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CPB Home Press Releases Consumer Links

Ask The Expert Answers


1. Are there any agencies that will help with purchasing an alternate heating system such as a pellet stove?
We are unaware of any programs that assist with the purchase of pellet stoves. Please go to: http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/maphomeowner.cfm?State=NY&CurrentPageId=1&RE=1&EE=1 for a review of all New York homeowner incentives for renewables and energy efficiency.

2. Is there a “best location” for a bathroom exhaust fan? Example: directly above the shower/tub or in the center of the bathroom?
All good exhaust fans will do a proper job (when used), located anywhere on the ceiling of a bathroom. It is more of an aesthetic choice than a performance issue. By code, a mechanical venting system should be at least 50 cubic feet/minute or CFM’s and be vented to the outside. Other considerations include how the humid air is removed from the house; whether it will travel through unconditioned air on its way out of the house (special considerations as to the type of ducting used is needed). Also, be careful about ducting humid air to the soffit as soffit/ridge vents can draw the moist air back into the house or attic. A gable or a roof vent is the preferred method for venting.

3. Are there any incentives for the work associated with improving heat retention and insulation of your home? If there are such assistance programs, what qualifications would an individual or family be required to meet to be eligible?
There are programs available to make your home tighter and more energy efficient. Please go to: http://www.dsireusa.org/library/includes/maphomeowner.cfm?State=NY&CurrentPageId=1&RE=1&EE=1 for a review of all New York homeowner incentives for renewable and energy efficiency. If you live on Long Island, LIPA (the Long Island Power Authority) at http://lipower.org/ or, for the rest of the State, NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) at http://getenergysmart.org/ may offer help through their Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Programs. Your local electric and/or gas utility may also offer assistance.

4. I have a deck with new pressure treated railings that I want to paint. I have heard that I should wait 6 months to do this. Is this right, or can I paint them now? Is there a type of paint better suited for outdoor use?

Treated lumber (ACQ lumber aka Wolmanized lumber) is treated with chemicals in two ways - "dipped" (that is when the lumber is dipped into a big vat of chemicals), kiln dried or steamed (that is when they take the lumber and put it into a kiln and the lumber absorbs the chemicals.)

Both treatments will swell the wood. Once a deck is installed, the sun and UV rays will shrink and dry out the lumber. Once that happens, usually within 4-6 months depending on exposure to sun and the geographic location of the lumber - the further North the more time is needed - the wood at that point is ready for "finish.”

You can finish in two basic ways:
1) Sealer/stain- A sealer is usually a water based product. It can be clear or have a color. Many people refer to this as a "stain." These products have a high concentration of water, so they do not last long. When this product is used, repeat this process every 12-18 months, depending on local weather conditions.

2) Painting- Before you paint "treated" lumber you need to follow these steps:
    A. Make sure lumber is dried out.
    B. Lumber needs to be primed with a POLY Based primer. This is important because even thought it is dried out, the chemicals will still interact with paint. Poly based primers will create a "barrier" between lumber and finish coats.
Homeowners often miss this step.

Some contractors prefer an oil base finish top coat. Just make sure the paint is for exterior use and is effective against UV Rays.

Depending on the lumber manufacturer they will have the "manufacturer’s recommended" finishing procedure.


5. I am in the process of putting up drywall in place of wood paneling walls in my finished attic. Would it be recommended to upgrade the insulation when the wood paneling is down? Is there an energy-efficient insulation type?

It would be a great idea to upgrade insulation. Generally, you would install insulation that fits the cavity. Example 2 x 4 rafters can only fit 3 1/2 inch insulation that is sold under the label of R-11 or R-13.

  • 2 x 6 rafters can only fit 6 1/4 inch insulation which is sold under the label of R-19 or R-21
  • 2 x 8 rafters can only fit 8 inch insulation which is sold under the label of R-25
  • 2 x 10 rafters can only fit 10 inch insulation which is sold under the label of R-30
  • 2 x 12 rafters can only fit 8 inch insulation which is sold under the label of R-38
An alternative is to have insulation professionally blown in with either cellulose or fiberglass loose fill.

There are also new programs available using high density closed cell foam which will give a greater insulating R-value with a lower number of inches used.
6. I have two questions for you today!

We are considering purchasing an outdoor furnace, but didn't know if there was funding or assistance from the state that would help with the cost and installation of this home improvement.

Also, we were informed by a contractor that there is state assistance for people who are looking to get an older barn repaired. The barn was built in the 1800's and is in need of roof repair among other things.

If you are unable to help, please point me in the direction that I need to go to for help with these questions!

