Sometimes it seems like my family is allergic to our house. What is going on?

Indoor allergens are no different than they were 50 years ago. The difference is in the houses. As we have "tightened" up our houses to conserve energy, the allergens that used to escape, are now trapped in the house. As you become sensitized to allergens over the years, you can develop respiratory problems. My best advice is to ventilate your house properly. Eliminate things and places that dust and dander can collect. If you can't eliminate them, keep them clean. Bath and groom your pets often. Use plastic, wood or washable materials for window coverings and clean them once a week. Check your houseplants. Re-pot them if the roots are moldy or keep plants outside. Wash your bedding once a week in water that is at least 130 degrees. Reduce the humidity in the house to less than 50%. Use high efficiency vacuum cleaner filters. Never store more than a few prices of wood indoors-as wood dries, it releases mold spores. Keep trees and shrubs at least 3' away from the perimeter of the house to keep the water away form you foundation. A little common sense goes a long way. Regular and thorough cleaning of places where allergy-causing pollutants are likely to grow-including the kitchen, bathroom and basement-will keep them at a minimum.

My brick chimney looks terrible. The mortar is crumbling, the brick are spalling and there is efflorescence on the chimney bricks. About 8 years ago we put in a new direct-vent furnace and the only thing left venting up the chimney is the water heater?

Your orphaned water heater may very well be the problem. It's possible, that after removing your furnace from the chimney, that your flue is now too large for just the water heater. Every water heater has a minimum and maximum vent size provided by the manufacturer-check your requirements. Oversized flues can contribute to at least 3 problems: poor draft, chimney corrosion and freeze/thaw damage to the chimney. If your vent is too large, there are 2 solutions. You either line the chimney or change the hot water heater to a sidewall vented unit. Don’t forget to repair or take down your brick chimney. This is a potentially dangerous situation as appliance attached to oversized flues are likely to back draft, increasing the danger of carbon monoxide inside a home.

Why Do I Need a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?

As of February 1, 2011 a UL approved carbon monoxide alarms are required in all newly permitted 1&2 family dwellings and must be directly wired to the homes electrical service with a battery backup. I would highly recommend existing houses add these life saving devices. Existing home alarms can be battery powered stand alone units. They also can be combined with a smoke detector. A device should be installed on each level of the home including the basement and in sleeping areas. This is an affordable way to save lives and properties. Always follow the manufacturer’s installation directions. Winter is particularly dangerous as our houses are closed up and heat sources are working hard to keep us warm. Carbon monoxide is a gas created by incomplete burning of fuels. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless, but highly toxic. It can build up over time, with unrecognized symptoms such as headaches, nausea, disorientation or irritability eventually building to unconsciousness and fatal poisoning. Carbon monoxide alarms warn of the gas before it reaches dangerous levels. Examples of some carbon monoxide sources are garages, heaters, fireplaces, furnaces, appliances or cooking sources using coal, wood, oil or kerosene. Electric appliances are not carbon monoxide sources. Alarms need to be tested regularly and should have batteries changed annually. Come see us at the Home Show at the Grand Geneva February 26^th and 27^th. (February 2011)

Why are my foundation walls are damp and sometimes wet?

For an average 2,500 square foot home, one inch of rainfall or the equivalent amount of melting snow will result in 1,500 gallons of water rushing off the roof, all of which will seek out and find the easiest path into the ground. The first line defense against a leaking foundation is to send this water away from the house by sloping the ground surface down, away from the house over the first 10 feet. Keep the grade as high as possible close to the house. Be sure to consider the type of siding you have on your house when raising the grade. Keep gutters and downspouts clean and extend your downspouts at least 10' away from the house. Keeping roof and surface water away from the foundation may solve your problem.

Now that the snow has melted, I see my wood deck and it looks terrible-what do I do?

A good cleaning (or possibly stripping, depending on how you are going to finish it)) of the surface is first. I would suggest staining the deck boards vs. painting. Stain works by penetrating the wood, Paint forms a tough film designed to block sun and water. Paint is OK for vertical deck surfaces, but stain is best for the decking. Why? Paint develops hairline cracks when wood expands and contracts. Rain seeps in and is trapped beneath the paint, preventing the surface from dying out. There are clear finishes that show the wood grain. Semitransparent have some pigmentation. Opaques or solid color stains have more pigmentation to conceal minor flaws. When it comes to opaques, more is not better. 2 or more coats can cause the pigment to build up into a paint-like film instead of being absorbed. To avoid lap marks: Apply finish to the full length of 2 to 4 boards at a time. Remember no finish does everything or lasts forever. You can start with a clear finish and next time switch to a semitransparent or opaque, but sorry you can’t reverse the order. Even if you are not much for reading directions, do check the label on the can before purchasing. Not all stains are created equal! (April 2009)

What are some spring maintenance tips?

Clean your gutters and downspouts of debris. Make sure they are clear at the ground also. Extend downspouts as far away from the house as possible. Check around the foundation for ground that settled over the winter-be sure the water will drain away from the house. Clean up any outside debris around your furnace vents, dryer vents, AC unit and meters. Look for shingle damage along the edges of your roof and up the valleys from any ice dams from last winter. While you're up there, check your soffit and fascia for any signs of deterioration. Clean off outside light fixtures and any outside outlets. Check the hose bibbs inside and out, to make sure they will function properly when you need them. Make the repairs as soon as possible or make an appointment to have someone do them for you. Little problems are much less expensive to fix than BIG ones.