Technical briefs
Most contractors ask you to trust them. We'd rather show our work. These short briefs explain the engineering decisions behind our builds — in plain language, with the sources listed. Read them before you hire anyone, including us.
Most catastrophic collapses start at one connection. The four ways it fails, what code requires, and when freestanding is the only correct answer.
TB-102 · STRUCTUREThe physics of frost heave in Kentucky soil, how footings are sized to load, and why we photograph every hole before the pour.
TB-103 · BUILDING SCIENCEYour deck sheds thousands of gallons a year through its gaps. Where that water goes determines how long the frame lasts — and whether the space below is a mud zone or a room.
TB-104 · MATERIALSPurchase price, refinishing cycles, the year the costs cross over — and the scenarios where wood honestly wins.
TB-105 · SAFETYThe 4-inch sphere, the concentrated-load rule, why post connections fail before balusters do — and what cable rail demands.
TB-106 · MATERIALSModern preservatives are copper-rich and corrosive to ordinary steel. Why hardware grade matters more than hardware brand.
TB-107 · STRUCTUREA filled hot tub concentrates two-plus tons on a few square feet. What that does to spans, footings, and the "we'll just reinforce it" plan.
TB-108 · BUILDING SCIENCEJoists rot from the top edge first. How butyl tape actually fails over time — adhesive embrittlement, delamination, fastener punctures — and why we coat every joist top with Liquid Rubber before decking.
Every proposal comes with the engineering shown — rendering, spans, footings, itemized price.