Watering around your foundation has been on our list of maintenance tips for homeowners for 27 years.
But this heat and extra dry conditions we are currently experiencing can play havoc on your foundation, especially here in Central Texas. Here is a good how-to video to help keep your foundation movement to a minimum provided by TAREI.
This recall includes information concerning Pool/Spa Safety Drain covers that were incorrectly rated to handle the flow of water through the cover. This could pose a possible entrapment hazard to swimmers and bathers. No injuries have currently been reported.
For more information contact the Drain Cover Recall Hotline at 1-866-478-3521 anytime. You can also visit the Drain Cover Recall website at www.apsp.org/draincoverrecall.
Name of Product: Pool and spa drain covers
Units: About 1 million
Manufacturers: A&A Manufacturing, of Phoenix, Ariz.; AquaStar Pool Products Inc., of San Diego, Calif.; Color Match Pool Fittings, of Surprise, Ariz.; Custom Molded Products, of Tyrone, Ga.; Hayward Pool Products, of Elizabeth, N.J.; Pentair Water Pool and Spa, of Sanford, N.C.; Rising Dragon USA, of E. Sweetwater, Tenn.; and Waterway Plastics, of Oxnard, Calif.
Remedy: Pool owners/operators and consumers who have one of the recalled pool or spa drain covers should immediately contact the manufacturer to receive a replacement or retrofit, depending on their make and model. Except for kiddie pools, wading pools and in-ground spas, retrofit or replacement of installed covers are not required in pools with multiple drain systems or gravity drainage systems or for covers installed before December 19, 2008.
Electrical safety precautions should be a routine part of home maintenance.
TIP: As a safety measure it is prudent to ensure that all installed light bulbs are the correct type and wattage as per the fixture manufacturers’ instructions. Inspectors do not remove bulbs to verify wattage and type during home inspections.
Too many consumers are unaware that a dryer vent cleaning and inspection for possible crimped vents is required to prevent dryer fires. It is also important in order to promote dryer performance and efficiency.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there are an estimated annual 15,500 fires, 10 deaths and 10 injuries on average associated with the dryer vent. In addition, several hundred people a year are also subjected to carbon monoxide poisoning from improper dryer vent setups. The financial costs come to nearly $100,000,000 per year. In some cases faulty appliances are to blame, but many fires can be prevented with proper dryer clean out and inspection. A poorly vented clothes dryer can cost an additional $300 per year to operate if not properly maintained.
If you notice that the dryer takes more than one cycle to dry clothes or if it keeps stopping during a cycle, the cause may be lint accumulation in the vent system or a possible crimped dryer vent. Annual dryer vent cleaning and inspection can reduce energy bills and increase the life expectancy of the dryer. In addition, clothes will not wear out as quickly when they are not put through multiple drying cycles.
The reason for this problem is that lint accumulation and reduced airflow feed on each other to provide conditions favorable for a fire. Lint is a highly combustible material and is one of the ingredients in home-made fire starters. As a rule, a fire starts from a spark in the machine and ignites the excessive lint buildup. But improper clothes dryer venting outside the dryer can play a key role in this process.
Many newer homes have dryers located away from an outside wall in bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens and hall closets. These locations mean that vents are routed longer distances and can be installed with sharp turns and bends to accommodate the structure of the home. This situation can create more places for lint to gather. In addition to creating a fire hazard, if the vent is too long or has too many bends, it will cause your dryer to take much longer than necessary to dry loads. Of course, the ideal solution is to have a short or straighter dryer duct vent system but that may not always be possible. A dryer vent booster can improve the dryer venting in cases where the vent is longer and/or has more bends.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has some tips to help prevent fires:
An inspector will not be able to confirm the dryer vent’s code compliance during an inspection, but will be able to point out issues that may need to be corrected. The dryer is one of the three largest users of electricity in your house. The more efficient you keep it, the less danger you will have and the cheaper your utility bills will be.
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For some years now, trash compactors have been a convenient way to compress and dispose of household trash. Homeowners who frequently throw away large items (diaper boxes, for example) may find trash compactors useful in reducing their trash volume.
This appliance was present much more often in older homes. Inspection of this appliance is pretty basic and a function test at best. Inspectors cannot measure the Rams or force of a trash compactor. All we can do is a noise and vibration test.
A trash compactor consists of a housing which encloses a drawer used for the collection of compacted trash. The modern trash compactor has been designed for more problem-free operation than the older models. This does not mean that they will never break down but that the models have been improved. One of the problems often encountered is that the drawer sometimes sticks when it is withdrawn from the housing. This problem is usually connected to an obstruction in the rollers that the drawer slides on. Clearing the obstruction will often fix the problem.
Many homeowners are taking out the old equipment and replacing it with more useable and friendly space-saving ideas. If you are already going green and seperating/recycling, why not turn it into a usuable space for a slide-out trash can or mini-fridge? Searching the web will lead to many DIY websites with deatiled instructions on how to tacklet this project. Many home improvement stores sell wine fridges that are made with the dimensions to replace a trash compactor.
This recall involves gas burners sold with Lennox brand Shadowdance natural gas log set burner assemblies. The product is used in a wood-burning fireplace or a ventless firebox enclosure. The assemblies were sold under model numbers LSVFSD-18, LSVFSD-24 and LSVFSD-30, and include a burner and ceramic-fiber log set. Replacement gas burners also were sold separately under model number LSVFSD-NG. Burners included in this recall have serial numbers that begin with 6407, 6408, 6409 and 6410A through 6410G. The burner’s model and serial numbers are printed on a metal identification plate attached to the burner.
Weep screed or weep skreed drains are metal devices installed at the foundation line of exterior plaster or stucco walls. The screeds are intended as an exit for moisture/water that can seep into a structure near the roof, vent pipes, chimney structure, windows/doors and other locations. Weep screeds allow for the continual downward passage of moisture/water to exit at the base of the wall and drain away.
