Considerations For Choosing Your Project

CREATE OR RESTORE VALUE WITH YOUR PROJECT

Well planned and executed building, remodeling, improvements and repairs will add value or restore value to your home. Bungled projects will reduce these values.

Many times the correction needed because of substandard work will cost more than the original project. All too many times this is seen in projects such as foundation and waterproofing repairs, flat concrete, siding and roofing. These are five critical areas that building inspectors don’t get to inspect.

Materials and products
There are many considerations you and your contractor should give to this important aspect of your project.

Time proven materials and products.
The elm wood pilings under London bridge when London bridge burned down, were 600 years old.

Portland cement concrete continues to harden for 28 years before it starts a much slower deterioration. Portland cement was developed in Portland England in the 1800s and is a superior product compared to the cements developed by the Romans.

As seen in historic residences, many several hundred years old, some materials and products just last and last, without new and improved, mostly because of quality: Building materials; products; methods and maintenance.

New or improved materials and products.
Although new or improved advances every aspect of our lives forward, some set us back and some are outright frauds.

The original “Masonite” brand siding was a product that could stand the test of time, but it was hard to work with. Product reformulation for work ability and less committed manufactures jumping into the market caused the fiasco the still lingers today.

Original vinyl siding was terrible, although the slogan was “vinyl is final” it was really junk. After it was reformulated, if installed properly it became really final. The vinyl I purchased for my home 36 years ago had to have a purer formulation to mold it to its shape. It is still in good condition. Ironically, its appearance  is being confused by some in the industry to be a polypropylene product that has been out for about 15 years, that is proving to be junk.

In the 70's the manufactures convinced the building industry that foam panel sheathing was O.K. It wasn’t, it allowed moisture to build up in the wall creating wet insulation and mold. Venting the panels would require letting air in, the very air one wanted to keep out. This is the same situation that is causing havoc in the E.I.F.S. (Fake Stucco) industry today. Sadly many builders are currently using unvented foam under all types of siding.

A gutter cover pamphlet once approximately stated that normal rains go into the gutter and the occasional burst over shoots. Not so good! It is now stated in a high “inches per hour” of rainfall that seldom happens, in one hour anywhere in the U.S., but the quite common burst, if sustained for an hour could be 10 times the inches they state...clever... a good word if its being used to a home owners benefit.

Screw anchors are a product originally designed for utility pole type applications and were “adapted” for building use, although they are useful for certain applications around a home one must keep in mind that they anchor to what is usually causing the problem ----- Expansive clay earth---- and could also be a problem where water is introduced to them in a vertical position. They are great for mobile home tie downs, but how many plumb, (straight), old guy wired, screw anchored utility poles have you seen lately.

Many new or improved products are just gimmicks to try to get you emotionally involved in “their” product and are no more or less than county fair demonstrations or ½ hour TV infommercials. Some are good and some are not so good.. This is just a few of the hundreds of poor products and pitches witnessed over the past 5 decades.

There are ample time proven materials and products available on the market to satisfy your requirements.... you don’t have to be the “Guinea Pig.”

Solutions, Methods and Performance.

All the parts and pieces of a home must work together to support and protect your home. Every trade, specialty, and sub contractors work intertwines with another. Starting with the excavator and ending with the painter and final cleaning.

Again the most important consideration is the time proven solutions, materials, methods and performance.

Solutions

On repairs it is critical to analyze the cause of the failure and correct the cause along with the actual failure. On remodeling and new homes it is critical to anticipate the potential for failures and to take defensive actions to prevent them, each stage of building and repair has these potential “Pit Falls”

Included in solutions would be livability, restoration of value, the increase of value in building and remodeling projects.....and emotional satisfaction.

Methods and Performance

Methods may be a physical performance, materials, systems, or a combining of same.

In Summary

Materials, products, solutions, methods, and performance are specific to the type of project you are considering and the trades that are involved. Although you should remain proactive these elements are, or should be, the realm of your general contractor as they act as your “architect.”

We discuss many of the specifics of your project on other pages of this site. I hope you will find these specifics useful.

More Later . . . . . S.R.

Copyright 2008 © Naugle Company.