shirlock homes

42,847 reputation

250102

bio	website	axiomhomeservices.com
	location	Windham, ME
	age	60
visits	member for	2 years, 9 months
	seen	10 hours ago
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General Building Contractor, Certified Home Inspector and Licensed EPA Renovator. I am winding down my years of pounding nails, building custom homes and additions, renovating kitchens and bathrooms, and converting cellars and attics into beautiful living spaces. I am doing more and more home inspections as my bones age and my back gives out. Now I find it easier to look objectively at home structures than to build them. My goal here on Stack Exchange is to help DIY'ers do it the right way and share my years of building experience with them. I may not always give the most popular answer, but I will always give my best informed advise.

	42,847 reputation	bio	website	axiomhomeservices.com	visits	member for	2 years, 9 months
250102 badges		location	Windham, ME		seen	10 hours ago

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Apr 5	comment	How can I install a pendant light fixture on a cathedral ceiling with no attic space? Thanks Tester... :)
Apr 3	comment	Do deck coatings work as claimed? @ decker: I agree with you totally
Apr 2	comment	What is the most durable wood to use for an outdoor swing set I like cedar for these type of projects. Just be ssure to use large stock as cedar is soft and not strong unless built properly. + 1 vote
Apr 2	comment	What to look for in a new furnace If you specified fuel type, if you needed domestic hot water, type of system, ie forced hot water, hot air, etc. We might have a question on specifics. We don't like to recommend brands, but pros/cons of a type of new technology may be a good question.
Apr 2	comment	What to look for in a new furnace This type of open ended question is not answerable under TOS.
Apr 1	comment	Can I upgrade my garage to 20amp service without a headache? how far is the garage from the electrical source (house)? It may not be a big deal to run a new conduit with 12/3 or 10/3 AWG. If it is not running under a driveway or paved area, UF just a foot or so down may be OK. Check your local code. I am not up on Canadian codes, but I do know they are somewhat stricter than here in the US
Apr 1	comment	How can I attach a ledger board to my house? AS you asked earlier, joists resting on top of a ledger beam are perfectly fine. The real question here is where to attach the beam. Doesn't make any difference where the joists sit, there is hardware that works for either method.
Apr 1	comment	How can I attach a ledger board to my house? @ Maple: Maybe we could meet on chat. Then we can have a much quicker exchange. I really don't think it is gonna be as complicated as it may sound. I have build over a hundred decks and yet to see one that couldn't be attached or supported. I look or a pic of the joist box ends from inside could settle the question. As I said earlier, I have never seen anything but some sort of solid rims setting on a sill or top plates of knee walls.
Apr 1	comment	How can I attach a ledger board to my house? OK, I'm trying to nail this question down. The house rim joist is a solid LAM or a mult-thickness laminated OSB? If it is at least 1.5 inches thick, like dimensional lumber, then you can treat it like such.
Apr 1	comment	How can I attach a ledger board to my house? Since there are no rules that say the weight MUST be bourn on the rim joist against the structure, I'm toying with some ideas of adding an extra post and beam close to the house. Are you absolutely sure the house rim joist is an engineered I-beam, not solid, especially under the door?
Apr 1	comment	How can I attach a ledger board to my house? vinyl or cedar siding?
Apr 1	comment	Is it better to paint wood siding or replace it with vinyl? What kind of wood siding are you talking about?
Apr 1	comment	How do I change from a built-in to a freestanding oven Are you talking about a cooktop range and oven, or an oven only?
Apr 1	comment	How can I attach a ledger board to my house? You have a few options here, all IRC compliant. I am a bit confused by the different faces you want to secure to. The house rim joist, the knee wall and/or garage. Can you attach a couple of pics of the surfaces and a sketch of the relationship of the deck to the existing structures? I am also questioning the rim joist of the house. In most cases, the rim joist is solid, even if you have I-beam floor joists setting on the sill plates. Check them carefully from the inside. Once we solve the initial rim joist attachment, the rest will be easy for you with readily available hardware.
Mar 30	comment	What should I consider when removing part of the second floor to make higher ceilings? This is definitely not a DIY job. The floor joists are integral in the geometry of the structure and can't just be removed. An engineer or architect is really needed for this one. Other factors may be electrical wiring or plumbing running in the cavity between floors.
Mar 28	comment	Is this water heater drain configuration safe? here, we are allowed to pump up to a washer drain. The sump pump from my condensing furnace pumps up to the washer drain and is to code. Just installed it last year. Some areas may be more strict however. But for practical purposes it would work fine.
Mar 28	comment	What to do about subfloor covering sole plates? Sounds like a good plan to me. Just fit some nailing blocks (2X4) snugly between the studs, couple of nails or screws, done.
Mar 27	comment	Will combining roof venting systems cause short cycling? BTW, your home inspector comments that there are no soffit vents, or maybe covered with insulation. I think that is why he suggested the short cycle.
Mar 27	comment	Will combining roof venting systems cause short cycling? I am also a home inspector and unless the soffit vents are blocked, multiple vents higher on the structure are not usually a problem. Since ridge vents often get covered by snow, gable end vents are also added and don't cause short cycling. If the soffit vents are blocked or too small, yes, there will be air flowing from one upper vent to another. But hot air rises, and as long as there is air supply from below, it will vent. The fact that there are vents a few inches below the ridge vents is not going to stop convection from the soffit vents.
Mar 27	comment	Why does our “granite” worktop mark so easily? It certainly sounds like you have real stone. I shouldn't mark that easily. I am still leaning towards a sealer problem. i'd still ask for a rep to come look at it.