Wood vs. Poured Concrete Foundations

Posted on by Tim Carter
foundation wall new construction

Wood vs. Poured Concrete Foundations

"I love wood and my house contains lots of it, but I refused to use it for my foundation."

DEAR TIM: Please shed some light on the advantages on a wood foundation or poured wall foundation. We plan to build and I want a poured wall, but my wife's boss has a new home with a wood foundation and he has convinced her it is the best option. I admit their finished basement is super without posts but question the strength and durability. We hope to start building in February. My son who is a framer agrees with her. William D. Caldwell, Oregon, OH

DEAR WILLIAM: The simple answer is why not have both and an additional insulation system thrown in at the same time? What would you say if I told you a poured concrete foundation that had integral wood framing as well as closed cell foam could be erected at your jobsite in just one day? Would you be impressed if your son started to work the next morning installing prefabricated floor trusses that could span 30, 40 even 50 feet with no center support beams? It is okay, you can get up off the floor now.

My college degree is in geology and I have a special interest in history. When I look back at the Seven Wonders of the World and see the ones still standing, they are not made of wood. I love wood and my house contains lots of it, but I refused to use it for my foundation. I know structural engineers can easily design a wood foundation that will withstand all of the static and dynamic loads thrust upon it by soil and even additional pressure from uphill soil sliding down towards a wood foundation. But I desire the permanence of steel reinforced concrete which is nothing more than artificial rock.

This CCA-treated-lumber post was rated for burial. That means it was protected against decay from wood rot and insects. As you can see, something went terribly wrong. The post was only in the ground for 15 years. Imagine if this happened to your wood foundation. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This CCA-treated-lumber post was rated for burial. That means it was protected against decay from wood rot and insects. As you can see, something went terribly wrong. The post was only in the ground for 15 years. Imagine if this happened to your wood foundation. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

As for wood foundations, what happens if the day the lumber was scheduled for treatment the worker at the plant in charge of injecting the chemicals had a fight with his wife or his boss and had a severe head cold at the same time? Is it possible the wood might not get treated with enough chemicals? Sure it is possible. Is it likely with modern quality controls? Probably not. The same can be said for concrete. Your builder may order 3,500 PSI concrete, but the ready mix plant may ship a lower strength product.

But with concrete, an experienced concrete mason can actually look and work with concrete coming out of the truck and have a very good feeling as to the amount of cement in the mix. Higher strength concretes have a completely different look than low-strength mixes. You can't say that about treated lumber.

Precast Concrete Foundation Benefits

You are in luck as you have a precast concrete foundation plant within 35 miles of your home. These foundations are ideal for any number of reasons and the best part is they are poured in climate-controlled settings and then allowed to cure in rooms where the temperature does not drop below freezing. Once the panels are cured, they are trucked to the jobsite and dropped into position with a crane. Where two foundation panels meet, the seams are permanently sealed as each panel is bolted to the adjacent one. Once the complete foundation is set, the exterior is coated as any foundation would be with a true waterproofing compound.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies that can help you with your foundation.

Use floor trusses for no center beam basements

Talk to a good residential structural engineer about your floor system. Let this person design a superb subfloor system using floor trusses or possibly wood I joists. Wood Floor trusses and some wood I joists can be made to span incredible distances with no center beams or columns. What's more, if designed properly your floors will have no spring to them at all. They will be as stiff and hard as Chinese arithmetic!

Column N6

Poor Fireplace Workmanship

Posted on by Tim Carter
Smoking Fireplace

You can bet this wood-burning fireplace gets hot!

"Fireclay is perhaps the most fire-resistant mortar you can use in a fireplace combustion chamber."

This column was SO GOOD that I shared with the 31,000 subscribers who read my December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter.

DEAR TIM: The fireplace in my new home is a mess. Water is leaking into the fireplace and then into the basement. The interior firebricks are not level, some have gaps between them and where there is mortar the joints are one-half inch wide and sloppy. The builder says I should not be concerned as when a fire is built, the brick gets covered with soot and the defects will not be visible. What is an acceptable level of quality? How should the firebrick have been installed? Diane McC., St. Leon, IN

DEAR DIANE: Hypothetically speaking, I wonder what your builder would say to a truck salesman who sold him a shiny, new truck and then said to him, "Don't worry about all those scratches and dents in the body. After a week at the job site, mud and dirt will hide them."

You are looking at real firebrick in a real woodburning fireplace. But at this time, I use a vented set of natural gas logs in the fireplace. Look at how thin the mortar joints are. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

You are looking at real firebrick in a real wood-burning fireplace. But at this time, I use a vented set of natural gas logs in the fireplace. Look at how thin the mortar joints are. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

Fireplaces are one of many places in a new home where quality can't be compromised. Cracks in granite countertops, dents in new drywall, blemishes in ceramic tile do not present life safety issues. But a gap or crack in firebrick that's poorly installed can cause a house to burn to the ground. Death and serious injury are real possibilities.

