building a new house

[EddieWalker]

Looking at the pictures again, I can see that it's not framed for a soffit, but I also don't see any places to vent under the eves. It's all blocked in.

I don't think one way looks any better than another. Soffits are more work and expense that you really never notice anyway. The only advantage I can think of them are that it gives the brick a good place to end and there's fewer places for wasps to build nests, or dirt dobbers to build there homes.

Eddie

 

[rox]

Okay I'll bite, what is a shear panel? i saw it in the picture. Also what is PEX plumbing?

 

[_RaT_]

Looking at the pictures again, I can see that it's not framed for a soffit, but I also don't see any places to vent under the eves. It's all blocked in.

I don't think one way looks any better than another. Soffits are more work and expense that you really never notice anyway. The only advantage I can think of them are that it gives the brick a good place to end and there's fewer places for wasps to build nests, or dirt dobbers to build there homes.

Eddie

I agree, there are very nice versions of both soffit and non soffit. The typical venting is to leave every 3rd or 4th freeze block flat on the top plate and put in a screen. Wasps are notorious for making homes on rafter tails which as you point out can be a good reason for a soffit in many areas.

 

[EddieWalker]

Okay I'll bite, what is a shear panel? i saw it in the picture. Also what is PEX plumbing?

Rox,

Sheer panels are the OSB, or plywood that's used at the corners of the walls. They provide what is called, sheer strength, to the walls. In the old days, they used to cut in diagnal boards at the corners to stop the walls for "racking." A wood frame wall with twist and turn on you unless you lock it into place. The sheer panel does this. In some parts of the country, you just do the corners, but in other areas, you do the entire house.

PEX is the new type of tubing that's being used in homes for the water lines. The red is for hot water and the blue is for cold water. You run the lines to a "manifold" and then branch out from there. In the pictures, you can see the manifold is a copper tube with multiple lines coming off of it. One line would have come from the water heater to it, and then all the other lines go to there respective valves.

The advantage is that it's all one line. Pipe is not flexible and a leak can occur at a joint. The more joints you have, the greater your odds are on a leak. Homes also move around more than most people realize. Having flexible water lines can just about cut out all possibility of a rupture.

If it works like it's predicted, it should become the standard in every home over the next decade. Copper is just too expansive and difficult to work with. PVC is easier and cheaper to work with, but isn't univerasally accepted. Lots of places won't let you use PVC for your water lines in a home.

The biggest drawback to PEX is the tool to connect the lines with. It's expensive. I've never done it myself, so I have no other first hand knowledge. My next home probably won't use it, but I'm still thinking about it. I still like PVC, but can see the advantages of PEX.

Eddie

 

[_RaT_]

Rox,

Sheer panels are the OSB, or plywood that's used at the corners of the walls. They provide what is called, sheer strength, to the walls. In the old days, they used to cut in diagnal boards at the corners to stop the walls for "racking." A wood frame wall with twist and turn on you unless you lock it into place. The sheer panel does this. In some parts of the country, you just do the corners, but in other areas, you do the entire house.

PEX is the new type of tubing that's being used in homes for the water lines. The red is for hot water and the blue is for cold water. You run the lines to a "manifold" and then branch out from there. In the pictures, you can see the manifold is a copper tube with multiple lines coming off of it. One line would have come from the water heater to it, and then all the other lines go to there respective valves.

The advantage is that it's all one line. Pipe is not flexible and a leak can occur at a joint. The more joints you have, the greater your odds are on a leak. Homes also move around more than most people realize. Having flexible water lines can just about cut out all possibility of a rupture.

If it works like it's predicted, it should become the standard in every home over the next decade. Copper is just too expansive and difficult to work with. PVC is easier and cheaper to work with, but isn't univerasally accepted. Lots of places won't let you use PVC for your water lines in a home.

The biggest drawback to PEX is the tool to connect the lines with. It's expensive. I've never done it myself, so I have no other first hand knowledge. My next home probably won't use it, but I'm still thinking about it. I still like PVC, but can see the advantages of PEX.

