Author Archives: Jerry Prugar

How many layers of shingles?

Posted by in Roof, Shingles, Wood | June 22, 2015

How many layers of shingles can be safely supported on a wood framed residential roof? Most building codes limit the number of layers of shingles to two.  As a structural engineer, I design for two, but I prefer one layer… Read More →

Things That Shouldn’t Be

Posted by in The Unusual | June 15, 2015

There are things that just should not be!!!! Here are a few.       The last photo was taken at an expensive hotel in Orlando! Disclaimer   Read More →

A Roofer’s Nightmare – Part 2

Posted by in Buying/Maintaining a Home, Roof, Shingles, Water Sources | June 08, 2015

Occasionally, we get to see a roof that causes us to say, “Yikes!” or some other such exclamation.  This week we have such a roof. Here, a large area of roof drains down into a small gutter and then onto… Read More →

How Does Sheltering Affect Wind Pressures?

Posted by in Weather Events, Wind Damage | June 01, 2015

The magnitude of the pressures generated by wind on a building are not only correlated to the speed of the wind passing by, but they are also affected by the degree of the exposure of the building to the direction… Read More →

Cracking from Lintel Lift on a Single-Family Dwelling

Posted by in Buying/Maintaining a Home, Cracking, Masonry | May 18, 2015

The above photograph shows a pronounced stairstep crack emanating from the upper corner of a window in a brick wall on the gable end of a single-family dwelling.  By pronounced I mean obvious, easily seen. In the subject case, a… Read More →

“I’ve Never Seen Any Shingles Like THIS Before!”

Posted by in Buying/Maintaining a Home, Roof, Shingles, Structural terms | May 11, 2015

“I’ve never seen any shingles like THIS before!” We have heard this comment more than a few times, even from roofers.  What was being referred to are the shingles seen in the feature photo and Figures WRS-1 and WRS-2.  These… Read More →

What If I Don’t Fix My Leaking Basement?

Posted by in Basements, Concrete, Masonry | May 04, 2015

What can happen if I don’t properly address groundwater infiltration through my basement wall?  That is, assuming that the basement or foundation wall is not overloaded by the combination of earth and excessive groundwater pressures, what could possibly go wrong?… Read More →

Inadequate Roof Flashing

Posted by in Buying/Maintaining a Home, Construction & Shortcuts, Roof, Shingles, Water Sources | April 27, 2015

We are often contacted to evaluate the source of moisture or water that is causing apparent mold growth, decay, moisture staining, or another type of water damage.  Sometimes the cause of the moisture or water source is a little easier… Read More →