Our final part in these series (for now at least). We’ve talked about some of the big ones already, like termite damage, dry rot and water damage, which are actually destroying the structure of the home and require repair. However, this only makes up about half of the structural repairs that we make.    So what other problems need to be solved?    Sometimes, people do things to the house that damage or modify the framing, which leads to needed repairs. These modifications are commonly made to make space for something or to pass something [...]

The final part in this little series (for now at least) We’ve talked about some of the big ones already, like termite damage, dry rot and water damage, which are actually destroying the structure of the home and require repair. However, this only makes up about half of the structural repairs that we make.  So what other problems need to be solved?  Sometimes, people do things to the house that damage or modify the framing, which leads to needed repairs. These modifications are commonly made to make space for something or to pass something through [...]

Repairs that can be made from underneath the house.  Many of the most common crawlspace problems can be addressed from inside the crawlspace.  If you recall from our parts of the framing discussion, bands, girders, and joists can all be repaired from within the crawlspace. Assuming there is enough space in the crawlspace to move people, materials, tools, and temporary supports around, then work can be done from underneath. In most situations, that would be a 2-foot-tall or taller crawlspace.   The subfloor is one thing that cannot be replaced from underneath the house, nor can [...]

Part 1 Humidity Lets stick with the humidity issue we discussed last week and start there.  If the crawlspace is not supposed to be humid, what can be done about it?  The ideal solution for a crawlspace is to take things all the way to one extreme, either be as open as possible with as much air movement as possible or be as closed off as possible and mechanically control the moisture.  Option one: wide open.         Some of the best “crawlspaces” we see are on older farm homes that have never been [...]

Lets stick with the humidity issue we discussed last week and start there.  If the crawlspace is not supposed to be humid, what can be done about it?  The ideal solution for a crawlspace is to take things all the way to one extreme, either be as open as possible with as much air movement as possible or be as closed off as possible and mechanically control the moisture.  Option one: wide open.  Some of the best “crawlspaces” we see are on older farm homes that have never been enclosed. The whole space is just [...]

There just supposed to be a kind of nasty place, that's normal, right? Common does not mean correct or ideal. As folks who see a lot and go into a lot of crawlspaces, we can assure you the vast majority are not places you want to go or spend much time. Messy, dirty, humid, or wet, full of insects, and hard to get around is absolutely the norm. But carpet in a bathroom was common too, and we all realized that was a bad idea. A crawlspace doesn't have to be all those terrible things, [...]

My crawlspace should be framed with this, right? Crawlspaces are known for being high-moisture environments (that is a problem. See our post on crawlspace humidity). Pressure-treated lumber is for moisture and water contact, so that's what I should use for my crawlspace, right? On the surface, that makes a lot of sense. But does it?   Ignoring the fact that your crawlspace should not be a high-humidity environment, it likely is at least more so in the interior of your home. If you have had damage to the framing in your crawlspace due to the [...]

Why and Where should you use engineered lumber products? Lets just ignore the whole category of sheet goods for this post and focus on the products used for framing.   A lot of the engineered products came about for two reasons they are easier to use (install) and they can do more.   A web truss that has a flat 2x4 on the bottom is much easier to use as a floor joist than a 2x10. The web truss wont tip over easily when you set it down and and quickly be nailed down. That [...]

What is it and where should you use it? Engineered lumber is a huge category of building products that has changed the way we build and what we can build.   A simple definition of what we mean by an engineered lumber product is anything that is made with wood that has been modified in any way beyond simply removing other wood to make a board. Or everything that is not dimensional lumber - that is the standard building material you see lining the racks of big box stores. Lets start with the simple ones [...]

Are older homes really made with better wood? For today, we will avoid the discussion of whether they really do not build them like they used to. Instead, we are going to look at the question, Is today's lumber different than the lumber 100 years ago? and if so, is it better or worse? First, is it different? The short answer is yes, it is. It's even more different from 200-300 years ago. In the early days of building homes in the United States, lumber was plentiful and convenient to use. Many houses were built [...]