Spacing Cedar Shingles
May 8th, 2012
Cedar shingles must be spaced, no and’s if’s or butt’s!
Maibec recommends 1/8″ space between shingles.
See the PDF Instillation Instructions
The photo above is of some bowed shingles on a long run over two garage doors. The contractor told our forman that he wanted the shingles tight, a nice job. Our foreman told him of what the manufatture recommends. His responce was, just do it, it will be fine. Obvisiuly the incorect spacing caused a problem with the next rain and was not fine. Wood shingles are always moving, expanding and contracting with the humidity so the need to be spaced!
Always follow the manufactures recommendations.
Source: Maibec.com
~Doug Millen
Building Wentworth’s Future
April 27th, 2012
by Doug Millen
It had been many years since I had been back to Wentworth. I graduated back in 1978. The campus was small and Beatty Hall was the new building on campus. Things have changed! Wentworth is on the move, expanding and meeting the demands of the future.
I attended the 4th anual Alumni network gathering and had the pleasure to meet the president of Wentworth, Zorica Pantić. Her vision will take Wentworth into the future. She is very excited about the renovations and what this means to Wentworth. The Wentworth Strategic Plan is well on it’s way and the improvements to date have been tremendous. It’s Pantić’s vision that will guide Wentworth into the future to remain a technology leader.
Many thanks to Shawmut and Bond Bros. Construction for the tours of the Campus Center renovations at Beatty Hall and the new Center for Sciences in the old Ira Allen building. It is great to see that so many involved in the projects are Wentworth Alumni. Special thanks to Kevin Smith, Clerk of the Works for both projects, a great tour. I was impressed with the quality and thoughtfulness of the construction in a complicated and demanding environment. Builder, Architect and Client working in harmony. Two great projects well done.
The projects will be fully operational by summer and ready for students in the fall.
William H. Flanagan Campus Center
“The Campus Center will serve as the hub of student life, providing an exciting, student-focused environment through innovative programming and state-of-the-art spaces for activities, clubs, and organizations. It will include a fitness center, radio station, recreation center, meditation room, and bookstore. A 7,000-square-foot addition will accommodate the expansion and renovation of the dining commons, function room, kitchen and servery, as well as create outdoor green space.” [more...]
Live Web Cam of the Construction
Architect: Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, Inc
General Contractor: Shawmut Design and Construction
Center for Sciences and Biomedical Engineering
“The transformation of the Ira Allen building will enhance our pedagogy for the instruction of sciences and engineering by creating eleven new dynamic teaching laboratories. To support the learning environment, the spaces outside of the laboratories are designed as daylit collaborative study lounges.” [more...]
Live Web Cam of the Construction
Architect: Perkins + Will
General Contractor: Bond Bros. Construction
Photos from the Event
Photos by Doug Millen
Sources: www.wit.edu and the Wentworth Alumni Association
Catherine Mohr builds green
March 22nd, 2011
In a short, funny, data-packed talk at TED U, Catherine Mohr walks through all the geeky decisions she made when building a green new house — looking at real energy numbers, not hype. What choices matter most? Not the ones you think.
Catherine Mohr works on surgical robots and robotic surgical procedures, using robots to make surgery safer — and to go places where human wrists and eyes simply can’t.
Creative homes out of recycled and reclaimed materials
March 22nd, 2011
by Dan Phillips
In this funny and insightful talk from TEDxHouston, builder Dan Phillips tours us through a dozen homes he’s built in Texas using recycled and reclaimed materials in wildly creative ways. Brilliant, low-tech design details will refresh your own creative drive.
Dan Phillips builds homes out of recycled and reclaimed materials in Huntsville, Texas.
Right to the Point
March 4th, 2011
Never cut wood shingles to a point!
It is extremely difficult to do with out breaking the shingle, it will tend to split along the grain at the point. If you can do it, it will not stand the test of time and the points will eventually fall off with the normal expansion and contraction of the wood.
Always use a cover trim piece, same as you would do for a rake freeze.