News & Resources

Time to play – Old Crack vs. New Crack – Part 1

Posted by in Simple Forensic Methods | March 24, 2014

Time to play old crack-new crack Here is how it is played: We will provide a series of photos.  You are to determine whether or not they are old or new. The correct answers are provided at the end of… Read More →

What is Creep?

Posted by in Structural terms, Wood | March 10, 2014

Creep is a permanent sag in the wood member (it may also occur in concrete or masonry) caused by the stretching and adjusting of the wood fibers to the sustained weight on them, that is, the weight of the member… Read More →

Chalk Up Another Victory Over Ice Damming

Posted by in Roof, Winter Concerns | March 03, 2014

In case you have been one of the lucky ones that hasn’t noticed, the weather conditions were pretty good for ice damming and leakage from ice damming during the middle parts of February 2014 in the Cleveland Ohio Metropolitan area. … Read More →

Winter Dampness

Posted by in Attic Ventilation, Buying/Maintaining a Home, Winter Concerns | February 24, 2014

  In our last blog we discussed the potential effects of the excessive dryness in homes this winter (2013-2014) in Northeast Ohio.  But as dry as the interior has been there is also an increase in damage from the increased… Read More →

Winter Dryness

Posted by in Buying/Maintaining a Home, Winter Concerns | February 17, 2014

  One of the local television news programs I watched recently broadcast a story regarding how our bodies were being dried out by the excessive operation of our home heating systems during the extremely cold temperatures.  The advice for this… Read More →

What the heck? (Volume 1)

Posted by in The Unusual | February 10, 2014

Here we see some construction details that caused me to say, “What the heck? What were they thinking?” Is that vent backwards or am I just disoriented?  Is THAT FOUR LAYERS of shingles under that vent? There is a reason… Read More →

Traditional Sawn Lumber vs Engineered I-Joists vs Wood Trusses

Posted by in Wood | February 03, 2014

What’s best for floor joists in residential construction: traditional sawn lumber, engineered I-Joists, or wood trusses? The answer to this is more complicated than “which is the best.”  The answer is subjective.  That is, it depends not only on the… Read More →

Is there anything new under the sun?

Posted by in Wood | January 27, 2014

  I got a real chuckle this week reading an article entitled Lateral Loads Generated by Occupants on Exterior Decks on page 36 in the January 2014 issue of Structure magazine.  As the title indicates it was about lateral design loads… Read More →