NYC Journal

Bathroom demo begins today.

I’m kinda excited.

Seems like to avoid “thermal-bridging” through the rafters the best way to utilize my rigid foam that has double sided radiant-barriers is to install them right on the rafters. Know that the air gap created between the roof sheathing (tongue and groove) from the rafters will be just a dead air space.

R-51 on the floor of the attic means 8 inches of rock wool will run perpendicular to the 6 inches of rock wool that fills the joists.

According to the government the wood that comprise the joists and rafters are pretty good heat conductors, and about 25% of your energy costs are lost through this thermal bridging. Know that old homes lack the radiant barriers and insulation that normally by building code is applied to the exterior of the walls, or on top of the roof sheathing where it is easy to make the insulation continuous.

My goal is to make my attic not get like an oven, and pretty much with a continuous radiant barrier my attic should not get hotter than the outside temperature.

Cal
 
A solicitation came “Maggie’s” way and was forwarded to our agent in London. This gig, if it happens, will be overseas.

Anyways an interesting gig, if it happens.

I guess this is the exciting part of being a model. Anyways a bit crazy, and perhaps not sustainable over the long-long term. Get the work while it’s hot.

Meanwhile my upstairs bath is getting demo’ed.

Some stuff is falling into my dining room from the bathroom above because my dining room has no ceiling and is exposed joists. Oh-well…

A monster dumpster resides in my driveway along side the cedar She-Shed kit.

Not only am I a lazy-slacker, but it must be evident to my neighbors that a crazy artist who is a hill-billy must live in that cute house. Even though it is the burbs some ghetto from NYC moved in.

Cal
 
Yesterday I spent the day wandering around Philly Center City.

“Maggie” had an academic meeting to attend. Last time I was in Philly was perhaps 4-5 years ago, pre-Covid. Saw lots of homeless, kinda like NYC. A cop I asked to point to City Hall to get oriented told me, “Be very careful when it gets dark.” I asked him how many years on the job he had, he told me 20, and I enquired if he was going to retire like some many cops, but he said, “No, I’ll be sticking around for a few more years.”

I ended up finding a salon where I could get my hair cut, and I made a friend.

A big deal is the Eagles being favored in the Super Bowl. I got the smut from many of the locals. Historically Philly is the perennial underdog and it is the story of ”Rocky” except now football. I hope the Eagles beat the Chiefs.

There are some very pretty parts of Philly, but they are priced out of reach. Our hotel was very near City Hall and in fact I could look out our window and see City Hall.

I met and talked with many people on the street. Pretty easy to do, at least for me. About 8-10 years ago Philly was tearing down abandoned houses, especially in North West Philly, but someone told me that he is into some program where he has a property tax abatement for ten years to have the money to fix up his house. He is in year nine of the ten and will have to start paying taxes soon…

Cal
 
Yesterday and today I had the best Pastrami sandwiches from Hatville Deli in the Reading Terminal Market.

Also know that was not mucho expensive. Almost worth the 150 mile drive to get this sandwich. The best.

Things are advancing rapidly with the bathroom. I keep on having to write checks as the work progresses. The rough plumbing and electrical are done, so another check.

Walls will get covered tomorrow, and the electric floor heating installed. We decided to do away with the hot water radiator.

A tile guy comes tomorrow and he will return Saturday to finish all the tile work. I’ll have to write another check.

The bathroom was only started on Monday. Very impressive…

Cal
 
Ah, the Reading Terminal Market! In 1992 I had a part time Saturday job down the street at Camera Care. (long closed camera repair and sales shop)
I had to be at work by 10am-I'd leave my house in NJ at 7 so I could get the cheap all day parking by getting there before 9am. And so I had time to walk up to the Market and get breakfast at the Amish place on the Arch St side of the Market. If you get a chance, eat there-it's on the Arch street side and on the end toward 9th St.

Oh...and get a woopie pie from the Amish bakery at the west end of that aisle.

Give a thought to taking Maggie to the Flower Show in the spring.
 
MFM,

I saw some dated signage that suggests we just missed the Flower Show. About 2 decades ago we went to the Flower Show when we rented a row house in Greenpoint. We had a great garden then.

We definitely will attend again. In fact I still have some terra cotta pot holders from two decades ago that I secured at the Flower Show.

If I had more time I would of attended the Car Show that was the current venue.

Interesting is that my Valet Parking guy at the hotel was this young guy who ferried Super Cars. Pretty much with Covid he lost his job.

