Maintenance Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Home Inspection Professionals

Safely Away From Home

July 26, 2016/in Home Safety, Maintenance, Seasonal Information/by Spectora

Summer is synonymous with vacation. Travel, be it for a weekend or a month often means vacancy at home. Having a trusted neighbor or family friend periodically check on the home can also be helpful in preventing any problems. Don’t leave your home unprotected. Here are a few safety tips to be sure your home is ready for your vacation too.

Keep it Looking Occupied – An empty house is an invitation for burglars. To avoid leaving your house looking empty;

Park your car inside the garage – it’s even a great idea to pack the car in the garage. Nothing says vacant like packing luggage in the driveway for all to see.
Stop the newspaper and mail (or ask a neighbor to pick them up).
Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway.
Install a motion-activated sensor on an outdoor floodlight.
Put at least one light on a timer.
Make sure your lawn stays trimmed.

Plumbing & Electrical Precautions – beyond the expense factor for utilities, not protecting your appliances could also leave to damage and unexpected costs.

Unplug small appliances and electronic devices.
Put the water heater in vacation mode.
Turn off water valves to the dishwasher, washing machine and all sinks.
Set the thermostat to a temperature that is less comfortable, but still protects your plants, pets and furniture.
Electronics should be plugged into a surge protector.
Install and test a battery backup on the Sump Pump if you have one.

General Preparation Tips – Don’t forget the simple items before you leave.

Make sure your smoke detectors are working properly.
Leave your emergency contact information with a neighbor.
Run your garbage disposer with a half cup of vinegar and some water.
Toss out any food that will go bad before you return from vacation.
Take out the kitchen trash, or any other trash that could get smelly.

Lastly, don’t rush. Enjoy your time away and make the most of the memories you’ll create!

Deck Safety

July 21, 2016/in Maintenance, Seasonal Information/by Spectora

It’s summer here in Metro Detroit and that means more time outside enjoying the sunshine. Be it for a back yard BBQ or enjoying your morning coffee, deck safety is important for every homeowner and we’re here to help. Maintenance is much more than cleaning your deck surface. It means evaluating the structure and making any repairs or adjustments that might be needed. Here’s a great checklist to get you started.

1 – Search for split or decaying wood. Check several different areas of the deck to be sure the wood is still sound, including the ledger board (where the deck attaches to the house and a common source of deck failure), support posts and joists under the deck, deck boards, railings and stairs. Look for soft, spongy areas in wood that can indicate insect damage or decay.

2 – Test railings and banisters. Assure the security of these key pieces of the deck by gently pushing on them to assure they are firmly attached with no “give” that could indicate failure. Then, get the yard stick out. Most codes require a 36” high railing (and usually encourage 42” high railings) with rails placed no more than 4” inches apart (measured from the inside of the rails) to keep small children and pets from squeezing through.

3 – Check your fasteners. Over time, fasteners may “pop” from wood, loosen or even corrode. Check nails, screws or anchors and reinforce or replace anything that looks suspicious.

4 – Step carefully. Check each step to make certain of security and lack of decay. If an area behind the stair treads is open, this opening should be no more than 4” high. A fast tip is to also keep stair pathways clear of planters, décor, toys and other items that can present a tripping hazard.

5 – Clean up debris. Make it a priority to clean away leaves, branches or other debris from your deck. When left in place, these can be slippery and promote mildew. If you’re already seeing mildew on the deck, or the deck coating has worn away, now is the time to clean and apply a new waterproof coating.

It’s also a great time to check the everyday items ON the deck, like your grill, furnishings, storage and lighting.

For a complete 10-point consumer safety checklist and more deck safety tips from NADRA, click HERE. The North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) is dedicated to increasing public awareness of the necessity for regular inspection and maintenance of existing decks and proper installation of new decks. For more information visit www.NADRA.org

Maintaining a Septic System

December 8, 2015/in Maintenance, Septic Tanks/by Spectora

What is it important to maintain my Septic System?

A failing septic system can be very costly. Often times failing systems are impossible to repair and must be replaced. Even when the system CAN be repaired, the expense is much greater than that of a simple cleaning. A failing septic system can also cause your property value to go down. In other words, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

Know where your system is located.
Have the tank pumped by a licensed operator every 2-3 years, depending on use.
Limit the amount of kitchen waste you put into the system through a garbage disposal
Make normal use of bleaches, detergents, soaps, bowl cleaners or drain cleaners.
DO NOT allow heavy vehicles to drive over the tile field.
DO NOT allow trees and shrubs to grow over the septic field.
DO NOT connect downspouts, sump pumps, or water softener backwash to the septic system.

