Why I'm self employed

[AndyG]

There are things about running my own business that I hate and there are things that I love-

But at the end of the day being able to treat customers by my own values and make decisions based on that has been probably the most rewarding thing-

My construction company cleaned out and did moisture barrier in a crawlspace in addition to adding ventilation and promised the customer it would perform versus encapsulation and a dehumidifier-

Like TJ’s- every house is different - It performed perfectly up until the middle of the following summer which is now and the humidity in the air is being converted to water on the cold ducts although they are insulated- Creating moisture that is just off the charts.

The customer contacted me with concerns and I went under the house and took some readings but really the water pooling under the ducts said it all-

My company does not give a time limit on a warranty- If we didn’t do the right thing why would I put a time limit on? We don’t do warranty work by taking an adding machine and looking at the cost and deciding- At what point are the numbers more valuable than treating the customer right??

I immediately ordered a dehumidifier and we went ahead and closed the vents and got a rental dehumidifier and are putting it in today- We will do the permanent dehumidifier as quick as it comes in-

So how did the customer respond?

First I don’t really care because I know I’m doing the right thing and I have to live with myself- At the same time I know things like this can make you legendary if you handle them right.

Today they left me a check under the doormat for $8000 on a deposit to remodel two bathrooms with them in February.

This thread is not about what a great guy I am I’m just doing what businesses should do- I am just glad that I’m in a position that I can make the decision and not have to go to some boss looking at the bottom line or the short term game.

I’m going to post some other things on this as it comes to mind and if you guys have feedback or constructive ideas that I need to consider I would love to hear from you-

I will probably cover employees and marketing and service mainly- At the end of the day the experience the customer has is what your gauged by.

The rule that one angry customer will tell 11 is way way out of date- they can hit “submit” and tell the world.

Another thing I want to add in this situation it isn’t what you do only it’s also your attitude about doing it - if you don’t do it with the right tact and attitude you can defeat the benefit of doing it- At the same time you have to point out what you’re doing and your thought process behind it can help-

All the best,
Andy

 

[mrblaine]

There are things about running my own business that I hate and there are things that I love-

But at the end of the day being able to treat customers by my own values and make decisions based on that has been probably the most rewarding thing-

My construction company cleaned out and did moisture barrier in a crawlspace in addition to adding ventilation and promised the customer it would perform versus encapsulation and a dehumidifier-

Like TJ’s- every house is different - It performed perfectly up until the middle of the following summer which is now and the humidity in the air is being converted to water on the cold ducts although they are insulated- Creating moisture that is just off the charts.

The customer contacted me with concerns and I went under the house and took some readings but really the water pooling under the ducts said it all-

My company does not give a time limit on a warranty- If we didn’t do the right thing why would I put a time limit on? We don’t do warranty work by taking an adding machine and looking at the cost and deciding- At what point are the numbers more valuable than treating the customer right??

I immediately ordered a dehumidifier and we went ahead and closed the vents and got a rental dehumidifier and are putting it in today- We will do the permanent dehumidifier as quick as it comes in-

So how did the customer respond?

First I don’t really care because I know I’m doing the right thing and I have to live with myself- At the same time I know things like this can make you legendary if you handle them right.

Today they left me a check under the doormat for $8000 on a deposit to remodel two bathrooms with them in February.

This thread is not about what a great guy I am I’m just doing what businesses should do- I am just glad that I’m in a position that I can make the decision and not have to go to some boss looking at the bottom line or the short term game.

I’m going to post some other things on this as it comes to mind and if you guys have feedback or constructive ideas that I need to consider I would love to hear from you-

I will probably cover employees and marketing and service mainly- At the end of the day the experience the customer has is what your gauged by.

The rule that one angry customer will tell 11 is way way out of date- they can hit “submit” and tell the world.

Another thing I want to add in this situation it isn’t what you do only it’s also your attitude about doing it - if you don’t do it with the right tact and attitude you can defeat the benefit of doing it- At the same time you have to point out what you’re doing and your thought process behind it can help-

All the best,
Andy

My steering only has power to one side. Well, sounds like the torsion bar has broken loose somehow and it will have to go in and get fixed.
Okay, not happy about that option but let's do it. It should be under warranty, it only has 5000 miles on it.
I'm pretty sure it has more than that but it doesn't matter since PSC has a 12 month warranty and we installed it in 2017.
It should be under warranty.
They have a 12 month warranty, here is the link to it on their site.

Yeah but I've only got less than 5000 miles out of it.

You want me to send it in or not?

Send it but it should be under warranty.

It isn't.

