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CPSC Alert #08-577 Miele Inc. in cooperation with the CPSC has recalled the products below. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Residential Super-large Gas Dryers Units: About 3,100 Importer: Miele Inc., of Princeton, N.J. Hazard: If the dryer is improperly installed, the dryer’s internal gas fitting can loosen, posing a risk of gas leaking into the house. Any gas leak that is not detected can cause asphyxiation, a fire or an explosion. Also, one or both of the caps on the internal exhaust duct can become dislodged, which can cause lint to build up and be carried through the gas burner. This poses a risk of fire. Incidents/Injuries: Miele has received 11 reports worldwide in which consumers reported smelling gas after installation of their dryers. The firm has also received a report of a fire causing property damage. No injuries have been reported. Description: The recall involves Miele gas dryers, model T 9820. The dryers are residential super-large capacity units that are white-colored. The serial number can be located on the rim of the door opening, and is written as “Nr:xx/â€

CPSC Alert #08-555 Goodman Manufacturing in cooperation with the CPSC recalled the following product. Name of Product: Package Gas-Electric Heating and Cooling Units Manufacturer: Goodman Manufacturing Co. L.P., of Houston, Texas Units: About 1,000 Hazard: The serial plates on the units contain inaccurate information that could result in the use of undersized installation wiring, posing a fire hazard. Incidents/Injuries: None. Description: This recall involves Goodman single package gas-electric heating and cooling units with model numbers GPG13480901AC, GPG13481151AC, GPG13600901BB, GPG13601151BB, and GPG13601401BB, and with serial numbers beginning 0712, 0801, and 0802. The model and serial numbers are found on the serial plate attached to the control compartment door on the front of the unit. Sold by: Heating and cooling equipment dealers nationwide from December 2007 through February 2008. Manufactured in: United States Remedy: Goodman is directly contacting consumers with the recalled units to arrange for a free replacement of the serial plates and free inspection of the installation wiring. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Goodman at (800) 394-8084 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday or visit the company’s Web site at www.goodmanmfg.com

CPSC Recall Alert #08-561 Fischer Controls voluntarily recalled the following products in cooperation with the CPSC. Inspectors seeing these products should warn consumers to contact their LP-Gas dealer immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: Fisher Model R622H 1st stage LP gas regulators Units: About 142,000 Manufacturer: Fisher Controls International (FCI), of McKinney, Texas Hazard: Gas can leak from regulator when the diaphragm pulls inward into the casing, posing a fire or explosion hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: FCI has received one report involving a fire in a tobacco barn. Description: The recalled gas regulators were manufactured from June 2006 through January 2008 and installed on LP-gas supply systems in homes and small commercial buildings (see photo below). The recall involves model R622H LP-gas regulators with type numbers in the table below: R622H-BGJ, R622H-DGJ, R622H-HGJ, R622H-JGJ, R622H-BGK, R622H-DGK, R622H-HGK and R622H-JGK The type number is located on a white label attached to the spring case chimney (see photo below). The box label also includes the type number. There are no serial numbers on these regulators. The regulators are date stamped with the month and year (12-07 indicating made in December 2007) of manufacture on the product. Sold by: FCI to LP-Gas dealers nationwide from June 2006 through January 2008. Manufactured in: China Remedy: Consumers who had a LP-gas system installed with a recalled regulator should immediately contact the company that provides their LP-gas services to determine if they should receive a replacement regulator installed free-of-charge Regulators marked with a “Dâ€