I recommend you first go to www.NYSBA.com, the New York State Builders Association website, and look at the index for the local affiliated group in your home area and click onto that local link for their member directory or contact information.  You may find a classified listing for outdoor heating/furnaces that could provide funding assistance information. The same directory or local affiliate contact may be able to link you to remodelers that could help you with your old barn renovations and funding assistance.  Another lead would be to contact one or all of the following state agencies to see if they have funding assistance for this work: New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), 518-862-1090; Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), 518-473-8384, website- www.dhcr.state.ny.us; NYS Office of Parks and Recreation(for historic preservation funding aid), 518-474-0456, website- www.nysparks.state.ny.us; NYS Agricultural and Markets (old barns assistance), 518-457-3880, website- www.agmkt.state.ny.us .
7. Is there a resource available to the public that defines construction and architectural terms so that I can better understand a home improvement project and the terms of my contract?
If you go to www.NYSBA.com (index) and click on BBuilderbooks.com it will bring you to an excellent source of building industry publications. Many of these publications in this catalog are for the homeowner/consumer and are typically found in the “For your Clients” section.  Publications such as, “Building Your New Home: An Insider’s Guide”, Residential Construction Performance Guidelines (Consumer Reference)”, ‘How to Find a Professional Remodeler” and many more.  You may also check out the New York State Residential Code (the building code rules applicable to new and renovated one and two-family dwellings and townhouses).  Many building terms are defined in this code. You may also contact the NYS Department of State, Codes Division -518-474-4073, website- www.dos.state.ny.us , to find out how else you may review the state’s Residential Code and its definitions.
8. What are mechanic’s lien clauses and who does it protect?

The mechanics lien law is found in articles 1 to 3-A of the New York State Lien Law statute.  It is intended to protect all contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and workers for non-payment by homeowners, contractors, or employers. The Home Improvement Contracts Law has a special provision that requires home improvement contractors to provide homeowner customers with notice that when work is being done on their home that such work and related non-payment to the contractor, his subcontractors, material suppliers and workers may result in a lien being filed against the home.  This law also spells out how the homeowner is protected against liens being kept in force or allowing for lien discharge.  The Home Improvement Contracts Law can be found in General Business Law, Article 36-A and related lien law trust fund sections are found in the state Lien Law, article 3-A. Most libraries will have these laws. 

9. We are interviewing contractors for 3+ million job. How can we check to be sure there are no claims against them?

Unfortunately, there is not one source to find information on a contractor’s history. A search on the internet for local counties could result in possible liens on properties owned by the individual or companies. Another search to State departments of Labor and Taxation could produce Tax liens or employment issues.

The Better Business Bureau would only have complaints made directly to them but still an avenue for information.

The New York State Office of the Attorney General would have records of misconduct but only if actions were taken. You may want to contact the Consumer Fraud Bureau or Criminal Prosecutions Bureau.

The best way to find out about your contractor is to talk to past customers. Get a list of at least three and contact them. Ask about quality of workmanship, contract procedures, the time it took to complete the project and overall satisfaction of work done by the contractor. Compare the jobs done to your proposed project so you are making an appropriate comparison.

Get the name of the bank the contractor uses and call the branch, the manager should be able to give an opinion on how the company operates financially.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this process.

10. How can I determine the amount of power that will be used with appliances such as air conditioners and fans? As well, how might I go about an energy assessment of my home to enable me to lower costs?

Thank you for your question. Appliance power usage can vary greatly based on individual circumstances. Please visit New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA’s) website at http://getenergysmart.com/Resources/Tips.aspx for information and energy-saving tips.

You can also review their Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program which offers a home assessment and energy efficiency improvements by approved contractors. The link for this information is http://getenergysmart.com/SingleFamilyHomes/ExistingBuilding/HomeOwner.aspx.

11. I have a four foot crawl space under a portion of my home. While there is insulation between the floor joists, there is no insulation on the walls. I would like to insulate the walls and am wondering what is the best product for this application?

You say there is no insulation ON the walls. I am assuming you mean IN the walls. If you are talking about insulation IN the walls there are several choices. Most home owners choose fiberglass. It is the most cost effective of the insulations if walls are already open. To install in the walls you would need to remove the sheetrock and/or paneling to expose studs. That part can be costly.

Other ways to install inside the walls would be to blow in the insulation. This can be done from the outside of the house. In this method they would drill a hole into your house in the exterior walls and a contractor would blow in insulation which is usually a dry cellulose type. Blown in cellulose can be installed from inside as well if walls are open.

Foam board can also be used on the exterior if your are also siding your house. The insulation board would go on first and then the siding would be applied on top.

The big variable is if the interior of the walls are open. If they are not and need to be opened up that process would cause you to incur the most cost.

12. I had a contractor put tile down in our back hall. The grout keeps cracking and lifting. They came back and tried to secure the floor but it is still cracking? Any suggestions?

Thanks for taking the time to write in. When grout cracks out of the joints, it usually points to a larger problem. Often it pertains to movement either in the subfloor or at the perimeter of the room. The Tile Council of America recommends one and a quarter inches of subfloor underneath the tile to give it support. The grout cracking is the first sign that it may be flexing more than the allowable standard. How did your contractor secure the floor? Did they put cross bracing underneath the floor? Did they pull tile up and put extra screws into the subfloor?

Another possibility is perimeter expansion. If the tile is set tight against the walls, it puts pressure on the floors and houses are constantly moving with air pressure and temperature changes. While this movement isn’t noticeable to the naked eye, it will exert enough pressure on a tile floor if it is too close to the wall and squeeze the floor together enough for the grout to crack. There should be at least a quarter inch space between the walls and the tile. This area should then be filled with a caulk. Most grouts have a matching caulk readily available.

I hope this helps solve the problem.