Cure for the common cold

Cure for the common cold

‘Most of us have something in common this time of year; yes, it's cold weather. Cold weather can be detrimental to our homes, if we are not prepared. We cannot stop the cold from visiting, but we can prepare some cures to prevent costly repairs and discomfort of this common cold.

Recently, I experienced a cold weather disaster to my rental property. When I talked to my insurance agent I was surprised to find out the extent that cold weather has on costly repairs. My agent told me that it is not unlikely to have cold weather related insurance losses mount to over a billion dollars a year.

In my case, I found out the hard way that during severe cold, your house temperature should not fall below sixty-two degrees, even when no one is home. The exterior walls of your house are commonplace to house water pipes. To keep the pipes from freezing inside the walls, you must maintain at least a temperature of sixty-two or sixty-five depending how severe the cold gets in your area. Pipes that freeze usually burst. This is not good. I know too well. It is a good idea to check for water pipes that are exposed near exterior walls in basements or crawl spaces. These pipes should be insulated; this is an inexpensive cure for a costly problem.

Roof and gutter damage are also major contributors to insurance losses and costly repairs to homeowners. Excessive snow and ice build up can tear off gutters and cause roofs to leak or even collapse. We cannot prevent all problems and catastrophic disasters. But here are some ways to help cure the “common cold" problems:

 Keep trees trimmed back at least ten feet from the roof
 Keep gutters attached properly
 Keep gutters cleaned
 Make sure that downspouts are properly attached and free of debris
 Keep attic vents clear (well vented attics will help protect your roof from damage due to “ice damming”)
 Make sure that the insulation in your attic is adequate for your climate (this will also help protect your roof from “ice damming”)

Take some time to learn what steps you can take to prevent damage to your house. Preventive maintenance is the best way to save you money on costly repairs. With house repairs, you pay now or later. I found that now saves you money over later.

"Call Your Handyman and Take A kid Ice Fishing"

Now is the time to protect your house from”The Common Cold”.

Safe Holidays are Happy Holidays

Every year we hear of household accidents taking lives around the holiday season. To keep the holiday season a happy season we need to practice safety awareness. The simple fact is this season brings an increased use of electricity, candles, fireplaces, extension cords, live trees indoors, and holiday lights both in and out doors, all of which can increase the risk of fire.
With the holidays approaching, excitement fills the air with the anticipation of lots of food, lots of new toys, and seeing the family members that you only see on special occasions. To ensure the holidays are truly a wondrous event here are some tips to keep you and your family safe:

* Test your smoke detectors
* Test your carbon monoxide detector—if you do not have one, get one- it is worth it
* Check to make sure your fire extinguisher is operable and easy to get to
* Do not leave burning candles unattended
* Dispose of fireplace ashes outside and in a metal container
* After guests have left, take all trashcans outside—in case sparks or a cigarette may have gotten in
* Use indoor extension cords indoors only
* Use only outdoor lights outside your home
* Connect no more than three strands of lights together
* When connecting outdoor light strings together, cover the connections with plastic or something to keep out moisture
* Read the warning labels on decorative lights and follow them
* Check to make sure that all light strings are in good condition
* Unplug light strings before replacing the bulbs
* Do not overload electrical outlets
* Use only UL-approved lights

Remember if you are entertaining guests that smoke, provide plenty of ashtrays, check for cigarettes left burning, and again remember to remove all waste-cans before going to bed.

If you have a live tree in your house for the holidays, here are some tips for you:

* Do not purchase a tree that already has the needles falling off
* Trim a couple of inches off the bottom of the tree just before you put it in water- this will help it absorb water
* Locate the tree away from fireplaces and heat sources
* Water the tree regularly
* Use low voltage bulbs or “twinkle” type bulbs- these types of bulbs generate less heat
* Never use candles, even on artificial trees
* If you use a metallic tree, do not use electric lights on it
* Turn off lights before going to bed

After the holiday season, when it is time to dispose of the tree, you can call your local sanitation office to see what provisions they provide for disposal, but for safety’s sake never burn it in your fireplace.

If you have that hard-to-shop-for person on your gift list, or just want to give someone you love that gift of safety, here are some gift ideas:

* Smoke detectors
* A fire extinguisher
* A carbon monoxide detector
* Flashlight and batteries
* A first aid kit

We all are aware of the danger of fire and smoke and most of us have smoke detectors, and most of us check the batteries. But what about “The silent killer” carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is generated through incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, and charcoal, gasoline or wood. This incomplete combustion can occur in a variety of home appliances. The major cause of high levels of carbon monoxide in the home is faulty ventilation of funaces, hot water heaters, fireplaces, cooking stoves, grills and kerosene heaters.Faulty or improper ventilation of natural gas and fuel oil furnaces during the cold winter months accounts for most carbon monoxide poisoning cases.Carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are affordable and easy to install, and in my opinion a must for every home.

Youth groups often sell these items to raise money during the holiday season, so they are easy to find.

Remember the first step to keep your family safe begins with keeping your house safe!!!!

“The very best of holiday wishes to you and yours from all of us”

Who Needs Home Repairs?

Who Needs Home Repairs?

The answer to this question is anyone that has a home; of course this is the answer. But the other question is why? The simple answer is to save you money. Okay, how can paying for repairs save me money? The answer to that is easy. By having repairs done when needed can save you from having much more expensive repairs down the road. For example a leaking hose-bib repair normally would be under one hundred dollars, but what can happen if this repair is deferred? A moderately leaking hose-bib will let water run down beside the foundation and if remediation is not preformed in a timely fashion, serious foundation problems can occur. Foundation repairs can cost two to twenty thousand dollars, no I am not kidding. In fact most of the major foundation problems I have found could have been avoided with low cost repairs. Another example is a minor roof or flashing repair. A minor roof or flashing repair is normally between two and four hundred dollars, but the damage that a leak can cost could easily be thousands of dollars. Another example is higher utility bills from the lack of simple repairs, such as worn weather stripping, bad caulk, dripping faucets, and toilets that run when not in use.

The bottom line is keeping your home in good repair will save you money.



"Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid Fishing"

Unwanted Guest

Handymen can get some strange questions, for example:

Question: I have a guest living in my home and he doesn't pay rent, he tears up the place and he comes and goes as he pleases. I have a squirrel in my attic. I have tried to catch the little guy many times and I am embarrassed to say that he has outsmarted me at every turn. I thought it to be fun at firstbut I swear I heard him in one of our walls the other day and I amconcerned that he could bite into something that he should not. Should I beworried and what kind of damage can one squirrel do?




Answer: There has been a lot of success using an ultrasonic rodent repeller. These ultrasonic rodent repellers create sound patterns that the pest don’t like, and they will leave. These devices start around thirty dollars. It is best to purchase one that has a money back guarantee.

The main problem is to find the opening in your house they are using to get in. I recommend looking around the eaves and soffits for openings. Once you have evicted your unwanted guest it is time to seal these openings.

"Call Your Handyman and Take a KId Fishing"

Roof Flashing

Any handyman can tell you the important role roof flashing plays in avoiding costly leaks. Using the proper flashing in it’s proper place a good start, but keeping it in good repair will avoid costly repairs to the interior of your house. Inspecting the flashing from the exterior is a good start, but the real story is revealed from the interior of the attic. For example, valley-pan flashing can appear in good condition from the surface, but that is only part of the story. The way it was installed is not apparent from the surface, and improper installation will cause leaks that can only be detected from the underside of the roof.

Here is an example of questions I receive about roof flashing.
Question: We recently had some roof work, including the installation of drip edge. Could you tell me the purpose(s) of a roofing drip edge? Could you also tell me the proper location of a drip edge in relation to a gutter? (I fear that I may have had one installed incorrectly.)


Answer: Of all of the different types of flashing, drip edge flashing is the simplest. Drip edge flashing is commonly used at the rakes (gable end edges) and at the eaves (the leading edge of the roof where the gutters are installed). There are two basic types of drip edge. One type is known as “C”, this type of drip edge does not have an overhang. The other type is known as “Extended”. The Extended type has a hemmed overhang at the edge of the roof deck. Both types can be installed on the rakes or the eaves.
To prevent high wind and rain from entering at the rakes, the drip edge is installed on top of the underlayment. On the eaves the drip edge is installed under the underlayment, this allows any water that gets under the shingles to shed safely off the roof. If there are gutters on the eaves, the drip edge should be extended so water will flow directly into the gutters.

“Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid Fishing”

Childproofing Your Home

As a parent of three and a grandparent of five I realize the challenges, especially when it comes to safety matters. Getting ahead of the game is the answer to avoid harm to your children. Believe it or not, accidental injury is the number one killer of children in American. More children lose their lives to accidents in their homes than to disease or violence. According to the Safe Kids USA organization, 4.5 million children are injured in the home every year.

Every parent knows the danger of sharp corners that can cause head and bodily injuries. Let’s not forget the small objects that any child will put in their mouth and choke on before we know it. Childproofing is a major task and any stone left unturned could result in a potential danger to your child.

We know the dangers of cleaning products and keep them away from our children, but how about the automatic toilet bowl cleaner we use. Dipping their cup in the toilet bowl to get a quick drink is gross, but will not kill them. But a drink out of the toilet with a toxic automatic toilet bowl cleaner in it could be fatal. Toilet lid latches are a great idea, but only if all family members remember to latch them.

A nice warm bath for your baby is a good thing, but water too hot can cause burns and in some cases serious burns. While it is important to adjust bath water to a comfortable temperature for your baby, it is also important to adjust the temperature of your water heater. For safety reasons a water heater should not be set with a temperature higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

All electrical switches and plugs should have cover plates. All plugs should have child proof caps, or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) on outlets near sinks and bathtubs.

Beware of furniture that has moving parts, such as recliner chairs and exercise equipment. It is easy for a child to get their fingers or other body parts caught in a moving part.

Installing window stops will prevent a child from getting their head stuck in a window or getting out of a window. This may sound funny, but a window that has stops will only allow the window to open four inches, see how this can help?
Window cords should always be removed or cut from any drapes or blinds to avoid strangulation.

Child latches on washer/dryers, refrigerators, freezers, drawers, and cabinets will also help prevent an accident. Installing door knob sleeves is a simple way to keep a child out of a room that you are not in.

Have your handyman inspect all decks and balconies for fall protection devices and general safety.

DIGITAL REMODELING!

Probably you were having supper with your spouse and talking about the house when the brainstorm hit you. Suddenly you glimpsed a way to get that extra bathroom the home had always needed, without putting in new foundation and adding on off the back of the house. So you grabbed a pencil and quickly sketched the rough idea on a paper napkin. It was pretty rough, and there was mustard on the floor-uh, napkin. Well, you're not an architect, after all.

You might be surprised what's available to you.

If you've got a nice home PC, you could have more fun than any video game, designing your dream house, or doing some realistic remodeling of the home you've already got.

I'm not talking about the software the pros use. Programs for professional architecture and engineering-programs like CADAM, Autocad, Datacad, Cadsoft, Argus, Microstation, etc-typically start at around $1000 and rapidly escalate to over $20,000 in cost. And that does not include the computer. Furthermore, if you thought learning that word processing or spreadsheet program was tedious and mind-numbing, I guarantee learning these programs will be exquisite torture. Nah, for what I've got in mind, you don't need to have a fat bank account or know anything about isometric projection or Cartesian coordinates.

For typically about $20 to $100 you now have your choice of several good design programs reasonably geared to the typical home user and enabling you to turn out plans any contractor can use and-best of all-allowing you to see the completed project in 3D on your computer monitor before you've spent a dime!

Compare some of these products and select the right one for you.

"Call Your Handyman and take a Kid Fishing"

I’ve got the Itch

The most popular do-it-yourself project may be retrofitting insulation into established homes. And why not? There is arguably no other home improvement project which will so reliably add to our comfort and so quickly return the cost of the investment.

Although sealed wall cavities are rarely accessed by do-it-yourselfers, attics, crawlspaces, and basement walls are often done by them. While we advise caution and appropriate preparedness for any home maintenance activity (prudence is your best defense against injury-hire a professional if you are unsure of the job!), for most homeowners the most daunting prospect may be the sneezing and itching that can come from handling fiberglass batts.

Within the last couple years some new products have become available which can change all that.

Perhaps the most widespread are encapsulated batts. In general, these are the same fiberglass batts you've always known, but wearing a thin plastic sleeve. The plastic sleeve makes the batts much easier to handle-you can work with them without metamorphosing into a human porcupine, bristling with tiny spikes of broken fiberglass. Expect to wear long sleeves and a respirator just as has always been done with fiberglass batts-the fiber detritus is so tiny, and the sleeves usually open-ended, so that you will still likely have some contact. A radical and seldom-mentioned benefit of the bagged batts is more even, less moisture- and humidity-dependent, performance from the fiberglass batt. Not long before the batts were introduced, a re-examination of the standard R-value testing method brought the realization that the testing method was characterized by very low humidity. When elevated humidity was introduced, the batts' R-value dropped significantly.

Another remarkable new product is Owens-Corning's "Miraflex," the first new form of fiberglass in almost 60 years. Miraflex is fiberglass but looks and feels just like soft, non-spun cotton. It is formed by blending two types of glass fiber, the strands having random curls which keep them from irritating the skin. Don't stuff your pillow with it, though. It comes in an encapsulated batt and I'll let you figure out why. R-value for Miraflex is about the same as standard fiberglass batts, approximately R-3 per inch.

Or you could get away from fiberglass altogether with a nifty old-time batt material, rock wool. Rock wool has been around since the 1930's. You can make some by spinning together fibers of molten basalt rock and steel mill slag. Or you could have a Canadian company, Roxul, do it for you. Ontario-based Roxul makes a modern rock wool batt with a springy edging that aids seal, Flexibatt. Roxul ships Flexibatt to the four corners of the earth (say, Chris, which way to America?). If you make the effort to locate some Flexibatt, you'll be rewarded with a material that is softer and more sound- and fire-resistant than conventional fiberglass. And you'll get substantially better R-value in the bargain, typically R-3.7 to R-4 per inch.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to insulate your house with blanket material like you cover yourself with at night (those blankets may be only 1/4" thick, but one or two of them keeps you toasty at night), why, give Greenwood Cotton Insulation Products of Roswell, Georgia a call. They make batts out of recycled cotton and polyester. Those batts just missed becoming blue-jeans or T-shirts-they're the leftovers from jean and T-shirt factories. R-value is about the same or a little better than conventional fiberglass batts, around R-3 to R-3.7. And, you will not itch.

If you want to make the neighbors "green" with envy and be really hip, you'll jump at the chance to stuff your house with "E2" from E2 Development of Burlington, Ontario. E2 is made of 100 percent recycled plastic soda bottles. Before you can finish a good belch, they'll spin you old cola bottle into a soft cottony blanket that costs just a little bit more than conventional fiberglass but insulates like a batt-and-a-half, typically R4.5 per inch.

I'll bet you're just itchin' to get started!

“Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid Fishing”

Our Home is Our Castle

Long ago, there was a time when we went to our windows, drew back the curtains-and stuck our heads out. There wasn't any window to open, no pane of glass to keep out the wind and the rain. Such was life for the crowned heads of Europe as they looked out the windows of their castle. Glass windows had not been developed yet. So much of our ordinary comfort is unimaginably better than even the greatest wealth of times past could purchase. A draft-free place to live where the temperature never varies more than a couple degrees, no matter the chill or heat wave. A place where light and the waking hour activities it makes possible are determined by the indweller and not the fluctuating rhythms of the earth and sun and moon. A place filled with music and entertainment, better than ancient royalty knew and more promptly and tirelessly than they could command. A place with doorways into millions of other homes, libraries, museums, and businesses of every kind. A place where the comforts of the bath are available on demand in heated luxury. A place where our food is available in quantity and variety fresh from all parts of the world, chilled or heated as we might wish and without dependence on season. All this and with a gleaming carriage at our disposal pulled by two hundred silent horses, or maybe two such carriages, should we grow tired of our "castle. Now we need our handyman more than ever to keep our castle well maintained and safe.

Decked Out

As a handyman we know the importance of regular deck maintenance and repair. Finding rotten boards and repairing them is important for safety reasons. Unfortunately, most wood rot occurs in places that can be hard to see. Most early rot will occur under the decking boards, at the ledger boards, and on the underside of stair treads. Cleaning and sealing deck boards will increase the life of your deck. If there are nails that or popping up, just nailing them back down is futile. They will need to be replaced with longer deck nails or screws. The vertical wood deck supports should be inspected once a year and repairs made as needed. Masonry deck supports require less maintenance, but still should be inspected.

