Built Wrong From The Start

[MountainDon]

I rediscovered this article from Fine Homebuilding

Built Wrong From The Start,
or
Top10blunders that rot your house,
waste your money, and make you sick

http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/published-articles/pa-built-wrong-from-start

[Jeff922]

Thanks for posting that MtnDon.  Joseph Lstiburek is the man.  I really value what this guy has to say.  I've read pretty much everthing I can find by this guy on all issues related to ventilation/moisture/mold problems.  I feel that new building materials are coming on the market and the average builder simply cannot keep up with the science that goes with them.  New, super-tight homes have created so many issues and it appears to me that there is a real disconnect between builders and access to education on this stuff.

[MountainDon]

Thirty some years ago I built one of those example number one walls, and so did just about every neighbor, friend and relative.     I wonder how they fared over the years. We lived there 8 years and never noticed anything. But....

[John Raabe]

Great post Don.

Yep, lots of houses have these issues. Climate and luck sometimes keep them from turning into big problems, but it is better to eliminate them in the first place.

What I worry about is the new products and techniques we are doing now that will have similar things written about them in 25 years!

One advantage we have now is forums such as this where we can at least toss the ball around a few times with many more eyes looking at it and probably pick out the flaws more quickly.

Members like Don_P, PEG, and other alert in-the-trenches builders keep us from getting too far off into the wilderness.

[Squirl]

I actually laughed out loud at the Kevorkian option.

[Shawn B]

One of the reasons air handlers and furnaces are installed in attics and crawlspaces is to free up floor space (floor space = money) foundation design, etc. The writer points out about air leaks in duct systems, which they do leak if they are not sealed properly. Even then there is probably some minor leakage. If the homeowner wants to spend the extra money for the duct connections to be sealed and insulated, this takes care of most of his concerns. Also if you plan on using blown in insulation the lateral runs to ceiling registers can be covered up with this insulation, and do not have to be wrapped insulated. The last shop that I worked for did not do "panning" (where you use the joist or stud bays as ducts) in new construction for some of the reasons the writers mention, and because of air flow issues.

As a HVAC tech/installer I like the furnace/air handlers to be installed inside the home or finished basement only because it makes it easier to service.

One thing that I totally disagree with is the use of pass through registers to solve return air problems. These also allow sounds and smells to pass through. If more return air is needed add a run back to the main return air trunk duct.

[Shawn B]

Atmospheric burners (the writer uses a standard water heater for example) are safe if installed properly, with plenty of combustion air supplied. Now the direct vent system usually burns cleaner, and can be safer, again if installed properly. Direct Vent is not always the answer. The 2 pipe sealed combustion method of 90% gas furnaces is more effective and safer. Different venting systems make sense, when compared to equipment need and location.

About the Kevorkian effect: I was working on a customers furnace and noticed a flue gas smell coming from the back porch. So after completing the work on the furnace I walked back to the porch. When I walked onto the porch water fell from the ceiling and hit me in the head. I looked up and the whole porch ceiling had massive droplets of water hanging from it, the windows and walls had water running down them, and the floor was wet. Over in the corner was a new natural gas hot water heater (been there a few weeks) installed and running un-vented! I pointed this out to the customer and he told me that it was only condensing because it was cold outside and did not do that when first installed (still warm out). I explained that the appliance had to be vented. He informed me that the salesman at the local Big Box Store told him that venting was optional. I tried to educate him, but he turned somewhat hostile. This was a three season porch that was kept just above freezing.

[John Raabe]

Thanks for that helpful in-the-trenches information Shawn.

Just what I was talking about!

Too bad that some folks feel a salesman has more credibility than an experience tradesman or "installer". Funny how fixing problems will teach you how to avoid them...

[Chuck Adze]

I am always amazed at some of the basements up here when they cut the insulation off above ground?
The place I am in now I have half crawl space and the other half I  built a permanent wood foundation, insulated the outside with foam.
I really like it alot.
I have no wall creep / deformation (that I can see) after 20 years.

Above grade I used metal stucco lath and long roofing nails (which go through the foam and just into the PT plywood), and covered it with a bagged sand mix (stiff grout).
Its still there.

[Chuck Adze]

This article reminded me of another one I read on design guides (might have been first nations Canada again) for frost protected shallow footing crawl space constructions.
One of the "key" factors was allowing living space heat to keep the ground surface in the crawl space warm.

There was a design guide out there (see if I can find it tomorrow), for houses built in the extreme north / perma frost regions.
These were pier contruction utilyzing SIP floor construction.
It was very interesting.

[MountainDon]

Yes, the very frozen north is as different as the very hot and himid south when it comes to building design.

That would be interesting to see.

[dreamer]

That was a very interesting artical!!   Makes a lot of sense.