If the branch was broken all the way off i really don't think it will work...if only partially broken it might although i have had mixed results "splinting" mine. I have never used duct tape ...I probably wouldn't for two reasons #1 it will be hard to remove and create a sticky mess and #2 it will not allow the branch to breath possibly creating a disese problem. I would suggest useing grafting tape or that brown paper tree wrap and tapeing the end to hold it or just use masking or white artist tape both paper type tapes...and as I said spliting it with a couple of tongue depressors or small dowels helps hold it in place. BUT if it's totally broken off I really think you are most likely waisting your time ...but as the saying goes "it can't hurt" david

tommy, you talk about a LOT of things! so your ducts are ductboard with 2 flex ducts? ductboard is rigid fiberglass insulation board with foil surface facing into the attic, flex is flexible duct with foil insulation jacket. 1" ductboard is R-4.2 (just fyi) the first thing I would look at is how is this duct system sealed..duct tape..foil tape..mastic seal? duct tape fails..doesnt take long in extreme attic temps, foil tapes (unless mastic tapes) also fail quickly. tapes don't adhere to dirty or wet surfaces, although they may look to be intact when the system is running you will be able to feel air escaping from these areas. sealing with a paint on mastic or cleaning and drying surfaces and sealing with a mastic tape is the better, longer lasting option. you can buy mastics at hvac supply stores. areas of leakage on duct board would be areas where duct board sections connect, and each supply duct. flex would be where it attaches to ductboard plenum. these areas should be sealed with a paint on mastic sealant. the other area of duct leakage is the supply box. if you feel around the supply boxes in the attic, they should sit evenly without gaps on the attic floor. lots of times the side attached to the ceiling joist makes a snug fit, but the opposite side (not attached to anything) will raise up when supply grills are installed. I use Hardcast mastic tape to seal these areas from inside the house by removing supply grills. heat is an issue here also, today it is 92 degrees outside and RH is 87%. it isn't a bad thing that your unit runs alot when temps are so high. shortcycling, unit running 10 minutes on and 10 minutes off adds to cost of utilities, does not remove humidity and wears out equipment sooner. You may want to think about upgrading to a higher SEER heat pump, 10 SEER is not very efficient and is no longer mfg'd because of inefficiency and cost of operation. Federal tax credits can help to offset costs. in adding more insulation to the attic...did you use layers of unfaced insulation?? the paper backing (vapor barrier) causes condensation between vapor barriers..this can cause more harm than good. under the house the insulation should be in contact with the underside of the flooring, or condensation occurs between the gap between the underside of the floor and the insulation. I'm not sure what you mean by double bubble wood siding for your walls... foil bubble foil wraps are not good insulators, and in our hot humid climate vapor barrers are to the exterior of the walls. cold climates have vapor barriers to the interior, but here promotes mold growth. If you are insulating the exterior of your walls, a foam sheathing board with all seams taped is the best option. to upgrade the insulation from R-13 in the walls to R-15 is a minimal cost and would be of benefit to you. if you are not working from the exterior to the interior ..well..enough for now..that can be discussed later. Like the attic ventilation...not enough info! for your windows in your home, adding a piece of glass to the screens really isn't your best improvement. check HD and Lowe's for Gila brand window tint. these will reduce heat gain, whereas two panes of glass that are not insulated glass units will trap heat between the panes of glass. I understand perfectly about being 57 and this being the last big undertaking..I'm 48 and just getting too stiff for some of this stuff! That you are happy with a $300 plus utility cost just blows me away! My last utility bill was $70.00 my little house is about 950 sq ft full sun, just plantings in the yard to block west sun from the windows. when I first bought this house my utility bill was $275 - $300 a month. Knowing where and how to correctly address specific issues in the house makes a lot of difference! You can get help specific to your home that will make all this time, effort and money spent worthwhile. visit http://www.natresnet.org/directory/raters.aspx to locate an energy rater in your state.

LOL! Aren't arts and crafts projects fun! The only way I can visualize ANYTHING in 3-D is to mock it up first, although my craftsmanship isn't as exquisite as yours, lawjedi. Unfortunately, Jill, the only way I've found to simulate life without an existing wall is to actually take it down to the studs. Of course, once that's done you have to hope you like it enough to continue the plan - or live with the wall frame until you get around to putting the drywall back! It also helps to HAVE a plan... We had a lot of fun tearing down the wall between our kitchen and dining room so we could see if it would improve the light in both rooms (it did) but then we had absolutely no idea what to do after that. So we lived with our imaginary non-wall for 8 months while we put together the plan. We're finally starting the project in earnest next week, hooray! I made my final decision on pendant lights for the new island today -- aren't they cute? Our little "demo adventure" will end up costing us a bundle, but at least we'll be able to take blue tape out of our monthly budget!

All duct work seams should be sealed. They should be using mastic and not tape. The tape will eventually fail due to shrinkage. The mastic will last a very long time.