Along the battered Northeast coast, contractors assess the damage and get to work
When a 1,500-pound drop hammer is falling from 10 to 15 feet, hitting the butt of a 25-foot timber pile a few hundred times, and you have 70 or 80 piles to do, the neighbors tend to get up in arms no matter how charmingly you may have introduced yourself, notes contractor Eric Borden. His company has been building high-end custom homes on the Jersey shore since 1986. Borden explains his step-by-step strategy for due diligence to alleviate concerns and — most important — to ensure that any piling work won't damage nearby foundations or cause other damage for which he could be liable.
Some inspectors think round-head nails are less likely to be over-driven in sheathing than clipped-head nails, but they aren't required by code.
This job-site review of available stick nailers will help you in making your next purchase.
A custom remodeler tells how he and a helper used standard tools to install a three-quarter-ton steel sandwich before removing a masonry support wall for a first-story addition.
