New Versus Old Lumber - Structural Failure

During my 30 years of remodeling and building new homes. I have ran across quite a bit of structural framing failures. I find myself answering this question a lot when explaining to a homeowner about the structural failure I am repairing on their home, "Why Didn't They Use Better Lumber" or " Why Didn't They Use Larger Lumber." I really have a hard time answering these questions because I honestly don't know the answer.

However I can try to use some logic and reason to give these people an answer that seems to make sense to both of us. Why didn't they use better lumber, quite simply because, with most older homes that were built before the 1970s they actually do have better lumber. Now you're probably thinking how can these homes have better lumber when the lumber is old versus the new lumber used in a brand new house.

Most of the structural repairs I have made over the years has nothing to do with the lumber and whether it was new or old. A large number of these repairs were caused by neglect and poor maintenance.

The lumber in most older houses are from older growth trees. Some of these trees were extremely large and only the premium parts of the trees were used. The premium lumber is cut farthest away from the center of the tree. Now the larger the tree it makes sense that there will be more premium lumber.

A large majority of the newer lumber used in home construction comes from trees about 6 inches in diameter. Now you're probably wondering how can they cut a 2 x 8 piece of lumber out of a 6 inch tree. Of course they cannot, the larger lumber comes from larger trees.

Most 2 x 4's that are less than 8 foot long can be cut from these trees. This scrap or waste that comes from cutting these two by fours will now go into engineered building materials like particleboard, oriented strand board and engineered beams. Another name for an engineered been would be a paralam.

I hope you're starting to get the picture now when it comes to using new or old lumber. There are companies that are going into old logging rivers and retrieving old growth lumber. These were logs that sank to the bottom of the river's and were never retrieved because it was too costly.

The old growth lumber is quite expensive. Who's to say what problems we will happen in the future from the newer products created with modern day technology. When it comes to building houses it is not an exact science and as contractors we have been repairing the damage from poor engineering for years.

When I use the word poor engineering I am not pointing fingers at engineers. We now have more knowledge about home construction then we had years ago.

New versus old lumber, who wins the battle. Only time will tell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Structural Repairs.

Shower Seat Hot Moped With Tar

How to Estimate the Cost to Replace Windows

The question on how to estimate the cost to replace windows can be best answered by mentioning a list of considerations that affect the final price. I have recently written an article about the cost of different replacement widows and I am not going to make this article a duplicate of that one.

Instead I will provide some guidelines that will help you make the right estimates. Just read the article right to the end if you want a comprehensive answer to your question.

How many windows you need

First you need to know the number of windows that you need to replace. You will probably need an expert to come over for a house inspection lest you leave out some that also need urgent attention.

The installation costs

In most cases the installation costs will be quoted per window. I have seen a number of people trying to save costs by attempting to install the windows by themselves and after a while having to live with leaking windows due to poor installation.

The Cost per replacement window

Once you have ascertained the number of windows you need. You will then have to get think about the cost per window. You can these really vary a lot. I mean you can get one for about $180 and even way less. It depends on some of the factors that I mention below as I list some guidelines on how to estimate the cost to replace windows.

The labour - who you will hire

Like I said earlier some people prefer to try and DIY. I usually say - wrong move. Why risk it unless you know what you are doing. You have an option to get a contractor do the job for you or find a friend or neighbour who has experience in window replacement. It will be cheaper to do the latter than the former but riskier.

Window Accessories

Different types of windows come with different type of accessories that you may need to buy in order to complete the whole replacement job.

Type of windows to Use

There are typically 3 type of windows i.e. wood, vinyl and fibreglass. Wood is more expensive, vinyl is the most popular and fibreglass is newer but also effective. You also need to figure out the type in terms of the windows themselves i.e. will they be double or single pane.

The window brands to buy

As you may know brands like Pella and Andersons are more expensive than the rest. But then they are also good quality windows. You have an option to choose a less popular brand if you want to reduce your short-term costs. I say short-term on purpose.

Proximity of supplier or contractor

This is my last point on how to estimate the cost to replace windows. The closer the supplier or contractor the cheaper it will be for you.

Click here > find window replacement quotations from companies near where you live.

Click here > best replacement window companies that are pre-screened by experts.

Fireplace And Hearth Framing

Making Your Old House the New Home of Your Dreams

Are you considering a move from your old house? Before making up your mind, consider looking into a home improvement remodel. Moving from your residence is a decision that will affect the future of every member of your family. However, because your family is growing, it's only a matter of time until you outgrow your home. Additionally, older homes in need of repair can end up costing you money just to maintain because they are not as efficient. Often, a few simple repairs and improvements are all a house needs to make it the home you desire.

