The Home Improvement Thread

[Yada]

I'd think you need to work on the cause, not the symptom.

We're sending the cause away to college in less than two years. Problem solved.

Mason and Madison attendees still come home on the weekends

[Space Freely]

I'd think you need to work on the cause, not the symptom.

We're sending the cause away to college in less than two years. Problem solved.

Mason and Madison attendees still come home on the weekends

I think Virginia Tech is the VA school to choose if you want to get the furthest away from your parents. Plus it's a better school than the two you mention.

[evilizac]

Ugh,
   After shelling out $20-ishK for foundation reinforcement, I'm debating supplementing the under-powered electric heating part of our HVAC system (a heat-pump system with an electric aux heat that from what the latest in my string of HVAC guys has classified as undersized). Leaning towards a 95% efficient unit (a subsidiary model from Trane). He wants almost $11k for labor and materials, including running some exhaust and ducting to connect it to the existing system. It's just hard with such a specific trade, to comparison shop without making the time to actually comparison shop. Wondering if anyone else has had comparable work done recently.
   We've been paying upwards of $400-$500 for electricity during the winter months since we've been currently supplementing the system with electric space heaters. It's huge secondary home "repair" in a year when I was hoping to spend around $10,000.00 originally for the foundation work, but we're also punishing our system. Just not sure if it's 1.) fairly prices (I think so, based on my administrative knowledge of the type of work). 2.) actually going to offset our heating costs. and 3.) actually going to add comfort for the price (currently with all that we do, we are never actually comfortable climate-wise for all the money spent).
   

[sweetcell]

we had a heat pump installed a few years ago, because our propane bill in the winter was getting stupid.  was a relatively simple job, i was told, clocked in at about $7k.  it brought our heating costs down, but the payoff period will be more than a decade (at current propane and electricity costs).  heat pumps aren't as good as furnaces, they don't produce quite as much heat in most conditions so can take a while to heat up the house (they are good at keeping things steady tho).

if you're hesitant to spend that much $$ on a heat pump, an alternative might be to look at other ways of cutting the heat bills by attacking the root causes: need insulation? new windows or doors?  etc.

[ye-ole-hatch ıll|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|̲̅̅=̲̅̅|̲̅̅●̲̅̅|llıl]

if you're hesitant to spend that much $$ on a heat pump, an alternative might be to look at other ways of cutting the heat bills by attacking the root causes: need insulation? new windows or doors?  etc.

This 100%
You can buy a heat sensor for around 200 and check all around and address that issue

Those little heaters are crazy inefficient

You may want to look into a wood burning stove too

The new ones are crazy efficient (once started, I can put in 3 logs an it will keep the house warm fo me 8 hours
Install is the biggest cost… helps if you can get wood cheap/free.