Radon MItigation

The radon mitigation is complete.  Well, it has been complete, I'm just now getting around to posting it up.  The installation took roughly a half day with two insertion points into the slab in the basement.  For those reading that are unfamiliar with Radon and it's importance, here's a quick synopsis.  

Radon is a radioactive gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless.  It is an element that comes from the breakdown of uranium and can be found being given off from igneous rock, soil and sometimes well water.  It can lead to lung cancer and 20,000 cases of lung cancer a year are attributed to the exposure of Radon.  Radon is found everywhere, it's the level of your Radon exposure that matters.

The EPA set a standard reading of 4.0 pCi/L as a maximum exposure level before remediation.  This does not mean that Radon is harmless at or below 4.0 pCi/L, but that the government issues a certain limit for remediation to be considered.  What does 4.0 pCi/L mean?  Doing a little searching online found this comparison:

A family whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi/L is exposed to approximately 35 times as much radon as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if that family was standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site.  (25 mrem limit, 800 mrem exposure).(Source:  http://radon.com/radon/radon_fact.html)

Now, doesn't that just scare the crap out of you!

During our home inspection, a Radon test was conducted and a reading of 5.0 pCi/L was found.  Through negotiation, we were able to have the seller pay for the remediation to reduce that amount to a more acceptable level.  The test was conducted in the basement where the seller had previously had a concrete floor poured over the original dirt floored basement.  Radon can seep through most materials, which includes concrete.  For each floor of the home, the Radon exposure is reduced in half.  So, the first floor would be 2.5 pCi/L, second floor would be 1.25 pCi/L, etc.  The only true way to get rid of this carcinogen is to pump it out.

The contractor selected came for a preliminary visit to discuss the installation of a sub-slab depressurization unit.  Our home's addition has a separate foundation from that of the original footprint.  Because of this division, two insertion points were required.  Each point is a drilled hole through the concrete slab that has a PVC pipe coming out of it that ultimately leads to an exterior mounted pump.  The pump runs 24 hours a day creating a negative pressure within the pipe that draws the air from underneath the slabs and out of the home, kinda like a bathroom vent fan, just more expensive.  I requested that the installer install the pump on the rear of our home so that the curb appeal isn't blemished with a large white pump and piping.

So what did this cost?  Each insertion point was $250.  So, after tacking in any applicable taxes, labor fees, pump cost and the insertion points, the total was $1,300.00.  Our Radon levels have dropped from 5.0 pCi/L to 0.7 pCi/L in the basement.

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Chimney and Stoves, Part II

Being completely distraught by Part I, I haven't dealt with another vendor for several weeks. Speaking with a co-worker, another stove store in their locale was brought up. I paid a visit to their establishment and met with the owner. He was the only other seller of the same stove that we saw previously in our area. Through our conversations, we found out that the Travis made Lopi Laydon is poorly made for heavy use, cosmetically, it's very attractive, but is not built to handle heating a home.


We became dismayed but were drawn to a stove that had a huge glass front, with plenty of surface area to cook on, should it be necessary. This is another Travis product, however, this one is built for heating, not for looks. It's the Travis Avalon 1190.

We received a price that was the same as for the Lopi Laydon but the performance of this beast is greater than that of the Laydon. We also wanted the blower, cast iron legs and front door options. The pedestal look doesn't seem to flow well in a 250 year old home so these options made sense. We had the store owner give us a quote for the installation. The first trip out was by his son who gave a quote for the stove install only. We also needed a quote for a liner in the basement. So a second trip was made by the owner to examine exactly what was needed.

From our home inspection, we found out that we had a Crane oil furnace. Online searching revealed that the Crane company ceased production of oil furnaces in 1968, leading me to believe that our furnace is at least 44 years old at the time of this writing. We had a chimney inspection which also revealed that we did not have a liner for our very old boiler. Thoughts of leaking CO are a major concern with it venting past our bedrooms. In that second trip, the owner came himself, as we discussed the options, I wanted to know if it were possible to get some of the other fireplaces working back to original. We planned on a third visit where he would bring his mason in.

The mason arrived with the owner and they went over the chimney briefly. The conclusion was that YES! it is possible; however, we would never be able to get all 5 fireplaces working due to the current codes limiting space in our chimney. I'll take what I can get, but first our stove.

The final quote for the stove I'll reveal later as it is not installed yet and anything can pop up. The scheduled installation date is February 10, 2012. Look for an update after that date.

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Getting Cold...

We've been spoiled.  October, November and most of December were a delight.  The outdoor temperatures kept peaking at near 60 degree highs.  Recently, however, the night time temperatures have been falling.  We're now close to 20 degrees at night and gradually dropping.  For a "normal home" this wouldn't be much of an issue, besides, what's "normal" anyway?  

Normal is what everyone else's home is like and your's is not.  That is, insulated.

