Author Archives: ellen

What is Wrong with the ERV?

Posted on September 22, 2021 by ellen

No air was coming through the vents. I noticed it getting stuffy when we kept the house closed up because of smoke from the huge wildfires in the west. I thought the filters just had to be replaced and the … Continue reading →

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Radon Fan #2

Posted on August 28, 2021 by ellen

Since the new roof was going on it was time to put the hole in for the second radon fan. All this time the fan was in the garage but I was reluctant to try to cut a hole in … Continue reading →

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Tesla Starts Early

Posted on August 26, 2021 by ellen

The solar roof was originally scheduled to start on Sept 7th but the manager called and asked if they could start earlier and I said, “Sure!”. The first day another company tore off the old roof. I asked if they … Continue reading →

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Recycled Rubber Patio

Posted on August 20, 2021 by ellen

We were preparing for guests. That always helps make a dent in the to do list. The front patio was concrete that was jacked out when the house slab was removed. It had also heaved and settled so that it … Continue reading →

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Tesla Called

Posted on August 19, 2021 by ellen

Tesla finally called to schedule the solar roof installation. I was very excited. We have been working with Tesla since April of last year and I have been on the waiting list since June 1, 2017, the day President Trump … Continue reading →

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Foundation Insulation Repair

Posted on July 11, 2021 by ellen

We finally completed the third section of the foundation insulation on the south “Trombe wall”side of the house. Another project completed due to guests arriving. This was the third section and it was a bit more complicated due to the … Continue reading →

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New Electrical System for the RV

Posted on July 11, 2021 by ellen

I’ve always had trouble with sealed lead acid coach batteries dying after a season or two. The new RV came with two wet lead acid 67 AH marine batteries that were pretty much shot. So I did some research and … Continue reading →

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To Build a Detached Garage

Posted on July 8, 2021 by ellen

We have decided to clean up our property and empty our attached two car garage by building a large RV garage to the side of the house. We thought we had a contractor willing to build it but he changed … Continue reading →

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New RV Cross Country

Posted on May 27, 2021 by ellen

We took the new RV to Indiana in early April to meet the buyers and enjoy our friends and a final work session on the house. The early April weather is very changeable and there was a late snow across … Continue reading →

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All Fun and No Work

Posted on May 24, 2021 by ellen

I’m not sure how to transition the blog from working on the house to working on other projects. I guess not working on the house either means no posts or off topic posts. One step in the LEED certification process … Continue reading →

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Lithium Battery Test

Posted on May 6, 2021 by ellen

I was told that the advertised amp hours on a lithium battery was a bit of a stretch and that the batteries would not deliver what they were rated for. So this called for a test. My son found a … Continue reading →

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Family Fun in Florida

Posted on April 18, 2021 by ellen

My son got an unexpected vacation from work and the family really wanted to visit the beach. I floated the idea of staying at a Fort Myers beach so we could visit my brother and my cousin and my aunt … Continue reading →

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Modifying the RV for Travel

Posted on April 12, 2021 by ellen

Over the last two weeks I’ve spent a lot of time moving the camping equipment from the old RV to the new one and installing storage upgrades to fit the family. It has been so much fun to set up … Continue reading →

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New RV; New Projects

Posted on March 22, 2021 by ellen

Before we moved to Colorado and started remodeling the new house for LEED certification we bought a 2002 Itasca 22E Class C recreational vehicle. We acquired it and the very end of 2009 as it’s third owner. We had so … Continue reading →

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Moving Up to LEED 4.1

Posted on March 6, 2021 by ellen

All of the documentation on our LEED project so far has been to fulfill the requirements of LEED for Homes 2009. Although I have another year to qualify under the old system, I’ve contacted Energy Logic to finish up the … Continue reading →

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Rolling Case for Trolling Motor

Posted on February 27, 2021 by ellen

The new trolling motor needed a case so that it could be stored and transported more easily. I thought I might use the Sailrite sewing machine and some vinyl to make one but first I thought I should look for … Continue reading →

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Cold Weather Call for Heat but No Boiler Firing

Posted on February 13, 2021 by ellen

I realized when the temperature got down to zero and hung around in the low single digits that the heating zone in the rear of the house was acting strangely. The thermostat would call for heat but the boiler would … Continue reading →

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Battery Box for Trolling Motor

Posted on February 4, 2021 by ellen

It’s winter and outdoor projects are limited. As soon as it turned the new year I made a reservation to camp for the Fourth of July. Camping is very popular in Colorado and it is difficult to get into a … Continue reading →

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Incomplete Sailrite Sewing Project

Posted on December 13, 2020 by ellen

I started a new vinyl cover for a spa section which broke my Singer 9960 sewing machine. I sent it out for repair and it is not yet ready. But I purchased a really heavy duty expensive Sailrite zig zag … Continue reading →

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Hoppe Lock Jam

Posted on December 2, 2020 by ellen

We first had this problem when one of the doors was new. There is a piece on the three point lock that is called a mishandling device. This is a latch that releases the top and bottom throw bolts that … Continue reading →

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