The Journal of Light Construction articles from October 2005

The Journal of Light Construction archives from October 2005

Safety in the real world.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I cannot tell you how much I appreciated the stories in the August issue of JLC about safety slip-ups. Every spring I teach a class of 85 undergraduates; they visit three construction sites over the course of the term and also work in our shop,...

Not all safety equipment is safe.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I appreciated the article "Safety Lessons" in the August issue. I passed it around here to remind people that complacency can get yon hurt. One thing I'd like to see is a frank discussion of "safety" equipment that in application is...

Pandering charge.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... Sorry, but I'm not willing to buy into your periodic articles such as "?Habla Espanol?" (8/05) or any other method that encourages the steady influx of illegal immigrants. Their takeover of our once-fine industry is already sufficiently...

Reader feedback on the new look.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I appreciate your magazine. I've read it for many years and have come to rely on it a lot. And I really like the new cover design. However, I have one complaint: I don't like the waxy front and back cover. Generally I drive around with this...

The fine print.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I just received my July copy of JLC. It appears that the magazine is now completely inundated with slick ads. I realize that your advertisers pay their fair share, but I would rather see a scaled-back volume of ads and more info for the guy who...

Flashing flanged windows.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I thoroughly enjoyed the article "Flashing a Flanged Window" (6/05). I wish, for the sake of homeowners, that all builders would read, study, and follow Carl Hagstrom's instructions to the letter. Traveling around the state of Vermont as much...

Builders can set example.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... I'd like to respond to NAHB president David F. Wilson's letter in the July 2005 issue regarding the costs and payback of proposed changes to the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). The proposed IECC changes require a higher level...

Vinyl-siding training.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... As a 16-year veteran of the siding industry and as a product designer and vinyl-siding application specialist, I am constantly amazed by the lack of experience that "experienced" vinyl-siding installers have today. During my inspections of...

Wallpaper liner works well.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... With regard to repairing drywall after wallpaper removal and preparing walls for wall covering (Q&A, 8/05), I've had excellent results on many projects refurbishing and preparing walls using wallpaper liner. It's a fibrous material, thicker...

Fire sprinklers add cost.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... This may be beyond the scope of your publication, but I would like to see some impartial documentation supporting the cost-effectiveness of residential fire sprinklers (In the News, 5/05). I don't consider the simple assertion by a spokesman...

Cement supply update: price increases and delays likely as cement shortage spreads.(In the News)
October 1, 2005... Joseph Aspdin--the British stonemason who cooked up some clay and limestone in his kitchen and in 1824 patented the resulting hybrid as portland cement--would have been astounded to know that the U.S. alone used 119.9 million metric tons of...

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath of flooding have caused billions of dollars of damage in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.(In the News)
October 1, 2005... Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath of flooding have caused billions of dollars of damage in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. In a report released Sept. 2, NAHB estimates that "a large share of the more than 200,000 homes in the city of New...

Retirement planning help.(RESOURCES)
October 1, 2005... Contractors interested in offering their employees IRA-based retirement plans should check out the IRA Resource Guide for Small Business Owners and Individuals. Available at no charge from the IRS, this CD-ROM includes information about...

Free battery disposal.(RESOURCES)
October 1, 2005... When portable rechargeable batteries die, you can't just toss them in a dumpster--they need to be disposed of according to federal and state regulations. If you're looking to get rid of dead batteries from your cordless tools, cellphones, and...

Wood-trading Web site links buyers and sellers.(In the News)
October 1, 2005... In the housing industry's classic small-player market, Web commerce has big promise. One example is WoodPlanet (www.woodplanet.com), a matchmaker for buyers and sellers of small lumber lots. Sellers pay the Web site's way, while buyers,...

Incentives sweeten energy bill for builders and homeowners.(In the News)
October 1, 2005... If you were a student in the 1970s, you might remember walking or riding the bus to school in the dark. Following the 1973 oil embargo, Congress extended daylight saving time through the winter months of 1974 and 1975 in an attempt to cut down...

So you think you've met the client from hell?(In the News)
October 1, 2005... So you think you've met the client from hell? Check this out. According to papers filed in Brooklyn federal court and recently reported on by the New York Times, retired NYC police detective Louis Eppolito told a federal informant about some...

In reaction to the frenzy of "defects" litigation over the last decade, more and more states are enacting laws that give a fair shake to builders accused of shoddy workmanship.(In the News)
October 1, 2005... In reaction to the frenzy of "defects" litigation over the last decade, more and more states are enacting laws that give a fair shake to builders accused of shoddy workmanship. Missouri recently became the 27th state to enact a "notice and...

