LESSONS IN ENERGY-EFFICIENT DESIGN

FineHomebuilding
Fine Homebuilding D E S I G N • B U I LD • R E M O D E L

Beautiful ceilings
with big beams
Build barn-style
rolling doors
Simple math
for perfect
baluster
layout
Choose
the right
caulk
Better
PEX
plumbing

SEPTEMBER 2016 NO. 261

www.finehomebuilding.com
Get the timber-frame look
for less with this smart
framing approach p. 36
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 A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 6 N O . 2 6 1

52
62
BUILD INTERIOR
DOORS

A NEW
STANDARD
IN DESIGN

44
FEATURES HOW TO
BEND TRIM

COVER STO RY TOOL TE ST

62 Better Than Average
36 Build a Hybrid 49 18v Recip Saws This practical and healthy home
Timber-Frame Floor These tools combine corded perfor- confronts the challenges of location,
Incorporate the beauty of structural mance with cordless convenience extreme weather, climate change, and
timbers into a stick-frame house B Y D AV I D F R A N E the looming clean-water crisis with
BY SAM KOERBER noteworthy simplicity
52 Rolling Barn-Style Doors BY BRIAN PONTOLILO
42 Build Your Own Simple joinery supports inexpensive
windows to yield jaw-dropping
PEX Manifold interior doors
68 SPECIAL SECTION
A homemade array of tubing and An ICF foundation, advanced-
BY GREG SOPER
fittings can rival brand-name water- framing techniques, and engineered
distribution panels 54 Caulk This Way lumber form the base of this high-
BY JAMES GLASS
Joint design and prep may matter performance home
BY SEAN GROOM
even more than choosing the right
44 Custom Curves product
Save time and money by bending BY ANDY ENGEL

49
PVC trim with a site-made oven
BY JOE FILANOWSKI JR. 60 Balanced Balusters
Simple calculations make for
a much more accurate TOP
spacing method CORDLESS
Tablet editions free to subscribers
BY MICHAEL MAINES SAWS
Our new digital editions include all of the
magazine’s content, plus searchability and
a host of interactive extras. Download
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4 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 © AS America, inc. 2016.
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IN EVERY ISSUE
8
76
f ineho m e b ui l d in g . co m western inspiration

10 C ontri b utors

12 Letters

18 T i p s & T echni q ues

Starting a staple in a
tough place, Drywall
without the dust, Paint- 18
Starting
ing doors with windows, staples
Cleaning glass without
lint, Magnetic broom

24 T oo l s & M ateri a l s
Steel-cutting saw, WRB
sheathing, Totable dust

92
elegant roof
collector, Plaster patch, details
Foam-cutting sawblade,
Hybrid air hose

76 Pro j ect G a l l ery

88
making
80 a s k the e x p erts head
Shingling a valley, Strip- flashing

ping UF-B cable, Algae

roof stains, Moldy cabi-
nets, Identifying electrical
circuits

84 musings of an energy nerd

Plan ahead to save
energy

88 Bui l d in g S k i l l s
Make a head flashing
98
whimsical
playhouse

92 Dr aw in g Bo a r d
Exposed rafter tails

96 ta i l g ate
Lindsay Meacham,
tilemaker
82
stripping
electrical
98 f inishin g touch cable

Dragon’s den

ON THE COVER: Custom builder Sam Koerber has developed a method for integrating structural
solid-sawn timbers into an otherwise conventional stick-frame house. Photo by Justin Fink.

6 FINE HOMEBUILDING
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 Search Subscribe

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Tighten up
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8 FINE HOMEBUILDING
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9
contributors
the voices of experience

Editor Rob Yagid

Executive Art Director Robert Goodfellow
Managing Editor Justin Fink
Design Editor Brian Pontolilo
Greg Soper (“Rolling Barn-style Doors,” pp. 52-53) Senior Editors Andy Engel
Martin Holladay
graduated from Middlebury College in 1974 with no
Associate Editors Aaron Fagan
plans for a career but with a lifelong interest in mak- Patrick McCombe
ing things. After working at a small cabinet shop for Social Media Editor Matt Higgins
two years, he and a coworker started a renovation Senior Copy/ Don Burgard
company in Belmont, Mass. After moving to North Production Editor
Yarmouth, Maine, in 1989, he hung up his nail apron Deputy Art Director Rodney Diaz
Administrative Assistant Maureen Friedman
and instead focused on building high-end cabinetry
Editors at Large Kevin Ireton
for custom home builders in the Portland area. Charles Miller
Editorial Adviser Mike Guertin
Contributing Editors Rick Arnold
Sean Groom
David Frane (“18v Recip Saws,” pp. 49-51) has
Gary M. Katz
built boats and worked as a finish carpenter, furniture Joseph Lstiburek
maker, site foreman, and millwork-shop superinten- Contributing Writer Scott Gibson
dent. In recent years, he has been an editor at tool Contributing Lincoln Barbour
Photographers Ken Gutmaker
and construction magazines. He currently writes from
Susan Teare
his home in Alamo, Calif., but he looks for any excuse Brian Vanden Brink
to escape from the office to wander the aisles of tool
Executive Editor, Books Peter Chapman
stores, use woodworking machinery, and repair things
with duct tape and baling wire. FineHomebuilding.com
Video Director Colin Russell
Web Design Director Jodie Delohery

James Glass is a general contractor from Blacks-

Fine Homebuilding: (ISSN: 1096-360X) is published
burg, Va. His work includes custom concrete coun- bimonthly, with a special 7th issue in the spring and
tertops, custom fixtures, and high-quality, energy- a special 8th issue in the fall, by The Taunton Press,
efficient renovations. James is keenly interested in Inc., Newtown, CT 06470-5506. Telephone (203)
426-8171. Periodicals postage paid at Newtown,
elegant solutions for mechanical systems that are
CT 06470 and at additional mailing offices. GST
often hastily installed, so he has developed better paid registration #123210981.
installation techniques for structured media, electri- Subscription Rates: U.S., $37.95 for one year, $65.95
cal, and plumbing systems. One such system for a for two years, $93.95 for three years. Canada, $40.95
for one year, $71.95 for two years, $102.95 for three
plumbing manifold can be found on pp. 42-43.
years (GST included, payable in U.S. funds). Outside
the U.S./Canada: $55 for one year, $98 for two years,
$141 for three years (payable in U.S. funds). Single
copy U.S., $7.99. Single copy Canada, $8.99.
During childhood, Joe Filanowski JR. (“Custom
Postmaster: Send address changes to
Curves,” pp. 44-48) began making things with wood
Fine Homebuilding, The Taunton Press, Inc.,
scraps his father produced while carving decoy 63 South Main Street, PO Box 5506, Newtown,
ducks. Years later, with training from a vocational- CT 06470-5506.
technical school in his hometown of Milford, Conn., Canada Post: Return undeliverable Canadian
he began work as a carpenter. After spending over addresses to Fine Homebuilding, c/o Worldwide
Mailers, Inc., 2835 Kew Drive, Windsor, ON N8T
a decade in the field, Joe was ready to start his own 3B7, or email to [email protected].
business, so he teamed up with one of his grammar- Printed in the USA
school friends to establish J&J Custom Builders.

write an article
Fine Homebuilding welcomes articles from our readers. We’ll ack­nowledge all
proposals and return any we can’t use, and we’ll pay for any articles we publish.
For details, check our website at FineHomebuilding.com.

10 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos: courtesy of the authors

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sales (2015 CY).
letters
READER FEEDBACK

Balloon framing reconsidered

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

In “Bringing Back Balloon-Frame Construction” (FHB

#260), Paul Biebel is quite right when he says that “con-
tinuous eave-wall studs eliminate the structural hinge
point of short upper-story stud walls, offering better
resistance against outward force of the roof rafters
above.” What he fails to mention is that part of this
resistance is attributable to the floor joists, which act as
rafter ties. The use of a ledger to carry the floor joists as
detailed is a questionable technique. I’m sure he has had
an engineer sign off on his approach, but I believe that
joists should be installed only between eave walls and that if a ledger is used,
there needs to be a robust connection between the joists and the stud walls—that
is, fasteners and hardware more substantial than just framing nails.
—STEVEN ALBERNAZ
via email

Author Paul Biebel replies: I agree with you, Steven. My preference is to run joists
perpendicular to trusses and rafters, but the owner of the home in the article
requested an open plan that required us to build the floor assembly as we did.
Perhaps these details weren’t clear in the article, but we take several steps to
reinforce the ledger attachment. We install a plywood gusset to studs at equal
intervals to connect the two walls together behind the ledger. Then we fasten the
ledger to each stud with three 41⁄ 2-in. GRK screws instead of framing nails. When
41⁄2-in.
required, we also sometimes use a hurricane tie that attaches to the plywood gus- Floor joists
GRK
are hung from Plywood gussets
screws
set and the ledger. Once the subfloor is glued and screwed down, it also contrib- an LVL ledger. connect inner
utes to the strength of the entire assembly. and outer walls.

What about the weeds? the well house, so I can’t use a

I enjoyed reading your article ground sterilizer chemical on
“Long-lasting Gravel Drive- the driveway without poison-
ways” in the June/July issue ing myself.
(FHB #260), but it totally omit- — C L AY T O N C H I N N
ted methods of preventing via email
weeds from coming up through
the base layer and growing in Author David Crosby replies:
the dirt, dust, and decaying This is a first-rate illustration
leaves that accumulate on top of of how all of our decisions in
the gravel. the built environment are con-
In my case, water runoff from nected, and kudos to you for
the driveway flows down to recognizing the importance of

12 FINE HOMEBUILDING Drawing: Christopher Mills

 Renee Jordan Publisher
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Give the Dryer Some Space

Room to
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letters CONTINUED

managing runoff and the dan- my opinion, all three principles are, however, ducted versions of
gers of herbicides. are always critical. The article minisplits that could be a solu-
Aggregate base course (ABC) totally ignores two of the three, tion for you in such an extensive
your safety by itself doesn’t work very and the recommended ventila- remodel. Such systems are far
Home building is inherently well as a growth medium, but tion strategy seems inadequate. less visually intrusive than their
dangerous. From accidents if weeds are a concern, a layer To me, the article suggests ductless counterparts.
with power tools to falls from of geotextile under the ABC speed of construction, rather
ladders, scaffolds, and roofs, helps to minimize the growth than durability, as its focus.
builders risk serious injury and of plants from the underlying —MARK LEJA
even death. We try to promote soil. If regular cleaning of dirt, via email
safe work habits through our dust, debris, leaves, and other
articles. But what is safe for Spray carefully.
accumulations from the drive- Minisplit aesthetics If you’re
one person under certain way surface is necessary, then I just read your recent article working around
circumstances may not be paving should be considered as on installing a minisplit heat surfaces to
safe for you under different an alternative. pump (FHB #258) with great be finished,
circumstances. So don’t try silicone-based
Regarding the issue of runoff interest. I have an older home lubricant isn’t
anything you learn about here and the well house, consider (1949) with an old gas wall fur- the best option.
(or elsewhere) unless you’re installing some modest reten- nace. This works fine for now,
certain that it is safe for you. tion strategies for the surface but we are planning on remod-
Please be careful. flow between the driveway and eling and expanding the house.
— R O B YA G I D the well house. Not only are The old furnace will not do Prevent failed finishes
editor herbicides dangerous in certain the job, and I find these duct- The comparison of spray
concentrations, but so are many less minisplit heat pumps to be lubricants in the June/July issue
of the other chemicals that run intriguing except for one issue: (FHB #260, p. 26) failed to point
off a driveway. They are a bit ugly to look at. out a critical flaw with silicone-
Are there any minisplit mount- based sprays. Readers should
ing options that are more visu- know that silicone-based lubri-
ally appealing? cants can easily contaminate
—DOUG LA PORTE surfaces and compromise the
San Jose, Calif. adhesion of a finish to that
surface, making finishing or
Senior editor Andy Engel replies: refinishing work a nightmare.
There is no elegant way of So spray carefully, or choose
completely concealing the head an alternative lubricant to
of a ductless minisplit without use around work that is to
impacting the manufacturer’s be finished.
installation requirements and —ERIC JOHNSEN
Deck-stair details the unit’s performance. There via email
My very first issue of Fine
Homebuilding was #81 (April/
May 1993). Since then, many Come work at Fine Homebuilding
issues have outlined methods
We’re looking for a web producer who has a talent for driving
to build exterior structures that
last. Three such methods are audience engagement and elevating a brand’s presence in
minimizing wood-to-wood multiple digital channels. Our kind of candidate has a ferocious
contact that can trap moisture, appetite for modern media and isn’t intimidated or confused by
painting or treating all six sides the current publishing landscape. We want you to be hypercol-
of wood elements, and ventilat- laborative as well as a confident leader. As a team, we want to be
ing adequately. inspired by your ideas and motivated by your ability to execute.
So I was surprised to see We need you to display strong writing, editing, and project-
the article “Stronger, Smarter management skills, along with an ability to develop digital strate-
Email your own Deck Stairs” in the April/May gies using site metrics, competitive analysis, and web trends.
letter to us at issue (FHB #258), which didn’t Go to careers.taunton.com for more information and to apply.
[email protected]. address any of these details. In

14 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo: Patrick McCombe

 A Home Deserves More than
Ordinary Shutters

THE TIMBERLANE
SHUTTER EXPERIENCE:
To contact us:
Fine Homebuilding • Expect superior quality and
workmanship.
The Taunton Press
63 South Main Street • Customize your shutters
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Newtown, CT 06470-5506 imagination.
Tel: 203-426-8171 • Receive unsurpassed
customer service to make
Send an email: every job easy, from start
[email protected] to finish.
Visit: • Get started. Timberlane
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Write to Fine Homebuilding at the address building professionals.
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Call: 800-309-8919 SERVING: Architects,
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To find answers to frequently asked questions:
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©2011 Radiantec, Inc.

subscription and receive a full and immediate

refund of the entire subscription price. No
questions asked.

Copyright 2016 by The Taunton Press, Inc. No

reproduction without permission of The Taunton
Press, Inc. PO BOX 1111, LYNDONVILLE, VT 05851 • P: 800-451-7593 • F: 802-626-8045

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 15
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tips&techniques
e d i t e d a n d i l l u s t r at e d b y c h a r l e s m i l l e r
For video tips, visit FineHomebuilding.com

Sheet-metal
locking pliers

Strike pliers to drive

Starting a staple
cable staple.

in a tough place
Insulated cable staples can
be hard to start. Or maybe it’s
because you’re trying to hold a A 1⁄4 in. between nail heads
staple and swing a hammer without and saddles ensures
a firm grip.
hitting a finger. Recently, I was wishing
for a staple holder, and then I realized
that I had one right on the job: my sheet-
metal locking pliers. I backed the heads
of the staple nails out about 1⁄4 in. and
clamped the nail heads in the jaws of the
pliers. This made it easy to straddle the
wire and start the staple.
— D o n M at h i s
Macomb, Ill.

submit a tip Drywall without the dust

Tips & Techniques is Need to drill a hole in existing drywall or to cut an
a forum for readers opening for an electrical box? Eliminate dust cleanup
to exchange informa­- Cut for alto­gether by taking a business envelope, folding a dart
Masking
electrical
tion about methods, tape in each end so that the envelope stays open, and using
box
tools, and jigs they’ve some masking tape to stick the envelope to the wall
devised. We’ll pay for Dust just ­below where you’ll be cutting (drawing left). Any
any we publish. Send drywall dust that’s generated during drilling or cutting
details to Tips, Fine falls into the open envelope.
Homebuilding, P.O. — B e r n i e Va n W o r m e r
Box 5506, Newtown, CT LaPorte, Ind.
06470-5506, email them
to us at FH@Taunton Five-chisel storage
.com, or upload them to For storing the few sharp chisels I need to carry in my
FineHomebuilding.com/ tool bag, I find that an old leather winter glove works
reader-tips. Fold envelope about 11⁄2 in. at great. It also works well for small saws or specialty cut-
the top to zero at the bottom.
ting tools.
—Connor Warneck
Royal Oak, Mich.

18 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 Wheelers Hill, Destination Living

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tips&techniques CONTINUED

Cleanup shield is
1
⁄16-in.-thick aluminum
with a 90° bend.

Razor scraper is offset to

ride against cleanup shield.

Painting doors with windows Cleaning glass without lint

Many manufacturers of wooden doors ask that the fin- To clean a window or mirror without leaving a trail
ish paint lap 1⁄16 in. onto any glass surfaces exposed to of lint behind, keep the rag moving in a smooth circu-
weather. This prevents moisture from penetrating the lar motion, not back and forth. Changing direction is
joint between glass and wood. Painters can do this all what breaks off the tiny fibers that become lint. Even
day, but not me, so I made a cleanup shield from a scrap starting and stopping creates lint. See this for yourself
of aluminum 1⁄16 in. thick. I painted generously onto the by squirting a small spot with cleaner, then scrubbing
glass and let the paint dry. Then, as shown in the draw- it back and forth with a paper towel. You’ll soon see a
ing above, I held the shield against the wood and used a little pile of lint right where you changed direction.
razor scraper to remove the excess paint, leaving a clean It doesn’t matter whether you use paper towels,
1⁄16-in. layer of paint along the glass. cloth towels, or old T-shirts. (I like to use paper tow-
—BILL HOUGHTON els and to add a single dry sheet to the wad as neces-
Sebastopol, Calif. sary.) Just keep moving in smooth circles, always in
the same direction. Forget about expensive window-
cleaning solutions; a quarter-cup of white vinegar in
a quart spray bottle full of clean water works better
Zip tie is tightened as shims are than anything I have found. To avoid streaks, clean
removed from bundle.
a small area with the damp towel, then polish it with
a dry one before the streaks have a chance to dry on
their own.
— G A RY W I L L I A M S
Campo, Calif.

