HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r)
Subject: Re: better mouse trap needed
Organization: Bellcore, Livingston, NJ
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 16:12:48 GMT

In article <1drl36INNsc9@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> deyoung.hong@Eng.Sun.COM writes:
>I'm curious, how do you find out if a house has mice problem?

Well, if you have mice in the house and don't know it, they're not a
problem, are they? Normally you discover a rodent invasion because mice
aren't toilet-trained, and they leave droppings all over the place. These
look like large caraway seeds. Rats do the same, but their droppings are
much larger.

Another sign is when those crocus bulbs you've been saving start to disappear.
They also chew up paper products to make nests. If your books start looking
ragged, they're moving in.

>Does mice usually live in crawl space in a house?

Sometimes. They like to nest in small enclosures. If you have a lot of
suitable junk under the house, they'll move in. Small boxes are like
mouse condos. If the space is clear, they won't like it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                    | Always acknowledge a fault frankly. This will
George Patterson -  | throw those in authority off their guard and give
                    | you the opportunity to commit more.
                    |                        Samuel Clemens
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: nicklaus@lonetree.physics.wisc.edu (Dennis Nicklaus)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: FYI: This Old Pyramid
Date: 5 Nov 92 19:58:09 GMT
Article-I.D.: pslu1.1992Nov5.195809.21873
Organization: High Energy Physics

In article <8983248@MVB.SAIC.COM>, kfp@sibyl.SAIC.Com (Keith Pilotti 552-3900 SV CMCT) writes:
|> "This Old Pyramid" is the title of the upcoming episode of Nova on PBS.
|> 
|> It is about an
|> archeologist and a stone mason who go to Egypt to reconstruct an actual
|> pyramid in order to learn how it works.

We watched this last night.  It was fantastic!
Admittedly, we are sort of amateur archeology buffs.
(If anyone else saw it too, were you hoping the workers
would revolt against the "levering theorist guy -- Martin, I think"
who was really obnoxious, and seal him up inside of the pyramid?)

Dennis
nicklaus@lonetree.physics.wisc.edu (note only one lonetree in that address)

Sorry for the digression here.
From: emolinar@stake.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Elizabeth Molinaro)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Getting Ready to Sell House: How to Make it Most Appealing?
Date: 12 Nov 92 14:03:59 GMT
Organization: Stakeholder Relations, NCR Corp in Dayton,OH

<1992Nov11.180523.20266@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>
<1992Nov11.192436.11903@i88.isc.com>
Reply-To: emolinar@stake.DaytonOH.NCR.COM (Elizabeth Molinaro)
Followup-To: 
Distribution: usa
Organization: Stakeholder Relations, NCR Corp in Dayton,OH
Keywords: 

In article <1992Nov11.192436.11903@i88.isc.com> jeq@i88.isc.com (Jonathan E.
Quist) writes:
>
>You know, I sometimes wonder about this.  We "depersonalized" our house.
>
>When it was all over with, and we decided to stay, we remembered that one
>of the things that endeared us to the house when we bought it was a
>framed piece of needlework that was hanging in the dining room.  It
>depicted the Kiev railroad station, and was completed by the owner's
>grandmother during her boat trip from Russia to America.  It represented
>her last (ever) view of her native country.  You can't
>get a great deal more personal than that.  We knew it wasn't staying
>with the house, but it said, in no uncertain terms, that this
>was a home, rather than a house.
>
>Comments, anyone?
>-- 

   OK.  I'll bite, having just bought a house about 1 1/2 years ago:

        One house, that we almost bought (and, of course, now wish
        we HAD bought!), was set up as if WE lived there when we
        went to see it!

        There was a fire going in the fireplace (we were looking in
        a cold and wet April), there was classical music going, VERY
        softly, a cat on the couch and a book, open, just kind of
        "left" there; and two place settings set for dinner and--no
        kidding--a chicken in the oven!!!!  Now, I have no way of
        knowing if this was the result of an elaborate set-up or if
        our agent talked them into an inconvenient showing....but,
        boy, that house...

        The rest of the houses we went to see were, for the most part,
        strangely immaculate...even the kid's rooms were perfect (next
        time I see this I'm running!  The kid's rooms are perfect but
        the last time they hung a picture they did it with roofing
        nails, because it didn't show...)

        If and when we sell, I will--if possible--make the house 
        look clean, but not sterile, lived in and homey:  a fire
        (if it's winter), fresh baked cookies (even if I have to
        by frozen dough to do this!) --or maybe a nice pasta sauce
        on low--; and fresh flowers everywhere.  And, my cats, of
        course, arranged dramatically!!!!(Like gargoyles, most 
        likely, on the mantel!)

