Arkansas Residential Remodeler Exam

Key Concepts

Ordering ready-mix. Ready-mix is ordered by the number of bags of cement per cubic yard. Five-bag mix (five bags per cubic yard) is the minimum amount required for most work. Six-bag mix is commonly specified where high strength is needed or where steel reinforcement is used. Concrete may also be ordered by compressive strength (plans often specify 2,500 or 3,500 psi). Ready-mix delivery is most economical when at least two cubic yards are ordered. Concrete is measured by the cubic yard; one cubic yard contains 27 cubic feet. (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 8.2, Page 226)

Key Concepts

Brick-veneer walls (Carpentry & Building Construction, Section 24.2, p. 696–698) - The veneer must be supported by a masonry or concrete foundation and tied into the house framework. The supporting ledge is approximately 5" wide, which allows the brick to be spaced at least 1" away from the sheathed wall. This air space lets water that penetrates drain out through gaps at the bottom of the wall and prevents mortar from blocking the drainage plane. - Weep holes provide drainage near the bottom of the wall and are often formed by omitting mortar in a vertical joint every 18" to 24" along the wall. They are located in the lowest mortar joints above grade and may also be formed with plastic tubing or a…

Key Concepts

Paint composition (Ch. 33 — Finishing Basics, Film-Forming Finishes) - All paints contain three ingredients: pigments (finely ground natural minerals or synthetics that give color and opacity — a greater percentage of pigment increases opacity), a binder (a resin that holds particles of pigment together; the particles form a film after the liquid evaporates), and a carrier, sometimes called the vehicle (a liquid that keeps pigments and binders in suspension and evenly dispersed during application). - Primer is a paint with a higher proportion of binder, which lets it grip unpainted wood especially well. Because it contains relatively little pigment, it does not block UV radiation and must be covered with two coats of standard finish paint (Ch. 33 — Film-Forming Finishes, Primer). -…

Arkansas Residential Remodeler Exam | 3 questions (10%)

Key Concepts

Drywall types and fire-code products - Drywall is sheets of a noncombustible gypsum core covered with paper (face paper front, liner paper back); it is strongest in its long dimension (Carpentry and Building Construction, Ch. 32, Drywall Basics). - Type-X fire-code drywall is 5/8" thick and contains glass fibers that prevent it from crumbling in extreme heat. Type-C is even more fire resistant than Type-X and contains vermiculite. Fire-resistant products slow the passage of fire but do not completely stop it. Type-X is required by building code on the outer surface of walls separating an attached garage from the house, and on garage ceilings if the garage is beneath a habitable room (Ch. 32, Fire-Code Drywall).…

Key Concepts

Span tables. A span table is "a list of distances that a particular structural product can span between structural supports, such as walls or columns" (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 13.2, Page 355). To read one: (1) determine the live load category (e.g., 40 psf), (2) locate the species or group column, (3) find the grade column, (4) follow the row right to the required span, (5) follow that column upward to the on-center spacing, (6) read the lumber dimensions in the row above (Section 14.1, Page 383).

On center (OC) is the distance from the centerline of one structural member to the centerline of the next closest member (Section 14.1, Page 382).

Arkansas Residential Remodeler Exam | 2 questions (7% of exam)

Key Concepts

Purpose and scope of siding - Siding is the exterior wall covering of a house. Its purpose is to shed rain and protect the structural portions of walls. (Carpentry and Building Construction, Ch. 23 — Siding Basics) - Siding installation normally begins after windows and doors are in place and after the roofing has been installed. (Ch. 23 — Siding Basics) - Siding materials include solid wood, vinyl, plywood, steel, aluminum, stucco, and fiber cement; brick is covered in Chapter 24. (Ch. 23 — Siding Basics) - Code terminology note: the IRC refers to siding as "exterior wall covering," and these materials provide weather resistance to the "exterior wall envelope." (Ch. 23 —…

Arkansas Residential Remodeler Exam — 4 questions (13%)

Key Concepts

Riser and tread dimensions - The building code allows a maximum riser height of 7¾" and a minimum tread depth of 10". Safety research indicates the ideal riser is 7" high and the ideal tread is 11" deep. (Carpentry and Building Construction, p. 731) - Uniformity: the code allows a variation of no more than ⅜" between maximum and minimum riser heights, and the difference between the deepest and shallowest tread must be no more than ⅜". (Chapter 25, p. 731 — 2006 IRC; 2015 IRC R311.7.5.1 for risers, R311.7.5.2 for treads) - Winders: all winders must be at least 10" wide at a point measured 12" away from the wall, and **no part of a…

Arkansas Residential Remodeler Exam — 4 questions (13%)

Key Concepts

Roof slope categories and shingle suitability - Slope is expressed as rise per 12" of run. Flat: slope below 2½-in-12. Low slope: between 2½-in-12 and 4-in-12. High slope: 4-in-12 or greater (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 22.1 — Roof Slope). - Strip shingles are installed on roofs with a slope of 4-in-12 or greater. Lower slopes require the shingle manufacturer's literature for installation advice (Section 22.1; Section 22.2 — Installation Issues).

Measurement terms - A square equals the amount of roofing needed to cover 100 sq. ft. Exposure is the amount of shingle showing after installation; the exposed edge is the butt edge; the unexposed portion is the top lap (Section 22.1).

Thermal & Acoustical Insulation

Key Concepts

Building envelope. The continuous layer of insulation that separates heated/cooled spaces from unheated spaces is the building envelope. Everything inside it is heated and/or cooled; everything outside is exposed to outdoor temperatures. All walls, ceilings, roofs and floors separating heated from unheated space should be insulated. (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 31.1 — Where to Insulate)

Knee walls. In a one-and-a-half-story house, second floor knee walls "should be treated just as if they were exterior walls." They separate heated from unheated space, so they are part of the envelope. (Section 31.1 — Where to Insulate (Walls))

Arkansas Residential Remodeler Exam — 2 questions (7%)

Key Concepts

Reading a window schedule - A window schedule is the portion of the building plans containing descriptions of the windows and sizes for the glass, the sash, and sometimes the rough opening. Each window's location is found by matching its schedule number to the corresponding number on the house plan. (Carpentry and Building Construction, Section 20.2, p. 585) - When window dimensions are specified, width is given first, height second. The number of lites and the window style may follow or precede the dimensions. "24½" x 24", 2 lites D.H." means the glass is 24½" wide and 24" high, with two pieces of glass in a double-hung unit. Lite is often abbreviated L.T. *(Section 20.2, p.…

Key Concepts

Medical services and first aid — §1926.50 - The employer shall insure the availability of medical personnel for advice and consultation on matters of occupational health, and provisions shall be made prior to commencement of the project for prompt medical attention in case of serious injury (§1926.50(a), (b)). - In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training from the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the American Red Cross, or equivalent training that can be verified by documentary evidence, shall be available at the worksite to render first aid (§1926.50(c)). - First aid supplies shall be easily accessible when required. Kit…