Free Standing Shelves

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I have storage shelves on the walls in a room in my home, but I need more storage space. The center of my storage area is wide open. Is it feasible and practical to build free-standing storage shelves in the center of the room? How does one proceed? What are the easiest materials to work with? Brad G., Boston, MA

DEAR BRAD: Storage shelves or the lack thereof seems to be a very popular topic during the holiday season. It is a busy time of year in my own storage room as my wife Kathy makes repeated trips to and from the room to retrieve her holiday decorations. Unfortunately, each year there are more decorations to store as her Santa collection grows and grows. Recently I had to add more shelves in my own home and I decided to do exactly what you have in mind - build shelves in the center of the space.

simple shelves

These simple shelves were in my own basement. But they were removed, so I could build a glass block greenhouse for Kathy!

It is both feasible and practical to build shelves in the center of a room. Visit any grocery store or home center and you will readily see free-standing shelving. The shelving you see most often is made from steel. There are factory-built steel shelving solutions available but I chose to use wood for many reasons.

Using standard sheets of plywood, I was able to construct a system of stacked shelves that were four feet wide. Because Kathy can access the shelves from any side, the shelves - on their long side - effectively become two feet deep. This is a very convenient size for boxes that hold wreaths and other large decorations. The large platform shelf design also is handy in case you have an enormous item to store such as a box that contains an artificial Christmas tree. I use the top shelf of my system to store these large boxes. Upper shelves that are hard to access should always be used to store things that are needed on an infrequent basis.

The shelf system I designed is made using one half inch thick plywood for the shelf surface, 2x3 dimensional lumber for the shelf support frames and 2x4 dimensional lumber for the legs that support the entire system. I used coarse thread screws to fasten all lumber. Three inch and one and one-quarter inch screws are all that is needed. Screws hold much better than nails and allow you to easily disassemble the shelving system in the event it needs to be moved in the future.

Kathy preferred to have a three-foot wide aisle between the free standing and wall mounted shelves. If your room is long enough, you may be able to use an entire 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood for each shelf. The 2x3 lumber is fastened together using the three-inch long screws as you would frame a wall. The studs are placed on their narrow edge on two foot centers. Four eight-foot long pieces of 2x3 lumber are sufficient to make the outer frame of each shelf platform and provide one long center support down the middle of the shelf. The shorter screws are used to attach the plywood to the frame.

Working with standard lumber, you only need to make three cuts for each shelf platform. One of the 2x3s will get cut into two pieces 45 inches long. Another 2x3 is cut down to 93 inches for the center shelf support. The two eight foot long 2x3s overlap the 45 inch long pieces at each corner. The 93 inch long center support 2x3 fits in between the two short pieces of 2x3 and runs parallel with the outer long legs of the frame. The resulting rectangle frame measures 48 by 96 inches. This is the exact same size as the piece of plywood that is attached to the frame.

The shelves are attached to the 2x4 legs with three-inch long screws. Use two screws at each leg. I like to place the bottom of the first shelve unit 18 inches off the floor. This allows me to slide five gallon buckets under the shelve system. The plastic buckets are waterproof and anything stored inside them is safe in case the floor experiences a shallow flood. The shelves stacked above the first shelve have 14 inches of free clearance space between the top of the plywood surface and the bottom of the 2x3 that creates the frame for the shelf above.

Be sure the vertical support legs are long enough so that they can attach to the floor joists above or to blocking that runs between the floor joists. These connections add enormous stability to the shelving system. Without these connections, the shelving system might collapse over time if it becomes overloaded. These connections are absolutely necessary if you build the system in an area subject to earthquakes.

Column 443

New High Performance Vapor Retarders

Posted on by Tim Carter

High Performance Vapor Retarders

DEAR TIM: I am building a new home. The floors of some of the finished living space will be concrete slabs poured directly on the soil. What is the best material to use to prevent water vapor from passing into the living space where it can fuel mold growth and ruin finished flooring materials? Is the common clear poly vapor barrier good enough? I also own a summer home with a crawl space. Will the same product stop the musty smell in that home? Cindy M., Ocala, FL

DEAR CINDY: You need one of the brand-new revolutionary vapor retarders. Many people call vapor retarders vapor barriers. The term vapor barrier has been misused for many years. A true vapor barrier would block all water vapor. The clear plastic products sold in most home centers and building supply businesses allow huge amounts of vapor to pass through them. What's more, some of these products can actually degrade over time. Many soils contain alkali and other chemicals that can cause the readily-available clear plastic products to fail.

vapor retarders

The home building industry has experienced tremendous advancements over the past 25 years. Many of the advancements have made houses much tighter and more energy efficient. But these advancements have a price tag attached to them. Because older homes were drafty, they could more easily dissipate water vapor that seeps in through concrete slabs and foundations. Small or moderate amounts of water vapor that raised indoor humidity levels slightly years ago in an older home may cause dangerous mold growth and buckled wood or laminate flooring in a tight newer home. Excess water vapor can sometimes cause water-based flooring adhesives to mold and degrade.

