Down with the old & Up with the new

[six-point socket II]

Should have been more precise I guess.

Here’s everything you need to know, from one of the largest manufacturers.
https://www.swisskrono.com/de-en/pr...e-how-much-moisture-do-osb-boards-tolerate/#/

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[hdv]

Interesting! Thanks for the link.  [thumbs up]

 

[Cheese]

After 9 months of suffering the miscues of several installers installing, then tweaking, then further tweaking, then super tweaking the installation of a pair of French entry doors to the garage, things now seem to be finally set-up properly. Dear God...let that be the case.

I know I sound like a broken record...it's even annoying to me...but there is a really good reason I prefer to do things myself and this French door installation thing just rings that bell one more time.  [mad]

The garage is 2x6 construction so the door jamb is 5-1/2" deep. Unfortunately the space between the door jamb and the framing varies from 3/16" to 5/8" on both sides of the door. I typically foam in all window jambs and all door jambs with low expansion foam to prevent any ingestion of outside air and to prevent any window/door movement...it works really well.

Unfortunately, the Great Stuff Pro 14 Foam Dispensing Gun I use has a nozzle diameter of maybe 1/4"? Obviously that's far too large to sneak into the cavity between the door jamb and the framing members.

I made this nozzle to attach to the Pro 14 gun to get into the tight spaces.

It's a Pro 14 plastic nozzle extension cut down to the proper length to allow some 5/32" OD x .014" brass tubing to protrude through the end. I then swaged the end of the brass tubing slightly to prevent the tubing from being ejected from the nozzle extension if the internal pressure became too great.

Let's see what happens and how well it works.  [smile]

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[Svar]

Unfortunately, the Great Stuff Pro 14 Foam Dispensing Gun I use has a nozzle diameter of maybe 1/4"? Obviously that's far too large to sneak into the cavity between the door jamb and the framing members.

I made this nozzle to attach to the Pro 14 gun to get into the tight spaces.
It's a Pro 14 plastic nozzle extension cut down to the proper length to allow some 5/32" OD x .014" brass tubing to protrude through the end. I then swaged the end of the brass tubing slightly to prevent the tubing from being ejected from the nozzle extension if the internal pressure became too great.
Let's see what happens and how well it works.  [smile]

I would use larger diameter tubing and flatten it to fit into the space you need. This will have greater cross sectional area for the foam to flow than small diameter round.

 

[luvmytoolz]

Or would just tapping along the end of the nozzle with a hammer work?

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Cheese,

A tip I picked up from the last time I attended an installation training at Marvin Windows in Warroad is that they are recommending installing backer rod against the back side of the nailing flange (on a window) or the brick moulding/trim (on a door) prior to installing the foam. The intention here is they have found through testing that the low expansion foam performs best when it's only in contact with two parallel surfaces (the jamb and the framed rough opening), and that you do not want the foam in contact with the third surface.

They are also recommending leaving enough room to install another backer rod inboard of the foam, which serves to support a sealant. I've been having great luck using Sikaflex 510 AM50......

Marvin installation instructions here:https://www3.marvin.com/WebDoc/Window Rough Opening Prep and Flashing 19913776.pdf

 

[rst]

Tom, that is standard usage in commercial glazing, they are just catching up.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Tom, that is standard usage in commercial glazing, they are just catching up.

Yeah, I figured as much. Leaving room for the supplementary bead of sealant inboard of the foam is new since my last trip to Warroad. I wonder how many installers actually read the instructions when they receive the windows/doors, versus those who just install windows the way they were taught when they started and haven't bothered to keep up with best practices?

 

[rst]

A long with those I do not understand why sausage caulking guns are not common on big jobs.  I can remember caulking entire storefronts with urethane in the winter and the small tube guns...it's no wonder I have arthritis in my thumbs.

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

A long with those I do not understand why sausage caulking guns are not common on big jobs.  I can remember caulking entire storefronts with urethane in the winter and the small tube guns...it's no wonder I have arthritis in my thumbs.

When I started wet glazing my windows and doors a year or so ago I bought a pneumatic sealant dispenser, what a dream! I can dispense immense amounts of product with minimal effort, and/or have very precise control over the flow rate, best of both worlds. The flow rate control is key for glazing applications where I want just enough to fill the notch, but not so much that I'm smearing it all over the place when I tool it. Plus, the sausage packs are more economical than the cartridges sold at the home centers.

 

[Cheese]

Hi Cheese,

A tip I picked up from the last time I attended an installation training at Marvin Windows in Warroad is that they are recommending installing backer rod against the back side of the nailing flange (on a window) or the brick moulding/trim (on a door) prior to installing the foam. The intention here is they have found through testing that the low expansion foam performs best when it's only in contact with two parallel surfaces (the jamb and the framed rough opening), and that you do not want the foam in contact with the third surface.

