Amish Electrician

Chuck ... come on, now, let's get real!

First, the cleaning method:
yup, spinning the roller like mad with a stream of water does clean it almost store-bought new. Almost. But your's isn't the way to do it.

No, what you do- first- is take a rolling trash can and drill a 1/2" hole in each corner. Next, you replace the usual spray nozzle on your hose with a little valve and little brass open nozzle. (Find them in the garden section). Now you can stand to the side, reach in the can with both the hose and the roller, (roller in the VERTICAL position), and spin away. Reverse the direction a few times. For the last few spins let the water jet just barely kiss the edge of the roller, and most of the water will spin off. Roller is now clean and fluffy.

Of course, there are a variety of things on the market that claim to clean your roller just as well, and in the convenience of your kitchen sink. One resembles a big pitcher and spins the roller on its' handle. Another has you remove the roller and put it in a tight cylinder. Maybe FHB might consider doing a review of these gizmos.

Now, as for the trash bag idea ... yea, right. I have enough trouble with today's pans getting enough traction to roll the roller in the pan as it is. The trash bag will only make it harder ... then get pushed out of the pan, to deposit paint all around the tray.

While we're on the topic ... what about cleaning brushes, pans, and everything else? Might I suggest a 20 gallon 'parts washer,' found at the local import or auto parts store for about $90? Self supported by its' own legs, it has a pump and nozzle with just enough oomph for cleaning painting tools. Heck, it even does a decent job of hand-cleaning rollers. Toss in a quart of 'radiator treatment,' and you need not worry about algae or rust. I do advise that you make a better drain; I used a "Myers hub" from the electrical aisle and a valve from the plumbing aisle.

Scandalous! And the outrage has nothing to do with the construction details.

Assuming the equipment was used, installed, and maintained as intended, there is no liability for the installers. If they had done something wrong - say, completely failed to vent the heater as insturcted, or as is described in model codes- then there can be exposure to negligence charges and liability claims.

Government officials are, by definition, shielded from personal liability-absent malfeascance. As in, say, taking a bribe.

Likewise, the liability of the manufacturer for defects is pretty well defined by the Uniform Commerce Code.

Naturally, it is of little relevance what codes / laws are adopted elsewhere. The local governemnt IS the "authority having jurisdiction," and only their opinion counts - not that of some private groupe that claims to write a 'model code.'

Finally, CO detectors are still not widely required. While the merits of CO detectors is a topic for another day, you can't criticise someone for not following a rule that doesn't exist.

These are the reasons that I say the lawsuit has nothing to do with the liabilities of the parties. On the face of it, there is no such liability, and the suit dererved immediate dismissal. This over-reaching by the plaintiff smacks of abuse of the legal process; unfortunately, our system is loathe to punish such abuse.

Thus, the abuse continues. It's all about someone thinking that they're so special that the rules for 'ordinary' folks don't apply .... and about the desire to dip into the 'deep pockets' of the insurers- and voters.

Where we see tragedy, the plaintiffs see opportunity. They are playing the lawsuit lottery, hoping to get infront of an emotional, ignorant jury that will hand them a pot of gold.

Thank you for the correction ... it was indeed a table saw. I know not where I got the idea it was something else.

Keep in mind we're talking politics here, rather than safety.

"Politics," as illustrated by the guy who sued, and won, after being injured on an entirely different sort of tool. He claimed that the tool maker should have applied table-saw tech to his miter saw - and he had gone out of his way to buy what was possibly the cheapest one available. (BTW, your column is incorrect. Osario was using a miter or chop saw, not a table saw ... the primary defense argument was that even SawStop saw no need to develop the technology for miter saws).

"Politics," as illustrated by the formation of a table-saw makers' trade group, and the sudden interest by UL in writing a 'standard' for table saw construction.

"Politics," as illustrated by an early OSHA trying to outlaw a certain brand of saw guard the first time they got into the saw design business. (OSHA was overruled).

"Politics," in that one of the reasons SawStop was not able to market its' product to other saw makers was a belief by the saw makers that adopting the product would open them to massively greater liability, in the 'looking glass' world of our legal system.

The author has not identified the source of the water. Is it coming through the walls or floor, or is it simply condensing from the air?

Perhaps ground / foundation preparation has nothing to do with the problem, and will not fix it. Perhaps the solution is as simple as increased ventilation and a higher temperature in the basement.

Another common failing of tract-home builders is inadequate site preparation. For all we know, all the groundwater from the Applacian mountains flows through this yard- without there being any effort made to divert it around the house through grading and French drains. Again, simply coating the walls or adding a foundation drain isn't enough.

It's not 'green' to 'fix' something that has nothing to do with the problem.