I receive a wide verity of deck questions. I thought you would like this one.


Question:
We are buying a two-year-old house that just had a new deck added to it. The deck is very nice; it is one of the things that made us want the house. The deck starts on the ground floor, and has steps going to the second floor deck. It is very sound to walk on, but my husband noticed that the piers holding up the deck are covered in cardboard. Is this normal construction? Will this cardboard hold the deck?
Answer:
The cardboard you see is only a temporary form for concrete piers. It is a common practice to build large decks on concrete piers. To form the round concrete piers, they pour the concrete into a heavy cardboard-like tube. After the concrete has hardened, the “cardboard” form can be removed. The concrete finish can look a little rough and show stripes from the form. Sometimes the contractor will just leave the concrete that way; sometimes they will put a finish coat on it to hide the imperfections. This is very good construction, but the cardboard forms should be removed, to prevent a path for wood-destroying insects to get to the deck.

"Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid fishing"

Open and Shut Case

Your handyman knows the importance of preventive maintenance to keep equipment working properly, but sometimes equipment just wears out. For example, garage door openers get regular use and often abuse as well. Your handyman knows the importance of regular maintenance on the garage door, such as oiling rollers and hinges to reduce wear and tear on the motor that has to raise and lower the door assembly several times a day. Often the garage door opener motors play out earlier then they should from the stress of constantly opening a garage door that does not work freely. In a lot of cases if a piece of equipment has out lived it’s normal life expectancy, it may be time to replace it instead of repairing wasting money on repairs. This is something your handyman can help you with.

Question:

We live in a twenty-year-old house that still has the original Craftsman garage door opener. It has never given us any problems until yesterday - it just stopped working. The light comes on, but the motor does not run, or even make any noise. We pulled the cord that lets us open the door by hand, and that works fine, so we know that the door is not stuck.

Is there anything else we can check?


Answer:

The motor has a built-in breaker to protect it from an overload. If this trips, the motor will not run, but the light will still work. Look on the motor for a reset button. Hold it down for a few seconds, and then try the motor again. If this does not work, considering the age of the unit, I would think that the motor has exceeded its useful life.

You can have it repaired, but it may be a better investment to replace it. The normal life expectancy on a garage door opener is about 10 years. Your 20-year-old unit may be fixable, but at this point it may just start giving you problems and costing you more money. Door openers are not very expensive, and the new ones have better safety features.

Improve Your Home and Save Money

We all want to do our part to conserve energy for environmental reasons, but let's not forget the personal savings. Low cost energy-efficiency improvements can reduce your monthly energy bills, and pay for themselves quickly. For years handymen all over have helped homeowners reduce energy cost with affordable energy-efficiency improvements. Not long ago Energy Audits came available to homeowners, however homeowners have been slow to take advantage of these programs. It's a no-brainer, a program that will examine the energy efficiency of your home and at the same time give your handyman a detailed list of improvements to reduce your energy cost. Think about it!

Energy Audits

Increased energy efficiency and resource conservation are good for the environment and good for the economy. Indeed, they are good for all of us. A home energy audit will show you how to save money on utility bills, increase the comfort of a home, increase the value of a home, and help improve the environment. An energy audit will examine, measure, and evaluate the factors that affect energy use in a home, finding all energy saving opportunities. The information gathered during the energy audit is analyzed using specialized software to produce a comprehensive Home Energy Tune-uP® Report.
The Report shows which energy-efficiency improvements would reduce energy costs and make the home more comfortable.
The analysis takes into account regional variables such as local weather, implementation costs, and fuel prices.
The Report contains estimates of the savings, costs and payback for each energy-efficiency recommendation.
The Report identifies the group of improvements that, if financed, will save more on energy bills than it costs. These are the improvements that everyone can make since they require no out-of-pocket cost when financed.
The detailed recommendations section enables contractors to provide preliminary cost estimates without a visit to the home.
It also explains how to get the best energy savings from these improvements by listing related no-cost low-cost measures that can be taken.

You can reduce your energy expenditures by developing energy saving habits:
· Showers usually require less hot water than baths. Additional savings can be realized by installing simple water-saving shower heads. This will reduce water consumption, which is good for everyone. The primary benefit is lower heating bills brought about by using less energy to heat less water.
· Use heat-generating appliances such as washers, dryers or ovens during the cooler hours of the morning or evening. This reduces the load on your air conditioner in the summer, and actually helps heat the house in the winter.
· Electric cooktops are energy drains. Use the appropriate burner for your pan size. Also, flat bottom pots make better contact and conduct heat from the elements more efficiently than pots with warped or rounded bottoms.
· Wash only full loads of clothes when possible and clean your dryer's lint filter after every load.
· Consider replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs put out approximately four times as many lumens per watt. For example, a 25 watt fluorescent bulb provides as much light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb. Fluorescent bulbs also last about ten times as long!
· In the summer, keep drapes and curtains closed on the sunny side of the house. In the winter, open those drapes and curtains on sunny days to take advantage of the sun's heating power. Close all drapes, blinds or shades at night in winter to make use of their insulating properties.
· Use an exhaust fan to pull excess heat and humidity out of the kitchen and bathroom in the summer. Be aware, however, that exhaust fans can rapidly pull the heat from your house in the winter.
· Perhaps the most often quoted hint for saving energy in the home is to set thermostats at 68° F in the winter and 78° F in the summer.

These How-To's are provided as a service from Lowe's, the Original Home Improvement Warehouse of How-To information for the World Wide Web.

Lock Bumping, Are You Safe?

As a handyman I am always posting articles about home safety and home security. We are always getting calls to install deadbolts and window locks. Thanks to a comment posted by Brett, I wanted to post this article about “Lock Bumping”. Lock bumping is a Locksmiths trick to open cylinder locks. By using a special series of cuts on a regular key, plus a series or taps, thieves can open almost any lock in minutes. Thanks to the internet anyone can get information on how to make a bump key, making your traditional deadbolt lock easy prey for a break-in. From an insurance company stand point this type of break in leaves no evidence of forced entry and a reluctance to pay a claim. There are several very inexpensive ways to protect yourself from break-ins due to lock bumping, including a popular device called “LockJaw”. Ask your local handyman about installing one of these devices on your dead bolt. The small cost for this safety device is well worth the peace of mind.

“Call your Handyman and take a Kid Fishing”

Keep Older Americia Safe

As a handyman I have noticed a great deal of seniors living in their own homes.
In fact, 95 percent of seniors, aged 75 and older, prefer to stay in the privacy of their own homes, which exemplifies the need for home safety education. With this in mind, I would like to inform you of some simple, yet effective ways to increase the safety of seniors as daily routines like showering and cleaning the home become increasingly dangerous.

The two rooms that seniors spend most of their time in are the kitchen and the bathroom. Here are several tips and projects for these rooms to help keep our seniors safe.

For the kitchen:
· Fixed rugs: double-side tape or suction cups will securely fasten area rugs to the kitchen floor, where water and food are commonly spilled, creating slippery surfaces,
· GFCIs: replace existing standard outlets with ground fault circuit interrupters to reduce the risk of electric shock, and
· Hazard rack: construct an accessible rack to store a fire extinguisher, first aid kit and telephone for any unforeseen injuries.

For the bathroom:
· Hand-held showers: let seniors divert water from the existing shower head to one they can hold in their hand,
· Grab bars: allow seniors to grab onto a secure surface while entering/exiting the tub and using the toilet, and
· Elevated toilets: are positioned two to five inches higher than a standard toilet, putting less stress on seniors’ legs.

Another major concern is the risk of fire related deaths. Each year, more than 1200 Americans sixty-five years old and older loose their lives in home fires. The risk of fire related deaths is almost three times greater for people sixty-five and older. This can be contributed to slow reaction time in emergency situations, not only due to age, but various medications that may decrees their ability to make quick decisions.

