Building Envelope Blog

More Flowers!

2011-09-15T08:22:00.000-07:00

Flowers, Flowers, Flowers!

2011-08-24T17:44:00.001-07:00

Doodles on the Plane

2011-05-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

I doodled this picture while on the plane ride to a project in Los Angeles California.

Air barrier discussion

2010-05-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Nathan Sikes
Consultant at Allana Buick & Bers, Inc.

Do air barriers affect the "Breathability" of buildings?

Simon Bowkett
Principal at Bowkett Williams Consulting
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Yes. See Construct Ireland Issue 6 volume 4 article by Joseph Little containing report of 4 Wufi simulations that prove the point ... pp. 79 ff seem relevant. Not only do they adversely affect vapour transmission, they adversely effect it so badly that mould is going to grow ...

'Simon Bowkett'

Yes. See Construct Ireland Issue 6 volume 4 article by Joseph Little containing report of 4 Wufi simulations that prove the point ... pp....'

Scott Wood
President of Scott Wood Associates, Llc.

Little's article discusses vapor barriers and smart retarders not air barriers. It seems in my experience that air transported moisture vapor (especially zones 1-4) is by far the largest contributor to condensation issues within the envelope. I’ve seen it with vapor barrier installations that redirect or channel air movement to gaps in the vapor barrier. You can find a high probability of moisture issues in these areas due to air transported vapor. The question posed is do air barriers affect the breathability of building. In terms of air movement, yes the air barrier reduces the “breathing” of a building. The whole point of an air barrier is to stop heat loss due to convection and the gross movement of air transported water vapor. If the air barrier is not a vapor barrier and materials are in place to manage (not block) vapor driven moisture, the building is able to “breath” in terms of vapor drive. So to answer the question on "breathing", no to air, yes to vapor IF the air barrier in not also a vapor barrier.
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Ryan Dalgleish
Manager at Air Barrier Association of America

Moisture transport by air leakage can transport anywhere between 60 - 100 times more moisture that by diffusion (which is the vapour barrier's main purpose). The biggest confusion in the marketplace is what the difference is between the air barrier and vapour barrier and after talking with people, most times you find that they say "vapour barrier" and then explain the functions of an air barrier. From a moisture management standpoint within a building enclosure, stop exterior water penetration, stop air movement, then worry about diffusion. Unless you have a swimming pool in an Artic climate, I would guess that any building failures that occur are rarely a result of vapour diffusion. Buildings breathe by their mechanical systems (which you can control) and we should not rely on our building enclosure to breathe (which we cannot control)

Wagdy Anis
Principal, WJE
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When you say a building "breathes" surely you don't mean infiltration and exfiltration of air through the enclosure. Building assemblies "breathe" i.e. have the ability to dry out and control condensation due to diffusion. Infiltration and exfiltration is a really bad thing because it promotes gross condensation, loss of durability and mold growth. It also creates loss of control over the HVAC system. Ventilation of fresh "breathable" air is provided by the HVAC system according to ASHRAE standards 62.1 and 62.2. Air barriers to prevent air movement through the enclosure are a good thing. Whether they are vapor permeable or not depends on their position relative to the insulation and the climate involved. Stop confusing vapor retarders and air barriers please. Go back and read Quirouette's paper "the difference between an air barrier and a vapour barrier".

Nathan Sikes
Consultant at Allana Buick & Bers, Inc.

I carefully used the term "breathability" because I've heard people use that from a position authority as a positive benefit from not using an air barrier. Judging from the responses I received to the question there is some confusion in the community regarding vapor barriers and air barriers and breathability. There is no positive benefit from not using an air barrier. The effects of not using an air barrier is air leakage either into the wall or out depending on air movement and temperature differences on the wall. Localized air leakage will bring warm moist air through the hole or air leakage path and cause localized damage due to the elevated moisture in that area. The other effect is poor energy performance. Warm air is moving through the wall where and when it can, and not as intended when designed. Will your building fail if you don't use an air barrier? NO. The question is: how is your building going to perform? If you use an air barrier it will perform as intended, if the air barrier is designed properly in conjunction with the vapor barrier if needed, your building will breath ie allow vapor transfer safely without condensation

Drawings from my sketchbook

2010-05-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ghiradelli Chocolate Tower in San Francisco

2010-04-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Roofing damage/issues

2010-04-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

Ponding

Blisters

Fishmouths

Cap sheet wear (see webbing of cap sheet layer)

Blistering

Tuscan Village Update

2010-03-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

These drawings and painting are the work product so far for the Tuscan Village project in Chelan Wa. I will update more as the project progresses.

Bellingham Museum drawing on old paper

2010-03-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

More San Francisco Drawings

2010-02-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

Lecole Winery

2010-02-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

This is not done but I thought you might to look at it in progress.

More sketchbook drawings China Town San Francisco

2010-02-05T10:27:00.000-08:00

Skaltitude Where we had christmas this year

2010-02-04T12:58:00.000-08:00

Dirty Dan Harris Restaurant

2010-01-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

This is my first commissioned piece! I spent a day at the Dirty Dan Harris in Fairhaven where I created this image of their storefront at night. This was very difficult due to the time it takes to draw and paint this image. The Prime Rib Dip is the best food you will ever eat!! Go for that dish during happy hour it is only 10 bucks.

