Insulation job hits peculiar snag

Q: We are currently having fiberglass insulation blown into our 1850s house. So far they have completed the attic and the second floor. They have drilled the holes in the first floor. Now they are telling us that they cannot find the rubber hose they need to complete the project and it is too cold for them to complete the project and we need to wait until spring. I would like to know if the cold weather is a factor and if you know what the rubber hose is called, which they claim they cannot find.

A: It depends somewhat on exactly what they are blowing into the cavities. Some wall-cavity insulation has a binder or an adhesive additive that might be affected by cold weather, but in my opinion that would be only during prolonged periods of extreme cold. As to the rubber hose they're referring to, I would have no idea what that could be. Even the most specialized parts for insulation-blowing equipment should be readily available from the manufacturer, and I could see no reason why it should delay a project by several months.

It sounds to me like the contractor (I assume you are dealing with a licensed contractor!!) is stalling you, and it could be for any number of reasons. My suggestion would be to first find out what material they're using, and then contact the manufacturer to confirm that there are no specific cold-weather restrictions on the application of their product.

After that, I would talk to the contractor and insist that the job be completed by or very close to whatever date is specified in your contract. I would then withhold any payment to the contractor until the job is completed to your satisfaction. If you have doubts about the quality of workmanship, or if you're unsure if the job has been completed to industry standards, you can also talk with the manufacturer of the insulation products -- the same one you contact about the cold-weather issues -- and ask them to send a product representative out to inspect.

Q: I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. We had a new furnace and central air installed three years ago. The house is cooler now than it was with the old furnace and costs us more on our gas bill. The furnace company installed our heat vents on inside walls and our cold-air returns near the ceiling. Should we move these? Web sites that I see say to place heat registers on outside walls and cold-air returns near the floor to pull cold -- not hot -- air near the ceiling.

A: Here's the general rule of thumb for the placement of heating registers and cold-air returns, and why it's done that way: ...CONTINUED

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