kurt

Nope. Can't drop your link in here either without hanging around, getting to know folks, and showing you're serious about this thing.

The engineers that drive me nuts are the one's on historic homes. Old joints, saggy like they always are for all the reasons we see all the time, but they're still there and there's really nothing significantly wrong with them other than folks have totally forgotten how to think and work on them. Engineers always come in, and after long hours of brow furrowing concentration, determine the old dump needs a gigantic steel I beam that would hold up a 10 story building. For a 150 year old saggy frame house. That's been supported by a termite eaten beam and a couple beer cans for 75 years. Drives me nuts. If the whole joint is getting stripped to the bones, sure, why not? Stick in whatever steel you want.

Some engineers approving things that shouldn't be approved.....is a fundamental fallacy argument. Meaning, it has no meaning. I keep my nose out of stuff I don't know anything about. That's why we have a structural engineer look at stuff for us. But we're talking about houses, and not just houses, but sistering joists in a simple floor platform. Sistering is a *lousy* repair, and it works just fine even without adhesives and even if it's not pressure fit. Add any kind of adhesive short of bubble gum and it's fine. More than fine. I just did a quick google search for "structural construction adhesive". Seems there's a small mountain of adhesives rated for structural applications, of several different types and formulations, with several being tubed and gunnable. Some of them cop to the "must be used with mechanical fasteners" disclaimer, which is understandable, but how much of that is actuality and how much is corporate legal covering asses? I tend toward the ass covering hypothesis. The real structural wood miracles of today are wood boats, especially cold molded. There's nothing to them but wood and glue, they're subjected to stress that is orders of magnitude greater than anything ever would be in a house, and they have to endure thousands of pounds of force tens of thousands of times over decades. You'll find they hold up pretty good. Mechanically fastened boats...they get loose and floppy and they have to be refastened every few years. Gimme the glue. I think it's cool you're doing the research, but sistered joists are kinda basic stuff. Glue out of a tube is fine. Honest. People that don't build stuff much think there's some kind of atomic entropy happens, and shit just flies apart if there's some stress. No, it doesn't. It's a house. We can work on them and not worry too much.

I see literally zero cable, so I'm not up on this. Thnx.

Wait..... We can't re-identify wires smaller than #4? Meaning, no branch circuit conductors? In conduit, yes, I know. We're all conduit here. But no re-identifying cable wires?

Quality control and adhesive use are part of the same equation. Construction adhesive works fine for sistering. It's just a house, with minimal loads. And it's sistered fer chrissakes, which is about as anemic a repair as I've ever done and it works fine. We've built boxed beams and boxed damaged truss with plywood and construction adhesive. The repairs were designed by us, and approved by a structural engineer. It works fine. Some of this gets a little rarified when the engineers get hold of it. It's just a house. "Typical" wood glue isn't anything I recognize as a material. I don't know what typical wood glue is. Elmers? Titebond? Gorilla? The builders of cold molded boats...that rely completely on adhesives to hold together wildly complex compound curves and structural components that experience shattering loads and perform for decades... would be amused at the idea of adhesives creeping. Resorcinol and epoxies are the primary adhesives. They don't creep. Angled bolts move, no doubt. There's a local architectural firm that only builds institutional projects (schools, hospitals), specifies carriage bolts for a lot of structural applications. Where's it say carriage bolts aren't approved for structural use?

Pull through is unlikely, but it will dig in. All of our rear egress porch supports are lap mortised and held with carriage bolts. Every once and a while I'll see one on an angle and they can pull in 1/8-1/4".

Yes, the posts are tilted over like that says something was shaking that box. At least, that's my guess. I have only one earthquake experience in the Midwest, a pretty good tremble at the New Madrid fault back in '87, that shook all the way to Chicago.

