Building Confidence

Welcome to Dave's Shop Talk's Home Improvement Newsletter of questions from our members on their construction projects, a Tip of the Month and a home remodeling article, both from our website at http://daveosborne.com.

Tip of the Month

If you are cutting on saw horses, it is a good idea to set the depth of the blade just below the surface you are cutting to avoid too much damage to the saw horses. It is also easier on the saw: Ref: Remodeling 6: How to Make a Drop Ceiling.

And a Bonus Tip:

When drilling through a finished frame, as when installing door pulls, hold a scrap block of plywood on the inside to prevent the drill from chipping the wood as it goes through the other side. Ref: Cabinets 1: Frameless Kitchen Cabinets.

Ask Dave!

Hi Harlon,

These panels require a 3 in 12 slope. For a 12' span you need a drop of 3' for the required slope or raise the back end 3'. This is the requirement for a roof. For a floor the minimum requirement is 1/4" per foot. This would work out to 3" slope in 12'. A water drain pipe minimum slope is 1/4" per foot of slope.

Sorry about this, but 1/2" in 12' would not do anything. The least I would do is to lift the back side up by installing a 2x4 on edge under the framing.

Dave

We don't limit our designs by the size of material. If this workbench is in the middle of the room, then reaching from both sides is not a problem. If against the wall in a shop, which it will be most of the time, 4' wide is too wide, in my opinion.

Dave

Hi Mike,

Usually, we build stairs at the framing stage of the house. We use 1" plywood for treads and 5/8 ply (sub-floor material) for the risers. This holds the stairs together, as well as provides backing for the treads and risers, whether carpet, hardwood or whatever. If you use the same thickness on the treads as on the floors, you don't need to worry about different thicknesses, etc on the steps. Building codes require 1" treads.

If installing hardwood directly to the stringers, get the pre-fab treads that are 1" thick with the nosing built in.

In your situation, with the treads open and 5 feet, I would sheet the treads and risers with 5/8 standard sheathing plywood and cover with 3/4 hardwood flooring material. Use the proper 1 1/4 nosing that matches the flooring. I wrote an article on this: http://daveosborne.com/dave/articles/install-hardwood-stairs.php

Miter the nosing in the corners, orient your pieces to match the groove in the nosing. At the one side put the two grooves together with a spline that you rip yourself out of hardwood. Make the spline snug but able to slip into the grooves as easily as the tongue does.

On the rounded out tread for the bottom step. We usually buy this part to match the hardwood flooring. These parts, including stair handrail parts are available at Wood Finishing stores. Checkout my article on handrails.

Here is a pic of my stairs:

Hope this helps,

Dave

Hi Andy,

I can think of 2 possible solutions:

Install a belly band around the cottage, on top of the 1/2" plywood. You would also need a row of flashing on top of the belly board and another row below it. This would be an easy solution. Belly bands are very popular around here, between different or the same courses of siding, vertical to horizontal. They are also used to break up the look of a tall wall. Belly boards or bands are usually combed face 2x10. Miter the corners around the house.

OR:

Rip tapered strips from 1/2" to 0 about 18" to 24" long (at least the length of 2 rows width of siding). With vinyl siding being hollow, it is very forgiving in relation to uneven surfaces, vertically. Horizontally, this is a different story. You should be consistent horizontally. Even a 1/4" shim will help between a couple rows of siding. Install these strips on top of studs, above the 1/2" plywood.

Dave

Hi Andy,

#1: A belly band is a board usually, 2"x10" that is installed around the walls of a house in a continuous band. There is flashing above and below it. It breaks up the look of the wall, a bit. Around here, most of the corner boards and belly band boards are combed face. This comes come from describing the face of the board, which looks like someone took a comb to it and left small ridges and valleys in the surface. It usually comes primed, as well.

#2: 'horizontally this is a different story' means that in the horizontal plane, or the length of the board plane, the wall surface should be consistent and flat. In other words if the wall is wavy, the siding attached will look wavy. On the other hand, vertically, it is not that big an issue. If the wall has a 1/4" board sticking out between rows of the vinly siding, it is not that noticeable as it if the 1/4" was sticking out all the way up the wall.

Does this help?

Dave

I like it. I would install the flashing on the wall first, then install the tarpaper over the flashing on the wall side. This would force any moisture to go out along the flashing.

Dave

Feature Article of the Month

(taken from our website: DaveOsborne.com

Remodeling 19: How to Hang and Finish Drywall

Drywall, also known as gyproc, Sheetrock®, plaster board, gypsum board, to name a few, is a very popular method of applying a wall or ceiling finish. Drywall is quite inexpensive and is easy to install and paint. Its only draw back, for the novice, is the requirement to apply drywall joint compound, we call drywall mud, and sand it down smoothly. The following article will help you understand the principles of finishing drywall.

The term drywall comes from the early days when tradesmen used to apply the wall and ceiling finish onto wooden laths with a mixture of sand, cement, lime and water. They referred to it as plastering a wall or ceiling. They still have these specialized plasterers today, but we can have the advantage of a plaster wall or ceiling put on dry in ready made sheets. Thus the name drywall evolved. The drywall sheets are placed across the studs or joists rather than with their length running with the studs or joists. The drywall sheet is cut to length by scoring the drywall paper layer with a utility knife, snapping the drywall board in a 90 degree angle towards the back and cutting the back paper layer using the inside angle of the break as a guide. To cut round holes for plumbing or square holes for electrical boxes or such, a drywall saw is used. Measure the location on the face of the drywall and just push the stiff, short blade through the drywall and commence cutting.

Drywall comes in many applications: regular drywall for walls, moisture resistant drywall for walls called green board, ceiling board, which is still 1/2" thick rather than the required 5/8" thickness for the ceiling when the joists, rafters or trusses are on 24" centers, is sag resistant. I like the ceiling board because it is lighter than the 5/8". It also comes in a 5/8" fireguard thickness, used mainly in commercial applications.

Before starting to apply drywall tape and drywall mud, make sure... Read more at http://daveosborne.com/dave/articles/how-hang-finish-drywall.php

Almost the End

Well, that does it for another month. Thanks for your questions, hope my answers were helpful.

Dan and I appreciate your emails and support.

If you need more advice, please become a member of our website, then send me an email.

Hi, I'm Dave Osborne. With over 50 years experience as a journeyman carpenter, foreman and contractor in heavy construction I enjoyed working with apprentices and sharing the tricks of the trade that others shared with me. Now I get emails from Members all over the world and we include many of my answers in our Free Monthly Newsletters. Some of my answers include drawings and instructions specific to a project, but may also answer your questions. I use correct construction terminology, so you can confidently inform your building supply dealers or contractors exactly what you need.