The HTRC

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2018 IECC & Illinois – Where we stand (Sub Committee’s)

Updated: As we have been covering, the State of Illinois is under the clock to adopt the latest Energy Code (2018 IECC) per the EEB Act (The Full Timeline). At this point in time, the sub-committee’s should have reviewed & voted on all the proposed changes as the next step is the full council votes […]

Filed Under: Building Codes May 25, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: 3 Key Terms & Compliance Paths

As a certified HERS rater and ICC Residential Energy Inspector / Plans Examiner I find many builders and even inspectors that get confused when it comes to the Energy Codes (IECC). So with that in mind we have started a new series on the basics not written in code speak, starting with the three means […]

Filed Under: Building Codes May 21, 2018 By SLS

Tuesday Tip: Dealing with Self Stick Tile

Self stick tiles are some DIYer’s best friends but also the bane of many with tiles coming back up, not lining up, etc… Here are a few tricks that should help you succeed. Proper prep is key – you should never go over other tiles especially if there are issues with them Whatever the substrate […]

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks May 8, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Small Plumbing Issue

Why is my water running so slow… Yeah not only was the pipe clogged up but it had corroded so bad one good turn of the wrench sheared the supply right off. Might be time to repipe with a better product….

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday May 2, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Knee Wall Water Line Fail

Really do I need to mention this is a really bad thing in a knee wall area – if so Preventing &/or Fixing Frozen Water Lines

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday April 25, 2018 By SLS

FAQ on Duct Cleaning: All Hype or Worthy Expense?

It must be spring time… I got the following in the mail just the other day: 5 different ads all for duct cleaning. With allergy season starting along with my favorite ad asking just “How often are you dusting?” one has to wonder, is it worth it? Along those lines, looking at the pricing and […]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Acronym’s, & Terminology Tagged With: HVAC, Slider April 16, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Baffled

As many know, I do plenty of Energy Code Compliance Inspections, Consulting, etc… plus we have a ton of information on how to do things right on this site. Imagine my surprise when I walked into this job where they were still installing insulation & I saw this… Instead of running the baffles all the […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday April 11, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: A comedy of errors

Windows are great as they help let in natural light, fresh air when opened & hmmm, wow… This window had the drywall removed from one side & amazingly you can see all the way outside… But wait there is more That is the outside of the window – nope, no J Channel or integrated J-Channel […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday April 4, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Firewall? Check…

In multifamily units one has to have fire rated wall assemblies between units (which also includes the attic areas) to help prevent / slow fires down between units… Doesn’t help if the cable repair guy cuts holes between the units… The lucky part, there was a fire but fortunately it was on the other side […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: firewise March 14, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Shims good, but this…

You know I have heard of using a shim behind a door hinge if one has a slightly deeper hinge mortise than needed, but this is stretching it…. Funny thing is if they had shimmed the door properly they wouldn’t need to kick the hinge out almost a 1/4 of an inch.

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday March 7, 2018 By SLS

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