We highly recommend that homeowners keep a diagram identifying the location of the septic tank and tile field for future reference. It is also beneficial to keep a record or log to record system maintenance.

Warning Signs

How do I know if there’s a problem? There are warning signs of septic system failure. Watch for the following:

Odors, surfacing sewage, wet spots or lush vegetation in the drain field area.
Plumbing or septic tank backups.
Slow-Draining fixtures, not related to local clogging.
Gurgling sounds in the plumbing system.

If you notice these signs or if you suspect a problem with your septic tank system, contact your local Health Department for assistance.

What is a Septic System?

December 8, 2015/in Maintenance, Septic Tanks/by Spectora

A Septic System is an underground private sewage disposal system. It is the best method of disposal in areas where community sewage disposal facilities (Sanitary Sewers) are not available and where soil drainage is acceptable.
A Septic System usually consists of two parts:

Septic Tank – a water tight (concrete) container that receives untreated household waste. Solids are retained here.
Tile Field – a series of perforated pipes which distribute the liquid from the septic tank to the surrounding ground below soil.

How Does a Septic System Work?

Waste material from the house enters the septic tank slowly so that solids and greases can:

Settle to the bottom and form a sludge layer.
Raise to the top and form a scum layer.

In between the slugde and scum layers is a layer of liquid waste, known as effluent.

When waste enters the tank, bacteria being to break down the solid materials. This process is called decomposition. As a result of decomposition, solids are reduced, leaving a residue behind in the tank. As time passes, the remaining residue builds up and must be removed via pumping to prevent it from entering the tile field and clogging the system.

The center liquid layer flows slowly from the tank into the tiled field. Pipes in the tile field are perforated. This allows the liquid to be distributed equally in specially prepared gravel filled trenches. Once the liquid reaches the trenches, it soaks into the soil. The soil then acts as the final filter in the treatment of liquid waste received by the septic system.

System Diagram

Carbon Monoxide – Choosing Protection

October 2, 2015/in Maintenance, Seasonal Information/by Spectora

How to Choose a Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Because a safe home is the only option, we offer plenty of choices.

Now that you know a little more about the dangers of carbon monoxide, the next logical question is “what can I do to protect my home?” Of course, before you go choosing your alarms, it helps to familiarize yourself with technology, features and other factors.

Things to look for in an alarm

We recommend choosing CO alarms that have the most accurate sensing technology available. CO alarms are designed to alert you when carbon monoxide levels have begun to accumulate over a period of time, and will sound before most people would experience any CO poisoning symptoms. The more accurate the alarm, the greater chance you and your family have of responding appropriately to the problem.

Below are key factors to look for when purchasing a CO alarm:
Electrochemical sensor: Alarms with electrochemical sensors are more stable during humidity and temperature changes and resist reacting to common household chemicals that may cause false readings. Kidde’s CO alarms include Nighthawk technology, which has been proven to be the world’s most accurate CO sensing technology based on claims by major manufacturers.
End-of-life warning: This feature alerts consumers when it’s time to replace the alarm. Kidde is the only major manufacturer who tests its CO alarms for long-term reliability, and whose alarms have a built-in end-of-life feature.
UL or CSA Listed: CO alarms should meet the strict third-party standards set by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Canadian Standards Association (CSA). A UL Listed or CSA Listed label should be printed on the product’s packaging. Kidde is the only major manufacturer whose CO alarms currently meet the strict standards set forth by both UL and CSA.

Also, be sure to consider these major features:

Accuracy: Look for a statement on the package about the alarm’s accuracy level. If the CO alarm is UL Listed, then the accuracy statement will have been certified by UL, too.
Battery-Operated: Consumers who live in areas prone to power outages or who own a gas-powered generator should consider a battery-powered CO alarm with a backlit digital display. Battery-powered units offer 24-hour-a-day CO monitoring when power is interrupted. The backlit digital display allows the user to view the CO level in the dark. The alarm can also be placed on a shelf or wall or moved from room to room.
Digital Display: A digital display screen clearly shows the level of CO detected in the home, and updates the reading every 15 seconds.
Peak-Level Memory: This feature records the highest level of CO present. Knowing the CO level in the home can help emergency personnel determine treatment.
Plug-in with Battery Backup: Easy to plug into any electrical socket, these alarms include a 9V battery for protection during short-term power outages.
Voice Warning: This feature clearly announces the threat present in the home, in addition to emitting the traditional alarm beep. It is often a feature of combination smoke/CO alarms.

