Replies

1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Sep 12, 2018 06:03pm | #1

   I don't normally do this type of consulting as full time business, but it's OK for Martin to forward my email to see if what you need is something I could help out on.

2. GBA Editor
   Martin Holladay | Sep 13, 2018 09:20am | #2

   Dana,
   I have contacted GA01966 by email and shared your email address.

3. 
   AlanB4 | Sep 13, 2018 08:09pm | #3

   I have wondered the same thing, though i don't need much advice at the moment.
   However if you ever come to Canada and want to make a few extra bucks for a quick inspection and advice i would love to hire you.

1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Sep 14, 2018 11:25am | #4

   Thanks for those kind words!

   But when I next go to Canada it'll probably be for skiing in some remote location WAY off the grid.

4. 
   AlanB4 | Sep 14, 2018 04:12pm | #5

   Good to know, you could ski off my roof but the experience would be very disappointing :D

1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Sep 14, 2018 04:50pm | #6

   I'm not easily disappointed, and been known to do some fairly bizarre things during the spring "silly skiing" season, when even small patches of low-angle off-white are fair game. ;-)

   https://vimeo.com/166290068

   https://vimeo.com/67754641

   A whole ROOF at a decently steep pitch is arguably more like "real skiing", but probably a far cry from the Kootenays (unless your "roof" is truly amazing!)

1. 
   Deleted | Sep 15, 2018 09:02am | #8

   Deleted

1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Sep 17, 2018 11:46am | #11

   Looks easy enough to set up a "roof vent slalom" with a li'l kicker jump finish, eh? ;-)

1. 
   AlanB4 | Sep 17, 2018 12:40pm | #14

   I LOLed!
   If your interested i'm game :D

5. Expert Member
   MALCOLM TAYLOR | Sep 14, 2018 09:39pm | #7

   If Dana ever got tired of his day job I bet he could keep more the busy enough just off leads from GBA.

1. 
   1910duplex | Feb 16, 2021 01:22pm | #21

   agreed!

6. 
   calum_wilde | Sep 15, 2018 09:52am | #9

   You and a few others on here should consider doing an AMA on reddit.com/r/HomeImprovement. It might be a great way to bring more attention to this site aswell.

7. Expert Member
   Peter Engle | Sep 15, 2018 10:52am | #10

   Those patches really don't seem worth the effort. I try to keep my late season skiing at high altitude. Here's the best I did last year. Ours are the lines to the right.

   
1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Sep 17, 2018 11:53am | #12

   Nice!

   The highest altitude location in my state is only about 3500', and the mud-patches are at about 1200'. I'll often visit family in the PNW in July/August and get in a few turns (sometimes on fresh snow!). This wasn't a freshies-day, but still a little bit better than average for July:

   https://vimeo.com/101000344

   (Sorry for the shaky hand-held still-cam video- had to use a bit of the telemark arm waving for balance. :-) )

8. 
   Sal_123 | Sep 17, 2018 11:55am | #13

   Just saw your "Slalom" vimeo.
   I literall LOL'd in the office! NICE, the pool noodles rock bro!
   Thanks for the laugh, I needed that.
   I'm looking forward to a great ski season - IN CANADA, and no snow where I live : )
   - Sal

1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Sep 17, 2018 01:50pm | #15

   Glad you liked it Sal. I had made the "racing" videos specifically to entertain the director of the race department at the local hill, who was laid up recuperating from injuries sustained in a bad car wreck at the time. The "normal" race season there usually ends in early March, though there was a post-season Super-G in April one year a few weeks after the lifts had stopped running for the general public.

   Silly-skiing season usually begins mid-May, but I missed out this year due to a severe muscle pull injury, thus no new vidis for 2018. The latest I've "skied" the local hill was 6 June 2004(?) on a patch of kinda-white even shorter and narrower than the slalom course. There's archival video of that event somewhere out there, but not Vimeo. (And yes, it was as ridiculous as it sounds.)

9. 
   7113044 | Oct 23, 2018 08:44pm | #16

   You're kidding. I was hoping Martin and Dana could both be hired as consultants. Looks like Dana would have to include a ski trip in the contract. Should I just post my project on this website? I've been reading through this website for months and I just love you guys. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication to us readers, Jimi.