The first thing to do is to take care of maintenance and repair issues that you may have been putting off. These repairs should be taken care of prior to considering any major remodeling project or room additions. It is a major concern if energy is wasted in your home, and a few changes can make your home more energy efficient. Some great ways to conserve on energy are to install good insulation and energy efficient windows. Then you may want to remodel your kitchen or bathroom, or perhaps you will want to add a room. If your kitchen and bath fixtures are outdated, you may be paying as much as 70% more in energy costs than you would if you replaced these fixtures with new, more energy efficient models.

As the costs of maintaining a home rise dramatically, you will be pleasantly surprised to find that your utility bills have decreased as a result of your energy efficient upgrades. In order to make the most of the money you've earmarked for home improvement, research various ways of increasing the energy efficiency of your home. Keep in mind that the best home remodel jobs will cause your home's value to grow.

Try to find a residential contractor with a good reputation and excellent references who will be able to suggest ways for you to reduce your energy costs. Once you have chosen your contractor, work closely with him or her as the home improvement work progresses. Going over budget can spell disaster for home remodeling projects! Prior to entering into a contract, make sure you and your contractor are in agreement. Make sure that quality work is done at a reasonable price. Ensuring that your project is finished in a timely manner and within the specified budget is crucial in helping you save money on the overall project.

Upon completion of your home improvement project, you will be glad that you chose to transform your old home into an attractive, spacious, energy efficient home your family will love. Your family has treasured memories of your current home, so spending some time and energy fixing it up and making it even more comfortable is well worth your while.

Skyah Jamsen, knows how difficult the housing market can be. After loosing her Grass Valley property, Skyah immediately began her search for Grass Valley homes for sale. Enlisting the help of a Grass Valley realtor from Nevada City Real Estate.

Home Building Books For Contractors

If you're a do it yourself or or a homeowner who every once in a while, once to tackle a small or large project but doesn't know where to begin, can gather useful information from home building books. I have been using these books for years and may have been worth their weight in gold.

I started my career working for my father and my father worked for his father as a Carpenter. Our job was to frame the house and we built a Lotta homes. I learned how to frame and developed some great carpentry skills from my father and working with other skilled carpenters. Over the years, if you're paying attention, even a monkey can figure out, how to assemble almost anything.

The only problem that I faced, was learning how to build the rest of the home. I would often ask questions to other building trades like plumbers, electricians, roofers and construction superintendents. Some of these people were helpful and others were not. When I was in my early 30s, I purchased my first book on home building. This book lead to other books and soon I found myself with more home building knowledge that my father.

I had about 50 books on home building and soon found myself doing large home remodels, with no formal education. I would attribute almost everything that I learned outside of house framing to books. These books have proven invaluable to me over the years and with a relatively small investment. I couldn't have spent over $200 purchasing these books but have used the knowledge from them to save myself thousands of dollars.

One $20 home building books or home repairs, can save you lots of money, if you're willing to do a little research and the labor to complete almost any home building project.

By the way, if you're interested in learning how to repair a roof, build your own house, interior decorating, structural engineering, building a deck, gathering some more information about home painting or even remodeling your bathroom. An online home building bookstore can save you money if you're willing to do the work.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your looking for some more home inspection or home building ideas.

Plant Attaches To Stucco

5 Tips for Energy Efficient Swimming Pool

When installing a swimming pool, most people don't realize that its initial cost is only a small part of the money they have to invest in it. No-one would dispute that owning a swimming pool is great, but running it can be quite costly. Discover how to make your pool more energy efficient, so you can enjoy it and not worry about the cost too much.

1 Invest into energy efficient pumps and motors

Choosing the right pump for your swimming pool is very important. You will probably be surprised to know that in the first year of operation a swimming pool pump and motor can consume more energy than their initial cost. Bear in mind that you expect your pump to work for several years and it becomes obvious that buying a cheaper model that is not energy efficient will cost you much more in the long term.

So if your pumps are several years old, replace them with new, more energy efficient ones. And if you only start building your pool, invest in a good pump from the beginning.

2 Use pool covers

When we think of pool covers, most people assume that their main function is to prevent fallen leaves and debris from getting into the pool. Covers do that, of course. But what is more important, they prevent your pool from loosing its temperature.

If you use a pool heater in colder months, most of your energy loss will be because water evaporates from your pool taking the heat away. Just cover your pool when it's not in use and that alone will save you up to 50 percent of heating costs.

3 Don't let the wind steal your heat

Pool covers are great when the pool is not in use, but how do you prevent water evaporation when you are actually swimming? One way is to reduce wind around the pool. You can plant shrubs or build a fence to block wind. One thing to consider when installing windbreakers is that they have to be close enough to your pool to keep the wind out, but they shouldn't block the sunlight.

4 Set the right water temperature

If you use a gas pool heater, it consumes considerably more energy when you make your water warmer. Add about 10 percent of energy cost for each degree. So by keeping your temperature low, you can save significantly. Of course, if you don't fancy swimming in cold water, you can install an energy efficient heater.

