Housing Giants - May 23, 2008 - (Page 18)

PROCESS create their own. Covering a defect hides the problem and can often exacerbate the situation. It’s imperative that each stage of work be carefully inspected by your site supervisor before the next trade begins. Many shower installations do not have a solid strategy in place to prevent water from reaching sensitive building materials. Having a comprehensive water management strategy in place is the highest goal. Surprisingly, many shower installations don’t have a solid strategy in place to prevent water from reaching sensitive building materials. With this in mind, a shower should have a secondary or back-up measure in place to guide water to the drain. Tiles are naturally water-resistant and act as the primary drainage plane, but the grout between them is porous and absorbs water. The water absorbed by the grout has to be able to dry or drain away. By installing a liner as the secondary drainage plane, water that saturates the grout is kept away from sensitive materials and directed toward the drain. The most important concept to remember is to always guide water down and out. This concept holds true no matter whether you’re talking about a shower or the exterior of a home. Allowing water into places it shouldn’t be can only lead to problems down the road. With the housing market down on its knees and with the inability to increase home sale prices, it’s become more important than ever for housing giants to focus on operational excellence to salvage more profit for their bottom line. Ensure critical spaces are built right the first time by arming your teams with fundamental knowledge and industry best practices. Doing so will help you save money and reduce risk at the same time. HG Michael Dickens is the CEO of BuildIQ, which provides online information, tools and training in home building best practices to help builders take their homes and businesses to the next level of quality and performance. 18 HOUSING GIANTS.5.23.08 WWW.HOUSINGGIANTS.COM http://toolbelt.buildiq.com/topics/drainage-planes/housewrap/water-intrusion-through-walls.aspx http://www.buildiq.com http://WWW.HOUSINGGIANTS.COM

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Housing Giants - May 23, 2008 Contents Viewpoint & Letters News & Moves Process The Top 25

Housing Giants - May 23, 2008

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