Jim Katen

Damn. Now I have to review my company's safety protocols for romaine lettuce.

I hear this all the time, and I always tell people that it's a bad idea. Here's why: You have a 1940s basement that was never designed and built to be waterproof. Attempting to make it waterproof now will suck a lot of money from your wallet, might or might not work, and could cause unforeseen consequences - such as damage to your foundation. It's a recipe for disappointment and unhappiness. My best advice: Align your expectations with the reality that you have a 1940s basement. Maintain your gutters and downspouts, direct all downspout water well away from the house, adjust the grade in your yard so that the soil slopes away from the house for at least 10', and finish your basement in such a way that occasional water entry won't damage any finishes.

Hey, I did that show in college.

Well, I agree that all of those things are "cost estimates," but I also think it's critical that we provide a customer with some notion of the expense associated with these repairs. As you said, the first thing that they ask is, "how much?" The fact that everyone asks the same thing tells you something about what our customers need from us. If I don't know what something will cost, I say so. If I have a good idea of what it'll cost, I also say so. People have always appreciated this and no one has ever expressed the least dissatisfaction with my honest opinions. I'm still waiting to see the hard & fast legal requirement that forbids providing this information. No, the insurance company doesn't get to dictate it. Where's the enforcible law? If it's important, shouldn't it be easy to find?

I think that flashing at the lintel would be fine. It's a rain screen system. We assume that water will run behind it; we want a way for the water to flow back out at the window opening, not above it.

This is one rare circumstance where the ASHI Reporter article is correct. With Watts, it's easy. They print that information, almost verbatim, on the little yellow tag attached to every TPR valve. I usually just snap a picture of it. With Cash Acme, it's a bit harder. I wrote to them and they sent me a response, which I quote to anyone who cares. They gave me permission to share that response:

The next time they have a report writing seminar, ask them to try to find an instructor for whom English is not a second language and who doesn't advocate writing in pidgin. As for the estimates, I'd also like to see the part of the association standard that prohibits it. If your instructors have this much trouble writing clearly, perhaps they also have trouble reading clearly. The two frequently go together.

I don't understand. You live in a rented home. Is the owner having this work done or are you having the work done? You say it's "family owned." Does that mean that *a* family owns it or does *your* family own it? Why are you taking apart work in a house that you don't own? Please explain what's actually happening here.

I need a Dramamine.

Was it located in a conditioned space? If it's in an unconditioned space, I'd seal the open unused plug (and the condensate line cleanout opening). Otherwise, I wouldn't care. Was it set up as direct vent or non-direct vent? If it's a direct vent setup, I'd seal the unused openings at the burner compartment because only outdoor air is supposed to be there. In a non-direct vent setup, I wouldn't bother.

It ain't goin' nowhere.

One of the problems with that much wear in the joint is that the fully extended ladder wants to rock back & forth across its range of movement. Several years ago, someone posted a video of a guy who fell for exactly that reason. He had the ladder sticking up several feet above the edge of the roof and as he climbed it, he pushed forward on the top of the ladder, which caused the top to rock forward, the middle to rock out, and the bottom to pop out from under him.

They don't carry the 13-footer, which is my favorite length. They also don't take online orders. For now, I'm fine with my Werners. But if I ever need another, I'll definitely give them a call. Look at the gal in the picture again. She's using it in an unequal step ladder mode.

As far as I know, we can't buy Jaws ladders south of the border. I'd have to drive up to BC to pick one up.

I've never owned a Little Giant, but neither of my Werners hyperextends like that. I'd stress test it and see whether or not that center joint is moving.