Other stories by Paul Fisette

• Q&A: Sagging Ceiling Drywall

  Q: When 1/2-inch drywall is installed on ceiling joists spaced 24 inches on-center, will the drywall sag?

• Q&A: Which Side of OSB Goes Up?

  Q: When OSB is installed on roofs, which side should face up — the slick side or the rough side?

• Q&A: Bracing Foam Sheathed Walls

  Q: Here in Wisconsin, I have always built my homes with 2x6 studs, R-19 fiberglass batts, and 1/2-inch OSB sheathing. I am considering switching to 2x4 studs, R-13 batts, and 1-inch R-7 foam sheathing, using metal T-braces for racking resistance. The cost of the two systems appears to be about the...

• Q&A: Pressure-Treated Lumber and Steel Roofing

  Q: I am considering installing steel roofing over 2x4 pressure-treated purlins. Can the chemicals used to treat lumber attack steel roofing?

• Q&A: Foil-Faced Sheathing As Insulation

  Q: The architect for a new home in Virginia has specified a product called Energy Brace sheathing instead of plywood or OSB. The product feels like cardboard covered with foil. The manufacturer claims that the product has energy benefits. Am I right to be doubtful?

• Q&A: How Rain Screens Work

  Q: I plan to install wood siding over a vented rain screen on a house in Seattle, where we get rain for long periods during the winter. My question is, how can the air cavity dry if the exterior relative humidity is 100 percent? Assuming the air cavity temperature is the same as the exterior...

• Q&A: Installing Fenceposts

  Q: I am installing a fence with pressure-treated 4x4 posts. Is there any advantage to installing a base of crushed stone at the bottom of the post hole? If I partially backfill around the post with concrete, will the concrete hold the fencepost more firmly, or will it encourage the fencepost to rot?

• Q&A: Drywood Termites

  Q: I work in and around Albuquerque, N.M. Do drywood termites cause trouble in this area? If so, what measures can one take to prevent damage?

• Q&A: Correcting Sagging Joists

  Q: A double 2x8 floor joist that runs beneath a nonbearing partition has deflected 5/8 inch in the middle. If I jack the joist up, returning the compressed and stretched wood fibers back to their original positions, will they stay that way?

• Q&A: Bleaching Old Cedar Paneling

  Q: I want to lighten the color of 15-year-old cedar paneling that has darkened with age. The wall paneling consists of 3/8x6-inch tongue-and-groove clear cedar installed over 1/2-inch drywall. I took a sample of the interior cedar and experimented with a bleaching method I often use outdoors. I...