Cermides

ramblingroad, did you check this site?

http://cfpub.epa.gov/flpp/searchrrp_training.htm

Thanks, everyone. I'm working on getting the questions answered. Hope to have them by the end of this week.

Painterkid,
You're right that UNDISTRUBED lead paint doesn't pose a health risk. However, when you're painting windows or opening up walls or adding outlets (or on and on and on) in an old house you're bound to disturb lead paint.

What you are wrong about is that only LONG TERM accumulation is harmful. There are instances when this might be true for adults. But it's definitely not true for children. Children can get lead poisoning from inhaling small amounts of dust, ingesting paint chips, or objects covered in lead dust. So this regulation is meant to protect them.

We shimmed our blade guards up while framing too. It's likely the DUMBEST thing I've ever consciously done. At any given time when we were framing interior walls there'd be three or four of us on different areas of the deck and exposed circ blades sticking up in the air winding down from having just made a cut. The guys I worked with had the same philosophy - faster, forces you to pay attention. Yeah - especially when you forget to flip the saw over before setting it down and it throws itself across the deck and into your leg.

MWTcon: why did you decide on 20%?

Thanks, everyone, for your comments. This is an interesting and important discussion.

A colleague spoke with one of our contributors yesterday who has taken the certification class. Our contributor, who is a remodeling contractor, shares the concerns mentioned here, and is also wary of liability issues. He worries that if a child gets sick despite his strict following every guideline he could still be held liable - whether the child gets lead poisoning, or some other illness. It does seem like the mandate is putting contractors in a really precarious position with regard to liability.

If you’ve taken the certification course, please share with us how liability issues are addressed in that class.

I’m also wondering if a contractor will be held liable if a child gets sick while living in a house that was unoccupied while the work was performed (like in the case of a house that was ‘flipped’ for investment).

Nice work, Dan. Looks like a sweet place to work.

Chris

Stormando,
We're not silent because we've written you off as a crackpot. We're silent because we're busy with other stuff.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, my goal wasn't to tell everyone how great and glorious the new sprinkler code is. My intention was to educate our readers who may be affected by the code. We're not going to do an investigation on how the code came about - maybe 60 minutes or Dateline will go after it.

I feel very good about the article we published - it gives folks an overview of the systems, includes pros/cons, and alerts readers that there's a debate going on.

I'm sorry that you live in an area where sprinkler systems can run $8 plus per square foot. I mentioned that some jurisdictions are charging excessive fees for water taps, meters, etc. It’s not right, and no municipality should be allowed to get away with it. I’m sure at some point you’ll get the ear of someone in your area who can change that.

I'm sorry, too, that you're canceling your subscription. It’s never good to lose a subscriber. I'm sure you work hard for your money like the rest of us. So if you feel so strongly that this magazine isn’t worth your money and time, then you deserve to get it back.

Best of luck to you.
Chris

Stormando -
Wow...sorry you're so disappointed.

What do you do and where is 'here'?

Saiboogu
Sorry you're disappointed. Saying that Alex Wilson and Georg Efird both recommend the AirTap was meant to back up the facts I menioned.

And thanks for your input, Mike.

Tucker - thanks for the post. If I were on the job everyday and in the market for a sander your experience would be enough to get me to purchase Festool's. Every time I sent a tool out for repair - whether a thickness planer or miter saw - it took weeks to get it back and always cost me way more than the down time.

I edited the jigsaw review Andy Engel did a few years ago - so I got to test Festool's jigsaw; it was pretty sweet. And the folks at Festool let me try a few new tools out while giving me a tour at the International Builders Show. But in my ten years building and remodeling houses I never used a Festool anything on the jobsite. Now, I voted 'yes, they're worth it' in the poll above. And I think for the most part they are. You wouldn't catch me using them anywhere but in a shop though. To me it would seem like taking a Mercedes off-road (at least, I imagine it would feel that way).

mikedean,
The IRCs regulation doesn't take effect until 2011, but your municipality may be adopting it early. Ask your inspector for clarification. He/she might be misinformed.

Good luck.

Chris

rltarch, Thanks for the information. Both sides seem to have valid arguments. I should mention that if you're hoping to find my article on fire sprinklers to be an in-depth report on the politics behind the IRC's ruling, you'll be disappointed. My goal was to educate our readers about residential sprinkler systems - how they work, what types are available, highlights of some code requirements, who will install them, how much they’ll cost, etc.

Regards,
Chris

Mike,
You're right that sprinkler lines start at 3/4-in., but are typically 1-in. pipe. Feed lines are reduced from there, typically to a manifold that tees from the sprinkler loop to feed a group of fixtures.

I'm not sure what the answer is regarding your 'wet wall' plumbing approach. If you are set on plumbing the house the way you describe then you'd have to use a standalone sprinkler system. That does mean a separate set of pipes.

niceguy...I don't casually dismiss the concern for frozen pipes. But I do dismiss the argument that sprinklers shouldn't be in homes because frozen pipes are a concern. In multipurpose systems (which is what you're referring to, Mike) the sprinklers are part of the home's cold water pipes. Sprinklers do not tee off of the cold water feed lines, they actually run in-line. The water feeds to plumbing fixtures are the ones that tee off of the sprinkler line. Very similar to a trunk and branch system. So you're not adding an extra set of pipes that 'could freeze'. You're using the pipes that already exist.

Mike -
I'm wondering how that enormous figure you calulated will impact the 7.5 billion dollars lost in residential fires each year. Any thoughts?

I also wonder how many people were up in arms when grounded outlets were added to the code.

arlene13-
Thanks for your post.

So the pipes in the sprinkler system froze, but not the plumbing? Any idea what materials were used for the piping of each? Just curious.

Mike - the 300 - 400 number you're using should actually be 3000 fatalities (and 14000 injuries). The number of fire-related deaths has been hovering around that figure for over ten years. it's interesting to note that the number of residential fires increases each year. In 1998 there were 381,500 and in 2007, 414,000. Here's where I got my stats: http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/statistics/national/residential.shtm

Right you are, Brian. Costs are the lowest in areas where sprinklers are common.

And I'm with you, CB. Can't roll the flat screen tv into your mortgage. And you don't get a break on your homeowners insurance for one either. But you do if you have a fire sprinkler system...5-15%.

One issue that came up in my research is excessive tap fees. Some municipalities are taking advantage of this mandate by charging commercial rates for sprinklered homes that often require a larger tap size and/or charging a 'standby fee'. A 'standby fee' for a service you're already paying for? Makes about as much sense as...oh, I can't think of anything snappy. The fee has been nixed by legislation in some states(I think NJ is one).

Jamie and Shawn -

Congratulations...very nicely done. Thanks a lot for sharing this with us.

Cheers,

Chris

On a three-hinge hollow-core door Gary typically uses 6 shims total (3 per side). That means he uses one shim behind each hinge. While some might think he's skimping by using one per hinge, he thinks it's actually good practice because it tweaks the jamb just enough to ensure the door won't ever bind.

One reader wrote in to say that he uses no less than 12 shims total(three pairs per side). He argues that two shims behind each hinge should be the standard.