The Home Improvement Thread

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by speede5

Echo most of the above. It would be nice to have a damper at the vent but thats probably not your problem.

Vapour barrier should be installed around the fan as it should be on the warm side. Make sure it and all the ducting coming off is well capsulated by the insulation. One of the first pics you posted showed the insulation was a bit patchy but I assumed you mad moved it around while investigating. If the body of the fan is exposed to the attic air it will be cold and be a place for condensation.

While those openings aren't pretty they are typical. No staining on the sheeting so probably not a point of ingress.

I checked on the inside of the old duct (I picked up some new stuff on the weekend and will install tonight). There seems to be some water staining inside the insulation, but it didn't go all the way through from one side to the other.

I had the cut the vapour barrier around the old bathroom fan to be able to get the new one in (the new one sits a lot deeper than the old one. Is tuck tape sufficient for mending vapour barrier?

[OMG!WTF!]

Yes Tuck tape is intended for mending vapour barrier...and hotspots when you're hiking.

[speede5]

Tuck tape is ok, but it doesn't last forever and isn't certified for sealing vapor barrier. They have a Blue tuck tape that is designed for vapor barrier. Doesn't hurt to give a good overlap and use some acoustic sealant in the joint if that's an option.

http://www.cantech.com/product/286

[kevman]

Interesting. I've only ever seen people use red tuck tape on vapour barrier. The more you know.

As for the roof vent, a lot of roofers do it that way because it's easier. For bathroom vents Home Depot or Rona should have the Broan roof caps that have collars and a flapper. If you can't find them there you can also get them at local suppliers like Ecco Supply. I don't know if that would solve your problem however...

[Wormius]

It doesn't appear that the leaks are really anything to do with the ducting or vent caps, but I am just trying to figure out now why roofing company says they installed gooseneck style vent caps that had collars on them, when there is clearly no collar to attach the duct onto. The only collar that is there is a 3" piece, that was secured only from the inside of the attic. Since the roofers didn't go into the attic or replace any of the ducts. At this point, I just want them to replace the vent caps to at least have a collar and a flapper to accomodate the 4" ducts.

I guess its not a huge deal, I could use the 4" to 3" reducer, and use tin snips to make tabs like what was done with the other, but it seems like it could be done better.

Edit: talked to the roofer, he suggested that creating a sort of “p-trap” with the flexible ducting will mitigate against leaks.

[burnin_vernon]

I have a small gap bordering my garage door and would like to seal it for a little more warmth. What kind of insulation/kit should I use?

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by burnin_vernon

I have a small gap bordering my garage door and would like to seal it for a little more warmth. What kind of insulation/kit should I use?

Pictures? Hard to suggest without knowing where the gap is (top side bottom) and what materials we're talking.

[ricosuave]

Hey. I've got a question.

We recently moved into a house that has frost free outside water bibs. One was leaking over the summer, so I bought a replacement o-ring and disk assembly for it and installed it. It seemed that the valve dribbled slightly after that, but the change did slow the water leakage, so I just tightened the cap further, and all was well.

Apparently, there is no need to shut off the valve and drain them for the winter.

My question is, how can you be sure that they work, that the vacuum prevents them from freezing?

I do not have any shut off valves at the water main line for them, and I don't want to find out when it gets cold that I should have done something. The basement is developed, and I cant even see how the water lines are run to these to trace them.

[kevman]

The frost free valves should be installed on an angle so any water left in the extension drains out when you shut it off. If you disconnect your hose and turn off the water you should see a gurgle of water drain out of the valve. That's your indication that there is no more water left downstream of the valve in the cold space.

[Wormius]

I bought the insulated flexible duct for the bathroom fan and installed it.

I tried this, which seems kind of sketchy, based on what the roofer said that he's seen people do. I am a little worried about too much water sitting in there. I haven't found very many links on the web encouraging this though. Should I just straighten it out instead, or would the amount of water that would normally accumulate just evaporate off? I could leave it like this for a year and monitor it. I am probably worrying about these things more than I should.

[Fuzz]

Anyone know an asphalt company do to a small job on the cheap? I just got quoted $2000 for 165 sq feet, on an area that is mostly prepped, just needs compacting. That sounds unreasonable.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Anyone know an asphalt company do to a small job on the cheap? I just got quoted $2000 for 165 sq feet, on an area that is mostly prepped, just needs compacting. That sounds unreasonable.

https://www.tigerpaving.com/

[speede5]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I bought the insulated flexible duct for the bathroom fan and installed it.

I tried this, which seems kind of sketchy, based on what the roofer said that he's seen people do. I am a little worried about too much water sitting in there. I haven't found very many links on the web encouraging this though. Should I just straighten it out instead, or would the amount of water that would normally accumulate just evaporate off? I could leave it like this for a year and monitor it. I am probably worrying about these things more than I should.

You may accumulate moisture in there but I doubt it will cause problems. If you're willing to monitor it I can't see there being any harm in it. Any moisture that does accumulate is going to freeze in the winter though, so you could build up an ice dam in the duct. Unless the fan is running constantly the ambient temp in the attic will be the temp of the duct.

Ps, I think you're overthinking it.

[Fuzz]

Questions for the sparky's, and I may have a few coming up...

How many 14/2 or 12/2 wires can I pull through a 3/4" stud hole?

For a garage door opener, are they required to be on their own circuit, or can they share with an interior or exterior outlet( the exterior would be GFCI).

This is for a detached garage on its own panel.

[PaperBagger'14]

Generally you can fit 3-4 cables as I don't believe there is code saying how many. Just make it fit and don't stress the wire.

Your garage door can share a circuit with receptacles, however I wouldn't tie it in the back side of the GFCI as the electronics that control it don't like motors.

[Fuzz]

Perfect, thanks!

[speede5]

He's right, the electrical inspector just wants to see the cables free to move. There's limits on how many cables can run through conduit.

Get the PS Knight book Simplified Electrical Code, it's $15 well spent and covers pretty much everything a homeowner would ever need to know.

[Fuzz]

Ya, I picked up the book a few months ago, I'll be giving it a good read through soonish! Should have thought to look in there first.

[YYC in LAX]

Does anybody recall the poster on here who is a handyman and has done odd jobs for several members? I can’t seem to find any threads or posts.

[Canehdianman]

Originally Posted by YYC in LAX

Does anybody recall the poster on here who is a handyman and has done odd jobs for several members? I can’t seem to find any threads or posts.

Surferguy?