This winter about half of the crew went to the Journal of Light Construction conference in Portland. Everyone’s heads were spinning with ideas when they got home, with everything from improved building performance techniques to how to use Quickbooks more effectively. As everyone piled into the truck it was decided that the group should make a joint ‘goals’ list. At the top of that list was more crew trainings. We’re pretty good at sending the crew to trainings but sometimes the best trainings are done in-house.
Last week we held our first in-house training since the conference. Adam Butler, one of our Lead Carpenters, organized the training and the entire crew was there. Adam went through a typical window install, covering everything from sloping to shims to what kind of SIGA tape to use.
One phrase that was repeated more than once throughout the training was, “Think like the rain drop.” This phrase serves as a reminder to consider what happens when the water hits the window, siding, or trim. Where does it want to go? What is then natural path? The goal is to keep the water on the outside and the air inside. We do this by using the right materials, which in this case was SIGA, and by using advanced installation techniques. These techniques include shims and sloping which help us create an intentional path for any water that does get behind the siding to get out. This path ensures that water doesn’t stay behind the siding. Moisture behind the siding can lead to rot and mold, which clearly has a negative impact on both indoor air quality and building durability.
This training really highlighted to me the importance of formalizing and demonstrating our standard building techniques. We know that there is more than one way to install a window, it’s important that everyone on our crew is on the same page. Trainings are definitely an investment, but investing in our crew has proven to be time well spent.
by Intellitonic