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Maintaining Your Home...
Below are various categories pertaining to specific areas of your building or home. There you will find tips on how to, what to and how to repair.
Click here to send a question to the Inspector!
It important to maintain good site drainage around the perimeter of your building. The finish grade (soil, sidewalks, driveways, parking areas) should slope away from the dwelling. This slope may vary around the building but should be a consistent.
If water ponds along the walls, water backs up or does not drain adequately there are three remedies.
- Fill the low ponding areas. Low areas could be filled with appropriate soils but you must take into consideration the elevation of the interior finish slab (floor). Do not fill the void if the fill will end up being at or higher than the interior slab elevation. You should (if you can) maintain a minimum of 2" clearance from the top of the slab to the outside soil finish elevation.
- Re-grade the area. Sometimes this is the only choice and would require the services of a professional landscape contractor. I prefer this method of all three as it solves the problem permanently. The grade is adjusted by using a box grader, if space is adequate to accommodate, or shovel and wheel barrel. The sod is removed and the soil scrapped so the slope away from the building is created. Note: For new construction, there is a building code for each lot to maintain it own storm water run-off.
- Underground Drains. This is the method of last resort and should only be used in certain circumstances. I am of the mind set to not create more work when solving a problem. Meaning you solve one problem and create another. Underground drains may be a cost effective way of solving some drainage problems but then the underground pipe needs to be monitored and maintained to prevent blockage. Underground drains are used at gutter downspouts
Gutters
Gutters are great until you have to clean them. I am not a big fan of gutters for this reason. Life is too short don't create more work for yourself. Place them sparingly and only where you have to have them, especially if you have tall trees around your building. The only time I would have them is if your lot was free of tall trees.
If you must have them get the larger 7" seamless because of the heavy flash rains we receive in Florida. Smaller household gutters sold at home improvement stores are a waste of time, money and effort as they cannot hold the volume of water.
There are two basic kinds of roof finish in Florida, tile and fiberglass shingles. Both require different types of maintenance.
CLEANING
Fiberglass Shingles
There are different types of fiberglass shingles (dimensional & three tab) but were lumping them into one category as the maintenance is the same.
This is the easiest roofing material to maintain in a Florida climate. As far as cleaning goes never, never ever pressure wash or water scrub the roof. High or low pressure washing will removed the aggregate finish and reduce the life expectancy of the shingles. There is a company out there called "roof reviver" that uses low pressure. Do not contract them.
Only clean your roof if looks like it needs it. Rinse the roof with water first then apply the bleach. It can be sprayed on with a pump sprayer or a fertilizer attachment for a garden hose. Let it stand for a few minutes and rinse it off with a garden hose using your thumb to increase water pressure. That's it! If there is heavy fungus and algae growth it may take a couple of times to clean.
Tile Roofs
We do not recommend homeowners clean tile roofs. Hire a professional to pressure wash the roof. But before you sign a contract make sure they are willing to repair any tiles they break over a 15 count. An inexperienced roof cleaner can break a hundred tile in one cleaning. So the $100 you saved contracting someone cheap will cost you $500.00 to repair the mess. Granted it is very hard to clean a roof without breaking a few tiles but I have seen the results of a bad cleaning. Also make sure they use bleach on the roof, otherwise the cleaning will not last long.
There are some tile roofs I would recommend not cleaning as the tiles are so thin and poorly manufactured that no matter who you hire 100 tiles will be broken. This type of tile is a cement based tile typically called "Duntex" tiles. These tiles are no longer manufactured and are mostly on homes built before 1995.
INSPECTING
It makes a lot of sense to every once in while to walk around the perimeter of your building and look for water stains. It is always a good idea to have the roof inspected biannually or after high velocity wind conditions.
There isn't a lot a homeowner can do to maintain the insulation. The walls are sealed, the only area accessible is the attic. The attic should be covered with a consistent insulation blanket and can vary in depth from 4" (R-11) to 12" (R-38). There could be more. The blanket could be Batt Insulation (it comes in a roll) or blown fiberglass insulation (it looks like pink cotton) or Blown Cellulose (it is crushed treated newspaper).
If the Batt insulation gets displaced or moved put it back. If the blown insulation is matted down, more could be added. One of the biggest problems we find is insulation damaged from rodent traffic. If the infestation is severe the insulation would have to be removed (vacuumed out) and the attic disinfected. How do you know it is severe? The insulation will have extensive rat runners through it and it will have a strong urine and feces odor. This condition is very unsanitary and should be addressed ASAP.
