Lesson Learned: Buy Sheds Designed for Canadian Winters

I learned a hard lesson about buying structures designed for Canadian winters!

The shed you see in the picture was purchased at Costco. Quite inexpensive for the size of the shed but it is totally unsuitable for the volume of snow we get in Canada. Manufactured in Israel - sold in Canada...

The problem is the snow load on the roof. We received and had over 4 feet of snow on the roof. It would have collapsed for sure if I have not strengthened it with a few pieces of plywood!

Actually the shed was well engineered - not just for Canadian snow!

;-)

Create Easy Access Hatches for plumbiung, Electrical

It is critical to maintain access to key parts of the water and electrical systems. I discovered a really simple approach.

In the picture I have used a 12-inch square access hatch. It fits in a hole cut in the drywall with a spring-loaded mechanism. Easily installed and easily removed for access.

Where did I get them? Well I got this one at Home Depot but I have seen them or a similar approach at RONA, Home Hardware and Canadian Tire.

;-)

How to Build Interior Doors Fast!

I learned a lesson!

From now on I will always use pre-hung doors.

It took me the better part of a day to do the two interior doors on the main floor - and less than a half day to do all five doors in the basement.

What was the difference? Simple! the basement doors were all pre-hung doors. Installing the pre-hung doors was a snap - just level, install the door and then the door knob.

The prehung doors were a lot of work, and not being a pro door installer they a a bit 'sticky'.

;-)

Green Drywall... Huh?

Yes! The drywall board in the bathroom is green.

This is a special type of drywall board which is mildew- and mold- resistant. It isn't that much more expensive and I can't think of a better way to ensure that the bathroom doesn't become a source of illness.

This is particularly important for cottages and many different guests means different styles of bathroom use. While you might always put the exhaust fan on, perhaps not everyone remembers. Moisture means mildew and other nasties.

BTW: The picture shows the wall finish over the plumbing, the copper stub-out, that was illustrated in an earlier post. (see Avoiding Freezing Pipes: Part 1 )

Related Posts:
Avoiding Frozen Pipes: Part 2 (of 2)
Heating Tip for Drywalling in the Fall & Winter
Heating Tip for Drywalling in the Fall & Winter
;-)

4 Tips for Keeping it Dry

I learned a hard lesson!

I thought be throwing a tarp of it my boxes of siding material would be kept dry. I forgot that the boxes were lying on the ground. Consequently all the boxes were wet - some so wet that they fell apart.

So we moved the siding material up on the deck for the winter and placed the tarp over them.

I have been careful in placing all my wood deliveries, by placing them all on waste wood so that they were off the ground. My my mind must have been turned off the day that the siding arrived.

So some tips:

1) Keep it off the ground
Often the material will already be on a pallet or delivered on 4x4 support boards. Ask to keep them - and use them to place under your materials.

2) Use lots of support
Be sure to put plenty of support under your materials. Every 2 feet if you have enough waste lumber.

3) For loose materials - create a platform
My big mistake with the siding material was not using the scrap 4' x 8' material I had to support the boxes - and I had quite a few of them. This way the boxes of siding would have been protected from water seeping up from underneath.

4) Use a big enough tarp
I fortunately purchased a number of tarps of different sizes knowing that I would not be using the materials as fast as it arrived. If any of the lumber and other material stick up they will just wick water under the tarp.

Another reason to cover your material, even the lumber, is to prevent warping. If the wood drys out in the summer sun it will likely warp. Warped lumber is a pain to work with. Keeping it covered slows the drying process, and keep the lumber straight.

A NEAT STACKING TIP:
One of the yard workers at Dale's lumber yard shared with me a neat trick. If you have say a large number of sticks of lumber, say fifty 2" x 6" by 10', laid out in a stack 5 deep by 10 across, it is better to take the lumber as you use it in a vertical fashion. That way the lumber stays straighter.

Related Posts:
5 Tips to creating a Great Retaining Wall
framing the basement... status
;-)

5 Tips to creating a Great Retaining Wall

Being the Cottage on the Edge, we have some steep issues to deal with...