I will suggest that the architect that indicated there was no science or reason behind why a glue joint was stronger than a mechanically fastened joint is a fool. Every first year wood shop student learns that a glue joint is stronger than the wood surrounding it. There is a reason they make glulams and LVLS with glue instead of a mountain of fasteners. Anyone that's ever actually built something with adhesives knows the immense strength created by a glue joint as opposed to a nailed or mechanically fastened joint. If you don't believe me, do a very simple test. Glue together any combination you want and then mechanically fasten the same combination. Then load it to the max let it sit around for a while. Take a few measurements. This was the thing my shop teacher did back in the '60's to show us the amazing wonder of new adhesives. It impressed us. It seems we've forgotten things we ought not be forgetting. Now, I'm sure there is someone out there that can devise a test that contradicts what I just said. Everyone gets to do what they want. I'm with adhesives. Regarding Les' question about carriage bolts at an angle....they make a joint a whole lot stronger than simple screws. We did some tests and determined carriage bolts make a difference. But, they're not as strong as adhesive.

That's pretty good.

Glue. Mechanical fasteners would only be for compression until the adhesive set. Sounds interesting. The only time I've ever done it, I used PL200 or one of those type construction adhesives. Damn things were like steel.

How far off the San Andreas Fault is the house? Any temblors?.....[:-angel]

We get those. The outside perimeter of the house is heavy, the interior much lighter, and the whole house pushes down into the dirt like a giant cookie cutter. Here, it's due to the bearing capacity of the dirt and the footings that are usually too small. Or, you got some strange soil conditions that are heaving the middle up. Just a couple guesses. Don't know your area, so both may be wrong.

woof...... While I like the idea of zip panels and tape, it seems to entirely contradict the dictums of Joe where you get the layers (water/air control) integrated and working as a system. I really do wonder what the outcome of Zip panels is going to be. It seems like Florida could be the perfect testing ground for all the goofy things the building industry comes up with. It's like all the builders down there are hell bent on disproving high school physics.

It's easy to "repair" the structure, but it's impossible to repair the flashings, which is what made the repair necessary in the first place. Yes, one could partially dismantle the masonry needing flashing...relatively simple at the windows, but time consuming and a PITA where the brick bears on the foundation, and buy the time one is done dinking around trying to save brick, it's easier to strip the brick and get it all the way right. Kelly (my builder bro) was actually hired by a guy in Florida constructing a monument to poor taste.... that had a succession of Florida builders and engineers all proposing the most idiotic and nonfunctional "waterproofing solutions"....to come down and get the flashing, ventilation and waterproofing right. He got it right. It was one of the first major visible successes of Wickrighttm. What is it in Florida? The heat? Humidity? No one gets flashing down there.

Something we've learned in the repair biz..... there ain't no repair for a messed up rain screen. Actually, it's not like we learned it, it's more like the lesson gets driven home harder every time you open up this stuff.

Mark (and everyone else) is right. It's a rain screen and you can't fix a rain screen without starting over because all the important stuff goes in long before the brick goes up.

Couldn't she take her cause and go bother some other profession?

Fernco with the stainless sleeve is fine for joining the pipe; the steel sleeve keeps everything aligned. I'd not like reducing it, but I'd dislike digging up the entire yard even more. Whatever you do, put a cleanout that stubs above grade upstream of the reduction.

Supposedly it's got an enema function.....I'll do some "research" and report back....

Or, phrased more broadly, I never get between folks and their obsessions. It's #2 in my top 3 business rules.

The only folks I see really pushing the radon hazard are those doing testing, remediation, and governmental agencies involved in regulation. I've met about 2 physicians that think it's a front row concern, and all the rest are like..."ok, fine, if the government says it's a hazard, sure, why not? Now, can we talk about the stuff we know is horrible and we've got hard data to prove it?"

Got it...forgot about the check valve in the toilet riser thing. Good point. Danger on the dollar menu...I like it. Ghent, you warmed to the topic. My proclivity for hot peppers and Sichuan spice precludes the need for warm water. A nice cool refreshment is welcome. Pervert.

Yeah, that's my bathroom, I did the tile. What's the danger on the dollar menu? I don't understand. I like the way that sounds though. Danger on the dollar menu.... I want to steal it but I want to know what it means first.

Take a portable model with you..... https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Persona ... idet&psc=1