u/DUNGAROO

I’m replacing my roof. The roofer I’m working with gave me the option of reusing the existing B vent flashing and storm collar, them replacing it, or I could order what I wanted and they would install it with the job for no extra cost. I went with the latter option, but have really struggled to understand what size I need. My B vent has a circumference of exactly 24”, so an actual outer diameter of 7.64. I assume that means it’s a nominal size of 7”?

None of the B vent manufacturers list the inner diameters of their flashings and storm collars. The one I ended up ordering from Metal Fab was advertised as 7” and has an inner diameter of 8.12”, which leaves roughly a 1/4” gap between the collar and the vent to fill with high temp silicone. That seems like a large gap. Is it? Or is it normal? Are there other manufacturers you would recommend I look at?

On a hunch I picked up two Ecoqubes and placed them at opposite sides of my house. They’ve been going for a week now and are both averaging ~2.5 pCi/L with swings +/- 1 pCi/L. Would it be worth it for me to get a mitigation system? How much of an improvement can I expect from adding a negative pressure vent under the slab? Our house has two load bearing block walls that separate half the basement as well as the crawlspace from the rest of the house, so I’m guessing all 3 slabs will need to be vented.

I ask because the EPA says reducing levels below 2 pCi/L can be difficult. If installing a vent may only drop our averages by 0.5-1.0 pCi/L, I may just say F it. But if I can reasonably expect to get my levels under 1.0 pCi/L, I’ll probably do it.

Thoughts?

Getting roof replaced. Roofer is recommending F8 drip edge for the eaves and C4.5 for the rakes. Is this right?

Roof is a 4:12/3.5:12 pitch and current gutters are 5”, but going to be upgrading to 6” gutters soon. Mid Atlantic region so we get both heavy rains and snowy/icy winters.

My understanding is that drip edge is intended only for rakes and the eaves should get gutter apron, not drip edge. Is F8 considered gutter apron? Help!

What are some Dos and don’ts when it comes to choosing an independent insurance broker to shop around for a policy for you?

All of the brokers around me appear to be small mom and pop shops with fairly unhelpful websites that don’t explicitly disclose which carriers they work with.

Aside from choosing someone competent it seems the me the only other way to maximize value is to choose someone with access to the widest range of carriers possible so I know I’m not leaving savings on the table with another carrier that they don’t work with. Are there other variables I’m not considering?

I’ve asked neighbors and friends that have used independent brokers they all “have a guy” but when I ask them what made them choose their guy the answer is always “¯\_(ツ)_/¯ someone else told me about them and they helped me find a policy.” I feel like there has to be more scrutiny that informs a decision like that.

Our house is currently insured with Allstate and our auto policy is with Progressive. I’d like to bundle them both with an umbrella policy and make sure I’m getting the best value possible.

Any thoughts/experience with what underlayment to use on a low slope roof, and what impacts they may have on moisture permeability of the roof deck?

I have a 16.3 degree or 3.5:12 sloped asphalt roof that I am having replaced. It's my understanding that both the IRC and manufacturers recommend doubling up the synthetic felt or applying ice and water shield across the entire roof surface in place of synthetic felt for slopes <4:12. Every roofer that I have spoken to has cautioned against this, saying the roof sheathing won't be able to breath adequately and I'll struggle with moisture issues in my attic and roof sheathing. I'm not sure how to proceed. Do I follow the code/manufacturer installation instructions, or do I listen to the roofers?

I'll add that our attic is both sufficiently insulated (blown to R-60) and ventilated with soffit vents + rafter baffles + ridge vent. We've also had the attic floor penetrations and seams sealed with single component foam. We've also never experienced leaks from ice dams, though I have no clue what the current roof assembly is like.

I'm getting my asphalt shingle roof redone including replacing all the sheathing. The angle of the roof is 16.3 degrees aka 3.5:12 slope. My reading of the code as well as the installation instructions from Certainteed and GAF tell me that special underlayment protocols have to be followed for anything below a 4:12 slope, either doubling up the synthetic felt (not all manufacturers allow this in regions that experience snow and ice) or using ice and and water shield throughout. However, every roofer that has come out to quote the job has simply told me "you have plenty of runoff, I wouldn't worry about it." And one has specifically cautioned me against using ice and water shield over the entire roof surface, saying it will add significant cost and subject the new roof sheathing to vapor lock wearing it out prematurely. (Our roof is sufficiently ventilated)

So my question is this: How do you approach roofs that are slightly below the standard 4:12 pitch. Are we close enough, or should I be advocating to follow what code and the manufacturers have said we need to do?

New homeowner here going through first roof replacement since purchasing 1960s house. Pretty sure the current sheathing is original to its construction and it's showing a lot of deflection. Current sheathing is 3/8" ply with H clips. I agree with what most of the roofers that have come out have told me which is given the number of soft spots on the roof it makes sense to replace it all. One roofer is specifying 1/2" OSB with a $1,400 upcharge for 1/2 CDX plywood. The other roofer is just specifying 1/2" CDX.

