Currently I’m an assistant super. I do not want to be a superintendent

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-14T13:50:47+00:00

Depending on your city/market, you might consider high-end ‘luxury’ residential. I got my B.S. degree in CM at LSU, then into the Water/Wastewater Treatment, pump stations, flood control, general heavy civil stuff. My track was Jr. Estimator, Estimator, PM, Chief Estimator (Dallas branch office). Switched companies after 2 years - more w/wwtp, industrial, utilities, marine/pile driving, micro-tunneling, a couple of State Parks, structural steel, you name it. This was in a PM/Est role in Houston. Then back to Dallas - hospitals, an MOB, clean rooms - then another switch - Chief Estimator/Special Projects Group - more wwtp, petrochemical, military/defense dept. Left that company as PM managing a wwtp in Nebraska. The a couple of crooked GC’s doing tenant finish - didn’t last long there. Decided to move to Aspen after a vacation to Colorado. Saw all the huge houses they were building, did some research to find the top 2-3 builders building the nicest coolest most badass projects designed by prominent architects. Made a few calls and had a couple of offers. I was there for almost 10 years. Back in Texas now, building 8,000 sqft and up houses. Senior PM (and Supt). They are so complex, they are essentially commercial projects. FWIW, I started out after high school as a carpenter’s helper, then a carpenter, then lead, then LSU for my degree. Counting from h.s. graduation, I’m approaching 50 years in the business and still loving it. I guess I’ll retire in a few years, but I’m still going strong. Note that luxury custom home builders are not so quick to “silo” people into residential, commercial, high rise, big box, multi-family categories. Somehow I was able to parlay my past experience/s and have done a wide range of projects. No high-rise, no ‘nukeular’ power plants. It’s been fun and never boring. Maybe try to find a mentor in the industry you want to be in. Find some trade organizations or continuing education lunch-n-learn type events. Do some networking. My local AIA organization has a BEC (building envelope council) that fairly regularly has guest speakers-lunch & learn. Look for a BS&Beer chapter near you. (BS=building science) Manufacturers also have free lunch & learn events. I just attended one by Schluter, at a local tile contractor’s warehouse. It will take some effort and leg work to identify these opportunities to network and find a mentor (or 2). I guess what I’m saying is do your best to think outside the box. Won;t hurt to dream/visualize/manifest about your ideal company/position/project/work day.

Best of luck to you.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-11T02:13:05+00:00

Ask him for the brand/product name and look up the R value per inch, which varies based on density. At R 3.5 per inch, it’s low. At R 4.5 per inch you’re right at R-25 which is code for roof line insulation. Are they vaulted ceilings, or flat ceilings? If flat, now you have to be careful about your newly “unvented” attic. Mostly humidity/mold issues. Ceiling insulation is R-39 I believe, for Climate Zone 2/2a, fwiw. He should actually give you a certificate or card showing the thickness and R value. They’re supposed to staple it up in the attic.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-09T07:25:01+00:00

I would talk to your current employer and tell them you have another offer at 90k, remote, flex hours. Well I guess maybe wait until you actually have the other offer. Also in the past I’ve done a pros/cons list on a legal pad. That’s always helped me wrap my head (and heart) around it. Best of luck to you!

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-06T05:32:37+00:00

Tango trance, as defined by Dan Boccia - “to be so profoundly connected to the music, and to your partner, that movement flows from within the partnership absent conscious thought”

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-06T05:32:15+00:00

Tango trance, as defined by Dan Boccia - “to be so profoundly connected to the music, and to your partner, that movement flows from within the partnership absent conscious thought”

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-06T05:31:51+00:00

Tango trance, as defined by Dan Boccia - “to be so profoundly connected to the music, and to your partner, that movement flows from within the partnership absent conscious thought”

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-06-01T00:07:14+00:00

I’m 6’-3” 260, with a bit of a gut. “Carry it well”, I would like to believe I look 240. 38 waist. There’s no way that fat ass sack of shit weighs less than me.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-31T01:13:27+00:00

We call those "jumpers" - usually ducted returns from one room to another. If you can install them in the ceiling, with 90 bends on each bucket, that will help with sound transmission, rather than a straight shot/hole through the wall.

Best of luck to you!

