Nail-gun image is CAT scan, not MRI
As a home-building layman, I assume the technical content of your magazine is correct. I never thought that as a radiologist, I would be writing you with a correction. Your article “There’s a reason they’re called nail guns” (FHB #118, “Cross Section,” pp. 50, 52) shows an image labeled as an MRI. It is actually a CAT scan.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) creates an image by placing the patient in a large magnet (strong enough to pull a key ring out of your hand from 3 ft.) and applying radio waves, which are absorbed by water molecules in your body. An MR magnet is actually the last place you would want to go if you had a nail in your chest because the magnetic field could potentially move it. A CAT scan uses conventional X-rays and a computer to generate an image.
—Dr. William R. Zavitz, Rapid City, SD
Says asphalt is a poor choice for driveways
I read your recent article on driveways with more than passing interest (FHB #118, pp. 60-67). I used to be employed by a major oil company’s asphalt department and sold hot liquid to asphalt plants, roofing manufacturers, and state and county highway departments. Your article needed to be more blunt about asphalt’s limitations.
For highways, asphalt is a fantastic product, but hot-mix asphalt is the worst choice for a driveway a person could make. Hot mix requires traffic to keep it compacted. Compacting is the secret to long-lasting asphalt. On highway jobs, they use large, heavy pavers and a variety of rollers to achieve density. Driveway contractors can’t justify this expense or usually fit that equipment on a residential property. A traffic count of one or two vehicles a day just doesn’t keep hot-mix compacted, and it usually creates channeling or rutting.
Also, there are a variety of different mix designs available, each of which does a specific task. Golf-cart paths and driveways should use a mix high in sand and asphalt content. Problem is, this costs a lot more and is not what builders choose to use. A less expensive but good alternative is to use what’s called “shot-and-chip” or “cold mix.” This mix uses “cut-back” asphalt, which has kerosene blended in. All the early roads in this country used this concept and have lasted for decades.
Finally, all hot-mix driveways should be sealed with a tar emulsion. Tar is immune to gas and oil spills. If mixed with sand, it offers good traction in cold climates.
Another driveway alternative not mentioned but that is used in Europe is the open-grid pavers that let some grass grow up through them and make the driveway much less conspicuous. Obviously, topography and location in the country are factors here.
—Craig Brown, Naperville, IL
Built-in beds aren’t practical
“Fanciful Built-in Beds” (FHB #118, pp. 94-97) was a good article, but like so many of these projects, it would be nice if you could run an addendum after the people have had two or three months of living with the built item. The beds look great, and I’m sure the visitors were highly complimentary. But what about the person who makes the beds in the morning?
Ever try making a bed without going around it? There’s only one access point in two of the three illustrated beds. Plus, I wouldn’t like to be the one turning (recommended by most mattress manufacturers) or replacing the mattresses and box springs on the “cloud bed.” Is this not an egregious case of the architect not being concerned with the construction details?
—Pete “Not an architect but wish I had one when I had my house built” Goodman, Columbia, MO
Russell and Harriet DeWolfe, owners of the built-in beds, reply: Yes, the built-in cupboard beds are a pain to make (which is probably why even in Scandinavia they aren’t a common concept anymore). But we knew that to be the case long before Jean Steinbrecher, our nonegregious and extraordinarily detail-oriented architect, pointed it out to us (along with our contractors, bed-maker and everyone who ever looked at our plans).
However, we loved the beds, so we were determined to make them work. We placed them only in guest rooms where the traffic doesn’t require daily bed-making and where they are used infrequently enough that the mattress won’t need turning or replacement either, with any luck. We also equipped them with fitted bottom sheets and tossed on comforters with changeable duvet covers instead of top sheets and blankets, which must be tucked in (they’re tucked in for the photos in the article just for dress up).
So Pete, the answer is that we still love the beds and would do them all over again, but we sometimes grumble a little when we make them. By the way, the master bed is a real pleasure to make because it stands tall and requires little bending.
