Stopped by a house being framed to check on progress but when I arrived at 11:00am the whole left for the day. Called the framer on the cell and was told that when it reaches 95 {By thermometer in framer’s truck} the crew calls it a day. The house sits directly in the sun and everyone wants to leave.
I used to have a metal 5 gallon water cooler when I framed and kept it full of ice water. In a smaller jug I had Cool aid or Gatorade. When possible we would start around 6:00am and work until 2:30pm including hourly water breaks.
I am not running the job but if the heat lasts for a week or better alot of guys will not get paid.
How do you handle the heat ?
Replies
Well, I know what you're saying. Some intrepid souls work right through it. But I've seen people with heat stress and heat stroke, one guy got so dehydrated the doc said thats why he got a kidney infection. Playing with power tools and getting dizzy, not good. So do everything you can to stay cool and keep running, drink tons of fluids, but if it's too much, either find inside work or call it a day.
I dehydrate like I have a leak somewhere. I pretty much don't work outside anymore. Without the details, health conditions keep me inside, and fortunately enough for me, I can stay plenty occupied working there. But I still get hot, and I keep a 5 gal jug around and a cooler full of drinks. Even in the AC I drink at least 8 bottles of something every day. I feel sorry for the guys on the outside. I know they don't want my pity, but if the painter or someone is out there I always offer something. Some of these kids, they just either don't have the common sense or experience or . . . they show up on a day when it's 95 with one bottle of Mountain Dew thinking that's going to get them all the way to lunch.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
Suck it up, drink lots of water, pair of shorts and a T. Bottom line my creditors could care less if its to hot. Yea its hot quit your bitchen, were all hot. Start early, try to work the job in the shade if possible, if not carry on. If you don't like working in the elements find another job.
Lots of water....start earlier in the day, I've heard of some framing crews here starting at between 5:00 and 5:30 to get a full days work in.....they get 8 hours every day.....1st 15-20 minutes is spent here rolling out tools anyway so the reduced light isn't a real factor......now if they'd just start bending/pulling nails from boards they throw down...time for a new thread......If you aren't one of the one's I'm talking about,you shouldn't have any complaints....
I couldn't agree more.This is not my beautiful wife, this is not my beautiful house, my god... how did we get here?
How do the troops over in Irack handle the heet? that has to be a real b---h with all the protective gear ect.
Have a nice day Lee
Lee,
Dad is a Navy Seabee (Construction Batallion). Once the heat starts to climb, he says they have flags.
Yellow flag means 15 minute break every hour.
Red flag means work 1/2 hour and take 1/2 hour off.
Black flag means work only 15 minutes out of each hour.
I know they drink a lot of water. I'm not sure whether they have anything else they do. He did say that it's more comfortable to be completely covered at those temps (115 - 135) than to have skin showing. They've had a couple guys hospitalized for dehydration despite the measures they take, and he told me one of the British troops they were working with died.
Tough work over there - every time I think of complaining about the heat I have to stop myself. (Okay, almost every time.)
Shauna
I served in the Armey in the earley 70s in a very hot and humid climate {infentry } Back then they encoreged us to drink lots of water and take salt tablets . I dont think they push salt tablets now. To make a long story short we had quite a few troops go down with heat exhastion..
I dont envey thse guyes ouer there att all ,Its got to be a B---h. I cant spell eather this morning
Have a nice day Lee
I don't, thats why I moved to San Francisco, the saying is no joke " coldest winter i ever spent was a summer in san franciscio"
been known to wear a jacket and beanie in july.
james
Bill,
I've worked for 5 years on a framing crew in Florida and for a few more in N.J. including my own. When things got bad we used to start at 6 A.M. and cut out around 2:30 or 3:00.
Lots of water and Gatoraide. NO Soda, the caffine will kick your a$$. Too much water is a bad thing too. Just enough to keep it clear when you take a leak. Mix it up with some juice or a sports drink. You can actually get very sick from too much water. If it gets really bad, 10 min breaks every hour.
When I first got married to my current wife I worked on a crew that never called it quites. We used to drive to work in a blinding snow and try to work. In the summer we used to just watch the guys and make sure they drank enough.
Food is key too. Guys don't want to eat in the heat and that's a mistake.
Such is the nature of the beast. I bet that most sub's don't understand that each day extra on the job adds X Dollars of Interest. All they know is that it sucks framing in the heat.
For the secomd time in four years I'll spend about two months of my fall dragging 45 pounds of body armor around a warm sandy place. Camel back is the answer. Never tried one framing but I do wear it when I ride my dirt bike in the summer. Framing in 100 degrees kinnda pales in comparison. Now if only I could find a framing crew where I could get a $3K a month pension after 20 years.
Shady hat and water.
