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I'm never buying another piece of Ducane equipment in my life. Have bought two heat pumps in the last few years and it never fails that something breaks at least once a year. Split unit upstairs was built with a plastic primary pan and apparently the coil fell at some point and broke that pan, so it needs to be pulled out to fix. Not so bad for a day considering downstairs is still cool enough. Same day the fan stops working completely in the downstairs heat pump. Now when the fan run it makes this awful gurgling sound and pushes almost zero air to the registers. It's 91 degrees upstairs, 85 degrees downstairs, and right now I almost miss apartments.
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Jun 15, 2022 00:55
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SkunkDuster posted:We recently had quite the hailstorm and I'm getting a new roof out of the deal. The contractor I've spoken to says they primarily use GAF Timberline HDZ and GAF Timberline Harvest. The problem is that I want blue shingles and GAF doesn't make blue shingles, but Owens Corning does in their True Definition Duration line. Looks like the price per bundle is within a buck or so between the brands, so I don't expect the contractor to have a problem with that. Are the Owens Corning shingles any better or worse than the GAF shingles? You're asking them to use a completely different system that may have different requirements and underlayment materials as well as flashing and drip edges in order to retain manufacturer's warranty. This sounds like a bad idea and like you chose the wrong shingle or the wrong contractor - your choice on which one.
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Jun 15, 2022 01:16
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Motronic posted:You're asking them to use a completely different system that may have different requirements and underlayment materials as well as flashing and drip edges in order to retain manufacturer's warranty. This sounds like a bad idea and like you chose the wrong shingle or the wrong contractor - your choice on which one. I'm guessing they use GAF because that seems to be all Home Depot sells. He did say, "primarily", so maybe they are also familiar with what is needed to meet the manufacturer requirements for Owens Corning (I didn't realize there was so much to it). Assuming they are fine with either brand, then back to the original question - Is the Owens Corning True Definition Duration line any better or worse than GAF timberline HDZ or Harvest lines?
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Jun 15, 2022 01:52
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SkunkDuster posted:I'm guessing they use GAF because that seems to be all Home Depot sells. He did say, "primarily", so maybe they are also familiar with what is needed to meet the manufacturer requirements for Owens Corning (I didn't realize there was so much to it). Assuming they are fine with either brand, then back to the original question - Is the Owens Corning True Definition Duration line any better or worse than GAF timberline HDZ or Harvest lines? To expand on what Motronic is saying, often contractors are only certified or approved or whatever to work with and warranty one brand of product. They can probably put an Owens Corning roof on just as well as a GAF one, but because they haven't been to Owens Corning Roof School or don't have a relation with the local sales rep or whatever, Owens Corning will not offer a warranty if your unapproved/certified contractor puts on one of their roofs. Your contractor probably doesn't want to go to Owens Corning roof school just for your roof, and they may be stuck with only using GAF stuff for some reason. I recently ran into this with getting a metal roof coated. The guy a friend recommended is only certified for Sherwin Williams' roof coating. I'm sure he could quite competently put down any other roof coating, but the manufacturer wouldn't offer a warranty unless one of their approved contractors applied the coating. I really liked the contactor and he came very highly recommended, so I'm getting Sherwin Williams roof goop on my roof because that's what he works with, even though I would have preferred a different manufacturer's products. E: if your roofer is buying a roof's worth of shingles at home depot, find a different roofer.
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Jun 15, 2022 02:04
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Thanks for the replies. I've certainly learned a lot about the ins and outs of roofing just from your reply and Motronic's. I'm already getting kind of a bad feeling about this contractor based on a couple things, so I'm thinking of going with my gut and contacting one of the local roofing contractors listed on the Owens Corning website. But, back to the original question, is there much difference between GAF and Owens Corning or are all shingles pretty much the same in terms of quality and longevity? Another side question I had about shingles is dark vs. light. I live in Minnesota, so the initial thought would be dark because it will keep the roof warmer during winter and melt the snow quicker. On the other hand, my electric air conditioner is a hell of a lot more expensive to run than my gas furnace, so that is kind of a wash. Also, I live in a rambler/ranch home with a vented attic so I'm not sure that would make much difference anyway. I am curious about how well shingles hold up over time to high temps. Regardless of the climate, would a white shingle last longer than a black shingle based solely on the fact that they would absorb less heat?
