This past spring may have messed up your grass and alfalfa seeding plans.

The wet weather prevented some folks from getting their new seedings established in May. Some growers took the risk and planted them in mid- to late June while others have decided to wait to establish a late-summer seeding.

I would like to take this opportunity to review some of the management and details necessary for a successful summer seeding.

A late-summer seeding can be a very good way to establish alfalfa, grasses or mixed legume/grass stands.

There are both advantages and risks associated with a summer seeding. Weeds and insect pressures are generally much less than when compared to spring seeding. Your workload may not be as heavy this time of year.

Dry weather poses the greatest risk for a late-summer seeding failure. Early frost and poorer establishment techniques can also affect the success of the seeding.

In northern New York, summer seedings should be established by early to mid-August. Reed canarygrass and birdsfoot trefoil are two exceptions. They are slower to establish and should be seeded in late July. Later establishments could be damaged by an early frost.

According to Jerry Cherney, Cornell University, a late-summer seeding of reed canarygrass may be better than a spring seeding.

Weeds are usually less of a problem in summer seedings. Chemical weed control is not needed because the first frost will kill any of the annual weeds that come in. Perennial weeds, such as quackgrass, must be controlled before you plant the seeding. Any of the glyphosate products will take care of the quackgrass prior to establishment.

Do not use any companion crop to try to choke out the weeds. A companion crop will compete for moisture with your forage seeding.

Lack of rainfall and inadequate soil moisture are some of the greatest risks associated with summer seedings. The decision to establish a summer seeding should be based on current soil moisture and the extended short-term weather forecast. Dont take the gamble and plant in a bone-dry seedbed. If it is too dry and it does not look like Mother Nature is going to cooperate, keep the seed in the bag.

Summer seeding establishment principles are the same as spring seedings. Proper soil pH and adjusting starter fertilizer rates according to soil tests are necessary.

A good seedbed and correct seed placement also contribute to a successful summer seeding. There is no need to adjust seeding rates at this time of year.

Soil tests take the guesswork out of your lime and fertilizer applications. If your soil needs a boost in pH, hopefully the lime was applied last fall.

Alfalfa or alfalfa/grass mixes do not need any nitrogen in the starter fertilizer. Refer to the Cornell Guide for Integrated Crop Management or your current soil test for suggested phosphorus or potassium rates needed for establishment.

The next step in establishing a successful summer seeding is proper seedbed preparation. A very firm seedbed will not dry out as fast as a loose or lumpy seedbed. Test your seedbed by walking across the field. Pack the seedbed firm enough so that your footprints are hardly visible. You should sink in no more than half an inch. A cultimulcher or cultipacker is a good tool to use just before planting. Depending on your seeding equipment, packing the soil after seeding may be needed.

The seed planting depth should be about one-quarter inch and no more than half an inch deep.

Dont assume that the seed is being planted properly. Get off the tractor and look to see how deep you are planting those many little seeds. If you are not seeing a few seeds on the surface, chances are you are planting too deep.

Harvesting the seeding this fall is not a recommended practice.

Those tender, young plants do not have a strong root system yet. Dont harvest until next spring.

Late summer can be a good time to establish alfalfa, grasses and legume/grass mixtures. If you are interested in trying a summer seeding and have any further questions or comments, feel free to contact Mike Hunter at 315-788-8450 or Kitty ONeil at 315-854-1218.

Michael Hunter is a field crops and soils educator with the North Country Regional Ag Team.

More here:
Late-Summer Seedings in Northern New York - Lancaster Farming

Grasses that once covered Nebraska have now spent another 50 years growing and flourishing in farmers pasture.

WINNETOON, Neb. (AP) James Wagner has lived on the family farm in rural Winnetoon for most of his life.

He was born here and went to grade school right across the road. Hes seen things change, but hes also seen much that has stayed the same.

One constant for the past 50 years is a pasture that Wagner planted in 1967 as part of a government program. To commemorate Nebraskas 100th anniversary that year, Wagner said he could participate in a centennial seeding program. The program required planting a mix of native grasses.

Wagner originally participated in the program mainly because of the conservation benefits.

