Waltz Construction

07/16/2023

While we have a bit of a (wet) reprieve from the heat, we all know the heat will return. In the interest of home air-conditioning / cooling efficiency, if your attic does not already have a ventilation fan, it is a must-have. And if you do have one, make sure it's operating!

A bonus to having a 'cooler' attic is to increase the lifespan of your shingles (assuming they are asphalt shingles). But back to the air conditioning:

Some AC units are located in the attic. Attic spaces can reach 150 F. Even though your attic floor (the ceiling of the rooms below) is insulated, that attic heat is making the ceiling radiate into the room and making the AC work to cool. Cooling the attic space by 40-50 or more degrees with a simple fan is much more efficient than cooling through AC compressors and the like. A 150 F attic is roughly equivalent to 6 below zero (78 degrees departure from 72 F, the standard comfort design temperature for HVAC equipment).

In addition to a ventilation fan, the house must also have a means of drawing air into the attic, which is done by installing gable-end vents and / or ridge vents. Ridge vents are normally installed with new roofing jobs. Vent fans can be installed either in a gable end (which requires a larger vent in the opposite gable or again, a ridge vent).
Happy Cooling!

09/03/2022

Harp Studio ceiling decorative grid. 1x4 boards with beaded edges. The ceiling is vaulted and the outside wall is not of square by 2 ft from one end to the other. How to deal with that and a square grid pattern on the ceiling? Simply continue the boards into the wall without a border. If you look closely, you can see the outside sections getting longer.

01/02/2021

Have had a number of calls for damaged roof gutters, pulling away from the fascia. Some of it is due to slow, persistent movement of gutter nails working their way out of the fascia by expansion / contraction over time. I prefer to use gutter screws where the visible head of screws on the face of gutter is not objectionable. Screws hold more securely and don't work loose over time.

However, I recently learned that much of the damage to gutters is due to snow and ice forming on roof top solar panels, then sliding off, smashing into the gutters and pulling them off or at least bending them.

One remedy might be to install "gutter helmets" on sections below solar panels. The thinking being that gutter helmet would prevent ice sheets from catching the inside of the gutter and instead glance off the top of the 'helmet'.

If you are thinking of getting solar panels, take this into consideration. And from a safety aspect, ice sheets from solar panels that can damage gutters could also cause injury given the right conditions, timing and location. Heads up!

08/16/2019

Replace rotted deck boards and all handrails. Handrails are sturdy 2x6 with routered corners for a better feel and reduced splintering. Deck was scrubbed and re-stained.
Happy with the adhesion of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat solid deck stain. It is a flat, dry finish that I am sure will be durable. The lighter color is not as hot in the sun.

08/14/2019

Replace rotted deck boards and all handrails. Handrails are sturdy 2x6 with routered corners for a better feel and reduced splintering. Deck was scrubbed and re-stained.
Happy with the adhesion of Benjamin Moore Arborcoat solid deck stain. It is a flat, dry finish that I am sure will be durable. The lighter color is not as hot in the sun.

06/17/2019

06/16/2019

Once again, before the hot summer weather arrives in earnest, it's time to clean the cooling coils on your refrigerator. Especially if they are beneath the unit and if you have pets, whose hair clogs the coils and greatly reduces efficiency.

01/02/2018

01/02/2018

Hall Bathroom renovation in-kind / location. Former tub converted to dedicated shower only. Three shower heads - traditional wall, overhead "rain" head and hand-held.

01/02/2018