Home Improvement

Mark D. Tyrol, P.E.
373

It happens to countless homeowners around the end of the year ?you make the annual visit to your attic to collect the holiday decorations and what do you find? Spots and blotches covering the bottom of the roof sheathing. Worse yet ?it turns out to be attic mold!
What does energy conservation have to do with mold in the attic? Well if you take a step back and consider how the house behaves as system, they are often directly related.
Building science experts have long been using the “house as a system?approach to diagnose the cause and origin of building defects.
For example, ice dams. These are often caused by warm air seeping into the attic which causes the snow and ice on the roof to melt. The water drains to the edge of the roof (which is colder than the rest of the roof because it is an overhang and not warmed by the attic), freezes and creates an ice dam. As this process is repeated daily, the ice dam grows larger. Eventually water is forced under a shingle where it can seep into the house.
Understanding how the house behaves as a system and the various causes and effects is necessary to diagnose most building related problems.
But how about that attic mold? How did it get there?
Mold requires chronic moisture to form and to thrive, so source(s) of moisture must be present. Possibly the moisture came from outdoors. The roof is newer and a quick check of the roof shows no obvious damage or leaks.
Possibly the moisture came from indoors. During the heating season, the interior of the house frequently has high moisture levels, especially bathrooms and kitchens. A quick check shows that all bathroom fans, kitchen vents, etc. are properly ducted completely outdoors and not into the attic. The amount of insulation looks good and the attic is well ventilated.
Don’t give up ?you are almost there! Remember the house as a system? You know that warm, moist air is in the house, but how is it getting into the attic?
By air leaks! Air leaks are the leading source of energy loss in most houses, and a frequent source of chronic moisture that can cause attic mold. Most homeowners are well aware of air leaks around windows and doors (especially old ones), but many overlook the numerous gaps leading directly into the attic!
Have a look around the attic and you may find large gaps around recessed lights and fans, holes where wires or pipes are installed, even large gaps around the chimney. And don’t overlook the whole house fan and especially the folding attic stair – a big, uninsulated hole in your ceiling that is often overlooked!
These gaps can add up to a large hole that allows warm, moist air from the house to flow right into the cold attic. The warm moist air condenses on the cold roof sheathing, creating chronically damp conditions that can lead to attic mold growth. And the energy loss ?it can be like leaving a window open all winter long!
Seal these air leaks and you stop a significant moisture source. And just think of all the energy you can save and the cold drafts you can stop!

Susan Penney
439

For some people, a fireplace might as well be a video of flaming logs. Their primary interest is the welcoming ambiance a fireplace’s blaze presents. If, however, you expect your fireplace to provide heat in exchange for your log-carrying, fire-building efforts, (or in the case of gas logs, in exchange for your gas bill), it’s time to maximize your fireplace’s heat output.
There are various contraptions designed to return more of a wood or gas fireplace’s heat into the room and stanch the flow of that precious heat from escaping up the chimney. Many of them involve fans and vents and considerable expense. But one of the most time-honored, hassle-free, and least expensive methods of increasing a fire’s heat output is making a comeback: the fireback.
A fireback is a sheet of metal, sized in proportion to the fireplace, that’s placed against your back fireplace wall. Firebacks can be set on the hearth’s floor and just leaned against the back fireplace wall, but often they are secured by placing them in supporting braces which keep the fireback from sliding. Firebacks come in two main styles: the cast iron fireback and the stainless steel fireback.
The traditional cast iron fireback, popular in earlier times and making a revival now, is a sheet of heavy, black, cast iron. Often they are cast with a design, such as a fleur de lis or eagle, to add a decorative touch to this functional fireplace accessory.
The cast iron firebacks work on the same principle as heating radiators. The metal is heated (by hot water in the case of radiators and by the fire in the case of firebacks), and then that heat is radiated into the room.
Although attractive and functional, the cast-iron firebacks are too heavy for many people to manage easily. Their weight also adds to their shipping costs, and therefore to their total price.
A more modern fireback design, one that is growing in popularity, is made of a sheet of very gently curved, tempered stainless steel. These stainless steel firebacks warm your room in two ways. First, like the cast iron firebacks, they radiate the heat of the fire forward into the room. But they also reflect the heat, as well as the light, of the fire into the room.
Stainless steel firebacks weigh only one-sixth as much as a similarly sized cast iron fireback, so they are easier to manage and less costly to ship. But their main appeal may be their price: They cost only a fraction as much as their cast iron cousins. Whereas a cast iron fireback, depending on size, can cost $250 to $700, the stainless steel versions usually go for $50 to $150.
Both cast iron and stainless steel firebacks dramatically increase the room-warming capacity of your wood or gas fireplace fire. The addition of this simple fireplace accessory to your hearth can mean warmer toes and lower heating bills.

