Dust Control During Remodeling

Posted on October 6, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I am allergic to dust. However, I want to do some extensive remodeling to my house. I know that remodeling activities can produce dust. What can I do to minimize dust in my house and protect myself? T.H.

DEAR T. H.: Remodeling activity almost always creates dust. It can generally be managed and controlled. However, you should first consult with your physician to determine your personal risk factor.

The key to dust control is to minimize the introduction and creation of dust on the jobsite. Dust can be produced by almost all construction activities. Dust can be brought into the jobsite on materials and boxes. Several things can be done to control and minimize dust.

Be sure that everything that is brought to the jobsite is cleaned before it enters your house. During demolition phases, the room in which the work is taking place should be sealed off from the rest of the house. Securely tape plastic over all door openings. This plastic should be taped to the walls and the floor so that the dust cannot escape between the door trim and the wall. Do not carry demolition material through the house, discard safely out the window in the room where the demolition is taking place. It is extremely important to completely seal off any supply or return ducts. If you fail to seal these openings, your furnace system may spread the dust throughout the entire house.

During construction aspects of the remodeling, be sure to close all windows and doors near the construction area. Wind and drafts can carry airborne dust into your house. Be sure to seal off the construction area from the house by taping plastic around all openings leading to the construction area.

Daily cleanup is important. Ask your contractor to avoid using a broom. A shop vacuum cleaner is a better alternative. Be sure that the filter is new or cleaned on a regular basis. Consider attaching a damp cloth over the exhaust port of the vacuum to catch any dust which escapes past the filter. The cloth must be rinsed frequently and should always be moist to be effective.

You should consider wearing a high quality dust mask during the remodeling process whenever you feel at risk. Various companies make highly effective masks which filter almost all dust. Other masks are available which filter harmful or toxic fumes. Some masks are disposable, while others have replaceable filters which you change on a regular basis. These masks quite possibly will enable you to endure the remodeling process. Even if you are not allergic to dust, it is a good idea to have one available.

Older homes which are remodeled often can contain asbestos in a variety of building materials. When these materials are disturbed during demolition, asbestos can be released into your home. Lead dust is also a danger. Lead can be found in paint. It was completely banned as an additive to paint in 1978. So, unless your home was built after 1978, there is a possibility that lead dust could be created by remodeling activity.

Aside from the nuisance which dust creates, it can be a health hazard. Both you and your contractor should be aware of these risks. You should talk extensively with your contractor prior to the start of the job. Ask what measures are going to be taken to minimize and contain the dust. If your house is older, you should consider having a testing agency or lab check to see if any materials you are removing or disturbing contain hazardous materials.

Contractor Allowances

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My contractor has included 'allowances' in my project for certain items. What are allowances and what is included in each allowance? S. W.

DEAR S. W.: Allowances are guideline budget numbers which indicate how much you can spend on certain items in your project. Generally, as long as you do not exceed this budget number, you will not cause an increase in your overall project cost. Examples of allowance items are electric light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, etc. Allowances are frequently used in the planning or contract stage because the homeowner may not have yet picked out a particular item.

Allowances can include many items, so you should be very specific in your contract documents. The allowance for a particular item should include the sales tax and any delivery charges for that item. This can easily be checked when looking at the contractor's invoice.

For you to receive the best value, your allowance number should be the cost of the item which your contractor pays, not full retail price. Any markup which your contractor wishes to add to the allowance items should be included in his base bid price.

Labor to install allowance items should not be a part of the allowance. These costs should be included in the contractor's base bid. When you settle your bill with your contractor, it can be very difficult to identify labor costs if included with allowance items.

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Cost Breakdowns

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I just received bids for a very large and complicated room addition project. Each of the bidders gave me a lump sum price for the job. I would like to know what certain items cost. Is it unreasonable to ask for a breakdown? S. P.

DEAR S. P.: No. I highly recommend that you request a breakdown of each bid. You should tell this to each contractor as he is preparing your bid.

The breakdown should be as detailed as possible. It should list each step of the building process. It should also list separate categories for major material items and fixtures. Examples of these categories would be foundation, carpentry, plumbing, rough lumber, doors, windows, cabinets, plumbing fixtures, etc.

You should provide each contractor with a list of the items you want itemized in your bid. If you do not do this, each contractor will probably present a different format to you. Without a standardized form, it will be very difficult to interpret each bid.

The breakdown should have a separate category showing the contractor's profit and overhead. It is important to know this figure. You must not allow the contractor to receive more profit and overhead at each payment point than is rightfully due to him.

This breakdown will be invaluable to you. You can use it to easily compare the quotes you've received. You will be able to see why the low bidder is low and the high bidder is high.

