The Journal of Light Construction articles from April 2003

The Journal of Light Construction archives from April 2003

Realistic scheduling. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: Thank you for the great "real world" article ("Realistic Scheduling for Remodelers," 2/03). I have tried many types of schedules, and the calendar seems to work for everyone. I have had customers who posted the job calendar...

Okay with diversity. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: I just read the letter from Ted Newman regarding his requirement that his workers speak English (Letters, 2/03). For many years I shared some of the same concerns. Then, a few years ago, a former customer asked if I had work...

I-beam repairs engineered, guaranteed. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: As a building inspector, over the years I have seen hundreds of these I-beams--so-called soldier beams--installed, as Mr. Cunningham provides ("Stabilizing Basement Walls," 1/03). Unfortunately, every soldier beam I have...

Helical screws can work. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: Steel I-beams used by themselves do not fix the problem. It is true that they will stiffen the basement wall, but they will also transfer the active earth pressures that caused the basement wall to crack and bow into the...

Radiant-floor study skewed. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: The PATH "study" comparing radiant and hot-air heating systems in a Habitat for Humanity home in Schenectady, N.Y., is literally not worth the paper it's written on ("Radiant-Floor Study Sparks Controversy," In the News,...

Masonry Chimneys & Gas Appliances. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: Some misinformation may have slipped into the article "Venting Gas Appliances" (2/03). The text reads, "Because a draft-hood appliance creates a large volume of exhaust, it needs a taller or larger-diameter vent than a...

Cathedral can suggestions. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: I was surprised by your answer to the "Ice Buildup Problem" (Q&A, 2/03). If that homeowner wanted track lighting, he probably would have started with track lighting. It seems that the builder is taking responsibility for...

Insulating living space over an unheated garage. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: Regarding the answer "Insulating a Floor Over an Unheated Garage" (Q&A, 1/03): I have installed a bath over almost every garage I've built, and the critical element is the perimeter. Blown insulation settles and allows an...

The shadow knows. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: There is an odd shadow line in the photo on page 67 of the January issue (see below). It's the gable end of a house with metal shingles. The shadow line from the gable shows that there is a Victorian type trim at the peak....

Reducing nail pops. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: Another way to prevent or eliminate drywall nail pops (Q&A, 1/03) is to use drywall adhesive, which can reduce the number of mechanical fasteners by as much as 50%. Because the adhesive holds the stud tight to the drywall,...

Deadbolts should allow safe egress. (Letters).(Brief Article)(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: The article "Choosing Entry-Door Hardware" (2/03) was well written. I applaud the author's cautionary note that double-cylinder keyed deadbolts on required egress doors may not comply with code due to possible entrapment in...

Fence post repair. (Letters).
April 1, 2003... To the Editor: I've had poor luck setting in posts with the technique noted in the article "Repairing Wooden Fences" (2/03). I prefer to use a 4x4 angle iron driven or dug down to the frost level, keeping all the wood above grade. ...

New window codes puzzle East Coast builders: redrawn wind-speed zones, complex design rules--but who has the windows? (In The News).
April 1, 2003... The International Code Council's 2000 International Residential Code (IRC), which is replacing BOCA, ICBO, SBCCI, and CABO residential codes nationwide, contains significant changes to wind. resistant construction provisions for coastal areas....

Court cuts back Texas mold award. (In The News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A Texas court of appeals in December threw out most of the money damages in the now famous "mold lawsuit" brought by New York publicist turned Texas homeowner Melinda Ballard against the Farmers Insurance Group. Chopping the $32 million jury...

Need a refresher course (or a primer) on basic wood structural design? (Off Cuts).(Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Need a refresher course (or a primer) on basic wood structural design? Virginia Tech wood design profs are offering a three-day wood design basics course May 12-14 in Blacksburg, Va. Aimed at people who build or design wood structures but never...

Germany's Ministry of Construction building is riddled with costly construction defects. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Germany's Ministry of Construction building is riddled with costly construction defects, according to a report by Reuters news service. The problems are said to include cracked walls, leaking windows, and faulty air conditioning. According to a...

Modular housing is expected to capture an increased share of the market in coming years. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Modular housing is expected to capture an increased share of the market in coming years, according to a recent study by the Cleveland-based Freedonia Group. Nationwide, the study predicts, modular housing will grow 1.2% annually through the...

The Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries has published an informational paper on mold. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industries has published an informational paper on mold. The AWCI commissioned the Chelsea Group, an environmental consulting and engineering firm, to write the paper, which is meant to provide builders...

Time to clean the garage? Head to the ReStore. (In the News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Building and remodeling generate a lot of "extra" stuff. Torn-out windows, doors, and cabinets that are still good, overstocked retail items, leftover lumber, and items ordered by mistake often end up in the landfill. But businessmen like...