Eddie

Eddie, PVC in the house for water lines? One nice thing about PEX over copper is that it is far more tolerant of acidic water. With copper the acidic water will etch the pipe eventually causing it to fail.

 

[EddieWalker]

Rat,

Yes, there are areas here where PVC is acceptable to code. CPVC for hot water lines.

Another disadvantage to copper is the lead is no longer in the solder and it's not as strong a seal. A journeyman plumber doing a home will often have a small leak someplace. It might not be in every home, but I bet it happens in at least one out of ten homes.

I remodel and repair homes. The biggest cause that I've seen for bathroom leaks is the manifold behind the tub and shower. It's the place that always seems to leak. It's just drop and not enough to be noticable, but over 20 or 30 years, it rots out the joists and even the wall studs.

I have a job next week where this happened in the laundry room. The copper has been leaking for over 20 years and the interior wall studs and sill plate are rotted away. The sheetrock is held in place by the walpaper covering it!!! Lucky for the homeowner, the house has a slab foundation, so it's an easy repair.

If you really want to talk about water line problems, then iron pipes are the worse. Most are just about closed off from mineral buildup. 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch lines with enough open space in them that you can only get a few toothpicks through them. It's just a matter of time until tens of thousands of homes will no longer be able to get water and need all new water lines.

Eddie

 

[rox]

I like that PEX, i can see how without joints you have zero leaks. That looks like a really cool product.

 

[_RaT_]

Rat,

Yes, there are areas here where PVC is acceptable to code. CPVC for hot water lines.

Another disadvantage to copper is the lead is no longer in the solder and it's not as strong a seal. A journeyman plumber doing a home will often have a small leak someplace. It might not be in every home, but I bet it happens in at least one out of ten homes.

I remodel and repair homes. The biggest cause that I've seen for bathroom leaks is the manifold behind the tub and shower. It's the place that always seems to leak. It's just drop and not enough to be noticable, but over 20 or 30 years, it rots out the joists and even the wall studs.

I have a job next week where this happened in the laundry room. The copper has been leaking for over 20 years and the interior wall studs and sill plate are rotted away. The sheetrock is held in place by the walpaper covering it!!! Lucky for the homeowner, the house has a slab foundation, so it's an easy repair.

If you really want to talk about water line problems, then iron pipes are the worse. Most are just about closed off from mineral buildup. 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch lines with enough open space in them that you can only get a few toothpicks through them. It's just a matter of time until tens of thousands of homes will no longer be able to get water and need all new water lines.

Eddie

I have ripped open three shower walls where the line leading to the head leaked. It was never pressure tested on that side of the valve. You should always cap the shower line and open the valve for pressure testing. It only leaks when the shower is on but over the years, it does a lot of damage.

 

[dmccarty]

Our new house, well its two years old but its still the new house, we used PEX. The plumber pressurized the system with air and had a pressure gauge mounted. Checked after the weekend was up. No leaks. I don't know if that was just him or if code required him to do this. He also did something similar for the waste pipes. We are on a slab and the waste pipes are buried not only under the concrete but under roughly 4 feet of 67 stone. And it might have a 12-24 inches of concrete over it as well.

He tested the waste lines for leaks as well. I can't remember if he just filled the system with water and check the level or if he pressurized the system as well. I'm thinking he pressurized it.

The only problem we had with PEX was his apprentice, who no longer works for the plumber. He somehow managed to get dirt in the lines and that clogged up some of the screens on the faucets and shower heads. I know it was the apprentice because I walked into the bathroom while the plumber was fixing the problem and muttering rather loudly about his helper.

Later,
Dan

 

[WhyNot]

The only problem we had with PEX was his apprentice, who no longer works for the plumber. He somehow managed to get dirt in the lines and that clogged up some of the screens on the faucets and shower heads. I know it was the apprentice because I walked into the bathroom while the plumber was fixing the problem and muttering rather loudly about his helper.

Later,
Dan

Classic blame it on the new guy excuse That master plumber should have known better than to have the shower heads and screens installed on the faucets the first time he turned on the water.