Crawl Space Installation of Vapor Barrier and Alorair Sentinel HD55 Dehumidifier
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- čas přidán 2. 09. 2022
- We used Farm Supply brand 6 mil reinforced string solid white vapor barrier, Blue Summit vapor barrier seam tape, and Zip System flashing tape for this installation. This is a definite 2-person job. With a little bit of skill, and a lot of patience...You Can Do It!!!
Here is the link to the 6mil vapor barrier (buy enough to cover your area... including up the walls and around the piers)*:
amzn.to/4atisJP
Here is the seam tape (by several rolls to make sure that you have enough):
amzn.to/41Rs8dh
Here is the Zip System Foundation tape that we used around the piers and sidewalls:
amzn.to/4a5MwKP
Here is the Alorair HD55 dehumidifier that we installed in this crawlspace:
amzn.to/3NUpdup
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*As an Amazon Associate, I receive a commission on qualifying purchases. - Jak na to + styl
Not only is your video educational, it is inspiring. After receiving quotes for $15-$22K, I kept thinking..."this is not rocket science". Your video reassured me of that "gut feel" and gives me the confidence and inspiration to tackle this DIY. Thank you very much.
You are EXACTLY why we do these "You Can Do It" videos. We strive for clarity and step-by-step guidance so that those who are watching can gain the confidence necessary to tackle even the biggest of projects! If you need to source your supplies, I believe that the links are still available in the description box. You Can Do It 🎉
Informative video, you should have more thumbs up. Great Job
I've been looking at videos like this for weeks. This is by far the best I've seen. Thanks for your thoroughness and clarity. Well done!
This is fantastic! I came for the dehumidifier installation and got a tutorial on doing the whole crawlspace. I'm going to do everything they did here. Thanks
Thank you so much for watching and leaving an uplifting comment 😊. That is great about doing the complete installation... this will also help to increase the value of your home. If you need to order the materials they can be found in the description. You Can Do It 👍
There are a lot of crawlspace foundations in the Pacific Northwest. When we were looking for houses, I can’t tell you the number of people who said to me, “you want your crawl space open to air so it can breathe and dry out.” I got so mad one time, I said, “can you explain how opening up the foundation of your home to the outside humidity allows it to ‘dry out’?” Even in the summer, when it relatively dry outside, it will become humid at night.
The amount of homes we looked at that smelled like mildew and earth was insane. You could smell the dank earth in the house. We eventually gave up and had to purchase a home and seal the crawlspace at a great cost. I think it should be law that if you build a crawl space, it should be finished properly.
Thank you for the detailed explanation of a professional install. Everyone terrified someone gonna take their business. The guys willing to do all this work either cant afford to pay someone or wont. Might as well make more money off making good videos! Thanks
as always, bringing the water out of the area is hardest part. The vapor barrier is just common sense.
Thanks for this video! We are about to do our crawl space soon.
Great job and thanks for sharing! Gave me alot of ideas!
Excellent video and informative. Thanks
Great video!!! Thank you very much
Beautiful work! The one thing I'd want done differently is that hose junction; the narrower hose should really flow into the wider hose so there isn't a little lip for water to get stuck on. At least I think that's how they do it for sewer pipes.
Loved the video. I've got to do the encapsulation and just bought the same dehumidifier.
Love the video subscribed
I am jealous of this crawl space. I have to army crawl through mine to go anywhere!
Hi Stephen. Thank you so much for watching the video and leaving a comment. And yes, many crawl spaces don't have this much room. It was nice to be able to move around a little bit more than just army crawl. I wish you the best on your project if you are choosing to take on the task ☺️
My ingenious neighbor opened a door in his closet floor into crawl space for easy access . He put plastic ano old carpet down on small area. U gain floor joist height if placed right for entry. Easy to work a new outlet and remote and filter changes this way. Great hiding place for secure valuables . Add light and switch . A true man cave and hide entry under floor rug. 👍🏻
Great ideas, thanks for sharing!
Just installed the same unit in my crawl. Its 1200 sqft and highest point is 38”. I have loose lay plastic down and sealed all vents. The humidity level started at 86% and within 1 week had dropped to 57%. It was well worth it.
