Anything You Want

[LTAWACS]

And the finishing touch...

I had some unused windows screens that just happen to be the exact same size as my attic hatch opening. So, I put a screen over the opening, laid a couple of batts on it, and it lays on top of the ladder once I close the hatch. Pretty sweet.

Nice...

[Pleak]

I think I just might have to steal that screen idea.

[RedScare]

You know, it was kind of cool looking at my SmartMeter account, and seeing my energy usage drop as I got more insulation in. It dropped from 89 kwh to 70, to 59, then to 40 on Saturday. Now, granted, the temperature was dropping all 4 days, but it was still cool to watch it go down. The real test will come when we get a couple of 98 or 99 degree days with sun all day.

[Pleak]

You will notice a huge difference. During college I lived with my aunt and uncle in Bellaire. So I got the privilege of pulling out the 40-year old pancake thin blown in insulation originally installed. We then went with 12" of batts. Did nothing else to the walls of one of those old three-bedroom half-brick, half-shingled bungalows. Probably cut his electric bill by half and made it "feel" significantly warmer during the winder also.

But if you had a choice - why on earth did you pick summer to do it?

[RedScare]

A combination of things led to the poor timing. General procrastination, combined with financing (had a sizeable tax bill to deal with) pushed it to May. I also spent some time putting covers on several electrical boxes and spraying foam around several holes and can lights. Then just as I was getting ready to start, I cracked a tooth, and needed to deal with that. I waited until my mouth was all better before starting the attic. Pure bad luck meant that right as I started, temps shot up from the low 90s to near 100.

It really wasn't the worst thing in the world. I would install several rolls in the morning, and once it got really hot, I would stop for the day. By doing that, I was able to do the install myself, saving $500 or more. Sure, it spread the install out to about 3 weekends, but was worth it. Total cost was less than $700.

[TheNiche]

A combination of things led to the poor timing. General procrastination, combined with financing (had a sizeable tax bill to deal with) pushed it to May. I also spent some time putting covers on several electrical boxes and spraying foam around several holes and can lights. Then just as I was getting ready to start, I cracked a tooth, and needed to deal with that. I waited until my mouth was all better before starting the attic. Pure bad luck meant that right as I started, temps shot up from the low 90s to near 100.

It really wasn't the worst thing in the world. I would install several rolls in the morning, and once it got really hot, I would stop for the day. By doing that, I was able to do the install myself, saving $500 or more. Sure, it spread the install out to about 3 weekends, but was worth it. Total cost was less than $700.

It's funny how that works, isn't it?

Let's take a house in the City of Houston valued at $270,000 in 2011 as an example. The tax rate is 2.52%. The bill is $5,315 per year. Figure that you could've made a real average rate of return of 5% per year if you were to invest that sum in stocks and bonds (rather than illiquid real estate). The value of that stream of payments in perpetuity is $106,300.

If local taxes were based on income or sales taxes and about 25% of household income (or tax savings) went toward housing and were taxable, then we should figure that the effect on property values of this property tax scheme is to reduce them by $79,725. (But this ignores that people would demand more real estate than they presently do, due to market distortions.)

Individuals subject to increasing property taxes may have built a great deal of equity for themselves, yet still be cash-poor. (And this would be especially true during periods of low cash income.) The consequence is deferred maintenance and deferred capital improvements, even if that corresponds to lower energy consumption. Is that good public policy?

Perhaps Texas should follow North Dakota's example, or at least dial things back.

[RedScare]

OK, I am 8 days into the full attic insulation analysis, and I thought I'd share some numbers. Since last Saturday, I haven't used 60 kwh in a day yet. The first few days were rainy and overcast, but usage plummeted to 32 to 40 kwh. On Monday, we started getting back into regular summer sun and heat. Every day from Monday through Friday has ranged between 56 and 58 kwh. Temperatures for those 5 days ranged from 91 to 95. Last year, usage ran from 80 to over 100 kwh per day. Admittedly, those were higher temps, but it looks like I am saving at least 20% with the new insulation.

The most important factor is that the AC continues to cycle throughout the afternoon. Last summer, the AC would run continuously from about 11 am to midnighte, or later. This, of course, ran up electricity usage, but, since the unit was maxed out, it could not keep the house to the set temp. If the AC is cycling, it clearly has enough capacity to keep up with the high temps.

The takeaway from this is that extra insulation in the attic pays big dividends. My $630 investment will probably pay for itself in 2 summers. Add in gas savings over the winter, and it will be less. It needs to be a minimum R-30, or 9 inches. R-38 is even better. And, it is not that hard to do yourself, so you can save money on install labor. Just do it.