Big snows bring roof troubles. (In the News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... February's blockbuster storms--up to 3 feet of snow, followed in some areas by cold rain--hit East Coast roofs with their heaviest structural loads in a decade or more. Most passed the test, but the failures made news up and down the...

Circular saw recall. (In the News).(Makita USA)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Makita USA, Inc., announced in December that the company is recalling about 180,000 of its popular 7 1/4-inch circular saws, because there is a risk that the blade guards may jam. The move is just a precaution, Makita says--the company has not...

New nailgun rules limit bounce-fire option. (In the News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Starting in May of this year, framers picking up a new nailgun may notice a few changes. An industry committee has agreed to new rules for the "actuation systems" (triggers and safeties) on many models. Light-duty tools aren't included, but...

Chivalry is dead, at least among tradesmen in the United Kingdom, according to British press reports. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... An insurance company there hired men and women investigators to call plumbers, electricians, and carpenters for minor repair jobs. All the trades routinely charged women up to double what they charged men for the same work, often recommending...

A federal judge in Philadelphia has sentenced a former city plumbing inspector to 30 months in jail and two years of supervised release. (Off Cuts).(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A federal judge in Philadelphia has sentenced a former city plumbing inspector to 30 months in jail and two years of supervised release, on top of a $7,500 fine, after the 57-year-old man was convicted of taking cash from plumbers whose work he...

Florida lawmakers are considering lien law reforms that would leave builders, not homeowners, on the hook for unpaid bills from subcontractors and suppliers. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Florida lawmakers are considering lien law reforms that would leave builders, not homeowners, on the hook for unpaid bills from subcontractors and suppliers, according to a report in the Citrus County Chronicle. Current law forces some...

New Hampshire may move to license building contractors, reports the Union Leader. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The state got 223 complaints against contractors in 2002. The issue was highlighted when a couple allegedly abducted a woman from a Concord contractor's office at gunpoint, trying to get back $8,500 they say was due to them. Passing agents from...

Nineteen thousand Utah contractors and vendors will have to kick in $125 each to the state's Residence Lien Recovery Fund.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Nineteen thousand Utah contractors and vendors will have to kick in $125 each to the state's Residence Lien Recovery Fund, established to pay off subcontractor liens on homes, in order to restore the fund's financial health. The fund is down to...

Construction activity in Arizona may be linked to an illness known as valley fever. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Construction activity in Arizona may be linked to an illness known as valley fever. The illness causes flu-like symptoms that sicken thousands each year and occasionally leads to fatal complications. It's caused by fungal spores native to dry...

A new action-figure toy named Construction Jack will begin appearing in toy stores later this year. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A new action-figure toy named Construction Jack will begin appearing in toy stores later this year. The 12-inch figure, manufactured by a company called Link Innovations, comes dressed in denim overalls, work boots, and a brown canvas jacket....

New houses in much of Denver will be getting smaller. (Off Cuts).(Denver, Colorado)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... New houses in much of Denver will be getting smaller, under a new zoning plan adopted by the city council in January. The new rules, which apply to teardowns and additions in about 60% of the city, reduce the maximum size of a house on a...

Replacing yourself on site. (Business Tune-Up).
April 1, 2003... When you leave the job site, does the work slow down? Probably. So what do you do when it's time for you to permanently make that move? A roofing company owner I work with is in the process of switching from running his crew to running his...

No. 2 & (not much) better. (In the News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... If you've noticed a gradual decline in the quality of 2x4 framing lumber, it may not have anything to do with the trees. Visual lumber grades like Standard and Better (Std&Btr) or Number Two and Better (#2&Btr) can encompass a wide range of...

Leaving the grid? Pay at the door. (In The News).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... California's growing alternative power industry may be about to inherit the lingering headaches of the state's troubled conventional power system. Regulators seeking to recover financially from recent policy fiascos are considering assessing...

Wheelchair accessible shower. (Q&A).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Q. We are building a new home on a slab foundation that is already poured. The customer uses a wheelchair and wants a curbless shower in a bathroom with a tiled floor. Is it possible to keep the bathroom floor level with the finish floors in...

Swelling of OSB roof panels. (Q&A).(oriented strand board )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Q. We build timber frame homes and wrap them with insulated panels made with skins of OSB on the outhouse and rigid foam insulation on the inside. We've been pleased with the results except for one thing: the swelling of the OSB at the edges....

Gas appliances in basement. (Q&A).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Q. I am remodeling a single-family house with a full basement. The furnace and water heater are located in the basement. The local fire marshal said that it's okay to locate propane appliances such as furnaces and water heaters in the basement....