We are all in this together.
http://www.hay98.com/
drink lotsa water ... and sweat!
have come home soaking wet the last coupla weeks. First week is wlays the worst ...
after that ... aclimated.
still soaking hot and dog tired ... but ya just feel better working thru it.
work a little slower ... drink alot more water ... and juices .... and stop when ya get dizzy ... but just work thru it.
next thing ya know ... it's a week later .. and it's hotter and more humid ...
but ya feel better.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
When framing in the 100+ tempratures in Boise, Idaho, I do three things to beat the heat. I first try to start early. We have laws that limit noise before 7:00am but you can get there at 6:30, roll out without making too much noise, and get started about ten till. With a half hour of lunch in the middle, eight hours is gone by 3:00pm. Not too bad. Done before the hottest hours of the day.
Next drink water, cold water. One block of ice, not cubes, but a block will last for two days in a good insulated 5-gallon jug. Drink enough water to keep your mouth wet but not enough to feel it in your gut. I also have a bad habbit of soda drinking that slows down in the heat and I use my 52oz mug to hold water or unsweetened iced tea. My mug will hold ice with liquid for about twelve hours in the shade. Keep that close especially if on a roof so you dont waste time going to a stationary water location, and possibly waste time talking to whomever is there.
Finaly I dress for the heat. Low socks and light footwear. Get lightweight shorts. I like ones with no pockets, and a drawstring waist. Forget the scivies! They are layers. Layers are for the winter. And last, but most important, wear white T-shirts. Buy five and wear one a day. Keep it on! It will trap moisture from sweat and help cool you.
This summer I have gotten away from direct sun jobs. Or I worked up elavation and that was nice. I asked my brother, a concrete company owner, how ha handles it. H said you just get used to it. I agree.
phicarpentry,
You just hit on something my dad taught me. You'll be cooler all day fi you leave that white shirt on.
There is another reason too. After working so many summers outside with no sunscreen and no shirt, I've started to notice small brown spots on my back. Gotta make an appointment next week but I'm betting they have to come off.
Agreed, I haven't really gone bareback all summer, except when in an area of shade.
What we saw woking a few weeks ago ( when the thermometer BROKE on the Cu roof @ 140 or so) was this.
Early AM a 12 oz V8 or two..later a 32oz "emergenC' drink. later b4 lunch a dilute gatorade ( I make it from the powder, cheaper) about a qt.
Lunch, 4 or 5 watered down nonsweet tea glasses at the local lunch stop.
later more emergenC, and more dilute gatorade, then a half gallon of water before the ride home.
I am about 170lbs and hardly sweat at all ( not good), and DAle is about 230 and drips like a sprinkler head...this drink combo seems to benefit us both equally. Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
on clothes.....my Grandfather was a hardscrable farmer in Ark. He wore long sleeve full length coveralls. Would get them SOAKED, drank lots of water. Had a true farmers tan...brown as tarpaper from wrists down, and white as a sheet up.Personally, I cant handle the clothing, prob. should I am noticing spots on my hands/ arms.
I just remembered that years ago ... I was selling security systems ...
walked up to a new const site ... being roofed ... hot as heck.
maybe 10- 11am.
and the head guy was in the truck... on the cell ... and called everyone down.
Said his insurance company wouldn't let him work over a certain temp.
first and only time I ever heard that. Made sense though ... insurance wise.
jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
What's the deal with caffine...seriously?I drink Mt Dew, why I ask. Not in the heat though.
Caffeine is a diuretic. Diuretics don't allow your body to process water properly, I'm not sure of the science behind it. The liquid just goes right through you.
Alcohol is another one. Ever suffer from the "broken seal" when drinking? Caffeine does the same thing, you just pee a lot.
Honestly, I stay away from anything but pure water, while at work. I think Gatorade used creative marketing to convince people that you need more than just water. Besides, it's REALLY bad for your teeth. Attacks the enamel directly.
It takes 3 times the amount of water to rehydrate, over an extended period of time. I'm talking days for your body to catch up. The key is to stay hydrated over the course of the day.
I agree about Gatorade - too much sugar. I've switched to Ultima, and like it. No sugar, no artificial anything. Water alone doesn't do it for me, although I do drink a lot of water. Its been over 110 here lately, and I've been drinking about 2 gal. a day. We've had about one death a day for the last week, mostly farm workers (field labor), and one elderly person.
Honestly, I stay away from anything but pure water, while at work. I think Gatorade used creative marketing to convince people that you need more than just water. Besides, it's REALLY bad for your teeth. Attacks the enamel directly.
I think it's a case of Gatorade being over marketed or over used. In the last two years, since everyone has been issued a Camelback, I've seen a handful of guys drop out from overhydration.
In a case of extreme heat and exertion some people will take in water too fast for their bodies to maintain the chemical balance. once they loose control of that electolyte level the results can be worse than dehydration.
I think the guy who just ran two miles in the afternoon could get by with just water but there are some cases where one fo the sports drinks really does a hvae a benefit.
I forget what they call overhydration but it happend to a friend of mine three years ago during a live fire exercise. A month later he was still under medical care when I shipped out. When I came home 10 months later he still wasn't right. He was eventually medically discharged. His case was pretty extreme though.
In a case of extreme heat and exertion some people will take in water too fast for their bodies to maintain the chemical balance. once they loose control of that electolyte level the results can be worse than dehydration.