How Hot Are Wood-Burning Fires?

The temperature inside a fireplace that contains a roaring fire might surprise you. It's not uncommon for temperatures to fluctuate between 1,200 - 1,500 F. The gases swirling inside the fireplace can seep through the tiniest cracks searching for another way to the atmosphere other than the chimney. If the mason was sloppy with the critical firebrick, imagine the level of quality in the body of the chimney masonry that you can't see. If other gaps and cracks exist, the blistering gases can ignite nearby wood framing in a matter of minutes.

How Wide Should Fireplace Mortar Joints Be?

Mortar joints between firebrick in a combustion chamber should never exceed 1/4 inch in width. In fact, a smaller joint is preferred. If traditional sandy mortar is used, it should be a high-lime content mortar that does contain some Portland cement. High-lime content mortars perform well when subjected to repeated episodes of high temperatures.

What is the Best Mortar to Use?

I prefer to use fireclay as the mortar between the high-temperature white refractory firebrick in my fireplaces. Fireclay is a powder that's mixed with water until you have a consistency like pancake batter. The edge of a firebrick is dipped in the fireclay batter and then the brick is set and tapped in place. The resulting joint is usually one-eighth inch or less in width. Fireclay is perhaps the most fire-resistant mortar you can use in a fireplace combustion chamber.

But keep in mind that the firebrick you see is but one part of a system. Behind the firebrick, one should find a minimum of 8 inches of solid masonry material. This concrete block or brick should be laid with precision making sure that all horizontal and vertical mortar joints are completely filled and solid. The smallest gap in the masonry can create a pathway for rogue, searing flue gases that are constantly trying to escape from the fireplace combustion chamber.

This is a close-up shot of the same firebrick. The joints average a little less than 1/8th inch in thickness. There is no sand in the mortar. It is fireclay. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

This is a close-up shot of the same firebrick. The joints average a little less than 1/8th inch in thickness. There is no sand in the mortar. It's fireclay. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter

The water leaks you are experiencing may be from two sources. Rain falling down the chimney may roll off a poorly constructed smoke shelf that is not constructed to capture it. Or rainwater could enter the exterior of the fireplace masonry that is outside your home. The leaks often happen during moderate to severe wind-driven rainstorms. These exterior brick can be sealed with a clear brush-on sealant that can bridge cracks up to one-eighth inch. The best part is the sealant is breathable and allows water vapor produced by burning fires to escape from the brick back to the atmosphere.

Fireplace construction is a strict science. If you think you just start laying brick and everything will be fine, you're dreaming. The shape of the firebox, its internal dimensions, and the height and width of the opening are all extremely critical. If the fireplace is not shaped and sized right, the fire will not burn properly and smoke can easily roll out into the room.

The part of the fireplace you can't see unless you poke your head up into the chimney is even more important. The dynamics of the combustion gases as they leave the firebox and make their way to the actual chimney are just as important. This area of a fireplace/chimney is called the throat, and it must also be shaped and sized in accordance with the visible part of the fireplace you see from your family room. Professionals need to build masonry fireplaces. This is not a place for building technology experimentation.

Column 548

Second Fireplace Smokes

Posted on by Tim Carter
fireplace vent - turned sideways

This is a combustion air intake for a fireplace of my own. I had just enough room to install it but was forced to rotate the intake sideways. I check the intake regularly to ensure it is not clogged by leaves and other debris.

DEAR TIM: I have a house built in the 1950's that has two fireplaces, one in the living room and one directly underneath it in the finished basement. They both share the same chimney. My problem is when I light a fire in the living room, smoke comes out the fireplace opening in the basement, even if the basement damper is closed. The reverse also happens. The only way I've found to stop this is to have fires going in both locations, but that's pretty impractical. Is this a common problem with this kind of construction? Do you have any ideas how to fix this? Rich Wilson, Cincinnati, OH

DEAR RICH: Your description of events makes me believe the fireplaces are starved for combustion air. If you could go back in time and talk with the original owners of the house I would be willing to bet you a dinner at The Precinct that the fireplaces didn't smoke. In the past 50 years, it is my guess that upgrades to the windows and doors of this house have blocked many of the air pathways that supplied the house with the needed combustion air.

Fireplaces consume vast amounts of air

 

The residential building codes back in the 1950's did not address combustion air for fireplaces or fuel burning appliances, such as furnaces or water heaters. But they do now, since houses are built so much tighter. Fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters and any other device that consumes air to burn a fuel can consume vast amounts of air. Just look at the top of a chimney that has a roaring fire in it. When you see a smoke plume chugging from the chimney top, an equal amount of air must be flowing into the house to offset what you see going up into the air.

