DIY Home Inspection & Maintenance - Tips from a Professional Home Inspector

How To Inspect a Home

2010-10-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this for a while now. It is finally finished and available for sale on Amazon's CreateSpace
here https://www.createspace.com/3491450
It's a DIY book to help buyers, sellers and homeowners to do a basic inspection of any home in contemplation of a sale or for maintenance tracking. I hope you find it useful.

I've Written a Book!

2010-10-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

About two years ago, in November of 2008, I mentioned that I was writing a book about DIY Home Inspections. http://boomkid.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-writing-book.html
Well, it's done and awaiting the proof copy for final approval at Amazon's CreateSpace print-on-demand site.
When it's available, you can find it here: https://www.createspace.com/3491450

Details: 208 pages, 30 color pictures and illustrations, 20+ page glossary and Check Sheets to do your own
DIY Home Inspection

This was a labor of love because labor it was. I never knew how hard it was to actually write a book!
The actual information was easy. The editing, layout, finding and formatting pictures and converting it all to a PDF that CreateSpace would accept was a huge endeavor. I spent weeks doing this. Literally hundreds of hours went into creating this book. I think it came out well, I'm happy with the result. Time will tell.

FALL INSPECTION CHECKLIST (part 5)

2009-11-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

LiveJournal Tags: inspection,fall,maintenance,DIY,save money

This is part 5 and the final installment of this series on getting your home ready for winter. This chapter will cover the Kitchen, the Attic & the Garage areas.

Kitchen:

The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in most homes. As such, it gets a lot of wear and needs a bit more attention to keep it from deteriorating.

Check all the appliances for proper operation:

Dishwasher; Look for any signs of leakage around the door gasket and on the floor under the front. It’s a good idea to take the kick plate off and look under the unit for signs of leaks. Undetected leaks can cause big problems like mold and wood rot that can be expensive to fix. Pull out the racks and check the wheels, spin the wash arm and look for free movement. Check the bottom for small items or silverware that has fallen down there. Plastic items can get melted by the heating element used for drying and make a mess.
Refrigerator; Remove the kick plate and clean the dust bunnies and junk that seems to gather there. Check the drip tray for water and possible mold. Use a brush or vacuum to clean the coils. blocked coils will cause the refrigerator to work extra hard. it wastes energy and can damage the compressor. check the door seals for proper contact all the way around buy closing the door on a dollar bill. Most are magnetic these days. You should need to tug on the bill firmly to pull it out. If it comes out easily anywhere, you may need to replace the gasket. Look in the freezer. Is there a build up of frost and ice? This is a good sign that the door gasket is bad or the auto defrost is not working properly. Has the drinking water filter been changed recently?
Cooktop or Range; Check the burners to make sure they all light or heat up as they should. Check the oven, both the bottom and top elements (broiler) or burners for proper function. Look at the door gasket. Is it sealing all the way around? Are there stains or streaks on the oven face that could indicate a heat leak? Is there an “anti-tip” device installed to keep the range from tipping over if a child climbs up on the open door? There should be. These appliances are heavy and kids will be kids.
Countertops: Check for cracked tiles or deteriorated grout. Look at all the areas that should be caulked to prevent water from leaking down into or behind the counter, especially around the sink.
Cabinets; Check all the doors and drawers for smooth operation and proper function. It’s easier to repair a loose hinge that to replace a door when it falls off. Are your drawers overloaded? This puts a lot of strain on the guides, pulls and drawer bottoms. They can fall out! Take all the junk out of the sink cabinet and look for signs of leaks or moisture. I frequently find problems in this area because it’s so full of junk that no one ever looks back there.
Lighting; Is there ample light over the work areas like the sink, stove, eating area? Are there exposed bulbs above the sink? Exposed bulbs are dangerous near any area that is subject to water splash. They can explode!

Attic area:

First, find the attic access. Surprisingly, I have found during inspections, that many people do not even know where the access is located or they have it blocked with storage. Many times it is located in a closet ceiling and requires a few minutes to “dig it out” so you can enter the attic.

