The Journal of Light Construction articles from August 2003

The Journal of Light Construction archives from August 2003

Rather not tile over laminate. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: Regarding the article "Tiling Over a Laminate Countertop" (3/03): How much time and money are saved by tiling over laminate tops? At that stage of demolition, pulling the laminate tops and replacing them with a CDX plywood...

Decking tips. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: We enjoyed the Milwaukee JLC Live show. Here's a tip for deck builders to help lay a tight, straight deck faster We build with very wet deck lumber here in southern Wisconsin. When we lay the deck boards, we fasten the...

Solar incentives. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: Regarding the item "New Incentives Spark Solar Electric Resurgence" (In the News, 5/03), while incentive programs in various states, especially California, have indeed led to relatively large increases in sales and...

Not as easy as it looks on TV. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: It seems to me that the airwaves have become congested with do-it-yourself radio and television shows. This trend is having a profound effect on the residential construction industry and I'm sure the insurance industry as...

Masonry innovation. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: I was very happy to see that an American mason contractor is finally doing what has been done in Germany for years ("A Masonry Chimney in Six Hours," 6/03). It is ironic that this is happening after I have retired from the...

Corrosion exfoliation. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: I was impressed with the ingenuity of Rick Rossi and Keith Knickerbocker, who came up with the innovative precast concrete chimney system ("A Masonry Chimney in Six Hours," 6/03). One minor quibble: The authors appear to...

Less bravado. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: Despite the water and air infiltration testing that every door and window at Pella goes through, according to Chuck Kaskiewicz of Pella (Letters, 6/03), I had a Pella sliding door that leaked at the upper miters a dozen...

Hats off to reusers. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: My hat is off to Mr. Criner and Mr. Stemler and all others like them ("Time to Clean the Garage? Head to the ReStore," In the News, 4/03). Starting a surplus and salvage store for construction materials is an exceptional...

ANSI spec is helpful. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... To the Editor: I really enjoy your magazine and the many good problem-solving tips it offers. However, in the article "New Water Heater Standard Will Save Lives" (In the News, 6/03), you say there is a new ANSI standard, but you didn't...

Oversight. (Letters).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... We failed to mention that the article "Poor Man's HRV" (Backfill, 6/03) was adapted with permission from an article that first appeared in Energy Design Update (800/638-8437 for subscription information). --The Editors

Foundation flaws spark Buffalo brouhaha: New York papers have a field day with a story that's as old as dirt. (In the News).
August 1, 2003... United States senators don't usually pay attention to basement repair. But in the Buffalo, N.Y., suburb of Amherst, cracked and buckled basements have drawn the notice of Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer, U.S. Representative...

Soggy season damps down strong housing market. (In the News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The stalled weather pattern that brought seemingly endless rains to the eastern U.S. this spring and summer has taken some of the sizzle out of the year for builders. But with overall conditions still very favorable, market watchers expect a...

Offcuts. (In the News).(brief items)
August 1, 2003... Building owners should be skeptical of companies promising energy savings from Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor (TVSS) equipment, says electrical educator Mike Holt. The Federal Trade Commission has taken action in the past against companies...

Double duty: "Winsulator" interior storms add blast screen rating. (In the News).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Ed VerVane, the inventor of the Winsulator interior insulating window liner (www.winsulator.com), has known for years that his tough acrylic product provides a measure of physical security along with the energy savings. But VerVane prefers to...

Builder bets big on sealed crawlspaces. (In the News).
August 1, 2003... When it comes to crawlspaces, codes haven't caught up with building science. Many building departments still require foundation vents in crawlspace walls, even though studies show that the vents cause more problems than they solve. But one...

New York builders tackle scaffold law (yet again). (In the News).
August 1, 2003... All 50 states have liability insurance issues, but Blew York may be unique. "We not only have the property defect issues that other states have," says New York State Builders Association president Phil LaRocque, "we have a third-party bodily...

Feds suspect eco-freaks in Michigan spec-house fires. (In the News).
August 1, 2003... A shadowy "domestic terrorist group" called the Earth Liberation Front, or ELF, may have inspired four arson fires that destroyed homes nearing completion outside Detroit in March and June. Area newspapers say police linked the two March fires...