Holly Masters
1157

From the budding gardener to the more experienced backyard horticulturist, everyone involved in gardening seems to be looking at ways to enhance their overall gardening experience. Once you are through with your work in the garden for the day, wouldn’t it be nice to sit amidst the flowers and have a cup of tea?
In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards building backyard structures that are both useful and attractive. The days of utilitarian garden sheds that serve no purpose other than to store your gardening equipment have come to pass. One of my favorite backyard structures has to be the classic gazebo.
The classic gazebo is octagonal in shape and has a high, peaked roof. They come in various heights and diameters, but they are generally designed to accommodate a small group of people. To me, they evoke a sort of southern charm. They remind me of the bandstands that jazz bands used to play in when I was a young girl in the South. Now, they have become landmarks in the backyards of people nationwide.
I spend a lot of time in my garden in the summer months. This past summer my husband and I decide to build a gazebo, so we would have a nice place to sit and have a drink on a sunny summer afternoon. We wanted something that would shelter us from the hot summer sun, but we did not want to be enclosed in any way. We searched around on the internet and found a design that we were both very pleased with. It took us almost a week to complete the project, but it was certainly worth it.
We spent countless summer nights entertaining family and friends in our new gazebo. We placed it in the midst of our massive garden, and we built a wonderful stone path leading through the garden to it. It is almost otherworldly to be back there, enveloped in the various scents and sensations. I never thought that such a simple backyard improvement project would bring so much joy to our lives. Would you like to join us for tea sometime?

Kathryn Whittaker
885

No matter where you live, in a townhouse, a lakeside cottage, an urban loft, or a vintage Victorian mansion, there is always a place for a gas fireplace. Convenient and easy to use, gas fireplaces today offer an abundance of design ideas to suit both your lifestyle and the style of your home.
According to the recent statistics, a fireplace is one of the most commonly anticipated features in a modern home. Freestanding gas fireplaces deliver radiant heat to any room in your house ?from kitchen to dining room and even bedroom, – or outdoors, warming your patio or a backyard. Classic terracotta finish or modern and minimalist brushed steel can give a whole new look to any of your rooms.
Modern fireplaces offer a variety of choices when in comes to fuelling. They may be wood burning, gas- or propane-fuelled, as well as liquid fuelled. The choice is totally up to you. Do you plan to chop wood, or you opt for a convenience of a gas? The kind of fuel you choose is a crucial factor in deciding what kind of fireplace to buy. Consider availability and cost, heat efficiency and your local air pollution standards. There are special regulations that concern the design, verification and labeling of gas fireplaces or imported into the North America.
Gas fireplaces are very energy efficient and can even be used to heat a whole house. With a prefabricated duct system heat travels from one room to another, however, not many households allow for this unless installed during construction. Gas fireplaces, being very easy to use, can be even turned on with a remote control or by the Internet in the new smart home! Thermostats allow for an easy heat adjustment, and with many programmable features you can also change the flame length and intensity.
Gas fireplaces are fuelled by propane or natural gas. Propane can be stored in a reservoir on your property, however, it can be more expensive in the rural areas compared to the wood. But with this type of fireplaces, you don’t need a lot of logs to chop and store. In general, gas fireplaces require significantly less maintenance.
The firebox of the gas fireplace is lined with a refractory material that looks like bricks or stones. Instead of blue unappealing flame that most of us expect from the gas, the fireplaces emit completely natural-looking flames that spout from invisible holes in prefabricated ceramic logs. Often these logs form a realistic pile on the bottom of the firebox. Some people prefer the inserts that look like a coal in Victorian-styled fireplaces.
Gas fireplaces are becoming a more and more popular alternative to conventional built-in fireplaces. Gas fireplaces can be as individual as you are. They can be framed in wood, finished in stucco, stone, or tile, thus fitting into most landscapes and home design solutions. Gas fireplace can become a focal point of your backyard or patio, and as any room in your home, an outdoor space must bear the same design concept as indoors. That is why when choosing a fireplace you should think about the environment in which it will be placed and how it will fit with the existing decor. But no matter which technology or functionality you choose, it is largely a design and materials that give your new appliance it’s distinctive style and make a design statement.

