Walls:
There are many types of walls, but for the purpose of this post we will discuss the two main categories of walls you will find in any residential home. Building all walls follows a basic pattern of 16 inches on center for every vertical stud. This pattern goes back at least 80 years. In home construction, you have some walls that are load-bearing and some walls that are non-load-bearing, otherwise known as partition walls. Walls that face the outside (exterior walls) will almost always be load-bearing and insulated with various types of insulation. Walls that do not face the ouside are known as interior walls and can be either load bearing or partition walls. The exterior walls will be built flush with the edge of the floor framing on the exterior side. Load-bearing simply means a wall that is taking weight from above and transferring the weight below. Walls that run perpendicular to your joists/rafters are LOAD-BEARING. Walls that run parallel to your joists/rafters are NOT load-bearing unless they are supporting a structural beam (stairwells in particular). CONSIDER ALL WALLS TO BE LOAD-BEARING UNTIL VISUALLY VERIFIED. Most walls typically have doors/windows, or more simply, openings larger than 16" in your wall. Openings in a partition wall can be framed without worry of weak points, since no/little load will be placed on that wall. Openings in load-bearing walls can cause the wall to collapse if not framed properly. Thus in a load bearing wall you will have a structural header with jack and king studs to take the load of the entire opening and trasfer it below. (refer to pictures for further explanation). The interior side of home walls are typically finished with some variation of plaster and sheetrock or plaster and lathing, depending on the age of the home. The exterior side of walls will have an additional layer of lumber (much like subfloor) called sheathing. Sheathing can be either rough sawn lumber or plywood, again, depending on the homes age. Sheathing gives the exterior walls more shear and lateral strenth as well as extra protection from the elements. On top of the sheathing is usually some variation of a water barrier, like tar paper or tyvek, with the finished siding installed to waterproof the home.
There are many types of walls, but for the purpose of this post we will discuss the two main categories of walls you will find in any residential home. Building all walls follows a basic pattern of 16 inches on center for every vertical stud. This pattern goes back at least 80 years. In home construction, you have some walls that are load-bearing and some walls that are non-load-bearing, otherwise known as partition walls. Walls that face the outside (exterior walls) will almost always be load-bearing and insulated with various types of insulation. Walls that do not face the ouside are known as interior walls and can be either load bearing or partition walls. The exterior walls will be built flush with the edge of the floor framing on the exterior side. Load-bearing simply means a wall that is taking weight from above and transferring the weight below. Walls that run perpendicular to your joists/rafters are LOAD-BEARING. Walls that run parallel to your joists/rafters are NOT load-bearing unless they are supporting a structural beam (stairwells in particular). CONSIDER ALL WALLS TO BE LOAD-BEARING UNTIL VISUALLY VERIFIED. Most walls typically have doors/windows, or more simply, openings larger than 16" in your wall. Openings in a partition wall can be framed without worry of weak points, since no/little load will be placed on that wall. Openings in load-bearing walls can cause the wall to collapse if not framed properly. Thus in a load bearing wall you will have a structural header with jack and king studs to take the load of the entire opening and trasfer it below. (refer to pictures for further explanation). The interior side of home walls are typically finished with some variation of plaster and sheetrock or plaster and lathing, depending on the age of the home. The exterior side of walls will have an additional layer of lumber (much like subfloor) called sheathing. Sheathing can be either rough sawn lumber or plywood, again, depending on the homes age. Sheathing gives the exterior walls more shear and lateral strenth as well as extra protection from the elements. On top of the sheathing is usually some variation of a water barrier, like tar paper or tyvek, with the finished siding installed to waterproof the home.
