-
Recent Posts
Archives
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
Categories
- -Chronological Recent Posts
- Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope
- Appliances
- Bathrooms
- Central Vacuum
- Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler
- Construction
- Deconstruction
- Design Style
- Distractions
- Electrical
- Energy Efficiency
- Family Room
- Finishes
- Fireplace Boiler
- Floating Walls
- Furniture
- Green Building Interests
- Green Roof
- House Systems
- Inspections
- Kitchen
- Landscape
- LEED Project
- Living Room
- Local Products
- Maintenance and Repair
- Master Bedroom
- Mini Split Air Conditioner
- Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
- Monitoring
- Moving
- Organization
- Planning
- Plumbing
- Pool
- Project Team
- Radiant Cooling
- Radiant Heat
- Radon Mitigation
- Reduce Reuse Recycle
- Roofing
- Sideline at son’s house
- Solar
- Spa
- Spencer House
- Tile
- Tools
- Trim
- Trombe Wall
- Ventilation
- Xeriscape
Cloud
-Chronological Recent Posts Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope Appliances Bathrooms Central Vacuum Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler Construction Deconstruction Design Style Distractions Electrical Energy Efficiency Finishes Fireplace Boiler Floating Walls Furniture Green Building Interests House Systems Inspections Kitchen Landscape LEED Project Living Room Local Products Maintenance and Repair Master Bedroom Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil Monitoring Moving Planning Plumbing Pool Project Team Radiant Cooling Radiant Heat Radon Mitigation Reduce Reuse Recycle Sideline at son’s house Solar Spa Tile Tools Trim Trombe Wall VentilationBy Date
January 2021 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Category Archives: Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
Radon Proof Sump Cover
When we demoed the slab floor we saw that drain pipes were connected from the outside perimeter foundation of the house into the sump tank. We seldom saw water in the sump tank so we were not sure the system … Continue reading
Posted in Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Radon Mitigation
Comments Off on Radon Proof Sump Cover
Siding Rainscreen
Building Science experts recommend a rainscreen layer between siding and the house wrap to protect the house wrap and siding from holding moisture and allow for evaporation of moisture that penetrates the siding. This rainscreen layer incorporates a drainage plane … Continue reading
Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
Comments Off on Siding Rainscreen
Leaks!
Oh no, more leaks. We had literally weeks of rain in our normally dry climate. Our rain gauge registered almost 3 inches more than once. On one particularly stormy day last week we began to see water penetration. We heard … Continue reading
Posted in Maintenance and Repair, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
Comments Off on Leaks!
Videos of the Concrete Pour
I’ve been taking a few videos of parts of the construction progress. I used iMovie to create files that are small enough to load here. These are “mobile” size snippets of the concrete pour. I’m one day off on … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
Comments Off on Videos of the Concrete Pour
De Floor, de floor!
The concrete was poured on March 18th after six months of work by Alberto’s crew to remove the old concrete and dig out for the waffle boxes. Then the installation of the vapor barrier and the boxes, the insulation, the … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
Comments Off on De Floor, de floor!
Really Rebar
The engineering plan from Crown Jade uses rebar instead of post tensioning cable to reinforce the concrete in the floor. The computer program that the engineers used to design the floor system was a Post Tensioning Insitute product. Post Tensioning … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
Comments Off on Really Rebar
Crown Jade Engineering Drawings
Mark Benjamin of Crown Jade Engineering delivered the final plan for the Waffle Mat system just was the plastic vapor barrier was being installed. The plan is engineered with the PSI concrete standards using a PSI computer program that took … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning, Project Team
Comments Off on Crown Jade Engineering Drawings
HP Geotech Geotechnical Engineering Study
We wanted this house even though it was not in great shape. We knew we had to figure out why the slab had cracked so badly and repour a slab that would not have the same damage in the future. … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning, Project Team
Comments Off on HP Geotech Geotechnical Engineering Study
HP Geotech
I asked the Asbestos test engineer, Rick Luce, for a recommendation for a soils engineer, as he had mentioned that he worked with several and would give me a recommendation when the time came. He recommended Alan Lisowy at HP … Continue reading
Posted in Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning, Project Team
Comments Off on HP Geotech
Waffle Mat Slab
The Waffle Mat system uses 19 1/2″ X 19 1/2″ X 8 1/2″ recycled plastic boxes. The boxes have a rim on two sides and can be used in sets of 4 or individually depending on the design. I decided … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning, Project Team
Comments Off on Waffle Mat Slab
Crown Jade Design and Engineering
At Greg’s strong recommendation, I decided to seek out a structural engineer who would be willing to take care of the specific design using WaffleMat for our installation. The person I chose had presented at a USGBC event as a … Continue reading
Posted in Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning, Project Team
Comments Off on Crown Jade Design and Engineering
Waffle Mat!
While researching issues with slabs on grade and expansive soils, I found this very interesting solution to building a mat (raft) slab. Originally invented by Matt Gonsalves, the boxes are still manufactured by the family’s Conco Corporation. There are a … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning
Comments Off on Waffle Mat!
An Engineered Solution
The slab was the major issue that made this house virtually unsellable. Like most foreclosures, the house suffered from years of delayed maintenance, like peeling paint on the windowsills, and broken glass in some of the windows. Once it was … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil, Planning, Project Team
Comments Off on An Engineered Solution
