Library builder

After cutting back interior surfaces to expose the framing in the exterior wall, outline the RO by snapping chalklines across the edges of studs. If you can incorporate existing studs into the new opening—an old stud might become the king stud of the new opening, as shown in the photo on p. 165—you can save […]

Shoring temporarily supports loads carried by bearing walls while you modify them—say, to add a window or a door opening. Typically, shoring is installed after removing finish surfaces and rerouting pipes and wires but before cutting into a bearing wall. If you’re not sure if the wall is bearing or whether it can be safely […]

If the outside stair carriage has bowed outward, use a 2×4 jammed against a near wall to push the carriage back into place. You can instead use an adjustable screw column horizontally to push the carriage back, but nail the column’s top plates so it can’t fall. Where a carriage has separated from its stringer, […]

If the staircase has several of the ailments described in preceding sections, it may also have major troubles underneath. Investigate further. If the stairs tilt to one side, the carriage on the low side is having difficulty: That is, nails or screws holding it to the wall may be pulling out, the wood may be […]

If many of the balusters are loose, check the rail­ing and the newel post: They may not be firmly attached. Or if the upper end of the railing dead ends into a wall on the floor above, the railing may be anchored with a bracket beneath. Make sure this bracket is tight. If the newel […]

Whether structural damage is caused by insects or rot fungi, excess water is usually the heart of the problem. Thus, before treating the specific agent causing the deterioration, reduce excess water by maintaining gutters, improving drainage, grading the soil away from the building, eliminating wood-soil contact, improving ventilation, and so on. The fungi that rot […]

Basement walls are usually masonry, rarely plumb, and often damp. If you want fin­ished basement walls, here’s a skeletal outline of the principal steps (see Chapter 14 for insulation tips). 1. Eliminate external sources of water such as clogged gutters, inadequate drainage, and improper grading. Repair foundation cracks that could admit water. 2. Trowel or […]

Widespread sagging or excessive springiness in a floor is probably caused by joists that are too small for the span or by post, pad, and founda­tion failure, as covered in Chapter 10. Isolated joist failure is usually caused by insect or water damage; an earlier renovator cutting into the joist; or point loading, in which […]

The older the house, the more likely its ceiling joists are sagging. If you’re gutting the old finish ceiling, the easiest way to create a flat, level plane for the drywall that will follow is to fasten light­weight steel studs to the old joists at a uniform height below the lowest joist (see p. 168). […]

Doors, hardware, and trim (casing) make a house distinctive. Remove and store them till you are done with tearout and rough framing. Remove doors and hardware worth saving and clearly mark them “Salvage” so they don’t get tossed. Most of the time, it’s easy to pop hinge pins and lift doors out of the frame. […]