a few minutes, the room is filled with a stinky odor. What is the cause and how do we fix this? My beautiful new bathroom stinks. Kathryn C., Destin, FL

DEAR KATHRYN: I'm at a slight disadvantage since I can't actually see the sump installation, but my 20+ years of being a licensed master plumber tell me the sealed sump is not vented properly.

Do Sealed Sumps Require a Vent?

Sealed sumps such as yours must have an isolated three-inch vent pipe that leaves the sump and extends up through the roof of your home. This sump vent must not connect into the regular vent piping that serves the rest of your plumbing system.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE BIDS from local plumbers who can stop sewer gas.

Why is the Vent Required?

This special vent is required for any number of reasons. For starters, each time waste and water enters the sump, some of the air in it must leave the sump as the added water and waste displaces this air. The air exits the sump via the vent pipe.

But when the sump level rises to a point and triggers the sump pump to turn on, the exact opposite happens. The water leaves the sump and air must re-enter the sump to take up the space that was occupied moments before by the sewage. If air doesn't enter the sump through a vent, the water leaving the sump via the pump creates a powerful vacuum.

Is the Sealed Sump Getting Air From my Toilet?

In fact, this is exactly what is happening per your description of events. The pump turns on and the toilet bubbles. The bubbling is the suction you are hearing as the air-starved sump gasps for air. Just before the bubbling or gurgling starts, it has sucked some water backward from the toilet bowl back towards the sump. This is why you have a lowered water level in the toilet bowl each time the sump operates.

How Does the Sewer Gas Get Into the Bathroom?

Once the water has been sucked from the toilet bowl, it creates an open pathway for the noxious sewer gases from the sump and septic system to enter your home.

As soon as the plumber comes back and installs the new vent line, your bathroom will start to smell as fresh as a field full of fragrant wildflowers!

Watch this video to see how Tim SOLVED a problem in minutes!

Deck Railing Post

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I am rebuilding my front porch, steps and the sidewalk leading to the porch. The porch will be made from wood and the steps and sidewalk made from natural stone. How do I fasten the stair handrail post to the stone steps at the bottom and the wooden porch at the top so they are as strong as my interior staircase newel posts? It seems no matter what I conjure up, the connection makes for a very wobbly post. Paul G., Dorchester, MA

EB015 Cleaning & Sealing Deck eBoo Cover

DEAR PAUL: Your dilemma has been, and continues to be, the bane of many a do-it-yourselfer and even professional tradesman if the stair posts I have wiggled over the years are the rule and not the exception. When I grab a stair railing, I always test it. All too often, the wooden stair post at the bottom of a set of steps moves as easily as the sloppy floor gearshift knob in my 1969 Volkswagen Beetle.

A stair post or deck post is simply a lever. Your challenge is to lock this lever into position so that the bottom end of the post barely moves at all.

There are many different ways to accomplish this goal. But here are some half-baked solutions that I have seen, that just don't work well. Never just nail or bolt a stair post to the side of the staircase framing lumber. Placing the post in the ground and surrounding it with concrete is better, but over time, the concrete can crack and/or the post can shrink causing the post to wiggle and move.

This large railing post does NOT extend into the concrete. It may start to wobble once the treated lumber dries out or enough people push against it. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

This large railing post does NOT extend into the concrete. It may start to wobble once the treated lumber dries out or enough people push against it. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

The reason your interior staircase newel post is solid, and doesn't move when you push against the top of it, is because the post extends well beyond where you see it contact the floor. I would venture to say that the interior newel post is actually 12 to 16 inches longer than what you see above the floor line. This extra length of post fits snugly into solid blocking inside the first stair and additional solid-wood blocking that may be inside the flooring system below the staircase.

I have had great success creating solid exterior stair posts. The post at the top of the stairs is the easiest one to deal with in my opinion. This post should actually do double duty as a stair post and an additional support post for a beam or ending floor joist that may run parallel with the front wall of your house.

