The Journal of Light Construction articles from September 2002

The Journal of Light Construction archives from September 2002

Painting popcorn ceilings. (Letters).
September 1, 2002... To the Editor: The answer on how to paint popcorn ceilings, or sprayed-on acoustic (Q&A, 7/02), was right on as far as it went, but a couple of issues were not addressed. Acoustic ceilings continuously shed, so if they're dirty, why...

Repairing a Stone Foundation. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2002... To the Editor: I want to commend David Rippe for a fine article ("Repairing a Stone Foundation," 7/02) and for his answer to a remodeling problem. It's obvious that he's a problem solver who looks for ways of doing things instead of...

Shingle technique. (Letters).
September 1, 2002... To the Editor: The first thing to catch my eye on the cover of the May 2002 issue was how the starter course of shingles was being run. I don't know of any manufacturer who instructs the installer to spin a shingle around to use it as a...

Garage floor finishes. (Letters).
September 1, 2002... To the Editor: Some months ago, we received a call from one of your staff asking us to contribute photos for an article you were doing on garage floors (Trade Talk, 2/02). Since this is an important part of our business, we quickly...

Cracked manufactured stone. (Letters).(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2002... To the Editor: I am writing regarding the question on cracked manufactured stone (Q&A, 6/02). I have worked in the plastering trade for more than 20 years and am currently a supervisor for a San Francisco Bay area plastering company. ...

Deck disasters spotlight faulty connections. (Note Book).
September 1, 2002... This summer's celebrations have revealed an alarming lack of solidity in some of the country's residential decks. In June, a deck collapse at a Washington, D.C., townhouse injured about a dozen people, three of whom had to be airlifted to an...

FBI sting nails Philadelphia plumbing inspectors. (Note Book).
September 1, 2002... In the wake of an FBI sting operation, a federal grand jury has indicted 13 Philadelphia plumbing inspectors for taking bribes from contractors to avoid inspections, obtain preference in scheduling inspections, or work without required permits....

Controversy surrounds California Plumbing Code's exclusion of PEX. (Note Book).(cross-linked polyethylene)
September 1, 2002... A recent decision by the California Building Standards Commission to exclude PEX from the newest version of the state plumbing code has drawn manufacturers, trade associations, and state agencies into a bitter dispute that has been in the...

Seagull management. (Business Tune-Up).(firms need balance of detail-oriented people and idea-focused people)(Brief Article)(Column)
September 1, 2002... While there are any number of successful management styles, at least as many more lead to failure. Among the latter is what I think of as "seagull management": a system where the boss periodically swoops in, makes a mess of everything, and then...

The online auction merchant eBay has added new homes to its offerings. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The online auction merchant eBay has added new homes to its offerings. The auctions, which began in June, featured homes from a number of major production builders, including KB Home, Beazer Homes, and others. The home-sale site...

A nearly completed mansion on "Billionaire Row" in Dallas has been destroyed by fire. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... A nearly completed mansion on "Billionaire Row" in Dallas has been destroyed by fire. About 300 firefighters worked for eight hours to control the blaze at the 70,000-square-foot residence, which sprawled over ten acres. The spread of the fire...

Home Depot was the nation's second largest retailer in 2001. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Home Depot was the nation's second largest retailer in 2001, according to the National Retail Federation's annual ranking of the top 100 retailers by sales volume. Home Depot's $53.6 billion in sales was second only to Wal-Mart's $219.8...

The NAHB has developed a new home-building computer game. (Off Cuts).(National Association of Home Builders)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The NAHB has developed a new home-building computer game. The game, aimed at middle school students, has players work with a budget and deadlines to design and build a home and find a buyer.

The Department of Energy will provide funding to states to update and implement building energy codes. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The Department of Energy will provide funding to states to update and implement building energy codes. The agency will provide about $2 million in grants to 22 states. The grants will be made by the end of this fiscal year and will be...

Black & Decker has announced that it will be cutting 2,400 U.S. jobs. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Black & Decker has announced that it will be cutting 2,400 U.S. jobs. According to Woodshop News, the tool and consumer product manufacturer--best known to builders as the parent company of DeWalt--will eliminate jobs at facilities in Maryland,...

American swimming pools are shrinking. (Off Cuts).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... American swimming pools are shrinking, according to the Wall Street Journal. The paper reports that the average American swimming pool has shrunk by 14% over the past decade, as larger houses, garages, and driveways eat up space once available...

Builder callback survey. (Note Book).
September 1, 2002... Builders tend to keep their callback numbers to themselves, but a long-running survey conducted by the NAHB's Builders' Economic Council--and reported in the April 2002 issue of Housing Economics newsletter--provides a way for builders to see...

Save the pieces. (Note Book).(Whole House Building Supply deconstructs houses)
September 1, 2002... Everybody likes a house party. But how about a "tear down the house" party? San Francisco Bay area contractor Paul Gardner throws a couple every weekend. Gardner owns and runs Whole House Building Supply, a salvage business that specializes in...

DOE rolls back air-conditioning efficiency standards. (Note Book).(Department of Energy)
September 1, 2002... After nearly two years of controversy, the Department of Energy (DOE) has published its revised Final Rule on air-conditioner and heat-pump efficiency minimums. The new standard calls for a minimum Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of 12...

