At the end of today's show the Guru gave an email address that listeners could use to ask a question. Could you email me that address?

Please.

The Lopate Show responds:
You can contact Larry Ubell at this email address: larry@accuratebuilding.com

Another guess for the fire proof enclosure.
An Assembly

Fireproof Vault?

last guess... firebox

Then that leaves insulation.

encapsulant

What is a GWB fire partition

the wrapping around the insulation is called an encapsulant or encapsulation
cant get through on the phone

Is it a fire-stop?

we live on the 8th floor of a 9 floor apartment bldg. we installed a new hand held shower head (Pollenex) earlier in the year, but there semmed to be a lack of pressure. so we bought a new one (Waterpik), which allows us to remove the flow regulator. it works great, but only when the bracket is at a 180 degree angle. if I move the bracket so the shower aims at a different angle, there's a leak from where the bracket meets the pipe. the instructions say to tighten the bracket by hand - tightening too much makes it leak more no matter what the angle. the manufacturer is sending me anew bracket, but this sounds fishy. what do you think?

It is an ENCASEMENT!!!

I can't get thru to answer the trivia Q!

Re: the woman living in the high rise with a single shower valve complaining about gradual rise in temperature.

The valves have a safety device which limits how much the 'hot' half of the valve opens up. Her's is set too low. What's happening is it's taking a while for the hot line to push out the water which is already in the line and not as hot as the water in the boiler.

Hi,
I live in a loft, where each apartment has its own hot water heater. A friend said that I could save on my electric bill in the winter by insulating the heater. Is this worth doing, and if so what can I use to insulate it?

Is it a truss?

How can I stop a neighbor's cigarette smoke from seeping into my apartment?

I live in a brownstone. Both my upstairs and downstairs neighbors
smoke.

Thanks!

Ellen in Manhattan

And the space under your nose is called a "philtrum" (mythical definition: the fingerprint of your guardian angel on your lips, before you're born, so that you never speak of the wonders of heaven ...) ... see ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philtrum

or perhaps it's "furring"

the answer is a beam dump?

Moisture has been accumulating between the double pane of my storm windows. They look dirty and I'm worried about mold building up. I live in a coop and the windows were replaced before we bought our apt. Other neighbors have the same problem, but the company has since gone out of business. Can't afford to replace all the windows that are affected (4 out of 8). Any way to have them repaired?

It's called a "HAT CHANNEL" ... see this reference ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furring

... I think that's it.

I can't call in.

I live in an apartment that a fan was never put in in the bathroom. I think it's a state law (or building code) that there has to be one, but am not sure where to check.

There was a severe mold problem in the bathroom. My roommate (who's on the lease) has never complained to the landlord. This is a 7-year problem. I recently moved in and would like to know where to start and who to talk to - and also - is mold that bad of a problem?

In the winter I have cold air coming into the kitchen through the oven and the oven vents. How do I figure out where the cold air is entering, and how can I insulate this without blocking the oven ventilation?

Thanks,
Doug

Beam Dump!

What is a "fire rating"

What is wrong with this Larry-Person? First he tortures us with his stupid quiz FOREVER and now he 'pulls' the quiz without giving us whatever he deems the right answer? This is not fair. I want to hear the answer he deems correct!

I am a gardener. Several of my clients have irrigation systems which are blown out and shut off for the winter. Is it ALSO necessary to shut off water to the spigot on the outside of the house??

Is it a "Finished Enclosure"?

Part under the nose above the lip is called the philtrum

Your question about the box:
Is it a soffit?
thanks, julie

isn't it just cladding around beams?

what can be done about a shower where the temperature changes drastically from boiling to freezing by itself? thanks.

I live in an 80 year old plaster-lathe walled coop apartment. What is the easiest & fastest way to run a dedicated AC outlet from a new circuit-breaker panel in the kitchen to a bedroom on the opposite side of the apartment?