It will help you in determining if a contractor has made a mistake. Generally, certain categories should be very close in price, especially those where specific materials or items are being used.

This breakdown will also be a useful tool in making payments to your contractor once the project is under way. You will be able to compare his payment requests to the bid breakdown to verify if he is asking for the correct amount of money.

Specifications – Important Details

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I've heard a lot about specifications. What are they and is there really a value in having them for my project? N. W.

DEAR N.W.: Specifications are detailed written descriptions of the articles to be used in a project as well as the manner in which they are to be installed. They can be one of the most valuable things in guaranteeing a successful project.

Specifications become the guidelines which your contractor must follow to satisfy you. They usually clearly state what items are to be installed in your project. In the event of an error by your contractor, specifications will be an invaluable aid in identifying the error.

The specifications should be attached to the plans for your project.

They should also be clearly mentioned in the contract between you and your contractor. He must realize their importance.

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How to Square Something

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

How to Square Something

DEAR TIM: I often hear my builder talk about the importance of things being square. When is something square and is there a simple way that I can tell if something is square? R. J.

DEAR R. J.: Something is considered square when two intersecting lines on the same surface create a 90 degree angle. It is vitally important for all aspects of your project to be square, especially the foundation. Square foundations allow a builder or remodeler to work at the highest level of productivity. All aspects of rough carpentry become a breeze instead of a hassle.

It is easier to install materials and fixtures when framing members and walls are square. There are fewer irregular cuts in most instances. Possibilities for mistakes are minimized.

There is a very simple way to check if something is square. This method has been in use for thousands of years. Starting at the intersection point of the two lines, measure down one line 3 feet and make a mark. Measure down the other line 4 feet and make a mark. Measure accurately in a straight line between your two marks. The distance between the two marks will be exactly 5 feet if the two lines are square. This third line makes a triangle. It is often referred to as the diagonal.

Any multiple of these numbers works as well. For example, a triangle with legs of 6 feet and 8 feet with a diagonal of 10 feet will produce a square corner. The combination of 12 feet, 16 feet, and 20 feet will also produce a 90 degree angle.

You can purchase handy calculators that will give you the diagonal for any combination of two lines. For example, let's say you want to build a deck that will be 20 long and project 12 feet out from the house. Using the fancy calculator, it would tell you in a matter of seconds that the diagonal would be 23 feet and 3 and 7/8 inches.

Footing/Foundation Importance

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I have a concrete patio slab which is in excellent condition. I would like to construct a screened-in porch on this slab. The screening materials as well as the other building materials are lightweight. Do you think the slab will be able to handle the weight of the structure? G. Y.

DEAR G. Y.: The slab will probably handle the weight, however I feel that you have a more serious problem. Based upon your information and sketch, your slab has no foundation beneath it. It simply is not a good idea to build a structure on such a slab.

The reasons for this are numerous. Some of the primary reasons structures require foundations are as follows. The foundation of a building is designed to withstand the loads placed upon it. Without a foundation, a wall or column supporting a concentrated load could actually crack the slab and sink into the soil. Believe me, that could really ruin your day.

Foundations also protect structures from frost heaving. I have seen certain clay soils heave a slab 2-3". Frost is a powerful force in certain climates and must be respected. Foundations and the footers that support foundations should be poured below the frost line. Frost lines can range from inches below the surface to several feet. Check with your local building officials to determine the frost line in your locality.

If you build your screened porch on the slab several things could happen. Frost action could lift the slab and pull part of the porch away from your house. The frost action could also crack the slab and cause differential movement by lifting one part of the slab higher than the other.

My advice is simple. I suggest that you remove the slab and install a properly designed foundation system. Reinstall a new insulated slab so that you have the potential of using this room on a 365 day-a-year basis should your space requirements change in the future.

Causes of Ice Dams

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: This past fall we had a new roof installed. It has rained many times and never leaked. However, after some recent heavy snowfall and very cold weather, water began leaking into my house in many locations. What did the roofer do wrong? Why would it leak now, but not during a heavy rainfall? N. C.

DEAR N. C.: You should let your roofer off the hook. The leaks in your house were caused by ice dams. These "dams" form under the conditions you described, as well as during periods of heavy freezing rain. To understand why ice dams would cause leaks, you have to understand how a vast majority of roofs work.

Roofs depend almost exclusively on gravity to keep water from entering your house. I'll bet that you would never have guessed that physics and roofing were related! Here is how it works.

For the most part, shingles, slate, tile, etc. are installed in a similar fashion. They are individual pieces which overlap so as to shed water. Generally, roofers begin installing these materials at the bottom of your roof near your overhangs. They continue up the roof putting the next piece of roofing material on top of the one below. The steeper your roof, the better this system works.