Thanks,

Nathan

Whaley's Mansion

2010-01-25T11:44:00.000-08:00

Whaley's mansion bed and breakfast is for sale! Buy it and live in Chelan forever. It needs serious work to maintain it to it's original character is costly but worth it.

Chelan Reality at the R.W. Little Building

2010-01-18T15:41:00.000-08:00

Another church in Lake Chelan

2010-01-15T13:37:00.000-08:00

Little Log Church in Chelan

2010-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

Tsilan Cellars

2010-01-11T14:46:00.000-08:00

Winery's have come to chelan and have started to provide a new source of architecturally interesting buildings to draw. Please enjoy this drawing of the tasting room at Tsilan Cellars.

Shoreline's Central Market Drawing

2010-01-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

Sketching painting ans drawing services

2010-01-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Campbells and the bridge in Chelan

2010-01-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

For building envelope consulting services and architectural rendering services click here.

Hand sketches/paintings

2009-12-29T12:09:00.001-08:00

This sketch is of the Historic Ruby Theater in Chelan Washington.

Window sequence details

2009-12-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

To get your own set of window installation details call or email me. Click here for Building Envelope Services.

Interesting article in the Journal of Light Construction on Requirements for Energy Tax Credits. This may be a source of business.

JLC article

What we do

2009-12-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

Sikesdesign
Waterproofing, Roofing, envelope, and Construction Litigation
Sikesdesign. specializes in roofing, waterproofing and building envelope technology including forensic investigation, analytical design and construction management.

Lets talk brick Ledgers

2009-12-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

I have seen some bad conditions regarding brick installation on single family homes and one of the worst is installing the mud sill directly on a concrete slab with the intention of installing the brick directly on the outer edge of the slab. This will direct water towards the sheathing. Very dangerous.

I suggest creating a low curb wall when developing the concrete plan so that the brick can sit on the ledge and concrete will move up the wall and provide a separation between the brick ledger and the wood frame elements. Otherwise really beef up your waterproofing at the ledger to sheathing juncture to ensure water is eliminated. I would use self adhered membrane but only if it was very well inspected. If you don't have extremely good inspection services then use hot applied rubber or a reinforced urethane traffic coating. You don't need the top coat in this unexposed condition.

Another acceptable option would be Wetsuit by Neptune coatings or BEI Wetflash. Use teh Wetsuit carefully and fully reinforce. It is not vapor permeable so it cannot be used on the whole wall, only at the juncture. The BEI Wetflash is vapor permeable and should not be used as a roofing membrane but will work in this condition due to it's unexposed nature. It also needs to be fully reinforced. When I get a chance I will post some details that illustrate these conditions and various options. Visit my website sikesdesign building envelope services

Door details at sliding glass, and hollow metal

2009-11-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

San Francisco City Hall

2009-11-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

Window Flashing Drawings

2009-11-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

The above images were created to illustrate how to integrate metal flashing at window to metal and fiber cement panel siding (Hardie). We create the envelope of the building to integrate as much of the architectural design and integrity as possible. In some instances design of the building envelope is compromised by the aesthetic design. In these instances we are required to add more expensive fixes and elements to get it to perform or change the design. It is critical in the early design process that an exterior envelope professional is hired to help drive the energy efficiency and durability of the project without compromising the design intent.

On a previous project where I was hired to manage the envelope and the architect we saw the architect and the developer's representative push a warehouse concept with floor to ceiling windows all around the building perimeter. This is a nightmare from an energy performance perspective and complicates construction immensely. I proposed using the tall skinny vertical window on a regular pattern much like warehouses of the past but limiting window are to 40% of the total wall area, allowing adequate daylighting as well as thermal performance. The project was sold prior to finish so we never got to see which style was incorporated. This design decision and many others need to be made in the beginning of a project to reign in the architect who is dreaming for the owner who is also dreaming.

Hire me tell me what your mission statement is and I will steer the design to ensure your goals are met.

Soffit Details

2009-11-23T08:54:00.000-08:00

Window Head, Jamb and Sill Details at metal siding

2009-11-19T13:12:00.001-08:00

Example of architectural rendering

2009-10-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Linkedin Group Discussion

2009-10-24T00:57:00.000-07:00

Should there be a code requirement for furring strips or some adaptation of rain screen technology to be used behind all claddings?

Why do I need a drainage plane? “Explain it to me like I am 5 years old.” Remember this line from the movie “Philadelphia” with Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington? I think of that line when I am asked, “Why do I need a drainage plane?” Although it can sound complex, a drainage plane is a simple concept. Drainage planes are the weather barriers or house wraps used under siding products. If you think of a plane surface, you might picture a flat surface like a counter top, although a counter top lying flat would not drain well. If you were to position the counter top on its side with the flat surface running vertically, it would now become a surface that would drain water or liquids down and off the surface, creating a drainage plane (See Fig. 1).