        And frankly, though I may be the only person in the world
        who likes them:  I LIKE other people's photos.


        Just MHO.  Elizabeth.
From: berger@atropa (Mike Berger)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Locksets - brand recommendations
Date: 10 Nov 92 04:12:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: ux1.BxHFoF.HxF
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

toddi@mav.com (Todd Inch) writes:
>I do some locksmithing as a "hobbyist" - for my workplace, church,
>friends & family, etc.  IMHO, here's the ranking for quality:

>Schlage - Best
>Weiser
>Kwikset
>Weslock
>Yale    - Worst

>Schlage USED to be very good, now they are only about as good as Weiser
>or maybe Kwikset.  I'm told they used to be family owned but were sold
>a few years back and the quality of their new product lines (primarily
*----
I do a little lock work too.  I've never seen a decently made kwikset
product.  They're at the bottom of my list.  I haven't seen a new Weiser
in several years.  Are they out of business?

Schlage isn't as good as it was 20 years ago, but Schlage, Corbin, and
Russwin are my favorites.  Keep in mind that Schlage and Corbin make
several grades of locks.  The consumer grades are very cheaply made
these days (I've heard that the bottom line corbin locks are made by
kwikset now), but their industrial grade locks are still very good
(and very expensive).  Still, for the kind of security you get, and
the length of time you'll keep the lock, it seems to me that it's worth
it.
--
	Mike Berger
	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu
From: lee@hsh.com (Lee Havemann)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Oil burner upgrade - worth it?
Date: 10 Nov 92 21:26:49 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: HSH Associates

In article <1992Nov9.171929.19368@linus.mitre.org>, jdouglas@MITRE.org (Jason Douglas) writes:
> 
> My burner serviceman says that replacement of my old burner with a new 
> unit could reduce oil consumption by as much as a third.  Whether this is 
> reasonable or not is difficult to say because of the way oil burner 
> efficiency is measured.  The "efficiency" rating derived from measuring 
> stack temperature, CO, etc. measures only the efficiency of combustion.   
> (For example, if the oil has a specific heat of 140 000 btu/gal, a 
> combustion efficiency of 50% means that 70 000 btu/hr was delivered by the 
> burner to the combustion chamber).   
> 
> The efficiency of the combustion chamber and boiler (or furnace)  in 
> transfering this heat to the water (or air) that heats your house is 
> another matter (and is the issue here).
> 
> Anyway, the burner mechanic said that although the new burner's efficiency 
> was around 82+ % and the old 77%, the overall efficiency would be improved 
> more because the new burner's more "concentrated" flame would result in 
> better heat transfer and higher over all efficiency.  Is this reasonable ? 
>  Has anyone out there experience in this area ?
> 
> Thanks.

4 years ago we replaced our 25 year old burner with a Blue Angle from 
Graingers. It has a .75 gph (Gallons Per Hour) nozzle instead of the .85 gph
nozzle that our old one had. It runs for a shorter period of time than the 
old one, and uses less fuel.

We see around a 20% difference in our total fuel oil consumption per year,
and we currently use ~1200 gallons per year (It's a 2 family house).
 Saves us a lot of $$ - the burner assembly was $350 and we made that back in 
the first year and a half.
-- 

 Lee Havemann, Sys_op       HSH Associates          (201) 838-3330 
 Internet: lee@hsh.com    Compuserve: 70410,3507    AOL: HSH Assoc
 "Any opinions expressed are not necessarily those of anyone else, 
  including myself."                     
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Subject: Re: GFCI question
Organization: OSF Research Institute
Date: 12 Nov 92 11:08:54

In article <MICHAEL.92Nov11112444@sunbeam.ksc.nasa.gov> michael@sunbeam.ksc.nasa.gov (Michael D. Myjak x7-3286) writes:

   ...a GFCI in a circuit will protect *all* outlets on that circuit.
   In other words, a GFCI can go anywhere in the circuit and will
   provide protection to all devices in that circuit. Thats because
   the GFI is sensing a current difference between the hot and
   neutral...  which there shouldn't be unless current is being
   grounded somewhere elsein the circuit....

Could you please explain to me how ANY device can sense that there is
a difference between current A and current B if it can sense neither?
This is the situation of a GFCI which is downstream from another
outlet.