What is back drafting?

Your situation is possibly quite dangerous. The back drafting you are experiencing may also happen when your furnace operates. The air needed by a fire or your furnace, or water heater, is going to come back into the home through the path of least resistance. When you start a fire in one or both of the fireplaces, the air needed for combustion may come back down the furnace or water heater flue as these appliances operate. If this happens, you are sucking vast amounts of carbon monoxide into your home.

How can you test for back drafting?

You can prove this back drafting theory of mine quite easily. I would start a fire in the living room fireplace and have someone watch the basement fireplace. As soon as smoke starts to issue from the basement fireplace, have a person open all of the windows in the living room. As soon as the windows are opened, the smoke should stop coming in the basement fireplace as the living room fireplace can obtain all of the air it needs from the nearby windows.

I would hire an experienced bricklayer, who builds masonry fireplaces, and have him see if he could safely install a combustion air kit from the back of the living room fireplace combustion chamber to the exterior wall of the fireplace. It may not be as hard as you might think. A single brick on the exterior of the house and one of the firebrick inside the combustion chamber will have to be sacrificed. But if you hire a pro, the cast iron or cast aluminum vents he installs in place of each brick will look like original equipment installed by the 1950's bricklayer.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE QUOTES from local companies to check your fireplace.

The basement fireplace is going to be the challenge. It may be nearly impossible to add combustion air inside the combustion chamber unless the back of this fireplace is visible. This is not uncommon as many basements in Cincinnati are built on hillsides and one wall and parts of others are partially exposed at grade level.

Whitewash Fireplace Brick

Your only option may be to provide the needed combustion air via a 4-inch metal pipe that extends from the outside of your home to a point very close to the basement fireplace combustion chamber. If this fireplace is in the center of your basement, you may be able to pipe the air into the back of the fireplace. I would be sure to consult with the building department and your local fire inspectors to ensure the installations of the air vents for both fireplaces meet modern codes and are safe.

Column N7

Bathroom Design

Posted on by Tim Carter
copper sink bathroom

Bathroom Design | The veining in the marble top compliments the color of the copper bowl and the brushed nickel finish of the bamboo faucet.

DEAR TIM: I found this hand-hammered copper pan that would work perfect as a sink in a special theme half bathroom I have planned in my head. But the pan needs a hole in it for the drain. How can I create that hole? Have you ever transformed a room so that it looks totally different than any other room in the house? What little things can be done to complete the illusion? Diane K., Rock Hill, SC

DEAR DIANE: It sounds to me like you and my wife Kathy went shopping at the same online auction. Three months ago, she bought a distressed hand-hammered solid copper pan at an online auction site for just $15.00. This copper bowl with handles was one of the final missing pieces in a special basement half bathroom of ours Kathy was turning into a shipwrecked tropical getaway complete with bamboo and palm trees. See photo above.

Before she placed her winning bid, she asked me if I could convert the bowl into a sink and my response was it would be as easy as falling off a log. I said that because I have the simple tools needed to make the needed hole. You probably will have to rent these small tools to create the drain hole.

How do you convert a copper pan into a bathroom sink?

When you purchase your sink faucet, it will undoubtedly come with a drain assembly. You will discover you need a 1 and 5/8 inch diameter hole to accommodate the finished drain outlet ring. I prefer to create holes such as this using simple but precise knockout punch tools commonly used by electricians. These three-piece tools quickly punch round holes in metal electrical panels and any other soft or thin metal. Plumbers like me have used these same tools for years to punch an extra hole in the deck of a stainless steel sink for soap dispensers and other sink accessories.

To create a large hole, you often need to use one or more different-sized knockout punches to make successively larger holes. You must first drill a 3/8 inch diameter hole directly in the center of where you want your drain to be. The bolt of the first smaller knockout punch passes through this hole and a standard adjustable wrench allows you to turn the bolt head so the two-part punch squeezes together and slowly cuts its way through the metal.

A special theme can be fun and painful to create

Creating a room with a special theme reminds me of hitting my elbow's funny bone. It can be both fun and painful at the same time as you try to locate those very special accessories that complete the total illusion as one crosses the threshold into the space. Kathy accomplished it here at our home and I must say I thoroughly enjoyed making some of the special pieces we needed and assembling the wonderful and unique parts she collected.

The detailing on the bamboo faucet is stunning.

The detailing on the bamboo faucet is stunning.

Our half bathroom makes you feel you have been stranded on a desert tropical island. Two different wallpapers separated by a tropical scene border help create the illusion you are in paradise. Kathy decided to use real bamboo split in half with my table saw as horizontal moldings that cover the seams between the wallpaper and the border. The lower wallpaper is a vertical bamboo print while the upper wallpaper has tropical plant leaves on it.

