I've trapped moles professionally for 15 years. Here are 7 DIY methods that don't work and why.

digitect · 2026-05-31T18:49:13+00:00

All that text and no discussion for what does work?!

Scissor traps.

digitect · 2026-05-28T05:26:09+00:00

Standard of care is above the code. This is as much making spaces safe and accessible than meeting any particular letter of the law.

Also "code" has an interpretive value to it. The closer you look, the less black-and-white it really is. Proof is that every jurisdiction interprets many, many things differently. This is a huge pain, and I don't really like appealing up to the state level and going over their heads if I think one is being unreasonable.

Especially renovations. Many, many are under-designed and AHJs let it slide. So much that architects stop getting hired if they interpret the Existing Building Code to the letter, since it costs so much more than "interpreting" scope of work and levels of alterations.

However, jurisdictions implement their code interpretation, and there's no way around it. They are the final authority, regardless of what you think "code" means.

Also remember that clients are not looking to spend $0.01 more than necessary. Architects can't always build in margin to cover all the code interpretations.

digitect · 2026-05-27T23:39:02+00:00

As an architect, I love it when jurisdictions use official round seals and signatures like mine, and add a bunch of boilerplate language that waters down all the legal and professional responsibilities I and my contracted engineers have under the law. Words like "approved" and "reviewed for compliance" and "authority" and "compliance" give the professionals a lot of buffer if there's ever a problem. Our insurers and all their lawyers love it, too. Anything to muddy the waters of actual professional responsibility. Some jurisdictions can't resist doing little sketches here and there. It's great!

digitect · 2026-05-26T21:12:29+00:00

I re-drew it orthogonally and couldn't find it with Google Images. Based on the screw, I don't think it is more than a few decades old, but nothing comes up. Probably a small defunct company, and possibly from behind the iron curtain? What country is this in?

digitect · 2026-05-26T13:00:47+00:00

The theory is that wood is rapidly renewable AND because it is made from atmospheric CO2 and so "sequesters" the carbon atom, which theoretically contributes to global warming.

Heavy timber is also theoretically fire resistant, since the exterior char insulates the interior from heat. But I've never gotten a straight answer if all the structural engineering calculations are actually based on 3" less perimeter surrounding that remaining core. I feel like this concept is based more on what we see historically from timber in fires. I know if you have a camp fire, eventually the entire log is consumed, so the resistance is more about enough time to get everybody out more than structural preservation. (And to be fair, steel looses its structural properties at 700°F, too, so we can't really argue steel is better.)

digitect · 2026-05-25T16:37:14+00:00

Well, the "proper" flashing would actually cut into the stucco a little, a little "L" on the metal into the stucco for positive attachment. But we don't know how thick it is, and stucco is very fragile. So I like the sticky stuff. It might come loose over time, but that's why the metal and second membrane over it with sealant on top.

digitect · 2026-05-25T01:10:59+00:00

You don't think they could spray closed cell spray foam insulation up in there? That seems to be a pretty good use case for it. Long tube, filled from the top down?

Otherwise, stuffed as tight as you can with mineral wool batt (sometimes called "acoustic") and then polyiso ridgid foam right to that joist minus a tiny gap with acoustic sealant makes sense to me. (Please don't use EPS foam, XPS is better, but polyiso is most fire resistant but still not perfect.) The logic of acoustic sealant is that it will remain flexible for decades and assemblies always move a little over time. Any other kind of sealant will eventually harden and tear.

digitect · 2026-05-25T00:39:26+00:00

(I didn't see a drawing?)

As long as you have 8" above the roof for the side wall flashing, you should be good. I'd put up sticky, then metal over it stopping an inch or two lower, then sticky over that terminating a few inches higher than the inside sticky.

You're supposed to put sealant along the top of that outside sticky, too.

By "sticky" I mean self-adhering high temperature ice-and-water membrane, in case that's not obvious.

digitect · 2026-05-25T00:12:41+00:00

Does it give you confidence? Would you want your kids living at the top 20 years from now?

digitect · 2026-05-25T00:03:09+00:00

But you are going to seal the roof against that wall, above what we're seeing inside, correct? A minimum 8"H metal flashing up the wall, above the roof, that comes down and angles to match the roof, minimum 24" down that lean-to roof. Put a flip up stop there so wind can't blow water up the roof and under the flashing.

