Ice Dams + Attic Insulation

Last winter we had a series of snow storms where I live in the northeast, in Wilmington, MA. The snow piled up on the roof each day, as I tried to remove most of it with a roof rake/shovel, although some snow remained higher up on the roof. The storms were followed by several days of fluctuating temperatures above and below freezing.

This temperature fluctuation caused the roof snow higher up to melt during the day but then freeze along the roof edge at night. This ice then backed up under the shingles to form an ice dam. The ice traveled under the shingles, melted and then dripped down and stained the ceilings below.

I tried to fix the problem by chipping the ice with hammer and chisel, as I stood on a ladder. Although this helped with the immediate problem, more ice dams formed with successive snow storms.

Looking for a solution, I searched the internet for some answers and found some solutions that I hope will help this winter. All the solutions centered on preventing heat from the house below to melt the snow on the roof above. Thus, if there is no melting snow there will be no ice dams.

The solutions included putting in air vents along the eves to increase air circulation under the roof and keep it cold. In addition, I added more insulation in the attic so less heat would escape from the house below and not heat the roof above. To prevent the insulation from blocking air circulation coming from the eve or soffit vents, I installed Styrofoam baffles between the rafters. I also repaired the roof gable vents with new screening and installed an automatic fan over the gable opening. The fan is thermostatically controlled and set to keep the attic cool by pulling in air from the eves, up to the roof ridge and then out the gable vents. Lastly, I bought a 4x8 sheet of insulated Styrofoam to fit over the pull down stairs leading to the attic. This helps with heat loss through the stairs opening. I also taped the edges of the Styrofoam with box tape since it shreds and makes a mess.

The following links below will give you more information about ice dams or installing insulation as well as some photos of my installation project ……..

Ice Dams
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/housingandclothing/DK1068.html

Attic Insulation
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,212235,00.html

Project Photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/IceDams11108?authkey=6mjRDHVzRJk

Comments are always welcome. Have you had similar roof problems. Send me an email at markryan82@comcast.net.

Elliptical Machine - Exercise Program

Keeping healthy is a life-long activity which involves proper diet and exercise. Since I have already described my low calorie diet in a previous blog, I will spend more time in this blog describing my exercise program.

The exercise program that I follow involves a daily 60 minute walk and a 30 minute indoor exercise workout. I use a pedometer to track my walking and shoot for 10,000 steps per day (5 miles). The indoor workout program, which I have nicknamed SEAR, involves a combination of starter stretches (S), elliptical machine (E), ab lounge (A), and power rider (R). I spend about 5 minutes on each of these parts for a total of 30 minutes. You can see photos of my fitness equipment at the link …………..
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/ExcEqpt12608?authkey=2NisB8whw28

I start off slow with some stretches that limber up all the tight muscles (calves, ham string, quadriceps, groin, lower back and abs. It is important to stretch these muscles gradually and strengthen them before any physical exercise, in order to reduce possible stress injuries. You can see some online videos describing these stretches at the link below …..
The first video shows how to do five of the stretches and the second video shows the ab stretches. (Because the video info is free, you will see a 30 second commercial first from the sponsor.) …….
http://video.about.com/exercise/LOWER-BODY-STRETCHES-mov.htm

Although I have had some fitness equipment for several years, I recently purchased an elliptical machine to increase my cardio vascular exercise. I first did a search online to find various brands of ellipticals and found the list at Walmart.com to be most helpful and also within my price range. You can see the list of elliptical machines offered by Walmart at the link below ……
http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_query=elliptical&search_constraint=0&tab_value=19_All&ic=48_0&ref=&search_sort=4&selected_items=+ The prices listed at Walmart are $100 to $200 less then the same machines listed elsewhere.

Before buying the elliptical machine I compared it to a treadmill and found that the elliptical has less impact stress to the feet, legs and hip joints than the treadmill. The elliptical also burns more calories in half the time than the treadmill. You can see some comparison info at the link below …….
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisegear/a/treadelliptical.htm

I finally decided to buy the elliptical machine from Walmart and went to the Salem, NH store to look. After looking at several models I picked the Weslo Momentum 620 which lists online at Walmart.com for $194.00 and at Weslo.com for $259.00. To my surprise, the one at the Walmart store must have been on sale, since it was priced for $99.00.