Placement and Maintenance

So you’ve selected the right solutions for your home. Now comes the important part: knowing where to place them and how to properly maintain them.

Install at least one CO alarm on every floor and in sleeping areas.
Make sure CO alarms are at least 15 feet away from cooking or heating appliances to prevent false alarms.
Don’t cover or obstruct the unit. Test the CO alarm monthly.
Replace CO alarms every 7 to 10 years (depending on your model) to benefit from the latest technology upgrades.

Adapted from Kidde.com Visit www.Kidde.com for more great tips and a full line of fire protection products.

Spring Thaw

March 5, 2015/in Maintenance, Seasonal Information/by Spectora

springthaw Each year, Michigan homeowners and businesses are hit with the harsh reality of winter, dealing with everything from snow covered roads and pot holes to slippery driveways and the dreaded NO SCHOOL Snow Days. You can’t change the weather, but we can minimize the toll it may take by implementing a few simple safeguards. Heating and plumbing maintenance and the right insurance coverage, can help minimize any financial burdens that may follow seasonal storm damage.

This time of year, it is important to be aware of water damage that can be caused by Spring Thaw. You can’t stop the water, but you can take measures to limit or prevent damage and save on restoration repairs.

Understand your insurance coverage

Read the details of your homeowner’s insurance coverage as it applies to water damage and flooding, because unless you carry flood insurance, any damage to your home caused by spring-thaw flooding is generally not covered. Many policies also don’t cover backed-up sewers unless you pay a higher premium specifically for this added coverage.

How to prevent water damage

No homeowner can prevent water damage under every circumstance, but you can prepare your home ahead of spring-thaw months to prevent common causes of damage.

Basement pumps. Install a sump pump or a sewer backflow value and keep a battery-operated backup in case of power failure. Consider installing a water alarm that warns when water is accumulating in your basement.
Basement storage. Keep valuable items out of your basement. Removing any electronics or stored valuables from your basement prior to spring-thaw warnings could prove to be an important ounce of prevention.
Debris removal. Remove debris from window wells, gutters and downspouts.
Doors and windows. Check for any leaks around doors and windows.
Exterior walls. Keep all exterior walls of your home well painted and sealed.
Flood drains. If you have flood drains, make sure they work properly.
Foundation cracks. Inspect your foundation for cracks that will allow water seepage and initiate repairs.
Grading. Inspect the grading around your home and make any changes. Design the grading to encourage the water to flow away from your home.
Landscaping. Trim trees and bushes away from your home and do not store wood or compost piles nearby.
Roof. Keep your roof in good repair. Unless a tree falls on your roof during a storm, most insurers expect you to maintain your roof to prevent water leaks caused by snow melting or torrential downpours.

Adapted from https://www.safetyinsurance.com

Energy Savings

November 17, 2014/in Maintenance, Seasonal Information/by Spectora

The Your Energy Savings program offers four ways for you to learn about the energy management opportunities in your home. Each energy audit will help you identify easy to install measures to help reduce your energy use and control your energy costs.

Depending on which audit option you choose, you can qualify for a rebate of up to $150, plus take advantage of additional incentives on individual improvements that can total up to $1,350.

Call HIP today to schedule your Energy Audit to find ways to put money back in your pocket instead of paying high energy costs. Interested in finding out how these programs can help you? Visit the links below for more details.

4 Simple Checks for Winter Savings

November 27, 2012/in Maintenance, Seasonal Information/by Spectora

During the cold winter months, homeowners in most of the country find it necessary to turn on the heaters to keep warm. You can save energy when heating your home by taking the time to winterize for maximum energy savings.

Create a Winter Plan

Due to increasing energy costs, winter heating will consume an increasingly larger portion of a household’s energy budget. That’s why it’s important to check your home to insure that your heating dollars aren’t being wasted.

The end of summer and the beginning of fall is a perfect time to get your home ready for the ensuing cold-weather months. Use the steps listed below to help formulate a plan to winterize.

Check for Leaks

Weather stripping and caulking are the least expensive, simplest, most effective way to reduce energy waste in the winter. Improperly sealed homes can waste 10% to 15% of a home’s heating dollars.