I send it in, get it back all fixed. Let them know and I get the "why didn't they cover it under warranty?" Because we installed it in 2017. But I only have 5000 miles on it and it should be covered. Would you like their number so you can call them and discuss it? No

Alright, it is here. That was 2 months ago, it is still here.

 

[P man]

There are things about running my own business that I hate and there are things that I love-

But at the end of the day being able to treat customers by my own values and make decisions based on that has been probably the most rewarding thing-

My construction company cleaned out and did moisture barrier in a crawlspace in addition to adding ventilation and promised the customer it would perform versus encapsulation and a dehumidifier-

Like TJ’s- every house is different - It performed perfectly up until the middle of the following summer which is now and the humidity in the air is being converted to water on the cold ducts although they are insulated- Creating moisture that is just off the charts.

The customer contacted me with concerns and I went under the house and took some readings but really the water pooling under the ducts said it all-

My company does not give a time limit on a warranty- If we didn’t do the right thing why would I put a time limit on? We don’t do warranty work by taking an adding machine and looking at the cost and deciding- At what point are the numbers more valuable than treating the customer right??

I immediately ordered a dehumidifier and we went ahead and closed the vents and got a rental dehumidifier and are putting it in today- We will do the permanent dehumidifier as quick as it comes in-

So how did the customer respond?

First I don’t really care because I know I’m doing the right thing and I have to live with myself- At the same time I know things like this can make you legendary if you handle them right.

Today they left me a check under the doormat for $8000 on a deposit to remodel two bathrooms with them in February.

This thread is not about what a great guy I am I’m just doing what businesses should do- I am just glad that I’m in a position that I can make the decision and not have to go to some boss looking at the bottom line or the short term game.

I’m going to post some other things on this as it comes to mind and if you guys have feedback or constructive ideas that I need to consider I would love to hear from you-

I will probably cover employees and marketing and service mainly- At the end of the day the experience the customer has is what your gauged by.

The rule that one angry customer will tell 11 is way way out of date- they can hit “submit” and tell the world.

Another thing I want to add in this situation it isn’t what you do only it’s also your attitude about doing it - if you don’t do it with the right tact and attitude you can defeat the benefit of doing it- At the same time you have to point out what you’re doing and your thought process behind it can help-

All the best,
Andy

Wise words my friend..anymore when I have an warranty concern I just assume I'm going to get screwed and I'm usually right!!! It's nice to know there are still people that stand behind their work

 

[P man]

My steering only has power to one side. Well, sounds like the torsion bar has broken loose somehow and it will have to go in and get fixed.
Okay, not happy about that option but let's do it. It should be under warranty, it only has 5000 miles on it.
I'm pretty sure it has more than that but it doesn't matter since PSC has a 12 month warranty and we installed it in 2017.
It should be under warranty.
They have a 12 month warranty, here is the link to it on their site.

Yeah but I've only got less than 5000 miles out of it.

You want me to send it in or not?

Send it but it should be under warranty.

It isn't.

I send it in, get it back all fixed. Let them know and I get the "why didn't they cover it under warranty?" Because we installed it in 2017. But I only have 5000 miles on it and it should be covered. Would you like their number so you can call them and discuss it? No

Alright, it is here. That was 2 months ago, it is still here.

Sounds like they missed the "whichever comes first" part in the fine print

 

[Dr. Internet]

There are things about running my own business that I hate and there are things that I love-

But at the end of the day being able to treat customers by my own values and make decisions based on that has been probably the most rewarding thing-

My construction company cleaned out and did moisture barrier in a crawlspace in addition to adding ventilation and promised the customer it would perform versus encapsulation and a dehumidifier-

Like TJ’s- every house is different - It performed perfectly up until the middle of the following summer which is now and the humidity in the air is being converted to water on the cold ducts although they are insulated- Creating moisture that is just off the charts.

The customer contacted me with concerns and I went under the house and took some readings but really the water pooling under the ducts said it all-

My company does not give a time limit on a warranty- If we didn’t do the right thing why would I put a time limit on? We don’t do warranty work by taking an adding machine and looking at the cost and deciding- At what point are the numbers more valuable than treating the customer right??

I immediately ordered a dehumidifier and we went ahead and closed the vents and got a rental dehumidifier and are putting it in today- We will do the permanent dehumidifier as quick as it comes in-

So how did the customer respond?

First I don’t really care because I know I’m doing the right thing and I have to live with myself- At the same time I know things like this can make you legendary if you handle them right.

Today they left me a check under the doormat for $8000 on a deposit to remodel two bathrooms with them in February.

This thread is not about what a great guy I am I’m just doing what businesses should do- I am just glad that I’m in a position that I can make the decision and not have to go to some boss looking at the bottom line or the short term game.

