Thursday June 30

Ronnie didn't show up for work today, as he said he would yesterday.  However he called around 10:00 am with some good news.  He said the slab preparation would get inspection on Friday.

I had been thinking I should have qualified my previous offer to advance $670 after inspection was passed with the further proviso "and get the wire mesh installed" as that would, no doubt, mean another day of delay (given the way Ronnie works 2-3 hours per day on my project).  And with the forthcoming holiday weekend, obviously no work would be done on Monday July 4.  And that would be all the greater opportunity for my latest money to disappear, like the last time Ronnie disappeared after I advanced him $1500.

So, I asked how soon he could get the wire mesh in.  "Right away" he said.  I left it at that.

Around 11:45 I called the GE Reaves engineering company, seeking to find out whether the engineering document Ronnie had provided me was an authentic document, and not a forgery made by Ronnie based on some previous but similar engineering document Ronnie had come across in the past.  The first person to answer the phone said there were few people in the office right then because most were out to lunch.  I got transferred to someone else in the residential foundation division.  That person explained he was a file clerk and couldn't answer any questions, but would have someone call me back.  I had hard time explaining my question in both cases.  I gave the second person my residential address and cell phone number.

Finally someone else did call back around 1pm.  I once again had a hard time explaining my question (never using the name Ronnie) but finally they said that yes, Masterlink had gotten an engineering design for my foundation, and further added that they had also ordered an inspection on Friday at 1pm.  This was a lady, and I wondered if she was the MERI listed on the document for design and drawing.

After completing my midday nap, around 2:30 I took a look at the slab site and took some higher resolution pictures than usual using my Canon digital camera (instead of my iPhone 3G, which has been used for all pictures posted so far).  While taking the pictures, I noticed that several of the rebar pieces were drooping against the vapor barrier.  That was clearly wrong, but perhaps what Ronnie had been planning to fix.

I called Ronnie right then and left a message.  I called him again at 5:00 and left another message.  Finally he called back around 6:30 and said he needed to pick up some spacers on Friday and would come over before the inspection and get the rebar properly supported.  I thanked him.

Around 8pm I dropped by Sears Roebuck and picked up a package of replacement bags for my 17762 wet dry vac.  One bin was clearly labeled for model 17762, and the price shown was $11.98.  However, the cash register rang up $14.98.  I said that was wrong and went back to check.  It turned out the bag I had picked out of the correct bin had not been the correct bag.  Another salesman came out and found the required bags in another (wrong) bin.  I then thought maybe the more expensive bag would also fit and do better filtering.  The packages seemed to be exactly the same size except the more expensive bag was thicker.  But the correct bin for that bag didn't list model numbers, it only said "15-25 gallon shop vacs."  I doubled checked and my vacuum is called "wet dry vac" and not "shop vac".  Back at the register, the first salesman had disappeared and did not answer to call.  I was glad that the second salesman got to ring up the bag since he had taken so much time and trouble helping me find the correct bag.

Engineering by GE Reaves

Back in May, Ronnie got engineering done by GE Reaves Engineering, Inc.  They have offices at 12508 Jones Maltsberger and phone is 490-4506.

I got 3 copies of the engineering document, signed by John A. Martin, Licensed Professional Engineer, dated 05-25-11, and a receipt stamped PAID.  I reimbursed Ronnie on June 1 for the exact amount on the receipt, $535.81.  According to a box in the corner, the actual design and drawing was done by MERI.

The soil test information is also printed on the engineering document, listed as done by Geotechnical Consultants, Inc.  The soil test shows "Design Level B, Dark Gray Silty Clay, PI 30."  It is dated May 17, 2011.

PI is the Plasticity Index.  A PI of 20-40 is "high plasticity" and >40 is "very high plasticity".  The plasticity index indicates how much soil expands and contracts.  It's hard to believe any soil expands and contracts more than what we have here, but apparently so.

Estimates and Milestones June 29

Ronnie did a couple of hours of work this morning before we had meeting to discuss the additional "draw" (cash advance) Ronnie asked for yesterday.  He got most of the slab rebar in place (see picture above), but needed some additional ties to finish the slab prep work before inspection.  He said he would finish the work on Thursday June 30, and call for inspection asap.

For the first time, I made copies of all 4 pages of "estimates" Ronnie had drawn up in his notebook about this project, starting from the very beginning when he showed me first estimates on May 6, to the latest changes.  (Numerous changes have been made to the plan since then.)  Lacking anything in writing from previous meetings was beginning to give me a very bad feeling, so this was some help.

Ronnie started mentioning some of his troubles with car, associate worker, and the duration of project, etc.  Labor was costing him more than expected.

I pointed out that part of the reason things were taking so long was that he was only working 3 hours a day and skipping lots of days.  During one particular week this month, he only worked one day.  That was not long after I had given him the last advance ($1500) bringing total deposits to $5100 (which yesterday he disputed until I showed him the check carbons).

He agreed, however, that the estimated and agreed-to costs were going to final costs, unless modified by project additions.  I was not going to be covering his car, bad loans to associates, etc.

He said that he needed another $1000 advance now to get the slab poured soon.  He reiterated over and over that he would do the work one way or another, he was an honest person, etc.  But he did not have the money (despite all my payments) to get the concrete right away without a further advance.

I wrote a check for the $330 estimated for the addition of the wire mesh, which I asked him about yesterday, and which had not previously been part of any estimate.  The engineer "suggested" the addtional wire mesh if the building was to have bare concrete or tiled floor, to minimize non-structural cracking.  (The $330 included $80 actual parts cost for the mesh itself, as shown on one of estimate pages).  And I said I would advance him the remaining $670 after the slab preparation had actually passed inspection, and if it would mean he could get slab poured from concrete truck soon (which he insisted it would).

So, FWIW, for the first time, I added an actual milestone (slab inspection) as condition for further advances. That made me feel better about it, though one could easily say I should have refused any further advances since the amount paid until today ($5100) already exceeded total estimated slab cost (and now I've gone further, to $5430).  Total project cost is now estimated to be over $11,300, by guestimate, I did not actually add his numbers up yet.

The actual estimated slab cost was initially $3200 (rather high IMO, I had similar work estimated at $1800 two years ago but had hoped Ronnie's work would be better) and got increased another $1500 for upgrades (including thicker rebar and 50% size increase) and moving (to avoid easement violation, an upgrade/change cost which seemed reasonable at the time and I paid that that $1500 a couple of weeks ago), plus $330 for the wire mesh, totalling $5030 in estimated and agreed slab costs.  All in all, a rather expensive slab for a shed (though it's worth most of that to me for the highly upgraded way it's being built, as engineered for the originally planned 9 foot high brick walls, and which I still think is a good idea for my expansive clay soil, despite the fact that heavy brick veneer siding is no longer in the plan).   Sunday I had joked to friends at my party that the slab was being built so well I could indeed, sometime in the unforseeable future, add two more levels, observation deck, and a dome, as one friend had joked a month before.  Another possibility (though not sure if fully engineer approvable) would be using brick as interior wall...that actually makes a lot of sense for passive building, more sense actually than brick siding, since it puts the thermal mass inside the insulated envelope.  Given current situation, I probably would not do that right away, but it's another idea for the unforseeable future.

So, am I a shrewd manager or sucker?  Only time will tell.

June 28: One step forwards, then nightmare resumes

Ronnie worked Monday evening (as he told me by phone) and Tuesday morning June 28 with his assistant.  The rebar for the beams now seems to be in place, finally (after a month) no longer resting on the ground and leaning against my fence.  There is visible gravel underneath the beam rebar.  The rebar for the top of the slab is resting in place but needs to be cut before installation, and Ronnie didn't have the required saw, so work ended at that point.

Last week sometime I had pointed out to Ronnie that the engineer had "suggested" an addition wire grid on top of the slab rebar and tied to it, under these circumstances: garage floor, stained concrete floor, or tile.  This is to minimize visible cracking in the slab or floor surface.  (If you have carpeting or wood or linoleum, that covers up the cracking.)  Ronnie had then agreed, but just to be sure he still remembered, I brought out the engineering diagram to him at about 9:20am, within 15 minutes or so after he started work in the morning, much earlier than usual.

OK, Ronnie said, and he also wanted to know what the engineer had specified at the slab rebar spacing, was it 16 inches?  I showed Ronnie where on the diagram it was specified as 14 inches.

Around 11:20 Ronnie gave me a phone call.  I had been trying to start my afternoon nap.  He said that he needed to make another "draw" (in other words, more money from me).  I asked how much he wanted.  He said that the wire grid would run about $250 plus installation, then he would need money for the concrete pour.