The ground was washing, Wagner said.

Grasses that once covered Nebraska have now spent another 50 years growing and flourishing in Wagners pasture, the Norfolk Daily News reported . But it wasnt easy to get them started.

The first year, I got so disgusted. The ground was just like now: dry, dry, dry. Of course, grass, when it comes out, its just a little string. You can barely see it, he said.

Even planting the grass was challenging.

It was very hard to get big blue to seed through the seeder. Its so hairy, feathery, he said.

With patience, Wagner said, the grass eventually began to grow and would produce its own seeds to help the pasture expand and thicken.

Eventually then when they drop their own seed, it seems like they spread out, Wagner said.

Despite the program ending, he kept the native grasses and managed them through grazing. He has never had to reseed it, and he doesnt mow it.

I just leave it alone, he said.

The native grasses include a mixture of warm- and cool-season grasses.

Big blue and little blue, thats bluestem. Indiangrass. Now it doesnt seem like theres any of the grama grasses. Ive never seen any there. Generally, you get them, too. And then wheatgrass, probably western wheat. Its a cool-season grass. Presumably, thats for early grazing. ... Warm-season are just starting to come on real good now, Wagner said of what he sees growing in the mixture now.

At 88 years old, Wagner still grazes cattle on the native grasses and rotates them through his other pastures as well. This year the cows grazed the centennial grass from about May to July before being moved to another pasture.

The grass is allowed to recover and grow before Wagner will bring the cows back to graze it one more time.

Generally, you get enough moisture that it really comes back good in the fall, he said.

So theyll be in the next pasture about three months and then theyll come back over here toward fall, and then Ill sell the calves and the cows go out to the cornstalks.

Raising livestock is something that Wagners have done at their farmstead since James grandfather farmed here.

My grandfather bought it in, well, itd be about 110 years ago. My dad got it, and then I got it. He almost settled west of Creighton in 1871. But he bought a piece of ground and got out in this country here, he said.

The farm has seen cows and calves, horses, fattened cattle that were marketed in Sioux City, and even crops like corn and oats. Wagner stopped crop farming 10 years ago, and the horses and feedyard are long gone. He even has reduced his cow herd.

Im gonna have to quit. I cant outrun the cows, he said.

But with all that has changed in agriculture, in Nebraska and in the world over the years, Wagner still has his resilient native grasses from the centennial seeding.

Im starting to feel proud of it now, Wagner said of his native grass.

Stay on topic - This helps keep the thread focused on the discussion at hand. If you would like to discuss another topic, look for a relevant article.

Share with Us - We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article, and smart, constructive criticism.

Be Civil - It's OK to have a difference in opinion but there's no need to be a jerk. We reserve the right to delete any comments that we feel are spammy, off-topic, or reckless to the community.

Be proactive - Use the 'Flag as Inappropriate' link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.

Link:
Nebraska native grasses grow strong after 50 years - Capital Press

James Wagner has lived on the family farm in rural Winnetoon for most of his life.

He was born here and went to grade school right across the road. He's seen things change, but he's also seen much that has stayed the same.

One constant for the past 50 years is a pasture that Wagner planted in 1967 as part of a government program. To commemorate Nebraska's 100th anniversary that year, Wagner said he could participate in a centennial seeding program. The program required planting a mix of native grasses.

Wagner originally participated in the program mainly because of the conservation benefits.

"The ground was washing," Wagner said.

Grasses that once covered Nebraska have now spent another 50 years growing and flourishing in Wagner's pasture. But it wasn't easy to get them started.

"The first year, I got so disgusted. The ground was just like now: dry, dry, dry. Of course, grass, when it comes out, it's just a little string. You can barely see it," he said.

Even planting the grass was challenging.

"It was very hard to get big blue to seed through the seeder. It's so hairy, feathery," he said.

With patience, Wagner said, the grass eventually began to grow and would produce its own seeds to help the pasture expand and thicken.

"Eventually then when they drop their own seed, it seems like they spread out," Wagner said.

Despite the program ending, he kept the native grasses and managed them through grazing. He has never had to reseed it, and he doesn't mow it.

"I just leave it alone," he said.

