Maintenance Corner
by Steve Saarman
Q. What can I do to protect my wood deck from rotting so quickly?
A. The code now requires all new deck framing to be constructed of pressure-treated lumber. Untreated lumber does not perform well long-term when exposed to the elements and especially if it stays moist and is not allowed to dry out. This is particularly true in the area below deck boards. Water is trapped between the bottom of the deck board and the top of the joist, creating a situation prone to wood decay. Over time, nails fastening the deck boards will actually funnel water down into the center of the joists and create deep pockets of rot. What can be done to prevent this from happening?
When you replace the deck framing, only use pressure-treated materials. When choosing deck boards, consider Trex, Cemwood or other synthetic composites as an alternative to redwood. Most redwood available on the market today contains too much sapwood, which has no resistance to decay. All-heart redwood, a top grade with no sapwood, is extremely expensive. Synthetic composite decking is a value move, offering long-term performance and is 100% decay resistive.
Caution must be exercised when nailing or fastening into pressure-treated framing material. At a minimum, only use hot-dipped galvanized nails, bolts and hangers. Never use electroplated metal. Beware—most off-the-shelf hardware and exterior gun nails are electroplated. Electroplated metal does not have enough zinc covering the metal to guard against the corrosive copper-based chemicals used in pressure-treated wood. Stainless steel is another very good alternative but is more expensive than hot-dipped galvanized hardware.
If your existing decking is redwood and you have nonpressure-treated framing, there are some proactive measures you can employ to get the maximum service life out of your deck. Routinely clean the open joints between the deck boards directly over the joists below. These areas typically accumulate leaf debris and animal hair that will retain moisture against the joist’s top edge. This will lead to rot in time. Every fall, after cleaning, apply a simple clear sealer to your deck in anticipation of the rainy season. Clear sealers typically last for only one year. Stains offer longer protection, but areas of wear become noticeable and may require cosmetic touchups. Stains are preferable to paint, because stains penetrate the wood and require almost no prep between recoats. Paint adheres to the wood surface and will chip, crack and peel with time and requires high maintenance. If your deck wood surface is worn and rough, it can be sanded before applying your sealer. Make sure you set each nailhead below the wood surface before you sand or else the sanding will sand off the galvanized coating on the head of the nails and all the nails will rust. Yuck! Take care of your deck, so you can enjoy the outdoor space it affords and enhance your day-to-day living.
Q. I have south-facing windows, and my home heats up. Everything fades. What options do I have?
A. The heat gain and the fading are related to the type of glass you have in your windows. There are three main options available to deal with this problem. The first is to apply window coverings to the interior. This ranges from drapes and blinds to solar shades. Solar shades are a woven fabric designed to control sun and light by utilizing different percentages of openness between the fabric’s fibers, which correlate to the degree of light transmitted through the fabric. The fabric comes in a variety of colors. These shades allow you to see out in the daytime, while people can’t see in; but as a privacy consideration, it is the opposite at night.
The second option is to apply transparent films to the interior surfaces of your windows. The 3M company makes films in different shades of darkness and colors. All are designed to decrease the UV transmissions, decrease the heat gain to the interior and decrease the glare while making the exterior vistas seem sharper and crisper. This is a very affordable and unobtrusive option.
The third option is to change the glass in your windows or change your windows altogether. Almost all new glass is now dual glazed. Clear dual-glazed glass has a dramatic acoustic-retarding impact over single-glazed glass, and it also has twice the R-value (R2) or thermal-insulation property. If you want to increase the insulating R-value but still maintain a clear-glass look, upgrade to low-emittance (Low-E) glass. This gives you an R-4 rating. Argon gas can be added to the air space between the panes of glass but will only increase the R rating by R-0.2. The largest gain is opting for Low-E. Laminated glass can also be chosen for one of the two panes. This will additionally increase the acoustic properties and also will add an additional anti-fading factor to the dual glazing. Window replacement obviously is the most costly option available to decrease heat gain and loss, but it adds the most value to the equity in your building..
Q. Spring has arrived and I have flying termites coming out of the ground near the patio. Does this mean I have termites in my home?
A. The termites coming out of the ground are called swarmers. These are pioneer reproductive king and queen termites that leave the subterranean colony in search of a home to establish a new colony. Thankfully, their success rate is very low. Swarmers indicate there are active colonies of subterranean termites in the vicinity of your home, but this does not mean your home is infested.
There are two basic types of termites: subterranean and drywood. Subterranean termites require high humidity (97%), so they always maintain direct or indirect contact (mud tubes) to the soil. Mud tubes allow termites to move from the soil
into a wood structure in a controlled environment. You need to control moisture drainage and flow around your building; and, by doing so, you can proactively influence the spread of subterranean termite colonies. Drywood termites live anywhere in a wood structure, do not require soil contact for moisture and are generally eradicated by tenting the building and injecting toxic gases.
Termites feed on wood, mulch or other cellulose containing material. They prefer fungus-infected wood (dry rot) but feed equally well on undamaged wood. Remember, subterranean termites need cellulose, water and shelter. Eliminating the combination of these three elements is the key to controlling the area around your building and deterring building infestation. Always be proactive with termites.
Cellulose is found in wood, dead plant material and paper. Maintain six inches of earth-to-wood clearance around your foundation. Be aware of the mulch height in your planters and instruct your landscaper on proper clearances. Remove dead trees, stumps and roots around your structure. They become termite freeways. Never store firewood, lumber or paper against the foundation or in crawl spaces.
Control moisture around your building. Slope landscape and hardscape in order to drain any moisture away. Divert rainwater away from foundations. Use splash blocks or direct tie-ins to a drainage system. Promptly repair leaky hose bibs, water drainpipes or air-conditioning units. Optimally, keep groundcover landscaping three to four feet away from the foundation. Moisture close to the exterior foundation tends to wet crawl spaces and raise interior humidity levels.
Keep crawl spaces clean, maintain good ventilation (don’t let landscaping block foundation vents) and cover soil in crawl spaces with four to six millimeter visquene. The goal is to decrease humidity and allow spotting of mud tubes.
When building decks, fences or trellises against a building, use metal hangers or continuous sheet metal to break direct contact between structures. Termites then can’t pass through undetected.
Control subterranean termites though the good-housekeeping techniques described above. In high-risk situations, chemical barriers or traps injected into the soil, or other nontoxic treatments, may need to be employed to control active colonies. You should contact a pest-management company if you spot trouble.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of SFAA or the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. Steve Saarman is president of Saarman Construction, Ltd., formed as a family-owned construction company in 1978 with over 200 employees today. Saarman specializes in the reconstruction and exterior waterproofing of occupied buildings throughout the Bay Area. He can be reached at 415-749-2700 x 229. Copyright © 2005 by the San Francisco Apartment Magazine. All rights reserved.