I cut him off right there and told him I had already made $5100 in advance deposits, not counting the engineering cost, and that should be plenty to get concrete slab in the ground, in fact it should be almost half the total project cost, which had been originally estimated at $7200 (but had been increased due to slab upgrades, moving the forms, and increased square footage).  I had initially paid a desposit of $3600, equal to half the estimated cost, and then already paid an additional $1500 for all the slab upgrades and moving.  The $5100 should be plenty to get a 12.5x15 slab in the ground, and I wasn't going to pay him anything more until I see the concrete.  Furthermore, I added, some of my friends have contractors who don't get paid anything at all until the project is actually finished.  If he couldn't finish the slab given what I had already paid, I would get someone else who could.

Ronnie said he checked with his bank and the only payment he could see (in addition to the $1500 upgrade cost)  was $1900, and that different contractors had different policies.  I reminded him that I had given him two checks in early May, one for $2500, and another a few days later for $1100.  He asked to see the records, so I put on my bathrobe and met him at the door showing him the two check carbons, dated May 6 and May 10.

(Nightmare: nearly two months into the project and there's still no concrete in the ground, and now looking like my contractor doesn't still have the money to cover the concrete pour after I've paid $5100 which seems to have been mostly pissed away.  It still seemed like a pleasant dream in mid May, when he suggested we get soil test, then slab engineering, both very good ideas and not normally done when there is no building permit required, but really a good idea with expansive clay soil and 9 foot brick walls, as were then part of the plan.  The the dream started turning sour as he kept promising the engineering would be ready "tomorrow," and then two weeks went by before he actually got the engineering and started work on June 1, for just 3 hours.  It really turned into nightmare when two weeks ago,  after I paid an additional $1500 on top of the original $3600, he disappeared for 3 days and couldn't be reached by telephone.  It was at that point I decided I needed to start thinking about Plan B, getting another contractor to finish the work and cutting costs mainly by canceling the never-actually-estimated brick upgrade cost.  I now have a lot of sympathy for those who forgo hiring builders and just do the work themselves, though that can turn out to be a disaster in other ways.)

Ronnie said he would work up some numbers and show me some paperwork.  I told him I didn't have any more time to talk today, so he told me he would see me Wednesday morning and get the slab work done and talk to me about the costs.

Tuesday night I put on disposable gloves and cleaned up the liner, surplus vapor barrier plastic,  and lots of bottled water bottles from the stinky trash can I had dumped over (to pour out the stinky rainwater) on Sunday night.  I got it all in the trash container for collection on Wednesday morning.

I respect the hard work that builders do, and so I would not regret having to do such cleanup if they  were completely good in other respects.

June 25-27

Saturday June 25

Ronnie did not show up as semi-promised.  No phone call, nothing.

I researched wet-dry vacuums, and went to Sears and bought the one top rated by Consumer Reports, a Sears Craftsmen 17762.

Sunday June 26

Showed friends at my monthly party the hole in my backyard where the slab for pool house will go.  It's quite impressive looking, actually, with the 30 inch deep beams.  People unfamiliar with slab construction needed lots of explanation, they seemed to think I was building a basement or something.

When my party ended at 9pm, I got the wet dry vacuum out of the box to vacuum up the mostly pea sized gravel Ronnie and his workers had spilled in my side yard, where it is doing no good whatsoever for my grass.  It took a bit longer than expected to assemble the thing, but once I read instructions all was fine.  By 9:40 I was busy vacuuming.  A strong breeze from the southwest was blowing, so I placed vacuum about 10 feet to my east.  I also used paper bag and the vacuum has a HEPA like filter.  With all that, I figured I was safe and didn't need respirator.  In fact, I later checked the "muffler" and there is no visible dust there whatever.  With that muffler in place, the machine is amazingly quiet, much quiter than my neighbor's outdoor compressor, so I did not feel guilty running it until about 11pm.  The machine was getting so heavy with gravel it was hard to move, but it almost seems like I hardly made a dent in the amount of gravel, mostly dispersed amidst the grass, that ultimately needs to be picked up.  I'll have to buy another dozen or so bags.  I needed to spend another hour or so rearranging junk in my garage to fit the rather bulky vacuum in.  I certainly don't want wet dry vacuum full of dusty gravel inside house.  I needed to take my mother's old wheelchair out of garage and brought into living room, where there isn't any room either, and I'll just need to move it from side to side to vacuum up after party.  I needed this Pool House yesterday if not two years ago to handle my junk problem.  I am in serious gridlock territory, yet I do not want to give stuff up (like the funky wheelchair we got for $35 and then mom spent weeks repainting it to look nice) because there will eventually be more space for it.  I am strongly considering renting offsite storage because the Pool House is taking so long to get built.

I moved Ronny's wheelbarrows and other tools away from corner of house near power meter, so I could do watering there and along back side of house to help preserve foundation.  Ronnies stuff had prevented that area from getting it's share of the rainfall.  I put up a tape across the corner so as to warn against storing stuff there in future.  Among the tools I found 3 of my own garden tools which I moved to back side of house near patio.

The garbage can near patio which Ronnie's workers had put excess plastic sheeting, sheeting box, and some soft drink bottles was very stinky because it was left open and had filled up with rain this week.  With rubber gloves on, I dragged the can to the other side of yard and dumped it away from me.  I determied to pick up the stuff later after the sun had killed the germs.  The sheeting box, however, was sufficient unaffected that I put it in main recycling bin.  Then I took a shower.

I need to do something about the corner of patio which gets a waterfall of rain off the house and patio roofs.  That's was what had filled up the trash can, I've seen it happen before.  I think excess water at that position during heavy rain was causing an exceptional amount of house shifting noises this week after heavy rain on Wednesday.

Monday June 27


Ronnie called about 10am and said he was picking up more gravel because the engineers normally like to see gravel underneath the rebar in the beams.  I told him that was sounded great, and that I was impressed with the look of the slab forms and beam now.  Then he said he would get the rebar put in today also.  I told him I had moved his tools from corner of house and suggested he put them elsewhere, prefereably a different location every day.

Ronnie showed around 11:15, but for less than a half hour.  Looking from bedroom window that afternoon, I couldn't see any gravel in the beams.  But when I took a look at side of house, I saw two new piles of freshly spilled gravel.

Ronnie called and left message, but didn't return my calls until about 7:30 pm when I was on my dinner break from work.  Then he said he was working at my house in the evening to avoid the heat.  I told him I thought that was a great idea.  He said not to be worried if I heard from the neighbors.

I brought revised and signed casement window quotation (hinge now on right side) down to Office Depot after having dinner and faxed it back to Fleetwood Windows.

Jacuzzi info

The round Jacuzzi J-210 is actually the smallest one, seats 4.  The squarish J-280 seats 7.

The J-480 is a luxury upgraded model.

Prices not available online, but seem to range from $6000-$14,000.  People brag about getting J-480 for $9000 or so, but low price may not be good if unit is demo, used, crummy installation, careless delivery, etc.  I would especially steer clear of anything used and buy through most reputable dealer.  One guy got a used one with pea soup, big trouble getting unit cleaned and disinfected.

Even brand new, you continually have to worry about keeping it germ free.  Apparently Bromine is one of the best solutions (and, unfortunately, sunlight is bad for the bromine.  Here's a discussion from someone with lots of experience.  I remember that from an old friend 30 years ago who had pool/jacuzzi in his back yard.  He always talked about "the bromine level."  That was all greek to me, when I had swimming pool all I ever heard about was chlorine and acid.  The acid was apparently required because of alkaline water supply in Los Angeles, may be different elsewhere, may add borax to raise pH if needed, higher pH is more alkaline.  But apparently chlorine pool maintenance has been out of favor for a long time, bromine is easier (just slightly more expensive).

Yes, it's all coming back to me, water test kits and all that.  Waterbear makes specific recommendations, like the Taylor K-2106 test kit for bromine maintenance.

Here is a seller critical of "the leading brand" who lists ANSI specs that all hot tubs should follow:

http://www.spaspecialist.com/ANSI1.html

Though his water purification method (copper ions) doesn't meet EPA standards.  I wonder if you could use regular old bromine without violating warranty.  Anyway here are the spa models, which do look nice if pricey (and I wonder about delivery cost from Colorado):

The unconditioned Whenever Room

I still like the idea of not doing A/C.  This room is mainly for storage, but also for human relaxation, jacuzzi changing, small scale tinkering, get away from the other person, etc., typically in the evenings.  I doesn't have to be air conditioned because it doesn't really have to be occupied: I already have fully air conditioned house and reasonably temperate garage.  The garage already has a workbench table, and I have no problem using it whenever it's not raining.  But it might be nicer, sometimes, to use workbench table in the Pool House.

