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TPO is only popular because the first makers jumped on the rode the EnergyStar/ LEEDs train. Sure, it's easier to install than a BUR, but the long-term performance potential really isn't there. Now that some newer info is out in the wild that indicates reflective roofs aren't the best thing to...

can you access the vents to close them off when you will have the heater running? 80,000 BTUs blowing right out through the endwalls doesn't sound like an economical way to heat.

The vapor retarder goes on the warm side (i.e., interior) side of the insulation. The purpose is to prevent moisture from the warmer garage interior from entering the insulation where it will then condense on the cold metal siding.

A water-cooled roofs would have had the supporting structure designed to carry the load. Same for water-retention roofs. These worked well when coal tar was the roofing bitumen in the built-up membranes. Asphalt-based membranes proved to not hold up nearly as well.

Dang, thought those 4G63 blocks were about as bulletproofing as you can get. What killed them? Very cool table, too!

pics desperately needed...

They definitely are working against heating the garage and should be closed off. maybe you can cut some rigid insulation and use that to cover the openings for the winter. If you don't use AC in the summer, you can open the louvers back up again and let them vent out the hot air that builds...

I'm a little confused. Are the vents above or below the roof insulation? They would be very counterproductive WRT interior comfort if they were below the insulation.

The 'relief cuts' (contol joints) are what are intended to control shrinkage cracking early in the curing process. Cutting them now will not provide any benefit. If you need an expansion joint or two, those need to be cut through the full slab thickness, and from end-to-end of the slab. But...

If the crack is only widening, and not cycling from narrower to wider and back, then there is instability in the substrate. It could be from water getting in there somehow. Is this a crack in exposed paving, or in a slab inside a garage?

I'm not sure where you are exactly in North Texas, but the IRC shows portions of the northern part in climate zones 2, 3 and 4. They only require vapor retarders in zones 5, 6, 7, 8 and Marine 4. So it looks like you are in a part of the country where VRs are not typically needed.

May not be necessary in North Texas. The requirements vary depending on which 'zone' you are located in (per IRC). In an area controlled by heating days (i.e., Detroit) , it would be short-sighted to not have a VR on the warm side of the attic insulation.

If you will heat the garage you should have a vapor retarder on the underside (warm side) of the insulation. Otherwise you will get condensation in the insulation and it will lose it's insulating ability which could also cause damage to the wood trusses over time.

You should maintain a vent space below the wood framing for long-term durability. If you need a stronger floor either sister the joists or tear out the wood system, prep the subgrade and install a concrete slab. You could also remove a portion of the flooring where you want to install the lift...

The spray foam I've seen used had a 50 deg F minimum application temperature. Not air temperature -- the substrate temperature. Part of the issue is condensation; a tiny spot of water will grow into a big blister.

Pier system, mud jacking or both? Mud jacking will not typically fix a foundation issues, unless it is to correct settlement and the settlement has stopped.

I have never heard of a building code that specifies a depth of snow. The IBC, IRC and local codes have minimum 'ground snow load' requirements (in psf), and you then go through calcs for drifting snow, snow falling from adjacent higher roofs, etc. that may raise the requirement above the **...

FYI for the DC area: - 25 psf base snow load and 90 mph wind - At the eaves and ridge, the 90 mph design wind speed will result in ~20-25 psf uplift. - The snow load will typically be less than the 25 psf base snow load due to the roof slope; probably closer to 20 psf. So as a carport it...

Maybe, but you specifically asked about painting on the design :-)

After prep, paint it with epoxy coating. Then coat the whole thing with a compatible clear.