Welcome to the Fine Homebuilding podcast, our weekly discussion of building, remodeling, and design topics aimed at anybody who cares deeply about the craft and science of working on houses. This is senior editor Patrick McCombe. I’m joined by Fine Homebuilding senior editor Brian Pontolilo, Fine Homebuilding contributing editor and production manager for TDS Custom Construction Ian Schwandt, and producer Andres Samaniego. Please email us your questions to [email protected].

You can find previous podcasts and check out the show notes at finehomebuilding.com/podcast

Check In:

Ian: Fiber-optic, Deck

Brian: Foundation visit

Patrick: Seegers foundation

Listener Feedback 1:

I was just listening to the podcast where Brian talked about the mystery of the warm water coming out of the shower head. My quick suspicion, which may be totally wrong, is that when the water is cold you get 10 gallons per minute (or whatever) of cold water and when the water is hot you get 10 gallons per minute of hot water, but when it’s warm water you’re getting 10 gallons of each and the tub spout restricts the flow so water creeps up and out of the showerhead.

Tell me why I’m wrong, please and thank you.
Jerry

RELATED STORIES

• No Water From a New Mixing Valve
• Replace a Shower Mixing Valve
• Throwing in the Towel

Listener Feedback 2:

Damion from Liberty Lake, Wisc., writes:

Hello Patrick!

I have heard podcast participants say what a great feeling it is to hear a topic that they can provide an answer on and finally contribute to the conversation. I totally agree! After hearing Brian describe the shower dilemma, I immediately knew he was probably dealing with the exact problem I had after completing my daughter’s bathroom. When I first saw the water coming from the showerhead, I was convinced there was a defective mixing valve to blame. I called tech support for the manufacturer, and they helped me troubleshoot and determine the mistake I made. During your podcast discussion I laughed out loud when Ian almost had the answer and Brian completely dismissed his idea. The reason Brian is experiencing the problem at a specific temperature is because of the water volume, not necessarily the temperature. The inside diameter of the pipe between the mixing valve and tub spout is creating back pressure forcing the water up to the showerhead. If Brian doesn’t want to open the wall, a temporary fix is to install a ball valve between the stem and showerhead to prevent the dribble. I just lived with it until recently when we remodeled that bathroom and replaced the pipe. Hopefully this helps and thanks for continuing to provide such an entertaining and informative podcast. Keep craft alive!

Damion

Question 1: Is there a general theory of when coil stock is necessary and when it isn’t?

Jay writes:

Hi Podcast,

I thought of a question that absolutely mystifies me. I have searched the archives and Taunton books. (I have bought a truly embarrassing number of Taunton books on ThriftBooks, but not Mike Guertin’s roofing book as it has a “steep” price of $20.) I’ve also spent an hour googling on the internet and cannot find a complete answer.

When does fascia and rake trim need coil stock and when does it not? We live in an 1800s farmhouse that we are going to be renovating, and all of our exterior trim was covered with coil stock 30 to 40 years ago. We hate it though. Our renovation will use Boral, which we also used recently when renovating an outbuilding. The installation instructions seem to suggest Boral does not need coil stock and the same for PVC (I assume just drip edge?). Does wood fascia and rake trim always need coil stock? This question might get me to pull the trigger on Mike’s roofing book even with its steep price.

Thanks very much,
Jay

RELATED STORIES

• Aluminum Fascia Fabrication and Installation
• Boral TruExterior Trim
• VIDEO: Exterior PVC Trim: Soffits, Fascias, and Rakes

Question 2: Do you need to seal pipe and electrical penetrations inside the building enclosure?

Derek writes:

My question, simply put, is do top-plate penetrations (wiring, piping, etc.) need to be sealed if the building envelope extends to the roof? What about penetrations into the space between the lower-level ceiling and the upper-level flooring?

RELATED STORIES

• VIDEO: Air-Seal an Attic: Sealing Wire & Plumbing Penetrations
• Straightforward Air-Sealing Strategies
• VIDEO: Air-Seal Wall Penetrations Easily

Question 3: What do you think of my plan to insulate the basement ceiling and use AeroSeal to tighten the existing basement before a new floor is installed over a dimple mat?

Matthew writes:

We are moving and are looking at buying a home near the Ohio coast (yes, Ohio has a coastline). We will probably only be in the home for a few years. The house may become a rental after, should we like the area and want to return later on. All the houses we are looking at are 50 to 100+ years old and have basements and central air. Most basements are unfinished, which I prefer anyway (I have trust issues).

I have a plan to use AeroBarrier on the ducting of the central air. Most of the units look to be between 10 to 15 years old, and I’m hoping this will at least eke out some better performance while they are still in service. While the AeroSeal people are there, I thought it would be a good idea to put AeroBarrier in the basement (just the basement), mostly to air-seal the home above from the basement below. Not even sure this is possible, but seems like it should be. Then I would use Rockwool batts between floor joists and strapping to keep them up. I know it won’t be perfect, but it’s better than nothing.

To “finish” the basement, I might paint the foundation walls (usually block walls) and add a dimple mat to the floor with flooring on top of that. Given the area we will be in, I was also thinking of adding a whole-home/basement dehumidifier to the mix. I originally wanted to do a fully finished basement that would be brought into the home’s envelope, but given the short time we plan to live here and then the possibility of renters, this seems like a safer bet. Does this sound like a solid plan for a semi-finished basement in an older home? Any issues you see? I know this is all hypothetical right now, but I am grateful for any input.

Thank you very much, Matt

RELATED STORIES

• Build Dry, Risk-Free Finished Basements
• Basement Ceilings
• Air-Sealing a Basement
• Planning and Prepping for Basement Flooring

Remember to Check Out FHB’s eLearning Courses and All-Access Membership

Unfortunately that is all the time we have for today. Thanks to Ian, Brian, and Andres for joining me and thanks to all of you for listening. Remember to send us your questions and suggestions to [email protected] and please like, comment, or review us no matter how you’re listening—it helps other folks find our podcast.

Happy Building!

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