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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.

http://wateryourfoundation.com/

Electrical safety precautions should be a routine part of  home maintenance. 

• Routinely check your electrical appliances and wiring.
• Frayed wires can cause fires. Replace all worn, old or damaged appliance cords immediately.
• Keep electrical appliances away from wet floors and counters; pay special care to electrical appliances in the bathroom and kitchen.
• Don’t allow children to play with or around electrical appliances like space heaters, irons and hair dryers.
• Keep all potentially combustible items at least three feet from all heaters.
• If an appliance has a three-prong plug, use it only in a three-slot outlet. Never cut off the ground or force it to fit into a two-slot outlet or extension cord.
• Never overload extension cords or wall sockets.
• Check your electrical appliances regularly for signs of wear. If the cords are frayed or cracked, replace them. Replace any appliance  if it causes even small electrical shocks, overheats, shorts out or gives off smoke or sparks.

• Look for telltale signs of electrical problems such as dimming of lights, frequent circuit breaker trips or blown fuses.
• Make sure smoke alarms are installed on every floor outside sleeping areas and in every bedroom, and are in good working order.
• Limit the use of extension cords, (particularly cords used to power room air conditioners). Do not use extension cords as permanent wiring, they are not rated for this use
• Use light bulbs that are the proper wattage for the fixture – higher wattage bulbs can degrade the wires in and around the fixture.

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:

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.

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:

• 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. “

How often do you think of the maintenance required to keep your home systems and appliances up and running? If you are busy like most homeowners, probably not often enough.  Here are a few tips to keep things running smoothly.

Roof:  Clean all debris out of the gutters .  Check for missing or damaged shingles.  Cut all tree limbs away or back from the roof to prevent damage.

Structure:   Check to make sure there are no areas around the foundation that are holding or “ponding” water. Make sure downspouts extend out of flowerbeds and away from the foundation.  Are there any exterior cracks or siding damage that need attention?

Air Conditioning System maintenance: To ensure efficient operation, check filters monthly.   Remove debris from overflow pans and around outside condensers.

Heating System maintenance: Visually inspect exhaust vent for rust, damage or deterioration.

Electrical System maintenance: To help prevent power outages, make sure there are not too many appliances plugged into one circuit.

Smoke Detectors:  Check and test quarterly.  Replace all batteries and backup batteries yearly.

Fireplaces:   Have the flu and inserts cleaned to prevent creosote build-up if used often.  Make sure the chimney cap is secured w/o holes.

Plumbing System maintenance: Check for leaks under cabinets and “running” toilets. Toilet paper should be the only paper product flushed down a toilet.  Clean all faucet aerators.  Address any sluggish drains and clean out any clogs.

Washer maintenance: Make sure your machine is level to prevent uneven wearing of parts. To adjust, turn the legs clockwise to lower them or counter-clockwise to raise them. 

Dryer maintenance: Clean the lint screen after each load and clean out the inside dryer vents and outside dryer caps. 

Water Heater maintenance: Drain and flush sediment from the tank twice a year.

Range/Oven maintenance: If you have a self-clean oven, run it twice yearly or more frequently if needed.

Refrigerator maintenance: Clean the interior shelves, shell and gaskets every three months.

Garbage Disposal maintenance: To clean, feed a full tray of ice cubes through it while running cold water.  You can also add lemon/lime slices or baking soda to help with odors.

These are just a few suggestions offered for your home systems and appliances.  If you do not feel comfortable in safely and properly attempting any that may apply to your systems or appliances, just call a qualified professional.   Proper maintenance goes a long way in extending the life of your systems and major expenses down the road.

We have been doing a lot of inspections lately that feature homes that have “vessel” or bowl type sinks. These sinks are quite popular these days, not to mention cool to look at.

The only caution about “vessel” type sinks is that they have no overflow, so be careful when filling them up. They are not compatible with distractions of any kind! It is a good idea to never fill one up while you are on the phone, texting, changing the baby’s diaper or letting small children use them without proper supervision.

Many learn the hard way about the lack of an overflow, including inspectors!