In light of these problems, manufacturers from the flooring industry and those that made vapor retarders worked with independent testing officials to develop a standard by which high quality vapor retarders can be measured and rated for effectiveness. In 1997, ASTM standard E 1745 was established for just this purpose. The bottom line for homeowners such as you and me is simple: you want a vapor retarder that meets this standard. These vapor retarders allow minute amounts of vapor to pass into your home, they resist chemical attack and they are very resistant to punctures during installation and the placement of the concrete over the retarder.

It is absolutely essential that you install the best vapor barrier under concrete slabs as well as any walls that also require vapor protection. The reason is straight forward. It requires an enormous amount of work and expense to re-install a vapor retarder after the fact. You must get it right the first time. The vapor retarders that pass the ASTM E 1745 standard only cost several hundred dollars more for a roll that contains 3,000 square feet of product. This is a small price to pay for long-term moisture control and peace of mind.

Homes with crawl spaces also need these wonderful vapor retarders. When installed according to all manufacturers' specifications, they block the water vapor that is fueling the offensive aromatic microscopic mold growth in your summer home. The manufacturers of these high quality retarders also make special tape that is used to seal seams that may be required should you not be able to place one giant sheet of material under the home. It is vitally important to seal seams with this special tape.

Be sure your builder installs the under-slab vapor retarder correctly. A common mistake is to cut the material carelessly against the foundation. The vapor retarder should actually lap up onto the foundation so that the concrete slab is completely isolated from the soil and the foundation. The special seam tape should also be used to seal the retarder to any pipes or other objects that penetrate through the retarder and the slab. Without the tape, water vapor can escape past these objects.

These high quality vapor retarders are not hard to locate. The best places to find them are businesses that sell concrete supplies to contractors. Look in your Yellow Pages under the heading Concrete - Supplies. Be sure to verify that the vapor retarder you are buying meets the ASTM standard.

August, 2004

The August 2004 edition of Professional Builder magazine (vol. 69, #8, pp. 57-60) had an interesting article on "Choosing Insulation" that touched on vapor retarders. In it the author, Glen Salas, brought up a good point that vapor retarders should not be used in warm climates such as the deep South of the USA. In those areas it is thought that unfaced fiberglass batts should be used in walls.

Glen also says that if you are inclined to add an additional layer of insulation, never install a vapor retarder in between layers of insulation.

One point I disagree with in his article is the placement of a vapor retarder in a ceiling. I feel it is not a good idea and he seems to think it is okay to do this. Glen also says to place a vapor retarder on the room side of insulation above a crawl space, but I feel it is better to stop the water vapor at its source and place the best vapor retarder on the soil and close off the vents to the crawl space to block atmospheric air from entering the crawl space.

Related Column: Stop Water Vapor Now

Author's Notes:

I received this email from Michael P, Cincinnati, OH.  Here's how he helped with his crawl space problem.

"I live in Turpin Hills and wanted to thank you for your advice for sealing a crawl space.  This is our third winter in our home and the basement is always much colder than previous basements from other homes.  I did as you suggested and put heavy duty, thick plastic on the gravel and put doors on the opening of the crawl space.  It's been a few weeks and I can see water droplets forming under the plastic.  I may put a second layer of plastic for good measure.  The basement is warmer and so is the room above the crawl space.  I don't smell the mustiness either.  Thanks again for the tip."

Here's another one from Marilyn W. in Troy, MI with a similar issue.

"I read your answer concerning musty smells coming from crawlspace and slab foundations. The musty smell is in our cottage. Part is a slab and part is a modified crawlspace that we can not get under. The space is too small and there is no entry. If we remove the carpet and spray the the floor with the liquid water vapor barrier, would this take care of the smell? It is closed a good part of the year, and when we do open and use it, the smell permeates everything including our clothes, hair etc. Please help us make our cottage usable. Thanks!"

Column 445

Radiant Barrier Chips Save Money

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I have to do something to lower my heating and cooling costs. It can get very hot in the summer and my air conditioner runs non-stop. The winters can get bitter cold as well. I have added insulation in my attic and that seems to help but what else can I do? I have seen some radiant-barrier foils advertised as miracle products. Are these exaggerated claims? Is there a way to stop the heat from getting into my house in the summer and stopping it from leaving in the winter? Stephanie B, Minneapolis, MN

DEAR STEPHANIE: Wow! Talk about a complicated subject. Controlling heat loss and heat gain by creating a barrier that helps you lower your energy costs is not much different than a quest for the Fountain of Youth or the Holy Grail. But I may have shocking news. The map with the big red X may have been discovered. I believe I have uncovered a product that holds enormous promise for real long-term energy savings.