If you want to block or dam the flow of the water, you would place something long and flat horizontally against the counter top surface. Comparatively the weather barrier is a drainage plane until you attach something long and flat horizontally against it, namely the siding. Thinking of it like a 5 year old, I will use the example of a child playing outside in water running down the curb basins. The child is having fun piling up sand and sediment in an attempt to dam up the flow of the water. As the child works, some of the water finds its way around the blockage, creating new paths in whatever direction it can. Some of the water finds paths of least resistance, while some of it becomes trapped.

Siding on a house creates a similar obstruction. It can back dam and block the flow of moisture and water, pushing it in to areas of the wall cavity where it becomes trapped, eventually causing damaging effects such as peeling paint, or in worse case scenarios, rot and mold.

This is where furring strips or spacing devices come into play. These are accessories, simple in nature, that enhance the performance of the weather barrier, or as I like to say, “Allow them to do their job.”

The International Residential Code and the International Building Code both address the need for a drainage plane or a continuous drainage plane, although they do not clearly define a best practice for creating proper drainage. The National Association of Homebuilders recently addressed the issue in their report, “Improving Drainage and Drying Features in Certain Conditions: Rain Screen for Absorptive Claddings”. The concept of rain screen technology in its various forms has existed for many years in the use of wood lath furring strips and most recently poly mesh products. This type of installation of cladding is code in several areas of the world, including most of Canada. To sum up, the use of furring devices creates an airspace between the cladding and the weather barrier that eliminates the blocking of moisture flow and allows for air movement to promote drying. The use of furring devices creates a rain screen, a system that is imperative to creating the perfect wall assembly.

For more information on drainage planes, water and moisture management as it relates to envelopes and wall assemblies, or drain plane products, or to invite me to speak to a group or individual, please contact me: Peter D. Slama G.P. Williams, Inc. Drain-Plane pslama@drain-plane.com www.drain-plane.com

The building code in my area does not even require housewrap behind vinyl siding over OSB. One prominent local builder instructs his sales people to say that housewraps cause houses to rot. His homes sell very well because they are less expensive that comparably sized buildings.

The local saying is that his homes are built to last until the first door is slammed after closing. Even that does not discourage buyers.

A member of the builder's family did not want to allow me in before closing when I had been hired as a licensed home inspector by the buyer. The buyer said "No inspection, no sale." His answer to my question as to whether the house was Energy Labeled was to point at the E* label on the thermostat.

A very few of the best builders here understand and use the rain screen method to allow their claddings to dry to both sides. They are few and far between.

Code changes appear only after a long and arduous period of review and discussion. Education of builders, home buyers, lending institutions, and insurance companies may be an alternative way to encourage the understanding of rain screen as a key component to building durability. Pardon my digressions; I could go on indefinitely about this subject.

Ed Voytovich Executive Director at BPCA/NYS - info@home-performance.org

The International Building Code and International Residential Code require a "water-resistive barrier" behind exterior cladding. Either your local code is deficient in comparison to the national standard, or someone isn't reading and enforcing.

Unfortunately, most home buyers are woefully unprepared to make sound choices in purchasing houses. They are the amateurs in the transaction. The professionals in the transaction: the builders, developers, realtors, appraisers, and banks who are in a position to educate them and establish minimum standards for closing property sales have decided it is not in their interest to do so.

Phil Kabza Partner, SpecGuy: Specifications and training consultants to the construction industry at www.SpecGuy.com

"Either your local code is deficient in comparison to the national standard, or someone isn't reading and enforcing. "

I'm afraid it's choice one.

Ed Voytovich Executive Director at BPCA/NYS - info@home-performance.org

In the British Columbia Building Code, the areas where there are more than a certain level of "wet days" (precipitation), there must be a drainage cavity of at least 10mm (3/8") behind the cladding. This cavity can be achieved using different methods and materials: wood strapping, "drainage membranes" (benjamin Obdyke stuff, delta dry, several other manufacturers exist), hat tracks, z-girts, etc. Certain methods work better for different types of claddings and for different types of construction.

The need for a drainage cavity is best evaluated based on exposure conditions, as demonstrated in the nomograph presented in the "Best Practice Guide for Wood Frame Building in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia." The worst building I've looked at in the last 6 years in terms of mis-lapped or missing building paper had no damage whatsoever - the plywood sheathing was in pristine condition. The building is two stories with a 4 foot overhang. Does it need a rainscreen? No. Are there good reasons to have a rainscreen anyway? Yes, namely to allow interior generated moisture vapor to easily diffuse through the wall assembly, assuming vapor permeable materials. Interior moisture could be handled with the mechanical exhaust, but we don't seem to be willing to require that our mechanical systems actually work.

I would be in favor of a code requirements that requires the exposure conditions to be analyzed and the design professional take responsibility for choosing the most appropriate assembly for the exposure conditions.

Since we're advertising here, if anyone is interested in the building science behind why rainscreen wall assemblies work and how you can screw them up, or the relationship between building science, sustainable building, and global warming, please feel free to contact me or invite me to speak as well. :-)

Michael Aoki-Kramer

www.rdhbe.com – maoki-kramer@rdhbe.com

I would just like to clarify the use of the term "rainscreen" and drain plain. A rainscreen is used to help reduce the external pressure exerted on face of a building by varying wind pressures. The furring strips help to create compartments along the facade to reduce the secondary wind pressure that is exerted on the interior cavity wall. This cavity does act as a drainage plain for moisture but this is usually not it's primary purpose. Back to your original comment I don't believe that rainscreen furring should be a code item. Most of the time the lateral pressure exerted on these members is nominal.