They are also recommending leaving enough room to install another backer rod inboard of the foam, which serves to support a sealant. I've been having great luck using Sikaflex 510 AM50......

Marvin installation instructions here:https://www3.marvin.com/WebDoc/Window Rough Opening Prep and Flashing 19913776.pdf

Thanks Tom...I think... [eek]

Marvin has always been very good with including any and all instruction packages with their windows & doors. This time around there were no additional instruction manuals packed with the windows which was odd. However, having installed so many Marvin windows over the years I just figured I'd do it the way they've ALWAYS suggested, no big deal. Now thanks to you I find out they have indeed changed their methods.  [sad]

At this point I can't undo the windows I've already foamed-in in the garage but I can revisit the French door install. Thanks for that.  [big grin] [thumbs up] 

The door is more of a concern than the windows because of its size 72" x 81" and it mostly consists of a continuous thermopane glass panel with aluminum muntons to give it the look of individual panes. I'd estimate each door comes in around 110+#. It also rests on a cement slab so who knows what monkey motion will happen at that interface as the temperature changes.

On a different note, when Milwaukee first offered cordless caulk guns I picked one up because I was doing a lot of sub-floor installs using PL 400 and my hand needed a rest. Well that was a Godsend for me. However the bonus round, was that I was able to very closely control the size of the bead for inside/outside caulking purposes. The big thing was to keep continual movement with the gun and not get on and off the trigger, otherwise the bead diameter keeps changing.

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[rst]

Years ago I bought one of the pneumatic caulk guns because urethane caulking in sub zero temperatures was Brutal with small tube guns.  I now use Tajima small and sausage guns for small jobs but my Milwaukee m18 sausage gun is Great.  In commercial window prep, we can go through up to two sausages for one tilt out and that’s just prep not installation

 

[Tom the Remodeler]

Hi Cheese,

Yeah, Marvin revises their installation instructions every couple years. Back when I was attending in-person Continuing Education classes for my contractor's license, there was generally a presentation by the local Marvin representative on Best Practices for door/window installation. I believe that every year the recommended process was a little different. I think there was one project ten or fifteen years ago when the half the windows shipped with one set of instructions, the other half with a different set. With that in mind, I've made it a practice to always visit the manufacturer's website (Marvin, Pella, etc....) to pull up their latest/current installation instructions so I can make sure I'm not liable in case there's a leak or other issue.

All of that being said, so long as your openings are properly flashed you're probably just fine on your windows.

rst, I think my first introduction to pneumatic caulking guns was watching a framing crew use them to apply construction adhesive to floor joists prior to installation of the sub-floor. The pneumatic caulking guns had the handle all of the way to the rear for extended reach, and had a fork around the nozzle to keep it centered on the joist. I was quite jealous since I was still using a manual dispenser, but at the time my aspiration was to focus more on interior millwork and couldn't justify spending that kind of money on a framing tool. Fast forward ~20 years, and I've finally purchased a pneumatic dispenser, but this time it's for wet-glazing doors and windows, I really appreciate the finesse and control possible with the pneumatic dispenser....

 

[Cheese]

I've been digging into some OD's and ID's of Harnessflex® Conduit for the bundling of low voltage cable and 120V electrical cords. In the process I ran across this which I think is very [cool]. A few years ago who'd have thunk but it's just the natural progression...think cell phones & tablet charging. What could be easier? Drive the car onto a target, let it charge and then go forth.  [smile]  No nasty gas hose...err...I mean...electrical umbilical charging apparatus.

We don't have an EV presently but it seems like the next logical step. We live in the city where 90% of everything (other than New York) is less than 30 miles away round-trip. So an electric vehicle that recharges overnight and will travel 250 miles on a charge...well that's just a no-brainer.

And now for my nightly rant.  [big grin]

I've always liked the cordless tool scenario, I embraced it from the beginning because I absolutely hate electrical cords and pneumatic hoses. You trip over them, you get wrapped up in them and they drag tools off of a scaffold/ladder. I went as far as to embrace cordless Paslode gas guns because the cords & hoses were eliminated, that's an endorsement I'd like to revisit.  [smile]

What really put me over the top is when I recently purchased a Stihl battery powered lawn mower. As a result, I'll just never go back to gas powered equipment. There's no need, the cordless stuff is more powerful and so much easier to use.

I'm a car guy...8 cylinders are a minimum...and I'm also a motorcycle guy...2 cylinders are a maximum. Lots of cubic inches with lots of torque, that's the key. Battery powered tools have that torque in spades.

At any rate this is pretty cool.

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[six-point socket II]

Inductive charging will be another game changer on how EVs are seen & utilized.

