Return-Path: Received: from MIT.EDU by po12.mit.edu (8.9.2/4.7) id BAA11498; Tue, 20 Feb 2001 01:59:58 -0500 (EST) Received: from [64.46.152.31] by MIT.EDU with SMTP id AA12287; Tue, 20 Feb 01 01:58:15 EST Received: (from list@localhost) by opal.haven.org (8.9.1a/8.9.1) id BAA01934; Tue, 20 Feb 2001 01:55:55 -0500 Resent-Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 01:55:55 -0500 X-Authentication-Warning: opal.haven.org: list set sender to elbow-joints-request@haven.org using -f Sender: Larry Stone Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 1:55:12 EST From: Larry Stone Reply-To: To: Vonnie Cc: elbow-joints@haven.org, Subject: Re: FYI: Sky falling In-Reply-To: Your message of Mon, 19 Feb 2001 13:08:24 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: Resent-Message-Id: <"s5pRy2.0.9U.wJXaw"@opal.haven.org> Resent-From: elbow-joints@haven.org X-Mailing-List: archive/latest/2493 X-Loop: elbow-joints@haven.org Precedence: list Resent-Sender: elbow-joints-request@haven.org X-Evolution: 00000098-0000 > > Thanks for all the comments. Looks like Ben was right about the > water damage. > > Val says: > "Although a few of the nails came out in the sheetrock, by far the > majority > (say 95%) remain in the sturdy, non-termite ridden beams. But the > shingles > above, now that I can see them in the daylight, are still damp, and as I > say > the sheetrock is *at least* 17 years old; the house itself was built in > early 1943 or 44. > > The sheetrock, on closer > non-panicked exam looks like it's been damp a number of times. It's not > water stained,exactly, but it's been weathered and at least damp, no > question. I replaced the roof in 1991, but it was plywood laid over the > original shingles on lathing, and I wonder if perhaps the damage wasn't > already done then, and the stuff just finally fell in the random way that > things have." Sheetrock lasts a *lot* longer than 17 years, if it's installed right and kept dry! It should not be expected to fail from age. However, if the shingles are damp on the inside, that could be from warm, moist air rising and condensing against the cold roof. There should (have been) a vapor barrier below the insulation to keep the moisture out, and ventilation in the attic or crawlspace so whatever moisture does make it up there gets vented out before condensing. (I think someone brought that up in the discussion already as a source of moisture to weaken the sheetrock, and if it's a problem it needs to be corrected for many reasons. Moisture==bad.) /lcs -- Archive is at http://www.earthsign.com/elbowjoints/index.html sub/unsub elbow-joints-request@haven.org