Tom Raymond

Looks like an optimal place for a grow; isolated, semi-secure, and irrigated. You definitely need to advise them to dry it out and secure the lid. Joe's idea for the basement access is a good one, but in my experience sealing the water source is difficult and opening the cistern introduces a new leak into the basement. The last one I ran across originally supplied water to 3 homes. It had a 4" overflow that couldn't keep up with the spring supplying it.

That's a new duplex receptacle rated CO/ALR and is suitable for 10 or 12 gauge aluminum wire. The pigtails are there to increase the billable hours rather than improve the safety of the system. The electrician is an idgit.

How deep was the cells? Once you get to R-45 or so (15" applied, 13.3" settled) it pretty much is an air barrier.

Sarah, the difference between open and closed cell foam is a threshold. If 89% of the cells are closed it's considered open cell foam, 90% and it is closed cell foam. The gas is hydrogen and oxygen, the most common blowing agent in SPF is water. The feel of the foam is a density issue, measured as the weight of the foam in pounds per cubic foot. With foam manufactured in place (like spray foam insulation) it is more reliable to make dense foam with a closed structure and light foam with an open structure, but they are not mutually exclusive.

The lead and oakum are missing at the hub....

That was a wise decision.

They dumped the kitchen exhaust into the withe space? Yuck.

Back to the OP, isn't one of the benefits of renting that when the shit hits the fan you call the landlord? That'd be my first call. There's three different types of distribution pipe and you have an active leak, sounds like time for a fourth.

I'm thinking that those *are* the step flashings. Me too.

Flashing in general has become a dying art. It has been replaced by flanges, tape, mastic and channels. It started in the 70's when brickmold gave way to nail fins. It's coming back because manufacturers are requiring it but its an up hill battle, they have conditioned builders to avoid it. Unless that J flash (we really need to come up with a more accurate name) is made of steel or copper it won't last any longer than (read: probably not as long as) the cover. If the builder is tight enough to pinch the $6 it would have cost in labor and material to step flash that correctly I would guess it's the thinnest, cheapest coil he could get his hands on. I only see that silliness here when they cover an existing house in corrugated steel. Every one of them leaks.

Recycling electrical equipment is for out buildings. Anyone got an FPE I can use for my shed? It's insured for $27k.

This is exactly why this is a bad idea. Proper detailing is what makes these junctions work. Throw that out and everything else gets improvised. They even botched the lazy valley detail. FTR, I don't dislike that valley method, but for crying out loud how hard is it to cut the angle correctly? If this level of finish is acceptable, what on earth are they allowed to cover up?

I had a similar complaint this past summer. Realtor harrased me for 2 days. They didn't expect me to fix it, but 15 - 20 texts an hour asking me to validate a dozen different scenarios every few hours was pretty annoying. Turns out the seller busted the main stack when they removed a very heavy wooden workbench from the basement.

Denny, how cold does it get in Eureka? I ask because in my climate we should be covering the studs under the tub, we never do though. The discoloration on the insulation is dust and debris sucked out of the crawl into the cavity under the tub, into the wall and eventually out whatever your attic vents are. Just like your furnace, this air flow will be much more efficient if you replace that dirty batt. I'd do a little airsealing while that's open.

Did anyone notice the scale of that cable? There's no way that is zip, looks more like UF.

In my town there are two hamlets and two volunteer fire companies. We haven't had a controlled burn in over a decade, the liability insurance is more costly than the demo and disposal.

I just bought a pair of those, but without the word "cargo" in the discreption. I figured I did not need the built in knee pads. They are absolutly great! I haven't tried any of the fire hose gear yet but I have several pair of their ballroom jeans. I highly recommend them.

I carry a bag o tools that I usually drop in the kitchen, grab what I need and go. I wouldn't mind a holster for my flashlight, but the one I have fits pretty well in my back pocket. If I don't feel comfortable leaving my tools unattended my bag has a pop up handle and wheels so it can go with me pretty easily. Is it just me, or does using a hammer as crack spackle seem a little uncomfortable?

Because the shingles at the eaves rusted through and the roofer couldn't find tin shingles. Follansbee makes a tern shingle similar to that, it's stamped on dies from right around 1900. They're not cheap, about $600 a square. http://www.follansbeesteel.com/products/roofing-systems

$18-2400 is pretty typical here. He's using an SD panel because it comes with an installed main and a dozen breakers for around $150 at the box stores. I doubt they come with AFCIs. Nearly all of the utilities here will replace the overhead at no charge when they connect a new service. If the service is antique, the entrance cables usually are too.

You need to locate the source of humidity and remove or manage it. Turn off the humidifier-you clearly don't need to add any more moisture to the air. Stop using any unvented gas heaters. Relocate the aquarium. Make the dog sleep in another room. Turn down the heat-cooler air is drier air, even a few degrees will make a difference. Check out the furnace and water heater and make sure the vents are connected. Run the bath fan when you shower and leave it on for at least 20-30 minutes after you are done, there are timers that will do this for you. If you have heavy thermal drapes over the windows open them during the day. There are literally hundreds of other similarly simple solutions. Keep trying until you find the one that works for you. Lastly, there are dozens of varieties of 'double pane' glass. They range in energy efficiency from a Hummer to a Prius. If yours are closer to the Hummer variety, there will be condensation on them from time to time. That's just how it goes.

Except those are batts, Kibble's stuff is clearly blown in. The color of stabilized cellulose is changing. As newspapers shrink, local weeklies merge or disappear, and magazines go digital, manufacturers are looking at different material sources. Up to 1/3 of Applegate cellulose is made of 'brown board', essentially cereal box material. It's very dark grey. I've never seen it black.

No I haven't. When Katrina hit two of my brothers were working for a tree service and went down for the clean up. The work was hard, conditions were unpleasant, and the people were...well, people. I recall one story about a homeowner pissed that they dug up his lawn with the prentice loader. I've heard Fabry's stories. I hope my experience is less colorful.

Funny Blum. Make sure you read the COE (hint, you gotta leave the dog home).

I just registered to do FEMA Disaster Inspections. The Independent Contractor Agreement states that I am responsible to comply with any local licensing laws. Considering the hullabaloo over FHA inspectors and consultants and State licensing I am wondering if State HI boards are applying the same logic here? Do I need a NJ license if FEMA wants to send me to Hoboken?