Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Knotweed
Well for once I have an answer for you ! This is Farmer Bob fromBrooksville and I call you a few times a year for advice. But I wish therewas a way to get answers for my problems.On to the knotweed. 15 years ago we had a neighbor with a 1/2 acre of thestuff, and we fenced it in and put 2 pigs in there and after a few monthswe brought them home. Never a piece regrew. Gone forever. No chemicals oranything bad. But , they didn't kill the comfrey!Just for added knowledge. It really worked.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Good to hear from you.This is great advice!Only issue is--I ain't got no pig!
Tom
Bob
Hi Bob,
Good to hear from you.This is great advice!Only issue is--I ain't got no pig!
Tom
Wood heat and state barriers
Dear Tom
I was a student at UM0 in the seventies, was impacted by the possibleunavailability and very real price jump of oil and bought a little wood lotto secure my energy needs for the future. For several years my sons and Icould often be found there preparing inventory for the next heating season.At that time I read of Professor Hill's experiments with wood heat andbought a copy of his groundbreaking heating system and its associated howto build it and required materials list. I still have the package. As myhome heating system then and now is hot air, the conversion would be quiteinvolved and expensive, involving the addition of sweated copper plumbing,etc. The dream of the new heating system languished, oil prices dropped,and the project laid aside.Oil prices have reinvigorated my interest in the project and, now beingretired,I have more time than most to build and install this intriguingsystem and am pretty darned handy in building ability. But times havechanged. Upon talking with Bangor's fire code inspector, Maine State lawhas forbid home built heating systems, whether boiler or furnace. Further,the City of Bangor disallows outside boilers. I'm sure there are soundreasons for implementing these restrictions but they also outlaw one of themost well-documented and analysed heating systems in existence today.Although clean and thorough burning, extreme efficiency of conversion offuel to heat, kindness of burning emissions to those downwind, the baby gotpitched with the bathwater.Perhaps you might integrate some of this into one of your columns. I reallyenjoy them. Thanks for your attention.David Stevenspushawdave@verizon.net
Hi Dave,
That stinks!I agree, there are reasons to not encourage DIY wood systmes, but it seemscounter to our Yankee nature! Another hurdle is the insurance companies!
I will ruminate on this one.
Thanks,Tom
I was a student at UM0 in the seventies, was impacted by the possibleunavailability and very real price jump of oil and bought a little wood lotto secure my energy needs for the future. For several years my sons and Icould often be found there preparing inventory for the next heating season.At that time I read of Professor Hill's experiments with wood heat andbought a copy of his groundbreaking heating system and its associated howto build it and required materials list. I still have the package. As myhome heating system then and now is hot air, the conversion would be quiteinvolved and expensive, involving the addition of sweated copper plumbing,etc. The dream of the new heating system languished, oil prices dropped,and the project laid aside.Oil prices have reinvigorated my interest in the project and, now beingretired,I have more time than most to build and install this intriguingsystem and am pretty darned handy in building ability. But times havechanged. Upon talking with Bangor's fire code inspector, Maine State lawhas forbid home built heating systems, whether boiler or furnace. Further,the City of Bangor disallows outside boilers. I'm sure there are soundreasons for implementing these restrictions but they also outlaw one of themost well-documented and analysed heating systems in existence today.Although clean and thorough burning, extreme efficiency of conversion offuel to heat, kindness of burning emissions to those downwind, the baby gotpitched with the bathwater.Perhaps you might integrate some of this into one of your columns. I reallyenjoy them. Thanks for your attention.David Stevenspushawdave@verizon.net
Hi Dave,
That stinks!I agree, there are reasons to not encourage DIY wood systmes, but it seemscounter to our Yankee nature! Another hurdle is the insurance companies!
I will ruminate on this one.
Thanks,Tom
home basement exterior concrete wall insulation
Hi Tom,
When insulating the outside concrete wall at my home, should I use the Dowsuper tuff-r sheathering or the styrofoam light blue insulation? Also, doyou have a suggestion on which glue I should use?
Thanks, Harley
Hi,
Use Styrofoam, it will stand up better. It does need to be protected with acoating, but this does not need to be done immediately and only the abovegrade area needs to be covered.You can use construction adhesive to adhere it. Make sure it is compatiblewith Styrofoam.It usually will say so on the label.
