Bob meets with Joe Adams and Ralph McGrath, in the media room of the Elm Court Cottage in the Berkshires. They are installing a sound attenuation, grid-ceiling system from Owens Corning�s QuietZone Acoustyle Wood Coffered Ceiling collection. A standard T-bar steel framing system used commonly in drop ceilings is used as the substructure for the engineered panels. The panels anchor to the grid and using carbonized steel expansion clips. The solid and perforated wood panels allow the sound to be absorbed through the ceiling and into the black acoustic board adhered to the ceiling above the suspended ceiling. QuietZone systems control sound waves in four ways: they absorb, block, break and isolate. By managing the energy of the sound wave, Owens Corning redefines ambient noise. The panels can be ordered in natural materials like Walnut or other fine woods.

Bob meets Tavino, the plastering contractor who is working on the ceiling. He is using a traditional patching method join an area where two ceilings meet. He fills in the gap with a basecoat of plaster instead of using drywall. The mix he uses for patching is thick enough that it stays in place on the ceiling. After putting down the basecoat he changes to a twelve-inch blade for a final pass to smooth out the plaster. After letting it set for an hour or two he comes back to add the first of two finish coats. He uses a topping joint compound made of non-cracking vinyl. He lays it on thinly and smoothes it out with a large trowel. He explains that the stair-stepped ceiling was made by affixing two extra sheets of drywall to the ceiling.

The type and shape of the roof on your home can help determine how well it will perform during a severe windstorm. A hipped roof is one that slopes upward from all sides of the building. Because of its aerodynamic properties and construction techniques, most hipped roofs will perform better in windstorms than the second roof type: a gabled roof. A gabled roof has two slopes that come together to form a ridge or a peak at the top, each end looks like the letter A. Homes with gabled roofs are more likely to suffer greater damage, such as collapse of the end wall from high winds because they are often not braced properly during construction. If your home is built with a gabled end wall, use one of the following construction techniques. Continuous wall construction or Balloon framing. Use full-height studs, concrete or solid masonry walls from the floor below all the way up to the roof. Balloon-framed gable end walls perform better in windstorms because they do not have the hinge that usually exists where the triangular part of the gable sits on top of the wall below. Platform framing. Brace the intersection of the gable and the end wall. This intersection is a particularly weak point and those that are not properly braced can collapse, causing major damage to the roof, allowing wind and wind driven rain into the home. In homes with attics, an attic floor or ceiling diaphragm with the proper bracing techniques can be used to provide the lateral support of the gable end wall if the end wall is framed full height. Install bracing along the top and the bottom of the gable end. In addition, connect the gable end to the top of the end wall using metal hurricane connectors. In homes with high cathedral-like ceilings, where there is no ceiling to brace the gabled end, will have to be balloon framed or will require a special design by a registered or licensed engineer.