Answers

Here is a good website to reference for foam insulation:

http://energy.gov/energysaver/types-insulation

Types of Liquid Foam Insulation

Today, most foam materials use foaming agents that don't use chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which are harmful to the earth's ozone layer.

There are two types of foam-in-place insulation: closed-cell and open-cell. Both are typically made with polyurethane. With closed-cell foam, the high-density cells are closed and filled with a gas that helps the foam expand to fill the spaces around it. Closed-cell foam is the most effective, with an insulation value of around R-6.2 per inch of thickness.

Open-cell foam cells are not as dense and are filled with air, which gives the insulation a spongy texture. Open-cell foam insulation value is around R-3.7 per inch of thickness.

The type of insulation you should choose depends on how you will use it and on your budget. While closed-cell foam has a greater R-value and provides stronger resistance against moisture and air leakage, the material is also much denser and is more expensive to install. Open-cell foam is lighter and less expensive but should not be used below ground level where it could absorb water. Consult a professional insulation installer to decide what type of insulation is best for you.

Available liquid foam insulation materials include:

• Cementitious
• Phenolic
• Polyisocyanurate (polyiso)
• Polyurethane.

Some less common types include Icynene foam and Tripolymer foam. Icynene foam can be either sprayed or injected, which makes it the most versatile. It also has good resistance to both air and water intrusion. Tripolymer foam—a water-soluble foam—is injected into wall cavities. It has excellent resistance to fire and air intrusion.

Installation

Liquid foam insulation -- combined with a foaming agent -- can be applied using small spray containers or in larger quantities as a pressure-sprayed (foamed-in-place) product. Both types expand and harden as the mixture cures. They also conform to the shape of the cavity, filling and sealing it thoroughly.

Slow-curing liquid foams are also available. These foams are designed to flow over obstructions before expanding and curing, and they are often used for empty wall cavities in existing buildings. There are also liquid foam materials that can be poured from a container.

Installation of most types of liquid foam insulation requires special equipment and certification and should be done by experienced installers. Following installation, an approved thermal barrier equal in fire resistance to half-inch gypsum board must cover all foam materials. Also, some building codes don't recognize sprayed foam insulation as a vapor barrier, so installation might require an additional vapor retarder.

Costs

Liquid foam insulation products and installation usually cost more than traditional batt insulation. However, liquid foam insulation has higher R-values and forms an air barrier, which can eliminate some of the other costs and tasks associated with weatherizing a home, such as caulking, applying housewrap and vapor barrier, and taping joints. When building a new home, this type of insulation can also help reduce construction time and the number of specialized contractors, which saves money.

I would call a local company that sells quartz countertops and find a service rep that can come out and handle the repair properly. This will ensure that it is repaired by a professional. First I would call the company that installed the countertop and they may be able to take care of it for you or point you in right direction.

The process of repairing quartz countertop problems and blemishes is a very special skill that involves complicated processes. The painstaking task often requires painting and chip repair so you should never try to fix blemished pieces on your own. In fact, you should leave all of your installation and repair to professionals. If you try to fix them yourself you will doubtlessly be creating more problems for yourself down the road. This can be an expensive and annoying mistake if you constantly have to repair a wrongly installed countertop.

You can also use the GuildQuality "Find a Contractor" at the top of the webpage. THere you can find local contractors. I agree with Dennis that NARI is also another great option.

There is minimal maintenance to keep the water heater running good as new. Here is a quick link to some helpful steps http://www.wikihow.com/Maintain-a-Tankless-Water-Heater

A dedicated home theater room has not been as popular as it used to. A growing trend appears to be hybrid spaces where a large LED 4k TV or a hidden projector screen is used. Consumers like their movies and music so the addition of a media server to store music, videos, and use the internet is growing popular. Now you can watch YouTube videos from your couch instead of the office. Wiring a home is a painstaking process and expensive so many homeowners gravitate towards the SONOS wireless setup or a soundbar. The audiophiles will always want better speakers and sound quality though.

Here's what to do if you wake up some frigid winter morning to find a water pipe frozen solid:Step 1: Open faucet so steam produced by your thawing activities will be able to escape.

Step 2: Start thawing pipe (see pipe-thawing options below) at faucet, and work back toward other end of frozen section. As you melt ice, water and steam will come out open faucet. If you started in the middle, steam produced by melting ice could get trapped and build up enough pressure to burst the pipe.

Pipe-thawing options: There are several things you can do to thaw your home's pipes. Here's a list:

• Probably the most popular and safest pipe-thawing option is to use hot water. Wrap and secure heavy towel or burlap bag around pipe to concentrate and hold heat against it. Place bucket under pipe to catch runoff water, then pour hot or boiling water over towel.
• A less messy but far more dangerous heat source for thawing frozen pipes is a propane torch equipped with a flame-spreader nozzle. With this heat source, you must be extremely careful to prevent torch flame from damaging or igniting wall behind pipe. A scrap of fireproof material between pipe and wall is a good precautionary measure, but the way you use the torch is the main element in safe pipe thawing. Keep flame moving back and forth. Never leave it in one spot very long. Be especially careful if you're near any soldered pipe joints. Pass over them very quickly or else they may melt and cause leaks, and you'll find that you have a much more serious plumbing problem on your hands than a frozen pipe. Caution: Never use torch or other direct high heat on plastic pipe.
• If you want to avoid the messiness of thawing with hot water and the danger of melting soldered joints with propane torch, try heat lamp or hair dryer as heat source. These work less quickly but are much safer.

To thaw a frozen drainpipe, remove trap, and insert length of garden hose into pipe. When you can't push hose any farther, it has probably reached the ice. Raise your end of the hose and feed hot water in through a funnel. This way, the hot water is sure to get to the problem area. You must be careful when using this technique.

Until the ice melts and drains down the pipe, the hot water you pour in will back up toward you. Have a bucket ready to catch the overflow, and be careful not to scald yo

urself.

Here are some helpful steps to make the process safe:

http://www.lowes.com/creative-ideas/bed-and-bath/remove-a-bathroom-mirror/project

I agree with Lane. There are maintenance companies that can services your entire Hvac system at a low cost so you keep the life of the units.

Look to see if they belong to any local organizations such as NARI.

Communication is one of the big differences between custom builders. Lack of communication on simple items or steps can detrail a relationship and cause many headaches.

Hire a reliable electrician who has many years of experience. Do not settle for the best price.

I agree, 300+ is typical.

We always clean up after the job every day. If you leave things go then they build up over time and make a bigger mess. Carpet runners, plastic covering doors, and setting expectations for your employees/subcontractors is a must.

Check out this Houzz site for ideas http://www.houzz.com/outdoor-basketball-court

Do you have a budget? This would be the first question I would ask which also relates to your potential. You are looking at 15-20k typically.

Then are you looking at concrete or a rubber base?