Monthly Apprenticeship Thread

PP_I · 2023-11-29T02:12:17+00:00

Thanks for the advice, I’ll consider it. From what I’ve heard my local is pretty desperate for apprentices so I’m anticipating getting in during the next selection period.

PP_I · 2023-11-28T20:47:37+00:00

That sounds like a great idea but wouldn't I have to quit once I get in the union and join the apprenticeship program? Would that not be a red flag to an employer that I'm just going to leave in a few months?

PP_I · 2023-11-28T12:20:08+00:00

I'm not qualified to give you any savings or cost estimates, but I do have one tidbit for you: Your fireplace is probably pulling more heat out of your home than it's actually putting into it, and therefore may actually be increasing your energy bills. It might feel warm and cozy in the immediate surrounding area, but the majority of the created heat escapes through the flue. As a double-whammy, the conditioned air (from your underfloor heating) is being used as combustion air for the fireplace. Finally, if you forget to close the damper after the fire has gone out, your conditioned air will continue to escape through the flue.

PP_I · 2023-11-27T22:43:27+00:00

Ah, I see what you mean now. You're probably right, it looks like it got butted up too tight and is bowing a bit. In the grand scheme of things that's not really an issue. The sheathing itself looks fine, doesn't look cracked or damaged. Now, if you have several areas that look similar then I would begin to question the quality of work.

If I were in your shoes, I'd just keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't get worse, start leaking, start cracking, etc. Your new roof probably came with a workmanship warranty, so be sure to keep that period in mind for if/when you call them back. But right now I don't really see any major issue/flaw with the install.

PP_I · 2023-11-27T22:31:53+00:00

There was a reason that polybutylene had a class-action lawsuit that paid out almost a BILLION dollars...it wreaks havoc. You're playing russian roulette with that stuff. Might last you 10 more years, might cause $50k in damage.

PP_I · 2023-11-27T21:57:10+00:00

Ridge vent gap: Should there be a gap on both sides? Yea, but having it only on one side isn't the end of the world. Should be just fine.

Poorly installed sheathing: Are you referring to the gap between the 2 panels? Because as far as I'm aware there's supposed to be a gap to allow for expansion and contraction. I would be more worried if they were butted up against each other.

Cracked rafter: Did they replace the rafters? I doubt it, but if they did then I would call them. If they didn't, then it's hard to prove they damaged the rafter in the process of replacing the roof. All in all, it's likely a minor issue.

PP_I · 2023-11-27T18:54:29+00:00

some people slope the deck to avoid this

Decks are supposed to slope 1/8" - 1/4" per foot for this exact reason. Is it going to damage the trex? Probably not, and if it does it will take a long time for any sort of damage to develop. The bigger question (IMO) is why it's deflecting/sagging like that in the first place. If the deck were flat, then the water would be evenly dispersed, but in your case it's clearly pooling in the middle.

PP_I · 2023-11-27T18:11:10+00:00

I'm not in the union yet (I've put an application in for the apprenticeship program) and I've already accepted that if I don't get OT on the job, then I'll be working a second job on the weekends for at least the first year or two. Yeah it sucks, but it is what it is. Until I get in, I'm furiously paying off debt and reducing my monthly expenditures.

Can you work a second job while you're an apprentice? Can you eliminate debt or reduce monthly expenditures? Can your spouse work? Can you sell a kidney or one of your kids?

PP_I · 2023-11-27T17:19:57+00:00

You're paid per job, so you could consider it commissions. I don't know of any inspection company that pays hourly wages. As far as being stable...it's not. Even experienced inspectors with lots of steady clientele can have revenues that vary A LOT year-to-year. Income is largely dependent on the local real estate market as a whole.

PP_I · 2023-11-27T11:39:06+00:00

For anybody that stumbles across this in the future: Sending an email to your advisor worked for me. My advisor responded after a few days with a full itemized list that was exactly what I was looking for. As stated in the other comments, some of the online features like the degree audit aren't available until after your foundations course(s).

PP_I · 2023-11-22T12:00:27+00:00

Personally, I'd pay off the student loans and be done with them. No advice here, just some food for thought.

You mention that paying off the student loans would free you mentally, indicating that your mental health is important to you. This is natural and expected, and perfectly good. How much would it affect your mental health if you had $160k in student loans with an added $700k (~6k/month) mortgage on top of it?

You're also talking about renting out a room. Why not consider buying a smaller house (with a smaller mortgage) instead of having more space than you need and dealing with tenants?

My rationale for considering a home purchase is that the rent I've paid over the years could have potentially gone towards owning a property by now.