To watch the entire video, please Click Here .

Maintaining a comfortable interior climate in a home is a daunting task. This is especially true if you live in a part of the world that has weather extremes. For example, talk to a person who lives in the high desert of California or just about anyone in the Southwest and they will tell you how hot it can get on numerous summer days. Afternoon air temperatures above 100F are common. Attic air temperatures can soar to 145F or greater. If you want the inside of your home to be 78-80F, air conditioners can work long and hard to maintain the comfort zone you select at the thermostat. The same scenario is true in places that experience bitter cold temperatures for months on end.

When an object such as the sun, your furnace or boiler creates heat, it can radiate this energy in the form of infrared (IR) electromagnetic energy waves. This IR energy travels through space and in and around the inside of your home at the speed of light. The waves themselves are invisible and carry no heat, but when they strike a surface the energy begins to vibrate the molecules of the object. Those vibrations create friction which in turn creates the heat we feel when sunlight strikes our skin or when we touch an object that is warm or hot.

It stands to reason that if you intercept these IR waves with some type of barrier and simply bounce them back to where they originated, that the heat would not be transferred. An effective radiant barrier would indeed make your house much cooler as you reflected the heat back outdoors. This same radiant barrier would reflect the IR heat your furnace creates right back into your home.

This technology has been around for a very long time. Surely you have seen a cook wrap a hot dish with aluminum foil to keep the contents warm. Older thermos bottles have highly reflective coatings that keep liquids warm or cold. Firefighters use custom metallic foil suits to keep them cool. Our astronauts in space have special suits that have 17 layers of reflective material that keep them comfortable from extreme heat and cold at the same time. Radiant barrier materials work and they work well. The trick is making them work in a typical home.

The best radiant barrier products are the ones that have the highest amount of reflectivity. It only makes sense as they directly reflect more of the IR waves away. Anything that dulls the surface of the radiant barrier film significantly reduces its reflectivity. Many traditional radiant barriers for homes are foil laminates that can be stapled up in an attic or even laid flat on top of insulation. These offer only one layer of protection. They work well until they become covered with dust. As the dust builds up, their effectiveness goes down.

Two years ago, I had special radiant barrier chips installed in my attic. There are hundreds of thousands of randomly overlapping highly reflective foil pieces that bounce heat back to its source. In many places the chips may be ten or fifteen layers thick. I am not concerned with a dust buildup. The exposed layers I can see may get dusty, but just below are several layers that will always reflect the heat back to its source.

Those who build new homes have several additional options. Roof sheathing attached to roof trusses is available with built-in radiant foil on the underside. It would take years for that surface to become dust covered. You or your builder can buy drywall that has foil facing on the backside. This drywall can be used in all rooms that have walls or ceilings that are exposed to the elements. Of course, once the final attic insulation is installed, the radiant barrier chips I used can be installed to give the highest level of protection.

Column 447

Granite

Posted on by Tim Carter

granite countertop tile
DEAR TIM: I have read a great deal about granite countertops and I am very confused. Will granite stain? Does it have to be sealed?

Is it better or worse than the solid surface tops that try to look like granite? Is granite child-proof? I am moving into my last home, I hope, and I do not want to make a mistake. Maj. Brian McK., Quantico, VA

DEAR MAJ. BRIAN: I have seen several horse races in the past that required a photo finish result to determine the winner. There is no doubt in my mind there have been other past horse races that have ended in a dead heat with no clear winner. That is how I feel about the comparison between granite,solid surface and the new stone composite countertops. All of them are top-of-the-line products that have their own nuances.

Both granite and solid surface countertops have been installed on many of my past jobs. I have granite tops in my own home. I have never heard a complaint from any of my past customers regarding the beauty or functionality of the tops. In fact, my past clients continually gush about the wonderful countertops they own. In my own case, the fix was in. My college degree is geology and I happen to be very partial to natural stone products. I have yet to find a man-made countertop material that even comes close to what Mother Nature can produce on her worst day.

What are Natural Stone Composites?

Before I digress further, let me describe a countertop material you may not know about - natural stone composites. Several manufacturers are making a countertop material that is a blend of natural stone and synthetic resins that hold the stone chips together. These new products are very eye-catching and sport many of the positive attributes of both natural stone and solid surface countertops. My only complaint with these tops is that a side-by-side comparison with real granite will quickly indicate to you that this new product is an impostor. But, you should definitely give it a serious look before you make a final decision. It may possess the exact look you and your family desires.