Life expectancy of metal roofs. (Q&A).
September 1, 2002... Q. We're working on a 120-year-old house that still has its original standing-seam metal roof. A roof painter told the owner that this roof has 50 years of useful life left. Can a metal roof really last 170 years? A. Rob Haddock of the...

Stripping an EPDM roof. (Q&A).(ethylene-propylene diene monomer)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Q. I have to strip off an EPDM roof. Is there anything special I need to know? A. Roofer Joseph Bublick responds: No, there's nothing special about tearing off EPDM roofing. You use the same procedure you would use with any other roof. In...

Flickering lights. (Q&A).(in the house)
September 1, 2002... Q. I'm doing some wood siding repairs on a house, and every time I hit the trigger on my chop saw, the lights in the house flicker. The power company says the problem is with the house not their lines. But the lights in the house across the...

Drywall disposal on site. (Q&A).
September 1, 2002... Q. My excavation contractor offered to bury my scrap drywall on site, but I've heard buried gypsum can create a harmful gas. I've also read that it's okay to bury small amounts if you disperse it. Is it okay to bury drywall on site at all, and...

Curing a sagging entry. (Q&A).
September 1, 2002... Q. I just replaced the insulating steel and fiberglass door in an entry door assembly with dual sidelights. The new door strikes the jamb near the top on closing, and the clearance along the top is uneven. I tried driving a couple of long...

Multipurpose laundry rooms. (By Design).
September 1, 2002... Every house needs a washer and dryer. Far too often, though, these essential appliances are jammed into a 3x5 closet that's optimistically called a laundry. This uses minimal space, but it certainly doesn't make doing laundry any easier. I'd...

Cultivating good employees. (Strictly Business).(Column)
September 1, 2002... One of the reasons my job is so good is that I've been able to surround myself with a family of employees who make it fun to come to work every day. Without them, I don't know how I could stand to be in this business. It Pays to Pay Well...

Installing crown molding: careful measurements, accurate angles, and some preassembly make installing crown molding as easy as running baseboard.(includes related article)
September 1, 2002... I've heard it said that cutting crown molding is a test of a finish carpenter's skill. Phooey. Cutting crown molding can be just as easy as cutting baseboard, a lot more fun, and you don't have to wear out your knees. In this article I'll show...

Repairing cantilevered balconies: the right flashing details, reinforced framing, and durable waterproof decking give new life to old balconies.
September 1, 2002... My company specializes in condominium maintenance and repairs. In California, homeowners have up to ten years to bring suit against the original builder for faulty workmanship. Condo associations are often awarded settlements for remedial...

Building squeak-free stairs: interlocking joinery and construction adhesive provide tight seams and squeak-free treads.
September 1, 2002... Over 25 years ago, I noticed two things that I've capitalized on ever since: I liked the creative challenge of building staircases, and others shied away from the task. With hundreds of completed jobs behind me, I've long since developed my own...

How to charge for overhead: to price fairly and cover your operating costs, make overhead and profit a function of time on the job.(Column)
September 1, 2002... We builders are a whole lot better with our hammers than with calculators. One example is the difficulty we have figuring out how to adequately cover our overhead expenses. How do we charge the customer for costs that aren't directly related to...

Waterproofing basement walls: take your pick of spray-on, brush-on, or sheet membrane products, but don't forget the foundation drain.
September 1, 2002... As one manufacturer of waterproofing systems put it, most builders paint the foundation black and move on. He was referring to builders who do the minimum required by code, which is damp" a foundation won necessarily keep the water out....

Cordless circular saws: new cordless circular saws have enough power and depth of cut to rival corded circular saws.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... Almost three years ago, JLC tested the most powerful cordless circular saws then on the market. The author of the resulting article ("Cordless Saw Update," 12/99) concluded that, although handy for small jobs, cordless saws were not up to...

Durable trim for coastal construction: PVC trim holds paint well, resists rot, and looks just like wood.(polyvinyl chloride)
September 1, 2002... My company, Perennial Homes, works exclusively in the affluent community of Beach Haven, N.J., which is known for its attractive Victorian-era homes. As a design-build firm, our niche is building new homes with attractive exterior details like...

Preventing the cash-flow crunch: the right payment schedule will keep your inflows ahead of your outflows.
September 1, 2002... Many contractors struggle with cash-flow problems. They pay suppliers late, they dip into lines of credit too much, they miss tax deadlines--they even miss payroll. Even contractors who are profitable on paper often don't have money on hand...

Liability insurance. (Legal Adviser).(contractor, customer, insurance company of contractor)
September 1, 2002... A Kansas lawsuit, Potomac Insurance of Illinois v. Huang, provides a good illustration of the relationship between the contractor, his customer, and his liability insurance carrier. Liability insurance, part of the standard builder's risk...

Installing a custom-height kitchen. (Kitchen & Bath).
September 1, 2002... After you've gotten a couple of kitchen cabinet installations under your belt, the standard, ergonomic dimensions become somewhat ingrained and taken for granted. Countertops finish out at 36 inches above the floor, wall cabinets hang 18 inches...