Some attics are big enough to enter and stand up. Others are too small to enter easily and must be crawled on your belly or viewed as best as possible from the access hatch.

Moving around in the attic is seldom easy!

A note of caution here, if there is no flooring or boards laid down on top of the ceiling joists to walk or crawl on, DO NOT put any weight on the actual top of the ceiling plaster or dry wall, you will crack it or even fall through! Don’t ask me how I know this! The actual ceiling may be obscured by insulation and heating ductwork so be careful. Always keep your weight on the tops of the ceiling framing called joists.

Inspecting the attic:

The first inspection should be during daylight hours and it should be done without a flashlight and no lights on in the attic. Look for any holes or gaps that are letting light in. These may also be pathways for moisture.

Turn the lights on and/or use a flashlight:

Look for signs of animal activity like rodent droppings, chewed cardboard or paper and even wiring insulation. Look for piles of dry grass of all things. Birds will get in and build nests. I have seen bundles of dry grass the size of a hay bale! Obviously, the holes that they are getting into should be closed up and the dry grass removed. It’s a fire hazard.
If you have powered attic fans(s), check them for free movement, noisy operation, damaged wires or loose parts.
Look at the insulation, the bottom of the roof deck, roof framing and end walls and check for signs of moisture or damp spots. Note any split or sagging rafters.
Inspect any visible heating/AC ductwork for damage or leaks. If a duct connection is leaking, it will leave a telltale black dusty spot on the insulation or the surrounding area that is a tip off. No reason to heat the attic unless it is a living space. That just wastes energy.

Garage:

Most garages don’t have a ceiling so the roof framing is exposed. Look for signs of leaking, damaged framing etc.

Check the garage door. Make sure it moves freely without hitches or jerks. Look at any counterbalance springs and make sure they are the “safety” type with cables or rods down the center of the spring that keep them from flying around if they should break. And, they DO break, often with great force, firing parts of the spring around the area that could damage things or hurt people. Look for dents or damage on the door itself as well as any tracks or guides it runs on. Check for loose parts, screws or bolts that could cause a failure during operation. If you have an automatic opener installed, make sure that all the safeties are functional. There are usually two safety systems. One is controlled by two sensors near the floor on either side of the door. Make sure these are not blocked by storage so they cannot “see” each other. If the door requires holding the button down until it closes, this may be the problem. The second safety device is one that stops the door while it is closing if it encounters resistance. Both should be fully functional.

Look around at the items stored in the garage. Are there tools and garden stuff that could fall over and damage something or trip someone?

Well, that’s about it for this series. Use this checklist to inspect your home before winter comes and save yourself time, money and aggravation.

I hope you found this useful. Please feel free to comment. you may always contact me if you have questions.

FALL INSPECTION CHECKLIST (part 4)

2009-10-28T19:51:00.001-07:00

LiveJournal Tags: Fall maintenance,inspection

Electrical System -

Exterior:

Check all the trees around the house to see it they are impinging on any wires like the power drop, phone or Cable TV feeds. Heavy weather or snow can break branches and take down any wires caught in them.
Observe any electrical feeds to out buildings like garages. If they cross over a driveway, they should be at least 10 feet high. If you get ice storms, the extra weight can drag them even lower and pose a danger of contact.

Main Electrical panel:

Open the outer cover and look at the breakers/fuses. look for any scorch marks or discoloration. Run your hand lightly down the face of the breakers to feel if any are hotter than the others. It is normal for a circuit under load to generate some heat but it should not be enough to be uncomfortable to the touch. An excessively hot breaker could be a sign of a bad connection on the inside of the panel and possible arcing.
Check all the outlet covers and switch plates as well. They should all be tight, without movement and be tight to the wall with no gaps or cracked covers. Look for scorching here as well. The outlets themselves should also be tight with no movement when plugging or unplugging fixtures.
Use an inexpensive electrical tester to make sure all the outlets are working. Note: some outlets are “switched” meaning they are operated by a wall switch. Don’t be fooled.
Test any GFCI outlets that may be installed in bathrooms, kitchens, garages or exterior locations with the tester. Hit the GFCI’s test button and make sure it actually interrupts the power as it should. Older version could be miss-wired and trip without shutting off the power.

