Old lumber that recently came off of the building is always more solid than anything that has been stacked around a while or laying in the dirt. Almost every time that it sits in a stack with no airflow it will dry rot. Lumber that is stacked outside with stickers (wood spacers) between each layer to allow airflow will last much longer than a un-stickered stack with a sheet of plastic over it. The lumber that cannot dry out easily will begin rotting immediately. The same goes for an old barn. It can stand out in the elements getting beat with rain, wind, sun, snow, and anything else that nature throw at it. It will last for what seems like forever unprotected like this, but the moment it falls down it will start to decompose. Material that stood upright unprotected for a century would be better than a painted board … Read the rest
Author: Tyson Markle
How Water Damage Happens
Plumbing
That’s right, your plumbing is one of the major causes of water damage, and it is one homeowners don’t think about until it’s too late. If you are dealing with a perpetually leaking faucet, think seriously about getting a plumber out to your house to address the problem before it gets out of control. What many people don’t realize is that a leaky faucet can sometimes be a symptom of a much greater problem in the walls. Clogged pipes are another issue that can cause a major backup, leading to the kinds of problems you don’t want to deal with. These issues are easier to deal with earlier rather than later.
The HVAC System
Homeowners are known to fret about their air conditioning and heating, but it usually has very little to do with the threat of water damage. When the system is not properly maintained, however, it can
Benefits of Attic Insulation
Keep Your Home at a Constant Temperature
One immediate benefit that you will see after installing attic insulation is that your home maintains a constant temperature. Your upper floors will be much cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. In fact, the temperature of your upper floor will be much the same as your ground floor temperature. This is because you will no longer be losing temperature through the roof of your house. In the winter, the warm air in your house rises, and this warm air can be lost if the uppermost floor of your home is un-insulated. In the summer, on the other hand, the intense heat from the sun can cause your upper floors to be too warm. Insulating can help to curb this problem, and create a more pleasant and even temperature throughout the house.
Keep Your Stored Items Safe from Harsh Temperatures
Another
Masonry Repair
The right mortar for repairing masonry cracks and repointing is different for every house. This is due to inconsistencies in the mixing of mortar, different types of mortar being used, and/or different aging and staining of the mortar. Even if you match the mortar composition and compressive strength of the mortar, the repair can look bad and stand out if the mortar color and gradation of the sand are not matched.
Most of the professional masonry repair specialists assume that they can match mortar by simply matching the color of mortar with pigments or stains, and some try to match the sand. While this may work most of the time for them, it only works because the customer does not know that it was wrong and neither party are understanding the problems this method can cause. This issue happens most often in right-to-work states that require no license for masonry … Read the rest
Installing Your Own PV System
- Safety first – Making sure that you are safe in every aspect of the installation is key. That includes a harness, rope tie-off, PPE (personal protective equipment), stabilizing the ladder, using appropriate tools for each task, and another person assisting you, in case of an emergency.
- Site Evaluation – Make sure to measure your mounting plane, and that your roof can handle the system load weight. Solar panels/modules are generally a little less than 40″ wide. Be sure to get the exact measurement when you decide which solar panels you want to use on your home. Don’t forget to include the gap between the panels (.5″ to 1″ depending on attachment/racking) so keep that in mind.
- Plan – Map out where you would like the conduit to be going. There are many options, such as: Having it installed through the roof (into your attic) thus leading into your garage. Another
Mold Removal Process
Mold can become a problem when it starts growing on a surface. This might happen under certain conditions, when four main factors for mold growth come together – moisture, lack of ventilation, temperature over 3°C and organic surface. Organic building materials, like wood, bricks, drywall or concrete, are a perfect feeding source for mold. When mold spores attach to an organic surface that is moist and improperly ventilated, they form a colony and start growing. The way most of the buildings are constructed and maintained nowadays provides multiple choices of places for mold growth. Usually they are basements, attics, cold rooms, showers and bathrooms, sometimes mold grows under the carpet or even inside the walls! But no matter where it is, mold needs to be removed, and the affected surface needs to be replaced.
Mold removal process, as any other reconstruction or restoration process, has some peculiarities:
- Any mold removal
Gutter Protection
When gutters are not properly maintained the risk of having long term damage on the ceilings, roof, walls, foundation and other areas of the property is high. Having a gutter protection system can be a good way to prevent these problems from occurring. So what is gutter protection system? This is a guard system which is installed over the existing gutters and should be customized to fit the existing roof. This prevents debris such as leaves, twigs and other particles from entering the gutter system which can interfere in the proper flow of rain water.
Reduced Need to Climb Ladders: Being unskilled and non-trained in the use of ladders while cleaning the gutters can cause the accidents to happen. It can cause injuries like head trauma, fractures and even death. If gutter protection system is installed there will not be the use of frequent maintenance of gutters.
Debris Build-up is
Overseed a Lawn
Overseeding is basically adding more grass seed so you can thicken up areas of your lawn that have some bare spots. Whether you are starting out with a lawn that has quite a few trouble spots or are working with a lawn that has been growing well for quite some time, you will still have areas of thatch that need to be dealt with properly. Learning the proper steps to take can make a big difference in the final appearance.
If you already have a well-groomed lawn, you may want to start off by removing the thatch areas and aerating the lawn to assist you in your project. This will help you to create a better environment for your lawn to thrive in. The aeration will also help in giving the new grass seed more room to grown in.
Once you have performed these acts, you can then go about
Building a Loafing Shed
- Tools and Material Needed
- 4 – 12x4x4 posts
- 2×4 lumber pieces
- Siding
- Roofing nails
- Regular nails
- A hammer
- Concrete mix
- Bags of sand
- Making the Foundation: Start by measuring the spots for where the corner posts will go, the regular size is 12×12 feet. Dig holes for the posts for the 4×4 pieces to 36″ deep. Put the posts in the holes with concrete and allow them to sit for 72 hours until the concrete dries.
- Building the Walls: Build the walls with the 2×4 pieces on three sides, starting around 4″ from ground level and up to the tops of the posts. Make sure that you leave a small gap near or at the top of the shed for ventilation purposes. Build a frame that is basic for the roof by nailing 2×4’s from each corner post to each other from all four of the sides. This will give
Fixing Water Damage in Home
What is important to know if you are a homeowner is that in most cases water damage can be prevented. Or, if not completely prevented, it can be minimized by proper maintenance measures. Properties that are inspected on a routine basis and get fixed when needed are more protected from the elements than ones that are not. This also makes the property more valuable overall.
Water damage can come from torrential rain that pour into your home and flood it, but it can also come from moisture that wrecks havoc in your residence. Moisture is capable of soaking the carpets in your home as well as staining the walls. It is also capable of damaging electrical systems and utility lines by making them a safety hazard. The property value of your home will drop if moisture is allowed free reign in your dwelling.
Water damage restoration starts with taking preventative