On the lakeside of the cottage the grade drops very rapidly. Over the summer the rain demonstrated that there will be a erosion problem. I was concerned that waiting to deal with the erosion issues until next year would be a big mistake when the spring run-off comes. So we decided that it had to be fixed ASAP.

The way to fix the problem is to install a retaining wall or a few... to shore up the slope.

The issue was how to do that when there is still a lot of work in the Cottage? When my eldest son is a landscaper -- and he agreed to take on the task -- allowing me to continue working on the Cottage plumbing and insulation.

Last week end, he and my youngest son started the work. Here is a few tips he has learned to ensure a solid retaining wall:


1) Maximum of 7 courses of retaining wall material

Seven courses of retaining wall material, we used 4" x 4" pressure treated posts, will give about 2.5 feet of retaining wall. Any higher and the pressures of the soil behind tend to push the wall. Egin, my son, says going to 9 might be ok.

I was ready to order him 16 foot lentghs of the PT posts, however, he insisted on 10-foot lengths. Through experience he found that he never uses anything much longer even when the wall itself is much longer as he ends up cutting the posts to insert the tie backs anyway.

Each course is nailed to the one below it with 8-inch galvanized spikes.

2) Install drainage

Another trick to reducing the hydrostatic pressure against the retaining wall is to provide a means for the water to drain away easily. He always places weeping tile at the foot of his retaining walls. It also helps in avoiding washouts in the spring and in heavy rainfall.

3) Install bracing

The picture illustrates the construction of tie-back bracing for the wall. This ties the retaining wall right into the soil behind it. The weight of the soil itself holds back the weight against the wall. It is a simple 'T' structure, with the 'T' about 6 feet in the soil.

4) Anchor the bottom course

Another trick is to tie the bottom course into the soil below it by driving 1/2-inch rebar thought the post and into the soil. Egin uses 4-foot lengths of rebar, driven in every 4-feet.

5) Keep it level

Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing but the pressures along the retaining wall will be equalized.

Future Posts:
Egin will be completing this retaining wall over the upcoming weekend, but will also over the course of the fall and next spring be installing more landscaping options. We will post our observation on all of them.

3 Reasons Why I Love Roxul (Mineral Wool) Insulation

Last weekend we started putting in some of the insulation after the electrician finished his work on the main floor. The little bit of insulation we did confirmed my previous experiences with Roxul, and why I like using the material so much:

1. Roxul Doesn't cause a rash
With fibreglass insulation you have to take all kinds of precautions to cover yourself up. With Roxul the only thing I do is wear gloves.

2. Roxul is more fire & water resistant
...and they have the stats to prove it (www.roxul.com). Roxul melts at over 1000 degrees C which is almost twice the temperature that fibreglass wool melts at. Water just runs off Roxul, whereas the glass wool stuff seem to wick up water.

3. Roxul is simply easier to install
Roxul is a firmer material, thus it fills the walls much nicer - it just feels like it isn't going to compress or fall in the cavity like the glass wool products always seem to prefer to do. It cuts easily with a bread knife. It installs nicely - it has a side that compresses nicely to assist installing it - and this side is clearly marked.

An added bonus reason:

4. Roxul has great soundproofing properties
Roxul is the stuff most sound rooms are insulted with.

Roxul is marginally more expensive but well worth the extra cost in my estimation...

Installing the Water System: Materials Purchased

In anticipation for the weekend when we go hog-wild installing the water supply system, I have been stockpiling the materials.

Here you see:

• Two rolls (each 50 feet) of 3/4-inch PEX water pipe - these are the smaller rolls secured with black ties.

• Two rolls (each 250 feet) of 1/2 inch PEX water pipe - these are the larger rolls secured with plastic wrap. There is one roll of red PEX and one white. I wanted a roll of blue but my supplier did not have any in stock. In any case the white PEX pipe was less expensive. I was hoping to use red for hot water and blue for cold water.

• Not shown in the picture are all the PEX connectors, ball values, crimping tools, and other PEX materials
  

COMING: The supply system scheduled for installation in two week so stay tuned - I'll discuss then.

PEX wins Hands Down!

From my point of view PEX piping wins hands down on two accounts: Price and ease of installation.