Hi Tom, Oh, by negative comments are you referring to the feedback box underneath? Well, I can't be held responsible for those - I don't even bother to read them most of the time. The people that usually respond to those things always seem to be so angry. Tut, tut. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Oh! I'm sorry, did I forget to mention using the waist elastic from an old pair of briefs as backup to tie down the detergent bottle patch once it's been caulked in place? Sorry, my faux pas. I've found that Fruit of the Loom elastic seems to be the strongest and works swimmingly. I will acknowledge though that your soda bottle is a much more professional approach; I may have to rethink my own - after all, it can be a little bit of a pain stripping off my pants in that tight crawlspace in order to get my briefs off in order to cut away that elastic band. [:I] ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Kurt has a good point, I don't know about where you are, Lori, but A/C isn't used much here and the heating guys seem to ignore the evaporator coils when they service the furnaces. The first time I had an A/C system here, I slit the tape and opened up the A/C cabinet to inspect it and found it growing stuff that looked like a holloween beard all over a coil that was all clogged with years and years of pet hair, dander, Luck Charms, and everything else that got sucked into the system. There were service notations on the side of the furnace but it was pretty obvious that the evaporator had never been looked at. Put a role of foil HVAC tape on your truck for those times when you run into these and need to remove the access cover to peek inside. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Perhaps a letter to the manufacturer of the pretty vent bonnet would be a good idea. They should know about this sort of thing before it kills someone. OT - OF!!! M.

Hi All, Here are some Kiwi building publications that I think you'll all be interested in. Don't ignore these because they come from down under; those folks use the same lumber framing and building techniques that we do. In fact, US companies like James Hardie and L-P do so much business there that they have plants down there. You can learn some good stuff here! OT - OF!!! M. Construction Cavities For Wall Claddings (Details for rain screen walls) External Moisture Design Principles (Details for building in moist climates) External Moisture Guide (Risk matrix guide for building in damp climates) Timber Treatment Requirements

Brisbane, Australia One in three homes sold have a range of problems that could add thousands of dollars to the cost of the property, according to a building advisory service. That's why those who are flocking to benefit from the Federal Government's First Home Owners Boost need to tread carefully before making their property purchase, says Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Australian Institute of Architects. Mortgage broker Mortgage Choice has announced a 577 per cent leap in the completion of inquiry forms by first-time buyers. Archicentre state manager Ron Tanton said that with property clearance rates at an all-time low, interest rates dropping, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tripling the first-home buyers grant for new homes to $21,000 and doubling it to $14,000 for existing homes, it was important home buyers did not drop their guard on taking basic precautions when purchasing a home. To read more click here.

Six weeks after Hurricane Ike ravaged Southeast Texas, federal officials have approved only about 13 percent of requests for money to repair damaged houses or replace ruined belongings. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has received more than 710,000 requests statewide, has provided almost $300 million for housing and other needs to more than 92,000 households. Yet the agency continues to find the overwhelming majority of applicants ineligible, prompting widespread concerns that applicants are discouraged by unwieldy procedures and that the agency's staff and contractors don't always follow its publicly stated policies. To read more, click here.

Got a pet in the house? The system might have sucked in some kind of organic material that the mold is feeding on. Then again, it might just be such an old filter that it's just feeding funk. I'd tell 'em to get the system commercially cleaned and sanitized and then install a new filter and replace the filter every 3 months thereafter. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