1. GBA Editor
   Martin Holladay | Oct 24, 2018 06:21am | #18

   Q. "Should I just post my project on this website?"

   A. Yes. That's my standard response to the question, "Do you ever provide consultation services?"

   And remember -- the advice we provide on GBA is free.

10. 
    jackofalltrades777 | Oct 24, 2018 12:52am | #17

    I also do contract work. Concrete shoes, cyanide, TNT, Neckties, high voltage. Pick up the phone, I'm always home, Call me any time ;)

11. 
    smgb | Feb 16, 2021 12:03pm | #19

    Martin: Could you also share my email with Dana, please? I live in MetroWest Boston and would like to pick your brain / hire your services for a HVAC system. Thanks!

12. Expert Member
    Dana Dorsett | Feb 16, 2021 12:24pm | #20

    I'm not really in that biz, but I'm willing to offer "free advice worth twice the price", as long as it doesn't turn into hours & hours of analysis & emails. I may have a bit of time right now, given that the ice storm & rain destroyed my local private powder stashes, but that may change again on Friday.

    https://vimeo.com/user18767169

    (Martin/Brian et al- the gmail account would be the better email for this type of stuff.)

1. 
   rondeaunotrondo | Feb 17, 2021 08:33am | #24

   Hey Dana, would love to pick your brain as well! Already have the manual J/S. 1920s bungalow outside of Boston. Would be great to get your email if you didn’t mind.

2. 
   AlanB4 | Feb 17, 2021 10:12am | #25

   You could probably make some extra cash with paid telephone consults, allow a few pics/5 min vid plus a consult and you could probably have some gigs where you charge by the hour :)

1. Expert Member
   Dana Dorsett | Feb 17, 2021 05:35pm | #26

   >"You could probably make some extra cash with paid telephone consults, allow a few pics/5 min vid plus a consult and you could probably have some gigs where you charge by the hour :)"

   Even fully clothed, no dancing required? :-)

1. 
   AlanB4 | Feb 18, 2021 12:10pm | #27

   Yup
   I'd be interested in a virtual consult about my house if your still doing your advice worth twice the price.

13. 
    1910duplex | Feb 16, 2021 01:36pm | #22

    I also would love to email with Dana about minisplits. :)

14. 
    smgb | Feb 16, 2021 02:00pm | #23

    Thanks Dana and GBA community. I also sent you a connection request via Linked In.

15. 
    smgb | Feb 24, 2021 07:01am | #28

    Dana and GBA'ers: I posted a new thread with details of my home and questions about a proper HVAC system for me. Link:

    https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/please-help-with-hvac-system-decision-west-of-boston-ma?cid=199482&discussion=response#comment-199482

16. 
    lj_builds | Jan 20, 2022 11:27am | #29

    Dana - do you know anyone who does consulting? In Boston area. I've been having minisplit issues in my house since they were installed as the only heat/cooling source 1 year ago. The installer thinks the issues are caused by the system being undersized and I believe it is the opposite. The literal headaches and $600-700 monthly electric bills are driving me mad, I'd gladly pay for your or anyone's knowledge, in money, beer or other currency!

1. Expert Member
   BILL WICHERS | Jan 20, 2022 12:01pm | #30

   I recommend you try posting this as a new question in the Q+A forum, instead of under this Dana Dorsett thread. Dana has been absent from the forums for quite a while. While we all hope he's OK and has just been busy, I wouldn't expect to see a response from him anytime soon. There are others on here, including myself, who will try to help you figure out what is going on with your system. Please be sure to post as much detail as you can.

   Bill

1. 
   rondeaunotrondo | Jan 20, 2022 12:23pm | #31

   Agree with Bill. I was never able to get ahold of Dana for consulting (I live outside of Boston) Also recommend installing an energy monitor like the emporia VUE if you haven’t already. This will help diagnose the issue.

2. Expert Member
   NICK KEENAN | Jan 20, 2022 12:24pm | #32

   Exactly what I was about to post. While remote diagnosis is always hard I think there's enough brainpower here to at least answer the question of whether the system is oversized or undersized, and whether that's the issue or something else.

1. 
   lj_builds | Jan 20, 2022 01:18pm | #33

   Thanks, I just posted with more information about my house thanks. https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/question/minisplit-issues