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Jun 15, 2022 02:21
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SkunkDuster posted:But, back to the original question, is there much difference between GAF and Owens Corning or are all shingles pretty much the same in terms of quality and longevity? No. These are well understood commodity products with warranties from massive manufacturing companies. Until you start asking about "Joe's Downhome Shingle Company" products, which may be the best goddamn thing in the corner of that state for their particular weather or repackaged poo poo they buy from the town dump, it's all the same. What matters is the installer and the quality of install.
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Jun 15, 2022 02:32
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Motronic posted:No. These are well understood commodity products with warranties from massive manufacturing companies. Until you start asking about "Joe's Downhome Shingle Company" products, which may be the best goddamn thing in the corner of that state for their particular weather or repackaged poo poo they buy from the town dump, it's all the same. What matters is the installer and the quality of install. Thanks. I was worried that I might be making a big mistake in quality based on color preference. Now that I know that, I'm going to call some other Owens Corning certified contractors tomorrow.
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Jun 15, 2022 02:53
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SkunkDuster posted:Thanks. I was worried that I might be making a big mistake in quality based on color preference. Now that I know that, I'm going to call some other Owens Corning certified contractors tomorrow. Owens Corning architectural is what I normally specify, you're good. Recently they've been running out of certain colors (I understand they are running the more popular lines to keep up with demand, pausing production on less popular products). So ask specifically about the one you want. That said, last time I ran into an out of stock color was late last year.
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Jun 15, 2022 03:01
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I had a buddy deal with a roofer who came to drop off supplies and tried to charge them because they needed a different crane. My friend told them they did a site survey so why would they not account for that? Then they dumped the materials so they could bring a crane. Instead of Landmark Pro that got quoted the stuff dumped was regular Landmark. They called and got offered cash for the difference but asked that they get what was specced. How likely is it this roofing company usually pulls this scam and charges people for higher tier products? If they had managed to put them up on the roof the first time my friend would have been none the wiser.
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Jun 15, 2022 04:52
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Whole lotta roofing companies are fly by night and shady
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Jun 15, 2022 12:14
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Hed posted:How likely is it this roofing company usually pulls this scam and charges people for higher tier products? 100%, and they're likely to bail on any job where someone calls them on it.
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Jun 15, 2022 14:21
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Redoing vinyl in kitchen-should I just put new over existing or rip out the old/in with the new? The installer said to rip out and replace subfloor would cost $1k. Pretty sure the existing linoleum is from 1988.
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Jun 15, 2022 14:51
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brugroffil posted:Whole lotta roofing companies are fly by night and shady Insurance adjuster since 1985, can confirm. nwin posted:Redoing vinyl in kitchen-should I just put new over existing or rip out the old/in with the new? The installer said to rip out and replace subfloor would cost $1k. If everything is flat & level & there's no loose underlayment, sure, go for it.
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Jun 15, 2022 15:08
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What can anyone tell me about Modified Bitumen roofing? I finally settled with my insurance company and that's what my roofer is suggesting. Google makes it sound nice. This is a flat, mansard roof.
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Jun 15, 2022 15:21
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Deviant posted:What can anyone tell me about Modified Bitumen roofing? I finally settled with my insurance company and that's what my roofer is suggesting. Not my favorite choice, but what matters most is what your installer recommends (assuming they have a long track record and are willing to stand by their work). Be aware that there are several types of Modified Bitumen systems, some require 'torching' the roof down which is not something I would recommend due to structure fire risk. Here's a vendor that sells a bunch of different membrane systems including adhered and torch MB. Just in case you want to browse their information. I typically recommend a TPO or EPDM roof membrane instead of MB. https://www.mulehide.com/Roofing-Products/c/Membranes
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Jun 15, 2022 15:31
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Tezer posted:Not my favorite choice, but what matters most is what your installer recommends (assuming they have a long track record and are willing to stand by their work). Be aware that there are several types of Modified Bitumen systems, some require 'torching' the roof down which is not something I would recommend due to structure fire risk. I am actually replacing a TPO system that is past its usable life. The quote I got for the MB system was $33k, and while I'm still getting quotes, my insurance check is about $36k. Additionally I'll have to put gutters on, as I don't have any at this time (yeah i know) Edit: I re-read the estimate, it's a self adhering mod bit, not a torched. quote:SCOPE OF WORK: Deviant fucked around with this message at 15:39 on Jun 15, 2022 |
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Jun 15, 2022 15:35
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nwin posted:Redoing vinyl in kitchen-should I just put new over existing or rip out the old/in with the new? The installer said to rip out and replace subfloor would cost $1k. First of all, yes, you should take out the old vinyl if possible. This doesn't mean taking out the subfloor unless it's really masticed down. You would replace the subfloor if the subfloor needs replacing (damage, soft spots, etc) and not just because or just because the old linoleum won't come up. $1k sounds like a goddamn deal for replacing the subfloor which leads me to believe they aren't doing it properly (which would include pulling all base cabinets to do the entire floor of the room).