I think the guy who just ran two miles in the afternoon could get by with just water but there are some cases where one fo the sports drinks really does a hvae a benefit
I should have added that I eat(most of the time) a lunch/snacks full of fresh fruit during the day. Mostly oranges, peaches, and banana's. I don't have much of an appetite in the heat, but the fruit is tolerable. I'd rather get my nutrition the way animals have for millions of years. Not the way some scientist figured to concoct a chemical slurry of sugar and food coloring.
BTW, if you don't like fresh fruit. You can get more out of one multi-vitamin, and one vitamin c tablet, than out of 96 quarts of Gatorade.
I read a book by a big game hunter who hunted in Africa (I think it was Capstick, but am not sure--but he wrote a long time ago) and he said the folks on safari who ate lots of red meat had problems in the heat--were always getting dehydrated. He recommended eating fruit, noting that the natives who carried the gear ate fruit and never had problems (of course they were probably more accustomed to the heat than the European and American visitors). (Don't know how the lion they hunted made out in the heat! Not too many fruit eating lion!)
After spending six months in the Arabian Desert(Iraq War I) and then ten years roofing I've found a few things to be effective. Start the morning with water, a good pint. Keep drinking but small amounts, gulps, often. Another pint at break and again at lunch. Eat a good breakfast but pack a lite lunch;cold fruit, yogurt, juice maybe a lite sandwich (I stay away from the mayo in the heat!). I would have a 5 gal bucket of water in the shade. Once an hour or two I'd dunk my head in and soak my hat. Your head tends to get hotter quicker and the warmed blood spreads through you making it worse. The cool spash and wet dripping hat kept my head cool even in 100+ temps.
Wear lite clothing, cotton I think is best. I also stayed away from the AC at lunch, being in a cold room just seemed to make things worse when getting back to work.
I saw above where someone said something about getting dizzy and then getting back to work. If you're dizzy, your DONE. Drop the belt, sit in the shade, sip water. That's heat exhaustion that will quickly turn to heat stroke and that can kill you. A doctor will back me on this, any on these boards? As the foreman, if any of my guys got dizzy I sent them off the roof, done for the day. The first time I paid them but lectured them about hydration. The second time no pay and the third time I recomended a new line of work.
We started as early as we could, took five minute water breaks every 90 and sometimes took long lunches and worked later. I roofed with a guy who spent time in Arizona roofing and he said they worked two four or five hour shifts split by a long "siesta". We did that when we could in Iraq as well.
good answers mbdyer. wouldn't want to drink your water though! HA HA
Start early, early, early!!! Be there before sunrise .Stay away from the AC on the way to work. It helps to get ya ready(acclimate). I like G'trade. And not freezing cold. mix my own dilute solution. Something about the citrus helps the body to absorb water better. Put an 8 oz. bottle in your bags or close by an sip on it judiciously. The only time I got sick in the heat was when I drank too much straight water.
Light lunches!! Had a framing crew that would go down to the local "Dodge's" and get a burger and fries and soda. Weren't worth a hoot after lunch. Meanwhile I'm eating Pears, peaches, BANANAS, grapes and some occasional watermelon. ( careful, watermelon can be very filling). You know, that summer fruit stuff. They never did catch on how I was able to keep working.(not bragging).
Always wear a T-shirt! It gets soaked right off and helps keep you cool the rest of the day. Bring another one with you if you stink real bad or have to go somewhere after work.
Light dinners as well. Save the thick steak for the weekends. I like a salad with some tuna or chicken in it. But don't take that in a sandwich to work, Easy on the beer.
Ya gotta stay workin or ya don't get paid.
Jack
Edited 7/23/2005 6:29 pm ET by JackWoody
not one mention of coolmax clothing. where have you all been?
I have about 6 pair of cool-max socks.
I've noticed that the Hispanics on the job site rarely wear shorts and often wear long sleeved shirts, even in 90+ degree weather. I've gotta assume they know something about being in the sun that us white boys don't... After all, it's part of their culture, since most of them are Mexican. Still I wear shorts and a short sleeved shirt - sometimes the thin baggy cotton type. Use suntan lotion almost daily - that new kind that comes in a aerosol can is very convent to apply.
Matt
A loose, white, long-sleeve, shirt, preferably linen is great for keeping cool. Also prevents sunburn. And later, skin cancer. A wide brimmed hat with a raised crown completes the picture. Think 'Juan Valdez'.Of course Jaun wore cotton but cotton, unless your in an environment that is extremely dry where the sweat dries quickly, tends to get and stay wet. Damp isn't bad but dripping wet is miserable. Linen, or silk, is great at holding just enough moisture to take advantage of any evaporative cooling while not laying too heavy on the skin or becoming sodden. Excess drips off.So your right. Those Mexicans know, because they come from a culture that has experienced and still values labor, something about keeping cool and surviving the heat.
> The only time I got sick in the heat was when I drank too much straight water.