Do Countertops Stain?

Does granite stain? I think the better question is: Do all countertops stain? The answer is - Yes to all. Granite, by its very nature, contains micro fissures where the quartz, mica and feldspar minerals interconnect. Some granites are more porous than others. But the highly polished granite is highly resistant to staining, especially when it is sealed. The biggest enemy to granite happens to be oil. Cooking oils, olive oil, bacon grease, oil that seeps through pizza boxes, etc. are to be treated with respect. Oil that seeps into granite can be removed and sometimes it dissipates on its own over time. But once again, regular sealing will almost always stop oil from damaging the top.

How Do You Seal a Granite Countertop?

Sealing granite is simple. The clear sealers are applied with a cotton rag and simply rubbed into the surface. Often it only needs to be done twice a year. Sealing granite is by no means a hardship and it takes just a few moments of your time. I feel it is a very small price to pay for the beauty and durability you get with a granite top.

If you want a child-proof countertop, perhaps you better get a military surplus piece of armor plating from a tank or warship. I have seen firsthand damage caused by both children and adults to all countertops. Often people panic when a granite top is chipped or a small corner cracks off. They throw away the chunks or chips of stone in frustration after the accident happens. Never discard any of this debris. Bag it up carefully and call your granite fabricator. They have fantastic clear colored epoxies that can be used in conjunction with the granite chips to rebuild the top.

Perhaps this will help you. My wife and I are about to remodel our own kitchen. We have several different countertop areas in our kitchen. Do you know what kind of material we plan to install? In all likelihood it will be a blend of materials. There is a good chance that we will use several types of natural stone along with a few pieces of solid surface countertop in strategic locations. I have done this before on several jobs. If you pick materials that blend well together, the look is stunning.

Column 448

Modular Homes Surpass Stick Built Homes

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I have heard horror stories about custom homes that have taken forever to build. Framing lumber exposed to the elements can support mold growth.

Construction delays can create extra loan interest and living expenses. What can I do to make sure my new custom home gets built quickly but with no sacrifice in quality? Is there an alternative method to achieve my goal? Ted S., Lumberton, NC

DEAR TED: If you would have asked this question ten or fifteen years ago, I would have told you that you have little hope. Don't get me wrong, there have always been highly skilled and productive builders in the marketplace. You can find them in just about every city or town. I will grant you, however, that they are a very small minority. The good news for you, and many others, is that cost savings, high quality, and lightning-fast construction are present in today's new home marketplace.

pre-built home

Yes, this home arrived at the jobsite pre-built on the back of several flatbed tractor trailers. You would never think it was possible when you walk up to it and inside of it. I did both as this fantastic home is just several miles from where I live.

Let's talk about conventional home construction practices first. Understand that many builders have never had extensive formal training with respect to manufacturing processes. After all, they are manufacturing a product. It is common for builders to start off in their careers as carpenters who transform from a subcontractor into the person who runs the show. Many of these individuals do not have strong technical and business skills in the actual art of planning and management. I know there are builders who have strong college business degrees, but I believe you will find that many smaller custom builders have minimal college level business classroom experience.

Add this to the mix of subcontractors who have work commitments with other builders, weather conditions that can hamper construction, scheduling and ordering mistakes on the part of the builder and a myriad number of other variables and you can see why a five month construction time frame can become a bloated nine or ten month fiasco.

If you decide to use a traditional custom home builder, you can tighten up the schedule and possibly get the job done on-time if he is familiar with critical-time-path planning. A home building project can be represented on a chart that shows each task that must be completed, the amount of time it takes to do that job and when certain tasks can happen simultaneously. If the correct data is put on this chart and all sub contractors hit their mark, you can get a traditional home built in a minimal amount of time. But that being said, always remember that Mother Nature bats last. She can throw multiple curve balls that will retire the side causing weeks of delay.

Imagine if I told you that you could actually save considerable money, get your home built in weeks instead of months, and have just about every item in the house you want all with no sacrifice in quality. Millions of people such as you can get a new home that looks and is identical to any traditional site or stick built home but believe it or not, it is trucked in cubes or modules to the jobsite. I urge you to begin talking with a modular builder in your city or town.

two-story modular home

Check this out! A two-story modular home. It looks as retro as can be. You would think this home is 90 years old based upon its style and architecture. But is is modular and less than one year old.

Modular homes are built in factories that are climate controlled. The homes are assembled with enormous precision and quality. The same or better materials are used that a traditional site builder might use. The work force shows up on time each day at the modular factory. They are team players that know exactly how each home is to be built. The entire process is computer controlled down to the hour. Modular homes meet or exceed just about every local building code. Incredible as it may seem, the interior of each module is finished before it is trucked to the jobsite. Walls are painted, cabinets and tops are in place, flooring is complete, etc. I suspect if you asked for it, the factory might even stock the pantry with dry foodstuffs!