Interior & Structure: General condition.

Check all doors for proper function. Look for loose hinges or door knobs. Houses shift as the ground moves due to moisture content and freezing. if a door is sticking now, it may not be operable at all later in the season. Check exterior door thresholds for proper slope and drainage. Is the door sealed at the bottom to keep cold air and moisture out?
Check all the windows. Check counter balance ropes or springs, latches and weather stripping for damage. Make any needed repairs. Observe any cracked panes and missing glazing putty.
Pay attention to floors as you walk around. Look for loose boards, popped nails, loose floor tiles and any “springy” or soft spots that could indicate structural problems or rot.
Look at the ceilings and note any staining or peeling paint that could indicate a roof or plumbing leak.
Observe any cracking, especially anything new or that has gotten worse since you last noticed it. This often is a telltale sign of settlement and possible foundation problems.

Fireplace:

Take a flashlight and look at the fireplace. Check the firebox and hearth for loose brick and deteriorated mortar. Operate the damper if you have one to be sure it actually does move. If it does not move and is rusted, you may need a proper weather cap on the chimney to keep the rain and snow out of the flue. If you don’t have one, get one installed. This is a huge heat leak when the fireplace is not being used.
Look up the flue. Check for loose bricks and mortar here too. Also look for animal nests and excessive soot or creosote buildup. I strongly recommend getting a proper Level 2 fireplace inspection before the season starts if you use the fireplace at all during the year.

Misc.:

Check any installed ceiling fans to make sure they have not worked loose with all the use over the Summer.
Shake the stair handrails to see if any are loose. These are an important safety item and should be solid and capable of withstanding a 200 pound side load in an emergency.
Test all smoke alarms and install fresh batteries.

Next: Kitchen, Garage and Attic

FALL INSPECTION CHECKLIST (part 3)

2009-10-23T16:45:00.001-07:00

LiveJournal Tags: heating,maintenance,inspection,fall service,save energy

The heating system:

Home heating is one of the largest consumers of energy in many families budget. Making sure everything is working properly can go a long way toward making it as efficient as possible. Now is the time to have the fall service done to avoid potential problems in the middle of winter.

Physically examine the heating system components.

The flue:

Look at the metal pipe and observe any corrosion or exterior staining. This could be signs of improper installation. The combustion products, from gas especially, contain a lot of moisture. If the flue pipe is in a cold area, this moisture will condense and run back down the pipe causing corrosion and white stains on the exterior of the pipe. it is currently against most codes to vent a gas appliance into an unlined masonry flue for this reason. The condensed moisture on the inside of a cold masonry chimney becomes very acidic and will deteriorate the mortar and the bricks.

The Furnace:

Look at the exterior of the furnace itself. observe any corrosion, especially around the area of where the flue connects.
Look for signs of scorching or sooting that may indicate improper combustion.
Take the front panel off the furnace and look inside the firebox. Start with the furnace off and without the main burner running. Turn up the thermostat and watch the furnace burner light. Observe the flame pattern and color. The flame should be a nice even blue with little or no yellow or orange flames. After a while, the blower should come on. Watch the flames when it does. They should remain burning pretty much straight up. If they start to waver around or start leaning to one side, shut the unit down and call the repair man. It is likely that the heat exchanger is cracked and the system could be introducing carbon monoxide into the living spaces. This is VERY bad and potentially life threatening.

Heating Ducts:

If you have a forced air system (as opposed to a gravity furnace) there will be large pipes, called ducts, to distribute the warm air to the various rooms. These can be metal, fiberglass or plastic wrapped flexible ducts. If these are damaged and in disrepair, they will be leaking a lot of heated air into places that they shouldn’t. This costs you money if these places are the normally unheated spaces like attics and basements or crawl spaces. Look at all the visible duct work and pay special attention to any joints or junctions. Look for signs of dark staining that indicate air is blowing out of these areas. Even fiberglass wrapped metal ducts will show this staining. Ductwork often gets damage by maintenance people crawling around in attics or crawlspaces to do their work. Plumbers, the cable guy, pest control people and even animals can damage the ductwork.