Recoating wood floors. (Q&A).
August 1, 2003... Q. We're renovating a home with hardwood floors that are somewhat worn and lack luster but don't seem to need resanding. Is there a way to restore the finish without sanding? A. Floor finisher Michael Purser, owner of the Rosebud Co. in...

Cleaning grout. (Q&A).
August 1, 2003... Q. I have a client who had a tile floor put down a few years ago. The tile installer told her the grout already had a sealer in it so no additional sealer was ever put on. Now the grout is stained, and she has been trying to clean it with...

Lumber choices for porch floor. (Q&A).
August 1, 2003... Q. I recently requested a quote for 1x4 T&G fir for a covered porch. The lumber supplier added two new species, meranti and Brazilian redwood, to the quote list. How do those woods stack up against Douglas fir, which has been used traditionally...

Heard at the show. (Business).(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2003... Roll the clock back 20 years, to when many of us were getting our contracting businesses started. Where did we go to learn more about the trade? If you were one of the fortunate ones, you stepped into a second- or third-generation family...

Safety lessons: if you push your luck on the job site, it will eventually push you back. Five builders who learned the hard way share their stories.
August 1, 2003... No house gets built without a certain amount of pain and bloodshed. Cuts, scrapes, blood blisters, and blue thumbnails are all in a day's work for many builders. Builders also tend to discount the kind of long-term injuries that develop over...

10-inch portable table saws: a new generation of compact portables offers the rip capacity of full-size saws.
August 1, 2003... In my early years carpenter, table saws were a luxury on many job sites. Back then, saws were expensive, had cast-iron tops, and weighed upwards of 225 pounds. There was simply no such thing as a lightweight professional-grade portable. But...

Spray-foam insulation: it's not cheap, but sprayed-in-place polyurethane combines R-value, an effective air barrier, and vapor control in one material.
August 1, 2003... Most residential structures are insulated with either fiberglass batts or cellulose because both are cheap sources of added R-value. But there's more to insulation than R-value. For best results, the insulation must be accurately cut to fit the...

Providing employee benefits: it takes more than a paycheck to hire and retain quality employees.
August 1, 2003... My husband, Paul, and I began Winans Construction 25 years ago. We've done new construction, historic renovation, and a small amount of commercial work, but the bulk of our projects are in residential remodeling. Last year we did $2.3 million...

Attaching deck ledgers: preventing rot at the band joist is as important as using strong enough fasteners. (Practical Engineering).
August 1, 2003... Beginning in 2001, members of the staff at Virginia Tech's Engineering and Wood Science Departments launched a project to develop and publish an inspection manual for residential decks and balconies. To our surprise, we found that problems with...

Punch list revisited. (Computers).
August 1, 2003... If you're like most builders, you may occasionally lie awake at night worrying about how. all the details of your projects will come together. Fortunately, keeping track of things is an area where technology can really help the working...

Square peg. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Now you can use Sonotubes to cast square columns and piers in addition to the more familiar cylindrical shape. To get the square shape from a round hole, the Sonotube Square Fiber Form uses a polystyrene inner core within the typical cardboard...

Clad window colors. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Weather Shield's new Accentials Paint System offers 48 factory-applied, designer colors in addition to its 7 standard colors. The 55 colors are available on the interior and exterior of Weather Shield doors and windows. The two-part...

Arts and crafts. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement of the last century, Jeld-Wen's Craftsman Series of exterior doors is available in seven wood species--oak, cherry, mahogany, fir, hemlock, knotty alder, and pine--and in two- and three-panel designs....

Push-on wire nuts. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Join wires without twisting. According to the manufacturer, Series 773 Push Wire Connectors are the first push-on wire connectors that can join both stranded and solid copper conductors. With a range from 12- to 18-AWG solid copper and 12- to...

Bigger digger. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... With a 100-hp Caterpillar diesel engine, a 125-inch lift, and an optional air-conditioned cab, the ASV RC-100 All-Surface Loader should make heavy site work and material handling easier. The rubber-tracked machine has lower ground pressure than...

Better-looking window well. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Galvanized window wells aren't the most attractive backdrop for a basement living space. But the fiberglass Gibraltar Rock Wall is a better-looking alternative to plastic and steel window wells, and it installs faster than dry-stack or masonry...

Good-looking gutters. (On the Job).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... When it came time to build my own home, I wanted something better looking and more durable than the typical aluminum K-gutter found in every home center and on every tract home built in our area. It was equally important that the gutter system...