Neatly bundled shims

As shown in the drawing at left, I keep shims neatly
bundled by using long zip ties. As I take out shims, I
tighten the zip tie to keep the bundle nice and snug.
—DANTE RAMARUI
Rockville, Md.

20 FINE HOMEBUILDING
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FineHomebuilding.com/prohome
© 2016 The Taunton Press
tips&techniques continued

This simple rack

can be made 2016 SPONSORS
any size and 6 in.
secured to wall
studs or braced
independently. 3
⁄4-in. plywood

2 in.

2 in.

72 in.

A simple drying rack

I recently painted a lot of moldings. Instead of stand-
ing them all over the garage, I made this simple rack
to stack them. I built the rack from pieces of 3⁄4-in. ply-
wood cut to 72 in. by 12 in. and then nailed to exposed
studs. The slots that support the stock are 2 in. wide and
6 in. deep. But you could make the rack larger to take
on bigger projects.
—Peter Belanger
12 in.
Montreal

Tip from the archives

ISSUE 180 // 2006

Magnetic broom
If you’ve ever had to pick up the nails littering the ground after tear-
ing off an old roof or to snag the bits of metal that can accumulate
on a job site, this broom is for you. As shown in the drawing, I modi-
fied a defunct push broom by affixing a 1x3 to the broom’s head. To
this 1x3, I attached 10 1-in.-dia. rare-earth magnets (leevalley.com).
These magnets are astonishingly strong; each one can lift a 30-lb.
block of steel. The mag-
1-in.-dia. rare-earth
nets fit into steel cups magnets affixed to 1x3
(also available from Lee
Valley) that are screwed
to the 1x3.
— M i k e N at h a n
Hailey, Idaho Modified push broom

www.finehomebuilding.com
tools&materials
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY PRODUCTS

STEEL SPECIALIST

I
build custom decks in Colorado. Because
of a steady decrease in lumber quality and
the devastating effects to wood caused by
the state’s dry, sunny weather, I decided to
switch to light-gauge steel deck framing
in 2009. With that change came the
challenge of cutting the 12-ga.
to 16-ga. framing material. At
first, I made cuts with abrasive
blades mounted in a worm-drive
circular saw, but this type of blade wears
down quickly. I then switched to Diablo Steel Demon
sawblades, which last longer and cut more efficiently.
Unfortunately, the flying metal chips went everywhere. In
addition to safety glasses, I had to start wearing a face shield The saw’s maximum depth of cut is 23⁄4 in., and adjustments are
and welding sleeves (for keeping the hot, sharp, metal shrapnel quick and easy to make. One downside is that this saw doesn’t have
off my arms). a bevel adjustment. A lot of people don’t think a bevel adjustment
Skilsaw has released a promising solution to cutting steel on is necessary for cutting metal, but I use the feature when cutting
the job site, and I had the opportunity to try one on several of my the ends of joists that meet the band joist at an angle other than 90°,
steel-framed decks. Dubbed the Outlaw ($169), this worm-drive such as on clipped corners of a deck.
saw comes equipped with an 81⁄4-in. Diablo Steel Demon blade and Overall, I like this saw very much. The handle is comfortable, and
a metal guard that fully encloses the upper part of the blade and all adjustments and controls are well laid out. The saw is a little
that is easy to remove and to empty (you will be surprised at how heavy (131⁄2 lb.), but it wasn’t overly tiring to use. It has good power
much debris it collects). The oversize guard somewhat obstructs and appears to be durable, having taken a 3-ft. fall from the shelf in
the view of the blade’s path, but a glass window in the guard and my tool trailer with no ill effects. Perhaps the greatest thing about
good markings on the saw’s baseplate make it easy enough to fol- this saw is that I no longer have to wear a face shield or welding
low a line. I especially like how you can easily retract the lower sleeves when I cut steel.
guard from the top handle to prevent the guard from hanging up
on thinner material. Robert Shaw, a framer and deck builder in Colorado Springs, Colo.

WRB sheathing
S
imilar to Huber’s well-known Zip System sheathing, Georgia-Pacific’s new Force
Field OSB sheathing has a waterproof overlay that works in combination with a
pressure-sensitive tape. Used together, the tape and overlay create an ASTM-approved
air and water barrier. Georgia-Pacific’s website lists 8-ft., 9-ft., and 10-ft. panels. The
company is rolling out the product first in the Southeast, closer to its manufacturing
plant in Allendale, S.C. In that region, ForceField 8-ft. panels are selling for $4.50 to $5
more per sheet than the company’s regular 7⁄16-in.-thick, 8-ft. OSB panels.

Patrick McCombe, associate editor

24 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos: courtesy of the manufacturers

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and fading. Its inorganic polymer cap and core also resist mold, mildew,
and rot. Plus AZEK Deck is now covered by an industry-best, 30-year
Fade & Stain Limited Warranty. When innovation and material science
combine with style, the result is AZEK Deck. Visit AZEK.com/deck.

Deck shown in Vintage Mahogany

tools&materials CONTINUED

Totable dust collector

I
f a wheeled dust collector isn’t quite portable enough for
you, check out the new Festool CT SYS. This ultracompact
vacuum is the same size as a medium-size Systainer, with a
smaller Systainer on top that carries the hose and accessories.
(Systainer is Festool’s system of stackable storage boxes.) You
can sling this 15-lb. vac over your shoulder with an ­attached
strap, freeing your hands for other tools. Despite its small size,
it’s not short on features, such as full HEPA filtration, high-
efficiency dust bags, and tool-triggered operation. The 67-db.
CT SYS sells for $375. A five-pack of replacement bags sells
for $20.

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 tools&materials CONTINUED

LESS-MESS
FOR OPTIMAL RESULTS, PLASTER
PREP WITH OLYMPIC®
PREMIUM DECK CLEANER. PATCH

M
BARE WOOD STAINED WOOD y standard fix for plaster
cracks is to carve out the
damage, fill the gap with
setting-type joint compound, tape it,
add topcoats of compound, and
sand. This method is effective,
CLEANED WITH JUST WATER but removing the damaged
plaster and then sanding the new
BARE WOOD STAINED WOOD
compound creates a lot of dust.
The Krack Kote patching system
from Abatron promises to be perma-
nent and completely dust free. Since
I’ve been using Abatron’s wood-
repair products for over 20 years, I
CLEANED WITH
OLYMPIC® PREMIUM DECK CLEANER
was eager to give this new product
a try.

BRING ON THE The package consists of three components: a tub of emulsion, which has the con-
sistency of thick paint; a roll of 2-in.-wide fabric; and a 5-in.-long spreader, which is
COMPETITION. really just a piece of a venetian-blind slat. I tested the system on a bunch of hairline
cracks in my house (a 1903 Queen Anne Victorian) that I’ve been meaning to get
BRING ON THE BLAZING SUN around to fixing for years.
AND DRIVING RAIN. YOU’VE GOT For cracks that are 1⁄8 in. wide or less, the only prep work is to make sure the wall
OLYMPIC® ON YOUR TEAM.
or ceiling surface is clean. After I did that, I cut the fabric strips to length. Then I
applied the emulsion with a 2-in. paintbrush, coating the plaster on both sides of the
Olympic Premium Deck crack and allowing a ridge to build up over the crack to ensure that I would know
Cleaner removes 4x more exactly where to place the fabric. Pressing the fabric into the emulsion was straight-
forward. Wiping it down was anything but.
dirt than water alone. My standard practice with drywall finishing and plaster patching is to tool the com-
pound relatively smooth, let it dry, then sponge or sand it to match the surrounding
surface. That doesn’t work here. The acrylic emulsion is not water-soluble when
dry (and thus can’t be sponged), and it just gums up the paper if you try to sand it.
My first few attempts at wiping the patch perfectly smooth were pathetic. I was
ready to blame my failure on the absurd little spreader that the manufacturer pro-
De
Deep
ee cleans decks, vided, but switching to a taping knife wasn’t any better.
fen
nc and siding
n
fences
pri o to staining
prior Nobody ever accused me of having a steady hand, but after much trial and error,
I did get better. What worked for me was to hold the spreader at a low angle; to
apply light, consistent pressure; and to wipe from one end to the other without stop-
AVAILABLE AT
A ping. I also used a rag to wipe the spreader clean between passes (as if it were a
window squeegee), and I replaced the spreader as needed.
Abatron suggests that two coats should be sufficient to achieve a satisfactory finish.
It took me three, with the third one thinned by a few drops of water. I’m sure that a
skilled painter or drywall finisher would have nailed the process in no time.
SIGN UP FOR MORE
MOR HELPFUL There are plenty of cracks left in my house, so I’ll keep practicing with this mate-
TIPS AT OLYMPIC.COM. rial. I might not use it on large-scale renovations, but it seems like a great option for
jobs where dust is a deal breaker, especially if lead paint is involved.
Olympic and Olympic & Design are registered trademarks of PPG Architectural
Finishes, Inc. Lowe’s & Gable Design is a registered trademark of LF, LLC. © 2016 PPG
Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Tom O’Brien, a restoration carpenter in New Milford, Conn.
 It’s a great day to
stain the deck.
Clean and stain on the same day even after rain

Apply down to 35° F

Mist and apply on hot sunny days

Rain-ready in 8 hours

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with Weather-Ready™ Application.
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tools&materials CONTINUED

Bridge the gap Dust-free

foam
A
s the name implies, Sashco’s Big Stretch
is more elastic than any other caulk I have
ever used. This quality makes it great for bridg-
cutting
T
ing gaps that experience seasonal movement. he CenterFire sawblade
It’s available clear and in 12 colors, and it can from Bullet Tools is specifically
be used both indoors and out. It’s easy to tool, made for cutting EPS, XPS, and polyiso
cleans up with soap and water, and remains foam insulation. Sure, you can cut foam with nearly any saw-
stable for up to 10 freeze/thaw cycles. The only blade, but the toothless, knifelike rim of the CenterFire blade
downside I’ve discovered is that it takes longer means that there’s no foam dust coating the ground or clinging
to dry than other sealants. You have to wait a to your skin and clothes. Managing editor Justin Fink tried the
minimum of four hours before doing exterior 71⁄4-in. version during a recent basement remodel and gave it
painting and from 24 to 48 hours before doing an enthusiastic thumbs-up. The 71⁄4-in. blade sells for $60, and
interior painting. the 10-in. version goes for $90.

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tools&materials CONTINUED

Quiet driver

A
s a remodeling contractor who I used this driver for hanging pretty heavy—a little over 4 lb. with
specializes in finish carpentry, cabinets and for installing dry­ a 2-Ah battery. As other manufactur­
bathrooms, and kitchens, I use wall, plywood subfloors, and con­ ers continue to reduce the size of
an impact driver every day for a wide vari­ crete tile backerboard. I threw any their tools, I think Ridgid took a
ety of tasks. About the only downside to and all of my daily remodeling tasks step in the wrong direction with
these tools is noise, so when I was ­offered at this driver, and it performed well. As this tool. It’s likely that there are
a chance to try Ridgid’s new pulse driver a run-time test, I tried to drive as many mechanical reasons why a pulse
(model R86036K; $199), which promises 51⁄4-in. GRK RSS screws as driver needs to be larger, but
to be 50% quieter than a traditional i­mpact I could before the battery this one seems heavy and
­driver, I jumped at the opportunity. was spent. With a 2-Ah cumbersome. The noise
At this point you’re probably asking, battery, I was able to reduction is noticeable and
“What’s a pulse driver?” A pulse driver drive 40 screws, or 20 appreciated, but it’s not
is similar to an impact driver, but instead screws per amp hour. enough of a bonus for me
of using a rotating hammer and anvil to For comparison, the to want to replace my cur­
create the impacting action, it uses a fluid- ­impact drivers in Fine Home- rent impact driver with a larger and
filled coupling. The big advantage is that building’s recent head-to-head test of two- heavier alternative.
it’s half as loud as a conventional impact tool cordless kits (FHB #256) drove between
driver, making it less damaging to your 20 and 31 screws per amp hour. Tyler Grace, a remodeler in Haddon
hearing and less annoy­ing to coworkers I found the driver’s grip to be comfortable Heights, N.J., and a Fine Homebuilding
and clients. in my hand, but the tool itself is bulky and brand ambassador

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tools&materials CONTINUED

HYBRID HOSE
S
enco’s new hybrid-polymer air doesn’t kink, and it lies flat with no coil Repairable ends.
hose is the best of both worlds. It memory, so it’s much less likely to trip When Senco’s
hybrid air hose
has the flexibility of rubber with- you up than a comparable PVC hose. gets damaged,
out the weight, and the lightness and Even if the hose material weren’t so you can remove
durability of PVC without the ankle- good, the ends of the hose would still be the hose end
grabbing coils. This hose is 40% lighter noteworthy. They have compression- with a pair of
wrenches and
than an all-rubber hose, and it’s flexible type fittings that attach without clamps. then reinstall
down to –40°F. By comparison, rubber With a pair of crescent wrenches or pli- it on the
hoses lose their flexibility at –20°F, and ers, you can remove the hose end, cut off undamaged
PVC hoses are almost unusable once the a damaged section of hose, and reattach section of hose.
temperature gets below freezing. A few the fittings in a few minutes.
hours in the freezer proved that the Overall, I found Senco’s new hose
new hose is almost as flexible at 0°F as (model PC1321, $36 for 50 ft.) to be
it is at 70°F. surprisingly feature-rich for something
However, it’s the nonmarring qual- as simple as an air hose. It’s a bit pricier
ity of the hose’s outermost layer, rather than some of the hoses on the market,
than its cold-weather flexibility, that but as a remodeler who does lots of fin-
impressed me most. Although I dragged ish work in higher-end homes, I’d buy
it over white base trim, no marks were this hose in a minute.
left and no touch-ups were required, an
improvement over rubber hoses. The hose Steven Smith, a remodeler in Seattle
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covered by various patents. See zipsystem.com/patents for details. This product’s Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) has been
certified by UL Environment. HUB 3305 08/16
 Structural
screw

Drywall
groove
2x cleat

1 2

Build a
Hybrid
Timber-Frame
Incorporate the beauty of structural timbers into a stick-frame house
36 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo this page: Justin Fink. Photo facing page: deborahscannellphotography.com,
courtesy of the author. Drawings: Christopher Mills.
 1 Beam in wall If a BY SAM KOERBER
beam lands in a pocket

W
below the top plate of a
Shims
wall—a common situation hen I built my first house at the
in 11⁄ 2-story frames—it’s age of 19, I wanted it to be cheap
helpful to notch the studs but interesting. My dad suggested
along that wall so that using doubled-up 2x10s for the
an inset 2x cleat can be
added for nailing the
floor joists, skinning them along the bottom edge
tongue-and-groove sub- with 1x4s to hide the seam, and capping them with
floor planks. tongue-and-groove planks. It amounted to a budget
version of a real timber-frame floor, but it worked,
2 Beam on top
3
and living in that house caused the look of exposed
plate As with other structural timbers to seep into my design psyche and
structural beams, timber
beams landing on a stud
become an essential part of my style.
wall must be supported It was only after building a few more houses with
by posts. But because this technique that I realized my doubled joists
timbers vary, it’s often weren’t much cheaper than real timbers, and that
necessary to remove mate-
although the look was OK, it still wasn’t what I
rial from the bottom of a
beam where it bears on really wanted. I had seen other builders apply solid,
the wall plate in order to nonstructural timbers to finished drywall ceilings,
keep the floor above level. but that seemed way too much work for what, to
me, wasn’t authentic.
3 Dovetailed So when the next opportunity came along, I went
mortises To avoid
visible fasteners, joists
with a hybrid approach that I still use today: a con-
connect to beams with ventional stick-built house that incorporates real
dovetailed tenons that structural timbers and traditional joinery, completed
fit into slightly oversize mostly with common carpentry tools. This repre-
mortises. Hardwood shims
are driven along each
sents an authentic and sparing taste of the timber-
cheek of the loose-fitting frame aesthetic.
tenons, drawing the
pieces together. Timbers can mix with 2xs
My usual approach is to frame one part of the main-
AdvanTech,
4 Planks complete level ceiling in timbers, and then use dimensional or
with seams taped the look A layer of engineered lumber elsewhere in the house. In order
tongue-and-groove planks
to make this work, the needs of each room must
installed over the joists
and beams mimics tradi-
be coordinated with the realities of having exposed
tional board sheathing, timbers, because you’re surrendering the drywall-
and a layer of AdvanTech covered joist bays that are used to hide mechanicals.
subfloor with Zip System Upstairs bathrooms need to be located so that waste
tape protects the installa-
lines are not visible from below. Similarly, if you
tion from the weather until
the house is dried in.

Floor
www.finehomebuilding.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBEr 2016 37
seQUenCe FOr a snUG FiT Centerline
of beams
To maximize efficiency, we cut as many joists as
possible before anything is lifted into position. To
do this, we mark beam positions on the subfloor and Snap chalklines on the floor
take measurements to create a joist cutlist. This floor to represent the centerline of
each beam, then take center-to-
breaks down into three sections, but only the two outer center measurements for each joist
sections are cut ahead of time, leaving the center joists position in the two outer sections.
to be measured once the beams are set in place.

Kerfs on a bevel.
Working with two saws—
one that bevels left and
one that bevels right—a
pair of carpenters can work
their way quickly down
the length of a beam,
establishing the shape of
each mortise.