My little brother just E-mailed me last night that he just got laid off again. He is a computer software guy. He is a year and a half younger, and he is saying this looks like the time to retire.

Kinda funny how a headline suggests that baby-boomers retiring are responsible for the worker shortage of 47 million people. They say people don’t want to work…

Anyways, the cuts in additions to my pension made it a no-brained for me. What incentive did I have to continue to work?

Then there is the expense of childcare and the lack/shortage of childcare.

Cal
 
The sun is out on Ground Hog day, but it is cold and chilly.

Tomorrow is said to be a single digit temperature day…

Last night when using the downstairs bathroom I saw what I think was a Long Tailed Weasel. I saw him in my front yard, and tracked him to my front-backyard.

Hard to be certain in the darkness.

Know that I have my own personal Ground Hog in my Back-Backyard.

Cal
 
Cal, I checked the dates for this year's Flower Show. It's back at the Philadelphia Convention Center from 03/04 to 04/12. If you order tickets from the Philadelphia Horticulture society,they'll cost you $43 each
 
MFM,

Many thanks.

I think the 8 1/2 year old grand daughter would like to go also. I have to talk to “Maggie.”

Just got back from a trail run/walk. Was over 2 hours in the woods of Blue Mountain Preserve, about half a slow-slow run and half hiking.

I lost a lot of fitness and lung capacity from Covid and being busy with life.

Oh-well.

Cal
 
Tile and the shower pan being performed today.

Bitter cold and wind chill expected tonight.

Got another oil delivery yesterday, but overall this heating season’s bills have been less, even though the price of oil has escalated, because the winter has been mild. I am thankful.

I can see that trees could get blown down, but I hope there are no power outages…

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Got another oil delivery yesterday, but overall this heating season’s bills have been less, even though the price of oil has escalated, because the winter has been mild. I am thankful.



Cal
Click to expand...
Oil companies have recorded record breaking profits for 2022. Something is rotten in Denmark !

www.wsj.com

How Exxon and Chevron's Record 2022 Profits Compare to Past Years

A tumultuous 2022 for energy markets translated to record-setting profits for U.S. oil majors. ExxonMobil on Tuesday reported $55.7 billion in net income, about $10 billion more than its previous peak in 2008. Chevron similarly cashed in after oil and gas prices shot upward following Russia's inva
www.wsj.com www.wsj.com
 
Austin,

Back in the 70’s we had OPEC, a cartel.

From my reading what has happened is that gas and oil from the Permian Basin of Texas and New Mexico Is being turned on.

Pretty much these reserves were capped, and all the oil companies had to do is uncap them.

There is an economic threshold because these are fracked wells that require oil prices need to be over $70.00 for extraction to be economically feasible. Oil companies capped these wells and just waited for prices to increase.

Of course high prices benefit oil companies, but especially capped wells that utilize fracking because the oil is just being stored in the ground.

Meanwhile rig-count for exploration is down or was down, meaning as typical in this boom and bust industry the longer term has not yet caught up with demand that is sustainable. Oil rig counts are starting to increase only recently for off shore drilling and exploration that is beginning a new cycle.

Anyways, high energy prices are here to stay I’m afraid.

I expect this same scenario exists for the Tar-Sands in Alberta Canada. This resource also has a threshold of perhaps $60.00-$70.00 a barrel pricing to overcome to be profitable, but know that burning of Natural Gas is required to extract and separate the oil, and this process is not very green. It is energy intensive and involves strip mining.

Back in 2003-2007 I was doing a lot of trading of energy stocks, and I followed this sector closely. The thresholds I mention are about a decade old, so are likely higher today.

You should know that the Permian Basin and the Canadian Tar Sands is a pretty vast supply of energy.

A way to look at this is that since exploration and infrastructure were already paid for that these profits were controlled and were kinda paid forward.

Another way to look at this perhaps is that a new cartel of sorts exists today and is allowed. I define a cartel as any organization or business that pretty much has enough power to manipulate prices in their favor.

They say China’s opening up will increase oil demand, so expect prices to remain high or even increase.

Cal
 
Another stat is that unemployment is as low as back in 1969 and well over 500K jobs were created.

Meanwhile my younger brother, a software engineer, just got laid off.

Lots of layoffs in the tech sector, but then again the Nasdaq is surging. On one hand a slowdown, but on another an increase. What gives?

My brother, age 63, is considering retiring.

Some cities and out west home prices are correcting, but at least in a good part of the northeast home prices remain stable and are going sideways, even though overall people are moving south.