Invisible deck fastener. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Homeowners love fastener-free decking, but the extra labor can make it slow for you and pretty expensive for your customer. One way to achieve the fastener-free look with less labor is to use the I-Clip Decking System from DHL. The I-Clip deck...

No-caulk shower. (Products).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Promising a watertight seal without caulk or sealants, Swan's Veritek Shower Alcove Wall assembles in minutes on the job site. Using a sturdy boss-and-clip fastening system, the wall can be carried by one person and assembled either outside the...

Clear improvement. (Caulks, Sealants & Adhesives).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... Solvent-based clear sealants are great for many tasks, but the odor is a bit much for interior remodeling work. Some homeowners complain they can detect the smell even weeks after application. Latex products have less smell, but clear latex...

Air-sealing salve. (Caulks, Sealants & Adhesives).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... You might not think Tremco's Acoustical Sealant would be an ideal air-sealing product, but energy-conscious Alaskan and Canadian builders love it. According to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Extension Service, the product never hardens,...

Fire fighter. (Caulks, Sealants & Adhesives).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... In the past few years, the phrases "fire blocking" and "fire stopping" have become more common in building inspection circles. Inspectors are increasingly diligent about sealing holes and penetrations that contribute to flame spread. Any hole...

Sealant breakthrough. (Caulks, Sealants & Adhesives).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... It's irritating enough trying to break the seal inside a tube of caulk while you're hanging from a ladder. Adding insult to injury, many of today's import caulking guns don't have an on-board spout poker. So you have to rummage through your...

Room to move. (Caulks, Sealants & Adhesives).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... You wouldn't expect to fill a 2-inch gap with caulking, but Sashco claims that its Big Stretch goes the distance. The latex-based sealant can stretch more than 100% of its original width, and it cleans up with soap and water. Available in nine...

Fiber-optic bead. (Faster, Better Drywall).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... If your customers are planning the ultimate home theater, you could suggest decorative fiber-optic cabling. Trim-Tex, the manufacturer of plastic corner bead, also offers a reveal bead that receives decorative 3/8-inch fiber-optic cable. The...

Cover your butt. (Faster, Better Drywall).(Illustration)
August 1, 2003... No matter how skilled the finishing and feathering, even an untrained eye can pick up the hump of a butt seam in the right light, and today's big homes have more of them. Using the Butthanger is among the easier ways to deal with the problem. A...

Home sweet dome. (Faster, Better Drywall).
August 1, 2003... I can't imagine a more labor-intensive and time-consuming process than framing and finishing an interior dome. However, USG's Drywall Suspension System offers preformed components for domes and arched ceilings with radii from 32 inches to 20...

Clever clips. (Faster, Better Drywall).
August 1, 2003... Instaback Drywall Fasteners provide a great way to deal with butt seams and patches. The versatile metal clips provide support and make a slightly tapered butt joint for easier finishing. Once the board is secured to the clips with screws, the...

Board stretcher. (Faster, Better Drywall).
August 1, 2003... According to the manufacturer, you can make your drywall go further and save some installation time with a Rock Cleat. The plastic cleat eliminates the need to land the drywall on a stud or joist and the 54-inch length makes it suitable for...

Mud flap. (Faster, Better Drywall).
August 1, 2003... Keeping paint and joint compound off posts, beams, and windows can be a one-step process with PullAway Bead by Trim-Tex. The vinyl L-bead includes a removable, 1/2-inch fin to protect adjacent surfaces from blobs and spatters. Unlike masking...

Pro-style faucet. (Kitchen Faucets).
August 1, 2003... An attractive mix of traditional and commercial styling allows the Melrose 4170-17 CP faucet to fit in a variety of kitchen settings. The pull-down head caps a 30-inch hose extension and switches from aerated stream to spray and back again with...

Flow stopper. (Kitchen Faucets).
August 1, 2003... The pull-down nozzle on the Aberdeen faucet is designed to fit comfortably in the hand. A button control switches from stream to spray, while a second button provides a handy pause option for watering with the 30-inch hose. The high-rise design...

Filtered faucet. (Kitchen Faucets).
August 1, 2003... The three handles may make it look like a post-apocalyptic mutation, but the Triflow faucet is a deliberate and sensible step in plumbing evolution. The single-hole-mount faucet's third handle operates an independent waterway that runs through...