Registers and vents:

Observe the heating outlets in each room. Are they properly fastened to the walls and the ductwork? Look for a pattern of dark staining on the walls around the registers. This can tell you that the filter is either missing or has collapsed from lack of maintenance and is allowing the dust to be carried all throughout the house with the warm air.

Next time, The electrical system.

FALL INSPECTION CHECKLIST (part 2)

2009-10-18T17:35:00.001-07:00

LiveJournal Tags: Inspection,fall maintenance,plumbing,water heater

In the previous installment, I covered the exterior areas or the home. Now I will move on to the other systems.

Plumbing, including bathrooms, laundry and water heater:

Look at any piping that is exposed, both outside where it enters the house or in the basement area if that’s where your service enters.

Look for any obvious leaks or sighs of leaks like rust stains on the walls or floors.
Look for green staining on brass components like valves and pressure regulators or on copper piping. If copper comes in contact with dissimilar metals, a condition called “electrolysis” can occur that is very damaging to the copper and can eat away the pipe or fitting.
Check the water pressure and flow rate. Low flow rate can be a sign of old galvanized piping getting near the end of its life or simply a clogged up faucet aerator.
Check all the drains for proper “functional drainage”. This means does it drain away the water as fast as it is likely to come in. if not, you could have an overflow even if the drain is “sort of working”. Slow or bubbling drains may need to be snaked and/or have the venting system checked for obstructions.
Flush the toilets and make sure they are operating properly. Remove the tank lid and examine the mechanism for damage or deteriorating parts and cracked rubber components. Flush the toilet with the lid off and watch the operation. Do the parts all move freely? Does it refill to the proper level? Does it maintain that level without gradually creeping down and refilling? This is a common sign of a leaking flapper that should be replaced called “phantom flushing”.
Look around the base of the toilet for signs of a leak. Does the toilet sit squarely on the floor or does it rock a bit? it should not move. if it does, the seal of the wax ring could be broken, causing a leak that may not be visible or noticed until the floor has rotted out and needs replacing.

Water heater:

Look at the exterior of the water heater and note any rusting of the outer casing. Look at the piping and the flue, checking for corrosion or deterioration.
Remove the access door and look inside the burner compartment for excessive rust or sooting. Also look for scorched paint, sooting and corrosion around the door. This could be signs of a malfunctioning system that is not getting enough air for proper combustion.
Turn up the heat control or run some hot water in the house to cause the unit to fire up. (keep your face away from the opening when it fires!)
Look at the flame. It should be a nice even blue throughout. There should not be any yellow flames. Yellow indicates incomplete combustion and excessive carbon monoxide production.
This would be a good time to do the twice yearly service of the water heater that all manufacturers call for.

Shut off the cold valve at the top of the heater, open the drain cock at the bottom. (you may need to put a hose on the end to drain the water to a safe place. Make sure it can stand the hot water.) Open the cold valve again slowly and let the hot water run full force out the hose or drain cock for several minutes, at least 5-8 minutes, until it has flushed any sediment buildup out of the bottom of the tank. Close the drain cock. That’s it, you are done with this service.

Bathrooms and tiled areas:

Look for cracked tiles and deteriorated grout or caulking.
Gently tap on the individual tiles and listen for any that sound hollow. They may have come loose and are telling you the backer material is deteriorating.
look for signs of old or mildew where water tends to stand for a while.
Operate any shower doors to make sure they are moving without excessive force. If they are hard to move, it is time to make repairs with new rollers etc. If there is ANY cracked glass, especially the old style “wired glass” it time to replace them. This is a very dangerous condition that should not be ignored.
Operate the shower and tub faucets and look for any leaks around the handle stems. do the valves turn off easily? you should never need to apply excessive force to turn them off. If you do, it’s time to replace the washers and possibly the seats as well.
Remove the shower head and clean out any accumulated debris. Soaking it in vinegar over night can remove the hard water scale.
Check any vent fans. Clean out any dust and junk that builds up on them. It would be a good idea to make sure they are piped to the exterior and not just blowing into the attic area. This can introduce a lot of moisture into an attic and cause mold problems.
Check out the washing machine supply hoses. Are they cracked and showing signs of age? Time to replace them. I recommend the braided stainless steel type. They are less likely to burst. Did you know, almost every washer maker says to turn off the water supply to the machine when not in use? People rarely do this and end up with a flood when the hoses inevitably leak.
Look at your dryer vent pipe. You know, that lint covered thing behind the washer/dryer where you never look? Is it in good shape and free flowing? Or like most, is it jammed against the wall and crushed? If it is not free flowing, it can cause a fire! At minimum, it will take a lot longer for your clothes to dry and it wastes energy. Any dryer vent piping under the house or in the attic should be rigid aluminum pipe, not flex type.