Faulty faucet floods house.(In the News)
October 1, 2005... After a Washington state couple's home suffered water damage from a leaking faucet, they sued the faucet's manufacturer, Price Pfister, for losses exceeding $300,000. The damage occurred when a lavatory faucet "turned itself on," sending more...

Q. Nail pops in shingles.
October 1, 2005... What causes nail pops in asphalt roofing shingles? Where I live, in the South, this seems to be a common occurrence. Is this an expansion/contraction problem? Are the wrong kinds of nails being used? A. Harrison McCampbell, a consulting...

Q. Plywood vs. OSB I-joists.(Q&A)
October 1, 2005... Do any I-joist manufacturers still use plywood webs? At my local lumberyard, I was told that manufacturers switched from plywood to OSB webs because the plywood tended to delaminate, but I suspect the real reason is that OSB is cheaper. I'd...

Q. Keeping garage fumes at bay.
October 1, 2005... I'm building a house that has an attached 24-by-24-foot garage with a master suite above. The owner is concerned about fumes getting into the living spaces next to and above the garage. What's the best way to seal out the fumes? A. Bruce...

Retrofitting a Lally column.
October 1, 2005... Many of the old wood-frame buildings in my region were originally built on full-basement masonry foundations with masonry piers supporting the first-floor carriage beam at midspan. It may seem that a brick pier makes an ideal choice for...

Roof demo by crane.(On the Job)
October 1, 2005... Last year, my company was hired to frame a large addition on a ranch. Most of the building was to remain, but at one end we had to demolish the roof and walls without damaging the floor system below. Tearing down the roof in place would have...

Working wireless.(On the Job)
October 1, 2005... There are two routers on my current remodeling job: One spins carbide bits and the other provides a WiFi network so I can connect wirelessly to the Internet. The latter came about because the clients used a wireless router to access their...

Attitude adjustment: how to think like a company.
October 1, 2005... You could probably come up with plenty of tangible milestones in the growth of your business: hiring your first office person, your first lead carpenter, or your first salesperson; deciding to hang up the toolbelt and leave the field; moving...

Protect yourself from employee theft.(Business)
October 1, 2005... Many years ago, I received a call from a high-end remodeler who could not understand why he was having trouble with cash flow. Business was booming, and when he looked at the books it appeared that all of his jobs were profitable. Still, there...

Solar hot water 101: solar water heating has a proven record of cutting energy costs. Here's what you need to know to help customers choose the right system.
October 1, 2005... My company has been designing and installing alternative energy systems since 1975; to date, we've installed more than 1,000 solar water heating systems. Lately, as energy prices rise at an ever-accelerating rate, we've seen renewed interest in...

Replacing a beach-house foundation: a modified mat saved this cottage from the sea.
October 1, 2005... Recently, our company was hired to remodel a 1950s beach cottage just south of San Francisco. The job included repairing the house's seriously damaged foundation (see Figure 1, next page). [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Our original plan was to...

Supporting a wide-span floor with structural steel: sculptural steel columns and beams turned a two-car garage into a two-story living space.
October 1, 2005... When my client describe how he wanted to convert his home's existing two-car garage into a spacious new living room, I knew it would be a great project for my design/build firm. Measuring 34 feet deep by 28 feet wide, the garage space was a...

Rainproofing stucco trim: nailing trim through stucco without proper flashing is a recipe for disaster.
October 1, 2005... Every time it rained, water would soak the carpet under the windows of an acquaintance's Southern California condominium. Built about 20 years ago, this former apartment complex had a standard three-coat stucco and lath finish applied over...

Spraying clear waterborne lacquer: a pressure pot is the best way to apply this low-VOC finish.
October 1, 2005... Waterborne finishes have been round for decades now, but they still don't seem to have caught on with painters in parts of the country where regulatory rules don't mandate their use. Early formulations are partly to blame for this lack of...

Off the wall.(Kitchen & Bath / Faucets)
October 1, 2005... Vessel-style lavs are all the rage nowadays, and they demand special consideration when it comes to the faucet. Deck-mounting a high gooseneck is one option, of course; another is to really raise the bar by installing a wall-mounted faucet. The...

Euro tap.(Kitchen & Bath / Faucets)
October 1, 2005... This kitchen faucet from the Bali Collection has enough personality to stand on its own, but probably ought to have a sink nearby to do it justice. The maker touts the spout's "European craftsmanship," citing its high design, solid feel, and...

Lever action.(Kitchen & Bath / Faucets)
October 1, 2005... Individual hot and cold levers make faucet use as intuitive as it gets. Color-coded supply lines for faultless hookup don't hurt, either. The Appleton I comes in stainless steel, brass, copper, pewter, and chrome finishes. With a side spray, it...