When I was young, I heard from an old timer who worked on Hoover Dam that they'd put the juice of one lemon in 5 gallons of water. Too much straight water dilutes your stomach acid, the lemon makes it a better match.
I always wear long sleeves, long pants, and a rag held on my head with a baseball cap. Gloves, too, except when they get in the way. Try to work in the shade, or rig a tarp to make some shade.
-- J.S.
I've been working on the same house exterior now for 3 weeks. I was thinking this has to be the hottest summer ever, and I belive I caught on the news the other day that we're approaching a 100 year record around here (Raleigh, nc).
Last week I just got a five gallon bucket, filled it with water and started taking my hat and my t-shirt off about every 30 minutes to an hour as needed, dunked them in the water and put them back on wet. It's like wearing air-conditioned clothing. The 115 heat index was no longer an issue.
Granted, I looked like the San Diego chicken each time I sawed up a piece of azek with all the plastic shavings sticking to me, but a quick shot with the air gun takes care of that.
Edited 7/24/2005 2:17 am ET by speedy
>> I've been working on the same house exterior now for 3 weeks. << Either it's a big house, or you are gonna have to 1) get some help, or 2) change your name... :-)
Hey, seriously, I'm in Raleigh too. You do new construction or remodeling? I do new... Matt
Mostly remodling / repair work for now. The one I'm working on now is a fairly large house with termite damage, rotten wood all the way around it and a bunch of windows that needed replacing.
Fixing it right so they don't ever have the same problem again does go slower than a quick fix that will look good just long enough for me to get paid and disapear.
I've got a part time helper, but he's also helping someone else part time that's closer to his home town and has been tied up there alot latley. Seem's like everyone whos worth having is busy now. I've got work lined up till november and trying not to schedual anything further than that.
Sounds like you may be fishing for some extra help to?
>>
Sounds like you may be fishing for some extra help to?
<<
Naw, I was just wondering if you were a boxing & siding sub. Actually, I have one that I really like, but I like to keep my options open... I can see that a job like you described would take quite a while... I'm very careful about the way the exterior of my houses are detailed so they won't end up like that... Also, in spite of all the bad things that are said here about vinyl, I really think vinyl windows will be a much more long term solution than some of the alternatives. Matt
I am glad that everyone has learned that fluid consumption is important in the heat. A good way to see if you are getting enough fluid is to do a weight chart. Weight yourself before breakfast and work and then again at the end of work before dinner or after work fluid replacement sessions. The weighing needs to be done in the same level of dress at the beginning of the day as at the end. The difference between the Am weight and the Pm weight is the amount of water you have lost and not replaced during that work period. This must be replaced before the start of the next work period. It is successive days of weight loss without regaining it that will lead to a heat related illness. Excessive fluid intake has become a concern and can be detected by a weight gain instead of a weight loss over a given work period. Most problems with the heat is a lack of fluids not an excess. You need to consume 1.5 x the amount of fluid you have lost before the next work period. Also don't skip meals proper nutrition is an important part of this equation.
>> This (fluid) must be replaced before the start of the next work period. <<
>> You need to consume 1.5 x the amount of fluid you have lost before the next work period. <<
In my younger days I was much better at this than I am now. Then, one day, when I was about 35 I woke up and said "WOW!! I don't feel feel like $h!t !!!" and realized I must be slowly but slowly growing up :-( Matt
Age, an aging body, can impart wisdom. I'm in Florida and it is interesting to observe people on the job. Old laborers, some with forty years in construction, move at a particular pace an rhythm. Never too fast but not excessively slow. Perhaps best described as steady.New guys sometimes start at both ends of this scale. Either they shamble and goldbrick or they come at the work like they are killing snakes with a hoe. Neither seem to last long if they don't change their ways.When its hot, really hot, and the humidity is close to 100% you need to slow down. Pace yourself if you want to last the day and make it through the week.Water, water and water. Some electrolytes. Avoid too much protein and fat. Frequent light snacks versus big meals with lots of meat. Take breaks. When people start to 'huff', breath hard and wheeze from the strain and heat it's time to get them into the shade and watered. If the site has no shade make some. Trust me on this. The help notice such flourishes.
Actually the sports drinks (Gatorade, etc) are created to fill short terms voids created by sporting events. They add carbs (sugar) for the immediate pumpup, and add salt to replace lost eletrolytes. I don't think we need the sugar out on a house job.
Here's a report by Chris Carmichael who is Lance Armstrong's trainer. If you or your guys are working as hard as Lance does, just multiply the calorie and water values by about 6 times, because Lance only worked less than a two hour day! Not bad for the second highest paid athlete (I'll give you only one guess who gets paid more).
Here's the report- you can see more at olntv.com at the Tour De France section:
So, what did it take for Lance Armstrong to win his last time trial? Based on his performance and physiology, I estimate he burned between 1500-1700 calories and lost about two liters of fluid during the 1:11:46 effort. While that provides an estimate of what he expended, he only consumed 500 milliliters of fluid (one bottle) and fewer than 100 calories during the same period of time. From a training perscpective, that’s not something you should try at home. If you were doing an all-out effort for 71 minutes on a hot day, I’d recommend consuming at least two bottles of fluid and about 40-60 grams of carbohydrate during the workout.