Wells and Septic systems.

Look for signs of surfacing water in the leach field. if it is doing this now, it will be much worse when the ground is saturated with rain during the winter months. have the septic tank pumped and the system checked by a qualified specialist.
Make sure your well equipment is in good shape. Protect it from freezing and weather damage.

Basement areas:

If you have a sump pump system to handle water in the basement, test it to make sure it is functional. Dump a bucket of water in the sump and see if the pump cycles.

Okay, that’s enough for this time. Next, the heating system

FALL INSPECTION CHECKLIST

2009-10-16T15:06:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Fall,inspection,maintenance,checklist

Fall is upon us in many parts of the country. Although not here in SoCal other than on the calendar, it 95 here today, October 15th! Just another beautiful day in Paradise. ;-)

Fall is a good time to start a program of inspection of your home to make sure everything is ship shape. Not doing this now, when the weather is more conducive to making the repairs is asking for trouble down the road! Imagine attempting to make roof repairs with several feet of snow covering the area. Not fun!

The following is a list of items to check. It will be a multi-part article.

1st INSTALLMENT

EXTERIOR:

Take a walk (or several) around the outside of your home. look closely at the following things:

Paving on walkways and driveways

Look for cracking. Frost heave can tear up a sidewalk or drive and cracks allow the moisture to enter more easily.

Retaining walls

Look for bulges, loose blocks or stones. Make sure any drainage is clear and working. Many retaining walls have a “swale” or concrete lined trough behind them to catch debris and direct water away from the back of the wall. if they are full of debris, they won’t work very well.

Porches & Decks

Check for loose deck boards and nails sticking up. They can play hell with a snow shovel!
Check the railings and steps.
Look at the support posts and check for wood rot. The extra weight of snow can take a deck or balcony down if the structure is compromised.

Fences

Look over your fencing, check the gates and posts for damage or rot. A good winter wind storm can knock over a fence is it is weak.

Siding / building exterior

Look for telltale signs of staining on the siding. This could indicate a problem with the roof drainage or damaged gutters.
Check for bird nests in the soffits or damaged/missing screens over attic vents.

Brickwork and chimneys

Does the chimney have a good weather cap? Is the mortar starting to deteriorate? Is it leaning? Look at the flashing where it meets the roof. This is the number one area for leaks.
Is the brick siding well attached and sealed on the top? Can you move it by pushing on it? It shouldn’t move, ever.

Foundation

Look for any cracking. If found, it should be sealed to keep water from getting in. Water that gets in and reaches the re-enforcing steel can cause it to rust and swell. This can blow apart a foundation.
Check the slope of the ground around the foundation. It should be sloped away for at least 6-10 feet on all sides to prevent the build up of standing water against the foundation.

Roofing

Examine the roof materials for any damage: loose shingles, deteriorated asphalt, bare areas where the gravel ballast is missing on a built-up roof system, damaged or missing flashings.
Be aware of any trees or vegetation overhanging the roof. The build up of leaves can become acidic and damage the roofing materials and wind movement of branches can damage the roof.
Check the gutters to make sure they are firmly attached and will handle snow if you get that. Make sure the downspouts are free running and extended away from the building and foundation.

Nest time, PLUMBING. Stay tuned!

Is Now A Good Time To Buy?

