The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Wacky Weds: Roof Ventilation 101

Heh – this doesn’t work folks. Guess where that Powered Attic Ventilator is going to get its exhaust from or the three turtle vents when the PAV isn’t running… Sorry but not only is this a waste of money but so is the alternative solar unit. Ventilate it right, insulate properly, or consider a Hot […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Roofing September 29, 2021 By SLS

Know Thy Numbers: Ice & Water Shield / Barrier

For a mere 162 words, why is there so much confusion on just how much Ice & Water Barrier / Shield (herein called IWS) that needs to be installed? You distill it down to the root and it simply states that said IWS, when required by the … “shall be used in place of normal […]

Filed Under: FAQ's, Acronym’s, & Terminology Tagged With: Roofing August 2, 2021 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Worst Flashing Idea Ever?

One of the biggest tenants of building but especially roofing is getting the water away from the structure as soon as possible. So I have to wonder what this person was thinking… An adjuster showed me this flashing detail for a chimney… Not sure why the roofer didn’t install a cricket to shed water away […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Roofing October 2, 2019 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Truth in Advertising?

We recently had a nice little hail storm that came through our area over 2 months ago – and wow did that bring out all the storm chasers. Between the actual knocks on the door to illegally placed flyers on & in the mailbox I would say we have had over 25 come through. Just […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Roofing July 16, 2014 By SLS

Getting the details right: 4 biggest roof flashing errors to avoid

No matter what the age of a building there is one simple universal truth; water is a buildings worst enemy. As the saying goes, if you can keep the water out & away from the building, it can last forever. One of the most overlooked areas unfortunately happens to be your homes primary defense; the […]

Filed Under: Common Sense Building Tagged With: Roofing March 22, 2013 By SLS

Wacky Weds: Penny Wise but Pound Foolish

We got another two-fer special for you today…Both involve a simple piece of flashing called a kick-out which directs water away from the wall. For more on this simple detail & the codes around it, check out 4 Flashing Errors & how to Avoid Them . Do you really need three guesses where the water is […]

Filed Under: Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Roofing March 20, 2013 By SLS

7 Steps to temporarily patch your roof with a tarp

When ones roof is damaged it is only natural to want to stop any water from getting inside, which also happens to be one of your insurance company’s primary concerns. While it may take weeks or even months to get a roofer out to repair the damage, a tarp can be put in place pretty […]

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Roofing March 12, 2013 By SLS

BS4D: Ice Dam’s, Icicles & Attic Condensation, Oh My…

Living in Arizona, I used to love traveling up to Flagstaff especially during the winter months. One of my favorite places was the Little America as not only did they have a huge roaring fire, an awesome buffet, great Christmas light display, but some of the largest icicles I have ever seen. Ahhh if I had […]

Filed Under: Air Sealing & Insulation, FAQ's, Acronym’s, & Terminology Tagged With: BS4D, Roofing January 11, 2013 By SLS

Alabama Building Code: IRC Changes Chapter 5 – 9

Yesterday we looked at the first four chapters of the 2009 IRC as it is part of Alabama’s new Building & Energy Code that goes into effect in less than a week. Today we are going to delve in the final “building” (Walls, Floors, Roofing & Finishes) sections of the code, in particular the biggest […]

Filed Under: Building Codes Tagged With: Ceramic Tile, Roofing September 25, 2012 By SLS

Common Sense Building: The Cool Roof Concept

When one starts talking about roofs you will quickly run into a whole bunch of jargon; hot roof’s, cool roof’s, vented, unvented, green, flat, hybrid & the list goes on & on & on. Needless to say this can & does cause quite a bit of confusion especially when regional differences in naming conventions pop […]

Filed Under: Common Sense Building Tagged With: CSB, Roofing August 16, 2012 By SLS

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Featured Posts

February – Winter Maintenance Checklist

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Taxes, Record Keeping, & Clearing the Clutter

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Oh no, it’s April 16th and taxes were due… are due on the 18th? In reality, my taxes were actually filed back in February, but if this were any other ...

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FAQ: Should I close my crawl space vents during winter?

FAQ: Should I close my crawl space vents during winter?

In short the answer is generally yes, they should be closed up during the winter months. If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Schedule, we recommend the month of October as ...

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FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

FAQ: Do I need to change my HVAC filter monthly?

If you follow our Monthly Maintenance Program, the first item we have listed is "Change out your HVAC filter." This has brought up a few questions, namely: Do I need ...

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FAQ: Exterior HVAC units - Should I cover my unit, or... fall & wintertime questions

When it comes to the exterior HVAC unit most people wonder about hiding them and reducing the amount of noise. We delved into that topic in our Spring & Summer ...

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FAQ: Ceiling fan direction - summer & winter

One of the biggest questions out there is which direction should my fan be running and how can I tell. You look at the switch and realize it isn't any ...

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