I read articles saying how sanctions are working against Russia, but then I read how Russian friendly neighboring countries have surging imports that suggest that supplies are being rerouted and diverted. Also Russian oil exports are being transferred between vessels in the open ocean to circumvent killing the Russian export economy.

Fact is the Russian economy is the 11th largest in the world, but they hold large amounts of foreign reserve currencies, and as a country don’t have lots of debt, unlike most of the world.

Meanwhile in the west the larger economies carry lots of debt…

I know the Cold War was won by basically destroying the Russian economy and it never became a “hot” war. On one hand the Russians do possess some economic power that could be looked at as an advantage. Not sure how this will play out though…

I wonder because war is inflationary how perhaps inflation could be weaponized. Like I said the Cold War was one though economic means and never was a “hot” war.

Cal
 
Zero degrees in Peekskill at 7:00 AM. I don’t see the wind whipping now and the trees are still.

I’m impressed that the house is snug considering it is a 1912 house that lacks insulation. The powder room formally was part of a rear porch and kinda was like having an open window and was a large leak of heat. The remodel tightened things up, and the added insulation got rid of this major heat leak.

The attic is another heat leak. The R-21 in the rafters has compressed over the decades, and needs to be replaced. I’ll upgrade to Rock Wool that does not compress over time, and then I’ll add another layer of R-30 perpendicular to the R-21 in the joists to obtain a R-51.

Seems like I can use this double sided radiant barrier rigid foam that has a R-13 on the rafters. I’ll loose the 6 inches of depth in the rafters, but I’ll have a tighter seal and will eliminate ”thermal bridging” which is where the wood of the rafters are almost like voids where effectively there is no insulation.

The 2 inches of foam has a R-13.1 value, but the real benefit comes from the radiant barrier, especially in the summer. Pretty much the radiant barrier prevents the oven like temperature buildups that can exceed 100 degrees or more in an attic. They say with a radiant barrier, especially a double sided one, that basically the attic temperature should track the outside air temperature.

So between the thick floor required for R-51 (R-21 for 6 inch joists plus a R-30 “blanket” on top of the joists) and the loss of the 6 inches in the rafters plus the 2 1/2 inches for the double sided rigid foam plus a layer of sheet rock as a fire barrier, the most open area of the attic gets shrunk down quite a bit, but the space still could be cozy.

I’ll see if it could serve as a secondary man cave, or just becomes “clean storage.” Perhaps just my “toy-room.”

The underneath the front porch is a second basement. Interestingly this was not original when the house was built. There is a door that separates the two basements, but this is another heat leak. I can insulate the ceiling, and build out the walls to tightly seal this heat leak. This space would make a great darkroom, but the bad is the ceiling is low. Oh-well…

I intend on taking advantage of the “Inflation Reduction Act” (IRA) that actually is a government subsidy that is inflationary. Pretty much a tax credit that one has to 2034 to take advantage of. With a 30% credit on a Mini-Split, suddenly it makes sense to take advantage of savings. Suddenly there is an advantage to get subsidized and overspend and go crazy.

Pretty much I can come up with a strategy to maximize the tax credit over years to my benefit in stages And lower my tax liability.

The radiant barrier rigid foam insulation can be staged in another tax year, so I can “load up the truck” again and max out the benefit for multi year tax benefits. Rich people say, “No one ever got rich by paying taxes.”

So imagine that a mini-split, insulation, and new windows for the garage can be subsidized by tax credits…

Jack a friend and co-worker from Grumman said, “You step in shit, and then open a fertilizer factory.” How true…

”Load up the truck big time,” I say.

Cal
 
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The spot oil price yesterday was $73.23 a barrel.

Hmmmm…

Not so high a price, and not so high above the threshold for fracked oil.

This suggests that this fracked oil from the Permian Basin (Texas and New Mexico) might get capped again, and the big profits were made on the price spike.

Not sure if these fracked wells are getting pumped at this price point.

”Moo,” said the Pig.

Cal
 
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I today’s episode of “This Old Baby-Victorian” Craftsman Style Edition Rick the ”Tile-Guy” is laying tile in the now cured “mud” he set yesterday into the shower pan. I’m impressed by all the new waterproof materials and the technology.

An orange mat is set into thin set mortar for an electric radiant heated floor. The shower utilizes a lightweight waterproof panels making heavy cement board obsolete.

Rock Wool is in the exterior wall.