The post should be one continuous length of lumber that extends from the top of the railing to a special metal connector that is solidly anchored into a concrete pier at ground level. The post extends upward from the pier and continues past the beam or floor joist. Where it touches the beam or floor joist, you should through bolt the post to this framing lumber. This dual connection method locks the post into position so it can't rotate where it touches the porch flooring.

The post at the bottom of the steps is a little harder to engineer. If you can use a 4x4 wood post, the solution is easy. You have to first build the set of steps to ensure that the post will be perfectly located. Visit a local metal shop or a business that does welding. They will probably have a handy scrap piece of 4x4 steel tubing lying around. Purchase a two-foot long piece and try to get one that has the thickest sidewalls possible. Ask them to quickly weld onto the sides of the tube a few scrap pieces of small round pipe or other smaller scrap metal.

A lag bolt was used to bolt the large deck railing post to the stair tread. It is the worst connector the builder could have used. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

A lag bolt was used to bolt the large deck railing post to the stair tread. It is the worst connector the builder could have used. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

You will discover that the 4x4 wood post will easily slide into the metal tube. But it will wiggle. This will be dealt with in due time. Dig a ten-inch diameter hole next to the bottom of the stairs where you want the post to be. The hole needs to be 28 inches deep measured from the top of the finished paved surface at the base of the steps.

Place three inches of rounded gravel in the bottom of the hole. Insert the metal 4x4 tube into the center of the hole and place the wooden post into the tube. Position the post exactly where you want it and secure some temporary bracing to the top of the post to hold it in place. Pour concrete around the metal tube and fill the hole completely with concrete. The scrap metal welded to the tube will interlock with the wet concrete to ensure the tube will not wiggle, or slide up and down as time goes on. The gravel at the bottom of the hole allows water to flow freely away from the tube.

After waiting 24 hours, remove the bracing and pull the wood post out of the tube. You can cut small slivers of treated lumber to add to the bottom sides of the post to make it fit snugly into the tube. Use waterproof urethane glue to secure these wood shims to the post.

The metal tubing needs to be protected from the long-term effects of rust. Before it is surrounded by concrete, you should paint the square metal tubing with a high-quality metal primer that claims to prevent rust. Paint both the exterior and interior of the metal tube. Let this primer dry for 24 hours and then apply a second coat of exterior finish paint that is made to coat exterior metal. The color does not matter since the metal tube will never be seen after it is installed.

The metal tube offers many advantages. It locks the bottom of the post so it can't rotate in any direction. The tube acts as a sleeve that allows you to remove the wood post with relative ease at some point in the future.

Vinyl Siding Over Concrete Block

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: How does one install vinyl siding over concrete block? Is this even possible? I assume wood lathing or furring would be installed on top of the block and then the vinyl siding nailed to these strips of wood. We have a small concrete block garage and would like to have it sided with vinyl to match the house. What about color fade in vinyl siding? Donna C., Lumberville, PA

DEAR DONNA: You are 100 percent correct. The trick is to install wood strips that are one and one-half inches thick so the vinyl siding nail has enough wood to sink into. You will have to install insect screening at the bottom of the wood strips near the ground to stop flying insects from building nests in the cozy space between the siding and the concrete block.

How do you install vinyl siding on a concrete block wall?

Resist the temptation to install a horizontal wood strip near the ground that touches the vertical furring strips. This horizontal wood strip will block any water that might get behind the vinyl siding panels. These wood strips should be made from treated lumber as rain water will splash up and get the bottoms of the wood strips wet.

Installing vinyl siding on your house? Find the best professionals by using my Vinyl Siding Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Vinyl siding colors are now almost limitless and the best vinyl siding will rarely fade much over time. You can revitalize vinyl siding by simply washing it as you would your car. Use liquid dish soap and wash your siding from time to time using a large sponge or a rag. The mechanical action of you rubbing the siding removes all dirt. When rinsed with clear water, the vinyl siding color looks as good as new.