Price:
The price of copper today is roughly $1.66 per foot compared to 35 cents per foot for PEX. That makes copper more than four times the cost of PEX pipe. I roughly need about 600 feet of PEX pipe so th cost difference is substantial. PEX ~ $250 versus Copper at $1009. That is compelling!

Ease of installation:
While I have soldered copper pipe the thought of all the cutting and soldering needed makes me shake in my boots. The installation of copper will simply take forever! So while ease of installation is easier with PEX that real benefit is much less time to install.

I start the plumbing installation over tha next few weeks - I will share my experiences - so stay tuned!

PEX versus Copper Piping: Pros & Cons

If you are like the rest of us non-plumbers then there is a good chance that you don't know which plumbing pipe is better. You may not even know what PEX pipe is.

What is PEX pipe? PEX is cross-linked polyethylene pipe. After several processes that the material must go through, it becomes durable for extreme temperatures (hot or cold), creep deformation which happens from long term exposure to stress, and chemical attack from acids, alkalis, and the like. All of this makes PEX an excellent piping substance for hot and cold water systems, especially since PEX is flexible and well adapted for temperatures below freezing all the way up to two hundred degrees Fahrenheit.

As mentioned above, PEX is a good plumbing material because it is flexible and that makes is easy to install. PEX is also resistant to breaks in cold weather, has fewer joints, and is easy to install bringing your costs down.

What about Copper? Since we all know what copper piping is because it has been around for decades, we know that the metal is durable and flexible which makes it easy to install, especially compared to iron pipes. Copper piping also provides a biostatic atmosphere making bacteria difficult to grow inside of it; an important health decision.

Copper also resists corrosion and is unaffected by ultraviolet rays, unlike PEX that cannot be used outside, so that it can be used for outside uses. However, be aware that copper can corrode of the pH of the water is too acidic or too basic for the pipes. But just because it corrodes, doesn't mean that the water is bad for you. Try to think of it like this; the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. and, of course, Canada, has some of the best drinking water in the world but that very same water has a corrosive effect on the pipes.

Which is Better? So the choice between PEX and Cooper is solely yours, but keep in mind a few of the advantages and disadvantages of choosing which system to install into your home or business.

Some advantages for PEX are:

1. Adaptable and easy to use plumbing system.
2. Can be used with hot and cold water.
3. Can also be used with metal and PVC piping.
4. PEX has fewer fittings making it faster to install and has less of a chance to leak.
5. PEX is more burst resistant due to its flexibility to expand and contract.
6. It has a shut off valve at each supply line making it more convenient for you when you have to get repairs done.
7. PEX can be a pressure balanced system.
8. Since it is flexible, the pipes can be bent around most corners and usually won't need a coupling or fitting.

PEX has some disadvantages that you should be aware of and they are:

1. It cannot be used outside.
2. Cannot be recycled due to its shorter life use.
3. It provides an impermeable membrane that can allow the possibility of contaminating your water.
4. The pipes may be damaged if left outside for a long period of time.

The advantages of copper are:

1. Durable and flexible making it easy to install.
2. Safer in natural disasters.
3. Weather and bacteria resistant.
4. Resists corrosion, more so than other metals.
5. Unaffected by ultraviolet rays so it can be used outside.
6. Copper in a fire, does not release toxic gases because it resists burning.
7. In earthquakes, pipes flex due to being slightly elastic so that they don�t snap causing more damage.
8. Copper is recyclable making it a more sound environmental choice.

Copper piping also has disadvantages that should be considered:

1. Can corrode.
2. Has become expensive.
3. At higher levels of copper from corrosion, the water can have a metallic taste.
4. It can also freeze and break during cold water.

If cost is one factor in determining which piping system you want to install be sure to visit our post tomorrow!

Installing Vinyl Siding: Hang it don't Nail it!

Vinyl expands and contracts with changes in temperature, so how the vinyl is secured to the house is important. It can't be secured firmly—it has to be able to move. So you don't really attach the vinyl to the house—essentially, you hang it.

You generally need galvanized roofing nails, at least 1-¼" long (or long enough to penetrate ¾" into solid wood studs.

All vinyl siding and accessories come with slots to nail through. When you nail, you don't drive the nail tight. Some manuals specify that there should be a 1/32" between the head of the nail and the siding, but there's no need to check each nail with a micrometer. If, after you've nailed it, the piece of vinyl will slide back and forth, then you're OK. If not, you've pinned it too tight to the house.