Tom
When insulating the outside concrete wall at my home, should I use the Dowsuper tuff-r sheathering or the styrofoam light blue insulation? Also, doyou have a suggestion on which glue I should use?
Thanks, Harley
Hi,
Use Styrofoam, it will stand up better. It does need to be protected with acoating, but this does not need to be done immediately and only the abovegrade area needs to be covered.You can use construction adhesive to adhere it. Make sure it is compatiblewith Styrofoam.It usually will say so on the label.
Tom
driveway sealer
Hi Tom,
I recently did a driveway sealing job for a friend. I don't have asphaltso it is not a concern for me personally. After I bought and delivered thestuff, another friend told me "I heard you weren't supposed to do that."After the job was doneand looked OK, another friend told me the same thing-so what's the scoop ondriveway sealer? I enjoy doing odd jobs but don't want to waste people'stime and money and/or do harm. I'm sure the people who sell the stuffwould tell you to use it,then again, so do the people who sell septic system additives-and I knowthe answer to that one. Thanks.
jeff wren
Hi Jeff,
Driveway sealer is a good thing to do. The problem is when you go tore-pave, it needs to be removed and that is not easy.Sealer makes the driveway last longer, so it is a valid concept to use itas long as the driveway is in good condition.
Tom
I recently did a driveway sealing job for a friend. I don't have asphaltso it is not a concern for me personally. After I bought and delivered thestuff, another friend told me "I heard you weren't supposed to do that."After the job was doneand looked OK, another friend told me the same thing-so what's the scoop ondriveway sealer? I enjoy doing odd jobs but don't want to waste people'stime and money and/or do harm. I'm sure the people who sell the stuffwould tell you to use it,then again, so do the people who sell septic system additives-and I knowthe answer to that one. Thanks.
jeff wren
Hi Jeff,
Driveway sealer is a good thing to do. The problem is when you go tore-pave, it needs to be removed and that is not easy.Sealer makes the driveway last longer, so it is a valid concept to use itas long as the driveway is in good condition.
Tom
Old Washers Suffer from mold, mildew
Tom,
While vacationing in Maine for 7 weeks, I saw your article about "oldwashers". Very glad I read it since the front-loaders are very expensive.Also, it made me think about my "research" in trying to find aclothes-washer manufacturer who still uses the lint filter "basket" thatsits on top of the agitator and water and lint flow into it from the top ofthe washer "tub". GE used to manufacture such a washer and I emailed themwith my questions as to why they stopped making that model but neverreceived an answer.The "new" style washers all supposedly "wash out" the lint into the drain-- but, oh, contrare -- try washing newly purchased towels and you'll findall the lint remains stuck to the sides of the wash tub and to thetowels!!!! I cannot understand the mentality of whoever decided that thiswould be a good idea -- instead of collecting the lint in the top of the"basket" and disposing of it in the trash. Must have been a design bysomeone who never did a load of wash.Anyway, my question to you is: do you know of any manufacturer whocontinues to make the above-described type of lint filter washing machine!Thanks much ----Pat Robb
Hi Pat,
I am not aware of anyone who does this, but this issue was not on my radar.There are after machine lint traps, that install in the drain plumbing,that are quite common and do an excellent job,probably a lot better than the in machine ones. I am sure you can find abunch of them on google.Lint can be a killer for septic fields.
Tom
Insulation
Dear Tom,
I am unable to get to my chimneys from the attic, as I am unable to get upthere myself. Can I use the spray foam insulation that comes in the cansto insulate my chimneys from the bottom up?I would be able to do it that way, but was unsure if it was safe to usethis product in this fashion. I use both oil and wood to heat with, ifthis makes a difference.My house was built in 1845 and I have had two new chimneys put in , butneither of them has the greatest of insulation surrounding them. Thechimneys are about 20 years old.Hopefully I have given you any and all of the infomation that you need toanswer my question. I have long wanted to do this, but was unsure if Ishould. Having you to ask is very nice.Thank you for any infomation you can give me. ctpomerleau@midmaine.com
Hi,
If you have a masonry chimney you can do this from below with foam.This does not meet code since you should maintain a 2" clearance tocombustibles.The reality is that this is not a big deal to me, but in the case of afire, this createsa possible pathway for heat movement to the combustibles around the chimney.Again, my feeling is that this is not a big issue, and I would insulatethis (as I have done in the past!). I would not do this with a metalchimney since a metal chimney is much less massive and less forgiving in aworst case scenario (a chimney fire).