After bringing it home, I decided to assemble it myself, although Walmart offers an in-home assembly for $199.00. The box weighs about 160 pounds and I carried it to the basement. I opened the box and laid everything out on the floor in neat order. I then read the direction booklet and began the assembly process. With a few mistakes, it took about 2 hours to assemble. You can see the assembly photos at the link ……
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/EllipticalMachine12608


The Weslo 620 elliptical machine has a digital LCD panel where you can select two workout programs lasting 20 and 30 minutes respectively.. The panel also reads your elapsed time, calories, and heart rate. You can also adjust the resistance for a harder workout program. After a few minutes you can feel the stress on your leg muscles. I try to do my workout just after breakfast at about 7:30 AM. After a week of using the elliptical machine I have increased my time and found it to be a little easier. However, your heart rate certainly goes up quickly strengthening your cardio vascular system .

DVR – (Digital Video Recorder)

I recently got a free one year trial offer from Comcast for a DVR. A DVR or Digital Video Recorder allows you to record TV programs in digital memory on a hard drive without the use of any hard media like VCR video tapes or DVD disks.

The new technology is advanced, but simple to use. Pause any show on any channel, instantly replay live TV, watch a scene in slow motion, or rewind the show you’ve been watching. Easily record your favorite shows or an entire season, all with the touch of a button. And with the built-in dual tuner, you can watch one channel while recording another.

Normally I go to the on screen TV Guide and scan the programs for the evening. When I find those that I want to record, I highlight them and then hit the record button. That’s it. No need to enter the time, date or channel like you did with a VCR.

You can record the program one time for that evening or continuously for future weeks. Another way to find a program is to go to the alphabetic listing and search by title. Select the title you want and it shows the time, day, and station for that entree. You then hit record.

You can also copy the shows that you have recorded in digital memory on the DVR to a DVD or VCR recorder. You can copy any show on any channel except those that are “On Demand” (Channel - 1).

The most obvious reasons for recording a TV show are:
1. The show is on at the same time you want to see another show.
2. You are not home when the show is playing.
3. The show is on too late and you are too tired to watch.

I have had a great time scheduling all the programs for the week and then watching them when I am ready and have the time. After dinner most evenings, my wife will watch a few programs that were recorded earlier in the day when we were not home. She will select the program from the recorded list and fast forward through the parts that she is not interested. One of the great features is that you can fast forward through all the commercials and watch an entire show in about ¾ of the normal play time. I record and then watch later some of my favorites that are on too late and past my normal bed time.

If you are interested in How A DVR Works go to the link ….
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/dvr.htm

I took some photos of the TV as I made various DVR selections and put them in a slide show so you can see how I selected and recorded some of my favorite programs. You can see the photos at the link …..
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/DVDBlogPhotos


Comcast is now offering a free one year trial for a DVR and later you can lease it for a small monthly fee. You can click on the link below to get details. (Other cable vendors have similar offers.)

Comcast Prices & Packages (click link …)
http://www.comcast.com/shop/buyflow/default.ashx
One year free DVR Trial or lease after trial period for the following prices:
Digital TV DVR – ($8.95/mon) or HDTV DVR – ($12.95/mon)

You can also buy a DVR at various outlets. One is listed at Amazon.com for ($499.99) and can be seen at the following link ….
http://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-DVR-531HS-Recorder-Onscreen-Programming/dp/B000FLF8W4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1226968329&sr=1-4

You can also get a DVR with TV tuner for your PC. Amazon.com has one listed for ($68.86) and can be seen at the following link ….
http://www.amazon.com/Hauppauge-1139-WinTV-HVR-950-External-Recorder/dp/B000J1CCGA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1226968571&sr=1-2

Unless you are a techie, your best bet is to take the free one year trial offer and see if you like the DVR feature. Even if you lease it after a year, the price is less than the cost of buying your own. Also, technology is advancing so fast that DVRs maybe upgraded to something else next year.

Comments or suggestions are always welcome. Have you used a DVR or TVO? What are your favorite programs. Send email to .. markryan82@comcast.net

Craft Fairs And Art Projects – 2008

After retiring a few years ago, I looked around for interesting things to do to occupy my time. Besides the regular chores around the house and the honey-do list, I wanted to try something different from the work that I did for 40 years. Although I enjoyed a challenging career in public school teaching and administration, it was time to explore other interests.