TC Thorn
514

Not only can swimming pools and spas be an expensive initial investment, but continuing operating costs are noticeable. Here are some tips to help you keep down the costs of heating, cleaning, filtering, and treating your swimming pool water.
To save on heat loss, chemical loss, and water evaporation, use a pool/spa cover. Have it in place whenever the pool is not being used.
To conserve pool or hot tub chemicals, keep an eye on the chemical levels by checking them regularly. Pool pH should be between 7.2 and 7.8.
Help keep your pump and filter operating optimally by regularly removing foreign material from the strainer baskets in the pump and skimmer.
Should teach a clean plant trees, shrubs, and fences to shelter the pool or spa from the wind.
If your pool or spa is not going to be used for a while, shut off the heater. (If your pool primarily sees weekend use, drop the temperature 8-10 degrees during the week, then raise it back for the weekend).
If you have trees or shrubs growing near the pool, keep them trimmed back from the water, and keep the deck clean to reduce chemical and filter cleaning needs.

Michael Del Greco
326

Electricity is a wonderful part of our lives, clearly enabling us to do so many of the things we take for granted. Food preparation, entertainment, communication, and so much more are all dependent upon the delivery of electricity. And yet, coming into direct contact with electrical current can severely injure you. In some cases, it can even kill you. Here are some things you can do to keep safe. Some of what we suggest may seem obvious, but we include it here because we believe it’s impossible to over emphasize the importance of safety.
Safety Outdoors
Undoubtedly, first and foremost, stay clear of all power lines, especially those on the ground. Consider a downed wire to be “live” with electrical current going through it.
Take these easy steps to keep yourself from coming into contact with overhead lines:
When you’re using equipment outside, look up to make sure that the equipment isn’t going to collide with the lines.
Do not try to remove anything caught in power lines, not even an animal. Instead, call your power company.
Be especially careful when you’re doing any jobs that require you to use tools which might extend up over your head.
Keep electrical equipment on your property clear of all obstacles such as trees and bushes.
Downed Power Lines
Your power company wants to know about any outages or power lines that are down. Please call it immediately if you experience or see a problem. You can call them 24 hours a day and they’ll send emergency crews out to make repairs.
Inside a Car Touched by a Power Line
Fallen power lines can be extremely dangerous. Never touch a downed power line or anyone who’s in contact with it, and stay away from a vehicle if a power line is touching it.
If a power line touches your vehicle, stay inside and warn others to stay away and have them call the power company.
If you MUST get out of the vehicle for safety reasons, jump clear. Do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
Electric Lines and Trees
Trees are certainly beautiful and enhance our neighborhoods. However, trees planted in the utility right of way must be tended to so that electric service can be maintained on behalf of all of our citizens.
If your tree encroaches into the utility right of way, it becomes your responsibility to keep it trimmed; otherwise, the City will clear those trees that have not been maintained and threaten the electric service.
Trees that grow into or near the power lines which go to your house are also your responsibility and are only trimmed by the City when they threaten continuity of electric service.
To trim near power lines safely:
Call you power company if there is any question as to whether or not a tree is contacting the electric wires before trimming it. They can move power lines away from trees so that they may be trimmed safely. Call them a couple of days in advance of trimming so that they can coordinate with you.
Never hire unqualified tree trimmers or do the work yourself when trees are contacting high voltage electric wires.
Never cut tree limbs that are touching power lines or that could fall into them.
Electrical Lines and Flying Objects
Don’t let metallic balloons or kites get away. Balloons and kites with shiny, metallic surfaces or strings can be very dangerous if they come into contact with electrical lines. As Benjamin Franklin discovered, they’re excellent conductors of electricity, and, if they get tangled in the line, they can cause a short circuit. This can melt an electrical wire and cause it to fall, resulting in a power outage and possibly severe injury or even death.
Fly kites safely. Kites and electrical lines can be a potentially deadly match. Use common sense when flying a kite; always use dry string, wood, and paper and never use wire or any metallic material. Don’t fly your kite in the rain and never try to retrieve your kite if it gets caught in a power line. Call the power company.
Going Underground
Call before you dig. You need to find out if there are lines in the ground before you dig for any reason, such as planting trees and bushes or installing fences and posts. If you fail to call you could end up in JAIL or worse.
Safety Indoors
Be just as careful with electricity indoors as out. In fact, odds are you and your family are more likely to come into contact with electricity inside your home, so take precautions.
Cover all your electrical outlets and wall switches with cover plates.
Put plastic safety caps in all unused wall outlets to prevent children from pushing objects into the outlet openings.
Know when your wiring needs attention. Power company employees will check equipment when an electrical problem such as flickering lights is reported. If they are unable to find a problem on their end, then the wiring in your house may need to be repaired. Find a licensed professional to check your home’s electric panel, circuit breakers, fuses, and internal wiring.
Do not use damaged or brittle electrical cords. They can cause shorts, shocks, or fires and should be replaced.
To avoid damage, remove cords from outlets by pulling the plug, not the cord itself. Never attach a cord to any surface with nails or staples, which can break the insulation. Also, kinking, twisting, binding, or walking on cords can harm them.
Never remove the third prong from a three-pronged plug. The third prong has been included to safely ground your electrical appliance. Most power tools and major appliances have three-prong plugs for safety. If you don’t have three-hole outlets, adapters are available at your local hardware store.
Protect yourself from shock with Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI’s). These special outlets can help prevent serious injury by detecting electrical faults and shutting off electricity to the outlet when necessary.