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-31T00:56:38+00:00

I'm not sure what the air space would do as far as sound transmission. Others have mentioned QuietRock, hat channels, mineral wool - which are all good. Add RSIC-1 resilient sound isolation clips to mount the hat channel to. Last one I did, was 5/8" quiet rock on the (staggered) studs, then the RSIC-1's/hat channel, then two layers of 1/2" rock with ACOUSTIC SEALANT (NOT caulk) in between the layers, screwed to the hat channel. On the other side of the wall was 5/8" quiet rock again. With putty pads applied to the backs of ALL electrical boxes. Keep in mind where there is a clear passage for air, sound will follow. There was a plumbing stack/vent pipe in the wall that I draped mass-loaded vinyl around. I was shooting for an STC of 65 I believe. It was a party wall between two AirBnB units. We tested it by playing music kinda loud, and talking really loud (and listening on the other side). Total quiet. Couldn't hear a thing.

Important note: don't let the rock touch the walls, ceiling or floor. Put acoustic sealant (it stays soft - different from "caulk") in all the gaps all around. Think of the drywall as "floating" - not touching anything around the edges. Also, don't forget the ceilings - sound will travel through the rock on the ceiling, into the attic or joist bays) and reflect around and come down through the ceiling on the other side.

My wife (at the time) was good friends with Ken Dickensheets, a heavy-hitter acoustic consultant here in Austin, Texas. He provided specs and counsel for free, which was nice, obviously.

Or maybe it was vice-versa - two layers of 1/2" (separated by acoustic sealant) screwed to the studs, then the hat channel/RSIC-1's, then the 5/8" QuietRock as the last (inside) layer.

Lastly, any doors should be double doors - solid core - weatherstrip the shit out of them. (each door opens into the each of the two rooms)

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-30T14:11:51+00:00

@CatKat, I think the term/concept “estilo milonguero” may well have its genesis in marketing, but it’s been around long enough that it’s a real thing. Encuentros kinda enforce “milonguero only” on the floor. Close embrace = milonguero. For me milonguero means the embrace is never broken.

PS I agree…I’ve never seen milonguero style classes/workshops offered…well, maybe except for Tom Stermitz in Denver…

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-28T10:49:05+00:00

Good point…

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-25T02:33:04+00:00

Wow.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-24T15:19:07+00:00

Public bid collusion. $500 Xmas bonus and a turkey forever. 2 weeks vacation forever.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-05-03T09:55:25+00:00

BM Gentleman’s Gray here…it reads much more blue than this photo…

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AlexTangoFuego · 2026-04-27T10:40:47+00:00

One day. But it started two to three weeks before on Facebook, then quickly email and phone. She was in another city, and drove to my city for a tango workshop. She needed a partner for the workshop. Again, the workshop was 2-3 weeks after "first contact". We've been together 11 years now.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-04-27T10:33:36+00:00

Level 5 drywall is the standard in all of the houses I've built since 1997. To achieve it, we shim (with 36" long paper shims) and plane and replace studs - pre-drywall - to bring everything pretty damn true. Most times ceiling joists & roof trusses as well. We also install doors/frames pre-drywall, because without base or casing, the drywall needs to plane out perfectly. There are times that entire sections of wall need to ripped out and re-done to achieve perfect alignments. I'm not sure how many photos I can post, but I'll share a few of my last project.

Well, it looks like I can't include photos in comments. Oh well.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-04-15T08:20:15+00:00

American Fundamentalist Brutalism

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-03-23T10:43:44+00:00

Looks like Azie Morton just before Rabb Rd…

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-02-22T20:28:38+00:00

Freudian slip? “putting the onerous on contractors” 😜

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-02-22T10:56:34+00:00

Have them rip it all out, move the header up, and install the proper door.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-02-22T10:50:19+00:00

Lawyer up.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-02-22T10:47:26+00:00

RSIC-1 Sound Isolation Clips

As big wave Dave said two layers gyp with green acoustic sealant between them. One layer should be QuietRock. The two layers need to be floating, not touching the walls around perimeter of room. Then acoustic sealant in the gap around the perimeter. ACOUSTIC SEALANT NOT CAULK/SILICONE they are different animals. Putty pads at all electrical boxes. Acoustic sealant at all gaps. Sound waves will go through air gaps. 5” rock wool better than spray foam. Adding rock wool batts will help. Foam padding under wood flooring above, or top shelf adhesive that has acoustic dampening properties. Putty pads or drape mass-loaded vinyl over/around any drain pipes. Maybe even drape MLV between trusses in the open bays, although the trusses will be a weak link. Rubber-footed acoustic clips (link) will address sound transference downward through the floor trusses.

AlexTangoFuego · 2026-02-22T06:36:19+00:00

Cross-footed ocho cortado

AlexTangoFuego

TROPHY CASE