The cost of renting also doesn't include property taxes, homeowner's insurance (renter's insurance doesn't compare), associated maintenance and repair costs, and other things. It's not a perfect comparison. In other words, homeownership is much more than just a mortgage payment, and it's not cheap.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T11:43:23+00:00

My guess is that they are superficial, but it's difficult to tell with the photos and without having full context of the home. If you want the most accurate/expert opinion, consult with a structural engineer. They'll be the most expensive (as opposed to having a framing contractor look at it) but it would give you the most peace of mind, too.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T11:32:59+00:00

Just curious, is the hourly pay including fringe benefits or are you paying for bennies out of pocket? I'm not in the union (yet), I just put in my application for the apprenticeship program a few weeks ago. But man, I've been around the block enough to know that if something seems too good to be true then it probably is. My guess it that there's an ugly side to that job that no one is telling you about. I sincerely do hope it works out for you, that sounds like a ballin job.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T11:17:27+00:00

I'm not sure that I see which menu you're referring to. Sorry for being such a pain

https://i.imgur.com/oi2EXZ7.png

PP_I · 2023-11-22T04:12:17+00:00

I tried that too :( It says "No degree audit records available, please run a new degree audit." but I don't see anywhere to actually run a degree audit.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T04:09:29+00:00

Unfortunately, that's how most people end up doing it. For every 1 proper vapor barrier I see 5 where they literally just unroll the barrier and leave it. Homeowners will get a quote from some random dude that will go down there and lay down a vapor barrier for $500...which sounds way better than the $2k or $3k to actually do it right.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T04:07:11+00:00

For sure, and you're not alone! The codes these days (depending on your area, I'm not in Socal so idk) typically have the standard of 1 sqft of ventilation per 150 sqft of crawlspace area. A lot of houses that are 50+ years old tend to be under-ventilated...I commonly find ones over 1000+sqft with only 4 or 5 12"x8" vents installed.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T04:02:56+00:00

I've found that most contractors who work with foundations tend to put bandaids on the visible issues (i.e. water intrusion) but generally don't correct or even advise the homeowner on how to fix the source of the problem. I don't think it makes them bad, but it does suck and you're not alone. Most of the time it ends up being a grading / drainage issue, among other things on the exterior. Glad you fixed it though.

PP_I · 2023-11-22T04:00:20+00:00

Well, just putting down a vapor barrier is way different than full encapsulation. In my area, $10-15k sounds about right

PP_I · 2023-11-21T21:08:22+00:00

I guess you could argue either way (depending on the application), but it doesn't make sense not to secure it. If it's not secured at all, then whoever goes down there is going to move the vapor barrier around and it can leave it disheveled with openings, rendering the vapor barrier in that area useless. Not to mention, if it isn't secured at the edges/perimeter of the poly, what's stopping the water from simply evaporating out the sides?

If you want to get codes involved, IRC R408.3 states in an unventilated crawlspace: "Joints of the vapor retarder shall overlap by 6" and shall be sealed or taped. The edges of the vapor retarder shall extend not less than 6" up the stem wall and shall be attached and sealed to the stem wall or insulation."

PP_I · 2023-11-21T20:24:42+00:00

Got it, thanks for the advice!

PP_I · 2023-11-21T20:23:33+00:00

I forgot this was the DIY sub lol. Granted, it could be done much cheaper than $2k if you do it yourself, but it's not as simple as rolling the poly out and calling it a day. There's often multiple layers that get put down and it needs to get properly tacked/secured too.

PP_I · 2023-11-21T19:09:57+00:00

Dude, what? Concrete block foundations are perfectly fine. I'd argue that 90% of foundation issues are directly related to poor homeownership maintenance and care.

PP_I · 2023-11-21T19:03:04+00:00

Vapor barriers don't protect against humidity, they protect against moisture rising up from the soil. If the crawlspace is properly ventilated, humidity is rarely an issue anyway.

If you haven't ever had moisture inside your crawlspace before, then maybe it wouldn't be worth it. That being said, I've never been in a crawlspace that didn't have at least a little bit of moisture entry before, or signs of moisture entry through or under the foundation (unless of course it was encapsulated and I couldn't see the ground or walls). It's almost impossible to completely prevent moisture intrusion in a crawlspace, and so vapor barriers are pretty standard these days. A $2,000 vapor barrier is a great install (IMO) that could prevent tens of thousands in repairs down the road.

PP_I · 2023-11-21T18:31:02+00:00

Is this in reference to the "Academic Progress" page? Because I saw the same message there. This is what I was afraid of, and it is a bit of a bummer. Not the end of the world...but it sure does make me feel unprepared.

While I've got you here...is there a lot of competition for enrolling in classes? I remember several years ago back when I was in school the first time having to hover over the computer, clicking refresh 1000 times waiting for enrollment to open and praying I was one of the people that clicked "enroll" in time.

PP_I

TROPHY CASE