Tom
I am unable to get to my chimneys from the attic, as I am unable to get upthere myself. Can I use the spray foam insulation that comes in the cansto insulate my chimneys from the bottom up?I would be able to do it that way, but was unsure if it was safe to usethis product in this fashion. I use both oil and wood to heat with, ifthis makes a difference.My house was built in 1845 and I have had two new chimneys put in , butneither of them has the greatest of insulation surrounding them. Thechimneys are about 20 years old.Hopefully I have given you any and all of the infomation that you need toanswer my question. I have long wanted to do this, but was unsure if Ishould. Having you to ask is very nice.Thank you for any infomation you can give me. ctpomerleau@midmaine.com
Hi,
If you have a masonry chimney you can do this from below with foam.This does not meet code since you should maintain a 2" clearance tocombustibles.The reality is that this is not a big deal to me, but in the case of afire, this createsa possible pathway for heat movement to the combustibles around the chimney.Again, my feeling is that this is not a big issue, and I would insulatethis (as I have done in the past!). I would not do this with a metalchimney since a metal chimney is much less massive and less forgiving in aworst case scenario (a chimney fire).
Tom
Hot Water baseboard pipes
Tom:
I am pleased to see you were a man ahead of your times, I always knew it.The attached diagram shows where the previous owner ran the pipes to thehot water base boards in a wooden box. The box troth travels the exteriorof the family room in the basement of a raised ranch. This raises aquestion about the pipes that carry the hot water. In a normal house theyare in the wall, I suspect. Is that lost heat and would it be better toexpose the pipes more.In my design should I open the box to allow the heat to be used? Theprevious owner did not put any insulation around the pipes nor insulationagainst the outside stringer. Box is 12" X 7" using board lumber.What is the best way: insulate the pipes until they reach the baseboardsand allow the thermostat to control the zone or let the heat flow as itgoes?I have lived in the house 10 years and finally decided to examine the bestway to handle this issue.I have had a pellet stove on order but decided to put it off and seal thehouse. I thought it would be like putting a patch on a leaky raft. Oncesealed I will go for the stove if needed.Thank you for your time, keep up the much needed work
Bruce Boyd
Hi Bruce,
Good question. I think you would be better served to insulate the pipes.This way, you are controlling where the heat goes. You want the heat in theroom you are in, not to be going somewhere where you might not need it.That being said, you should use pipe insulation to cover the pipes and thenre-enclose them (if you want to). I would also see if I could install somerigid insulation against the wood framing that the pipes are near.
Tom
I am pleased to see you were a man ahead of your times, I always knew it.The attached diagram shows where the previous owner ran the pipes to thehot water base boards in a wooden box. The box troth travels the exteriorof the family room in the basement of a raised ranch. This raises aquestion about the pipes that carry the hot water. In a normal house theyare in the wall, I suspect. Is that lost heat and would it be better toexpose the pipes more.In my design should I open the box to allow the heat to be used? Theprevious owner did not put any insulation around the pipes nor insulationagainst the outside stringer. Box is 12" X 7" using board lumber.What is the best way: insulate the pipes until they reach the baseboardsand allow the thermostat to control the zone or let the heat flow as itgoes?I have lived in the house 10 years and finally decided to examine the bestway to handle this issue.I have had a pellet stove on order but decided to put it off and seal thehouse. I thought it would be like putting a patch on a leaky raft. Oncesealed I will go for the stove if needed.Thank you for your time, keep up the much needed work
Bruce Boyd
Hi Bruce,
Good question. I think you would be better served to insulate the pipes.This way, you are controlling where the heat goes. You want the heat in theroom you are in, not to be going somewhere where you might not need it.That being said, you should use pipe insulation to cover the pipes and thenre-enclose them (if you want to). I would also see if I could install somerigid insulation against the wood framing that the pipes are near.
