Today I purchased a digital level that can produce an audible tone when level or matching a programmed slope. I found it convenient enough to simply read the digital screen for the slope. The display can be configured to read in degrees, inches/ft, or percentage. I also procured some velcro tape from my mom, and used that to affix the level to the pipe. Then I was free to adjust the height of the pipe until just right, and nail the hanger in place.
Hanging pipe
I'm using plastic strapping, also known as plastic plumber's tape. It's a perforated strapping with holes for driving nails or screws through. I found that the pipes don't fully stretch out the strapping loop, and so they will move down some if you press down on the pipe. I've been attaching the strapping in a "U" shape, with the pipe resting in the center - perhaps changing that to a "d" shape would keep the vertical portion taught? Then again, as the pipework is welded together, it acquires a preferred position which tends not to align with where it needs to go, and I suppose this contributes to the lack of stretched strapping. I plan to supplement the straps with a few well-placed 2x4s braced against the pipe to direct it into proper position.
Pipe orientation
After cutting a section of pipe, I lay it on a nice and flat area of the floor. Two hubbed fittings are temporarily attached to the ends, which helps keep the pipe from rotating. I took a scrap block and placed a pen on top, with its point protruding from the block's edge. Then i slide the block/pen along the pipe at each end, on the same side, creating a longitudinal reference line at the same angle on both ends.
Then I pop off the fittings and bring the pipe to the pipework being assembled. The existing hub and the pipe end are primed and cemented. Then, when inserting them together, I am sure to align the pen mark with a reference mark on the fitting. Some fittings have reference ticks on the hubs at every 45 degrees. Others only have two lines where the piece was welded together during manufacture I think. In either case, the lines are at specific orientations of the fitting - pointing straight down, up, left, right.. Using these lines & the lines on the pipe when connecting fittings, I am assured the fittings are aligned exactly as they should be relative to each other. Sometimes I have to add a reference mark on a hub that only has weld lines - this is easy, just place it against a hub with reference marks.
Play
I have found the pipework once glued together has quite a bit of play in that it can be moved quite a ways from where it wants to sit. I know any undue stress is more likely to cause a leak, so we'll see eventually when I test the system if I was too rough with any sections. For now I'm just moving along.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
dwv plumbing
Yesterday, I started gluing together PVC pipes for the DWV system. This is the first time doing this, so things are moving slowly as I determine how best to do things and develop methods.
Attaching a pipe
From what I gather, typically some portion of the system is fixed into place with strapping or whatever it takes. Let's say a fitting is in place. Then the connecting pipe has one end placed into the fixed fitting, and the other end will be placed at the proper elevation such that the pipe is at a proper slope. This involves:
A. Supporting the pipe
B. Checking the slope of the pipe
These must be performed at the same time. For example:
1. Temporarily hang the pipe roughly where it should be
2. Check the slope
3. Adjust the hanger
4. Check again - if it's good enough, the support is correct
5. Go to step 3
This process is repeated as each pipe is attached, so we want to optimize it. That is, check the slope quickly, and adjust the hanger quickly.
Yesterday, I was running a tape measure vertically from the bottom of the pipe, and reading where my horizontal laser level crossed the tape. This would give a level reading from the reference laser. Given the length of the pipe, I can calculate how much the elevation should change, add/subtract that amount, and adjust the other end of the pipe until it meets that reading.
It's fast putting up the tape and reading the elevation. But it's slow to calculate the change in elevation to meet slope, it's confusing determining whether to add or subtract. It sounds simple, but seriously that was slow and confusing.
Today I'm going to try taking my bubble levels and taping on shims for the proper slope so when placed against the pipe it reads level. This is equivalent to using a plumber's level and I think this is how it's typically done. So now checking the level is simply placing the level against the bottom of the pipe and checking the bubble. This is a little slower than just reading elevation from the tape, but it's faster in that I don't have to calculate stuff. If I had a level that produced noise when it was level, I could strap it to the pipe say with velcro, and adjust it by hand just once.. I'll have to look into this.
Attaching a fitting
Attaching fittings is different from pipe, in that their relative orientation is important. For example, take a 90-degree bend. With one end attached to the pipe, the other end can swing around to point in any direction perpendicular to the slope of the pipe. Of course, it has a specific direction in which we want it to point, but the problem is getting it oriented precisely where it should go. Once it's glued, it's not moving.
This is a more difficult problem, and I'm still in the process of determining how to do this best. I believe this is achieved by working your way from fixed points (like where you drop from above at a lavatory/water closet drain) and hanging pipe to the junction, cut to proper length with accurate premeasurement & calculation. With these pipes glued into place and hanging where they should go, the fitting can be glued into place and will naturally be oriented in only one way. The difficulty with this idea is that the pipes all have play in them, so they need to be affixed to proper orientation as well as possible before doing this (that is, prevent the pipe & its attached fittings from rotating about the pipe's longitudinal axis.)
In my design, and I'd imagine most designs, the fittings all connect at standard orientations. That is, either in-line or at 45 or 90 degree angles to previous fittings. Unfortunately, the pipes between the fittings have no longitudinal reference lines, so you can't simply align two reference marks on the fittings to ensure they are at exact relative angles. The lack of these reference lines on the pipes seems like the most bone-headed missing feature of a manufactured product I've come across in construction so far. Unless these pipes tend to somewhat twist along their longitudinal axis after manufacture, then I see no reason why they don't paint/print one or more lines down the pipe for plumbers to use as a reference line.. That would be immensely useful. I'm considering securing the pipe on a flat surface and making my own reference marks at ends of the cut sections of pipe to orient fittings when gluing..
It would be easiest to just dry-fit everything into place, draw reference marks between pieces, then take it apart, glue together, and rejoin. In fact, many online references say to do this. Which is stupid. You can't dry-fit pieces of PVC together, they don't fully seat until you prime & glue them. That technique might work with other types of pipe that you can fully seat before welding together. And it could work with PVC if you only had a simple configuration with large tolerances.
This could be explained better with step-by-step pictures, but I'm trying to figure this out, and trying to get work done, not trying to teach you stuff! OK I'm going to go try this all out now..
Hopefully it will warm up!
Attaching a pipe
From what I gather, typically some portion of the system is fixed into place with strapping or whatever it takes. Let's say a fitting is in place. Then the connecting pipe has one end placed into the fixed fitting, and the other end will be placed at the proper elevation such that the pipe is at a proper slope. This involves:
A. Supporting the pipe
B. Checking the slope of the pipe
These must be performed at the same time. For example:
1. Temporarily hang the pipe roughly where it should be
2. Check the slope
3. Adjust the hanger
4. Check again - if it's good enough, the support is correct
5. Go to step 3
This process is repeated as each pipe is attached, so we want to optimize it. That is, check the slope quickly, and adjust the hanger quickly.
Yesterday, I was running a tape measure vertically from the bottom of the pipe, and reading where my horizontal laser level crossed the tape. This would give a level reading from the reference laser. Given the length of the pipe, I can calculate how much the elevation should change, add/subtract that amount, and adjust the other end of the pipe until it meets that reading.
It's fast putting up the tape and reading the elevation. But it's slow to calculate the change in elevation to meet slope, it's confusing determining whether to add or subtract. It sounds simple, but seriously that was slow and confusing.
Today I'm going to try taking my bubble levels and taping on shims for the proper slope so when placed against the pipe it reads level. This is equivalent to using a plumber's level and I think this is how it's typically done. So now checking the level is simply placing the level against the bottom of the pipe and checking the bubble. This is a little slower than just reading elevation from the tape, but it's faster in that I don't have to calculate stuff. If I had a level that produced noise when it was level, I could strap it to the pipe say with velcro, and adjust it by hand just once.. I'll have to look into this.
Attaching a fitting
Attaching fittings is different from pipe, in that their relative orientation is important. For example, take a 90-degree bend. With one end attached to the pipe, the other end can swing around to point in any direction perpendicular to the slope of the pipe. Of course, it has a specific direction in which we want it to point, but the problem is getting it oriented precisely where it should go. Once it's glued, it's not moving.
This is a more difficult problem, and I'm still in the process of determining how to do this best. I believe this is achieved by working your way from fixed points (like where you drop from above at a lavatory/water closet drain) and hanging pipe to the junction, cut to proper length with accurate premeasurement & calculation. With these pipes glued into place and hanging where they should go, the fitting can be glued into place and will naturally be oriented in only one way. The difficulty with this idea is that the pipes all have play in them, so they need to be affixed to proper orientation as well as possible before doing this (that is, prevent the pipe & its attached fittings from rotating about the pipe's longitudinal axis.)
In my design, and I'd imagine most designs, the fittings all connect at standard orientations. That is, either in-line or at 45 or 90 degree angles to previous fittings. Unfortunately, the pipes between the fittings have no longitudinal reference lines, so you can't simply align two reference marks on the fittings to ensure they are at exact relative angles. The lack of these reference lines on the pipes seems like the most bone-headed missing feature of a manufactured product I've come across in construction so far. Unless these pipes tend to somewhat twist along their longitudinal axis after manufacture, then I see no reason why they don't paint/print one or more lines down the pipe for plumbers to use as a reference line.. That would be immensely useful. I'm considering securing the pipe on a flat surface and making my own reference marks at ends of the cut sections of pipe to orient fittings when gluing..
It would be easiest to just dry-fit everything into place, draw reference marks between pieces, then take it apart, glue together, and rejoin. In fact, many online references say to do this. Which is stupid. You can't dry-fit pieces of PVC together, they don't fully seat until you prime & glue them. That technique might work with other types of pipe that you can fully seat before welding together. And it could work with PVC if you only had a simple configuration with large tolerances.
This could be explained better with step-by-step pictures, but I'm trying to figure this out, and trying to get work done, not trying to teach you stuff! OK I'm going to go try this all out now..
Hopefully it will warm up!
Sunday, October 17, 2010
HVAC design
hello there. currently, i'm working on electrical, plumbing, and hvac systems. i'm going to focus on the hvac system in this post.
the system
i selected & purchased a system - it is a multizone split heatpump system made by fujitsu. it comes with one outdoor unit, model aou24rml1, and two indoor units, model aru12rml. this is considered a two-ton system. the indoor units are both blowers, and each comes with a wall-mounted remote.
the system can be installed as two separately controlled zones or two blowers in a single zone, controlled at one or two points. there are also cool accessories like wireless remotes that could be purchased, but i'm sticking with the basics ;)
the outdoor unit is smaller than a typical outdoor heatpump, and it employs a variable-speed compressor - 'inverter' type. this allows the system to operate at very high efficiencies during part load conditions, which makes it very efficient! good stuff.
the only downside is that this type of system is uncommon here, and if there are ever problems with the system it will be more problematic to fix, as the owner will likely need to find a service company that deals with fujitsu systems. my thinking is, hvac equipment efficiency is constantly going up, and by the time there is a problem with the system it will probably be obsolete and the service company will probably recommend replacement.
following this train of thought, i would like to make the existing system less problematic to upgrade/replace in the future. specifically, i'm focusing on designing the ductwork so it can be adapted to a more traditional single blower system. this should save the cost of conversion in the future.
however, i don't want to make any significant sacrifices in the efficiency of this system to meet that end. so, it requires some careful consideration in ductwork planning.
ductwork design
there are various methods of designing ductwork, from hand methods to computerized solutions. i've looked over these and considered the physics from the blower down through the registers, from efficiency & comfort considerations. i haven't found a clear method spelled out that satisfied me, but i have arrived at a process that i believe is optimal to follow - as it seems to optimize all considerations.
i did alot of reading and thinking to come up with this, and i'm providing it as a useful resource for anyone who might come across this post on the web. take it for what it's worth. it is summarized thus:
velocity = manuf(CFM, throw)
boot_size = area_to_diameter(CFM/velocity)
CFMs at each outlet are determined by heating/cooling needs (typ. a manual j calc) and the CFMs available by the blower. the number of outlets in each room are adjustable to arrive at a typical-range CFM at the register to give good air distribution.
throw at each outlet is dependent on the room dimensions and the register location (read up on ADPI for more details on this.) for typical baseboard registers with spread vanes, throw should be 0.7 x distance to far wall (gives ft/s.)
velocity at each outlet is found by referencing manufacturer data sheets of the selected register/grille. it will depend on a combination of CFM and desired throw.
the outlet/boot beneath the floor register/grille is sized by dividing CFM by the velocity. this gives the cross-sectional area of your outlet, and using a = pi x r^2, we find diameter = 2 x square_root(area/pi).
---
all supply and return branches run from the blower to conditioned space. the pressure at the blower is the same for all branches because it's in the same place (obviously) and the pressure in conditioned space should be the same (so use passive ducts between rooms if necessary.) thus, we can see why the total pressure drop of each branch will be equal.
the total pressure drop of a branch is the total equivalent length (TEL) times the friction rate (FR). TEL x FR of each branch should be equal. if they aren't, the delivered CFMs will deviate from that expected.
