I have yet to work on a project with an unlimited budget (fingers crossed for future prospects). Therefore, every new project presents a challenge in balancing costs while still achieving a quality finish product. There are aspects of different jobs where it is possible to save money while not affecting the overall integrity of the work, often in the choice of finish materials. Having clients willing and capable of performing some work on their own is a great way to help reduce my time and cost in a project.
However, there are reasonable limits to the do-it-yourself world. Small details can make a world of difference when they can compromise the basic weather-resistant, structural, and functional considerations of a building. Here is a case-in-point. I was asked to investigate some brown dirt falling from the top of an interior window trim. A quick look lead me to the outside wall, that's when things got ugly. A couple small mistakes in the roof, gutter, and siding flashing and trim had been allowing the water from an adjacent wall and roof to run down the roof, and straight under the siding directly above the window. It would flow around the window and down the sheathing all the way to the foundation. It had been flowing this way for quite some time, as the extent of the rot was pretty bad. An 8'x8' area of the wall was completely rotted out, with the sheathing the consistency of wet cardboard, and up to 2" of the framing underneath rotted. One of the two 2x12 header pieces over the window was completely disintegrated. Had the wall been framed with 2x4's instead of 2x6's, there could have been a serious risk of structural failure. The extra depth of the 2x6's left more solid material that hadn't been rotted.
The solution to the problem involved stripping the siding and housewrap back from the wall, and several rows of shingles back from the roof adjacent the wall. Replacing several sheets of OSB sheathing, selected framing pieces, removing, reflashing, and reinstalling the window took care of the most serious rot. New self-sealing membrane, felt paper, and the correct step-flashing and kickouts will direct any water away from the wall and into the gutters.
The first signs of trouble.
The Extent of the Damage
This is what remains of the 2x12 header that carries the load of the floor and roof above around the window.
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