News Canada
53

(NC)-With the cost of electricity skyrocketing and unstable, now is the best time to switch to oilheat, says the Canadian Oil Heat Association.
“Not only does oilheat offer a reliable, safe heating alternative,” says COHA president John Butt. “Oil is also one of the most cost-effective heating fuels available.”
According to COHA, when electric customers switch to oilheat, they can experience cost savings from 25 per cent up to 50 per cent.
“When electric baseboard owners convert to oil, they usually report immediate fuel savings and equipment payback surprisingly fast,” says Butt. “And there’s the added value of increased comfort. Oilheat can produce air from registers that is as much as 30ºF/17ºC warmer than electric heat pumps.”
Oilheat is also the best choice when it comes to water heaters. Switching from electric to oil can save homeowners hundreds of dollars a year and oil-fired water heaters boast half the recovery time of electric models.
Conversion from electric to oilheat is relatively simple and the cost to convert depends on a homeowner’s current situation. Homes with ductwork require no structural change – the heat pump is supplemented with a furnace or boiler and heat exchanger that use existing ducts. A home that is currently equipped with electric baseboards requires minimal structural change – an oil-fired boiler can distribute hot water through hidden tubes to new hydronic baseboard radiators. There is also the option to add central air conditioning by switching from baseboard to forced air with new ductwork.
“When homeowners switch from electric to oilheat, they’re not only taking advantage of a safe, dependable and comfortable heating fuel, they’re also taking advantage of a competitive market,” says Butt. “You choose the supplier that best meets your needs and enjoy a quality product and the personal and dependable service that comes with choosing oilheat.”
For more information on oilheat, visit www.newoilheat. For a list of dealers in your area, visit www.coha.ca and click Find your dealer.

News Canada
26

Q: How should pesticides (for home use) be stored? What is the shelf life?
A: Pesticides should be stored in a secure, well-ventilated area, preferably locked in a safe cupboard, garage or garden shed. Most pest control products can be stored for extended periods at temperatures above freezing. Check all labels carefully for specific information.
Other safety rules to follow:
Store products ONLY in the original container. NEVER transfer the contents to another container.
Keep containers tightly sealed.
Pay attention to the symbols illustrating the risk of flammability, explosiveness or toxicity before storing or using.
Do not use kitchen or food measuring utensils to measure any pest control chemicals.
Containers with the “flammable” symbol should be stored away from any sources of heat. Glass and plastic containers should be kept out of sunlight.
Don’t store a mixed spray for use at a later date. Diluted materials quickly break down to become less effective.
Most pest control products can be stored for extended periods at temperatures above freezing. Check the label for each product as certain products should be kept from freezing.

