HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: btlewis@salishan.Eng.Sun.COM (Brian Lewis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Redwood fence questions
Date: 18 Aug 1992 20:01:41 GMT
Organization: Oracle Corp.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: bpurvy@us.oracle.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: salishan

(This is a posting for a friend, whose company can't post reliably to newsgroups.
 Direct any comments to him, not to me.)

Since these FLAKY fence contractors keep cancelling their appointments for an
estimate, over and over and over again, I've decided to build it myself! (
with some help from a few friends).  I'm fairly ignorant, but I've been
doing my research, and now I've got a few questions that some of you might
have answers for:

I think I'll do a plain-vanilla, redwood board fence:  4"x4"x8' posts on 6'
centers, with 2x4's for top and bottom rails.  Now, I thought the Sunset book
said you should use pressure-treated wood, with this termite-resistant stuff
forced into the wood.  The one lumber yard I've been to so far didn't even
carry that stuff - they had two grades, the more expensive stuff called "con
heart" which means it's from the heart of the tree.  They said you should
still treat the bottoms of the posts with some kind of preservative.

I could live with that, but first of all, don't ALL the boards need to be so
treated, or is good redwood sufficiently resistant, naturally?  Is this
lumber yard unusual, is pressure-treated wood generally unavailable, or do
you just not need it for redwood?

Secondly, where in the Bay Area is the best place to get lumber like this?
The Home Depot in Sunnyvale said that the Santa Clara store, or maybe some
other lumber yards, had pre-dadoed wood for posts, and possibly pre-hung
gates as well.  This seems like a big, big win to me - any opinions on that?

Third,  I guess you still have to put stain and water seal on the wood,
regardless of its termite resistance.  What's the best kind to get?

Finally, any other observations on fence-building are more than welcome.

Bob Purvy
Oracle Corp.
(415) 506-2972
From: clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca (Chris Lewis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Elevating water heaters for safety
Date: 15 Aug 92 04:16:39 GMT
Organization: Elegant Communications Inc., Ottawa, Canada

In article <2f6mvdc@dixie.com> jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond) writes:
>The logic is quite simple.  gasoline vapors are very heavy compared
>to air and will thus hug the floor.  They flow along the floor like an
>invisible liquid.  Unless a whole lot of gas is spilled in a closed 
>and totally stagnant area, the layer will not get more than a few 
>inches thick.

As a point of reference: the Canadian Electrical Code states that
where a residential garage floor is "below grade", the area up to 50mm
(2 inches) above the floor is a "class I, Division 2" hazardous
location.  This means gas-tight and explosion-proof fixtures, conduit
and boxes.  Which is a *lot* more expensive than stapling romex.

Ie: you do your damndest to make sure that nothing that can ignite
vapours is below 50mm ;-)

If you think that this is nasty, you should see what they say about
gas stations ;-)

>The water heater pilot light, being mounted BELOW the tank in normally
>down in that layer.  A normal furnace, particularly an updraft one, has 
>the flame a couple of feet off the ground.  That makes a world of difference.

Precisely.
-- 
Chris Lewis; clewis@ferret.ocunix.on.ca; Phone: Canada 613 832-0541
Psroff 3.0 info: psroff-request@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
Ferret list: ferret-request@ferret.ocunix.on.ca
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jmcging@ssa.gov (John McGing)
Subject: Re: Which garage door opener to use?
Reply-To: jmcging@oss724.ssa.gov
Organization: Social Security Administration
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 12:39:40 GMT

jeffz@cray.com (Jeff Zais) writes:

>In article <1992Aug17.172251.23957@primerd.prime.com>, 
>mguyott@eriador.prime.com (M. Guyott) writes:
>> 
>> 
>> I am getting ready to purchase two garage door openers.  So far the
>> "Genie" garage door openers seem to be the best/most popular.  I would
>> be interested in hearing about other people's experiences with garage
>> door openers and which brands of openers they would recommend.
>> 
>> Thanks, Marc
>> ----

>We had a Genie chain drive opener that went bad after four years of 
>very light use (didn't put the car in the garage much while living in 
>California).  The electronics board went bad and was going to cost nearly
>$100 to repair.   We replaced it with a Stanley (that's what was on sale)
>and have been quite happy with it.  The installation instructions were clear,
>and the limiting/reversal mechanism is done in a more reliable method than 
>the Genie.  