I’m going to post some other things on this as it comes to mind and if you guys have feedback or constructive ideas that I need to consider I would love to hear from you-

I will probably cover employees and marketing and service mainly- At the end of the day the experience the customer has is what your gauged by.

The rule that one angry customer will tell 11 is way way out of date- they can hit “submit” and tell the world.

Another thing I want to add in this situation it isn’t what you do only it’s also your attitude about doing it - if you don’t do it with the right tact and attitude you can defeat the benefit of doing it- At the same time you have to point out what you’re doing and your thought process behind it can help-

All the best,
Andy

At the end of WWII, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant; educated initially as an electrical engineer and later specializing in mathematical physics, developed 14 points to transform business effectiveness. He took his points to GM, Ford, the Commerce Dept. and so forth. They all laughed at him.
He then took his points to Japan, where they were embraced and used to rebuild Japan's automobile and steel industries. I think they are just as important today as they were then.

Deming's 14 points

Deming offered fourteen key principles for management for transforming business effectiveness. The points were first presented in his book Out of the Crisis (p. 23-24).

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and stay in business, and to provide jobs.
2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.
4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move towards a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease cost.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8 of "Out of the Crisis"). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company. (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis")
9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.
11. a. Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
    b. Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute workmanship.
12. a. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.
    b. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis").
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
14. Put everyone in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everyone's work. "Massive training is required to instill the courage to break with tradition. Every activity and every job is a part of the process."

Seven Deadly Diseases
The Seven Deadly Diseases (also known as the "Seven Wastes"):

1. Lack of constancy of purpose.
2. Emphasis on short-term profits.
3. Evaluation by performance, merit rating, or annual review of performance.
4. Mobility of management.
5. Running a company on visible figures alone.
6. Excessive medical costs.
7. Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers who work for contingency fees.

A Lesser Category of Obstacles:

1. Neglecting long-range planning.
2. Relying on technology to solve problems.
3. Seeking examples to follow rather than developing solutions.
4. Excuses, such as "Our problems are different."

If you look at the Seven Deadly Diseases, how many US companies are following all of these? We are in love with wall street and short term profits that cause stock prices to inflate. Who cares what happens to our customer base, long term growth, or work-force?

I applaud your efforts and wish you the best in the years to come!

 

[AndyG]

At the end of WWII, Dr. W. Edwards Deming, an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant; educated initially as an electrical engineer and later specializing in mathematical physics, developed 14 points to transform business effectiveness. He took his points to GM, Ford, the Commerce Dept. and so forth. They all laughed at him.
He then took his points to Japan, where they were embraced and used to rebuild Japan's automobile and steel industries. I think they are just as important today as they were then.

Deming's 14 points

Deming offered fourteen key principles for management for transforming business effectiveness. The points were first presented in his book Out of the Crisis (p. 23-24).

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and stay in business, and to provide jobs.
2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for inspection on a mass basis by building quality into the product in the first place.
4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move towards a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease cost.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8 of "Out of the Crisis"). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company. (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis")
9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.
11. a. Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
    b. Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute workmanship.
12. a. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.
    b. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia, abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis").
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
14. Put everyone in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everyone's work. "Massive training is required to instill the courage to break with tradition. Every activity and every job is a part of the process."

Seven Deadly Diseases
The Seven Deadly Diseases (also known as the "Seven Wastes"):

1. Lack of constancy of purpose.
2. Emphasis on short-term profits.
3. Evaluation by performance, merit rating, or annual review of performance.
4. Mobility of management.
5. Running a company on visible figures alone.
6. Excessive medical costs.
7. Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers who work for contingency fees.

A Lesser Category of Obstacles:

1. Neglecting long-range planning.
2. Relying on technology to solve problems.
3. Seeking examples to follow rather than developing solutions.
4. Excuses, such as "Our problems are different."

If you look at the Seven Deadly Diseases, how many US companies are following all of these? We are in love with wall street and short term profits that cause stock prices to inflate. Who cares what happens to our customer base, long term growth, or work-force?

I applaud your efforts and wish you the best in the years to come!

Thank you I know exactly the man you’re talking about and he basically took his manufacturing ideas over there and they taught us how to do it- If anybody doesn’t believe that look next to them in traffic at the Toyota.

I will probably read your post over and over for a year- thanks-

I have been doing business this way for years and I had one guy that thought I was crazy when we were in the hole in 2011- Then he saw the power of it over time-

It was really hard when I had to go out and put a beam under $1 million house knowing they had more money than I did back in 2011-

I have seen this work over and over-

Bob Tasca, a Ford dealer of note, wrote a book and solidified my faith by giving examples of how he built a business this way-

How do I afford it?

