The Journal of Light Construction articles from June 2002

The Journal of Light Construction archives from June 2002

Battling experts? (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: The article "Building Airtight Homes" by Steve Lentz (2/02) recommended putting vapor barriers on both sides of a wall assembly. In the same issue (On the House), Joe Lstiburek responded to an interesting question about...

Blower door confusion. (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: In the article "Building Airtight Homes" (2/02), Steve Lentz states that his homes have a natural air change rate of .48 to 1. Here in Iowa, they require a natural air change rate of .35 or below. Mechanical ventilation is...

Cash accounting advantage. (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: Accounting was never my strong point, so it's no surprise that the "Tax Talk column" ("IRS Surrenders to Contractors," Notebook, 3/02) confounded me. Still, I hope someone can explain why accrual accounting leads to higher...

Controlling woodshop noise. (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: The article "Successful Sound Control" (4/02) offers a good economical approach, but to only part of the problem. The people in the office are in peace, but the carpenters are all deaf. They need to reduce the sound at the...

Not so crazy after all. (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: In response to "Cross-Threaded Between the Ears" (Notebook, 4/02), putting a reducer and drain valve into a cleanout wye has a perfectly sound basis. When the building drain is blocked downstream and a few feet--or perhaps a...

The hole story. (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: The response to the question about drilling holes in the web of I-joists (On the House, 4/02) states that a hole can be drilled anywhere in the web of a BCI joist as long as it is at least two hole diameters from any other...

Markup money on the table. (Letters).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... To the Editor: In the article "A Simple Time & Materials Contract" (11/01), the author mentions that he does not mark up his materials, that he allows his customers to supply their own materials, and that he charges $40 per hour for his...

Whirlpool bacteria complaints spark lawsuits: keeping tubs clean from day one may be key. (Notebook).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Lawyers in Waco, Texas, have launched class-action lawsuits against Jacuzzi, Kohler, and Lasco. Waco attorney John Malesovas says his office has uncovered email complaints to tub makers from consumers about "schmutz," "grunge," and "gunk"...

"Critical habitat" under review. (Notebook).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... One of the most controversial provisions of the federal Endangered Species Act has to do with the designation "critical habitat," which permits the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service to restrict land-use...

Destructive Formosan termites continue to be a serious pest in much of the Southeast. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Destructive Formosan termites continue to be a serious pest in much of the Southeast, as demonstrated by the success of a simple specimen-collection technique used by researchers at the Louisiana State University Forest Products Laboratory. "I...

After a 22-year legal battle, a dispute between a builder and a homeowner in New Zealand has been resolved by the nation's highest court. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... After a 22-year legal battle, a dispute between a builder and a homeowner in New Zealand has been resolved by the nation's highest court. A panel of judges ruled that homeowner Bruce Adkin must pay builder Keith Brown an overdue $15,000 for the...

A new refrigerated oven may be just the thing for fans of high-tech kitchen hardware. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A new refrigerated oven may be just the thing for fans of high-tech kitchen hardware. The Whirlpool Polara range, which will go on sale in July, features a programmable oven that will keep a prepared meal cold until the timer tells it to shift...

Canadian lumber producers hope to increase lumber sales to China. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Canadian lumber producers hope to increase lumber sales to China, according to the Toronto Globe and Mail. A trade organization, the Council of Forest Industries, recently persuaded China's central government to include a chapter on North...

A New Jersey appeals court has struck down a state regulation designed to combat sprawl. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A New Jersey appeals court has struck down a state regulation designed to combat sprawl. The regulation, implemented last year, required builders to undergo extensive environmental reviews before undertaking projects that involved building...

Euro studs gaining ground in Eastern U.S. (Notebook).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Canada shipped more than 18 billion board feet of lumber to the U.S. in 2001, making it by far our biggest supplier of imported framing lumber. (Total U.S. lumber production was just under 35 billion bf during the same year.) But other...

Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health, but it can also be hazardous to your siding. (Notebook).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health, but it can also be hazardous to your siding. This picture was taken beneath the exhaust outlet of a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) serving a three-year-old home inhabited by heavy smokers. In...

Concrete blasts off. (Notebook).(rockets made of concrete developed at University of Alabama)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... When we colonize space, will our interplanetary habitats have concrete basements? Don't laugh yet. Students at the University of Alabama in Huntsville have launched the first rocket made from concrete. The prototype craft isn't quite ready for...

Big builders getting bigger. (Notebook).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... A recent study of the U.S. housing industry conducted by Andersen Corporate Finance suggests that the big fish will get much bigger in the coming decade by gobbling up large and middlesized competitors. According to The Impending Consolidation...

