Recent Q&A

• Coating for structural steel?

  The elevated deck for my cabin is supported by HSS (hollow structural steel) components: mounting brackets bolted into the corners off the building, braces to support the main beams, and…

• Do I need/want a vapor barrier?

  I'm building a cabin in south-central Montana (zone 6b) using Faswall blocks for the walls. The roof will be prefabbed trusses with raised heels permitting me to get a minimum…

• Grounding a Steel Deck Frame

  I'm building a weekend cabin designed along the lines of a fire lookout tower. As I am in an wooded area with high potential for wildfires, I am trying to…

• Z-girt, insulation board, and metal siding

  I'm building a cabin out of Faswall hybrid ICF blocks and plan on adding an additional 3" of Roxul Comfortboard on the outside wall before installing metal siding. I had…

• Two bathrooms, one vent outlet?

  I'm building a cabin using ICFs for the external walls and want to keep wall penetrations to a minimum. What is the most economical way to vent a half bath…

• Basement slab insulation

  Building a cabin in Montana (climate zone 6) which will have an unfinished "basement" functioning as a mechanical room containing electrical panel, water cistern, pump, pressure tank, storage, etc. Code…

• Cathedral Roof: To Vent or Not To Vent?

  I'm building a vacation house on some rural property in Montana. It can get very cold in the winter and very hot in the summer. And we have a fair…