The native grasses include a mixture of warm- and cool-season grasses.

"Big blue and little blue, that's bluestem. Indiangrass. Now it doesn't seem like there's any of the grama grasses. I've never seen any there. Generally, you get them, too. And then wheatgrass, probably western wheat. It's a cool-season grass. Presumably, that's for early grazing. ... Warm-season are just starting to come on real good now," Wagner said of what he sees growing in the mixture now.

At 88 years old, Wagner still grazes cattle on the native grasses and rotates them through his other pastures as well. This year the cows grazed the centennial grass from about May to July before being moved to another pasture.

The grass is allowed to recover and grow before Wagner will bring the cows back to graze it one more time.

"Generally, you get enough moisture that it really comes back good in the fall," he said.

"So they'll be in the next pasture about three months and then they'll come back over here toward fall, and then I'll sell the calves and the cows go out to the cornstalks."

Raising livestock is something that Wagners have done at their farmstead since James' grandfather farmed here.

"My grandfather bought it in, well, it'd be about 110 years ago. My dad got it, and then I got it. He almost settled west of Creighton in 1871. But he bought a piece of ground and got out in this country here," he said.

The farm has seen cows and calves, horses, fattened cattle that were marketed in Sioux City, and even crops like corn and oats. Wagner stopped crop farming 10 years ago, and the horses and feedyard are long gone. He even has reduced his cow herd.

"I'm gonna have to quit. I can't outrun the cows!" he said.

But with all that has changed in agriculture, in Nebraska and in the world over the years, Wagner still has his resilient native grasses from the centennial seeding.

"I'm starting to feel proud of it now," Wagner said of his native grass.

Visit link:
Native grasses going strong after getting re-introduced - Norfolk Daily News

CONNELLY SPRINGS The North Carolina Department of Transportation will begin a project to replace two bridges that date to the Dwight D. Eisenhower presidential administration by Monday.

On Thursday, NCDOT announced the start date for the project that will replace a pair of 60-year-old bridges on Interstate 40 that cross over Berea Church Road in Connelly Springs. The department says tens of millions of cars have passed over the bridges, which were constructed in 1956 (eastbound) and 1958 (westbound).

The $8.56 million contract for work on the bridges was awarded to NHM Constructors of Asheville. By Monday, NHM will close Berea Church Road to begin what is expected to be a two-year process to replace the bridges. The department previously announced that aside from planting, reforestation and permanent vegetation establishment, all work on the project will be completed by Sept. 1, 2019.

According to information from NCDOT, NHM will construct an onsite detour to allow I-40 traffic to flow in all four lanes. A local detour has been established for Berea Church Road to help accelerate construction, the department said. The Berea Church Road detour will direct westbound traffic to Burke Boulevard, then to U.S. Highway 70, then to Knobs Landing Road, then back to Berea Church Road. The opposite applies to eastbound vehicles on Berea Church Road, according to a release.

NCDOT requests that motorists follow detour signs, obey all posted speed limits and slow down in construction zones.

The project to replace the bridges is part of a 10-year plan for Burke County. Many of the projects slated for the first five years of the plan already are funded, according to information from NCDOT.

Other NCDOT projects that are part of its 10-year plan include:

I-40 paving Pave 23.8 miles of road from mile marker 95.2 to mile marker 119 at a cost of $23.5 million. Construction will start in 2018.

Exit 100 (Jamestown Road) Upgrade the interchange at a cost of $2.42 million, plus an additional $250,000 for preliminary engineering. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2018 and construction will start in 2020.

Exit 107 (Drexel Road) Upgrade the interchange at a cost of $16.1 million, plus another $400,000 that already has been spent on preliminary engineering. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2019 and construction will start in 2020.

U.S. Highway 64/Burkemont Road Improve the interchange at a cost of $1.41 million, plus another $250,000 that already has been spent to do preliminary engineering. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2019 and construction should start in 2021.

Exit 111 (Carolina Street, Valdese) Revise the interchange at a cost of $3.61 million, plus an additional $250,000 for preliminary engineering. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2019 and construction will start in 2021.