Now, about the cold water issue.
Cold water is absorbed faster into the system but, my nurse sister in law informs me that the drinking of cold water actually turns up the internal body heating system and that causes you to become hotter! She told me that drinking warm fluids is better to cool you off. For years, I drank hot coffee even in warm weather and it never made me feel hotter but I did also drinks lots of water too. Lately, I've become a decaf green tea drinker with a gallon or so of water. We each bring our own water.
blue
>>Cold water is absorbed faster into the system but, my nurse sister in law informs me that the drinking of cold water actually turns up the internal body heating system and that causes you to become hotter! She told me that drinking warm fluids is better to cool you off. For years, I drank hot coffee even in warm weather and it never made me feel hotter but I did also drinks lots of water too. Lately, I've become a decaf green tea drinker with a gallon or so of water. We each bring our own water.<<
I observed early on watching old guys mowing highway ROW's that they would break out a thermos bottle of coffee when they took breaks or lunch.
Gotta keep the water level up with the caffine but hot coffee does cool you down when working.I've been thrown into better places than this.
Why do you think the Mexicans eat so much hot/spicy food?
{In theory} It makes them sweat. Sweat evaporating off your skin "cools" you. they've known about handling heat for centuries.
Oh I always have a cup of hot coffee throughout the day. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
WWPD
Why do you think the Mexicans eat so much hot/spicy food?
'Cause they know what livin' is all about! <G>
"I'm glad when it all finally hit the fan that I was holed up in a little beer joint in south Texas called the El Gato Negro."
It's a mighty world we live in. But truth is we are only passing through.
> Why do you think the Mexicans eat so much hot/spicy food?
'Cause it's *good*.
What's really going on with that is that hot spice plants grow in hotter climates. The people who live in such climates therefore have access to those tastier ingredients, so they invent good stuff like chile rellenos, my favorite.
The plants in warm climates evolve the hot spice chemicals as a natural defense against microbes and insects, which thrive where it's hot.
-- J.S.
snowed Tues, Weds and Thurs nights...
heat is not a problem...
heat is not a problem
Could be, run out of wood for the stove . . .
Heat exhaustion also possible, when exerting in warm clothing, too (but more typically for the non-acclimated).
Long trou & sleeves likely needed due to higher UV at higher elevation, as well.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
FOR me, a wet towel around the head works. Made me think of inventing a refridgerated helmet. Just like an AC system, only tiny. A condenser strapped to your waist, battery operated.
Red, the best thing for that is one of those gel filled headbands.If you can't find one in the store, tear open a "super absorbent" disposable diaper. Get the gel out of there. Sew it into a bandana headband.Soak it for only a couple minutes before putting it on. You don't want the gel absorbing as much water as it can. I did that once. Ended up with this huge fat headband. It doesn't work as well.Those things are incredible ! They are the only thing that I have ever used that actually made a difference in the heat. Especialy to prevent heat migraines.
Are we there yet ?
Sounds like what we used to do, only better. We wore terrycloth hats which we soaked liberally in water every breaktime. Residential only, so no hardhats. We looked like geeks and got the worst hat-head imaginable but we stayed cool! Worked great in dry Calgary, probably not worth a sh*t here in humid Toronto these days though.
The gel filled bandana works in humid weather as well.Matter of fact, you see a bigger difference in humid weather.
Are we there yet ?
Don't suppose this is really an option, but I've been tempted to try this myself!
Shauna
What a cutie !!=0)Been almost half a decade since I could try that, myself.;o)
Are we there yet ?
Scary, looked at the console temperature reading, the windshield was reading 88º, and my first thought was "Alright! It's Cooler than normal!"Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
100 something heat-index today,
same as yesterday
the day before that
the week before that
the month before that
and the month bfore that.I have'nt worn long sleeves since.....I don't remember.Is it Halloween yet?
Been almost half a decade since I could try that, myself.
Wow, almost 5 yrs since you could sit in the cooler! Nice to have you youngsters on board here.
ROFLM Very Big Fat AO !!!!I should have caught that myself.=0)Ok, ok, half a century !!!
Are we there yet ?
Oh yeah, just passed the mid-century mark myself, and believe me, there was no celebrating!
"could be"
still no sweat....
Dude, where the hell do you live??
Top of Everest..........Antartica maybe?
Whatever it was.................I didnt do it.
Colorado...
The snow made the major news...
temps got to a dry 70 today...
tried some saw blades today made in NZ... Impressive...
70 is a nice temp. easier to work in.,
we had a frost this morning so that means my hands hurt like hell and dont want to work. Tea made from root ginger sposed to help but I havent had any for a couple weeks. Must get back on it.
Been warm here, one of the 3 warmest July in 140 years.
What sorta sawblades?
Whatever it was.................I didnt do it.
What sorta sawblades?
framers...
10 pack.. 22 bucks... behave like Marathons..
