There's a cool new product in town that's making deck footings way faster and easier to install; it's called a Diamond Pier® Foundation System.
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One of the most common problems with decks in Minnesota is frost heave. Today I’ll explain how this works, why it matters, and what steps can be taken to help prevent damage from frost heave when building a deck.
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Kickout flashing might be one of the most important details to get right when it comes to preventing major water damage to a building. Kickout flashing is a simple little piece of metal that directs water out and away from a house wall when a roof surface ends at the wall.
Read MoreIf you plan to buy a newer stucco home in Minnesota, heads up: stucco homes in Minnesota built since the late 80?s or so have had a nasty history of catastrophic failures.
Read MoreThere are a disproportionate number of wood chimneys with rotted siding and wall sheathing, when compared to other types of siding and other locations.
Read MoreBetween 2003 and 2007, there have been over eleven thousand injuries caused by structural failure or collapse of guardrails at outdoor decks. It's not tough to understand why - when people have parties in the summer, everyone hangs out on the deck.
Read MoreMay is National Deck Safety Month, so I'm going to start off this month by writing about the most common cause of deck collapses - improper attachment to building.
Read MoreI noticed some tiny trees growing out of the intersection between the deck and the house, so I suspected there was a nasty mess behind the siding. Click on the photo below for a larger version.
Read MoreMy first thought was that the installer was either lazy or a bonehead, but at the time this window was installed, which was about twelve years ago, this was just the way it was done.
Read MoreAs I'm sure you already know, May is Deck Safety Month, so it's a good time to talk about deck inspections. Is your own deck safe? Now is the time to check. If you're going to have a party or a large gathering, you better be sure. The best way to be sure...
Read MoreI recently concluded that invasive moisture testing is the only reliable test method for stucco homes, but then had another home inspector in San Diego write an opposing post titled Invasive "testing"? Are you kidding?, wherein he opines that invasive moisture testing is outdated.
Read MoreStucco homes in Minnesota built since the late 80's or so have had a nasty history of catastrophic failures. Having a stucco home scanned with an infrared camera as an alternative to invasive moisture testing may sound like a great idea, but is this really a useful alternative?
Read MoreAnother place that should never be caulked is the space between the siding and the flashing above a window; this piece of flashing is often referred to as drip flashing, drip cap, or head flashing. Caulking this opening shut is a very common defect, even on new construction.
Read MoreIf I'm going to write a blog about caulk, I need to get something out of the way first; it's pronounced kawk, not kallllk. The "L" is silent, and the word rhymes with walk or talk. If you're uncomfortable uttering this word aloud, try 'sealant' instead. Moving on.
Read Morethe newscasters usually say they'll come back to the story once they learn what the problem was, but they never do... so I decided to inspect this Coon Rapids deck myself. Here's what I found:
Read MoreIf the power went out, the GFCI outlet inside the garage tripped, or the garage door opener failed, the owner would be locked out of this garage. The fix for this is quite simple - install an emergency release kit.
Read MoreThe really crazy thing about this is that the nails that are so much smaller are actually called "Joist Hanger Nails"! They're called joist hanger nails because that's about the only thing they're good for... but they're usually not even good for that.
Read MoreIn the real world, the idea that you could ever come close to breaking even on your investment for new windows is impossible at best, and borders on downright dishonesty.
Read MoreJames Hardie lap siding is great product, but it only performs as well as it's installed. I've heard a few complaints about this product from various home buyers, mostly anecdotal evidence about how the material deteriorates, but I've found improper installations on every damaged section of siding I've ever seen.
Read MoreDeck guardrails must be 36" high and spacing must be less than 4". Easy. The tough part is that they must resist 200 - 500 pounds of pressure along the top rail.
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