Renovation 4th Edition

by Michael Litchfield

Drop outlet

  and are an alternative to end-nailing rafters—in fact, they’re

  the only option when there’s no fascia. If you’re reroofing, nail

  them to the roof sheathing and apply shingles over them. Or,

  if the rafter tails are exposed, nail the straps atop the rafters,

  and install flashing over the straps to forestall rot.

  Elbows

  End cap

   Hiddenhangers are favored for hanging k-style alu-

  minum gutters. they can be inserted into the gutters on the

  Strap

  ground and, thanks to integral screws, attached to the fascia

  Downspout

  one-handed. But because they clip inside the gutter chan-

  nels—rather than supporting them underneath—these hang-

  ers are best used with heavy, 0.032-in. gutter stock, which is

  stiffer and less likely to flex or sag than the lighter stock.

  Prefabricated gutter pieces facilitate assembly.

   brackethangers are usually screwed to fascia boards.

  Use the hanger type most appropriate to your eaves detailing.

  they range from plain 4-in. brackets that snap over the back

  gutter lips to cast-bronze brackets ornamented with mythical

  sea creatures. Brackets simplify installation because you can

  mount them beforehand—snap a chalkline to align them—and

  then set gutters into them.

  zzzzzz hidden gutter hanger

  Hidden hangers are commonly used with

  K-type gutters. They can be prepositioned

  in the gutter and quickly screwed or nailed

  to the fascia. Because hangers are not visible,

  gutter lines are clean.

  Exteriors

  179

  SlOPIng AnD PlACIng guttERS

  usually on the uphill side of the house, where

  downspouts often require underground drains to

  Ideally, gutters should slope down toward down-

  carry water beyond the outside house corners.

  spouts 1 in. per 16 ft., but this is not always pos-

  Next, determine where you want seams,

  sible. For starters, this may not look good: Next

  which should also be placed inconspicuously.

  to a level fascia board, the steeper the slope of the Because gutter stock comes in 10-ft. or 20-ft.

  gutter, the more it looks out of whack. As long as

  lengths, it might look better to join a 15-ft. length

  there is a slight pitch—say, 1⁄2 in. in 20 ft.—with

  and a 10-ft. length to achieve a gutter 25 ft. long,

  no low spots en route to the downspout, a gutter

  rather than tacking a 5-ft. length onto the end of

  will drain. If a house settles so that its roof edge

  a 20-ft. length, if that joint would be near the

  or trim—and its attached gutters—slope away

  front door.

  from downspouts, either install new gutters with

  P R O T I P

  Although gutter sections are light enough for

  downspouts properly located or reattach gutters

  one person to carry, the job is safer and more

  so they slope toward existing downspouts.

  Although it’s desirable to

  predictable with two workers, especially if it’s

  Place the front lip of the gutters below the

  secure the gutter hangers to the

  windy. Snap a light chalkline along the fascia to

  roof plane, low enough so the sliding snow won’t

  framing, you might not be able

  indicate the level of the hanger brackets, and

  tear them off yet high enough so the rain runoff

  to see the rafter-center marks if

  install a bracket at either end of the roof.

  won’t overshoot them. The distance below the

  you’re holding the gutter section

  Alternatively, you can snap a chalkline to indicate

  over the fascia. use a builder’s

  projected roof plane varies with pitch: For a gen-

  the back lip of the gutter. If your gutter hangers

  crayon to mark the framing cen-

  tly sloped 5-in-12 pitch, place the front lip of the

  fit into the gutters, position them before you

  ters along the edge of the roofing

  gutter 3⁄4 in. below the projected roof plane; for a

  carry gutter sections aloft; also, preassemble the

  in advance.

  steeper 7-in-12 pitch, 1⁄2 in. below the plane; and

  end caps, downspout takeoffs, and so on.

  for a 12-in-12 pitch, 1⁄4 in. below the plane. The

  Once you’ve secured either end of the gutter

  front lip of a gutter should always be about 1 in.

  and checked its position, add hangers every 32 in.

  lower than the back. That way, if the gutter over-

  (every other rafter); in snow country, install a

  flows, water will spill over the front lip rather

  hanger every 16 in. The hangers you choose will

  than soaking the fascia and siding behind.

  determine exactly how you secure gutters. Most

  modular gutter systems can be cut to length

  InStAllIng guttERS

  with a hacksaw and joined with pop rivets or self-

  Measure the length of the roof the gutter will ser-

  tapping sheet-metal screws. A disadvantage of

  vice, and check the fascia (if any) and roof edge

  screws: Their points protrude, snagging leaves

  for level. Try to place the downspouts in an

  and causing blockages. An advantage: Screws can

  inconspicuous place, away from foot traffic. In

  be removed to disconnect the sections.

  positioning downspouts, the biggest challenge is

  Use a hole saw in a cordless drill to

  create openings for downspout

  outlets. In a pinch, you can also start

  holes by hammering an old chisel into

  the metal, then use aviation snips to

  complete the cutout.

