Home owners and builders may have given a thought of thanks to their building officials this week after seeing the earthquake disaster in Haiti.
Although ridged concrete and brick structures often do poorly in earthquakes the lack of building standards along with cuts in design standards due to corruption are being blamed on elevating an already bad situation.
Earthquakes are measured not only by seismic sensors but also by the damage they cause. In Haiti many structures that …
Steel post and frame buildings are great when a regular shed is too small to meet your needs.
Many people that live in rural areas will use them for storing a variety of items and depending on what you are storing the need for a concrete slab and perimeter foundation may not be part of your plan.
Larger buildings can be used to home animals …
When you need to attach an item to a Masonry wall a nail or regular screw just won’t work in this case you need to use a special anchor that is inserted into the masonry and held in place by friction.
Small items can be placed with masonry screws that are similar to standard screws but are hardened and sometimes self tapping. Masonry screws will require a driver head attached to a standard drill. If …
There comes a point where repairing or repositioning concrete slabs and walkways is not worth the effort or cost and time. In this case you have the choice of replacing the material with the same thing or changing your design for a new material.
Smaller jobs like 4×4 slabs found outside many front or side doors or even a portion of a walkway that connects your home to the street are relatively easy jobs that …
There are many areas around your home where concrete products are used and during settling of your home you are likely to end up with cracks that are not structural but should be addressed.
Cracks in foundation walls and slabs are known to allow water infiltration during heavy storms and cracks in your garage slab are unsightly and may result in additional problems.
Filling cracks is a difficult task because you need to apply epoxy throughout …
There are 2 basic ways that you can insulate your foundation wall and doing so is important if you want to have a comfortable living area in your basement.
The first method is to install foam insulation board on the exterior of the foundation after it has cured but before it has been back filled with dirt. This step can only be done at the time of construction.
Note: When installing foam board insulation on the …
A growing trend in form building for residential and commercial concrete foundation and above grade walls is the use of polystyrene or foam forms.
The products are simple to use and install and because they are light weight there is no need for boom trucks or breaking your back lifting heavy aluminum panels when building your foundation forms.
An added benefit is that the Foam panels that are used to create the form for your concrete …
Since about 1995 there has been a strong movement to increase insulation in all areas of our homes to reduce heat loss and lower energy costs. For most of us this has meant increasing the amount of insulation in our attics and adding insulation to exterior walls if the home is old enough that it was not built with insulated walls.
New construction has seen a variety of different products and methods that …
When you are building your porch or deck one of the last things you will need to do is build your steps.
You have many choices you can attach your step stringers to your rim joist of the deck with a header and then use a ground contact rated pressure treated footer at the bottom or you can go an additional step and pour a pad at the bottom of your steps …
Adding a new Sump Pump to your home is not an easy job.
Cutting through the floor is the most dificult part but you will also need to drill a hole in the side of your foundation or Rim joist to run the exit pipe through.
You will need to rent a gasoline powered concrete saw or hire a contractor to cut the floor. For this reason this is not a job for the home owner but if you feel …