37* right now... snow by tomorrow more than likely..
01:22... it has already started... raining just down the road a piece..
You live on the wrong piece of the road.
Are we there yet ?
Man, I just heard that we are going to break an old record for heat today. Hot (90+) and humid. Yesterday, I was soaked through the bib overalls after 20 minutes.
And then I read your post and remember what winter was like, look out the window and remember the snow, gloves, shoveling, etc. Brings back memories, but right now, I'm not sure if they're good ones or not.
Stay warm???!!!
we had a frost this morning
I was just thinking that, this morning, about how my least favorite weather here is the 6-8 weeks where it goes from 40 to 70 everyday. Just no good compromise there. Need a jacket in the morning, and sweating by afternoon, just as it starts to cool off again . . .
Not bad weather for office work, but under-ideal for outside work.Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
40 to 70 everyday
that's our spring and fall.
still "shorts" weather for me. Anything above 60 is "shorts" weather ... even 5 minutes in the afternoon ... still qualifies.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
I wear shorts all year. Even in frosts.
If I can keep my hands warm......happy as a clam.
When it gets cold I put 2 jerseys on.
Whatever it was.................I didnt do it.
60 and above ... definitely shorts.
40 to 60 ... daily decision ... depends on the work ... but usually shorts.
40 and below ... jeans.
below 10 .... pajama's ...
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
snowed a lot today...
should get a bunch tonight...
You gonna be in a whoooooooole lotta trouble when winter turns up.
If I was you, I would be using the 'warm' weather to get firewood. Lots and lots of firewood.
If you want, send some snow here. Looking like this year we arent getting any. damnit.
Whatever it was.................I didnt do it.
I THINK IT IS ALREADY HERE!!!
too much of it to work or get out today.... long weekend..
On my house, I drink plenty of gatorade or juice, but I water them down quite a bit. Usually 3 parts water, 1 part sports drink/juice. Gives me just enough to replenish lost electrolites, but cuts back on my sugar intake.
Pure water doesn't do it for me when I'm really hot & sweating buckets.
Being as I'm an office boy now, I don't have to deal with the heat too terribly often anymore. But when I did, I always tried to plan things as best as I could. Like by watching the weather and trying to figure out when it was best to do what. It's gonna be miserably hot on Monday, s let's do some framing in the basement. Then Tuesday we can work on the roof again when it cools off. Or even planning by the day. Put the siding on the south side of the house first thing in the morning. Then move to the west, north, and east side as the sun moves around. Planning doesn't always work. Sometimes planning doesn't help - You just have to finish up whatever it is that needs done. But sometimes it works well.
I've been in more laps than a napkin. [Mae West]
>> Sometimes planning doesn't help <<
Lately, we have had days that range from quite hot, to very hot, to Hades hot... What's your pleasure... :-)
Today it was supposed to get to a 100. We have a fridge with a freezer on top out in the garage. This morning when I went to get my frozen water bottle out, I saw 2 bags of ice in there. The kind you buy at a convience store. I thought about my DW and said, well bless here heart... Not wanting to be to presumptuous, I said, "hey, what is this ice for"? The answer? "That's for the dogs". I'm gonna fill their water bowls up before I go to work." :-) Matt
Overhydration can lead to low blood sodium - hyponatremia.
I came across this article on it while following the Tour de France coverage: http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/7994.0.html
Apparently can be more serious than dehydration, and may be more common than previously thought. Someone died from it in the 2002 Boston Marathon, while going at a very slow pace.
Humm.. that's pretty interesting. Many years ago I was working on a government job. It was a production framing type deal where we were building 1500 (I think was the #) townhouses. They fed us salt pills when the weather was very hot. Since then, I always thought that it was just so they could get more production out of us. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing... I do know that the salt really made the water go through you. Anyone know anything specific about that? Just looked at our weather forecast... "Today's high: 103". :-( Matt
That's wierd, I would think that the salt would make you retain fluids...
From the bottom up; 2 pair gym socks, full length light weight, light colored, cotton pants, (no levis,) long sleeved, corrugated/dimpled, cotton thermal undershirt, white hard hat with 3" tee shirt material fringe around the back from ear to ear. Used to be able to find a styrofoam "safari" hat. That would be the 'kine.'
No cold water. All 8oz of cold water will do when mixed with 150-200lbs of hot man is fool your internal thermostat and shock your stomache. Add 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt and 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar or lemon juice per gallon of water. I think Celtic Sea Salt is one of the best for balanced mineral content. Fruits and juices for lunch and breaks.
Keep iced water around. If someone gets dizzy, make them soak their arms up to the elbow in the cold water for 15 minutes before you take them to the ER. Yeah, it's that serious. Been there, done that, WC claims sux. If they pass out, drizzle it in their crotch, armpits, and, over their necks and hair till the ambulance arrives.
Try to drink 2-3oz water every 15 minutes, but make sure you get 8-10oz every hour!
I love the 2 liter soda bottles, keep two or three of them scattered around where I will be going by often. Gota drink all of them every day. A small sports drink at lunch for pleasure.