Derek Wilfong -Project Manager at SOLARC Architecture & Engineering Inc.

This is a very interesting conversation.

It has been my understanding that a drainage plane is needed to prevent bulk water (i.e., water in liquid form) from coming into contact with inadequately protected wood fiber materials (i.e. OSB, plywood, and so on) and creating a micro environment where wood-destroying fungi and insects can damage the cellulose-based material to the detriment of the structure.

Rainscreen installation of claddings, meanwhile, is intended to minimize the movement of bulk water from the outermost wall component (whether sheathing, building wrap, foam insulation, or whatever) to the back of the cladding material (see: http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/digests/bsd-105-understanding-drainage-planes?full_view=1 ). Since the maximum distance water can travel by this mechanism is 1/8", a rainscreen of 3/16" allows water on the back of the cladding to drain more freely and therefore to dry to both sides. www.sikesdesign.com Joe Lstiburek has mentioned in several trainings that back-drained claddings outperform undrained claddings in every case (vinyl siding is pretty much its own rain screen).

Ed Voytovich Executive Director at BPCA/NYS - info@home-performance.org

Ed you are correct that a drainage plane with air movement on both sides of the exterior cladding allows water to drain more freely. When I think of the term rainscreen I should clarify that I am referring more to a Pressure Equalized system. The purpose of these systems is to neutralize the exterior pressure by introducing pockets of air within the cavity wall. This system aids in preventing the capillary movement of water through you external cladding system by exerting a equal or sometimes slightly less than equal pressure back on the internal face of the system.

Joe Lstiburek has some good resource documentation on the effects of wind pressure on exterior cladding systems. www.sikesdesign.com Back to the original question; I'm still trying to think of a system that you would not want some type of furring or cavity behind the exterior cladding. Not only does this help in the mitigation of water intrusion in you wall system but it also helps create a thermal break in the exterior system.

Derek Wilfong -Project Manager at SOLARC Architecture & Engineering Inc.

Many of the siding manufacturers’ require that their products be installed at 16" on center with 1" embedment into the structure. These requirements at times put a halt to furring strips and rain screen assemblies especially if you are trying to go with an OVE strategy or even a continuous rigid foam strategy on the exterior of your framed walls.

Anthony Grisolia - IBACOS Services Manager

Where a rainscreen assembly is required due to exposure conditions, the tail can't be allowed to wag the dog, Siding attachment requirements can always be accommodated in a rainscreen assembly and there is always going to be some amount of thermal bridging at attachment points, except in the case of adhered rainscreen EIFS, where there are no fasteners that penetrate through the exterior insulation. The amount of thermal bridging is a function of the choice of attachment method. There are a couple of good intermittent attachment systems (similar to masonry veneer anchors), as well as rainscreen furring alternatives other than plywood. It's ultimately a design and engineering issue that has relatively straightforward and simple solutions.

Michael Aoki-Kramer

www.rdhbe.com – maoki-kramer@rdhbe.com

Could you expand on that a bit, Anthony? Exactly which claddings do you have in mind?

Let's look at HardiePlank, a popular, durable, yet somewhat brittle cladding.

I've spoken with technical guys from James Hardie three different times about HardiePlank when architects, builders, and contractors didn't want to do exterior foam with 1X3 furring on top of it to create the rain screen.

Resistance to this has two sources: the language in the manufacturer's instruction manual and, as always, the ominous scrutiny of the lawyers. Let's take them one at a time.

The Hardie manual says that the siding cannot be nailed through more than one inch of foam. Siding contractors often interpret this as the eleventh commandment. www.sikesdesign.com Their reluctance can be attributed partly to a natural anxiety about change, and partly to a primordial fear of liability.

In my climate zone, one inch of foam is what we use for coffee cups. Two inches puts the dew point well outside the wood structure at the design temperature of -2F, and condensation is a non-issue. Plus the cladding still needs to be allowed to dry to both sides.

The good folks at Hardie have told me on three different occasions that the furring strips screwed to the framing become the nailing surface, and the siding is not being nailed through any foam at all. The people who have spoken to me are like White House " sources" who cannot be identified "because they are not authorized to speak publicly." This is how the government gets information to us unofficially without taking on liability, and it is how manufacturers give us info in the same manner. Go ahead and call them.

Once again, Joe Lstiburek is a determined advocate for rain screen installation even though it costs him money in the end. After all, Building Science Corp may very well get the call when there is a colossal failure.

As for installing this material over OVE framing, google "HardiePlank siding 24." And, finally, there is the matter of lawyers and liability. At the same time that builders across the country are installing EIFS over OSB, many of them fail to understanding that this cladding can work well only if it is perfectly installed. Perfect is a difficult condition to achieve. Don't miss this: http://www.stuccolaw.com/reclad/frame.html .