For more information on installation see the siding instructions at HomeTime.com. The site has a series of pages devoted to various aspects of vinyl siding:

• Vinyl Siding Basics
• Installing Vinyl Siding
• Soffits, Fascia and Trim

Installing Vinyl Soffit: To Vent or not to Vent

Soffit is the material that covers the underside of the eaves of the roof or the rake under a gable.
Each location provides its own unique challenges for installation of soffit and the trim to support it. In both cases there are a number of choices to make.

Do Vent or Not to Vent - ...and I don't mean steam!
The choice of venting is a bit moot. You absolutely require venting for the roof - or attic. Roof venting is a total system consisting of that big vent (or more) sticking out of the roof - typically as high as you can get it - PLUS a means to get the air flowing from as low on the roof as possible. As low as you can go is under the eaves, hence, the use of vented soffit is the best way to go. And besides, most building codes require vented soffit at least on part of the eaves. I suggest for a consistent look just do it all in vented soffit.

ASIDE: It is the flow of air from the lowest part of the attic up through the highest stop on the roof that will keep your attic, and the cottage, nice and cool and take away any nasty moisture.

Illustrated at the right are 1) a vented and an un-vented soffit, and two potential profiles - 2 and 3 pane. There are many more profiles to choose from. We choose a 4-pane vented soffit profile. This gave a wide 16-inch soffit so that I did not need to cut as many pieces as each covered a lot of territory.

We used vented soffit for all the soffit we have around the exterior of the roof. This maintained a consistent look and feel tot he soffit. The recommendation from the roof vent manufacturer was that we do not install any vents in the gables - so we did not install any.

The vent manufacture also suggests that the air flow pattern is kept even across the entire eaves area by not having any air entrances higher than the eaves. Given that we installed vented soffit in the rake areas of the gables we technically have broken this rule so I may insulate or otherwise restrict the flow from the soffit in the rake area. Furthermore, we are installing 1/4-inch plywood for the ceilings of the from and back porch and the gazebo. This will eliminate huge air entrance that these ceiling area represent in respect to the other eaves. PLUS the plywood provides a much stronger surface in which to install the pot lights.

Square or Mixed
Another choice you need to make is whether to have a square or angled joint when the soffit changed direction under the eaves. (In the illustration below square is on the left and angled on the right.)
Either works satisfactorily and really is based on your personal preference. We choose the square version for all of the 90-degree corners. For the eaves on the gazebo there are no 90-degree corners so we used a modified version of the angled version. In either you need to install two J-Channels back to back to support the soffit at the joint.

TIP: I have to say that I severely underestimated the time it would take to install the soffit. Soffit, or rather the supporting trim for the soffit is very tedious to install. I would double or even triple your estimates.

Installing Vinyl Siding: What are the Trim Options?

I listed in an earlier post the trim types we used. Here are some pictures and diagrams of them plus some addition options:



Dip Cap





F-Channel





Inside Corner Post







Siding Starter Strip






J-Channel







Outside Corner Post






Siding Finishing Trim

Installing Vinyl Siding: Use the Right Trim Options

There are a whole plethora of trim options that can be used for siding. Two key tricks kept the amount and number of types of trim to a simple few.

TIP 1:
Have the J-Channel built into your windows and doors. Wow! This one simple option saved so much time and energy. With this built in there was virtually no requirement for trimming around the windows and doors.

Our list of trim types was very simple:

1. Starting strip
2. Outside corner post
3. Inside Corner post
4. F-Channel
5. J-Channel
6. Fascia with built in F-Channel
7. Drip Cap

With these seven trim accessories plus the siding and soffit the process went very quickly - which is the subject of the next post.

Installing Vinyl Siding: Terminology

There is a whole bunch of new terminology I had to get my head around. Here are the key items:

Backer Tab: Provides support for non-insulated 8" siding at panel overlaps (joints), and behind panels at corners to ensure a smooth installation.

Butt Edge: Bottom edge of siding/soffit panel or accessory piece opposite the nailing slots. Locks onto the preceding panel.