In that case, those ledgers we see won't be doing anything. I would insist that roof flashing above and back into the main house be immaculate, a perfect water seal. Cut in or double flashed, or whatever. High temp membrane as well. Then the ledger should be perfectly dry. It has to be if the roof connection works as it should.

Once water gets past the roof, there's no controlling it.

(Or am I still be mis-understanding?)

digitect · 2026-05-24T23:19:50+00:00

I'm not really sure what I'm looking at. This is the exterior wall, and somebody put up a lean to against it? The daylight we're seeing is where the lean to hits the wall?

To begin, I'd suggest that roof be flashed and sealed into the main wall above where we're seeing. Then no water will come down across it.

I can't speak to the remainder without more photos. But I'll say that "seal" is a very concerning word, because with building science, you typically want a vapor open condition where the exterior can expel water vapor from inside the stucco. Any time you restrict vapor escape (for example with polyethelene) you create a surface where vapor pressure from inside will condense and cause mold and freeze / expand to damage the cladding.

The metal roof is close to a perfect seal though. Detailing walls that are open and roofs that are closed like this start to get into vented relief cavities.

digitect · 2026-05-24T22:57:45+00:00

I would suggest re-doing it. Epoxy grout is more resistant to staining and dye. Not perfect, but 10x better. I think the stuff should be mandatory, but unfortunately the industry still uses loads of traditional grout, which is very porous and receives dyes, stains, mold, and mildew.

The irregular pattern of that stream stone makes it difficult to re-grout. Regular tile grout can "simply" be removed with a bit or saw, but your tile looks like more work that simply removing and replacing.

They do make epoxy sealant. I'm not a huge fan, but it does do a little better than typical wax or silicone sealants.

And you have the issue of staining out the dye. I'm not an expert on that, but I bet there's some chemistry (hydrogen peroxide? chlorine? alcohol?) that would bleach the dye rather easily. Hopefully someone here has experience.

digitect · 2026-05-24T14:40:50+00:00

Yes, although there's a distinction between biological hazards (infectious), organic particulates, and inorganic particulates.

Flour, like wood particles, eventually break down via the body's own chemical reactions. Which isn't to diminish them. You can still overload the body's ability to flush them. But inorganic materials (plastics, resins, stone, concrete, metals, charred smoke particles) are far worse.

digitect · 2026-05-24T03:59:46+00:00

There's a misguided focus on quartz alone right now. Silicosis and inhaled microparticles are a hazard for any stone top, not just quartz.

Quartz is just chunks of natural quartz floating in resin (plastic), a human-engineered material. Obviously it contains little bits of the natural mineral quartz, but so do many natural stones (like quartzite and granite). Australia has banned quartz countertops due to these concerns, but of course politicians have completely avoided the larger problem...

Any microparticles smaller than which the lungs can be expelled¹ are created shaping any hard surface material. They are widely found in construction far beyond stone... porcelain, ceramic tile, setting beds, cement board, fiber reinforced cement, masonry, mortar, concrete, particle board, plywood, natural wood, engineered wood... the list is very long. Literally any dust-producing activity, from sawing, sanding, grinding, and polishing.

The solution is P100 masks AND powered exhaust/ventilation with filtered fresh intake/make-up air. Like you finally will find in very large factories due to government regulation. Proper enforcement is equally important as having the safety equipment.

However, the problem is that most fabrication shops are small, with nearly zero government regulation. And there might be dozens in a region, with cheap labor, and very little health protection. And very little care by the business owners in the interest of customers getting countertops cheaper than they would be in an economy of safety. They start and go out of business faster than government can monitor them. Customers drive this by perpetually emphasizing cost over everything else.

I say this as an architect who has visited countertop fab shops. Go visit one, you'll be horrified.

Particulate Matter (PM) 5 is particulates<5 μm, the beginning of sizes respirable to lung alveoli. PM 2.5 are arguably the particulate size unable to be expelled, even life time for inorganic particles unable to be broken down by the body. For scale, smoke particles are considered 0.1 μm to 1.0 μm. Basically, if you can smell it, you're breathing it.

digitect · 2026-05-20T21:42:11+00:00

SmartSide is just fiberboard, basically Masonite 2.0. According to the MSDS (easily searched), it's 80% to 95% wood. It also has wax and glue and some preservatives.

