kurt

This is interesting. Concrete housing. Didn't work out so well. The entirety of all Chinese construction is concrete boxes in varying forms. Pure concrete construction without a lot of very thoroughly considered and applied moisture and energy control elements, is a really lousy way to build a residence. I saw a lot of problems. Big. Problems. Not surprisingly, I saw a lot of different waterproofing coatings being sold at storefront shops in every city and village. OTOH, I went through a few early to mid 19th century rammed earth and mud brick houses covered about 1/8" thick with some seemingly very pure lime. This was in low elevation mountains with no freezing, but wildly changing inclement weather. Lotta rain, high winds, etc. In the locations where the tile roof was still functional and other drainage considerations were present, the mud and lime walls were in perfect condition and the interior dirt floor space, while obviously raw and primitive, was dry and was reasonably comfortable. The interiors were also heavily smoke stained from smoking meat and portable heat sources, hung with drying corn, potatoes in corners, etc., but it was probably pretty comfortable for 150-200 years ago.

I thought any Word based program could do columns.

It looks like carpentry sawdust, or the mother of all ant infestations. Maybe repair dust after attempting to eradicate the mother of all ant infestations.

That's exactly right. I only fiddle around with boilerplate when it's filling in a lot of spaces, like FPE panels, or EIFS, my blurb on smoke alarms, or other issues that require a paragraph. Most of my stuff is a short single sentence, sometimes a couple. It's often easier to simply type. It can get easier, sometimes a lot easier. Easier involves rethinking report format and interface options. When you're in Word, you need to think like Microsoft needs you to think. There are better ways.

I'd think so. Why are folders necessary? All my comments are in one big pile. I can sort them in an instant with a couple pull down menu commands, or a specific word/phrase search. Someday, I'd like to teach a course in database techniques. All the goofy report generation software seems to make work, not reduce it.

Yes. AFAIC, it's for the ecomansion crowd.

I'm curious. Aren't folks comment libraries word or phrase searchable?

I've been corrected by the Green Brigade about geothermal and ground source so much I've gotten skittish. Geothermal is directly tapping inner Earth heat source, i.e., Icelandic type thermal springs or similar. Ground source heat pump is the term applied to what we usually see, i.e., "wells" and some form of transfer system. What's it called everywhere else?

It's probably a ground source heat pump arrangement; I doubt it's geothermal. Lottsa stuff to talk about. I'd start by getting the installer and engineering involved.

Wow. Pretty good. You may be able to turn the dehumidifier off entirely.

Not necessarily. It's a weird thing. I've seen exactly what Jerry did, and it's not gorf in the jets. I've pulled a bucket of water out of those tubs, and when placed in a different fixture, it's pure clear and clean. I'm reasonably certain it's some weird refractive effect with a certain type of plastic. Maybe I got it wrong.

That'd be about what I'd guess. At this point, it doesn't matter. You've made as much improvement as anyone ever makes. The RH is going to be whatever it is. Find out and tell us; it's useful nerd data.

That kind of mess is hard to clean up satisfactorily. More accurately, it's hard to find competent people that want to mess with something like that. I've seen amazing things done with muriatic acid, and getting mortar out of nooks and crannys in rough brick, but it's a pita.

No, within the scope of internationally recognized water quality standards, Chicago has some of the best in the world. I could go into all elements of the debate regarding what constitutes good quality, but our water is top of the pile for major municipal supply. The green water phenomenon seems to occur with a certain cheap plastic tub. It's weird, but I've seen it. I've even taken a gallon of it up to see if it's the water or the tub...it's always the tub. Another argument to tear out stupid plastic bubble tubs....

I've seen the same thing. I think it's reflection/refraction off the plastic tub.

You take the information verbally. I don't know if they have a user directed way to do it.

It may indeed be what he says it is, but he's taken a roundabout horribly phrased bit of language to describe it.

Square does online. You need the 3 number code on the back and the zip code where the card mailing address is. I do it all the time. It's a slightly higher rate, I think 3 3/4%.

Back at the start of the boom, I recall going to the lumber yard and seeing some new iteration of siding every year or so. There were a lot of fake wood sidings that were sold in 32" and 48" sections.

Of course it is. It may continue to do so. But at least you have taken the steps where a dehumidifier can start to incrementally bring RH down and keep it down. Before, running the dehumidifier was silly; there's no way you could appreciably effect RH without a vapor retarder. You will notice variation between seasons, or at least I would expect you to see some differences. How much, I have no idea. Gotta measure to know. Understand, that little amount of concrete that allows a termite inspection will wick some amount of moisture into the place; no way around it. But, it's not likely to significantly effect RH.

It looks like a reasonably competent job in a complicated environment. Retrofitting that crap around a lot of columns and existing mechanical (even if it's something as simple as a couple drains) takes a surprising amount of time; it's an ass kicker. You will notice a difference. I would be surprised if you didn't.

That's the Home Depot take on Delta FL. If you're using a subfloor, you want it. Carpet on concrete, get spun pad.

That's right as far as I'm concerned.

I've taken to pulling corners of carpet when I'm inspecting finished basements (that have carpet). The tack strip is almost always stained and stinky, and if you lift the foam pad, it stinks like mold. I suppose in a bone dry new house basement with capillary breaks, drain tile, and every other iteration of moisture control, it would be fine, but I don't see many of those.

I wouldn't call it junk. But, I've found moisture barriers in basement carpet pad to be like moisture barriers in walls or anywhere else; where is moisture going to go if you block it? We've always used the spun poly pad because it breaths.