Chisel to the lines.

Although any wide chisel
can get the job done, the
extra length of a large
timber-framing chisel
makes it the ideal tool for
removing the bulk of the
kerfed waste.

A square seat. To
ensure that the joists
bear solidly on the
bottom of each mortise
without the need for
tapered shims, check
the bottom for square
against the side of the
MOrTises FOr THe BeaMs beam.
The beams are set atop timbers that span pairs of stout sawhorses
20 in. tall, which is a comfortable working height. This allows the beams
to be rolled as necessary as mortises are roughed out on both sides.

want recessed lighting in the kitchen, it makes more sense to finish When the plans are finalized, they become your cutlist for ordering
this area with conventional drywall. the timbers from a sawyer. I typically order posts and joists one or two
You also need to think about beam and joist spans, and about feet longer than needed to allow enough room for the tenons to be
whether you want to (or can) get away without posts. In most cases, cut, and I get a couple of extra joists in case I make a mistake during
posts are necessary, and they can reinforce the timber-frame look. layout and assembly. For beams, I order only what I need, and I have
The clients for the house shown here wanted a clear-span look, so them cut to exact length if possible.
we eliminated posts by supporting the beams with a trusslike setup Although I’ve used poplar and oak in previous timber-framing
connected to the roof framing above. Whether or not posts are used, projects, my favorite wood is white pine. It’s straight, has the lowest
beams and joists should be sized by an architect or engineer. shrinkage ratio of any species, works easily with both power tools

38 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos this page and facing page: Justin Fink
Centerline
of beams

After adjusting
the center-to- After securing the
center measure- outer joists and locking
ments to account the beams into their final
for variations in width positions, measure the joists
along the beam, cut the in the center section for a
beams and outer joists, and perfect fit.
set them into place.

Square it off the

top. Working from
the center of the
joist end, measure
an equal distance
to each side, then
square down the
height of the beam
mortises. Connect
the dots to mark the
bottom of the tenon.

Up and down. Set

the circular saw to a
15° bevel and a 2-in.
depth of cut, then
make a pair of cuts
along the marked
lines—down one
side and then up the
other—to shape the
dovetailed sides of
the tenon.

Remove the waste.

After scribing a line
around the outside
of the joist, cut away
the waste to leave the
finished tenon.

TenOns FOr THe JOisTs

Depending on their position in the layout, joists bear directly on a plate or connect to a beam
with a dovetail tenon on each end, or they connect with a tenon on one end and a square cut on
the other. The top of each joist needs to sit flush and square to the beams in order to adequately
support the floor sheathing above, so the layout always references from the top face.

and hand tools, and looks beautiful when finished with either linseed dried timbers. It’s best to go into this project with an understanding
oil or stain. that no matter what you do, the timbers will be heavy, and they will
Fresh-cut, so-called green lumber is the norm in timber framing, shrink and move as they dry. That’s where technique comes into play.
but depending on the sawyer, it may be possible to pay extra to have
the wood partially kiln dried. I use the word partially because I’ve Framing for finish
found that even kiln-dried timbers still have a relatively high mois- Because this hybrid approach is essentially structural framing that
ture content. So while they may be slightly lighter in weight, and doubles as finish carpentry, you need to think like both a framer and
joints may stay a little tighter because there’s going to be a bit less a finish carpenter. The most challenging parts of the job are strategiz-
shrinkage after installation, I don’t bother paying the extra for kiln- ing, moving the material efficiently, and designing and executing the

www.finehomebuilding.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBEr 2016 39

Dress,
Sand,
and
install
To give the timbers
a hand-dressed look,
we ease all the edges,
do a rough sanding
to remove any layout
marks, and treat all cuts
with a wax sealer such
as Green Wood End
Sealer ($16, rockler
.com) before lifting
each piece into place.
A final sanding is
usually necessary but
will come after the
wood has dried to a
lower moisture content.

Remove the crown. Snap a chalkline Ease the edges. Holding it nearly flat, Rough sanding. Use a high-speed
along one side of each timber (held pull a sharp drawknife down the length sander with 40-grit paper to clean up
down 1 in. from each end) so that of each timber to ease the edges and the rough-hewn results of the drawknife
any major deviation from the 1-in. disguise imperfections. work and to remove layout marks.
benchmark can be shaved off with a
power planer (top).

installation to take into account all the other parts of the house that sander, I use a 2-in. timber-framing chisel, a wooden mallet, and a
will be built along with the floor. Because the framing will all be vis- drawknife, which is great for dressing the edges of the timbers. You
ible, you have to lay out and cut the various joints with care so that may find that a 10-in. or even 16-in. circular saw, a chain mortiser,
they result in a finished look. and a wide beam planer such as the Makita KP312 are all helpful also.
All of the timber-frame joints I use have a functional purpose. The
mortise-and-tenon joints used at post-and-beam connections keep the Big-timber logistics
post in line with the beam even as both members shrink and twist. Being efficient in how you move the timbers is crucial. It’s best to
The dovetail tenon joints for the joists and the beam allow the top of ­arrange the timber delivery when an excavator is on-site for backfill-
the beam to be flush with the top of the joists, and the shims pull it ing and grading. The excavator can pick up the bundle with a couple
tight to counteract some of the shrinkage that occurs as the pieces dry. of straps and then place it on the main floor. If the walls are up, I
I’ve developed a workflow that allows me to cut all the necessary might work on the joists outside the house and then carry them in
joints with common carpentry tools. In addition to the usual bevel-left for instal­lation. The beams are usually too heavy to carry easily, so if
and bevel-right 71⁄4-in. circular saws, power planer, and high-speed I can’t have them dropped inside, I at least have them placed so that

40 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos this page and facing page: Justin Fink
 Shims for the tenons. Untapered oak
shims draw the shoulders of the joists tight
against the beam face, locking the joists
into place.

Screws for the plates. With the drywall

groove aligned to the interior face of
the stud wall, a single structural screw
(TimberLoks were used here) driven through
the top of its end secures the joist to the
top plate below. Because the lumber is wet,
no pilot hole is needed.
Easy lifting. A wheeled material lift, available from rental
yards for about $60 a day, makes quick work of lifting the
beams and joists into position.

they lean into a doorway. This way, we can maneuver the beams into If there is a strong anchor point overhead—either part of the house
the house on rollers made from offcuts of PVC pipe and then lift frame or a temporary rig—a chain hoist also can be used.
them onto sawhorses one end at a time so that they can be worked We try to put up the timbers during a stint of dry weather, then we
more comfortably. install the tongue-and-groove planks, followed by a layer of 3⁄4-in.
For working on the timbers, I like to have four 20-in.-tall pony-style AdvanTech sheathing. If noise is a concern, we install a layer of
sawhorses. I set them up in pairs—ideally over a well-supported sec- 1⁄2-in. Homasote atop the tongue-and-groove planks and then add the

tion of the subfloor framing—and set one of the timbers across each sheathing. AdvanTech is not intended to be waterproof, but sealing
pair in order to give me a surface for stacking the rest of the pile. This the seams with Zip System tape goes a long way toward preventing
setup allows several guys to be working on the timbers at the same water from seeping through during construction. This last detail pro-
time, and it provides room to roll the timbers as necessary. tects the beams from water stains that develop from rain and snow
To raise the finished pieces on this job, I rented a material lift for that fall during construction, saving a lot of sanding in the end. □
about $60 a day. The lift is rated at 750 lb. and is the perfect tool
for lifting, maneuvering, and setting timbers from a subfloor deck. Sam Koerber is a custom builder in Asheville, N.C.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 41

Build Your Own
PEX Manifold
A homemade array of tubing and fittings
can rival brand-name water-distribution panels
BY JAMES GLASS

SIX
T
hink of a PEX manifold as the plumbing equivalent of a main electrical
panel. It’s the central distribution hub for all of the water running to your
household fixtures.
The concept is that each fixture or group of fixtures in the house has its
BENEFITS
own water supply line stemming from this central point, a configuration known as a
home-run setup. Tubing can be color-coded to indicate cold-water lines (blue) or hot- AT A
GLANCE
water lines (red) and then labeled with their destination. This allows homeowners to
quickly locate and shut off water to a certain area of the house for maintenance, for
remodeling, or in an emergency.
You can buy a brand-name PEX manifold, which comes labeled for cold-water and
hot-water lines, but these versions have some drawbacks in their design and function.
I prefer to make a pair of homemade manifolds—one hot and one cold—from off-
the-shelf parts. Not only can making your own manifold save some money and let
you use high-quality parts, but it allows you to customize the setup to suit your needs,
and to reconfigure or repair the manifold as needed.

James Glass is a general contractor in Blacksburg, Va.

BALANCED WATER PRESSURE From main

shutoff
To water
heater
Compared to a typical manifold, where REPAIRABLE
the branch lines all stem from a single The system is made
linear chamber, a custom manifold can from off-the-shelf
be fed from two directions, offering tubing, valves, and
more stable water pressure if the toilet PEX connections
is flushed, the shower is running, or the of your choosing,
washing machine is starting a rinse cycle. so it can just as
easily be repaired
with off-the-shelf
Conventional Custom components, too.
Last branch Water
From water heater If a manufactured
line in series flows into
manifold manifold fails, you
gets less have to disconnect
water if from two
directions, and replace the
other lines
demand balancing entire unit.
water first. pressure.

42 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo: Rodney Diaz. Drawings: Patrick Welsh.

 Quarter-
turn ball
valves are Branch
labeled with lines can be
destination. 1
⁄2 in. or 3⁄4 in.,
depending on
need.

QUALITY PRICE
Branded manifolds typically Branded manifolds start at around $100
have a warranty of just five and often include both cold-water and hot-
to 10 years and rely on all- water outlets in the same unit. (The cold-
Manifold is
plastic valves, which are water setup shown here cost about $100 attached to
sensitive to flux, filings, in parts.) To match the quality of a pair backerboard
with tubing
and other tiny debris that of hot-water and cold-water homemade hangers.
may be in the supply lines. manifolds, you would have to step up to a
A homemade version can model with metal components, which are
include more-durable metal usually intended for hydronic radiant-heat
ball valves. systems and cost $300 or more.

All
fittings and
connectors are
common stock
parts.

SERVICEABLE ADAPTABLE
The stub-out closest to the Branded manifolds are color-coded for a
incoming water supply can certain number of hot and cold outlets.
be outfitted with a threaded With a homemade manifold, you can
end cap, allowing the water customize the number of outlets and build
pressure of the system to the manifold to fit any space or orientation.
be checked with a water- If additional lines are needed for a remodel,
pressure gauge. the manifolds can be expanded to include
new outlets without tapping into existing
supply lines elsewhere in the house.

www.finehomebuilding.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 43

 Custom

Save time and money by bending PVC trim

with a site-made oven
BY JOE FILANOWSKI JR.

m
y business partner, John Costantini, and I have thermoforming blankets for trim that allow you to do the
been building custom homes for over 25 years, bending work on-site, but they cost over a thousand dollars—a
and timing has always been essential when it difficult expense to justify unless you plan to use the blanket reg-
comes to coordinating our numerous subcon- ularly. another downside is that the largest blanket sold is only
tractors. about eight years ago, we were working on a job that 10 ft. long and 5 in. wide. While renting might be an option,
called for exterior pVC trim with significant bends around a availability is limited, and rental costs are high. We devised our
turret. Manufacturers can bend trim by warming it in a pVC own technique for bending trim in order to meet our deadline,
thermoforming oven, but that would have required at least and it worked so well that now it’s our go-to method.
four to six weeks lead time, and we were on a tight schedule.
Custom bending is also expensive; it would have cost $2200 for Joe Filankowski Jr. is a co-owner of J&J Custom Builders
the 20 ft. of trim we needed to be shaped. there are special in Milford, Conn. Photos by Aaron Fagan.

44 FINE HOMEBUILDING
Curves
imprOV OVen

Our oven is simply a Master

torpedo heater (155,000 Btu)
aimed into lengths of 14-in.-dia.
metal HVAC duct propped up
on concrete blocks. Scrap stone
or brick can be used to keep
the duct from rolling. Inside the
duct, lengths of fiber-cement
siding are suspended by 24-in.
wire batt supports running
through the diameter at regular
intervals. A piece of plywood
at the opposite end of the duct
confines the heat.

www.finehomebuilding.com aUGUst/sEptEMBEr 2016 45

templating and prep Storyboarding.
After tracing the
contour from
An advantage of templating and bending on-site is that the where the trim will
be installed, the
contour is taken directly from where it will be installed, and plywood template
if there is any unforeseen error, you can simply modify it and is cut and then
screwed to the
try again without the added time and expense such a mistake subfloor.

would cost by going through a manufacturer.

Block party.
Predrilled 2x4
blocks are screwed
to the subfloor at
regular intervals to
match the curvature
along the edges
of the plywood
template.

46 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 Plenty of room. After the
surrounding area is cleared,
drivers are set within reach, and
2x4 blocks loaded with screws
are staged for bracing the cove
Molding mold. The original once it’s in place.
plywood template is removed,
and plywood strips that match
the height of the cove molding
to be bent are fastened to the
2x4 blocking.

Load when ready. The oven

is preheated for about five
minutes before loading the
trim. Depending on the outside
temperature, it can take 30
minutes to an hour to get
the trim up to a bendable
temperature.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 47

The big bend
The trim will remain at a pliable temperature for less than 30 seconds after it comes out of the oven,
so it’s critical to have the template staged and to have extra hands for securing the trim in place.

Learning curve. A few pokes and

lifts with a stick show if the trim
is noodlelike enough to bend. Of
the various types of PVC trim, the
more-open cellular varieties, like
the Kleer pictured here, tend to
bend the easiest.

Assembly line. The team sets the

trim on the subfloor, pushes it tight
against the form, and secures it with
regularly distributed blocks.

Rest after baking. Even though

the trim hardens in less than 30
seconds, it’s given 10 minutes to
cool thoroughly in the form before
being removed for installation.

48 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 Tool Test

18v Recip
Saws
These tools combine corded performance with cordless convenience

By David Frane

T
he advantages of cordless­
reciprocating saws are obvi-
ous. Cordless saws allow you
to make cuts with less setup,
and they free you from the weight
and hassle of exten­sion cords. It’s been
a while since I bought a new cordless
­recip saw, so I was eager to test eight of
the most popular 18v Li-ion models.
Although some of the saws I tested
are available in kits that include a bat-
tery and a charger, many are sold only
as bare tools. For the sake of testing, I
asked each manufacturer to provide
the highest amp-hour battery it cur-
rently offers. Before each test, I put fully
charged batteries and new blades into
the tools: Lenox Gold Power Arc blades
for wood and Diablo Steel Demon
carbide-tipped blades for metal.

Top picks
The Milwaukee saw is my choice for
best overall. It’s comfortable to use, cuts
faster, and has a longer run-time than
every other model. The Ridgid is nearly
as comfortable and came in a close sec-
ond in cutting speed. At about $60 less
than the Milwaukee (bare tool), it’s an
easy pick for best value.

David Frane is a carpenter and

freelance writer in Alamo, Calif.
Photos by the author.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 49

 BEST BEST
OVERALL VALUE

MILWAUKEE M18 FUEL RIDGID GEN5X R8642

SAWZALL 2720 $119 (bare tool); $499 for a five-tool combo kit with two
$179 (bare tool); $299 with one 4.0-Ah battery and a charger; 4.0-Ah batteries and a charger; $119 for a 5.0-Ah battery
$129 for one 5.0-Ah battery
The Gen5X recip saw was surprisingly fast, cutting 2x12s and
This saw cuts about as fast as corded models and faster than black pipe faster than all but the Milwaukee. The run-time was
the other tools tested—in most cases, by a significant margin. average, but the saw cut smoothly and with minimal vibration.
The only tool with a brushless motor, this saw made more Features include a ring-style blade clamp, an adjustable shoe,
cuts per charge with a 5.0-Ah battery than saws equipped and an LED activated by the trigger or a separate switch
with higher-rated batteries, and it made more cuts per amp below. It’s the only model with two cutting modes: straight
hour than any other saw tested. Features include an LED and orbital. I wouldn’t let this sway my decision; orbital action
light and a handy folding rafter hook. The blade clamp and greatly increases vibration. Most companies dropped this
adjustable shoe are both controlled by levers. The only bad feature long ago, when wood-cutting blades designed to
thing I can say about this saw is that it’s the heaviest tool in mimic orbital action rendered it unnecessary. This is a very nice
the test (9.1 lb.). It’s available as a bare tool and in a kit with saw; perhaps the only downside is the limited number of tools
one or two 4.0-Ah batteries. in Ridgid’s cordless system.

SPECS VS. REAL -WORLD PERFOMANCE

Most saws have a 11⁄8-in. SPEED TEST Douglas-fir 2x12 and RUN-TIME TEST every five cuts. Because
stroke and produce With the material in 3⁄4-in. black pipe to To determine run-time batteries vary, I divided
around 3000 strokes mounted in a sturdy test cutting speed. for each saw, I used the the number of cuts by
per minute, so their stand and a weight After throwing out the same test rig to make as the respective battery’s
performance should be hung from the front of two fastest and the many cuts in a Douglas- amp-hour rating. All
nearly equal. Yet testing each saw (10 lb. for two slowest times, I fir 2x12 as possible. To of these saws are 18v
reveals that their cutting metal; 20 lb. for wood), averaged the remaining prevent overheating, I except for the Hilti,
speeds vary greatly. I made 12 cuts in a eight times. switched blades after which is 21.6v.

