Tom Raymond

Every one is right about the seal failure, but... Those spots indicate a soft coat low e, and if it is not replaced with glass from the same manufacturer your client will see a difference in the color of the glass which can sometimes be very significant. If the windows are vinyl they very likely have a "lifetime warranty" and the seller should be made to replace them, or provide the warranty info to your client at the very least. Wood windows typically carry a "10/20 warranty", 10 years on the window and 20 on the glass (often prorated after 10). Soft coat technology became very widely used about 10 years ago, so warranty may not fully apply if they are wood. High performance glass is not exorbitantly expensive, but it ain't cheap either, and since there are so many different varieties, I would strongly advise having the seller involved in the replacement process. Tom

John, That happens all the time. Usually it's because the contractor has run out and grabbed whatever is available at the closest supplier. Occasionally (read almost never)it is because there is to be multiple wall covering materials and each has different requirements. Not all wraps are created equal. Tom

This might sound like a stupid question but... if that snaps onto the tank, and possibly penetrates the shipping carton, could it be a breather vent for shipping at high altitude? Foam insulation could expand at lower pressure and possibly damage the shell. Tom

The CYA call out is "Mineral Siding". Face nailing is the correct method but it looks as if too many of the wrong nails were used. The correct nail has a very small head, ring shank, and is galvanized, kinda like the painted paneling nails at Big Box Mart. What you have there almost certainly contains asbestos (like 99.9%). The only real no no with that stuff is cutting it with a saw, the dust is nasty. In my area it is not considered hazardous waste and homeowners who remove it themselves can place it at the curb for disposal. Professional removal requires a hazmat transfer permit (basically an extra $30 to $50 tax on the dumpster) but the material goes to the same landfill. No certification required to handle or dispose of. There is new material that looks the same but is fiber (glass) reinforced cement that can be used to replace damaged or missing pieces. Tom

I don't have any answers for you, but man I want one of those setups for my place. My wife won't keep her hands off the stats at home, if I stuck that in the crawl she'd never touch it again! [:-dev3] Tom

Yeah, It ain't perfect, but what do you expect for free from the tightwads that run this state. Still better than buying the hard copy. Tom

A MW circuit would trip the GFCI nearly every time the circuit was used. Here in lies the problem. How much you wanna bet the GFCI for the washer and drier IS the multi wire circuit? Prior to the GFCI requirement it was common practice to split the hot side of a duplex to create two dedicated cicuits. If this building was roughed in with a MWC and then a GFCI installed on the finish then one hot lead is protected and the other is connected to the load terminal and is not protected. If this would work without causing the breakers to trip, then it would very likely cause the GFCI to malfunction. Tom

He obviously raided his garage for that one (and all the hose clamps). A trip to autozone and he could have found one that more closely matched the bends he needed[:-bonc01] Tom

Hi All, Just got this at my day job and thought it was worth posting. The NYS building, fire prevention, and energy codes are available online, FREE, viewable by section, and cut/paste-able into other documents. http://www.dos.state.ny.us/code/ls-codes.html Happy Reading, Tom

My bad, probably a little snippy for my first post here but I've been hanging around and feel I know some of you guys. I do know Chad and his, shall we say, fondness for proper terminology. "Step flashing" in the local jargon would be woven into courses of shingles of some kind or other that is then covered on the vertical side by either the siding or a counter flashing or both. In any event, the proper technique for John's post would be for a continuous flashing from the wall onto the waterproof membrane under the metal, a bead of approved sealant, the metal roof panel, a bead of approved sealant, another continuous flashing, and a counter flashing that is cut into the brick. What he has is a sloppy metal roof-over that is unfortunately all too common. Tom

And you use that radiant heat loop often in Florida[^] Tom

Hi, Been lurking here for a while and finaly had to say something; how is it that all of you missed the fact that this is a standing seam roof and can't possibly have step flashing? Chad you'll never live that down! BTW, that detail sucks. Tom