Great to hear!! This unit does an amazing job. I was very impressed with how quickly the humidity dropped in this crawl space. We have one of these units in our personal crawl space, and it stays at a constant 45% humidity year round. Thank you so much for watching and leaving a comment, always appreciated 👍
How much did it cost you?
@@TheNNguyener96 about $1000 in total materials, including the dehumidifier.
Is the unit still operating or did it “lock up” as others have noticed in a few months?
@@111000100101001 it has been running flawlessly for months now. I only shut it down once to clean the screen and check the coil. Consistent 50% humidity and the auto defrost operates well.
I have mold and wood rot in craw space. I removed insulation, cold fogged with Mold Control, cleaned out floor. Getting close to adding 6 mil , then plan to install a Sentinel HDi90. I am not sure how to run drain since I don’t have a underground built in drain line as in the video. Beautiful instal video,
I am installing unit without its own pump. I will let gravity drain out through hole in wood Frame at crawl space door . There is a pit outside at entrance. That I put a sump in to lower water table during periods of high rain fall that can handle the water . But I normally collect this near clean water in 5 gallon pails and put it on my raised bed gardens daily . To save load on my well during dry spells.
During cold weather my house and crawl space is very dry , less than 25% RH and do not need to run DEhumid during heating season (Indiana)
Preferably, You would want to put a catch basin in the crawl space with a sump pump where your French drains (that surround the crawl space), run into. The dehumidifier should drain into the sump pump. This will create a situation where any water intrusion will run into the catch basin and be pumped out of the crawl space to the outside. Since you are using a pump, gravity is not a concern. However you wouldn’t want all that excess water to drain anywhere near the foundation. The pipe should be draining somewhere away from the house in a spot where it will either naturally run away or get transported by city sewage.
Where are you guys located? What area you service?
Enjoyed your video! Love the ZIP tape tip. Will be subscribing!
One question, the vapor barrier you use on the floor, did I hear you correctly in that you only used an 8 mil product?
Just curious, because we have a 20 mil in our current home & are getting ready to encapsulate a second home we bought a couple of years ago.
Wondering about why you chose to go with a thinner mil as opposed to one of Farm Plastic Supply’s heavier ones? Thanks in advance for a response.
Hi Kirsten. Thank you for watching the video. We used a farm supply 20 mil plastic on one job. But, that plastic was not a string reinforced vapor barrier plastic. The plastic that I used on this installation is string reinforced and therefore does not need to be as thick. It has a lot to do with the condition of the ground that you are placing it on. A Sandy soft ground can easily get away with a thinner Mil plastic string reinforced. A rocky ground would require the thicker Mil plastic. Hope that information helps.
Thank you for such a prompt response. I figured it likely had to do with the terrain in the individual crawlspaces. Unfortunately, we have a lot of rough concrete footers under many of our piers, so looks like we should stick with the 20mil.
Again thanks for the response and the professional videos!
Hi @YouCanDoIt , can you please explain why you decided to not insulate the brick walls with foam insulation? I was going to do this first, and then consider covering the floor.
Cover floor with poly film, turn it up the crawl space walls, seal it with special adhesive tap to walls, then spray foam from ground level over all way up into floor joist header. It is the temperature and moisture differential that you are sealing out with poly film and spray foam up walks. With crawl space sealed we condition that space with our HVAC system to have our floors as warm in winter as house above, while eliminating that 87% RH we were getting in crawl space in summer w AC on.
We added a crawl space whole house dehumidifier this year, works well happy we did both . Se my posting reply nearby on my project !
This is a really outstanding video, thank you for sharing. You have a new subscriber.
I have one question, many pros remove the insulation from the floor joists and I noticed you didn’t remove it for this project. Are there pros and cons to removing the insulation vs. leaving it in place? Thanks.
Hi! Thank you so much for watching the video and leaving such a nice compliment. As far as the insulation goes...there is a difference between a vapor barrier installation and a full encapsulation. If you are installing a vapor barrier and dehumidifier only, and the original insulation does not contain mold or moisture, then leave it intact so that it helps to insulate the home. However, if you are doing a full encapsulation, you can remove the insulation because you will be installing an insulated foam barrier onto the foundation side walls, which will insulate the crawlspace and home. Insulation does not have to be removed (in either application) if it is not damaged by moisture or mold. In either application, you will want to install a good dehumidifier (such as I have linked in the description) so that moisture and mold do not become an issue in the future. I wish you the best on your project!