SamT, ex Desert Rat.
When I was in high school many moons ago, salt pills were standard issue for summer football practice, there was a dispenser on the locker room wall. I forget why they stopped issuing them, they must have health concerns for some individuals.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
I suffered a mild bout with this in the spring. Did back to back bike rides on two of the early warm days, drinking water but not worrying about electrolytes. The second night, I was standing around talking, and my legs just buckled. Dropped to the floor, I did. Got checked out at the doc's the next day, and that's what she diagnosed. The guys who mention fruit are right on the money. Fruits are good sources of calcium, magnesium and potassium, three electrolytes that Gatorade, for example, lacks in any important amount. Andy Engel
Senior editor, Fine Woodworking magazine
An updated profile is a happy profile.
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
None of this matters in geological time.
I could drink two gallons of Pepsi a day easily if left to my own devices.
Caffine acts as a diuretic ( hope thats how it's spelled) and will cause you to bleed off fluid. Causes lots of other things like an elevated heart rate and slightly higher blood pressure. None of those are good in the heat.
I've seen more than one guy take a nose dive off his bradley or tank and heard the crew say he's been drinking fluids all day. Sure enough if you find his cooler it will be full of soda.
A carpenter I used to work with chewed tobacco and in the hottest weather would not drink--told me the tobacco made water taste so bad he couldn't drink it! It was fun to work with him because I'd grab a board and find out he had just spit on it--nasty! He'd also be working in the rafters and spit down, so you had to watch out all the time. Sweet.
Had a job staining a house last week when it was in the 90's and humid. Tried to start at 7 and usually had enough by 2, no breaks except to drink lots of fluid. I've learned to drink every time I fill the paint bucket because if you wait till you are thirsty, it's too late. You know it's hot when going from the shade of a garage back outside feels like entering a steambath! But I didn't really notice the heat other than those transitions times--was more concerned with not falling off the ladder (kind of tricky spots I was dealing with--around windows, under overhangs, while spiders were running all over, etc.) and the stain running down my hands and forearms, splattering in my face. Found that sunblock also makes stain easier to get off skin. Also started using foam trim roller to get the stain on the claps instead of running down the ferrule and down the handle of the brush!
Customers are always offering me use of refrigerator, or giving me ice water, but I usually drink water and pop and Gatoraid at "room temperature". Cold fluids give me a headache, especailly when I drink a lot quickly. I don't want to stand around sipping a cold drink when there's work to be done. Sipping cold ones is for after work!
Edited 7/23/2005 10:56 am ET by Danno
I worked three summers in Phoenix. We started work at 5am in summer, almost always it was over 100 by 9am, we had 8 in an 1:30pm. Drank LOTS of water. Nothing really helps. Working in that kind of heat beats the crap out of you.
Twenty years later (now) I don't know how or why I did it.
"A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel." Robert Frost
Here in Maine we only get four or five weeks of hot weather, so, we fill buckets, pockets and bags with it. Come December we start pouring into our longjohns. If you are here when the temp is 40 below, you will see guys out on the frozen lakes fishing. Most of them will be sitting on a sheetrock mud bucket filled with, guess what? The last I heard, my cousin Merle was out around Yuba City filling buckets like a mad man. He has a cheap fan he plugs into the Lincoln welder he tows behind the International. He says the fan blowing on his backside helps a lot.
Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
Bill:
>> Called the framer on the cell and was told that when it reaches 95 {By thermometer in framer's truck} the crew calls it a day. <<
Around here, your framer and crew would have had 1/2 paychecks for the last month or more. Maybe I should trade in for a part time job ;-) The humidity here is very high too (Central Carolina). I'd guess that 90 degrees here is like 100 in Pheonix.
I freeze "recycled" water bottles. Put the small ones in my cooler to keep my lunch and bottled drinks cool. Put a big one in the back of the truck.
Matt
PS: why not at least put your general location in your profile - you have been around long enough...
I wear a CamelBak at work. It holds 2 liters of water. At night I clean it out and then fill it 1/3 full and freeze it. It's great for framing except wall framing day. Sipping on cold water all day helps a lot. I wear a straw hat and I keep my shirt on. I just tried the nylon button down shirt and Duluth http://www.duluthtrading.com/items/85302+BRK+MED.asp and it kept me nice and cool. Buy one size big so it's loose.
I stay cooler than the other guys on my crew because of this. We start as early as we can and don't work more than 8 hours unless everyone feels good. Usually I can get to the gym after work. Water is the key.
which model CamelBak? I had never heard of them, but checking on the web, I see a variety of models available. Man, I sure could have used one of these in my old hard-core surfing days! I might try one, for the jobsite. Just curious to see which model you're using?
Huck,
Here is the one I have http://www.camelbak.com/rec/cb_prod.cfm?catid=6&product_id=334
I saw them online for $34 now. That is last years model at that price. I paid $50 and this is my second summer on it and I may buy a new resevoir next summer or not. It is holding up really well. I rinse it out every night and use the cleaning tabs once a week or every other depending. I freeze it about 1/3 full at night and I have cold water all day.