Marcelle Snyder
765

For many people, the dignified appearance and mellow sound of a grandfather clock gives life to a home; in addition, buying a grandfather clock can be an excellent investment.
As decorative objects, they cover a large variety of styles, from the early country examples to those with extremely sophisticated dials, movements, and cases.
When first built, these clocks were referred to as the long clock, tall-case clock, tall clock, hall clock, floor clock, or even coffin clock. The term “grandfather clock” became its most popular name after a song writer by the name of Henry Clay wrote a “Grandfather Clock” song in 1876.
A BIT OF HISTORY. . .
The very first early mechanical clocks, which didn’t have pendulums, were developed in the last half of the 13th century, probably by monks from central Europe, and were placed within the church. They did not have dials or hand and only struck bells on the hour. It was over 100 years before visible dials and hands were added. These early clocks were very large and were made of heavy iron frames and gears forged by the local blacksmiths. By the first part of the 15th century, small domestic clocks started to appear. They were probably made by the local gunsmiths or locksmiths.
After 1630, before the swinging pendulum was invented, lantern clocks were used to keep time. These clocks were originally made to hang from a sturdy hook on the wall by means of an iron hoop at the back of the clock. Being weight-driven, lantern clocks would have one or two weights hung on ropes through holes in the bottom of the clock and were held in place either by spikes protruding from the bottom of the backplate or the back feet.
Another option was to place the clocks on an oak wall bracket. These clocks were not expected to be accurate timekeepers and only marked time in units of a quarter of an hour, registered by a single hand. This weight-driven clock became popular for the home use of the very wealthy. Then came the swinging pendulum in 1656 and a more accurate clock “was born.”
The movements of this very early clock were mounted high above the floor because they required long pendulums and large cast-iron descending weights. This simple mechanical works with a face and hands was referred to as “wags on the wall.” Wooden cases were originally used to hide the unsightly weights and cast-iron pendulums as well as to protect the weights and pulleys from dust and from interfering children or animals.
These clocks gradually changed to having shorter pendulums and verge escapements (sometimes referred to as crown-wheel) housed in narrow, ebony cases. By the 1670′s, the verge escapement was discontinued in favor of the anchor escapement, a much simpler process which increased the accuracy of the clocks. Through the years, the grandfather clock became known as an excellent timekeeper.
THE GRANDFATHER CLOCK CASE
The grandfather clock case consists of the base, waist, and hood. Some original designs included feet, waist columns and door columns, hood fret work, and finials (the decorative parts at the top of the spire). In their heyday, many tall-case clocks were built over 9 feet tall. Today most range from 6 feet to 7 feet, 6 inches in height. Cases shorter than 6 feet are considered grandmother clocks.
Not only did the time piece become more efficient but the case used to house the mechanical parts of these grandfather clocks also evolved tremendously from these early wags-on-the-wall prototypes. At the beginning, most clockmakers were not skilled in wood techniques and turned to jointers for their woodworking abilities. These early jointers used the exact same jointing techniques and styles they used on furniture.
Cases were made of many kinds of woods. Although hardwoods such as maple, cherry, walnut, and mahogany were usually used, other lower-cost clocks were made of pine, which usually had a painted grain added to simulate the more desired and expensive hardwood. One might say that many cases were very elegant and beautiful while others were extremely crude. As the years passed, these cases became more and more ornate and sophisticated, especially during the Victorian age.
When tall clocks were popular, they were referred to as a “new clock”; the term referred to anything with a pendulum and a clock house, or case. In those days, most clock cases were made by local cabinetmakers while the works, either brass or wood, were made by a firm that specialized in clock works. The cabinetmaker engraved or painted his name on the dial, thereby taking claim for the completed clock.
After 1800, more and more people were buying grandfather clocks because they were made in quantity therefore more affordable. After 1840, wooden movements were abandoned, and the 30-hour brass movement became popular mainly because of its low price. Soon after, the spring-powered movement came into being and really paved the way for a variety of totally new and smaller clock cases.
Today, not only are the cases carefully crafted of fine wood, (many have added beautifully decorated finials), but they also have intricately designed pendulums, they chime the hour, and they need to be key wound only every 30 or 31 days.
Today’s grandfather clocks are awesome!

John Mussi
652

If you’re looking for a good home improvement loan rate, you might have to take your time and shop around a little bit.
The home improvement loan rate that you get can depend on several factors?your credit history, the amount of the loan you’re requesting, national interest rates, and even the equity of your house or real estate.
Taking the time to shop around, though, can pay off in the long run by getting you the best deal on a home improvement loan rate that you can get.
So what is a home improvement loan?
If you’re wanting to make repairs, expansions, or improvements to your house or real estate, then you’re going to be looking for a home improvement loan.
These loans use the equity in your home as collateral for the loan, with various interest rates and fees depending upon the factors mentioned above.
The home improvement loan rate that you pay might be high or low, but to find the lowest rate you should take the time to shop around at several lenders before deciding on one over the others.
Where should I go to shop for a loan?
There are several places that you can check while trying to get the best home improvement loan rate possible.
Banks and finance companies are often good places to start, and an internet search can often yield additional possibilities with only a few clicks.
Don’t commit to any particular lender until you’ve gotten at least four or five separate quotes, or you might not get the best home improvement loan rate that you’re eligible for.
I have several quotes?now what?
Once you’ve gotten several quotes for a home improvement loan rate, take a little time to compare the interest rates and the terms of each loan offer.
What you’re looking for is the offer that has the lowest rate with the best terms?after all, it doesn’t do you a lot of good to find a low home improvement loan rate if you’re expected to pay high fees or repay the loan in less time than you could realistically get the money.
Find the offer that has the most flexible terms, along with low interest and low fees, and that’s the loan that you’re going to want to apply for.
Repaying the loan
Once you’ve obtained your loan and begun your repairs or improvements, make sure that you budget the loan payments into your finances.
Any money that’s left over after you’ve paid for the improvements should be put toward the loan payment, to make getting rid of the debt that much easier?and to help make sure that your credit doesn’t need improvement down the road.

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