SPEED TEST (in seconds) RUN -TIME TEST

Manufacturer
2x12 ¾ -in. Total Ah of Cuts
Douglas fir black pipe cuts battery per Ah

Bosch CRS180 12.8 8.6 29 6 4.8

DeWalt DCS380 11.9 7.5 27 5 5.4

Hilti WSR 18-A 14.4 17.2 36 5.2 6.9

Hitachi CR18DGLP4 15.7 10.3 13 3 4.3

Makita XRJ03 14.5 9.6 18 5 3.6

Metabo ASE 18 LTX 13.4 12.4 28 5.5 5.1

Milwaukee M18 Fuel 2720 8.8 5.3 38 5 7.6

Ridgid Gen5X R8642 10.4 6.7 27 5 5.4

50 FINe HOMeBuILDING
BOSCH CRS180 D EWALT
DCS380

$119 (bare tool); $177 with one 4.0-Ah

battery and a charger; $129 for one 6.0-Ah battery $119 (bare tool); $259 with one 3.0-Ah battery and a charger
Lighter than average, this saw has good power but vibrates The best thing about this saw is how little it weighs (6.6 lb.).
during heavy cutting. The housing tapers heavily in front and The worst thing is that it vibrates at all speeds. The saw is fine
is easy to grip, and a lever above the handle locks the trigger for intermittent use, but it’s uncomfortable for long bouts of
and selects either high or low speed. The blade clamp is better heavy cutting. Features include a shoe that adjusts with the
than average; spent blades are ejected with the twist of a ring, push of a button, a lever-activated blade clamp, and a unique
and the clamp remains open until a new blade is inserted. The four-way blade holder that allows you to install blades with
saw is available in combo kits, as a one-battery (4.0 Ah) kit in a the teeth facing up, down, left, or right. The saw is available in
bag, or as a bare tool with or without a carrying case. combo kits, as a bare tool, and in a kit with a 3.0-Ah battery.

HILTI WSR 18-A HITACHI

CR18DGLP4

$89 (bare tool); $97 for two 3.0-Ah batteries;

$209 (bare tool); $489 with two 5.2-Ah batteries and a charger $97 for one 5.0-Ah battery; $39 for charger
Hilti’s battery packs contain two extra cells, boosting their This saw was tested with 3.0-Ah batteries because the anticip-
power to 21.6v. Despite its higher voltage batteries, this tool ated 5.0-Ah packs were not yet available. Smaller and lighter
is a slower-than-average cutter and tends to vibrate during than most other saws, the Hitachi is pleasant to handle because
heavy cutting. It has an AVR (Active Vibration Reduction) shoe it vibrates less than expected for a tool of its weight. However,
that allows it to flex in and out while the saw is cutting. I it cuts about half as fast as the Milwaukee and employs an
found that it actually increased vibration to the point where aggravating safety switch that requires you to hit a button
the saw was unpleasant to use, especially for cutting metal. before every cut. I much prefer the sliding on/off lock found
The tool is available bare and in a two-battery kit. on most other saws. The Hitachi is sold as a bare tool only.

MAKITA XRJ03 METABO ASE

18 LTX

$210 (bare tool); $95 for one 5.5-Ah battery;

$119 (bare tool); $129 for one 5.0-Ah battery; $99 for charger $169 for one 6.2-Ah battery; $57 for charger
The Makita’s shoe adjusts with the push of a button, and the Sold as a bare tool only, the Metabo is the second-heaviest
saw has a superior blade clamp that ejects hot blades and saw tested. It cuts smoothly and with little vibration. Features
remains open until a fresh blade is loaded. Weight and cutting include a lever-activated clamp and an adjustable shoe that
speed are about average. Run-time per amp hour is the lowest requires a hex wrench, which stores in the handle. The biggest
of the saws tested, though this could be offset by Makita’s downside is the automatic safety on the trigger, which requires
charging time (45 min. for a 5-Ah pack). The tool cuts smoothly you to shift your grip to hit the button before every cut. Cutting
and is comfortable to use. The XRJ03 is Makita’s lightest full- speed is about average in wood and slower than average in
size recip saw and is available as a bare tool and in combo kits. metal. Run-time is about average.

www.finehomebuilding.com AuGuST/SePTeMBeR 2016 51

 Rolling
Simple joinery supports

By Greg Soper

O
n a recent job
where I was build-
ing and installing
new kitchen cabi-
nets, the homeowners asked if
I also could design and build
doors for their walk-in pantry.
They wanted to incorporate a
barn-style window into each
door, but the rest was left up to
me. I ­decided to use divided-lite
pine cellar-window sashes ($50,
brosco.com) set into shopmade
poplar door frames. The frames
would be skinned with poplar
boards designed to look like
a clean version of traditional
tongue-and-groove planks. Fin-
ished off with a custom shade
of green paint and hung on
industrial-inspired barn-door
hardware (rusticahardware
.com), the finished product cre-
ates a visual pop against the
other wood tones and surfaces
of the kitchen.

Greg Soper owns North

Yarmouth Woodworks in
North Yarmouth, Maine.

52 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos: Steve Fuller. Drawings: Don Mannes.

Barn-style Doors
inexpensive windows to yield jaw-dropping interior doors

Wide upper rail provides

backing for hardware.
Locating the window 131⁄8 in.
After cutting all the pieces
and temporarily clamping the
door together, lay the window 191⁄2 in.
atop the door, and trace its
position. Make the cutout
3
⁄4 in. inside of these traced
851⁄2 in.
lines, then rabbet the edges
to receive the sash.

Four-lite
1
square
1 ⁄2 in. Sash cellar sash

9
⁄16 in.
3
⁄4 in.

211⁄4 in.
Planks
3
fastened ⁄4-in. by 9⁄16-in.
to frame rabbet for sash
from
backside 1x2
with frame
Plank Frame screws stiles Guiding the door
rail
To keep the hanging door
Splines
dry-fit into from swinging, apply the
Spacing the planks grooves cut planks over the rabbeted
Cut dadoes 1⁄4 in. wide and into plank frame to create a groove for
about 3⁄8 in. deep into the edges the floor-mounted stabilizer.
sides of each plank. Fill them Frame
with 7⁄8-in.-wide dry-fit splines Plank stile
to space the planks apart
about 1⁄8 in.

Groove
Frame rail
for floor-
mounted
stabilizer

Rabbet in
bottom of
frame creates
groove for
floor-mounted
stabilizer.
Plank Spline

1x7 planks

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 53

Caulk
This Sealant

Way Bond-breaker tape

Joint design and ­prep

may matter even
more than choosing Line tight joints with
bond-breaker tape.
the right product

By Andy Engel Corner joints

A
fter researching and writing this article,
I had an epiphany: In 35 years of doing
and writing about residential con-
struction, I have never seen a caulk
joint executed properly. Most residential caulk
joints I’ve seen have failed or are likely to. Build- Sealant
ers, including myself, barely know which caulk
or sealant to use where, and hardly anyone in
residential construction knows how to execute
a proper joint by considering crack width and
depth and the use of backer rod or bond-breaker
tape. There is a lot to know. Backer rod
The first thing to know is that building compo-
nents move. Builders don’t like to acknowledge
this. That may be because it feels like a reflection
on their work, or because it introduces complexi-
ties in material choices and procedures they’d Best practice is
rather avoid, or just because it never ­occurred to leave a gap
to them. Movement happens mostly because of between the
substrates for
changes in temperature and humidity. We see backer rod.
the results in gaps between materials. In some
­instances, such as with interior trim, this is only
an aesthetic issue. But in other cases—the corners
of a shower, the gaps around a window, expan­
sion joints in concrete—such spaces can lead to

54 FINE HOMEBUILDING Drawings: Christopher Mills

 Designing Joints
According to Sika, a major sealant
Use bond-breaker manufacturer, proper joint design and
tape to avoid preparation eliminates 95% of callbacks
third-surface Bond-breaker tape
for sealant failure. ASTM C920 covers
adhesion in
shallow joints. joint design, including the required sealant
depth where it meets the substrate, which
depends on both the width of the joint
and whether the surface is porous or not.
Porous surfaces are found on materials such
as concrete, masonry, fiber-cement siding,
and raw wood. Examples of nonporous
surfaces include aluminum, steel, glass, tile,
painted wood, and plastics. There are three
golden rules of sealant joints: They must be
at least 1⁄4 in. wide, surfaces must be clean,
Sealant and the sealant must adhere only to two
surfaces. Bond-breaker tape and backer
rod are used to prevent the sealant from
adhering to the back of the joint.

Width-to-depth ratios
Joint width Sealant depth
Porous substrates

1⁄4
Equal to
in. to 1⁄ 2 in.
the joint width

Flat joints 1⁄ 2 in. to 1 in. Half the joint width

Nonporous substrates
1⁄4 in. to 1⁄ 2 in. 1⁄4 in.

1⁄ 2
Half the joint width,
in. to 1 in.
maximum 3⁄ 8 in.

Sealant

Hourglass
shape

Backer rod

Control your sealant

While backer rod is readily available
When a joint from home centers and hardware stores,
is deep, use
backer rod.
bond-breaker tape is easier to find online.
crlaurence.com
nationalsealantproducts.com
sealantengineering.com

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 55

seAlAnt ACrYliC/lAteX
Often the least expensive
BUtYl/rUBBer
The original modern sealant,
polYether/siliCone
So-called STPE (silyl-terminated
properties choice, these water-based
caulks cure by evaporation.
butyl dates from the 1920s. It
cures through the evaporation
polyether) sealants are similar
to and sometimes superior to
No sealant does everything Consequently, they can shrink of organic solvents, shrinking a polyurethanes. Relatively new
well. The trick is choosing by a quarter to a third of their quarter to a third in the process. to the U.S. market, STPEs have
the sealant that meets the volume before they’re fully Butyl is sticky and can be harder been used in Japan for decades.
requirements of the job and cured. They hold paint well and to tool than other sealants, Based on polypropylene glycol,
works for the conditions at usually can be painted within but it can be used in freezing they cure by reacting with water.
hand. The properties discussed four hours. Most aren’t as weather. Best used outdoors The cure rate is much faster
here are general, and some flexible as many other sealants, because of its odor before than that of polyurethanes, and
specific products within the but they’re a good choice for curing, butyl is less common in STPEs can be painted sooner.
category may perform better filling small gaps between residential construction than They can be used on damp
or worse than what’s typical. interior-trim pieces. other sealants. surfaces and in below-freezing
temperatures, making them a
good choice for outdoor use.

tYpe oF seAlAnt Acrylic/latex Butyl/rubber hybrid polyether/silicone (stpe)

WORKIng TEMPERATURE 40°F to 120°F 20°F to 100°F 0°F to 120°F

CURIng METHOd Water evaporation Solvent evaporation Reaction with water

TIME BEFORE PAInTIng 2 to 4 hours 7 to 14 days 1 to 2 hours

25% to 50% typical,

MOVEMEnT RAngE 12.5% to 25% 12.5% to 25%
up to +100%/–50%

Aluminum, concrete, Aluminum, concrete, Aluminum, concrete,

BEST FOR fiber cement, masonry, fiber cement, masonry, fiber cement, many plastics,
vinyl, wood steel, vinyl, wood masonry, steel, vinyl, wood

AVOId Steel N/A N/A

serious effects by allowing unwanted air or water to enter. The solu- at joints to allow for movement and caulking. Good caulking is good
tion isn’t necessarily to make tighter joints, but rather to design the workmanship, but maybe because caulking a joint feels like punting
joints for the realities of the environment and the material, and then on quality—something done when a person lacks the skill or care
to install a good sealant properly. to fit materials tightly—it gets short shrift. It’s often not even clear
I’m not arguing against good workmanship. The best caulk ever whose job it is. The painter’s? The carpenter’s?
made still can’t make a badly executed interior-trim joint look good, In commercial and institutional construction, caulk joints are
for example. But good workmanship sometimes means leaving a gap expected to last for 10 to 20 years. In fact, the materials aren’t even
that’s sized to allow a proper caulk joint. Many materials move so called caulks, but rather sealants. Joint design and sealant choice are
much with changes in temperature and humidity that no joint will handled by the designer (based on asTM C1193), and the work is
stay tight, and so a flexible sealant is exactly the ticket. In fact, the done by a specialty contractor. Mock-ups of building assemblies are
manufacturers of building materials such as pVC trim, fiber-cement made on-site so that the specified sealants can be tested for effective-
or wood-composite sidings, and vinyl windows actually specify gaps ness with samples of the materials that will be used.

56 FINE HOMEBUILDING
polYUrethAne polYUrethAne/siliCone siliCone
Although urethane cures by These SPUR (silyl-terminated Early versions of silicone caulk
reacting with moisture, it polyurethane) hybrids have had a so-called acid cure and There’s usually
shouldn’t be applied to wet characteristics similar to STPEs. released a vinegar smell. Modern
surfaces or when rain is in the Like STPEs, SPURs rely on silicone cures by reacting with no downside
immediate forecast. An excess groups of a long-chain polymer moisture and gives off very
amount of water can cause (in this case, polyurethane) for little odor. Silicone bonds at a to using a more
a reaction that releases an the backbone of the sealant, molecular level with glass, making
undesirable amount of CO², and groups of a second polymer it a good choice for frameless elastic caulk
which can cause the sealant (silyl or silane) for the ends. The shower doors and tile. It doesn’t
to froth and compromise its long-chain polymer provides take paint, and not even silicone except that it will
ultimate strength. Although hard both elasticity and cohesive sticks to where silicone has been
to tool, polyurethane sealants strength, while the silyl endcaps used before, so recaulking usually
cost a little more.
are paintable, long lasting, and
abrasion resistant.
provide adhesion. requires mechanically removing
some of the previous substrate.
given the small
amount of caulks
polyurethane hybrid polyurethane/silicone (spUr) silicone and sealants
32°F to 100°F 41°F to 104°F 20°F to 120°F most projects
Reaction with water Reaction with water Reaction with water
require, spending
Up to 7 days 1 to 2 hours Never
a few bucks more
25% to 50% typical, 25% to 50% typical, 25% to 50% typical,
up to +100%/–50% up to +100%/–50% up to +100%/–50% on higher-quality
Concrete, masonry, metal,
Aluminum, concrete, Aluminum, ceramic, products makes
fiber cement, many plastics, enamel, glass, nonporous
stone, vinyl, wood
masonry, steel, vinyl, wood surfaces, plastics good sense.
N/A N/A Concrete and masonry, steel

Meanwhile, many of us in residential construction don’t even know tance, durability, paintability, and workability. also, chemicals from a
which of dozens of products to use. The marketing doesn’t help; the caulk or sealant might stain some surfaces, such as marble.
caulk and sealant aisle is as confusing as a Marrakesh bazaar. Knowl-
edge is the only defense. Caulks and sealants fall into just a handful of Understanding performance criteria
categories, and all of them are gauged by asTM C920. asTM C920 provides a uniform platform for comparing sealants and
Caulks and sealants are meant to keep out air and water over the is often specified on construction documents for commercial build-
long term. To do these things, a product must balance elasticity, ings. some products provide C920 data on the tube, while for others,
strength (cohesion), and adhesion—that is, it must stretch in response you have to go to the manufacturer’s website. C920 incorporates 10
to material shrinkage without tearing or detaching from its substrate. tests and multiple classifications, but the most important consider-
It must compress when the material around it expands, and return ation is elasticity. Class 12.5 sealants can stretch and compress 12.5%,
to its original shape when the material contracts. Other important whereas Class 50 sealants can stretch and compress 50%. There are
characteristics to consider when choosing a product include UV resis- even Class 100/50 sealants that stretch 100% and compress 50%. This,

www.finehomebuilding.com aUGUsT/sEpTEMBEr 2016 57

Polyurethane safety by the way, is a loose way to distinguish between the terms caulk and
sealant. Your local hardware store or home center sells products
Although health problems are more common among spray- labeled both ways, but caulks are less flexible than sealants and may
foam installers and other workers with high exposures, any- have an elasticity factor of less than the 12.5% minimum required to
one using a urethane-based product may be at risk. Isocya- meet C920.
nates, the building blocks of all urethanes, are the reason. For most exterior uses, Class 25 sealants are sufficient, while for
Isocyanates are chemicals that polymerize by binding with interior use, Class 12.5 might do. Not all caulks comply with C920,
OH molecule groups such as are found in water and many but one that doesn’t might still perform just fine in filling trim joints
organic solvents. depending on other components, this poly- so that paint will look good. With interior trim, the most important
merization forms a variety of useful end products such as attributes are fast drying times, ease of application, and paintability.
paints, wood finishes, glues, insulating foams, and sealants. still, there’s usually no downside to using a more elastic caulk except
According to Christopher Weis of the national Institute of that it costs a little more. But given the small amount of caulks and
Environmental Health Sciences, “Contact with uncured isocy- sealants most projects require, spending a few bucks more on higher-
anates by breathing or through the skin can sensitize work- quality products makes good sense.
ers or family members. Once someone is sensitized, future some caulks or sealants claim to “meet the performance standards
exposures can cause severe asthma and skin problems.” of asTM C920.” That’s not the same as complying with asTM
Asthma isn’t just an inconvenience. People have C920, but it may not mean that the caulk is inferior. Often, such
died from isocyanate-induced asthma attacks. caulks are solvent based and shrink more during their cure than the
But the news isn’t all bad. The California depart- standard allows. It’s more important to know the elasticity.
ment of Public Health says, “Fully-cured polyure- One type of sealant not intended to keep out air and water or to
thanes are non-toxic, unless they are heated. make trim joints look good is acoustical sealant. Its purpose is to
Polyurethane materials give off isocyanates keep out sound, although it’s often used in energy-efficiency applica-
and other toxic substances when they are tions such as sealing wall plates to subfloors and plastic vapor barri-
burned or abraded.” ers to crawlspace foundations. acoustical sealant never hardens, so
Be cautious with any polyurethane product. it accommodates movement well. It remains sticky and is only used
While activities such as spray-foam applica- where it’s unlikely to be encountered once construction is complete.
tion call for a Tyvek suit, rubber gloves, and
a full-face supplied-air respirator, nIOSH joint size and backer rod
standards allow a regular organic-vapor For a sealant to stretch and rebound and to remain adhered to the
cartridge-type respirator to be used for oper- substrate, there must be enough of it in place. In general, sealants
ations of a short duration. good ventilation require a gap of at least 1⁄4 in. In fact, asTM C1193, the standard that
is also recommended, as is avoiding skin con- governs sealant-joint design, states, “Under no circumstances should a
tact by wearing nitrile or neoprene gloves. liquid applied sealant [a technical term that includes caulks in a tube]
be applied in a joint opening that is less than 6mm (0.25 in.) wide.”
The standard is concerned with joints that must be weathertight, so
this doesn’t apply to caulked joints along interior trim, for example.
The same standard also provides depth-to-width ratios for sealant
application, which are crucial to a durable joint.
sealants are also meant to adhere to two substrates, stretching and
compressing as they move. If you introduce a third surface, such as
the material underlying the two substrates, adhesion to that third sur-
face can interfere with the sealant’s ability to stretch, and it may crack
or detach from the surrounding materials.
Clearly, it’s important to manage the depth of the sealant applica-
tion. That’s where backer rod and bond-breaker tape come in. Backer
rod is made from open-cell or closed-cell foam and is available in
diameters from 1⁄4 in. to 6 in. Curiously, it’s often stocked alongside
weatherstripping products rather than caulks. Backer rod should be
sized so that it’s 30% to 50% wider than the joint. It pressure-fits into
the joint to create a space based on what’s required to achieve the cor-
rect sealant depth. It’s also available in triangular shapes for corner
joints where there is no space between the two substrates. Backer rod
Stay is very flexible, and sealants don’t tend to stick to it, so it doesn’t create
safe. Use third-surface adhesion problems. With proper tooling of the face of
a respirator
and plastic
the sealant using a plastic spoon, popsicle stick, or your finger, backer
gloves to minimize rod helps to form the sealant into an hourglass shape that optimizes
isocyanate exposure. both the elastic and the adhesive qualities of sealants.