I have inspected many modular homes. The workmanship astounds me. The level of quality is higher than a vast majority of traditional site-built homes. Perhaps the most unbelievable aspect is the cost savings. As modular homes get bigger, the price compared to traditional site-built homes goes down. For example, if you plan to build a 4,000 square foot custom home, a modular home that is identical in every way might cost you 20- 25 percent less. That can translate to savings of possibly $80,000.00 - 100,000.00! The break-even point is about 1,500 square feet. If your planned custom home is larger than that, expect to save money and time but no loss of quality.

Column 449

Drywall Finishing Requires Skill

Posted on by Tim Carter
drywall finishing

Drywall Finishing | This small section of wall has just about every drywall finish challenge in it: flat and tapered seams, inside and outside corners, and an archway! Drywall installation and finishing is not as easy as it appears on those fake cable home-improvement shows. Photo credit: Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: My husband and I are on a very tight budget as we complete our new home. I have decided to add some drywall in a garage and unfinished room.

Watching the drywall finisher work in my new home has been fascinating. I am sure I can do what he is doing.

Should I use paper or mesh tape for the seams? Is one finishing compound better than another? How hard is it to get smooth walls and ceilings? What are the common mistakes a rookie finisher makes? Linda B., Racine, WI

DEAR LINDA: Oh, I am quite sure you can do what the professional is doing, but I am not yet convinced you can do it as well or as fast. Don't let your eyes or home improvement television shows fool you for a moment. Great skills and techniques are being employed by the finisher you observed. It may have taken years for him to acquire the talent he possesses. Don't despair, you very well may get wonderful results, just be realistic with respect to the amount of time and effort it will require.

drywall finishing tools

Finishing drywall is a very interesting job. Before you start, you need the right tools. For the most part, finishing drywall requires very simple and inexpensive tools. Can you think of another trade where you can get virtually all of the professional level tools you need to do the entire job for less than $75.00? You can buy plastic impostor tools for far less, but professional high-quality stainless steel mud pans, an assortment of stainless steel broad knives and pole and hand sanding equipment will help you get the pro results you are striving for. These great tools can often be found at drywall supply houses- businesses that sell drywall to home builders and professional installers and finishers. Check your phone book Yellow Pages for a list of these well-hidden companies.

I have used both paper tape and the adhesive open-mesh tape. Both tapes work well for flat seams. But I happen to prefer the traditional paper tape for corner seams. Unless you have great coordination, the mesh tape can give you fits as the knife blade bumps across each of the pieces of fiberglass that make up the tape. Paper tape is amazingly easy to work with and yields wonderful results. Thousands of professionals swear by it, not at it.

Finish drywall like a pro! Learn the secrets to great drywall installation in this Drywall / Plaster Installation Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

Drywall manufacturers typically manufacture the finishing compounds for their drywall. I have used different brands all with great results. I happen to prefer the lightweight pre-mixed drywall finishing products. They are very easy to sand.

Smooth seams on both walls and ceilings comes with practice. The key is to have a finished thickness of joint compound about one eighth of an inch thick over any given seam. If you use paper tape, half of the joint compound should be under the tape with the remainder of the creamy mixture floated and feathered out to disguise the buildup of material. The adhesive mesh tape is completely covered with joint compound since it is applied to the drywall before any compound is applied.

Perhaps the most common mistakes are working with joint compound that is too thick and lumpy. I have found that adding a very small amount of water to the pre-mixed compounds and whipping them with a mixing tool attached to a power drill creates a mixture that resembles creamy cake icing. Blisters can form in taped seams if you press out too much joint compound out with repeated strokes from the taping knife. Remember, the joint compound is an adhesive and a 1/16th inch layer must remain between the tape and the drywall surface.

Another common mistake is trying for perfection as you apply the second coat of joint compound on flat seams. A slight ridge of material can remain at the center of these wall and ceiling seams. Once dry, you can lightly sand this ridge away before you apply the final third coat. Rookies often try to finish both sides of a corner on the same day. The opposite side of a corner can only be finished after the first side is dry. Beware of the temptation to use a 90 degree angle corner knife. These knives appear to be made to finish both sides of a corner at the same, but using them requires enormous skill and patience.