Blacktop Paving Associations

Posted on by Tim Carter

Blacktop & Asphalt Paving Associations

Many manufacturing industries have associations. These associations foster a spirit of cooperation and act as a clearing house for new ideas and technologies. Blacktop and asphalt is no different. There is a national association of paving contractors. Many of these individuals are from companies which do large roadwork. However, the technology that they foster eventually trickles down to those of us who need it on the smaller residential driveway scale. There are also several state organizations as well. All of these organizations offer helpful information for homeowners.

The National Asphalt Pavement Association is the main organization. They offer a very nice consumer's guide entitled "Hot Mix Asphalt: Best for Your Driveway."

The Asphalt Pavement Alliance also has some great pamphlets available for free download.

Get the best-looking asphalt driveway around! Learn what to ask your contractor in my Asphalt/Blacktop/Tar & Chip Installation & Repair Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

A sampling of state organizations are as follows:

CALIFORNIA: Asphalt Pavement Association

ILLINOIS: Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association

KENTUCKY: Plantmix Asphalt Industry of Kentucky

MICHIGAN: Michigan Asphalt Paving Association

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Asphalt Pavement Association

OHIO: Flexible Pavements of Ohio

Once again, contact the association in your state. They are generally very helpful. They want you to have up-to-date information concerning asphalt. They also want to make sure that it is installed properly so that you, the end user, are satisfied. To this end, they will provide you with vast amounts of useful information. In many cases, they can also assist you with help in selecting a professional blacktop installer. It might not be a bad idea to check out several of these web sites, as they may provide you with a wide variety of useful information.

Column B415

Blacktop and Asphalt Facts

Posted on by Tim Carter
nice blacktop driveway

This is a blacktop driveway near my last home. it's in great shape and you know it's got a solid gravel base under it. Copyright 2017 Tim Carter

Working with blacktop is like working with many construction materials. It takes skill, knowledge, well maintained equipment, high quality asphalt paving and base materials, and favorable working conditions. If any one of these is compromised, you will, in all likelihood, get a poor quality job. If two or more of these are compromised, there is no doubt that you will experience inferior results.

As with anything, the more you know, the better your chances of success. Here are some tips which will enable you to ask some intelligent questions as you talk to asphalt contractors.

Drainage

Make sure that your finished pavement will slope at least 1/4 inch per foot. You must have positive drainage on top of the blacktop. Water must not be allowed to puddle on top of blacktop. If your driveway is virtually level this is not a problem. Simply have the contractor install a crown in the driveway. The middle of the driveway will be higher than the edges. That way water will run from the middle to each edge.

SubGrade

The subgrade is the soil beneath your driveway. Different soils have widely different strength characteristics. If your soil is a plastic type clay, it can be very weak. It will deform easily when heavy concentrated loads are placed upon it. Check with your local agricultural extension service to see what type of soil you have. Often they have soil maps which tell you the strength characteristics of your soil. If building a new driveway, you must remove all topsoil.

Get the best-looking asphalt driveway around! Learn what to ask your contractor in my Asphalt/Blacktop/Tar & Chip Installation & Repair Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Remove any roots or other material which can decay. Be sure to compact the soil if it was disturbed while digging. If you have utility trenches which will cross the driveway (water, gas, sewer, electric lines), make sure that your builder fills these trenches with gravel all the way to the top! Do not allow the builder to backfill these trenches with soil!!!!! The soil will eventually settle and your driveway will have a depression.

If you have soil which is poorly drained when wet, you should give serious consideration to installing drain tile beneath the base. This drain tile will help to keep water from softening the soil and spoiling the base. Consider installing a geo-tech fabric in these conditions as well. These fabrics help to keep the mud from getting mixed with gravel. If you have an area with heavy vegetation, you can sterilize the soil to inhibit plant growth. However, use these chemicals sparingly so as not to harm the environment!

