I chose the title due to the lack of knowledge from consumers concerningclimbing vines. Although they look nice, climbing vines do a tremendous amountof damage to a structure. They embed their roots into brick, mortar, and woodwith ease. What people don't understand is that the roots can causecatastrophic damage to a structure.

Brick becomes week and susceptible to moisture damage as the roots embedthemselves. This makes spalling (moisture intrusion that freezes within brickcausing the face to chip off) likely in winter months. Not only do the vinesaffect brick, but they also cause moisture damage and wood rot to siding andstructural members. They are also conducive to insect infestation givingtermites and carpenter ants a clear avenue to their next meal.

In short, if you have to have vines climbing on the outside of yourhouse, build a trellis or something for them to climb on. This will save youthe frustration of calling exterminators and the unsavory expense of repair.

Well, it was good while it lasted. News from Austin has deemed the Texas Residential Construction Act does not have enforceable provisions requiring State registration of contractors engaging in remodeling and new home construction. THIS GIVES ME HARTBURN!

When Texas adopted the Texas Residential Construction Act (TRCA) requiring the creation of the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC) to enforce building standards across the State, this was a great move for the protection of the consumer and local contractors. The State required licensing for all contractors to perform work. Many cities across the State adapted the State license program requiring remodel contractors and new home builders to have a valid TRCC license to perform work in their city. This license was unattainable by illegal workers and put checks and balances in place to protect consumers. Storm chasers from other States also had to obtain the license in order to perform work, the application process (usually 30 days) and having to honor warranties helped denture people looking to make a quick buck off Texans.

So, this is how we loose by the commission being dissolved September 1st:

• Contractors will no longer have to give the minimum 2 year warranty covering all projects or the 10 year warranty covering structural items for projects over $10,000.
• Illegal workers will now be able to work as free as they ever did without repercussions from the TRCC including fines up to $250,000.
•  Storm chasers will now be able to blow in and out of the State like the April showers leaving a wake of crappy work in their path.
• Legitimate contractors will now have the same old problem, illegal workers and storm chasers under bidding jobs making it hard to be competitive.

Although the TRCC goes away, this is what we will continue to do:

• We will continue to honor our warranties, including a 10 year structural warranty on all projects over $10,000 that entails structural changes.
• We will continue to perform work in accordance with international, national and local building codes.
• We will continue to maintain general liability insurance and register in counties where we perform work requiring pulling a permit.
• We will continue to cooperate with city offices and pull permits when applicable.
• We will continue to advocate against shotty workmanship and undocumented workers.

Can you say Hot? A dollar five today and we are not getting a brake any time soon. As homeowners, we need to be contentious about keeping our homes energy efficient. Efficient homes are the result of upgrading windows, blowing in additional insulation and replacing hollow core exterior doors.

Today's homes should hold an R-38 value. In order to achieve this rating, newer homes are built with Low-E Windows, 18" cellulose insulation, whole house wraps and insulated steel-clad doors. Some homes actually surpass this rating by utilizing low density foam.

I spoke with a man whom owns a new home on Richland Chambers Lake. He used low density foam for all his exterior walls and blew in 18" of cellulose insulation into the attic. His summer electric bill is around $140, that's cooling 3000 sq'! I can not say what the homes total R Rating is, but $140 in the summer sounds great to me.

For those of us disadvantaged with an older home, upgrades are a must. The government is giving tax credits for upgrades, you can find out more at http://www.irs.gov

    Joe, this is a cool feature. I am impressed. I am going to find some stuff around our house that my mom has questions about. Later...