John Kogel

Spelling is hard for some folks, but they should realize this and hire a proof reader before printing off a bunch of goofy unprofessional labels. I see Fewer Boiler is a local Chicago co.

If that were the case here, the shoulder of every road would be comprised entirely of gypsum. That is coming soon. New rules for old drywall in effect since Dec 2015. I expect to see a lot of drywall thrown in the bush. People dump on old logging roads here, any road that doesn't have a gate becomes a dump. Here is a pic from my righteous trip to the landfill. Dumping was $16.50, sacks cost $24. Click to Enlarge 60.67 KB

Wonder if he ever compared the cost of labor for cutting it up to just tossing it? Dumping old drywall is not cheap anymore, around here, anyway.If we can't prove a date more recent than 1992, it is treated as Asbestos. It needs to be cut into small squares to fit into $4 double plastic bags, taped, goose necked and taped again. Then a time must be arranged for when the landfill can accept those sacks, which are weighed and billed by weight. I recently disposed of 4 9 foot sections of old drywall, cost about $40 for 6 sacks.

Yes, that is extreme, but I have seen efflorescence like that. Here, it will usually be in a crawlspace with a thin concrete skim coat. Moisture evaporates and leaves those calcium(?) crystals behind. Nobody ventures down there so after a long period of crystal buildup, you see plumes like that. There is a moisture problem under that floor. Perimeter drainage around the footings is not working. If there is a vapor barrier under the concrete, it has gaps or holes in it. But if the drainage was correct, a few gaps would be irrelevant. Make sure the downspouts are not delivering water to the footings. It used to be standard practice here to run downspouts into the perimeter drain system. All very well until the flow gets restricted with sludge, plus the crap from the eave troughs.

Double post.

Originally posted by John Kogel Ditto on the timers. Almost as complex as thermostats sometimes. I try the slow speed, and if the fan responds, leave it alone. []

New rule here - the bath exhaust fan runs on low speed 24/7. A switch puts the fan in high speed. Passive air intake vents have to be installed in the upper quadrant of the walls. The continuous exhaust fan is supposed to overcome the problem of poor air circulation, houses built super-tight to meet the new energy rules. So because the house is now super efficient in retaining heated air, we have to pump that warmed air out. []

It should be. It's almost unbelievable. Yeah the tank can blow a big hole in your roof but, is the TPRV is actually blocked by having the handle up against the wall? I have come to believe it is not. Correction - I just tried the one I've got, and the valve can't be pried open when the handle is clamped down.Even so, the purpose of the handle is to operate the TPRV manually from time to time to make sure it works and is not seizing up. So it is still negligent for a plumber to shove it against the wall. So I call it interfering with a safety device.

Yes, this shaft is exposed, too. []

I've got one in my junk box. Can't say when I'll have time to saw it in half, tho. []

Chad, you've got to learn to be more specific. [] If you mean a Watts TPRV, Pretty sure the plug floats on the shaft, safety feature. But a rusty shaft might prevent movement, no?

Try using a chemical cleaner on your cedar before repainting. Spray on, wait 10 mins, wash it off, and the cedar comes out looking like new. I can't think of the trade names right now.

"chickenshit." Three syllables, yeah, that works. []

Ditto, the exhaust fan is sometimes a major issue, depending on the clients. I always point out a fan that is missing that baffle plate. That is the part that gets left in the box, along with the instructions in 4 languages. [] Not a big deal but where do you buy that trim piece? It maybe calls for fabrication by a skilled metal artist or a full replacement of the range hood. Some of the microwave units have an internal baffle that just needs to be turned, although the whole unit has to be removed to fix it. So yeah, it can cost a few bucks to fix it.

If I was paying a mason to lay up block at my lake house, I would probably want him to leave the mortar sloppy just like that. [] Agreed, show the clients pics of hidden areas and that would be the time to cover non-issues if they came up.

A company called Breaker Connection sells replacement breakers that are the same as GE. It is old equipment that should be upgraded, and certainly needs to have the cover removed for a good look inside. As you already know. [] "Continental Type AH Panel Board Switches Same as GE Type TNP"

Either your compass is out of whack or the sun is shining down from the North. No matter, we get the general drift, shady wall. My guess is somebody sprayed the wall to wash it and didn't rinse the sludge off very well. But, no, never seen that pattern before.

Care to Elucidate that for us?

It is a fault in the design or the execution of a simple job, building a building. Most likely the AHJ of the time never saw those faults. But you did so, call it out. No harm in pointing out flaws. JMO, opinions will vary. []

Sometimes the spreaders are left in and the wall forms rest on them. But that looks wider and thinner than the usual planks used.

In the earthquake zone, I would improve the shim under the I-beam with a steel plate or two. In the first pic, I would build a form around the post and dump in some concrete. All this if it seemed necessary, that is.

And the flexible conduit is missing.

I warn the clients it could be an insurance concern. They need to arrange insurance for their mortgage.

If the router has an 'on' mode and an 'off' mode, make sure it is 'On'. No kidding. Mine has a blue light that shows it is 'On'. Never noticed until it was 'Off' one day after a power outage. This is true for a router that displays a menu. If that is an older light switch, maybe replace it. I imagine there was a surge of current great enough to trip the breaker. Usually the little filament in a light bulb will not carry that many amps for more than a milisecond before it fries away. So we should suspect other components in that circuit, maybe the light switch. Maybe that surge hit your modems and fried them too, eh? []

Van Gogh was a bricklayer too? []