So one way of thinking about this room is that it's the Whenever room.  It's there for use Whenever, as in Whenever it's OK.  Whenever it's not OK, go somewhere else.  But I'm always amazed at how pleasant it is even on hot day when you are in the shade.  And this shade will be insulated shade with radiant barrier (unlike plain metal patio roof, which actually re-radiates infrared, so you're actually getting less shade than you think).  There should be reasonable (though not optimal) ventilation through medium casement window on north side and double french doors with screen on east side.

I have friends who do hiking and play tennis in 100 degree heat *and* sunshine.

Through-wall hole for air conditioning could always be added later if I change my mind.  Now if I had some fairly positive idea I *might* want to add A/C in the future, it might be good to be prepared, such as having the framing done, a cutout through the sheetrock, and even (possibly) a trimmed and sealed cutout on the exterior.  That could save a few more bucks in the future at the expense of small bucks now.  It could also reduce the worry about cutting through fiber cement siding in situ (though I'm not sure that's how it would be done anyway).  Possibly the best approach would be to remove a fiber cement panel, cut the hole and do framing, then re-install the panel with proper flashing, sealing and repainting.  The in situ cutting worries me as it could be spreading silica all over.

But since I really can't foresee the circumstances under which I might want to add A/C, I think I'm better off not doing the prep work, especially making the cutout in exterior wall.  Though I will ask builder about this.  He'll probably say it's easy either way, just a little flashing and trim will cover up the hole until it needs to be used.

Anyway, the hole for the most applicable unit, the 5500 BTU Friedrich XQ05M10, the industry's smallest slide out chassis unit, would be:

20" wide
14 1/4" tall

For the through-wall Friedrich models (min 8000 btu), the finished dimensions are

26 1/8 " wide
15 3/4" high

Friday June 24

Ronnie came over sometime after 11am and I heard some digging and pounding for a few minutes or maybe an hour.  Then he left message.  I called and he said he had dug out the trenches again after some dirt had fallen in because of the rains, and done some new compacting, but it was still too damp to put in the beam rebar, so he would come out Saturday and do so.  He remained in contact with Engineer to have inspection done asap after rebar was installed.

WRT dirt falling into beam trenches, I had pointed out on Monday that the dirt around the beams didn't look very secure, but he said it would be no problem.

Well maybe the rain was another blessing in exposing additional compacting that needed to be done.  Would not be nice if the trenches collapsed when pouring concrete.

Air Conditioner

Air conditioner thoughts.  Not sure if needed since this is mainly storage shed, but well insulated, white metal roof, etc.  Also only intend to only have off grid solar power (though with 2000W sine wave inverter for short duration usage...to possibly power air conditioner for 30 minutes while finding a box, that is one goal).  AC present motor load which is infamously bad for small inverters, but a 1000 or 2000W inverter *ought* to be able to do it (some reports of success, but generally also with large battery arrays which I won't have).

Do not want to waste main window, or have second window only for AC.  So main plan was through wall air conditioner.  Most window AC units assume double hung window.  Those windows are pricey and much less available than single hung and often not very energy efficient.

Of course Ronnie said he could do through wall AC installation.

Two options are possible for through wall installation.  One is to use actual "through wall" air conditioner.  With those, you buy a sleeve separately.  The lowest BTU through wall unit is a GE with 6400 BTU at $413 through AJ Madison, cheapest sleeve for that is $59.  If you buy the GE sleeve you can use one of several GE models with increasing BTU capacity.  For most other manufacturers, 8000 BTU is the minimum for through-wall.  Many through-wall units offer heat pump heat (at higher price than cool only, of course).

But another approach is to have slide-out chassis air conditioner.  Such units allow both window and wall installation, plus the convenience of slide-out for repair (?).  These seem to be more generally available in lower capacities than through wall units, and don't require sleeve.  Based on square footage, insulation, and limited capacity of solar power, I want something like 5,000 BTU.   Here is one that fits the bill perfectly (though much higher priced than typical window units):

Friedrich XQ05M10 (for $440.10 at Madison.com).

This model specifies 4.5 amps (though intended for 15A circuit), 491 watts.  Width 22-30 inches, height 14 inches, heavy 70 pounds for mere 5500 BTU (other such units weigh as little as 41 pounds).

Now this does no heating (maybe that's what through wall units do).  Doesn't say anyting about fan to bring in fresh air (those are said not to work very well generally).

Another approach is "in room air conditioner" that uses small venting ducts, like this one by Friedrich.
These tend to only be available in higher capacities than through wall units, but there is a 5000 BTU unit by Danby.  Big advantage here is that hole or holes through wall can be fairly small, and don't need special framing as is required for through wall installations.  Also, these units don't need to drain outside (which can cause foundation damage if not done 5 feet from slab).  Also you can aim the thing right where you are.  Disadvantage is few low BTU options, the only 5000 BTU unit is made by Danby and requires 5.8 nameplate amps (as compared with 5500 Friedrich slide-out unit that only needs 4.5 amps).


For window units, and possible the above also, one issue raised by Consumer Reports is how well cold air can be directed left or right.  Many units seem to have a particular problem with directing cold air to the right (which is what I need).  In fact, the Friedrich CP06F10 was bad at directing air either left or right.  The best tested for right and left airflow was cheapie Frigidaire FRA054XT7 which otherwise got lowest rating of those listed in 2011 buying guide (not much lower than others), and runner up was top rated and expensive Haier ESAD4066.

But the main storage issue might be humidity.  Humidity is mainly a problem at night when temperature falls, then there can be condensation on cool surfaces.  Especially on floor (no boxes should rest on floor).  It would be possible (I suppose) to get small room dehumidifier.  Those actually heat a bit since no heat goes outside.  But maybe just the ticket for preventing condensation when it's cold.  Same motor load and power issues as with window AC, possibly less so however for small units, so possibly couldn't run long enough during cold night to help.

Another approach to condensation control might be to run small fans, easily done with solar power.  Also, small amounts of heat could be generated with light bulbs or equivalent (big resistors?).

Anyway, now that I'm going with fiber cement siding, which I think can be fairly easily modified by any qualified contractor, I think I'll forego the air conditioner. It's just not part of my plan really (someone said I must have it, but they aren't thinking about this building as I am...it's not intended to be a general purpose living space or clubhouse.  It could be a clubhouse on pleasant afternoons and evenings, likewise workshop, etc.  But otherwise, I don't want air conditioning because I don't want this building to be energy hog.  But I was worried that with brick I should think of every eventuality and prepare for it in advance.  Though, as it turns out, even brick walls can have window additions, as they say, it's done every day.

In principle, a sleeve could be installed for future A/C addition.  But it seems each AC manufacturer has their own unique sleeve, and if I buy a sleeve today, it might not work with AC unit I want in the future. Plus having extra hole in the wall increases energy loss, and raises the possibility of leakage and other problems, in addition to being ugly.

French door screen

Here is an interesting screen which is claimed to be useable with double french doors.

I like this approach much better than having a separate set of hinged screen doors, which would look ugly and always get in the way when you are going into building, whether you want to use screen or not.

Screen and Window

I was just about to fax order to Fleetwood Windows to order 29x47 Westwood 250 casement window.  Holly Banks at Fleetwood has been very helpful, answering a question or two every day since I got the quotation PDF, and always being very nice and cheerful.  I know I'm not an easy customer.  Fleetwood windows are often said to be the best, and I believe it.  The window is not cheap, but I appreciate the good service as well as the quality.

But just tonight I decided to change from west opening to east opening.  The prevailing winds in San Antonio are almost always from the west as opposed to east (usually either northwest or southwest), and despite the fact that my house is to the west of the pool house, I think that's the way the winds will appear there.  So a west opening window will channel the winds more into the building.  It will, unfortunately, tend to block the view of future tree(s) in the northwest of back yard that way.  But it may also block late afternoon summer sun better, and give better privacy from neighbors.  Plus it will be easier to see from house if window is left open, and possibly better for verbal communication through window.

So I just emailed Holly asking to change window order to right hinged.

Yesterday I took my last look at HR Aluminum windows at Home Depot.  The 300 series of single hung windows has Low E insulated glass.  I could get a 36x48 window for about $100, less then 1/10 the price of the smaller Fleetwood casement window (though casement window opening would actually be larger).  The U factor is about the same as the Fleetwood window (despite the fact that Fleetwood window has thermal break and insulated frame, but the frame is much larger and heavier).  But, strangely, the HR window doesn't meet southern Energy Star requirements simply because the SHGC is too high, 0.32.  That could have been easily fixed simply with better window coating, which is much cheaper than doing thermal break insulated frame (which Home Depot doesn't stock, you only get that in custom order).  The Fleetwood Westwood casement window does meet energy star requirements because SHGC is 0.27, exactly the required number.

