Better Building
Poly upgrade In Tom’s world,
strong polyurethane construction
adhesives, like those made by Loctite,
have generally replaced inexpensive,
smelly, and short-lived synthetic-
rubber adhesives. Because polys bond
tightly with most materials, and aren’t
bothered by water, they’re great for
exterior applications. PL Premium;
loctiteproducts.com
Man-made lumber In certain
critical home-building applications,
everyday sawn lumber may not
have what it takes. That’s when
engineered joists, studs, and beams
come to the rescue. These glued-
together structural members are
reliably stiff, perfectly straight, and
free of defects along their entire length.
Boise Cascade Engineered Wood
Products; bc.com
Flexible epoxies With the invention
of epoxies that move with wood, and of
penetrating primers that ensure strong
bonds with wood substrates, it’s now
possible to make effective, long-lasting
repairs to rotted windows, columns, and
beams. Flex-Tech HV and Prime-A-
Trate; advancedrepair.com
Sophisticated sealants Exterior
sealants are meant to keep out water
and block airfl ow, grip both sides of
a gap, remain fl exible through years
of hot, cold, and wet weather, and
accept a coat of paint. The new hybrid
sealants made by Gorilla and others
use polymers modifi ed with silyls—
silicone derivatives—and can actually
do all those things, performing far
better than the old, shrink-prone latex
formulations. Paintable Silicone
Sealant; gorillatough.com
Faster fasteners To hang a deck
ledger or sister a joist, Tom used to
bore pilot holes, then laboriously
crank in fat lag screws. Now, with
the help of an impact driver, he can
send home slim but strong structural
screws, like GRK’s RSSs, that need no
pilot holes. RSS Rugged Structural
Screws; grkfasteners.com
ABOVE: When
building a rustic
headboard, Tom
used construction
adhesive in
conjunction with
nails. Together
they make a much
stronger bond
than nails alone.
Whether they use pegs and
tenons or nails and screws,
builders have always needed a
dependable way to hold their
houses together. These days, due
to great strides in chemical
technology, glues and adhesives
play a big role in the process, by
magnifying screw strength and
enabling the manufacture of
man-made lumber. Also, thanks
to improved metallurgy and
thread design, we now have
structural screws so strong and
quick to install, they’ve largely
supplanted lag bolts.
“ Engineered lumber lets
me safely span big
spaces without the need
for steel plates. That
means the connections
can be wood-to-wood,
which is much simpler
than drilling into steel,
and which holds up
better in the long run.”
—TOM SILVA
70 THISOLDHOUSE.COM SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 40 YEARS