Base - The Foundation

The base, or foundation of an asphalt driveway is the key to a crack resistant surface. The base and the soil beneath it do all the work in supporting the loads which will be placed on the driveway. There are two types of bases. One is the standard crushed gravel base. This base is placed upon high quality, strong, compacted soils. It often is a minimum of 6 inches thick. It can be up to 8 to10 inches in thickness, depending upon the strength of the soil and what type of vehicles will be on the driveway. You should always build the driveway for the heaviest vehicle which will be placed upon it. For example, suppose you intend to have a fully loaded concrete truck on your driveway. Many of these trucks weigh 36 tons when fully loaded. Each wheel of the truck could have a 6 to 8 ton load on it!! The footprint of each tire is less than 1 square foot!! The little bit of extra money you spend on the thicker base will be worth it. You can also install an asphalt base. This type of base is similar to standard blacktop except for one thing. The aggregate (rocks) in the mixture are larger than normal. This larger aggregate gives the asphalt base great strength characteristics. This type of base does not usually have to be installed as thick as a gravel base. It also is a better base to use if your soil is poorly drained or your soil is a heavy clay.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local blacktop companies that can install or seal your driveway.

Asphalt - Blacktop

There are different types of mixes of asphalt paving materials. The type and quality of asphalt cement and the size of the aggregate (rocks) account for the differences. The smaller the aggregate, the weaker the finished product will be. Most people want a very smooth finished surface. This requires the mixture to have smaller aggregate. If this is what you want, your installer may have to install two layers of paving material. The first layer will be slightly thicker and have slightly larger rocks. The finish layer will be thinner (1 to 1 1/4") and have smaller stones and coarse sand. Always make sure that a tack coat of asphalt is used between layers. This acts as a glue to bond the layers together. A tack coat is not necessary if the second layer is applied shortly after the first layer.

If you are repaving an existing driveway, beware of reflection cracks! Reflection cracks are cracks that develop in the new pavement directly above existing cracks in the old pavement. This is a big problem if you install asphalt paving over concrete. The latest technology suggests that a few days after the blacktop is installed, you should consider saw-cutting slots in the new blacktop directly above the existing cracks. These saw-cuts will be straight and can be filled with a flexible crack sealer.

If repaving, absolutely make sure that all dust and dirt is removed from the old surface. Remove all vegetation from cracks and the edge of the driveway as well. Be sure to fill any low spots with patching material prior to applying the finish layer of blacktop.

Sealing - Maintenance

Many associations recommend that you seal your new driveway one year after it is installed. Be sure to use a high quality commercial bituminous water emulsion sealer. If your drive is on a hill, consider using a sealer which contains sand.

Do not seal your driveway every year!!! Sealers are coatings, just like paint. You can easily apply too much and the coatings will begin to crack and peel. Only reseal the driveway after you can clearly see that the old sealer is wearing. When the color of the aggregate (rocks) begins to show, it is time to reseal. Because the sealer will wear off faster in the areas where there is foot and car traffic, apply sealer to the non- traffic areas a little thinner. Otherwise, you will begin to get a buildup of sealer which may begin to crack and peel.

Column B415

Skylights and Skylight Leaks

Posted on by Tim Carter
skylight

A leak in this skylight could quickly ruin the beautiful wood interior. The rain falling on this skylight stays outdoors because this skylight has a superb flashing system. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I have three skylights in my house. They don't seem to leak during rain or the summer months but during the winter I get a drip in the family room and bathroom. It is damaging the drywall. I'm not sure if it's from condensation, ice or an actual leak. Due to the locations on the roof, I don't feel safe doing the work myself. If I call a contractor what should I ask or be looking for? How do I know they can actually correct the problem? Should I call a roofer or other type of contractor? Bev A., Sylvania, OH

DEAR BEV: It sounds to me as if you have spent some time in my kitchen and in my wife Kathy's sunroom. The five skylights in those two rooms are awash in natural light each day, even on overcast days. One wall of the sunroom faces east. When the sun is out and streaming through the single east-facing skylight, you feel like you are in paradise with the plants and brilliant sunshine.

Are skylights a good idea?

