The Home Ownership Thread

[RedLantern]

Good idea, will do.

Any ideas for an energy auditor that will shoot straight? I'm reluctant to hire any of the small local companies because it seems they are only in the business of sales and would not give me an objective report.

 

[Ataturk]

The only thing I could suggest would be to get a recommendation from somebody you know and trust. Good luck with that. I don't trust those guys either.

On the my-home front they're predicting frost and maybe a light freeze next week. Just my luck...

 

[RedLantern]

Just get done planting?

 

[E TF]



What kind of insulation do you suggest? The house was built in 1960. The attic is already insulated, and we're putting in some new windows next week.


http://www.seattle.gov/light/conserve/resident/homeheating/cv5_fcc.asp

^
Shows that the average house with an older oil furnace in Seattle should spend about 1850 per year on heat, at $3.75/gallon - heating oil is now north of $4/gallon. In addition, our house at about 2800 sf, is nearly twice as large as the average Seattle home (1460sf).

How are the walls constructed. A lot of UK houses of that era are made of block work with an outer skin of brick, and a small gap in between. Having that gap filled with insulation (drill a few holes in the outer skin and pump it in), is very effective.

 

[RedLantern]

Standard dimensional lumber framing with nice thick wood siding.

 

[Ataturk]



Just get done planting?

Sort of. I took the greenhouse down and returned the ornamentals to their various places in the yard. They'll have to be collected together and covered. Oh well, I own frost cloth for a reason.

I did have a small vegetable garden but it got drowned last week. Rain gauge only goes up to six inches so I don't know how much fell. Have not replanted them yet. This damn weather.

This year I'm also trying a redneck container garden, which has a lot of advantages over planting in the ground -- drainage, mobility, disease. Two of those have proven decisive already!

 

[JohnGalt]

Thought it would be a great idea to pressure wash the deck prior to taking out the patio set. Did a great job...and then I noticed that the exhaust from the washer melted my siding.

 

[JohnGalt]



I recently put one together.  I purchased the large one they had on display in their brick & mortars.  Be prepared to clear a few days of any scheduling to complete construction.

- Also, are you planning on excavating the area below or what surface will it be resting on.

I excavated only the base so that the main structure was level. My total time in was 14 hours.

 

[Ataturk]

Supposed to get down to 30 degrees tonight and frost to boot. Second latest freeze in this town's history.

 

[texas_jack]



Supposed to get down to 30 degrees tonight and frost to boot. Second latest freeze in this town's history.

we got an inch of snow yesterday

 

[Medwed]

waiting for AF with global warming remarks in one two three.....

 

[Douglas]

One of my kitchen faucets has suddenly lost about half its water pressure. My wife noted it to me yesterday.

I see no evidence of a leak anywhere, under the counter or in the rafters in the basement ceiling where the feeder lines go in.

Aerator issue? It's a pull-out head; I'm not even sure how to get to the aerator.

 

[Ataturk]

I bet it's plugged up somewhere. Google up the instructions on how to clean it...

Or do yourself a favor and take it apart and toss the thing in the garbage--at least the flow restrictor parts. I hate low-flow kitchen faucets.

 

[upthewazzu]

Standard dimensional lumber framing with nice thick wood siding.

Do they frame with 2x4 or 2x6 over there? They generally use 2x6 here on the East side of the state so they can jam in more insulation.

 

[upthewazzu]

On the my-home front they're predicting frost and maybe a light freeze next week. Just my luck...

Mother's Day is the rule of thumb around here. Even that is optimistic some years...