@@YouCanDoIt2
Thank you for your prompt response.
are you doing any air circulation from inside crawlspace to outside? I’ve been looking into using an ERV to pull some air out of the crawlspace and replace it with some simple vents from above. if not, have you noticed any weird issues with air quality in the crawlspace with it being totally sealed? thx for the video! 🤠
Hi. Thank you for watching. If I were doing a full encapsulation I would definitely consider air replacement so that there isn't negative air flow. This wasn't a full encapsulation. I completed my home this way as well. It has been about 4 years now. The area is dry, no smells, no mold, and I even store my Christmas decorations in my crawlspace because it's so much better than the attic. Hope this information helps 👍
How much did this job cost your customer
Installed in a low, hard to enter crawl space. A second filter, clean taken to unit, could be swapped for dirty filter. Then cleaned outside with air, or water, and replaced as clean next trip, next month. Not having 2 make 2 very uncomfortable entrances on my 77 year old bell crawl. Second filter for swap ?
That is a super smart idea! This particular crawl space got pretty tight in the back (belly crawl)...but, the location that we installed the dehumidifier was pretty easy to access. Two filters for rotating is a really good idea👍
I don't have a floor drain in place. Would I be able to hang the unit and then run the hose out through a vent?
Hi Judy. I imagine that the scenario that you are talking about would work... providing that there is enough fall in the drain line to cause the water to exit the system and not get backed up. You also want to make sure that you do not have any sagging in the drain line or the water could pool in the line and cause mildew in the tube or draining problems. Hope this information helps 👍
I am buying a home with some standing water in the crawl space, I will be installing vapor barrier and probably sump pump. How do I remove the standing water before starting the process shown in your video. I liked the clear description you both have provided. Please help me with the initial stages with respect to my situation. This will be my very first project working on my home. Its about a 1700 sq foot home, as per your video, I need atleast 3400 sq ft of vapor barrier. The wall is not as high as in your video, most knee high or just crouched sitting. How do I remove the standing water? I am assuming the water is due to improper roof drainage pipe thats missing at some places and water percolating through foundation. I am very nervous though your video helped gain some confidence. Awaiting to hear from you. Thanks
Forgot to add: The house is in the area with very high water table, even the water meter is fully submerged in water. It rains a lont here during winter!
Hi! Thank you for watching the video. Sounds like your home is a candidate for a sump pump, vapor barrier and dehumidifier. You will need to install the sump pump as the first project so that you can eliminate as much water as possible before installing the vapor barrier. The sump pump needs to be installed in the lowest area under your home.... most likely where the most water settles. Look at your side walls and you will probably see stains where past water levels were. Here is our video about installing a sump pump: czcams.com/video/vtqjrO3Ebjk/video.html
Once you have done the pump, give it a few days, and then begin your vapor barrier project. Depending on the moisture under your home, you may want to bring in your dehumidifier (set it on bricks so it doesn't get muddy) and let it run for a few days to really dry out the area. I have confidence that if you follow these steps....You Can Do It!!! 👍
Thank you again@@YouCanDoIt2, I will follow this. Copied to my project list file. It is very easy to understand. You do a great job with elaborate videos. I will write back in case of any questions. Thanks again
@@hell00O0 You bet! You Can Do It👍
I was planning on using 15 mil but I might go thinner to save some $. I think I’m going with an AprilAir dehumidifier though. My house is 1800 sq ft. and I didn’t see an alorair over 1200…
Hi. Thank you for watching. If you go directly to the Alorair website you can look at everything they have to offer. I just went there and the 90 model goes up to 2,600 square feet. They also all appear to be on sale right now. Hope this information helps 👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 Thanks! We just bought the house and we have got to get this moisture problem under control. I’m putting in a French drain right now. I have about 40’ left and the entire perimeter will have a drain. I do have another question. You mentioned that you used a dehumidifier to remove some moisture before the install. Did that help any?