  A pop riveter is indispensable for joining gutter sections.

  Unlike screws, pop rivets don’t intrude into the gutter or

  downspouts and won’t snag leaves and cause clogs.

  Predrill pop-rivet holes.

  180 Chapter 7

  After securing gutters, use screws to

  attach the downspouts to the outlets.

  Screws allow you to disconnect this

  joint later. Have the downspout

  brackets handy so you can

  immediately secure the downspouts

  to the siding.

  Don’t try this at home on a windy day. Pros know how to

  raise and attach long sections safely, but the rest of us will

  do well to have a helper or two.

  Consequently, use rivets to join gutter sec-

  Begin work by sanding the wood well and

  P R O T I P

  tions, downspout outlets, and miter strips. And

  wiping away grit with a rag dampened with paint

  use the shortest screws feasible to join the down-

  thinner. Next, apply a water-repellant preserva-

  gutters are relatively fragile.

  spouts to the gutter outlets. To avoid galvanic

  tive, prime, and apply two finish coats of paint. If

  Where you must replace a hanger

  corrosion, use screws that are the same material

  you find rot, your problem is compounded if the

  or remove a gutter spike, use

  as the gutter; otherwise, use stainless-steel

  gutter also doubles as exter
ior trim and abuts

  locking pliers to pull the fastener

  screws. Because elbows slow water and tend to

  sheathing or framing. Short of replacing such

  out; don’t risk collapsing the

  clog, use as few as possible. Apply gutter caulk

  integral gutters, you may be able to prolong their

  gutter by attempting to pull

  freely to seal the joints, rivet holes, and the like.

  life by lining them with flashing tape.

  spikes with a claw hammer. And

  And where you see holes left by earlier gutter

  where you can’t avoid leaning a

  hangers, fill them with exterior wood filler or

  ladder against gutters, place it

  color-matched acrylic latex caulk.

  near an internal support such as

  a spike and ferrule or a hidden

  guttER REPAIRS

  hanger.

  If gutters are rusty but otherwise intact, use a

  wire brush to remove rust. Then rinse well and

  allow the gutters to dry. Paint gutters with an

  elastomeric roof coating such as GacoFlex®

  acrylic latex, which can handle the expansion

  and contraction of metal gutters.

  You may be able to get a few more years from

  metal gutters beginning to rust through by patch-

  ing them with a compatible-metal patch. First,

  vigorously wire-brush the rusted area until you

  uncover solid metal, wipe the area clean with a

  rag damped with paint thinner, and prime with

  metal primer. After the primer dries, spread

  epoxy around the hole, and press the patch into

  it. Or simply wire-brush the rusted area clean,

  and apply a piece of foil-faced flashing tape,

  which is often used to flash skylights, plumbing

  pipes, and other roofing elements. Flexible flashing

  tape is easily shaped to the contour of a gutter.

  Wooden gutters should be inspected every

  year for deterioration and repainted every two to

  three years. They must be thoroughly dry before

  Unless you’re an experienced sheet-metal worker, buy preformed corners (such as this one) as

  painting; otherwise, paint will seal in moisture

  well as preformed miter strips, and so on. After pop-riveting such connections, caulk them

  and promote rot. So it’s best to paint gutters after liberally, including the rivet holes.

  a dry spell. Let morning dew evaporate.

  Exteriors

  181

  Structural

  8 Carpentry

  smaller, dimensions. Although such lighter compo-

  This chapter is mostly about wood, the king nents needed to be spaced closer than rough-hewn

  of building materials. Built amid virgin forests,

  timbers, their reduced weight made it possible for

  the first wood houses were fashioned from mas-

  three or four people to raise a wall. Balloon fram-

  sive ax-hewn timbers that took half a neighbor-

  ing was the earliest of milled lumber houses, with

  hood to raise. Because iron was scarce, those

  long studs running the full height of the wall, from

  great post-and-beam frames were joined without

  foundation to eave, and is rarely used today. Since

  nails. Instead, they were fitted tightly and then

  the beginning of the 20th century, platform fram-

  fastened with whittled wooden pegs. The technol- ing (also called western framing) has been the

  ogy was crude, but the houses survived, in large

  most widely used method. Here, each story is

  part because of the mass and strength of wood.

  capped with a floor platform. Because the studs of

  Early in the 19th century came plentiful iron

  a platform-framed house run only one story, they

  nails and circular-sawn lumber of uniform, if

  are shorter and easier to handle.

