![]() “In an older colonial,” he says, “you know the rooms will be stacked with a central bearing wall. The problem has to do with the way today’s homes are designed. “I see a lot of framing errors that lead to uneven floors,” says Atlanta structural engineer Chris DeBlois. Both are a foam that collapses to an ultra-sticky gel, which bonds well to any type of OSB or plywood. Risinger prefers DAP Smartbond, or Huber’s AdvanTech subfloor adhesive. “Old school glues don’t stick to the newer subfloor panel products,” he says. Risinger also says that it’s crucial to use a high-quality polyurethane subfloor adhesive. He says that in some 10 years of using engineered subflooring, he has had no callbacks due to floor squeaks. He adds that the use of commodity OSB makes squeaks inevitable and suggests upgrading to 1 1/8 subfloor AdvanTech or Sturd-I-Floor. “Subflooring can be a big source of callbacks,” Risinger says. He also has installed temporary HVAC systems during construction. ![]() On some projects, he has also taken to setting up a full-size space conditioning system outside the building and running duct indoors to condition the home during the final stages of construction. ![]() Before hanging drywall, he lowers the framing’s moisture content to 12% or so (checking with a moisture meter), using fans (see “ Drying Wet Framing,” by Matt Risinger, Jun/13).Īfter the drywall is taped, Risinger employs a series of industrial dehumidifiers to absorb moisture from the curing mud (as well as from the slab and other materials used in the house) before installing woodwork (see " Conditioning Homes," by Matt Risinger, Nov/15). The problems are commonly attributed to “settling,” but builder Matt Risinger, of Austin, Texas, says the more likely cause is wood movement produced by the frame drying. Such “short cycle” houses are notorious for having a large number of drywall cracks and other cosmetic defects after a year of heating and cooling by the occupants. “We tried a less expensive drywaller on a few jobs, but those jobs had problems,” he says, adding that the bargain drywaller took shortcuts like skipping coats and not leaving sufficient drying time between coats (mud needs about three days to dry in his area in winter).ĭrying the framing helps with a range of cosmetic issues-not only drywall pops, but also cracks in drywall around window heads, squeaks in floors and stairs, interior trim joints that open up, and caulking that pulls and cracks.įast construction schedules accelerate those problems, because the house framing barely has any time to dry on its own before the next stage of construction begins. The best way to avoid them is by paying for good work. “These are cosmetic issues but some people come unglued over them,” Skip Walker, a builder in San Bruno, Calif., says. Not surprisingly, most everyone mentioned drywall cracks and nail pops. Their responses ranged from visible, often minor issues to serious problems that can remain hidden for years before leading to catastrophic failure. to describe the most common callbacks and defects they see in their markets. ![]() Which ones are most common? JLC asked industry pros-contractors, engineers, consultants, and home inspectors-around the U.S. But even among serious builders, problems do occur. Problems like the ones Nightline exposed are rare among pros who are serious about great work and great service. Smart builders will use such reports as an opportunity to differentiate themselves. The intended message was clear: Builders are doing shoddy work. The program, replete with teary homeowners, searched out only the most dramatic errors, including one home with melted siding and another with more than 800 drywall nail pops. A November 16, 2016, Nightline segment detailed shoddy construction in production homes around the country. To prevent these problems, Matt Risinger checks the moisture content of wood framing, not closing it up until it’s near 12% MC, and using fans to get it there.Ĭallbacks and construction defects have made the national news again. Many problems like open woodwork joints and drywall cracking can be attributed to framing moving as it dries and woodwork absorbing moisture during construction.
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