2009-06-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

It's Bargain Time for the DIY'er! (maybe)

Depending on your point of view, it's either a good time to buy or a bad time to sell. The "inventory" of homes on the market right now is large. This alone will depress prices. This is, in part, due to the market screaming to a dead stop because of the lending crisis, not to mention the rise in "short sales" as people try to bail out on huge huge payments before the Bank takes the house in a foreclosure. Add in foreclosures themselves and your have a "buyers market" condition. Bad for sellers but good for those positioned to take advantage of the bargains to be had. The average price reductions in most areas is -32% per the latest www.Zillow.com figures I just saw.

So, there are bargains to be had, right? Yes and no! This is a treacherous market to tread for the unwary. If you are looking at foreclosures, called REOs (Real Estate Owned) offered by the banks, there are bargains to be had but you had better know your stuff or you will end up with the proverbial "Money Pit" for your efforts.

Most often, REOs fall into the category of "distressed" homes. Some are rentals that are being divested, others are homes families have lost due to economic conditions and the sub-par lending problems. Rentals are often "ridden hard and put away wet" and have not had the best of care. These will usually require some TLC to get them back into shape. Possibly a lot of TLC!

The foreclosures, many times have entirely different issues, including outright sabatoge.

Ethical people will just suck it up and move on. Those that are ethically challenged will often make the lender the target of their own mistakes and bad judgment. This can take the form of zero maintenance of important components that can have a negative impact on the value of the house all the way up to actual sabotage. I have inspected homes that have had cut electrical wiring, intentionally broken water and waste pipes, cemented up or filled with gravel main drain lines and more. Other homes have had all the cabinets, plumbing fixtures and even the heating and cooling systems removed or stolen.

Theft is a big issue for REOs. The obviously abandoned and boarded up home is a great target for thieves that will remove all the copper piping and wiring for sale as scrap. A few hours of clandestine work can return several hundred dollars from the scrap dealer. The bank makes this even easier by turning off all the utilities for them.

Unless you are very good at inspecting a home for hidden defects, these things can provide some unwelcome surprises for the starry-eyed first time buyer trying to capitalize on a perceived "bargain" home. Don't let it happen to you! Get a qualified professional Home Inspector to go through the house and detail all the faults. Follow up with the "specialist" inspections like sewer camera, chimney and foundation inspection. A professional Home Inspector is constrained by the rules and limitations of their Standards of Practice (SoPs) and can only do a "visual inspection of the readily available portions of the stucture." If a defect is not visible, they cannot comment on it. The condition of the sewer piping under ground and inside walls, the interior of chimneys and the condition of anything else they cannot see will not be included in their report. These "hidden or concealed" defects can be very expensive to repair.

As an example; I recently inspected an REO for my step-daughter. The house was rough but workable. I recommended a sewer camera inspection since the age and condition of the house and the visible waste plumbing under the house indicated that no upgrades or repairs had ever been done. This meant that the original clay pipe main sewer line out to the street connection was still in use. There were some large trees, including some Ficus trees that are known "sewer line killers" present on the property. It was a pretty good bet that the main line would have "issues" from tree roots. Kids being kids, they gambled and did not have it done. They did not want to spend another $300. Unfortunately, (but not unpredictably) they lost the bet.
Yesterday, I got the call. All the toilets were stopped up and they had to have the home warranty company come out to snake the main line. Of course, given that it was a "home warranty" company, they did a crappy job and did not properly clean the line. (They are notorious for this sub-par work in my experience.) Don't get me started! LOL

Now they are looking at many thousands of dollars in repairs to get the main line replaced. Maybe not such a good deal after all?

There are some very good deals to be had for the experienced DIY'er in this market but you need to get any potential purchase properly and fully inspected by a qualified professional before moving forward.
Good Luck!

Where Is All That Heat/Cooling Going?

2009-01-29T09:16:00.000-08:00

Why are my energy bills so high?

Are you paying to heat or cool areas of your home that should not be heated or cooled? are you paying to heat or cool the outdoors? Well, you may be doing this and not know it!

There are several ways that energy "leaks" from a structure.