Column 450

Replacing EIFS with Traditional Cement Stucco

Posted on by Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: I own a six-year old home covered with EIFS synthetic stucco. Even though I have the home inspected each year for moisture intrusion, I am convinced I will replace the EIFS with a mixture of real cement stucco, artificial stone and possibly brick. Can these products be installed over the existing EIFS? If it can, is it a good idea? If you were running this job, what other things would you do to make sure this is a permanent solution to moisture infiltration? Lynne McD., Arlington, TX

DEAR LYNNE: Another one bites the dust. I know you are not the first nor will you be the last person who abandons the EIFS cladding on their homes. While moisture can get behind just about any exterior surface on a home, the plastic nature of the EIFS synthetic stucco coatings tends to trap moisture. This trapped moisture is the match that lights the mold growth and wood rot fuse. When enough of either grows, you can have an explosive repair bill.

stucco house

Perhaps the best thing to do is be pro-active. Replacing rotted structural framing members and hiring people who work in moon suits to remove mold can be an expensive proposition. If you have neither at this point, thank your lucky stars. Some people may get relief from insurance policies, but that income stream is rapidly drying up. Insurance companies no longer wish to take the fall for poor workmanship and unforgiving building materials.

The EIFS synthetic stucco system must be removed for any number of reasons. Even if you could leave it on, it would pose an enormous hidden risk. Imagine what might happen when water gets behind your new cement stucco, brick and stone. If it then traveled behind your current EIFS cladding, you would be no better off than you are today. Furthermore, the detailing around windows and doors becomes very difficult if these openings are recessed too far behind the exterior surface.

If I were in charge of this job, I would want to inspect all of the exterior sheathing and framing that was covered by the EIFS stucco. The specter of mold and wood rot would have to be removed from my mind as a builder. If I discovered either, now is the time to repair any and all damage.

Removing the EIFS system also gives me access to the windows and the doors. There is a very good chance that these items were probably not installed with the best flashings. Furthermore, window and door flashings and their nailing fins must interface a special way with the water barrier that covers the wood framing and sheathing. I would not hesitate to use traditional 30 pound felt paper as the primary water barrier. It is a superior product that has yielded the spotlight to the glamorous air and water infiltration house wraps.

If you decide to use brick, you may need to employ a structural engineer. This professional will create a detailed plan that shows what structural elements are necessary to support the brick load. The weight of the stunning artificial stone and stucco does not concern me. Both of these stunning exterior finishes can be easily attached to the wood-framed structure.

I would give serious consideration to the creation of a hidden drainage plane behind the new stucco, brick and stone. Once the 30 pound felt paper has been properly attached to the home, you can fasten vertical strips of one half inch thick by two inch wide pieces of treated plywood to the outside of the home. The stucco and artificial stone may be applied to stiff galvanized mesh that is fastened to these strips. Water that gets behind these materials now has a large and direct pathway down to the ground. This system also allows air to readily circulate behind the masonry materials. Dry is good as water fuels mold growth.

Finally, consider tinting the stucco you apply. If you chose a color that compliments the stone and brick, exterior painting may be limited to a few trim boards. Be sure to have the stucco mason do a test panel. The stucco color often changes as it cures. Try to arrange for the stucco work to take place when outdoor temperatures are in the 50F range if at all possible. Extreme weather conditions of any type can cause all sorts of stucco installation problems.

Column 453

Roof Leaks – Look in Valleys

Posted on by Tim Carter
Shingle Cuts

Roof Leaks - Look in Valleys | The bottom shingle is a regular one before being cut. The middle shingle has been cut so it runs parallel with the center of the valley. See the sharp tip? The top shingle has the second cut creating an arrow point so water runs down the valley and not up along the top edge of the shingle. Copyright 2018 Tim Carter

DEAR TIM: We recently had a room addition built onto our home. A valley is present where the addition roof intersects the main house roof. We get a leak in the room under this valley just about every time it rains. We have a valley on the other side of the roof that was part of the original house construction. We never get a leak there. The shingles look identical at both valleys. What might be the cause? Do we need to get a new roof? Lorrie B., Dunedin, FL

DEAR LORRIE: Roof leaks of any type cause lots of anguish. It can be especially distressing when there appears to be no obvious cause. The good news is the solution to the problem is very simple. I doubt that you need a new roof. Typically the problem can be traced to a rookie roofer who made one or more basic mistakes.

I have investigated hundreds of roof leaks for homeowners. Ninety-five percent of the time, the cause of the leak, as stated in my autopsy report, is centered around roof flashings. A flashing is a transitional roofing material that connects the roof material to some other building material or to another part of the roof.

In your case, your valley may have a metal valley flashing or even a granular asphalt sheet that takes the place of traditional metal valley flashing material. In other parts of the nation, many roofers actually weave shingles together in valleys. This weaving method appeals the least to me, since a hollow spot is created under the shingles. Any significant weight placed on the shingles in this area can lead to cracking and tears. This never happens when metal valley flashings are used.

What is the most common cause of a roof leak?