I am a big fan of skylights for any number of reasons. I can clearly remember back in the 1970's when the plastic bubble skylights were the rage. I installed many and never had a problem with leaks from rain, ice or snow. But condensation was indeed the bane of these older-technology windows to the sky.

Those who installed them near kitchens, bathrooms or other rooms that had lots of live plants suffered as the invisible warm, humid air from these rooms floated up into the skylight tunnel. There the cool surface of the skylight caused the water vapor in the air to rapidly condense.

High-quality skylights that come from the factory with insulated glass as well as pre-engineered roof flashing systems are your best defense against leaks from external water sources as well as interior water vapor. But extreme exterior temperatures combined with abnormally high interior relative humidity can tax the limits of this technology. Even my skylights will drip when the exterior temperature drops below -10F .

How do I know if my skylight is leaking or condensation?

Based upon your description, I don't feel you have a true roof or flashing leak. If the skylight is dry during severe summer rainstorms that often create lots of wind-driven rain, then the flashing system must be doing its job. Ice damming can indeed defeat most flashings that were not installed over the top of ice-dam membranes. These pliable membranes are applied in direct contact with the roof deck and the sides of the exterior of the skylight before the flashings are installed. They create a fantastic barrier to ice dam water that backs up under shingles and flashings. However, if your skylight drips when there is no snow on the roof, I think it is safe to assume the source of the annoying water is condensation.

skylight flashing

The problem may not be with the insulated glass. My instincts tell me the source of the water is quite possibly condensation that is forming on the underside of the metal flashings as warm, moist air from your house escapes around the rough opening that was created for the skylight. The resulting liquid water probably is running down the underside of the flashing much like water runs down the mirror in your steamy bathroom. But once at the bottom of the flashing system, it is finding a pathway back into your home.

How do you stop the condensation from leaking into the house?

I have solved similar leaks with a two-fold approach. The first step is to remove the flashing system on the exterior of the skylight so that an ice-dam membrane can be installed between the wood roof deck and the sides of the skylight. These membranes often are a combination of asphalt and rubber compounds and are very sticky. When carefully lapped and folded, the membranes completely block the pathways between the skylight and the rough framing of the roof. This ensures no water that gets past the flashing will run into your home.

The second step is slightly more painful because the drywall must be removed from the sides of the skylight tunnel all the way up to the underside of the skylight. Dust and debris is often created during this process and it can spread throughout your home. Once exposed, the gap between the rough framing lumber and the skylight can be carefully filled with a spray-urethane insulation.

Once the foam has cured, trim away any excess foam, extend a vapor retarder film over the sides of the skylight tunnel or roof framing and then bend this film over the foam-filled gap so the vapor retarder stops right at the finished edge of the drywall or finished wall material. This interior vapor retarder will stop or hinder the water vapor from working its way to the colder surfaces of the skylight where it can condense and cause chaos.

To do this work I would hire an experienced remodeling contractor. He will undoubtedly have as part of his team an experienced roofer and drywall repair person who will do a majority of the work. If the remodeler is good, he will know how to work with the urethane foam insulation.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can solve your skylight problems.

Never underestimate the sources of water vapor in your home. Large numbers of live plants can significantly contribute to elevated levels of indoor humidity as they transpire water from roots to the leaves. Cooking pasta and boiling water for just about any purpose liberates vast amounts of water into the air. Steamy baths and showers produce clouds of water vapor. Hanging wet laundry inside homes produces water vapor as well. Crawlspaces that do not have vapor retarders over the soil can also be condensation culprits.

Authors' Notes: After this column was posted to the website, I received an email from the owner of a company in Colorado that specializes in skylight repairs and installation. Here is part of the email:

"...... When asked where to search for a skylight repair person you failed to inform your patrons that the best choice is to look for a skylight specialists. These expert skylight repair technicians can be found in the yellow pages under Skylights ...."

Well, consider yourself informed. I always appreciate these nuggets of helpful information and encourage people to send them to me as often as possible.