Matching the faucet to the sink

The sink faucet resembles two pieces of bamboo that have been spliced together to create a dramatic high arc spout. This spout of the faucet was partially cut open and it produces a cascading waterfall of water into our copper bowl when the bamboo-style faucet handles are turned on. The copper bowl resembles a modern vessel sink, but I partially recessed it into a gorgeous brown and silver veined marble top that is color coordinated with the dark bamboo and the satin nickel finish of the faucet. Imagine how great we felt when we discovered the faucet was part of a set of accessories all of which had the bamboo theme. The toilet tank handle, a glass shelve with towel bar, the toilet paper holder and a hand-towel ring were all available in matching bamboo style and nickel finish.

This towel bar / shelf combo is perfect for a small bathroom where you want to display seasonal knicknacks.

This towel bar / shelf combo is perfect for a small bathroom where you want to display seasonal knickknacks.

Extra detective work by Kathy paid off. She also discovered a small bamboo chest of drawers that I modified to make into the sink base. I had to make significant cuts into the top drawer so it would not hit all of the plumbing drain and water supply piping, but the drawer still opens and closes. Small palm tree drawer pulls found at another online hardware store were used in place of the pulls that came with the small chest. It just took minutes to switch these out.

Painting the toilet

The toilet is the last piece of the puzzle. I know I can find a bamboo toilet seat but I need my very talented oldest daughter to copy the tropical scene in the wallpaper border onto the front of the toilet tank. You can successfully paint vitreous china fixtures with oil-based paint. To protect the painted scene once complete, I will coat it with clear water-based urethane that will never yellow.

Remodeling your bathroom? Use my Bathroom Remodeling Checklist. My Checklist includes a large cost-breakdown table. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee for this invaluable document.

One danger you can face when creating a themed room is to start the job without all of the components. If you can't find the right wallpaper, mirror or waste basket, the room may suffer. I suggest that you start with the big things and work your way towards the small accessory items.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE quotes from local companies that can change your current bathroom into a themed bathroom.

For example, our first floor powder room has a nautical theme. The centerpiece of the room is a large original polished brass porthole that has a mirror in it instead of its original glass window. It was easy to locate wallpaper that matched the overall theme. But it took years to locate some small accessories such as miniature brass and copper diving helmet and a small lobster trap that sits in a corner of the room. These small decorative items really finish off the room, but are lost if you don't induce the theme with big items that create that instant Wow factor.

Column 547

AsktheBuilder.com Featured Products

Posted on by Tim Carter
stain solver scrub brush partially cleaned

Powdered oxygen bleach, a scrub brush and some water are all you need to make tile and grout look like new. © 2017 Tim Carter

One of my favorite products is my Stain Solver. This is a kick-butt oxygen bleach that cleans anything that is water washable. The ingredients that are blended together to create Stain Solver are MADE in the USA. In fact, the raw materials that are used to make my active ingredient are food-grade quality certified by the Federal Drug Administration. What's more, I put the maximum amount of active ingredient in Stain Solver as allowed by law. If you think all oxygen bleach products are the same, you are dreaming. They can be as different as night and day.

Many of the heavily advertised Oxi products you see on TV and in the discount stores contain ingredients that are made far away across the Pacific Ocean. The label on many of these products often says, "Made in the USA." I think what they mean to say is the product is PACKAGED in the USA. Their ingredients are made overseas. Who knows what kind of impurities might be in those unregulated foreign-made ingredients?

It's no wonder my Stain Solver costs more - it is made with the purest non-toxic ingredients on the face of the planet. If you want purity and a product you can trust, you want Stain Solver.

Stain Solver cleans:

  • Decks
  • Dirty Floor Grout
  • Color and Fabric Safe Bleach for Clothes
  • Eliminates ALL Pet Odors
  • Removes Black Algae Stains from Roofs
  • Septic System Enhancer - adds Oxygen to the Tank!
  • Cleans Anything that is Water Washable

wood deck being cleaned with Stain Solver

 

Are you Building a new house or a major room addition? If so, how do you know the builder is going to do it the right way? You may want to use my New House Specifications to ensure your house will get built as if you had hired me to do your job!

Hot Water Recirculating Loop

Posted on by Tim Carter

Hot Water Recirculating Loop

Are you old enough to remember the hilarious candy factory scene in an I Love Lucy episode? I am talking about the one where Lucille Ball was trying to grab candy from off a conveyor belt in a candy factory. The faster she picked off the pieces, the faster the belt turned. Soon she was placing candy in her mouth, her dress, everywhere.