But I decided it would be so inconvenient to open the single hung window over a workbench it would hardly be used.  And the whole point of window in unconditioned building is that it be used frequently for good ventilation.   Ease of use of such window is crucial.  Someone might pass out from heat stroke for failing to open the window.  Also the latches are on both sides at half window height.  That means it would be necessary to stand on both sides of the window to operate the latches.  More inconvenience.  I might feel OK using only one such latch but others might not.   In contrast, the Fleetwood casement window has latch hinged a mere 13 inches from the bottom, meaning the latch handle extends downward from there.  Very easy to reach

Finally, I took a look at the HR screens.  The screens on single hung window are exterior on the lower half and dark fiberglass and look very ugly.  They very noticeable against the (stupid) plastic dividers (so called "lites") inside the window.  You can easily see that the lower half has screen and the upper half does not.  Combined with the lites, the effect is way over complicated.

The screen for casement window is on the inside where it will stay cleaner and is less likely to be damaged by the elements, isn't visible from the outside unless window is open, and covers the entire window because the entire window opens.

I also took a look at HR window actually installed on a nice stucco house near where I live.  It looked nice a few days ago, but recently they installed the screen, and with the screen the window looks very ugly.  Single hung windows look OK with half screen only when they don't have those stupid "lites"  The combination of lites and screen gives a very complicated and ugly appearance, and the darkness of the screen is exposed by the difference in the lites on top with no screen and on the bottom through dark fiberglass screen.

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday after midnight it rained really hard, best rain I can remember in months.  Almost the only rain in months.  Very good!

Wednesday around 10am Ronnie called, wouldn't be able to work because it was too wet (obviously).  He said he could come out and finish the slab prep on Thursday and have it inspected on Friday.  He had talked to the inspector and that would be OK.  Then he wanted me to look at forms.  I said they looked OK.

I mentioned the issue about adding rail to top of forms to make siding height above grade higher (and slab thicker).  I mentioned some of the problems I imagined with that.  Ronnie insisted it would not be a problem, if that was what I wanted.

But I was still worried, so I told Ronnie I would leave the slab thickness and siding-above-grade issue up to him.  Whatever he thought was best would be fine with me.  Of course, he said the forms were fine and the siding height would be fine just as it was already set up.  So I got him to change back to what I think is safer while letting him save face.  Whew!  And then he sounded more positive about getting the work done on Thursday.

Thursday I kept waiting and waiting for him to show up from 9am to 11am, finally went back to bed to catch last few hours of sleep as I usually do before going to work.  I had dreams about him showing up.  Finally he did show up with worker for a few minutes and left.  Later I took a look outside and nobody was there but the plastic barrier had been moved onto the grass.

Ronnie called around 1:30pm and said there was still water in the beam trenches so the rebar could not be put there yet.  But he had moved the vapor barrier onto the grass to hose off the mud.  He said he would come out on Friday to finish the slab prep.

The self-cleaning jacuzzi

Ah yes, a friend recently remarked about germs in a hot tub.  Around then I decided to relabel my planned "hot tub" as a "cold jacuzzi".

But what I think could be interesting, is some way of opening (and closing) the patio roof over the jacuzzi by remote control.  Then, to kill the germs, you could open the cover and let the UV of the sun take care of matters for you.

But wait, that didn't work very well in the pool I grew up with as a kid.  It was always open to the sun, and just got greener.

And perhaps the whole thing actually needs to be open to the sky.  It seems the best jacuzzi experiences I've had were in places where you could walk around the jacuzzi.  And you can't easily do that with an elevated Jacuzzi under a patio cover.

Picture of backyard jacuzzi

Here's a picture of a backyard jacuzzi somewhere in Thunderbird Hills, a neighborhood near where I work where I've been taking inspirational and constitutional walks recently.

Let me say it looks a bit funky.   Squarish, seating about 4.  I was thinking more about having a round jacuzzi.  I have memories of one like that...  Or maybe just one memory of a time that didn't lead me anywhere interesting.

I grew up in a house with an actual kidney shaped swimming pool, 35 feet long, 9 foot max depth, diving board, real flagstone decking and rock mountain powered fountain.  Amazing, I could hardly imagine such a thing now.  It was all custom work, my mother designed it all from her imagination and hired a small independent pool builder to build it.  Such builders were everywhere in the Los Angeles of the 1960's.  I didn't think we were rich (and in terms of cash flow, we definitely weren't).  But I could certainly not afford to buy the house in LA back now, even with the recent fall in prices.  The house originally cost $20,000 and we spent another $15,000 or so on improvements (my mother loved planning and making improvements, she would look at houses and say they "had potential" as her ultimate compliment).  We sold the house for a steal for around $40,000 in 1974.  Most of that went to pay off my mother's ever growing list of creditors.   I had gone off to private college, with most costs actually paid by scholarships.  I figured that when I graduated and ultimately became a medical doctor, I could buy a real house in someplace nice like Palos Verdes.  Didn't quite work out that way; I only got a BA and it was years before I could buy a house at all and for most of that I didn't think I ever would, and when I actually did it was pretty funky.  Last I checked, in 2008, the house my mother sold for $40,000 was valued at $850,000, though maybe down to about $500,000 now.  My house in San Antonio has assessed value of $55,000, so a $500,000 house seems like an unimaginable stretch.

But you know what, after the first few years, that custom pool wasn't really so great.  Yes I had great fun with friends at age 5 (when we first moved in).  But after about age 8 or so, my pool buddy moved away, and I hardly ever did any swimming any more.  It seemed like such a bore.  By age 12 I preferred to obsess about uninterested girls in Junior High and later High School, or occasionally hang out with friends at their bigger houses (and sometimes pools) and just watch TV.  It was my assigned chore to take care of the pool, and I never did.  It turned deep opaque green from neglect.  I never realized that a clean pool could, under the right circumstances, be a girl magnet.  I couldn't think of anything about our house as interesting.  Even the great views of the San Fernando Valley.

I also envied a friend who had a Self-Cleaning Pool.

I mainly felt I was a poor kid because we were south of the boulevard (Ventura Blvd) and didn't have air conditioning.  Air conditioning was what I perceived as the ultimate luxury, it seemed about as expensive in my imagination as a whole house.  I stayed in one house my mother was baby sitting in once, near Mullholland Dr and the San Diego Fwy.  It had air conditioning turned down to about 65 degrees.  Now that was the life I aspired to!

Well, FWIW, here in Texas I do have Air Conditioning, would be hard to live without it.  So I guess you could say I got what I wanted as a kid.  Now I envy what I had as a kid (though I'm not really sure I want it anyway).

So seeing that empty jacuzzi makes me wonder.  Just another "exercise machine" to be neglected, like I neglected the pool I grew up with?

And what really matters anyway?  And why am I writing this?

Desire is definitely something that interests me.  I'm not willing to dismiss it like Buddhists.  I think it's interesting, I try to satisfy my desires when I can, when the cost isn't too great.  So I've ended up mostly satisfying my desires in hifi equipment.  Those things (which seemed nearly inacessible when I was a kid) are now easily satisfied because I don't need todays megabuck equipment, yesterdays at dime on the dollar is OK.

Now thinking back, there are only a few things about the LA house I grew up in that I continue to desire.

1) The views of The Valley from the backyard and the family room (converted garage).  Strangely the builder hadn't seen it fit to design the house around the incredible views that were available.  But my mother had the right idea.

2) The covered patio, extending the length of the house.

3) My sister's cool bedroom, which mother extended and gave a private sliding glass door to the patio.  That was also the only room of the house which originally had a valley view.  My sister actually lived there only about 4 years before moving to college, then the bedroom became a museum, and junk room, and then was only briefly rented out.  So the best room in the house...was barely used.

4) The high priced inaccessibility of it now.  But that's the kind of thing you can never really have.  Something that's inaccessible is desired simply because it is inaccessible.  Once you can access it, the desire goes away.

The pool, perhaps the single most inacessible feature, I still don't really care about.  If I wanted to swim, I'd want to use a community pool that someone else takes care of, and that attracts girls I may not have already met.

Now the covered patio vision, that is definitely something I've wanted to achieve in my current house.  A large covered patio is cool.  I currently have a postage stamp 8x8 patio with a leaky cover which doesn't shade very well either, and gives privacy only through the application of cloth privacy screens.

View I can't really do anything about, unless I win the lottery or something and move somewhere else.  Here where I am I do have nice view of neighborhood trees (along with funky but improving houses).