TEL of each branch is a sum of duct lengths and the equivalent length of all fittings. equivalent lengths can be found in data tables. FR is dependent on CFMs, duct diameter, and duct smoothness.
a 'ductulator' program is used to select an appropriate diameter for given CFMs and desired FR. if some section of ductwork is a size not consistent with your desired FR, you can calculate the pressure drop of that section only with it's TEL x actual FR, and add that to the TEL x FR of the rest of the ductwork.
for even more accuracy, instead of using equivalent lengths of fittings, the friction loss at a fitting can be calculated using a coefficient in conjunction with the velocity pressure (which is dependent on velocity at the fitting) - and these coefficients are found in data tables for the fittings. such a method would add the fitting pressure loss to ductwork length x FR
And so you can now size all of the ductwork.
the system
i selected & purchased a system - it is a multizone split heatpump system made by fujitsu. it comes with one outdoor unit, model aou24rml1, and two indoor units, model aru12rml. this is considered a two-ton system. the indoor units are both blowers, and each comes with a wall-mounted remote.
the system can be installed as two separately controlled zones or two blowers in a single zone, controlled at one or two points. there are also cool accessories like wireless remotes that could be purchased, but i'm sticking with the basics ;)
the outdoor unit is smaller than a typical outdoor heatpump, and it employs a variable-speed compressor - 'inverter' type. this allows the system to operate at very high efficiencies during part load conditions, which makes it very efficient! good stuff.
the only downside is that this type of system is uncommon here, and if there are ever problems with the system it will be more problematic to fix, as the owner will likely need to find a service company that deals with fujitsu systems. my thinking is, hvac equipment efficiency is constantly going up, and by the time there is a problem with the system it will probably be obsolete and the service company will probably recommend replacement.
following this train of thought, i would like to make the existing system less problematic to upgrade/replace in the future. specifically, i'm focusing on designing the ductwork so it can be adapted to a more traditional single blower system. this should save the cost of conversion in the future.
however, i don't want to make any significant sacrifices in the efficiency of this system to meet that end. so, it requires some careful consideration in ductwork planning.
ductwork design
there are various methods of designing ductwork, from hand methods to computerized solutions. i've looked over these and considered the physics from the blower down through the registers, from efficiency & comfort considerations. i haven't found a clear method spelled out that satisfied me, but i have arrived at a process that i believe is optimal to follow - as it seems to optimize all considerations.
i did alot of reading and thinking to come up with this, and i'm providing it as a useful resource for anyone who might come across this post on the web. take it for what it's worth. it is summarized thus:
velocity = manuf(CFM, throw)
boot_size = area_to_diameter(CFM/velocity)
CFMs at each outlet are determined by heating/cooling needs (typ. a manual j calc) and the CFMs available by the blower. the number of outlets in each room are adjustable to arrive at a typical-range CFM at the register to give good air distribution.
throw at each outlet is dependent on the room dimensions and the register location (read up on ADPI for more details on this.) for typical baseboard registers with spread vanes, throw should be 0.7 x distance to far wall (gives ft/s.)
velocity at each outlet is found by referencing manufacturer data sheets of the selected register/grille. it will depend on a combination of CFM and desired throw.
the outlet/boot beneath the floor register/grille is sized by dividing CFM by the velocity. this gives the cross-sectional area of your outlet, and using a = pi x r^2, we find diameter = 2 x square_root(area/pi).
---
all supply and return branches run from the blower to conditioned space. the pressure at the blower is the same for all branches because it's in the same place (obviously) and the pressure in conditioned space should be the same (so use passive ducts between rooms if necessary.) thus, we can see why the total pressure drop of each branch will be equal.
the total pressure drop of a branch is the total equivalent length (TEL) times the friction rate (FR). TEL x FR of each branch should be equal. if they aren't, the delivered CFMs will deviate from that expected.
TEL of each branch is a sum of duct lengths and the equivalent length of all fittings. equivalent lengths can be found in data tables. FR is dependent on CFMs, duct diameter, and duct smoothness.
a 'ductulator' program is used to select an appropriate diameter for given CFMs and desired FR. if some section of ductwork is a size not consistent with your desired FR, you can calculate the pressure drop of that section only with it's TEL x actual FR, and add that to the TEL x FR of the rest of the ductwork.
for even more accuracy, instead of using equivalent lengths of fittings, the friction loss at a fitting can be calculated using a coefficient in conjunction with the velocity pressure (which is dependent on velocity at the fitting) - and these coefficients are found in data tables for the fittings. such a method would add the fitting pressure loss to ductwork length x FR
And so you can now size all of the ductwork.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
beams, boxes, stops and flanges
yesterday, i had a true 'holy shit' moment.. that was jacking up the girder just a hair to trim a shim beneath it, as there's a slight hump in the living room floor above it.
i brought my car jack into the crawlspace, set a 4x4 post between it and the girder, ensured it was perfectly plumb and very slowly and slightly lifted the beam.. just enough so the existing shim would slide out. i heard little creaks scattered around the floor joists.. and once the shim was removed, i thought, "holy shit, the living room is being held up by a car jack" hehe
so i trimmed about 1/8" from the shim and afterward the floor still has a slight hump. further examination revealed there is a floor joist that is slightly wider than the others right there.. about 1/8" wider. i can't correct that without removing the floor sheathing and planing/replacing the joist.. which is alot of work. so the hump is seemingly small, i'm going to see if i can get by with it. if it's a problem during flooring installation, i'll deal with it then (plane it, that is.)
the past few days i've been buying little things i need for the electrical and plumbing. i've nailed up the electrical boxes for switches. the boxes have little nubs on the side to space the front of the box for drywall. turns out the nubs are 3/8", and the drywall will be 1/2". this is fine by code, though i wonder if that 1/8" will make it difficult for the cover plate to seat around the outlet device (switch/receptacle) properly. i held each box spaced at about 1/2" against the stud while nailing, so we'll find out eventually..
i bought most of the supply stops for under the sinks & toilet from home depot, as they had nice looking & priced units meeting my connection needs. however they didn't have a dual outlet piece i want for the dishwasher to connect under the kitchen sink, so i found one at lowes, albeit with a slightly different shutoff knob. i got a matching single outlet for the cold supply under the sink. i'm still deciding if i'll bring those supplies through the wall or the floor under the kitchen sink, as that's the only spot against an exterior insulated wall. if i come through the floor i'll need to find a nice sleeve for each supply line between the floor and the stop.
i've purchased the water closet flanges but haven't drilled the holes through the floor yet. i spent some time looking at the options available, attempting to determine which connection configuration would be optimal in both performance and ease & practicality of installation. the drain lines are all 3", and i certainly didn't want any reduction of the inside of the pipe less than 3". there's a flange that connects inside of a 4" pipe, then you'd use a reducer below from 4 to 3 inch (the only drain reduction allowed by code is 4 to 3 at a water closet connection.)
however, i can't help thinking the point of reduction there is a possible, most likely point of constriction and clog. i'd rather if there's any possible point of constriction or clog that must be present, have it right at the flange for ease of cleaning/clearing by a plumber. i want to check if there's a flange that allows a 3" pipe to connect directly without any inside diameter reduction.. that is, the flange has a 3" hub on its underside. i believe i saw some previously but discounted them, as i didn't like having a reverse-direction hub on the closet connection.. thing is, the reverse-direction hub is going to occur all over the drain line.. so it's silly to try & avoid it at one of the easiest places in the drain system to access.
so i'll have to double check that flange! also, i'm using stainless-steel flanges, as stainless won't rust and metal won't crack so easily as all-pvc can when the toilet is tightened down, either during initial installation or in the future.
mm enough rambling for now, i could go on for hours.. no, really i could.. so many details..
i brought my car jack into the crawlspace, set a 4x4 post between it and the girder, ensured it was perfectly plumb and very slowly and slightly lifted the beam.. just enough so the existing shim would slide out. i heard little creaks scattered around the floor joists.. and once the shim was removed, i thought, "holy shit, the living room is being held up by a car jack" hehe
so i trimmed about 1/8" from the shim and afterward the floor still has a slight hump. further examination revealed there is a floor joist that is slightly wider than the others right there.. about 1/8" wider. i can't correct that without removing the floor sheathing and planing/replacing the joist.. which is alot of work. so the hump is seemingly small, i'm going to see if i can get by with it. if it's a problem during flooring installation, i'll deal with it then (plane it, that is.)
the past few days i've been buying little things i need for the electrical and plumbing. i've nailed up the electrical boxes for switches. the boxes have little nubs on the side to space the front of the box for drywall. turns out the nubs are 3/8", and the drywall will be 1/2". this is fine by code, though i wonder if that 1/8" will make it difficult for the cover plate to seat around the outlet device (switch/receptacle) properly. i held each box spaced at about 1/2" against the stud while nailing, so we'll find out eventually..
i bought most of the supply stops for under the sinks & toilet from home depot, as they had nice looking & priced units meeting my connection needs. however they didn't have a dual outlet piece i want for the dishwasher to connect under the kitchen sink, so i found one at lowes, albeit with a slightly different shutoff knob. i got a matching single outlet for the cold supply under the sink. i'm still deciding if i'll bring those supplies through the wall or the floor under the kitchen sink, as that's the only spot against an exterior insulated wall. if i come through the floor i'll need to find a nice sleeve for each supply line between the floor and the stop.
i've purchased the water closet flanges but haven't drilled the holes through the floor yet. i spent some time looking at the options available, attempting to determine which connection configuration would be optimal in both performance and ease & practicality of installation. the drain lines are all 3", and i certainly didn't want any reduction of the inside of the pipe less than 3". there's a flange that connects inside of a 4" pipe, then you'd use a reducer below from 4 to 3 inch (the only drain reduction allowed by code is 4 to 3 at a water closet connection.)
however, i can't help thinking the point of reduction there is a possible, most likely point of constriction and clog. i'd rather if there's any possible point of constriction or clog that must be present, have it right at the flange for ease of cleaning/clearing by a plumber. i want to check if there's a flange that allows a 3" pipe to connect directly without any inside diameter reduction.. that is, the flange has a 3" hub on its underside. i believe i saw some previously but discounted them, as i didn't like having a reverse-direction hub on the closet connection.. thing is, the reverse-direction hub is going to occur all over the drain line.. so it's silly to try & avoid it at one of the easiest places in the drain system to access.
so i'll have to double check that flange! also, i'm using stainless-steel flanges, as stainless won't rust and metal won't crack so easily as all-pvc can when the toilet is tightened down, either during initial installation or in the future.
mm enough rambling for now, i could go on for hours.. no, really i could.. so many details..
Monday, September 27, 2010
gimme a break
i rented a 10' brake from home depot over race weekend. friday, i took measurements of all the important fascia dimensions. i bent and cut all the pieces saturday afternoon into sunday morning. everything was nailed up sunday afternoon.
the top edge of the fascia was hemmed, and this allowed me to wedge the fascia under the drip edge and it held itself in place. a few pieces needed extra help, in which i used a clamp to help out. i found it best to nail the ends of a piece in place first, then any nails between without moving the piece.
all the exposed nails were predrilled, and the nail head was left just proud in an attempt to prevent bending the face of the metal. in a few areas, the subfascia wasn't straight enough to prevent this happening.
also the bottom bend of the fascia should be only ever slightly overbent, as too much causes it to look messy once it's up. unfortunately most of the eaves were overbent and nailed from the center out, so they don't look very good up close. but, the gutters once eventually installed should disguise most of that.
the top edge of the fascia was hemmed, and this allowed me to wedge the fascia under the drip edge and it held itself in place. a few pieces needed extra help, in which i used a clamp to help out. i found it best to nail the ends of a piece in place first, then any nails between without moving the piece.
all the exposed nails were predrilled, and the nail head was left just proud in an attempt to prevent bending the face of the metal. in a few areas, the subfascia wasn't straight enough to prevent this happening.
also the bottom bend of the fascia should be only ever slightly overbent, as too much causes it to look messy once it's up. unfortunately most of the eaves were overbent and nailed from the center out, so they don't look very good up close. but, the gutters once eventually installed should disguise most of that.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
plumbing prep
received the plumbing permit from the county yesterday - $100. i've been working out the details of supply pipe materials & layout, and DWV layout & fittings.
supply pipe will be pex, utilizing what's known as the 'home run' layout method. essentially, each fixture is fed by a dedicated line from a central manifold. this minimizes joints in the system - potential points of leaks, and points of pressure loss. fewer fittings allows a smaller diameter pipe, which reduces time & volume of water wasted waiting for hot water.
there are many options for stubbing out pex. i am utilizing some special bend fittings which allow the pex to run directly out of the wall, without any fittings inside the wall. stop valves attach directly to the pipe.. i'm also utilizing 3/8 lines throughout most of the system to minimize hot water wait times. cold lines will match to provide similar pressure drops to the hot water. the only 1/2 lines in my design are for the tub and sillcocks.
i was hoping to purchase the pex material from lowes, as they have a decent selection and a local source would be useful for any additional material needs i might have. some online anecdotes suggest trouble when mixing fittings and pipe from different manufacturers. unfortunately, lowes doesn't stock 3/8 coil pipe nor manifolds, so i must look elsewhere. also, a little digging uncovered the astm standard for crimp fittings on pex pipe - astm f876 & astm f877 & astm 1807. fittings & pipe meeting the standards should be physically compatible. so i'll be purchasing materials both online & locally.
i decided on using crimp ring connections for pex as these are commonly available and inexpensive. another connection system by wirsbo expands the pipe to fit around fittings, then the pipe retracts back to a tight fit within a few seconds. this is likely the fastest install method, and many people argue its the most dependable connection. however, the tools and materials are more expensive - and i've got a heavy cost limit now. i don't think the time saved by this tool on this job alone would justify the extra cost.
next on my agenda is to detail the dwv sufficiently to allow purchasing the PVC pipe & fittings i'll need. after that, i also have a few items on my agenda before actually beginning installation of pipework.
supply pipe will be pex, utilizing what's known as the 'home run' layout method. essentially, each fixture is fed by a dedicated line from a central manifold. this minimizes joints in the system - potential points of leaks, and points of pressure loss. fewer fittings allows a smaller diameter pipe, which reduces time & volume of water wasted waiting for hot water.
there are many options for stubbing out pex. i am utilizing some special bend fittings which allow the pex to run directly out of the wall, without any fittings inside the wall. stop valves attach directly to the pipe.. i'm also utilizing 3/8 lines throughout most of the system to minimize hot water wait times. cold lines will match to provide similar pressure drops to the hot water. the only 1/2 lines in my design are for the tub and sillcocks.
i was hoping to purchase the pex material from lowes, as they have a decent selection and a local source would be useful for any additional material needs i might have. some online anecdotes suggest trouble when mixing fittings and pipe from different manufacturers. unfortunately, lowes doesn't stock 3/8 coil pipe nor manifolds, so i must look elsewhere. also, a little digging uncovered the astm standard for crimp fittings on pex pipe - astm f876 & astm f877 & astm 1807. fittings & pipe meeting the standards should be physically compatible. so i'll be purchasing materials both online & locally.
i decided on using crimp ring connections for pex as these are commonly available and inexpensive. another connection system by wirsbo expands the pipe to fit around fittings, then the pipe retracts back to a tight fit within a few seconds. this is likely the fastest install method, and many people argue its the most dependable connection. however, the tools and materials are more expensive - and i've got a heavy cost limit now. i don't think the time saved by this tool on this job alone would justify the extra cost.
next on my agenda is to detail the dwv sufficiently to allow purchasing the PVC pipe & fittings i'll need. after that, i also have a few items on my agenda before actually beginning installation of pipework.
