Holiday Home Safety

Holiday Home Safety Preparation video provided by U.S. Inspect.

TIP - NATURAL HOUSEHOLD CLEANSERS

Do you hate harsh chemicals in household cleansers? Two natural and safe cleansers are baking soda and white vinegar. Baking soda is great for removing odors and refreshing everything including the fridge, sink drains and shoes. White vinegar is great for cutting through grease and grime on household surfaces.

Almost everyone has heard about placing an open box of baking soda in the fridge to absorb odors.  Another tip is to pour a cup baking soda down your drains and then a cup of white vinegar and let it sit for four or five minutes. Finally flush with about a gallon of hot water. Your drains will now be clean and fresh.

How To Prevent Wood Rot

The easiest way to prevent wood rot is to keep the wood dry.  For wood to rot, all you need is wood, water and fungi spores. Fungus and fungi spores are just about everywhere. In order to prevent rot, we must find a way to prevent water from penetrating the wood.

An effective way to prevent wood rot is to create a barrier by painting the all surfaces and edges of a board with paint. Another way to create a barrier is to pre-treat the unfinished wood with a borate chemical solution available at most building supply stores.  Neither solution is considered common building practices so your home is not likely to be protected in either of these ways.

Tips to Prevent Wood Rot:

·         Keep wood painted and maintained

·         Install and or maintain gutters

·         Maintain at least 6” or more separation of wood from soil

·         Maintain at least ½” separation where wood siding meets masonry

·         Use and or maintain flashing to direct water away from wood

·         Calk joints to prevent water penetration

·         Direct water away from foundation. Should have at least 6” fall away from the house over the first 8’

How to Clear a Clogged Sink Drain

This is an easy fix for minor clogs. Time to fix should be about one hour.

Steps:
1. Remove the threaded plug from the underside of the sink trap. If the trap does not have a drain plug, remove the entire trap.

2. After the plug is removed, check to see if water drains freely through the trap. If not, remove the trap and clean it out.

3. Disconnect the elbow from the garbage disposer and check for clogs.

4. Remove the vertical tailpiece that extends down from the sink drain.

5. Check for clogs in the baffled T-fitting that’s attached to the bottom end of the tailpiece.

6. Replace the old plastic baffled T-fitting with a full-sized brass T-fitting that has no baffle.

7. Tighten all the plumbing connections with pliers.

8. Replace the threaded drain plug in the bottom of the sink trap.

9. Fill the sink with water and then pull the drain.

10. Check to be sure the water drains rapidly and that none of the plumbing connections leak.

Quick Repair for a Dripping Two-Handled Stem Faucet

In most cases leaking compression faucets need new seat washers.  This is an easy repair that can be completed in about 30 minutes using a screwdriver, crescent wrench and pliers.

·         Pry off the decorative cap on the handle

·         Remove the handle screw

·         Pull off the handle

·         Use a crescent wrench to unscrew the packing nut

·         After unscrewing the stem, remove and replace the seat washer held in place by a brass screw

·         Pop the stem out of the packing nut

·         Replace the O-ring which is usually the cause of a leaky faccet

·         Reassemble the faucet and tighten the packing nut

If your faucet continues to leak, the seat may be pitted. Remove the stem and grind the valve seat smooth with a valve-seat dresser or replace the stem. A new stem can be purchased at most hardware or building supply stores.

Home Painting Tips

If you are planning to paint the exterior of your home, your first decision is do I hire a painter or do the job myself. More than half the cost of using a professional painter is labor so doing the job yourself can be a big savings. Painting your home is a dreaded and labor intensive job but a little preparation and hard work can produce very satisfying results.

If you decide to do the job yourself the following tips will help produce a great looking cost effective job.

Tips:

1.    Tools and Equipment

Using the proper tools will help produce a safer and higher quality job. Make sure you use the correct ladder or scalpel for the job. Follow the recommendations for ladder and scalpel safety. Most ladders have warning labels posted on the ladder.

Use a good quality paint brush and roller. Good quality tools last longer and help make the job easier. Make sure you have drop cloths readily available to cover areas that need protection such as sidewalks, driveway, porches, patios, decks and shrubbery.

2.    Surface Preparation

Surface preparation is a critical step to producing a quality, professional looking job. All damaged wood should be repaired. Use a paint scrapper, putty knife and sander to remove all flaking, peeling and blistering paint. Minor damage to wood surfaces can be repaired with a quality wood repair product from your local building supply store. I recommend using goggles, gloves and a dust mask while scrapping and sanding. This is hard, time consuming work but it will help produce an outcome that will make you proud.

3.    Choosing Paint

Choose high quality paint. Choosing a lesser quality paint may save you a few dollars now but you will pay over time. A high quality paint is easier to apply, easier to maintain and more durable than the cheaper paints.

4.    Painting the Exterior

Paint from the top down to avoid dripping paint on surfaces you have already painted. Start with the gutters, fascia and eaves and work your way down the wall surface. Using a good quality 4 or 5 inch brush will make for an easier faster job. Check for and correct drips and runs as you go along.

Painting the main walls can be painted with a brush, roller or both. If you have grooved siding, the grooves should be painted first. Paint the grooves in a 4 to 5 foot section and then roll or brush the flat surface before moving to the next 4 to 5 foot section. If you have lapped siding, paint the underside of each lap in a 4 to 5 foot section and then roll or brush the flat surface before moving to the next 4 to 5 foot section.

5.    Painting the Exterior Trim, Windows and Doors

I recommend using a 2 or 3 inch angled brush to paint trim. Paint in line with the woods grain to accomplish a smoother finish.

When you are painting windows, paint the stiles, rails, casing and then the sill. There is no need to mask the glass when painting window or door glass. Paint should lap onto the glass by about 1/16 inch. Clean up any excess paint on the glass by wrapping a cloth over the end of your putty knife while the paint is still wet. Any paint you miss can be easily cleaned up with a razor blade after the paint dries.

Painting doors is much like painting trim and windows. Paint in the direction of the wood grain if the door is made of wood. Paint the insert panels and panel moldings first making sure to get paint into the joints and creases. Now paint the rails, vertical stiles and mullion. Don’t forget to put a drop cloth under the door or better yet, take the door down and place it on a sawhorse to do your painting.

6.    Clean Up

Always clean your brushes thoroughly immediately after painting. The cleanup will be much easier and a clean brush will last much longer.

Cleanup will depend on the paint you use for the job. Latex paints are cleaned with soap and water while oil based paints are cleaned with paint thinner or any solution recommended for cleaning oil based paints. Never pour paint thinner or excess paint down the drain or onto the ground. Check with your local government for proper disposal.