Understanding Water Intrusion
In more than 25 years of consulting with builders on ways to avoid callbacks, Steve Easley has spent his time solving problems related the heat and moisture transfer, because this is where builders — even very good builders who deliver well-appointed homes to the coastal elite — most often get...
Fasteners for Treated Wood: Practical Solutions for Coastal Environments
According to general contractor Bill Robinson, the building industry is going through a renaissance of sorts when it comes to weather protection. He predicts that as the current best practices become standardized, even more detailed requirements will be brought back to the codes. And that's a good...
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Q: Is the flash-and-batt technique - where an inch or two of spray-foam insulation is applied to the interior side of roof or wall sheathing before fitting rafter and stud bays with fiberglass batts - a good way to insulate?
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Q: When installing stone tiles over Schluter's Kerdi waterproofing membrane, is it okay to use modified thinset mortar? I know that Schluter recommends unmodified thinset mortar, but my supplier suggests that the large and heavy tiles will be easier to install with a polymer-modified no-sag mortar.
Exterior trim; housewrap
Q: While we've never had problems with our tile-shower installations, new surface-applied waterproofing membranes and waterproof backerboards have me wondering if it's time to change our approach. We typically install cement backerboard over a poly membra
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We ask a panel of building scientists and builders — all keen, experienced observers of wood-frame performance issues — to answer some of the questions that never seem to go away.
The construction industry's leading researcher explains why what we think is true often isn't, and how some of our best hunches, based on observation of field performance, have paid off with problem-free attic assemblies.
Improper flashing, unprimed cedar, and a southern exposure had all contributed to a moldy mess.
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Q: A house we built about eight years ago here in Tennessee has ductwork running through the space behind the upstairs knee walls. The exterior side of the framing has been developing condensation, but only in extremely cold weather. There are no vents in
Cut carefully to preserve the building paper, and hide the missing stucco with rotproof trim.
Along the coast where wind-blown rain is a regular weather feature, it's no surprise to builders that the exterior of a home must be carefully detailed to manage water. Properly installed housewrap and flashing are the key elements of an effective water-resistive barrier. But rainwater is not the...
Before installing flooring over concrete, do a calcium chloride test to make sure it's truly dry.
Closed-cell polyurethane foam provides the insulation, air barrier, and vapor retarder necessary for an unvented attic assembly.
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Q: My clients want to update their bathroom by installing new tile over an existing tiled tub surround. The old tile is in good shape, but it stops about 18 inches from the ceiling; my clients want their new tile to completely cover the walls and ceiling.
The Causes of Condensation
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Q: Is it okay to use Schluter's Kerdi material as a waterproofing membrane beneath a stone countertop? Because it's flexible, I plan to use it to cover the plywood substrate on top of the cabinets, and then turn it up the wall a few inches so that I can w
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Q: With a cavity wall assembly consisting of load-bearing 8-inch CMUs (concrete masonry units), 2 inches of rigid foam, a 2-inch air space, and 4-inch concrete bricks covered with cementitious stucco and an acrylic color coat, how important is dampproofin