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Podcast: Our Ode to Careless Construction

Ed Pirnik, producer

13 users recommend

Spray foam is no way to fill gaps caused by rot around a poorly-installed door. A bad flashing job, coupled with an improperly-installed poured stair led to severe rot. Oh, and did we mention the fact that this entry door wasn't even attached to the rough opening?

Rob Yagid

Even the bottom plates around the rough opening were destroyed.

Rob Yagid

House-wrap that's been cobbled together from random-sized pieces makes for one poor moisture barrier.

Justin Fink

Spray foam is no way to fill gaps caused by rot around a poorly-installed door. A bad flashing job, coupled with an improperly-installed poured stair led to severe rot. Oh, and did we mention the fact that this entry door wasn't even attached to the rough opening?

Photo: Rob Yagid

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This week, we take a break from our normal routine and commiserate over careless construction and bad builders. Fine Homebuilding senior editor Chuck Bickford and associate editor Rob Yagid reflect on some of the worst construction practices they've ever seen and host Ed Pirnik tells a tale of dangerous carpenters and sloppy techniques that led him to simply walk off a job site.

Episode 6 - April 9, 2010

This week, Chuck Bickford (L) tells his tales of sloppy siding, Rob Yagid (C) tackles awful entry-ways, and Ed Pirnik (R) issues a warning regarding drug use on the job site--or anywhere else for that matter.

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Comments (4)

amazingrace writes: I have been in and around the residential construction trade for about 33 years. Working with my uncle in my teens and now for myself. I have seen alot of odd things over the years. It has mainly been the past 15 years or so that I have seen alot of issues with newer construction homes. With water, moisture and mold. I contribute the problem with an over abundance of non proven techniques. Put out by either the manufacture of products, tradesman, or editors. Seperatly and in a perfect world the technigue works. When applied to real life applications with many varibles it fails.
I not going to go into detail, but a few examples would be the decking that grows mushrooms, the stucco that rots sheathing. My favorite is the J channel that brings water behind the siding.
Today, we are building tighter and tighter homes, with different products then from years past. The internet can be a blessing but can also be a curse. I believe renovators need to understand the basics of construction before trying to specialize in one field. To many times I have seen a specialist in roofing apply an excellent roof system just to have the stucco contractor not install a drip cap on the windows.
Call it what you want, but it needs to change, there is a disconnect. Common sense went out the window, I'm beginning to think that it was never in the room in the first place. Speaking of windows. What is with windows and the four sided nailing flange. Can't these companies figure a way to make the bottom flange be out over the siding. Maybe a double flange, one for nailing and one to divert water onto the siding and not behind. I hope they are not relying on sealant alone to hold out the water. That is my point.

Posted: 8:38 am on April 14th

TommyToolz writes: In the 20 plus years of working on houses professionally and personally there are too many stories to tell but, speaking of mushrooms... A customer wanted me to replace some flat, pine trim boards around a fix window 6 feet tall and two feet wide. When I removed the trim on one side my finger went into the stud! Upon removing the sheetrock I discovered a 6 foot mushroom in the cavity. The builder had used foil faced foam sheathing on the outside and a 6mil poly behind the sheetrock. A leak in the rook ran down the wall, over and around the window and clear to the bottom plate which rested on a slab. Needless to say the water had no place to go! The sheetrock was clean and free of staining! I have the pictures to prove it!
Posted: 7:43 pm on April 13th

ChuckB writes: During our discussion the other day, we mentioned an instance of misplaced vapor-barrier (polyethylene) on the underside of the roof sheathing.

The latest issue's feature "The Passive House - Green Without Gizmos", does have a cutaway drawing that shows housewrap taped to the underside of the roof sheathing. However, the wrap goes up behind the applied soffit and only covers the underside of the roof overhang, not the conditioned space. I think it's an example of what Jeff Kolle refers to as "carefully detailed housewrap".

Hope this helps...


Posted: 2:26 pm on April 12th

Aaron M writes: Didn't the latest FH show construction of a Passive House that had house wrap under the roof sheathing? Just checking myself here. I thought that was a bad idea, and this cast seems to agree. What is different about how the Passive House is done or is my recollection wrong (hard copy at home)?


Posted: 6:17 am on April 12th

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