"It's important to realize this permeance rating was achieved just testing a single piece of felt paper on its own. Adding other materials on top of the felt paper could radically change the felt paper's ability to transfer water vapor back out to the atmosphere." Felt Paper Vapor Barrier? You Bet It Can Be You Read More »
Building Blues My oldest daughter and son-in-law are building a new home in Downeast Maine. It’s their first home and you can imagine they’re excited. It’s a good thing they’re young and full of energy because the building process can be stressful and full of surprises. The project was delayed for any number of reasons, Read More »
New Build Home Timeline Series - Part 3 This is part three of a new build home timeline series following my own daughter and son-in-law. They're building a new home on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine. At the bottom of the page, you'll discover a link to the next part of the series. Related Read More »
Attic Condensation Podcast: Attic Condensation - Tim Carter, the founder of AsktheBuilder.com, talks with Marvin who lives in Lexington, KY about his pesky attic condensation. Marvin notices it forming on the tips of the nails protruding through his roof sheathing. Marvin's story was featured in Tim's November 7, 2018 Newsletter Home Improvement and Home Read More »
New Build Home Timeline Series - Part 2 This is part two of a new build home timeline series following my own daughter and son-in-law. They are building a new home on Mt. Desert Island in Downeast Maine. At the bottom of the page, you'll discover a link to the next part of the series. Read More »
New Build Home Timeline Series This is a giant new build home timeline series following my own daughter and son-in-law. They are building a new home on Mt. Desert Island (MDI) in Downeast Maine. This page is part one of the series. At the bottom of each page, you'll discover a link to the next Read More »
Concrete Block QUESTION #1: I’ve been researching foundation types for both new homes and room additions. I’ve narrowed it down to either poured concrete or concrete block. Many websites thump their chests saying poured concrete is better than concrete block. What’s your opinion, Tim? Have you worked with both materials? Carol Ann S., Richmond, VA Read More »
Concrete Foundation Forms Checklist Modular design allows forms to be set in hours Produce perfectly straight and square foundations Allow for the easy installation of reinforcing steel Simple design requires few skills to set up Related Links Foundation Footer - Must Be Level and Square - SECRET TIPS HERE - Do NOT Share Poured Concrete Read More »
"The size of the septic tank is determined by the number of bedrooms in almost all cases." Septic Tank Design Checklist You need a professional design drawn by a pro Each house is different because of load, soil, and topography A leach field can be under a road Use gravity - avoid pumping septic tank Read More »
"You can make an opening higher in a load-bearing wall much easier than creating a wider opening." Enlarge Opening in Load Bearing Wall Checklist Build temporary walls to support the load Bearing points of columns must be stacked and extend down through the house to a footing Hire a structural engineer to size the beam Be sure Read More »
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