Keep it Dry

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  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.