Meanwhile, roofers argue that an unvented or inadequately vented roofing installation voids the manufacturer's warranty. By the time you factor in the prorating of the shingles over time, the fact that the warranty does not cover labor, the research by ASHRAE that the color of the shingles is a greater determinator of material durability than the temperature of the roof deck, and the fact that condensation in unconditioned spaces can only be controlled by air sealing and not by ventilation, the warranty on durability is worth as much as a concert pianist playing quarterback for the Packers without a helmet.

If we consider those two matters carefully, we may well come to the realize that manufacturers' instructions with regard to installation may not always be followed by contractors in the field and that warranties are written to protect the manufacturer, not the contractor. Finally, people can be and are sued despite following instructions, and being right doesn't always help you. Litigation is not about what's right or wrong, it's about winning. Even worse: even if you win you lose in time wasted, money put up in front for expert witnesses, sleepless nights, and recurring paranoia.

Our goals are 1) health and safety, 2) occupant comfort, 3) durability, 4) energy efficiency, and 5) environmental quality. Rain screen installation and OVE framing are both consistent with advancing those goals.

What other kinds of siding are you thinking of that cannot be installed using rain screen over 24" centers?

Ed Voytovich Executive Director at BPCA/NYS - info@home-performance.org

Well put Ed - thanks! As a lawyer, and building scientist, I can unequivocally state that the best defense is a potent offense: rainscreen assemblies are the offense the building industry needs to combat lawsuits, manage risk and liability, and let's not forget provide clients with the product they thought they bought in the first place.

Michael Aoki-Kramer www.rdhbe.com – maoki-kramer@rdhbe.com

Jack, it is great to hear that Jay is recommending and promoting the practice.

Although we do have proof that ********* siding can be subject to the damaging effects of moisture, this is not directly the point we are trying to make. The practice of creating a drain and dry space behind the cladding is based on the fact that ALL claddings will allow bulk water penetration at some point, and ALL claddings can potentially trap moisture in unfavorable areas behind the façade. This in turn creates the hazard of substructure damage as has been reported in thousands of cases here in the Midwest and extensively more nationally. So, while ********* siding along with other claddings has had its issues, the debate is really about enhancing the wall assembly system in an attempt to create the “Perfect Wall” that drains the bulk of the moisture and dries the rest, protecting the structure from collateral damage such as mold and rot.

There are also a half dozen other benefits from this “Best Practice” application that are recognized throughout the industry. ********** would stand to set itself apart in the industry by recognizing the value and added benefits of this application. You can use the analogy that it is like what the addition of the airbag to the seatbelt brought to the vehicle safety industry – the weather barrier, like the seat belt, is the primary line of defense. Drain-Plane, like the airbag, enhances the protection and makes the system work better.

Let’s keep the dialog open. Please continue to share your questions and suggestions. Best regards,

Peter D. Slama G.P. Williams, Corp. 5866 Blackshire Path Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076 Main - (651) 457-2011 Toll Free - (877) 457-2011 Cell - (651) 274-9196 Fax - (651) 994-1388 www.drain-plane.com

pslama@drain-plane.com

All comments were taken from my Linkedin group the building science community. We have over 200 members and have some of the best scientists of buildings discussing these issues every day. Please visit or become a member if you have an affiliation with the building science industry. contact me for more info at www.sikesdesign.com

Karma Winery, Chelan Washington

2009-09-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

The Karma Cave is a wine cave that used stainless steel slip forms in 11 pours to create this beautiful space. I created this drawing to give a feel for the space. I am afraid my scanner overexposes my drawings and makes the colors too intense.

Minneapolis Church Drawing

2009-09-02T21:36:00.000-07:00

New Drawings/Paintings

2009-08-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

Below are some drawing/paintings I created on watercolor paper in Lake Chelan Washington. The top one is Campbells house Restaurant and the lower one is BC MacDonalds Restaurant just across the street from Campbells. I think it is critical to have well developed hand drawing skills in the architectural field and this includes building envelope design. I hope to keep these comming in the future and add winerys that are in the Lake Chelan AVA within the next month or so.

Thanks,

Nathan

Converting a typical house to a passive cooled house

2009-07-27T07:53:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to write about this topic from the article in Energy Circle blog. I thought all the options they mentioned were really good but I think that the basics of passive solar need to be included.

The quickest way to convert your home to a passive solar home is to install overhangs on the exterior to block solar heat gain throughout the day. This is best installed on the southern and western facing windows. Shades will create a serious heat source as the sun reflects from the interior shade and the window pane creating a heater. If the shade is on the exterior then that window does not gain any solar radiation keeping the home cool. Also if the windows are operable then opening them will allow better air flow.

For more information on this subject check out buildingscience.com.

Pre-quickflash Peel n' stick sequence details

2009-07-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

The above picture shows the steps in creating a waterproof and air leakage proof pipe penetration detail.

Start by cutting a U-shaped flat piece and place that over the weather resistive barrier.
Add a fingered piece of self adhered membrane from the pipe to the previous U-shaped piece.
Add an upside down U-shape over the fingered piece.
Install upper layer of weather resistive barrier over the self-adhered membrane and tape all seams.

2009-07-03T07:53:00.000-07:00

2009-06-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

2009-06-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sikesdesign Background

2009-06-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Lina's 30th birthday party at Golden Gardens!!