By Mike O'Handley, Editor - TIJ Have you ever wondered about home inspectors in countries outside of North America? I did, so I began to look around and found out that we North Americans don't hold the franchise on home inspections. For the next few months, I'll try to tell you a little bit about inspectors in other countries. Here's what I found out about the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors. The New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors (NZIBS) is a national body of skilled, professional building consultants who have a high degree of qualification, knowledge and experience that report to the standards set by the institute. NZIBS was was first established in 1994 in Dunedin, NZ as a voluntary professional association and has since grown to over 90 members. Members of NZIBS are either owners or employees of professional building inspection companies throughout New Zealand; and, according to their website, are recognized as the leading authority in the building inspection industry in that country. NZIBS inspectors are expected to have the education and skills required of any Registered Building Surveyor (RBS) in New Zealand. An RBS must have a working knowledge and ability to undertake certain specific tasks. The following was obtained directly from the NZIBS website and categorizes those areas of expertise as follows: Inspection and Reporting Prepurchase/building condition survey and reporting on residential and commercial properties. Building defect/failure investigation and reporting. Inspection and compiling "Safe and Sanitary" reports. Interpretation and reporting on construction compliance issues. Building Technology and Construction Provide advice/opinion on building materials, systems, selection, usage, assembly and repair. Provide advice on the performance of building materials and the effects of natural elements. This would include the performance of water with regard to leakage and the types of mould and decay expected to be encountered in New Zealand conditions. Provide advice/design on materials, systems and alternatives for building repairs and reinstatement. Audit or review construction documentation to identify anticipated defect and problem areas. Asset Management Provide advice on property maintenance and frequencies. Undertake maintenance surveys and reporting. Compile maintenance programmes and budgets. Compile asset inventories. This could include furniture, fittings with regard to identifying quality and quantity for asset registers. Legislation/Dispute Resolution/Ethics Have an awareness of the NZIBS Rules and Practice Notes, along with ethical requirements. Have an awareness of the legislation affecting the building industry. Have a knowledge of the avenues of dispute resolution applicable to the construction industry. Understand the role of the building surveyor as an expert witness. Inspectors in this country carp all the time about how there are so many unqualified people in the home inspection business and how they wish things would get better; however, when it comes to actually moving as a profession toward more rigid requirements for entry into the profession, we drag our feet and one hears, "Licensing solves nothing," and "This ain't rocket science; why should inspectors need to be college educated." It's no wonder that those who are flipping burgers for minimum wage today are still able, in many states, to go out and print up business cards this afternoon and tomorrow hold themselves out as "Professional Home Inspectors." In Kiwiland one is prohibited from practicing as an inspector until one's qualifications are proven and the path to national certification and acceptance into NZIBS ain't easy, as they say. Here are their requirements extracted from their Regulation 01: Qualifications A prerequisite of continuing membership of the Institute is that the member shall be actively involved in the work of a Building Surveyor. In conjunction with the annual presentation of a CPD claim form, the member shall forward the annual Work Verification claim form to verify that they are actively involved in the work of a Building Surveyor. A pre-requisite for continuing Registered Membership of the Institute is that the member shall carry Professional Indemnity Insurance, or be Indemnified for the Building Surveying work being undertaken by the member. The minimum requirements for Registered membership are: 1. New Zealand Certificate of Building, National Diploma in Construction Management, Bachelor of Building Science, or such other qualification considered by a sub-committee of the Executive to be equivalent to or acceptable as an alternative; AND 2. A member of another professional group considered as being acceptable by the Executive of the Institute, or a sub committee of that Executive; OR Such other persons who have the ability to demonstrate their knowledge of the construction industry to the full satisfaction the Executive of the Institute, or a sub committee of that Executive, given the responsibility of the assessment of all applicants; AND 3. Have a minimum of five (5) years appropriate experience in construction management, supervision or consulting AND 4. Can substantiate that they are of good standing in the community at large and can provide two referees or sponsors to act on their behalf. The Executive at their absolute discretion may accept applications for membership where the qualification criteria outlined in (1) above is not met, but where the requirements of (2), (3), and (4) above are met, and where the applicant can demonstrate extensive experience in all aspects of building surveying work. This experience review will only be considered in very special circumstances. Such persons who apply for membership of the Institute, must declare that they are free from any claims for negligence or any matters of financial restraint or associated financial problems that could prejudice their meeting the standards required of a registered building surveyor. Is it any wonder then that surveyors in New Zealand typically attend college for four to six years before becoming employed as an apprentice in established surveying firms? So, how different are their inspections, really; are they some kind of super analysis of the building? Not really, their standards aren't that much different than those that home inspectors work under here in the States. The following are the NZIBS standards: STANDARDS OF PRACTICE This standard applies to all inspections carried out after 1 September 1996 and represents the views of