randynavarro

Hot water lines freeze more because heat loss is greater (and faster) from something hot as from something colder.

I've heard about a development in Issaquah full of these houses. I believe the goal was to work toward net-zero energy usage or thereabouts. Is this part of that development? No HRV? Dumb. Somebody really forgot something.

I think I've found a new calling.

Yea, that look like a hole for the probel for a combustion analysis tool.

That's good. The green/sustainable stuff is here to stay,though. The tide has started and ain't no stoppin' it. I'm for all the stuff that makes sense, but not the hype. I'd love to build a home someday that spins my electrical meter backwards, and produces 100% of it's own heating/cooling. BTW, LEED is a huge buzz word and for many, it seems to be the holy grail of sustainable construction. Trouble is, they don't have strict requirements on how much energy the building consumes. One can build another McMansion which can suck the power plants dry, but as long as all the materials in the home are sustainable/recyclable/durable, they get high LEED marks.

I've been using Xtend n Climb for maybe 4 or 5 years now. At least once, I didn't get the pin on one side of the rung to lock in place. The telescoping portions of tubing have such tight tolerances, tough, that they wouldn' slide down because they got bound/pinched by the unevenness of my body weight while standing on that rung. I think the locking mechanisms on Xtend n Climb and Telesteps are entirely different. I find it impossible to have catastrophic failure with the Xtend n Climb because of the tubing tolerance issue I just mentioned.

Wow. How much more vague can they be? Hopefully, there's another document the state has published which details the qualifications for such a green inspecting unit. If the gummint is mandating, soundl like an opportunity. I have mixed feelings about that scenario.

Could be lots of things; probably a bit too complex, at least in my mind, to troubleshoot over the internet. You'll need to call in a guy who know those systems and can troubleshoot if for you.

From the Journal of Light Construction: "In order to receive stimulus funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (AARA), the governors of all 50 states agreed to adopt the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code as a "target building energy code." Adopting the code is expected to result in a 15 percent increase in residential energy efficiency (compared with levels achieved under the 2006 code). And now, courtesy of a recent grant from the Department of Energy, builders wondering what the new code has in store for them can download a digital version at no charge, rather than buying the code books from the International code Council." The free download is available at: http://www.iccsafe.org/store/pages/doeregistration.aspx

I agree with Jim's posts so I'll add another comment I give when asked about health hazards in homes. "Did you drive on the freeway today? How much particulate and exhaust were you exposed to?" This might be a more apropos response than the McDonalds or BBQ analogy. Yes, we have choices about what we eat. We don't have choices about the air we breathe while simply driving.

When folks ask if asbestos in the home or lead paint or other such items are dangerous, I promptly respond, "Have you ever eaten at McDonalds?" Most of the time they get it.

You've been in the DC area I presume This is construction in America. I think English is a second language for most of the building trades regardless of geography.

I bought a headlamp from Sears interestingly enough. I've used a headlamp from day one and couldn't/wouldn't be without it. I believe the lamp produces 170 lumens (Fenix produces 220 on high, I think.) The headlamp was less than $20.

PDFill costs $19.95 but it lets me do just about anything I want with PDF's. It's worth $20 to me.

I guess I don't mind that folks use my services. But I don't like folks using me personally. Most all of us are one man shows. We're not cranking out widgets to be used as part of a process. We're hired because we're unique individuals with something to bring to the table. I never used my mortgage guy. He helped us re-finance our home. I've never used my mechanic. He does great work on cars, is honest, and can fix it right. I've never used my dentist. He cleans my teeth.

I've disliked the term "used" for years, but I haven't figures a diplomatic and respectful response. What do you say Kurt?

I haven't seen issues as obvious as what you describe, but even yesterday, saw some LP groove panel siding that didn't make me comfortable. The edges were slightly swollen but not delaminating...enough swelling to show the nails as sunken too far. I can not find any corroboration or hard facts from other sources that are recording consistent failures.

Hmm... I wouldn't think they'd let things go like that in a 7000 square foot mansion.

Yea, Jim. . . .dummy.

That reminds me of the radiant heating class presented by Watts a few years ago for TIJ folks. As I learned, training straight from the manufacturers easily surpasses most of the mundane C.E. stuff we all have to wade through every year.

Are you going to beat it before or after checking out some high quality porn? That made me laugh.

Got it. Cool. I'll beat this thing yet!!!!

Well. . . I'm now running Microsoft Security Essentials, ran a 2 hour scan with only 1 infected file as a result. Hmmmm... And by the way, my 'puter use is clean. This is the first time I've ever had to deal with a supposed virus or trojan. I tried to click on our vet's web site and boom. . . .screen goes crazy and up pops Smart Engine, which I soon learned is a bad thing. Chad emailed a probable fix. Thank you, Chad.

I've supposedly obtained this virus as I discovered yesterday. I'm running the free version of AVG and after a 2.5 hour scan, it didn't find any affected files. I've downloaded 3 virus/spyware apps after googling "Smart Engine" and all three apps find over 200 affected files but won't remove them until I pay for their service. Any thoughts? Which anti-virus program should I run with?

Sounds messy. However. . . .it is stll unclear whether the actual Kitec tube itself is the problem. It appears from your tale that zincification of the fittings is still the main culprit--which is the consistent issue with the research I've pursued. In your adventure, did you or NW Mechanical ever ascertain whether the tubing itself was the problem?