Channel: Area of accessory trim or corner post where siding/soffit panels are inserted. Also refers to trim itself, and named according to letter of alphabet it resembles (i.e., J-channel, F-channel, etc.).

Course: A row of panels, one panel wide, running the length of the house from one side to the other or, in the case of vertical siding, from top to bottom.

D4 Profile: Two four-inch wide horizontal traditional planks per single panel of siding.

D5 Profile: Two five-inch wide horizontal traditional planks per single panel of siding.

Drip Cap/Head Flashing: An accessory installed with vertical siding to ensure that water drips away from panels and does not infiltrate them; it is also used as a vertical base.

Dutchlap or Shiplap: A more decorative variation on the clapboard style where the face (or width) of the board is beveled for added dimension.

Eaves: The lower, level part of a roof overhanging a wall.

F Molding (or Trim): Molding used for trim that is in the shape of the letter F, used to trim the edge soffit just above the vinyl siding, on the wall side.

Face: The part of the vinyl panel that is visible once the vinyl is installed

Face Nailing: Action of fastening directly onto the face of panel, rather than using the nail hem slot. Generally not used in siding installation.

Fascia: The trim piece nailed to the ends of a series of rafters or trusses to tie them together at the lower, level end of a roof. The fascia supports the sheathing on the edge of the roof as well as the front edge of the soffit.

Fascia Board: The exterior finish nailed to the fascia that is nailed to the rafter or truss ends that runs horizontally around the roof on which the gutters are mounted. The fascia board forms a drip edge for rain water, as well as hides the end of the roof sheathing and soffits.

Flashing: a type of sheet, usually a metal like aluminum, used at intersections of building components to prevent water penetration, flashings are commonly used above doors and windows in exterior walls and are used under the siding to prohibit water penetration

F-channel: A manufacturing component of vinyl or aluminum siding systems which have a channel that the planks fit into, used around windows and doors to make a weathertight seal

Furring/Furring Strip: A wooden or steel framing material, usually 1" x 3", used to provide an even nailing base. To “fur” a surface means to apply these strips.

Gable: The upper triangular-shaped portion of the end wall of a house.

Inside Corner Post: Provides a means of joining at inside corners where siding butts both sides.

J-Channel: Also J Molding (or Trim): Molding used for trim that is in the shape of the letter J, used to trim the edge of siding on all sides of windows and doors, at rake edges of gables and in other miscellaneous situations.

Lap: To overlap ends of two siding panels to allow for expansion and contraction of siding product.

Lap Siding: Technique for installing horizontal siding boards. Each piece of siding is 'lapped' over the piece below it to provide a waterproof covering for the house.

Nailing Hem (or Flange): The section of siding or accessories where the nailing slots are located.

Outside Corner Post: Provides neat appearance outside corners for vertical and horizontal sidings. Receives siding from both sides. Deeper post is used with insulated siding, and narrower post with non-insulated siding.

Positive Lock: ensures that the panels can be locked together, but can also easily slide back and forth for ease in installation. This ensures that the panels stay permanently affixed during adverse weather.

Plumb: A position or measurement that is truly and exactly vertical, 90° from a level surface.

Profiles: The actual siding panels are called profiles. Some commonly sized profiles are D4, D5 and Dutchlap.

PVC: Polyvinyl chloride is the material used to create most vinyl siding.

Rake: The edge of a sloped roof forming the overhang beyond the wall of a gable roof or other sloped roof.

Soffit: The underside of elements of a building, such as overhangs, staircases and beams. Also referes to the material used to enclose the horizontal underside of an eave, cornice, or overhang. Some soffit panels may also be used as vertical siding.

Square: Unit of measure for siding equal to 100 square feet (or a 10-foot by 10-foot wall section).

Square Feet: (also known as: Exterior Square Feet) Exterior Square Feet is a term used to denote the total amount of siding material needed for a particular siding job including material waste.

Starter Strip: Baseline accessory which secures the first course of siding to the wall. Used with horizontal and vertical siding.

Tounge and Groove (T&G): Tongue and groove, a connection system between components, like wood, in which the tab or tongue of one board is placed into the grove at the end of another board

Wall Cladding : Another term for siding

Wall Sheathing: Sheets of plywood or wood planking used to cover the wall framework of the house. This is the material that the siding is nailed to.