And the Jacuzzi, I never experienced that as a kid, but as a young adult it seemed like every party house had one of those, and at the end of a long party, I could enjoy the Jacuzzi with others, particularly of course the good looking and bathing suit clad (or nude!) women.  There was one party house in particular, actually a very small house in Van Nuys nicknamed "the dorm" by the resident renters, which had the essential ingredients of round elevated jacuzzi you could walk around before getting in (not actually covered to the sky), a large adjacent covered patio, and a pool house with shower you could actually live in (and someone did, a Texan no less, coming from some strange and far away place called Austin).  It also had an actual pool, 15x35 or thereabouts, but I don't recall anyone ever actually using it at a party.  The Jacuzzi was far more popular.  Unfortunately, one of the resident women came to hate me for making too many advances, and I was ostracized (at least by her).  A few years later I went back to take a look at the then vacant "dorm" and was amazed at how small it all was, but how many intense memories had been packed in there.

So skip the pool, which is just a maintenance money pit, and get the patio, jacuzzi, and pool house.

That has been the vision I've had for years, and that is still The Plan.

Forms done (?)

Ronnie was back Tuesday with one assistant working on the slab forms and a kid (on virtual daycare).  I was very glad to hear them starting around 9:30am.  They left around 1pm.  Forms look basically in order now, mostly secured to ground and leveled, mostly doubled 2x6's now (rather than just one 2x6 suspended in midair, as it had been for the past 2 weeks).

Sometime around 10am I continued checking out different brands of fiber cement panels online, as I had been doing Monday night.  (I noticed on Monday when I said "Hardipanel" Ronnie said "cement board" so I was wondering if he was considering some other brand, so I thought I'd check them all out.)

Then I noticed that despite some differences in warranty, they all specify one thing.  Cement siding panels are required by all manufacturers to be 6 inches minimum above grade (earth level).  That got me to wondering if Ronnie had thought of that.  So I went out to talk to him around 10:30.

Ronnie said that it was fine, the siding would just overlap the concrete by a tiny bit, and the concrete was at minimum grade in front at 6 inches (as held by the 2x6 boards).  But then I said that if the siding overlapped the concrete, it would not be exactly 6 inches but a little less, like 5 1/2.  Ronnie said not to worry because the siding panels had a lifetime warranty.

I then related to him my experience with siding warranty on the back of my house.  The siding company sent out inspector who determined that the siding was less than 6 inches from the ground, so the warranty was void, the panels had been installed incorrectly.  So we needed to meet that minimum requirement, or there wouldn't be any warranty.

Ronnie did not look pleased.  He asked me if I wanted to finish the project soon.  I told him I was sorry for asking him to make so many changes (it was exactly 2 weeks ago I informed him of the easement violation, and that he finally agreed to move the forms back to avoid encroachment, and that seemed to derail the project for almost 2 weeks, mostly because he only showed up twice during that time).

Ronnie then suggested that he could nail an additional small board to the top of the existing forms.  I asked if that wouldn't make the sides of the concrete rather lumpy.  He said they would smooth it down afterwards.  I agreed to that, and left.

But then I started to worry about this extra board Ronnie had proposed, that sounded rather too improvised, and I wondered if it could be catastrophic.  The extra board might come loose, I worried, and then spill concrete all over.  And I didn't really like the idea of an extra bump in the concrete, that might mean the panels wouldn't hug the concrete very tightly.

But I figured I'd better not bother Ronnie any more about this, he was angry enough already.  Even just to tell him not to bother with the extra board, now that we had agreed to it.  Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut.  I wondered similarly about bringing up the easement problem two weeks ago.  Maybe it would have been easier just to pay the $720 for two variances.  Or just not tell anyone, and then maybe nobody would ever notice.

There is only a problem with the 6 inch clearance at the front end of the pool house, the grade goes downard from there.  Thus most of the siding will easily exceed the 6 inch requirement anyway.  Only in front is there a slight problem, and about half of the front is going to be french doors rather than siding, and the doors are going to be above a ramp rather than bare earth.

I think this 6 inch requirement is more of a "gotcha" that siding companies use to avoid paying claims, more than a real limitation with fiber cement.  What is the difference between 5 and 6 inches above grade anyway, seems about the same to me.  They only require 1 inch above concrete walkways.  And as far as gotchas go, I'm sure the siding company can find some other gotcha anyway.  By legend, siding manufacturers almost never pay replacement claims.  The cheap pressed board siding on the back of my house is still holding together after 27 years in spite of often (during wet weather) being less than 6 inches from ground, and never having been repainted.

But I had actually suggested on Monday that Ronnie get 8x2 boards to allow more clearance.  And, it occurred to me later that 6x2 boards aren't really 6 inches high either, more like 5 1/2 inches.  The building industry sure is full of ways to cut corners.

I was thinking, though, that when I drive through more expensive neighborhoods you can see the siding (often brick) starts well above the ground, sometimes even more than 12 inches.  It's only in cheap neighborhoods like mine where the siding is often quite close to the ground, often violating siding warranty requirements.  So some builders do things above and beyond, and others fall a little short.

About 3pm when I was driving through Candlewood, a slightly higher priced neighborhood than mine, I  noticed that all of the houses seemed to have their siding, brick or not, easily more than 6 inches from the ground.

New interior dimensions, and acoustic design

With brick, the interior space of building was previously estimated at nearly 144 sq ft.

Now redo calculations with hardiepanel walls, which overlap slab (very different).

consider the width of one wall now (with 2x4 framing and 5/8 sheetrock)

3 9/16" + 19/32"
3 18/32 + 19/32"
3 + 37/32"
4 + 5/32

Two walls then add up to

8 + 10/32
8 + 5/16

So the interior dimensions are:

14'10" - 8 5/16" = 14' 1 11/16" = 14' 1.6875" = 169.6875"
12'6" - 8 5/16" = 11' 9.6875" = 141.6875"

Interior square footage is now:

24042.598 sq in
166.9624 sq ft

pretty close to 167 sq ft, so increase is about 23 sq ft., a 16% increase.

Now looking at adjusting the remaining variable, height, to hit an acoustic sweet spot, the best one seems to be:

9' 2"

Then, guess what, I hit the famous 1:1.28:1.54 ratio.  That was actually the one I was originally aiming for when I went to brick and larger size (but before I realized how incredibly thick brick walls actually are).  This set of dimensions also passes the 3 tests proposed by R Walker of BBC in 1996 (whereas the previous brick design couldn't, because height was too close to other dimensions).

Most other ratios in the range from 8 to 10 feet height aren't that bad, though there are a few clunkers:

9 feet exactly (! rather too close for comfort of the optimal at 9' 2")
8 feet 10 inches

8 feet 6 inches is in a fairly stable range of nice ratios, 4 inches removed from the ugly one at 8 feet 10 inches.

So either  9 foot walls with 2-3 inch height increase on sides, or 8 foot walls with 6 inch rise, would do nicely acoustically.  Given 9 foot wall, I might rather up the max height to 9' 3" to avoid the clunker at 9 feet exactly, and still be close enough to the famous 1:1.28:1.54.

I'm less enamored of the 9 foot height now for a few reasons:

The roof gets to be rather high, difficult to work with solar panel attachments.  Also tree/sky views may be blocked somewhat from bedroom window (and new slab position raises slab about 3 inches also compared with original site chosen).  Solar panels and bottom edge of main house roof may be shaded.

On the other hand:

The taller height means less interference from trees generally (though not much difference).  Solar panels shouldn't be put so low on main house roof anyway, the the "blockage" actually means in late afternoon the main house is being shaded from late afternoon sun...a big plus, especially if it blocks some late afternoon sun in the bedroom window (which I think it would).  Of course the main advantage of greater height is more storage space, especially in loft, but also in perimeter shelving that I had originally planned  Even if 2x4 shelf supports are at 6'6", meaning shelves at 6' 10", there is still oodles of space up to 9'.  Could even have two rows of shelves if supports are allowed to go as low as 6'.  And tall, as always, makes it seem awesome inside and possibly outside as well.  Lower roof slope at 5:12, if desired, becomes costless to space inside (whereas 8 foot walls demand at least 6:12 pitch to increase space inside).

I will still go for 9 foot walls if slab construction goes as planned and hoped.  If disaster happens, such as builder absconding with the funds (as I feared last week) and I need to start anew with someone else, I may roll back to 8 foot walls to save money.  But there's not really as much at stake with this change in cost savings potential anyway.

**** Update

Builder didn't abscond with funds, but I'm letting him go with extra balance.  Still, I think the 9'2" ceiling plan looks good, the extra height will be great for loft and perimeter shelving.  Officially I'm asking for ceiling joists at 9'3 to 9'4 for ultimate ceiling height of 9'2 to 9'3.  Actually there are no bad clunker spots well above 9'2, so safer to go slightly higher.