The California legislature is considering a bill that would require property and liability insurance policies to cover losses caused by mold. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... The California legislature is considering a bill that would require property and liability insurance policies to cover losses caused by mold. A spokesperson for the California insurance industry denounced the bill, contending that it would...

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is no longer in danger of falling. (Off Cuts).(terraces repaired)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater is no longer in danger of falling, with the completion of a months-long project to repair its cracked and sagging cantilevered terraces. The cracked slabs have been strengthened with the addition of internal...

Single-story turnaround. (Notebook).(percentage of new homes with just one story rose in 2000)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
June 1, 2002... American houses have been getting bigger or years. According to the NAHB, the average size of a new home increased from a mere 983 square feet to 2,265 square feet between 1950 and 2000. As houses increased in size, they also got taller: In...

It's okay to stay small. (Business Tune-Up).(growth for growth's sake is not wise)(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2002... How big should your company be? Only you can answer that question, but I'd like to caution you about blindly accepting the all-too-common attitude that growth is an end in itself. Some builders, admittedly, stay small for the wrong reasons....

Plumbing around floor trusses. (Q&A).(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2002... Q. We're installing a fiberglass tub unit over a truss-framed floor. A small plan change moved the tub so that the overflow pipe lines up with a floor truss below. There's just enough room to run the drain above the truss, but is it okay to run...

Insulating above a plank cathedral ceiling. (Q&A).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Q. What's the best way to insulate over an exposed 2x6 tongue-and-groove cathedral ceiling on a log house in Colorado? Some have suggested using SIPs, but others have advised that, because this particular roof is cut up with valleys and...

Mold insurance. (Q&A).(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2002... Q. Given the recent spate of mold-related lawsuits covered in the news media, is there an affordable insurance coverage that can protect general contractors from liability on this issue? A. Steve Williams, senior vice president with...

Cracked manufactured stone. (Q&A).(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2002... Q. Last spring I completed a house with manufactured stone columns on the porches on both the north and south sides. The columns on the south porch have cracked at the corners (see photos below), while the columns on the north porch are fine....

Penetration of PT chemicals. (Q&A).(pressure-treated wood)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Q. Our local lumberyard carries .40 CCA-pressure-treated wood. The label says the wood may be used for ground contact. The wood has needle marks from the treating process. When I cut the lumber, the treatment appears to be only about 1/4 inch...

Windows inside and out. (By Design).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Americans love capes, saltboxes, and other "traditional" house types. At the same time, very few of them want to live a colonial lifestyle. Today's home buyers demand more open, interconnected spaces than the spaces found in authentically...

Laminate countertop edge options. (Kitchen & Bath).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... If you're not installing one of those red-hot countertop materials like solid-surfacing, stone, or butcher block, chances are you're working with high-pressure plastic laminate--still the dominant countertop material. No matter which material...

Making curved railings: the new generation of composite and plastic materials works well for period trim and promises to reduce maintenance.
June 1, 2002... Victorian homes, with all their steeply pitched roofs, angles, and gingerbread (corbels, brackets, scallops, and so forth), are a challenge for the carpenter to trim and a bigger challenge for the homeowner to maintain. Queen Anne homes, a...

Problem-solving cabinets: besides providing storage and orgnization, cabinets can help define the space in any room.(Column)
June 1, 2002... By now, you've noticed that many, if not most, new home designs and remodels feature the kitchen as the focal point of a great room or open floor plan. Cabinet styles and finishes have evolved to allow their integration into the general decor,...

15-gauge angled finish nailers: look for plenty of power, light weight, and durability in a pro-duty tool.(Column)
June 1, 2002... A finish gun is at the heart of any trim carpenter's tool kit. Production carpenters may favor 16-gauge tools because the fasteners are cheaper. But as a custom finish carpenter, I've always preferred 15-gauge guns because the thicker nails...

Secrets of a floor refinisher: for a smooth, level floor that will take stain and finish well, match equipment and sanding grits to floor conditions.(Column)
June 1, 2002... I had an argument once with a guy who tried to tell me, "All floors are the same. You get in, you sand `em, you coat `em, and you get out." But that's wrong. In fact, the truth is the exact opposite: Every floor is different. You could take a...

Installing precast garage slabs: precast structural concrete slabs can add clear-span basement space for an unbeatable price.(Column)
June 1, 2002... I build about eight custom and spec homes a year, mostly in new residential developments. It's mountainous in Utah, where I live, so we have a lot of sloped sites. This winter I tried out a new product that works really well on a slope--precast...