A similar conveyor belt delivers consumers, builders, plumbers and other subcontractors to the marketplace each week. Depending upon the speed of the belt, these people may not have had a chance to gain the needed knowledge to be the best at what they do.

Are you sure you will have the best builder and plumber?

You must be on a slow conveyor belt as you are doing a superb job by reading this column and perhaps other like it to become a savvy consumer. Continue to do that and try to get as much great information as possible as you start to gather facts that will help you build the best possible home. But what about some of the people who will build your new home? Are you sure you will have the best builder and plumber? Here is one way to find out.

Homes that have simple basements often have the furnace and water heater down in this part of the house. It is a great place for this humble but ugly equipment. It just so happens that heat rises and that physical attribute can harnessed so that each time you turn on a hot water faucet in your new home, no matter what time of day or night, you can have hot water within one or two seconds.

How can you get hot water instantly?

But my guess is that you have rarely experienced this in any home you have lived in. Often it can take 10 or even 30 seconds to get hot water to a faucet. If your builder works with a superb and experienced plumber, you can enjoy instant hot water with very little effort and extra expense.

hot water recirculating pump

This is a reliable recirculating pump you can install on top of your water heater. The weird threaded fitting goes under the sink that's farthest away from the pump.

To enjoy instant hot water at all of your faucets, all that has to be done is to install a hot water recirculation loop within your new home. Commercial buildings, hotels, hospitals, etc. all have these things and they are hidden in the walls and ceilings of these large buildings you have visited and possibly work in. You have probably never given a second thought to the fact hot water seems to always be at faucets in these buildings.

How hard is it to install a hot water recirculation loop?

It is not hard at all. In fact, over half of the work is already done as the plumber installs water supply lines to each fixture group in your new home.

All a plumber has to do is install a 3/4 inch diameter line from the water heater that feeds all of the fixtures in the house that need hot water. He continues this 3/4 inch pipe throughout the entire house and branches off of it to feed hot water to each fixture.

But when he gets to the farthest fixture away from the water heater, he doesn't stop the line - as most plumbers do. Instead, he continues the 3/4 inch line all the way back to the water heater without interruption. This return line then connects to the bottom of the water heater where the drain valve is located.

For even more tips on how to correctly install a gravity hot water loop, read an additional column I wrote about this topic.

How does the loop work?

To make the loop work, this 3/4 inch supply line must be insulated as it leaves the water heater and makes it way towards each faucet that gets hot water. The return loop must also be wrapped with insulation after it passes the last faucet in the house and makes its way back towards the heater. But the last 15 feet of the return pipe should have no insulation on it. By allowing the water in this portion of the pipe to cool, Mother Nature sets up a very slow convection flow of water within the loop.

This very slow flow of water by gravity, allows the water within the piping system to stay hot. The insulation on the piping keeps energy usage to a minimum. A portion of this extra cost is often offset by the amount of water you otherwise would have wasted by turning on a faucet and letting water run until it finally runs hot.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE quotes from local companies that can install a hot water loop in your house.

Interview your builder and ask him if he knows how to install a gravity recirculating hot water loop. See if he understands the physics of how it works. If he doesn't know or his plumber is in the dark, perhaps you should tell them to jump onto a slower conveyor belt.

Column NH059

Waterproofing Foundations

Posted on by Tim Carter

spray on foundation sealer

Foundation Sealer

You really can't be too careful when you start to build a new home. There are so many time-delay booby traps that can spring on you months or years after you move in. One that tends to shock many people is the simple task of waterproofing a foundation system. I can hear you now, "Tim, my builder did waterproof my foundation." Well, believe it or not in many cases that is not true.

What's the difference between damproofing and waterproofing?

Yes, your builder has already or plans to spray a black liquid on your foundation. He may even call it waterproofing. But the fact is this product may be just damproofing. There is a significant difference between damproofing and waterproofing. Because the buzzword mold is now as loud as the steel-against-steel clash of wheels on the rails of the L, you need to make sure the moisture from the soil can't possibly invade your new basement walls.

What causes that moldy smell in an old basement?

Perhaps the best way to start is to go back in time to a basement in an old home. Surely you can recall that smell, that dank moldy smell of an old basement. You were smelling mold and its growth was fueled by the constant stream of moisture from the soil through both the unprotected walls and through the concrete slab you walked across. Years ago, builders didn't regularly apply even a simple tar coating to foundations. They did not have access to large sheets of plastic that help retard the transfer of water vapor from soil through concrete slabs.

delta ms foundation waterproofing

This system connects to the drain tile. It's a great waterproofing solution. I'd add more gravel and no matter what the MS Delta people say, I'd cover the gravel with a foot, or more, of straw. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

And believe me, water vapor readily passes through concrete. Granted, it does not transfer at the same rate as perhaps paper or cloth, but it does move to an environment of lower vapor pressure. Liquid water can soak into concrete. Surely you have seen damp patches of concrete before. Proof of this is easy as efflorescence is a prime example of water movement. The water enters the concrete, dissolves salts and then moves towards your basement. Once at the surface of the concrete wall, the liquid water evaporates and leaves the salt deposits behind.