Some years ago, I was unhappy with the way every radio station I liked seemed to be changing its' format just a bit, to my displeasure. I was lucky enough then to have a very nice chat with the program director of one of the big stations in one of the country's largest markets. He explained this thing called 'demographics' to me, and by that light his decisions made perfect sense. I owe him a very big thank-you.

Such is the situation with housing. With our population now growing -at best- modestly, and a near static population being actively sought by some, housing construction MUST be one of the areas most greatly affected.

Simply put .... once there's a house for everyone, where do we go from there?

Well, looking at demographics, the first trend will be towards making homes more suitable for an older population. More 'semi-apartments,' more home offices, more rooms designed for specific leisure activities, more 'luxury' items such as elevators.

The next step is the replacement of old, worn housing with new. Expect the replacement homes to have fewer stairs, wider doorways, greater privacy, and far greater security.

With the loss of massive tract developments, there can't help but be a change in the way construction firms operate. Each job will stand on its' own. Each site will have to be self-contained as never before ... with noise, trash, dust, even crew toilet facilities segregated from the occupied house.

Another approach that will gain in use is what I call the "Mike Holmes method." Put the occupants in a hotel, put their stuff in containers, work around the clock, then put it all back together- in record time. If nothing else, this means that the furniture movers will become another subcontractor to the job. GC's might even get into the hotel business!

Have we identified the correct culprit?

The building boom for the baby boom was funded by prosperity; perhaps the poverty -spawned by the slavish adoption of failed ideas imported from unhappy places- is to blame.

Zoning? Zoning restrictions pale by comparison to the strictures imposed by homeowners' associations and CC&R's. I've yet to hear of a zoning board ask a medal-of-honor winner to remove his flag!

Why would those nurtured in freedom so eagerly embrace ownership of ..... of what, exactly?

As for those tract homes of the 50's and 60's .... from what I see, these (by current standard modest) homes are quite suited to a retired couple, the 'telecommuter,' and the smaller family.

Granny flats? Where you see such, you see congestion, property shortages, and repressed incomes. We are adding to an already over-stressed infrastructure. Just try to find a parking space in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, and you'll see what I mean- and THAT area has plenty of "Coach houses" and 'converted' apartments.

Maybe we need to start, not by allowing granny flats, but by restoring liberty= and respecting private property.

I can only infer, as the text does not come out and say it: someone believes that crawl spaces are a bad idea, and that venting them only makes it worse. If that's what is asserted, then I must disagree.

Not only do I disagree, but the premise (we must eliminate crawl spaces because of poor grading) is akin to eliminating autos because some folks speed.

Let's look at the REAL cause of the vent acting like a "scupper to funnel water into the crawlspace:" incorrect grading. The pictured crawlspace is constructed wrong. Finding flaws in an error is no great feat; that's why errors are called 'wrong.'

Next, let's look at the chain of reasoning built on the bad premise that crawl spaces are inherently wrong. We are urged to 'seal' crawl spaces, to keep water 'out.' IMO, you might as well ask a dog to meow.

Let's back off, and look at what crawl spaces are intended to accomplish- and maybe we will understand why venting is the solution, rather than the problem.

Crawl spaces are the natural consequence of a pillar & post foundation. As with other foundation methods, this one has its' advantages and its' drawbacks. There can be no 'perfect' method, suitable for every application. If one sites a crawl space so it must be lower than everything around, it simply must collect water. As with a lead balloon, the fault lies in the design, not the method.

Keeping water out? Good luck. Consider all the issued that arise when we try to 'seal' basements: cracked slabs, imploding walls, and moisture troubles galore. Perhaps we're better off if we instead make sure the moisture has some way out.

Step one is giving the water some place else to drain. I've seen homes whose crawl spaces were solid sheets of flowing water during storms- yet had no moisture or mold issues. You must let the moisture out!

Perhaps you can help things along with a sump and a pump. Perhaps by grading the yard and adding French drains. Yet, you'll never get ALL the water out. Even in desert climes airborn moisture can condense in the cooler crawl space- what then?

Well, that's where ventilation comes in. We can try to make it happen 'naturally,' or we can use fans and ducts to help it along. The key, though, is to get MORE air under the house, not less.

Does this mean we might want to make other changes, such as insulate floors? Of course it does. Yet, we still have the benefits offered by crawl spaces: fewer compaction / settling issues, access to utilities, and ease of construction.

Not too long ago, I bought a house. Housing bust? Not for those of us who buy things the 'old' way, cash on the barrel.

To prevent further confusion, let all know that I am most definitely 'renegade.' No horse and buggy here!

The house will be lived in as I work. So, my priorities are a bit different. You might think the place has mold / asbestos / radioactive lead problems, the way I have everything tarped off. Every doorway has a sheet across it.