N.C. Highway 181 road widening Widen less than a mile from St. Marys Church Road to Clay Street at a cost of $10.9 million. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2020 and construction will start in 2022.

Exit 116 (Old N.C. Highway 10) Upgrade the interchange and remove two-way traffic at a cost of $14.8 million. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2022 and construction will start in 2024.

Exit 112 (Mineral Springs Mountain Road, Eldred Street) Construct interchange improvements at a cost of $16 million. Right-of-ways will be secured in 2022 and construction will start in 2024.

N.C. Highway 181/Bost Road widening Widen 2.8 miles to three lanes at a cost of $18.4 million. Planning and design is in progress and the right-of-ways will be secured in 2023 and construction will start in 2025.

Excerpt from:
Road construction project on I-40, Berea Church Road to begin Monday - Morganton News Herald

McDONOUGH Turner Church Road is just one many dirt roads in Henry County that will soon be transformed to asphalt.

On Tuesday, the Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a $987,278 bid to pave the road. McLeRoy Inc., of Zebulon submitted the lowest bid for the project, which was approved by commissioners unanimously.

SPLOST Transportation Project Director Roque Romero expects a notice to proceed for construction to be issued by the end of August. The project is expected to be complete within 300 days, he said.

The project, which consists of paving east of the bridge to Ga. Highway 20, will be funded using District 3 SPLOST IV funds. Turner Church Road is the last of District 3 dirt roads to be paved under SPLOST IV collections.

During the Tuesday meeting, the BOC received an update on SPLOST IV projects, which included other dirt road projects that are remaining:

Two of five roads have been completed. Construction for Lester Mill Road is in progress, while the design for Peeksville Road from the bridge to Old Jackson Road is in progress. Right of way acquisition is in progress for Peeksville Road from New Hope Road to the bridge.

Six of 10 dirt roads have been paved under SPLOST IV. Right of way acquisition is underway for Amah Lee Road, from Old Highway 3, and Thoroughbred Drive, from Greenwood Road.

Preliminary design is in progress for Selfridge Road, from Speedway Boulevard to the Atlanta Speedway Airports entrance, and South Cleveland Church Road, from New Morn Drive to Stone Road.

One of two dirt road projects is in progress. Commissioners are expected to approve a construction bid for Elliott Road, from East Lake Road to Crumbley Road, in the coming months.

There were no SPLOST IV dirt road updates listed for District 5.

Continue reading here:
Turner Church Road approved for paving construction, others on list - Henry Herald

Houston Business Journal

Photos: Churches expand with population boom northwest of Houston Houston Business Journal In April 2016, Houston's First Baptist Church broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot church on 32 acres off the Grand Parkway in Bridgeland. After a little more than a year of construction, the church opened the doors to its new Cypress campus on June 11.

The rest is here:
Photos: Churches expand with population boom northwest of Houston - Houston Business Journal

Lebanon The white steeple that once adorned the First Baptist Church, rising above the roofs of School Street, soon could be revived under recently unveiled plans for a new church building.

A large steeple isnt the only feature architects working to design the new building borrowed from its predecessor, the remains of which were razed in the wake of an arson that destroyed the structure in December.

Renderings for the new church depict a Gothic Revival-style exterior and large windows to draw natural light, features congregants will find familiar.

But those plans are dependent on approval from the Lebanon Planning Board, which is scheduled to review the design during its Aug. 14 meeting. Planning Board approval is the final stage of city review needed before construction can begin.

There also is concern from parishioners that the church might not have enough money to construct the steeple, which is why the building is designed to stand without the feature, according to Jack Althouse of the Pennsylvania-based Althouse, Jaffe & Associates architectural firm.

My goal was to design a church that fit into the community architecturally, Althouse said of the proposed building.

Althouse, who is nationally known for designing churches, said he drew inspiration from churches throughout New England.

The new church will be built on the same downtown Lebanon site as the previous church, which dated to 1870. With the steeple in place, it would stand at a little more than 83 feet tall and would occupy more than an estimated 12,000 square feet of the roughly quarter-acre lot.

Thats roughly the same square footage as the former building, Althouse said, but it wont be a carbon copy.

