Blog Archives

AN OVERFLOWING TOILET

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Some homeowners associate an overflowing toilet with a problem in their septic system. It is possible that the septic system is responsible for the toilet backing up, but this is not always the case. A stoppage either in the toilet trap or in the drainpipe can cause a backup.

If you get a call from a customer who has a toilet flooding their bathroom, there is a quick, simple test you can have the homeowner perform to tell you more about the problem. You know the toilet drain is stopped up, but will the kitchen sink drain properly? Will other toilets in the house drain? If other fix­tures drain just fine, the problem is not with the septic tank.

There are some special instructions that you should give your customers prior to having them test other fixtures...

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INTERIOR TRIM

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Once the drywall is up and the painters have sealed and finished the walls, the task of installing interior trim, window surrounds, casing, baseboard, and aprons can be started. Years ago we used to trim with wide baseboards, fancy casings, and elaborate crown moldings. While big-budget houses still often have these material – and labor-intensive trim details, the trend for more modest houses has been toward simpler and less expensive trim styles.

Trimming windows

Unlike wood-framed windows, most vinyl-clad and aluminum-framed units don’t come with wood stools (often called sills) or wood jambs. Some people put in a wood stool and let drywall cover the wood trimmers and header. I like to make wood surrounds, or jambs, and

INTERIOR TRIM

case them with trim...

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The Finished Room

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

image149Following are some views (Figures 5.41-5.45) and details of the completed sunroom.

Подпись: Fig. 5.41a & b (detail, below): The completed sunroom at Earthwood. Only the cordwood snow-blocking in the lower solar room remains to be done. We also waited until the spring of 2003 to put the earth on the roof. image150Jaki and I are glad that we have gained a beautiful new room as a result of this book… realizing that we wouldn’t have built it otherwise! In case you’re curious, the materials cost was about $4,000, or $20 per square foot. We also spent $250 on labor. And we also renewed the downstairs solar room at the same time, another 200 square feet, so were quite pleased with the cost. Larger buildings could cost less per square foot, particularly as our sunroom is heavy on windows ($1,243 for five) and an exterior door ($338), expensive items. I believe that a timber-frame home, using techniques described in this book, combined with some sort of natural infilling (cob, cordwood, straw bale, wattle-and-daub, etc...

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FAST DIAGRAMMING AND THE JOB PLAN

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Function analysis system technique (FAST) is a diagramming technique to graphically show the logical relationships of the functions of an item, system, or procedure. FAST was developed in 1964 by Charles V. Bytheway at the UNIVAC Division of the Sperry Rand Corporation. Prior to the development of FAST, one had to perform a function analysis of an item by random identification of functions. The basic function had to be identified by trial and error, and one was never quite sure that all functions had been uncovered. FAST provides a system to do a better job in function analysis.

10.5.1 Purpose of the FAST Diagram

The FAST diagram should be created during the information phase of the VE job plan by the whole VE team...

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G eneral Guidelines for a Control System of Production Homogeneity

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

The guidelines for controlling production homogeneity are made up of the following two parts:

• Control of compliance with a recipe, accomplished by establishing an oper­ation compliance level (OCL), which is a variable index that estimates the production accuracy and indicates the appropriate mixture test frequencies

• Control of production variability through determining a running mean of the deviation from target (i. e., from a recipe).

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Installing Strip Flooring

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

T&G strip flooring, %-in. thick and 2%-in. to 3%-in. wide, is by far the most commonly installed wood flooring. Installing it requires few specialized tools and, with a modest amount of prep work, it goes down fast and lasts long.

PREP STEPS

Wood absorbs water and swells, so don’t bring hardwood flooring on site till the building is closed-in and "wet work” (such as plumbing, tiling, drywalling, plastering, and painting) are complete. Allow paint, plaster, or joint compound several days to dry. If necessary, turn on the heat-

Subfloorin

is thin and would telegraph gaps or irreg­ularities underneath. So most resilient-flooring and carpet makers specify underlayment beneath their products...

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Post-Workshop Stage

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Objective. The VE manager must ensure that approved recommendations are converted into actions. Until this is done, savings to offset will not be achieved. Three major objec­tives of this phase are:

1. To provide assistance, clear up misconceptions, and resolve problems that may develop in the implementation process

2. To minimize delays encountered by the proposal in the implementation process

3. To ensure that approved ideas are not modified during the implementation process in such a manner as would cause them to lose their cost-effectiveness or basis for original selection

Implementation Investment. The need to invest in order to save must be emphasized when submitting VEPs. Some degree of investment is usually required if a VE opportu­nity is to become a reality...

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Identifying Rehabilitation Needs

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

In road rehabilitation, it is important to design the drainage at the same time as the other rehabilitation measures (e. g. strengthening of the structure). The designer should aim to recognise locations where poor drainage is the major cause of road damage. In cold regions the springtime is usually the best time for field studies of the drainage system, since the water level is high, frost damage can be seen, vegetation is low and the bearing capacity and slope stability are lowest. Very wet/soft slopes can indicate a wet structure. There may even be water pressure inside the structure, as in Fig. 13.45 where water is pouring out from the slope of a highway just before a culvert (which is acting as a water barrier).

The appearance of certain vegetation (e. g...

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Wood and plastic laminate floorings are very durable

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

When my family moved into our present home, the living room floor was covered with an ancient yellow shag carpet. There were things growing in that carpet that even our dog didn’t like. I replaced the carpeting with a nice, pre­finished floor made from bamboo. The cost for the floor, not counting my labor, was less than the cost for a decent carpet. We have a couple of area rugs that can be taken outside and given a good shaking now and then.

PREFINISHED WOOD FLOORING. In the old days, wood flooring was installed “in the raw,” one tongue-and-groove strip at a time. Then it was sanded and finished. The sanding process covered everything with fine sawdust, and the oil-varnish finish filled the air with unpleasant (and often hazardous) fumes...

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EXTERIOR BEVEL SIDING

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Unlike framing, where you can leave a small gap now and then, siding needs to fit properly everywhere. If the horizontal boards are running out of level or don’t fit well at the corners, doors, and win­dows, it’s noticeable from the next county. Not only do gaps in siding look bad, but they also might allow water and cold air to enter the building.

While there are many different types of siding styles and materials available, in this section I’ll talk about how to apply bevel (or clapboard) siding. Years ago, clear redwood, cedar, and spruce siding were widely available. These were easy to work, free of knots, looked good, and stayed flat. Unfortunately, such quality siding isn’t readily available these days...

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