58 FINE HOMEBUILDING
Add paint to the caulk tube. Measure Add activator to the tube and shake. The Caulk neatly. After allowing 30 minutes
out the specified amount of paint with the activator causes the caulk, which is very for the activator to thicken the caulk to a
supplied syringe, then cap and shake. liquid until now, to thicken. normal consistency, fill the joint.

Color-matched caulks
Responding to the increasing ucts are p­ urchased from the triple espresso, and caulk away. cients of expansion. In some
popularity of factory-painted siding ­supplier. You can even match faded paint cases, although you can easily
siding and trim, some manu­ Two companies, Red Devil by taking a sample to a paint find a sealant that will handle
facturers of caulks and sealants and Sashco, offer tintable store and requesting a small the movement, no paint is that
make products in hundreds of caulks. Simply add the s­ pecified quantity of color-matched paint. flexible. The paint will crack
colors to match the palettes amount of the paint you’re Color-matched sealants can and reveal the caulk below. By
offered by siding manufactur- matching to the special caulk be a boon when you’re caulk- using a color-matched sealant,
ers. In most cases, these prod- tube, shake it like Elvis after a ing materials with high coeffi­ the problem goes away.

Although backer rod made of closed-cell foam has few drawbacks windows), and aluminum trim or window cladding need a dusting
and is the type commonly found in retail outlets, backer rod made (microfiber cloth does a great job) and should then be wiped down
of open-cell foam can be helpful with moisture-cure sealants such as with a solvent such as MEK, acetone, or mineral spirits. Test the sol-
STPE, polyurethane, and silicone. In dry climates, or in cases when vent on a small area to be sure it doesn’t damage the substrate. Wipe
you want a faster cure, open-cell backer rod may allow moisture to the surface with a solvent-saturated rag, then follow up with a clean,
reach the back side of the sealant to accelerate a full cure. It’s also dry rag before the solvent evaporates. Change the rags frequently. Old
more malleable than closed-cell backer rod, making it a better choice caulk joints, masonry, and concrete might require scraping, grinding,
for irregular joints. That said, ASTM C920 advocates caution when wire brushing, and a blast of compressed air. Leave no loose material.
using the open-cell product in horizontal applications because it can Silicone leaves a residue that not even silicone will stick to. Mechan-
wick and retain water. ical cleaning such as sanding or wire brushing is usually required,
Bond-breaker tape is harder to find than backer rod; I could only ­although Sashco’s Charis Babcock reports success in removing sili-
buy it online. In joints too shallow to accommodate backer rod, bond- cone with McKanica Silicone Caulk Remover (mckanica.com).
breaker tape applied to the rear or bottom substrate prevents three- Site conditions matter as much as prep. Many sealants specify a
sided adhesion. Inside corners are another application, and 1⁄4-in. minimum application temperature of 40°F. There are several reasons
bond-breaker tape allows very shallow fillets of sealant. for this, but perhaps the most important is simply that the surface-
wetting characteristics of most substances decrease at colder tem-
Surface prep is crucial peratures. Simply put, most sealants don’t stick well to cold surfaces.
It doesn’t matter which caulk or sealant you use or how much money Additionally, many sealants don’t flow well from the tube when
you spend on it; if you apply it to a dirty, loose, wet, or contaminated they’re cold, and inconsistent application can create voids that weaken
surface, it won’t adhere. For example, any building material that the bond. Finally, cold temperatures can slow curing, exposing the
spent time in a lumberyard warehouse is likely to be contaminated soft sealant joint to damage. That said, there are some sealants whose
with oily soot from diesel trucks and forklifts. The prep varies with manufacturers allow application in cold or wet conditions, but no one
the surface. Wood should be fresh and clean. A light sanding fol- claims these conditions are optimal. If possible, wait for a nice day. □
lowed by vacuuming or blowing off the dust with compressed air
should be sufficient. Painted wood, plastic (such as PVC trim or vinyl Andy Engel is a senior editor. Photos by Rodney Diaz.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 59

Balanced
Balusters
Simple calculations make for a much more
accurate spacing method

by Michael Maines

T
here are countless methods people swear by for laying out balusters.
Many of them take a great deal of time and, in the end, are not very
precise. I use a method that gives me a precise layout on the first try,
on both simple and complicated railing designs.
The symmetrical balustrade pictured here was designed by the architecture
firm Albert, Righter & Tittmann and built by Fine Lines Construction. A proj-
ect of this scope illustrates the importance of being able to accurately determine
the spacing and number of balusters.

Michael Maines (michaelmaines.com) is a residential designer and former

carpenter in Palermo, Maine.

basic baluster equation: A ÷ (A ÷ B) = C

By adding the width of a baluster or group of balusters to the length between newels, this simple equation
calculates the number of balusters or groups and the centerline measurement needed for your layout.

SINGLE The length between newels plus the width of one baluster is A. B is the width of one baluster added to
a code-compliant baluster space. Divide A by B. Round the quotient up if the baluster space is equal to the code
maximum; you can round the quotient up or down if the space is less than the code maximum. The rounded
quotient is the number of balusters needed, including the phantom one. Now divide A by the rounded
quotient to calculate C, the centerline spacing used for layout. Note that the first centerline will be
less one-half the width of a baluster. Example: 50 ÷ (50 ÷ 6 = 8.3 [rounded up to 9] ) = 5.5.

4 in. 2 in.

(B) 6 in.
(C) 51⁄2 in. 51⁄2 in. 41⁄2 in. Phantom baluster
48 in.
2 in.
(A) 50 in.

60 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo: courtesy of Fine Lines Construction. Drawings: Christopher Mills.
 coDe note
the largest space
allowed between
balusters is usually
4 in. on level rails
and 4-3⁄8 in. on stairs.
For turned newels
and balusters,
measure the
widest space.

CLOSED STRINGER Perhaps counterintuitively,

a
a closed-stringer stair is calculated as if it
b
had a level balustrade. There is no
special equation for an open-
stringer stair as in the photo
b above, where code and
the width of the tread
drive the baluster
position.

baluster group

GROUPED The same math works for grouped balusters, but B is the
width of the group added to a code-compliant space. The first layout
mark is the centerline dimension less one-half the width of the group.
a

www.finehomebuilding.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 61

 This practical and healthy home
­confronts the challenges of location,
­extreme weather, climate change,
and the looming clean-water crisis
with noteworthy simplicity
BY BRIAN PONTOLILO

A
ccording to the National Centers for Environmental I­ nformation,
2015 was the warmest year since 1880, the year when global­
temperatures began to be recorded. But climate change is
fickle, and during the winter of 2015, many in the northeastern
United States were muttering the new cliche, “So much for global warm-
ing!” Instead of experiencing the warm winter much of the western United
States was having, the northeastern states were bundling up against the polar
vortex, the extremely cold pocket of air that typically hovers above the Arctic
but occa­sionally reaches deeper into North America.
That winter, Margate, N.J., had its third-coldest February since 1895. ­Frigid
temperatures caused Kirsten and Joe Levin’s heat pump to fail. “I don’t
remem­ber how long it was before we realized the heat wasn’t working,” says
Kirsten, “but it took a while.” Once they figured out that the temperature
in their new house had dropped a few degrees, Kirsten plugged in a pair of
small electric space heaters that she had used to help heat the uninsulated
cottage that formerly occupied the property. “We were fine,” she says. “It’s
amazing how well the new house holds heat.”
It’s said that a certified Passive House can be heated with a couple of hair
dryers, but Kirsten and Joe’s home is not a Passive House. It is certified by the
New Jersey Climate Choice Home program, which means that it meets New
Jersey Energy Star requirements. But for the team at ZeroEnergy ­Design
(ZED) responsible for designing it, such certifications are a means to financial
incentives—namely, rebates—not a goal in and of themselves or necessarily
a performance standard.
Architect Stephanie Horowitz, engineer Jordan Goldman, and business-
development director Adam Prince started ZED with a simple commitment:
to design houses and other buildings that use 50% less energy than those built
to code. Yet Kirsten and Joe’s home has much more to offer than a tight,
well-insulated envelope: It fits well into its eclectic neighborhood, it is sited
to maximize opportunities for light and outdoor space, it conserves water, it
is designed and built to stand up to coastal storms and flooding, it has finish
materials and mechanical systems that support its owners’ physical health,

Better Than
62 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 A perfect fit
Surrounded by a variety
of mostly traditional home
styles, this barn-inspired

Average
exterior blends right in.
The front porch splits the
elevation and softens the
transition from grade to
the raised first floor. A
wood trellis wraps the
house to shade both the
front porch and the south-
facing first-floor windows.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 63

 A clean kitchen
The kitchen appliances are energy
and water efficient. The range hood
and no-VOC, easy-to-clean surfaces
Cooktop and oven Dishwasher Refrigerator keep indoor-air quality high. The
Thermador 30-in. Thermador 24-in. Thermador 30-in. custom modern style is sparse and crisp, and
Masterpiece Series panel-ready Topaz two-door with bottom freezer the European tilt/turn windows let in
Range hood Kitchen lighting Kitchen counters ample light and the ocean breeze.
Best Eclisse with recirculation kit LED track lighting Stainless steel

and it has a floor plan that supports the fam- 2009-2010. Outdated as it is, this data indi- At Jordan’s recommendation, Kirsten
ily’s lifestyle. cates that residential buildings contribute and Joe installed a 5kw PV system on their
With four bedrooms and three baths in around 20% of total U.S. greenhouse-gas home, which qualified them for a state
2600 sq. ft., this home is similar to the average emissions. This includes fossil fuels used on- ­rebate. ­Between conservation measures and
new American home described by the U.S. site (e.g., natural gas for cooking and heat- renew­ables, this home is using about 73% less
Census Bureau and the National Association ing) as well as electricity. energy than the average code-built home.
of Home Builders. A look at the construction Speaking about the work of ZED, Stepha- That puts net-zero energy easily within reach
methods used to build this house shows that nie is quick to proclaim, “Energy motivates should Kirsten and Joe decide at any point to
it is within reach of most experienced build- us!” She and Jordan describe their approach make an additional investment in PV.
ers. But it is hardly average. to energy efficiency as a three-step process.
First, design and build the house to conserve Durability is in the details
A house within reach as much energy as possible. The building On the day of a full moon in October 2012,
American houses consumed about 18,946 envelope—foundation, floors, walls, and Superstorm Sandy struck the New Jersey
trillion Btus of energy in 2015, making them roof—is the main focus here. Second, design shore. Nearly 350,000 homes were damaged
the third-largest user, following industry and and install the most-efficient mechanical or destroyed by the severe wind and by the
transportation, according to the U.S. Energy systems needed to heat and cool the house state’s second-highest recorded floods. In
Information Administration. and to maintain fresh and healthy indoor-air Margate, an island town within the bull’s-
It’s not clear how much our homes con- quality. Finally, add renewables. With pho- eye of Sandy’s landfall, the foundation for
tribute to greenhouse-gas emissions and to tovoltaic (PV) costs currently as low as $3 per Kirsten and Joe’s home recently had been
climate change. The most recent data avail- watt installed after incentives, Jordan advises poured. This home, like many others across
able from the Department of Energy is from clients to add all the PV they can afford. the country, is in a risky area to build.

64 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 For extra flood protection, Stephanie and fossil fuels on-site is contrary to another of to provide plenty of fresh air with a Venmar
Jordan raised the foundation 4 ft. above ZED’s ethics: to provide healthy indoor air energy-recovery ventilator and a balanced
grade, a foot higher than the building depart­ for clients. Combustion appliances are on the ventilation system. Fresh air is continu­ously
ment required at the time. Going higher EPA’s list of indoor pollutants, and a signifi- supplied to bedrooms and living spaces.
would have made it difficult to fit the two- cant factor in poor indoor-air quality, accord- Stale air is continually exhausted from the
story home into the neighborhood’s overall ing to the agency, is inadequate ventilation. kitchen and baths, each of which has a boost
height limitation for buildings. The raised “It’s all inextricably linked,” says Stephanie. switch to make sure that enough air is being
foundation ­allows ­water to flood ­beneath “When you address air infiltration, for exam­ ­exhausted when the rooms are in use.
the house and to drain via water vents. It’s ple, you’re addressing energy efficiency, ther- Electric heating and cooling are supplied
detailed as an uncon­ditioned crawlspace. mal comfort, and indoor-air quality.” In this by a Mitsubishi minisplit heat pump. The
The first floor is framed with I-joists and is case, ZED’s approach to airflow was to build house has a heat-pump water heater and
air-sealed and insulated with a combination an extremely tight house (0.47 ACH50) and an induction cooktop as well. The electric
of rigid foam and water-based spray foam.
The 2x6 stick-frame walls are filled with
dense-pack cellulose. The roof is framed How much does a better home cost?
with 12-in. I-joists, also filled with cellulose. The answer, say Stephanie Horowitz and Jordan Goldman of ZeroEnergy Design (ZED),
ZIP System sheathing provides the air bar- is typically about 5% to 8% more than a similarly finished code-built house. The home
rier for most of the building. featured here cost $275 per sq. ft. of conditioned space, a premium of about 7.9%. This
The entire exterior—walls and roof—is house is on the higher end of the price-increase continuum for a few reasons: It doesn’t
covered with 4 in. of rigid polyisocyanurate have the inexpensive space of a basement to lower the cost per square foot, and it’s a bit
foam. To Jordan, this approach to insulat- smaller than the average new house. (All else being equal, larger houses have a lower cost
ing the envelope is about durability as well per square foot.) A larger, fancier house with a basement typically will be at the 5% end
as efficiency. “Exterior insu­lation keeps the of the range, sometimes even lower. Also, the budget for a high-performance house is
­allocated differently from that of a more average house. For example, more money is spent
wood framing warm and dry over the life of
on the building envelope, which here includes European windows and doors. The result of
the house,” he says. “If moisture gets into the such spending is that the house requires a much smaller heating and cooling system.
wall cavity, it can dry to the inside because
there is no interior vapor barrier.” Here’s how Stephanie Incentives
Though some American manufacturers –3.4%
and Jordan arrived
now offer triple-glazed, high-performance at the 7.9% i­ncrease.
windows, ZED prefers European prod- Smaller HVAC
ucts—in this case, from Schüco (schueco –3.0%
Photovoltaics Total premium
.com). Jordan says that they are more cost-
effective than the domestic offerings and
+3.8%
High-performance
+7.9%
have a modern style that many homeown- envelope
ers are looking for. Beyond thermal per- +10.5%
formance, these windows provide thermal
comfort by keeping the mean radiant tem-
perature, or the average temperature of all There is a return on investment in the form of significantly lower utility bills. The ZED
interior surfaces, consistent. Because they are team estimates a payback period of nine to 14 years, depending on future energy costs.
Yet Stephanie says, “We do not try to justify the improvements we make, relative to code
not available in impact-resistant glass, the
construction, on an economic basis. There are too many benefits that cannot be mone­
house has a fabric shutter system that can be tized, such as thermal comfort, altruism, resilience, durability, and sound attenuation.”
deployed when strong winds are imminent. Over the last 12 months, this house used $1310 worth of electricity (7080kwh). By
Detailing the envelope and installing the Jordan’s calculations, a code-compliant house would have used $4800 worth of gas and
windows were the trickiest parts of the proj- electricity (assuming gas heat and hot water for the code-built house). So this house
ect for Chris Alexander, the builder, who oper­ated with a 73% reduction in utility bills, almost $3500 in annual savings.
had not put up a high-performance house
before this. “We had a lot of meetings and Here’s where HEATING COOLING
60-something pages of plans,” he says. “We the house 1105kwh 16% 14% 1000kwh
usually have eight.” About the permitting is using its $205 $185
and inspection process, Chris reports, “The Energy
­energy over
building inspector was thrilled that a house 54% consumption 16%
the course
like this was being built around here.” of a year. 7080kwh HOT WATER
$1310 over
1105kwh
Everything is inextricably linked 12 months
Not only does it make sense to use electric Plug loads $205
mechanicals and appliances in a home that 3870kwh
produces electricity on its roof, but burning $715

