If you live in south Louisiana, you know the drought of 2023 was rough. Oppressive heat and dry weather made life miserable for everyone. One of the big consequences of the drought was damage to houses. Thats right! Has anyone noticed doors “sticking” or binding when opening or closing the door? How about brick cracks…
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What is wall base flashing? Well, it is never seen but especially important in the water management in the exterior wall of your house. Simply stated, flashing is installed at the bottom of the wall behind brick or tile masonry and usually polyethylene (plastic) material. As discussed in other HOUSETIPS articles, rainwater passes through brick,…
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What is tuck pointing? Tuck pointing is a term used in the repair of masonry walls and veneers on houses – specifically referring to the mortar in the masonry of your house. It is basically a method of removing the old mortar and replacing it with new mortar. So why would you want, or need,…
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Why is my garage door so noisy when opening and closing? Your garage door is large and has many moving parts, including the motor, drive mechanism, hinges, rollers, springs, cables, and the door panels themselves. When all those parts start moving, they can make a lot of noise. Add to that the fact you are…
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When painting a home, you generally have two choices when it comes to paint selection – oil paint or latex paint. While there are other terms and labels used like acrylic, alkyd, and enamel, there are a couple of important things to remember when choosing paint types. Oil-based and alkyd paints are basically the same…
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Cloudy or fogged windows are not only an aesthetic issue for homeowners. Air leaks and moisture intrusion caused by failed sealant create a cloudy appearance, and can cause energy costs to skyrocket. Insulated windows have a thin space between the inner and outer glass panes of the window, which may contain no air (a vacuum)…
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In the residential market, there are three common types of windows: Each type can accommodate double or triple insulated glass, so the main differences refer to the frame material. Three Common Types of Windows Metal Windows Aluminum windows were the first insulated glass window frames to become widely available, and have been around for decades.…
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Brick walls crumble and deteriorate due to many factors, both natural and man-made. Specifically, we are talking about solid brick walls, not brick veneer on an exterior wall. Solid brick walls are often built as the end walls on large houses and may be referred to as multi-wythe walls. Brick walls add an interesting architectural…
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The quick, easy answer is absolutely, yes! The follow-up question is more important – why should you care and how does it affect your home? House Cladding Systems Getting back to the easy answer – in simplest terms if the appearance of something changes when it gets wet, such as brick or stucco getting darker…
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Your level of concern on brick cracks in your wall is directly associated with the type, location, and nature of the crack. Keep in mind brick is strong in compression (forces sitting on top of it) but brittle. A small hairline crack in a single brick is of little concern. A large, jagged crack through…
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