The buildings footprint is more square than its rectangular-shaped predecessor, meaning Althouse was able to add several modern features.

Inside, a large lobby will greet visitors and churchgoers. The space is a growing trend among churches, Althouse said, giving congregations a place to meet and a space where people can participate in services without actually being in the sanctuary.

Often people have to excuse themselves during worship, Althouse said, adding that the lobby allows such people to remain in the building.

There are plans to do away with church pews in favor of chairs installed in a semicircle, he said. A balcony will be built in the sanctuary, and the worship platform will have enough space to accommodate live music.

It should be a really inspiring place to worship in, Althouse said.

The congregation also asked that the building include classrooms physically separated by walls and a kitchen, according to Althouse. In the old building, members were forced to use dividers to separate educational programs, he said.

Although church moderator Keith Davio hasnt yet seen the plans submitted to the city, hes been pleased with renderings brought to the congregation, which has been meeting weekly at the Lebanon Middle School since the fire.

(Althouse) seems to have incorporated the majority of what were looking for, Davio said in a phone interview on Thursday. Our building committee has put a lot of time and effort into that. Theyve got a good product.

Davio declined to say how much the building is expected to cost or how much money the church was able to collect from its insurance company after the fire. He said completion of the classrooms also might be dependent on funding.

Aside from large windows and a new exterior, there also are plans for minor landscaping and a patio on the property, according to Rod Finley of Pathways Consulting. One American elm and six crabapple trees are proposed for the site, he said.

Because the building is grandfathered, it will not be required to meet current parking standards or conform to maximum height requirements in the citys Residential 2 zoning district, Lebanon Zoning Administrator Tim Corwin said.

The proposal garnered city Zoning Board approval in June, when the church requested a special exception for its new footprint.

If all goes well, construction could begin in September and the building could be ready for use as early as next summer, Althouse said earlier this spring.

For Lebanon resident Linda Armstrong, construction would be a welcome site. Armstrongs house on Green Street sits across from the former church site, which now is fenced off.

I want to see the church put back there. I dont like looking at the hole, she said, looking out from her porch on Thursday. Its totally weird not having the church there.

Tim Camerato can be reached at tcamerato@vnews.com or 603-727-3223.

Read the original:
First Baptist Shares Plans - Valley News

This 114-unit building is under construction on the site of the former Charity Neighborhood Baptist Church building on Bedford Avenue and Lincoln Place. View Full Caption

DNAinfo/Rachel Holliday Smith

CROWN HEIGHTS A church group that sold their former worship space to a Crown Heights developer says they're being cheated out of space promised to them in the new building going up where the old church once stood.

The Charity Neighborhood Baptist Church had operated at the historic Savoy Theater building at 1515 Bedford Ave. since 1975, members of the church said outside the lot on Tuesday, but moved out after a 2012 sale of the building for $575,000 to 1515 Bedford Avenue Realty LLC.

The church agreed to sell after signing a contract with the company stipulating Charity Neighborhood would receive approximately 5,000 square feet of ground floor space for use as a religious sanctuary, the document reads, and another 2,000 square feet in the basement for a community facility.

But the churchs leader, Bishop Kareem Evans, said the developers representative Yosi Cohen told him several months ago the church would receive space in the basement only not on the ground floor, as promised.

Now, the church community is calling out the developer publicly to right the wrong and will go to court over the issue if necessary, Evans said.

This was our building from the beginning, he said.

Calls for comment to the developers office and Yosi Cohen were not returned Tuesday.

The church has support from high-profile attorney Sanford Rubenstein, who spoke on their behalf Tuesday, members of Black Lives Matter and Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner and aunt to Evans, who has attended the church since 2009. She took issue with the developers trying to force her congregation into a basement.

Nobody would build a church in the basement, she said. We dont want them to disgrace us to dishonor us. They would have never done this in other certain neighborhoods.

Black Lives Matter activist Hawk Newsome, left, stands with Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who is a member of the Charity Neighborhood Baptist Church, slated to take space in the newly constructed building at 1515 Bedford Ave. in Crown Heights. (DNAinfo/Rachel Holliday Smith)

BLM activist Hawk Newsome stood with Carr outside the construction site at Bedford Avenue and Lincoln Place with a sign reading, A man robs god when he doesnt honor an agreement with a church.