2009-06-04T19:20:00.000-07:00

All,

Please review the following plans for Lina's Party on Saturday the 6th of June.

We are going to have the party at Golden Gardens Park at one of the fire pits. We would like someone to volunteer to sit by the pit with me from early in the day to make sure we can have it for that night. The party will start between 12:00 and 2:00pm. We will start with Lina's afghan cooking some simple rice and meat dish.

We will enjoy the beach and the sound, maybe fly some kites, and play on the kids toys and have fun around the fire.

At around dinner time we will grill up some food that will be provided Pot luck style by the participants as follows:

Nathan and Lina: Fruit and hot dogs
Sue and girls: condiments and buns etc.
Melody and family: Smores makings
Dee and family: chips and salsa
Mike and Joe: Potato Salad
Kaleb and Joanna: anything you need or would like to eat
Tad and Suzy: Sausages you would eat and buns

We anticipate around 25 people.

Thanks,

Nathan

Fun with Family

2009-04-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

Pictures at Easter

2009-04-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Easter Continued

2009-04-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Easter Sunday

2009-04-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Anyone, use this photo for a background.

2009-04-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

To use this photo as a background click on the picture and right click and select copy image location. Then go to your blog and click the customize button and click the html/javascript that is associated with your cutest blog on the block gadget. When the editor is open select the image location between quotes in your dialog box and select paste. Then save the dialog and publish. You will have this image at full size as your background.

Afghan Party

2009-04-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Aurezuh's dance recital

2009-04-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

More dancing dolls!!

2009-04-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dance Girls!!

2009-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

AZ's birthday

2009-03-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

B-Vent leak video

2009-03-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Notice the seam in the metal where the light is shining has a slow drip that is dripping on to the drywall and causing damage.

Police video for everyone to enjoy

2009-03-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Police Brutality in Seattle

Home Movies

2009-02-25T14:52:00.000-08:00

family pics

2009-02-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

Aurezuh's birthday and fun at Tad and Suzy's

2009-01-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

James Hardesty in his natural habitat

2009-01-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture to learn more about this diverse ecosystem. This is one of the first green businesses in Bellingham. It has a huge following of diverse individuals who come to this waterhole to partake of its unique and varied libations. This environment is also found to emanate original music in the acoustic format with natural voices and amazing performers.

This is the best Damn Tavern in Bellingham and dare I say the western United States. Please go and see how western Washington keeps it green.

Tacoma

2009-01-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

REMEMBER POST A STORY ON LINA'S BLOG!! Link is on the right under Leni's pages.

Love,

Nathan

This is the ceiling of the bridge of glass on the way to the museum of glass in Tacoma. I visited Tacoma when I was in Lacey for a safety training seminar. When the seminar was over instead of sitting in traffic I spent some time riding my bicycle around Tacoma and took some pictures at the most interesting of the sites I found. The city was really quiet, lots of construction going on and a lot of storefront space was empty. The place seamed to be hit rather hard by the current economic downturn.

Pictures

2009-01-22T09:06:00.000-08:00

Please Visit Lina's Blog

2009-01-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

Lina has finally updated her blog and put it up for everyone to visit. I request that everyone that visits my blog to please visit hers and add a story the link is to the right.

Thanks,

Nathan

More family pics

2009-01-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Family

2009-01-05T09:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

2009-01-02T08:53:00.000-08:00

Arizona Family

2008-12-29T21:24:00.000-08:00

Watch out!!

2008-12-18T15:44:00.000-08:00

Grocery fun

2008-12-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Whitney this one is for you!

2008-11-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Reme This one is for you!

2008-11-20T21:15:00.001-08:00

Tad's Competition

2008-11-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

family photos

2008-11-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Picture of a real fairy taken in New York

2008-10-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

More family pics

2008-10-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

Family pics

2008-10-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

Concrete to wood frame details

2008-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

In the images below are standard concrete to wall transition details created specifically for a pseudo-open joint rainscreen design using Hardie and metal. Notice how the WRB tape is sandwiched between the concrete and the metal and then a sealant fillet bead is placed outboard of the joint. This creates two layers of protection and provides you with a maintainable first line of defence in the form of the sealant joint. This design also creates an airtight joint reducing the possibility of air leakage.

Two piece knife plate flashing

2008-09-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

Below you will find a two piece knife plate flashing sequence, section and elevation details.

Overflow scupper details

2008-08-26T12:23:00.000-07:00

In this post you will see we tie in concrete knock out with hot applied rubber and metal to ensure an added location for water to drain safely away from the building if the main drains get clogged.

Waterproofing at a swing door using a metal sill pan

2008-08-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

Attached please find a sheet of details for a swing door in wood frame construction using a fully soldered sheet metal pan. Some of the concerns that I have with using metal as flashing is the thermal bridge created by the metal running from the exterior to the interior. The rigidity of the pan also causes problems with build up at the jambs, it is hard to achieve slope to the exterior, the backdam angle is weak and often trampled by the time construction is finished and unless you are on a curb the metal pan does not tie in well with the adjacent waterproofing or below grade waterproofing.

My preferred solution is to use a liquid applied waterproofing and a metal or wood backdam angle to run the waterproofing up onto. You could use a urethane traffic coating, Alsan 500, Kemperal, BEI Wet-flash, or if you are careful an application of peel n' stick if detailed correctly would do the job adequately.