Monday begins demo of the dining room, which already has no ceiling because “Maggie” and I already demo’ed it for the mini-split installation. Electric will be updated since everything will be opened up. Rock wool and a vapor barrier (vapor retarder actually) installed in the exterior walls.

The original moldings will be saved for me to refinish (I already tested, no lead paint). After the sheet rock I’ll be doing wainscoting and trim work/restoration as well as building some built ins.

The idea is to accelerate and get the entire first floor done. This includes replacing the hallway ceiling that I demo’ed. With the upstairs bath pretty much all the big jobs will be done, and then the finer projects can begin.

I realize we were wise to buy a small house, and the amount of property we own is sized such that it is not a liability or burden, even as we age. Kinda makes sense to me to continue to live below my means, but still do things as “One and Done.”

I am so much looking forward to the spring and getting outside to build the she shed, and replacing the hip roof on my garage. I have plans on making insulated carriage doors (8X8) that will flatter the look of our old house. The “el-Cheapo” traditional doors are an eyesore, and an upgraded replacement is north of $7K which to me is crazy money.

Dain’s, my local lumberyard that is likely the oldest lumberyard in Westchester, has reclaimed/re-saving Hemlock planking in 6 and 12 inch widths. About $8.00 a board foot, but it would be mighty pretty. I think I will rescue the Bilco door and perhaps make a Hemlock cover to match the garage.

I have two “bays” or walk outs: one is the tower; and the other set into the corner of the living room/parlor. I would like to insulate the floors on the exteriors with rigid foam and frame in a decorative base that extends to the ground that would disguise the foam. Pretty much a decorative skirt made of wood planking running vertically.

Know that out of the 13 houses on my street that ours is likely the oldest. I’m playing it up, and already it is looking mighty cute. Very cozy, very private, and kinda ideal.

Cal
 
Because of the on going construction in my house the upstairs doors to rooms were closed, an inadvertent experiment happened, and I learned how significant a dead airspace can be.

Understand that no closed space is a dead airspace unless a vacuum is maintained, as any gas will circulate and in any closed space (unless in a vacuum) gases will circulate.

But by closing doors we kinda restrict air movements and less heat transfers occur. Anyways simple physics and basically energy transfer is less.

Anyways I kinda learned that closing doors could save and conserve heat, more than I thought…

Cal
 
I just surveyed the attic. The biggest space is an A-frame section that measures about 16x15 feet. Even without any knee walls it is really not that big of a space, especially if I loose 7 1/4 inches above the joists for R-30 Rock Wool.

Figure less than 8 sheets of plywood for a floor, plus the added thickness of say a 2x4 riser joist to create a platform of sorts. Only 240 square feet with walls that angle on two sides.

So I realize how crazy a roofline the Baby-Victorian has with basically 4 different roofs/rooflines that break up the space that is the attic. One of the roofs is the tower.

The lesson I learned about dead air space is perhaps just platform out the center storage space, put up walls and really just make the space an attic 15x8 closet that’s walled in. I believe I could have 8 foot ceilings. Perhaps a good idea is to make this 15x8 free standing to avoid thermal bridging.

Perhaps I could be nostalgic and set up the Jersey Barrier and do my digital printing.

Maybe I could have multiple specialized work areas: Digital Studio in the attic; Darkroom in my porch basement; wood working studio in the regular basement by the Bilco doors; and of course the garage.

”Don’t tell Maggie.”

Wow. I’m thinking of having multiple workspaces could be a good strategy. Each is separate and specialized. Each is self contained to prevent sprawl. Bonus is I can hide out and avoid interruption so I can enjoy my artistic solitude.

Cal
 
I find it amusing the backspin on the ballon intrusion.

First the denial, then the downplay, then the lying. Like a fart of sorts, embarrassing, that kinda backfired.

Did you hear about the second errant ballon way off course in South America somewhere? How did that happen? An unlikely coincidence?

How odd. LOL.

The purpose I think is to track jet streams to gain data. Makes no sense since missle silos are in fixed in position and satellites already surveil these locations.

Kinda funny the unintended consequences though.

I think the excuse that shooting it down in a military manner could be a bit of a scramble, so what if this is being played for drama.

The Japanese in WWII used balloons to try and start forest fires to create havoc. Early form of environmental terrorism, but they did not get it down to where it was a successful weapon.

I think recovering this vehicle that is said to be maneuverable is kind of important. I think of it as a drone of sorts that could be weaponized.

You know me: I’m a smut queen.

As much as I am laughing, I also don’t care for the bravado, the intrusion, and think this is rather serious. This is a test of sorts…

Cal
 
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