Many seniors live alone, so practicing good house keeping and fire safety plans are even more important to help prevent the risk of fire related deaths. Here are some easy steps to help make a safer home environment:
· Install smoke detectors in all hallways and bedrooms
· Dust and test smoke detectors monthly
· Change batteries in smoke detectors annually
· Have at least one CO detectors
· Avoid the use of extension cords
· Keep space heaters three feet away from combustibles
· Have and practice a home escape plane
· Never smoke in bed
· Never leave smoking materials unattended
· Dump ashtrays into an old coffee can and never into the home trash can
· Avoid cluttered rooms and hallways
· Don’t use interior keyed dead bolts
· Keep cooking equipment clean and free of grease
· Never leave cooking unattended

In addition to good fire safety practices you must be prepared if you are caught in a fire situation. Since the large number of home fires happen at night it is important to be prepared to escape from your bedroom. Besides having an escape plan, you will need a back up plan if you are trapped in the bedroom. Here are some simple tips:
· Keep a pair of eye glasses on the night stand, so in an emergency you can see what you are doing
· Have a telephone in the bedroom
· Have a whistle or some kind of portable noise maker to help rescue people locate you in the case of a fire

Remember practicing good fire safety can save a life.

“Call Your Handyman and take a Senior Citizen Fishing”

Hang Me On the Wall

When did wallpaper get its start? The Egyptian papyrus is the earliest known form of paper and was believed to be introduced around 4000 B.C., Who’s to say they did not hang it on a wall. What about the Chinese? It is believed that they glued rice paper onto their walls as early as 200 B.C. In the mid 1400’s well-to-do Europeans commissioned artists to paint paper for their walls, including King Louis of France. The earlier hand painted wallpaper was hung on the wall much like a painting, so it was portable and could be moved from castle to castle. Finely in the late1500’s a guild of paperhangers was established somewhere in France. Where ever its origin, wallpaper did not become available to the general population until the invention of the printing press.
Sorry about the history lesson, I was trying to lead into this wallpaper question:

Question:
What is the best way to remove wallpaper from a ceiling? The previous owner of our house wallpapered everything, including the ceiling, and I’m not sure how to get it off. I guess I’m looking for the easiest way to remove it without killing my neck in the process.

Answer:
Sounds like you have quite a project on your hands. The easiest way to remove the wallpaper from the ceiling would probably be to use a wallpaper steamer. You usually can rent one through a local hardware store or paint store. However, depending on how much the rental cost is and how much wallpaper you have to remove, it may be more cost effective to purchase one.

Before you start, pick a corner or edge of the wallpaper and try to peel it off by hand or with a wallpaper scraper. Depending on how old the wallpaper is, it may peel off easily and you won’t have to worry about getting a wallpaper steamer. But if it doesn’t peel off easily, then I would say stick with the steamer. Just be careful when using a steamer though, the steam can get very hot!

Save yourself the work and aggravation “Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid Fishing”

Fence Me In

As a handyman I would often get calls for wooden fence repair or replacement. When I think of fences, I thing of country or suburbs, but I found my biggest market for fence repair and replacement was in the inter city. Many of the city homes have small areas to fence and wile custom fence is more costly then premade fence sections, clients would chose the more attractive custom fence. After giving them a price on pre-made fencing and a price for the custom fencing that they really wanted, most chose the custom fencing, because with such a small area the difference in price was not that much. You still have to sink and grout the fence poles with any wood fences, so that part of the cost remains the same. Okay well that is something to consider.
Here is a fence question I received:

Question:
We just bought a new puppy and would like to put up a wood fence to keep the little guy safe and prevent him from running into our neighbors’ yards. However, my wife and I are having a debate over which side the posts should face, toward our house or toward our neighbors’ houses. I feel that the posts should face out toward our neighbors, but my wife says the posts should face in.

Answer:
Your wife is right; the posts should face your home as opposed to your neighbors. In fact, in many residential communities, this is a requirement. The reason behind this is that you are choosing to put up the fence, not your neighbors; so they shouldn't have to look at the less attractive side just because you wanted to enclose your yard.

Even if this is not required by your city’s building codes, it’s the neighborly thing to do! Plus, it will help your property look better when viewed from the street. It will also help any new neighbors to the area know that the fence was put up by you and not the previous owner.

"Call your Handyman and take a Kid Fishing"

WARM AND COZY

Any handyman will tell you that maintenance and upkeep is important for the safety of your investment in your house. They will also tell you that it is important for the safety of your family. The winter offers more of challenge in maintenance and safety issues that your handyman can help you with.

By now Old Man Winter has come to visit most of us, and we are all prepared for his stay, right? Okay, don’t answer that. Let’s take a look and see how prepared you are. The first place to start is your heat system.

If you have not given your furnace a fall tune up, it’s not too late. Changing the filter is a good place to start. If you change your filter monthly, you will save money on maintenance, not to mention you will have healthier air in your house. If your heating and cooling system share common duct work, you may have dampers that need to be adjusted for seasonal changes. If you are not sure if you have them or not, or maybe you are not sure how they need to be adjusted, ask your service tech to show you were they are. Mark the settings (winter) and (summer) so that you can make the correct seasonal changes. Learn about your heating system and what type of maintenance you and/or your service tech need to perform on it. This will save you money and inconvenience.

It is wise to have your heating system serviced every fall, and your cooling system serviced every spring. But, during heating months, it may be necessary to call your service tech if you experience any of these flowing symptoms:

Chronic headaches or flu-like symptoms
If your forced air system makes rumbling or strange noises
If you notice your furnace coming on for only a short period of time before shutting off, then coming back on several times to reach the set temperature (short cycling)

Take care of your heating system and it will keep you warm and cozy.


There are countless ways you can save energy, which also means you save money. Here are some winter tips that can help do just that:

Caulk around windows and doors.
Check for air leaks around doors (both sides and bottom). It may be necessary to replace weather-stripping or bottom door sweeps.
Seal leaks in seams of any exposed duct work.
Keep the dampers closed on wood-burning fireplaces when they are not in use.
Set your thermostat down to around 62 degrees at night or when you are gone for the day.
Open the curtains and let the sun warm the exposed rooms.
Insulate any exposed hot water pipes from the hot-water-tank.
Repair dripping faucets (hot water leaks cost you).


Remember that regular and seasonal maintenance of your house will save you money and protect your investment. Deferred maintenance is your home's worst enemy.

Truss Uplift

As a handyman I receive a great deal of questions having to do with cracks in drywall or plaster. In many cases these cracks only require cosmetic repairs. It is important to know what is causing the cracking before you start cosmetic repairs. You don’t want to have to make the same cosmetic repairs in two or three months.
Here is a question about a common cracking issue that often makes homeowners think they have a structural problem:

Question:

Recently my husband and I purchased a three-year-old ranch house. The house is beautiful and very obviously well maintained. However we have noticed a crack in the ceiling of the living room at the corner of the wall that separates the living room from the family room. On the other side of this wall is the family room, where there is a crack in the ceiling against the same wall. The cracks are not very wide, but they do run almost the entire length of this center wall, on both sides.
Our concern is this wall runs long ways down the center of our house, does this mean that our house is settling? Is our house going to fall down? Is this a major structural problem? What can we do?


Answer:

From your description of the problem, what you have is a typical case of Truss Uplift. This is not the first time I have had this question. To explain this, I will have to give you a brief explanation of your roof structure.
To start your roof structure is a truss type. To put this simply, the frame for your roof and the frame for your ceiling are all connected, this makes a truss. These trusses are spaced about sixteen to twenty-four inches apart, to span the length of your house. The top wood of the truss is called the upper cord, to that your roof sheathing and shingles are attached. The wood that runs along the bottom is called the lower cord, to that your ceiling is attached.

Trusses structurally span the entire width of the house, there for they require no load-bearing wall in the center. The center wall that divides your rooms is a non-load bearing wall, the lower cords of the trusses simply pass over the wall.

Now getting back to your problem “truss uplift”. This type of cracking or separation while being unattractive it does not usually indicate a structural problem.

Since the trusses are all one unit connected together to form the ceiling and the roof structure, as the parts cure and shrink all parts of the truss is affected. The wood starts drying and shrinking the attachments that hold the top cord to the bottom cord, causing the bottom cord to crown or rise up in the middle. This causes the ceiling to raise and lift from the center wall, thus causing the cracks between the wall and the ceiling.

In your case, since the house is three years old, the moisture content of the truss members is at a stable level, and will not get worse.

Cosmetic repair of the cracks should take of this problem. In most cases a paintable calk and some paint is an easy and inexpensive cure.

Call your local handyman to evaluate the best repair methods. In some cases a floating ceiling trim offers the best cosmetic repair.