Slammin' driver. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... If you don't have time to screw around, Milwaukee's new 14.4-volt cordless impact wrench is engineered to deliver up to 117 foot-pounds of torque to drive lag or deck screws with relative ease. The new tool has a handle that's smaller in...

Stand aside, mortals. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Although the name and the claim may sound like they belong in a superhero comic, the Mighty Man Wall Lift is designed to enable you to pick up a 40-foot exterior wall by yourself. The secret is an electric winch that makes standing walls as...

From the land down under. (Products).
September 1, 2002... Routers typically either work well in a table or they don't, but the Australian-built Triton router promises to work equally well table mounted or hand held. The toolmaker is new to the States, but they've been building power tools down under...

Clean, cold caulk. (Products).
September 1, 2002... Working outside in all temperatures is something contractors are familiar with, but most caulks and sealants aren't so versatile. Pro Series SBR-100 Siding & Window Caulk is formulated to work in temperatures from 0[degrees]F to 100[degrees]F...

Low and dry. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Eliminating foundation water entry is a tall order, but Hollow Kick Molding is said to drain water before it's a problem, no matter where it comes from. The rectangular plastic pipe is installed between the basement slab and foundation wall and...

Unique valve. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... With Jomar's Add-A-Valve, you can install an emergency shutoff valve without turning off the water and with full line pressure. The valve features solid brass construction and stainless fasteners. It takes about 30 minutes to install and...

Holey shovel. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... I recall digging in western Pennsylvania's notoriously wet and sticky clay. Tossing a shovelful often meant flinging the shovel along with the wet sludge firmly stuck to the blade. The Toolite Shovel features strategically placed, pea-sized...

Go with the flow. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Round flex duct has its uses as well as its limits. Quadroflex rectangular and oval ductwork can be bent in any direction and twisted 90 degrees to go around obstacles and fit in tight mechanical chases. Seams are interlocked, folded flat, and...

Durable beacon. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Finding a flashlight with a functional switch, batteries, and bulb is like finding a bag of money. It doesn't happen very often, and, inevitably, somebody else lays claim to it. The Lightwave 2100 flashlight is distinctive looking enough to...

Fan-tastic summer breeze. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The I/O, remote-control indoor-outdoor ceiling fan can be used on porches or in other covered areas where dampness might raise havoc with an ordinary ceiling fan. Fifty-two-inch acrylic blades and a 150-degree blade angle generate more airflow...

Deadman support. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Good reliable help is tough to come by, especially if you're hanging ceiling board, but a Quick Support 3+ will hire on for a one-time fee of $40. The handy dead-man-style pole features a lever on the chuck to extend the support to ceiling...

Cover your cleavage. (Products).
September 1, 2002... If your customers wish you'd leave a little more to the imagination and you're tired of being the butt of jobsite jokes, you're ready for a Longtail T. Designed to keep your backside under wraps while you work your tail off, this otherwise...

Remote reminder. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Car keys get misplaced and birthdays forgotten, but the garage door will no longer be left open. Using wireless technology, the LiftMaster Wireless Garage Door Monitor uses a red light to tell you the door's open and a green light to indicate...

Big brake through. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... The only good thing about moving a full-size brake may be getting a sense of your new helper's strength as he carries it from the truck. Malco's new Mini Brake is a lighter-weight and cost-effective alternative to most job-site metal-bending...

Duk and cover. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... A shower niche is a nice selling touch, but you can pour an awful lot of time and money into creating that hole in the wall. The guaranteed-waterproof, one-piece ABS plastic Duk Liner is simple to install and tile over. The ready-made niche...

PVC outdoor fixture mount. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Generally, I'm happy to avoid anything having to do with landscaping or gardening, but I'd make an exception for the Gard-N-Post. The 20-inch-tall PVC post is designed to mount an outdoor light fixture and includes a space for a GFCI receptacle...

Technicolor treads. (Products).(Brief Article)
September 1, 2002... Finding the elusive end of the rainbow may be as easy as climbing to the attic (pot of gold by others). Rainbow Attic Stairs feature an innovative scissor action that simplifies the pull-down process. Integral toggle-style steel hangers and a...

Contortionist reciprocating saw. (Toolbox).(Porter-Cable's Tiger Claw)
September 1, 2002... The new Tiger Claw reciprocating saw from Porter-Cable meets all of my criteria for a truly revolutionary power tool. Not only does it solve the age-old problem of getting the saw housing out of your way during close-quarters cutting, it's also...

Less dust in the wind. (Toolbox).(Saw Muzzle)
September 1, 2002... When I realized I had to cut the concrete slab in my basement for three new post footings, I dreaded the cloud of dust my circular saw would kick up. I was sure the fine gray powder would fill not only the house but my lungs, too. The particles...

Makita's M-force cordless drill. (Toolbox).(an evaluation of Makita's 6347D cordless drill)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... Recently I had the chance to use Makita's newest cordless drill for a remodeling project. The 6347D is the 18-volt offering in Makita's new line of "M-force" drills; the manufacturer has introduced a new clutch system that makes switching...