The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

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Wacky Weds: Deck Railings?

In a recent piece I showed off a few structural issues with some decks by where I live. I left off one of the biggest problem spots as I knew that they were going around later to fix it… Well they have completed their repairs & they are essentially done with the exception of painting. Climbable anyone? […]

Turkeys, Pies, & Carbon Monoxide (CO)?

Wow how quickly this year has passed; with most of us getting ready to sit down and enjoy a great Thanksgiving dinner next week followed up by the Christmas Baking season. With that we would like to remind everyone with a gas stove to please use the exhaust vent (or open a window if it […]

BS4D: Duct Testing 101

Lately there have been some interesting discussions on exactly what is required for a duct test, especially as it relates to rough in tests & ducts located outside the conditioned envelope. Many of these problems seem to stem with not only a lack of knowledge of what the codes state but also what the standards […]

Wacky Weds: Dried In?

So much for being dried in… Amazingly I was there to do an insulation inspection for a local program… fortunately they hadn’t installed any yet as this was coming in from the roof area & running down 2 stories of walls. Ahh but wait, this is from another house a few days later – over […]

Conservation or Restoration

I couldn’t help but take this shot when I was in Chicago the other day as I loved the architectural detail & how it stood out from the other buildings. While some work was definitely going on inside which involved a large dumpster (renovation), some work was going on outside which left the copper patina showing (top […]

Product Review: Owen Cornings Energy Complete

Recently I had time to chat for a little over an hour with Doug Walden, who is the product manager for Owens Corning newest air sealing product called Energy Complete. I got to say I have never seen the system in action and that was one of the reasons why I jumped at the opportunity […]

Wacky Weds: Pricing

Love It… Unfortunately many business struggle with pricing as it is one of the most often asked questions on the forums. With that here are a few articles if one is looking for help: How much should I charge, Is building & remodeling just a commodity, 3 bids or…

BS4D: The Fire Sprinklers & Air Barrier conundrum

Ahh the dreaded question, just how does one comply with the codes when they conflict with each other? In this case how does one install fire sprinklers, while keeping them in conditioned space so they don’t freeze while ensuring that insulation stays in continuous contact with the air-barrier? Well what happens in most cases is you sweet […]

Wacky Weds: Getting close to winter-time

Well it looks like winter-time might be coming a little early. Amazingly we actually had some flurries a few days before these pictures were taken. Fortunately the ground was to warm for any of it to stick. Well that quickly changed as shown on this morning. What can I say, I thought it was an interesting shot. […]