While major and persistent cracking may indicate structural problems, in your case the cracking is a common and normal occurrence in new houses. With new construction it is likely to have slight settling and shrinkage of building materials, which will cause some slight cracking in your drywall mainly at the corners of openings.

Is Metal For Me?

As a handyman I find that we are expected by our clients to have answers for all kinds of construction questions, even questions on new construction. A professional handyman knows that not only do we make repairs, handle maintenance and update work, we also offer knowledge and good council.

Here is one example of the type of questions I am asked:

Question:

We are having our new house custom-built by a well-known builder in our area. We are in the process of deciding a roofing material for our house. We live in an area that in the past has been plagued with flash fires. Our builder recommended that a metal roof would be a wise choice in this area. This makes sense but our concern is not only the added cost but also aesthetics and longevity. Can you please share your thoughts on this mater?


Answer:

Metal roofs have proven themselves to far superior in resisting fire damage from blowing embers in the case of flash fires. But besides fire safety, metal roofs have come a long way aesthetically. They are made to look like tile and wood roofs to the point it is hard to tell the difference from the metal version and the real thing. Most metal roofs come with a fifty-year warranty, and some advertise a lifetime warranty. Most metal roofs prove to be very heat resistant; this can help save energy cost over the long term.
Have your contractor supply you with some different samples of these roof coverings, and be sure to read the manufactures data and warranties on the products you like.

"Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid Fishing"

Cure for the Common Cold

‘Most of us have something in common this time of year; yes, it's cold weather. Cold weather can be detrimental to our homes, if we are not prepared. We cannot stop the cold from visiting, but we can prepare some cures to prevent costly repairs and discomfort of this common cold.

Recently, I experienced a cold weather disaster to my rental property. When I talked to my insurance agent I was surprised to find out the extent that cold weather has on costly repairs. My agent told me that it is not unlikely to have cold weather related insurance losses mount to over a billion dollars a year.

In my case, I found out the hard way that during severe cold, your house temperature should not fall below sixty-two degrees, even when no one is home. The exterior walls of your house are commonplace to house water pipes. To keep the pipes from freezing inside the walls, you must maintain at least a temperature of sixty-two or sixty-five depending how severe the cold gets in your area. Pipes that freeze usually burst. This is not good. I know too well. It is a good idea to check for water pipes that are exposed near exterior walls in basements or crawl spaces. These pipes should be insulated; this is an inexpensive cure for a costly problem.

Roof and gutter damage are also major contributors to insurance losses and costly repairs to homeowners. Excessive snow and ice build up can tear off gutters and cause roofs to leak or even collapse. We cannot prevent all problems and catastrophic disasters. But here are some ways to help cure the “common cold" problems:

Ø Keep trees trimmed back at least ten feet from the roof
Ø Keep gutters attached properly
Ø Keep gutters cleaned
Ø Make sure that downspouts are properly attached and free of debris
Ø Keep attic vents clear (well vented attics will help protect your roof from damage due to “ice damming”)
Ø Make sure that the insulation in your attic is adequate for your climate (this will also help protect your roof from “ice damming”)


Take some time to talk to your handyman to learn what steps you can take to prevent damage to your house. Preventive maintenance is the best way to save you money on costly repairs. With house repairs, you pay now or later. I found that now saves you money over later.

Now is the time to protect your house from the common cold.

Make That Drip Go Away

As a handyman I receive a lot of how-to questions, and in most cases after I have explained how-to, I am asked if I will do the job. A professional handyman not only makes repairs in your home but also provides another valuable service, called "knowledge and good counsel".

Her is an example of questions I receive:

Question;
The faucet in the shower is not completely turning off, any ideas? The faucet is one unit, a plastic ball that you turn right for hot, left for cold and down for off. It is the down part that is not quite working.I would appreciate any ideas.

Answer;
It is time to rebuild that faucet. The first thing you need to do is to determine the brand name of the faucet. There are two basic types of faucets, a washer-type and a ball type. By finding the brand name of the faucet, you can go to the hardware store and purchase a rebuild kit.
If your faucet is a ball type, most of these kits have instructions with them. This is not a very hard job to do, but first you need to make sure the water is off. If there is an access door behind the bathtub, you will see two shut-off valves one for the hot water and one for the cold water. You will need to turn both of them off before you start to take anything apart. If you do not have the access door, but you have a basement, you will fine the shut-off valves under the bathroom area in the basement. If you do not have either one of these, you will have to shut off the main water line, and then shut off the shut-off valves over the water heater.

Remember making your own repairs can be rewarding, but know your limitations, making a bad repair can cost a lot more to repair than the original problem. Don't forget that your local handyman is just a phone call away.

"Call Your Handyman and Take a Kid Fishing"

Old Questions

As a handyman I receive a lot of questions from recent homeowners, especially homeowners that purchased older homes. Building codes have changed over the years, and wile an older home may not meet the current codes it does not always imply that the home is unsafe. But it is wise for homeowners to consult the experts and make the proper changes or safety updates. Her is a good example of the questions I receive from recent homeowners:

The Client wrote;
I recently purchased a mid-1950's home that has lots of charm and was well kept. It remains in excellent condition. After reading the Home Inspector’s report, I had some concern about the part that stated the presence of aluminum wiring. In addition, I was also informed that the wiring although appearing to be in good serviceable condition was not up to today’s standards, because it has “no grounds”. The Home Inspector also recommended that a licensed electrician evaluate the electric in the house. I know the house is old, but how much of a danger is this? Do I need an electrician? Is aluminum wiring a problem?
Can you clear this up for me?

My reply;

Based on what you told me, I don’t think you have aluminum wiring. Aluminum wiring did not come on the market until the early sixties, and when it did it was all three-wire (the third wire was a ground). Since you do not have a grounded system, I think what you have is two-wire rag romex. This wire is copper coated in nickel. When the inspector looked in the panel he saw the shiny ends of the wire and mistook them for aluminum. The best way of telling the difference is to look for the ground wire, or look at the romex cover. If the cover looks like cloth than it is the old romex. Aluminum wiring is only found with plastic covering.

All aluminum wiring is not bad, only the single strand aluminum found in the lighting and outlet circuits. This single-strand aluminum would get hot and shrink, then get hotter and would cause a fire. However, almost all modern houses use large stranded aluminum wires for service entrance cables and major appliance circuits. The large wires have many strands of wire and have a zero failure history.
But it is not a bad idea to have older electrical systems evaluated by a licensed electrician to insure that they are safe.

Now about the two-wire system you have: although it’s adequate it does not offer the protection that the three-wire/grounded system offers. You do not have a big problem, but to be on the safe side have your local handyman install ground fault receptacles in the most used receptacles, such as the outside receptacles, and receptacles near sinks, this will make that two wire system safer. This is not very expensive and not very time consuming. Note; Handymen are governed by the local laws, and all may not offer this service.

“Call a Handyman, and take a Kid Fishing”

More Safety is not too Much

When I think of household safety, the first place I think of is the garage. The potential dangers that an attached garage offers, can be eliminated by following this garage safety checklist:
• Do not store solvents or gas in glass containers
• Vent the garage when using solvents
• Store oily rags in metal coffee cans
• Store garden tools on the wall or a storage rack (out of the reach of children)
• Make sure that power tools are properly grounded
• Never start a car in the garage with the door closed (not even for a short time)
• Let the lawnmower cool down before you return it to the garage
• Any gas burning appliance (water-heater) must be a minimum of eighteen inches off the garage floor
• The door from the garage to the house must have a self-closing device
This list would not be complete without including the garage door. After all
the garage door is the largest door in the home yet many people tend to use it as the main exit and entrance to their homes. With the convenience of automatic door openers, not to mention the remotes we carry in our cars, it’s easier to use than the front door. What would the kids do without the numeric keypads into which they punch their codes, to get in the house? We bring our cars and bikes in and out, and don’t forget lawn mowers, garden tools and whatever. The point is, this door is well used, but how safe is it?

Automatic garage door openers have been around a lot longer than safety devices for them, or for that matter safety regulations for them. Garage doors with openers that either did not have safety devices, or had defective safety devices, have been blamed for causing serious injury and even death. Children and pets have been the primary victims. The car you have seen with a crease on the hood, is a good indication of these older heavy doors without properly working safety devices.

