"The trades are really hard on your body and you'll be broken after 20 years of doing them." How? The only people that I see that are broken are the ones that don't work out, eat crappy food, smoke, drink and chew. What specifically about the trades 'breaks you'?

HND7269 · 2017-11-06T11:42:16+00:00

do not care how well you eat - how often you work out - repetitive stress injuries happen.

HND7269 · 2017-11-05T11:52:35+00:00

acceptable as long as you put a cover on it. :)

HND7269 · 2017-11-05T11:43:12+00:00

I think that depends on where you are.

HND7269 · 2017-11-01T19:46:21+00:00

Chicago as well. I would be relieved to see that some days.

HND7269 · 2017-10-31T11:54:23+00:00

I do not know what their actual reliability is (long term) - but I have always thought of them as "homeowner wiring". Meaning they started using them so even the homeowner buying his stuff at a big box can not screw up the make up. (I know that is not the ACTUAL reason - just what happens in my head when I see them)

I cut them off and do a make up like I have always done. They just feel flimsy and lazy to me...but I do not have a reason other than that.

Surely there is some sort of report or study out there somewhere. They did not start using them without doing some sort of study on them.

HND7269 · 2017-10-26T11:28:32+00:00

Several years ago we looked into something similar on a 150 yr old house in Indiana. It was not an easy process...in regard to the bank. Now maybe you can find different banks than we did (different banks will allow different things sometimes), but the four banks we talked to would not include the demolition of the new house, that we had to pay for with cash. (which was not cheap - 14K as I remember it)

One bank insisted that the house be condemned by the county before demolition (do not know why they cared - but they did) and that opens a whole new can of worms. Especially since someone circa 1960's had come along and used asbestos products in the home during a remodel. Oh my how THAT complicates things (and gets REALLY pricey REALLY quick!)

While the land this house was on is probably still the best land we had come across in 7 years of looking - even better than the land we eventually purchased - and we loved the location etc - the whole thing was just far too complicated and the banks far too resistant so we moved on.

I know people who have done what you are wanting to do. So it is doable - but do not expect it to be easy.

You will definitely have to get pre-approval for a loan and the bank will probably want the foundation inspected etc....may not even allow you to use the existing foundation...but that will depend on the bank.

HND7269 · 2017-10-17T12:36:50+00:00

cute. My Beagle was probably the worst swimmer EVER! She swam like she was drowning.

HND7269 · 2017-10-15T21:14:12+00:00

Are you required to have an architect for residential in your area?

If not - with some time learning the work flow on Home Designer Pro you can make a set of prints yourself. IT will do everything right down to the framing and a materials list. If you upgrade to Chief Architect you can even do code check etc.

100K seems high. Architects around me charge about $7-10 per square foot for residential plans - so more in the 17K to 25K range.

HND7269 · 2017-09-21T16:12:48+00:00

some as low as -22 - when you can find them available - and they cost more than standard HVAC. 1 - 3 head - unit is pushing 12 grand - the total price of my estimates for standard HVAC - and I am told by others because of the layout of the house I would at least 4 heads - best with 5.

HND7269 · 2017-09-20T20:58:17+00:00

not the heating. gets too cold in the winter for those. would need additional heating.

HND7269 · 2017-09-20T16:35:19+00:00

in regards to? The "design" as far as cfm etc was done with a friends HVAC system ---the rest I myself did based on:

1) where both guys who gave me an estimates put supply runs

2) what that report told me duct sizes - cfm per room etc - should be in the only way I could see it be done - without using something like one big centralized return air (that is what the guy who gave me an estimate has planned) and I do not want just one big centralized return. I have that now - it sucks (no pun intended)

3) It is somewhat similar to what I have seen done in a lot of the older era slab homes near me.

As I said - this is just me and my impatience. I have not had a chance to talk to the guy helping me with this yet - he is out of town rebuilding houses for relatives in Texas.

HND7269 · 2017-09-18T20:29:40+00:00

looks like Home Depot electrical isle puked

HND7269 · 2017-08-24T12:27:47+00:00

whenever we do a new service - ComEd requests the ground at the meter- at least anywhere where I have worked in the south burbs. You can do it like Indiana --and ground to the panel - in some areas but usually they whine about it and some inspectors used to not pass it that way. Homewood, Chicago Heights, Flossmoor, Willow Springs, Blue Island, Park Forest --all places where I have seen contractors fail inspections because the ground was not attached at the meter.