Check around doors and windows for leaks and drafts. Add weather-stripping or caulk any holes that allow heat to escape. Make sure doors seal properly.
If your windows leak badly, consider replacing them with newer, more efficient ones. Remember that replacing windows can be expensive – it could take you quite a while to recover your costs from the energy savings alone.
Every duct, wire or pipe that penetrates the walls, ceiling, or floor has the potential to waste energy. Plumbing vents can be especially bad, since they begin below the floor and go all the way through the roof. Seal them all with caulking or weather-stripping.
Electric wall plugs and switches allow cold air in. Pre-cut, foam gaskets that fit behind the switch plate can effectively prevent leaks.
Don’t forget to close the damper on your fireplace if there is no fire burning. This acts as an open window.
Examine your house’s heating ducts for leaks. Since you don’t see them every day, ducts can leak for years without you knowing it. They can become torn or crushed and flattened. Have damaged ducts repaired or replaced. Duct tape can work for a short time, but after a while, it dries up and becomes useless.

Check Your Insulation

Insulation reduces the heat flowing out of your home during the winter months. Ensuring that your home is properly insulated will help your save energy when the temperatures drop.

Insulate your attic. In older homes, thin can be the most cost-efficient way to cut home heating costs. Prior to energy efficiency standards, homes were often built with little or no insulation. As a result, a large amount of heat is lost through walls, floors, and ceilings. The amount of insulation that you should install depends upon where you live. Insulation is measured in R-values, or the resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the less resistant the product is to heat flow. Ask the salesperson at your local hardware store about the recommended R-values for your location.
Weather-strip and insulate your attic hatch or door to prevent warm air from escaping out of the top of your house. Since warm air rises, this type of heat escape is common.
Seal holes in the attic that lead down into the house, such as open wall tops and duct, plumbing, or electrical runs. Any hole that leads from a basement or crawlspace to an attic is a big energy waster. Cover and seal them with spray foam and rigid foam board if necessary.

Review your Heating System

Autumn is the perfect time to perform routine maintenance on your home’s heating system to ensure that it is running efficiently and effectively during the winter.

Replace your heater’s air filter monthly. Since your heater will have to work less hard, it will run more efficiently. Cleaning and removing dust from vents or along baseboard heaters will have the same effect.
If your heating system is old, you might consider updating it. A pre-1977 gas furnace is probably 50 percent to 60 percent efficient today. Modern gas furnaces, on the other hand, achieve efficiency ratings as high as 97 percent. Replacing an old heating system can cut your natural gas use nearly in half!
Use your set-back thermostat if you have one. If you don’t have one, get one. A set-back thermostat allows you to automatically turn down the heat when you’re away at work or when you’re sleeping. you can then boost the temperature to a comfortable level when you need it. It takes less energy to warm a cool home than to maintain a warm temperature all day. Using a set-back thermostat can cut heating costs from 20% to 75%.Reverse the switch on your ceiling fans so they blow upward. This is especially valuable in high ceiling rooms, where heat that naturally rises is forced back down into the room.
Make sure all hearing vents are opened and unblocked by furniture or other items. This will ensure that the air is evenly distributed through the home.

Power Failure Plan

July 9, 2012/in Maintenance/by Spectora

Having a power failure plan to protect your home from a blackout has become a necessity today. According to one study, 75 percent of U.S. homeowners experienced a power outage each year. Preventing power failures

So how do you protect yourself from these power failure problems? By setting up backup power systems to protect mission-critical appliances from damage or destruction. Here’s where to begin:

Standby Generators. Generators can run on natural gas or gasoline, and some can re-power most of the home’s critical systems within a short time of a power failure.

Surge Suppression. Surges can occur from outside or inside the home. To protect yourself, you’ll need several types of devices:

Lightning Rods – Good to protect against blasts of lightning hitting at or near your home. Lightning rods provide a “ground” path to divert this runaway power from harming your home’s electrical systems.
Surge Arrestors – Surge arrestors are mounted inside your electrical panel and provide another protection against voltage spikes, which occur from the outside.
Surge Suppressors – Surge suppressors provide the second stage of an interior defense system. Most suppressors resemble power strips with outlets, and protect equipment that’s particularly sensitive to moderate surges such as computers, TVs, phones, and audio/video systems.

When shopping for surge suppressors, keep in mind that major qualitative differences exist. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for and finding out your suppressor didn’t work during a power failure can be a very expensive lesson to learn.