Infiltration & Exfiltration - This simply means that hot or cold air is entering or leaving your home by various pathways that are unintended.
Convection - The process of heat or cold energy moving through solid materials.
Radiation - the tendency of heated objects to emit energy toward an area of lower energy.
Absorption - the tendency of cold objects to remove heat from the surrounding area.

Why is this happening?

It is a matter of energy and physics. Heat is energy. Warm substances have a higher energy state than cooler ones. It is a law of physics that higher energy states always move toward lower energy states. In other words, heat moves to cold, always. This is Nature's way of balancing things. Unfortunately, this leads to wasting energy you have paid for to either heat of cool your home.

When it is cold outside, you turn on or up your heating system. This raises the energy state of the air in your home. Now Mother Nature takes over and tries to achieve a balance by making this heat you just paid for seek a way outside. Obviously, you are not going to achieve this balance no matter how much energy you add to the home. But, if you don't want to freeze, you keep adding energy to the home, trying to stay ahead of the curve. The same concept applies to cooling, just in reverse. You cool the air thus creating an imbalance with the outdoor air and Mother Nature takes over.

So, what is the solution? Can I "beat" Mother Nature?

It is virtually impossible to totally solve this problem but you can improve the odds in your favor just by understanding the "game" as it were. Now that you are aware of this natural phenomena, you can do some pretty simple things to help.

Since it is now winter here in the US, I'll focus on the heat side of the problem. Actually, both can be addressed at the same time. What is a problem for heating is also a problem for cooling. Improving the heat loss problems of a structure will improve the performance overall and visa versa.

Let's start with the easiest and less expensive things first. Why not get the most "bang for the buck" for your efforts?

While you can never achieve perfection, you can improve the performance of you home. One of the first things to look at and often the easiest thing to address is the problem of exfiltration, the movement of air through and out of a structure. Where does this happen, you ask? It happens at every opening in the building: windows, doors, fireplace flues, exhaust fans, ceiling light fixtures, outlets and switches, the actual walls and more.

This process is called "weatherstripping" and it involves slowing or stopping the airflow through the above mentioned places. This is done by various means.

One of the best tools for diagnosing this problem is called a "smoke stick" or "puffer".
Here is a source or two for these products;

http://www.amresupply.com/product/19806%20SMOKE%20PUFFER
http://www.hayes-uk.com/gallery/gallery_item.htm?id=260

Windows - The method varies depending on the type of window you have. but the concept is to stop the air leakage by applying various forms of weatherstripping material at the joints between the window and the structure. This weatherstripping will slow or stop the flow of heated (or cooled) air. There are tools in the form of non-toxic smoke generators called "smoke sticks" or "puffers" that can help you locate leaking areas. If there is a temperature difference, the air will flow and you will be able to see it by the pattern of smoke movement to and through the joints around the window.
Doors - Basically, the same process as for windows.
Ceiling light fixtures - Often called "can lights" these recessed light fixtures provide a path to the unconditioned attic space for air flow. Many current manufacturers provide gaskets to put under the lights themselves when installing them. They can also be sealed from below by simply adding some caulk around the rim of the opening through the ceiling.
Receptical and switchplate covers - there are inexpensive, pre-made foam gaskets that can be installed under each coverplate.
Fireplace flues - did you know that a fireplace without glass doors is negitively efficient? It's true, without glass doors, the fireplace when in operation, sucks out more heated air than it supplies to the house! Adding a properly installed set of glass doors to your existing fireplace can plug a huge hole in your energy loss problem.
Exhaust fans - Not all homes have these items but if yours does, they can suck out that heated or cooled air that you are paying for. The solution here is to use them only when needed and do not let them run all the time. Consider adding a spring wound "timer" switch on the bathroom fan and light system. This will shut off the lights and fan after a time automatically.

In colder climates, the addition of storm doors and windows can help tremendously to insolate and isolate the doors and windows from the direct attack by wind and cold air.

If you really want ot step up your game and do the most that you can to make your house energy efficient, you will need to dig a little deeper, in both your pocket and the house itself.