Friday, September 17, 2010
siding finished
the siding was completed on monday. alas, i've yet to bring the camera for pics.
tuesday, i started on a small deck addition for my pops in smyrna. should be done soon, then it's back to vinnie!
tuesday, i started on a small deck addition for my pops in smyrna. should be done soon, then it's back to vinnie!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
siding an inch from completion
friday, i put up the vertical siding on the front gables.
saturday, i put up the rest of the siding except one piece on the left gable. i am short a piece, so will need to wait until monday to finish.
preparing for plumbing..
saturday, i put up the rest of the siding except one piece on the left gable. i am short a piece, so will need to wait until monday to finish.
preparing for plumbing..
Friday, September 10, 2010
almost sided
returned from vacation yesterday - camping rocks! today i'm going to buy the last few siding materials i need and we'll see how much i can get done!
Friday, September 3, 2010
west wall begins
monday, i finished siding at the peak of the rear wall. moving to the west wall, i put up felt on the middle corner.it was a hot one, and not much else happened.
tuesday, i measured, cut, and stapled up felt. i put up the corners in the middle of the wall.
wednesday, i cut miters in the window trim and nailed those pieces up. i also measured/cut/nailed j-channel around the mailbox and street number. i measured & cut j-channel for around the porch & door. katie & i made a last minute decision on the gable siding, and we picked that up as well as some more j-channel.
thursday, i installed the horizontal band on the left gable. this is composed of a wide j-channel open downward, in-line with the wide j-channel on the north & south walls which acts as a frieze board. this piece is topped with a z-flashing, which i bent out of vinyl flashing. in retrospect, i probably should have looked for an aluminum flashing in this profile, or bent it on a brake from aluminum. the vinyl is a little wavy and i suspect it will move some. the z-flashing is then topped with a piece of regular j-channel open to above, to receive the gable siding.
next i started on the j-channel lining the gable, which goes up simultaneously with soffit. i then had to modify the ridge board, just as i did on the rear gable. the bit on the rotozip broke, so i had to finish that work with a chisel (which worked better than i expected.) then i finished the soffit and laid up most of the siding, to just below the horizontal band. this is all on the left gable wall.
hurricane earl is nearby, so i'm hoping to get more of the wall covered this morning before any severe winds show up to tear off the felt.
tuesday, i measured, cut, and stapled up felt. i put up the corners in the middle of the wall.
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
wednesday, i cut miters in the window trim and nailed those pieces up. i also measured/cut/nailed j-channel around the mailbox and street number. i measured & cut j-channel for around the porch & door. katie & i made a last minute decision on the gable siding, and we picked that up as well as some more j-channel.
thursday, i installed the horizontal band on the left gable. this is composed of a wide j-channel open downward, in-line with the wide j-channel on the north & south walls which acts as a frieze board. this piece is topped with a z-flashing, which i bent out of vinyl flashing. in retrospect, i probably should have looked for an aluminum flashing in this profile, or bent it on a brake from aluminum. the vinyl is a little wavy and i suspect it will move some. the z-flashing is then topped with a piece of regular j-channel open to above, to receive the gable siding.
next i started on the j-channel lining the gable, which goes up simultaneously with soffit. i then had to modify the ridge board, just as i did on the rear gable. the bit on the rotozip broke, so i had to finish that work with a chisel (which worked better than i expected.) then i finished the soffit and laid up most of the siding, to just below the horizontal band. this is all on the left gable wall.
hurricane earl is nearby, so i'm hoping to get more of the wall covered this morning before any severe winds show up to tear off the felt.
Monday, August 30, 2010
tis the east
sunday i continued siding the east wall. it was a hot one, and the house became a giant oven. the heat slowed my pace considerably, but i managed to side most of the wall, up the rake, except for perhaps two pieces at the very peak.
my pace is also slowed significantly by my decision to not purchase/rent scaffolding. it's a lot of up & down on the ladder, but i think one less thing to deal with makes me happy for now. the scaffolding may have saved a day & a half per wall, but minus a half day setting up & taking down, so four days in all.. just a guess.
an efficient scaffolding setup might be a platform supported by pump jacks, with a cutting station and siding panel stock all attached to the platform. then everything could be done from the platform.. in the baking sun.. food for thought.
my pace is also slowed significantly by my decision to not purchase/rent scaffolding. it's a lot of up & down on the ladder, but i think one less thing to deal with makes me happy for now. the scaffolding may have saved a day & a half per wall, but minus a half day setting up & taking down, so four days in all.. just a guess.
an efficient scaffolding setup might be a platform supported by pump jacks, with a cutting station and siding panel stock all attached to the platform. then everything could be done from the platform.. in the baking sun.. food for thought.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
east wall siding..
friday i climbed up to the rear gable peak to do a little hacking on the ridge board. you see, when roof framing i didn't take the time to cut the ends of the ridge boards to coincide with the profile of the rake soffits. so now i have to try and make these cuts with the boards and roof in place, atop a shaky ladder.
that was fun. i ran a wratcheting strap through my belt loop and secured myself to the ladder, then attacked the ridge with a sawzall. due to the tightness of the position, i could only make some cuts, the rest i tried with a small hacksaw and then i got the idea to use my rotozip. the bit burned the wood, but it worked well enough to let me make the necessary cuts.
then i installed the soffit and j-channel along the rake. while installing the soffit i ran out of j-channel, so i returned to smyrna for lunch & got the truck so i could pick up the accessories i needed (j-channel & utility trim.) most of the soffit went up except the very peak, as i wasn't sure how to cover it. i installed soffit bottom up from both ends, and each side ended about 2" short of the ridge. i decided to think it over before making a decision.
saturday i ripped & installed the top course on the south wall. i also added a piece to the peak of the rear soffit. ..and i started siding the rear, east wall. i took pics but for some reason i can't transfer them to this computer. i'm too tired to diagnose the problem..
*ah here we go:
that was fun. i ran a wratcheting strap through my belt loop and secured myself to the ladder, then attacked the ridge with a sawzall. due to the tightness of the position, i could only make some cuts, the rest i tried with a small hacksaw and then i got the idea to use my rotozip. the bit burned the wood, but it worked well enough to let me make the necessary cuts.
then i installed the soffit and j-channel along the rake. while installing the soffit i ran out of j-channel, so i returned to smyrna for lunch & got the truck so i could pick up the accessories i needed (j-channel & utility trim.) most of the soffit went up except the very peak, as i wasn't sure how to cover it. i installed soffit bottom up from both ends, and each side ended about 2" short of the ridge. i decided to think it over before making a decision.
saturday i ripped & installed the top course on the south wall. i also added a piece to the peak of the rear soffit. ..and i started siding the rear, east wall. i took pics but for some reason i can't transfer them to this computer. i'm too tired to diagnose the problem..
*ah here we go:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
Thursday, August 26, 2010
onto the east wall..
wednesday i added another course to the south wall. one final course is due, which needs to be ripped as it's shorter than a full panel. the ripped panels clip into utility trim, but i need to pick up some more of those, which requires the truck to transport those long suckers.
since no rain will find its way up in there, i decided to just move on to the east wall and get to that last course later. i taped up the joints on the east wall wednesday, while katie mowed the backyard with a weed whacker ;)
thursday, i covered the east wall with felt, cut & attached window trim, and trim around the rear sillcock. upper courses of felt went up in 70inch widths from a ladder. i still need j-channel around the rake, and before that i need to trim up the ridge board with a sawzall, since i ran it a little long during framing.
maybe i'll remember the camera tomorrow..
since no rain will find its way up in there, i decided to just move on to the east wall and get to that last course later. i taped up the joints on the east wall wednesday, while katie mowed the backyard with a weed whacker ;)
thursday, i covered the east wall with felt, cut & attached window trim, and trim around the rear sillcock. upper courses of felt went up in 70inch widths from a ladder. i still need j-channel around the rake, and before that i need to trim up the ridge board with a sawzall, since i ran it a little long during framing.
maybe i'll remember the camera tomorrow..
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
siding the south wall
sunday i finished adding j-channel around the side door and small penetrations, and began laying up siding. at the end of the day i realized a small mistake, made here:
i wanted the panel to go underneath, too. falling asleep with a hammer in hand!
monday i fixed that error and then continued laying up siding. finished here:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
monday i fixed that error and then continued laying up siding. finished here:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
Sunday, August 22, 2010
soffits
on thursday, i spent the day changing wiring for the soffit lights. the lights will be controlled by a motion sensor, or can be forced on with a switch by the side door. the sensor and switch are located at opposite ends, with three soffit lights between them.
i ran two 12-2 cables, both starting at the switch. one hops between the soffit lights and lands at the motion sensor. between lights, hot and neutral are distributed on black & white wires. at the last light, only neutral is carried to the sensor. the other cable runs from the switch straight to the sensor. this carries hot on black, and carries switched hot on white (connected to the sensor's red wire.)
the wall switch will either connect the black wire of the lights directly to hot when switched on, or it will connect black to the red wire of the sensor. this way i can keep hot & neutral fed to the sensor at all times, and only switch the red line to the lights. the sensor automatically starts in a test mode when power is restored to its hot & neutral.
anyhow..
friday, katie & i visited ed. at the end of the day, i stopped at the lot and put up some soffit panels.
on saturday, i installed the rest of the soffit panels and window trim for the south wall. the recessed lights i used are of the type with two mounting bars and a housing that slides along the bars. i mounted them such that they can be slid along the direction of the wall. as the soffit panels went up, i moved the light so that its corresponding hole would only be within one panel. i nailed up the piece, then used a roto-zip type tool to cut out the hole. this produced tons of tiny shards of pvc showering over me and covering every inch of me. definitely requires goggles.
i stuck around until dusk and powered the lights to see how bright they are. they did a good job of illuminating the entry and walkway, however the yellow bug lights i installed have a strange, neon-ish color to them. maybe it will grow on me..
i ran two 12-2 cables, both starting at the switch. one hops between the soffit lights and lands at the motion sensor. between lights, hot and neutral are distributed on black & white wires. at the last light, only neutral is carried to the sensor. the other cable runs from the switch straight to the sensor. this carries hot on black, and carries switched hot on white (connected to the sensor's red wire.)
the wall switch will either connect the black wire of the lights directly to hot when switched on, or it will connect black to the red wire of the sensor. this way i can keep hot & neutral fed to the sensor at all times, and only switch the red line to the lights. the sensor automatically starts in a test mode when power is restored to its hot & neutral.
anyhow..
friday, katie & i visited ed. at the end of the day, i stopped at the lot and put up some soffit panels.
on saturday, i installed the rest of the soffit panels and window trim for the south wall. the recessed lights i used are of the type with two mounting bars and a housing that slides along the bars. i mounted them such that they can be slid along the direction of the wall. as the soffit panels went up, i moved the light so that its corresponding hole would only be within one panel. i nailed up the piece, then used a roto-zip type tool to cut out the hole. this produced tons of tiny shards of pvc showering over me and covering every inch of me. definitely requires goggles.
i stuck around until dusk and powered the lights to see how bright they are. they did a good job of illuminating the entry and walkway, however the yellow bug lights i installed have a strange, neon-ish color to them. maybe it will grow on me..