Frozen air hoses. (Q&A).(keeping nail guns working in cold weather)
April 1, 2003... Q. In cold weather I always have problems keeping nail guns working, due to frozen air hoses. Is there a solution? A. Framing contractor Michael Davis responds: I thought I knew a thing or two about working in cold weather until I went to...

Marketing by home show. (Business).
April 1, 2003... Several years ago, our small remodeling company was in the process of planning for growth. One of our goals was to "brand" our company locally. To do this, we needed exposure. After looking at our total projected costs and the potential for...

Trade standards. (Legal).
April 1, 2003... In the construction business, perfection is hard to come by. And if the thing that's being built isn't perfect, then someone must decide whether it's "good enough." Say you're looking at the kitchen you just installed and it looks good...

Low-flow update: today's fixtures provide a much better flush than their predecessors, but understanding customer expectations is the key to choosing the right product.
April 1, 2003... When Congress passed the Energy Policy Act of 1992, plumbing-fixture manufacturers were given less than two years to convert from the standard 3.5-gallon flush to 1.6 gallons. With little time available to completely re-engineer their products,...

Pressure-testing ductwork: a pressure test with telltale fog will keep your duct installers on their toes. (Cover Story).
April 1, 2003... Airtight ductwork is one of the keys to a quality heating and cooling system. It helps to make a home more healthful, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. By reducing the load on the equipment, it also reduces wear and tear. There...

Building a coffered ceiling: a plywood substrate speeds installation.
April 1, 2003... I've been building and remodeling in northern Vermont for 30 years; my sons are the third generation to work in the family business. When my dad started, there was a higher level of craftsmanship in home building than we typically see today....

Pneumatic flooring nailers: a well-balanced tool makes bending over all day a little less wearing.
April 1, 2003... I'm a small custom home builder and remodeler in northern Vermont. I install enough strip flooring every year that I found it necessary to buy a Bostitch flooring stapler seven years ago. The tool has always been dependable, so I wasn't really...

Laying out a split-pitch hip: a series of right triangles provides the numbers you need to make the cuts.
April 1, 2003... Cutting my first complex roof slowed me to a crawl. Things got especially hairy where two slopes of unequal pitch met in a hip or valley. Although I gradually sorted out the trigonometry that enabled me to move through all the steps and cuts,...

Running a handyman sideline.
April 1, 2003... Although most handyman businesses are one-pickup operations with low overhead and no employees, that's not the only possible business model. I own a full-service kitchen-and-bath remodeling business in eastern Massachusetts that specializes in...

Building an outdoor shower: lag-screwed frame-and-panel construction and overhead bracing make for a solid, good-looking enclosure.
April 1, 2003... Where I live, outdoor showers are a common after-beach amenity. Real estate agents highlight them in property listings. Plumbers routinely include an exterior rough-in in their bids. And local builders have devised a slew of methods to enclose...

Cutting fiber-cement siding: specialized power tools work well, but so does a simple circular saw blade.(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... I've been a carpenter for more than 20 years, but I only recently installed fiber-cement siding for the first time. When JLC asked me to try out some of the portable tools for cutting fiber-cement siding and trim, it was an opportunity too good...

New and improved tech from the 2003 builders' show. (Computers).
April 1, 2003... What do you get when you combine 90,000+ attendees from 70 countries with a million square feet of exhibit space and two hundred conference sessions, including an all-technology show-within-a-show (TecHomeExpo) that dwarfs most other...

Kitchen lighting options. (Kitchen & Bath).
April 1, 2003... A kitchen lit only by a central fixture has an institutional feel. Countertop light never seems quite bright enough because the ceiling fixture behind the user casts a shadow on the task area. Paradoxically, lighting only the countertops leaves...

Foundation insulation. (Products).
April 1, 2003... An easy and inexpensive way to insulate foundation walls has proved elusive for many builders, but CertainTeed's new Basement Wall Insulation promises to make the process faster and easier. Faced with reinforced polypropylene or foil, the...

Sturdy stand. (Products).
April 1, 2003... A well-made stand for our portable planer, table saw, or miter saw can make the difference between an easy task and complete frustration. The 6132 Work Station's 300-pound capacity and adjustable top provide a sturdy and convenient stand for...

Cut-to-fit basement windows. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Although not the most exciting fenestrations in the house, basement windows provide necessary ventilation and light in an otherwise dark and dreary space. Available in clear glass or privacy-enhancing glass block, Hopper Windows feature a...

Mold- and waterproof paint. (Products).
April 1, 2003... In response to the current concern over mold, Kwik Seal Plus Basement Paint is one of the more recent products to have Microban added to its formula. The antimicrobial additive, more traditionally used in socks, cutting boards, and kitchen...

