Q&A / 

Rain on Framing Lumber TIPS Water for a short time is no issue Rot takes months to destroy wood Keep job site clean - sweep water away Spray borate to prevent rot - See Below! CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! DEAR TIM: I'm having a new house built and it's been […]

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Foundation walls are one of the most important structural elements of your home. They must be strong and supported well before you place vast amounts of heavy soil against them. The backfill soil can quickly crack or push in a concrete wall that is not strong enough to resist the force of the dirt.

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Clearing land to build a new home may not be a do-it-yourself project. Land clearing can involve heavy land clearing equipment, depending on the size of the construction project. You might start with some simple hand tools, an industrial grade chainsaw and end up with a bulldozer.

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A scissors truss provides the benefits of a vaulted ceiling in the same framing time as standard roof trusses. Structural engineers and special software customize the roof truss to your home roof pitch. Use standard trusses in part of your home and the scissors trusses or another special truss in other sections. Explore all truss options with your builder for custom results.

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Water in heating ducts is more common than you might imagine. Some houses built on top of concrete slabs have the heating and air conditioning ducts buried in the ground under the concrete. Water can enter these heating ducts when it rains heavily as the water table starts to rise and pushes water up into the soil under the slab and then into the ducts. It is easy to remove the water and to permanently stop the water from entering the ducts. You have to divert the ground water away from the house with a special outdoor trench drain.

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The foundation footer is the bottom building block on which your house rests. The purpose of the foundation foot is to spread the weight of the house across a wider contact area. The home foundation supports the full weight of the building and all the contents. Reinforcing steel is a must in concrete footings to help increase its strength.

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Tile Falls Off Wall TIPS Organic glue skins over Walls not flat Thinset is best adhesive Cover fast before it dries CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter! DEAR TIM: The 8-inch by 10-inch wall tiles in my bathroom are bulging out in places. I pushed on them and they moved. Further investigation […]

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Using R value guidelines to upgrade your insulation is likely a smart move. R values, established by the U.S. Dept. of Energy for walls, ceilings, floors, and other areas of your home, are really minimum requirements. Check insulation R values recommended for your area on the map and table here. Increased insulation R value in your ceilings and wall insulation will bank extra energy dollars saved in no time!

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