tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post9138398503811750292..comments2023-11-05T06:16:56.961-05:00Comments on the Carpentry Way: After the HiatusAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-29867685119588019512013-07-29T13:57:39.677-04:002013-07-29T13:57:39.677-04:00Russ,
thanks for your comment and yes, it is a fa...Russ,<br /><br />thanks for your comment and yes, it is a fairly dry climate and that does help as far as rotting goes, however the other enemy is sunlight, which causes rapid dessication and degradation of exposed end grain. One thing I saw several times in the Boulder area were creosoted ties used/re-used vertically in the ground as landscape barriers, and the end grain of those ties, well clear of the soil, had large corrugated metal staples driven into the ends of the sticks, presumably to function in the same manner as clamping dogs. It didn't seem to make much difference though, the end grain was still severely deteriorated - in fact, I suspect the metal staples accelerated the rot. If that happens in creosoted material, how is the fir/pine used in the example shown above likely to fare any better?<br /><br />Odds are that the trees used to produce those 4x6" timbers were at least 75 years old - if the material doesn't have an in-service life equal to 75 years or better, the construction represents an unsustainable use of material.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-70797362342776178182013-07-29T12:50:50.150-04:002013-07-29T12:50:50.150-04:00I live near Boulder, and while I agree that exposi...I live near Boulder, and while I agree that exposing the end grain like in the last example is poor design, the saving grace is our dry weather. We are basically high plains desert. So, while such a design would be a really bad idea in a coastal environment. It should easily last 50 years around here (with proper sealing).<br /><br />RussAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14308867343462938618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-57735138084658702932013-07-25T23:20:25.899-04:002013-07-25T23:20:25.899-04:00Adam,
thanks for the comment. I was stunned to se...Adam,<br /><br />thanks for the comment. I was stunned to see hundreds of cyclists on the road up to Mt. Evans. That's how I know I was in an unusual place. 40 miles uphill on a bike - imagine! You're right, the view from the top is stunning. <br /><br />Colorado is as blessed with natural beauty as is is cursed with wars over water rights. <br /><br />We also visited Rocky Mountain National Park, north of Boulder, during our stay and could see that the Pine Beetle has wreaked considerable devastation, with some valleys showing 30~40% of the pine trees dead and brown. I worry about what a wildfire could do to such a place if it got going.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-50450814424743275712013-07-25T23:16:26.302-04:002013-07-25T23:16:26.302-04:00Simon,
good to hear from you. It is as surprising...Simon,<br /><br />good to hear from you. It is as surprising to me how much the regulations can vary from state to state. Connecticut, which otherwise has a high degree of regulation, does not require any form of certification on the part of the building contractors, just that they pay into an insurance fund. Vermont is similar, however Rhode Island and Massachusetts require contractor licensing, which involves passing an exam. The exam has little bearing of one's skill as a carpenter, however it does mean you know how to look stuff up in the building code book in a hurry.<br /><br />~CAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14328401081765407624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-84768898221507336742013-07-25T19:31:27.211-04:002013-07-25T19:31:27.211-04:00I finished high school in Evergreen, Colorado at t...I finished high school in Evergreen, Colorado at the base of Mt. Evans. We used to go up to the top and hold footraces. It's incredibly difficult to win a race in such thin air. We tended to collapse. It's awful purdy up there though.Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15715505179198002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6261993076995357307.post-57010076085148114382013-07-25T19:00:54.968-04:002013-07-25T19:00:54.968-04:00I've always found it odd that here in the US m...I've always found it odd that here in the US most trades are regulated except for carpentry and contractors. For example, the four year required apprenticeship for plumbers, and similar for electricians. Yet anyone can go to a town hall and buy a contractor's license for a couple of hundred dollars (here in CT). Simon Frez-Albrechthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15996993725258102695noreply@blogger.com