Knock Knock - how to waterproof the doorbell wire

2008-08-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

When you speak of the different building envelope penetrations many of them are the right size and configuration for special flashing systems like Quickflash and Sillsaver. But what do you do when you don't have anything but a small wire? Well, what I have found that works well is the sandwich the the wire in butyl tape. See the illustration sequence below.

Concrete penetrations or transitions to wood framed walls

2008-08-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

One of the most challenging waterproofing conditions to be found in multifamily construction is the concrete curb wall or parapet wall to wood framed wall transition. In the sequence below you can see how we used Butyl tape and cleverly peeled the Densglass fiberglass layer under the hot applied rubber to ensure that the rubber lapped over the WRB below. This sequence throughly protects the juncture.

Technical Details for those inclined to learn about buildings

2008-08-20T11:33:00.001-07:00

Below is an image created to solve a problem with the butterfly roof and the need to have a second overflow location in case the stainless steel fully soldered gutter failed. The cavity below the metal gutter was lined with peel n' stick ensuring the waterproof installation by diverting any water that makes it past the initial gutter will start to flow out of this gutter. Note the creative use of the Quickflash rubber boot around the scupper.

We had a great time Last weekend

2008-08-01T14:19:00.003-07:00

Check out these photos:

We had a great time, and thank everyone for coming to our house. Please plan to be back next year at the same time and place for another great weekend. We promise to have more work done to make it even more fun to enjoy.

Ballard Seafood Festival and Housewarming Party

2008-07-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Schedule for festivities:

Saturday:
11:00 am we will head out to the seafood festival and enjoy some local flavor.
6:00 pm we will head back to our house for Bar-B-Q and some of Lina's Afghan cooking.
We have the garage set up as a living room outdoors for us all to enjoy.
Everyone is welcome to stay the night and we will do it all again on Sunday.

Can't wait to see you all.

Nathan

Minneapolis visit

2008-07-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

Many of you may of heard that I went on a trip to Minneapolis Minnesota on a business trip and stayed a couple of days to check out the city. The business part was to attend the BEST 1 conference on building envelope science and technology. I heard some great speakers and attended some interesting sessions. There were also a lot of sessions with little or no interest and very poor presentation skills. It was worth it and I got some very interesting elements out of it.

Below are some pictures of the city of Minneapolis and my trip:

Minneapolis sculpture garden

Me at the Minneapolis sculpture garden
Chuck Close
Famous artists at Minneapolis institute of art
Walker art museum (Modern Art)

Minneapolis institute of art

I thought that the Minneapolis institute of art was a much greater value than the Walker art museum and a better show all together. The museum was packed with historic and cultural artifacts as well as transformative works over the years. The Walker Museum of Art was just modern works and all very transitional. They have a feeling of being famous and notorious as apposed to beautiful or meaningful. That was my impression anyways. I would defenitely spend a day at MIA and the Walker was worth the visit because of the sculpture garden outside.

Thanks,

Nathan

HEALTH

2008-06-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

Coughing until puking, constant headaches, and a general bad feeling. That is my mid morning report from Aurezuh, Ranyah and Lina when I give them a call at about 10:00 am. I have a feeling that through no direct action we have reduced the air quality of our home. I think we may have radon escaping the soil under our house and polluting our lungs.

One unintended change to the performance of our house may have exasperated the problem. I put some boards along the south side of our house to store them until I have time to fix our garage wall. I placed them right in front of our only really open crawlspace vent. therefore our crawlspace is not venting properly or at all and gas has a chance to work up into the house and our lungs as apposed to being removed at the crawlspace level. This radon gas is supposed to be highly unlikely in our region but I don't want to take any chances.

I have devised a solution: Remove the boards, create even more venting and replacing and improving the vapor barrier at the crawlspace level. In the future I will spray foam insulation in the crawlspace under the sub floor enabling an air tight seal and vapor barrier. I will have a contractor do this work so I will not be able to accomplish this right away. I will also test for radon levels in the house after I have completed the repairs. I would test before but I don't want to take the time to wait to actually try to fix what I perceive to be the problem. hopefully with this action I will improve our household health and stop the coughing, puking and headaches.

Other health related subjects include my physical health. Unlike Lina and the girls I have a tendency to gain weight with age. I have been to the doctors office three times in the last 6 months and each time I go in I am 10 pounds heaver. The last visit I weighed 210 lbs. This is distressing to say the least. So I decided to do something about it.

First I decided to take a look at the current science on how the body uses energy including food and fat energy. I figured if I could control the times of the day in witch my body was using different types of energy I could reduce fat and increase energy by timing when my body was using the different types of fuel it has at it's disposal.

This led me to Wikipedia where I found this research clearly explained. In a nutshell when my body was producing insulin it was using glucose energy from the food I had just eating that caused the production of insulin. When I did not need all of the glucose energy my body would store that energy in the form of fat. When I reduced my insulin production by reducing the contributing factors: carbohydrates, sugars etc., I went into fat burning mode. So far I have been working towards reducing my insulin production to increase the utilization of fat burning. After I feel I have mastered the ability to switch from fat use mode to glucose use mode I will use the added benefits of glucose mode to build muscle, and increase performance in physical activity. Your body can sustain itself more efficiently by having allot of sugar to feed the muscle growth. I will use this to improve muscle definition and tone.

