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Psst, Hey Chad, sheer this! [%|]

Need to know and understand more about cross-linked polyethylene - PEX? If so, download a free 128-page .pdf copy of the Plastic Pipe Institute's Design Guide For Residential Pex Water Supply Plumbing Systems by clicking here.

Okay, You folks that attended the Watts course last week are going to love this one. Straight from the August 10 edition of Radiant & Hydronics E-news. How many errors can you spot in this DIY hydronics installation? When you finally give up trying to figure it all out, click here to read the hydronic pro's assessment of this Rube Goldberg arrangement.

This new tip How To Minimize Buckling of Asphalt Shingles is FREE from the APA-Engineered Wood Association. It'll probably come in handy for new construction when the builder goes into his, "There's nothing that can be done about buckling asphalt shingles!" rant. To get your copy or to download it so that you can print more copies, click here. P.S. In order to download this document, you may have to register at APA. If so, go ahead; it's free and, other than their email newsletter that tells you what new pubs they've got available every month, they won't ever spam you.

If you're really and truly interested in finding out all you can about upcoming "green" technologies, you should probably start visiting Build Central's Green Building Talk Newsletter forums. They're broken down by subject: ICF's Forum.SIP's Forum. Radiant Heating Forum. Geo-Thermal Heat Pump Forum. Solar Power Forum. General Green Building Subjects Forum.

The August issue of JLC Update contains a link to a pretty good tip about shear wall from the JLC Field Guilde. To learn more, click here.

At nearly $40 it ain't cheap, but, if it's anywhere near as good as some of the other offerings from JLC, it'll probably be a good addition to your home inspection library. Check out the Journal of Light Construction's New JLC Guide To Moisture Control. Maybe you can convince the spouse to get it for you for Christmas or your next birthday.

Since I'm not a real estate agent, I'm beginning to think that it might be a good idea to have a newspaper column wherein I give advice to the masses about purchasing real estate and how to deal with real estate agents. After all, they all profess to be experts about what we do; after 11 years of watching what they do, and how many of them are constantly screwing their clients, payback would indeed be a b***h. Read it here.

Here's an article about a 47,000 square foot building that is one of the first LEED-certified straw bale buildings in the world. You aren't going to believe what they're doing with straw today! To read the article, click here

Well, if you've ever wanted a cabin in the woods, here's a chance to win one. DIY Network has been running a six week series about building a log cabin on Thursday nights and it will end September 27th. Visit the site to view the videos of the process and enter for a chance to win the finished product. Just remember, if you win this thing, you've got to pay the taxes on it, so winning it can be a blessing and a curse at the same time. To see more, click here. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

For those of you down on the Gulf Coast, HGTVPro.com has put up a whole new site dedicated to new rules for construction in hurricane zones. To learn more, click here.

Now that the deadline has passed for some folks' CEU's, it's time to begin garnering points for next year. Certainteed has just added two new courses to their already extensive lineup of on-line continuing education courses. Take advantage of these - you'll probably learn something; I know I did. The new courses are Procedures for Successful Built-up Asphalt Roofing & Repairs and Modified Asphalt Roofing & Repairs. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

Okay, I've just updated that chart again and have incorporated some information into it that was sent to me last June by Don Martin of HouseMaster in Bakersfield, CA Many thanks Don for your help!!! ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike Here's the updated chart: Download Attachment: FURNACE AGE CHART.doc 34.79 KB

Hi All, Not that I want to send you all to another forum, but sometimes it's not always possible to get a warm and fuzzy from answers about plumbing, electrical, or HVAC issues here on TIJ. When I ask a question here about plumbing, electric or HVAC, and am not really comfortable with the answer, I like to back the answer up by going to an expert in that particular field. So, I'd like to recommend that every one check out Terry Love's Plumbing Forum and use it to backup answers about plumbing issues when necessary. Now, in the interest of educating your home inspection brethren - if you go to Terry's site to get the answer for a tricky question that you were unable to get here on TIJ, please come back to TIJ and share the question and Terry's answer with us. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

If you're fascinated by Building Science related topics, you're going to want to add the National Research Council Canada website to your list of building science favorites - especially their Construction Technology Updates, which I find particularly useful. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

I think so but for years have had a hard time convincing people - especially those in the southern states - of that fact. Here is what a couple of contributing editors at the Journal of Light Construction Paul Fisette is a well-known building scientist) have to say about the subject. Click here Click here Click here ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 Housing starts fell 2.6 percent in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.331 million units as the downswing in the housing market continued, according to figures released by the Commerce Department today. Starts were down 19.1 percent from a year earlier, falling to the lowest level in 12 years. Starts of new single-family homes were down 7.1 percent for the month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 988,000 units. The August pace for single-family construction was 27.1 percent below a year earlier. "Today's report is very much in line with what builders are reporting in our own surveys -- that they are cutting back on new production and focusing on reducing their inventories by offering a variety of incentives to boost sales and limit cancellations," said Brian Catalde, president of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from El Segundo, Calif. "The housing market is still contracting, but yesterday's action by the Federal Reserve to cut the federal funds and discount rate calmed the financial markets and sent a message to American consumers that our central bank intends to ensure that the economy continues to move ahead," said NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. "This will help to support housing, especially if the Fed takes further action in the months ahead. We expect starts and permits to bottom out by mid-2008 before a systematic recovery process gets underway." Multifamily housing starts increased 12.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 343,000 units for the month. The pace of multifamily construction was 17.9 percent above August 2006. Total building permits fell 5.9 percent in August to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 1.307 million units. Total permits were down 24.5 percent from a year earlier. Single-family permit issuance was down 8.1 percent to a pace of 926,000 units for the month. This was 27.9 percent below a year earlier. The rate of multifamily permit issuance, 381,000 units for the month, equaled the July pace but was 14.6 percent below the August 2006 pace. Regionally, starts of new homes and apartments were up in the Midwest and South in August by 4.2 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively, because of an increase in multifamily construction. Housing starts were down in the Northeast by 37.7 percent and in the West by 18.4 percent. All four regions reported a pace of construction well below a year earlier. # # # #