>
B
B
So who makes Sears door openers?  Genie, Chamberlin?  Someone else?  And
are they any good?


-- 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
John McGing                My opinions are my own......
jmcging@oss724.ssa.gov       no one else wants them....
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jmcging@ssa.gov (John McGing)
Subject: Splitting a circuit
Keywords: electricity
Reply-To: jmcging@oss724.ssa.gov
Organization: Social Security Administration
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 19:11:15 GMT

We've just installed a built in microwave over the range (replaced the
hood over the range) and ran into a problem.  The house is 23 years old
and has 150 amp service.  I have breaker space available.  Problem is
that running the microwave for any extended periond pops the breaker,
unless we turn off all the lights on that circuit <g>.  [Dinner by candle
light]

We have a guy coming out to split the circuit, but wondered if switching
from incadescent to flourescent lighting fixtures would help?  The old 
owners put 100 watt bulbs into everything, and switching to 60 in the 
fixtures extended the running time a whole lot.  Would swapping to flourescent
[which I prefer to incadescent anyway] further reduce load on the circuit,
so maybe we could turn a fixture back on?

Thanks!

-- 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
John McGing                My opinions are my own......
jmcging@oss724.ssa.gov       no one else wants them....
From: carl@Cayman.COM (Carl Heinzl)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Shooting, Poisoning, Cruelty
Date: 16 Aug 92 20:29:56 GMT
Organization: Cayman Systems Inc., Cambridge, MA
In-reply-to: roger@wrq.com's message of 11 Aug 92 23:31:35 GMT


>Here's a man who has probably never been burglarized
>or mugged.

>Some of us are just tired of the assholes winning
>all the time.

Hmmm, reminds me of an old saying...

"A liberal is just a conservative who hasn't been mugged yet"

Please forgive me if I've badly butchered the saying but the idea is
clear.

-Carl-
--
From: smb@ulysses.att.com (Steven Bellovin)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Making low offers
Keywords: house buying
Date: 19 Aug 92 16:44:59 GMT
Distribution: usa

In article <heflin.714148311@pink1>, heflin@rtsg.mot.com (Suzanne Stratton Heflin) writes:
> I can't believe you sold a house for 20% less than what you listed for.
> Obviously, you either got tired of waiting for your house to sell, or
> your home was very overpriced to begin with.

[the rest of the post deleted, lest I be tempted to flame the poster]

Obviously, you've never sold a house in a falling market, where the
rationality of a listing price can be evaluated only at the time
it is set.  A month later, or even a few weeks later, makes a lot of
difference.

When we were house-hunting ~2 years ago, we learned to stay away from
newly-listed houses that seemed at all over-priced -- it was obvious
that the owners were unaware of the reality of the market at that place
and time.  As for getting ``tired of waiting'' -- that, of course,
depends on how long the wait has been; there comes a time when you
have to get on with your life, and stop putting lots of other things
on hold.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: bkb@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (brian.bebeau)
Subject: Should I sand the deck?
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 17:11:31 GMT


We have a three-year-old deck on the back of our four-year-old
house (which we just bought last October). The kids and I have been
getting splinters like crazy because the wood is getting very rough
and worn. I don't think any protective coating was ever put on the
deck. I had planned to go to a tool rental place and get one of those
huge sanders and sand the whole deck down, then coat it with some
Thompson's Water-seal semi-transparent stain (water-seal and stain
in one). A friend in the construction business though, said not
to bother, that sanding it wouldn't do much good. He told me to
take the boards up and turn them over and re-nail them. After looking
at my deck though, this seems impractical since about a third
(maybe half) of the boards are cut at an angle due to the deck shape,
and turning them over would make them be at the wrong angle.
So what do I do? Would turning them over really make that much
of a difference? Is sanding a Bad Idea? Or just useless? The 
splinters are driving us crazy. Would just putting on the stain
help much? This is the first time I've had a deck so I'm at a loss.
Any recommendations would be gratefully received.