As I research the pros and cons of the two options (and realizing they probably both plan to actually install 7/16" plywood) I'm wondering- does it make sense for me to go even thicker to either 5/8" or 3/4"? I'd like to not have to do this again in my lifetime, and I want to avoid any shingle degradation from deflection when I go up 3 or 4 times per year to blow the leaves out of the gutters. Currently I can hear the shingles flexing (and probably cracking/tearing) under my feat when I walk up there.

The trusses are 24" OC and the roof(s) are pitched 4/12 and 3.5/12, if that matters. Location is Northern Virginia. We get snow, but also very hot summers.

I’m in the process of having my roof replaced due to age. As part of that process, I’m trying to pinpoint which shingle I’d like to have the roofer install. We don’t live in a particularly wind or hail-prone area (Northern Virginia) however we get our fair share of nor’easters and Cat I/II hurricanes that make their way to us. (Though most of the time the storm is downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reaches us) So I’m not particularly worried about buying an upgraded shingle for the sake of protecting my home, however I understand many insurers will provide premium discounts for homes with Class III or Class IV impact rated shingles. What’s not clear to me however is how many insurers differentiate between Class III and Class IV shingles for pricing/discount purposes, and how substantial the difference is for those that do offer it.

For those who are involved in the calculation/sales of homeowner policies, are you able to provide any insight? My current insurer (Allstate) was useless when I posed this question to them. They told me to go through with the roof replacement and they’ll figure out which discounts apply afterwards. Not helpful!

Roofer #1 is selling GAF Timberline HDZ (class III) shingles. It would cost $348 to upgrade to GAF Timberline Ultra HD (class IV) shingles

Roofer #2 is selling Certainteed Landmark (class III) shingles and I’m still waiting to see what the up charge would be for a Class IV Certainteed shingle.

I made this mistake and am now kicking myself for it. I knew we needed both a new roof and attic insulation, but knew we could probably squeeze another year of life out of the roof so we did the insulation first. As is typical with insulating an attic with blown insulation, baffles were installed and nailed to the underside of the roof sheathing. WELL NOW THE ROOF SHEATHING NEEDS TO GET REPLACED. (It does. It’s squishy) So out comes the baffles. New baffles getting installed from the topside are DCI Smart Baffles and they are $$$. Looking at an extra grand in materials alone. This oversight is probably going to cost me about $2k.

Okay I’m done ranting. I just hope someone else in the same shoes sees this post before it’s too late and sequences their projects accordingly.

I’m in the process of collecting quotes to replace our roof and finding that most contractors don’t offer many options when it comes to which architectural asphalt shingle they install. So far, all the contractors I’ve talked to want to install Certainteed Landmark shingles, though I have a contractor who works with GAF coming next week. From what I understand Landmark is Certainteed’s cheapest offering, and according to Consumer Reports, the worst performing out of all the basic laminated Architectural Shingles that they reviewed, being outperformed by Owens Corning Duration and GAF Timberline HDZ which sell at almost half the same material cost of the Certainteed Landmark.

Should I be asking for OC or GAF shingles or seeking out contractors that use it? All of the contractors that I’ve reached out to are highly rated roofing companies on Consumer’s Checkbook in my local market so I feel pretty confident that I’m going to get a good install, I just want to ensure that I end up with the best product for my money. I’m even willing to pay a bit more for a better shingle if necessary.

Just took delivery of a brand new Ariens Deluxe 24 and am in the market for a durable cover that will last for many seasons. The snowblower will primarily be stored inside my shed in the rear corner of my property, but I intend to stage the machine on my back patio/in the driveway itself so I don’t have to plow across my back yard just to start working, so I’m looking to see what purpose built options are out there to keep the snow and weather off it for short stints of time. I know Ariens sells a cover, but am wondering if anyone has any experience with this cover or other 3rd party covers and can steer me towards the best option?

Is anyone else surprised by the fact that Ubiquiti doesn’t sell a deadbolt? I know the company’s access product line is centered around commercial customers, but the company must know there are millions of home automation nerds who wire their homes up with UniFi prosumer equipment too. The fact that the company doesn’t yet sell a smart deadbolt to integrate with Access and/or Protect is baffling to me, especially given how diversified some of their other product lines are around some seemingly niche product categories.

I just took the plunge into the UniFi access world myself with a G6 Pro Entry and I have it programmed to unlock my August deadbolt via the Home Assistant API and while it works, there is a noticeable lag between when the reader issues an unlock command and when the lock opens. Are there better ways of doing this? Should I be considering other smart lock solutions? I like the fact that I get to keep my existing exterior-facing keyed lock set.

Why are they even interested in it? There shouldn’t be any organic matter in it at all.I’ve cleaned out every sink drain, sink overflow, P trap. We never let garbage sit. Our dog food is stored in a sealed plastic container. Just can’t get rid of these guys. Have deployed those UV sticky traps to almost every room in the house and for the most part they’re no longer catching anything- except the one in my utility room. (Where the AC coil and drain is)