Prevent a wet basements by using this Basement Waterproofing Checklist to hire a great professional. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

To permanently stop water and water vapor from entering your foundation walls, you need to waterproof them. There are any number of systems that do this, but I prefer the spray-on systems that seal the pores of the concrete. But don't confuse waterproofing with damproofing, not for a moment.

Damproofing is an inexpensive way to meet the lowest minimum standard of the building code. The usual weapon of choice for damprooofing is simple hot liquid asphalt sprayed on the concrete. Liquid asphalt is an excellent damproofing material, but alone it is not a waterproofing system.

Do you need to check local building codes?

And while we are speaking of the code, here is one of the traps. Every local building code can be different, but most state that unfinished basement living spaces just have to be damproofed. But what happens if you know you are going to finish your basement a year or so after you move in? The answer is to waterproof the foundation now for that possibility and to ensure your basement will indeed stay dry even if it remains unfinished.

What is a good waterproofing method?

The waterproofing method I used on my own home is still available.

It was called Tuff-n-Dri at the time and it was pioneered by Owens-Corning. They subsequently sold off this business segment to Tremco.

It's a mixture of hot asphalt and rubber. The coating ends up being about one eighth inch thick or even thicker. A special insulating panel is placed in the hot liquid that helps protect the coating from damage during backfilling and it acts as both an insulator and a drainage plane. The rubber in the mixture imparts elasticity to the coating so if the foundation cracks, the coating stretches over the crack to provide protection.

If you’re interested in learning more about the cost of foundation waterproofing I have an article here.

Damproofing compounds can't do this. If the foundation wall cracks, and most develop tiny shrinkage cracks over time, water can readily pass through to your basement. It is also better to waterproof from the outside rather than try to stop water once it is already into your basement space. Spend the money now and waterproof before the builder backfills.

Over the years, I've seen many different spellings of efflorescence. Here's my growing list: effervesce, effervescence, effervescent, effleresants, effloreflance, efflorescence, efflorressance, effluorescence, eflorescence, eflorescents, ellforesce and ifflorescence.

Column NH058

Design the Perfect Set of Steps

Posted on by Tim Carter
Daughter's New Stairs Before

Design the Perfect Set of Steps

Very few new homes are built that are step free. Yes, I have been in many ranch-style homes where all rooms are on one floor, but even those homes sometimes have a step down to the garage or a step down to an outside porch or patio. Traditional two-story homes that have a basement have many steps or sets of steps.

The truth be told, steps happen to be a significant part of the building code. Many people have been injured and even killed from falls on steps, so code officials strive to make steps as safe as possible. The design criteria for steps is very specific as the code officials over time have strived to perfect both the rise, run and width of steps and staircases as a whole.

What makes a perfect flight of steps?

If you are in the design phase of your new home, you have an excellent opportunity in many instances to install a perfect set of steps. But what makes a perfect flight of steps? I have built many sets of steps over the years and it shouldn't surprise you that I have developed a strong opinion as to the perfect set of steps.

The components of a set of steps are fairly simple. You have a riser and a tread. The riser is the vertical distance between two steps. The tread is the horizontal portion of the steps that you actually step upon as you travel up and down the stairs.

What are the best dimensions for stairs?

I have come to believe that a perfect set of steps is one where the riser is 7.5 inches and the tread is 10 inches. The steps also should have a one inch nosing. The nosing means the tread projects past the vertical face of the riser a set distance. Your foot needs this extra inch when you climb steps. You will often find your foot sliding slightly across the tread until your toe touches or nearly touches the face of the vertical riser. Without the extra one inch of space created by the nosing, the tread would feel narrow.

wood staircase with iron balusters new house

I know, it's hard to believe this is the same house and set of stairs shown at the top of this column! But that's the magic of using LJ Smith stair parts!

Author's Note: If you need step-by-step color photos of the stair-building process, you should consider my Stair Building eBook. This helpful guide is the answer to all of your frustration over the stair building process. Click the link and you will be amazed at what you will discover.

Within the criteria set forth in the building code there is an infinite amount of possible riser and run possibilities. Keep in mind that in the planning phase of your home, you often can make a set of steps work. If you tell your planner or architect you want 7.5 inch risers and 10 inch treads, they can adjust the staircase location and openings so the steps will meet the building code.