Tom
Buttoning down the roof
Tom,
We very much enjoy your Saturday morning show and are hoping you might beable tohelp us out with the following :We have a 50 year old frame camp near Grand Lake Stream, Maine. Recentlywe puta new roof & skylight on it. We did not vent the roof ridge or soffits,but are now thinkingabout finishing the interior of the roof with 1 by 6 inch tongue & grovepine. It is presentlyexposed 2 by 6 rafters. We have thought about putting in some type ofinsulation, but don'twant to create a condensation problem. We use and heat the camp about 2months eachwinter. Would I be creating a problem by insulating ?We also have a 5 year old log home in Grand Lake Stream and the roofshingles areheaving. It seems to be worse along the seams of the plywood sheathing.This problemis a little more complex than I can explain in a letter and we are askingif you do troubleshooting on site. We are very willing to pay for a visit.Any help or information you can give us will be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou.
John & Lisa Bertinelli
Hi,
If I were considering this type of project, I would have installed a layerof foam before installing new roofing.Since this is not the case in your situation, I would suggest installing6"(or more if possible) fiberglass in the joist cavity and then covering itwith a layer of at least 1" foam. Since the building is not used all yearlong, this ought to be adequate. If you think you might be using ityear-round later on, install 2" of foam. You can then install strapping onthe foam and then cover it with either sheetrock or new pine. All jointsmust be caulked and well-sealed. Ventilation is not necessary if this iswell sealed.
I appreciate the offer to do a site visit, but I cannot get away to do this.It sounds like there might be a moisture issue here. I would suggest havingan experienced home inspector, who might have an engineering background.
Tom
We very much enjoy your Saturday morning show and are hoping you might beable tohelp us out with the following :We have a 50 year old frame camp near Grand Lake Stream, Maine. Recentlywe puta new roof & skylight on it. We did not vent the roof ridge or soffits,but are now thinkingabout finishing the interior of the roof with 1 by 6 inch tongue & grovepine. It is presentlyexposed 2 by 6 rafters. We have thought about putting in some type ofinsulation, but don'twant to create a condensation problem. We use and heat the camp about 2months eachwinter. Would I be creating a problem by insulating ?We also have a 5 year old log home in Grand Lake Stream and the roofshingles areheaving. It seems to be worse along the seams of the plywood sheathing.This problemis a little more complex than I can explain in a letter and we are askingif you do troubleshooting on site. We are very willing to pay for a visit.Any help or information you can give us will be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou.
John & Lisa Bertinelli
Hi,
If I were considering this type of project, I would have installed a layerof foam before installing new roofing.Since this is not the case in your situation, I would suggest installing6"(or more if possible) fiberglass in the joist cavity and then covering itwith a layer of at least 1" foam. Since the building is not used all yearlong, this ought to be adequate. If you think you might be using ityear-round later on, install 2" of foam. You can then install strapping onthe foam and then cover it with either sheetrock or new pine. All jointsmust be caulked and well-sealed. Ventilation is not necessary if this iswell sealed.
I appreciate the offer to do a site visit, but I cannot get away to do this.It sounds like there might be a moisture issue here. I would suggest havingan experienced home inspector, who might have an engineering background.
Tom
Backup heat
Tom,
I respect your opinions on heating solutions within the State, and wantedto run by my situation and feedback. I am in the process of adding on asubstantial addition to our existing home (log home, 970 sq. feet on slab)and am reworking our heating system (currently just a wood stove) as theaddition will have a walk-out basement with a total of 2400 sq. feet. I amconsidering a wood boiler for a heating source. I would like to haveradiant heat in all of the new locations (roughly 1200 square feet), andpipe back hot water baseboard in the old house as well as run domestic hotwater off the system. I was thinking about the low temperature for radiant(roughly 90 degrees) and the jump from that to domestic hot water andbaseboard (which I believe is around 120 or greater?). Would I be betteroff running a dual system? One for the winter and one for the summer? Or,would it make more sense to move away from a boiler and go to a tanklesssystem? Cost of wood is reasonable for me as I get it log length, etc.,but it does not make sense to put in a chimney, boiler and the cost of bothof those if I can maintain a heating system with an on-demand that runsmore efficiently…looking for thoughts, and wondered if you had time topoint me in some directions…Set-ups I was considering:Wood boiler with pellet boiler back-upWood boiler with an on-demand propane or electric tankless back-up and foroff season timesTankless system period, probably propane?Is Geothermal a reasonable option in Maine? I heard contradictoryinformation as to the feasibility in our climate. (I am located in Machias).Any of your thoughts would be very helpful, and I appreciate your time!
