Recently, estimating a kitchen in an old Uptown New Orleans home, a client asked me to look for hardware for pocket doors.  It was not just any pocket door hardware, it was pretty specific and it took me a couple of hours to find it.  Needless to say, there were blog posts but none listed the hardware information.  I hope this information will help slice a couple of hours of searching for the next person.

The hardware was for bi-part sliding pocket doors to simultaneously open and close if one door was pushed or pulled.  The idea was to make it so you do not have to close or open one then the other.  After several calls around town, Angelo at Ricca Architectural Salvage http://www.riccasarchitecturalsales.com and Jay Seastrunk at Eskew Dumez + Ripple http://studioedr.com (coincidently found the desired hardware at the same time), handed me over to the HÄfele Hardware tomb.  http://www.hafele.com/us/

Here are the HÄfele specifications:

Top Hung System HAWA – Symmetric 80/Z

1. for bi-parting sliding wood doors
2. smooth quiet operation
3. rattle free bottom glide
4. simultaneous opening and closing of bi-parting sliding doors
5. special two way suspension
6. vertically and laterally adjustable
7. door stop with adjustable retention spring
8. maximum door weight per leaf 176lbs or 80kg
9. minimum door thickness 1” or 26mm

An event this week reminded me of a crazy problem some friends of mine had several years ago when they relocated from New Orleans to a townhouse in Washington DC. Perry Bird, who was the Director of Christmas In October and his partner Richard Martin relocated to Washington DC, Perry had accepted a job with the National Christmas In July non-profit. I went to visit and see their cool Washington townhouse. “What a great place!” I said, “but why is the refrigerator in the Dining Room?” ” We can’t get the damn thing through any door!  Our neighbors came over and we moved it around the block and tried to come through the back and through this door It won’t go in!” I thought that must have been comical since townhouse share their side wall, so to get to the back yard you literally have to go around the block! As I laughed Perry stated that the day they were doing it, there wasn’t much humor involved.

This week a similar situation happened to myself and a client while working on a renovation project here in New Orleans, but before we started moving the large Sub-Zero, Max Mendoza came up with a simple solution, we had some tight corners to clear, so after measuring and everything still looked too tight, Max replicated the large Sub-Zero using the cardboard from the box it came in, guiding the cardboard through the door openings and around the corners, we easily determined that one frame needed to be removed. This saved us so much back breaking moving of the refrigerator twice. I still picture Perry and friends circling the block with their side by side!

Here at Hal Collums Construction / Central City Millworks, we are trying to do our part to help out by recycling our saw dust. Sawdust is collected through vacuum systems around the mill and collected into a bin and then donated to the LA SPCA’s Rescue Ranch and other area horse barns. The Louisiana Rescue Ranch is run by Lori Wilson. Instead of bringing perfectly good sawdust to the landfill, we take it to be used as horse bedding. Generally, all wood shavings except for walnut, can be used as bedding. Please see attached photo’s of the Rescue Ranch.

Searching for those hard to find items like window sash weights, old doors, or shutters?  You may want to try The Green Project, www.thegreenproject.org, located at 2831 Marais Street, on the corner of Press and Marais at the railroad tracks.

New Orleans Green Project

The Green Project carries a variety of donated items from doors, windows, shutters, window sash weights, door knobs, old glass, ironwork, and light fixtures just to name a few things!  This not so little non-profit’s main goals are to keep usable building materials out of our landfills.  Other places to find recycled building materials and other unique finds are:

• Ricca, www.riccasarchitectural.com, located at 511 North Solomon in Mid-City
• The Bank, www.thebankantiques.com, located at 1824 Felicity in Central City
• The Habitat ReStore, www.habitat-nola.org, located at 2830 Royal Street, in the Bywater

Sometimes places are too small to fit a tank water heater. This is when the tankless water heater comes in handy.  There is a hierarchy with tankless water heaters, and below are some things to think about.  Many thanks to Randy Deslatte of Metro Plumbing in New Orleans, LA.