Now, if I could only find a way to do my walls this cheap.

[Ross]

Red, pick a long holiday weekend, say Thanksgiving. I bet you could strip your siding, insulate, and reside with Hardiplank before the City figured out what was going on. What's the after the fact penalty?

[RedScare]

Red, pick a long holiday weekend, say Thanksgiving. I bet you could strip your siding, insulate, and reside with Hardiplank before the City figured out what was going on. What's the after the fact penalty?

$500 a day, I think. You know, I'd consider it, except there are posters on this forum who claim to have taken photos of old houses in the Heights, in order to snitch us out to the City. That's the kind of friendly neighbors we have here. Guess they never heard the term, "snitches end up in ditches".

Back before the final ordinance took effect, a friend of mine was actually tagged for doing that. She had no idea that a permit AND HAHC review was required. They simply made her get reviewed and buy a permit. However, that was when HAHC was trying to convince everyone they were reasonable. Anyone who has watched their meetings knows that is no longer the case.

On the other hand, there ARE ways to avoid the City's heavy hand. Repairs up to 128 square feet are exempt from permitting, and if you reuse the siding there is nothing for HAHC to review. Most of my walls are less than 128 square feet when the window area is subtracted out. I could repair the walls getting the most sun without going over the limit. They also happen to be the walls that are most in need of maintenance and repair.

Edited July 9, 2012 by RedScare

[Ross]

I am still trying to figure out why the City thinks there's a real governmental interest in replacement windows and siding. I can understand plumbing and electrical, there are life safety issues there, but windows? Siding? Why would the City care one whit about those?

I do have a complaint about the electrical permits. The City won't let you pul your own permit, you have to spend a ton of money to hire a master electrician. Why not let me pull my own permit, and red tag me if I don't do the work correctly? That little rule means I'm not rewiring my garage, becuase the quotes I received averaged $2300, while I could do it for about $150 in materials. Yes, I know how to do the rewiring.

[Fringe]

I am still trying to figure out why the City thinks there's a real governmental interest in replacement windows and siding. I can understand plumbing and electrical, there are life safety issues there, but windows? Siding? Why would the City care one whit about those?

It's all about revenue. The building department and fire department have imposed a whole bunch of new permits over the last 10 years or so. Unlike the police, they have no other way of generating revenue and were told a long time ago to either bring more money in or cut back on staffing.

[LTAWACS]

It's all about revenue. The building department and fire department have imposed a whole bunch of new permits over the last 10 years or so. Unlike the police, they have no other way of generating revenue and were told a long time ago to either bring more money in or cut back on staffing.

The walking apes that currently hold elected office should be voted OUT!

[samagon]

$500 a day, I think. You know, I'd consider it, except there are posters on this forum who claim to have taken photos of old houses in the Heights, in order to snitch us out to the City. That's the kind of friendly neighbors we have here. Guess they never heard the term, "snitches end up in ditches".

Back before the final ordinance took effect, a friend of mine was actually tagged for doing that. She had no idea that a permit AND HAHC review was required. They simply made her get reviewed and buy a permit. However, that was when HAHC was trying to convince everyone they were reasonable. Anyone who has watched their meetings knows that is no longer the case.

On the other hand, there ARE ways to avoid the City's heavy hand. Repairs up to 128 square feet are exempt from permitting, and if you reuse the siding there is nothing for HAHC to review. Most of my walls are less than 128 square feet when the window area is subtracted out. I could repair the walls getting the most sun without going over the limit. They also happen to be the walls that are most in need of maintenance and repair.

if you grow large shrubs and trees so no one can see your house from the street, I'm not sure what they would see

[Highway6]

<Rant>

Dealership tags on new cars have always pissed me off. New cars don't arrive at the dealership with the decals on; these are things the dealerships slap on. When I ordered a new car in 05, I insisted they not be put on my car, and the dealership complied.

My thought process is this: The Dealership is not paying me a monthly fee to rent advertising space on the back of my new car, therefore they have zero right to clutter up the back of my new investment with their crap decal.

As a tangent, it's only clutter that the middle class has to deal with. Can't recall the last time I saw a Mercedes, BMW, or Corvette with dealership tags.

What started this trend, I don't know, but dealerships get away with it because it doesn't occur to consumers to fight back.

You owe no loyalty to the Knapps, Gullos, and Mac Haiks of this town, and they sure as heck aren't sending you a monthly rental check.

</Rant>

[RedScare]

My last one only came with license plate holders, but I agree. Some of them are pretty friggin gaudy.

[JLWM8609]

Can't recall the last time I saw a Mercedes, BMW, or Corvette with dealership tags.

