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tag: foundations
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Building a radon-resistant home.
1 commentWhat is deadly and might be lurking in your basement? No, not a Ninja (well probably not), in most cases it is Radon. And it is important to know what Radon is and how to ensure it isn't a threat to your household. From building to testing, I will share what I learned about Radon while building my house.
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Bill Rose on crawlspaces: A bad idea, should be illegal
7 commentsIn seeking subjects for "Inspector" games, I stumbled across a potential gold mine: The U.S. Department of Energy's Building America teams. These folks are constantly working to improve the houses...
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Patrick's Barn: Rookie Mistake
3 commentsSuccess with concrete starts with having enough to do the job.
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The Tool Shed
August 2010 – A day to remember…..or maybe, to forget.About 14 years ago, I built this 12×12 tool shed off the back of my woodworking shop. Money was pretty tight back then so I...
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Patrick's Barn: Underslab Insulation
This past weekend we leveled the gravel with a site-built jig and put down a layer of rigid foam.
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Almost out of the Ground
6 commentsWith the foundation done and water and power lines run to the site, the fun part is about to begin.
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Siting a House
Things to consider when you want to take advantage of the sun's free energy.
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How to Level Up Concrete Piers?
3 commentsA rushed job results in piers with uneven tops, and now the builder wonders how to proceed: level the tops before setting his posts or pull out the piers and start again.
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Juniper Inspects Progress on Subslab Insulation
1 commentLike most dogs, Juniper manages to sit or walk on anything that is currently in use or I am attempting to move. Thankfully, she takes long breaks when I can get some stuff done.
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Hip to be Square: Pythagoras in the Digital Age
Considering all the whiz-bang capabilities SketchUp has to offer, it's easy to overlook how helpful it can be for basic tasks. This episode shows how to calculate accurate (extremely precise, actually) square-up dimensions for any type of layout work with the "Cliculator".
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How to Protect and Finish Insulation on an Exterior Foundation Wall
1 commentAdding a layer of rigid-foam insulation to the outside of a poured concrete foundation saves energy, but it raises a key question: What's the best way of protecting and finishing the foam that remains above grade.
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What's the Best Vapor Barrier for a Concrete Slab?
5 commentsA homeowner with chemical sensitivities who lives near a Superfund site seeks the most effective way of keeping potential toxins out of her basement
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Carpenter quits job, builds himself a tropical island
1 commentWho hasn't dreamed of giving up the 9-to-five and escaping to a tropical island to while away the days until the bank account ran dry? Well, carpenter Richie Sowa is one who made the move and is...
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After Shock: A Moldy Crawlspace Nightmare Part 2
3 commentsAfter the initial shock of finding so much deterioration of the wood in this crawlspace, its time to plan repairs.
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The Rotten old front porch has gotta go! Has anybody used helical steel screw pile/piers?
2 commentsI have a 1922 house with a 1922 porch with dry rot in the floor and one of the walls. The covering is fine and will stay. No building permit required as long as i do not change the footprint. I am...
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Our Vermont Home Project
1 commentThis is the first gallery entry for the new home construction project my wife and I are working on in Plainfield, Vermont. These are a few snapshots of our life & project to date.
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Very Cool Video of Concrete Screed
1 commentSpin Screed concrete roller screeds use an electric angle grinder motor to power a screed bar up to 22ft long. This tool is perfect for screeding everything from driveways to concrete pads in basements.
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Keauhou mauka replacement deck
The finished replacement utility area/garden deck. Note new, ABS plastic drain vent on wall behind reinstalled utility sink. New, capped hollow tile wall protects deck and serves as low...
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Double Decker
The upper balcony was falling off of the house, and the downstairs bedroom had only a window to the outside. We designed and built a deck that is twice the square footage of the...
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How to Paint Fiber-Cement Siding
Painter Jim Lacey shares some tips for caulking and painting fiber-cement siding. read more