As for tools ... here are some purchases of THIS month:
1) A SMALL cordless circulat saw. A 5-3/4 Makita 18v Li-Ion, matter of fact. This is my first transition piece to Makita and away from DeWalt. With it I will be able to easily cut barely through drywall and panelling - important, since there are wires in the walls I can't turn off;

2) The folks at Shop-Vac just upgraded their vacation plans, since I bought both a 'drywallers' 10-gal. HEPA vac and their air filter. (For some reason, this vac doesn't officially have the EPA 'lead safe' rating, so it costs a LOT less. As best I can tell, HEPA is HEPA, anyway);

3) I'm making plenty of shelves and 'shop furniture.' So, I have bought the Bosch belt sander with the accessory base and fence;

4)Not as sexy, but I bought a tape gun to help me tape all those tarps in place; and,

5) A big T-handle wrench for the water meter.

Sure, it seems tempting ... use a rock-solid box as an instant home, just add a few creature comforts.

Not so fast.

You can forget about using a single box for anything but an RV-inspired lifestyle. There's just not much 'living' in a (after the insulation, etc.) 7-ft. wide sausage.

Multiple containers? By the time you've done all the cutting, grinding, welding, positioning ... you've done far more work than you'd ever do building from scratch.

I'll pass on this one.

Sorry for the incomplete post. Seems the computer burped.

I was saying 'no more remodeling on a whim.' No more changing the formica counter for a marble one just because you can.

Housing sales will remain stagnant, with folks moving only when absolutely necessary.

So where to look for business?

Well, there's 'service work,' replacing worn roofs and the like.

Another corner might be the conversion of garages and the construction of 'granny flats.'

Don't leave government out of the equation. With permit applications at near zero, and property taxes declining with the fire-sale prices of foreclosed properties, governments are going to be turning the screws.

While a lot of attention will be given to draconian enforcement, the shortage of cash will join with the increasing regulatory burden to 'stimulate' the unlicensed contractor industry.

We're setting the stage for creating a world where you cannot sell your home without prior approval from code enforcement - who will at that point randomly assess fees for 'improvements' that they think should have had permits long ago.

I'll have to chime in with a contrary opinion.

Naturally, non of us are prophets - that age is millennia past - so there's no reason to assert that my take is any better than anyone elses'. I just take the same data and put the pieces together differently.

First, 'remodeling' numbers were wildly inflated during the 'housing bubble.' With a whirlwind of sell-paint-sell activity, the numbers did not represent the natural needs, the 'true' market.

As I see it, the 'housing crisis' has hit bottom. It's not that things are better; it's just that anyone who was going to default on their mortgage already has. I expect the supply of 'bargain' properties to dry up.

That's not the same as folks having any money. I expect that remodels will be based on desperate needs, rather than

I do not see any statement that lead paint was actually present.

As the owner of the property, the man may very well be beyond the scope of the EPA.

An anonymous video ... all manner of 'chain of custody' issues there. I doubt a judge would admit the 'evidence.'

More to the point ... I grew up in a country where obeying the law was not dependent on keeping up with myriad rules generated and altered by countless bureaucracies. As children, survivors of Hitler and Stalin told us tales of life in places where anyone could be an informer. I grew up in a place called the "Land of the Free."

I'm not sure when I left it.

Maybe 15 years back, I seem to recall FHB devoting their back cover to some guy who had a massive hammer collection. I think he's earned a 'first run' copy- rough milling and all!

I wonder what holds the disc in place. "Hey Mack- is your hammer rattling again?"

Hard? You want hard? Can you say 'carbide?' Hastelloy?

Now, I can relate to smashed fingers; pro carpenter I'm not. My hammer - which looks like it fell of the Starship Enterprise - is near and dear to me because I can actually hit the nail more often than not. Even when the 'nail' is really a staple, and I'm laying on my back in a crawl space.

Now, that might be a selling angle: our blindfolded carpenter hit the nail twice as often with ours, as compared to with his old favorite.

Still, there are all manner of hammers out there; everything from $3.95 imports to $450 Russian miracle metal wunder-whackers. Another guy promises to 'make the nail bleed,' and a large box store flopped with left-handed hammers. You have a tough row to hoe, and I wish you well.

I know this video has been here for some time ... I tire of such 'old news.'

Electric supply houses have been selling foam cans with such tops for a decade - hardly news. Yet, I did not find them to be worth the effort.

Rather, I carry a spray can of carburator cleaner as well as the foam. Carburator cleaner contains, among other things, acetone. When I am finished foaming, I use the carb cleaner to clean out the hose, the nozzle, and to treat any foam that got in the wrong place (like on my clothes). Problem solved; the foam will now store just as well as a new can.

Of course, prevention is a better solution. Sometimes a retailer - WalMart, Home Depot, etc., will carry small cans. The small cans are ideal for small jobs, like sealing the hole you just ran your wires through.