Tank / Tankless Water Heater Options:

Comparison of water heaters - photo from moreheaters.com

1. Gas Tank
   1. Venting: with galvanized double wall vent pipe out and above roof
   2. Pro: Efficient, electricity goes out you still have hot water, recovery is better because it is making hot water as you use it industry standard, comes in all sizes, from a low boy to a tall tank.
   3. Con: Requires space, prone to leak, you only get the amount of water in the tank, you have to have make up air to accommodate the carbon monoxide output so it needs venting unless in attic or outside garage
2. Electric Tank
   1. Venting: requires no vent because no combustion, operating cost is more, water recovery is not as good
   2. Pro: can fit in confined spaces
   3. Con: can leak, if electricity goes out you do not have hot water
3. Interior Gas Tankless
   1. Venting: requires double walled category 3 stainless pipes out and above roof
   2. Pro: Most efficient, less space, endless hot water, no standing pilot (flame no on all the time).  Only uses energy when you turn on the hot water, if electricity goes out you have hot water
   3. Con: Clean once a year with vinegar solution to get calcium out requires pan in case of leak
4. Exterior Gas Tankless
   1. Venting: no venting
   2. Pro: Most efficient, less space, endless hot water, no standing pilot (flame no on all the time). Only uses energy when you turn on the hot water, if electricity goes out you have hot water
   3. Con: Clean once a year with vinegar solution to get calcium out requires pan in case of leak
5. Electric Tankless
   1. Venting: requires no venting
   2. Pro: Good for single fixture point of use, not best for whole house
   3. Con: Not the best option because it is an energy hog, but to those of you in electric only buildings with out boilers, this is a good bet if you do not have space for a tank.  Power requirements are tremendous. Electricity goes out you have no hot water. Clean once a year with vinegar solution to get calcium out requires pan in case of leak

One of the first things I learned during my career in construction that has continually come up is the gauge of metal studs and the gauge of rebar.   Gauge is a unit of measuring, and is completely different for metal studs and rebar!

Metal Studs

When gauge is applied to metal studs the lower the number the harder and stiffer and more load the stud can handle.  The higher the number the softer the metal and the stud handles less load.

Thank you Long Supply Co for the image

Rebar

The word rebar is a combination of two words – reinforcing bar.  Rebars are steel bars that have ribs and they are placed into a bed of concrete to reinforce the concrete.  The ribs bind the bar to what it is planted in.  The thicker the bar, the higher the gauge.  The thinner the bar, the lower the gauge.

Synopsis for the quick reader.

When comparing 16 to 25 gauge metal studs:

• Metal Stud that is 16 gauge is thicker.  16 gauge can handle more load.

• Metal Stud that is 25 gauge is thinner.  25 gauge is the lightest or thinnest material available

When comparing 3 to 9  gauge rebar:

• Rebar that is #3 gauge is 3/8” thick.

• Rebar that is #9 gauge is 1” thick.

Soundproofing

Soundproofing  is broken down into two areas: noise reduction (stopping the noise) and noise absorption (changing the noise).  These are achieved by different applications. I will approach this issue by separating floor, walls, and ceilings; there may be some overlap.  Measuring of soundproofing is usually indicated by an NRC value. (Noise Reduction Control)  .45 NRC is less sound absorbing than .75 NRC.

1. Floors

   • Carpet is a good noise absorption; one can put cork or neoprene underneath the carpet and carpet pad to further muffle the sound. This is good to do if you live above someone and want to reduce noise you make.

2. Walls

   • The best way to soundproof a room is a double layer of sheetrock, known as a resilient channel.  This can be done a couple of ways: placing metal tracks along the wall and hanging another sheet of rock. The metal tracks are put on neoprene pads or siliconed creating a cavity and noise barrier for apartments next to each other.
   • Spray foam does little for sound proofing, but what does well is sprayed-on cellulose.  Don’t forget to seal your outlet holes.
   • Sound Board is similar to a sheet of rock, only hard foam, and is placed between the stud wall and sheetrock.
   • Lead lined sheetrock, but is costly at 125 to 250 a sheet.
   • Windows; replacing your single pane with dual pane window units with a soundproof element.  Not all dual pane window units have soundproofing.
   • Fabric wrapped Acoustical Panels are used in movie theaters and public areas. These boards have noise-absorbing foam are hung on existing walls.

3. Ceilings

   • Sugarcane Panels are made from the stalks of sugar cane bound together into a panel.  The panel has a high NA value and can be spray painted up to 6 times with non-bridging paint; good for public places.
   • Acoustical Tiles; there is a hierarchy here, all panels are not created equal.  Please look at the NRC (Noise Reduction Control) value to see how much soundproofing you want to achieve.