the Executive of the Institute and it is recommended that this Standard be adopted by members as a principle of "best practice" for the inspection of all residential and commercial properties. THE SURVEYOR'S ROLE Inspect & Advise - To inspect and provide advice to the client with regard to items of concern or where problems identify themselves particular to the brief of request by the client. Duty of Care - To understand the requirements of "duty of care" and to highlight any factors that could affect the property that were visible. Written Report - To provide a written report highlighting the concerns or problems uncovered. THE SURVEYOR'S INSPECTION Method of Inspection - The surveyor should undertake a visual inspection of the areas concerned with the brief. The surveyor should check if there are other factors that are materially affecting the matters required and where possible the surveyor should request permission to use destructive and instrument assisted inspections to help ascertain the cause of the problems or concerns. Prepurchase Inspections - When a pre-purchase inspection is undertaken care should be made by the surveyor as to the method and type of inspection required. Where there is no specific brief to the contrary the surveyor should examine the roof, sub-floor spaces, if any, and the roof space or any other accessible area. Accessibility - If the building surveyor is on site with the owners of the property and is reporting to them, then it is reasonable to ask or expect them to provide or give permission for the removal of shelves or any other physical item that prevents access into roof spaces or alternatively floor spaces. If the property is the property of a third party then the surveyor can be only expected to use the access provided it is free and clear for use. The surveyor should make every endeavour to pre-warn the person giving access that this type of accessibility may be required. Proof of Opinion - The nature of the report should be undertaken by the surveyor in a manner where there is a burden upon the surveyor to find proof to sustain opinion rather than merely having the reliance on opinions. This may require: requests for destructive testing, that is, the removal of wall panels or some other element. If such a request is turned down then care must be taken by the surveyor to take note of that and include that information in their report. The risk of making opinion based on assumption, is that it could easily be wrong, however, at times this may have to occur and again this should be clearly highlighted as an opinion based on an assumption rather than fact, one that may need to be altered or changed if further facts come to light. LIM's or Council File - The surveyor is not required to ask for a LIM report, nor required to inspect Council or Territorial Authority's files unless there is specific instruction to do so. If there are factors that highlight themselves during the inspection that may require further checking through Council records that matter should be handled by a notation within the report. THE INSPECTOR'S REPORT Type of Format - The surveyor should supply a report in a written format, it may be permissible that such a format could be in the form of a pre-endorsed form such as check list format provided that the comments made are clear and legible. True Copy - The surveyor should keep a true copy of his report together with any notes taken on site for a reasonable period. Basic Notes - All reports should be dated, should note the type of access given and should clearly state what instructions were given to the surveyor for the inspection. Logical Layout - The layout or form of the report should be logical and easily understood. Matters Arising - Any matters arising such as factors mentioned above with regard to the inspection should be identified and carried forward to the report. Type of Inspection - There should be a statement within the opening or body of the report that clearly highlights the type of inspection requested and carried out, that is visual, instrument based, destructive, or for instance, merely a preliminary "look and view". Addressing - The report should clearly state the property address and to whom the report is addressed to. Directing Reports - If the surveyor is informed that the report is also required for meeting the condition for a 'Sale and Purchase Agreement' or lending situation then either the solicitor or the lender should be identified within the report. Incomplete Inspection - If any part of the inspection was not able to be carried out for whatever reason then this should be clearly stated in the report. Source of Information - If any information is given or provided and has been relied upon within the report then it should be clearly stated as to its source and the type of information. Matters of Concern - The surveyor, if he notes a matter of concern, has the option either to include that as a comment at the end of the report even though it may not be strictly material to the visit or alternatively should write separately to the report, to their party informing them of their concern with another matter. Recommendations - If there are other professionals required then the report should highlight and recommend those professions, such as: an engineer, a geo-technical consultant, or a specialised drainage surveyor. Content Specific - The report should be clearly specific as to the items that it does cover so that there is no doubt as to the manner and type of inspection undertaken. SURVEYOR'S RECORD OF INSPECTION Records - The surveyor should make and retain legible notes as to their findings and particularly the limits of the inspection and the circumstances under which it was carried out. DISCLOSURE Disclosure - If the surveyor has undertaken a formal report that is not made in accordance with this practice standard they should give reasons for their departure. As you can see, though the expectations for inspections and what an inspector reports about in New Zealand are not that much different from our own, inspectors (surveyors) there put a whole lot more time, effort, and expense into how they enter the business; in short, they truly can call themselves professionals. I think that we could learn a lot from studying the Kiwi model and I think that we Yanks have a long way to go before we will be able to call ourselves true professionals with a straight face. If you'd like to learn more about NZIBS, check out their website. Next Month: The Australian Institute of Building Surveyors (AIBS) ####

