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friend of ours is asking for some help concerning their front door frame and rot that has occurred over time due to moisture.As you can see the damage is pretty bad and it penetrates from the outside of the door all the way through to the inside molding. Obviously this door frame and maybe some of the house framing behind it will need to be replaced but they also want to prevent this …
Framing
How To Diagnose Roof Trusses Showing Through Asphalt Shingles
A friend of ours just purchased a new home back in March of this year and they are having some concerns with their roof. Since the home is less than nine months old any problem with the roofing should be a concern to the new owner. Normally when problems show up this early it means that they won’t be getting better over time.
As you can see the problem they are having is Telegraphing of …
How To Make Better Use Of A Bricked In Garage Window
A friend is asking about a garage window on the side of their home that has been partly bricked in by the previous owner. It seems that previously it was fitted with a double hung window but now there is a pattern of brick that has been placed to offer ventilation and some light. Additionally it seems that on the interior the previous owner had ended up covering the window with plywood.
The first consideration …
How To Frame Stud Walls For A Rough Window Opening
If you are building your own home or if you are retrofitting your window openings for new windows it is important that you always follow the manufacture recommendations for door and window openings but in general all rough openings for windows and doors are made two inches wider and two inches taller than the size of the door or window that will fit the opening. Often this size is reduced to 1 inch on …
How To Timber Frame Building And Cutting Your Own Lumber
One of the most expensive aspects of Timber Frame Building is the cost of the large dimension lumber that you need for construction. Not only is it expensive but the ability to purchase the materials will vary depending on where you are located. If you are considering building your own timber frame building and you have the resources in your area to cut your own or purchase raw logs for milling then you might …
How To Introduction To SIPs Structural Insulated Panels In Home Building
There are a variety of different methods for framing, insulating and finishing interior walls in homes. Normally in conventional stick frame construction these trades are separated and the work is accomplished by different trades at different times in the project. In SIP construction these functions are merged in one step where exterior sheathing and interior drywall sandwiches an internal insulation to speed construction in a variety of building types.
Initially SIPs were designed for timber …
How To Repair A Window Sill On An Antique Home That Has Settling Problems
One of our friends writes and asks about a historic home that they have recently purchased that has some problems around one of their windows. The window has actually been replaced and it is functioning but the sill of the window / bottom window ledge is sagging pretty bad. A few professionals had the chance to look at the problem when he was making the purchase and didn’t believe it was something that was …
How To Repair Your Homes Rim Joist And Sill Plate
A friend asks about some water damage he found along his foundation when he removed his deck and he is wondering just how hard it will be for him to do the work himself or if he needs to hire a structural engineer and a contractor.
The problem is pretty common on homes that have attached decks where the contractor didn’t take care to make sure the home was waterproofed before he attached the deck …
How To Deal With Floor Joists That Need To Be Cut Or Moved For Plumbing
One of our friends asks about a bathroom remodel they are doing and while replacing their toilet the installation of the new waste line means they need to cut into a joist more than they should. When doing this you will be weakening the structure around an important area that needs to carry some weight. He wants to know what the best way to handle this is.
Its always disappointing when you run into this type …
How To Know If Wall Cracks Are Pointing To Foundation Problems
A friend asks about a new home they just bought. It is a 1950’s home that was built on cement block and the home is in general good condition for its age. Obviously there needs to be a lot of upgrades performed to bring it up to today’s standards but it is livable and most of the upgrades will be performed as time allows and not because they are required.
The problem they are having is …