The most common cause of a roof leak where metal flashings are used is shingles that have been improperly cut. When a shingle from either roof intersects and passes over the metal valley flashing it needs to be cut at an angle. The resulting cut is very similar to the angle you might see on the tip of a wood chisel. This first cut, which parallels the center line of the valley, forms an acute angle. As a homeowner, you never see the cut at the top of the shingle where this troublesome tip is located because the next shingle row covers it. This is why your roof looks okay.

But wind-blown rain or water that crashes up against the edges of the cut shingles in a valley during a heavy rain can readily find this shingle tip. If water does contact this tip that lurks just under the shingle above, the water can flow across the top edge of the shingle until it finds a place to drop down into the home.

How do you prevent roof leaks?

To prevent these leaks, a secondary cut needs to be made at the top of each shingle that is in the valley. The acute tip is transformed into an arrow point by clipping off the tip of the shingle. This simple cut rejects water that tries to flow across the top of the shingle. The secondary cut places the tip of the shingle lower on the valley and water that wants to flow along the top of the shingles must first go uphill to do so. Gravity works very well to win this battle.

If you inspect your shingles and find that the secondary cut is missing, you can simply make the cut without removing any shingles. Separate the shingles from one another in the valley and use a tin snips to clip off the tip of the each shingle.

Avoid repairing roof leaks yourself! Find a professional using my Roofing Replacement / Repair Checklist. I offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee.

When the roofer showed up to install the roof, there are several things he could have done as extra insurance against leaks. Two strips of 30 pound felt paper could have been run down the valley before the metal valley was installed. This felt should go under any valley system.With some effort, this felt paper can be installed under the existing shingles. Ice dam and wind-blown rain membranes can also be installed under valleys. These are very good leak-prevention products.

If your roofer had access to a metal brake that bends metal, he could also have hemmed the edges of the metal valley that are hidden by the shingles. Hemming an edge simply means folding it back on itself. The hem is about one half inch wide and folds up and over to a nearly 180 degree angle. An air gap of approximately one eighth remains between the bent piece of valley and the main body of metal. As water tries to flow to the edge of the metal valley, it is captured by the hem and redirected to the bottom of the valley flashing where it flows into the gutter.

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Arbor

Posted on by Tim Carter
Arbor -redwood shade shelter

Arbor | This is a superb redwood shade shelter. You can build one like it in a few days. Photo courtesy of the California Redwood Association.

DEAR TIM: The sun punishes me and my family when we try to relax on our patio and deck. An awning does not appeal to me because I do want some filtered sunlight to pass through, but not too much.

I am very interested in a elegant wood arbor/shelter of some type but do not want a forest of support posts. Furthermore, I do not want to feel closed in by the shelter. Do you have any ideas or am I asking for too much? Sally P., Aurora, IN

DEAR SALLY: Rest assured that I have worked for many people who were far more demanding. If only many of my past customers had your great sense of vision and proportion. Your requests are very reasonable and the good news is that they are achievable.

Patio and deck shade shelters are very effective at blocking harsh summer sun rays. Depending upon the design of the structure and the spacing of the wood members, you can block a great deal of sunlight. The amount of shade that is created is also a function of the angle of the sun in the sky. When the sun is at a lower angle during the mid morning and mid afternoon time frames, a great deal of shade can be created by these functional and gorgeous shelters.

Shade Shelter vs Rain Shelter

The first step is to plan where the edges of the shelter need to be to offer shade to the most important parts of your deck and patio. A shade shelter is much different than a rain shelter. If you want to stay dry in a light to moderate rain shower, a typical shelter does not require much of an overhang. But a shade shelter is much different. Direct sunlight can pour into the patio and deck seating areas if the overhang of the shade shelter is not large enough.

Create a quick schedule of the times you use your deck and patio. You should focus on the mid and late-afternoon times as these can be the hottest part of the day. On a sunny day, hold a regular straw broom upside down such that the end of the broom is nine to ten feet off the level of the deck or patio. Proceed to stand at different locations around the outer edges of your deck and patio to see where a shadow is cast. Make chalk marks on the deck and patio surfaces noting the time of day. As the sun moves, so will your chalk marks.

You can eliminate support posts that will hold up the shade shelter by switching to steel beams or possibly laminated wood beams made from rot-resistant redwood and exterior rated glue. I actually prefer redwood for shade shelters. Redwood comes in many different economical grades that work very well for this purpose. If you decide to use steel beams that can span 20 or more feet between support posts, you will undoubtedly have to consult with a structural engineer. This person will size the beams and columns as well as specify how all structural elements will be connected together. The money invested in engineering pays dividends for many years.

How Tall Should an Arbor Be?

