Current Expert Advice:
Showing 1-10 of 13 answersQuestion:
Anonymous
9/12/2009
2 questions about price. 1) I would like to add...
2 questions about price. 1) I would like to add a deck approx 14x14 with rails and steps.2) I am thinking of adding a sunroom/greenhouse approx 24x18 with tile floor.This would be ground level
Any...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
9/12/2009
d, there are 1,000 variables which will effect ...
d, there are 1,000 variables which will effect the cost fo these, the site, the main structure, the type wood, the type rails, that is just the deck, the sunroom could really vary depending upon the type windows, finishes inside, tile quality as well as the same questions as the decking....wish I could help more but it is too broad a question to answer without a ton of details. If you are going to have a contractor do the work for you call my office and we will refer you to a residential contractor who does this sort of work. Good luck!
1 repliesQuestion:
Beth
, TN
8/20/2009
What type of adhesive is best to use to attach ...
What type of adhesive is best to use to attach wood (i.e. towel racks and toilet paper holders and crown moulding) to slick surfaced tile in a bathroom?
Is there a better way to attach crown...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
8/20/2009
I would not suggest any adhesive for wood to ti...
I would not suggest any adhesive for wood to tile in a wet area. We always use mechanical connections for wet area accessories. And even more so with Crown moulding. For the crown moulding I would suggest attaching a wood furring strip and then nailing the moulding to it in a manner which would hide the furring strip. Good luck! I hope that helps.
Question:
Anonymous
7/30/2009
I moved into a new home, a rancher with a drive...
I moved into a new home, a rancher with a driveway that curves in front of the house, this past November. I am getting water in my crawl space in the front of the house where there are two planting...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
7/30/2009
The most likely culprit is the gutters not bein...
The most likely culprit is the gutters not being piped away form the house, if they are dumping into the beds this eneds to be rectified. If that is not the issue then the foundation wall may not be waterproofed, if not this needs to be corrected. The only way the water can be getting under the house is through the wall....unless it is perking up through the ground, if you are cut into a hill this is a possibility, but unlikely. I hope the gutters are the issue as that is easy to fix.
Good luck!
Question:
Anonymous
7/26/2009
can roof trusses be prevented from lifting and ...
can roof trusses be prevented from lifting and dropping each year as the seasons change?
Expert Answer:
Sanford
7/26/2009
I tried to answer this question a few days ago ...
I tried to answer this question a few days ago and it seems to have been lost. I don't really know what you mean by lifting and dropping, I assume you mean expansion and contraction from temperature and humidity changes.
Trusses made of properly graded lumber should not move enough to notice. Depending on where you bought the trusses, I would start by looking into the stamp of the lumber and seeing if it is structural grade lumber with the proper moisture content.
The design of each truss individually and the system as a whole will determine how each truss will repsond to atmospheric conditions.
If you are having extreme movement which is causing cracks in drywall, I would have expansion joints installed to relieve the stress of the movement.
Bracing could help but you need someone to inspect the system to give you a professional opinion. I would suggest contacting the truss manufacturer first as they most likely will come out and inspect it for you. Ask that they send out a Professional Engineer, not a foreman or carpenter.
The issue you have is most likely a design issue but an engineer can diagnose either a design or installation issue, while a tradesman will only be able to speak to installation issues.
Good luck
Question:
Anonymous
6/28/2009
Mr. Loy, I have a BS in Hotel and Tourism, but...
Mr. Loy,
I have a BS in Hotel and Tourism, but am considering changing careers. I have found I like building things and working with my hands, and an aptitude test I took suggests one area I am...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
6/28/2009
Pat, The CCM designation is awarded by the CMAA...
Pat, The CCM designation is awarded by the CMAA through a division developed just for that purpose called the CMCI.
You can go to the CMAA website and clcik on the CCM or CMCI tab and find the requirements for the CCM education wise.
If memory serves me correctly the minimum is a 4 year degree in Architecture, Engineering or Construction Technology. That said you need to visit the site and make sure there are not some other degrees recognized.
You will need to get some experience before being allowed to sit for the exam though, so you might be looking for a position with a firm to get that started. I believe it is 6 years of direct charge experience required as a CM, not just a project manager. So if you are interested in the CCM you need to find a firm who will allow you to work on CM projects, as they are contractually and philosophically different than a typical owner/GC relationship and/or contract.
As for being a construction manager, I would suggest civil engineering first as a degree and a construciton management degree second. ETSU has a CM degree program. Obviously several schools offer CE degrees.
If you move forward with this track , the CMAA has a mentor program you might want to look into.
All the best in your career!
Sandy Loy CCM
Question:
Anonymous
4/30/2009
We discovered by stepping through the sod laid ...
We discovered by stepping through the sod laid in out in our front yard and getting a foot injury that my builder had run the gutter drain from the front of our house under the walk way and...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
4/30/2009
Edna, Sorry to hear about your problem. While ...
Edna,
Sorry to hear about your problem. While I am not primarily a residential construction manager I can address these issues for you.
It is not unusual for residential gutter drains to be ran into a yard, sometimes with a pop up device on the end...but it usually also results in a problem. These type drains are more effective if ran to a hard surface or through a curb to the street.
My first suggestion would be to file a complaint with the State of Tennessee Licensing Board for Generall Contractors, the local Homebuilder's Association and if you are part of a development with the developer and/or Homeowner's Association for your subdivision or development.