This can mean replacing that old inefficient furnace with a new high efficiency unit, repairing or replacing leaky ductwork, replacing those old, drafty windows with new double or triple pane windows, adding insulation (or more, it is already there) to the attic, walls and crawlspace or floor.

As you get more serious abut this issue, your "ROI" (return on investment) time gets longer. Do the math and consult with an expert home energy auditor to get current figures on energy costs in your area verses the cost of the improvement your are planning. This service is often provided free of cost by the local utility companies, they have a vested interest in saving energy.

The first measures I discussed in this article are the least expensive and have the best ROI. Do them first. They really are DIY projects that almost anyone can do.

Don't forget! To get a FREE copy of my eBook "How To Inspect Your Own Home"
Just put "Send Me My Book" in the subject line.

Text time; Moisture Intrusion, and Condensation

Conserving Energy (and Money)

2009-01-20T07:52:00.000-08:00

In this very tight economy, saving money in the operation of your home is one way to help.

This is the first in a series of articles on how to save money in the operation of your home.

The energy cost of heating/cooling, hot water and lighting can be a significant factor in your budget.
Every dollar that is spent on this is one less dollar available for other budget items like mortgage, rent, food and vehicle expenses. Let's discuss a few ways to recover a few of those dollars.

Let's start with your home heating system.

Heating a building is one of the major expenses for many people in the colder parts of the country. Be it heating oil, electricity or natural/propane gas, it is a resource that needs to be conserved. Even if you are not a "conservationist", being aware of how energy is being used in your home, and more importantly, where it is being wasted can have a big effect on your budget. This can be a huge issue, especially for those on a fixed income. Unfortunately, it can come down to making a choice whether to heat the house or have food to eat. Not a good situation!

During the winter months in the colder climates, this can be a significant portion of your household energy budget. One of the first things that should be done is to make sure that you're following the manufacturers recommendations for maintenance. It is typically recommended to have the system serviced at least two times a year, especially if it is a combination heating and cooling system. This should be done early in the season. Service companies, often run "pre-season" specials that can save you a significant amount of money on the typical service call. If you wait until the heating or cooling season is well underway, you may find yourself on a long waiting list to get that service technician out there. Especially if there is a breakdown. You're not going to be happy sitting in a freezing house waiting for the service technician to come next week, when the system breaks down.

Here are a few of the things that you can do yourself rather than pay the service technician to do them for you. Let them spend their expensive time on the more technical evaluation of the system.
1. Check and replace filters, if your system has them. Filters are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased in lots of six for usually less than $20 at the local big box or hardware store. A dirty or blocked filter will cause your system to overwork, significantly reduce its efficiency, and exacerbate the effects of any leak in the ducting system.

2. Clean the air outlet and air inlet grilles, called registers to assure good airflow. It only takes a few minutes with a vacuum cleaner and a hose.

3. If you can get to it, look at the ducting system. Does it appear to be in good condition. Are all the visible connection points in good condition, with no exposed insulation or missing insulation and raggedy looking duct tape. Leaky ductwork is one of the major energy wasters in a forced air heating system. It is fairly easy to correct the situation and really should be done.

4. Now look at the furnace itself. Is the area around the furnace clean and in good order? Or has it become one of those areas it just seems to collect junk? Proper clearance around the furnace is mandatory for safe operation and service access. Potentially flammable materials stacked around or leaning against the furnace are significant fire hazard.

5. Listen to the furnace, as it operates. Is it making odd noises? Squeaking, vibration, or anything else that just doesn't seem right? These may be signs of an impending failure. Get them addressed.

6. Do you have an "automatic or night setback" type thermostat? Believe it or not, these can be a significant energy saver. They will automatically adjust the thermostat setting on a pre-determined schedule. Typically, if everyone is gone during the day, there is no need to fully heat the house up to a comfortable temperature and it only wastes energy. Lowering the set temperature by only 5° during the day when no one is home and at night after everyone has gone to bed, can save 10% or more on your energy bill. That can be a significant savings.

So, as you see, it is important for you to do your part in maintaining your home heating system. There are things that you can do that are not "technical" in nature and cost next to nothing. Your budget and your family will appreciate it!

Next time: "Where is all that heat going?"