It takes a special kind of evil to cheat a church, he said.

Construction has been ongoing at the site since the Savoy Theater building was torn down in early 2014. The building going up on the site will be 10 stories tall and include 114 residential units when complete, building records show.

Read this article:
Developer of Church Lot Cheating Congregation Out of Space, Group Says - DNAinfo

Home Page Siding Comparison

This overview of home siding material options allows you to compare siding head to head in all the essential categories. You will also find individual pages for many of these materials where you can learn more detail as your research the right siding choice for your home or business. Information on each of the variables and choices is located below the table.

Type of Siding

Durability

Maintenance

Colors

Styles

Installation

Low Maintenance

Many

$.65-$2.00 square foot

Low Maintenance

Many

$2.50-$5.00 sf

Low Moderate

Few

$4-$6/sf Brick Veneer, $6-$10/sf Full Brick

Low Moderate

Several

$4-$6/sf Stone Veneer, $14-$18/sf Natural Stone

Moderate High

$2.50-$8.00 sq foot

High Maintenance

$6.80-$19/sf

The durability of the siding products you are considering is an important factor. How many years of dependability will you get from the siding? When will it need to be replaced because it can no longer protect your home or has become a visual liability?

The most durable siding options are stone and brick. When properly installed, they will last for centuries, potentially. These are also the most expensive siding choices, and that is no surprise. Vinyl and aluminum siding is very durable and resists weather quite well. In time, all siding will fade. You might want to replace it due to its appearance before it begins to fail your home. Here is what you can expect in terms of durability and longevity from todays most popular siding options.

The longevity and lifespan you get from the siding, considered with the cost of it produces value. Low cost and excellent longevity is the epitome of value, but you dont get that in the siding industry. Longevity and cost tend to go hand in hand, but there are some sidings that offer better bang for your buck than others. Here are costs along with an evaluation of the sidings value. All prices are per square foot.

The more style, color and texture options you have in a product, the more likely you are to find one that produces the look youre trying to achieve on your home.

What are the possible downsides of each type of siding? There are many reasons to be overly cautious about choosing siding for your home remodeling project. Here are some notes about each type.

Narrow your options based on your budget. Then, consider the products that will help you attain the look you want for your home. Dont overlook the maintenance requirements of each product in terms of the time and/or money it will take to keep it looking good and performing as it should.

You might also want to consider how long you intend to be in your current home. The longer you plan to be there, the more sense it makes to choose a high-end siding product. Consider all of these factors and youll come up with one or two siding products that will meet all off your requirements.

More here:
Comparison of Siding Costs, Durability, Installation and more

Further efforts in these endeavors will continue this October at the AAMA National Fall Conference in Greenville, SC.

Installation Standard Review Focuses on Stucco Interface

Having been earmarked for review by the Document Management Committee, AAMA 2400-10,Standard Practice for Installation of Windows with a Mounting Flange in Open Stud Frame Construction for Low Wind/Water Exposure, was the subject of preliminary recommendations submitted by volunteer Kim Flanary (Milgard). Aside from editorial updates to better align with ASTM E2112-07 (2016), proposed changes focused on window installation with stucco siding. To cure the problem of stucco cracking due to thermal expansion or contraction of window frames, it was recommended to specify use of a stucco key in the post-installation section. A stucco key, installed so that backer rod and sealant are not required, establishes a quarter-inch gap around the window to allow for thermal movement and provides a finishing point for the stucco.To finalize the AAMA 2400 update recommendations, the Council established a task group, to be chaired by Flanary.

AAMA 504 Load Test Parameters Specified

AAMA 504-05,Voluntary Laboratory Test Method to Qualify Fenestration Installation Procedures, is being updated by the responsible task group (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]). Recently, Draft 9 was balloted to the product group, with most comments being judged as substantive. Section 9 has posed the most areas of concern, and has been rewritten to address test cycling load magnitude, cycle duration and total number of cycles to be administered (per ASTM E2264 as referenced in the 504 document). The task group agreed to set the number of cycles at 10 for a duration of 10 seconds each. Load magnitude and references to the ASTM E330 (structural test under a static air pressure difference) Procedure A, vs. ASTM E2357 for air leakage testing, still need to be clarified. The rewritten portions will be re-balloted.