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Jun 15, 2022 15:55
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Air sealing is the hobby I never knew I needed in my life.this thread posted:Roofer thinks there might not be a leak, it might be another case of moist air causing condensation. There's a clear gap in the sheet rock/vapor barrier right where the damage is. Next step cut open more drywall, see how bad it is in there. Here's a wide angle while the roof was opened up.  The skylight over the ladder is an exploratory hole I cut. The strip of light to the right of that is where the gap is large. It's dark to the left because the gap is much tighter. The rot was all the way across though, which undermines the moist air theory slightly. Here's some more details of the wall they left unfinished (and my hole)      In the last one you can see daylight between the header and the post. This is right below where the damage was the worst. I can see why they didn't finish this wall. Even if we take the doors off, it's a pretty finicky drywall job that doesn't appear to do much (unless you've been made ultra paranoid about moist air infiltration). I'm not sure what the best way to handle it is (well yes, I know the best way is to throw the whole house away and start fresh. But even if money were no object, am I able to find a builder who would do better?). Seem the options are- -Just seal best we can with the doors in place -Take doors down, finish the wall, put doors back. Not sure if these same doors would mount properly again, some of the brackets protrude above the plane of the ceiling drywall right now. -Remodel the wall/door to a different setup. Is there a french door or sliding door setup that is worth a drat?
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Jun 15, 2022 20:08
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If that damage was caused by "moist air infiltration" and you've replaced the decking and the roofing material properly you should have another 85 years before you have to worry about it getting that bad again. (your roof was leaking) (and if anyone was seriously concerned about moist air infiltration they should have replaced the decking with marine plywood)
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Jun 15, 2022 20:13
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Well I’m an idiot and made my first mistake as a homeowner- I assumed. Went to mount my tv about 4” below where the previous owner had mounted his. I used a stud finder and verified that, but I must have drilled through a wire because the power in the living room doesn’t work and the breaker in the basement tripped for the living room. I’ve got an electrician coming out tomorrow but I have no idea what to expect. He said his rate is $90/hour. Best case is I guess he’ll have to knock some holes in the wall to see how much wiring I hosed up, and then replace at least that much. No clue what code would require to see if he can even just replace a few feet of wire or if he needs to replace the whole thing. Basically no clue what I’m up against.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:16
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nwin posted:Well I’m an idiot and made my first mistake as a homeowner- I assumed. There is a UL listed hidden splice. It will take basically an hour and then you get to patch it and paint it. Or they can cut a box if they need to do anything more complicated. This is easy.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:36
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H110Hawk posted:There is a UL listed hidden splice. It will take basically an hour and then you get to patch it and paint it. Or they can cut a box if they need to do anything more complicated. This is easy. Nice! This is the one and only time I plan on drilling into the wall, so hopefully this doesn’t happen again. I think it was the lag bolts that did me in-I read that wires are supposed to be far back enough that you shouldn’t hit them with a nail or screw on normal occasions.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:38
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If you don't already have an outlet box behind the TV, this could be a good opportunity to add one
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Jun 15, 2022 20:44
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brugroffil posted:If you don't already have an outlet box behind the TV, this could be a good opportunity to add one Good point. There’s one below the tv about 3-4’ but it’d be nice to have it hidden completely.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:51
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Legrand (and others) make slick recessed A/V boxes like this: https://www.legrand.us/wiring-devic...ite/p/tv1wtvssw Your can get ones with different low voltage inserts or even just the brush passthrough. Keeps everything neat and tidy behind the walls.
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Jun 15, 2022 20:55
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nwin posted:Nice! This is the one and only time I plan on drilling into the wall, so hopefully this doesn’t happen again. I think it was the lag bolts that did me in-I read that wires are supposed to be far back enough that you shouldn’t hit them with a nail or screw on normal occasions. Drilling into the wall is nothing to be scared of, just need to take the normal precautions. I would recommend you pick up a stud finder that also alerts you to AC current behind the drywall. You can also kinda intuit where wires might likely run based on where outlets are located but it's reasonable that someone would be unable to guess that correctly.
