Tom Ault
Jefferson City
Dear Editor:
Another hot one how many are we going to have? Does anyone know?
I, like many here in Jefferson City, live in a home that was damaged by the terrible hail storm earlier this year. Fortunately, unlike many, my insurance kicked in quickly and, except for a porch repair, my home has been put back together.
Now, not wanting to start a riot of any kind, I do have one complaint. This is not directed at the people who did the work because they did as they should have repaired the damage according to the codes. The irritation that remains for me is not that they did not do good work, but that our building-code system for both new construction and any remodeling that incorporates siding replacement, should include moisture wrap. The ideal time for that to have been done was when the old siding was removed and before the new siding was installed. Yes, it would have cost more, but in the long run, the protection of the building, as well as the less monthly utility costs, would offset that cost, in time.
We, as a state, and as a country, are encouraged to conserve energy. You read about it, you see it on television, the governments - national and local - continuously reminding us to fix that drip, seal those windows, and several other quips on a daily basis, and yet, when writing the code here in Jefferson City, and perhaps in Missouri itself, there is nothing about wrapping bare wood construction with a moisture wrap which not only would save your home from unwanted rot and mold due to water seepage but would definitely help deflect some of this Missouri sun.
It is time that this is looked at and action taken no doubt many dollars spent on staying warm in the winter and cool in the summer would be cut back, especially during this time when so many of us must stay at home and go out only when necessary.