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 65

 A modern interior
The interior is clean and uncluttered,
with purposefully designed built-in
storage. Large windows offer views
and daylight, and shades provide
privacy when needed. The white-oak uses between 320 gal. and 400 gal. of water a would like a “modern barn” aesthetic outside
flooring from Vermont Plank Flooring day in their home. Production of electricity, with a modern interior.
brings warmth to the otherwise bright, however, is the largest consumer of fresh- The home’s orientation along the northern
white interior. water worldwide. Kirsten and Joe’s home side of the lot maximizes solar gain during
conserves water first by producing its own the winter, and the driveway acts as a buffer
electricity. But it also collects rainwater from between Kirsten and Joe’s home and a neigh-
mechanicals and appliances don’t introduce the roof for landscape irrigation and has only boring home. Cost-saving is inherent to the
any pollutants to the house, nor do any of the water-efficient fixtures and appliances inside. home’s simple shape. Splitting the elevation
zero-VOC adhesives, surfaces, finishes, and between grade and the first floor with the
furniture. These efforts earned the EPA’s Average size but hardly average deck minimizes the visual impact of raising
Indoor AirPLUS certification for the house. Kirsten and Joe had been living in an uninsu- the house and means no handrail is needed.
Just as the systems of a house are insepa- lated, split-level “money pit” on this property The planters and trellis add a clean modern
rable, so are our national infrastructure and before they found ZED and decided to build edge. In a neighborhood with no prevailing
resources. The looming water crisis and a new home. Though they could have put a architectural style, the exterior is unlikely to
what we can do about it in our homes is a bigger house on the property, they were com- offend anyone’s design sensibilities.
fitting example. According to the U.S. Geo- mitted to building only what they n ­ eeded. Stephanie’s challenge was to design an inte­
logical Survey, the average family of four Kirsten had kept an idea file and knew she rior that reflects the way Kirsten, Joe, and

66 FINE HOMEBUILDING Floor-plan drawings: Martha Garstang Hill

 fit for a family
Open plans have been the trend for many years. But too open is sometimes
too much. Here, the entry is separated from the living areas and designed
for function, as it serves as the family’s main path into the house. While
the kitchen and living room are open to one another, a multipurpose
room on the first floor has pocket doors that can be closed for privacy.

Entry

First floor
0 4 8 16 ft.
Up
North
Second floor

Up
SPECS
Bedrooms: 4, plus
multipurpose room Multipurpose
room
Bathrooms: 3
Size: 2600 sq. ft.
Cost: $275 per sq. ft.
Walls: R-44 Dn

Roof: R-68
Windows: U-factor, 0.13
SHGC, 0.35
Completed: 2013
Location: Margate, N.J.
Dn
Architect: ZeroEnergy
Design, zeroenergy.com
Garage
Builder: Chris Alexander,
C. Alexander Building
& Maintenance Co., Slideshow For more
calexanderllc.com photos of this home, visit
FineHomebuilding.com/extras.

their three children would live in the house. Since the house was built, Margate has homes built in the state will achieve net-
The front entry, for example, was an impor- adopted the 2015 International Residential zero energy use by 2020, but critics fear that
tant consideration in a home near the beach Code (IRC). In terms of energy performance simply adding renewable energy to average
with street parking. Instead of opening into and indoor-air quality, this home still far houses misses the most important aspect of
the great room or to a long view, which is ­exceeds it. In the wake of Super­storm Sandy, high-performance homes: conservation.
so common today, the front entry opens to some resiliency provisions, such as the height With the dire forecast of climate change
a bench and built-in storage cabinets. A full to which a home must be elevated above and more severe weather patterns predicted
bathroom is only steps away. grade, have been ­increased by the township. for the future, the likelihood of continued
The inside of the house is clean and mod- Yet legislation is unlikely to be the force unpredictable fuel prices, and the knowledge
ern. There is minimal trim, the stairs are that makes a significant impact on how and technology to build smarter and better
open and sparse, the finishes are light in we build. The International Code Council than average, it’s time to demand more of
color, and generous storage keeps each room (ICC) updates the nation’s most commonly our homes. It’s time to build more houses
uncluttered. Natural-wood was used for the used residential codes every three years, but like this—houses that prove how easy it is to
floors and stairs, as well as an ­accent in the the updates are rarely adopted. For example, outperform the average. □
kitchen cabinetry. And plenty of sunlight only two states have adopted the 2015 code,
warms the home literally and in that blissful- and many have yet to adopt the 2012 code. Brian Pontolilo is design editor. Photos
Sunday-morning way. California has an ambitious goal that all new by Eric Roth (ericrothphoto.com).

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 67

68 FINe HOmebuILDINg photo: brian mcAward
 FOLLOW
THE BUILD
Beginning with FHB #260,
we’ve been exploring
the theory and logic
behind our demonstration
home. Be sure to visit
FineHomebuilding.com/
prohome regularly to
watch the construction
of the house unfold and
to hear expert insights
straight from the design-
and-build team.
WATCH our multi-
part video series
highlighting every
important step of
the project.
GET UPDATES
on the build and
special events by
following us, our
project partners,
and #proHOME
on social media.

An ICF foundation, advanced-framing techniques, and engineered

lumber form the base of this high-performance home BY SEAN GROOM

B
uilding a net-zero house calls with insulation and air-sealing in mind, tability issues, and aesthetic concerns.
for planning and appropri- reducing the heating and cooling loads recurrent themes have included elimi-
ate material choices. It also enough so that they can be offset with nating redundant framing lumber and
requires craftsmanship—not renewable energy. maximizing the amount of insulation in
just in the trim carpentry but also in the Designer michael maines and builder each assembly without adding excessive
foundation and framing. the details mike guertin have exchanged countless costs or construction time to the project.
buried in the proHOme’s foundation, emails and phone calls debating framing
floor, walls, and roof are developed details, material compatibility, construc- Sean Groom is a contributing editor.

www.finehomebuilding.com August/september 2016 69

A FOUnDATIOn LIKE A COOLEr
Due to the slope of the lot and site to full height along the foundation foundation is a hybrid of a traditional
work that took place before Guertin walls. The south- and east-facing walls frost-protected foundation and a frost-
purchased it, he only had to dig will remain exposed and create a protected shallow foundation.
down 18 in. for the conventionally walkout basement. This will offer the Guertin has chosen to use insulated
formed footings. After the foundation homeowners direct access between concrete forms (ICFs) for the foundation
is poured, he will truck in dirt to the yard and the basement and more walls. Among the reasons he likes ICFs
backfill the north and west sides of flexible use of the basement should is that they don’t require separate
the foundation, bringing the grade they wish to finish it in the future. But formwork. They’re installed easily
it also presents some complications for and quickly by a pair of competent
the builder. With part of the foundation carpenters and help keep the project
below the frost line and part with the on schedule by eliminating the need to
footings just 20 in. below grade, the schedule a foundation subcontractor.
Unlike board forms that limit the
basement headroom to about 7 ft. 8 in.,
the modular nature of ICFs lets Guertin
Termite shield
stack blocks for a full-height 8-ft.
basement ceiling. Perhaps foremost
among the advantages of using ICFs
is that they inherently address the
shortcoming of most foundations: no
insulation. By using rigid insulation as
Dimple mat the form, the insulation becomes part

ProtectoWrap
waterproofing
membrane

21⁄2-in. Amvic
Silverboard subslab
insulation
Perforated Amvic insulated
perimeter- concrete forms
drain pipes (ICFs)

Vapor-and-
gas barrier

70 FINe HOmebuILDINg Drawings: John Hartman

of the wall, and there are no forms their foam faces. Inside, code requires It’s important that the insulation and
for Guertin to strip off after the pour. that a thermal barrier or ignition barrier vapor barriers be continuous, so slab
Many ICFs provide an R-value of about be installed over the foam. Here, it penetrations have to be considered
R-20. The Amvic 3.30 blocks chosen for will be CertainTeed drywall. On the carefully. The footings beneath the
the ProHOME have thicker foam than exterior, Guertin will use a belt-and- basement columns aren’t continuous
most and provide R-30 insulation and a suspenders approach to protect the with the slab. By forming the top of the
6-in.-wide concrete core. Even with this foam. First, he will cover it from the footings 21⁄2 in. below the bottom edge
integrated insulation, the exterior of top of the ICF down over the footings of the slab, there is room to continue
the footings and below-grade portions with ProtectoWrap’s Protecto Universal the subslab foam over the footings
of walls on the walkout sides of the Primer-Free Membrane, which serves as and to tape the vapor barrier to the
basement require an additional 21⁄2 in. an ICF waterproofing membrane. Next, columns.
of rigid EPS to circumvent heat loss. he will install a dimple mat. This sheet A good gravel base ensures that
While ICFs use less concrete, they provides drainage space, eliminating the slab performs as intended. The
require more steel than conventional hydrostatic pressure, and serves to insulation rests on 4 in. of compacted
foundations, with horizontal and vertical protect the waterproofing membrane 3⁄4-in. crushed stone. This base serves

rebar at 24 in. and 16 in. on center, from damage during backfilling. several functions: It’s easy to level, it’s a
respectively. Even with the rebar, the capillary break, and it provides a space
engineer on this project was concerned Slab details for a continuous for water and soil gases such as radon
about the soil pressure from the north vapor barrier to move horizontally and to collect in
and west sides without backfill on the In a high-performance house, the perforated perimeter-drain pipe.
other sides. His concern related to Joe Lstiburek of Building Science The perimeter drain carries water to
potential hingepoints, weaknesses at Corporation recommends insulating daylight well past the house through a
connections of different assemblies— basements north of the Mason-Dixon sloped drain. A vertical riser from the
in this case, at the junctions of wood Line with R-10 subslab insulation perimeter-drain loop passes through
and ICF walls. The original plan was and R-20 foundation insulation. The the slab in the northwest corner of
to stick-frame the walkout portions ProHOME’s ICFs exceed his basement the house and terminates through the
of the basement to “future proof” guideline. To insulate the 4-in.-thick roof. The stack effect within the riser
the basement by providing flexibility concrete slab, Guertin is using 21⁄2 in. of induces a slight negative pressure in
for window arrangements and door EPS rigid foam, which provides R-12.5. the perimeter-drain loop. In his region,
locations. To allay the engineer’s The Amvic Silverboard under the slab Guertin has found that a passive vent
concerns, however, the plan was has a polypropylene lamination on both and a subslab plastic vapor barrier
modified to use ICF construction sides that improves durability in this generally control radon levels in the
everywhere in the foundation except for application. A 6-mil poly vapor-and-gas house. If radon levels rise to the EPA’s
a small area around the windows on the barrier goes over the foam. All seams action level (more than 4 picocuries per
south side. are taped, and the ends of the poly liter), adding a continuously running
ICFs require special treatment on both sheets turn up the ICFs and are taped mechanical fan in the riser should
the exterior and the interior because of as well. correct the problem.

ProHOME sponsors
The following manufacturers
are supporting the construction
of the ProHOME’s foundation,
framing, and roof assemblies. Visit
FineHomebuilding.com/prohome
for a complete list of project
partners and for more information
on the products and materials
used in ProHOME.

www.finehomebuilding.com August/September 2016 71

 Weyerhaeuser 2x6
laminated-strand
lumber (LSL) 2x6 dimensional lumber

2-in. rigid foam

Weyerhaeuser TJI
with Flak Jacket

LSL rim board

An EnGInEErED FLOOr THAT TAKES WOOD OUT OF THE WALLS

The ProHOME framing package is a mix engineered to provide up to an hour the outside edge of the mudsill and top
of engineered and dimensional lumber. of burn protection without adding a plate. This creates space for 2 in. of rigid
The goal was to reduce the amount gypsum or mineral-wool barrier. insulation behind the sheathing and still
of framing lumber in order to improve The second-floor framing is also TJIs, leaves room for the 13⁄4-in. LVL flush
thermal performance and to save on but without Flak Jacket. Both first and header where it’s needed. Combined
resources and construction time. second floors have a 11⁄4-in. by 117⁄8-in. with the 2 in. of rigid insulation outside
The basement is a key part of the LSL rim board as a continuous rim joist the sheathing, there’s R-18 at the rim
house’s flexible nature. This unfinished that functions as the primary in-floor joist before any insulation is added
space can be used to address the header for openings in the load-bearing on the inside of the rim board—a
occupants’ future needs. Because it’s walls. In many cases, this eliminates traditionally weak thermal spot.
unfinished, the engineered first-floor the need for additional headers. For Guertin chose Huber’s 3⁄4-in. tongue-
framing system will be exposed. Here it wide openings—ganged windows and and-groove AdvanTech subfloor
made sense to use TJIs with Flak Jacket double doors, for instance—a flush LVL because he has found that it spans
by Weyerhaeuser to provide the fire header is nailed to the inside of the rim the 24-in.-on-center floor joists better
protection for floors required by section board. This approach saves lumber and than commodity OSB panels. Gluing
R501.3 (2012) and section R302.13 is faster to frame. To improve thermal the panels to the TJIs with a poly-
(2015) of the International Residential performance along the rim joist, Guertin urethane foam adhesive makes a
Code. The Flak Jacket coating is places the rim board 2 in. inboard of stronger floor assembly.

72 FINe HOmebuILDINg
BUILDInG LEAn, STrOnG WALLS
In their attempt to reduce the amount LSLs because the lack of any twist or of the ProHOME. With Zip System
of wood in the walls and increase the crown speeds up window and door sheathing, the walls are dried in and
amount of insulation, Guertin and installations and improves flashing and much of the air-sealing work is done
Maines adopted advanced-framing air-sealing. Guertin will also frame the when the walls are stood up. The
techniques. Spacing the studs and joists west kitchen wall with LSLs. Straighter walls will be detailed with exterior
24 in. on center to align loads through walls with few dips and humps will insulation and a rain screen. Rather
the wall and floor assemblies eliminated speed up cabinet installation. than run exterior insulation all the
the need for a double top plate as well Because the walls have single way up the gable ends to the rake
as jack studs at rough openings. top plates, all wall plates are LSLs, subfascia, Guertin will terminate it
Most of the studs are standard 2x6s, which allow most walls to have a at the level of the attic insulation and
but Guertin is using laminated strand continuous plate without the need for fur out the siding with ripped 2x stock
lumber (LSL) studs in several places to splices. (Weyerhaeuser’s 2x4 and 2x6 toenailed to the studs. This technique
take advantage of their dead-straight TimberStrand LSLs are available in is easy and fast when working on a
characteristics and their availability in lengths up to 24 ft. in New England.) second-floor deck and saves rigid foam
longer lengths than solid-sawn lumber. As the primary air barrier, the wall for the areas where it’s needed.
All of the king studs in the walls are sheathing is an important component

ELEVATInG THE STAnDArD ELEVATInG THE STAnDArD

Huber AdvanTech Huber ZIP System

AdvanTech subflooring wall sheathing
is engineered to exceed Zip System sheathing
the strength of plywood doesn’t require
and OSB panels and to housewrap or felt; the
be highly water resistant. water-resistive barrier
Coating each wood (WRB) is integrated
strand in the panel with directly with the panel.
a moisture-resistant resin Taping the panel seams
similar to polyurethane, makes for a continuous
compressing a high WRB and effectively
number of strands into air-seals the panels.
the panel, and sealing Zip System sheathing
the edges prevents edge is vapor permeable (12
swelling so effectively that to 16 perms) to allow
Huber guarantees that an moisture in the wall
AdvanTech subfloor won’t assembly to dry to the
have to be sanded even outside. The acrylic tape
with 500 days of weather performs over a wide
exposure. range of temperatures.

www.finehomebuilding.com August/september 2016 73

An InTErESTInG rOOF
ADDS COMPLEXITY AnD
TIME TO THE BUILD
Visually, the ProHOME’s dormered
roofline defines the house. The large
gable dormer creates the space for the
large master bathroom, while the shed
dormer accommodates the other full
bath and the laundry room. The low
eaves across the front of the house
create a horizontal emphasis, reducing
the scale of the house and creating a
comfortable entry. Maines used the
combination of dormer styles to evoke
several architectural styles—Victorian,
farmhouse, and the venerable Cape—
that figure prominently in the local
housing stock. the eaves so that these offset framing insulation baffles that he’ll make from
For all its design elegance, however, members can be screwed together. rigid polyisocyanurate insulation. This
the roof will be an epic framing job. Despite the added steps, TJIs have ensures a clear air path between the
Guertin figures the second-floor ceiling some distinct advantages: They are continuous Cor-A-Vent soffit and ridge
and roof will take about two-thirds of straight and don’t shrink, twist, or vents. And because of their thin OSB
the framing time for the entire house. crack—and they’re light, an advantage webs, TJIs also have limited thermal
The two dormers, each with a different any carpenter will appreciate. bridging compared to dimensional
roof pitch, create an irregular valley With a vented roof assembly and a lumber, so they improve thermal
and add complexity to the framing. deep blanket of blown-in insulation, performance along the eaves where
Using TJIs for the ceiling joists and insulation baffles are necessary to thermal bridging could occur.
rafters takes more time; they are more maintain an airspace along the eaves Instead of installing blocking between
cumbersome to cut than dimensional and at the shed dormer roof. The the rafters at the eaves, a continuous
lumber, and both the joist and the underside of the I-joists’ top flange is a LSL rim board runs along the outer
rafter webs have to be padded out at convenient place for Guertin to fasten edge of the top plate and braces the

MAXIMIZInG SOLAr PrODUCTIOn

An important part of the roof plan is the photovoltaic
panels. While there are no structural concerns for adding
a PV array to this roof system, Maines took several steps
to optimize the roof for an array. With a two-story eave
on one side and a one-story eave on the other, the house
is essentially a saltbox. Orienting the two-story facade
with the unbroken roof plane to the rear for southern
exposure was important to accommodate the 12kw array
needed for net zero. Consolidating all of the plumbing
into a single vent stack maximized the usable area. While
a steep roof was desirable for aesthetic reasons, the
10-in-12 roof pitch—between the ideals for summer and
winter—was chosen to maximize production over the
course of the year.

