Recent content by jaros bros.

You should be able to get a certificate insurance sent from his insurance company. Don't accept is via the contractor or some piece of paper. Only accept is from the insurance company directly. It is done this way to preven fraud. Secondly, word of mouth is helpful. If you know that...

Just because you think he's honest doesn't mean he is. If that were true there woudn't be conmen out there and scams. Your state does not require contractor licensing. My guess you chose him to do some work because you thought you could save a little green. And you might and the job might...

In Minnesota, 2x4 rafters will not allow enough depth for adequate insulation. You should really have about R-50. Something tells me this room was probably never intended to be finished off. I am surprised that the rafters are only 2x4s as well. I would tend to think that the snow loads in...

A good contractor should be able to give you sound advice. I must recommend about having the contractor buy everything from Lowe's or Home Depot. These are stores that sell to DIY type of people. A contractor is not a DIY. Also, most contractors don't like the homeowner nickle and diming...

Sometimes the rafter members can actually snap in two or crack, hence the term "rafter snapper." It's a term referring to a very cold night. Happens a lot in the north. On a really cold night in the woods you can hear trees and branches snapping all over the place. Josh Jaros (Jaros...

The best thing for you to do is have them notify their insurance company to send you a certificate of insurance in the mail. You should never accept a proof from the contractor directly. Nowadays contractors are saying they have insurance when they don't or giving false paperwork. My...

If it's not a cracked fitting it could just be that the rubber washer isn't maintaining a good seal anymore. Might want to check the washers where the tank attaches to the bowel if you are still having leaks. There are three, one for the water to enter the bowl and two for the bolts that...

Definitely need to take off the old tar paper to see what's underneath. I would think that it would be extremely hard to see if all the nails were removed before putting down the new tar paper. Seems to me that you would risk compromising the new paper if you tore and punctured it a lot on the...

I have heard that the bales are sprayed with a fire retardant. It is a novel idea. And the R-value is around 50 I'm told. Yeah, you can't build them everywhere because of moisture issues with the straw. I'm thinking if it gets wet the house is shot. The downside that I see is resale value...

You said that you have good insulation in the attic. In your area I'm assuming that you mean about R-50. In addition, do your trusses have an energy heel? An energy heel basically lifts the trusses up to accomodate sufficient insulation between the truss and the plate where they intersect...

I think that you have a lot to think about. First, is the foundation structurally stable. Is there large cracks in it and has it shifted excessively. Second, all concrete is like a giant sponge and this means that you may or may not have migration of water vapor into the living spaces above...

There should have been some new peel and stick flashing at the very least. You start from the bottom and work your way up with the tyvek overlapping the piece at the very top. It works much like overlapping shingle on a roof. In addition, a piece of head flashing above the window would have...

It's definitely a great idea to have a contractor walk through the house with you. Pay him for his time because it will be money well spent. If you hire an experience contractor he/she may see things the inspector has missed or reinforce things the inspector noticed. As far as estimating a...

It's really hard to give you advice on the project without knowing what the door and window openings look like and what kind of work might be involved in replacing them. For example, will trim have to be replaced or will it be reused. If you use new trim, will it need to be primed and painted...

My best advice is to get a contractor with a good reputation and experience involved. It sounds like the companies that you are involved with right now are unprofessional and are looking to make a quick buck. Your last batch of windows lasted 9 years! They should last 3 times that long. And...