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

A little candle wax on screws help them go in easier.

And a Bonus Tip:

Stagger your screws or nails to avoid splitting the grain of the wood.

Ask Dave!

Hi Larry,

Living on the Southwest coast of British Columbia, Canada, we don't have the extreme hot temperatures as those in the Southern States. I have experienced pitch pockets oozing from 6x6 fir/hemlock wood columns, but that's about all. Our pressure treated wood here is usually hemlock rather than pine. I searched the web on this subject and you definitely are not alone with your pitch/sap problem.

Here is the best of what I read from the web, from: http://blog.mlive.com/home_improvement/2007/09/deck_maintenance_for_pressure_2.html

The "sap" oozing from your deck boards is a natural product of the wood, and it's really pitch, not sap. Sap runs in the spring. Running pitch has nothing to do with stains, sealers, or waterproofing the deck. It resides in "pitch pockets" in wood, and when the wood gets hot enough, it melts and runs out. This is especially true of lumber made from conifers, which have large pitch pockets. Your deck wood is probably made of a member of this species, perhaps southern pine.

You're most likely to notice pitch problems on the sunny areas of the deck than in shaded sections, as those are the areas on the deck that absorb the most heat. Kiln dried lumber that has been heated to more than 160 degrees usually does not suffer from this problem. The high kiln temperature solidifies the pitch and prevents it from turning to liquid again. Evidently, the pressure treated lumber used on your deck was either not kiln dried, or wasn't dried at a high enough temperature to cause this solidification.

There's not a lot you can do about the problem at this point except live with it. As the deck heats up in the summer, pitch will continue to run from the boards. There is no sealer made that can contain it under these conditions. But the news is not all bad. There's really no need to let the sticky pitch ruin your enjoyment of the deck. A bit of turpentine on a rag will remove it quickly, and you shouldn't have to wipe it up more than a couple of times a summer. Eventually, the pitch pockets will run dry, and you won't even have to do this minor maintenance chore.

I'll add that pressure treated wood (PTW) is not a weatherproof treatment. PTW is a pesticide treatment to stop decay from bugs. It can be sealed and stained after the wood has thoroughly dried out and the color of the pressure treatment has faded. Turpentine is a natural product and a good solvent for this purpose. I don't believe there is any sealer that will do any good until all the pitch has either dried up and solidified or ran out of the boards. Some people have waited 9 years before their boards stop oozing, this is probably the extreme, though.

My advice, then is to deal with the pitch as it is seen, with the turpentine. Other options are to replace the boards or turn them over if the pockets are on one side only. Eventually, the pitch will harden or run out.

Dave

Hi Rob and welcome back.

Lifting the radiators is the easiest way to lay the floor. If this can't be done, you can fit around the feet and pipes. Depending which way the boards are laying makes one way easier than the other. The easiest way to go around a pipe or a foot is to cut the board at the center line of the pipe or foot - this works best if the boards lie 90 degrees to the radiator. If the boards lay along side of the radiator, try to have the notch on the underside.

Usually, with the pipes you mark the center of the hole from both directions, drill the hole a bit larger for expansion and contraction due to heat in the pipe, then cut across the board along the center line.

With the legs, especially claw foot ones, try to scribe them, the best you can or make a cardboard template. Again, cut across the board behind the the foot.

After the floor is laid, make or purchase escutcheon plates to go over the pipes and legs, to cover up the hole in the flooring. Cut them in half with a thin blade and glue the two pieces together when in place.

Another option is using a latex caulking the same color as the hardwood and caulk around the pipes and feet.

Hope this helps,

Dave

Yes, it certainly makes for a better finished job.

Dave

Hi Matt,

We don't nail the top flange to allow the window to settle with the framing. When applying siding it is nailed at the top, which holds the window in.

Dave

Hi Trace and thanks for the nice comments.

You can buy a fiberglass or aluminum screening material at your local hardware store, by the foot or meter in various widths. You can make a wooden frame out of 1x3, etc with hinges on one side and magnetic clips on the other, etc. Or purchase a ready made custom job out of aluminum frames.

You can knock on my shop door anytime!

Dave

Hi Henry,

Watch the temperature when painting with latex since it dries too quickly when hot. Also, when this happens, maybe clean the roller out or switch with a clean one. There is a product that you describe called Floetrol, latex paint conditioner, by the Flood Company. My wife used to sell this product to pro painters using older paint, etc. We have used it ourselves, as well.

Dave

Could you elaborate a bit - what is the total run and rise?

Hi David,

This is what I came up with:

Yes, the stringer needs to be 8'.

Dave

You're welcome and thanks,

Dave

Hi Chet.

For only 2 steps, you may want to go with 1 platform on top of another, rather than a two step stringer. For the platform, build the bottom level, scribe the bottom to fit. It should be out the full 22" of run, less nosing and finished height including treads of 6.5, based on the 19 1/2" high center. So the height to top of finished tread on the bottom platform would be 13" down from the finished porch deck. The top platform would be 11" wide, allow for overhang (Nosing) on treads, and 6.5 including treads - 3 X 6.5 = 19 1/2. The high side (20") would have the bottom rise at 7" and the low side at 6".

If doing 3 stringers. Make the 2 stringers the size of the center - 19 1/2" and 1 stringer 1/2" longer on the bottom, for the highest end. Then scribe and cut off each stringer bottom - middle one, as is and the short end about 1/2" less. Remember to cut the bottom of the stringers off, first, the thickness of the treads - 1 1/2", before scribing the bottoms. The slope of the ground is taken up with the bottom step - level on top; tapered on bottom. Use your center stringer as the reference for the other two being level on top of the tread.

Dave

You're welcome, Chet, glad I was able to clear that up for you.

Dave

Feature Article of the Month

(taken from our website: DaveOsborne.com

Remodeling 9: How to Install a Hardwood Floor

First of all, determine which direction you are going to install the hardwood floor boards. Conventionally the hardwood floor boards are run with the length of the room rather than across it. Another choice is installing the hardwood floor boards diagonally. Measure along a wall, the equivalent of one board plus the tongue, plus 1/4" for expansion. Go to the corners of the room and snap a line between these points. Don't follow the wall, follow the line. This first hardwood floor board should be laid down with its tongue away from the wall and its grooved side about 1/4" away from the wall. Face nail this first hardwood floor board into position securely. The whole floor will follow this line. Lay up the hardwood floor boards for the next rows with no less than 6" between joints in a 6" radius. Don't have a joint then a hardwood floor board and another joint exactly opposite it. Spread these joints out as shown in the drawing. Nail above the tongue of the hardwood floor board, into the sub-floor on an angle, called toe nailing. You can rent a compressor and nailer for hardwood floors which is designed to drive a staple into the floor above the tongue. You can also rent a manual nailer. Go for the air nailer it drives the hardwood floor boards together better. The rental person will explain how to use it properly. Staple or nail the hardwood floor boards no more than 6" apart. If using the air nailer get into the habit of sliding it along the tongue of the hardwood floor board, rather than lifting the nailer and moving it into position 6" away. Use the hammer supplied and give it a good smack, not too hard though.

Continue this procedure until you come to the other side of the room, when you run out of room to nail with the nailer into the tongue of the hardwood floor boards. Either use a finishing nail air nailer or toe nail the hardwood floor boards by hand. Rip the last hardwood floor board to fit, keeping it 1/4" away from the walls. The ends of the hardwood floor boards should be at least 1/4" away from the walls, also.

When coming to a doorway, follow this procedure. Get a... Read more at Remodeling 9: How to Install a Hardwood Floor.

Almost the End

I hope you enjoyed the Newsletter this month.

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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.