For example, an older double garage door can weigh over four hundred pounds, while a new door of the same size can weigh less than half that. If you have an older door and a safety that does not work, what you have here is an accident waiting to happen! This is a good reason why all new automatic openers must have a pressure sensitive auto-reversing device and a photoelectric-reversing device.

You can check your garage door opener safety devices by following these tips:

1. Look for photoelectric eyes near the floor on both sides of the door.

• If you have photoelectric eyes- test them by blocking the beam
between the eyes as the door is closing, and the door should
automatically reverse.

• If you do not have a photoelectric-reversing-device, you need to check your pressure- sensitive device.

• To do this, try to stop the door with your hand (be careful not to be under the door). Before the pressure gets too hard on you, the door should reverse

• If the door does not reverse, call a service person to adjust this.

• If you have none of these safety devices, then it is time to replace that old opener.

2. Another safety check is your springs.

• Check to see what type of springs you have. If you have a spring that runs along the top of the garage door on a bar, then you have a torsion spring. This type is usually safe if it breaks, because the spring will stay on the bar.

• If you have two springs that run overhead parallel with the track, then you have extension springs. You need to check these springs for cables running through them. These cables will contain the spring if it breaks. Without these cables a broken spring can be very dangerous. If you do not have a safety cable call a service person.

3. Also, annually check that all nuts and bolts on the rails and rollers are tight. This will help limit wear on your motor.

Remember the first step to keep your family safe begins with keeping your house safe.

Is Your Home Safe?

As a handyman I try to provide my clients with tips about potential hidden home hazards. It is important for a homeowner to know their home and how to keep it safe.

There is no place like home, but in reality-your house may not be as safe as you would like to believe. From inhaling toxic fumes to fire hazards, common household items could actually be hidden home hazards. But, the vast majority of tragic occurrences from dangers in the home, such as death or injury, are entirely preventable.

Dryer Vent: Lint building up in a dryer vent is an extreme fire hazard. A dryer should not be operated without a lint filer. But even with one, some lint sticks and can still build up, with the dryer’s hot air causing it to catch on fire. It is important for vents to be cleaned out frequently, and if the vent is too long, a professional should be hired to thoroughly clean it as needed. If your dryer is running slower than usual, or barely drying during a cycle, it probably is time to check and clean the vent.

Environmental Dangers: Household pollutants, such as these environmental hazards, can be especially dangerous when infiltrated in the home:
Mold- Mold is a type of fungi that can grow in damp or wet areas of the home. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints. Frequent disinfecting of surfaces and reducing indoor humidity will help minimize mold.
Radon- The second leading cause of lung cancer, radon is an odorless, colorless gas that seeps into homes from small spaces and cracks. Doing a home test is the only way to determine if there are dangerous levels of radon.
Lead- If your home was built before 1980, there is a chance that lead paint could be in it. The particles from the paint can be inhaled as it deteriorates. But there are many ways in which individuals are exposed to lead including through air, drinking water, food, contaminated soil, and dust. Hire a professional to examine any potential lead products.
Asbestos- A mineral fiber that is commonly found in older homes was used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire-retardant. The only way to tell if an object contains asbestos by looking at it is if the material is labeled.

Carbon Monoxide: Dubbed as the “secret home killer”, this odorless gas can build up to dangerous levels in a home without anyone knowing. The best defense is to have all appliances properly checked out, never leave a car running in a garage, and to purchase a CO Monitor. Don’t forget to test the monitor regularly.

Heating System: Even during the half of the year when home heating systems are not in use, including the heater, pipes, ducts, and chimney, they still pose a threat. Check out pilot lights, any frayed wires, and a professional inspection should be done before it is turned on in the fall. Chimney’s should be cleaned of debris and soot, and never blocked. Any blockage can cause smoke or gases to be pushed into the home.

Electrical: In a typical year, the U.S. Fire Administration estimates that electrical problems in the home can account for 67,800 fires and $868 million dollars in property loss damage. Wires, outlets, cords, plugs, and lightbulbs should all be thoroughly examined. Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI’s) can help prevent electrocution. When a GFCI senses current leakage in an electrical circuit, it assumes a ground fault has occurred. It then interrupts power fast enough to help prevent serious injury from electrical shock.

The above suggestions may require professional assistance from your local handyman to ensure proper installation.

A Handyman in Time

Winter is coming, and it always does before we are ready. It is not too early to consider a little preventive maintenance. This is a good time to have your local handyman come over for a visit. For the most part, winter brings on a whole new dimension in house maintenance. Even in places that are likely to have mild winters, there is still a need to prepare for the change in weather. Here is a list of things to consider:

1. Let’s start with the exterior of the house:

· Drain the garden hoses
· Check hose bibs (if you are in a cold climate) check for unprotected pipes
· Close those vents to crawl spaces (especially near plumbing)
· Get the gutters cleaned and inspect them to assure they are securely attached and working properly
· Trim trees and remove the dead branches
· If you have storm windows that are removed – reinstall them
· If you have a basement, check to see if the windows are shut tightly.
· Check chimneys for lose, deteriorated, or missing mortar
· Examine caulking for deterioration around doors, windows, and joints between wood and masonry
· Replace worn weather-stripping around exterior doors
.

2. With the onset of winter, you will start hearing a lot more about fire prevention. This is because with the colder weather, heat systems and auxiliary heating devices are used in the home, adding to the risk of fire. These devices should be checked for safety, of course.

Now is also a good time to:

· Check your smoke detectors and change the batteries
· Check your C.O. detector (if you do not have one – it is a small investment for your safety)
· Plan an escape plan with your family in case of fire (and have a practice drill)
· Talk to your children about fire prevention
· Check that garage for flammable items – making sure they are stored properly
· Check your fire extinguisher (keep one in the kitchen – they are inexpensive)

3. Before cold weather, you need to have your fireplace inspected and chimney cleaned before using your fireplace.

4. Have your heating system inspected. With regular servicing of your heating system, you benefit by burning less fuel and a system that gets regular service is less likely to break down.

5. Gas-fired furnaces should be serviced yearly and inspected. Since gas-fired furnaces burn cleaner than oil-fired furnaces, you need not have the flue cleaned every year, but the flue should be checked to make sure there are no obstructions. Your service tech will:
· Check for C.O. leaks
· Inspect the blower system
· Inspect gas lines
· Inspect flue system
· Check filter
· Check Heat Exchanger

6. You can save yourself costly repair by just changing your furnace filter on a regular basis. Remember, even in the summer you need to change your filter if you have central air conditioning. The blower on your furnace is the same one that circulates the cold air.

7. Oil-fired furnaces need to be serviced annually as well. Since oil does not burn as clean as gas, the flue needs to be inspected every year. Depending on the age of the unit and how clean it burns, the flue may have to be cleaned annually as well.

8. Boilers need to be serviced annually whether they are hot-water systems or steam.

9. Heat pumps and electric furnaces also need to have annual inspection to prevent untimely breakdowns.
10. Outside air conditioning units and swamp coolers should be covered

The cost of annual maintenance is a small price to pay for the safety and comfort of you and your family. Keep your home safe and comfortable.

Floored

I have always encouraged homeowners to learn to make small repairs, but I also encourage homeowners not to try repairs that are out of their comfort zone. Here is an example of questions I receive about small repairs:

The Client wrote:

We recently purchased an older house that has just been completely remolded. The kitchen has a new one-piece linoleum floor that was perfect, until we moved our refrigerator into the kitchen. We caught the leg of the refrigerator on the floor and put a ten-inch rip in the new linoleum. We have a leftover piece of linoleum, but it is not big enough to do the whole floor.
Is there anything we can do short of replacing the whole floor?

My reply:

Since you have a piece of the old floor you are in luck. You can patch the bad area, and in most cases the patch is undetectable. Here is a list of things you will need to do the job:
 A very sharp utility knife
 A steel straightedge
 Masking tape
 A sharp putty knife
 Floor adhesive
 A small notched trowel
Let’s get started by following the steps below:
 Cut a piece of flooring larger than the repair
 Tape the piece to the floor, matching the pattern
 With the utility knife, and using the straightedge, cut through the patch and press hard enough to cut the old flooring also. Tip: if the flooring has a pattern, try to cut in it, this will help hide the cut.
 With the putty knife, remove old flooring, and glue.
 Make sure the surface is clean
 With the notched trowel apply a thin layer of adhesive; keep it about a half-inch away from the edges.
 Put the patch in place and press the patch in place until it is level with the rest of the flooring.
This method works great.

