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Friday Follow Up – Frozen Wall Fixed

You may well recall this massive retaining wall fail which started out like this back in January of 2017 and by March of 2017 it looked like this…  Well on the good news front they finally have it fixed – the next three pics were taken June 15th, 2018 while they were reconstructing it… As […]

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Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday July 20, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: More Humidity Please…

Something tells me the humidifier isn’t needed at the moment… As for needing a humidifier for wintertime, well I still doubt it but some people still insist on having them.

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday July 18, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: Avoiding the most common fail

No one likes to fail a building inspection especially when you get dinged a penalty from the Building Department for it. Not only are you out the fee & time you spent there, but it can leave the homeowner or General Contractor wondering about your work. So what is the biggest failure? Duct leakage or […]

Filed Under: Building Codes July 13, 2018 By SLS

Electrical FAQ: Off the wall questions…

In some past articles we have talked about swapping out outlets in your house with newer Tamper Resistant ones especially if you wish to child/baby-proof your home or if you wish to give your house a facelift. Last week we also posted a question – just what is wrong with these pictures? If you haven’t […]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Acronym’s, & Terminology Tagged With: Electrical June 25, 2018 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Electrical What’s Wrong

Can you spot the issue? Quick Note – please ignore the light not showing on the plug – it does have power & the device itself works properly, the real issue is… If you got a guess, please leave a comment below & then check your answer… Electrical FAQ: Off the wall questions…

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Electrical, Wiring June 13, 2018 By SLS

Energy Code Basics: Duct Testing – 4% or doesn’t matter?

I’ve looked everywhere… read the code book three times… you’re full of it, they fail… The issue? Well that is where does it state that while duct testing is required, only those following the Prescriptive* path have to be at 4% or less while those following the Performance* or ERI* Paths just have to test […]

Filed Under: Building Codes June 1, 2018 By SLS

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

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