Masonry Magazine October 2009 Page. 21
MASONRY COMPUTER ESTIMATING
Masonry Computer Estimating
That Does It All... in 3D!
by TRADESMEN'S SOFTWARE
New for 2009!
On-Screen 3D Take-Off
Just point and click on the digital blueprint and see your walls displayed. Our new On-Screen 3D Take-Off Engine makes it simple and fast.
Runs on Windows PCs and Bootcamp/Windows on Intel Macs.
30 day money back guarantee.
Support available 7 days a week.
Comes with more than 400 items in material database.
See the actual building being displayed in 3D as you do your take-off in either PLAN mode, PERSPECTIVE mode, OUTSIDE mode, INSIDE mode or at any ELEVATION.
Complete your take-off, then walk through or around and see the actual finished building(s)
Calculates CMU: HALF and FULL BULLNOSE, DOUBLE BULLNOSE, CHAMFER, or SASH for any or all OPENINGS, JAMBS, CORNERS, CONTROL JOINTS and any SPECIAL CUTS.
Integrate with Accounting Software and transfer data to Microsoft Excel
Negotiating projects with a 3D image will win you more contracts and enhance your professional image
TRADESMEN'S SOFTWARE, Inc.
1-800-494-4899
See for yourself at:
www.tradesmens.com
READER SERVICE #163
October 2009
MASONRY 19
little, if any, long-term protection. Costing pennies per square foot, Polyvinyl Chloride, or PVC membranes, are often suggested as a substitution for more expensive flashing materials. With this in mind, it is important to realize the chemical composition of PVC. In its natural state, PVC is actually a rigid material. It is made flexible by the addition of plasticizers, which, in a short period, will migrate to the membrane's surface. The plasticizers then will evaporate naturally, rendering the flashing material rigid and brittle. This causes surface cracks that allow present moisture under and behind the flashing membrane.
The ever-popular rubberized asphalt peel-and-stick flashings provide the installer with another inexpensive and flexible flashing membrane. While these flashings are, for the most part, 40 mils in thickness, they are not necessarily offering 40 mils of protection. Products vary mostly from a four- to 15-mil thick polyethylene sheet with the rubberized asphalt filling the difference. It is important to realize that rubberized asphalt, commonly known under many different names, is a viscous material that also acts as the adhesive for these peel-and-stick membranes. It should not be confused as a protective layer. Should the polyethylene membrane degrade, the rubberized asphalt is left on its own to be self-supporting as a flashing within the cavity wall. It should not be mistaken that these types of flashings can be merely "stuck" onto a backup wall and left to act as a flashing system for years to come.
Gravity will, of course, eventually prevail, separating the membrane from the backup substrate it was originally set upon. For any of these flashings to be in any way beneficial, it is imperative that the membrane be fastened to the backup wall with a termination bar and a caulked top ledge, preventing moisture from entering from behind the flashing. Of more concern, however, is the viscosity of the rubberized asphalt material should the temperature of the veneer unit's rise. As the wall face temperature rises during sun exposure, the rubberized asphalt becomes thinner and will seep out the joint from underneath.
This results in unsightly stains, recurring cleaning visits, and a compromised flashing membrane. There have been a few products recently released into the marketplace to address this issue. Manufacturers are now marketing true 40-mil membranes with an applied adhesive on one side, promising no more staining issues. While these are a promising replacement for their rubberized asphalt kin, it is important to consider
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