Column 559

Load Bearing Walls

Posted on by Tim Carter
load bearing wall

Unless you have lots of experience in replacing bearing walls with beams, hire a residential structural engineer to design the solution. This innocent-looking wall has tons of weight bearing upon it. PHOTO BY: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I want to remove a load bearing wall between my living room and family room. This wall is 17.5 feet long. My wife desires a continuous smooth ceiling once the repair is complete. How is that accomplished? How do I size the beam and what should it be made from, steel or wood? What is the best way to support the beam at each end? Geoff D., Woodland Hills, CA

DEAR GEOFF: If my memory serves me right, you are at ground zero for seismic and earthquake activity. I distinctly remember the Northridge earthquake of 1994. To cut to the chase, the structural modification you are planning must be designed by a professional who knows exactly how to specify the correct materials and how they will be connected to the existing structure. I would give this same advice to a person who lived in a non-seismic area. Structural modifications are serious and require sound plans that will work.

Is it easy to remove a load bearing wall?

The length of the wall you are removing is substantial. Depending upon what is above the wall and loads that may be concentrated on the wall, you need to know that this job is not for the faint of heart. Furthermore, the smooth ceiling your wife prefers adds an additional degree of difficulty to the job. I have installed hidden beams to achieve this goal, but it is not as easy as it might seem.

The beam you need to install must end up flush with the bottom of the overhead existing floor or ceiling joists that are in the two rooms. There is a very good chance these floor joists overlap on top of the wall and you have to cut through these to make space for the new beam.

load bearing wall

This load bearing wall separates my family room from my breakfast room. You would be shocked to discover the enormous loads concentrated in this wall, even with the doorway and large opening. © 2017 Tim Carter

But it gets even more complicated. If your home is a one-story home and the roof is framed conventionally without pre-fabricated trusses, the ceiling joists that overlap and connect to one another may very well be a vital part of the roof support system. These horizontal framing members form the bottom part of a large triangle while the sloping rafters make up the other two legs of the triangle. If you cut the bottom joists without first making a structural modification to the roof, parts of the roof could collapse.

What type of load bearing beam will be needed?

The beam that will be installed might end up being made from steel, wood or a combination of the two materials. I have installed many a wood beam that had a flat steel plate sandwiched between the pieces of wood. The steel plate gave the beam enormous strength. There are several types of superb engineered lumber beam products, all of which should be known to the residential structural engineer you will hire. If a steel I-beam is called for, you may have to have holes bored in the flat flanges and vertical web so that wood can be bolted to the steel. This wood will allow you to easily connect metal joist hangers to the beam. These joist hangers will carry the weight of the existing ceiling or floor joists.

Sizing the beam is a science. You just don't pick one out of a catalog as you would a new pair of shoes. An engineer must study the structure and determine exactly how much weight is currently being supported by the existing bearing wall. This same person will also make recommendations as to what might have to be done at each end of the wall to ensure the weight from the new beam is redirected to parts of the house that can support the load.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local structural engineering companies that can assist you with your replacement beam.

The columns that support each end of the beam are very important. They will be supporting enormous weight and this load will often be concentrated on just 12 or 16 square inches at the base of each column. The connection between the columns and the beam is extremely critical as is the connection of the columns to the floor or foundation. More importantly, the columns must rest upon solid material that can take the concentrated load without any sort of settlement or compression failure.

Temporary Resupport is critical!

A critical aspect of removing a bearing wall is the temporary resupport of the house components the bearing wall is supporting. All of the loads must be supported before you start to remove the wall.

Often the actual beam must be placed next to the wall that will be replaced before the resupport walls are constructed. If you build the temporary walls first, it may be impossible to get the new beam into position between the two sets of walls.

A good residential structural engineer will also draw up a plan for the temporary resupport walls. The construction of these walls must be done with great care. Be sure you have enough room to work so that the new beam and support columns can be installed with minimal effort.

If a contractor is hired to do the job, you must insist upon referrals for similar jobs. Installing large beams should be performed by seasoned professionals. Your house should not be a lab rat for some start-up contractor who thinks he can install the beam.

Column 558