Replies

1. 
   Darrell | Aug 31, 1999 02:24am | #1

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   I've done just a few "rot repairs" mostly on facia & sofit. I have yet to establish a cost guide for this type of work. would you elaborate on how you charge for this?

   P.S. I agree alot of rot could have been prevented w/ flashing.

2. 
   Guest_ | Aug 31, 1999 05:52am | #2

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   Crawford,

   It's interesting that you pose your question in the form of Hamlet's soliloquy. Hamlet was contemplating the choice between committing suicide, or taking action against the treachery that surrounded him. If you don't properly flash windows, doors,chimneys,walls,etc. and just depend on caulking alone, you are causing "suicide" of sorts to the structure, it just takes a while to show up.

   I've heard horror stories about the poor building practices in some of the high growth areas down south, from guys I know that went down there for winter work, and what you're telling us confirms some of what I've been told.

   Thanks for sharing your observations, John

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 31, 1999 07:24am | #3

   *GeezThat's not what I heard. .. word around here is that those southern guys will flash anything that walks by. . . -pm

1. 
   Guest_ | Aug 31, 1999 07:28pm | #4

   *I flash all surfaces in which a verticle plane meets a horizonal plane. Calk (even though it has a 40 year warranty) rarely lasts over 5 years in an exposed situtation, but will last if primed and painted.I minimize rot by using redwood for all exposed woodwork, unless the homeowner countermands by recommendation. The stuff lasts 25 years unpainted, and unlimited period of time if painted.

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 01, 1999 05:56am | #5

   *dunshaw....keep flashing... do it right... and U will continue to sleep well at nite and build your reputation!E

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 01, 1999 07:40am | #6

   *Crawford, There exists an irony. Whereas in nature chi will follow the natural flow of water, this represents a challenge to all who choose to build/constuct upon the natural terrain.It really comes down to the basic question;can you outsmart the physical properties of water? Take it a step further;how long do you want to properly divert it? Is your reputation an issue? I believe that mechanical flashing is the obvious answer. Caulk is only meant to bridge the gap of wood shrinkage.(On project work,it can be referred to as liquid siding) What is your realistic expectation of a caulk manufacturer making good on their warranty? Ciao, Rick

2. 
   Guest_ | Sep 01, 1999 08:26am | #7

   *The right type of flashing , properly installed will probably last as long as the house . I cant say that about caulking . Chuck

3. 
   Tedfrd | Sep 01, 1999 08:37am | #8

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   All I want to add is proper flashing prevents callbacks - and we all know what that costs.

4. 
   Guest_ | Sep 01, 1999 08:45am | #9

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   I give up. Is the flashing under discussion the same thing as the drip edge? It seems like that's all I ever see on a fascia.

   Rich Beckman

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 01, 1999 03:19pm | #10

   *I am one of those southern builders. And if you have to think about it flash it. We have some of the best construction in the world going on here and we have some of the worst. I have been in Three year old houses with whole walls rotted out. and people still ask why I am so expensive and take so long. As long as my customers complain about price I am making money. As long as they complain about time I am doing it right!

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 05, 1999 09:30pm | #11

   *Thanks for all the great replys and advise folks, I've always been a fan of flashing everything I can and will continue to in the future. I geuss I just had to vent after yet another frustrating day af doing something that could have been avoided with just a little flashing( yes.. drip edge). Flash it once, Flash it twice will make a home dry warm and nice.

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 06, 1999 09:07am | #12

   *Ya, keep on a flashin - but sometimes flashing isn't enough. The dry rotted timbers that I am currently slathering epoxy on to keep from having to tear off the entire roof and ceiling of a house has a relatively flat roof in which the fascia extends up above the roof about three inches to channel the water to the down spouts. The fascia is flashed with the sheet metal going up and over the fascia and then extending about three inches into the roof under the roofing felt. Pretty good detail. Unfortunately, the idiot roofers did not extend the felt on the T&G roof up and over the fascia/flashing, it comes up to the fascia and then just stops. As the flashing has expanded and contracted, the T&G roofing has pulled away from flashing allowing water to trickle down into the soffits. Even good cedar can only take this for a little while before dry rot sets in. The roof started leaking when it was only three years old. The roofers had a ten year warranty - yeah sure. They reportedly would come out and slather a little messy goop on the obvious leaking spot, which would help for about ten minutes. Anyway, moral of the story, make sure your roofers do what they need to do in regard to the flashing, at least on flat roofs, or they ain't gonna do no good anyhow...

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 06, 1999 09:24am | #13

   *When in doubt, flash and shout!

2. 
   Guest_ | Sep 06, 1999 06:53pm | #14

   *Casey, With all due respect it would seem the fault lies less with the "idiot " roofers and more with the IDIOTIC roof design. A flat roof in Portland Oregon seems destined for an early demise,no matter who the roofer is.The roofing materials you described ,installed on the roof type you described are hardly the most effective choice.But I could be wrong,Stephen

3. 
   Guest_ | Sep 06, 1999 10:53pm | #16

   *Yeah, Stephen, that too...However deficient the design, nonetheless, if the felt had been extended over the top of the fascia and adequately mopped with asphalt, the soffits would have been protected until the entire roof failed - closer to 30 years than 3 years.So while not an ideal design, the roofing application made it a whole lot worse.

5. 
   Guest_ | Sep 06, 1999 10:53pm | #15

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   Hello fellow breaktimers, today I just got done ripping some gutters off an entire house to get to rotten facia that needed to be replaced. Here I am happily going about my work , which in this case is time and materials as always with rot jobs, when I start thinking," gosh with proper flashing this whole job would not have to be done".

   Now when I first started in the building trades some of my first jobs was the fabrication, and installations of flashings around the windows and doors, the roof was ussually done with premade flashing. Well I've worked in various parts of the United States and seen all kinds of nifty(and not so nifty), construction methods. For the last 6 years I have been living in a part of the country that gets its fair share of rain each year but not a lot of snow or ice, .. lo and behold very few houses have any, I repeat any flashing to speak of. Well the decks have to be flashed according to code, but as far as I can tell thats done wrong too and in about 5 years I should have plenty of business ripping all those decks off and building them the right way.

   the real question is, dont you need to flash any horizontal surface, or are the new caulks that good that its a mute point now. I may be behind the times in my way of doing things, but I always thought that flashing was what made or broke a houses's longevity. Oh yeah and whats up with that stuff builders rap window framing with before they put in windows these days. I know its a code item, but are they serious, whats that supposed to do besides trap moisture underneath it , and rot window framing, what ever happened to felt paper splines.

   I would appreciate any thoughts on this matter, and untill then I will be laughing all the way to the bank, after yet another rotten wood job.