Red Seal Carpenter Exam (Interprovincial)
E. Exterior finishing: practice questions
Our Red Seal Carpenter bank has 28 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
When installing a window in a framed wall, the sill of the rough opening should be protected first with:
- Interior drywall
- Vapour barrier only
- Nothing; caulking alone is enough
- A sill pan or membrane sloped to drain outward
Show the answer
D. A sill pan or membrane sloped to drain outward — A sill membrane or pan directs any water that gets past the window to the exterior.
Question 2
A ridge vent should be installed:
- At the eaves only
- Under the shingles at the gable
- Over a slot in the sheathing at the ridge, as the manufacturer specifies
- Over solid sheathing with no opening, so snow and rain cannot enter the attic
Show the answer
C. Over a slot in the sheathing at the ridge, as the manufacturer specifies — The sheathing must be cut back so attic air can exhaust through the vent.
Question 3
Metal flashing above a horizontal trim board on a wall (such as a band board) should:
- Lap over the sheathing membrane above
- Slope back toward the wall so water collects behind the trim and dries
- Be sealed only at its ends
- Slope outward and lap under the sheathing membrane above
Show the answer
D. Slope outward and lap under the sheathing membrane above — Flashing tucked under the membrane above and sloped out sheds water away.
Question 4
When installing an exterior door threshold, the sill must:
- Slope toward the interior
- Be set 50 mm below the finished floor so the door can swing over a mat
- Be left unsupported
- Be supported and sloped to shed water outward
Show the answer
D. Be supported and sloped to shed water outward — A supported, outward-sloping sill keeps water out and prevents sagging.
Question 5
Wood strapping (furring) installed vertically over the sheathing membrane is commonly used to:
- Create the drainage and ventilation cavity behind siding
- Replace the wall studs
- Hold the vapour barrier
- Stiffen the roof
Show the answer
A. Create the drainage and ventilation cavity behind siding — Strapping forms the rainscreen cavity and provides nailing for siding.