After trying a few different hobbies, I tried my hand with decorative painting. The local AC Moore store offered some lessons in Acrylic Painting that you might have seen on PBS Educational TV with artist Donna Dewberry. She has the painting technique called One Stroke Painting, where one loads a paint brush with two colors of paint and in one stroke with the brush, a two color line is painted. With one stroke you blend, shade and highlight the image you are painting. This is quite different from regular painting where you paint one color and then wait for it to dry before you paint the next color to highlight and shade and blend. You can see some of her painting ideas at the link …..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyi-Y2ATjoA

With a few lessons I was painting flowers and leaves and fancy bows on art paper. The class then graduated to projects where you painted on decorative home items which were made of wood, glass or slate like a wall plaque, bird house or wine glass. Some of my friends and family liked the items that I painted well enough to even buy some.

With a little encouragement from my family, I tried my first craft fair held at the local church. At a church fair, you paid a small fee for a table in the church hall and displayed your items. Surprisingly, I sold many items and even took some orders.

I have been doing craft fairs now for about six years and enjoy meeting people and talking about my art work. Some people even want custom work done with special colors or designs. I have painted custom designs on furniture, custom mailboxes and custom wine glasses for a wedding. You can see some of my decorative art items which I displayed at a recent craft fair at the link ….
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/ApplefestFair11108?authkey=qy-P4Ta6Kxs

The fall is the busiest time for craft fairs where people buy gifts items for the Christmas holidays. At most craft fairs vendors will sell items cheaper than at department stores or antique shops. However, it is hard to beat the prices you find at the Christmas Tree Shop where all of their items come from China where a million gizmos are made and they sell for pennies on the dollar. On the other hand, items sold at craft fairs are reasonably priced, are special, one of a kind, are unique, made by local craftsmen and normally signed for authenticity.

When people would ask me about the things that I painted, I first showed them a few photos and later decided to make a catalog and eventually a web site that you can view anytime from home. You can see my web site at the link …. http://markscrafts.com/

Comments are always welcome. Do you have a craft hobby?
Send me an email at …… markryan82@comcast.net

How To Shingle A Roof And Cost Estimator

Last winter the snow piled up on my roof as we had one storm after another in my area of the Northeast. Being cautious, I removed most of it with a roof snow shovel to get rid of the extra weight. However, some ice dams formed along the roof edge and water leaked on interior ceilings. I even tried to chip away some of the ice with chisel and hammer but that didn’t help.

In the spring, I called a few contractors to give me an estimate on roof repairs or roof shingle replacement. I knew that there were already two layers of shingles on the current roof which would have to be removed before any new ones were installed. I have a ranch style home that measures 30 by 40 feet at the foundation. The roof has a moderate slope and no additional structures to work around. I last had the roof shingled over one existing layer 18 years ago which cost about $1400. The shingles were asphalt and had a lifetime of about 25 years.

The estimates given to me by several contractors ranged from $3000 to $7500. That would include stripping the two existing layers and removing all the waste debris as well as installing new shingles and all the accessories. Some contractors also suggested that I didn’t need a whole new roof and could just repair some spots.

Since the cost range was quite large, I decided to look up some information on the internet and try to estimate what the job would really cost for materials and labor. I read about how to install shingles and made lists of all the different types of shingles and materials. To get the general idea of what is involved with roof installation, you can see an interesting video at ThisOldHouse.Com. Click the link ……
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1630932,00.html
In addition Home Depot also has a video at the link …
http://www6.homedepot.com/tv/hdtv_player.html?videoID=000059&cm_sp=dept-_-d22-_-roofing-_-KnowHow-_-videotag_install

I also went to the online catalog at Home Depot and Lowes to get prices for shingles and other materials. You can see some of the material costs at the following links…..
Home Depot …..
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Navigation?Ntk=AllProps&N=10000003+90039+500530&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&langId=-1

Lowes ….. (also shows the new Architectural Shingles)
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&Ne=4294967294&Ntt=shingles&Ntk=i_products&N=4294961544&sortOp=bestMatch

I then listed all the material prices, labor costs and roof dimensions and calculated how much the job should cost. To make the calculations easier and adjustable with different roof dimensions, I constructed an Excel Spreadsheet. The roof diagram above lists all the dimensions needed. After constructing the spreadsheet, I uploaded it to Google Docs so you can download it to your desktop and make your own roof estimates.