The R Value is a measurement of thermal resistance or in plain English – the higher the R-value is on the insulation you are buying the warmer you will be.

Image from Hannant Property Assessments

In addition to the above, the thicker the insulation the higher the R Value will be.  The R Value describes heat being transferred in three ways: conduction, radiation and convection.

Please Note:

• The manufacturer’s R Value only applies to properly installed insulation, so please read the directions!
• The R Value weakens in time.
• Compressed insulation will not give its full R Value

R Values apply to:

• Insulation for walls, floors, roof (foam, batt, cellulose, sound baord etc)
• Windows
• Thinsulate for clothing and sleeping bags
• Concrete
• Glass for Windows
• And more

Per Climate Insulating Tips:

• US Department of Energy has a great website to help you determine the insulation level for your house and climate type.  http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome.html

• To learn more about insulation go to the US Department of Energy fact sheet website at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_02.html

Paint sheen, like color, is a personal choice.  But, did you know that the choice of paint sheen will affect the overall look of a room, washabilty, and any desired hiding of wall or ceiling flaws. Paint is generally sold in 4 distinct sheens with a variety of slight variations of each level. Flat, Satin, Semi-Gloss and Gloss. Also popular offerings are Matte, Eggshell and High Gloss.  Two good rules of thumb are: The least amount of sheen offers the least washability and the higher the sheen the more sheetrock or plaster flaws will show (also, the touch up quality suffers with the higher sheen).

Choose paint sheens based on the area in the home.

Flat paints are best for ceilings and low traffic areas such as bedrooms, home offices, or formal living areas. A matte finish has a very slight sheen above flat and might be used in the same areas. Satin and Eggshell are often used interchangeably and are great in medium traffic areas such as dens, kitchens, baths, hallways, mudrooms. Semi-gloss is most often used for high washibility on woodwork, baseboards, doors and casings, and windows. In addition, Semi-gloss may be used when more washibilty is desired in wet areas and cooking areas such as baths, laundry rooms, and kitchens (especially in the absence of back-splash and tile work).

For exterior applications, Satin is great for weatherboards and porch ceilings.  Semi-Gloss is good for all doors, windows, and trim work as used inside. At times a Gloss or High-Gloss my be desired especially for the enhancement of architectural details, millwork, fine cabinetry, and crown moldings. Paint sheens are not universally the same from one company to the next. What one company calls “gloss” may be considered “semi-gloss” at another.  So be sure to check with the manufacturer and get a sample to be sure you are getting the desired sheen.

Choosing the right color is a personal choice but a few helpful hints used along the way can save you time, frustration and money. Most people choose interior colors from something in the room they are painting that inspires them. It could be flooring, tile, wood tones, curtains, bedspread, furniture or others or just a favorite color. Exterior color choices consider brick or stone colors on the house or colors appropriate to the period of the home. This may require some additional research, however your local paint store as well as local historical organizations have this information readily available.

Banana Cream yellow Sherwin-Williams paint

Over the last few years, all the major paint companies have offered “sample” cans that range in price from $3-$6 depending on the size to “try out” a color. This is the best way, to prevent spending $40.00 or more per gallon and the application time to only then realize this shade of orange looks like Macaroni & Cheese!! Ugh!! Samples on color chips look different in the store, than the actual paint on the walls, lighting effects the way the color is perceived as well, fluorescent in the store, warm incandescent at home. Colors will also look different at various times of day and will be affected by the shadows in the room. It is not unusual to paint several rooms the same golden beige and have it look like a different color in different rooms. At the same time you can paint adjacent walls one shade off from one another and not be able to tell the difference.

Color is very tricky and each person will see it a little different as well. Purchase the samples and apply a 3-4 ft square on two to three walls in the room you are painting so that some is applied opposite the window and some in shadowy areas.  Also make sure some is near any item you are trying to match or compliment, ie curtains, sofa, etc.  Going through this exercise a few times is far easier and less costly  than repainting the entire room or having to “live with” a bad choice. When you make your final color selection. Be sure to prime and paint over the sample areas. The samples are usually not “actual” paint and will deteriorate over time if not top coated. You will also always end with a better finish if you start with a crisp white palette. Beware, painting over samples, nail hole repairs, crack repairs etc can create a splotchy look. Happy Painting!