Dandy deck mount.(Kitchen & Bath / Faucets)
October 1, 2005... In high-design circles, a deck-mount three-hole lavatory faucet seems almost like a rarity. The Square Vogue's clean, updated lines, however, should appeal even to the minimalist-minded. The attractive faucet comes in polished chrome or matte...

Glass snippers.(Kitchen & Bath / Faucets)
October 1, 2005... Glass mosaic tile is a current hot item that invites at least one question from the installer's end: How do you cut it? Try a pair of Glass Mosaic Pliers, which allegedly cut tile of up to 1/4 inch thick as easily as a pair of scissors. The...

Make your own mosaic.(Kitchen & Bath / Faucets)
October 1, 2005... Each of the 17 colors in the glass-mosaic Ashland Series can be custom blended onto sheets for a highly personalized color scheme. Individual sheets cost between $8.40 and $15.20 per square foot, depending on color selection; custom blending...

Graphic relief.(Kitchen & Bath / Glass & Ceramic Tile)
October 1, 2005... Use these way-cool tiles to bust out of the blahs, but do so sparingly. It's not just the prospect of eyestrain; at $22 to $35 per piece, restraint seems only prudent. The Angela Adams floor and wall tile collection includes decorative borders...

Glass floor.(Kitchen & Bath / Glass & Ceramic Tile)
October 1, 2005... Radiance Glass tiles are cast with a texture on both the front and the back, resulting in a surface that refracts the light for greater visual depth. They come in 3x3, 3x6, and 6x6 sizes and are 5/16 inch thick, making them suitable for floor...

Falling water.(Products)
October 1, 2005... Savvy builders have long known that siding installed in a rain-screen fashion is one of the secrets to a low-maintenance, long-lasting home. Conventional rain screens, however, take a lot of time and require some creative detailing--which is...

Sharp screws.(Products)
October 1, 2005... Many deck screws are described as self-drilling, but Starborn's Headcote and Deckfast Razorback Stainless Steel Screws are in a class of their own. The manufacturer claims, and my own test confirms, that these screws have threads and an auger...

Better roof clip.(Products)
October 1, 2005... One complaint I have with 24-inch truss and rafter spacing is that the technique often requires the use of those little metal H clips. My experience with sheathing clips hasn't been particularly positive, so I'm hoping the Grip H Clips work as...

Ledger-specific.(Products / Flashings)
October 1, 2005... An improperly flashed deck ledger can lead to very serious problems, including rot and mold and even catastrophic failure of the entire structure. ProTrim's new Hand-Bendable Seamless Flashing is designed specifically for flashing this...

Sloped sill pan.(Products / Flashings)
October 1, 2005... Most site-built--and some prefabricated--sill flashings don't have any slope, which results in a tendency to hold water. EZ Pan sill-pan flashing, though, uses a flexible membrane combined with a sloped "sill wedge" to get water moving in the...

Compatible sealant.(Products / Flashings)
October 1, 2005... Choosing the right sealant to use with your window flashing is as important as the flashing itself, Moistop E-Z Seal and Moistop Sealant are designed and tested to work together, Made with a fiberglass-reinforced membrane and coated with...

Franchise free.(Products / Closet & Garage Storage Systems)
October 1, 2005... Unlike most closet-system manufacturers, ProClosets does not require a franchise arrangement from its installers. Once the company verifies that you're a business owner and not a DIYer posing as a pro, you can order directly from its New Jersey...

Garage ready.(Products / Closet & Garage Storage Systems)
October 1, 2005... There's a problem with most garage storage systems: They cost too much. Stanley's new Garage Workshop doesn't have as many bells and whistles as some of the higher-priced products I've seen, but at a third of the cost it brings garage cabinetry...

Closet specialists.(Products / Closet & Garage Storage Systems)
October 1, 2005... ClosetMaid--which started out in 1965 manufacturing and selling wire shelving--is now practically synonymous with closet-organizing systems. The company's professionally installed MasterSuite comes in three finishes--warm cognac, natural maple,...

Low-odor oil primer.(Products / Paints & Coatings)
October 1, 2005... Oil-based primers are often the best option for stains caused by smoke, nicotine, or plumbing leaks, but the odors associated with oil-based products can be a problem in occupied buildings. To remedy that, Zinsser recently introduced oil-based...

Primo latex paint.(Products / Paints & Coatings)
October 1, 2005... When my wife brought Accolade paint chips home from our local hardware store, I was skeptical that we needed paint costing $35 a gallon. But even though I never stopped asking myself "Why does it cost so much?" I knew $35 was a small price for...

