Invasive inspection - improper flashing

[StevenT]

I finally figured out how to get this going. I thought it was interesting and am happy to share it.

Sit back and enjoy the show.

[chicago]

Steve it looks like a defense tape for court.

I have never heard of Architectural Graphic Standards ,the book refered to in part two.

I guess flashing is pretty import eh.

Now I would like to take a few CE classes just on that subject, and save for a Flir.

Good video though.How did you get it?

[StevenT]

Hi Bob,

How the ole Wolf tonight? Out chasin' foxes?

I got the video ... and permission to use it, from EDI. I'm sure it was in response to law suits and alot of bad PR.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by chicago

. . . I have never heard of Architectural Graphic Standards ,the book refered to in part two . . .

It's pretty much the bible for architects and probably the most unimpeachable source of building design details out there.

I'd love to own a set of each of the 11 editions that have been published, but I'd have to sell my house to be able to afford them.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[MMustola]

Jim,

I was at a flea market a couple of years ago and found a mint condition 1956 edition of Architectural Graphic Standards. I paid $12 for it. I have read through it many times and can't believe the amount of details the book contains.

There have been many times that someone has tried to justify a defect by saying "that's how it was done back then" and I have been able to copy a page out of that book and show them "no, this is how it should have been done"

[AHI in AR]

I realize that these videos must seem incredibly dry (pardon the pun) to those outside the profession. However, there is a key idea here that you newer guys can learn from watching these. It seems as though I've said these things a million times, and I'm sure you veterans out there have also.

1) Small amounts of water getting where they don't belong over a long period of time cause a lot of damage. Unfortunately, since the areas are concealed, the clueless homeowner doesn't often find out about it until after their drywall falls off at their feet. Don't count on the seller's disclosure! Proper flashing is CRITICAL.

2) In most cases, caulking should be your secondary line of defense, not your primary one. And in either case, get the BEST caulk for the job. Not what's on sale that week. Yeah, the good stuff costs 3-5 times as much per tube as the cheap stuff. But it's still very few $$.

As they mentioned in the video, hardboard sidings (and certainly vinyl and metal ones) often appear to be in decent shape while hiding damage behind them. Some of these areas are truly concealed and can't be seen without destructive testing. However, some indicators can frequently be found. Since the water drains down, there are usually visual clues at the bottom of the wall in problem areas. I use my mirror from the dollar store and my Maglite to look at the bottom edge of the siding and sheathing...especially in areas like the fireplace chase offsets such as they showed. The flashing details at these areas are almost always incorrect. You can't see it unless you use the mirror to look up. Well, OK, alternately you can lie in the dirt and dog poo and look up. My dog might find that infinitely more interesting when I get home, but I prefer the mirror.

You want to look like a genius to your client? Find something like this that the "expert" friend they brought to the home earlier didn't notice. Referral city, my friends.

[Bain]

The terrifying aspect of that video is that "the siding was in much better condition than the wooden material beneath it." Sometimes you can see indications of water damage, like AHI in AR said, but no way could anyone imagine how horrific the yuck was without removing the Masonite.

[kurt]

Originally posted by MMustola

Jim,

I was at a flea market a couple of years ago and found a mint condition 1956 edition of Architectural Graphic Standards. I paid $12 for it. I have read through it many times and can't believe the amount of details the book contains.

There have been many times that someone has tried to justify a defect by saying "that's how it was done back then" and I have been able to copy a page out of that book and show them "no, this is how it should have been done"

Nice find!! Having a copy of AGS is about all the argument one needs in any dispute about "how it should be done"; having an old one is really cool.

[chicago]

On the subject of caulk,I have experimented with the stuff using different brands and can testify DAP is the best.(silicone)

[StevenT]

While were on the subject of caulking/sealing, how few jnow how to apply it properly?

[Chad Fabry]

On the subject of caulk,I have experimented with the stuff using different brands and can testify DAP is the best.(silicone)

In my opinion silicones are obsolete and have been since the advent of UV resistant urethanes, tri polymers and now quad polymers. I'll even go out on a limb and state that except for bath surrounds a quality modified latex caulk will adhere better and conform to moving surfaces better than silicones.

Further, silicones other than the very top shelf formulations contain large amounts of acetyl acid and are aggressive to many metals, but especially aluminum.

Caulk works best when it's adhered to only two surfaces that are parallel to each other, it performs the worst in conditions where it is filleted in a perpendicular corner.

Wider gaps should be filled with a backer rod which reduces the amount of caulk required and also prevents the caulk from adhering to the surface behind the gap.

Quality brands that consistently outperform other brands in testing are OSI (quads and tri's and urethanes), and Sashco's Big Stretch, an incredibly tenacious and elastic brand that's well suited for log homes.

[hausdok]

Hi,

Yeah, I can vouch for Big Stretch; that stuff is pretty good. Comes in lots of colors, washes up with water, and it's paintable. Once it cures, you can take a bead half the thickness of a Bic pen and stretch it out to about an inch before it will fail.

OT - OF!!!

M.

[AHI in AR]

I'm not a big fan of silicones either, at least not in a lot of the situations where they are commonly used. The big problem as I see it is a lack of elasticity when cured. When you use it to seal a joint between two dissimilar materials with different rates of expansion it will bond to one and pretty quickly pull away from the other. Actually, I guess it would be more proper to say the other material pulls away from it.

DAP does make at least one pretty good sealant. It's called Flexible Clear Sealant and it's neither a silicone nor a latex. It is sticky as can be and remains flexible. Crystal clear and paintable. I've got some I put on my home when building it almost 9 years ago and it still looks like new. It seems to be similar to Lexel or Geocel if you've used those.

[StevenT]

Different sealants are for different purposes.

The backer rod also helps create an "hour glass" shape, this helps when a joint that stretch and recover better.

[JayD]

Originally posted by StevenT

While were on the subject of caulking/sealing, how few jnow how to apply it properly?

Boy you really hit on a touchy subject !