CLICK or TAP HERE to get FREE quotes from local companies that can design and install your stairs.

An often overlooked aspect of steps is the elevation of the finished floors at the top and bottom of staircases. Basement staircases often suffer in this regard. A set of steps in a new home may be built thinking the concrete floor in the basement is the finished surface. Well, at that point in time, it is the finished surface. But think what happens when you place thick ceramic tile or even a hardwood floor on the basement floor. The first riser height suddenly becomes too short and presents a safety hazard. The stairs must be rebuilt or you stick with a thin flooring material that keeps the stairs code compliant.

All of these same principals apply to exterior steps. Decks, patios, garden stairs, etc. need to be both safe and comfortable. The 7.5 inch riser and 10 inch tread works great for just about every exterior step application.

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Visiting Your New Home

Posted on by Tim Carter
rain soaked framing lumber house under construction

Visiting Your New Home © 2017 Tim Carter

Today, I stopped by a new home that was being built by a former competitor of mine. He builds a great home and laughs and shakes his head when we talk about how I transitioned from being a builder to a writer. When I still built homes on a daily basis you could scarcely tell his work and homes apart from mine. One might think we were clones of one another. We had a very splendid relationship and still do. There was always enough work for both of us. If he was busy, he would often refer customers to me if I was a tad slow and of course, I would do the same.

As I strolled through this magnificent home that was framed and under roof, it brought back all sorts of memories about some of the signs a great builder leaves behind each day on the jobsite much as an animal that walks through soft mud. There were clues everywhere within the home and I started thinking how most people might not even realize what they might be looking at if they happened to walk around and in the home after the workers had gone home for the day.

Should your construction site be tidy?

For example, when I pulled into the jobsite, there was orange plastic fencing erected in critical locations that protected valuable trees and kept people away from dangerous trenches and machinery. I couldn't find a scrap of trash or cardboard anywhere on the lot. The building site was immaculate and even the trash dumpster and temporary toilet were discreetly placed so they didn't detract from the curb appeal of the home in its partially finished state.

Should lumber be left out in the elements?

The large garage was transformed into a dry and convenient storage place for all sorts of lumber. All too often, I have driven by jobsites and seen exterior finish trim lumber dropped directly on the dirt and left out in the elements. Not here. The lumber was stored up off the concrete floor so air could circulate around it and it was neatly stacked so that you knew exactly what material was where. One would think they were in the warehouse of a traditional lumber yard!

Don't try to do your own walk through inspection unless you are armed to the teeth with my 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Walk Through Inspection Checklist!

House under construction

You want a great contractor no matter if you’re building a large new home or just remodeling a bathroom. Photo Credit: Tim Carter

Communication at the job site

The dining room of the home served as the command center for the builder. A large bulletin board was attached to the stud walls and on it were all of the safety notifications, building permits, emergency phone numbers and all necessary notifications as required by all government agencies. There were no less than two fire extinguishers within sight and as I continued my tour I saw many more throughout the home. There was also a dry-erase board that allowed subcontractors to post messages for the builder and other subs. What a great but simple idea!

house blueprints with marker and scissorsA complete set of rules and guidelines were also posted on the bulletin board. Consider these a code of ethics for all of the people who work on the job. The builder was communicating to each subcontractor and their employees what was expected and what would not be tolerated. These rules are such a simple thing, yet I have rarely seen them on another jobsite.

A giant rolling drafting table/storage box had a complete set of plans on it. This permanent set of plans allowed everyone who worked on the jobsite to see what was expected of them. It is not unusual for a subcontractor or an employee of a subcontractor to forget to bring plans to a jobsite. Different plans have been substituted by mistake and utilities are installed in the wrong locations because a sub is simply working from the wrong set of drawings. That couldn't happen here as the plans for the house were in the open and easily accessible.

The inside of the home was swept perfectly clean and there was no trash to be found anywhere. This type of environment can be self-sustaining. When a new subcontractor enters the jobsite, he can see it is spotless and he can't blame his mess on another tradesperson.

How would you like me to build your new home? It's probably impossible for me to fit your job into my schedule, but I will gladly share hundreds of my tricks and building secrets with you and your builder. Check out my New House Specifications.

Glancing at the workmanship even a novice homeowner who knows little about construction methods could see that the cuts on the lumber were precise, the walls were plumb and the holes drilled for plumbing and heating pipes were centered and neatly done. Craftsmanship seemed to emanate from the walls like sound from a bass drum in a high school marching band.

The message here is simple: visit your new home construction site often and unexpectedly. Give it a report card with respect to what you see. If you see disturbing things, discuss them immediately with your builder. From time to time people make mistakes, but if you see the same mistakes week in and week out, you better start taking photographs to record the oversights. The photos may just come in handy if a dispute develops.