Building experience should count toward architect’s license
I would like to add my opinion regarding Todd Remington’s essay “Architects Should Learn How to Build” (FHB #116, “Commentary,” p. 26, 28) and the resulting letters that have been published since. Somewhere in the transition from master builder to architect, we lost sight of what it really takes to train someone to build good architecture. It makes a lot of sense to learn how to cook if you are going to write recipes for a living.
I built the first $6 million worth of my design projects over a ten-year period as a design/build contractor. Not one day of that time counts toward the experience requirement to become an architect in the state of Texas. The system not only discourages construction experience, but it also penalizes the young graduate architects who want to become builders.
—Lester Germanio, P.E., Austin, TX
Architect: Lighten up—we all have to work together
It makes me chuckle to see recent comments in Fine Homebuilding advocating that an architect become a skilled carpenter before becoming an architect. Good advice? Sure it is. However, an architect is a generalist. He or she knows a little information about many subjects. Should he also be a skilled concrete person, steel erector, master plumber, city planner, stonemason, watercolor artist, talented designer, certified electrical engineer, etc., before starting out in his chosen profession? It would be wonderful to know everything about everything, but of course, nobody does.
Knowledge of carpentry is invaluable in preparation of wood-frame drawings, but it is not the essence of architecture. Everyone in the industry can contribute something in his area of expertise. It is always of great value for a young architect to gain actual field experience; it would also be of great value for a young carpenter to gain design experience.
We all have to work together in this industry. Lighten up a bit!
—Lee Johnson, Woodacre, CA
A double entry is safer and energy efficient
Sarah Susanka’s essay “Designing a gracious entry” (FHB #118, “Drawing Board,” pp. 36-42) has certainly raised important aspects of our social relations. However, two important aspects seem missing. First, much of the energy loss in a well-built dwelling occurs during entry and exit. A double entry (or air-lock entry) has obvious advantages. Second, what portion of those approaching a home do we truly desire to admit? Here again, a double entry allows admission without extending that invitation to the realm beyond.
—Mark Chapman, Missoula, MT
Gatorade not a bad idea on the job site
The article on first-aid kits (FHB #118, pp. 108-111) was excellent, but I would add the following. Sunblock is a fine idea for outdoor summer-work situations, but some kind of salt-supplement drink isn’t bad, either. Plain salt tablets may help you retain some body fluids, but don’t count on it (note that the classic sign of physical distress in hot weather is failure to urinate even after drinking large amounts of water: The body keeps most of it to sweat with). And note that the depletion of sodium chloride (table salt) is probably not as critical as it is with other mineral (e. g., potassium) salts, as provided by Gatorade, et al.
About eye drops: Many brands are cosmetic. These vasoconstrictors “get the red eye out” by shrinking unattractive capillaries. So too will a handful of salt stanch the bleeding of a gaping wound, but those missing the masochist’s chromosome might want to rinse their eyes with the 5% saline solution sold for contact-lens wearers. This stuff is quite close in composition to your own tears, so it can give you a quick idea about whether further treatment is necessary after washing out the inevitable eyeful of sawdust and wood chips. It won’t mask natural discomfort with extra pain from rapid astringent action. Given its chemical makeup and price (about $5 a pint), you needn’t be bashful when using it.
—Michael Standish, Jamaica Plain, MA
Sell your construction surplus on-line
If your construction business is anything like mine, you have a lot of brand-new items left over at the end of a project. I know that in my business, which is electrical construction, it seems like there are always a couple of fixtures or exit signs or disconnect switches that come back into the warehouse, brand new. We put the stuff on the shelf, and it usually sits there until we run out of space. Then we throw it into the Dumpster.
That’s why I started Surplus Stuff, an Internet clearinghouse for surplus construction supplies. All you have to do is:
1. Make a list of your surplus stuff.
2. Take a few pictures of your surplus stuff.
3. Get together the price you paid for the stuff and how much you want to sell it for.
4. Go to our Web site and enter the information on our item submission form.
We will list it in our database, and when it sells, you receive cash for your stuff. Simple as that. Why not check it out at www.surplus-stuff.com.