74 FINe HOmebuILDINg
 5
⁄8-in. tongue-and-
groove sheathing
with taped seams

Built-up
LVL rafter

TJI rafters with

web stiffeners

Continuous
LSL plate

LSL rim
rafters and ceiling board at
joists. This configuration is eaves
strengthened by connecting each rafter
to the stud below with a hurricane tie
and by running the second-floor wall Institute for ELEVATInG THE STAnDArD
sheathing up onto the rim board. The Business and
rim board is notched in each rafter bay Home Safety’s
Huber ZIP System
for ventilation. Fortified Home roof sheathing
Many houses have eaves detailed with program. The Fortified Zip System roof sheathing
a boxed soffit, which is easy to build. designation indicates that a is available in 7⁄16-in., 1⁄2-in.,
But Maines wanted something more house meets resiliency standards and 5⁄8-in. thicknesses. The
5
⁄8-in. tongue-and-groove
appealing. His choice was a traditional- designed to limit damage from
version on the ProHOME
looking sloped soffit that he believes natural events such as hurricanes. has the greatest span
subtly draws attention to the roof plane. The program requires the type of capability—up to 40 in. for
Borrowing an assembly method from integrated WRB and taped seams on rafters and trusses. The
Passive Houses, he designed the soffit the roof that Zip provides, because Zip System tape used on
to be built ladder-style and screwed felt paper and synthetic underlayment wall and roof sheathing
onto the wall through the rain-screen can be damaged when storms blow off is applied to panel edges
and then adhered with the
strapping and exterior foam. shingles. As with the walls, the taped
help of a J-roller to ensure
The Zip System roof sheathing is an seams get the house dried in quickly a tenacious bond and to
important part of Guertin’s plan to and eliminate the need to apply rolls of help dry in the roof.
enroll the ProHOME in the Insurance material on the roof.

www.finehomebuilding.com August/september 2016 75

project
gallery
highlights from finehomebuilding.com

Fine town-building
O
ne of the first submissions to our 3448-sq.-ft. house and workshop on 14
2016 HOUSES awards was this mountaintop acres with an incredible view
panoramic view of an Old West of Pike’s Peak.
town submitted by Caroline and Dave Requiring only minimal assistance with
Nelson, who also submitted a photo of a log some of the framing, drywall, and setting
cabin. Looking at the photos, we thought of the rocks for the courtyard’s pond, the
the cabin must be situated near some quaint Nelsons built the house themselves. The liv-
Old West tourist town. It turns out that this ing area is approximately 1850 sq. ft., with
Old West town is not just near the Nelsons’ a studio and shop taking up the rest of the
house—it is the Nelsons’ house. square footage. The post-and-beam house
Since 1978 Caroline and Dave have been is set on a concrete slab with radiant-floor
partners in life and in business. Through heat. Locally sourced materials such as
their custom architectural-woodworking hand-peeled half logs were used inside and
firm, Lost Canyon Woodworks, they out. Photovoltaic panels provide almost all
have designed and built many one-of-a- the electricity needed thoughout the year.
kind items for their clients. After 35 years Solar-thermal collectors tie into the in-floor
Cozy cabin. The roof is heavy-gauge
of fulfilling others’ desires for fanciful heating system. Two 120-gal. insulated stor- corrugated steel with a beautiful rusty
woodworking creations, they decided to age tanks provide all the domestic hot water patina. The gate is rough-sawn beetle-kill-
fulfill their own dream and designed this and a portion of the heat in the winter. pine; the arbor is scrub oak and willow.

76 FINE HOMEBUILDING
 Time travel. Entering the courtyard
transports visitors back in time to the
town of Navajo Gulch, complete with
a livery stable and blacksmith shop,
the Lost Canyon Woodworks, the
Navajo Gulch Bank, the Silver Dragon
Saloon, and the Bluebird Cafe.

Design and construction Caroline and Dave Nelson, Florissant, Colo.; lostcanyonwoodworks.com
Woodcarving Charles Hensley, Manitou Springs, Colo.; charleshensleywoodcarving.com Photographs courtesy of Caroline and Dave Nelson

Well-done dinners. The Nelsons designed and built a “chuck Plenty of fun inside, too. In addition to the house, the Nelsons
wagon” to house their gas and charcoal grills. The courtyard patio also built the jukebox and the billiard table. The door next to the
is stamped concrete in a fieldstone design. The view of Pike’s Peak jukebox is one of 13 custom interior doors the couple designed
enhances the enjoyment of al fresco dining. and built.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 77

 FUNCTION WITH

STYLE
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Some see a radiator.
We see a work of art.
At Hydronic Alternatives, we appreciate and admire
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FreeStyle Linear Drain™ select, install and service the right solutions for your needs.
If this is the kind of service you’re looking for, give us a
call at 413-543-8733 or visit hydronicalternatives.com.

288 Verge Street

www.noblecompany.com Springfield, MA 01129
©2016 Noble Company. U.S. Patent No. 8,474,068 Patents Pending Canada and EP Publication No. 2354339

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www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 79

asktheYOUR QUESTIONS — PRO ANSWERS

Walo Shingling a valley Mike Guertin: Because of the angle none specify in words or draw-
of the valley in relation to the ings where to measure from. I
I’m covering a closed-cut valley horizontal line of the shingles and called two shingle manufacturers
with laminated shingles, and the square shingle ends, it isn’t obvi- and stumped the customer-service
instructions say to extend the ends ous where you should measure the representatives. The companies
of the shingles at least 12 in. onto 12-in. point from. Is it the bottom responded after checking with their
the adjoining roof. Where is the corner, the top corner, or the nail technical people, and the answer
12 in. measured from on the shingle? line to the centerline of the valley? in both cases was to measure the
Guertin
If I measure at the bottom edge, I checked the American Roofing 12 in. at the top corner of the
then only 8 in. of the top edge Manufacturers Association’s Resi- shingle. One company rep noted
extends onto the adjoining roof. dential Asphalt Roofing Manual as that the 12 in. along the top edge is
— PAT R I C K C R O F T S well as the installation instructions a general target and doesn’t have to
Dublin, Calif. from several shingle makers, but be perfect to satisfy the warranty.

Valley center
Underlayment
experts
Brian Walo is a
licensed electrician
in Mount Pleasant,
S.C. He has written Extend the top corner
of the shingles 12 in.
numerous articles on
beyond the valley center.
electrical work for
Fine Homebuilding.

Editorial adviser
Mike Guertin is a
builder and remod-
eler who has written
over 100 articles for
Fine Homebuilding
and appeared in doz-
ens of videos.

Need help?
Get answers you can
trust from the exper-
ienced pros at FHB.
Email your question
to Experts@Fine
Homebuilding.com.

80 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos: FHB staff. Drawing: Dan Thornton.

 Work smarter
on every job.
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www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 81

askthe
CONTINUED

Stripping UF-B cable algae growth. You need to install additional

zinc strips at intervals up the roof. A lot
Stripping the jacket off regular interior- of factors impact how to space the strips:
use NM electrical cable is pretty easy to humidity, rainfall amounts, age of the roof,
do, but doing it to outdoor UF-B cable is roof slope, width of the strips, and algae
difficult. The conductors within UF-B cable resistance built into the shingles. I’ve never
are e ­ ncased individually within the plastic seen a formula for spacing zinc strips. One
­jacket. I’ve found it next to impossible to manufacturer recommends strips every 6 ft.
carve off the jacket without damaging Another suggests strips every 3 ft.
the individual conductors inside. Is there Ideally, the strips should be installed at
a trick to getting the jacket off UF-B the time the shingles are installed. They
cable without harming the plastic on the Cut down the UF-B cable’s concave center. are nailed along the nail line on the shingle
wires inside? course so that the overlying shingles cover
—Marc Prest the nails. Since the zinc strips may cover the
Newington, Conn. self-sealing strips on the shingles, you may
need to apply dabs of roof cement to ensure
Brian Walo: UF-B is always a hassle, but that the overlying shingle course is sealed to
here’s how to deal with it: Cut about 2 in. the one beneath.
along the concave center of the cable with a If the roof already has algae stains, you can
utility knife. With pliers, pull out the bare add zinc strips to kill the algae, but it will
ground wire in the center, using it like a take time for the rain and zinc to work. You
rip cord to split the jacket as far as needed. can accelerate the cleaning process by spray-
Score the jacket inside the grooves left by ing the roof with an algae cleaner.
the ground wire where the hot and neutral
conductors are encased. Finally, pull the
Pull out the center ground wire with pliers. Moldy cabinets
conductors out the same way you did with
the ground wire, and cut off the portion of After moving into a 1920s Craftsman-style
the jacket you no longer need. house, I suspected there were leaks in the
roof because mold appeared on the walls
Algae roof stains inside some of the kitchen cabinets each
winter. I had the asphalt roofing shingles
While reshingling a roof five years ago, replaced with a cedar-shingle roof. The
I ­installed zinc strips under the cap shin- new roof seemed fine until midwinter,
gles to prevent algae staining on the roof when mold appeared in the kitchen cabi-
­surface. I left the bottom edge of the nets again. The roofer went in the attic
zinc exposed 2 in. Now algae stains are and found no evidence of water leaking in.
appearing in the middle of the roof. Was He also said he put a peel-and-stick mem-
I sold a bogus solution, or did I install the brane on the bottom edge of the roof.
strips incorrectly? Score the inside of the jacket. There are wide overhangs on the roof, so I
— J a c k S o mm e r s don’t think water is leaking in through the
Ithaca, N.Y. walls. What can be causing the mold if it’s
not from roof leaks?
M.G.: The solution is not bogus. When — Pat r i c k K e n s i n g t o n
rainwater runs over the surface of the Seattle
strips, zinc ions are released that wash over
the surface of the roof and kill algae. The M.G.: The cabinets in a house from that
problem is that while the zinc strips you period were probably built in place rather
installed under the cap are probably keep- than installed as separate cabinet boxes.
ing algae from forming in the top few feet When you look inside the cabinets, you
of the roof, by the time the water reaches may be looking at the painted plaster on
the middle of the roof, it is so diluted that it the wall surface, which would show per-
no longer contains enough zinc to stop the Pull the conductors out from the jacket. manent ­water stains if there were a leak.

82 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos: Dan Thornton

­ ecause you noted mold but no water
B
stains, my guess is that there is a humidity
problem inside the house and that the mold
is due to condensation rather than a water NEW!
leak. There may be no insulation in the
walls, or blown-in insulation may have set-
tled over the years, leaving voids near the
tops of the stud cavities. In either case, the
plaster on the exterior-wall surface is cold
in winter. Moist air inside the house can
condense on the cold surface and lead to
mold. You’re more likely to see mold i­nside
the cabinet because the cabinet doors reduce
warm-air circulation inside the cabinet.
It’s probably slightly colder on the exte­rior
walls inside the cabinets than on the rest of
the exterior walls inside the house.
Test the relative-humidity level inside
the cabinets on a winter day. You’ll likely
find that the moisture level is higher than
50%. You’ll need to track down the mois-
ture source and address it. It could be that
moisture from the basement is migrating
into the living space, or the problem could
be moisture generated by activities such as
Warm Floors
showering, cooking, and cleaning. Ven-
tilation likely will be part of the solution.
up to 70% Faster
This could include exhaust fans inside the
bathrooms and over the cooktop, as well as
over Concrete
whole-house ventilation.

Identifying electrical
circuits
The circuits on the electrical panel in my
house aren’t marked on the panel cover. Is
there an easy way to pinpoint which circuit Schluter®-DITRA-HEAT-TB
handles which loads, or do I have to go on
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a hunting expedition?
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Houston
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B.W.: Circuit tracers exist, but due to their
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and workboxes to see which breaker con- • Warms tiled floors up to 70% faster over concrete substrates
trols power to them. Most outlets and lights
• Saves energy by directing heat to the tile, not to the subfloor
are grouped geographically or by function.
Lighting is often run on 15-amp breakers, • All-in-one system means faster and simpler installation
with outlets on 20-amp breakers (espe- • Only 5/16"-thick to minimize construction height
cially with arc-fault outlets needing to be
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useful for locating individual runs of wiring
than whole circuits.

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 83

MUSINGS OF AN
energy nerd B Y M A R T I N H O L L A D AY

Plan ahead to save energy

I
t’s not unusual for a designer, or mineral wool on the exterior to make sure there’s room at the
builder, or homeowner to post side of the wall sheathing, and it’s perimeter of the attic to install
a question on Green Building certainly too late to think about a enough insulation between the top
Advisor like the following: “We double-stud wall. This decision plates of the exterior walls and the
just finished framing, installing has to be made at the design stage, roof sheathing. Why would anyone
“Musings of an windows, and roofing. What’s the before the walls are framed. who is planning a vented, uncondi-
Energy Nerd” show- best way to insulate?” tioned attic forget to order raised-
cases the best of My usual reaction is “Really? Roof insulation needs heel trusses? I don’t know. But it
Martin Holladay’s
You’re asking now?” planning, too happens all the time.
weekly blog at
Leaving these decisions to the last Once the roof trusses have been Properly insulating cathedral
GreenBuilding
Advisor.com, where
minute limits your options. The installed, it’s too late to order raised- ceilings also takes planning.
he provides common- most common approach to insulat- heel trusses, which are needed Green Building Advisor regularly
sense advice about ing a home in much of the United
energy issues to States is to fill the stud bays with
residential design- fiberglass batts and, once the ceiling EXTERIOR FOAM KEEPS
ers and builders. drywall is installed, to unroll more YOUR STUDS WARM
Because his data- fiberglass insulation in the attic—a Exterior foam
driven conclusions reduces thermal
simple approach that doesn’t work
usually fall between bridging, but
very well. To build a house that
the extremes of mini- it also requires
mum code compli-
performs at a high level, your insu-
planning the
ance and adherence
lation strategy must be part of the details for
to the Passive House design process. attaching and
standard, they are flashing doors
often controversial. Choose wall insulation and windows.
before installing windows
Why would anyone leave decisions
about insulation to the last minute?
Rigid foam
Green Building Advi- Some builders think, “We’ll either
sor is for designers, fill the stud bays with fiberglass
engineers, builders, batts, or, if the homeowner wants
and homeowners to pay for an upgrade, we’ll just use
who craft energy- spray foam.” The trouble with this
efficient and environ- Flashing
approach is that a wall with insula- integrates
mentally responsible
tion only between the studs still has with foam
homes.
a lot of thermal bridging through and siding.
the framing.
If you care about this thermal
bridging—and you should, because
thermal bridging through studs Wood blocking
reduces the whole-wall R-value for window
considerably—you need to include attachment
exterior rigid foam or exterior min-
eral wool, or to frame a double-stud
wall. Once the windows are in, it’s
usually too late to install rigid foam

84 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photo: courtesy of Karyn Patno.

Drawing: Bob LaPointe.
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MUSINGS OF AN
energy nerd CONTINUED

Vent space

Insulation

Additional
truss height
adds depth for
insulation.

RAISED-HEEL TRUSSES
M A K E R O O M F O R I N S U L AT I O N
Insulation above the exterior walls should be at
least as deep as the code requires for the rest of
the attic, which means raising the roof deck higher
than conventional trusses allow.

receives questions from readers with poorly ceiling—and a lot of homeowners don’t a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) or an
performing cathedral ceilings. Problems want to do that. energy-recovery ventilator (ERV), along
include high energy bills, temperature strat- with associated ductwork.
ification, and ice dams. In almost all cases, Designers often punt on the Some of these appliances have access pan-
the best solution includes installing exterior mechanical room els, so the designer of a mechanical room
rigid foam. On an existing house, especially Insulation problems aren’t the only conse- has to provide enough space for service
one with skylights, this is very expensive quences of failing to plan. Another is failing personnel to get to those panels. The manu-
work. On a new house, the work is much to make the mechanical room big enough. facturer of each appliance specifies how
simpler and cheaper, but you have to plan How often do residential designers do a much access is needed for proper servicing
ahead. If you wait until the shingles are on, good job of designing a mechanical room? of the equipment. Failure to follow the
you’re too late. In my experience, less than half the time. manufacturer’s installation instructions is
Of course, it’s possible to insulate a cathe- Mechanical equipment for a typical house a code violation.
dral ceiling without using any exterior may include a furnace, an air handler, or a What happens when these issues are left
rigid foam. But to install enough interior boiler, plus a water heater, a water pump, to the last minute? There’s no obvious
insulation to meet even minimum code a pressure tank, and a water softener. place for some critical piece of equipment.
requirements, you may have to lower the Higher-performance houses also may have It’s only then that the builder posts a ques-

86 FINE HOMEBUILDING Drawing: John Hartman

 PROGRESSIVE
tion: “We’ve decided to install an HRV,
but we’re not sure where to put it. Can we
install an HRV in the g­ arage or the attic?”