Weep Holes: A small hole in the bottom butt edge of the vinyl siding panel, or other accessories, allowing condensation to escape.

Windload Pressure: Is a measurement of how well a panel might perform in high wind areas

Window Head Flashing: Possible alternative to J-channel to receive siding over doors and windows and as a base flashing on vertical siding installations.

So now you will understand some of the terms I use in later posts. Over time I will also drop in pictures and diagrams of the above components.

Installing Vinyl Siding: Why Vinyl? versus Wood or Alluminum

The three basic choices for siding material are aluminum, vinyl and wood. Choosing vinyl was a very easy choice for me. Here are some of the pros and cons of each type:

Wood:
Pros:

• Strong material - long use
  
• Adds insulation R-value
• Takes lots of abuse
• Can be any colour, stain, or varnish

Cons:

• Requires maintenance - mostly periodic painting
• Can rot, mildew if subjected to water in a shady area
• Expensive
  

Aluminum:
Pros:

• Strong material - in that it is metal
• Aluminum siding maintains the same properties year round despite the temperature.
  
• Aluminum siding takes paint better if you ever decide to re-paint.
  

Cons:

• Aluminum is a rigid material with little flexibility. You bend it, and it's damaged.
• Easy to damage, bend, and scratch while installing and when installed
  
• Can require special tools
• Aluminum is a painted metal, and the paint can fade with time.
• Aluminum siding can be dented. If a piece of aluminum siding is damaged, it is difficult to replace.
  

Vinyl:
Pros:

• Takes lots of abuse before it is damaged
• Very easy to cut and install
• Not damaged by water or moisture
• Vinyl's color goes all the way through the plastic, so there is no fading. Scratches would be barely noticeable.
• Vinyl resists denting. A section of vinyl siding can be replaced in minutes using a tool that looks something like a bottle opener.

Cons:

• Vinyl siding does become slightly brittle during the winter time.
• Vinyl siding also expands and contracts in greater fluctuation than aluminum siding.
• It is not recommended to paint vinyl.

Aluminum siding has lost tremendous market share since the release of vinyl siding. Some statistics report as much as 80% of all sidings installed are vinyl. Aluminum siding is still very common for trim pieces because of its flexible properties. It is very easy to custom bend an aluminum trim piece.

In most situations it is recommended to install vinyl siding with aluminum trim pieces. Overall vinyl is more durable, has solid color and is cheaper than aluminum.

Vinyl was the obvious choice for our cottage because it met the following criteria:

• Very easy to install with tools I already had
• Takes a lot of physical abuse before it is damaged. With all the banging, dragging on the ground, falling, etc. I can't imagine that Aluminum siding would stand up to our installation.
• Near zero maintenance - I have absolutely no interest in painting so wood siding was out.

What has been you experience with installing siding? What choices did you make and why?

6 Criteria for Sellecting a Tankless Water Heater

The are a six key considerations when selecting the right size and type of tankless water heater:

1. Hot Water Requirements: Your hot water requirements are directly proportional to the number of people in the cottage at the same time and your normal usage of water. For instance, do you wish to have two people showering at the same time (in different showers....), or will you have a dishwasher, and other appliances that need hot water. Generally speaking a shower need about 3 to 4 gallons per minute of hot water. So for two showers your water heater needs to supply about 7 gallons per minute. The more capacity needed the more expensive.
   
2. Single Application versus Whole House: Do you only need to supply hot water to a single appliance, or do you have two or more locations (kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, etc...) that need hot water. There are single application tankless water heaters that would fit in a cabinet in a bathroom that can be dedicated to providing hot water to the shower only. But for most needs a whole house water heater is the ticket - that would be installed in the basement.
   
3. Heat Source (Electric versus Gas): Electric is a bit more convenient as it required no venting, however, it requires a high AMP circuit, often 120 AMPs, and even the largest of residential systems can not provide enough water for one application. Furthermore, it is recommended that they be install close tot he electrical panel. Gas while more complex just simply provide more hot water and are a bit cheaper to run.
   