Hi All, There are a lot of folks in the plumbing and mechanical end of the construction business that swear that they owe their very business survival to this lady. Listen to her! OT - OF!!! Mike

Hi Les, Out in the spare freezer in the garage there's about 15lbs of frozen/shelled walnuts. Every year at this time my wife raids the little overgrown town park nearby and collects a construction site cleanup bag full of those things and then very laboriously sets about drying, shelling, packaging and freezing the danged things. She even cleans the brown inner shell off the meat of the nuts before she freezes them! I don't know how she does it - it must be a cultural thing - because it's so mind-numbingly tedious that I can only do it for about 15 minutes. I guess that until we experience "The Pulse" or a nuclear Armageddon that returns us to the last century, I'll buy them in the store when I need them but I can feel secure in the fact that my other half is superbly equipped to live off the land what with all of the ferns, walnuts, seaweed, and the myriad types of kimchi that she makes or prepares. Nice forelock in that picture with Lea, by the way. I guess that was back when you had a full head of hair. At least you haven't lost your propensity to flirt with the younger ladies. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on the U.S. House of Representatives to approve legislation this week that would allow the Federal Housing Administration to insure more home loans and address problems in the subprime mortgage market. Underscoring the importance of this issue to the housing community, NAHB sent a letter to every House member urging them to support H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007, when the bill goes to the House floor later this week. “Because this measure is so vital to restoring the FHA’s capacity to support affordable mortgage financing and to allow the agency to address problems in the subprime mortgage market, NAHB has designated passage of H.R. 1852 as a key vote,â€

Okay, So, tell me more about how this would work. How does the single-family homeowner get his system hooked up? What's the ballpark cost for a residential type setup? Is this a situation where a whole neighborhood must sign up or it's too cost prohibitive? You're not telling me a whole lot here and I don't have the time to try and decode all of the stuff on the site that you linked. If you want home inspectors to tell their clients about this kind of stuff, you first need to make us understand what it is, how it can be integrated into a single-family home, and why it's a benefit to our clients. ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!! Mike

For those of you here in the northwest who are American Express OPEN® cardholders, American Express is offering its cardmembers the unique opportunity to learn how to better connect with your customers and build your business through e-mail marketing. These seminars are FREE and are designed to show you how easy it is to: Build a targeted e-mail list that delivers real business results Create e-mail newsletters and promotions that are relevant, focused, and effective View your results instantly and use these insights to improve future programs Stretch your marketing dollars - get started for as little as $15 a month PORTLAND SEMINARS October 9, 2007: Doubletree Portland October 10, 2007: Embassy Suites, Portland Airport To register, click here. SEATTLE SEMINARS October 17, 2007: Hilton Seatac October 18 2007: Crown Plaza Seattle To register, click here. Find out more at opensavings.com.

Hello Home Inspectors! Join me for this month's RED HOT Teleseminar Topic: A FRESH Approach to Customer Appreciation - a Bare Bones system for showing your customers you LOVE them! We all want to be LOVED. Think about all the wonderful opportunities you have because your customers loved you enough to buy from you. When you show them you love them - even AFTER the sale is complete - you set the stage for a lifetime relationship...and more SALES. My Guest Star - Lori Saitz of www.zenrabbitbc.com Lori is a fireball! I love her energy and enthusiasm. She will share a simple approach to consistent customer love and care. This is a great way to differentiate yourself from your love-'em-and-leave-'em competitors. Love makes the world go 'round...and the cash register RING. The Teleseminar Date is Wednesday, September 19th at1:00 pm Pacific Time2:00 pm Mountain Time 3:00 pm Central Time 4:00 pm Eastern Time Bring your customer care questions! We'll put Lori on the spot to share real world tips in real time. And...some GREAT NEWS. I have made the sign up process for this FREE Teleseminar soooo much easier. Just click here for the sign up form. "See" you at the Teleseminar! xox$, Ellen Ellen Rohr Bare Bones Biz, Inc. www.barebonesbiz.com 3120 S. Know It All Lane Rogersville, MO 65742 417.753.1111 phone 417.753.3685 fax contact@barebonesbiz.com

Hi Les, Don't forget to ensure the name of the file doesn't have any blanks or special symbols and it will display. OT - OF!!! M.

Gary, I gotta say it; you're so friggin smart it's scary. OT - OF!!! M.