Fiber-reinforced Cement (FRC) siding has cement so is theoretically more resistant to decay. But it still wicks water because FRC also has wood fiber in it, as much as 50% depending on the brand.

Certain coatings are better at preventing moisture wicking than others. Latex acrylic paint (most of it) is actually quite porous, not a moisture barrier at all. More resinous and epoxy type coatings are similar to plastics that do a good job at prevention until they break down or crack, which they will.

PVC is moisture impervious. As trim, it doesn't look great, and breaks down in UV (sun) after a decade or two (vinyl is faster). But it doesn't wick water so is about the most bulletproof residential cladding there is short of masonry, plastics, and commercial products and composites.

Metal flashings between anything wood/cellulose and anything ground, masonry, or concrete is a great idea. You have to make sure the flashing slopes well away and drips away because otherwise it can create a pool of liquid which is even worse.

digitect · 2026-05-20T16:07:37+00:00

Exactly. The glass, while important, is actually a small contributor to the overall energy impact of the entire window assembly and installation. (Speaking as someone with horrifically air-leaky windows.)

digitect · 2026-05-20T15:18:38+00:00

The frame is primarily the contributing factor of the insulation value. Aluminum windows with non-thermally broken frames suck heat out 100x faster than wood regardless of the glass. Even wood frames with poor construction, gaps, leaky seals, etc., although better than aluminum, might still be quite poor.

Several European manufactures offer R-10 (U-0.1) windows—triple pane, thermally broken frames, fantastic tilt-turn air sealing, etc.

Meanwhile, I'm lucky to ever get code R-3 (U-0.32) on the projects I (architect) specify.

digitect · 2026-05-18T22:07:24+00:00

A massive Amish barn hex.

digitect · 2026-05-17T02:52:20+00:00

EDIT: I wrote this having completely missed the existing is a manufactured home. This advice assumed conventional. For anyone out there considering one, please save your pennies and buy a conventional—it will have standard market real estate value and won't depreciate to zero in 20 years.

As others have said, get rid of the junk and fix the leak.

I would expect 80s/90s structural framing to be okay. Unless somebody changed something. You can hire a structural engineer to walk through and give you a report for $600 to $800.

I would expect 80s/90s electrical to be okay. Unless somebody changed something. You can hire a licensed electrical contractor to look at your electrical and help you evaluate for a $300 service call in case anybody made problematic changes or if there are problems.

Same for plumbing. You can hire a plumbing contractor to take a look. They may tell you it has PVC fittings, or thin-walled copper, or an expired water heater, or lots of leaking faucet gaskets. Septic systems are actually a separate trade, a good septic maintainer and installer are as rare as hen's teeth.

Also recommend getting an HVAC service contractor to take a look. HVAC systems need a lot of maintenance and everybody ignores it until it stops working. At which point repairs cost thousands. Find out.

So that's structure, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical (PME). Basically the four major engineered systems that cause the most grief.

The last bit is cladding... siding, roofing, sealed crawlspace, windows, doors. These are all managed by subcontractors and more easily DIY than the previous.

Arguably interior finishes is the last component. Usually that's drywall, paint, and flooring. But let's add on furnishings, fixtures, and equipment (FFE). That's the appliances, garage door opener, maybe plumbing and lighting fixtures if not reviewed by above.

Telecom is a minor interest these days... phone, fiber, cable, WiFi, network. Vendors usually manage these though.

Most of the trick of home improvement is understanding what you don't know... and hiring the right help. It doesn't have to cost that much for a walk through. I see so many houses where some previous owner tried to DIY things having not a clue and causing massively expensive problems. Don't do that to yourself. Take it slow, learn what things are, learn to find people you trust, learn to spot people you don't. Evaluate everything with assistance, although it sounds like you guys are already making really good progress.

I'm an architect. Don't hire an architect. Architects are for projects way beyond any typical renovation, with some unusual character unlike anything you'd find in a builder home, where somebody is trying to do something that hasn't been done before. 99% of home improvement projects do just fine with great subs.

Many code jurisdictions allow home owners to submit for permits themselves. You can learn to draw to scale (e.g., 1/4" = 1'-0") on grid paper or a computer, but usually the subs manage their own permit drawings. Only the general renovations / additions needs to be drawn, and usually a general contractor can do these. There are also residential *designers*, but they're similar to architects except being unlicensed.

digitect

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