Hmm, will likely be wiping down walls and everything else for awhile, not to mention HEPA vacuuming the (disaster remodeled) house, I suspect drywall dust will be a major contributor to PM2.5. Might even do a wet mop of the floors before they start re-flooring... #dust#remodeling
Finding windows which meet the "Energy Star Most Efficient" U-factor (insulation measurement) of <= 0.20 looks to be a challenge for suppliers in Southern California. Was able to get close, but not to the highest standard. (SHGC--a measure of how much heat your windows absorb in the sun--I did manage to beat by a significant factor). #Windows#EnergyEfficiency#climate#energy#remodeling#retrofit
Today's home improvement task: cut an access hole in a ceiling, install insulation the remodeling crew missed (because I was not there that day to cross check them), close up access hole. Detected via FLIR. I had mentioned it to the project manager but they still didn't do it (should have documented it in an email). It's about $20 worth of insulation plus the hassle of cutting a temporary hatch, but getting them to fix it would be a major hassle. It just gets mentioned on the after-install report to the insurance company, ie. "how would you rate their work". 🤨 #disaster#remodeling
Today's (insurance) remodeling lesson: always trust the paperwork over the project manager. (the project manager asked us to remove pictures from a wall -- which was a lot of work -- because they needed to paint the wall, but they're not actually going to paint that wall). #remodeling#disasterremodeling
Hmm, window manufacturer who don't post their U-Factor and SHGC get removed from my consideration mmediately for a window replacement (both are published results on how efficient those windows are). I don't care how nice your photos look, what styles you have, but how efficient they are... #windows#remodel#EnergyEfficiency#energy
"I'd like to get a quote on your highest performance windows" doesn't get window sales people as excited as you might think. Neither does "I'm an engineer, so I'm interested in performance, and don't care about the other stuff". What I did not say was: "getting the highest performance windows on the market will be well worth it because of climate change and coming heatwaves, and this will help mitigate some of that" #climate#remodeling#heatwaves#windows
Ha, it appears that (by code), I actually am supposed to have an attic access opening above my garage (for firefighting/safety reasons). I guess I'll do that (and finish off insulating those walls). Basically, cut a hole, add 2x4's around the hole, put in framing, drop in a piece of plywood, paint it. #diy#remodeling#attic
Home remodeling lesson of the day: plumbing valve stops come after drywall and paint, and a good plumber will cap off the affected outlets so drywall/painting is cleaner and faster. #remodeling#plumbing
New fancy ($) USB power outlet installed. Also secured the killer switches the flood mitigation crew left dangling... too easy to fry yourself with them dangling out of the box. #remodeling
Home renovation lesson of the day. Fireblock foam expands. A lot. Sealed up all the between floor intrusions, which was not required in the 1970's, but is now. #remodeling#diy
Today's lesson for running Ethernet cabling: do not affix box to the wall until AFTER running cabling. It's way easier to fish cable from the hole than through the teeny opening. #Ethernet#diy#remodeling
LVP Luxury Vinyl Plank (not mine, this is a commercial location). Not a bad flooring option, definitely can handle abuse and pets, from what I am hearing. I guess the main issue is outgassing after install for a few days. #remodeling
#Random stuff I learned this week: Low voltage devices should be routed independently and away from any kind of power, to separately colored/marked low voltage boxes (NEVER next to AC). And you need to use Plenum grade Ethernet cabling to meet code compliance (for fire safety). And there are nifty things called "Nail plates" to prevent people from accidentally nailing or drilling through your important stuff (i.e. electrical, plumbing) #Ethernet#remodeling
If you had to replace an old, 1970's sliding closet door (which doesn't work anyway), what would you replace it with? (somewhat limited space, small bedroom/office) #remodeling