The original poster was right: a GFCI can only protect outlets wired
downstream of it; it has no way of sensing current on outlets upstream
of it.

	-s
From: jaspert@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Jasper Taylor)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Hoover Washing Machines
Date: 11 Nov 92 10:51:53 GMT
Organization: Centre for Cognitive Science, Edinburgh, UK

I've been attempting to repair one of these, which is connected to
both hot and cold water supplies. What it is supposed to do is fill up
with hot, cold or both at the same time depending on the requirements
of the wash, but for some reason it is using cold only, even for the
hottest wash. There doesn't seem to be any electrical fault, so I
suspect that the machine has some kind of "mode switch" to tell it
what water to use (They are sometimes connected to cold only if no
suitable hot supply exists) and that this has either gone wrong or
been inadvertantly changed. Any ideas out there?
It's a 1987 Hoover Logic 1200 washing machine (UK). 
	--Jasper	Disclaimer: nothing is true
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Removing oil from driveway
From: gary@cdthq.UUCP (Gary Heston)
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 92 16:54:39 CST
Organization: Garys' Home for Obsolete Computers

barrett@terminus.gatech.edu (James Barrett) writes:

> My wife and I just moved into a house we are renting.  The previous
> tenants evidently had a problem with oil leaks in their car, because
> there is quite a bit of oil at the top of the driveway.  Is there
> any way to remove this or at least help stop it from being dragged into
> the house every time I forget and walk through it.

On dry days, scatter cement (not concrete, just the powdered cement)
on the oil, and let it lay there 6-8 hours. Then, sweep it up and
discard. Repeat as needed. If it's real thick, you might want to 
do this with fine sawdust first; it'll absorb almost as well, but is
more absorbent (i.e., it'll deal with a thick layer better).

Gary Heston, at home....
gary@cdthq.uucp
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: pngai@adobe.com (Phil Ngai)
Subject: Re: R-values
Summary: compressing fiberglass increases R/inch
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 06:21:41 GMT

In article <1992Nov12.155202.17035@hubcap.clemson.edu> hubcap@hubcap.clemson.edu (System Janitor) writes:
>I have a (sort of) related question. Everyone knows that if you cram
>6 inches of insulation in a 2X4 stud wall, you don't get the full
>insulation value of the thicker insulation. What I don't know is:
>how does the insulation value that you do get compare to 4 inch insulation
>in a 2X4 stud wall.

According to "The Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling" (an
excellent book which I highly recommend), the R value per inch goes
up linearly as you compress it, from about 3.2 at 100% thickness to
about 3.8 at 50% thickness.

To answer your specific question, R-19 insulation which is 6.25 inches
thick gives R-18 in a 5.5 inch wall (2x6) and R-13 in a 3.5 inch wall
(2x4). (apparently this is a very common question, I wonder why :-)

You may have seen them selling R-13 insulation for 2x4 walls.
Now you know how they do it and why it costs so much.

There will undoubtedly be many postings saying you get less total R-value
when you compress fiberglass (even though you obviously already know this).
There will be some postings that go even further and claim the R-value/inch
goes down with compression. This is (to be charitable) presumably based on
a misunderstanding of the difference between total R-value and R-value/inch
plus the usual exaggeration that goes on when stories are passed word of
mouth.  Needless to say, the second claim is wrong no matter how many times
it is repeated.

This question has come up before with responses as I described, and there
is no reason to believe this time will be any different.  Consider it an
opportunity to determine the reliability of the participants.


-- 
My opinions are my own.
From: pete@carrera.wvus.org (Pete Gregory)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: SUMMARY: wagner airless sprayer
Date: Sun, 08 Nov 92 20:56:39 PST
Organization: Private System

pete@carrera.wvus.org (me) wrote:

> hi - i'm painting the interior of our 10-yr-old home... now that the walls
> are painted in some rooms, we're noticing that the acoustic ceilings really
> need to be painted as well.
> 
> i was discussing my alternatives with a paint-expert guy i trust at the
> local home improvement store:
> 
> 1. paint with the correct paint and roller.  hard work, inexpensive, and
>    i can count on patching a few places where the ceiling gets stuck to
>    the roller (yuck).
> 
> 2. hire a painter to do it (est. $300-500 for three rooms).  no work,
>    expensive.
> 
> 3. buy a wagner airless sprayer ($150) and use the same ceiling paint 
>    (behr ceiling ultra pure white), and keep the sprayer [almost]
>    forever.

thanks for all of your helpful postings and mail messages.  some respondents
like the wagner (and look-a-like) sprayers, and others don't.  everyone
agreed that they're a pain to clean afterwards.

buying a sprayer was very tempting; however, my workshop is filled with
things i've used one-time only, and this time i didn't feel like adding
a sprayer to that inventory.

today, i bought an extra-thick roller (actually, foam with little grooves),
an extension rod, and three gallons of paint, and rolled the master bedroom
and hallway ceilings.  it was a lot easier than i thought it would be.