Thursday, August 19, 2010
slowing down..
on tuesday, i finished laying up felt. started on the soffit, but then i realized i should wire up the soffit lights before enclosing the soffits. i determined what wire was going where, nailed up a few pieces of 2x6 along the attic joists at the eaves, and ran & stapled wire along it between the lights. i also purchased a motion sensor to be used with the soffit lights.
on wednesday, it was raining all day. i cut the window trim miters, and i cut the soffit panels.
on wednesday, it was raining all day. i cut the window trim miters, and i cut the soffit panels.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
vinyl progress
on saturday & sunday, i continued laying up siding panels, nearly completing the north wall. i think the constant back & forth is what's taking most time here. i mostly measured one piece at a time, then went inside to cut it, brought it outside and nailed. repeat. it would probably be much faster if i record multiple measurements and trust my readings, cut a bunch at once, and nail a bunch at once.
on monday, i put up one last piece of siding to finish the north wall. i decided to start on the south wall, since it has the same eaves profile rather than a gable profile. i taped all the joints with butyl tape and started laying up felt. it was hot and slightly windy, so i was cooking and dealing with wind blowing the felt around. got about halfway up the wall with felt.
i haven't remembered to bring the camera again, i'll try to today. the north wall looks fab, gotta say. the window trim worked out looking nice, and the frieze board detail looks good too.
on monday, i put up one last piece of siding to finish the north wall. i decided to start on the south wall, since it has the same eaves profile rather than a gable profile. i taped all the joints with butyl tape and started laying up felt. it was hot and slightly windy, so i was cooking and dealing with wind blowing the felt around. got about halfway up the wall with felt.
i haven't remembered to bring the camera again, i'll try to today. the north wall looks fab, gotta say. the window trim worked out looking nice, and the frieze board detail looks good too.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
little bits of vinyl siding saw dust all over me
thursday, i finished installing soffit panels on the north side. i also cut two pieces of window trim.
friday, i cut all of the window trim pieces to length. i then cut all the miters for the windows on the north wall. i found cutting miters for one window (four corners) took about 20 minutes.. much longer than i expected.
the window trim is composed of wide j-channel. they are 12'6" long, just as regular j-channel. however instead of ~1" deep, it's 2.5" deep. here is a shot at the end of thursday with two pieces up:
the miter cuts i'm referring to are standard cuts made to form mitered corners with j-channel:
i think i could speed up those cuts a bit with some templates; instead of measuring, marking, tracing, then cutting along a line, i could trace the template, then cut to the line. considering i still have a bunch of window miters to cut, that could save some time.
i also started on the siding panels yesterday:
i snapped lines and have been nailing the panels to meet the lines. this keeps the rows consistently straight, as can be evidenced by the picture. when i sided the shed back in.. good lord 2008.. i snapped lines for the starter strip, and then just laid up each course against the previous. however i found the courses tended to get out of parallel slowly, though i suppose not to a terrible degree.
while keeping it to these lines does make it straight, i'm afraid i may be nailing the courses up too tightly to meet these lines. installation procedure calls for not nailing the panels up tightly. i am leaving the nail heads proud of the panels so there is horizontal movement, but they are fairly tight in the vertical direction at many points thus far.
i'll have to just move on and see how it handles seasonal changes in temperature. the rest of the walls will be aligned with this, so it is what it is :P
also one small mistake was the first corner i set, in the right rear, was cut about 1/2" short. this was due to a miscalculation of the length on my part. so this corner may shrink to above the bottom of the panels in cold weather.. and i guess i'll chalk that up to life. it shouldn't be noticable unless you're looking for it. of course, now that i've mentioned it..
friday, i cut all of the window trim pieces to length. i then cut all the miters for the windows on the north wall. i found cutting miters for one window (four corners) took about 20 minutes.. much longer than i expected.
the window trim is composed of wide j-channel. they are 12'6" long, just as regular j-channel. however instead of ~1" deep, it's 2.5" deep. here is a shot at the end of thursday with two pieces up:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
the miter cuts i'm referring to are standard cuts made to form mitered corners with j-channel:
i think i could speed up those cuts a bit with some templates; instead of measuring, marking, tracing, then cutting along a line, i could trace the template, then cut to the line. considering i still have a bunch of window miters to cut, that could save some time.
i also started on the siding panels yesterday:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
i snapped lines and have been nailing the panels to meet the lines. this keeps the rows consistently straight, as can be evidenced by the picture. when i sided the shed back in.. good lord 2008.. i snapped lines for the starter strip, and then just laid up each course against the previous. however i found the courses tended to get out of parallel slowly, though i suppose not to a terrible degree.
while keeping it to these lines does make it straight, i'm afraid i may be nailing the courses up too tightly to meet these lines. installation procedure calls for not nailing the panels up tightly. i am leaving the nail heads proud of the panels so there is horizontal movement, but they are fairly tight in the vertical direction at many points thus far.
i'll have to just move on and see how it handles seasonal changes in temperature. the rest of the walls will be aligned with this, so it is what it is :P
also one small mistake was the first corner i set, in the right rear, was cut about 1/2" short. this was due to a miscalculation of the length on my part. so this corner may shrink to above the bottom of the panels in cold weather.. and i guess i'll chalk that up to life. it shouldn't be noticable unless you're looking for it. of course, now that i've mentioned it..
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
sidin'
i havent logged my progress in quite some time.. kind of difficult to go over what's been done now. currently, i'm starting on the siding. the past few days went like so:
thursday i ordered the vinyl siding materials
friday the siding arrived. i asked the supplier to call ahead of time, he said he would. never called. i arrived around noon to find a pile of boxes sitting on the lawn. i brought them inside, then i ensured all the staples on the north wall were set flush with a hammer. i sealed all north wall sheathing joints with butyl tape.
saturday i covered almost the entire north wall with felt, except a thin strip at the top.
sunday katie and i went to the beach.
monday i finished off the felt and started on the soffit. i realized i needed to install the floodlight first. that was about all, it wasn't a good day.
tuesday i celebrated the 39th month anniversary of katie & i by sitting home all day.. uh yeah.
wednesday, today, i did most of the north wall soffit and installed the floodlight. i mounted a round box then nailed the soffit piece over it, then used a rotozip-type tool to cut out a hole, then mounted the light. worked good.
i had a "oh duh" moment today, about halfway through the soffit installation when i realized i could cut more than one soffit panel on the saw at a time lol. that sped things up. tomorrow i'll finish the soffit and start siding on the north.
i'm doing one side of the house at a time, because i know the felt wont hold up to much wind and by doing a wall at a time it reduces the time its exposed. i'll have to get some pics of the progress..
soffit looks nice though. :)
thursday i ordered the vinyl siding materials
friday the siding arrived. i asked the supplier to call ahead of time, he said he would. never called. i arrived around noon to find a pile of boxes sitting on the lawn. i brought them inside, then i ensured all the staples on the north wall were set flush with a hammer. i sealed all north wall sheathing joints with butyl tape.
saturday i covered almost the entire north wall with felt, except a thin strip at the top.
sunday katie and i went to the beach.
monday i finished off the felt and started on the soffit. i realized i needed to install the floodlight first. that was about all, it wasn't a good day.
tuesday i celebrated the 39th month anniversary of katie & i by sitting home all day.. uh yeah.
wednesday, today, i did most of the north wall soffit and installed the floodlight. i mounted a round box then nailed the soffit piece over it, then used a rotozip-type tool to cut out a hole, then mounted the light. worked good.
i had a "oh duh" moment today, about halfway through the soffit installation when i realized i could cut more than one soffit panel on the saw at a time lol. that sped things up. tomorrow i'll finish the soffit and start siding on the north.
i'm doing one side of the house at a time, because i know the felt wont hold up to much wind and by doing a wall at a time it reduces the time its exposed. i'll have to get some pics of the progress..
soffit looks nice though. :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
the blogging mood
haven't been in the blogging mood lately, but here's a quick update mostly for my records. i finally began covering the rest of the foundation walls with the surface bond cement stucco at the end of last week. i plan to finish that up today.
i've tried a few different techniques of application. on the rear wall, katie & i went from end to end, putting up sufficient coverage to embed and cover the mesh while applying some kind of appealing texture with a hand trowel (a 6" drywall knife, actually.) this used a bunch of compound and left a few areas with mesh impressions apparent.
the north wall was applied in two coats. first, a light covering to just embed the mesh was applied with the 6" knife. i didn't cover all areas, just enough that i felt would restrict the mesh from movement. then after a day of curing, i came back and coated over it with a wide trowel. this worked somewhat, but the areas not covered by the initial coat still showed the mesh through the second coat.
half of the west wall was also applied in two coats. the first coat was covered using the wide trowel for a thin, consistent embedment of the entire mesh. tight spots at corners and the top of the wall were touched up with the 6" drywall knife. after a day, i came back with the wide trowel again and ran the top coat. the first coat was applied in the vertical direction; the second coat in the horizontal. this technique works best, giving good results with minimal time spent.
some nuance of the technique. be sure the mix is well mixed. use plenty of water to ensure a wet mix that will apply easily in thin layers, but still thick enough that it wont just flow away. i haven't managed to add too much water so far. wide trowel in left hand, load it up with the knife in the right hand. cut compound away from inch or so from ends of trowel. drop the knife and put the wide trowel in the right hand, while keeping it balanced so you don't drop the load. apply it to the wall, start low and pull it upward, covering the area you want. if second coat, then smooth out that application with horizontal strokes. key in both coats is to knock down any spots that protrude from the plane; keep it smooth.
anyway.
earlier in the week, before the foundation, i ran sleeves through the wall for the water and sewer. the water line is 3/4" and the sewer line is 4". i ran 2" and 6" PVC sleeves through the wall, they are about 11 1/4" long, slightly protruding from both the inside and outside planes of the wall. i plan to run 1" polyethylene for the water line and 4" PVC for the sewer line, both from the street through the sleeves. the sewer will run with a proper slope from the street to just before the wall, where it will turn upward with two 1/8th bends, then a wye will split one direction off through the wall and the other will continue to the surface for a cleanout just outside the wall.
the plan is to get the siding and all exterior done before finishing the water/sewer runs. i have a rough schedule of the progress of the work i want to accomplish over the next 5 1/2 months and i'll try best to keep that schedule, but i'm already falling behind for this month. so much work so little time!
i also developed a good technique for organizing my task lists. currently many of the tasks ahead of me have lots of required, dependent tasks, so there are many required orders in which to perform things. simple lists don't keep this properly organized, but i found an arrow-based drawing on my whiteboard works well. i'll take a pic of it when i find my camera to show you what i mean.
ok i'm out.
i've tried a few different techniques of application. on the rear wall, katie & i went from end to end, putting up sufficient coverage to embed and cover the mesh while applying some kind of appealing texture with a hand trowel (a 6" drywall knife, actually.) this used a bunch of compound and left a few areas with mesh impressions apparent.
the north wall was applied in two coats. first, a light covering to just embed the mesh was applied with the 6" knife. i didn't cover all areas, just enough that i felt would restrict the mesh from movement. then after a day of curing, i came back and coated over it with a wide trowel. this worked somewhat, but the areas not covered by the initial coat still showed the mesh through the second coat.
half of the west wall was also applied in two coats. the first coat was covered using the wide trowel for a thin, consistent embedment of the entire mesh. tight spots at corners and the top of the wall were touched up with the 6" drywall knife. after a day, i came back with the wide trowel again and ran the top coat. the first coat was applied in the vertical direction; the second coat in the horizontal. this technique works best, giving good results with minimal time spent.
some nuance of the technique. be sure the mix is well mixed. use plenty of water to ensure a wet mix that will apply easily in thin layers, but still thick enough that it wont just flow away. i haven't managed to add too much water so far. wide trowel in left hand, load it up with the knife in the right hand. cut compound away from inch or so from ends of trowel. drop the knife and put the wide trowel in the right hand, while keeping it balanced so you don't drop the load. apply it to the wall, start low and pull it upward, covering the area you want. if second coat, then smooth out that application with horizontal strokes. key in both coats is to knock down any spots that protrude from the plane; keep it smooth.
anyway.
earlier in the week, before the foundation, i ran sleeves through the wall for the water and sewer. the water line is 3/4" and the sewer line is 4". i ran 2" and 6" PVC sleeves through the wall, they are about 11 1/4" long, slightly protruding from both the inside and outside planes of the wall. i plan to run 1" polyethylene for the water line and 4" PVC for the sewer line, both from the street through the sleeves. the sewer will run with a proper slope from the street to just before the wall, where it will turn upward with two 1/8th bends, then a wye will split one direction off through the wall and the other will continue to the surface for a cleanout just outside the wall.
the plan is to get the siding and all exterior done before finishing the water/sewer runs. i have a rough schedule of the progress of the work i want to accomplish over the next 5 1/2 months and i'll try best to keep that schedule, but i'm already falling behind for this month. so much work so little time!
i also developed a good technique for organizing my task lists. currently many of the tasks ahead of me have lots of required, dependent tasks, so there are many required orders in which to perform things. simple lists don't keep this properly organized, but i found an arrow-based drawing on my whiteboard works well. i'll take a pic of it when i find my camera to show you what i mean.
ok i'm out.