5 Consider installing a solar swimming pool heater

The best thing about a solar heater is that apart from the initial cost of buying and installing one, it costs nothing to operate, the energy source is free. Solar heaters are ideal for heating swimming pools, especially if your pool is not very large.

There are two general types - glazed and unglazed solar collectors for heating outdoor pools. Unglazed solar heaters are actually inexpensive and work quite well in most cases. These units are simple, made from black plastic or rubber. There is no need for a water tank - water runs directly through the collector. Glazed collectors are more sophisticated and include a heat exchanger. They provide better faster heating, but they also cost more to install.

You can also use a combination of solar and gas heaters. Use a gas heater to heat up your pool quickly, but then you can switch it off and let the solar unit keep the water temperature pleasantly warm.

Tanya Turner is a publisher of Swimming Pool Supply and Accessories where you can find information about all types of pools, and price comparisons of swimming pool supply and accessories

How Tough Are Concrete Epoxies

Attic Odors and Strange Smells

If you've ever opened up your attic access hole, only to find one of the worst odors you have ever smelled in your whole life, I've been there too. What causes these horrible smells and what can you do about them?

Let's start with the cause of these smells, moisture, dirt, mold, mildew, dead animals, animals that make their home in your attic and the biggest problem of all is normally poor ventilation.

Poor ventilation is the biggest problem with musty smells in the attic. These smells are often caused from moisture accumulating in the building materials over time. If there is enough moisture in the attic, the wood will start to rot but this wouldn't be a normal situation, unless there was a roof or water leak.

Roof leaks can cause a constant supply of water to one part of the attic. This constant supply of water will eventually rot the wood and damage the ceiling. Water leaks from pipes can provide a steady supply of water and the situation can attracts termites and mold. Not a good thing.

One of the worst possible smells or odors in your attic would be a dead animal. Don't under estimate the size of some of these animals, they have found dead raccoons, cats, snakes, large birds, squirrels, rats and mice in some attics. These animals usually enter through damaged access holes or vent blocks, roof vents, large gaps, holes and even fireplace chimneys.

Once these animals die, their bodies start to decompose and produce one horrible odor. Once the body is completely decomposed, the smell usually goes away if the attic is ventilated properly. These smells can seep into the homes living area, often creating a room that no one wants to enter.

Home peststhat make their home in your attics, often create smells from urinating and defecating in the areas around their nest. Large birds like owls can become a problem over time.

Now that we've figured out some of the causes for attic odors and strange smells, what can we do to prevent this from happening and if it's already happened, how can we get rid of the smell.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He has just finished a Home Buyers Guide to take some of the frustration out of home shopping.

If your having problems in your attic, find out more at pest control books and home building ideas.

We Know More About What We Dont

Repairing a Leaking Toilet

Let me explain how a toilet works. First when you go to flush the toilet a little arm pulls a rubber flapper up and lets the water drain into the toilet bowl. The water draining into the toilet bowl forces the old water out along with the number two or number one waste and extremities.

If the toilet sounds like it is running there is a good chance that the seal between the rubber flapper and the plastic rain at the bottom of the toilet is broken somehow. The sound you are hearing is water running around this ring and in to the toilet bowl.

This leak is actually causing no damage to the toilet itself but is wasting water. Hence the water bill will be a little higher if you don't fix the leaking toilet. The best way to find out if this is actually your problem is to take the toilet tank lid off. Then stick your hand down into the toilet bowl and press gently on the rubber flap.

If the water stops leaking or starts running faster this is your problem. Turn the water off to the toilet. There will be a shut off valve on the wall under your toilet bowl in the bathroom. After you turn the water off removed the plastic flap and examine it.

You will be looking for a warped toilet flap or of some sort or grooves on the flapper itself. Take the toilet flapper down to your local home improvement store and buy a new one. Go home and replace the new toilet flapper and this should solve 90% of your leaking toilet problems.

There is one more thing it could be. With the toilet tank lid off, check to see if water is overflowing into the little round plastic pipe. This plastic pipe should have a small hose running from the float valve assembly into it.

If the water is over flowing from the toilet tank into this little plastic pipe you will need to adjust the float.

First thing you will need to do is while the toilet is running lift up on the float lever arm. If the water stops you can simply bend the metal arm of the float lever. The purpose of bending the arm will force the float deeper into the water there for stopping the water from rising over the small tube in the center of your toilet.

There are few parts to a toilet and most parts can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement centers. Toilet repairs like this can be made simple and the parts used to replace are inexpensive.

Happy Toilet Repairing.

Greg Vanden Berge is working on the internet to promote the education for creating simple to follow guides and home building books to help professional building contractors as well as the weekend warriors. He is currently working on more House Building and Remodeling Library and adding useful content to help solve problems created by the lack of construction knowledge in the building industry.

Visit us and get more information on building and remodeling your homes and Some Great Plumbing Ideas