Tag: home safety (Page 6 of 6)

Summer Checklist for your Home

August 1, 2014 /

Summer To-Do List

Keep your home safe, happy, and healthy by at least checking off our list of seasonal to-dos.

Photo Courtesy of: tjg551 on freeimages.com
Photo Courtesy of: tjg551 on freeimages.com

June:

  • Seal your deck. You will need 3 consecutive warm, sunny days. One to dry it out, one to clean and scrub it (with 24 hours of drying time), and one to apply the sealer.
  • Hire a certified chimney sweep. Cleaning and inspecting the chimney now, instead of in the cooler fall months, allows for ample time to complete any necessary repairs. It will also be easier to schedule with them since many people wait until just before the heating season.
  • Clean your home’s exterior with a mild detergent and a water hose. Pressure washers are great tools but when it comes to siding, they are so powerful they can force water underneath, encouraging the growth of mold and mildew.
  • Clean your dryer vent system. This is a key task for fire safety. Lint is extremely flammable. You’ll want to open up the back of the dryer and clean in there too. If you’re looking for a professional to do it, try asking local duct cleaners.
  • Paint your patio and deck furniture to enjoy all summer season long.

July:

  • Check for peeling or cracked paint on exterior walls. South and west-facing walls deteriorate faster and require more frequent repainting than north and east-facing ones.
  • Repair any cracks or missing mortar in your brick or masonry siding. You can use fresh mortar or concrete caulk.
  • Check your roof, inside and out, for cracks, loose or missing shingles, or signs of leaks. Pay close attention to valleys, around chimneys, and around vent stacks.
  • Make sure your motion-detector lighting systems and automatic timers are all properly set and working. You’ll especially want the automatic timers working if you plan to go away on vacation.
  • Trim shrubs and branches so that they are not coming in contact with your siding
  • Repair your driveway where necessary. Cracks in concrete can be sealed with an epoxy patching material, asphalt can be repaired with an asphalt material, and driveways should be sealed every other year.

August:

  • Inspect your foundation for signs of termites. Look for tunnels and dirt bridges. If you suspect them, call an exterminator right away.
  • Clean the condenser coils on the back or underneath your refrigerator. You can simply use a vacuum with a narrow nozzle.
  • Make any necessary faucet repairs. Check for any worn washers and signs of leaking both on top and underneath.
  • Clean your range hood and either clean or replace the filter.
  • If you’re planning for any interior remodeling projects this fall, start the planning and estimate collection now so they can be done early in the season.
  • Do you have that hammering noise in your pipes? Drain the plumbing system. Open the uppermost faucet (or the furthest from the water meter) and the lowest most faucet (or closest to the meter). Drain the system allowing water to flow into a lower level sink or floor drain. This restores air to the chambers. Close the faucets in the order that you opened them.

…Of course there’s always more fun DIY’s and home maintenance to be done, but this will get you a fantastic start to a great summer season.

Air Quality Weighing You Down? It Could be the humidity.

March 4, 2014 /

The days of simply opening the window to clear a stuffy house aren’t always available. For year-round relief and protection for your home start running a dehumidifier.

What do dehumidifiers do? Dehumidifiers reduce the amount of moisture in the air. They work just like air conditioners only they contain both hot and cold coils.

How do dehumidifiers work?
Air is drawn in to the dehumidifier and any moisture contained in that air is condensed onto cold coils. This dries the air. The dry air then passes over hot coils and is circulated back into the room. The moisture that condensed onto the cold coils is drained into a tank or “pint”. You have to periodically empty this tank to avoid overflow. Some dehumidifiers can simply be set to a certain humidity percentage and it will automatically run itself to maintain that specified level. If you don’t feel like emptying the you may find one with a pump system that you can then direct so that the water safely away from your foundation.

In the months that you run air conditioners in your home you may not need to run the dehumidifier if the air conditioning is keeping the humidity low enough. A hygrometer, which can be purchased at some hardware stores, will give you an accurate humidity reading.

Who can benefit from a dehumidifier?
Everyone can benefit from controlled air conditions, but even more so are people with allergies, asthma, or those who are living in moist conditions. Here on Cape Cod, being so close to the ocean, we are all very familiar with moist conditions.

Do you find that symptoms including stuffy nose, eye irritation or sneezing increase when spending time indoors? A number of irritants, including dust mites, could be the culprit. Dust mites live in mattresses, upholstery, curtains, rugs and even get mixed up the air. (This is why you should vacuum mattresses and upholstery once a week with a HEPA filter vacuum). Bringing the level of moisture in the air down will make it less environmentally friendly for mites, mold and mildew.