Oh, yeah—the ducts

BUILDERS
Sometimes a designer or an owner-builder Follow the progress of our
does a good job of designing the mechani- first-ever demonstration
cal room. There’s plenty of space for the house and get insights you
furnace, the HRV, the water heater, and the can apply to your jobs.
rest of the equipment. However, no one
has thought about how to run the ducts,
and everyone now realizes that there is FineHomebuilding.com/prohome
a major beam in the way. Or maybe the
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an imperfect duct system?
If you’re trying to save energy, oversize

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If you are an owner-builder, you will prob-
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www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 87

buildingskills
LEARN THE BASICS BY ANDY ENGEL

Make a head flashing

STEP BY STEP

1 Cut to width. Mark the width at

both ends of the metal. Insert the
metal in the brake so that the marks
align with the edge of the jaws, then
pull down on the top handle to clamp
the metal. Score it with a sharp knife.
Pull up the bottom handle to bend
and break the metal along the score.

E
very window and door
needs head flashing, and
bending metal for these
simple flashings is a gateway to
the skills needed to make other
wall and roof flashings. You prob-
ably already have the necessary
cutting tools: a square, a utility
knife, and snips. You also need
2 Bend the hem. Mark the width
of the hem (3⁄8 in.) at each end of
the metal. With the inside face up,
hand benders and a brake (often insert the metal 3⁄8 in. into the jaws,
called a siding brake or an alumi- and tighten down the clamp. Raise
num brake). the lower handle of the brake as far
as it will go to make this bend.
The metal flashing used for
this project is often called coil
stock. It is sold in rolls in a variety
of lengths, widths, thicknesses,
and metals. Aluminum flash-
ing—either bare (mill finish) or
painted—is most common, fol-
lowed by copper and galvanized
steel. Lead-coated copper is also
available and should be used when
copper is placed below exposed
cedar because tannins leaching
from cedar corrode copper. Alu- 3 Crimp the hem. Insert the
bent edge into the jaws, and
use the clamping action of the
minum’s thickness is measured
brake to pinch the hem closed.
in thousandths of an inch, with

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www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 89
buildingskills
STEP BY STEP CONTINUED

4 Bend the overhang. Put the hemmed

edge in the jaws with the inside face up.
Align the edge with the jaws, then clamp it 6 Cut the ends. Use snips to cut 3⁄8 in.
along the back bend. In the front,
and bend it a little past 90°. Once bent, the snip out a 3⁄8-in. square at the end of
metal will relax a few degrees. the hem.

7 Bend the ends.

Grab the end flap

5 Bend the upturned leg. Mark the width

of the casing or jamb on the outside
face. Keep that face up, align the jaws
with hand benders,
keeping the sides of
the jaws even with
with the mark representing the back of the the inside of the
window, then clamp and bend. hem, and fold it over.

Bending and cutting tools

Siding or aluminum brakes come in lengths from 4 ft. various lengths so that they can be adapted to the job at
to 101⁄ 2 ft. Brakes cost $1000 and up, but they can be hand. Snips come in a variety of forms. The ones shown
rented for around $60 a day. Accessories are available here are common straight-cut aviation snips. Left- and right-
to aid in cutting and rolling out coil stock. Hand benders cutting snips are also available to ease curved cuts. Snips
cost around $20. Some models have replaceable jaws of cost about $15.

90 FINE HOMEBUILDING Bottom photos, this page: left, courtesy of Van Mark Products; center and right, Dan Thornton
 Never Lose Electricity Again!
0.019 in. and 0.024 in. being common.
Heavier aluminum with thicknesses
of 0.027 in. and up is often referred
to as gutter coil, because it’s also used
to form seamless gutters. Copper’s
thickness is measured by weight, with
16 oz. per sq. ft. being typical. Gal-
vanized steel is measured by gauge,
with smaller numbers corresponding
to thicker material.
Thicker flashing material is more
durable and more resistant to buck-
ling from thermal expansion than
thinner material; however, it also is
more expensive and more difficult
to bend. Siding brakes typically can Own the #1 Brand in Home Backup Power.
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because the bend will consume some
material width. The wall leg should
extend at least 2 in. up the wall.
Finally, I add something for the leg
that turns down over the face of the
casing or jamb. I like to extend that
about 3⁄8 in. down, but because I hem
that edge, I allow a total of 3⁄4 in.
Hemming is when the edge of a
piece of flashing is bent back on itself
and flattened. This creates a straight
edge that’s less likely to wrinkle.
Additionally, cut edges of sheet metal
are surprisingly sharp. Hemming
folds the cut edge behind the face
of the flashing and places the dull,
folded edge out where people are
most likely to be. To find the length
of the metal, add 1 in. (to allow for
each end to be folded) to the width of
the jamb or casing. Cutting metal to
length is simple. Use snips, or score
the material with a sharp utility knife
guided by a square, then bend along
the score until it breaks.

Andy Engel is a senior editor. Tech-

nical advice was provided by Tom
Struble, a siding contractor in West
Milford, N.J. Photos by Rodney Diaz,
except where noted.

www.finehomebuilding.com AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 91

drawingboard
lessons in residential design by mark hutker

Exposed rafter tails

A
s an architect, I love the authenticity overhangs at the rake). These roof over- Early examples of exposed rafter tails
of exposed structural elements like hangs direct water away from the walls and likely occurred for reasons of efficiency and
rafter tails. They celebrate the the foundation, shelter entry doors, and economy, as simple plumb-cut rafter tails
hand of the craftsmen who built the home shade windows from high summer sun. successfully created an overhang with no
and allow the true nature of the home’s con- Sometimes the projecting portions of the extra effort, material, or expense. Exposed
struction to be celebrated in its aesthetic. rafters—the rafter tails—are cut plumb and rafter tails also offered the possibility of
The roof rafters on many houses extend level to be boxed in with a soffit and fascia function. By cutting simple notches into the
beyond the top wall plate to create over- or more ornamental trim. At other times, rafter tails, for example, you could create an
hangs at the eave (so-called lookouts create the rafter tails are left exposed. opportunity to rest gutters directly within

Beautiful but wrong

If you’re designing a home or addition with applied rafter tails, the tails should appear to be an extension of actual rafters; their exterior
design principles should mimic those of the real thing. For example, placement should have integrity with where they would actually align.
historically, rafters were cut from true 2-in. boards. If you use today’s One common mistake is wrapping them around a corner, which is
dimensional 2x lumber for a traditionally styled house, the detail will not how the house is framed. Another is installing the rafter tails
not appear authentic. Most important, though, the applied rafter horizontally rather than in plane with the roof.

1 Dimensional 2x
lumber would not
have been used
on a home of this
vintage. 2
3
2 Rafter tails 1
should have the
same pitch as
the roof.

3 Rafters
don’t turn
corners.

92 FINE HOMEBUILDING
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www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 93

drawingboard CONTINUED

r a f t e r ta i l s d e s i g n e d r i g h t

The most basic traditional rafter tail has Rafter tails cut from true 2x material also Landing on a purlin that extends beyond
a simple plumb cut at the end of true can have a tapered bottom edge, which the gable wall to carry the roof overhang,
2x lumber, with the benefit of offering adds a subtle suggestion of the craftsman’s these cottage-style rafter tails are based on
a robust surface for attaching a gutter. hand and a more modern appearance to the Italianate style and are cut from lumber
the house. at least 2 in. thick.

Fitting on a Victorian or Georgian home, These Arts and Crafts–style rafter tails are On this modern house, the extralong rafter
this rafter-tail profile would traditionally drawn from the traditional style of the early tails are given a new function: to create a
have been cut in hand-hewn rafters, 1900s and seem to be reaching out to grab sunscreen for shading the floor-to-ceiling
possibly as thick as 3 in. the integral gutter. windows underneath.

E n e r g y- s m a r t r a f t e r ta i l s 1 Tongue-and-groove boards

are not continuous 2

2 Construction lags
A more thermally efficient approach to rafter tails
is to end the roof rafters at the top plate and add
a rafter-tail assembly at the eave. The assembly of 3 Frieze board
5
rafter tails and tongue-and-groove boards that create
the appearance of sheathing from below can be 4 Rafter tail
built on the ground and installed as one piece or in
sections. In this detail, wood struts extend from the
5 Strut 3
top of the assembly into the roof, where they are
1
sistered to the roof rafters to support the overhang.
4

94 FINE HOMEBUILDING
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www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 95

 tailgate
i n t e r v i e w b y a r r o n fa g a n
i n t e r v i e w b y a a r o n fa g a n

Lindsay Meacham, Tilemaker This owner of Red Rock Tileworks in Nashville, Tenn.,
designs and manufactures environmentally friendly lines of handmade and custom tile.

At what point did you discover your broke up the images like a kaleidoscope. I ers, image files, or even CAD drawings of
passion for tilemaking? also played with watercolor and mimicked what they want. We then quote the project
My parents are both architects, and they the veining of large Amazonian leaves. and get carving. Handmade tile has natu-
instilled in me an appreciation for good Linea is a very simple collection, and it ral variation, so we try to emphasize this
design early on and have always encour- reflects my love and respect for the simplic- during the process. It’s part of what makes
aged me artistically. My first experience ity and directness of midcentury-modern handmade tile so beautiful.
with clay was in an after-school class in design. The lines of the tile can create more
third grade. After that, it was difficult to complex shapes depending on how they are What are the advantages of boutique
keep me out of the mud. My ceramics pro- installed. I present the tile in bright candy- tile manufacturing?
fessor in college had us do a tile project, and like colors, but they are available in any of Flexibility, response time, and uniqueness.
it was at that moment when I realized our 62 glazes. Unlike those in mass-production factories,
I could connect my passion for clay and our molds are relatively inexpensive to
design with a career. What is your creative process? make. If I see a trend or have a client who
For each collection, my process changes and wants a specific look, I can make the tile in
Are you driven by tradition, breaking is quite spontaneous. Sometimes I sketch a matter of weeks. Imported tiles may be
from tradition, or both? while I’m having lunch; at other times, I less expensive, but the time from concept
I’m inspired by tradition and feel that we pour my brain power into geometry and to market can take months if not years. We
offer some timeless designs that will never perfection through graphic-design software. can react quickly, and we can also craft for
fade. When I first started making tile, After I have a preliminary drawing, I carve discerning clientele. Because we produce
this was really important to me because I in clay, plaster, wax—whatever suits the smaller runs, we can tailor to specific looks.
wanted to be a part of history and lasting look. The designs evolve in this three- Larger factories need to appeal to larger
architecture. As I have evolved as an artist, dimensional phase, as I start to understand audiences, and this can sometimes water
I find myself looking more forward than how the glaze will play on the raised and down the design.
backward. I reference different design lowered relief of the tile. Some designs just
movements but am much more comfortable don’t translate from paper to clay. Your operation is very conscious of
putting my own stamp on them. Once I’m happy with the single tile, I the environment.
make a master tile and a mold. I may decide Ceramics is naturally a green process, and
What inspires your handmade tiles? to make slight changes if I foresee glaze we take advantage of every green process
I’m inspired by various cultures and tradi- issues, but for the most part, I’ve learned we can. We do not deal with any toxic or
tions, but I like to add my own contempo- from my early tile-making mistakes and am harmful materials, and we make every
rary twist. Whether it’s the bright colors of purposeful with my prototyping. effort to recycle where possible. We recycle
spices in a Moroccan market or the gestural all of our wastewater, scrap clay, paper, and
motions in graffiti on a subway wall, I Have you developed custom designs? other materials. It’s nice to know that we
always have my eyes peeled for new shapes Yes. Typically our commercial clients come can make something beautiful and not hurt
and color combinations. to us for custom tile, and it’s so much fun! this beautiful earth at the same time.
I just launched two new collections: Verge Each client has specific ideas, but we try to
and Linea. Verge is rooted with natural offer insight into our medium in ways they
elements but has a psychedelic twist. I pho- may not have considered. Architects and For the complete interview, visit
tographed agate—a variety of quartz—and designers sometimes share Pinterest fold- FineHomebuilding.com/extras.

96 FINE HOMEBUILDING Photos: Kate Holl, courtesy of Red Rock Tileworks

 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

ADVERTISER website page ADVERTISER website page

Advantage Lumber advantagelumber.com/ In So Fast insofast.com/fhb p. 81

decking-tiles p. 31
Liebherr liebherr-appliances.com p. 27
AdvanTech advantechperforms.com/
finehome38 p. 17 Marvin Windows & Doors marvinwindows.com p. 21

American Standard, Inc. americanstandard.com p. 5 Max USA Corp. www.maxusacorp.com p. 16

Amvic Building System amvic.com p. 16 Noble Company www.noblecompany.com p. 78

Atlantis Rail Systems www.atlantisrail.com p. 85 Olympic Stain olympic.com p. 28-29

Azek azek.com/deck p. 25 ProHOME by Fine Homebuilding finehomebuilding.com/

prohome p. 22-23
Bear Creek Lumber www.bearcreeklumber.com p. 95
Protective Products protectiveproducts.com p. 79
Berkshire Products berkshireproducts.com p. 95
Protective Products protectiveproducts.com p. 81
CabParts, Inc. www.cabparts.com p. 26
RHH Foam Systems www.rhhfoamsystems.com p. 89
Calculated Industries www.airshim.com p. 91
Radiantec www.radiantec.com p. 15
Cedar Shingles Direct www.cedarshinglesdirect.com p. 95
Reggio Register reggioregister.com p. 85
Chief Architect chiefarchitect.com/freetrial p. 2-3
Schluter www.schluter.com p. 83
Clear Mirror www.clearmirror.com p. 95
Sikkens ProLuxe perfectwoodstains.com p. 9
Cor-A-Vent, Inc. www.cor-a-vent.com p. 32
Softplan Architectural Design www.softplan.com p. 16
Cor-A-Vent, Inc. www.cor-a-vent.com p. 79
Stabila stabila.com p. 34
Crown Point Cabinetry www.crown-point.com p. 100
Stiebel Eltron www.stiebeleltron.us p. 85
Dryer Wall Vent www.dryerwallvent.com p. 87
Superior Clay Corporation www.superiorclay.com p. 89
Dryerbox www.dryerbox.com p. 13
Taunton Store tauntonstore.com/remodel p. 93
Dura Groove Siding www.duragroove.com p. 95
Timberlane Shutters fineshutters.com p. 15
Festool festoolusa.com p. 33
Titebond titebond.com/nodrool p. 99
FineHomebuilding.com finehomebuilding.com p. 89
Uptown Floors www.uptownfloors.com p. 13
Flood Wood Care flood.com p. 19
Weyerhauser trusjoist.com p. 7
Ford Truck ford.com p. 11
ZIP System zipsystem.com/r-sheathing/
GRK Fasteners www.grkfasteners.com p. 78 finehome23 p. 35

Generac freegeneratorguide.com p. 91 Zehnder America, Inc. www.zehnderamerica.com p. 93

Haiku Home haikuhome.com/fhb p. 19 Zipwall zipwall.com p. 30

Hydronic Alternatives hydronicalternatives.com p. 78

www.finehomebuilding.com august/september 2016 97

finishingtouch l a s t i n g i n s p i r at i o n

Dragon’s den
T his whimsical playhouse was con­
ceived and built by artist, wood­
worker, and carpenter Chris Axling.
Axling built his first playhouse after
taking on his most important job: stay-
at-home father for three-year-old
Josephine. Not only was his daughter
enchanted with the little house, but his
friends and family were, too. With their
encouragement, Axling started his busi­
ness, Magical Playhouses.
Axling created the dragon playhouse
for the 2015 Bellevue Arts Museum’s
­annual fair. He designed the swooping
line of the shake roof to look like a drag­
on’s wings frozen in a downbeat. The
swoop of the roof is echoed by ­cedar
sidewall shingles. Unable to find real
dragon horns on eBay, Axling added the
next best thing to the hand-carved cedar
dragon head: genuine Texas longhorns.
The stained glass in the three arch-
topped upper windows was done by
Axling’s wife, Sarah. Inside the playhouse
are custom built-in bookcases and cabi­
nets, a window seat with a pull-out step,
and a secret compartment in the floor.
Axling’s playhouses use the same
construction practices employed on
many well-built homes: Douglas-fir 2x4s,
plywood sheathing, R-13 insulation, and
electrical wiring. The dragon playhouse
has a Broan wall heater (wired with a
safety shutoff switch 52 in. off the floor)
and double-paned windows tempered
for safety. Axling also builds treehouses,
potting sheds, and custom woodworking
pieces to the same high standards.
—Maureen Friedman

Design and construction Chris Axling,

Magical Playhouses, Port Townsend,
Wash.; magicalplayhouses.com
Photographs courtesy of
Magical Playhouses

98 FINE HOMEBUILDING
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