@@redbonegaston2010 a dehumidifier can help before install to reduce the humidity in the air so that you are not traping humid air in your crawlspace. It really depends on what your crawl space is like. If it's not that humid then go ahead and install the vapor barrier and dehumidifier. However, if your area is extremely humid you might want to whick out some of that moisture before you lay down the vapor barrier. You may also have a difficult time attaching it (tape) to the cinderblock walls and peers if there's a lot of humidity trapped in those surfaces. Hope this information helps 👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 It does. I appreciate it. It is so WET under the house. I may go ahead and order the dehumidifier I’m going to use and run it before I lay the plastic.
Aprilaire is the better choice. The build quality is better and is completely made in the United States.
Thanks for the review. Any updates after a year? Thanks again.
Hi. Thank you for watching the video. I have actually had this exact setup under my home for almost 5 years now. Absolutely love it...no complaints. My crawlspace is dry, void of mold or any foul smell. Infact, it is so nice that we actually store quite a lot of household items under our home now because it is so clean and dry. Definitely well worth the money and effort!!👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 Thanks that's good to hear. I appreciate you responding.
I had a question about my crawl space. I had a guy come out and give me an estimate and thought it was a bit much for something so simple. He mentioned i was just at 2000sq ft, yet I went and measured everything myself and was at 1133+ or - a foot or two. So my question is is there a chance I measured wrong or they are quoting for the excess to overlap? The question leads into how much I should order for my measurements of 1133sq ft.
Hi Damien. Thank you for watching the video and reaching out. Your crawlspace ground area is only one measurement. Depending on how many seams you create, you will need to overlap them by at least 1 foot. Therefore, depending on the length you are losing a foot with on both runs because they will overlap. Also, if you are doing a true crawl space vapor barrier installation you will need to go up your walls at least a few feet. So, you will need to measure that square footage all the way around. And then finally, each Pier will need to be wrapped. The goal is to not allow any moisture from the ground to penetrate into your crawl space. Just an example, a 1500 square foot crawl space usually requires about 2500 square feet of vapor barrier plastic. I hope that this information helps you with your project. 👍
I got several quotes on sealing my crawl space with huge price variation.
Job 1200 sq foot ground area, 32” wall height . 1974 rancher with decent pea gravel in place.
Very high summer humidity, 85%. Pipes dripping condensate, mold signs in places, fiberglass pink insulation over head between joist, dripping wet in places. Dry in winter when heat is on.
Put new plastic sheeting full crawl over pea gravel and up walls all around. Spray foam walll to top of joist end plate, fill vent openings. Remove old fiber bats.
Quote 1. $9,500
Quote 2 no estimate after looking.
Quote 3, a foam spray company, did plastic ground barrier sheet, attached to block walls , sprayed foam @ 3 to 4 inches. $ 2600. $500 to remove old fiber batting.
I removed the batting myself and saved 500.
Happy with results.
I then installed a 50 cFM air duct opening into crawl space to condition with conditioned air leakage to put heat and cool air under house. I installed that myself, w 1 floor duct from den into crawl space so that 50 cFM would circulate back into house and be returned through HVAC system like it was another room
Happy w results.
2 years later I added the crawl space dehumidifier fir less than 700$. Happy with that too!
Why did you install French drain and how load is deh.
Hi. Thank you for watching the video. The French drain was already part of a previous installation under this home we just tapped into it and installed the condensate line as an easy way to drain the dehumidifier. In other installations, we have had to drill through the foundation wall so that we can install the condensate line to the exterior of the home. I hope this information helps with your project 👍
Look like you misunderstood what is the desing of an french drain ''Big O'' . The drain is full of little holes in all circumference. So the water will go... all back in your soil. I recommand you to connect the hose in a PVC pipe ( waste water systeme). And do you have a sum pump in the crawlspace?
Hi Elie. The house is built on a down sloped hill. The water existing this crawl space will not return.
You will fail an inspection if you pipe into waste water. If you get a clog in your waste pipe, it will back up into your dehumidifier. The way he did it was fine.
How does the Zip tape hold over time and temperature variations (winter to humid/hot summers)? What's your experience (years and use, etc.)?