I have seen one Mercedes-Benz dealership install one of those tags on the paint. It was from Dick Dyer Mercedes-Benz in Columbia, SC. Some other Mercedes-Benz dealerships around the nation opted to install a grille badge in lieu of the more common trunklid badge or license plate frame.

I worked for a Mercedes-Benz dealership briefly. One thing the clients used to do is bring their car in to the service department to have the license plates installed. God forbid the owner would have to actually use a hand tool to do it with their own hands! But the general procedure would be to just install the plates. If they had a competing dealer's license plate frame, we would switch it out. If they already had our frame, custom frames, or no frame at all, we would not install our metal.

[Highway6]

I don't mind the dealership license plate frames. Those are easy to remove if you are like me and have a peculiar hatred for them.

But the metal, metal looking plastic, or sticker decals is another thing. I don't know what kind of adhesive is used, but I wouldn't trust myself to remove them from my brand new car without possibly harming the paint.

[JLWM8609]

I don't mind the dealership license plate frames. Those are easy to remove if you are like me and have a peculiar hatred for them.

But the metal, metal looking plastic, or sticker decals is another thing. I don't know what kind of adhesive is used, but I wouldn't trust myself to remove them from my brand new car without possibly harming the paint.

I think they can be removed by using a hair drier to heat up the adhesive and then using a piece of dental floss to cut through the adhesive and get the emblem off. Any adhesive that's still left may have to be removed with a clay bar.

I think the worst offender is the Katy dealerships. They use these letters in a faux Mercedes-Benz style font, often placed without regard to space between letters or whether the letters are level with one another. They use letters which look like this. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Car-Auto-Emblem-Badge-Decals-Chrome-Letter-Sticker-3D-/220743236011?hash=item33655279ab&item=220743236011&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

[LTAWACS]

Disgusting.

[TheNiche]

It was 2:00AM. I was hungry and frugal. I dined on the chicken burrito combo meal at the Taco Bell on Ella for the sum total of $2.19. It was satisfactory for the price. I'm finishing off the little bag of Doritos as I type this very message. There. They're gone!

Ever the indulgent masochist, I'm ready to receive your hipster dogpiling.

[sevfiv]

Even *I* can't knock Taco Bell!

[luciaphile]

It was 2:00AM. I was hungry and frugal. I dined on the chicken burrito combo meal at the Taco Bell on Ella for the sum total of $2.19. It was satisfactory for the price. I'm finishing off the little bag of Doritos as I type this very message. There. They're gone!

Ever the indulgent masochist, I'm ready to receive your hipster dogpiling.

Someone should probably go check on The Niche. He didn't issue any salvoes on behalf of the road hustlers in the METRO thread after this post. He may have aspirated that last Dorito.

[luciaphile]

Oh, and $2.19? i think he was robbed.

[LTAWACS]

Someone should probably go check on The Niche. He didn't issue any salvoes on behalf of the road hustlers in the METRO thread after this post. He may have aspirated that last Dorito.

Where does he live now?

[luciaphile]

LTAWACS, your concern is very touching...I was only kidding. For all I know The Niche is an unusually ornery chat bot.

[LTAWACS]

Or perhaps he's not been bailed out yet?

[luciaphile]

And as for myself, I'm just one cog in a huge ancient unfeeling machine. It doesn't particularly care about me and I don't particularly care about it. It'll be there long after I've been worn down and replaced with a new cog...There needn't be a cause, purpose, or delusion.

PM to The Niche: Aww, alone in an implacable cosmos...You're breaking my heart with all that "Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?" stuff.

I am not wholly interchangeable, only replaceable to within a measure of tolerance and a thousand times redundant.

Nor am I passively indifferent... Without purpose but by my nature, I am actively engaged in the persuasion of others to become indifferent like me.

PM to All Others: I think he is assembling a cog army of likeminded cogpersons and that he has designs on Kamchatka. Cogs and materiel would then be moved west via a Northern Trans-Siberian Cog Railway. Yakutsk is thus vulnerable. He should be watched. But not closely.

[TheNiche]

DISCOVERY CHANNEL

11:00 PM to 12:00 PM, 8/6/12

"Mermaids: The Body Found"

Repeat, HD, Examining the speculation that the mythical sea creatures may be real--and claims that authorities are keeping it a secret. (2011), (Documentary).

They even bothered to spend a fair bit of money on CG of blue-skinned mermaids that had decidedly Celtic facial features.

Whatever happened to the footage of actual lions actually mating?

[chuckdee]

latest home project...sorry the dam photos is so large

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I've had many problems in my life, most of which were imagined." - Mark Twain

Chuck Dee - AKA Chris

[LTAWACS]

Looks nice... did you do this yourself?