All-purpose deck stripper.(Products / Paints & Coatings)
October 1, 2005... Not sure which deck stripper to use? It would help, of course, to know what sealer or finish is on the deck--but that information isn't always easy to come by. With Thompson's Water Seal Maximum Strength Deck Stripper, you can skip the forensic...

Safer spray.(Products / Paints & Coatings)
October 1, 2005... Water-based paints have been around for decades, yet a water-based spray paint has proved elusive--until now. [H.sub.2]O spray paint from Krylon is safe to use indoors and cleans up with soap and water. According to the maker, it's...

Copper clad.(Products / Garage Doors)
October 1, 2005... So your high-end customers want a completely different look for their garage? Show them Martin's Copper Garage Door. Offered in five styles, the copper-clad models measure up to 24 feet wide and 20 feet tall. According to the maker, their...

Get your fiber.(Products / Garage Doors)
October 1, 2005... Fiberglass entry doors are becoming quite popular, and for good reason--they require little maintenance, they're strong, and they hold up well in harsh climates and difficult exposures. Think about it: Those same qualities should make for a...

Wind resistance.(Products / Garage Doors)
October 1, 2005... During hurricanes and tornadoes, garage doors can be the weak link in residential structures. Once the door is compromised, research shows, the house stands little chance of weathering the storm. Along with several other companies, Raynor has...

Ridgid R350RHA round-head framing nailer.(Toolbox)
October 1, 2005... Earlier this year, JLC sent me a Ridgid R350RHA framing nailer to test. Ridgid-brand power tools have not been around for very long, so I was curious to see how the company's first framing nailer would perform. When the gun arrived, I took it...

Neither snow, nor rain, nor gloom of night.(Toolbox / Job Cameras)
October 1, 2005... Your digital camera should work when you do--regardless of the weather. A metal body sealed with rubber gaskets makes the 8.0-megapixel Stylus 800 virtually impervious to bad weather. Maker Olympus claims the camera has exceptional low-light...

The little camera that could.(Toolbox / Job Cameras)
October 1, 2005... The Canon SD500 Digital Elph is a small camera with a surprising large 7.1-megapixel chip. Measuring 2 1/2 inches tall, 3 1/2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick, it boasts a 3X optical zoom and a 4X digital zoom. It's also "PictBridge...

Look inside.(Toolbox / Job Cameras)
October 1, 2005... Old homes are full of surprises--and most aren't good ones. To see what's going on in the mysterious spaces behind walls and under floors, consider getting a SnakeEye Inspection Camera. What's cool about this high-tech video camera is that you...

Competitive edge.(Toolbox / Cabinetmaking Tools)
October 1, 2005... Despise edge banding? Check out The Burgess Edge. This pair of patented router bits simplifies the whole process of finishing veneer-plywood edges. One bit prepares the edge with a D-shaped dado and the other makes a corresponding piece of...

Hinge locator.(Toolbox / Cabinetmaking Tools)
October 1, 2005... With the EZ-Mount, you can install cabinet doors in less than a minute, claims its maker. The clever plastic jig makes it easy to position cup-style hinges on both inset and overlay frameless-cabinetry doors. (A model for face-framed cabinets...

Pin-Placement help.(Toolbox/Cabinetmaking Tools)
October 1, 2005... Drilling holes for shelf pins can be a time-consuming process, and if you don't get it right the results look pretty awful. The Gladstone Shelf Drilling Jig strikes me as a great way to make shelf-pin holes accurately and efficiently. Designed...

Slot machine.(Toolbox / Cabinetmaking Tools)
October 1, 2005... Amana's new slot cutter, the E-Z Dial, is unlike any I've ever seen. A dial on the bottom allows you to adjust the thickness of the cutters 1/32 inch with every turn. The tool comes in two models: The 55500 adjusts from 1/8 to 1/4 inch, and the...

Feathered friends.(Toolbox / Cabinetmaking Tools)
October 1, 2005... Shopmade feather boards work fine in many instances, but sometimes they're a little clunky for precision work. The FeatherBow and compact FeatherBow Jr--both of which are made from high-impact plastic--mount easily on your woodworking equipment...

Stick to it.(Toolbox / Cabinetmaking Tools)
October 1, 2005... Are the rip-fence measurements on your table saw showing their age? Do your homemade jigs and miter-saw station lack measuring scales? For these and countless other applications, get yourself at least one of the ProCarpenter Peel and Stick Tape...

Insulated swimming pool, anyone?(Backfill)
October 1, 2005... When builder Todd LaBarge wanted to install a vinyl-lined swimming pool at his home, he looked no further than the stack of ICF forms left over from the construction of his house and workshop foundations. In fact, one of his ReddiForm...