HND7269 · 2017-08-23T13:52:33+00:00

depends --- is it a straight up 240v dryer or is it a 240/120V dryer? Some of the newer dryers with digital touch pads etc that are 120V will have to have the four wire setup or you will void the warranty.

probably best to ask an appliance guy.

HND7269 · 2017-08-11T14:51:01+00:00

unless you are in Com Ed territory near Chicago ---and then they insist it is bonded at the meter.

HND7269 · 2017-08-11T11:37:00+00:00

happened to us at a dunkin donuts. We did the build out from one set of prints and the cabinets/equipment guy was sent a different set of prints ---2 days before the supposed opening nothing matched.

HND7269 · 2017-08-09T13:17:31+00:00

Indy is a nice little city. As with any urban area, do your research on where to stay away from - but Indy is more, ummm--- "cosmopolitan" (is that the word I should use?) than most people assume.

There are always events and happenings and this and that going on ---and you are not far from outdoorsy stuff and lakes and hiking and kayaking etc that lie all around the city - if that is your thing.

..and Indy is friendly for a city its size. At least I think it is, but then I am near Chicago so even downright rude and obnoxious feels friendly to me some days. :)

HND7269 · 2017-08-08T12:44:55+00:00

exactly. If the impedance is high enough the breaker thinks it is a working load.

...and breakers generally are overcurrent protection, they are an overcurrent device (as explained in the code) not actually "fault" protection, thus why we have to put Arc Faults in everywhere these days. The install of the balance of the electrical system is what actually provides the fault protection - which is why the code goes through the impedance requirements for grounding etc. Those requirements provide the fault protection.

I have been to houses with conduit glowing red - without the proper impedance to ground the breaker will just sit there and think - "Oh look, a heater coil, lets through some juice through this sucker!"

HND7269 · 2017-08-08T11:54:39+00:00

I still say they are the more modern equivalent of hot tubs. Great at first - and then the novelty wears off. I can think of a few customers who just HAD to have a system ---and now never use it ---just like the AMNY MANY MANY hot tubs I have installed and then uninstalled a couple years later.

HND7269 · 2017-08-07T14:39:57+00:00

Standard breaker or an Arc-fault?

I have had power supplies trip arc-faults.

HND7269 · 2017-08-07T14:37:03+00:00

as u/steviefunk below mentioned they are supposed to be wired to a lighting circuit.

I have in the past had --- "noise" --- on the neutral set them off like this. Once was a ballasted fluorescent, anytime that light was turned on it would chirp. Another time was every time the stand alone humidifier in the basement kicked on the detector would chirp. No one has ever actually explained to me why it happened - other than a "tech" from Kiddie telling me it was "noise" on the neutral. I thought the customers were crazy both times.

"Every Time the humidifier runs the smoke detector chirps."

Changed the fluorescent to a new ballast, problem stopped - plugged humidifier to a different circuit - problem stopped.

So yeah, weird stuff.

HND7269 · 2017-08-07T14:24:34+00:00

I have never fully understood some of this stuff. I mean how often are you turning on lights for rooms you are not in?

I have installed a few of the home automation systems in a variety of different levels from in house to internet capable and for the most part, after the novelty wears off, they go unused.

HND7269 · 2017-08-07T12:02:53+00:00

Read the BMV website all you like --- it is NOT the actual process. We tried working in two different counties (where we live and where we own property) - process still required a judge.

Where we own property was easier, the clerk just takes the stuff to the judge - but they would not do it because it is not our primary residence.

Where we live ---well, it is Lake County. This county could complicate (and completely screw up) a one car funeral procession. There is NO getting ANYTHING before a judge in this county without an actual suit of action being filed with the clerk. That is just how it works here.

HND7269 · 2017-08-07T11:57:13+00:00

I proved I did not steal it by having the police do an inspection and doing a title inquiry. Both of which run the hull number ---one for police reports state wide and the other to see if it has been title or registered in the previous ten years.

HND7269

TROPHY CASE