4. Heat Source (Natural Gas versus Propane): At the cottage it is like you will have no access to natural gas so the choice will be propane. Just be sure to order the LP or propane version - the natural gas model won't work properly with propane.
   
5. Venting Type - Open combustion installation (SINGLE PIPE SYSTEM) versus Room sealed installation (TWIN PIPE SYSTEM): In an open combustion installation only the exhaust vent is installed to the outside - the system pulls in air from the room the heater is installed. For smaller systems this may not be a problem but for larger systems - like the 2400ES that we are using - it requires a room the size of entire single floor - which we don't have. PLUS you can't use the single pipe system in a region which has cold climate - which we do. Twin pipe systems usually come with a direct air vent system that uses an internal fan to pull in and push out the air. Quite frankly I feel safer with the direct vent two pipe system!
   
   
6. Venting Location (Vertical versus Horizontal): The exhaust and air intake can either be routed vertically through the roof or horizontally through an adjacent wall. Which you do depends on a number of factors but the key ones are: location of the heater, the acceptability of the exit point per building code. We used a vertical vent for the exhaust and a horizontal for the intake because 1) you can not vent under a deck - and our deck goes almost completely around the cottage, 2) we wished to place the unit centrally to serve all locations equally, 3) the one wall that was available we did not wish to place the heater there
   
   

5 Reasons to Use Tankless Water Heaters

We have decided to use a tankless water heater to supply hot water to the Cottage. The reasons were very simple and logical:

1. Small footprint: A tankless water heater is much smaller that an equivalent water heater - in fact they just hang on a wall.,
2. Inexpensive to run: Because there is no tank of water to continuously keep hot, you are not paying to heat water when you aren't using it.
3. Instant and endless hot water: The model we got, a Bosch 2400ES, provides water for two major applications. It will keep providing hot water forever or until our propane tank runs out of gas... So nice long showers are possible.
4. Easy to Install: It is no harder to install than a tank water heater, in fact perhaps a bit easier, as it is just hung on a wall, and could go just about anywhere.
5. Easy to Winterize: Because there is no water tank winterizing is easy. Draining the water pipes also drains the water heater. Plus there isn't 40 gallons or more to drain - just the water in the pipes.
   

Spray Foam, Petroleum Jelly and Nozzles

The use of the petroleum jelly is critical. Without it the gun would rapidly become non-functional. Illustrated here is a used nozzle with the spray foam curing in it. The tube contains about 4 squirts of petroleum jelly.

6+ Spray Foam Tips and Tricks

While the overall process was easy, getting the right thickness of material, and covering all the area took some trial and error. Not a big deal actually, because mistakes just meant that I sprayed more foam than required and that it didn't look pretty. All my initial mistakes were all still very functional.

Here are some tips:

1. Plan out your work flow. Make sure ALL of the surfaces you are going to spray are unobstructed, and if you are going from one area to another you can easily move. Time is crucial as you will come to understand.
2. Change the nozzle tips if you stop for 30 seconds or have been spraying constantly for 5 minutes. The instructions state 8 minutes but I found that the performance was better if I switched them out sooner. The issue here is the foam hardens in the nozzle at the same rate as on the wall so eventually the nozzle will plug up and do all kinds of nasty stuff to the gun. The hose is only about 8 feet long so I found that the area I could do from one location consumed just about that time - so I changed nozzles every time I moved the tanks. Strategically place the spare nozzles and petroleum jelly packets along your work path.
   
3. Ease the gun trigger on - don't pull it hard and fast. About half trigger at the beginning is all that is required, or you will get too much material and have a lumpy result.
4. Use a medium speed movement from top to bottom and then back again rather than side to side. Use smooth long strokes rather than jerky short ones.
   
5. Don't fix minor missed areas immediately. I found I used less material in a wasteful way if I ignored my minor mistakes and came back to them later in a second pass.
6. Use the right nozzle for the right job. Use the fan nozzle for the wide areas of wall and the cone nozzles for filling cavities.
   

2 Extra Safety Tips:

1. Make sure your whole face, hands and arms are covered buy the goggles, respirator and suit. While not toxic the over spray, and there isn't much, is a real pain to remove. I promise you you will lose hair...
2. Open all the windows and doors to completely ventilate the area.