Don Jackson

Don Jackson's Posts

  • Heard and seen at JLC Live

  • Q. We built a custom home for a client in west Michigan a couple of years ago, and the home has had problems with ice ever since. It's a 1,450-square-foot ranch with cathedral ceilings and many can lights throughout. We used blown fiberglass insulation in the ceiling assemblies. From the beginning, the can lights (IC-rated) overheated and tripped their thermal-protection breakers. We finally resorted to pulling the insulation away from the housing of the can lights so they TAs a result, the heat from these lights now warms up the roof and has created a horrible ice problem instead. Last fall we even added four pot vents to the back of the roof in addition to the soffit-to-ridge venting. The homeowner called to report that the pot vents have improved the situation but not completely. I drive by this home frequently and see ice buildup there while other homes in the area are ice free.

  • JLC staff take a close look at ten windows from national manufacturers.

  • Combined with a working drain, this new type of plastic membrane keeps groundwater out of the foundation while allowing moisture in the concrete to evaporate to the outside. Here’s how it’s installed.

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