  If there’s room, assembling a wall on

  a flat surface and walking it upright

  is the way to go. This crew nailed

  restraining blocks to the outside of

  this second-story platform

  beforehand, so the sole plate

  couldn’t slide off the deck.

  182

  Understanding Structure

  exploring Your Options

  A house must withstand a variety of loads (forces):

  the dead load of the building materials, the live

  To assess the framing hidden behind finish surfaces, go where it’s exposed: the

  loads of the people in the house and their posses-

  basement and the attic. Joists often run in the same direction from floor to floor.

  sions, and the shear loads from earthquakes, soil

  movement, wind, and the like, which exert rack-

  generally, a girder (also called a carrying timber or beam) runs the length of the

  ing (twisting) forces on a building. There are

  house, with joists perpendicular to it. Some houses with crawlspaces may have

  other, finer distinctions, including point loads,

  framed cripple walls (short walls from the top of a foundation to the bottom of the

  where concentrated weights dictate that the

  first-floor joists) instead of a girder. main bearing walls often run directly above the

  structure be beefed up, and spread loads, in

  girder, but any wall that runs parallel to and within 5 ft. of a girder or cripple wall is

  which a roof’s weight, say, pushes outward with

  probably bearing weight and should be treated accordingly.

  enough force to spread walls unless counteracted.

  bearing walls down the middle of the house also are likely to be supporting pairs

  Loads are transferred downward by framing

  of joists for the floors above. That is, most joists are not continuous from exterior

  members, primarily by exterior walls sitting atop

  wall to exterior wall—they end over bearing walls and are nailed to companion

  a perimeter foundation and by interior bearing

  joists coming from the opposite direction. This allows the builder to use smaller

  walls, often supported by a secondary foundation

  lumber—2x6s rather than 2x8s, for example—because they cover a shorter span. if

  consisting of a girder, posts, and pads. Generally,

  you cut into a bearing wall without adding a header, the joists above will sag.

  a girder runs the length of the house and supports

  large openings in obvious bearing walls are often spanned by a large beam or a

  floor joists running perpendicular to it. Nonbearing

  header that supports the joists above. These beams, in turn, are supported at each

  walls, as their name denotes, are not intended to

  end by posts within the wall that carry the load down to the foundation. These point

  bear anything but their own weight. Headers (or

  lintels) are bearing beams that carry loads across

  loads must be supported at all times. Similarly, large openings in floors (stairwells,

  openings in walls. A partition is any interior

  for example) should be framed by doubled headers and studs or posts that can bear

  dividing wall, bearing or not.

  concentrated loads.

  Before you decide to demolish old walls or

  Finally, it may be wise to leave a wall where it is if pipes, electrical cables, and

  frame up new ones, determine what is a bearing

  heating ducts run th
rough it. look for them as they emerge in unfinished basements

  wall and what is not. This will influence how you

  or attics. electrical wiring is easy enough to remove and reroute—but disconnect

  frame up, for example, the size of headers,

  the power first! However, finding a new home for a 3-in. or 4-in. soil stack or a 4-in.

  whether you need shoring, whether you need

  by 12-in. heating duct may be more trouble than it’s worth.

  additional support below the walls being

  removed, and whether you should disturb the

  structure at all. Get as much information as you

  can before you commit to a plan because there

  are always surprises once you start. If you plan to

  remove walls, be sure to hire a structural engi-

  Handling lumber

  P R O T I P

  neer to review your plans.

  Here are a few lumber handling tips that will

  save labor and make the job go quicker.

  local building authorities

  Framing Wal s

  have the final say about altering

  Minimize moves. Lumber is heavy. Tell your

  the structure of your house. in

  Framing walls is arguably the most common car-

  lumberyard to load the delivery truck so that the

  earthquake country, for example,

  pentry task in renovation, and it employs a vari-

  lumber you’ll use first—say, floor joists—will be

  removing sections of a wall could

  ety of layout and assembly techniques. For a

  on the top of the load. Clear a level place close to

  reduce its shear strength—its

  deeper look at carpentry, consult Rob Thallon’s

  the work site where the truck can unload. Many

  resistance to seismic and wind

  Graphic Guide to Frame Construction, Mike

  suppliers have boom trucks that can unload lum-

  forces. in short, always have a

  Guertin and Rick Arnold’s Precision Framing, and ber stacks directly onto a work deck.

  structural engineer review your

  Larry Haun’s The Very Efficient Carpenter, all pub-

  working drawings if you plan to

  Sort your lumber. Lumber today is often bowed,

  lished by The Taunton Press. Also highly recom-

  move walls or create large open-

  so eyeball each piece for straightness—and sort it

  mended: Joseph Lsitburek’s “The Future of

  ings in them. Some building

  into like piles. Save the straight stock for kitchen

  Framing” in Fine Homebuilding issue #174.