We get paid more, we don’t advertise, we don’t go to court and we have so much work we get to choose the best clients and projects as a result. This is probably as good as it gets in my business.

There have been some bumps in the road along the way but I have faith that doing what is right works.

 

[Farmergreg]

One of the best I heard on self employment:

“I work 7 days / 70 hours a week so I don’t have work 5 days / 40 hours a week for someone else”

 

[HDRider]

You are all too rare @AndyG

Last June I had 3 oak trees treated. Red Oaks here get infested and hollow out. These three 100 year old trees are in my back yard.

The treatment was not cheap. It came with a follow-up treatment one year later at half the cost of the initial treatment.

I called the guy earlier this spring for the follow-up. He said he would swing by the next time he is in my area. I wait.

And wait.

I called him a couple of weeks ago and he says I did not call him. He said I had not called within the year's time. I finally convince him I did call before the year was up.

He says he will call me to arrange a time. More time goes by and I call again. He said get someone else to do it. "I don't care about those three trees", he said, thanked me for calling and hung up.

 

[AndyG]

You are all too rare @AndyG

Last June I had 3 oak trees treated. Red Oaks here get infested and hollow out. These three 100 year old trees are in my back yard.

The treatment was not cheap. It came with a follow-up treatment one year later at half the cost of the initial treatment.

I called the guy earlier this spring for the follow-up. He said he would swing by the next time he is in my area. I wait.

And wait.

I called him a couple of weeks ago and he says I did not call him. He said I had not called within the year's time. I finally convince him I did call before the year was up.

He says he will call me to arrange a time. More time goes by and I call again. He said get someone else to do it. "I don't care about those three trees", he said, thanked me for calling and hung up.

That is unreal! Makes me mad.

Really what a lot of this gets down to is just plain old keeping your word-And when I say this I don’t mean occasionally I mean every day of your life to everyone you make any commitment to- And if you can’t do it you pick up the phone , you call or you text and you work it out honorably.

And I’m gonna tell you guys the very first key to doing that successfully-

Be careful what you promise. Think before you open your mouth. If you’re not 100% sure you can or are willing or able to do it, think about how you express that.

It really this just works in regular life every day- I have drilled this into my sons and they know it is the deal at my house - To the point they will use it against me and say that I gave someone so my word I have to go to search and search and I can’t do whatever today.

 

[AndyG]

One of the best I heard on self employment:

“I work 7 days / 70 hours a week so I don’t have work 5 days / 40 hours a week for someone else”

Really you only have to work half days- 12 hours

 

[HDRider]

That is unreal! Makes me mad.

Really what a lot of this gets down to is just plain old keeping your word-And when I say this I don’t mean occasionally I mean every day of your life to everyone you make any commitment to- And if you can’t do it you pick up the phone , you call or you text and you work it out honorably.

And I’m gonna tell you guys the very first key to doing that successfully-

Be careful what you promise. Think before you open your mouth. If you’re not 100% sure you can or are willing or able to do it, think about how you express that.

It really this just works in regular life every day- I have drilled this into my sons and they know it is the deal at my house - To the point they will use it against me and say that I gave someone so my word I have to go to search and search and I can’t do whatever today.

Makes me mad too!

The guy advertises like crazy, on NPR no less. I was venting to my bother and he tells me a buddy of his had a run in with the guy years ago.

I always operated under the motto, "Under promise and over deliver"

 

[flyinfish]

First I don’t really care because I know I’m doing the right thing and I have to live with myself- At the same time I know things like this can make you legendary if you handle them right.

You're already legendary around these parts Andy!

Your business model is commendable and for the most part how people treated others decades ago. There was this thing called the "Golden Rule".
Keep up the good work!

 

[Farmergreg]

“Scruples” is a word that comes to mind and the lack of it in “these unprecedented times”

 

[flyinfish]

My steering only has power to one side. Well, sounds like the torsion bar has broken loose somehow and it will have to go in and get fixed.
Okay, not happy about that option but let's do it. It should be under warranty, it only has 5000 miles on it.
I'm pretty sure it has more than that but it doesn't matter since PSC has a 12 month warranty and we installed it in 2017.
It should be under warranty.
They have a 12 month warranty, here is the link to it on their site.

Yeah but I've only got less than 5000 miles out of it.

You want me to send it in or not?

Send it but it should be under warranty.

It isn't.

I send it in, get it back all fixed. Let them know and I get the "why didn't they cover it under warranty?" Because we installed it in 2017. But I only have 5000 miles on it and it should be covered. Would you like their number so you can call them and discuss it? No

Alright, it is here. That was 2 months ago, it is still here.