Common issues:
Again, some of the most severe problems in a wall are due to structural failure in load-bearing walls. If this happens you will notice rapid cracking in the plaster and that doors/windows may not open/close properly. Since we start from the bottom-up, you will need to inspect the foundation and floor structure as a first step to diagnosing the wall failure. These types of sudden structural issues typically do not happen without outside factors. Ask yourself, "did we get a big storm recently?”, "did a tree fall on my house?", "did I do any rexent work on my house that modified my structure?". Diagnosis of all strucural failures will require the full context to determine the likely causes and fixes. More than likely, however, cracking in plaster and doors sticking shut, is more likely due to settlement. More specifically the headers, (above doors and windows) we discussed earlier, are the most common areas to address first. Sometimes you need to rebuild a header that wasn't built properly, sometimes you can get away with shaving the door and patching the drywall and sometimes you have to rebuild a lot of your house. It all depends on the circumstances. Another common issue with walls are deteriorating plaster (ceilings and walls). If your plaster is falling out everywhere and peeling, you probably have some variation of old plaster material. Instead of countless hours forever patching your walls, you will want to hang all new 3/8 sheetrock over every affected wall and ceiling. It is a big job but will save you a lot of time and headaches. The last common issue with walls are leaks and drafts. Leaks usually appear as brownish stains on you plaster and the source will always be above the stain (bottom-up). Leaks will usually occur near windows, doors or corners of the home. Large protions of interior drywall and exterior siding may need to be removed in certain circumstances. Start with a small area to inspect and keep chasing the rot until it is gone. You do not want mold in your home, so watch for leaks. Drafts will appear as spooky ghost sensations in your home. Ask yourself, "was that the wind or am I haunted?" It was probably the wind. Drafts occur mostly around doors and windows (see a pattern?), but can sometimes also occur in corners of your home. The best method to detect drafts we currently have today are Forward Looking Ifrared (FLIR) or infrared laser thermometers. These tools allow you to quickly see cold/warm spots in your home depending on the season.
Again, some of the most severe problems in a wall are due to structural failure in load-bearing walls. If this happens you will notice rapid cracking in the plaster and that doors/windows may not open/close properly. Since we start from the bottom-up, you will need to inspect the foundation and floor structure as a first step to diagnosing the wall failure. These types of sudden structural issues typically do not happen without outside factors. Ask yourself, "did we get a big storm recently?”, "did a tree fall on my house?", "did I do any rexent work on my house that modified my structure?". Diagnosis of all strucural failures will require the full context to determine the likely causes and fixes. More than likely, however, cracking in plaster and doors sticking shut, is more likely due to settlement. More specifically the headers, (above doors and windows) we discussed earlier, are the most common areas to address first. Sometimes you need to rebuild a header that wasn't built properly, sometimes you can get away with shaving the door and patching the drywall and sometimes you have to rebuild a lot of your house. It all depends on the circumstances. Another common issue with walls are deteriorating plaster (ceilings and walls). If your plaster is falling out everywhere and peeling, you probably have some variation of old plaster material. Instead of countless hours forever patching your walls, you will want to hang all new 3/8 sheetrock over every affected wall and ceiling. It is a big job but will save you a lot of time and headaches. The last common issue with walls are leaks and drafts. Leaks usually appear as brownish stains on you plaster and the source will always be above the stain (bottom-up). Leaks will usually occur near windows, doors or corners of the home. Large protions of interior drywall and exterior siding may need to be removed in certain circumstances. Start with a small area to inspect and keep chasing the rot until it is gone. You do not want mold in your home, so watch for leaks. Drafts will appear as spooky ghost sensations in your home. Ask yourself, "was that the wind or am I haunted?" It was probably the wind. Drafts occur mostly around doors and windows (see a pattern?), but can sometimes also occur in corners of your home. The best method to detect drafts we currently have today are Forward Looking Ifrared (FLIR) or infrared laser thermometers. These tools allow you to quickly see cold/warm spots in your home depending on the season.
Roofing:
Your roof is likely the most complicated and important part of your home. Roofing is what keeps your home dry all year round. There are many different types of roof structures but for the purpose of this post we will focus on the basic theory and structure behind most residential roofs. Before we can have a discussion about what parts make up a roof, you will need to know a few terms. These terms describe the typical architectural aspects of a pitched residential roof. Becoming familiar with these terms will enable you to understand how roofs are constructed. The first term is the roof pitch. Pitch is usually assigned an integer that describes common rise over run (angle) of a roof plane. If you recall from geometry class, a plane is a flat surface. In roofing terms, the roof plane is the pitched face of the roof. To describe the areas where roof planes meet, we use the terms ridge, hip and valley. The ridge of the roof is the highest point on the roof where two pitched planes meet. A hip is a place where to planes meet and prject away from you. A hip is similar to a peak, but is usually not at the top of your roof and is usually not horizontal. A valley, just like in geography, is the area where two planes meet and project towards you. A dormer is a common feature on many two-story houses. It is a parallel projection from the main plane of the roof that usually houses a window. The dormer is usually constructed to add space or natural light to an attic or top floor. The gable is not exactly part of the roof, but still an important term to recognize. It is the triangular part of the exterior wall that connects and supports the area between the pitched roof planes. The gable will also support the ridge beam.