Finally, I have had an epiphany regarding quality of live issues. My epiphany is: things you acquire or create are not what makes a life worth living but the relationships you have and cultivate that make life good. My men's health has a statistic that a person who has lots of friends lives 22% longer. The movie Moulin Rouge has a famous song in it called Nature Boy, one of the only songs I can sing from beginning to end without forgetting the words, where the point of the song is the boy who has traveled and learned many things learned that the most important thing one can do is to love and be loved in return. I think he means that the most important thing in this or any life is relationships. I want more relationships with people, more friends, less driving, less head phone, droning. I am open to creating new friendships but todays society makes people closed reserved and focused on their I-pods, computer screens, jobs, books, phones and whatever else that can take their attention. I know I am one of them. I spend hours at cafes working on drawings, email, blog, Photoshop, and listening to music. I never ask how anyone else around me is doing, or anything to break the ice. The crazy thing is I am also never asked anything or very rarely. Sometimes I feel like saying something but my fear of connecting or breaking my safety barrier is greater than my desire to connect with a stranger.

If you see me at the cafe please ask me a question or just start by making a comment. If I see you on the bus or in a cafe be open to communication, making friends, talking and building more relationships. These are important for a long and fulfilling life and whats the worst thing that could happen?

So this concludes my blog post on health, which I realize is outside of my regular topics but I thought could be interesting for a few people out there who are interested in that sort of thing.

Thanks,

nathan

Top 10 Cafe's in Seattle

2008-06-02T16:22:00.000-07:00

I would like to write about my favorite cafe's in Seattle. Cafes only make the list if they have seating available, good coffee, take credit cards and free internet. The longer the hours the higher the rating. I have some other rating factors that I explain after each description. Again all of these Cafes offer free internet to their customers.

1: First place goes to ZOKA's in the u-district. The reasons are lots of seats, windows, great atmosphere, some of the best coffee in Seattle, and attractive clients. Stays open until midnight.

2: Second place is Vivaci's in south lake union. The best coffee in Seattle, great location, and plenty of seating. Stays open until 11:00 pm

3: Third place goes to Mr. Spots Chai House in Ballard. Coffee is ok, but the seating is nice with lots of old couches to lounge around on. They also have very talented musicians visiting and performing on Thursday nights starting around 8. It also stays open late like midnight.

4: Fourth goes to the Bauhaus cafe. This place has the spiciest chai you've ever tasted, a fair amount of seating is open until 1:00 am and has a very edgy feel that I like.

5: Fifth place is for Cafe Fiori in Ballard. Awesome architectural metal and reclaimed elements. Great coffee, nice baristas and good seating. Little on the small side and not open late enough.

6: Sixth place goes to Canal Street Coffee in Freemont. Lots of outdoor seating, and one particularly cozy couch, decent coffee, staff is terrible and unprofessional and the cafe closes at 7 pm. Location on the burk gilman is the real reason this cafe has placed so high on this list.

7: Seventh goes to Uptown espresso in SLU. Decent seating although I am too big to be comfortable in their soft chairs with a laptop. Hours are till about 7 or 8pm the coffee is good but they don't put a Florette in the top which I like and are available in the all of the above I believe.

8: Eighth is Tullys. There are lots of them, they always have internet and are open later in some places. You can count on the coffee and comfortable seating.

9: Ninth place belongs to Cafe Caffeine in the Denny triangle. This place is a cafe in the day and a bar at night. It is located off the beaten path and only has one place next to it an Ethiopian restaurant which I am dieing to try. If anyone reads this and is available lets do lunch at the Ethiopian restaurant in downtown, Ill buy.

10: Tenth place and the last cafe to make my recommendation list is: Trabant Chai Lounge in the U-district. This place is a little cold and dark but the chai is great and I hear the music is great but I have not been able to attend their open mike. Night life means later hours and u-district means lots of young people to enjoy.

I hope this help those of you looking to find a good cafe in Seattle. I know I have a certain amount of expertise on the subject and I think you should check these places out as soon as you can.

Nathan

2008-05-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Photos

2008-05-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

Family Photos

2008-03-31T15:33:00.001-07:00

Drawings from the vault

2008-03-14T16:02:00.001-07:00

Drawings of the Spanish Steps and Plaza in Rome, Italy

2008-03-10T11:04:00.001-07:00

Spanish Steps and the Plaza from plan view.

Drawings

2008-03-07T16:38:00.001-08:00

Newly finished drawings

2008-02-29T15:15:00.000-08:00

I am running out of pictures to put up, enjoy what I have

2008-02-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

Trinity Church in Ballard Created on Superbowl Sunday

2008-02-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

2008-02-05T11:28:00.001-08:00

pics

2008-02-05T09:07:00.001-08:00

SIKES FAMILY PICS

2008-01-30T15:07:00.001-08:00

LUCCA, DETAIL PERSPECTIVES AND CASERTA

2008-01-30T13:22:00.001-08:00