Battery Back-ups. Probably the single most effective equipment to protect computers from damage from a power outage is a battery back up. Known as an “uninterruptible power supply” or “UPS”, these small devices will not only protect your sensitive data from surges or spikes, they can also instantly restore power to your computer long enough to allow you to safely save your work and shut down the system. Battery backups are an essential part of your power failure plan.

Check out these sites for good tools and tips on protecting your power during a power failure:

Electric Generators Direct.com– Use the home wattage wizard to find out how much power you’ll need in the event of a blackout.
Generac – View a movie that explains step-by-step how stand-by generators protect your home from power failures.
National Lightning Safety Institute – Get the facts on lightening and learn how to avoid becoming a victim.
Energy Guide.com – Enter a few details on your home and learn what energy saving improvements makes the most sense.

Protecting your home from power failures with a thorough power failure plan has become a necessity, due to today’s many power outages. But with a little preplanning, the inconvenience of losing electricity can be left at just that.

You Don’t Have to Spend to Save

October 12, 2011/in Maintenance/by Spectora

Here we are, noticing our summer tans fading, dark roots growing out from our scalps, and waiting for the first winter snow fall amidst the freezing rain and blowing wind. Winter is rearing its ugly head and so are heating costs. The television and web are full of great ideas on how to save money on energy costs, but more often than not it takes money to save money. For many, spending money on major home improvement projects to make a home more energy efficient just isn’t in the cards this year.

I am here to tell you that you still have options. You do not have to spend a bunch of money to cut your heating costs. Below you will find nine tips on how to save money on energy bills without breaking the bank. Each tip should cost from nothing to very little. Follow these ideas that all of us should have thought of a decade ago, and say good-bye to shocking heating bills.

Bundle up! Running around with shorts and a tank top in the middle of winter just doesn’t make much sense. Winter is winter because it is cold, so act like it even if you’re just sitting around the house. Put on a sweater or sweatshirt, wear socks and fuzzy slippers. Place a soft, comfy blanket on the couch to cuddle up in while watching TV, reading or chatting with friends. Put throw rugs on hardwood and tile floors to eliminate the shock of the ice cold surfaces. It doesn’t cost anything to wear warmer clothes inside and by doing so you can keep the temperature inside the house a few degrees cooler and save big.
Not all doors are used in the winter, nor are the windows, so plastic up the windows and doors that are going to go unused. There are window kits for sale for about $5 per window. These can help to eliminate drafts to keep in the heat! Can’t afford the kits or plastic sheeting? Hang blankets to help insulate! If you are creative enough, you can hang it to look shabby chic!
Turn the heat down at night and when no one is home. This doesn’t mean turn the heat to 40 degrees, but turning it down to 60 overnight or while you’re away can make a big difference. Think about it; why keep it 70 degrees when you’re either sleeping or out of the house for more than 12 hours a day? You can adjust the thermostat manually for free, but if you want to spend a few bucks a programmable thermostat is a great investment.
After baking cookies or making dinner in the oven, leave the door open a crack. There’s a lot of heat in that oven, so letting it escape puts the heat to good use by warming up the kitchen and surrounding rooms meaning the furnace has to run a little bit less.
Use a space heater only in the current room you are hanging out in. This will take the nip out of the air to make you feel more comfortable without heating all of the other rooms in the house and wasting energy.
Use silicone to fill any cracks in doors, windows, etc, including the basement floor and walls. You would be surprised at how much heat is lost through cracks that seem insignificant. A tube of caulk or silicone will only run you a few dollars and it’s an easy weekend project.
Close any vents going to rooms that are not used regularly. That guest room that sits empty when you don’t have any guests? Close the door and the vents. Doing so can easily cut 100-200 square feet off of your energy footprint.
Put weather stripping around windows and doors. Weather stripping helps quite a bit, especially in older homes. You’d be surprised how the seals around your doors and windows can deteriorate over time.
Cover up the attic entry with plastic, pieces of insulation, old blankets, weather stripping, saran wrap, painter drop cloth, or even a few old shirts. Any of it will help to slow, if not, stop, the drafts and warm air from floating away through your roof. Heat rises and may be getting pulled right up through the attic so you may not notice a cold draft even though your expensive hot air is floating away.

All of these tips are good, old fashioned, common sense thoughts that don’t take but a few minutes and maybe a few dollars to implement. True these thoughts won’t save you thousands like all new windows would, but they will help you to save as much as possible with what you have.