Monday, May 31, 2010
sillcocky
i went shopping at lowes and home depot today and picked up a pair of frost-proof sillcocks. they are woodfords, from lowes at around 23 bucks each. i did a little reading afterward and am reevaluating this purchase.
the idea of a frost-proof sillcock is that it won't get destroyed in the winter when temperatures go below freezing. with a normal sillcock, the homeowner should shut off a valve inside, ahead of the bib in the supply line, remove the hose and then open the outside valve and let it drain. then don't use the spigot again until spring.
of course, the need arises sooner or later during winter and it gets used for something and the proper drainage procedure isn't followed. the faucet sits full of water and as it freezes the water expands and cracks the sillcock.
with a frost-proof sillcock, you don't need to shut off a valve inside the house in the fall. instead, you shut off the outside valve and you simply disconnect the hose and it will drain itself. the internal valve in the sillcock is actually located far back in the body, inside the insulated wall where temperatures are higher. all the water to the outside of that valve drains out toward the exterior. voila, no broken sillcock.
of course, the need arises sooner or later during winter and it gets used for something and the hose gets left attached. the faucet sits full of water because it can't drain and as it freezes the water expands and cracks the sillcock.
so how about that, you spent $25 instead of $5 on a frost-proof sillcock and it still cracked from freezing. sure, you could avoid it with proper procedure, but in that case you could just stick with the $5 sillcock and turn off the inside valves in the fall.
well, it turns out there are actual frost-proof sill cocks on the market. some will drain themselves even if you leave the hose attached to the spigot, such as woodford model 30. some have a pressure relief valve that relieves pressure when it escalates due to freezing water, such as woodford models 16 & 19. model 19 is essentially model 16 with a backflow preventer attached. a pair of model 19s is $89. a pair of model 30s is $107+s/h
there is also a device which can be attached to any standard spigot. it's a 'self-draining backflow preventer' which automatically drains when the water is shut off even with the hose attached. a pair of these is $25, but a pair of standard frost-proof sillcocks is also necessary (simply a valve with a recessed seat is necessary, no vacuum breaks etc required.)
i tend to be a cost-conscious consumer, so let's see. $89 for the model 19's, minus $25 for the backflow attachments, leaves $64 for a pair of basic, solid frost-proof sillcocks. let's see, a pair of quartermasters for $45 from home depot, or the pair i already have from lowes i paid $46 for.
hmm.. that's a $20 difference for the pair.. maybe i'll just order a pair of these backflow attachments. then i can wash my car in january without worry! haha!
the idea of a frost-proof sillcock is that it won't get destroyed in the winter when temperatures go below freezing. with a normal sillcock, the homeowner should shut off a valve inside, ahead of the bib in the supply line, remove the hose and then open the outside valve and let it drain. then don't use the spigot again until spring.
of course, the need arises sooner or later during winter and it gets used for something and the proper drainage procedure isn't followed. the faucet sits full of water and as it freezes the water expands and cracks the sillcock.
with a frost-proof sillcock, you don't need to shut off a valve inside the house in the fall. instead, you shut off the outside valve and you simply disconnect the hose and it will drain itself. the internal valve in the sillcock is actually located far back in the body, inside the insulated wall where temperatures are higher. all the water to the outside of that valve drains out toward the exterior. voila, no broken sillcock.
of course, the need arises sooner or later during winter and it gets used for something and the hose gets left attached. the faucet sits full of water because it can't drain and as it freezes the water expands and cracks the sillcock.
so how about that, you spent $25 instead of $5 on a frost-proof sillcock and it still cracked from freezing. sure, you could avoid it with proper procedure, but in that case you could just stick with the $5 sillcock and turn off the inside valves in the fall.
well, it turns out there are actual frost-proof sill cocks on the market. some will drain themselves even if you leave the hose attached to the spigot, such as woodford model 30. some have a pressure relief valve that relieves pressure when it escalates due to freezing water, such as woodford models 16 & 19. model 19 is essentially model 16 with a backflow preventer attached. a pair of model 19s is $89. a pair of model 30s is $107+s/h
there is also a device which can be attached to any standard spigot. it's a 'self-draining backflow preventer' which automatically drains when the water is shut off even with the hose attached. a pair of these is $25, but a pair of standard frost-proof sillcocks is also necessary (simply a valve with a recessed seat is necessary, no vacuum breaks etc required.)
i tend to be a cost-conscious consumer, so let's see. $89 for the model 19's, minus $25 for the backflow attachments, leaves $64 for a pair of basic, solid frost-proof sillcocks. let's see, a pair of quartermasters for $45 from home depot, or the pair i already have from lowes i paid $46 for.
hmm.. that's a $20 difference for the pair.. maybe i'll just order a pair of these backflow attachments. then i can wash my car in january without worry! haha!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
air tightness
i was putting up some flashing tape along the band joist today; the asphalt self-adhered flashing (SAF) is covering the joints along the top and bottom of the band joist to form an air barrier.
the strip along the bottom edge of the band joist is attached to the rigid foam (attached to the exterior of the block foundation wall) and goes up along the edge of the sill plate, in over the 2" of exposed sill plate, and about 2" up the band joist. this seals the joints above and below the sill plate.
the strip along the top edge of the band joist is attached to the bottom edge of the wall sheathing and goes down and inward along the exposed 2" of bottom plate, then 2" down the band joist. this seals the joint between the bottom edge of the sheathing and the bottom plate, and between the bottom plate and the band joist.
this works; it forms an air barrier. it's also a pain to apply. i cut off a manageable length of about 5'-6' and then peel back a bit of one edge of the tape. i grab the exposed stickiness and bend it in half outward, so the opposite edges dont contact each other. i then carefully peel the rest of the tape, keeping it stiff, and immediately fold the other end in half and keep it stiff. if any of the sticky parts contact each other, it is almost impossible to fix. i then stick one end in place, hold the other end over where it will go, and slide my hand across, rolling the adhesive into contact.
anyway, this is a pain. slow, time consuming. rather expensive in tape. i'm using the most affordable SAF around here, but it comes with aluminum foil covering. i don't need a vapor barrier on the outside, although the inside is open so it can still breathe. it's just a pain, there are better ways to form an effective air barrier. this is just a solution to poor planning on my part.
i think SAF wouldn't be so bad if i had a high-speed applicator like the Zipwall products have, and if i were applying it to flat surfaces - not 3-dimensional corners like i'm working along.
better air barrier details next time..
the strip along the bottom edge of the band joist is attached to the rigid foam (attached to the exterior of the block foundation wall) and goes up along the edge of the sill plate, in over the 2" of exposed sill plate, and about 2" up the band joist. this seals the joints above and below the sill plate.
the strip along the top edge of the band joist is attached to the bottom edge of the wall sheathing and goes down and inward along the exposed 2" of bottom plate, then 2" down the band joist. this seals the joint between the bottom edge of the sheathing and the bottom plate, and between the bottom plate and the band joist.
this works; it forms an air barrier. it's also a pain to apply. i cut off a manageable length of about 5'-6' and then peel back a bit of one edge of the tape. i grab the exposed stickiness and bend it in half outward, so the opposite edges dont contact each other. i then carefully peel the rest of the tape, keeping it stiff, and immediately fold the other end in half and keep it stiff. if any of the sticky parts contact each other, it is almost impossible to fix. i then stick one end in place, hold the other end over where it will go, and slide my hand across, rolling the adhesive into contact.
anyway, this is a pain. slow, time consuming. rather expensive in tape. i'm using the most affordable SAF around here, but it comes with aluminum foil covering. i don't need a vapor barrier on the outside, although the inside is open so it can still breathe. it's just a pain, there are better ways to form an effective air barrier. this is just a solution to poor planning on my part.
i think SAF wouldn't be so bad if i had a high-speed applicator like the Zipwall products have, and if i were applying it to flat surfaces - not 3-dimensional corners like i'm working along.
better air barrier details next time..
Saturday, May 1, 2010
the indoor unit
a pic of the indoor air handler of the samsung unit i'm looking at currently:
it's big, like 3 1/2 feet wide.. and 8" tall
it's big, like 3 1/2 feet wide.. and 8" tall
Friday, April 30, 2010
economics of heat
let's discuss the cost of home heating briefly. in a recent discussion, someone told me it would be cheaper to use a gas furnace to heat the house than a heat pump. a quick google gave me a page comparing the options like so:
propane (95,000 BTU/gal) @ $2.83/gal = $29.79/million btu
oil (140,000 BTU/gal) @ $3.11/gal = $22.21/million btu
elect (3410 BTU/kwhr) @ $0.14/kwhr = $41.06/million btu
nat gas @ $15.15/million btu
the author also made note that nat.gas is more locally produced energy, most propane comes from processing nat.gas (which makes it more expensive), and oil pricing is volatile.
i adjusted the prices to the DOE outlooks for 2011. from this comparison, nat gas appears to be the least expensive. however, the efficiency rating of the furnace will reduce the number of BTUs used to heat your home. the other BTUs go out the flue pipe...
except for heat pumps, which don't have flue pipes. in fact, the efficiency ratings of the heat pumps i'm looking at actually *increase* the number of BTUs used to heat the home. common rating indicators used are HSPF or heating COP.
COP is a direct ratio of energy consumed by heat pump to energy moved into the house by the heat pump. A COP of 3, for instance, means a heat pump would consume 2kW to meet a 6kW load. The COP of a heat pump varies depending on the conditions (indoor & outdoor coil temperatures.)
HSPF is a ratio of energy consumed to energy moved, but over an entire simulated heating season (including the various indoor/outdoor conditions.) HSPF varies with geographic location, but most equipment specifications are listed for 'region IV'..
You can convert HSPF to an average COP value like so:
avg COP = HSPF / 3.413
The Fujitsu i mentioned earlier had an HSPF of 8.6. avg COP = 8.6/3.413 = 2.52
now we can take that average COP and multiply it by the BTUs per kwh listed for electricity in the energy rates i listed at the beginning of this blog..
elect (3410 x 2.52 BTU/kwhr) @ $0.14/kwhr = $16.29/million btu
this is just slightly more expensive than natural gas, with $15.15/million assuming a 100% efficiency furnace. the best ones are rated 95+%.. at 95%, it's $15.95/million.
if you recall, there were other inverter systems i considered selecting. one i've had my eye on for a while is seemingly well oversized for my needs. it is a samsung unit, UH105CAV + DH105CAV. one zone, one interior unit with a 'medium static pressure' blower. with an HSPF of 9.3...
9.3/3.410 x 3410 BTU/kwhr @ $0.14/kwhr = $15.05/million
this unit will be cheaper than a 100% afue natural gas furnace to operate.
but wait, there's more..
one of the first units i was considering was a sanyo, the 26UHW72R, one zone with a single indoor blower that can handle medium static pressures also. this unit has an impressive 9.7 HSPF rating. *however, i just discovered the ahri listing for this combination is 9.0 HSPF... :\
9.7/3.410 x 3410 BTU/kwhr @ $0.14/kwhr = $14.43/million
sweet. however, the sanyo costs $400 more than the samsung. the samsung will be able to heat the house at lower outdoor conditions (perhaps 5F lower.) the sanyo is more closely sized to the house load, which means the predicted efficiency of the sanyo is likely closer to reality than the samsung. plus the sanyo would probably do a better job at reducing indoor humidity during the summer..
ah, decisions, decisions..
propane (95,000 BTU/gal) @ $2.83/gal = $29.79/million btu
oil (140,000 BTU/gal) @ $3.11/gal = $22.21/million btu
elect (3410 BTU/kwhr) @ $0.14/kwhr = $41.06/million btu
nat gas @ $15.15/million btu
the author also made note that nat.gas is more locally produced energy, most propane comes from processing nat.gas (which makes it more expensive), and oil pricing is volatile.
i adjusted the prices to the DOE outlooks for 2011. from this comparison, nat gas appears to be the least expensive. however, the efficiency rating of the furnace will reduce the number of BTUs used to heat your home. the other BTUs go out the flue pipe...
except for heat pumps, which don't have flue pipes. in fact, the efficiency ratings of the heat pumps i'm looking at actually *increase* the number of BTUs used to heat the home. common rating indicators used are HSPF or heating COP.
COP is a direct ratio of energy consumed by heat pump to energy moved into the house by the heat pump. A COP of 3, for instance, means a heat pump would consume 2kW to meet a 6kW load. The COP of a heat pump varies depending on the conditions (indoor & outdoor coil temperatures.)
HSPF is a ratio of energy consumed to energy moved, but over an entire simulated heating season (including the various indoor/outdoor conditions.) HSPF varies with geographic location, but most equipment specifications are listed for 'region IV'..
You can convert HSPF to an average COP value like so:
avg COP = HSPF / 3.413
The Fujitsu i mentioned earlier had an HSPF of 8.6. avg COP = 8.6/3.413 = 2.52
now we can take that average COP and multiply it by the BTUs per kwh listed for electricity in the energy rates i listed at the beginning of this blog..
elect (3410 x 2.52 BTU/kwhr) @ $0.14/kwhr = $16.29/million btu
this is just slightly more expensive than natural gas, with $15.15/million assuming a 100% efficiency furnace. the best ones are rated 95+%.. at 95%, it's $15.95/million.
if you recall, there were other inverter systems i considered selecting. one i've had my eye on for a while is seemingly well oversized for my needs. it is a samsung unit, UH105CAV + DH105CAV. one zone, one interior unit with a 'medium static pressure' blower. with an HSPF of 9.3...
9.3/3.410 x 3410 BTU/kwhr @ $0.14/kwhr = $15.05/million
this unit will be cheaper than a 100% afue natural gas furnace to operate.
but wait, there's more..
one of the first units i was considering was a sanyo, the 26UHW72R, one zone with a single indoor blower that can handle medium static pressures also. this unit has an impressive 9.7 HSPF rating. *however, i just discovered the ahri listing for this combination is 9.0 HSPF... :\
9.7/3.410 x 3410 BTU/kwhr @ $0.14/kwhr = $14.43/million
sweet. however, the sanyo costs $400 more than the samsung. the samsung will be able to heat the house at lower outdoor conditions (perhaps 5F lower.) the sanyo is more closely sized to the house load, which means the predicted efficiency of the sanyo is likely closer to reality than the samsung. plus the sanyo would probably do a better job at reducing indoor humidity during the summer..
ah, decisions, decisions..