Click on the link and follow the directions below …….
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pPRsaiyteUA301vZZQYWVMQ
New SS – View Only
You may get a message –“Trying To Sign In To Google” – Click on the Spreadsheet (SS) and you will go to the Google Sign In Page – Do Not Sign In – Click the Left Top Arrow and you will be brought Back To the SS – You can only “view” this SS and make no online changes. You can browse this SS page to view the various calculations made from inputting just five roof dimensions.

If you want to input your own roof dimensions, you need to do the following. You will need to save a copy of the SS on your desktop to use it and make changes. – Click File in the SS Title Bar –Then Export – Then ( xls ). Save the SS to your desktop. You now have a working copy of the SS. Make another copy of it to work with and save the original as is without changes. On the copy, you can change the five house dimensions on the SS and then press enter. New calculations will appear along with a new total cost. The only cells you should change are the five house dimensions. Other cells have formulae that if changed will mess up the SS. You can add new house dimensions and make new calculations.

Shareware License – This spreadsheet has taken a considerable amount of time to create and is a form of shareware that is for personal use only. The calculations obtained are a best guess estimate of the average cost for shingling a roof for a single family home and are not legally binding. If the user wishes to use the SS for any reason other than personal, please contact me for a license by email at markryan82@comcast.net .

My roof estimator generates a (best guess) cost of about $4500 which is in the middle of the range obtained from the various contractors ($3000-$7500). My daughter just had her roof re-shingled for about $2800. Her contractor needed the work and did a good job, was done in 2 days, had 3 men and removed all the waste shingles.

If you shop around you can get a good price that suits your situation. The highest estimate is not always the best job. I have also learned that some contractors estimate a job by multiplying the number of squares of shingles needed by a cost factor which includes (materials, labor and waste removal). The cost factor per square from low to high price is ($200 to $500). My house would require 15 squares which would include side trim and waste factor; (a square is 100 sf of shingles or 3 bundles). Using this formula you get (15squares x $200) = $3000 for a low price and (15 squares x $500) = $7500 for a high price. You can see a contractor that uses this method at the link ……
http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/roofing-prices.html
and their “higher price” calculator at the link …..
http://www.newenglandmetalroof.com/roofing-calculator.html

If you want a reference book for installing roof shingles, you can get it at Lowes at the link …….
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=100360-2137-287945

After doing all this, I decided that I really didn’t need a new roof and could just make some minor repairs myself. This required putting some roof tar (asphalt adhesive) under some of the loose shingles and around the chimney and vent pipes. In addition, I added some attic vents under the eaves to increase air circulation. I’ll explain how I added the vents in my next blog.

Comments are always welcome. Do you have roof problems? Use my estimator to get a rough idea of the cost and then you will be more knowledgeable when you talk to a contractor.

Camping Season - 2008

Well another camping season has come to an end. The season normally runs from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. That is a good 5 months to enjoy out door living and all of its attractions. You can read about some of my camping experiences below.

Last year I bought bigger travel trailer so that I could take a few more friends and family along. Our new trailer will sleep up to 8 comfortably. We now have bunk beds, a convertible dining table-bed, a pull out sofa-bed and a queen size bed. The new trailer also has a slide out section that makes the trailer almost double wide giving you more room to walk around. We also have a full bathroom, and a kitchen with sink, stove, microwave and refrigerator. In addition, there is an entertainment center with flat screen digital TV, DVD and Radio. Living in a travel trailer is almost like living at home.

Since the winter is fast approaching, I prepared the trailer a few weeks ago for storage and winterized the water system. This requires draining all the sinks, toilet and water tanks and replacing the water with RV antifreeze which is now biodegradable and non-toxic. In addition, we also remove all foods, perishables and toiletries that are water based so they won’t freeze. Setting up a trailer is like having a second home. You need a second set of everything from clothes, to linens and towels as well as books, movies and games for entertainment. You also need other items for emergencies like tools, flashlights, rain gear, batteries and portable radios. Additional info on winterizing can be found at the link …. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060830054629AAQhPok

This past summer I planned 6 short trips around New England and made reservations early in March in order to guarantee the dates and campsites we wanted. Although the gas prices were steadily climbing I had budgeted for the trips and decided to go anyway. I have a SUV Chevy Tahoe with a bigger engine so I can pull the trailer. The SUV normally gets 15 mpg but only 10 mpg when pulling the trailer. Since the average distance to our camping destinations was about 100 miles, this would require 10 gallons of gas one way or 20 gallons round trip. At $4.00 per gallon that would cost me about $80.00 per trip.