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Concrete Cracks

Posted on by Tim Carter

Concrete shrinkage cracks look just like this. The darker gray concrete slab touched the lighter gray foundation the day it was poured. Over a period of months, even up to a year or more, the concrete slab shrinks in size and creates a gap. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

"On average, a concrete slab shrinks 1/16th inch for every ten linear feet."

Concrete Shrinkage Cracks Checklist

  • Concrete shrinks over time as it hardens and subsequently cures
  • Shrinkage creates tension forces that can rip the concrete apart
  • Control joints in the concrete help to prevent ugly random cracking
  • Shrinkage is about 1/16th inch for every ten linear feet

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Reinforcing Steel in Concrete - Best Way to Hold Concrete Together

Concrete Shrinkage Cracks Cause Anguish and Arguments

Concrete gets smaller as the water in the concrete ever so slowly evaporates from the artificial stone.

I receive calls and emails from homeowners all the time about cracks that appear in new concrete sidewalks, driveways, patios, basement floors, slabs on grade, and foundation walls. Most homeowners are quite upset by the cracks.

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Do Contractors Know Concrete Shrinks?

I don't think that most contractors know the true cause of cracks in concrete. They'll tell you that cracks are normal and shrug their shoulders.

Years ago, when I was still building, I discovered that concrete shrinks as it dries and cures. On average, a concrete slab shrinks 1/16th inch for every ten linear feet. This may not seem much to you, but what this shrinkage does is produce significant internal stress within the slab.

What Happens When Concrete Shrinks?

As concrete shrinks, stress is created within the slab. This stress or force is considered a tension-type force as the concrete is trying to pull itself apart much as you pull on two ends of a piece of newspaper. Pull hard enough and the paper tears.

Because I knew there was a chance for concrete to crack, I actually had a special section of my contract that told people I guaranteed their concrete would crack.

I realize this sounds nuts, but that sentence in the contract afforded me with enormous protection. I further stated in my contract that I would do everything in my power to minimize the cracks and encourage the concrete to crack at predetermined locations. But even with all of this, the concrete could develop a random crack all on its own.

Can You Control Where Concrete Cracks?

You can encourage concrete to crack where you want, but I wouldn't always guarantee this. The best way is to create a crease or straight line in the fresh concrete. Large slabs, driveways, sidewalks, etc. will require many of these lines. Contractors call them control joints because you try to control where the concrete will crack.

Surely, you have had to tear a piece of paper in half before and not had a scissors handy. If so, you probably creased the paper with your fingernail several times and then tore the paper neatly along this crease. The creasing action creates a pre-weakened zone in the paper by bending and breaking some of the fibers in the sheet of paper.

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How are Concrete Control Joints Created?

Concrete masons create control joints by creating a line in concrete slabs as they are finished or immediately after they are poured. A saw cut or tooled line that creates a groove in a slab actually reduces the thickness of the slab at that location and makes it easier for the slab to crack. In the trade, these lines are called control joints as we are trying to control where the crack will occur.

How Deep Should Control Joints Be?

The Portland Cement Association and the American Concrete Institute agree that the minimum depth of a control joint should be 1/4th the thickness of a slab. This means the grooved lines you see in a typical sidewalk should be one inch deep, as many sidewalks are poured four inches thick.

Measure your grooves and guess what? I'll wager they are only 5/8 inch deep or perhaps 3/4 inch if you're lucky. A concrete saw can be placed in these grooves to increase the depth of the groove.

Will Steel or Mesh Help Hold Concrete Together?

Placing reinforcing steel, wire mesh, and even synthetic fiberglass fibers in with the concrete will help hold the concrete together in the event it does crack. I'm a huge fan of one-half inch steel bars placed at two-foot-on-center intervals in slabs poured on grade.

rebar before pouring concrete

Reinforcing steel is the best thing you can include when pouring concrete. When concrete cracks, the steel holds it together. (C) Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

This steel works well if it is in the center of the slab or just slightly below the center point. The steel has a far greater tensile strength than the concrete and holds the artificial rock together much the same way as the strings you find in common brown packaging tape.

How Do You Hold the Steel Bars Up During the Pour?

For years I've placed small pieces of solid brick under rebar to hold them up so they are suspended in the air and concrete can flow under and around the steel bars. If you're pouring a 4-inch-thick slab, you want about 1.5 inches of concrete under the bars. If the brick is thicker than 1.5 inches, then you need to dig a small recess for the brick to rest in so it puts the steel at the correct height.

Be sure you discuss what measures your builder intends to take to ensure your concrete cracks where it is supposed to crack. Keep in mind that your builder can't give you an absolute guarantee that the concrete will do what he or she says. If this person makes this lofty promise, then you might want to consider talking with another builder.

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