Your roof is likely the most complicated and important part of your home. Roofing is what keeps your home dry all year round. There are many different types of roof structures but for the purpose of this post we will focus on the basic theory and structure behind most residential roofs. Before we can have a discussion about what parts make up a roof, you will need to know a few terms. These terms describe the typical architectural aspects of a pitched residential roof. Becoming familiar with these terms will enable you to understand how roofs are constructed. The first term is the roof pitch. Pitch is usually assigned an integer that describes common rise over run (angle) of a roof plane. If you recall from geometry class, a plane is a flat surface. In roofing terms, the roof plane is the pitched face of the roof. To describe the areas where roof planes meet, we use the terms ridge, hip and valley. The ridge of the roof is the highest point on the roof where two pitched planes meet. A hip is a place where to planes meet and prject away from you. A hip is similar to a peak, but is usually not at the top of your roof and is usually not horizontal. A valley, just like in geography, is the area where two planes meet and project towards you. A dormer is a common feature on many two-story houses. It is a parallel projection from the main plane of the roof that usually houses a window. The dormer is usually constructed to add space or natural light to an attic or top floor. The gable is not exactly part of the roof, but still an important term to recognize. It is the triangular part of the exterior wall that connects and supports the area between the pitched roof planes. The gable will also support the ridge beam.
Roofing continued:
Just like the rest of the house, the roof starts out as a frame. The frame is usually constructed of joists, trusses, and rafters. Together, these three types of beams make up a framework that gives the roof its shape and strength to support the weight of the roof plus snow if applicable. Asphalt shingles are standard roofing materials, but if you plan to use heavier materials like tile or slate, you may need to add extra supports at this stage. Once the frame is in place, it is covered in decking (like sheathing on a wall but usually stronger). Decking is the skin that covers the frame and creates the base that the rest of the roof will be built upon. The most common material for decking was once plywood. However, in recent decades oriented strand board (OSB) has taken over as the most common material for load-bearing planks in residential construction. OSB is similar to particle board, but instead of tiny bits of wood, it is made up of thin strips of wood. The strips are held together with resin and a small amount of wax to form a very strong plank. The first water barrier layer of the roof is the underlayment. Underlayment is installed directly on top of the decking. Mainly, it serves as a back-up water barrier in case any water makes it past the shingles. In cold climates, roofs may have an additional special underlayment that acts as a water and ice barrier. It can help protect from ice dams that form when the bottom layer of accumulated snow melts and refreezes at the edge of the roof. Some of these underlayments may have special properties such as being self-adhering and closing around nails for a watertight seal. In cold climates and areas prone to driving rain and high winds from hurricanes, the water and ice barrier might cover the whole roof. In more mild climates, ice and water barriers may still be used in vulnerable areas of the roof, like valleys, roof edges, and around penetrations in the roof. After the underlayment is installed, flashing is installed in areas of the roof that collect a lot of water. Valleys, where water from multiple roof planes is directed into a gushing stream, are always covered with flashing. The flashing is generally a thin layer of sheet metal that protects a vulnerable joint and directs water away from the area. Flashing is also used anywhere the decking is cut open for some type of penetration. For example, a chimney/dormer requires flashing all around it. The final outermost layer of the roof is the shingles or rubber roof. It is the part of the roof that is visible. The most common type of shingles are asphalt shingles due to their relative ease of installation, asphalt shingles will melt to each other in the hot sun when installed properly. Other common roof coverings are stone-slate shingles or metal roofing. Rubber roofing is used when a roof pitch is less than 3, because water will not drain fast enough on a flat roof.