-- 
=====================================================================
Brian Bebeau			Interactive Systems at AT&T-Columbus
brian@cblph.att.com   or   bkb@cbnewsl.att.com
=====================================================================
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: richg@hatch.socal.com (Rich Greenberg)
Subject: Re: Water Heater: Electrical High Limit Trips? Cause?
Keywords: water heater, electrical, high limit trips
Organization: Hatch Usenet and E-mail.  Playa del Rey, CA
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 23:48:44 GMT

In article <1992Aug13.112350.11795@afterlife.ncsc.mil> swaliff@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Steve Aliff) writes:
>
>I have a 52 gallon water heater purchased from Sears about 5 years
>ago. As part of the upper thermostat assembly, there is what their
>instructions refer to as a "high limit" switch. Although their
. . . . .
>moronic switch had tripped again.

Is it possible that either the normal thermostat is defective and
the temprature is actually too high?  And the high limit switch is
just doing its job?  Or mabe its just set too hot.

-- 
                
Rich Greenberg - N6LRT - 310-649-0238 - richg@hatch.socal.com
Xref: sparky misc.consumers.house:10724 misc.forsale:23444 chi.forsale:1247
From: jeq@i88.isc.com (Jonathan E. Quist)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house,misc.forsale,chi.forsale
Subject: New Home for Sale, S. Elgin, IL, Immediate Availability
Summary: New construction / old price.
Date: 12 Aug 92 17:17:40 GMT
Article-I.D.: i88.1992Aug12.171740.8423
Distribution: na
Organization: INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation, Naperville, IL


New construction home for sale, South Elgin, IL.

Immediate Availability.  Excellent school district.

Nobody wants our old house; perhaps you'll like our dream house:

Lexintgon "Princeton" model, Sugar Ridge development, South Elgin, IL.

Asking $151,000.  This is the 1991 price.  Current price from Lexington
	is $155,000, with another increase due this quarter.
	(In other words, buy this house and you already have an extra $4k
	 equity.)

Must close on or before September 25, 1992 - the earlier the better.
Did I mention you could move in tomorrow?

Details:
	3 bedrooms
	2.5 Bathrooms
	spacious 2-story living room with vaulted ceiling.
	2nd floor loft open to living room.
	Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling, seperate full bath.
	Formal dining room.
	Large kitchen with breakfast area;
	 half wall opens to large family room.
	Ground floor laundry room.
	Full basement.
	Large 2-car garage.

Features:
	Neighborhood in St. Charles school district.
	Elgin Community College district - 5 minutes from campus.
	Short drive to Metra trains.
	Cul-de-sac - no heavy traffic.
	Back yard at edge of subdivision - extra privacy.
	Planned neighborhood parks nearby.
	200 Amp electrical service.
	All electrical wiring in conduit - simplifies future upgrades.
	House prewired for cable TV or rooftop antenna.
	Master BR and Family room prewired for ceiling fan.
	Laundry room prewired for upright freezer.

Appliances:
	Double oven gas range.
	Dishwasher.	
	Garbage Disposal.

For more information please contact:
	Jonathan Quist at 708-505-9100 ext. 318, 24 hours,
	or email to jeq@i88.isc.com
-- 
Jonathan E. Quist                              INTERACTIVE Systems Corporation
jeq@i88.isc.com  '71 CL450-K4 "Gleep", DoD #094        Naperville, IL
Which is worse: using vast wealth to trounce a small country on the battlefield,
or using vast wealth to trounce several countries on the basketball court?
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: lowry@watson.ibm.com (Andy Lowry)
Subject: Re: Screening in a balcony
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 22:06:37 GMT
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: IBM T.J. Watson Research Center

In article <LOWRY.92Aug7141745@rotor.watson.ibm.com> lowry@watson.ibm.com (Andy Lowry) writes:

 > I'm about to move into an apartment with a balcony on a high floor,
 > and I want to install floor-to-ceiling screens around the perimeter of
 > the balcony so we'll be able to use it without worrying about our
 > toddler dropping over the edge.