—Bill Tremaine (aka Stuff Guy), Surplus Stuff, Columbus, OH
Improvements for foundation detailing
I enjoy every issue of Fine Homebuilding. I have every issue ever published and refer to them in my business of construction consulting here in the Southwest. Although I’ve been around construction for over 40 years, I learn from every issue. However, I have several criticisms of the inset section drawing of the wall/footing assembly shown on p. 102 of the June/July issue (FHB #117, “When Block Foundations Go Bad”).
1. The geotextile fabric should wrap the stone backfill. The purpose of this fabric is to prevent the adjacent soil from infiltrating the gravel and contaminating it, rendering it and the drain useless. Moisture migrates horizontally as well as vertically.
2. The waterproofing membrane should extend over the toe of the footing. This will minimize the chance of moisture intruding through the cold joint where the block wall meets the footing. Because this joint is the location where hydrostatic pressure is the greatest, a cant strip should be installed at this intersection prior to the waterproofing.
3. After the waterproofing membrane is installed, a protection board should be installed over it to protect it from the backfill.
4. As shown, the waterproofing membrane terminates at finish grade. This has the potential of moisture intrusion over the top of the waterproofing membrane. The protection of the waterproofing membrane should extend to the top of the block wall and, ideally, under the existing building paper. The area exposed to the UV-light should be covered by an appropriate material. There are materials such as Copperflash, which is a waterproofing membrane covered by a thin layer of copper, that work very well.
5. My last comment is on the waterproofing membrane consisting of “asphalt cement and covered with 6-mil plastic sheeting.” This was a common system used many years ago, usually installed with fiberglass, called “yellow jacket.” There are few items in construction that have improved more than waterproofing systems. Although the yellow-jacket system can work, I see few contractors willing to bet their reputation on it in this day and age. There are many liquid or sheet-membrane systems that will drastically improve your chances of success.
—Don Waller, via e-mail
Sometimes painting woodwork is the right thing to do
I have to respond to David Royce’s letter (FHB #117, “Letters,” pp. 6, 8) regarding “Repainting Kitchen Cabinets” (FHB #115). I am also affected by wood in many of the same ways that Mr. Royce is. I have chosen wood as the medium in which I make my living. Mr. Royce obviously does not. If he did, he would be fully aware that you cannot legislate taste. Many people do not share the same kind of reverence for wood that Mr. Royce has.
There are instances where painting woodwork is appropriate—for example, in a room where natural light is poor and there is no other reasonable alternative to lighten up the space. Another example could be financial: Paint is an inexpensive option for brightening a room. When you get right down to it, paint is affordable enough to use for a change of pace.
Mr. Royce should take heart; paint is a wonderful preservative. Someone’s grandchildren will be ecstatic to find those pine cabinets in good condition when they strip off the paint.
—Rick Alexander, Lakeville, CT
The square-foot fallacy
I look forward to the annual issue on HOUSES, and as usual, this year’s selections were worth seeing. What caught my attention was the cost per square foot in the specs. I find myself looking for these numbers as a means of comparison to comparable work in my area, northern California, and as a comparison to the other houses in the issue.
The problem is that there are no industry rules for calculating the cost-per-square-foot figure. Looking at these figures, there is no question in my mind that the numbers must be made up with the intention of trying to make the readers believe that it really is possible to build custom homes for $70 per sq. ft.! I don’t think so.
As a general contractor building custom homes, I have a hard time believing that costs can be that much lower in other parts of the country than they are on the West Coast. I think it is a disservice to our clients to use square-foot pricing without qualifying what was and was not included in the figure. Did the owners do some of the work and provide materials not included in the pricing? Does it include the site work, such as water, septic and utilities? Was the road or driveway included? What about land costs? The only house to address these items and to explain how they achieved their low square-foot price was the featured Washington state house for under $100,000.
I would like to see some kind of standardization developed for figuring what should be included in determining square-foot pricing. It is my understanding that there is currently a move to standardize how square footage is determined. Maybe the pricing can come next. I would welcome the discussion.
—Frank Fanto, Mendocino, CA
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