Pete Gregory, at home

pete@carrera.wvus.org
ames!elroy!wvus!carrera!pete
From: debk@sequent.com (Deborah Stewart)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Recomendation for an upright freezer
Date: 11 Nov 92 20:16:18 GMT
Article-I.D.: sequent.1992Nov11.201618.29212
Distribution: usa
Organization: Sequent Computer Systems Inc.

In article <BxK89n.M67@constellation.ecn.uoknor.edu> richman@reepicheep.gcn.uoknor.edu (Mike Richman) writes:
>We are looking for an extra freezer, an upright (non-chest) unit which
>had automatic defrost.  Any suggestions for which brands to consider,
>and which to avoid?  Features worth paying extra for?  Thanks.
>--
>Mike Richman                        !CIMMS/The University of Oklahoma
>richman@reepicheep.gcn.uoknor.edu   !100 East Boyd, Room 1110
>405-325-3460 (office) 325-7614 (fax)!Norman, OK  73019-0628  USA

We just bought a new upright freezer, a GE N16F (something like that).
I checked Consumer Reports before but no matter where I checked the
places that had the best prices never had the CR "recommended models".
I had originally decided to get a manual defrost and as I shopped and
compared prices decided to go with an autodefrost.  Initial price
isn't that different between the two--the difference comes in the
"annual energy cost" the auto.  defrost uses about 2X the energy/year.
Something to consider...we have only had ours a month so I can't tell
you now how it has affected our elec.  bill (we had an ancient upright
manual defrost before).
Some questions:  how big a freezer are you looking for?  roughly
figure 3 cu.ft./family member + 2cu.ft.  for frozen meals, etc.  +
1-2cuft.  extra = total cu.ft.  Keep in mind that any freezer will be
more efficient if it is kept more full than empty.  Are you convinced
you want an upright?  Chests are more efficient and keep things at a
more constant temp.  and take up less floor space (don't have to allow
clearance for door opening) but aren't as convenient to organize food
as an upright.
My decision to go with a frost free instead of man.  defrost, besides
the fact that defrosting the freezer is one of my least favorite
things to do and so often got put off until it asbsolutely HAD to be
done and even then some, had to do with mentally cataloging how often
I was getting things out of the freezer.  If you are really organized
you can plan ahead and get out a week's worth of stuff to put inside
and only open the thing once a week--you don't get a lot of frost
build-up and so don't have to defrost as often.  I found however that
ove the course of a week I was getting stuff out almost everyday (o.k.
so I admit, I AM NOT ORGANIZED!!!  :-) ) This was pretty typical and
so I decided to go with a frost-free.
BTW, we bought ours at Incredible Universe--yep, good old Tandy Corp.
their prices were comp.  to other places I shopped (SEars, Wards,
local stores) and they were offering free delivery which the others
didn't, and would have hauled the old one away at no charge if I
wanted them to.  Oh yeah and the delivery people came when they said
they would be there....all in all I was very satisfied.
Hope this helps.....
Debbie Stewart
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: sns@bondi.jpl.nasa.gov (Sam Southard)
Subject: Re: Jacuzzi baths vs others?
Organization: SAR Systems Development & Processing, JPL
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 22:21:48 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.175955.22335@donner.SanDiego.NCR.COM> davel@booboo.SanDiego.NCR.COM (David Lord) writes:
>In article <sands-101192111506@90.10.20.76> sands@apple.com (Michael Sands) writes:
>>We are remodeling and get an opportunity to add a jetted bath tub to our
>>master bathroom.  Jacuzzi has a patent on their jets and charge a $800
>>premium on their baths because the jets are better. 
>>
>>Is this true?  Are the jets really that much different?

I have recently acquired a new Jacuzzi, so perhaps my comments on this would be
relevant.  It's an outdoor model, but I think they use the same jets.

I can't make a detailed comparison between the jets.  I've spent hours in mine,
but not in other brands.  When my wife and I were shopping, the difference was
noticable.  The Jacuzzi jets put out a very high volume of water.  The other
jets put out less water at a higher speed, which felt too sharp to me.