However, if water flows backwards up your roof and gets underneath and behind the individual roofing pieces, you will have leaks. Ice dams cause this to happen. They generally form under the conditions you described. Heat from the sun or heat leaking from your house causes the snow to begin to melt. This melt water travels beneath the snow to the gutter. The temperature of the gutter is below freezing. The water hits the cold metal and instantly freezes.

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Within a short period of time, the gutter is solid ice and the ice is beginning to grow up the roof. Eventually, the water hits this ice dam and before it can freeze, it flows underneath the pieces of roofing and leaks into your house.

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You cannot easily stop ice dams from forming. However, you can do several things to minimize the possibility of leaking. Consider building large roof overhangs if you are building a new home. Have your framing carpenter or builder use trusses or roof rafters with high heel cuts. This allows insulation to be placed at full depth where the roof passes over exterior walls. Standard trusses or framing can reduce ceiling insulation in these areas to as little as three inches.

If you have an existing home, consider installing specialized roofing products designed specifically to combat water buildup from ice dams. These products are manufactured using modified asphalt. They are applied directly to the wood sheathing just above your gutter line. Your regular roofing material is then applied directly over these products.

These specialized roof membranes form a barrier which resists water infiltration. The modified asphalt contains rubber which seals around the nails which hold the roofing material to the wood sheathing. If this material is used at the edges of roofs, in valleys, at roof slope changes, skylights, chimneys, etc., your roof should resist all but the worst ice dam.

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Heating Ductwork

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

The lever you see on the side of the round metal duct is a damper control. It is connected to a round metal disk inside the duct pipe. If I rotated the lever so that it was straight up and down, the disk would block 90 percent of the air flow in the duct.

Heating Ductwork

DEAR TIM: Very little air comes out of the heating duct in the bedroom at the far end of my house. However, a tremendous amount of air comes out of the same size duct in the dining room, which is located in the center of my house. It doesn't appear that there is anything blocking the pipe. What could be wrong? P. J.

DEAR P. J.: There are several things that could be causing your problem. They are somewhat easy to check. However, if the first two ideas don't help your situation, your problem is much more serious.

First, check to see if the vent cover in each room is adjustable and in the wide open position. Next, go to the basement and locate the supply pipes that feed each room. There should be a damper control lever on each pipe that goes to each room. If you find such a lever, it could possibly be in the closed position. You can check for this by noting the direction in which the lever is pointing. The damper will be wide open when the lever is pointing in same direction as the air is flowing in the pipe.

If your system does not have damper controls, or when wide open your problem still persists, you possibly have a major duct work design problem. Several things are necessary for the air flow to be equal in each room of your house. Equalized static pressure in your duct system is one of them. This is generally achieved by downsizing the main supply duct as room supply pipes are branched off from the system.

The duct system in your house acts similar to the blood vessels in your body. The size of the artery in you ankle is much smaller than the size of the artery leaving your heart. However, even though your blood vessels are different sizes and there are no obstructions, the blood pressure is nearly the same throughout your entire body. This is accomplished by the downsizing of the main arteries as they travel farther away from your heart.

Each room in your house requires a certain amount of air to enter it per minute to properly heat or cool it. The amount of air required is dependent upon many factors. Some of these factors are room size, type and square footage of window glass, presence and thickness of exterior wall insulation, etc. This quantity of air can only enter each room if the duct work supplying each room is sized properly and the static pressure is equalized throughout the entire system.

If your duct work is visible, you can inspect it to see if it was designed properly. Measure the width and height of the main supply duct after it leaves the top of your furnace. Check to see if this main supply duct becomes slightly smaller in width after a few room supply pipes have branched off this main line. As more room supply branch pipes branch off, the main duct should become smaller and smaller.

If your main supply duct is the same size from one end to the other, you will experience significant static pressure readings at different locations within your system. These differences in static pressure will make it very difficult, if not impossible, to comfortably heat and cool your home.

Exterior Peeling Paint

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: The exterior of my 50 year old house was repainted just one year ago. I have many spots that are peeling. I am convinced that I do not have a moisture problem. The painter scraped the house very thoroughly before he started to paint. What went wrong? L. D.

DEAR L. D.: Your description of the 'prep' work which was performed prior to painting left out one of the most important steps. Read the paragraph labeled "Surface Preparation" on the side of your paint can. Generally, the first sentence will state that you should remove all dirt from the surface. Your painter forgot to wash your house prior to applying the paint.

Failure to properly wash the surface is probably one of the most common causes of premature paint failure. Frequently, people think they clean the surface, when in fact they merely rinse it off. Rinsing and cleaning are not the same thing.

