Recent content by JCByrd24

I think there is a some misinformation and misunderstanding here with regard to water heater vs boiler. Flail has it right, there is absolutely no issue with using a tank water heater for this service aside from the space sacrifice of the tank itself. The issues and debate apply to tankless...

I did my propane modine. Pretty easy. I'd never done gas before but it was pretty straight forward and a buddy of mine works for a distributor and is a former tech so had the equipment for doing the final hookup on gas and signed off on the install for me. I'd bet if you do most of the install...

This, or at least most likely. Even if your problem goes beyond this, this is very important. The warm moist air from showering if leaking into a cold area will condense and given this is a daily occurrence will never dry properly. Understanding the importance of controlling air leakage has come...

I'm not expert in the specifics of this hazard but use brake cleaner and weld on a regular basis. My understanding is that in your situation you should be fine. As old wizard said brake cleaner dries/evaporates very very quickly, I don't think days old cleaner is a concern at all. I think the...

Your best bet for what you are trying to accomplish is a cheap window AC. It's basically the same machine as a dehumidifier but you put the hot parts on the outside. Won't cost any more to run.

You didn't mention any under slab insulation did you? If you don't have it you're pumping a bunch of heat right into the ground, especially on start up.

I had never done block work before and did my own stem wall, it looks significantly better than this.

Google "AWC span calculator" to find the calculator I used. If you have a lot of wind and are really concerned, pay attention to joining the roof to the walls properly and then anchoring the whole business to the ground.

Assuming #2 SPF in Maine. I can't help directly convert depth to psf but if you are doing what those inputs suggest you don't need to worry about snow and you are way overbuilding. Doing as suggested above and just upping the number in the AWC calc I'm seeing over 200lb/ft^2 live load, just...

It could be either mold or soot. Air leaks will carry moisture with them and condense on cold surfaces, which can then cause mold. Other times of year it might be perfectly dry as it is now. Air leaks would certainly carry soot too but I don't think it would have spread that much from the leak...

Very good point....cost wise barely any difference.

I love this idea. Should work great. I have solar panels on my roof and the hardware holding them together is tiny in comparison to anything on a lift. The racking is around 2.5" x 1.25" aluminum extrusion. The lift will be fine, the structure on top will require some design work.

2nd the multitool recommendation, especially if you specifically want a grinding wheel on the other side. I have one on an old 8" Craftsman block grinder and it's amazing. The multitool itself is great, but it needs a good grinder to power it. I can't remember the amperage on mine right now, but...

Without knowing our location a couple of general comments. First the code required vapor barrier on the warm side is likely outdated and should be adhered to with caution. Current code regulation talks to vapor retarders and drywall with latex paint, OSB, or spray foam (or combination thereof)...