Q: I am getting a lot of mold in my attic, which contains an air conditioning unit and hydro air that provides heat and air conditioning to the house. The mold is extensive, mainly on the roof sheathing. Two companies have offered to get rid of the mold, one for $2,000, another for $12,000. One man suggested taking up the insulation on the floor, which is not moldy. Why would that be needed, and how in the world could mold removal cost so much and with such a huge difference? What should I do?
TERRIFIED

See if the $2,000 job will remove the mold, and if so, then you can do other things.

guardian of the galaxy

Suppose yourself a National Basketball Association lottery pick. Suppose further that you are blessed with a big body but are somewhat limited (Im being kind here!) in skills. Say your rookie year free throw percentage was a reeking 59%. That aint just malodorous that kind of stench from the line should trigger an OSHA investigation. The HAZMAT guys shouldve been sent in to clean up the site! Say further that you have no shot; you must be within 5 feet of the hoop to score. In plain talk: you cant hit the side of a barn with a Gatling gun even if you are inside the barn. If you were being paid kajillions of dollars, would you dedicate a few minutes each summer to honing those skills and your craft? If that question seems rhetorical, consider the career statistics of a certain overpaid NBA athlete.

More Letters to the Editor

Santorno's academic justification at last week's school board meeting was weak (the claims made are nothing a community school wouldn't do 10 fold) and her analogy to her own children was disappointing. I don't think of a junior cheerleader as the kind of mentoring a middle school male needs to stay focused. Yikes. If this is such a good idea, why isn't anyone doing it elsewhere? It looks like, smells like, and acts like costs saving masquerading as student benefit.

Why wasn't a plan to give Sealth a Taj Mahal of their own created? Certainly the architectural lack of merit of their building must have at least whispered a tear down at which point cost would be contained by new building construction costs. This is in striking contrast to the complexities and astronomical costs of remodel associated with projects like Roosevelt, Garfield, and Hamilton which I guess from the era they were built gives them something warm and fuzzy to hang onto and go to the bank with.

Electrical system controls AC units, lowers energy use

Manufacturer of electrical equipment, cable management systems and wiring accessories, Legrand, has developed energy saving occupancy sensors known as the Wattstopper system. The product is based on passive infrared and ultrasonic technologies, are designed to monitor and control lighting and temperature levels in domestic, commercial and industrial applications. “Recently launched Wattstopper switches and sensors turn lighting and air-conditioning off in unoccupied areas," says Legrand South Africa national sales manager Timothy Mountjoy. “This saves users hours of wasted energy each day, thereby ensuring substantial energy savings at a crucial time in this country," he says. Wattstopper low temperature sensors are designed for installation in cold storage facilities and freezers, and operate on the basis of passive infrared technology that senses occupancy by detecting the difference between heat emitted from the human body in motion and the background space.

European flavor spices up market

In addition to Tuscany Hills, there is already Benevento, which is not only a town in southern Italy but now also a subdivision of 250 all-brick houses in Spring Hill. The first homeowners moved in two years ago.

Belle Vista is a "European-styled village" according to its promotional literature, with a variety of home plans for buyers to choose from, such as the Bordeaux, which the builders acknowledge as an English cottage, and two French cottage designs, one called the Florence and another called the Dresden.