On the job. (Products).
April 1, 2003... When Greg McCarren started in the hearth industry over 20 years ago, there was little regulation on air quality indoors or out. As building codes changed, he feared new regulations might eventually eliminate wood fireplaces from new...

Fire fighter. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Sensing heat instead of smoke, the new HD6135FB Heat Alarm is suited to spaces like kitchens and garages, where traditional smoke detectors can create nuisance alarms. The hard-wired alarm has a 9-volt battery backup and can be interconnected...

Smaller Sander. (Products).
April 1, 2003... With a 3 1/2-inch disc, Metabo's model SXE400 Random Orbital Disc Sander works in places that an ordinary sander simply won't fit. Running at a maximum 10,000 orbits per second, the variable-speed machine weighs about 3 pounds and includes an...

Include the kitchen sink. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Functioning in a home without a kitchen can raise any homeowner's stress level, and a stressed homeowner can create unnecessary stress for you. You can minimize your customer's inconvenience with a Portable Kitchenette. The stainless-steel work...

Powerful phone jack. (Products).
April 1, 2003... It used to be when you wanted a phone, you simply plugged into a jack and got a dial tone. But today's cordless phones and answering machines require an AC outlet, limiting where you can put the phone and tying up an outlet with a big, bulky...

Durable landscape ties. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Because they're made in large part from the plastic and nonmetal components of recycled automobiles, XPotential Products claims that its Impact Posts, Landscape Ties, and Impact Curbs will last for 75 to 100 years. According to the...

Tailgate stepladder. (Products).
April 1, 2003... It probably wasn't a big deal when you first started out, but climbing into the back of your truck gets harder as time goes by. Installing a Gate-or-Step on your truck's tailgate makes climbing in and out of the bed a lot easier, according to...

Big router. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Because large routers are frequently used with a router table, Milwaukee has added some cool, ease-of-use features to its 5625-20 Fixed-Base Router. The variable-speed (10,000- to 22,000-rpm) 3 1/2-horsepower router has a 15-amp motor and feed...

Moldable molding. (Products).
April 1, 2003... While increasingly popular, curved walls and architectural elements make installing trim a challenge. But Style Solution's new polyurethane Flexible Moulding makes curved work easier. Designed to match most popular molding profiles, the new...

Access insulator. (Products).
April 1, 2003... The Department of Energy cites the common pull-down attic access as one of the biggest energy wasters in most homes. Seven states now require insulation on the opening in an effort to reduce heating and cooling losses. The Draft Cap, a...

Boot dryer.
April 1, 2003... Outdoor work is one of the realities of building or remodeling, even when the weather is uncooperative. When nasty weather soaks your shoes and gloves, the Dry-Doc can help. By circulating air through multiple ports, the Dry-Doc dries your gear...

Faster sink installation.
April 1, 2003... Offering the lowest installed cost, drop-in stainless sinks are the most popular option for multifamily and low-cost construction projects. But squeezing under the sink to tighten down those annoying clips is a chore that every installer would...

Bendable Bit. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Fishing wires is never an easy task, but having a drill bit that bends around obstacles can make the process a little less aggravating. Made from heat-treated spring steel, Flexible Drill Bits are available in lengths from 2 feet to 6 feet....

Problem-solving post cover. (Products).
April 1, 2003... Promising an end to painting and the elimination of checked and cracked 6x6 posts, the Sheerline PVC post system slips over an ordinary pressure-treated wood post to provide a durable, attractive, and maintenance-free finish. A matching...

Fast-setting glue guns. (Toolbox).
April 1, 2003... When I was learning woodworking, many years ago, all power tools had cords, and glue joints were clamped while drying. Although I'm still a yellow-glue-and-clamps kind of carpenter, I've tried to keep up with cordless tools and other modern...

Two-way laser. (Toolbox).
April 1, 2003... With two separately rotating lasers on one tool--one casting a level line, and the other casting a plumb line--the new Toolz model RT-7690-2 self-leveling laser (Toolz, 800/984-0404, www.robotoolz.com) is definitely out of the ordinary. You can...

Saw stand accessories. (Toolbox).
April 1, 2003... About a year ago, TracRac introduced its TracMaster aluminum miter saw stand. Since then, the company has developed a couple of new accessories meant to make the stand more versatile, I recently had the opportunity to check these items out,...

Quick jig for cutting beyond 45. (Backfill).
April 1, 2003... Compound-angle cuts can put your sawing skills to the test, especially when the angle exceeds your circular saw's tilt capacity. One solution is to draw the appropriate angle across the top edge of the rafter, align your handsaw, recip saw, or...