Tom Raymond

Rust never sleeps.

It looks like closed cell. The applicator was fairly inexperienced, ccSPF is never smooth but it should not be that lumpy. It might even be DIY from a froth pack. ccSPF is generally between R-4 and R-6 per inch depending on density. For that application average the depth to get an idea of R-value. The area in your pic would be considered accessible and should be coated with an ignition barrier. There are several coatings that can be painted on, or it can be covered with drywall. Are water heaters routinely installed in unconditioned space in your area?

We're missing the boat. We shouldn't be clipping these, we should be invoicing them.

Merchants Mutual.

I could carry the NY minimum of 500k GL, but for less than $20 a year more I got a business owners policy that provides $2 million GL, $5k in medical, $20k in equipment coverage, and $20k in lost earnings coverage. It's under $500 a year. The policy is apparently popular with small farms, a couple years ago I got an amendment to the equipment coverage the specifically excluded livestock. $1 million Auto coverage is going to be impossible unless the vehicle is owned by the business.

Insurance is a racket, the numbers always favor the insurance companies.

It very well could be contributing, the prep on the last paint job was lousy from what I can see in the pics.

I miss my BASF turn table, and I'm a long way from 60. I had some old albums warped enough to require a quarter for ballast.

Dow is covering their corporate arses. Code says vent it so they say vent it. The ideal solution is to spray it, but gutting it, spraying it with closed cell, and refinishing it will cost more than towing it out and pulling in a new unit. Google flash and batt, then replace the spray foam with at least R-10 rigid foam. I like 1" isocyanurate. As long as you fit the foam carefully it works really well. If you want maximum insulation for minimum dollars then find a reputable cellulose company. They can install mesh and dense pack the cathedral area, then blow in the attic area. You should be able to acheive an average R-50 for less than $2000 and not have to remove much more (if any) of the interior.

I don't get the fascination with touch screens. Sure they're intuitive enough for my 2YO to operate, but I find them clumsy to operate with my big paws. My wife has a 7" Galaxy tablet and by the 5 minute mark I'm so frustrated with it I am literally ready to toss it out the window. By the seven minute mark I either shut it off or hand it to my boy to avoid acting on the previous impulse. It's completely useless.

Given the amount of iron in the water mark on the wall I find it hard to believe it's condensate.

It's real. This pic is from a new addition. The attic is glass insulated while the cathedral is foam. Download Attachment: foam v glass.pdf 248.84 KB

It's all about cost. My spray foam rig sell lots of cellulose. R for R, the cost per SF doubles from glass to cells or Roxul, and again to ocSPF, and again to ccSPF.

Don't vent the cathedral ceiling, insulate it. A down and dirty foam insulation for tight spaces that works well and is cheap to apply is: -cut rigid foam insulation to fit tightly between the rafters. Press it tight to the roof deck. Shoot for R-10. -install your 5" Roxul to the interior. -apply your vapor barrier. You get an R-34 assembly. If you can afford it, 7" of open cell spray foam will yield R-22 that will out perform R-38 fiberglass. Blow cellulose into the attic areas to at least R-50.

I never thought of flooring the tank to increase recovery rate. Maybe... never mind, my 11 year old would never get out of the shower.

In case any of you missed it, JLC recently ran this article on a Florida home builder specializing in remediating homes with chinese drywall. Enjoy.

I have a giant burner, supposedly for boiling water. Really it just spreads the flame to 5" rather than 4". The "Scientific" cooking instructions enameled inside the oven and broiler doors are a hoot too. I wanted the fire engine red Chambers C I found in an Angelica antique store, but your commercial monster was probably cheaper. I got the Roper in Ohio for $150, and had to rebuild the oven thermostat a few months after we hooked it up for another $300. If the oven sits idle for more than a month or so I have to pull the burner and clean the spider webs out of the orifice. It burns sooty when the little buggers get in there.

That is precisely why I have a 1946 Roper. It takes a full 15 minutes to hit 400 degrees but it will stay there as long as it has fuel. The only electric is for the task light.

The water has likely been there a while, but that particular shroom could well have appeared over night. Fungi grow incredibly fast.

Agreed. I have an elderberry in my yard and it looks nothing like Lambs tree. I haven't had elderberry wine in ages. My shrub throws just enough berries for a pie, if I get to 'em before the birds do.

Looks like the original goop to me.

Add plumbers putty if the fit is a little loose for one ring. Putty will help fine tune the fit to the floor too. Also pick up a repair flange. The last two loose thrones I've tried to fix had bent or broken flanges that would no longer hold onto the bolts.

So they could prime it. The damned things always run dry.

I want my clients there. I've had clients follow me onto the roof and into the crawl. It's their house, they should know what their getting themselves into. Eric, I'd be far more concerned about safety than liability crawling around a house by myself. Who is going to call 911 when I pass out in an attic, get stuck in a crawl, or fall off a ladder if I am the only one there?

Is that in a real printed and distributed publication or just on the web? It smells like the manure over at AR.