Tracking your time: a time card can improve the accuracy of your estimates, cut worker's comp costs, and increase your profit.(Statistical Data Included)(Column)
June 1, 2002... When it came to the management of my company's time, I wanted a method to gather reliable information and a system for measuring performance. I started with some basic questions as to what components would be necessary: * What was done?...

Building a team. (Strickly Business).(construction industry personnel management strategies and techniques)(Brief Article)(Column)
June 1, 2002... Being part of a team is not exclusive to football or baseball. For a builder or remodeler, there are lots of benefits to having a good, solid team of employees who stick together and help each other get the job done. Most employees like to be a...

The lowdown on worker's comp. (Legal Adviser).(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Worker's compensation rules make a lot of people in small construction businesses nervous because they're not sure how those rules apply to them. What exactly is worker's compensation anyway? Worker's compensation is a kind of no-fault...

Super scooter saves knees. (Products).
June 1, 2002... The one tool flooring installers have needed for a long time may be the Racatac. This lightweight aluminum cart has cushioned kneepads, an adjustable seat, and five swiveling casters, so you can scoot around and avoid the punishment of kneeling...

Stud step. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Dragging around a stepladder to get a quick height advantage is too much trouble sometimes. We've all used mud buckets and toolboxes, but they are heavy and don't always do the job. The Stud Step answers your need for a fast and easy way to...

Better than wood. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Builders, homeowners, and specifiers who want long-lasting, low-maintenance exterior products have reason to cheer about Azek Trimboards. Builders will favor the consistency and knot-free characteristics. Specifiers will love the crisp edges...

CellarMate is quicker and your wine is fine. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Wine aficionados looking for a reliable climate control unit should look no further than CellarMate. A self-contained refrigeration unit designed to keep your customer's wine cellar at the optimum temperature, it also aims to provide the...

Safer subfloor adhesive. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Reducing VOCs in adhesives and finishes has become a priority for manufacturers because of consumer demand and increasing regulatory pressure. GE-400L is a new construction adhesive that is solvent flee, and GE promises that the product will...

Prestained doors save time. (Products).
June 1, 2002... More and more builders are insisting on prefinished doors and windows for their projects, and for good reason. Prefinishing saves time and money, and the quality of the finish frequently surpasses that of site finishes. In response to builder...

Better folding hex set. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Although its name conjures up thoughts of Jurassic Park, the T. Hex is a folding hex key set. The high-quality tool has fold out "T-Bars" for additional torque when needed and a special lever to pop the wrenches from the housing. The standard...

Multi-tool for pro painters. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Think of it as the Swiss Army knife for painters. A Quicktruss 10-in-1 painter's tool in your pocket could save a lot of trips to the toolbox. The stainless blade has all the standard tools and features of a traditional 5-in-1, as well as three...

Shower leaks dampen spirits. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Fixing a leaky shower drain that's installed on a concrete slab is a major ordeal. You have to pull up the shower base, replace the drain, and repair all of the wall finish you destroyed to get the base out. Plumb-Rite's Wingtite Replacement...

Cordless heavy hitters. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Installers and remodelers who need a hammer drill periodically should find a lot to like about Hitachi's two newest cordless drills. The DV14DV (14.4-volt) and D V18D V (18-volt) drills feature: two-speed transmissions, variable speed with...

Lightweight backerboard. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Asked to name the biggest pain associated with cement-based tile backer, most installers would say the one in their back. Cement tile backers weigh nearly 45 pounds per sheet and can be very tough to cut. Bonsal's tile backer has a polystyrene...

Fireplace for the great outdoors. (Products).
June 1, 2002... Outdoor fireplaces used to mean a ring of rocks and a campfire, but recently Lennox introduced the Oasis, a heavy-duty manufactured fireplace for installation on the outside of the home. It has an all-stainless-steel construction and features a...

Warm floor. (Products).
June 1, 2002... The perfect response to your customer's request for a nice warm floor in an existing framed building may be HeatWeave UnderFloor mats. The mats are secured to the joist sides one inch from the subfloor. Insulation is then placed in the joist...

Router innovations. (Toolbox).
June 1, 2002... Within the last year, manufacturers have come up with several new and different routers. I checked out three very different designs, and each has at least one innovation that makes it a potential problem solver. Bosch 1619EVS Plunge Router...

Carpentry is going to the Dawgs. (Toolbox).(Camco Tool Inc. offers telescopic measuring stick)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2002... Builders can get pretty creative when they have to work alone. Bruce Cameron needed a better way to take long vertical measurements by himself, so he invented the Dawg Stick (Camco Tool Inc., Manchester, Maine; 800/764-9499,...