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A pilot may not light for many reasons including a blocked chimney, an automatic damper that will not open, a faulty pilot tube, blocked gas line, and more.
Should be checked by a qualified heating technician.
You can blow in additional insulation over the old or simply lay additional fiberglass batts over the existing.
Probably best to remove the carpet as it will only act as a medium upon which molds and mildews can grow.
The depth of required insulation is based on your local building code.
R38 should be more than ample but check with your code office to be sure.
4″ of rigid foam polyisocyanurate insulation will give you about an R-26. Add that to the approximately R-11 you have in your attic now and you come close to recommended ceiling insulation levels.
The best way to attack this is as you have suggested which is by fastening it under the existing ceiling joists then cover with new drywall.
Don’t even attempt to reinstall this.
It won’t pass a code inspection without the manufacturer’s installation instructions.Your mason is wrong and this chimney will never pass a code inspection.
First, footings for foundations must be level and stable according to building codes.
Yours is obviously not.Second, wood burning stoves require stainless steel chimneys not masonry chimneys. Or a masonry chimney with a stainless steel flue liner or a continuous approved masonry mortar specifically designed for use with wood burners.
Before you do anything, have your code inspector out for his advice.
It appears from here you need to fire this mason, then demolish the chimney and start over.
Sounds like an incorrect (or non-existent)flashing problem around the doors.
To repair, the siding and doors will need to be removed and the doors reinstalled with proper flashing.
There is an adjustable baffle on every baseboard heater that can close off the fins altogether.
Simply lower the vent baffle and your problems are solved.
Paint thinner will have absolutely no effect upon dried latex paint.
Try using products like ‘Goof-Off’ or ‘OOPs’.
The answer is: It depends.
The situation arises when gas logs are retrofitted into an existing formerly wood burning chimney with a damper.
The real solution is to determine what type of logs you have.
If they are logs made for vented application only, then you MUST vent them or you can die.
If they are unvented logs, then you can keep the damper closed with no problems.
Under the logs there should be attached several metal plates (by law) which indicate what type logs you have and for what purpose they have been designed.
If you can’t find the attached plates or cannot determine what type logs you have, do not use them until you can have a professional advise you what you must do to operate them safely.
Hip roofs are difficult for professionals to layout and frame correctly and are not within the scope of ability for most homeowners.
It is too detailed and complicated to describe in a forum like this just how to build a hip roof.
You will do best to purchase a detailed and illustrated framing carpentry book from a bookstore if you insist on tackling this job yourself.
The best way to insulate the attic is to insulate the floor or the attic only.
There are several reasons for this:
1) By insulating the floor of the attic you keep the living space below warmer
2)It cost you less to heat and cool your home because by insulating the rafters, you must then also heat and cool the attic. This will only increase your heating and cooling bills.
3)Insulating the floor along with proper ventilation will keep the roof system cooler thereby preventing ice dams (if you live in a cold climate) and premature shingle damage from excess heat buildup in summer.
4)Insulating between the rafters, though doable, must be accompanied by proper thickness of insulation as well as maintaining and providing additional insulation in the form of rafter vents, but also may necessitate add to the thickness of the rafters themselves to accomodate R-30 insulation. (R-30 can usually only be placed in 2×12 rafters).
If all you wish to do is have added insulation AND still be able to use the attic floor for storage, consider simply raising the attic floor with perpendicular joists to add increased floor insulation and then install a walking, storage area upon them.
Otherwise, if you need to use the attic for living space, you will need to add kneww walls and add rafter insulation and vents.
“How does one frame a roof structure without collar ties in order to create a vaulted ceiling?”
One doesn’t. Collar ties are generally required by building codes under all circumstances.
“Can an existing roof be modified to accomplish this? “
Not normally and certainly not without an engineer/architect and his supervision.
“Would it be possible to tie all the rafters together and then have exposed collar ties every second or third rafter?”
Again. Not normally because collar ties are usually required by code on each rafter.
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But you do have options:
1)Install roof ‘scissors trusses’ which vault the ceiling without the need for collar ties.
2)Have your existing roof engineered
to see if it can be turned into a quasi-scissors truss.3) Install collars ties and simply have no exposed beams by drywalling the underside of this ‘flat’ center ceiling
4) Install collar ties and expose all of them on all rafters.
You need to consult a professional and your building code office for this one.
Without knowing all the load for your home it is not possible to give you an answer thru this medium.
Also, you need to be properly advised by your Code enforcement office that the windows you will be installing meet all requirements for emergency access and egress including height above finished floor along with an escape well if necessary.
Don’t guess.
Get the proper advice from the building and code pros.