Hi, I'm basically an electrical idiot, so don't mind me if I ask a dumb question; but is it possible that folks just haven't been careful enough about ensuring that all of those grounding rods have less than 25-ohms resistance when they sink them out there? I remember that soil well; it's hard as all get out and there might be stuff there that's allowing too much resistance and is making it real easy for those systems to want to reach out and bite someone. There are usually dozens of generators running in relatively close proximity to one another and I should think that all it would take is one where there's too much resistance in the soil around the rod and you might have a situation where all it takes is a little water on the soil (such as showers) to create a transient and make it reach out and touch someone. The army describes a whole lot of methods to use to improve grounds in their manuals but where soil conditions are so bad that less than 25-ohms resistance can't be achieved, they recommend lowering resistance by chemically treating the soil. Here's the formula right from the Army playbook. c. Treat the soil with chemicals if the ground resistance is still over 25 ohms after using the methods described in paragraphs 1-3a and 1-3b. Treat the soil by- · Digging a circular trench around the grounding electrode. The trench should be 1 foot deep and 9 inches away from the electrode (Figure 1-15). · Filling the trench with 50 to 100 pounds of rock salt (copper sulfate or magnesium sulfate may also be used) and then filling the trench with water. As the water goes through the salt into the ground, resistance should be lowered. Natural rainfall will continue the process, but you must replace the rock salt every two years (Figure 1-16). Figure 1-15. Trench dug around grounding rod Image Insert: 36.8 KB Figure 1-16. Trench filled with rock salt Image Insert: 33.22 KB