Most manufacturers recommend the use of a 'powdered commercial cleanser.' There are many acceptable soaps which meet this specification. The point is, you must use soap AND water to properly clean the surface. The cleaning process removes more than dirt. It also removes chalk, airborne oils, tree sap, and bacteria produced oils.

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Spray the painted surfaces with the solution allow to sit for 15 minutes and scrub with a brush used to clean RVs.

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Chalk is produced by the natural breakdown of paint. Rub your finger across some paint which has been exposed to sunlight and the weather. Generally, your finger will pick up this 'chalk' from the painted surface. This chalk will be the same color as the paint. If you understand how paint is made, you will better understand why it chalks.

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Paint is usually made from three primary groups of materials: resin, pigments, and vehicle. The resin is the product which enables paint to stick to things and it also holds the pigment together. The pigment is the part that gives paint its color. The vehicle is the part that makes paint a liquid. When paint dries, the greater part of the vehicle evaporates into the air.

Ultraviolet light from the sun and natural weather processes break down the resin. This breakdown then releases pigment at the surface. These pigment particles are just barely hanging on at this point. Rain water can easily remove them. You generally see the end result on stained brickwork or masonry foundations immediately below painted surfaces. Some paints chalk more readily than others.

The use of soap in the cleaning process also is beneficial in another way. A large majority of latex exterior house paints are alkaline. Most soaps are also alkaline. When you wash a surface and rinse it off, often the surface that you washed remains slightly alkaline. This enables the paint to stick or bond much more readily to the surface.

Do not underestimate the value of properly cleaning your house before painting it. A properly cleaned surface can add years to an exterior paint job. This translates to dollars which you can either save or spend on some other home improvement. Insist on the use of soap, water, a soft bristle scrub brush, and elbow grease the next time you hire a painter. If you follow the instructions on the paint can label, your efforts will usually be rewarded with a long lasting paint job.

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Exterior Foundation Wall Waterproofing

Posted on October 2, 2003 by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I'm about to begin the construction of a very large room addition. This room addition will have a finished basement. I've seen a black compound sprayed on new house foundations. Is this the product I should use to 'waterproof' my new room addition? Is there anything else I should do to make sure that my basement will not develop a leak? H. H.

DEAR H. H.: Both of your questions are excellent. I hope I don't run out of room! Let's start with the first one.

The product that you described to me in your letter was an unmodified asphalt-based "dampproofing" product. It is commonly mistaken for "waterproofing." Many, many consumers think they have waterproofed basements, when in fact they simply have been dampproofed. Dampproofing is a low-cost method of retarding water infiltration. It is by no means a true waterproofing membrane.

Dampproofing products are generally asphalt or tar-based compounds. They are sprayed onto foundations prior to backfilling. Because concrete and other masonry products will easily transmit water vapor, these products are designed to block water vapor transmission. This, basically, is the extent of their capabilities.

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Dampproofing compounds generally become brittle after they dry. They also do not have the ability to bridge cracks which may develop at a later time. Groundwater can actually dissolve them over a period of time.

Water-proofing compounds, on the other hand, are much different. There are a wide variety of products on the market. Some are urethanes, modified asphalts, clay-based, or rubber-based. These products can either be spray applied or are available in sheets.

Water-proofing membranes have several distinct characteristics. Groundwater has little or no long-term effects on most of the products. They can bridge small foundation cracks. Usually, these products retain their elasticity and some actually have self-sealing properties.

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Waterproofing compounds are able to resist a hydrostatic head. A hydrostatic head develops when water builds up against the side of your foundation. The pressure can be enormous. I have personally witnessed a stream of water squirt two feet out onto a basement floor.

Now, let's talk about your second question. There are many things that you can do to help insure that your basement stays dry. First, be sure that your foundation is constructed to be as strong as possible.

Install as much reinforcing steel as practical to insure that in the event a crack occurs, it will not widen or displace. Consider increasing the thickness of your foundation walls. Remember, no waterproofing compound can bridge a major structural crack. Your first line of defense is a strong crack-free foundation.

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Install an excellent foundation drainage system. Use plenty (three feet minimum cover) of large washed gravel over the drain tile. Make sure that you cover the gravel with 4" of straw or tar paper before backfilling! This is a commonly overlooked step.

These materials prevent silt from the 'fluffed' backfill dirt from clogging the gravel and the drain tile system. Be sure that the ground slopes away from all points of the foundation at least 1/2" per foot for a distance of 10 feet minimum. Pipe downspouts and sump discharge pipes away from the house.

Do not let this water collect or discharge at the base of the foundation. If you follow all of these steps you probably will have a dry and enjoyable basement for many years to come.

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How to Square Something

Heating Ductwork

Expert Advice For Your Home