You may also call the public code officials for your area and see if the water issue is something they can bring pressure on the builder to repair.
As for the second question, vinyl siding should not shake and rattle in the wind if installed properly. This is something the builder needs to repair as well. Most likely they did not use enough nails or shims to make sure the substrate was flush with the siding back when attaching the siing tabs to the substrate. Either issue should be a minor repair taking less than a day to fix. While this may appear to be a cosmetic issue to some people and not a structural issue, over time it could result in moisture penetrating into your walls and forming mold etc. So this problem is something which in my opinion is a serious issue.
I hope this has helped you and keep me advised as to your progress.
If the filing of complaints fail to produce results I would suggest filing a lawsuit which most likely would result in getting it fixed as the repairs are going to be less costly than the legal fees to defend the claim. You should make sure to ask for attorney's fees as well in your suit.
Just to be safe I would immediately send the builder a certified letter summarizing your complaint for the record, this will make sure you can prove the date of your notifying them of the problem. Make sure you get the legal name of the builder on the letter, go to the State of Tn website and look up the license of the builder to get the legal name correct if you don't have it on a contract already.
Good luck and if I can help further let me know.
Sandy Loy CCM
Question:
Anonymous
4/28/2009
hello mr.sanford loy , i am currently employed ...
hello mr.sanford loy , i am currently employed
as a first year electrician due to a layoff ,
could you tell me the percentage of newly added
and /or career changes and what advice do you have...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
4/28/2009
David, I am not privy to any statistics about p...
David, I am not privy to any statistics about people coming into or leaving the industry during this volatile time.
What I can tell you is that the average skilled trades person in Tennessee is much higher in age than people would guess. For masonry it is in the 60's!
Electricians will always be an in demand trade as building systems become more sophisticated and more technically innovative powering them, connecting them and running them will be a larger scale portion of future projects.
Learn that trade and don't lose your spirit and work ethic and you will do very well I am sure.
All the best, and keep me advised as you progress to your journeyman status.
Sandy
Question:
Anonymous
4/14/2009
"Mr. Loy I am continually concerned about the a...
"Mr. Loy I am continually concerned about the amount of money we spend in Knox County for schools. Is it true your firm has built many new schools for less than we spend in Knox County? And if so,...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
4/14/2009
Ms. Rader, Thank you for the questions. I will ...
Ms. Rader, Thank you for the questions. I will address them in the order asked.
Yes, my firm has built many schools for less than has been spent in Knox County from what information I have been provided. We have built 10 schools for 6 different school systems in East TN. One of those was a private school inside Knox County.
We have built schools as a design-builder, a bid contractor, and as a construction manager.
I believe the reason we have been able to build schools cheaper is because of expertise with the process called construction management agency, as sanctioned and endorsed by the CMAA; which saves the owner money in so many ways they are too many to list.
Essentially...the CM agency process empowers the owner to build their own school and eliminate the general contractor. With us serving as their agent we handle the bidding of the work in multple contract packages and then provide project management services during the construction.
This saves 3% right off the bat overhead costs such as gross receipts taxes and liability insurance, etc.. Further savings are realized through more efficient structuring of the scopes of work as well as reduction in change orders.
We have asked for an audience with the Knox County BOE on several occassions and not been granted one. I have asked for the opportunity to provide information on how we have been successful in other counties and am still waiting for a response.
Using the method I have described above we have built 3 TSBA School of the Year award winners. Most recently 3 high schools we have built averaged $100/SF, which is considerably less than the $185/SF spent to build the new Hardin Valley Academy.
Us not building schools for Knox County is not due to the lack of trying. If you can find out from your district's BOE member an answer to that question I would welcome learning what our deficiency is so we can correct it.
If you have any further questions feel free to ask.
Sandy Loy CCM
Question:
Anonymous
2/20/2009
We want to make our small starter home more ene...
We want to make our small starter home more energy efficient. The original windows are beautiful but drafty single glazed. Are new vinyl windows really the best choice or can the old windows be...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
2/20/2009
The old windows will never we as energy efficie...
The old windows will never we as energy efficient as new windows without covering them up in some way with a secondary layer of some sort of material to increase the R factor.
Depending on the age, number and size of the windows, reglazing as well as sealing the perimeter of the window jambs by pulling off the facia trim would be a close second to new windows and would salvage the architectural feel of the old windows.
I would make my decision based upon how long I plan on living there and how much energy savings I would realize with the new windows. If the home is your primary residence and you are going to live there for some time and the home is not in a historical district or a style which adds value to the property by way of the architectural details, then new windows make more sense than if the answers to those questions are reversed.
I would also contact TVA and ask them to help analyze the savings potential before moving forward.
I hope this helps!
Question:
Anonymous
12/20/2008
We live in a 100yr old home with original slate...
We live in a 100yr old home with original slate roof. We have several leaks and are looking for someone to do roof repair. How do we know if a company is knowledgeable about slate - what would we...
Expert Answer:
Sanford
12/20/2008
I apoloize if you didn't get my first answer......
I apoloize if you didn't get my first answer...slate roofs are certainly a different animal. I am not familiar with local tradesmen qualified in this area of expertise.
I would suggest going through an older neighborhood, finding some house with slate roofs and asking the homeowners if they have had any work done on theirs. I would then drive through Seqouyah Hills where there are several slate roof houses and see if I could find someone building or working on a remodel and ask them for references.
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