Section R703.2 of the 2006 International Residential Code requires that, “One layer of No. 15 asphalt felt, free from holes and breaks, complying with ASTM D 226 for Type I felt or other approved water resistive barrier shall be applied over studs or sheathing of all exterior walls.
Ten homes that remained standing in Texas with little damage after Hurricane Ike, amid the rubble left behind on the Bolivar Peninsula, serve as valuable reminders of how making the right choices for construction techniques and interior finishes in coastal zones can pay off.
This is the first of a two-part article on mechanical fasteners. This method of attaching the EIFS insulation has an interesting history. It is also different from the normal way of installing EIFS from a contracting standpoint, namely, screw guns and washers instead of plastering tools and adhesives.
One of gypsum board’s properties is that it allows water vapor to pass through-it has a permeance of 24 to 35 perms. Contrast that with a vapor retarder, which, by definition, has a permeance of 1 perm. One of the physical properties of water vapor is that it will move from areas of high concentration to areas of lower concentration.
“Accidents will happen” are words that make me cringe. It’s a form of defeatism and I suspect that people who mutter those words are more accident-prone than most.
The building enclosure is an assembly of materials and layers that acts as an environmental separator between the indoor and outdoor. It controls heat flow, airflow, water vapor flow, rain penetration, groundwater ingress, the transfer of light and solar radiation, noise and vibrations, contaminants, environmental hazards, odors, critters, and fire.
I stood along the rail of an upper tier at the Nashville Convention Center, home of the 2009 AWCI Convention and Intex Expo trade show. I watched two middle-aged men approaching each other on opposing escalators, one going up, the other going down.
The times are tough for everyone in the industry, and yes, even for Walls & Ceilings magazine. Like the rest of you, we have made some cuts and sharpened our pencils. Everyone is nervous today about the economy and we all know someone who has lost a job, home or needs desperately to find work.
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