One option you have is to buy rigid insulating board and put it in the lower rafter areas nearest the exterior walls. It will more than double the R value per inch of typical blown or rolled insulation. Of course, this will come at a price, one that probably will never be earned back because it is such a small area. This very small lowered level of insulation is just one of those compromises that can be weighed against lower initial cost for siding, trusses, material and labor.

To keep blown-in insulation out of the vent openings, there is a very easy solution: Baffles made of cardboard or semi-rigid plastic are stapled over the vent opening extending up the roof rake under the plywood sheathing and over the soon-to-be-installed insulation. This allows venting, yet takes up only an inch or two of vertical space (spread over the 24-inch rafter cavity). You can get such baffles at most places that sell insulation.

For crawlspace installation, the simplest method is to use what some affectionately refer to as "tiger teeth," slender pieces of metal precut to 16- or 24-inch joist-space sizes. Jam the metal pieces up into the insulation and they will bite on the side of the joist, holding the insulation in place.

If your crawlspace has very large joist gaps, there now are mesh nets available. These are somewhat easier than the twine method. Or, if you want to be really sure it doesn't fall, do like one homeowner with too much money and time on his hands did - nail lattice all along the underside!

Q: After a recent windstorm, a very large limb landed on the exterior power line to the house. The little thing that sticks up a few feet above the roof to attach to my house bent. Is this something I should be concerned about or could I just turn off the power and bend it back?

A: DO NOT BEND IT BACK! Turning off the power at the electric panel will not protect you if you are up on the roof bending the mast back into place. First call an electrician, then call your insurance company.

Q: There are three holes (about a foot apart) across the base of the metal frame to my shower door. Is there a reason they are there? Should they be open holes or are they missing some kind of plug?

A: These are weep holes; leave them open. Many glass products (windows, skylights, shower doors) have weep holes to allow water that enters between the frame and the glass to escape. Shower doors are especially vulnerable to water penetration as they generally have a lower track built of several pieces of metal with numerous seams and screws.

When (not if, but when) water gets into these seams and into the enclosed area, it can be a prodigious mold maker. Weep holes let water out before that happens - in theory anyway. The buildup of water inside these tracks can allow water to travel laterally and seep into the seam between tub/shower edge and the tile (or whatever material is on the walls of the shower).

Incidentally, when you caulk along the inside of your lower shower-door track you are trapping water; they are designed to allow water to drain back into the shower or tub. Waterproof those lower tracks from the exterior only.

Ask The Expert answers readers' questions every Saturday. Send questions to Ask The Expert, Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111, or call 206-464-8514 to leave your questions on Ask The Expert's recorded line. E-mail address is dhay@seattletimes.com

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