Walk the exterior and make sure all the holes are sealed so rodents cannot enter. Small holes can be sealed with a can of expandable foam, larger holes should be sealed with an appropriate material that is similar or conducive to that materials around the hole.
RODENT INCURSIONSIf you hear the pitter patter of little rodent feet, don't turn up the stereo to drown them out. It's not just that rodents can carry disease and make a mess nesting in the tax records you've stored in the attic. Rats, mice and other vermin love to chew through insulation and wiring and are suspects in many house fires.
THE FIX: Use traps and bait products or call in an exterminator. Mice droppings can carry the deadly Hantavirus, and rodents themselves can carry everything from salmonella to the plague, so professional help might be with wisest course. THE DANGERS OF COMBUSTIBLE INSULATION Check your home for combustible insulation. When plastic insulation burns, it gives off a tremendous amount of heat. The fire tends to travel very quickly across the surface of the plastic and gives off thick, black, toxic smoke.
The most common type of exposed combustible insulation found in houses is polystyrene - similar to the white plastic disposable cups commonly used for hot drinks.
It comes in one-quarter inch to four-inch thick sheets. It is often exposed in basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages, back side of overhead garage doors and Florida room ceilings. If you find this insulation in your home you have a couple options.
If you are unsure as to the type of material exists Suncoast Inspections.com can inspect and recommend a proper course of action.
The most important thing a homeowner can door is to keep a good coat
of paint on the exterior. Make sure the caulking around windows
and doors is in good shape. If painting stucco make sure it is
properly prepped to accept the new paint. Clean with bleach and
pressure washing, seal the old paint in with a chalk sealer and then
apply two layers of high quality of latex paint. Replace all rotted wood. Do not try to patch with wood putty,
it will not hold in this climate.
Paint is like a home's skin. It's the first line of defense against incursions by water and pests. Water that seeps into wood can lead to rot. At the other extreme, unpainted wood can quickly get too dry and crack.
THE FIX: Scrape off the old paint, sand the surface smooth and apply a coat or two of fresh color. (Be cautious in homes built before 1978, since many still have lead paint. Dust and chips from such paint can cause irreversible brain damage in children and nerve damage in adults.
Consider hiring professionals to test your home and remove any lead paint. Your local or state health department should be able to provide referrals to testing labs and contractors.)
One of the most common sources of fire in homes is the electrical
system. If you suspect an issue get an electrician out to inspect ASAP.
Again, have the system inspected bi-annually. Make sure your smoke detectors are functioning.
Do your lights dim when the fridge switches on or you crank up the microwave? You may have bad wiring or too many appliances hooked to one circuit. Either one can cause a fire.
"A lot of older homes have only one or two circuits in the kitchen," said inspector Jason Farrier of Elite Home Inspections in Phoenix. "People will update the kitchen but still have all the appliances running off those two circuits."
It's far safer, Farrier said, to have at least four circuits: two for countertop appliances, one to run the dishwasher and garbage disposal and another dedicated line for the microwave.
Flickering lights also can be a sign of failing connections in aluminum wiring, a feature in homes built between 1965 and 1973.
THE FIX: You can try to distribute power hungry appliances more evenly, but not running more than one at a time or by plugging some into another circuit. But the best fix is a cure: Get an electrician to upgrade your wiring, add more circuits, or both.
If you have aluminum wiring but can't afford to upgrade, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends making your wiring safer by using special crimp connectors rather than the usual twist-on style. For more information, visit the commission's Web site or consult a professional electrician. GROUND-FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS
These electrical outlets, with their distinctive red and black buttons,
are designed to prevent deadly shocks. Outlets in bathrooms and those in
kitchens within six feet of the sink should be replaced with GFCI
outlets. They’re the best $7 you’ll ever spend. They’re a lifesaver.
The exception: Don’t put a refrigerator or a water softener on a GFCI. A fridge’s normal on-and-off surges can trip the interrupter and leave you with an icebox full of rotting groceries.
A WATER LEAK - ANYWHERE
A stain on your ceiling. A toilet that rocks. White powdery stuff that grows on your bricks or foundation. A musty smell in your house.
Whatever the source, the culprit is water, and the damage can be severe. "Water is probably the single most destructive force to a house," said inspector Jeff Del Guercio, owner of An Objective Inspection in Throop, Pa., and president of the local National Association of Home Inspectors chapter. "And a leak can go on for a long time without being noticed."