When will we cry "Enough!"?

Not that I'm in favor of lead poisoning ... not any more than I'm in favor of traffic accidents, bank robberies, or lightning strikes. That's not the point.

Businesses, at least in the free world, are expected to be regulated by 'the market" - and not dependent upon some paper-pushing bureaucrat with a monopoly on your livelihood.

Let's look at all the various 'certifications,' licenses, permits, and other requirements we pile on the LEGAL contractor. From witholding payroll taxes to this latest one, the contractor is seen as an bottomless pit of resources for the government; a supplier of endless hours of work filling out forms, making accounts, maintaining records, and attending seminars; a bottomless wallet for various fees, taxes, and assessments. These burdens are both direct (to the governemnt) and indirect (required by the governemnt, but provided to other parties, such as seminar operators).

It's no wonder that the construction trades see a larger than average number of illegal immigrant workers. These folks, and their employers, exist 'under the radar.' To steal a line from an old film ... we don't need no stinkin' badges!

OK, so an employer has to 'train' his crew. What good does that do the crew? Very little - as the worker can NOT take that certification with him to the next job. The next employer gets to foot the bill all over again. Sounds like a path to serfdom, if you ask me.

Kind of makes you how we ever managed to conquer the West, build the worlds' tallest buildings, largest dams, best phone system, and invent a multitude of new industries .... without first having obtaines all the necessary permissions and complying with all these new rules.

Nor is it any accident that the greatest economic growth is in places like India and China - places that lack the guidance of OSHA, EPA, and all the rest.

IIRC, saw manufacturers declined to use the 'saw stop' because their lawyers said it would increase their liability, and cause all manner of other claims.

We see, instead, this case making an oleo of various different legal doctrines. I'm not happy with that; we need a predictable legal climate in order for business to function.

As a workplace injury, one would expect 'workmans' comp' rules to apply. I don't know why that did not happen here.

One of the first cases to illustrate the limits to 'safety' legislation involved a table saw guard, the "Brett Guard." In the end, OSHA was forced to allow the use of this guard as an alternative to what was prescribed by their regulations.

I was, at that time, looked at with amazement by others ... as mine was the ONLY saw that had any manner of guarding. All other saws had had the guards removed. I have to wonder about the saw in this accident ... where were the guards?

As I post this, the guy across the alley from me is celebrating a year since he lost most of his hand, in an at-home accident with his table saw. Do you think he will now try to sue?

Let's assume that the 'saw stop' becomes mandatory. I can think of many bad things that will happen .... the least of which will be the greatly increased value of 'pre-ban' saws!

I'm sorry the man got hurt, but $1.5 million won't grow his finger back.

I can understand why the folks at Taunton would dislike this new product. After all, they would then have to fit the same size screen as all the other magazines - no more 10% size advantage!

Fine Homebuilding has never been a staged commercail for any brand or maker, and generators are no time to start.

Despite their hi-power sales force, they generators themselves are nothing to be overly proud of. Though, that leads one to ask 'what brand' ... and that's exactly the wrong direction for the discussion to take.

Far. far more important than the generator are the OTHER, associated issues. Let's look at them, in no particular order:

1) How big? The latest version of the NEC has language that will lead you to getting a generator that is WAY to big. Too much generator is a bad thing, having a serious effect on the reliability of the generator;

2) The way the generator ties into the house - the transfer switch- is by far the most critical part of the system;

3) An 'exercise program' -where you run the generator regularly under load - is critical to the reliability of the system;

4) Fuel costs, and the availability of fuel in a crisis, are major considerations. Even a small generator can easily burn $400 of fuel in a month without power;

5) Maintenance and repairs of the equipment are real considerations. Some brands use standard components, readily found at supply houses. Others depend upon expensive and hard to get proprietary components; finally,

6) NOISE is a major consideration. Every generator is outrageously noisy in its' standard configuration, and the optional 'sound packages' are expensive.

Telling me you have an article in the works scares me. IMO, this is a topic best left to a licensed contractor, and is not for even the gifted DIY.

As a side note, in a few years we will see major changes in the way we do cell phones. One of the consequences to this change is that there will be an enormous number of lightly used generators coming on the market.

I fail to see why there is any discussion on this 'option' at all.

When you borrow, YOU promise to pay it back. Security, such as a house, is only a means the lender uses to reduce his risk. Regardless of the value of the security, YOU still gave YOUR word that you would pay the money back.

When you bought the house as an 'investment,' you took the risk that the investment would be a loser. That's your risk. Why should the lender absorb your loss?

If you represented the home as your dwelling, rather than as an investment, you lied to the lender. He made his decision based upon your lie. He had no intention of being a 'partner' in your 'business venture.' This is called fraud.