Also, the Jacuzzi jets can be adjusted for a different water volume, and for a
different amount of air.  As I recall, the other brands only had one adjustment
(I forget which one).

>I haven't used one, but the recesses for the jets look like they
>would be a magnet for soap scum, gunk, and mildew. The also look
>like they would be impossible to clean. Anyone know who's actually
>used one?

Well, I've not used the bathtubs.  This is probably less of a problem in the
full-size models (like I have), since you add chemicals to the water.

>Also I would be interested in knowing what the installation is likely
>to run on one of these tubs. Do they require a separate electrical

My installation only cost about $20.  Of course, that was for parts only...

>circuit? I assume a GFCI is required. I'd also like to know how you

I can't answer this one.  Mine has a 6kW heater, plus all the pumps, so it
requires its own 50A 220V circuit.  However, I doubt that you are planning on
having a 375 gallon bathtub, nor will you be circulating as much water.  You
may not even have a heater.

GFCI is a must, and the Jacuzzi I bought has it built in.

>attach the drain when the house is on a slab.

I would assume you attach the drain in the same way you'd attach the drain for
a non-jetted bathtub.
From: kevin@msa3b.UUCP (Kevin P. Kleinfelter)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Healthy carpet
Date: 6 Nov 92 18:36:40 GMT
Organization: Dun and Bradstreet Software, Inc., Atlanta, GA


Go with hardwood floors, and put hand-knotted wool area rugs down.
No "chemicals."  Also no $ left after you pay for it.
-- 
Kevin Kleinfelter @ DBS, Inc (404) 239-2347   ...gatech!nanovx!msa3b!kevin
Dun&Bradstreet Software, 3445 Peachtree Rd, NE, Atlanta GA 30326-1276
WARNING: I have been advised that email to kevin@msa3b.UUCP may bounce.
It looks like email will have to go via 'gatech' because that is well-known.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: andyw@meaddata.com (Andy Welter)
Subject: Re: fireproof (melt-proof) adhesive
Organization: Mead Data Central, Dayton OH
Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1992 15:06:12 GMT
Reply-To: andyw@meaddata.com

In article 22363@drutx.ATT.COM, mdb@druhi.ATT.COM (BrownMD) writes:
>I have an existing built-in wood-converted
>-to-gas fireplace.
>
>I am attempting to install a cheap brass
>plated metal and glass door over the existing
>metal surround.  The problem I am having is
>attaching the new door to the old surrounding
>metal with screws, my hands are to big.  So,
>rather than use screws I thought that there
>must be some kind of adhesive that would work
>for metal to metal gluing.  Since it will get
>somewhat warm it cannot melt.
>
>Any ideas besides calling NASA?

When I installed my glass fireplace doors I used screws then fireplace mortar
to seal around the edges. (and did a damn fine job I might add :-))

Don't know if mortar alone would do a good enough job for you.  The kind
I used was UGL Fireplace mortar in a caulk gun style tube.  Was easy to
work with.

---
|Andrew Welter	     |  All views are mine and not |      (513) 865-6822   
|Mead Data Central   |    that of my employer      |      pd&o-ps-ts-dsp       
|P.O. Box 933        |                             |     andyw@meaddata.com
|Dayton, Ohio  45401 |          	           | ...!uunet!meaddata!andyw
From: hubcap@hubcap.clemson.edu (System Janitor)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: R-values
Date: 12 Nov 92 15:52:02 GMT
Organization: Clemson University

patter@dasher.cc.bellcore.com (patterson,george r) writes:

  wire between-the-joist insultation holder-inners 
  ------------------------------------------------
                               |
                               V
>Anyone know where I can get these? I've looked at Channel and Home Depot
>and haven't found them yet. 

My Home Depot recently switched to Simpson Joist hangers and associated
metal widgets and doodads. One of the associated doodads was the insulation
hold backs. Have you looked in that area of the store?

I have a (sort of) related question. Everyone knows that if you cram
6 inches of insulation in a 2X4 stud wall, you don't get the full
insulation value of the thicker insulation. What I don't know is:
how does the insulation value that you do get compare to 4 inch insulation
in a 2X4 stud wall.

In other words:

      Stud size        fiberglass thickness       r value
___________________________________________________________
        2X4               4 inch                   11
        2X4               6 inch                   ?

-Mike
From: zeng@hplvec.LVLD.HP.COM (Charles Zeng)
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1992 23:38:50 GMT
Subject: Re: Removing oil from driveway
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Co., Loveland, CO