Roof Heating Tapes

Posts Tagged ‘Install’

Roof Heating TapesHow To Install Blown In Attic Insulation

Scenario:

I have just completed an addition to my house. I’ve heard that blown in insulation is better than batts since covers the joists completely and leaves no open areas. Do you have any do it yourself suggestions?

Solution:

Yes you are correct. Blown in insulation is better that batts when installed properly as it does seal the attic better.

First you need to measure your attic area that you plan on insulating. Most attics require a value of R-30, R-38 or R-49, depending on your climate and location. Once you know the square footage of your attic you can determine how much insulation you’ll need by simple looking on the chart located on the bag of insulation.

Before you get started you will need to determine what materials you will need. Assuming your home has recessed lights, ceiling and bathroom fans and eave vents you will need the following tools and materials:

Loose Fill Insulation

Cardboard Baffles

Flashing

Duct Tape

Staple Hammer and Staples

Utility Knife

Ladder

Insulation Blowing Machine (Available at your local rental store)

The attic will need preparation before you can actually blow insulation into it. Make sure you are wearing a dust mask, protective goggles and a long sleeve shirt. Recessed lights must have flashing installed around them leaving a open space of at least four inches from the flashing to the light. Using a utility knife cut a piece of flashing of the correct length and form it into a cylinder shape, securing the edge with duct tape. Place over recessed light leaving a four inch open area. This allows for the heat to escape. Use the same process for any vented kitchen or bathroom fans in the attic area.

The next step is baffles. This is a chore nobody enjoys. The baffles need be installed by using your staple hammer and install them where the ceiling joists intersect with roof rafters. Make sure you only install the baffles over the vents and that they are high enough so the vents won’t get covered with insulation. Now that you’ve installed you might want to climb out of the attic and give you back a much needed rest.

The next step of preparation is to make a dam around the attic access hole. The easiest way is to cut a few extra cardboard baffles into lengths of about 4 inches above the amount of insulation you plan on installing. Simply staple them around the perimeters of the access hole. This will allow for a uniform depth in the insulation you are blowing in.

So you don’t have to keep crawling in and out of the attic it’s best to have another person outside helping you load the insulation blowing machine. Hint: If you’re using fiberglass insulation have your helper add about a cup of water per bag, spreading it over the top after its loaded into the machine. This will help cut down static electricity when you are blowing the insulation and it will lay down more evenly when installing it. After the bag of insulation is loaded into the hopper it will take several minutes before the next bag is needed. Don’t let your helper be lazy. Have him get on the ladder and pull excess hose out of the attic for you so you don’t get tangled in it.

I’ve found blowing insulation into the attic is a simple process. Start and the far ends of the attic. Going back and forth make sure its level and smooth. Make sure to get all areas of the attic and don’t fill any vents or recessed light areas. Take a tape measure with you and check the levels once in a while. As an example, if your installing an R-38 of fiberglass insulation you would want it to measure 16 inches deep. As you work your way back near the attic access make sure your helper is getting that excess hose out of the way. When you get to about 6 feet from the access hole stop the machine so you can get on the ladder. Once on the ladder finish installing, making sure to bring the level evenly against the dam you previously built.

The final step is to place a piece of batt insulation in the access hole and carefully put the attic hole lid back into place. Now your done! Stay out of that attic as much as possible from this point as loose fill insulation that has been stepped on or crushed looses it’s R value.

Roof Heating Tapes

Roof Heating TapesHow to Install a Mazda3 Shark Fin

When I bought my 2008.5 Mazda3 the first thing I noticed was the huge horse whip style antenna to jump from the roof of the car. I am not a fan of AM / FM and satellite radio as an option or an iPod in tow there is every reason to be, but important updates and news on the local traffic can not be beaten.

The shark fin acts as an ideal replacement for your stock horse whip is very compact and easy to install. We gave a couple of hooks, although atRead on to see how he did and what not to do.

What you need

1. Screwdriver (optional)
2. Tape or adhesive tape
3. Isopropyl alcohol (we used 70% and certainly advisable to stick to 70% more than the most powerful 98%)
4. Car Wax only – 3M Cleaner 3M General Purpose Adhesive or prepared solvent 70 or Dawn dish soap (liquid)
5. Hair dryer (heat guns are very powerful and can damage the paint!)
6. A stool of some kind (unlessit is high enough to reach over the Mazda3 and push the center.)