Highlights of GAO-08-980, a report to the Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, U.S. Senate Why GAO Did This Study Recent research suggests that indoor mold poses a widespread and, for some people, serious health threat. Federal agencies engage in a number of activities to address this issue, including conducting or sponsoring research. For example, in 2004 the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine issued a report requested by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) summarizing the scientific literature on mold, dampness, and human health. In addition, the Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality supports the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) indoor air research program. With respect to the health effects of exposure to indoor mold, GAO was asked to report on (1) the conclusions of recent reviews of the scientific literature, (2) the extent to which federal research addresses data gaps, and (3) the guidance agencies are providing to the general public. GAO reviewed scientific literature on indoor mold’s health effects, surveyed three agencies that conduct or sponsor indoor mold research, and analyzed guidance issued by five agencies. What GAO Found In general, the Institute of Medicine’s 2004 report, and reviews of the scientific literature published from 2005 to 2007 that GAO examined, concluded that certain adverse health effects are more clearly associated with exposure to indoor mold than others. For example, the Institute of Medicine concluded that some respiratory effects, such as exacerbation of pre-existing asthma, are associated with exposure to indoor mold but that the available evidence was not sufficient to determine whether mold and a variety of other health effects, such as the development of asthma, cancer, and acute pulmonary hemorrhage in infants, are associated. While the reviews GAO examined generally agreed with these conclusions, a few judged the evidence for some health effects as somewhat stronger. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded in 2006 that a plausible link exists between acute pulmonary hemorrhage in infants and exposure to toxins that some molds produce. In addition, the 2004 Institute of Medicine report identified the need for additional research to address a number of data gaps related to the health effects of indoor mold. The 65 ongoing federal research activities on the health effects of exposure to indoor mold conducted or sponsored by EPA, HHS, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) address to varying extents 15 gaps in scientific data reported by the Institute of Medicine. For example, many of the research activities address data gaps related to asthma and measurement methods, while other data gaps, such as those related to toxins produced by some molds, are being minimally addressed. Further, less than half of the ongoing mold-related research activities are coordinated either within or across agencies. This limited coordination is important in light of, among other things, the wide range of data gaps identified by the Institute of Medicine and limited federal resources. The Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality could provide a structured mechanism for coordinating research activities on mold and other indoor air issues by, for example, serving as a forum for reviewing and prioritizing agencies’ ongoing and planned research. However, it currently does not do so. Despite limitations of scientific evidence regarding a number of potential health effects of exposure to indoor mold, enough is known that federal agencies have issued guidance to the general public about health risks associated with exposure to indoor mold and how to minimize mold growth and mitigate exposure. For example, guidance issued by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, EPA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, HHS, and HUD cites a variety of health effects of exposure to indoor mold but in some cases omits less common but serious effects. Moreover, while guidance on minimizing indoor mold growth is generally consistent, guidance on mitigating exposure to indoor mold is sometimes inconsistent about cleanup agents, protective clothing and equipment, and sensitive populations. As a result, the public may not be sufficiently advised of indoor mold’s potential health risks. What GAO Recommends GAO recommends that EPA use the interagency committee on indoor air to: (1) help guide federal research priorities on indoor mold and (2) help agencies better ensure that their guidance to the public does not conflict, among other things. In commenting on a draft of our report, EPA agreed with our recommendations. To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on GAO-08-980. To view the survey results, click on GAO-08-984SP. For more information, contact John B. Stephenson at (202) 512-3841 or stephensonj@gao.gov. Source: US Government Accountability Office