**** Update September 2011

I'm now thinking that an alternative to the 2" ceiling vaulting (which might pose problems to ceiling sealing, said to be extremely important) would be to 2x6 framing on the south and west sides, reducing possibly allowing better insulation on those critical walls as well.,

That actually works out fairly nicely.  While the ratio is changed very slightly from the well known ratio, the charted performance looks essentially identical.  As a first order approximation, I merely subtracted 2 inches from the length and width.  That gives the ratio 1:1.29:1.55.  I also tried adding back in 0.3 inch, and that didn't make a noticeable difference.

Now it's another matter whether good 2x6 framing can be done.  2x6 are not precut for framing, so that takes extra work.  By the way, 2x6 framing on all sides, with the first order approximation of 4 inches lost, is a clunker, 1:1.27:1.64.

(Halloween 2011 update) I really goofed in the original 2x6 calculation on all 4 sides.  Actually, that works the same or better than 2 sides.  1:1.27:1.53, still very close to the 1.28:1.54 Sepmeyer ratios, just on the other side.  The low resonance area (dark green) actually starts a bit lower.  Since 2x6 framing makes things nice and consistent, better thermal insulation, etc., at little extra cost (or even lower, since less trouble for the builder, one didn't even want to do mixed framing) that's what I am now specifying.  Only (potential) issue is that Friedrich XStar air conditioner specifies max 8 1/2 inch wall thickness.  That shouldn't be a problem, even with 5/8 sheetrock, 5/8 plywood,  5/16 thick siding, that makes wall under 7 1/4 inch thick, including felt.

Checking lumber sizes, I see that the difference is indeed supposed to be exactly 2" from 2x4 to 2x6.  So the numbers above are good.  2x6's on just south and west sides (windowless too) works best.  But framers might well not want to do it that way.

The positive aspects of going back to Hardie panel

My original pool house plan was hardiepanel.  Then, when contractor said real brick wouldn't cost much more, I decided on brick.  Now, fearing cost overruns, contractor inexperience with brick, and worse, I've decided to go back to hardiepanel.  Well, those are the "negative" aspects of the choice, I'm going back to hardie mainly because I was fearing the brick plan could become (or was already becoming) a nightmare, and as the contractor himself recommended cement board as the better choice, that seemed to be his preference/skillset/comfort-zone/etc., as in fact has already been proven on a previous repair project he did for me.  But there are positives also, which is the point I'll make here.

1) Lower construction cost, even under the best circumstances (possibly as much as $2500 cheaper for this project, or more if brick has unexpected overruns or repairs, and I never actually did get a brick cost estimate, so those are serious concerns also).  I can think of many other ways to spend the money that might be more important to me.

2) More interior square footage (in this case, something like 15% more interior square footage), very useful also here, square footage was already in short supply.

3) Matches house, and I will have panels painted and trimmed to match house, which itself has hardiepanel in front and similar appearing but inferior pressed wood boards--eventually to be replaced--elsewhere.  The pool house will now look like an extension of house, and to backyard neighbors will even look like part of the house.  While a good and well designed brick outbuilding *might* make the house itself look more glorious, and that had been my dream, a mediocre one might stand out like sore thumb, and/or make the rest of the house look cheap or inconsistent.  I might add that I personally don't like the trend toward use of multiple materials for variety, especially the combination of brick wraparound facades with hardipanel (or worse yet, vinyl) elsewhere.

4) Simpler to modify and repair.  As future needs change, I may need to add more windows, plumbing, electrical service, ventilation, telecom, etc. openings, or even small extensions or inclusions like battery shed.  With brick, every small change is serious and needs to be done by a good brick mason, or you could find yourself under a pile of bricks.  Likewise repairs (though that is a "negative" consideration, it's worth mentioning in this context, any small brick repair could be very expensive, as well as requiring specialized expertise).

*****  And just a few more negatives (that is, negative aspects of the brick choice)

1) Construction of a building with 9 foot brick walls during intense summer heat could lead to construction errors or medical emergencies.  I was fearing my moral responsibility for such things.  The transport of 13 or so tons of brick through gate would at minimum cause lots of wear and tear on my grass, with the potential of destroying gate or fence as well, along with potential heat stroke on the part of the workers doing the transporting.

2) Inadequate brick wall construction or design could lead to cracks, loose mortar, or collapse.  And if there's anything you don't want, it's to be buried under a wall of bricks.  If a hardipanel cracks (or even falls off, which is nearly unimaginable), it's not likely to require a call to 911.

3) Even though foundation has now been professionally engineered to handle 9 foot brick walls, no engineering (or construction!) is perfectly capable of dealing with any possible contingency (such as conversion of San Antonio to arid zone, which almost seems to be happening already).  Being much lighter, hardie panel walls allow foundation to ride through soil expansion and contraction cycles or permanent shifts more easily, with more safety margin.  The most important part of the building, and the least easily repaired or replaced, is the foundation.  The highly expansive clay soil, and incresingly severe droughts, create issues for brick construction where I live.  Even for non-brick construction.

4) Time to complete project.  Including substantial difference in construction time, design time, material gathering time, those are beyond question even in the best circumstances.  Also learning curve and courage building time (if applicable, to those relatively inexperienced with brick construction).

The brick detour has been an interesting experience, I've learned a lot about brick and other things in the process.  Brick (as modern veneer wall) is not the magic I had previously thought (I thought brick walls were brick on both sides, didn't realize all the complicated issues with wood framing, moisture shedding, lintel weight supporting, draining, venting, and so on).  Plus I had no idea how much even brick veneer walls weigh...many tons!  In the end, a brick veneer wall for an outbuilding for a middle aged childless homeowner is mainly an exercise in vanity, and I have enough of those already.

So now it is time to move on, and get a nice building actually built.

Prevailing winds and casement window

One of the advantages of a casement window is that when there is a narrow airspace outside the window, the casement window, if oriented properly, can "scoop" air into the room.

This is also a disadvantage if the casement window frame isn't strong enough, a wind gust can break the frame.  (I think Fleetwood aluminum windows are strong enough to stand up to a fairly good breeze, but I'd be worried about vinyl casement windows.)

Well, according to this chart of annual prevailing winds in San Antonio, a west hinged casement window on the north side of pool house which is on the east side of my house wouldn't be doing much scooping, FWIW.  A single hung window facing north would do about as well (or badly).  To really get the breezes, a southern window would do best, however I don't want that for heat considerations and it would facing my 6' fencecrete wall anyway.

Anyway, due to current uncertainties about this project, especially related to my contractor, I'm cutting phase II* costs in case there are unrecoverable losses and I have to start over with someone else, as nearly unthinkable as that would be. 1 day of work and 3 days of disconnected phone this past week made me very worried.  No matter what losses are faced, I want to be able to finish this project this year somehow.  That was one more reason why the brick upgrade had to go.  Certainly if I had to take a $5100 loss, I'd never be able to afford brick.  Also the delay in getting a window ordered might also be detrimental to the completion of the project.  So I'm going to stick with a window in stock at local store.  The HR Low E insulated glass aluminum windows at Home Depot looked to me like the best of such, and I think they had the size I wanted (36" wide by 48" high) for single hung also.

(phase I: pouring of slab, phase II: building shell, phase III: building interior)


Actually a sliding window at 3x3

Battery box discussion

Interesting discussion of battery box.

http://www.solar-photovoltaic.info/solar-electric/battery-box/

I plan to use AGM batteries, which negates most concerns.  They are "sealed" and only emit tiny amounts of hydrogen except under extreme current overcharging (which can be avoided by proper charge controller.)  With AGM batteries, I can have batteries inside pool house, in relatively moderated temperature, with minimal venting, and modest separation from electronics (on other side of room.

Since I've decided to go back to hardipanel siding instead of brick, the question of having interior sheetrock has come up again, and then the issue of interior venting.  I still think it's useful (or even moreso) to have interior insulated sheetrock walls and ceiling.  The only significant reason not to do so is cost.  So it depends on how things pan out.  If I get building built at reasonable cost, I'll go for an additional phase adding sheetrock as previously thought out (including special sound-absorbing sheetrock on ceiling and front wall) and then have small vents (already purchased) at uppermost ceiling height.  Such vents could, in principle, be sealed if they prove undesireable or unnecessary.

Otherwise, if the roof itself is the ceiling, the ridge vents provide all the needed venting (and more) for AGM batteries inside (and possibly even vented batteries, though vented batteries also emit acid...not good for my stored stuff).

Tree shading solar panels considerations

The tilt and azimuth of the solar panels in a particular location does not directly affect tree shading.  That is determined by simple geometry...the sun, the tree, and the panel.  When the line from the sun to the panel goes through the tree, you get shading, regardless of how the panels are oriented.

However, given that some tree shading may occur, the tilt and azimuth can be arranged so as to maximize solar collection during the unshaded periods.  So, for example, if there is going to be tree shading in the south east, orienting the panels southwest will maximize solar collection during the latter part of the day when there is no shading.

