Tag:Tips
Bath Fan & Speaker In One
Homewerks Worldwide has developed a bathroom exhaust fan with bluetooth music streaming capability. The fan will move 90 cfm at a noise level of only 1.5 sones.
I didn’t realize music in the bathroom was such a thing! Previously I told you about the Kohler Moxie Showerhead (here) that streams music along with the water. (See what I did there?) Before that I told you about the Amerec’s Ipod Shower Docking Station (here). I guess no one sings acapella in the shower these days.
Creative Electrical Follow-up
I got the picture to the right from my cousin, Joe Easterday at Van Haren Electric, after he saw the previous post. He said this was sent to him by one of his electrician friend when he was working at Gaylor Electric. It is amazing what some people think is acceptable…
Too many novices take electricity for granted and don’t realize the risks involved.
Creative Electrical Repairs
Damaged Electrical Box I Reported
I pulled into a client’s facility a month or so ago and noticed an electrical box that had been knocked loose. I know how these things can be overlooked. Sometimes they are noticed, but then forgotten by the time you walk inside where something could be done about it. I snapped a picture, sent it to my contact and suggested that we could fix that for them since it was a code violation and potential safety issue. We weren’t called, but someone “repaired” it. While the solution was creative, it doesn’t exactly meet code.
Someone’s Zip Tie Solution
Let us help you with simple electrical maintenance issues like this. Creative electrical repairs are generally frowned on by code officials. Something like this is a safety and liability issue. It’s not the best place to skimp. A “solution” like this can actually increase liability! If something happens now, there is no doubt that someone knew the problem existed.
Would Your New House Look Good in High Heels?
Image borrowed from blog.armchairbuilder.com
I’m not talking about stripper shoes! I’m talking about truss construction. This is something we’re seeing and recommending more in new construction. Installing a truss with a raised heel detail allows for more insulation at the perimeter where often the insulation is compressed or absent due to the proximity of the interior ceiling to the roof deck. The detail to the right shows how a standard truss is built. As discussed here before, venting and insulation is important to shingle life and to prevent ice damming.
Image borrowed from Building America Solution Center
A high heeled or raised heel truss (see left) is created with the equivalent of an additional wall section separating the bottom chord and top chord of the truss at the exterior wall. This allows full thickness insulation to extend out to the wall and complete the protection of the building envelope. If care is used in selecting your roof slope and eave extensions, this is never noticed as your soffit can be installed to return at the same height as the interior ceiling making the construction look like a standard cantilever truss.
When you’re planning your new home or addition to your existing home, make sure and ask us about this and other “Green That Save Green” solutions.
Shipping Container Living Space
Credit: Urban Space Management (CONTAINER CITY) Ltd.
Brent Martin and I have had several discussions about using shipping containers as living space. Apparently someone beat us on the implementation. London-based developers Urban Space Management used shipping containers to create Container City, a 22-unit modular building. I read about it in the April issue of Multi-Family Executive. You can read the entire article by Linsey Isaacs on their site here. I also read an article recently where Ball State University was experimenting with the idea as housing in third world countries. Another million dollar idea lost to quicker minds…
