When constructing a home, specific attention should be paid toward the type of soil upon which the foundation is laid. If the preparation of a construction site is not done properly, it can create foundation problems.

Function

Typically a concrete slab poured over a primed area of ground that serves as the starting area for constructing the subsequent walls and ceilings is the foundation of a home. The soil type beneath the foundation can be different, but if it is a clay soil it absorbs moisture and it can damage the concrete due to expansion.

Features

For keeping the foundations level and free from cracking you have some options. A helical pier supports the foundation by drilling a large screw down into the ground till you get a firmer earth. To allow the foundation to be leveled above, a bracket is then adhered to the screw.

Considerations

Underpinning is a procedure in which the sunken soil holes beneath a foundation are filled with concrete for foundation leveling.

In construction Styrofoam panels and polyurethane or urethane panels are used for insulation.

Function

Styrofoam and urethane panels are both resistant to heat and cold, but the R-value of urethane products is higher R-value than the Styrofoam boards with reference to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Considerations

Some of the insulating properties of Urethane panels are lost over the first few years, reducing their R-Values. However, if Urethane panels are treated with a radiant barrier coating, like thin aluminum sheets glued to the panels, they retain more resistance for a long time. The boards provide the highest levels of insulation although Urethane and Styrofoam are available in liquid form and also as beads.

Benefits

As buildings tightly are sealed tightly by Urethane and Styrofoam panels the air infiltration is lower, lowering heating and cooling costs. The panels can also be easily installed by construction workers, so that the labor costs are reduced for builders.

Installing wooden spindles with wrought iron enhances the look of a staircase.

Instructions

1. The old spindles using a jigsaw. All nails should be pulled out with the hammer.

2. Holes or scratches around the spindles should be touched up with fine grit sandpaper.

3. After measuring the distance between the stair rail and the floor approximately 1 3/8 inches should be added to account for the length of the new spindle.

4. A new spindle should be inserted into the railing at the top and the flooring at the bottom.

5. The new spindle should be cut with a jigsaw according to previous measurements.

6. The spindle should be inserted into the railing at the top and the bottom of the spindle should be pushed in place. The spindles should be removed after dry fitting.

7. Epoxy or polyurethane adhesive should be applied directly into the holes and the spindles should be inserted in place.

Working the crown molding around corners is very challenging while installing guard molding. Inside corners and outside corners are two primary installation types.

Instructions

1. The two walls should be measured for the lengths of guard molding you’ll require. The necessary length should be marked on the back of each piece of guard molding with a pencil.

2. The first piece of guard molding should be placed into the miter box in such a way that the back side of the guard molding is placed against the side of the box.

3. The saw should be placed in the guide, and the guard molding should be cut. The cut should be rubbed lightly with sandpaper so that the splinters are removed.

4. The process should be repeated with the second piece of guard molding, keeping the angle of the cut for the second piece exactly opposite to the cut for the first piece.

Instructions

1. Holding the sheet of paper up to the bottom of the post the outline of the post should be traced on it and should be cut.

2. It should be positioned on the concrete floor where you want to place the post and the paper shape should be traced.

3. An “X” should be drawn in the center through the penciled outline on the concrete.

4. An L bracket is positioned on each of the extended lines from the “X,” and a mark is made on the floor in the bracket holes.

5. A hole is drilled into the concrete using the hammer drill on each of the four guides.

6. The logs are positioned into place according to the traced outline on the floor and the brackets are placed back on the extended lines from the “X.”

7. The first concrete anchor is installed into an L bracket to secure it to the floor.

8. The log post is lined up in level and a lag screw is inserted through the hole in the bracket and into the post.

9. The steps are repeated to attach each L bracket.