Controlling the indoor air humidity with a dehumidifier will also reduce the amount of dusting you need to keep up with, reduce door frame swelling, and lengthen the life of your windows by reducing any condensation on them. The air will smell noticeably fresher. You may even find that your laundry takes less time to dry, and that your food keeps longer.

What are signs of moisture?

  • Stains on ceilings and/or walls
  • A “stuffy” feeling when you enter a room
  • Rotten trim and/or wooden areas
  • Musty odors
  • Condensation found on windows
  • A hygrometer reading above 40-50%

How do you choose a dehumidifier? Your choices will be narrowed down with two variables: the amount of area the unit will cover and the size of the water tank that holds the condensed moisture. If you’ve ever purchased an air conditioner you know that it needs to be able to cover the entire cubic space of the room to work properly. Measure the area of space you’ll need to dehumidify (cubic feet) and select a unit that will cover at least that amount of space if not more. The higher the humidity in your geographical area, the larger the tank you’ll want your unit to have.

Don’t forget about maintenance on your dehumidifier. They can run above and beyond a few hundred dollars depending on the size you need so you’ll want to maintain them properly to get your money’s worth. Filters will need to either be cleaned or replaced so factor them into the cost when comparing units. Also, look for the energy efficient models to reduce the increase in electricity use. Some are also louder than others. If it’s in the basement you may not be too concerned with the noise, but if it’s close to a bedroom or entertaining space you may opt for a quieter version.

With all of the calls concerning mold in basements, musty bedroom and closet odors, and heat of summer mildew I highly advise that dehumidifiers are run to keep these occurrences at a minimum. If you do run into any of these while running a dehumidifier or not, always check first to make sure its not a slow leak, drip, or pending water damage. If it is, the sooner you find it the better.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Participating in National Home Safety Month

June 14, 2013 /

June is recognized as the month for National Home Safety. Participate with us by committing to being prepared, informed, and living well.

Grill Safety TIps

A popular part of living well in June is enjoying the great weather! Breaking out the grill is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the coming of summer. Remember before kicking off a great barbecue:

  • Propane and charcoal grills are for outdoor use only!
  • Avoid grilling close to your house, railings, or overhanging branches. Smoke damage can be quite an extensive project to tackle. Read more about smoke damage clean up.
  • Maintain a clean grill by proper heating, scrubbing, and cleaning the grease tray often.
  • Make sure to never leave the grill unattended while in use, and don’t forget to shut the propane off when you’re done.
  • To check for leaks in the tank hose, use a light soap and water mix. If you see bubbles after applying the solution to the hose, don’t light that grill! Have it serviced first.
  • Always let coals cool completely before disposing of them in a metal container.
  • Of course, accidents do happen, so have a plan in place for prompt response if you have an emergency. If you are local on Cape Cod, read about Whalen Restoration’s emergency response services.

This June, work on preventing household injuries by addressing factors in and around your home.

  • As included in most of our safety tips, have an emergency safety plan. Keep it simple so that all ages of your home will know what to do, but include enough to cover most of the common disasters your area may encounter in a year.
  • Keep an emergency kit handy in the event of a natural disaster and/or loss of power. Make sure you have the essentials to last a few days including water, first aid, flashlights with extra batteries, and nonperishable food. More in depth details of what you should have and how to assemble a kit can be found at http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
  • Replace the batteries in your smoke alarms yearly, and test them often. Make sure there is one on every floor of your home and near fire hazards.
  • Be sure to have emergency telephone numbers handy for accidents. Poison control and other emergency contact numbers are great to have posted on the refrigerator for quick access.
  • Make sure any toxic products and medications are stored in childproof areas.

With those safety and prevention tips in mind, another very large part of home safety is making time to care for you. Nothing should interfere with having a balanced diet and good exercise habits. That doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in strawberry short cake at the cookout or take a day’s rest from the gym, but it does mean that you should be regularly eating clean, getting sufficient exercise, and regular sleep. Luckily, the urgency to adapt these great habits is becoming one of today’s most popular topics, creating an amazing variety of options to suit everyone’s needs. By caring for yourself you’ll be preventing household injury by keeping a clear mind and stronger body.

Pledge to honor this National Home Safety month and reap the benefits all year long. I wish you all a safe, happy, and healthy Summer.

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