 I came home from work today to find that the first floor was relatively warm, and the heating was off.  My wife had closed the doors leading to the upper floor as well as closed off our bedroom and bathroom.  Going inside our bedroom was a shock to the system, like the Polar Bear Club... 

The temperatures in our bedroom and bathroom were dramatically colder than any other part of our home.  Where it was a decent 60+ on the first floor, our bedroom was hovering in the upper 30's.  Our walls are thin, yes, but what is much worse are our windows.  They do not align correctly where the upper sash and lower sash have anywhere from 1/8" to a 1/2" gap between them.  The outside air circulates quite well with this setup and lowers the temperature rapidly.

We purchased two boxes of Frost King's Window Insulation Kit from our local big name hardware store costing us $10.98 (plus tax) each.  The kit comes with nine clear plastic sheets and double sided tape.  The concept is simple enough.  Clean off the area around the window along the molding.  Apply the tape along the perimeter and stick on the clear plastic sheet.  You don't have to be very neat as this last part hides most of the sloppiness.  Take your wife's hairdryer and starting at one corner, work your way around the window.  Just watch that plastic film shrink and become as tight as a drum!

My wife is a great helper, by the way.  While I setup the next couple of windows, she heat shrank the plastic.  When taught, the plastic is barely noticeable, especial with the curtains back up.

I also grabbed two bottles of paint-able white caulk and went at it in the bathroom.  I caulked every seam and nail hole in our bead board wall. The wall divides the bathroom from the stair well, which leads to the attic... the Icicle Queen herself wouldn't stay up there....talk about a draft when you get out of the shower... We'll see how it is in the morning, if there is any effect.  I hope for the best, our latest heating bill came in :(

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Chimney and Stoves, Part I

My wife and I are looking on spending between $5,000 and $6,000 year heating our home with oil.  Our furnace is approximately 60 years old, and in fact on 12/2/2011, I had the oil tank filled costing us $694.33 for 185.7 gallons.  Last time we had the tank filled was on October 12.

On the weekend of 12/3/2011, I had the chimney inspected.  I was a little disappointed with the inspection.  I had to wait a month for the appointment and when the two man crew came in, they spent 15 minutes walking around as I took them to each fireplace.  After the walk through, the attic was seen, then the basement.  Finally, one man climbed to the roof and looked down the chimney.  That's it.  I was charged $150 for a visual inspection (Level 1) and all they told me was what I already knew.  That my chimney is unlined.  Yey, thanks for wasting my money...  Not only did I waste a month, waste $150 for information I already knew, I also received a citation from the chimney sweep that I have a code violation.  Now that's a WTF moment if anything.

I was also given an estimate for repair.  The oil furnace has a 7" diameter exhaust that is ducted to the chimney, but is also unlined.  For $2,500, the Sweep will install a liner for that exhaust.  It's important since the exhaust, like an automobile's exhaust, contains carbon monoxide.  Being un-lined allows the gases to potentially leak through cracks in the chimney.

The sweep also noted moss growing on the chimney cap's exterior bricks.  For $475, the cap can be cleaned and sealed.

Also, for $1,200 to $1,400, they will install a stove that I buy separately whose price includes a liner.

With this knowledge, my wife and I went stove shopping.  We ended up at a large showroom with several different styles, sizes and brands.  I found out that stove makers make exclusive contracts with distributors who are the only ones allowed to sell that brand within a set radius forcing a price point that is hard to beat.  No real competition...

Regardless of the above, we saw and liked a particular stove called a Lopi Leyden.  From the salesperson we found out that the unit is made in America, cast iron and a higher quality than average.  Reviews online show a 50/50 opinion in regards to quality of build.  You can fill the stove either from the front double doors or from the top.  It's roughly 500 lbs in weight and since it burns wood, requires a 6" liner.  The larger the liner, the more expensive.

We got a quote of $1999 for the stove itself and another $1000 for the liner plus $600 for basic installation.  I tried my best to explain to the salesman that we don't have your typical setup.  We have an antique home.... somehow, when I explain this to people, they don't seem to understand.  Photos are the only way to express a thousand words:

 I sent all these photos to make sure that the salesman knew exactly what it was that he was dealing with so that there were no surprises during the installation.  I also included a photo of the exterior of our home showing the chimney.  I wanted to get an appropriate estimate for the installation of the stove as well as the cost to install the liner for the oil boiler.  With all this information, he waited a week saying that he's trying to get information...

Hi Steve, spoke with Matt my installer. He's thinking by looking at the pics and doing a quick drive by that your chimney opening is 48 x 48. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks(name)
Sent from my Samsung Captivate

 That's nice, but this was emailed a week after the photos were submitted.  I replied with:

Great, so where does that leave us with an estimate for the installation of a 7" diameter liner for the oil furnace AND updated installation costs for the wood burning stove? 