We normally make reservations at a campground that has 4 way hookups which means the each campsite has a connection for water, sewer, electricity and cable TV. Trailer camping is like being at home except you are in the middle of the woods with a stream or lake right at your door step. The average price for a campsite is about $30.00 per night or about $150.00 for 5 days.

Since we bring our own food, the only cost for a 5 day stay is $80 for gas and $150 for the camp site which totals to $230. That’s it for 2-8 people in our trailer. However, you may need a little extra cash for gifts or restaurants and other costs. That is certainly a lot cheaper than most vacation trips with airfare and hotels.

There are always plenty of things to do at a RV campground. Most campgrounds have some amenities like a pool or swimming area. They may also have indoor game rooms, outdoor volley ball, horseshoes, and play grounds. You can also bring your own recreational items like fishing gear, bicycles, kayaks or boats. Local area attractions are also available for sight seeing. You can see some photos of camping activities that I enjoyed this past summer by clicking the link ….
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/CampingPhotos101808

Some of the campgrounds that we have stayed at are listed below. You can see the rates, amenities and other offerings for each by clicking the web link …..

Comments are always welcome. Have you camped? What are your favorites?

Campgrounds

Pemi River CG – Thornton, NH
http://www.pemirivercampground.com/

Lost River CG – N.Woodstock, NH
http://www.lostriver.com/index.html

Wells Beach CG – Wells , Maine
http://www.wellsbeach.com/

Peter’s Pond CG – Sandwich, MA
http://peterspond.com/

The Benefits of Walking

I have been walking for exercise for about two years now. During that time I have lost 60 pounds and taken 4 inches off my waist line. I feel better and have more energy to do other things that bring richness to my daily routine. Research has shown that walking will add another ten years to your life.

In addition to walking, I also maintain a healthy 1200 calorie diet. The diet includes cereal with fruit or an egg and toast for breakfast, salad with dressing or a tuna sandwich for lunch and soup and crackers for dinner. For variation, I substitute fish, chicken or beef with a vegetable for lunch. Portion size is also important. If you are looking for additional info on a low calorie diet go to About.com at the link ….
http://walking.about.com/cs/walkoflife/a/walkoflife.htm

In order to maintain my diet, I count calories and record everything that I eat in a journal. I also record my weight, waist measurement and daily exercise times. The journal gives me motivation to keep going each day, as I see the improvements made each week. Besides walking, I also do 30 minutes of indoor exercise using a bicycle, ab-machine, bench and glider.

My wife and I take our daily walk 10 AM each morning. There is less traffic and less noise at that time. We try to walk about 3 miles while keeping a steady pace of 20 minutes per mile. For variation, we try a new walking area every few days. We may walk around the neighborhood, or to the center of town, or around Silver Lake in Wilmington or Lake Quanipowitt in Wakefield or a local mall on bad weather days.

On a recent walk around Silver Lake in Wilmington and the local Shawsheen Elementary School, I took some photos of the changing fall foliage and some bird sightings. I also included a map of the walk. You can see the photos at the link ………
http://picasaweb.google.com/markryan312/SilverLakeWalk101408

You can also map your own walk and calculate your calories burned at the web site MapMyRide. Go to the link …….. http://www.mapmyride.com/create_new

If you are looking for general health information about walking you can go to the Mayo Clinic web site where you will see info about walking shoes, walking posture, calorie calculators and other helpful info. Go to the link …………
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

For additional info about using a pedometer, ideal weight and calorie calculators and diets, go to the web site About.com at the link ……… http://walking.about.com/cs/walkoflife/a/walkoflife.htm

Some things to research and think about
Before you start a walking program, do some research on the following topics. …….
(Health, Diet, Motivation, Keeping A Journal, Walking Shoes, Walking Posture, Calorie Counters, Pedometer or GPS, Mapping Your Route, Walking With A Friend For Support). Just type the word or phrase into Goggle.com and you will get plenty of links.

I also found some other related articles while writing this blog. See the links below …

Beating fatigue with moderate exercise. Boston Globe, 10-13-08, Health & Science, p13
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/10/13/way_too_tired?s_campaign=8315

Doing 150 Minutes of Weekly Exercise Leads to less Sick Time. – UK Report
http://www.healthclubbenchmark.com/content/PressRoom/Articles/20060330UK-EN.aspx