The other way to make these repairs is to call your local handyman an go fishing.

Listen to Your Kids

As a handyman I encourage my clients to call at the first sign of a problem, because little things can led to costly repairs if they are not corrected right away. I have seen low cost repairs deferred and turn into an expensive repair. I had a client call me when the ceiling in the kitchen was lying on the kitchen table. I found the upstairs toilet loose and the wax ring on the toilet was leaking. When I asked the client about it, she said that the toilet had been loose for six months or more. The toilet repair was inexpensive, but by waiting on the toilet repair they got a large bill from me to repair the ceiling in the kitchen.
Here is an example of an eight-year-old finding this type of problem early enough:

The Client Wrote:

We have lived in our two-story house for ten years, with very little maintenance problems. But just last week I noticed a stain on the first floor ceiling, right below the upstairs bathroom. My eight year old mentioned to me that the toilet up stairs was loose. After seeing the stain, I went up and checked the toilet, to find it is loose.
Can this be the cause of the stain?

My Reply:

It is likely that this could be the cause of your stain. There is a waxed ring in between the toilet and where it attaches to the base drain. This waxed ring makes a tight seal to prevent leaking at this connection. When this seal is in working order, the toilet is tight. If the toilet gets loose, the wax ring is not making a good seal, and leaking can occur. You should replace the wax ring as soon as possible to avoid costly ceiling repairs.
Call your local handyman and take the kid fishing.

Keep it Dry

• 
  
  
  As a handyman I see different defects that can contribute to costly repairs if preventive maintenance is defered. There are many preventive maintenance jobs that your local handyman can perform to save you from costly repairs in the future.
  Of all the possible defects that can be found in residential construction, the biggest contributor to major costly repairs is poor drainage. The drainage system of residential construction starts with the roof, gutters, downspouts, and proper grading. In many cases poor drainage is in the design of the house, for example:
  
  *The use of undersized gutters
  *Long spans of gutters without adequate slope
  *Not enough fasteners on the gutters
  *Little or no roof overhang
  *The use of undersized downspouts
  *Downspouts that terminate without a splash block or ground leader
  *Not enough backfill around the foundation
  *Hillside construction with poor drainage
  *Home built on a lot that is too low
  
  Some of these deficiencies can be corrected at a low cost, while others are too costly to change but can still be dealt with in different ways. For example, a home that is built on a low lot needs to be monitored and regularly maintained to prevent long term damage due to water.
  Poor drainage can cause a multitude of problems; some can even cause health problems related to the build up of mold.
  
  Wet soil in crawl spaces creates humid conditions for mold to thrive. Along with proper drainage, the use of a vapor barrier and open vents will help keep the crawl space dry and deter the growth of mold.
  
  Basements are also a common place to experience moisture problems, even with proper drainage. The best preventative in this situation is regular cleaning and a dehumidifier.
  
  One of the most common mistakes is adding soil around the foundation at levels high enough to come in contact with the wood on the house. This can cause rot and insect infestation.
  
  Another common problem exists because, when soil is excavated to construct a foundation, the soil that is removed usually extends three to five feet wider than the foundation. After the foundation is built, the remaining void needs to be backfilled. Ideally the backfill soil should be compacted to prevent settlement.
  
  The replaced soil is not going to be compacted as well as it was before it was disturbed, and it will settle. This will form a depression that will collect water in the worst place, against the foundation. If this foundation is a basement, that scenario can cause very costly problems. Extreme cases of water and soil pressure (hydrostatic pressure) can result in the collapsing of the basement walls. Hydrostatic pressure is irreversible, and once it starts, if not corrected will result in very costly repairs. Early detection and preventive maintenance is your best defense in the battle with poor drainage.
  
  Proper drainage should lead water away from the sidewalls and the foundation of the house. Here are some tips to help you accomplish this:
  
  *Add soil to settled areas
  *Make sure the downspouts discharge three to five feet away from the foundation
  *If the downspouts discharge underground, make sure the ground leaders stay clear
  *Make sure the gutters and downspouts stay free of debris
  *Keep gutters tightly attached (gutters that are poorly attached allow water to run down the sidewalls and to the foundation)
  *Caulk any joints where a sidewalk or drive meets the foundation
  *Check for positive grading around the foundation
  *Avoid heavy watering of plants or gardens that are against the house
  
  Remember that awareness of proper drainage and preventive maintenance will help keep your wallet high and dry from the flood of costly repairs.
  

The Burn Off

As a handyman I receive a wide verity of questions from homeowners, especially when they have just moved to another home. I try to encourage all of my clients to read or at least keep all of their operation manual for future reference.
Here is an example of a question from a new homeowner;

The Client Wrote:

We recently moved into a new house, and this house has a new never-been-used prefab fireplace. This fireplace has gas logs -- not real wood. We have never had a fireplace before, and did not know what to expect. When I tried to use it for the first time, the odor was very strong, and we turned it off.
What causes odors during operation?
Is this something that is going to always happen?
Is this a danger?
We would appreciate any help.


My Reply:
This is normal for a new unit to give off some odor the first time it is used. Many manufacturers do require an initial burn-off time, because, some units do emit an odor when operated for the first time due to burn-off of excess paint and machine oil. After the initial burn-off, odors during operation should not be apparent. If there are still odors after the burn-off, then you need to have the cause determined by a qualified service person.
If you do not have the owner’s manual for the unit, ask your builder for a copy. Reading the owner’s manual will help you use your unit safely.

INSULATING AN A-FRAME

As a Handyman I often receive questions about insulation, here is one example:

The Client wrote:

I have an A-frame three-story home. The third floor is used as living space, leaving only the area between the plaster ceiling and the roof for insulation. I was considering blowing in cellulose insulation to fill these six inches of space, but I have some concerns:

v Would six inches of cellulose insulation make much difference?
v Would this cause the roof not to breathe and lead to roof damage (the insulation would block the surface vents along the roof)

What can I do?

My reply:

According to The U.S. Department of Energy, up to forty-five percent of our home's energy losses are through the roof. With this in mind, any insulation you can add will help.

To answer your first question, cellulose insulation is a great choice, especially since you have very limited space. Cellulose has a high R-factor per inch in comparison with other types of insulation. If you can get six inches of cellulose insulation installed, that would give you around an R-22 value. The suggested R-value for attic spaces in the U.S. range from R-19, in the warmer parts of the country, to R-49 in the colder parts. Normally, I would recommend that you check with your local Building Department to find out what R-factor is recommended in your area. Since you only have six inches of space with which to work, you are not going to do better than minimums anyway. R-22 is worth it in any part of the country.

As you know, venting the attic space is very important no matter how small the space. A well-vented attic space makes for a healthier house, but since you only have a six-inch space with which to work, it makes it difficult to insulate and ventilate this space. Your situation is truly a hard one to rectify, but there are special venting systems made for these difficult-to-ventilate spaces. If you were going to fill this space with cellulose, I would recommend using a specialty vent called an Air Chute. This vent is installed in each rafter space, and needs to be vented at the bottom either in a soffit or an attic space.

Depending on your style of roof, it makes a difference how you vent the topside; normally this is done with a ridge vent. These “AIR CHUTE” vents are made of different materials. I prefer the plastic ones, when installing them in a retrofit situation. The cardboard ones are great in new construction because you can staple them up between the rafters as you go, but in your case you will not be able to attach them. The plastic ones will allow you to shove them in between the rafters and the insulation will hold them up against the bottom of the roof.

CALL YOUR HANDYMAN AND TAKE A KID FISHING

Preparing for the Fall

As the days slowly become shorter, it is now time to focus on preparing your home for the fall. Advance preparations can save energy, increase safety and allow for an easy transition into the autumn months. Your local professional handyman can help with many of these recommendations:

Weatherize to Keep Your Home Energy-Tight
Use caulk on your home's exterior to seal out moisture and outside air; at the same time, it helps keep heat indoors. Caulk creates a tight moisture barrier which prevents rain and snow from seeping into gaps and joints, causing wood to rot and paint to blister.
Place a dollar bill between the door and the jamb or the window sash and sill. With the door or window closed, attempt to remove the bill. If it slides out easily, you're losing energy.