It really does make a difference because I'm sipping all the time instead of drinking a lot at one time. It's actually quite comfortable, but if you have to bend over a lot, it doesn't work as well. If I'm sheathing a floor then I tend not to wear it.
OK, so a few dumb questions: You freeze the pack - does it stay cold long (is it insulated)? Do you feel the cold on your back? And what about that straw thingy - is it just flopping over your shoulder all day? Does it get in the way? Never seen one of these things in use!
Huck,
I'm attaching the blurb I did for JLC last Sept about the CamelBak http://s36.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2ZFLL7LENG5JV0O0BT2QCWWO9T . I got the idea from our plumber who told me to freeze water in it and then fill it up. He told me he wets the back of CamelBak so that it cools you down as it lies against your back.
The straw isn't in the way at all. It sits there on my right shoulder, so all I have to so is look to my right to sip water ( or gatorade or whatever is in it). The water stays cold all day. Last summer when it got really hot and we couldn't hide from the sun, I would add 1 liter at break and basically have drunk 3 liters of water by the end of the day.
After you get used to wearing it, you won't even notice it being there. By the way, the guy in the pic is my cousin :-)
Hottest day of the year so far and I spend it in a residential attic trying to fish camera cables up two stories, through the walls. Freaking hot! Drank up a gallon of water with a lemon added for absorbtion. (Dinosours trick) worked pretty good. Tuesday and Wednesday will be the test. Get to saw cut and jackhammer in a parking lot with no shade.
The clown porn will get me through.
We are all in this together.
http://www.hay98.com/
Beside all the sound advices like trinking enough, start the work early and so on I recommend running cold water over your hands and forearms until it almost hurts. It will adjust your body temperature and you feel fresh for quite a while. Here in Colorado we had our share of heat and I use this procedure several times a day. I'm outside all day and as a painter in restorational painting you have to endure the working in one place or in a confined area for many hours. I also try to create shade in the working area with silver reflective drop clothes whenever possible. Once the positiv attitude melts away I call it a day too.
it's snowing right now....
didn't break 70 today..
deal with what heat..
Got an extra room?
Heat index was 115 today. 97 in the shade.
dress for winter..
At least you can dress for winter. Not too much can be done for this heat.
I hate you right now
COOL!!!!
been sputterin' since 14 - 14:30...
Water,little gulps,every so often.
Seems I regulate mysweat.
Want to keep sweating the same all day.
Might take a gulp or two every 10 min or so just to keep the sweat flowing.
Fruit or Vegies for lunch.
Melons have alot of mineral salts but don't over do.
If you are like me and you like coffee in the AM cut in half and drink two glasses (8oz each)water before you leave the house.
Gotta keep working to pay COM ED for the AC!
Chicago cooling off a bit, 76 and not humid,with RAIN, opening up the house tonight.
Be safe!
I run work in Boston . When it's going to be hot , we start at 6am. When I can see the guy's have had it . That's it , call it a day . Most times 1 or 1:30 . And they get paid for the day . I treat them right , and when I need them to go the extra mile for me . I dont even have to ask , they take care of me .
Mike - Foxboro
What kind of work do you do? I live in N. Attleboro and do mostly repair work and some small additions.
Commercial work . Mostly hospitals . Union .
Mike - Foxboro
was told that when it reaches 95 {By thermometer in framer's truck} the crew calls it a day.
Wow, that's just about mind-boggling.
Mind you, we get 95º afternoons starting in early May, too--so, by that rule, there'd be no outside daytime work for almost six months of the year. The last month or so, it's 95º about 0930 or so, and stays over until about 2050. Starting work around 0100 might be tough.
Dizziness is caused by more blood flow being diverted to the skin for emergency cooling. From what I have read, it is time to call it a day and cool off at this point. Big time athletes pre-hydrate, so I TRY to start the day with water and keep going. I think cold water is absorbed faster, Any science buffs here? Anything else, including Gatorade, takes longer to digest because of the sugars in them. However , fairly dilluted sports drinks still absorb fast and replenish some of the glycogen lost when you start dehydrating. Apples or bananas are good for restoring your balance too.
I can tell you from working in the heat in South Florida for years, we don't handle it we tolerate it. LOL
Seriously though, I pretty much end up with a pair of shorts and boots and thats it.
But I know a bunch of "old crackers" and some of the new guys, that absolutely SWEAR by wearing jeans, and long sleeves down here.
Apparently, early in the a.m. they are hot, but as the day gets hotter, the jeans and long sleeves maintain a certain temp.
Honestly I think they are off their rockers but I see alot of them doing it.
Shorts and water for me.
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"Have you seen my baseball?"
as the day gets hotter, the jeans and long sleeves maintain a certain temp
Well, I've heard that having long trou & sleeves, if cotton, gets and stays moist, which can add some evaporative cooling.
The trabajadores tell me it's cooler, 'cause your arms & legs are "in the shade."Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)