Stovetop tap. (Kitchen Faucets).
August 1, 2003... The Pot Filler kitchen faucet provides restaurant kitchen convenience home on the range. The double-articulated spout extends a full 26 inches out from the wall to reach the front burners and folds out of the way when not in use. Thirty-five...

Luxury line. (Shower Doors).
August 1, 2003... Take your custom-design, frameless glass shower enclosure back to the factory for precise manufacturing and quality control. The Celesta line of 3/8- and 1/2-inch glass enclosures is made available through select plumbing fixture distributors...

Frameless bypass. (Shower Doors).
August 1, 2003... A frameless bypass shower door lends a high-end look to the bathroom at an affordable price. The Paragon Series can be ordered in 1/4-inch tempered glass with through-bolted, solid aluminum towel bars and trim. Finish options include brushed...

Bevel-free neo-angle. (Shower Doors).
August 1, 2003... A neo-angle shower enclosure is designed with one purpose in mind--to save space. The trouble is, it also cuts space within the shower. An outswinging door doesn't help matters on the room side, either. The unobtrusive doors of the SEN3636...

Lucite rocks. (Shower Doors).(Advertisement)
August 1, 2003... The Iridess shower does away with doors, curtains, and glass. Translucent, seamless Lucite acrylic wraps a one-piece, 56x72-inch acrylic base. Projected to be available in January 2004 as part of a full suite of fixtures, the Iridess is...

Something to get on your chest. (Toolbox).(Tool Chest )(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2003... I like tools and I carry a lot of them in my tool bag. This is not only because I hate time-wasting trips to the truck, but also because, as a general remodeler, I use more tools than new-house carpenters do. As a result, my heavy toolbelt has...

Table saw tuneup. (Tool Clinic).
August 1, 2003... As the owner of a tool repair shop, I see many tools that have been abused or gone without maintenance. Professionals tend to take their tools for granted, expecting them to work whenever they flick a switch. Unfortunately, that doesn't always...

Waterway. (Levels).(Zircon Corp.)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Long before lasers, the water level helped build the pyramids--the low-tech tool has some definite advantages over expensive laser levels. Besides saving you $200 or more, water levels work around corners and never need recalibration....

Wood is good. (Levels).(Stanley)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Hardwood levels have a beauty and impact resistance that's tough for an aluminum extrusion to match. Stanley's brassbound FatMax levels have reinforced rubber end caps and thicker glass covers on the vials for better impact resistance....

Expansion pack. (Levels).(Levelution)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Levelution's System Level includes two 2-foot levels and a 4-foot level that can be combined to make a 6- or 8-foot level. Sections are joined with high-strength alignment plates and large easy-to-use knobs. The levels also feature "keyed...

Higher level. (Levels).(Stabila)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The telescopic Plate Level from Stabila makes plumbing even the tallest walls easier. The level is now available in three sizes: 5 to 7 feet, 6 to 10 feet, and 7 to 12 feet. Stand-offs on the side and bottom prevent warped lumber or debris on...

Tamper-resistant storage. (Truck Gear).(Deflecta Shield)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... With aluminum that's 40% thicker than what's used for most cross-over boxes, the Seal-Tite Storage Box from Deflecta Shield promises greater security. Two permanent aluminum trays and a removable tool tray keep little stuff from sinking to the...

Paper organizer. (Truck Gear).(Duluth Trading Company)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... For many builders and remodelers, the front seat of a pickup is the home office, and things can get a little disorganized. The Cab Commander from Duluth Trading is a heavy-duty nylon organizer that fits over the passenger seat's headrest and...

Smooth move. (Truck Gear).(Slide Systems)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The secret to Slide System's line of toolboxes, racks, and truck accessories is a special aluminum channel mounted on the bed rail. The boxes and racks can then be positioned anywhere in the bed, and removal is much easier. After unloading the...

Pull-out toolbox. (Truck Gear).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Truck caps are great, but climbing inside one to retrieve tools or material every day is tough on the knees and back. A better way to get at your stuff is with an Extendo-Bed System. It operates something like a full-extension drawer slide and...

Bay window by the bay. (Backfill).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The original plan for this bay window called for a walk-in installation over cantilevered floor joists. But when local zoning restrictions prevented builder Scott Babcock from creating the additional floor space, he had to come up with a...