Hi, Those are all over the slate roof on the old elementary school in my hometown in Upstate New York. I know, because at the age of 11 I climbed up the qoins on the side of that building and used them to get a grip as I pulled myself over the edge of the cornice to get onto the roof and then drop down into the school through the skylight in order to do some mischief. So began my long grounded period wherein I was sentenced by my father to work for his construction company afternoons, weekends, and every summer vacation until I graduated from high school. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Here's another idea; I just went over to the Mike Holt forum and did a search for Iraq and came up with a bunch of discussions. You might find something there that you can use. http://forums.mikeholt.com/search.php?searchid=1097378 ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi, Joe Tedesco, one of TIJ's members, is enroute to theater and will be in Iraq for the next year. You should try to locate him and talk to him about this. Like you, he's got decades of experience as an electrician and he's a sort of electrical educator. I bet that between the two of you you'll be able to figure it out. S'funny, I thought everything being used over there was 240 volts. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Gold? [:-dopey]

OAK RIDGE, TN The U.S. Department of Energy's goal of a zero-energy household took a major step toward becoming a reality today with the formation of the Zero Energy Building Research Alliance, or ZEBRAlliance. The initiative is a partnership between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Schaad Companies, along with their architects BarberMcMurry, to develop and demonstrate new energy efficiency technologies for homes and help homeowners learn more about them. The announcement was made at a groundbreaking ceremony for four research homes being built in Oak Ridge by Schaad Companies, a 98-year-old, family-owned business based in Knoxville and specializing in construction, real estate development, and property management and investment. Schaad is building the houses at its own expense, and DOE and TVA are sponsoring ORNL to conduct the research and educate consumers. During the ZEBRAlliance groundbreaking, Jennifer Banner, CEO of Schaad Companies, remarked that a new era has just begun. "Working together, the ZEBRAlliance is changing the future of home building today," Banner said. Banner also described how new construction methods and materials are needed in the building industry the same way new types of smarter, more fuel efficient engines are needed for automobiles. "Intelligent, cost effective innovation is powering the ZEBRAlliance," she said. The homes, located in a residential community only minutes from ORNL, will be the first to field test several new products over the next two years such as the ClimateMaster ground-source integrated heat pump, a single unit in lieu of separate heating and cooling, water heater and dehumidifier, and new appliances from the Whirlpool Corporation. After the construction of the homes is finished, ORNL researchers will collect data and "tweak and validate" the technological components to achieve optimal quality and efficiency of the homes. "This collaborative effort will serve the Tennessee Valley consumer with technologies and building techniques that will help them reduce their energy consumption, saving them money and reducing electricity demand across the Valley," said Jeromy Cotten, TVA Research Project Manager. "TVA's goal is to reduce the Valley's electricity consumption by 1,400 megawatts by the end of 2012 and these new, efficient homes will help us meet that goal." This initial ZEBRAlliance project marks a significant step of moving the zero-energy homes effort by ORNL, funded from the beginning by DOE and TVA, from Habitat for Humanity in Lenoir City, Tenn., to homes more typical of the region's mass market. The collaboration with Habitat for Humanity resulted in construction of five near zero energy houses from 2002 to 2007 and produced valuable information for improving future homes. Through development of new technologies, fine-tuning existing ones and combining partners' resources, the ZEBRAlliance seeks to continue to lower energy costs and make the technologies more affordable. The goal is to eventually lay groundwork for a home that could generate more energy than it consumes over a year but cost the same to purchase and own as a typical house. "We commend Schaad for its leadership among Tennessee builders in joining the DOE Building America program's Builders Challenge," said Johnny Moore, assistant manager for Science, DOE Oak Ridge Operations. "This project will accelerate DOE's progress toward its goal of zero energy homes. It is a great example of science, government and industry partnering to improve the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings." Ted Fox, deputy director, ORNL Energy and Engineering Sciences Directorate, said "ORNL is proud to be leading the development and integration of new, energy saving residential technologies as a partner in this alliance. Without the sponsorship of the DOE Building Technologies Program and TVA these achievements would not be possible." The ZEBRAlliance demonstration homes will consist of about 2,800 square feet of living space. Construction of a home's shell or envelope -- the part that separates the inside from outdoors -- can have an enormous impact on energy use. Each home will evaluate the affordability and performance of one of the following strategies: -- Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) consisting of a foam core of insulating material with oriented strand board skins. -- An advanced stick-built wood framing system designed to reduce thermal short circuiting through structural members, provide cavities for ample thicknesses of insulation, incorporate a radiant barrier in the attic, and achieve air tightness through use of a Henry liquid applied weather resistive barrier. -- An insulating system that stores solar energy, shaving peak cooling loads by day and passively heating by night, coupled with other envelope features to achieve air tightness and weather resistance. --A conventional wood framing system with the insulation wrapped around the outside to eliminate thermal short circuiting through structural members, and use of a trowel applied weather resistive barrier. ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy. ### About the ZEBRAlliance The Zero Energy Building Research Alliance is both a research project and a residential energy efficiency campaign to raise awareness and support usage of green power, energy efficient appliances, and other products and initiatives. The founding members of the ZEBRAlliance are ORNL and the Schaad Companies. For more information, go to: http://www.zebralliance.com About Tennessee Valley Authority TVA is the nation's largest public power provider and is completely self-financed. TVA provides power to large industries and 159 power distributors that serve approximately 8.8 million consumers in seven southeastern states. TVA also manages the Tennessee River and its tributaries to provide multiple benefits, including flood damage reduction, navigation, water quality and recreation. http://www.tva.gov/ About Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the Department of Energy's largest science and energy laboratory. Managed since April 2000 by UT-Battelle, ORNL has a staff of more than 4,200, annually hosts about 3,000 guest researchers, and annual funding exceeding $1.2 billion. As an international leader in a range of scientific areas that support the Department of Energy's mission, ORNL has six major mission roles: neutron science, energy, high-performance computing, systems biology, materials science at the nanoscale, and national security. http://www.ornl.gov/ About Schaad Companies Schaad Companies is comprised of businesses owned and controlled by members of the John H. Schaad, Jr. family. Established in 1910, the businesses include residential and commercial construction, residential and commercial development, residential and commercial real estate brokerage and management services, equipment leasing, and investments. The company is actively involved in numerous community outreach endeavors and is headquartered in the historic Knollwood Manor on top of Knoxville's Bearden Hill. http://www.schaadcompanies.com/schaad/about.asp. About DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy manages 10 EERE programs committed to enhancing energy efficiency and productivity; bringing clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace; and making a difference in the everyday lives of Americans by enhancing their energy choices and their quality of life. The Building Technologies Program within EERE is the DOE sponsor of this work. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/office_eere/index.html