Thanks,
Corey
Hi Corey,
I like the concept of a stand alone wood boiler with a tankless backup.Pellet backup is nice, but it is expensive. You could use a unit like aRinnai Continuum for a backup system. Although it is a water heater, youcould interface it with your hydronic loops via a plate heat exchanger. Itis relatively inexpensive and would be a good backup for summertime hotwater. It is, of course, tied to LP gas prices, which are not low, but if ahigh percentage of your heat is coming from a wood stove/boiler, it mightbe a good fit.
Another alternative would be a cold climate heat pump hot water heatingsystem.Only problem is that they are not yet available. And they will cost a lotmore upfront than the Rinnai will.
Tom
I respect your opinions on heating solutions within the State, and wantedto run by my situation and feedback. I am in the process of adding on asubstantial addition to our existing home (log home, 970 sq. feet on slab)and am reworking our heating system (currently just a wood stove) as theaddition will have a walk-out basement with a total of 2400 sq. feet. I amconsidering a wood boiler for a heating source. I would like to haveradiant heat in all of the new locations (roughly 1200 square feet), andpipe back hot water baseboard in the old house as well as run domestic hotwater off the system. I was thinking about the low temperature for radiant(roughly 90 degrees) and the jump from that to domestic hot water andbaseboard (which I believe is around 120 or greater?). Would I be betteroff running a dual system? One for the winter and one for the summer? Or,would it make more sense to move away from a boiler and go to a tanklesssystem? Cost of wood is reasonable for me as I get it log length, etc.,but it does not make sense to put in a chimney, boiler and the cost of bothof those if I can maintain a heating system with an on-demand that runsmore efficiently…looking for thoughts, and wondered if you had time topoint me in some directions…Set-ups I was considering:Wood boiler with pellet boiler back-upWood boiler with an on-demand propane or electric tankless back-up and foroff season timesTankless system period, probably propane?Is Geothermal a reasonable option in Maine? I heard contradictoryinformation as to the feasibility in our climate. (I am located in Machias).Any of your thoughts would be very helpful, and I appreciate your time!
Thanks,
Corey
Hi Corey,
I like the concept of a stand alone wood boiler with a tankless backup.Pellet backup is nice, but it is expensive. You could use a unit like aRinnai Continuum for a backup system. Although it is a water heater, youcould interface it with your hydronic loops via a plate heat exchanger. Itis relatively inexpensive and would be a good backup for summertime hotwater. It is, of course, tied to LP gas prices, which are not low, but if ahigh percentage of your heat is coming from a wood stove/boiler, it mightbe a good fit.
Another alternative would be a cold climate heat pump hot water heatingsystem.Only problem is that they are not yet available. And they will cost a lotmore upfront than the Rinnai will.
Tom
Shutting it down
Tom,
One subject you haven't addressed is what those of us who flee to Florida for the winter should do with our homes. We can't use wood pellet stoves,nor many of your other energy saving suggestions. When we leave, we turnthe furnace thermostat down as low as we can. But last year, for example,our furnace used about 300 gallons of oil to heat the house minimally whilewe were gone for over five months. We intend to increase our atticinsulation this fall, but we are also considering turning the furnace offentirely and letting the house freeze up. What does this do to a realhouse, not a camp, with plasterboard walls and a basement? Some people sayletting your house freeze can crack the foundation. No doubt it would behard to drain all the water out of all the pipes and the boiler, somethingan plumber should be hired to do. What does freezing do to electronics? Tooriginal oil paintings? I've heard that even ballpoint pens can freeze andleak. It doesn't seem like a very attractive alternative, but on the otherhand, neither does paying well over a thousand dollars to heat your homewhen you aren't even here.How about draining the pipes but installing electric heat to keep the housejust above freezing? Or should we just bite the bullet and hope the oilprices go down somewhat eventually?If you do use parts of this letter in your column, please don't use ourname. We don't want to advertise the fact that our house is empty everywinter.
Thanks.
Dave & Helen Old Town, ME 04468
Hi,
I am not in favor of shutting the heat off entirely.It runs the risk of causing mildew issues and popping paint off of surfacesin addition to all the other more common freeze issues like heaving andcracking.