A couple days pass and no response:

(name),
I hate to pester, but I am still waiting to hear from you regarding the installation costs.
I also apologize for using your personal email, as I do not have your work email.
Thanks, Steve 

A response, finally:

Its no bother at all Steve. Monday i was playing phone tag with (name) a couple times. Either he was in the middle of an install or I was unavailable. Yesterday i was off. Im going to ask him if he could leave a approx figure should i miss his call again. Take care. I'll talk to you soon with an update. 

Ok, so I'll wait for him to get in touch with his installer......

Good morning Steve
I wanted to give you an update. I spoke with (name) briefly yesterday. He advised me that he wouldn't be able to do the job for you because he's so backed up with installs on stoves. Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

This salesman is just wasting my time...

(name),
This is really disappointing.  Waiting for information for two weeks only to read that your installer's opinion on cost is that he's too busy?  That's F'd up, to be blunt.
I suppose I should take my business else where, if this is the level of service I am to expect from Dean's Stove and Spa.  We like the stove but putting a serious buyer on the back burner and showing nothing for it is ridiculous.  You could have been more professional about it and gave us a proper quote but added, "unfortunately, our installer is not available until...". No, instead you blew us off for two weeks, then had the balls to say, in essence, that your installer is too lazy to figure out a quote.  I put great effort in creating a detailed plan with photographs, I can see I only wasted my time.

A review of this business will be made.

Quite disappointing.  Good luck with your future endeavors.

Steve 

I am still planing on installing a wood stove, but not from Dean's Stove and Spa.  Perhaps I will buy one from them and have the chimney sweep install it.  After emailing the above, still annoyed, I wouldn't want to give a commission to this salesman.

There is a tax rebate of 10% for wood stoves of over 75% efficiency for the 2011 tax year.  Hence, why my time is being wasted by this salesman.

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Water in my electrical panel

My wife and I are getting ready for a trip back to our parents homes' for Thanksgiving.  After packing the car, I wanted to secure our home for our extended leave.  I locked the back door, then went into the basement to check the basement door.  We previously worked on the breaker box which was left uncovered from when we were installing the vent fan in our bathroom.  I wanted to re-attach the cover, so as I was re-attaching it, I am supporting the panel with my left hand, screwing in the second of six screws when all of a sudden water started to squirt out from the breakers!  I quickly unscrewed the two screws, pulled off the panel and was quite surprised to see most of the breakers covered in water.  First things first, the main was switched off.

"Honey, what happened to the power!" calls my wife.

With the main off, in the dark, I remembered that I had the business card in my wallet of the electrician that came to our home that day of the power outage in October.  I called him up.  I explained the situation, and he said, "If this were any other day, I would be right over, but unfortunately, I am with family and have a bird to take care of."  I understood, but he did a repeat of our first encounter.  He described to me how to correct the water issue:

1. Turn off the main and each individual breaker.
2. Take out each breaker by pulling it out from the center of the box towards the side it is on.
3. Unscrew the wire leading into each breaker so that now the breaker is completely free.
4. Get a can of WD-40 and saturate the breaker.
5. Wrap the breaker in a thick towel and gently beat it.  The oil in the WD-40 will disperse the water in the breaker bringing it out of the casing.
6. Get a can of compressed air and spray off any residual water/oil left.
7. Repeat the towel beating and compressed air cleaning until there is no more water.
8. The WD-40 will dry in about 30 minutes.  Re-attach the wire and plug the breaker back into its location on the panel.
9. Repeat for all the wet breakers.

Took me a couple hours, but I completed the task and with my hands shaking, I turned on the main, then breakers 1... 2... 3........23.  Power was up and running.  We waited about half an hour to make sure everything was stable, then packed up the last of our belongings and left for the weekend.

The electrician said that water can get into the electrical box through the main conduit leading from the outside line.  It would trickle down the conduit into the home and directly into the panel.

A week later, before the next rain event, I took a look at the main power feed entering our home. The line attaches to the exterior wall at the roof line. It enters a conduit that then travels down the exterior wall to the meter.  From there, the conduit leaves the meter and goes further down the wall to the basement level where a bracket is installed.  Looking closely at the bracket, it is loose, rather unattached to the wall.  I found the source of my water leak.

Just of note, this is the same location where investigative work was undertaken several weeks prior by the structural company working in the basement.  They did such lousy finishing work on the exterior. Not only is that bracket not secured but there is also a lack of caulking.  I purchased a box of paint-able white exterior caulk from Lowes and went at that bracket. This could have been disastrous!  Imagine if my wife and I left and water continued to leak onto live breakers.  A fire erupts after a spark is created and my 250 year old wooden home burns up like a Thanksgiving bonfire.  I may sound like a "drama queen" to any contractor, but when it comes to my family and my investment, it's nothing to blow over. I have to watch future contractors like a hawk. I have to scrutinize their work as we'll be the ones living with their oversights.

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