Hi BA...great question! Keep in mind that humidity should no longer be an issue as long as you are using a dehumidifier that operates properly. We installed our vapor barrier about 4 years ago and have not seen a single issue with the zip system tape unsticking from the cinder blocks. It is very tacky tape to the point where it's hard to pull it off your fingers if you get your fingers stuck on it. If you get your gloves stuck in it you have to cut the tape because it will not come undone 😂...I don't know of any other tape I would use for this type of application. Hope this information helps! 👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 Thanks! Yes, it does. I'm getting ready to encapsulate my crawlspace and was planning to pin the plastic onto the wall, but seeing you use the zip tape was very interesting. Certainly much faster than drilling holes and installing fasteners. Thanks again...and thanks especially for your videos!
@@YouCanDoIt2 also, is the zip tape the flashing tape, stretch tape, or something else?
@@uxbman I think what you're asking is what exact type is this tape. It's the flashing tape. It is also stretchy so it's kind of both. If you read the specs on this particular tape it can be applied to almost any surface. It bonds to wood, concrete, masonry, metal, glass, and plastics. It's 5 star rated with thousands of reviews. I have used it for years on all kinds of projects and have never had any issues with it unsticking over time.
@@YouCanDoIt2 Thanks, yes I found it at Lowes and on Amazon. Also, I re-looked at your video and zoomed in on you taping up one of the pillars and was able to see the exact product name . Thanks again! I'll be doing a test application today to see how it works where I'm located (VA) before I go all in on the tape idea...but based on your video and comments, I'm very confident that I'm going to be saving a lot of time on my project! Thanks again for interacting and actually replying quickly and with great info. :-)
Do you prefer this white vapor barrier with the string reinforcement over the 10 mill clear?
It really depends on what your ground looks like. If you are applying over a rocky ground you might use the 10mil. If your ground is mostly dirt or sand, the 6mil white with reinforced string will do. Visually, I prefer the solid white as it looks clean and you cannot see through it. I hope this information helps 👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 yep my ground is mostly dirt and sand here in Florida. I will definitely use the heavy duty reenforced barrier than. thank you again 👊🏼👊🏼
@@JoeSmith-rn6fn You are so welcome Joe! Best wishes with your project...I'm sure that it will turn out amazing!!
Just bought a house that had a crawl space owner sprayed foamed the walls. So would I just need to vapor barrier the floor and the blocks, it’s a 1976 home. Crawl space did not smell like mildew was not humid either.
Hi Chuck. Congratulations on the new home purchase! Sounds like the previous owners did a good job on the home. It really depends what area of the country you are in. If you're not in a humid environment you might not need to do anything. If you can tell that the ground is moist, you may need a vapor barrier on the ground extending up a bit on the foundation walls. The dehumidifier might not be necessary. Hope this information helps 👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 thank you. home inspector recommended it but my dad said probably not necessary. I live toward the Midwest toward central IL
@@chuckerickson5713 Your dad is most likely correct. I would keep an eye on it and just see if you're starting to accumulate moisture. But, you might live in an area that does not require any thing to be done to the crawlspace.
@@YouCanDoIt2 thank you
Hello! Thank you for this video. What do you do/use to close off vents?
Hi! Thank you for watching. We use rigid foam insulation boards for closing off the vents. They are super easy to cut with a box cutter and fit nicely in the foundation vents. We then tape over the foam boards with the same tape that we used on the foundation wall...Zip system tape. Hope that this information helps you on your project👍
@@YouCanDoIt2 thank you! a few other questions:
what did you use as the “filler” for around the foam and in the cement cracks?
What was used to stake the vapor barrier into the ground for uneven areas?
And last question….
My crawl space is very damp. I moved in 5 years ago and it was dry with dust and suddenly over the last 5 years of rain, the ground is very moist and now there’s mold! I don’t see any mud or pooling of water, just moist, squishy ground, squishier in some areas, and white speckled mold all over the floor. Not to mention … a possum got stuck under there (apparently) and passed away… leaving droppings everywhere!
One more thing to add.. I live in California where it’s not too humid. When I moved in, we were in a drought for a few years, and in the past 2-3 years, there’s been a lot more rain than normal. I was looking at neighbor’s crawl space and theirs has white mold too, and the ground looked similar.