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
more mini-split-ness
more system research changed a few small details of the systems i listed previously..
the low-heat (17F) capacity of the fujitsu system i listed was incorrect. that figure was the cooling capacity at 17F (don't ask me why they list the cooling capacity of the system at 17F..) heating capacity of the 24rmlq-c is actually 25.4kbtu/h, which is more than i need.
there is a smaller fujitsu system available, the 18rmlq-c. this system includes a 24rml1 outdoor unit, and two aru9rml indoor blowers. i am over 95% certain this is the system i will be ordering. specs:
cooling capacity: 11-22.6kbtu/h
heating capacity: 11-26kbtu/h
EER:10.6 SEER:15 HSPF:8.6 COP(heating):3
low-heat (17F) capacity: 21kbtu/h
price: $2500
the heating & cooling capacity ranges listed on the spec sheet are what is available from the system at a specific indoor & outdoor condition.
cooling conditions: 80F.DB/67F.WB indoor, 95F.DB/75F.WB outdoor
heating conditions: 70F.DB/60F.WB indoor, 47F.DB/43F.WB outdoor
the fujitsu tech manual also provides a table listing system performance under various combinations of indoor & outdoor temperatures. total capacity and power input of the system for each combination is provided. a look at the cooling table should provide insight into the system's dehumidification potential during the cooling season:
look at the 80F indoor column and the 95F outdoor row.. the TC here is 22.6kbtu/h, same as the max capacity listed in the main spec table. milder days of say 77F outdoor.. with an indoor temp of 70/75F.. TC is about 20kbtu/h. this is the maximum TC.. the spec sheet range of 11-22.6 could be roughly scaled to say 10-20kbtuh.. perhaps a minimum of a little below 10kbtu/h.
this table doesn't specify the outdoor wet bulb. if i assume the same WB for all outdoor conditions, say 77F.DB/75F.WB, and plug that into rhvac along with a 70F.DB/60F.WB indoor condition, then rhvac gives me a cooling load of 9k-9.5k (depending on if the house is extremely air tight or average air tight).
so if my assumption of outdoor wet bulb is correct, then this system should be able to very nearly match the load during mild summer conditions.
ok, i am going to move on with the assumption of selecting this system for purchase. next, i need to determine all of the equipment and accessories i will need for installation.
the low-heat (17F) capacity of the fujitsu system i listed was incorrect. that figure was the cooling capacity at 17F (don't ask me why they list the cooling capacity of the system at 17F..) heating capacity of the 24rmlq-c is actually 25.4kbtu/h, which is more than i need.
there is a smaller fujitsu system available, the 18rmlq-c. this system includes a 24rml1 outdoor unit, and two aru9rml indoor blowers. i am over 95% certain this is the system i will be ordering. specs:
cooling capacity: 11-22.6kbtu/h
heating capacity: 11-26kbtu/h
EER:10.6 SEER:15 HSPF:8.6 COP(heating):3
low-heat (17F) capacity: 21kbtu/h
price: $2500
the heating & cooling capacity ranges listed on the spec sheet are what is available from the system at a specific indoor & outdoor condition.
cooling conditions: 80F.DB/67F.WB indoor, 95F.DB/75F.WB outdoor
heating conditions: 70F.DB/60F.WB indoor, 47F.DB/43F.WB outdoor
the fujitsu tech manual also provides a table listing system performance under various combinations of indoor & outdoor temperatures. total capacity and power input of the system for each combination is provided. a look at the cooling table should provide insight into the system's dehumidification potential during the cooling season:
look at the 80F indoor column and the 95F outdoor row.. the TC here is 22.6kbtu/h, same as the max capacity listed in the main spec table. milder days of say 77F outdoor.. with an indoor temp of 70/75F.. TC is about 20kbtu/h. this is the maximum TC.. the spec sheet range of 11-22.6 could be roughly scaled to say 10-20kbtuh.. perhaps a minimum of a little below 10kbtu/h.
this table doesn't specify the outdoor wet bulb. if i assume the same WB for all outdoor conditions, say 77F.DB/75F.WB, and plug that into rhvac along with a 70F.DB/60F.WB indoor condition, then rhvac gives me a cooling load of 9k-9.5k (depending on if the house is extremely air tight or average air tight).
so if my assumption of outdoor wet bulb is correct, then this system should be able to very nearly match the load during mild summer conditions.
ok, i am going to move on with the assumption of selecting this system for purchase. next, i need to determine all of the equipment and accessories i will need for installation.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
hvac system selection
lately i've been giving mini-split hvac systems some serious attention. i originally assumed i would be installing a traditional heat pump system, with the air handling unit (ahu) located in the crawlspace. however, the maintenance of indoor air conditions is a rather complex operation - and i believe some available mini-split systems do a much better job of fulfilling this role well.
the main trigger to this change in equipment plans was a figure in the ashrae 2008 hvac systems and equipment manual:
it's quite apparent that control of interior humidity is essential to healthy indoor conditions. my simulations with the ornl wufi building envelope simulator about a year ago gave me familiarity with expected indoor humidity variations throughout the year in this local climate, in buildings with and without humidity control (and with or without a vapor barrier in the wall.)
i know from my readings that proper sizing of hvac equipment is stressed. oversizing is common, and this leads to the system turning on and shutting off repeatedly for very short periods. this wastes energy, puts wear on the mechanical components, and it leads to high humidity levels. because the system is usually sitting idle when it's oversized, the coil temperature warms closer to indoor temperature.
a properly sized system is usually on, which keeps the coil cold. interior air condenses on the coil and is carried away on the condensate drain. this process dehumidifies the air. from the figure shown earlier, we know there is a sweet spot for desired humidity. not too dry, not too wet. the system's ability to dehumidify depends on how long that coil is running cool.
when a system is sized, it's capacity is matched to an extremely high load condition, which is a figure dependent on geographical location, and is derived from statistical observation of local weather patterns. even a properly sized system will have a capacity greater than the given load on most days throughout the year. the system capacity is only met on those very hot or very cold days. this means on most days it's still not running optimally, but of course it's better than being drastically oversized.
many mini-split systems on the market today employ what's called an inverter compressor. this is a dc-powered compressor, and its input voltage can be variably adjusted (with an inverter) to control the rate at which the compressor runs. changes in compressor speed equate to changes in refrigerant flow between indoor and outdoor units, and ultimately to changes in rate of heat exchange for a given air speed over the coil.
this, in a sense, changes the capacity of the heat pump. the indoor coil and outdoor heat exchanger still have the same surface area exposed to local air, but the amount of heat available for exchange on those surfaces is different. this allows an intelligent controller to optimize conditions for dehumidification, and allows the system to be ramped down enough to keep it on constantly without the on/off/on/off cycling of traditional systems.
the powerful dehumidification abilities of variable compressor speed is what really attracts me to these minisplits. it doesn't hurt that they offer high EER/SEER performance for their cost, either. a few traditional split systems are on the market with variable compressor ability, but they are very expensive and hard to come by.
i scoured the internet and made a list of potential systems to purchase. most minisplits come with a wall mount indoor unit, as these are easy to install and mini-splits are usually selected for retrofit applications because of this. however, there are also indoor units that are like miniature indoor air handlers, with a blower and coil, and they are connected to ductwork. i plan to use these as it allows me to direct fresh conditioned air directly to everywhere i want it, and it presents in a traditional fashion to people (potential home buyers) as good old registers and diffusers.
i also looked for units that would closely match the load requirements of vinnie. i ran the house specs through a load sizing program, rhvac, and it gave me back precise load values for all parts of the house. total summer cooling load is 11,634 kbtu/h and total winter heating load is 16,566 kbtu/h. all system specs also list the heating capacity at low temperatures (17F) and the winter figure produced by rhvac is for 15F outdoor conditions. so i ensured the systems can meet this load at 15F. this requirement excluded a few otherwise excellent contenders..
the short list of favorites remaining:
lg lmu245hv + lmdn095hv (x2) - 10.8 EER, 8.1 HSPF, 10.8k min cool, 21.1k? low heat, $3100
fujitsu 24rmlq-c ; 24rml1 + aru12rml (x2) - 9.5 EER, 8.6 HSPF, 11k min cool, 16.6k low heat, $2500
sanyo 26uhw72r ; ch2672r + uh2672r - 9.1 EER, 9.7 HSPF, 9.5k min cool, 17.1k low heat, $3040
i couldn't retrieve explicit low heat capacity for the lg, so i may have to upgrade the two blower units from 9k to 12k units. prices are what i dug up with minimal effort through google. the fujitsu may find itself the winner. i listed minimum cooling capacities because the lower numbered systems may do a better job dehumidifying on mild but humid days. the high EER of the lg is attractive, as this could correspond to much lower bills.. almost 2 points higher than the sanyo.
however EER is cooling performance, whereas HSPF is heating performance. look at the sanyo HSPF, blows the other two away. i expect yearly heating costs to far exceed yearly cooling costs. past simulations with resfen have indicated about seven times as much energy required for heating than cooling, annually (3680kWh vs 554kWh). that's 88% of annual energy is heating. i suppose i didn't need to list the EER..
the sanyo is a $640 premium over the fujitsu. the 9.7 HSPF is 1.1 greater than 8.6, 1.1/8.6 = 12.8% better. 640 * 1/.128 = $5,000. so ~13% savings in heating would pay off the $640 cost after $5k had been spent on heating bills.. guestimate $60/mo average bill..$720/yr.. that's like 7 years to pay for itself. ah, might as well save the $640 now.. fujitsu..
decisions, decisions..
the main trigger to this change in equipment plans was a figure in the ashrae 2008 hvac systems and equipment manual:
it's quite apparent that control of interior humidity is essential to healthy indoor conditions. my simulations with the ornl wufi building envelope simulator about a year ago gave me familiarity with expected indoor humidity variations throughout the year in this local climate, in buildings with and without humidity control (and with or without a vapor barrier in the wall.)
i know from my readings that proper sizing of hvac equipment is stressed. oversizing is common, and this leads to the system turning on and shutting off repeatedly for very short periods. this wastes energy, puts wear on the mechanical components, and it leads to high humidity levels. because the system is usually sitting idle when it's oversized, the coil temperature warms closer to indoor temperature.
a properly sized system is usually on, which keeps the coil cold. interior air condenses on the coil and is carried away on the condensate drain. this process dehumidifies the air. from the figure shown earlier, we know there is a sweet spot for desired humidity. not too dry, not too wet. the system's ability to dehumidify depends on how long that coil is running cool.
when a system is sized, it's capacity is matched to an extremely high load condition, which is a figure dependent on geographical location, and is derived from statistical observation of local weather patterns. even a properly sized system will have a capacity greater than the given load on most days throughout the year. the system capacity is only met on those very hot or very cold days. this means on most days it's still not running optimally, but of course it's better than being drastically oversized.
many mini-split systems on the market today employ what's called an inverter compressor. this is a dc-powered compressor, and its input voltage can be variably adjusted (with an inverter) to control the rate at which the compressor runs. changes in compressor speed equate to changes in refrigerant flow between indoor and outdoor units, and ultimately to changes in rate of heat exchange for a given air speed over the coil.
this, in a sense, changes the capacity of the heat pump. the indoor coil and outdoor heat exchanger still have the same surface area exposed to local air, but the amount of heat available for exchange on those surfaces is different. this allows an intelligent controller to optimize conditions for dehumidification, and allows the system to be ramped down enough to keep it on constantly without the on/off/on/off cycling of traditional systems.
the powerful dehumidification abilities of variable compressor speed is what really attracts me to these minisplits. it doesn't hurt that they offer high EER/SEER performance for their cost, either. a few traditional split systems are on the market with variable compressor ability, but they are very expensive and hard to come by.
i scoured the internet and made a list of potential systems to purchase. most minisplits come with a wall mount indoor unit, as these are easy to install and mini-splits are usually selected for retrofit applications because of this. however, there are also indoor units that are like miniature indoor air handlers, with a blower and coil, and they are connected to ductwork. i plan to use these as it allows me to direct fresh conditioned air directly to everywhere i want it, and it presents in a traditional fashion to people (potential home buyers) as good old registers and diffusers.
i also looked for units that would closely match the load requirements of vinnie. i ran the house specs through a load sizing program, rhvac, and it gave me back precise load values for all parts of the house. total summer cooling load is 11,634 kbtu/h and total winter heating load is 16,566 kbtu/h. all system specs also list the heating capacity at low temperatures (17F) and the winter figure produced by rhvac is for 15F outdoor conditions. so i ensured the systems can meet this load at 15F. this requirement excluded a few otherwise excellent contenders..
the short list of favorites remaining:
lg lmu245hv + lmdn095hv (x2) - 10.8 EER, 8.1 HSPF, 10.8k min cool, 21.1k? low heat, $3100
fujitsu 24rmlq-c ; 24rml1 + aru12rml (x2) - 9.5 EER, 8.6 HSPF, 11k min cool, 16.6k low heat, $2500
sanyo 26uhw72r ; ch2672r + uh2672r - 9.1 EER, 9.7 HSPF, 9.5k min cool, 17.1k low heat, $3040
i couldn't retrieve explicit low heat capacity for the lg, so i may have to upgrade the two blower units from 9k to 12k units. prices are what i dug up with minimal effort through google. the fujitsu may find itself the winner. i listed minimum cooling capacities because the lower numbered systems may do a better job dehumidifying on mild but humid days. the high EER of the lg is attractive, as this could correspond to much lower bills.. almost 2 points higher than the sanyo.
however EER is cooling performance, whereas HSPF is heating performance. look at the sanyo HSPF, blows the other two away. i expect yearly heating costs to far exceed yearly cooling costs. past simulations with resfen have indicated about seven times as much energy required for heating than cooling, annually (3680kWh vs 554kWh). that's 88% of annual energy is heating. i suppose i didn't need to list the EER..
the sanyo is a $640 premium over the fujitsu. the 9.7 HSPF is 1.1 greater than 8.6, 1.1/8.6 = 12.8% better. 640 * 1/.128 = $5,000. so ~13% savings in heating would pay off the $640 cost after $5k had been spent on heating bills.. guestimate $60/mo average bill..$720/yr.. that's like 7 years to pay for itself. ah, might as well save the $640 now.. fujitsu..
decisions, decisions..