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Jun 15, 2022 22:32
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After all my hard work replacing attic insulation, my 2nd floor is currently sitting at 92F. It's 74F on the 1st floor.   Anybody ever install a ductless system with either a floor or ceiling mount unit? Due to my sloped ceiling there is essentially no exterior wall space to mount a wall-mount unit. I do have an interior wall that I could potentially mount a unit on but a ceiling cassette would really be ideal.
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Jun 15, 2022 22:59
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My installer said he wouldn't even consider a ceiling unit. With wall mounted units, the condensate can just flow away with gravity, but with a ceiling unit there has to be a pump to get rid of the condensate, and they're loud and not reliable apparently.
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Jun 15, 2022 23:10
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H110Hawk posted:There is a UL listed hidden splice. Tell me more about this please.
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Jun 15, 2022 23:14
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FISHMANPET posted:My installer said he wouldn't even consider a ceiling unit. With wall mounted units, the condensate can just flow away with gravity, but with a ceiling unit there has to be a pump to get rid of the condensate, and they're loud and not reliable apparently. Well, poo poo.
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Jun 15, 2022 23:16
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BonerGhost posted:Tell me more about this please. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Tyco-Electronics-Romex-Splice-Kit-2-Wire-1-Clam-A22899-000/202204326 I learned about it from the electric wiring thread. Ceiling cassette: Technically you can get a gravity drain setup going with a ceiling unit. It sort of depends on how you wind up mounting it and if you're lucky. Sounds like you might need a pump though. Those pumps last plenty long but they are a wear item as far as I know, but I'm no pro. I wouldn't let that stop me. H110Hawk fucked around with this message at 23:21 on Jun 15, 2022 |
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Jun 15, 2022 23:18
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H110Hawk posted:https://www.homedepot.com/p/Tyco-Electronics-Romex-Splice-Kit-2-Wire-1-Clam-A22899-000/202204326 Unless something has changed that I'm not aware of, this is literally the only code compliant splice period. Just to make sure everyone understands this: You can't splice behind a wall. It has to be in a box and the box has to be accessible. So unless you want a blank wall plate where you did the patch this Tyco splice is literally the only option.
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Jun 15, 2022 23:28
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Sirotan posted:Well, poo poo. FWIW we had to use a pump on a mini split unit and we were able to put it in separate spare room and the installer seemed to make it seem like a pretty common practice. We also had a floor unit installed as well an we were surprised by how small it was and how much more integrated into the room it appeared versus the typical wall mounts. We got them installed a couple of months ago so I might eat my words on things but we're really happy so far.
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Jun 16, 2022 01:27
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Motronic posted:Unless something has changed that I'm not aware of, this is literally the only code compliant splice period. But, that splice exists and works very well. I used one last year on a run I didn't want to re-run and it was a little bit of magic.
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Jun 16, 2022 01:32
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EVERYWHERE 
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I'm sorry my mind is just blown that there's a legal way to connect wires in a wall that isn't a j-box. Also a little mad I didn't know about this sooner, but mostly just mind blown.
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Jun 16, 2022 01:39
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BonerGhost posted:I'm sorry my mind is just blown that there's a legal way to connect wires in a wall that isn't a j-box. They're expensive. And I don't think you really want to use one unless you really need it. A blank cover box will blend in better than you think it will in a lot of instances.
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Jun 16, 2022 01:45
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I'm wondering if it's legal in Chicago, Land of Conduits e: VV oh right duh brugroffil fucked around with this message at 03:00 on Jun 16, 2022 |
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Jun 16, 2022 01:49
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brugroffil posted:I'm wondering if it's legal in Chicago, Land of Conduits
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Jun 16, 2022 02:26
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The Dave posted:FWIW we had to use a pump on a mini split unit and we were able to put it in separate spare room and the installer seemed to make it seem like a pretty common practice. What's the brand/model of the floor unit you had installed?
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Jun 16, 2022 03:06
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You might be surprised at where they can install a unit, wall or floor or otherwise, and it might be best to have a couple installers out to take a look. I looked for Mitsubishi Platinum contractors on their website, and picked 3 and called them up. They were all happy to come out and give free quotes, as it's a big enough market here I think that the companies can have at least one person dedicated to just making those quotes. We have the external unit on the north side of the house, with one interior unit upstairs in our bedroom, also on the north side. That one goes up the exterior wall, into the house throw my closet and into our bedroom. The other unit is on the main floor on the south side, so that run goes through the basement and then up the exterior south wall to the interior unit. Which was all more than I thought would be possible. The installers will probably have ideas for getting something into your upstairs that you won't even have considered.
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Jun 16, 2022 03:26
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