To prevent a closed-in feeling while relaxing under the shelter, be sure the main body of the wood slats is at least nine feet off the surface of the deck and patio. Ten feet might be an even better height. To get a feel for the correct height, you might have a local outdoor restaurant or garden supply business that has a similar shade shelter. If you find one that feels right, measure its height off the ground.

Be sure to coat all of the lumber with an epoxy-fortified synthetic resin water repellent before the shelter is built. This trick will save you hours of labor since it is so difficult to apply wood water repellent overhead. Applying the product before hand also insures that all the wood is treated. If you wait until the shelter is built, it becomes impossible to coat wood where one piece of lumber sits on top of another piece. If at all possible, try to use stainless steel nails and bolts. These will not rust. If you can't find these, then use only hot-dipped galvanized fasteners.

 

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Lasting Materials for Wood Fences

Posted on by Tim Carter
wood fence treated lumber - rough-sewn cedar

Lasting Materials for Wood Fences | Here is my wood fence. It is a combination of treated lumber and rough-sawn cedar. We painted it to match our house and the paint job still looks good even after 14 years!

Wood Fences That Last

DEAR TIM: What is the best wood, both economical and durable, for a fence? The fence will be subjected to both hot and cold weather, if that factors into your opinion. If I decide to use CCA treated lumber, can I paint it or should it just weather? What is the best way to set the posts? Should they be surrounded with concrete or gravel? Dan H., Omaha, NE

DEAR DAN: If after reading this you decide to use chromated copper arsenate (CCA) lumber, you need to do the job this year. The CCA lumber industry and the EPA reached an agreement last year that calls for CCA lumber to be removed from the consumer market on December 31, 2003. There are other chemically treated lumbers available that will take the place of CCA lumber if you happen to be a procrastinator.

Wood fences create a delightful look and feel. I think the thing I like most about wood is that you often have an infinite number of possibilities with respect to design and texture. But there are two things that can restrict what your fence will ultimately look like: your own imagination and any local zoning laws, that limit the type of fence you can install. Be aware that some zoning laws can be highly restrictive to where fences can be used, their height, and even the type of material to be used. Some sub-divisions may have deed restrictions that further prohibit the fence size and type. Be sure to investigate all of these things before you make a trip to the lumber yard.

Can you get sick from CCA lumber?

Chemically treated lumber is an industry currently in transition. The removal of CCA lumber from the consumer market has gotten the attention of many consumers who are afraid of chemicals. There are countless stories and claims about people who have become very sick from exposure to CCA lumber. If these are true and factual, would you want your children climbing on such a fence? Is it worth the risk? Those are tough questions to answer. In your case, it may be a moot point. Two coats of exterior paint that contain both acrylic and urethane resins might encapsulate any chemicals in the wood for a very long period of time.

What natural woods are best for fences?

You have other wood options. Mother Nature has been manufacturing naturally rot and weather-resistant lumber for many years. Ask any farmer about the longevity of locust fence posts. Redwood and cedar also make superb long-lasting fencing materials. Both of these wood species have grades that are very affordable. Do not be fooled by the prices of clear redwood and cedar. You do not need this premium grade for fencing. Choose a more economical grade such as construction heart redwood or similar grade of cedar. If you are lucky, try to see if you can round up some bald cypress. This lumber species weathers outdoors very well.

Thirteen years ago, I built my own decorative wood fence. It was a combination of wood materials. I used CCA treated lumber for the posts and horizontal frame members. Since my wife wanted the fence to be painted as you do, I built the frame in the fall and let it weather until the next summer. This gave the lumber plenty of time to expel any excess moisture. The pickets of the fence were made from rough-sawn cedar.

The painting of my fence happened in stages. I painted the posts and horizontal frame members completely before I installed the vertical pickets. Each individual picket was completely precut to size and painted on all sides and edges before they were installed. I paid close attention to the bottom end of each picket. This spot received three coats of paint since it would be so close to the ground. Be sure to use stainless steel nails or hot dipped galvanized nails to fasten the fence parts together.

I did not use concrete or gravel to set my posts. Fortunately, I owned a post hole digger that created a hole just two inches in diameter larger than the size of my posts. After digging the holes two feet deep, I used a scrap 4x4 piece of lumber to compact the earth at the bottom of each hole. I then set each post in line and made sure it was plumb as I carefully tamped earth around all four sides of the post. My fence has remained in perfect position for the past thirteen years. If a post does go bad for some reason, the absence of concrete or gravel will make it a quick and easy job. Before you begin to dig any fence post holes, make sure there are no underground utility lines in the vicinity of the fence line.

I received an email asking in part... "I am going to buy a nailer to rebuild my wood fence. What diameter nail would I use for this project? Can the nailer be used for different size nails on other projects?"

Use a ring shanked 8 or 10 penny nail. You can use different length nails of the same diameter if they are made specifically for that gun.

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