Monday, April 12, 2010
foundation parging
i'm currently trying to get the lath to lay flat. you can see my dilemma here:
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| From vinnie pics by mike |
revised moola
i also plotted a running sum of my expenditures over time.
according to the red linear trendline, one year from now i'll have spent just under $45k. that's assuming i continue spending money at a linear rate, which is a silly assumption. just interesting to see, i suppose.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
foundation wall covering
sorry i have no pics; i keep forgetting the camera.
the past few days i've dug out around the foundation to expose 3' of foundation wall. this is enough for the hardware cloth to be attached. i still need to do a little more digging, especially b/c i may need more clearance to attach screws at lower parts of the wall, to hold the mesh to the foam.
i've got 6 50lb bags of surface bonding cement on-hand, along with a dozen quarts of acrylic admix. this is sufficient for 300sf of coverage at 1/8" thickness. hopefully i wont need more, but i'm prepared to go out and buy more if needed. it's not terribly expensive. about $70 each for the cement and the admix.
tomorrow is easter, so im not sure if i'll venture out there for work on a holiday. i'm not looking forward to trying to get the mesh into place by myself; i'm sure it will get dirt all over it while struggling with the long lengths of it. i suppose i'll attach it into position and then spray it down with the hose.. this will make a muddy mess and has the potential to delay the stucco. hopefully i just push through and get 'er done.
this needs to get done and over with - i don't want a moat around my house after the next rain.
obviously, in the future, i should stucco the foundation before backfilling. all this excavation and dealing with dirt is extra work and takes alot of time. my priority then was getting the roof on, but in retrospect it only cost me time and labor later on.
yesterday, i also got a foam can and sprayed the gaps in the gable wall sheathing just below the ridge, as wasps were using it as a door. i also filled in gaps in the sill plate and band joist while the can was being used.
i purchased a roll of fiberglass window screen, 3' x 25', for about 20 bux. i cut this into small pieces and stapled them up in the attic, covering the lower air vents. i used short galv staples in the staple gun, this worked ok but drove through the screen a few times. i should try out a simple T50 spring actuated stapler. why do pneumatic staplers seem to have such poor control/consistency?
anyway, i used standard window screen instead of a 1/2" hardware cloth, as it would reject more, smaller, insects. the lower air vents are well over-sized in relation to the upper ridge vent, and the reduction in cross section from the finer mesh doesn't hinder the roof ventilation system. fyi, i calc'd an approx 65% ventilation rate with the screen in place, which is with an 18x16 mesh.
the past few days i've dug out around the foundation to expose 3' of foundation wall. this is enough for the hardware cloth to be attached. i still need to do a little more digging, especially b/c i may need more clearance to attach screws at lower parts of the wall, to hold the mesh to the foam.
i've got 6 50lb bags of surface bonding cement on-hand, along with a dozen quarts of acrylic admix. this is sufficient for 300sf of coverage at 1/8" thickness. hopefully i wont need more, but i'm prepared to go out and buy more if needed. it's not terribly expensive. about $70 each for the cement and the admix.
tomorrow is easter, so im not sure if i'll venture out there for work on a holiday. i'm not looking forward to trying to get the mesh into place by myself; i'm sure it will get dirt all over it while struggling with the long lengths of it. i suppose i'll attach it into position and then spray it down with the hose.. this will make a muddy mess and has the potential to delay the stucco. hopefully i just push through and get 'er done.
this needs to get done and over with - i don't want a moat around my house after the next rain.
obviously, in the future, i should stucco the foundation before backfilling. all this excavation and dealing with dirt is extra work and takes alot of time. my priority then was getting the roof on, but in retrospect it only cost me time and labor later on.
yesterday, i also got a foam can and sprayed the gaps in the gable wall sheathing just below the ridge, as wasps were using it as a door. i also filled in gaps in the sill plate and band joist while the can was being used.
i purchased a roll of fiberglass window screen, 3' x 25', for about 20 bux. i cut this into small pieces and stapled them up in the attic, covering the lower air vents. i used short galv staples in the staple gun, this worked ok but drove through the screen a few times. i should try out a simple T50 spring actuated stapler. why do pneumatic staplers seem to have such poor control/consistency?
anyway, i used standard window screen instead of a 1/2" hardware cloth, as it would reject more, smaller, insects. the lower air vents are well over-sized in relation to the upper ridge vent, and the reduction in cross section from the finer mesh doesn't hinder the roof ventilation system. fyi, i calc'd an approx 65% ventilation rate with the screen in place, which is with an 18x16 mesh.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
foundation
i ordered hardware cloth from agrisupply to serve as lath to stucco/parge the foundation. it arrived the other day, and there's no chance of rain in the forecast for over a week.
the lath is 3' tall, and about 2' of foundation is exposed above grade. i'll dig down just over 1' so the protective stucco goes below grade a bit. i dug out along the rear wall today. i'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.
the lath is 3' tall, and about 2' of foundation is exposed above grade. i'll dig down just over 1' so the protective stucco goes below grade a bit. i dug out along the rear wall today. i'll try to get some pics up tomorrow.
Monday, March 22, 2010
roof completion
the other day - maybe saturday - i finished shingling the small portion of the gable roof at the front. most of the roof was shingled long ago but i didnt get around to finishing it until just recently.
it involved weaving step flashing into the shingle courses which acts as flashing between the roof and the wall it butts into. i used aluminum from home depot which is brown on one side, so the flashing wont be bright or even apparent when viewing the finished house. this flashing is slightly thinner than what i would prefer, but it should last as long as the asphalt shingles.
i was disappointed in completing this portion of the roof, as there were a couple details that should have been worked out better. the intersection of the small gable ridge into the rest of the roof should have been flashed prior to all of the shingles going up. i retrofit some aluminum, but the quality of this flashing isn't too great, as it only acts to shed down flowing water, and may not stand up to pounding rains or ice damns. time will tell. also the ridge vent at this small ridge butts to the larger roof plane. the gap at the ridge should have been set back from this butting point, and i had to retrofit flashing to assist this situation as well.
there's little potential for water intrusion at this portion of the roof, as its mostly over the front overhang.. but i would have preferred to foresee these details beforehand. i will in the future.
i ordered the galvanized hardware cloth for the foundation via the internet today. it cost ~$150 instead of the ~$240 it would have cost from local stores. unfortunately i have to wait for the delivery - i really hope it isn't long.
i want to cover the band joist, but im afraid the OSB covering it will interfere with installation of the mesh. i should have ordered this a long time ago. there are many other products i have delayed ordering, as im concerned about running out of funds and want to prolong that event as far into the future as possible. it's costing me time now, however.
i need to decide on what to do next.
it involved weaving step flashing into the shingle courses which acts as flashing between the roof and the wall it butts into. i used aluminum from home depot which is brown on one side, so the flashing wont be bright or even apparent when viewing the finished house. this flashing is slightly thinner than what i would prefer, but it should last as long as the asphalt shingles.
i was disappointed in completing this portion of the roof, as there were a couple details that should have been worked out better. the intersection of the small gable ridge into the rest of the roof should have been flashed prior to all of the shingles going up. i retrofit some aluminum, but the quality of this flashing isn't too great, as it only acts to shed down flowing water, and may not stand up to pounding rains or ice damns. time will tell. also the ridge vent at this small ridge butts to the larger roof plane. the gap at the ridge should have been set back from this butting point, and i had to retrofit flashing to assist this situation as well.
there's little potential for water intrusion at this portion of the roof, as its mostly over the front overhang.. but i would have preferred to foresee these details beforehand. i will in the future.
i ordered the galvanized hardware cloth for the foundation via the internet today. it cost ~$150 instead of the ~$240 it would have cost from local stores. unfortunately i have to wait for the delivery - i really hope it isn't long.
i want to cover the band joist, but im afraid the OSB covering it will interfere with installation of the mesh. i should have ordered this a long time ago. there are many other products i have delayed ordering, as im concerned about running out of funds and want to prolong that event as far into the future as possible. it's costing me time now, however.
i need to decide on what to do next.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
windows
i finished putting in the windows yesterday. i was also very sore and tired for some reason, so i slept in today. i was going to put up the remaining shingles on the front roof today, but we're going to have heavy rain and winds in the next few days, and i don't want to subject new shingles to high winds.
so i'm deciding what to do instead. while i'm here, i might as well update my blog thing. since i've neglected it for quite some time. february was the month of doing nothing it seems. between crazy weather, sickness, and general lack of motivation, i accomplished little..
anyway, let's discuss the windows. they are pella impervia, fiberglass composite windows. this material expands at a rate nearly identical to glass, so as temperatures fluctuate due to seasons and solar exposure, the seals between the glass and frame should remain under consistent pressure and ideally will last much longer than a window of any other type.
all of the windows are either casement, awning, or fixed. no hung/slider types. the operating windows utilize a compression-type seal, which ensures maximal air tightness. sliding-type windows tend to achieve less tightness. (good little factoid on window air tightness)
i spent some time deciding on how to flash the windows. there are many options, and i liked some details i found online in an ASTM article. it describes construction of a SAF (self-adhered flashing) sill pan. SAF are asphalt/butyl-based tapes that are supposed to stick forever and keep out water - also called 'flashing tapes.' a sill pan is located at the bottom of a window, where it has a lip toward the inside which diverts water back toward the exterior. you can see the lip well in this shot:
because of how the sill pan fills three-dimensional space, it can't be constructed with a single sheet material, but has to be built-up. i've got some pics of the sill pan construction:
and wala, sill pan installed. cutting the pieces takes longer than installing them. after the sill pan goes on, then felt jamb flashing is attached (you can see it in place in the first shot above.) then the window goes in and i strap a piece of OSB across it to hold it temporarily in place.
next i go inside and direct a vertical laser beam along an edge of the window. i carefully insert shims at the manufacturer-directed locations at the top and bottom jamb locations until the window edge aligns with the laser on both left and right edges. i check both edges to be sure.
then i return outside and nail up a ton of roofing nails into the fins of the window. i kept nails out of the bottom nailing fin, as these are a prime location for water to find its way into the wall, and i feel (after running some structural calcs) that there are sufficient nails to keep the window secured in position. only the awning windows and the wide fixed windows had a few nails placed in the bottom fin.
tada, window installed. lookin good:
so i'm deciding what to do instead. while i'm here, i might as well update my blog thing. since i've neglected it for quite some time. february was the month of doing nothing it seems. between crazy weather, sickness, and general lack of motivation, i accomplished little..
anyway, let's discuss the windows. they are pella impervia, fiberglass composite windows. this material expands at a rate nearly identical to glass, so as temperatures fluctuate due to seasons and solar exposure, the seals between the glass and frame should remain under consistent pressure and ideally will last much longer than a window of any other type.
all of the windows are either casement, awning, or fixed. no hung/slider types. the operating windows utilize a compression-type seal, which ensures maximal air tightness. sliding-type windows tend to achieve less tightness. (good little factoid on window air tightness)
i spent some time deciding on how to flash the windows. there are many options, and i liked some details i found online in an ASTM article. it describes construction of a SAF (self-adhered flashing) sill pan. SAF are asphalt/butyl-based tapes that are supposed to stick forever and keep out water - also called 'flashing tapes.' a sill pan is located at the bottom of a window, where it has a lip toward the inside which diverts water back toward the exterior. you can see the lip well in this shot:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
because of how the sill pan fills three-dimensional space, it can't be constructed with a single sheet material, but has to be built-up. i've got some pics of the sill pan construction:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
and wala, sill pan installed. cutting the pieces takes longer than installing them. after the sill pan goes on, then felt jamb flashing is attached (you can see it in place in the first shot above.) then the window goes in and i strap a piece of OSB across it to hold it temporarily in place.
next i go inside and direct a vertical laser beam along an edge of the window. i carefully insert shims at the manufacturer-directed locations at the top and bottom jamb locations until the window edge aligns with the laser on both left and right edges. i check both edges to be sure.
then i return outside and nail up a ton of roofing nails into the fins of the window. i kept nails out of the bottom nailing fin, as these are a prime location for water to find its way into the wall, and i feel (after running some structural calcs) that there are sufficient nails to keep the window secured in position. only the awning windows and the wide fixed windows had a few nails placed in the bottom fin.
tada, window installed. lookin good:
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| From vinnie pics by mike |
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
im all sheathed up.. uh huh
finished covering the south wall with sheathing and filled in the small gaps left today. whew, about time. next up, the band joist insulation & sheathing. first, gotta detail the entrance landing connections.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
snow
today, most of the front gable walls were finished being covered. a small gap remains. tomorrow i plan to work on the right wall. things are going extremely slowly due to unprecedented amounts of snow. today i spent a majority of my time digging out a parking space and paths through the snow.
i never imagined so many delays as to not even be close to closed in mid-february..
i never imagined so many delays as to not even be close to closed in mid-february..
