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

When framing a wall in a renovation, be sure to add backing at corners, intersections and fixtures. Ref: Remodeling 4: How to Frame a Wall.

And a Bonus Tip:

When removing studs from a bearing wall, be sure to install a header to carry the weight over the opening. Ref: Remodeling 4: How to Frame a Wall.

Ask Dave!

It depends on the diameter of the hole you drop your post into.

Here is a link to our concrete calculator: http://daveosborne.com/dave/articles/concrete-volume-calculator.php

Try it out yourself for various diameter holes.

To calculate how much concrete is needed we should subtract the displacement of your 6" x 6" x 48" post which is
0.5' x 0.5' x 4' = 1 cu ft.

A hole 8" to 10" is good for a 6x6 post.

Our Calculator figures out the number of bags of concrete mix for various weights of bags, as well.

Dave

Hi Rebecca,

I wrote an article on building a door: http://daveosborne.com/dave/articles/how-build-door.php

It explains backing for the hinges and lockset. If I was making a dutch door from scratch, I would make the entire door, then cut it in half. If you are planning a shelf on the lower half, allow for that. An option is to find a solid door that you could cut down to fit your opening. Watch that the door is not warped.

Dave

Hi Martin,

I would try to go with 1/2" plywood - a paint grade hardwood ply, like Birch. This is almost as expensive as G2S fir, but a nicer grain and both sides are good. The frame could be any hardwood, but I would put a cross piece or two to tie the long vertical frame together. With a 1/2" panel, this leaves 7/16" on each side, which is strong enough and the panel should be rigid enough.

Dave

Hi Ron,

I would trim the PT with PVC or with 1x4. I've done this a lot on stucco, as shown in these pics.

Hope this helps,

Dave

Feature Article of the Month

(taken from our website: DaveOsborne.com

How to Build a House 4: Install Aluminum or Vinyl Soffits

The Excavation

Our construction dictionary on our website defines a soffit: The underside of elements of a building, such as overhangs, staircases and beams. In this How to Build a House article we will concentrate on the underside of the roof overhang, the eave of the house and the overhang at the slope of the roof, the rake of the house. Generally, there are three ways to frame a soffit, where the rake meets the eave, as shown here:

Before a house siding job can start, the soffits at the eaves and the rakes of the house should be already installed. The soffit of choice for a house in my area for new construction is the perforated aluminum soffit material. Other choices for a house are perforated vinyl and ventilated wood or equivalent. It is important that... Read more at How to Build a House 4: Install Aluminum or Vinyl Soffits.

Almost the End

Thanks for the emails this month. I hope my answers were helpful to the questioner as well as to our readers.

If you need advice on your projects at work or home, please become a member of our website, then send me an email. Check out our website! http://daveosborne.com

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Thanks for all your support.

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.