Clear Downspouts and Gutters
Avoid basement flooding and deterioration of the foundation by cleaning the gutter channels and clearing downspouts of debris. Replace deteriorating or broken gutters and downspouts.

Crank the Heat!
Turn on your furnace and give it a test-run.
Change the air filter. This will enable your heating system to run at maximum efficiency which can even help save money on heating costs.
If your home has gas heat, check the pilot light, burner and chimney flue. If not vented properly, you could have carbon monoxide building up in the house.

Prevent Trouble Down Below
There may also be things that need attending to beneath your property. For example, flush underground sprinkler systems before the cold sets in by blowing air into pipes to displace leftover water. This is important because water lines are typically only 6 to 8 inches below ground -- and prone to freezing. If they freeze and then burst, you could have a costly repair situation on your hands.

Check the Septic
Homeowners with septic tanks should also think about pumping them now -- before the ground freezes and snow buries your yard. Septic tanks should be checked once every year and cleaned no less than every three years.

Protect Your Pipes
Frozen or burst pipes are among a homeowner's worst nightmares. For a preventative measure, add insulation to pipes in unheated areas, which reduces heat loss from hot-water pipes and condensation on cold water pipes.
Install a freeze-proof outdoor faucet which will eliminate the problem of a frozen or broken spigot. These faucets employ a long stem that shuts the water off about a foot back in the house preventing the pipe from freezing.

· Conduct a Water Heater Check-Up
Just because your water heater seems to work fine now doesn't mean you should put off an annual inspection. Fall is a perfect time to have your tank's pressure and temperature relief valve inspected.

Why Worrie About the Little Stuff?

Many issues that plague your home are small, but left unaddressed can fester into big problems. Many homeowners don’t n always know when they have the first onset of a problem, this is why you need a professional handyman in your life. When you have repairs or remodeling done on your home ask your handyman to take a walk around your house inside and out. Addressing issues early is the key to saving money in repairs. For example; finding the first sign of mold and taking care of the cause before it grows into a costly cleanup.
I encourage my clients to be aware of what is going on with their house to prevent costly repairs. The money you spend on preventive maintenance is like money in the bank.

Here is an example of finding things out in time;

My client wrote:

I just read your article entitled "Let your Crawlspace Breathe". We bought our house a year ago. At the time a pest Control Company did an inspection. In the report that we saw, it said that some spots of mold were seen on the baseboards. I am guessing that it is mold due to the crawlspace not being fully covered with the plastic vapor barrier.

Can this be the case? If so, whom do I call to come lay the "proper" vapor barrier to help prevent any further damage?

My reply:
Having the crawl space covered with a good plastic vapor barrier is very important. This is certainly a good step in preventing the growth of mold in your house. Anything to prevent moisture in your house will help prevent mold from being a problem.
The vapor barrier I prefer is six-mill black polyethylene.
When you install it, you want to make sure you have all the ground area covered. When you cut around pipes or anything else in your way, do it neatly to ensure minimum ground exposure.
A good place to start is to get some prices from some local handymen.

Don't Get Fired

According to the National Fire Protection Association, each year, there are total of half a million residential fires reported and more than 4,000 Americans die in fires in their home. Property losses for residential fires total more than four billion dollars a year. With next month being National Fire Prevention Month, on behave of handymen every where here are some tips to ensure your family’s safety:

Children
· Keep lighters, matches or other flammable materials out of the reach of children.
· Babysitters should be aware of escape routes in the house as well as fire department telephone numbers.
· Do not keep items such as cookies or candy near the range or stove.
· Include small children in fire escape route planning and rehearsal. They must understand that they can't hide from fire under a bed or in a closet.

Escape Routes
· You should have a family escape plan and an alternate route. Conduct home “fire drills.”
· Your plan should include an outside meeting place to count every family member.
· You should have at least two exits from the house.
· Fire department numbers should be posted on every telephone.

Kitchen Safety
· Flammable or combustible items should not be stored above the stove.
· The stove should not be left unattended while cooking.
· Wear short or tight-fitting garments that won’t droop while cooking.
· Don’t rest or keep pot-holders, plastic utensils, towels or other non-cooking equipment on or near the range.
· A fire in a pan should be smothered with a lid—never try to put it out by throwing water on it. If cooking oil starts to smoke, turn down the heat.
· Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

Electricity
· Avoid using extension cords wherever possible. Extension cords should never be run under rugs or hooked over nails, or cross over doorways.
· Check electrical cords for loose, worn or frayed cords. Unplug before inspection.
· If a fuse blows (or a breaker "trips"), find the cause. Remove excess appliances from a breaker circuit that "trips" often.
· The correct fuse size for each socket in the fuse box is 20 amps for lighting circuits.
· Kitchen appliances, such as a toaster or coffeemaker should be unplugged when not in use.


Smoke Detectors
· You should have at least one smoke detector per floor in your home, with a distinct warning signal loud enough for you to hear in your sleep. Test once per month.
· Smoke detectors should be placed near bedrooms, either on the ceiling or not more than a foot below it on the wall.
· Replace batteries according to manufacturer’s recommendations and never disconnect them.



Heaters and Heating Systems
· Operate portable electric heaters on the floor, at least three feet away from upholstered furniture, drapes, bedding and other materials, and never use them to dry anything.
· Turn heaters off when family members leave the house or are asleep.
· Do not use wood burning stoves and fireplaces unless they are properly installed and meet building codes. Use a fireplace screen to contain sparks.
· Have the chimney and the heating system checked at lease once per year by a trained professional.
· Propane tanks and other fuels, such as gasoline should be stored outside the home in an approved safety container.

Following these few safety tips will help insure your family’s safety for years to come.

Damp Basement Blues

Basements are highly likely to have moisture intrusion, and often feel damp/humid. In a past post I wrote about causes of damp basements, and the importance of calling your handyman to make the proper repairs to prevent moisture in the basement. Often basements will remain damp/humid to some degree even after water control modifications have been made, depending on how well the foundation was water-proofed when the house was built. There are products that will seal a foundation from the inside of the basement. Your local handyman can recommend the proper products for your situation.

Here is a question I have received about damp/humid basements:

My Client wrote; We live in a two-story house with a full basement. The basement is normally very humid. We were told that turning on the central air and leaving the heat vents open in the basement will help lower the humidity in the basement. Is it better to have them open or closed?
My Reply; Having the vents open will help lower the humidity. But cold air falls as it is introduced into the house. So the most effective way to cool the house is to close the lower supply vents and open the upper vents. This will allow a better convection current for cooling your house.
The best way to keep the humidity low in the basement is to use a dehumidifier. I found it is worth the extra dollars to get a dehumidifier with a continuous drain hose instead of just a drain pan. Most dehumidifiers have a humidistat, which allows the appliance to turn on and off automatically as needed to maintain the proper humidity in the basement.

Kill the Ceiling

It has been my experience in the handyman business, to have clients call for a repair that has been a problem for years. Many of the problems have even disrupted their lives. I have been told by my clients over again;
“We have tried everything and we can’t fix the problem”, “We have lived with this problem for years”. And my personal favorite “I have told Jim for years that this was a problem, but he would not get off his lazy rear-end to fix it, now we have a bigger problem!-HELP!”

Here is another example of questions I have received:

Client:
We have lived in our present house since it was built and have always taken good care of it. If there was ever a problem, we took care of it right away. We wanted to keep up the regular maintenance, so we can keep the value of our house up as high as possible.

About three years ago during the rainy season, we noticed water beading up on the ceiling in our dining room. We called some roofers the next day. After three estimates and lots of advice, we decided to replace the failed flashing that caused the leak, and to completely replace the now 20-year-old roof. We hoped the leak problem was solved for good. After three years and numerous spells of rain, we never noticed another leak.

Now we have our house up for sale. The stain on the ceiling from the leak long ago still shines through the mutable coats of paint we used to try to cover it up.



My reply:
As I always say, if you have major work done that comes with a warranty, make sure that you can transfer it to another owner. A three-year-old roof is a good selling point, especially in your part of the country.

As for your stain, this is a commonly asked question. Your local paint store can help you with the products just for this problem. These products paint on like a primer, but unlike an ordinary paint, it will kill the stain forever. After this stain-killer primer dries, you can paint over it with your ceiling paint and the stain will not come back to haunt you.

Don't let you repairs make you miserable, call your local professional handyman.