Just like the rest of the house, the roof starts out as a frame. The frame is usually constructed of joists, trusses, and rafters. Together, these three types of beams make up a framework that gives the roof its shape and strength to support the weight of the roof plus snow if applicable. Asphalt shingles are standard roofing materials, but if you plan to use heavier materials like tile or slate, you may need to add extra supports at this stage. Once the frame is in place, it is covered in decking (like sheathing on a wall but usually stronger). Decking is the skin that covers the frame and creates the base that the rest of the roof will be built upon. The most common material for decking was once plywood. However, in recent decades oriented strand board (OSB) has taken over as the most common material for load-bearing planks in residential construction. OSB is similar to particle board, but instead of tiny bits of wood, it is made up of thin strips of wood. The strips are held together with resin and a small amount of wax to form a very strong plank. The first water barrier layer of the roof is the underlayment. Underlayment is installed directly on top of the decking. Mainly, it serves as a back-up water barrier in case any water makes it past the shingles. In cold climates, roofs may have an additional special underlayment that acts as a water and ice barrier. It can help protect from ice dams that form when the bottom layer of accumulated snow melts and refreezes at the edge of the roof. Some of these underlayments may have special properties such as being self-adhering and closing around nails for a watertight seal. In cold climates and areas prone to driving rain and high winds from hurricanes, the water and ice barrier might cover the whole roof. In more mild climates, ice and water barriers may still be used in vulnerable areas of the roof, like valleys, roof edges, and around penetrations in the roof. After the underlayment is installed, flashing is installed in areas of the roof that collect a lot of water. Valleys, where water from multiple roof planes is directed into a gushing stream, are always covered with flashing. The flashing is generally a thin layer of sheet metal that protects a vulnerable joint and directs water away from the area. Flashing is also used anywhere the decking is cut open for some type of penetration. For example, a chimney/dormer requires flashing all around it. The final outermost layer of the roof is the shingles or rubber roof. It is the part of the roof that is visible. The most common type of shingles are asphalt shingles due to their relative ease of installation, asphalt shingles will melt to each other in the hot sun when installed properly. Other common roof coverings are stone-slate shingles or metal roofing. Rubber roofing is used when a roof pitch is less than 3, because water will not drain fast enough on a flat roof.
Common issues:
Roofs typically only have a couple common issues. Leaking and sagging. Leaking roofs are cause by old worn out shingles or by damage sustained from a storm or disaster. Leaky roofs typically don't make themselves known until they mess up your nice ceiling or walls. If you suddenly see water stains and bubbling on your drywall, you might have a leaky roof. Since we try and diagnose from the bottom up, you will have already ruled out walls and plumbing. The easiest way to find a leak is to go to your attic in the same general area where you saw the water stain. You will usually be able to look up at the roof framing and see water stains on the timbers if you have no attic, you should make all diagnostics from the outside if possible. If your shingles are in good shape overall, you may be able to remove a small portion and repair the affected area. If you have old shingles or find rot, it is going to be best to replace your entire roof, flashing and the rotted decking. The other most common issue is sagging, like floors, this is due to insufficient structural framing for the load the roof is under. This will often be found in areas effected by a rogue snowstorm, or old houses. Either way, if your roof is sagging, you will need to reinforce the roof. If it is localized sagging not due to water damage, you can likely install extra rafters and framing to supoort the weak area. More often however, sagging roofs need to be completely rebuilt by starting fresh from the framework.
Roofs typically only have a couple common issues. Leaking and sagging. Leaking roofs are cause by old worn out shingles or by damage sustained from a storm or disaster. Leaky roofs typically don't make themselves known until they mess up your nice ceiling or walls. If you suddenly see water stains and bubbling on your drywall, you might have a leaky roof. Since we try and diagnose from the bottom up, you will have already ruled out walls and plumbing. The easiest way to find a leak is to go to your attic in the same general area where you saw the water stain. You will usually be able to look up at the roof framing and see water stains on the timbers if you have no attic, you should make all diagnostics from the outside if possible. If your shingles are in good shape overall, you may be able to remove a small portion and repair the affected area. If you have old shingles or find rot, it is going to be best to replace your entire roof, flashing and the rotted decking. The other most common issue is sagging, like floors, this is due to insufficient structural framing for the load the roof is under. This will often be found in areas effected by a rogue snowstorm, or old houses. Either way, if your roof is sagging, you will need to reinforce the roof. If it is localized sagging not due to water damage, you can likely install extra rafters and framing to supoort the weak area. More often however, sagging roofs need to be completely rebuilt by starting fresh from the framework.
This completes my introduction to homestead maintence and repair. I hope you all enjoyed these posts and feel more confident in your own abilities. You will make mistakes, but by doing it yourself you can imrpove your skills and your home. While these communists burn down their slum cities, we will build our beautiful communities. More to come
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Whether you are setting up camp, building your homestead or generally sustaining yourself in the wilderness, the first skill you will need to master is processing the plentiful wood that grows around you. Wood will give you fuel, a strong building block for shelter construction, it will even provide you with invaluable tools (from boats to mallets). The next couple of posts will go in to depth on different methods of collecting and processing wood for each specific purpose.
Firewood
Firewood is essential to any homestead or campsite. It provides you with quick accessible wood that will sustain you for the expected length of time needed. Specifically, firewood describes any wood with a moisture content less than 20%.
