I have a recommendation for whole-house fans, and that is to go with the ones made by Triangle Engineering of Arkansas (made in the USA!). These things move more air than any other brand. As an example: the 36" belt-drive model sold at Lowes & Home Depot moves 6,900 CFM on its highest speed. The 36" one that Triangle makes moves 10,600 CFM. I just put one of these in last week and am so taken with it that I'm evangelizing for Triangle now. These things are much higher quality than the other brands too -- these are made with very heavy-gauge solid welded steel (as opposed to the thin, flimsy metal - often aluminum - that other brands use). They use a very solid motor made by Emerson, the best of the top three motor-making companies (the other two being Fasco and A.O. Smith). They come pre-framed on a wood frame for installation, AND they have sponge-rubber noise-dampening material between the fan and the frame, so they are much quieter than the other brands. Also, Triangle holds a patent on an automatic belt-tensioning system these things use, so you don't have to worry about getting the tension right when you install the fan (or in the years thereafter as the belt loosens up). Also, they come in more sizes than the other companies -- from 24" all the way up to 48" blade diameter (which moves a ridiculously whopping amount of air; no one else makes one that big). They're sold online at Southern Tool amongst other places that ship nationwide, so they're available wherever you live. Also, Triangle re-brands some of these as a private label for Dayton, which is the "store brand" of Grainger - so if you have a Grainger store near you (check your phone book or their website), you can buy one there. I will say this, though - Grainger/Dayton makes their own shutters, and those shutters are much better than the one Triangle makes. Triangle makes great fans, but crappy shutters. Luckily, they're sold separately -- so buy a Triangle fan and Dayton shutters; money can't buy better products. They also re-brand some for a company out in San Francisco called "Fanman" (a/k/a "Delta Breeze"). A word to the wise -- these fans move a lot of air, so make sure to install at least the recommended minimum amount of attic exhaust space (gable vents, soffit vents, roof vents, some combination thereof, whatever works for you) - if you don't have enough, the fan will operate at reduced capacity, and there will be a backpressure which will cause the shutters to rattle when the fan is in operation (any time you hear whole-house fan shutters rattling, you know there isn't enough exhaust space). Oh, and one other thing -- only buy a belt-drive whole-house fan, don't EVER buy a direct-drive model...the direct-drive models are at least five times louder, they sound like standing on an airport runway next to an old prop plane getting ready to take off. Several of the dedicated whole-house fan installing companies have chosen to use Triangle fans; that should tell you something. These companies want satisfied customers, so they use Triangle and only Triangle. Refer to http://www.trianglefans.com/wholehouse.html for more info Here is a link that might be useful: Triangle whole-house fans

A person who owns a home can file a claim to the insurance company that they pay a premium to-THEY pay the premium and in most cases it is up to them as to whether they use that money for repairs or otherwise. If they have a mortgage, usually the check is made out to the homeowner and the mortgage company-and because the mortgage company is part owner, they want the damages fixed and will normally inspect the project to assure that something they are vested in is repaired. It's the same with owning a car-if you own your car and get a dent, insurance will pay you but if you don't have it financed, you can choose to fix it or not with the check. The down side to that is-if you do not have it fixed or the home repaired with the money, the insurance company can refuse to renew your insurance when the time rolls around.

It's hard for us to comprehend sometimes why woodpeckers do what they do. Sometimes it's bugs, sometimes they are looking for a place to roost/nest, sometimes it's drumming. Looks like this one was serious about enlarging the hole, so making it into a woodpecker house might have been on his mind. Were that the case I'd invite him to stay and make a different chickadee house. As part of my evolving bluebird house design to defeat the various critters who want to expand the hole I've started reinforcing them. McMaster Carr sells nice stainless steel flat washers in every conceivable size. I take one with the right size hole for the bird house, drill a couple of screw holes through the edges and place it over the opening in the wood. Even the most determined squirrel or woodpecker doesn't have much success against 1/8-3/16" of stainless! Stainless are a little more expensive than plain steel, but they don't rust. When the houses pass their lifetime I recover the washer and re-use it on the next generation.

Negotiating Strategy 101: The party with the information has a big advantage. In your case, the insurance company holds all the information. You probably revealed it was your first insurance claim. You appeared emotional (instead of fact-oriented). You didn't have an advocate handy. You don't know much about repairs. You and your husband may not be on the same page. You sit around and wait while nothing gets done. You consider allowing a fraud and a liar back into your house. You don't exert any control at all in the situation. You have revealed yourself to be the kind of customer where they send the bottom-of-the-barrel team to remediate/repair the damage. Now, consider if the opposite situation occurred: You had damage and mitigated right away(using your own trusty, honest plumber)at your expense, knowing you will insist on reimbursement from ins co later. By that I mean, perhaps a bypassed pipe, mopping up of water so no further damage was done, maybe get some fans in there. You have at least a simple understanding of how mold remediation works (fans, ripping out walls, testing for mold by an expert company who gives you documents and pamphlets to explain what to do, what to look for). You have a GC come and write up an estimate of what must be repaired, replaced and what it will cost to do so. You would then understand that it costs money to remove a counter and it risks being damaged. The cost to replace moldy cabinets, walls and floors. You would've reviewed your insurance policy with a fine tooth comb, and had an expert read it so you have a great understanding of your rights. You have investigated somewhere to live while the repairs happen, and how much the ins co will have to spend to pay for that rental/hotel. How much will the move cost? You needed facts and figures. At that point, you would've known this repair will cost a LOT more than the ins co's offer. Which is the strongest negotiating strategy?