I’m thinking of just encapsulating the area and putting in a dehumidifier if I can, but I really don’t know what to do. So lost… Any thoughts? Thank you in advance 🙏🏽
@@MooseALT Hi! The filler that you can use would be something like "Big Gap foam" that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes. However, if you cut the rigid insulation board as close to the shape of the foundation vent as possible...you shouldn't really require anything more than the Zip System tape to seal the remainder of the gaps as you tape up the insulation board (if that makes sense). As far as the moisture and mold goes. You might want to spray your crawlspace with Mold Armor to eliminate the mold...prior to sealing up the vents. Wear a good mask or respirator to avoid breathing in the fumes. Allow the crawlspace to air out for a few days before proceeding. Then, close up the vents and run the dehumidifier in the crawlspace to wick up any remaining moisture before laying down the vapor barrier. That could take an additional few days to accomplish. I have had to do this exact method on very moist crawlspaces. It works well! Hope that this information is helpful!!
@@YouCanDoIt2 thanks very much!! In theory… what if I didn’t remediate the mold and just bought/ran the dehumidifier and then tried my best to do a good thorough job with laying down what’s needed for encapsulation?
@@MooseALT The problem that I see with that is that once the mold dries you will have mold spores that may become air borne and become something that you may breathe in…especially if you have your return handler or furnace in the same space.
How much would a project like this cost for a 1440 sq ft crawlspace?
Hi James. Thank you for watching the video. If you go on the description of the video I list what the supplies are. You can purchase everything that you see in the video on Amazon. You would just need to do a material list for the size of your crawlspace. Keep in mind you're going to need almost double the amount of square footage of vapor barrier for overlapping, running around pillars, and going up the side of the walls. Hope this information helps 👍
How is the zip tape holding up
Amazing! If you are using the Zip tape, make sure to use the roller to press the tape into the foundation wall so that it grabs hold. We have used this zip tape system in several crawl spaces and have not had a single issue with the tape falling off.👍
If the dehumidifier keeps moisture to 50-55%, why bother with the plastic barrier?
Hi Stan. Thank you for your question. If you only have the dehumidifier, without a vapor barrier, you will have a dehumidifier that will most likely never turn off and will wear out quicker than it would if it had the vapor barrier. The reason being is that moisture under a home comes from subterranean water that will seep up during heavy rains, and exterior humidity that may enter the crawlspace. The vapor barrier helps to restrict this moisture. Your dehumidifier will not have to work as hard if this barrier is in place. I hope that this information helps.👍
You want your dehumidifier to lower humidity in air crawl space, above vapor barrier, not to serve as a substitute sump pump for ground water rising from below. Also, I insulated my crawl space walls, took damp fiberglass over head insulation out, Now my HVAC “ Leaks” heat or Cool air into craw space, travels length of house to return that input conditioned air back into our living space. Barrier prevents any ground odors, groun molds, or ground insects being a problem. My living space & crawl area have almost identical RH and temperature year round, no mold on joist, and no hard wood floor cupping and floors are warm even in winter. Happpy w results. I put tem $ humidity devise with outdoor sending unit in crawl space vent and sensor in display sensor in den, very happy, cheap, and accurate enough at 25$ , checked against factory instruments .
I thought it was a major no no to lay plastic on plastic in crawlspaces
Hi. Thank you for watching the video and leaving a question. Having multiple layers of plastic really depends on each individual space. If the original vapor barrier is moldy, then I would suggest pulling it out and starting fresh. However, if the original vapor barrier is still intact and free of mold... then, it serves as additional protection and should remain in the space. This is one of those debatable issues. If you Google that question, you will see responses for and against it all over the internet. As for me, if the original barrier is usable and free of mold why pull it out? Keep it in the space as additional protection. I hope this information helps 👍
What if moisture does get in between both layers
it would be really helpful if you listed the items you used from Amazon . Then whenever someone purchased them, like I am getting ready to do, you would get a referral fee. It would be good for you and easy for us.
Hi. Thank you for watching the video and leaving a comment. I'm not that versed in how to make money off of purchases in links. However, I went ahead and added the links from Amazon of the products. I hope this information helps you with your project 👍.
Wow! Thank you so much!@@YouCanDoIt2
That barrier will smell like cat pee as the strings inside age and collect moisture.
1:41 min into your video y’all made a drastic mistake. Any professional knows you don’t double layer the floors…. Nor use a reinforced plastic, it can off gas and make your customers home smell like cat piss. As a pro didn’t even want to watch anymore after these 2 mistakes. Poor advice
Great product, support is crap!