Homesteads: In a homestead environment, it is a good rule of thumb to have at least 4 months of seasoned firewood ready to burn at any point. This will require some method of roofing to protect the wood from rain and snow melt. You can use many methods to cover the tops of your wood stack such as, birch bark, waterproof tarps, or even dedicated wood sheds. For homesteads, hardwoods are the preferred wood to put in any fireplace or wood stove as these woods will burn cleaner/longer and are thus safer for chimney. Since keeping a homestead uses a lot of fuel, it is not efficient to gather small branches, instead you will find yourself felling entire trees. I will go more in depth on the skills and tools required in a later post. If you find yourself building a homestead on an undeveloped piece of land (lucky you) you can usually gather enough wood to build your home just by felling an acre or so around the foundation of the house. To fell trees safely you may need a combination of rope with a ratchet, axe, chainsaw and wedges. Not only do you gather many resources by clearing a section of forest around your new home, you can give yourself added peice of mind in the event of a forest fire.
Campsites: Camping can have many different meanings, to some this means taking your car to a pay per night campsite, to others it means hiking out to the middle of nowhere. If you are a 'glamper' make sure you follow all local guidelines on harvesting firewood and campfires. So this post is geared to self sustenance camping. When you are looking to gather wood for your campfire, you will be looking for three things: tinder, kindling and firewood (in order from least to greatest quantity). Tinder can be carried with you, but I always recommend that you read up on easily accessible tinder in your natural environment (dry leaves, dry pine needles, dry pinecones and dry birchbark are a few examples). You will need a minimum of a half handful of loose tinder per fire (less if you brought firestarter). Kindling is abundant, find areas with the most sunlight and pick up all the dry sticks that are roughly finger width or less (pine sticks are fantastic, again research your environment). You will need a minimum of two handfuls per fire. Firewood is any wood that is dry with a diameter the size of your wrist to no thicker than your neck. The best way to find dry firewood is always going to be the sunniest locations (riverbanks, fields, felled trees). Since firewood is much thicker, you will need tools to process these in the field (folding saw/manual chainsaws and hatchets are what I carry). You will want to cut the firewood in lengths of the desired diameter of your camp fire. A good rule of thumb is 6-8 logs per hour. Gather what firewood you think you need for the night and DOUBLE IT.
Firewood is essential to any homestead or campsite. It provides you with quick accessible wood that will sustain you for the expected length of time needed. Specifically, firewood describes any wood with a moisture content less than 20%.
Homesteads: In a homestead environment, it is a good rule of thumb to have at least 4 months of seasoned firewood ready to burn at any point. This will require some method of roofing to protect the wood from rain and snow melt. You can use many methods to cover the tops of your wood stack such as, birch bark, waterproof tarps, or even dedicated wood sheds. For homesteads, hardwoods are the preferred wood to put in any fireplace or wood stove as these woods will burn cleaner/longer and are thus safer for chimney. Since keeping a homestead uses a lot of fuel, it is not efficient to gather small branches, instead you will find yourself felling entire trees. I will go more in depth on the skills and tools required in a later post. If you find yourself building a homestead on an undeveloped piece of land (lucky you) you can usually gather enough wood to build your home just by felling an acre or so around the foundation of the house. To fell trees safely you may need a combination of rope with a ratchet, axe, chainsaw and wedges. Not only do you gather many resources by clearing a section of forest around your new home, you can give yourself added peice of mind in the event of a forest fire.
Campsites: Camping can have many different meanings, to some this means taking your car to a pay per night campsite, to others it means hiking out to the middle of nowhere. If you are a 'glamper' make sure you follow all local guidelines on harvesting firewood and campfires. So this post is geared to self sustenance camping. When you are looking to gather wood for your campfire, you will be looking for three things: tinder, kindling and firewood (in order from least to greatest quantity). Tinder can be carried with you, but I always recommend that you read up on easily accessible tinder in your natural environment (dry leaves, dry pine needles, dry pinecones and dry birchbark are a few examples). You will need a minimum of a half handful of loose tinder per fire (less if you brought firestarter). Kindling is abundant, find areas with the most sunlight and pick up all the dry sticks that are roughly finger width or less (pine sticks are fantastic, again research your environment). You will need a minimum of two handfuls per fire. Firewood is any wood that is dry with a diameter the size of your wrist to no thicker than your neck. The best way to find dry firewood is always going to be the sunniest locations (riverbanks, fields, felled trees). Since firewood is much thicker, you will need tools to process these in the field (folding saw/manual chainsaws and hatchets are what I carry). You will want to cut the firewood in lengths of the desired diameter of your camp fire. A good rule of thumb is 6-8 logs per hour. Gather what firewood you think you need for the night and DOUBLE IT.
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