Flashing Standards Refine Test References for Water Drainage and Crack Bridging

With the final number of required voting individuals weighing in at the last minute, Draft #3 of the pending update to AAMA 711-13,Voluntary Specification for Self-Adhering Flashing Used for Installation of Exterior Wall Fenestration Product, was successfully balloted to the product group. Several substantive comments were reviewed during the Summer Conference by the Flashing Committee (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]). The standard spells out methods for testing resistance to water penetration around nails and evaluates how well a self-adhering flashing tape remains bonded to the substrate after thermal cycling at three levels of heat exposure and water immersion.

Given that 711 has no allowance for a flashing tape that drains tape to the exterior, the latest round of discussion resulted in the recommendation that AAMA establish a measure of such drainage, using a test fixture that has already been developed. ASTM E2273,Standard Test Method for Determining the Drainage Efficiency of Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) Clad Wall Assemblies, was posed as the reference for acceptance criteria.

The status of the crack bridging study, being performed for the review of the AAMA 714 standard for liquid-applied flashing, was examined, centering on conclusions indicated by round robin testing. The protocols of ASTM C1305,Standard Test Method for Crack Bridging Ability of Liquid-Applied Waterproofing Membrane, were reviewed for applicability. It was noted that testing at the manufacturers recommendations for test specimen thickness as opposed to the thicker samples specified in ASTM C1305, yielded mixed results. It was ultimately decided to modify 714, Section 5.6, to test specimens of the manufacturers specified thickness at class I and class II, and to specify the C1305 testing temperature at -26C (-15F). Given that some manufacturers recommend a range of thickness, a note would also be added to specify that the manufacturers minimum recommended thickness should be used for testing. Table 7 for acceptance criteria was updated accordingly.

ROESE Functionality Needs Definition

The ROESE Feasibility Task Group (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]) reviewed the status of the HIRL (Home Innovations Research Labs) /DOE Project as part of its effort to develop a standard for installation of windows into FPIS walls that would specify the use of Rough Opening Extension Support Elements (ROESE) for certain situations. It was noted that the FPIS document published last year by the HIRL/DOE group lacked material requirements and did not include standards for the structural support of a window. HIRL was reported as conducting a study on the latter that disproportionately emphasized foam products. An advisory letter was sent to HIRL on XX date (see Rich Rinka for specifics that letter already went out).

Ballot Responses Sought for Joint Installation Document

The Joint AAMA/FMA/WDMA Replacement Window Task Group (Chair: Jim Katsaros [DuPont]) notes that the latest draft of the document is still open pending responses to the latest ballot which was due July 10. Voting members are requested to respond as soon as possible.

AAMA 800 Fine Tuning Continues

The current revision draft to AAMA 800 was successfully balloted to the product group. The Sealants (AAMA 800) Maintenance Committee (chair: Mark Toth [H.B. Fuller) reviewed substantive comments to the ballot, which focused on how the standard addresses long term UV exposure. A disclaimer that had been added to Note 2 in Section 5 on Exterior Perimeter Sealing Compounds used the term long term without defining what long term meant, so it had to be resolved whether to define the length of exposure or to simply state that the standard did not address this aspect. The latter approach was adopted and Note 2 accordingly revised to state that long-term exposure is beyond the scope of the document and directing the reader to contact the manufacturer. Meanwhile, the Exterior Sealant Long-Term Durability Work Group, formed at the February annual conference to more fully address the issue, had not as yet met.

Meanwhile, the AAMA 812 Insulating Expanding Foams Task Group (Chair: Beverly Selle [Dow Chemical]) awaits results of balloting before determining additional efforts.

Standard Updates Continue

The 2017 Summer Conference logged continued progress in the development of new and revised standards:

Read the rest here:
WIC Talks Standards Updates, Test Parameters at Summer Conference - Glass on Web