Left unchecked, leaks can lead to rot, dry rot, mold and termite infestations. Water can cause roofs to collapse, foundations to buckle and all manner of expensive repairs.
What's more, water-related problems can get your home blackballed by insurance companies worried about the soaring number of mold-related claims nationwide.
THE FIX: Isn't it obvious? Stop the leak by any means necessary and dry
out the area immediately. DO NOT WAIT! Mold growth begins after 72 hours.
If it is a small water event go out and buy an LG Dehumidifier at Home Depot.
Every home should have one. Plug it in and let it dry the area. If
the drywall is wet removed the baseboard so it can dry. Punch small holes in the
drywall where the baseboard was so the wall cavity can dry. If it is a
large water event call a local drying company, they have large equipment that
can handle it. Most insurance companies pay for this service. Repair the damage and take the required steps to make sure the problem doesn't reappear. Minor roof leaks, for example, can be patched with roof cement, but if your roof is aged and failing, you may need to have it replaced. That's expensive, but not as bad as replacing the trusses and underlying structure that can rot away if not protected.
Keep it clean! Change the filters monthly if you use the blue
fiberglass ones. We would recommend purchasing the heavier medium
HEPA filters. They do cost more but can stay in longer and are
very effective when it comes to removing more of what's in the air.
If you're paying a lot more for gas or oil and there hasn't been a rate hike recently, Del Guercio said, the culprit could be problems with your furnace. This is more than a pocketbook issue, since poorly functioning systems can cause deadly carbon monoxide buildup in your home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 200 people die annually from carbon monoxide exposure in the home, typically from malfunctioning heating systems.
THE FIX: Have your air handler or furnace professionally cleaned and inspected annually, including the flue. The cost is usually less than $100. Install UL-approved carbon monoxide detectors, which cost $25 to $50 each. DIRTY, OR MISSING, AIR CONDITIONER FILTER Overloaded or missing filters allow dirt and dust to settle on the air conditioner’s coils. Warm air passing over the coils causes condensation. What you get is mud -- and a perfect medium for mold to grow and be blown all over the house.
Enough gunk can block air from getting into the system, causing it to catch fire.
Many air conditioner failures can be traced to this simple lack of maintenance.
With a $5 filter HEPA you can preserve a $6,000 air conditioning system. THE FIX: Replace the filter once a month while the air conditioner is in use. Get your system checked annually.
Gas appliances installed more than 10 years ago may still have dangerous brass connectors that can fail, according to the safety commission, leading to fires or explosions. These should be replaced with an approved connector, typically stainless steel. But don’t move the appliance to inspect, since even a slight motion can cause the weak soldered connection to break. Have a professional appliance repairperson check and make any changes.
Here’s another way neglect can kill your family, since chimneys that
aren’t properly cleaned and maintained can catch fire. Creosote, a
by-product of wood burning, can build up in the flue and ignite
unless removed.
THE FIX: Get your chimney swept and inspected annually; the cost is about
$100. (You can find certified chimney sweeps via the Chimney Safety Institute of
America, link at left under Related Sites.) Use only seasoned wood, and build
small, hot fires, rather than big smoky ones. Never burn trash, cardboard or
wrapping paper in your fireplace. This is not a big issue in Florida as we
do not use the fireplace nearly as much as up north. But as the fireplace
ages creosote can build up and it is a good idea to have the flue inspected and
cleaned.
Yours should have an electric eye that looks for obstructions and an automatic reverse mechanism to prevent someone from getting squashed.
The eye should be just a couple inches off the floor. If too high
a small child could lie down undetected.
DRYER VENTS The lowly clothes dryer causes more than 15,000 fires every year, often caused by lint buildup in the duct that vents to the outside. Clean the ducts regularly and replace plastic ducts with metal versions.
The cleaning should cost approx. $50.00. Click
here to send a question to the Inspector! -By Liz Pulliam Weston
If it has been installed on the back side of your garage door simply remove it. Polystyrene was often used by do-it-yourselfers as inexpensive ceiling tile for drop type ceilings or "T" bar ceilings. This is disaster waiting to happen. Remove it immediately.
SMOKEY CHIMNEY
GARAGE DOOR OPENERS
Reprinted with permission as first appeared in MSN Money (http://money.msn.com).