EPA's ENERGY STAR program and Consumer Reports share a common goal — to empower consumers to make more informed decisions about the products they purchase. That is why EPA is disappointed in the article titled, "ENERGY STAR has lost some luster" in the October 2008 issue of Consumer Reports. It misleads consumers. The article misses the basic purpose of the ENERGY STAR program. ENERGY STAR helps consumers not just find energy-efficient products, but ones that will cost-effectively help them save money while protecting our environment. Indeed, by providing this type of information for more than 15 years, the ENERGY STAR program has helped prevent 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles while saving Americans more than $16 billion on their utility bills in 2007 alone. To accomplish this, EPA initially seeks to have about 25 percent of available models meet the ENERGY STAR criteria when they are first established for a product category. Increasing the market share of qualifying products from their initial levels is a goal of the program — not a fundamental flaw or an indication that the requirements are lax, as the article suggests. EPA stands by the integrity of the ENERGY STAR program. The ENERGY STAR program includes a comprehensive set of activities to maintain the integrity of the label. Activities include testing of the performance of products where warranted, spot checking products pulled from the marketplace and coordination with a number of product testing certification programs. When issues are identified, they are addressed. The ENERGY STAR program now includes products across more than 50 product categories ranging from lighting to home electronics, office equipment, and home heating and cooling. In each case the ENERGY STAR criteria are based on established testing procedures for the energy use of the products. These testing procedures have been consistently updated as necessary to appropriately measure the energy efficiency of individual products, except in just a few cases. For information on the complete set of program integrity activities that ENERGY STAR undertakes, see the ENERGY STAR 2007 Integrity Report at www.energystar.gov/partners. Kathleen Hogan, Director Climate Protection Partnerships Division US Environmental Protection Agency

Des Plaines, Ill. From choosing a neighborhood to hiring a real estate agent to buying the right home, it's easy for potential homebuyers to feel overwhelmed by all the decisions that go into the home-buying process. Who can one trust and what can he or she expect? Just as the Founding Fathers of our country created the Bill of Rights to protect our citizens, the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) created the Client Bill of Rights to protect homebuyers. "Few things in life come with a guarantee," said Brion Grant, 2008 president of ASHI. "The ASHI Client Bill of Rights is a commitment that ASHI members make to their clients that they will uphold the highest standards and conduct a thorough, unbiased and honest evaluation of their home. It's another demonstration of professionalism and ethical commitment so their clients can feel confident about the decision to choose an ASHI Certified Inspector." According to Bill Loden, chairman of the ASHI Code of Ethics Committee, the Client Bill of Rights was designed to help the general public and clients of ASHI members better understand how the ASHI Code of Ethics serves them. “It shifts the focus from the inspector to the client,â€

Because of the bentonite! The crawl gives the clay the ability to expand upward and/or drop away, depending on weather and ground wetness, without heaving the floor or causing it to cave in. I know this is hard to wrap your mind around; it was for me too when I lived in Colorado Springs, but that's the way it is. Tell your brother-in-law to look around for what looks like a square scored on the concrete floor, put the tip of a flat bar into that groove, give it a whack and then pry up - verrrry carefully, or he'll lose it into the hole. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Hi Erby, Yes, that's true, they do have framed structural floors there but they also pour reinforced concrete floors over a crawlspace so that the basement floor is concrete and the crawl is, well, a crawlspace. That's what I'm referring to. What, you've never had a crawlspace under a concrete floor? Jeez, you're in Shangrila, Man! I've done my share of those even here in Seattle - usually under detached garages; one was under an attached garage. OT - OF!!! M.

Hmm, Why do I suspect that when you say this you're referring to those hands being full of someone of the opposite sex? [:-eyebrow OT - OF!!! M.

Hey, I only post what they send me. If he wanted to say Buyer's Agent, I suppose he would have. OT - OF!!! M.