Sorry for the lack of information in the original post, and for the
delay in this follow-up...  To address some of the points others have
made:

 - There *is* a strong railing surrounding the balcony.  It has gaps
   that my daughter could easily slide through.  The screen is not
   intended to provide protection all by itself; it will be installed
   *inside* the railing and it's job will be to prevent (1) slipping
   through the gaps in the railing; and (2) climbing over the railing.
   Of course, it will also keep mosquitos out, but I don't think we'd
   get many of those anyway (I'd prefer an open balcony if it weren't
   a hazard for my child).
 - We aren't renting the apartment, so there's no potential problem
   with the landloard.  We're buying into a coop, and one of the
   reasons for this choice of protection is that it's been used by
   several other tenants and the building wants to maintain a uniform
   exterior look.  (This rules out the cheaper suggestion made by one
   poster of lining the interior of the railing with a stiff wire
   mesh.)
 - These screens appear to be pretty heavy-duty, with a fairly heavy
   mesh and about a 2-inch square cross-section to the frames.  They
   are *not* the things you swap into your storm windows in the
   springtime.  I'm not sure how the screens are attached to the
   frames, but I'll check that out carefully.

In any case, my original question wrt installing this myself has
become moot.  My wife and I have decided that even if it's a fairly
simple job, we'll feel better about the installation if it's done
professionally.  Of course, the professional won't have the immense
motivation that we have to make sure it's done right, which is why
I'll be watching the installation closely and checking the screens
frequently for as long as we're there.

I'd still be interested in any advice as to what I should be looking
for in terms of screen construction (e.g. how the screens attach to
the frames) and installation methods.  Thanks!
--
Andy Lowry, lowry@watson.ibm.com, (914) 784-7925
IBM Research, P.O. Box 704, Yorktown Heights, NY  10598
From: d3a132@pnl.gov (Carl P Baker)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: windows
Date: 19 Aug 92 15:53:17 GMT
Article-I.D.: oracle.1992Aug19.155317.26761
Reply-To: d3a132@pnl.gov
Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories

In article 2H0@well.sf.ca.us, lp@well.sf.ca.us (Lily Pond) writes:
>
>What should I get??! Wood, Aluminum, Vinyl???!!!
>
>P.S. Don't think I can afford wood.
>
>Does vinyl emit noxious gasses?

I prefer wood myself.  The Crestline wood windows that I
got at the lumber yard were about $150 each for the double
hung double pane low-e glass windows in "normal" sizes - about
28x54 inches.

I've seen recommendations for the new aluminum windows with a
thermal barrier between the inside and outside.  This is
important because aluminum conducts heat like nobodies business,
leading to a _cold_ uncomfortable surface inside when it is
cold outside.  I am not sure how much this helps energy consumption.

I think that modern vinyl only emits noxious gasses when it is
on fire.  I also think that individuals vary in their sensitivity
to vinyl offgasses.


-- carl

Carl P Baker
cp_baker@pnl.gov
509-375-2724

Disclaimer: I am not the official spokesperson for anyone.  For which
organizations that use spokespersons are profoundly grateful.
From: davecole@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (David Cole)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Sunspace, want to add to third floor
Date: 12 Aug 92 21:21:39 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois.

My house has a third floor with gables set into the roof.  The gables
themselves have shed roofs.  I would like to remove the 8 feet or so of roof
in front of the gable and glass it in with one of those glass and metal
structures that I see added to buildings here and there.  Typically, these set
against a wall, have a glass top that curves down, and straight glassed in
sides.  

Questions: any cons to this idea?
who makes these things?  What do they cost?  Are they water tight?
Can they have operable windows?

If you have suggestions regarding any one of these questions, please let me
know before I get a Sawz-all   !

Dave Cole       davecole@casbah.acns.nwu.edu
From: J0S@psuvm.psu.edu (Jack W. Sharer)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Hardwood on a chipboard subfloor?
Date: 17 Aug 92 19:47:49 GMT
Organization: Penn State University


In article <1992Aug16.154428.13255@wes.on.ca>, tomh@wes.on.ca (Tom Haapanen)
says:
>
>We would like to replace our worn carpeting with hardwood (probably oak)
>flooring.  ...
>                                     I'm concerned about being able to
>nail the flooring to the chipboard -- will nails hold?  And if not, what
>options do I have?

