You may even want to use steel studs in areas where you can't afford shrinkage or want perfectly flat walls. Talk with your builder to see if these are viable options for your new home. Engineered wood I joists that resemble steel I beams, floor trusses and even metal floor joists are very stable. You can minimize some of this shrinkage by using different materials - ones that are less susceptible to shrinkage. All of these things are reality, but so is lumber shrinkage. Construction loan interest keeps adding up. You may have a deadline to move from your existing home. I realize this goes against everything you, your builder and your lender want to happen, but the longer you let the house dry before the finishing treatments are applied, the better the long term fit will be.īuilders want to finish a house quickly so they can move on to another job. So how does this relate to your new home building experience? If you want to minimize cracks in ceramic tile, cracks between back splashes and countertops, maddening cracks in drywall, squeaks in flooring and staircases, etc., then you might see if there is some way you can slow down the construction process once your home is under roof and weather tight on the outside.
This is a longer video, but I guarantee you'll discover some important information. I can tell you for a fact the solid masonry chimney did not rise up out of the ground. The chimney that weighed about five tons could have grown and lifted out of the ground or the lumber between the foundation and the roof could have shrunk. One year later that gap was 2 inches! Two things could have caused this. When I cut the angled counter flashing that comes down the face of the brick and stops at the roof, I left a 1/4 inch gap. The flashing was 26 feet above the top of the foundation. I built a three story Queen Anne Victorian home and installed the tin chimney flashing myself. This shrinkage happened at my own home and it was dramatic. Imagine how much shrinkage might happen with a large 2 x 12?
It may only measure 3 and 3/8 inches in width. But the width of th e 2x4 will experience the greatest shrinkage. The thickness of the 2x4 will change slightly, but not by much. There is very little shrinkage along the length of the lumber. One the 2x4 has been in your house for 6 months and had a chance to acclimate and dry out if it was wet, it will still be nearly 96 inches long. For sake of discussion, lets assume the piece of lumber will be exactly 96 inches long, 1.5 inches thick and 3.5 inches wide. To help visualize this, let's talk about a standard 2x4 that's 8 feet long the moment it is cut at the mill. Most wood will change its dimensions depending on the amount of water it has absorbed and the cellular structure of the wood. This moisture can be either liquid or in the vapor state. This happens because almost all wood, except for the densest species, is hygroscopic - it readily absorbs and retains moisture.
The greatest amount of shrinkage occurs across the face of the grain. But it's important to know that a standard piece of lumber does not shrink the same amount along all of its dimensions. If your home is two stories and the builder uses regular dimensional lumber such as traditional 2x10's or 2x12's, this dimensional lumber is going to lose moisture which translates to an actual change in size.Īs the lumber gives up this moisture, the change in size can be dramatic. There's a really good chance your home is going to be built with a considerable amount of lumber.
DIMENSIONAL LUMBER CUTTING OPTIMIZER FREE
The truth of the matter is the house is indeed settling down, but the foundation is not moving.ĬLICK HERE to get FREE & FAST BIDS from local rough carpenters who know all about lumber shrinkage. Homes that are built with wood almost always develop cracks in any number of places that all too often are blamed on foundation settlement. If your house was built during a wet time of year, the surprise you will get will be even bigger. If you've never built a new home before, you may be in for a surprise three to six months after you move in. CLICK HERE to Get Tim's FREE & FUNNY Newsletter!.Least shrinkage is along the length of the lumber.Lumber is hygroscopic and shrinks unequally.(C) Copyright 2017 Tim Carter Lumber Shrinkage TIPS It's a crude 3D drawing I made, but I think you can make sense of it.
0 kommentar(er)