Sometimes plaster/stucco is applied all the way down to the grade to create an aesthetically pleasing look. However because it’s porous, this also provides a path for water intrusion. Stucco that terminates at grade prevents water from draining out from behind the stucco coating and can trap water at the base of the foundation. In addition, water in the soil can wick back up into the stucco.
Minor cracking is not likely to contribute to water intrusion. However, large cracks may allow water to reach
the back plane of plaster. A properly installed weep skreed will direct this moisture to the bottom of the wall and allow it to exit properly.
The installation of any type of stone, tile and brick pavers against the base of a wall at an elevation higher than the weep screed can prevent the screed from draining properly. It is important to make sure the skreed holes are not obstructed by plaster, stucco or caulk in order to drain. Care should also be taken to ensure that weep screeds are not covered by landscaping or concrete walkways.
The proper installation and care ensures that your stucco/plaster walls do not develop problems and will perform properly.
A hole in the drywall is usually considered cosmetic. Some inspectors will make a note about it for FYI but it does not affect the structural integrity of a home. The exception to that is if it is allowing moisture or insects to cause further damage to the interior or exterior.
But it can also be an indication of how well a home is maintaned. A random hole that has been untouched can be suspect for further typical preventive measures not performed by the homeowner and can certainly be a negative for a potential homebuyer.
If it is in a lower area (below your knees) in a room adjoining a bathroom, it can also be a treatment “trap” hole left by a Pest Control Company. It is used to inject chemicals into an area needing treatment. Usually it is covered by a vent, not left uncovered.
When in doubt, better to be repaired than left as is. It shows pride in ownership to a potential buyer when considering your house for purchase.
Now that freezing weather is here for a few days, here is a great article for more freeze protection tips from the Institute for Business and Home Safety. IBHS is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.
“Homeowners in the South need to be alert to the danger of freezing and bursting water pipes when the outdoor temperature threatens to drop to 20° F. That’s the temperature at which ice is likely to start forming in water pipes located in an unheated portion of a house. Once ice forms into a blockage in a pipe, continued growth of ice in the pipe can lead to excessive water pressure. It’s pressure of the water that has no place to go when ice builds that causes the pipe to burst, rather than ice pushing against the wall of a pipe. Although 20°F is well below the freezing temperature of water, two factors make this the critical outdoor temperature:
1. The temperature of an unheated portion of a house is almost always at least a few degrees above the outdoor temperature. For example, an insulated attic may be at 37 or 38° F when the outdoor temperature is 32° F.
2. Water “supercools” several degrees below freezing before any ice begins to form. In research tests at the University of Illinois, water pipes placed in an unheated, insulated attic consistently started forming ice when the outdoor temperature dipped just below 20°F.
The 20° F threshold is primarily for homes in the South and other areas where freezing may occur only a handful of times each season. There are several precautions homeowners in the South can take when the temperature is expected to dip into the low 20s:
Brrr! Cold weather is here to stay for a few days! That’s when you are more prone to having freezing pipes. Here is a great article to further expand on freeze protection from the Institute for Business and Home Safety. IBHS is a national nonprofit initiative of the insurance industry to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters.
“Homeowners in the South need to be alert to the danger of freezing and bursting water pipes when the outdoor temperature threatens to drop to 20° F. That’s the temperature at which ice is likely to start forming in water pipes located in an unheated portion of a house. Once ice forms into a blockage in a pipe, continued growth of ice in the pipe can lead to excessive water pressure. It’s pressure of the water that has no place to go when ice builds that causes the pipe to burst, rather than ice pushing against the wall of a pipe. Although 20°F is well below the freezing temperature of water, two factors make this the critical outdoor temperature:
1. The temperature of an unheated portion of a house is almost always at least a few degrees above the outdoor temperature. For example, an insulated attic may be at 37 or 38° F when the outdoor temperature is 32° F.
2. Water “supercools” several degrees below freezing before any ice begins to form. In research tests at the University of Illinois, water pipes placed in an unheated, insulated attic consistently started forming ice when the outdoor temperature dipped just below 20°F.
The 20° F threshold is primarily for homes in the South and other areas where freezing may occur only a handful of times each season. There are several precautions homeowners in the South can take when the temperature is expected to dip into the low 20s:
Seal all openings where cold air can get at unprotected water pipes. It’s especially important to keep cold wind away from pipes, which speeds up the freezing process.
Leave cabinet doors open under the kitchen and bathroom sinks to allow warmer room air to circulate around pipes.
Let faucets drip slowly to keep water flowing through pipes that are vulnerable to freezing. Ice might still form in the pipes, but an open faucet allows water to escape before the pressure builds to where a pipe can burst. If the dripping stops, it may mean that ice is blocking the pipe; keep the faucet open, since the pipe still needs pressure relief.
Pipes in attics and crawl spaces should be protected with insulation or heat. Pipe insulation is available in fiberglass or foam sleeves. Home centers and hardware stores have sleeves providing 1/8 to 5/8 inches of insulation; specialty dealers have products that provide up to 2 inches of insulation. The extra thickness is worth the price and can save a pipe that would freeze with less insulation.
Heating cables and tapes are effective in freeze protection. Select a heating cable with the UL label and a built-in thermostat that turns the heat on when needed (without a thermostat, the cable has to be plugged in each time and might be forgotten). Follow the manufacturer’s instructions closely.
Exterior pipes should be drained or enclosed in 2″ fiberglass insulation sleeves.
Pipes leading to the exterior should be shut off and drained at the start of the winter. If these exterior faucets do not have a shut-off valve inside the house, have one installed by a plumber.”
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