Foundations do not always crack, but obiviously there is more potential forthis problem.
I would suggest checking with your heating person about installing a freezealarm, adding insulation where you can and getting a lower temperaturethermostat.
The freeze alarm would alert the oil provider of an issue and get a serviceperson over there.I would not want to risk damaging valuable art and my home by leaving thehome with no heat.
Tom
One subject you haven't addressed is what those of us who flee to Florida for the winter should do with our homes. We can't use wood pellet stoves,nor many of your other energy saving suggestions. When we leave, we turnthe furnace thermostat down as low as we can. But last year, for example,our furnace used about 300 gallons of oil to heat the house minimally whilewe were gone for over five months. We intend to increase our atticinsulation this fall, but we are also considering turning the furnace offentirely and letting the house freeze up. What does this do to a realhouse, not a camp, with plasterboard walls and a basement? Some people sayletting your house freeze can crack the foundation. No doubt it would behard to drain all the water out of all the pipes and the boiler, somethingan plumber should be hired to do. What does freezing do to electronics? Tooriginal oil paintings? I've heard that even ballpoint pens can freeze andleak. It doesn't seem like a very attractive alternative, but on the otherhand, neither does paying well over a thousand dollars to heat your homewhen you aren't even here.How about draining the pipes but installing electric heat to keep the housejust above freezing? Or should we just bite the bullet and hope the oilprices go down somewhat eventually?If you do use parts of this letter in your column, please don't use ourname. We don't want to advertise the fact that our house is empty everywinter.
Thanks.
Dave & Helen Old Town, ME 04468
Hi,
I am not in favor of shutting the heat off entirely.It runs the risk of causing mildew issues and popping paint off of surfacesin addition to all the other more common freeze issues like heaving andcracking.
Foundations do not always crack, but obiviously there is more potential forthis problem.
I would suggest checking with your heating person about installing a freezealarm, adding insulation where you can and getting a lower temperaturethermostat.
The freeze alarm would alert the oil provider of an issue and get a serviceperson over there.I would not want to risk damaging valuable art and my home by leaving thehome with no heat.
Tom
Insulating concrete
Hello Tom,
My house is 24 x 40. I have been thinking of ways to help with the heatingbill this winter.One thing I aim to do, is to insulate the concrete foundation from theground up to the clapboards. This distance is about 18" with 5 cellarwindows, 14x24. I have seen people gluing insulation on the concrete andthe other day at Home Depot, I located 1 1/2" insulation with aluminum oneach side, 4x8' in size. The setback from the bottom clapboard is approx. 2".� Would you recommend doing it this way or doing the inside? I wouldneed to take a lot of things down in order to do it inside.��On theoutside I would intend to apply a gray mastic to keep the concrete look.
Harley I. Sproul, SR.Sproul's of Maine"Campfire Cookware "96 Enfield RoadLincoln, Maine 04457
Hi Harley,
It is preferable to install it on the inside, since there are no issueswith bugs sneaking in underneath it and it is protected from sunlight anddamage.If it is a big hassle to do inside, outside installation can be done. Youshould use styrofoam, cover it as you mentioned and install a metal dripedge as a barrier for bugs.
Tom
My house is 24 x 40. I have been thinking of ways to help with the heatingbill this winter.One thing I aim to do, is to insulate the concrete foundation from theground up to the clapboards. This distance is about 18" with 5 cellarwindows, 14x24. I have seen people gluing insulation on the concrete andthe other day at Home Depot, I located 1 1/2" insulation with aluminum oneach side, 4x8' in size. The setback from the bottom clapboard is approx. 2".� Would you recommend doing it this way or doing the inside? I wouldneed to take a lot of things down in order to do it inside.��On theoutside I would intend to apply a gray mastic to keep the concrete look.
Harley I. Sproul, SR.Sproul's of Maine"Campfire Cookware "96 Enfield RoadLincoln, Maine 04457
Hi Harley,
It is preferable to install it on the inside, since there are no issueswith bugs sneaking in underneath it and it is protected from sunlight anddamage.If it is a big hassle to do inside, outside installation can be done. Youshould use styrofoam, cover it as you mentioned and install a metal dripedge as a barrier for bugs.
Tom
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