Interestingly, in the 29.5 degree latitude in which I live, the summer solstice sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest, going just a tiny bit south at midday.  Near dusk, my house is shaded by trees in back lot to my northwest.  So at this time of year, trees to the south do not cause any shading, though they do cause shading for most of the year.

To get away from trees, sometimes panels are best located in places you wouldn't normally think appropriate, such as on the north side of house (to get as far away from a southern tree as possible).  Then they can be oriented straight up (which gets 89% of the available sun on annualized basis) or tilted south (if the location is finally far enough from tree not to shade the southern sun).  However, in such a scenario the roof slope itself may block the sun.  For example, suppose I have panels on east side (relatively tree free) of my north-south main house ridge pointed straight up.  The sun will set on the panels when it gets to an angle greater than the roof slope.  Actually, since this is a mere 5/12, that won't be until rather late afternoon, but it's still a consideration.

Solar panels nowadays are incredibly debilitated by shade.  Even a tiny spot of shade can reduce panel output by 50%, and a small line across the panel can reduce output by 100%.  IMO panels need to be more shade tolerant, a multicellular design might help.

Solar panel angles

OK, I think I misunderstood this great description of optimal tilts for solar panels.

When they said "angles from horizontal" I was thinking angles from facing to the side.  No, horizontal is like laying on your back looking straight up.  Now it makes sense.

The optimal angles (from horizontal) for various seasons at 30 degrees latitude are:

spring/fall  27.1  (6.14 : 12)
summer     3.3  (0.69 : 12)
winter        50.7 (that's beyond 12:12 roof slope)
full year avg    25.9  (5.83 : 12)

Here's a pitch calculator

The actual formula for full year average is (latitude * 0.76) + 3.1

Plugging San Antonio (29.5) into formula we get 25.52, or 5.73 : 12

6:12 is the closest, but lesser values work better in hotter months, larger values better in colder months.

These values are "flatter" than the usual "use your latitude" value, which is somewhat incorrect according to the link at the top.

Status

It didn't go quite as planned.  I started (rather than finished) with the suggestion that we cancel this project now, then I'd take new estimates in September.  Ronnie nearly said that would be impossible.  About what I expected.

We then went down my list of issues, and Ronnie had an answer for every one.  He the forms will be corrected and finished and the beams correctly dug and rebar installed and inspected and certified, as already planned.  He said a cover will shield from sun during the day.  The pour will start at 6:30 and be done by 9:00 and finished before it gets hot at noon.  All I need to do is water it every day, once a day.  The slab will be done  really soon, he promised.  He said he could get 4500 psi if that's what I want, and it will be poured from truck, as we have always agreed.

We're planning a followup conversation on Monday at 9am.

My lady friend says not to pay any more money until we've got a concrete foundation.  I should have paid for that part in full by now, at $5100 plus engineering.

And I have now officially stated twice that it will use hardipanel, not brick.  I might like brick, but it is complicated and expensive and I'm very uncertain now that I would trust Ronnie to do brick, even though he says he could.  He did a fine job with hardipanel in the last project, so I hope he will do a fine job with hardipanel now, and, if not, it's not such a big deal to fix or change as brick would be.  To do brick, you have to be working with a mason you really trust, and every one of a myriad little details has to be done right the first time or you are looking at a mega expensive repair job.  Ronnie has always said he would prefer doing the job with hardipanel, so that's fine.  That's what he knows and likes.  I have insisted before that he use proper respirators and cutting tools to avoid silicosis.

Questions

Ronnie answered phone again, said he was on way back from daughter's graduation in Austin.  (Hmmn, that's funny, graduation ceremonies were held around May 21.)

Told him I wanted to make changes, for starters, I'm going to go back to Hardipanel (the original estimated design) rather than brick (I've never seen an estimate for Brick, Ronnie simply said it would cost a little more, and I'm feeling that brick is more critical, needs to be done right first time by an experienced mason, and I'm not sure I trust Ronnie that far any more.)

I still want to do the brick weight engineered foundation (though I don't really trust Ronnie's foundation work to support brick either).

I asked him to call back when he got home.  Here are my questions:

1) How are the foundation forms going to be placed, when it appears the sides are very rough and even outside the forms in some places?  Would it be better getting much larger boards, like 12x4's?  Do the sides need to be compacted?

2) The depth of the beam doesn't appear to be adequate in the SW corner.

3) How is the pour going to be done in such heat?  Can there be canopy to shade foundation and pool of water on top?

4) Wouldn't it be best to use 4500 psi concrete, and with very high sump because of hot weather?  Can concrete be poured in very early morning or late at night.

5) Can we do sheetrock and insulation in later phase, after walls and roof are up?  I'm not sure I can afford that part now.

6) With hardpanel walls, I want to go back to 8 foot walls, and possibly increase roof slope to compensate.

And the ultimate question:

7) This doesn't seem like the right kind of weather for this project.  I had been hoping we could have get foundation poured in early May.  Now I'm thinking I'd like to cancel the project with the best refund possible.  In September I will go ahead with new estimates.

If I get voicemail, I'll just leave it to #7.

Plan B

There's still hope that the current gap is merely temporary, my original contractor will be back on the job next week.

But if not, I may be facing a $5000 loss.  I can continue the project, but with some major cost reductions, like this:

1) Hardipanel instead of brick.
2) Uninsulated walls.
3) No interior sheetrock.
4) No upgraded ceiling sheetrock either.
5) No luxury Fleetwood casement window.  Standard aluminum Low-E single hung or sliding.*
6) Height reduced to 8 foot sidewalls.

I think that probably well exceeds $5000 in cost reduction.  It's gone from "the Brick Pool House" to "nice shed with hardipanel walls and french doors."  I can swallow my pride.  Perhaps the original plan was too over-the-top anyway.  My loss will have brought me back down to earth.

Things I don't want to give up are:

(1) the white metal roof with radiant barrier facing down
(2) Highly robust concrete foundation with truck delivered concrete, as engineered.
(3) French doors with integral mini-blinds
(4) Solar power
(5) Ridge vents, and side vents
(6) Loft, though height reduced to 5'9" min height below beams
(7) Workbench
(8) Insulated Low E window

In this Plan B, I might increase roof slope to get more interior and loft volume, now that it's open up to the rafters.  A 7/12 slope might be just the ticket (and more optimal for solar panels anyway).

The inherent ventilation means that this could be used even with ordinary batteries.  The design becomes just what one would do for regular "battery shack."  Actually still a rather upgraded battery shack.

*Though a casement window might still be nice, thermal break aluminum hardly needed in uninsulated building on north side; not much temperature differential to protect.

Sun sets in the west? Just twice a year.

I've been getting very confused about which direction is actually south.  I need this for determining how solar panels will face.  The problem is not which direction they should face (I've read articles about that, the answer is that optimally they should tilt south at some angle determined by latitude, and I've seen calculators for determining angle but still thinking about that part), but which direction is actually south.

I figured the ultimate measure of south would be 90 degrees from west, and west is where the sun sets, right?  I didn't trust my cheap compass because of magnetic declination and possibly bias from local magnets.  I don't trust my housing tract layout either.

My latitude is about 29.5 degrees north, and the description below applies to those in the mid northern hemisphere (like continental USA).

It turns out that where the sun sets depends on the time of year (and latitude).  Basically, the sun rises in the southeast and sets in southwest...IN THE WINTER (or around winter solstice).  In the summer, the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest.  In either case, it basically makes an arc across the sky, so at midday it is always at some southerly angle.   So to add to the wierdness, in the late afternoon around the summer solstice, the sun appears to be traveling almost north, since it is moving away from the southern angle it had at midday.

Here is a convenient calculator which made this clear to me.

When does the sun rise exactly in the east and set exactly in the west?  Well, that's twice a year, during the Vernal and Autumnal equinoxes.

The axial tilt of the earth is 23.4 degrees.  That suggests that on midday around the summer solstice the angle of the sun southward is a mere 6.1 degrees from straight up vertical here at 29.5 degrees longitude, because the axial tilt is mostly canceling the latitude.  In winter, the two add up so the sun would be 52.9 degrees southward from vertical.  And that goes a long way toward explaining why solar panel is supposed to be tilted a mere 30  degrees up from horizontal, though it still seems pretty weird.

Strange considering how important the sun is, how little close attention I've actually paid to it.

Solar panels online

Wholesale Solar lits a bunch of different brands and key facts about each.  They say they offer "all" brands but I wonder if that's true.  Anyway, they liste quite a few brands, and the differences make interesting reading.