1. The first thing to do is unscrew the Elroy Jetson style antenna from its base. The antenna is unique so it should come immediately.

Well, that's where a little 'ruined. The photo above is always the antenna while we were with alcohol. I do not think is really important if the antenna is on or off when cleaned with alcohol, but we were veryanxious to start making the image above.

2. Apply alcohol with a paper towel or a blue towel and wipe the entire surface of the store where shark fin antenna. Do not use cotton swabs or cotton, because, as we saw above, that leaves the flow of cotton throughout.

Note: For a car wax, you want to use general purpose 3M Solvent preparation Cleaner/3M 70 or Dawn detergent to remove the wax first ski area. Then use the IsopropylAlcohol to go in the same area again and allow to dry.

Before planning the location of the shark fin to ensure that no excess waste or other materials (dirt, dust, etc.) in the installation, you will reduce the integrity of the double-sided adhesive seal on the bottom of shark fins.

3. Place the shark fin to the antenna base and approximate location on the site of the aerial. The reason why I want to be as accurate as possible, then you arepositioning of shark fins so that you can put some tape (or tape) on all four sides and not having to realign when you want to connect to the shark fin antenna base. When you are satisfied with the location of shark fin, skip to step four.

4. Painter instead of tape to the beginning of shark fins at the front of the shark fin and then returned. Then the painter tape placed on the left and right of the shark fin.

Note: We used a single piece oftape to make sure that the front where it should be. If you insist on exact alignment, we recommend placing the tape on the front of the shark fin in two – three pieces in a triangular configuration.

5. Peel the adhesive paper slot below the pre-printed on the back. That is cut in half the back so you can start (with caution) for some forms of the past the corners of the back of the shark fin. To do this, because it beginsThe final placement of your shark fins in minutes!

Two screws, known as M5 and M6, which must respond to your antenna base quite well. Inside the shark fin antenna connector is a coil that is used to connect the antenna to the shark fin antenna base. They refer to the figure above you can see how to connect the power cord into the base of the antenna with the larger of the two screws and has done so with your fingers instead of using a flat bladescrewdriver. The instructions warn against over-tightening is recommended to leave the screwdriver in the garage of the same.

Tip: Tilt the back of the shark fin antenna base to ensure sufficient slack while the fin is attached.

Before mounting the shark fin, make sure that the part of the roof that is at room temperature. We chose not to use a hair dryer as it was about 70 degrees outside and the sun. In hindsight,Probably the use of hair dryer, however, because our shark fin is a bit 'on the forward direction, that does not fit well there. I doubt that had nothing to do with joint tape and more to do with the temperature of the roof.

6. Use a hair dryer to the ceiling area to room temperature. Be careful and do not focus the dryer in any part of a roof to avoid damaging the paint of your car.

7. Remove the adhesive paper completely and prepare to gothe antenna.

8. Visually align the front of the shark fin to the pieces of tape used in step 4 and the two sides. Do not press the tape together (this is sticky stuff!) And make sure that the shark fin is aligned properly on all four sides. I was the guy from the camera so I checked all four sides while my installer realigned the shark fin when it is needed.

9. Once you're aligned properly press down firmly on the front of the shark fin in half a minute. Usabsolutely crucial first step.

10. Now that the front of the shark fin is mounted, simply hold down the back of the shark fin for about a minute (hold firmly!) So the tape.

Success! The shark fin has been installed!

That's all there is to it!

First Impressions: The shark fin actually improve my radio reception room and was very satisfied so far. I am disappointed that the front and has no obligationshould be, but I think it could have been user error. After all, we had this driving back and not forward when it was installed.

Final Thoughts: If you are in design or radio reception can be a lot better than I recommend you take a shark fin. And 'more than a cosmetic treatment, rather than a strengthening of AM / FM, but then, I have a bumper car, such as whipping wand at the top of my car while traveling.

Warning: ThisInstallation Guide was created to help visually and review what we learned from our experience is the first installation, but it is necessary to study the installation process sent the package. It 'very broad and can cover a number of things that I never thought our guide.

Roof Heating Tapes