I've heard of a "floating floor system" where, presumably, the finished
floor is not attached to the subfloor.  You may want to investigate.
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
From: jgd@dixie.com (John De Armond)
Subject: Re: Elevating water heaters for safety
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 07:33:31 GMT
Organization: Dixie Communications Public Access.  The Mouth of the South.

phil@eos.arc.nasa.gov (Phil Stone) writes:

>First, does anybody know what the code is on this, specifically, and
>is this the actual reason for it?


Don't know if this is in the national code or not but it is in our
local county building code here.  (Cobb County, Ga.)

>Second, and the main reason I've posted...why is the water heater
>singled out, when there's a large flame source (the furnace) sitting
>right on the floor next to it?

>If someone can point out the logic behind this, I'll consider raising
>my water heater, since I'm particularly concerned about my motorcycle
>being knocked over in an earthquake and spilling fuel.

The logic is quite simple.  gasoline vapors are very heavy compared
to air and will thus hug the floor.  They flow along the floor like an
invisible liquid.  Unless a whole lot of gas is spilled in a closed 
and totally stagnant area, the layer will not get more than a few 
inches thick.

The water heater pilot light, being mounted BELOW the tank in normally
down in that layer.  A normal furnace, particularly an updraft one, has 
the flame a couple of feet off the ground.  That makes a world of difference.

John
-- 
John De Armond, WD4OQC               |Interested in high performance mobility?  
Performance Engineering Magazine (TM) |
Marietta, Ga                         |Interested in high tech and computers? 
jgd@dixie.com                        |Write me about PE Magazine
Need Usenet public Access in Atlanta?  Write Me for info on Dixie.com.
From: macrakis@osf.org (Stavros Macrakis)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: Re: Renovators Supply
Date: 17 Aug 92 21:44:55 GMT
	<1992Aug17.152459.5226@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>
Organization: OSF Research Institute

In article <1992Aug17.121637.20616@sei.cmu.edu> ljc@sei.cmu.edu (Larry Crowe) writes:

   ...fixtures from Renovator Supply out of Millers Falls,
   Massachusetts....  Can anyone recommend >the quality of there
   products.... Its one of those deals were the price is right but is
   the quailty?

In article <1992Aug17.152459.5226@porthos.cc.bellcore.com> patter@dasher.uucp (24224-guthrie) writes:


   ... all the stuff I looked at appeared to be well made. It looked
   as good as the photos in their catalogue. Were I restoring a
   victorian, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them.

I'm afraid I can't agree with you.

I find Renovator's quality fairly cheesy in general.  In fact, I would
guess that they sell `seconds' from their casting shop.  The
first-quality probably gets polished and buffed for the luxury trade,
under other names.

On the other hand, good quality hardware can be VERY expensive.  I was
looking for good sash locks (for double-hung windows) a few weeks ago.
The cheapest ones go for about $1.50, and seem to be made out of
stamped sheet metal.  Somewhat better ones go for about $2.50, and are
crummy castings.  The good ones go for around $8-10.  And that's just
the simple clamshell locks, not the elaborate Victorian designs.

One retailer around here (Boston area) who seems to have a good
selection is Brickman's in Waltham.  For catalogues, look at Crown
City Hardware (Pasadena, Calif), which doesn't give manufacturer's
names, but appears to sell (e.g.) Baldwin hardware at about 10% more
than Brickman's or other builders' hardware places (e.g. Builders'
Specialty, Somerville, Mass.).  Try also the Old House Journal's
Catalogue for references to companies (addresses and descriptions
only, no critical commentaries alas).

Note also that Renovators' sells lots of plumbing fixtures that don't
meet Massachusetts (and presumably other) codes: e.g. code requires
low-flow (1.6 gal) toilets, theirs are 3.5 gal; code requires
pressure-balance (anti-scald) shower valves, theirs aren't; code
requires that tub fills be above the lip of the tub (to avoid
siphoning dirty water back in), RS's aren't....

	-s
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house