At the site I found a matrix of orientation factors in Los Angeles (similar latitude to San Antonio).  A 7/12 pitch facing south has the best performance year round (yes I already posted a number very similar from a detailed calculator), and that's defined as 1.0.  But straight up isn't awful either, you still get 0.89 efficiency.  And straight up, the angle doesn't matter, and trees are less likely to interfere (but still can, if they cast shadow on the panel because the sun isn't straight up either).  Facing east or west at 7:12 gets you 0.84, you might as well point straight up if you can.  SE or SW at 7:12 gets you 0.96, backing down to 4:12 gets you 0.95. E or W at 7/12 gets you 0.84, so there flatter is better, 4:12 gets you 0.88, straight up 0.89 (again).

My take, as usual, is don't sweat the small stuff.  Go for the 1.0 if you can but other orientations are quite acceptable from E-S-W.  If you must put on E-N-W half, just point straight up.  It's more critical to avoid actual shading.  A full shade cast across the narrow dimension of solar panel can reduce output by 100%, even if it's just a few inches.  Many other kinds of shadow, not going all the way across, get you down to 50%.  Obviously, avoiding shading is the most important factor.  The the "diffuse" shade from object in distance isn't as important.

Here's a great blog post on solar power from an independent consumer.

One interesting point in there is that temperature derating can be significant, you can lose 10% at 122 degrees F (and it can get that hot on roof).

solar panel compatible (short) trees

Tonto Crape Myrtle

Texas Mountain Laurel (Calia secundiflora)

Bloodgood Japanese Maple

Ronnie

Ronnie didn't show today (Thursday June 16), second day in a row, and his his phone number is "unavailable at this time."

Fleetwood answered most of my questions, but sent their CAD options for different frame options rather than saying whether their window would work with veneer brick siding or would need additional moulding to do so.  I will run the CAD options by Ronnie next time I see him on the job.  I think the standard "nail fin" version will do fine, though it's unclear which option(s) nail fin corresponds to on the CAD.

Too late to avoid heat, too late for perfection

One of my biggest concerns about this project has been pouring the concrete before the worst heat of summer.  I worried that summer heat might cause cracking and other imperfections in the slab.  I wanted the best slab possible.  That was why I put the project on hold 2 years ago, because I didn't think I could find a decent concrete contractor before summer heat kicked in.  Then it kicked in.

This year I started trying to contact Ronnie in April.  That seemed early enough.  It was May before he got back to me.  During May, planning took time, I upgraded from Hardipanel to brick, and then there was 2 weeks delay waiting for the slab engineering.  Ronnie had other projects too, which he doesn't talk about much.  Even after we got the engineering, progress has slow, and then there was a setback, about a week's worth of 3 hour every-other-days, after discovering the original layout encroached on the utility easement.

Well, it's too late to worry.  By Wednesday June 15, summer heat is already here.  On Monday a man in San Antonio died attempting to pour a concrete sidewalk in the hundred degree heat.

Waiting the heat out now would mean waiting until mid September.  I suspect that wouldn't work for Ronnie one bit, as it probably wouldn't work for any other contractor.  I won't even ask.  He might get a job somewhere else. I might never see him in September.

I can, however, suggest using 4500 psi concrete with 4.5 inch or greater slump.  I can suggest shading the slab (actually he did suggest that), pouring in early morning or late at night, and having way to keep top of slab in water.  If Ronnie thinks these are good ideas, since I suggest them, he will be happy to charge, and I will be happy to pay more money for the upgrades, as I already have for past upgrades.

I have never been concerned about the time this project takes per se.  I understand well the fundamental tradeoffs between time, quality, and money.  You can get 2, but not 3.  My main concern is quality, and my second concern is money.  Time is not an issue for me so I never ask Ronnie about time.  Time was only a factor because of the possibility of getting concrete poured before summer heat.  I hoped I could get better quality that way.  But now it's too late.  (Though still, as summer drags on, it will get hotter, so I do hope Ronnie can pour the slab before too long, so long as there are no shortcuts.)

And for me, the hardest part, is that I will simply have to live with imperfection.  Even the engineering report is full of disclaimers abour different kinds of cracks and imperfections which are "not structural".

So, life is full of imperfections.  If they get too bad, like a water leak into the building I can probably get them fixed.  Maybe I can get Ronnie to fix it free if it's his fault.  If they aren't too bad, like superficial cracks which are "not structural", I can live with them.  I must accept that nothing in life is perfect, even if you tried very hard to achieve perfection.

I shouldn't be worrying too much about this project.  It's supposed to be fun, and "not that important."  It's a very fancy building, fancier in some ways even then my house, but nothing is perfect.  Other things in life, like my health, my career, my friendships, and even my house and car, are far more important.  The pool house is a part of my estate which is deliberately NOT connected to my house so that it's less critical.  This was partly intended as learning exercise, an experiment to see if Ronnie and I can work together well enough to take on a more critical project, and also learning how I can work better with Ronnie or other contractor.  The next big construction project, the covered patio extending the length of my house, is far more critical precisely because it will have to be connected to my house.  (One lesson already learned, start planning in March instead of May, and plan to pour concrete in April instead of June.)

Yes I'm having a hard time not worrying about this too much, but I must, otherwise, it will drive me insane or ill from stress.  "Don't worry, be happy" goes the song, and that is what one must learn to do.  And no time better than the present.

Wednesday June 15

Ronnie didn't show up today.  As described in previous entry, I've decided to get Fleetwood window because they look so nice and strong.  Beginning to worry about my own health, need to get colonoscopy.

Fleetwood Windows quotation

On Friday last week I got my quotation from Fleetwood Windows for a  29 x 47 (based on golden ratio of course) Westwood 250 casement (convenient over workbench) window.  It was over $1000.

I was also a bit disappointed by U-factor, 0.53  SGHC was OK at 0.27.

But now I see that 0.53 and the specified SGHC is in fact within energy star requirements.  So this is in fact an Energy Star window.  An Energy Star high end Aluminum window.  You won't find anything like that in stock at Home Depot or Lowes, all their stocked energy star windows are vinyl (yuck) or maybe wood (stick, sigh) and you'll be lucky to get the window guy to tell you anything about special ordering HR 500 series thermal break aluminum windows.

Meanwhile the other choice I've been meaning to check out is Serious Windows in fiberglass.  They look unbeatable in energy performance, particularly in the higher end models.  But now I've heard that some of those can cost $2000.   Here's a blog on them:

http://www.replacement-windows.com/windowbb/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2899

Fiberglass has many advantages, including having thermal expansion coefficient much like glass itself.  But I worry about the wind loads on a casement window, and wonder if aluminum window, especially a strong aluminum window from Fleetwood (the Westwood 250 series have big robust frames) might be stronger and ultimately hold up longer.

So while I was initially shocked and disappointed by the Fleetwood quotation, I might go there after all.

It still may be worth checking out the cheapest fiberglass series at Serious, the 525 series.

Update:

I've sent a few more questions to Fleetwood, might sign for Fleetwood window shortly.  The metal frames look to be very strong, that's exactly what I need here.  I plan to check out Serious Windows when I'm replacing the sliding and single hung windows in my actual house.

Trenches dug

After not showing up on Monday, Ronnie and his crew seem to have finished digging the trenches for the slab beams today (Tuesday) in about 3 hours from 10am-1pm.  The trenches are way deep, perhaps over 30 inches (I didn't measure).  Some kind of power equipment was being used.  Ronnie had previous said it was difficult/impossible to dig through compacted gravel on the southwest side of the slab where the earlier beam trench had been (and which had therefore to be filled up with gravel and recompacted with machine).

A 6 mil plastic vapor barrier has been placed where the inside portion of the slab will be.

Moving forwards, slowly but goodly.  Quick recap back to June 6.

Monday June 6...finished half of trench digging, but then I discovered easement encroachment issue and spent hours on phone.  After hearing that it would cost $720 to get variances from CPS and AT&T, Ronnie reluctantly agreed to move slab forms back 18 inches (ultimately it was 2 feet, 1 foot gap to back 12 foot easement).

June 7...Ronnie showed me new forms after moving, didn't look as good, I complained about appearance forms and lack of new machine compacting.  Ronnie collected $1500 for slab upgrades from original design and moving.

June 8 No Show

June 9  No Show (if I remember correctly), I was beginning to panic "is Ronnie skipping out on me", I shouldn't have complained so much, particularly about the appearance of the wood forms, which was nothing and which Ronnie promised to fix but i complained a second time, I was thinking.

June 10 Ronnie showed up with worker and mechanical compactor, did re-compacting, confessed that it was really good idea to do mechanical compacting after all.  Started digging new back trench but said machine was needed to cut through compacted gravel

Monday June 13  No show

June 14  Ronnie showed up with workers and finished digging trenches for slab beams, put vapor barrier over gravel in center of slab

Dirt piled up all around now, I hope some of that gets used as backfill to mitigate slope.