You can't fix stupid!

 

[AndyG]

You can't fix stupid!

I have another motto in that regards- if you think stupidity is hard to fix, try to finance it.

 

[AndyG]

“Scruples” is a word that comes to mind and the lack of it in “these unprecedented times”

I had shots for scruples when I was young.

 

[srimes]

Makes me mad too!

The guy advertises like crazy, on NPR no less. I was venting to my bother and he tells me a buddy of his had a run in with the guy years ago.

I always operated under the motto, "Under promise and over deliver"

Lots of advertising can be a red flag. Businesses without repeat customers or word-of-mouth referrals need to constantly pull in new ones.

 

[ColoJeep]

There are things about running my own business that I hate and there are things that I love-

But at the end of the day being able to treat customers by my own values and make decisions based on that has been probably the most rewarding thing-

My construction company cleaned out and did moisture barrier in a crawlspace in addition to adding ventilation and promised the customer it would perform versus encapsulation and a dehumidifier-

Like TJ’s- every house is different - It performed perfectly up until the middle of the following summer which is now and the humidity in the air is being converted to water on the cold ducts although they are insulated- Creating moisture that is just off the charts.

The customer contacted me with concerns and I went under the house and took some readings but really the water pooling under the ducts said it all-

My company does not give a time limit on a warranty- If we didn’t do the right thing why would I put a time limit on? We don’t do warranty work by taking an adding machine and looking at the cost and deciding- At what point are the numbers more valuable than treating the customer right??

I immediately ordered a dehumidifier and we went ahead and closed the vents and got a rental dehumidifier and are putting it in today- We will do the permanent dehumidifier as quick as it comes in-

So how did the customer respond?

First I don’t really care because I know I’m doing the right thing and I have to live with myself- At the same time I know things like this can make you legendary if you handle them right.

Today they left me a check under the doormat for $8000 on a deposit to remodel two bathrooms with them in February.

This thread is not about what a great guy I am I’m just doing what businesses should do- I am just glad that I’m in a position that I can make the decision and not have to go to some boss looking at the bottom line or the short term game.

I’m going to post some other things on this as it comes to mind and if you guys have feedback or constructive ideas that I need to consider I would love to hear from you-

I will probably cover employees and marketing and service mainly- At the end of the day the experience the customer has is what your gauged by.

The rule that one angry customer will tell 11 is way way out of date- they can hit “submit” and tell the world.

Another thing I want to add in this situation it isn’t what you do only it’s also your attitude about doing it - if you don’t do it with the right tact and attitude you can defeat the benefit of doing it- At the same time you have to point out what you’re doing and your thought process behind it can help-

All the best,
Andy

Thanks Andy,

When I deal with contractors at work , the items I evaluate are : 1. Do they give truthful answers to questionable questions?
2. What is their track record on issues when a project goes in the ditch ?
3. Is their job quote realistic enough for them to make a profit and remain in business ? (So we can work together on future projects).
Most projects have at least one error or oversight that needs to be resolved , I believe in a " let's cut the crap and resolve the problem "
model of projects. Some good old give and take.
If you were in my part of the world, I would love to work together on a project ! Stay the course my brother ! Blessing to you and your family.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

On the subject of crawlspace humidity, it's become common in Colorado to omit any vents to the exterior, insulate the crawlspace and serve it with supply and return duct from the house central HVAC, making it essentially an unfinished basement with a low ceiling and a plastic-over-dirt floor. I would think that would be a pricey but effective buy-once cry-once way to handle it, but I don't know where else that's being done.

 

[AndyG]

On the subject of crawlspace humidity, it's become common in Colorado to omit any vents to the exterior, insulate the crawlspace and serve it with supply and return duct from the house central HVAC, making it essentially an unfinished basement with a low ceiling and a plastic-over-dirt floor. I would think that would be a pricey but effective buy-once cry-once way to handle it, but I don't know where else that's being done.

You guys live in such an awesome area as far as humidity-

We came home from Colorado one time and when we walked into our home the first thing we could smell was mold-

But back to the point you guys are doing what everybody needs to do and that is figure out what works for your climate and region-

Here is something really interesting- crawl spaces were never a planned method of construction- Nobody ever sat down and said this is how we’re going to do this- They came about from trying to protect mechanical systems that came along later in houses that were built on elevated piers-

The entire concept of building this big house and dehumidifying the interior and laying a plastic sheet on the ground under it is a little bit sketchy- I’m not saying it’s evil but the way they are set up and designed it needs to be taken more seriously if people want to live healthier.