Thursday, February 4, 2010
wall sheathin
put up more wall sheets today. it's slow goin, as i have to infill the headers with rigid foam prior to sheathing over those spots. sounds easy but it tends to take a while.
i whipped out the old spray foam gun to fill the gaps around the rigid foam pieces and help hold 'em in place. messy thing, it's working OK. the gun cleaner can is messed up and its getting on my hand every time i use it.. my finger tips aren't lookin too good right now.
tomorrow i'm going to try covering the small gaps remaining in the left and rear walls, and get the rear gable covered. the blizzard will be blowing from the NE, so getting these walls covered is most important.
i've been using a putty knife to cut the rigid foam, but it doesn't work well. the knife is flimsy, so it doesn't create a straight nor consistent edge. probably some kind of sharp, stiff blade, mounted in some kind of plate to keep it perpendicular to the sheet would work nicely.
i whipped out the old spray foam gun to fill the gaps around the rigid foam pieces and help hold 'em in place. messy thing, it's working OK. the gun cleaner can is messed up and its getting on my hand every time i use it.. my finger tips aren't lookin too good right now.
tomorrow i'm going to try covering the small gaps remaining in the left and rear walls, and get the rear gable covered. the blizzard will be blowing from the NE, so getting these walls covered is most important.
i've been using a putty knife to cut the rigid foam, but it doesn't work well. the knife is flimsy, so it doesn't create a straight nor consistent edge. probably some kind of sharp, stiff blade, mounted in some kind of plate to keep it perpendicular to the sheet would work nicely.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
snow
windows showed up thursday, i finished up the roof thursday. put up the ridge vent and shingled over it. still a few spots need to be dabbed with roof cement.
i left in a hurry due to the onset of nausea, which turned into a week long battle with a nasty stomach virus. just got back to doing work today, put up a few sheets of wall sheathing. expecting 12+" snow fri night. small front gable still needs to be shingled - gable wall must be sheathed first..
busy, busy.
i left in a hurry due to the onset of nausea, which turned into a week long battle with a nasty stomach virus. just got back to doing work today, put up a few sheets of wall sheathing. expecting 12+" snow fri night. small front gable still needs to be shingled - gable wall must be sheathed first..
busy, busy.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
roof/wall stuff
saturday, i believe i brought wall sheathing to the site and stacked 'em in the house. then i went and hung out with katie all day ;)
sunday, heavy winds and rain.
monday, things mostly dried out. i was going to work on wall sheathing, but i was missing some 1/2" foam needed to cover the headers first. i just vacuumed some water and tried vacuuming some mold, but that didn't work well.
tuesday i ripped off the old felt that was torn up by the heavy winds and rain. i put down new felt, put down the rake drip edge, and started shingling.
windows coming on thursday, possible snow on saturday. need to get the shingles done, plumbing vent flashing done, wall sheathing up.. fast!
sunday, heavy winds and rain.
monday, things mostly dried out. i was going to work on wall sheathing, but i was missing some 1/2" foam needed to cover the headers first. i just vacuumed some water and tried vacuuming some mold, but that didn't work well.
tuesday i ripped off the old felt that was torn up by the heavy winds and rain. i put down new felt, put down the rake drip edge, and started shingling.
windows coming on thursday, possible snow on saturday. need to get the shingles done, plumbing vent flashing done, wall sheathing up.. fast!
Friday, January 22, 2010
shingle shangle
thursday i got out there to find the north side covered with a light frost. i tried crossing it to get to the south side, but nearly slid off the roof before half of my fingernail saved me from falling. by 11am i resumed shingling, and the south side was done by 3:15pm.
i'm expecting rain today, but now it's not looking like much. i need to felt and start shingling the north side. i also need to integrate electrical and plumbing flashings into the shingle layers.
i need to get this done asap, and get some wall sheathing up before the windows show up on thursday. the north side is going to be a pain also because it gets less sun and the frost and wetness stick around longer. keep them fingers crossed..
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| From vinnie pics by mike |
i'm expecting rain today, but now it's not looking like much. i need to felt and start shingling the north side. i also need to integrate electrical and plumbing flashings into the shingle layers.
i need to get this done asap, and get some wall sheathing up before the windows show up on thursday. the north side is going to be a pain also because it gets less sun and the frost and wetness stick around longer. keep them fingers crossed..
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
shingling begins
monday i decided i'll need to put down felt again, as the original felt layer tore around the cap staples at the edges in the windy rain on sunday. tough day.
tuesday, i rolled out another layer of #15 on the right side, and started putting down shingles. my knees are screaming at this point. the felt went down real fast this time. i just stapled down the felt as i unrolled it straight from the roll. a staple every 2' or so along the top edge, then run back across the bottom with a staple every 2' on the bottom. calm, windless day helped a bunch here.
the shingles were a pain in the butt to get up to the attic, and a pain to get from the attic to the roof. i brought up one bundle at a time, setting it along the ridge. i dont trust the bundle to not slide down the side, and i dont want the shingles bending over the ridge, so they're laid edge-wise at the ridge.
the hitachi roofing nailer likes to drive a smooshed, crooked ass nail fairly regularly, and i like to curse at it and then fetch the hammer and roofing cement, pry the nail, cement the hole, and drive another nail. meh.
the first few courses i focused on developing a rhythm and a good pace, which i did. but, i found out the shingles were not laying flat, but they were wavy. they came out of the bundles wavy. i guess the cold weather is causing this. so, i had to change my technique so i can press the bottom portion of the shingle flat with my left hand while nailing with the right. this made the following courses much smoother.
wednesday (today), i got out to the house and found it covered in a light coating of snow. so i pulled the temporary ridge bracing down finally, and installed collar ties. i took my time as i was waiting for the melted snow to dry off. by about 1pm i was able to resume shingling, and here we are so far:
i estimate this with around 8-9 hours of shingling so far. sloooow. lots of shingles. and my poor toes & knees..
tuesday, i rolled out another layer of #15 on the right side, and started putting down shingles. my knees are screaming at this point. the felt went down real fast this time. i just stapled down the felt as i unrolled it straight from the roll. a staple every 2' or so along the top edge, then run back across the bottom with a staple every 2' on the bottom. calm, windless day helped a bunch here.
the shingles were a pain in the butt to get up to the attic, and a pain to get from the attic to the roof. i brought up one bundle at a time, setting it along the ridge. i dont trust the bundle to not slide down the side, and i dont want the shingles bending over the ridge, so they're laid edge-wise at the ridge.
the hitachi roofing nailer likes to drive a smooshed, crooked ass nail fairly regularly, and i like to curse at it and then fetch the hammer and roofing cement, pry the nail, cement the hole, and drive another nail. meh.
the first few courses i focused on developing a rhythm and a good pace, which i did. but, i found out the shingles were not laying flat, but they were wavy. they came out of the bundles wavy. i guess the cold weather is causing this. so, i had to change my technique so i can press the bottom portion of the shingle flat with my left hand while nailing with the right. this made the following courses much smoother.
wednesday (today), i got out to the house and found it covered in a light coating of snow. so i pulled the temporary ridge bracing down finally, and installed collar ties. i took my time as i was waiting for the melted snow to dry off. by about 1pm i was able to resume shingling, and here we are so far:
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
i estimate this with around 8-9 hours of shingling so far. sloooow. lots of shingles. and my poor toes & knees..
Sunday, January 17, 2010
papering the roof
i've been working very slowly the past week. let's see if i can get this right:
tue i sheathed the rest of the roof.
wed i didn't get out to the site..?
thu i put up gable studs in the gap at the front and got a bunch of quotes.
fri i put up drip edge.
sat i papered the roof.
hmm, i'm pretty sure i could have done all of that in one intense day, if i wasn't such a bum. anyhow..
when i put up the gable studs, i used the PLS90 to ensure they nailed up plum. this tool makes so much sense whenever i need to erect something plum. i should make a list of all plumbing operations and schedule them for evening work where the laser is visible.
i shopped around a bit for drip edge, which is funny because it's such a low cost item. i believe i spent $3.28 each for 16 10' lengths.. so about $50. also shopped around for shingles, which was smart, as home depot was by far cheaper than the competition. that saved a few hundred dollars.
as to drip edge installation: i just nailed it up, pressing it tight against the top of the fascia. i used the roofing nailer, which made it a little faster, but i need to try & adjust it for less power. a few misfires dented the top good, and most nails dimpled the top. perhaps unavoidable.
the drip edge came out looking a bit wobbly and inconsistent across the length of the roof edge. might be better to snap a line and nail to it. also, be sure to check the ends of the pieces, as one is designed to surround the other, and working them backwards doesn't look as nice.
felt paper on the roof went well. it was key to snap a line at the eaves for the first course, allowing the 3/8in overhang. all other courses aligned to that below. i nailed a ways along the top edge before pausing and nailing down some of the lower edge to keep it from blowing over. wash, rinse, repeat.
i had a spring clamp on hand to hold the roll together when i stepped away from it. worked nice. also, on the north side of the roof i just nailed the whole course's top edge before walking back and nailing down the bottom. wind conditions permitted this, and it was faster. so, conditions will dictate your technique and speed.
it's raining today, so hopefully things will dry out fast and i can get the shingles down. i also need to put down the drip edge on the rake ends, and get the ridge vent installed. i'll probably head down there today to see how the felt is holding up to the rain.
tue i sheathed the rest of the roof.
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
wed i didn't get out to the site..?
thu i put up gable studs in the gap at the front and got a bunch of quotes.
fri i put up drip edge.
sat i papered the roof.
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
hmm, i'm pretty sure i could have done all of that in one intense day, if i wasn't such a bum. anyhow..
when i put up the gable studs, i used the PLS90 to ensure they nailed up plum. this tool makes so much sense whenever i need to erect something plum. i should make a list of all plumbing operations and schedule them for evening work where the laser is visible.
i shopped around a bit for drip edge, which is funny because it's such a low cost item. i believe i spent $3.28 each for 16 10' lengths.. so about $50. also shopped around for shingles, which was smart, as home depot was by far cheaper than the competition. that saved a few hundred dollars.
as to drip edge installation: i just nailed it up, pressing it tight against the top of the fascia. i used the roofing nailer, which made it a little faster, but i need to try & adjust it for less power. a few misfires dented the top good, and most nails dimpled the top. perhaps unavoidable.
the drip edge came out looking a bit wobbly and inconsistent across the length of the roof edge. might be better to snap a line and nail to it. also, be sure to check the ends of the pieces, as one is designed to surround the other, and working them backwards doesn't look as nice.
felt paper on the roof went well. it was key to snap a line at the eaves for the first course, allowing the 3/8in overhang. all other courses aligned to that below. i nailed a ways along the top edge before pausing and nailing down some of the lower edge to keep it from blowing over. wash, rinse, repeat.
i had a spring clamp on hand to hold the roll together when i stepped away from it. worked nice. also, on the north side of the roof i just nailed the whole course's top edge before walking back and nailing down the bottom. wind conditions permitted this, and it was faster. so, conditions will dictate your technique and speed.
it's raining today, so hopefully things will dry out fast and i can get the shingles down. i also need to put down the drip edge on the rake ends, and get the ridge vent installed. i'll probably head down there today to see how the felt is holding up to the rain.
Monday, January 11, 2010
roofie doofie
sunday i sheathed the rest of the left side of the roof.
today, i sheathed about 2/3 of the right side.
notes on roof sheathing:
plan the sheet positions and ensure you follow them.
lay all the whole sheets of a row first, then nail down the end pieces. let them hang off the edge, and then run across it with the panel pilot in the router. fast and easy. just watch out for where those offcuts land.
pry rafters to align with layout marks on the sheets before nailing them. the butt ends of sheets are nailed at an angle, so its fastest to nail down a whole row before going back over it with the hammer, sinking those butt nails flush.
the last bunch of sheets need to be staged for access as the roof is closed up. i just tacked on a bunch of 2x scrap to the fascia and had the sheets rest against that. other options?
it'd also be nice to have all my tools accessible from the sheathing side of the roof, rather than climbing down to the attic every time i need something. maybe something attached to the gable end, or something hanging from the ridge?
today, i sheathed about 2/3 of the right side.
notes on roof sheathing:
plan the sheet positions and ensure you follow them.
lay all the whole sheets of a row first, then nail down the end pieces. let them hang off the edge, and then run across it with the panel pilot in the router. fast and easy. just watch out for where those offcuts land.
pry rafters to align with layout marks on the sheets before nailing them. the butt ends of sheets are nailed at an angle, so its fastest to nail down a whole row before going back over it with the hammer, sinking those butt nails flush.
the last bunch of sheets need to be staged for access as the roof is closed up. i just tacked on a bunch of 2x scrap to the fascia and had the sheets rest against that. other options?
it'd also be nice to have all my tools accessible from the sheathing side of the roof, rather than climbing down to the attic every time i need something. maybe something attached to the gable end, or something hanging from the ridge?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
slow roof
tuesday i hung the rest of the fascia and started setting blocks between the outlookers.
wednesday i finished setting blocks between the outlookers
thursday i started laying sheathing down, got two courses on the left roof.
thursday night into friday it snowed.
today it is freezing arse cold outside and i'm afraid i wont be able to move the sheets with gloves on.
looks like tomorrow will be similar weather, i may just go out there and try anyhow.
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| From vinnie pics by mike |
wednesday i finished setting blocks between the outlookers
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
thursday i started laying sheathing down, got two courses on the left roof.
 |
| From vinnie pics by mike |
thursday night into friday it snowed.
today it is freezing arse cold outside and i'm afraid i wont be able to move the sheets with gloves on.
looks like tomorrow will be similar weather, i may just go out there and try anyhow.
Monday, January 4, 2010
slowly but surely
today i got the rear barge rafters up. a bit nerve wracking, hanging that 16 foot rafter over the edge, hoping it doesn't fall off. looks good:
also got the front right barge rafter up:
still really cold out, but no wind yay :P i cut half the fascia before leaving, i'll finish those cuts tomorrow and hang the fascia, then get on with sheathing and that last piece of barge rafter up front.
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| From vinnie pics by mike |
also got the front right barge rafter up:
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| From vinnie pics by mike |
still really cold out, but no wind yay :P i cut half the fascia before leaving, i'll finish those cuts tomorrow and hang the fascia, then get on with sheathing and that last piece of barge rafter up front.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
poor weather - how unexpected!
friday it rained.
saturday (yesterday) i took down the tarps and finished the lookout blocks on the rear gable.
i also put up the small barge rafters on the front.
it was really cold & windy yesterday, below freezing with 25mph winds. weather.com said feels like 15F. even worse today, currently reads feeling like 7F in milford. nice and toasty here with the electric heater on my feet.
i am considering going out and messing with those larger barge rafters. currently 20mph winds w/ gusts to 38mph. hmm.
saturday (yesterday) i took down the tarps and finished the lookout blocks on the rear gable.
 |
| From vinnie |
i also put up the small barge rafters on the front.
 |
| From vinnie |
it was really cold & windy yesterday, below freezing with 25mph winds. weather.com said feels like 15F. even worse today, currently reads feeling like 7F in milford. nice and toasty here with the electric heater on my feet.
i am considering going out and messing with those larger barge rafters. currently 20mph winds w/ gusts to 38mph. hmm.
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