This is a pretty interesting project in regard to inductive EV charging:https://ir.electreon.com/2022-11-15...-Electric-Vehicle-Charging-on-German-Autobahn
https://www.heise.de/news/Electromo...arged-inductively-on-the-highway-7476941.html

Should be operational by 2025.

I dig the idea of such a wireless charging spot in the driveway/ in front of the garage i.e.

Kind regards,
Oliver

 

[Cheese]

I've neglected adding to this thread for months...and there's a good reason...there are just so many updates that it makes my head spin. It makes me numb just thinking about it. Kind of like having to move 10 yards of dirt using a garden spade and a small wheelbarrow...great job for summer, as in ALL summer.  [big grin]

So let's start off slow...I applied 2" thick foam board over the cement block foundation last fall to help retain the heat from the in-slab heating. I then covered the foam board with acrylic stucco for aesthetic purposes. It still needs to be painted but that's a project for next year.

My thoughts were, that while grass trimming with a string trimmer, there was a high probability that the acrylic stucco would be damaged. Especially because I now use a new Stihl string trimmer line that's square, it is a polyamide blend and has a carbon reinforced core. Great stuff, and much preferred over the usual nylon material which breaks all the time.

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So I used Cor-Ten edging material to protect the stucco. The Cor-Ten oxidizes naturally and builds up a protective layer which prevents the steel from dissolving. This stuff lasts for a minimum of 50 years to over 100 years when exposed unfinished to the natural elements. It's used for buildings and bridges that need minimum maintenance. It's been around for years...you just have to embrace the rust color.  [big grin]  And if the string trimmer damages the oxidized finish of the Cor-Ten, which I fully expect, it will just rust again and the protective oxide layer will regenerate itself.

The installation/joining stakes are very low profile and hug the stucco well.

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[Cheese]

I mentioned earlier that i was running underground water, underground low voltage (12 VDC) and underground high voltage (120 VAC) wiring from the garage to various access points in the yard. Here are a couple of examples. 

This is the 12 VDC low voltage feed for landscape lighting running 2 parallel circuits for landscape lighting. This stuff is actuated from dusk to dawn 365 days a year...it's pretty sweet.

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This is a high voltage feed from the garage to several outlets that are situated around the yard to support holiday lighting.

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Next to it is an underground water line feed that allows water to be available inside of the garage during temperate months...think plant watering & car & motorcycle washing...it's also hot & cold so dog washing is also part of the drill.  [big grin]

And here's where both of these utilities exit.

[attachimg=3]

 

[Cheese]

One of the major issues we've had with the old garage for the last 30 years is that come spring thaw, it's in the middle of a spillway and for a 10-14 day period, some of the back yard along with the garage are under 2"-6" of water. This means pumping out the water 2-3 times a day...every day. This situation only happens in the spring, when the ground is still frozen. Under normal rainfall, the ground absorbs all of the rain including downpours.

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So when the new garage was built, I decided to raise it by 8" and then regrade the yard to prevent the water ingestion problem. Within 4 months we'll find out how successful this decision has been.  [unsure]

Part of the regrade plan was to pitch large areas of the yard to the left & to the right while a smaller area was pitched to a 12" x 12" drain that was then routed to daylight and went to drain on a further part of the property.

 

[Michael Kellough]

Hope it works! Pretty sure you’ll be happy with the result of all your improvements.

 

[Cheese]

Hope it works! Pretty sure you’ll be happy with the result of all your improvements.

Ya I think so Michael...things are pointing in the right direction.  [smile]

So you saw the mess we've had to contend with for the last 30 years, however it was only in the spring when things were frozen as the ground sucks up the water during the summer months.

Here are some grade photos that illustrate the new pitch to the 12" basin. I originally tried to get away from using a basin or a dry well but after many weeks of thought and triangulation it just became very apparent that there needed to be a catch basin somewhere on the property and that basin needed to be pumped or fitted with drain tile and run to daylight.

Here's the catch basin at the end of the sidewalk.

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And here are arrows that show the various grade levels that flow to the catch basin.

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The idea is to snow blow the 3' bluestone walk and move most of the snow to the down side slope of the property. That would leave little snow melt to accumulate in the basin. At the rear of the garage the ground is graded to move the water to the property line and  also into the alley.

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So, this 80' plus 4" diameter drain needs some heat in the spring to keep the snow melt running. Common local practice is to install at least 2 heat tapes because it's guaranteed that at least one will burn out before the winter is over and you need to keep things warm to keep the water moving. The typical heat tapes from the big box stores (think Frost King & Easy Heat) only have a 30 day warranty and unfortunately, they fully live up to that specification.  [sad] 

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That's all I'll add for tonight as this site is getting wonky again...it keeps rejecting my additions and generally makes posting photos difficult to impossible...I'll try to add some more photos & dialog tomorrow.