It’s spring and, as home and condo owners take advantage of the improved weather to do a little work on their homes, you may be wondering where your renovation dollar will have the most impact. Careful planning and the right choices are the best way to ensure that your home improvements actually add value to your property.
Knowing what to look out for will help you to pass your building inspection with flying colors. Failing an inspection can be costly and time consuming and can eat into already tight profit margins. Here are some of the most common reasons building fall short of code expectations.
Failing a building inspection is a frustrating and costly experience for most contractors. You may have to go back and make adjustments or redo some aspects of the build and your scheduling will be compromised. You take longer to do the job and have to pay for the adjustments and that eats into your profit margins. Knowing the most common code violations and how to avoid them can save you time and money.
A recent inspection on a family residence revealed that sheathing panel edges were telegraphing through the roofing shingles. Since the roof was properly ventilated and there was no moisture present, we conducted an inspection to see what was causing the problem.
Recently we had a call from a builder complaining that their roof sheathing was buckling, causing a telegraphing effect through their roofing shingles. Concerned about the structural efficacy of the roof, they asked us to take a look. The builder and dealer thought it was a number of problems with the roofing panels themselves but, on closer inspection, we discovered that there were a number of installation issues that caused the problem.
As construction costs increase and building codes demand more effective building envelopes, construction professionals are looking to taller wall panels to fill in the gaps. OSB wall panels already make for a sustainable and cost-effective option but with longer length OSB wall panels, the efficacy of the building envelope is increased by creating fewer seams while costs, waste and installation time are reduced.
I-Joists are engineered wood products that are gaining popularity with building professionals. Engineered I-Joists are manufactured under exacting conditions to ensure consistent strength that provides long span and high load capabilities. These installation tips are supplementary to your manufacturer’s instructions and technical guides.
Using the right nail for each job will mean that your work lasts longer and can reduce expensive callbacks. For example, using the incorrect nail for a sub-floor installation could result in squeaky floors, uneven surfaces and bounce.
Nails literally hold the world together, but just how much do you know about your fasteners? Do you use the same nails for every job out of habit? Always ask your design professional to stipulate sizes and fastener patterns, but knowing what kind of nails to use may save you time and money on work that lasts.
One of the constant responsibilities of the construction industry manager is soliciting new business. Word of mouth can bring in a good amount of business, but you must augment your good reputation with marketing methods that work. Selecting marketing that will give you a good return on investment will help you to reduce your costs.
