When one buys a car, it is generally accepted by the buyer that the vehicle will require some regular maintenance and upkeep to run properly and have a long lifespan (this is not true of some friends of mine who think that cars are self-healing and require only gasoline). Anyway, most automobile owners know that if they do not keep up with their car’s maintenance and treat it well, it is likely that the car will not treat the owner well either. Due to the potential expense, loss of investment, and general inconvenience experienced when a car suddenly breaks down, most people try to at least achieve the minimum level of required maintenance on their vehicle, some people like my father-in-law even take pride in this and are downright militant about it.

But this is much less often the case with homes. Your home is a machine. It keeps you dry, provides a comfortable temperature and living space, and protects you from the elements. Your home is a machine because it works 24 hours a day, without ever stopping or getting a break. It is punished by a constant battle against ground movement, sun and weather, seasons, hot/cold air, wind, and usage by inhabitants. Don’t take that last part personally. Being inhabited is hard on any structure, no matter who the inhabitants are.

- At this point I am curious, is this boring to you? If so, you can confidently disregard the rest of this post if you can promptly and affirmatively answer ALL of the following questions:

1. When was the last time you replaced your furnace filters? Was it within the last 90 days for regular filters and/or 12 months for pleated HEPA fiters?
2. When is the last time you replaced your humidifier filter on your furnace? Do you even have a humidifier on your furnace? Do you know where your furnace is? If you have a gas-fired furnace, have you had the flu cleaned and the burners adjusted recently? Ever?
3. Have you cleaned and purged your water heater recently (annual job)?
4. Have  you cleaned your dryer vent (interior) and any pest screen (exterior) in the last 6 months?
5. Do you have a water filter on the home line or the water dispenser on the fridge and if so have you replaced that in the last 12 months?
6. Have you tested your smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors in the last 12 months? Did you know that the NFPA recommends testing monthly?
7. Do you have a fire extinguisher (you should have at least one in the kitchen and one near the cloths dryer) and is it current with a full charge?
8. Have you done a visual inspection of exterior masonry and/or siding to see if any tuckpointing or caulking/painting (respectively) is needed?
9. Have you performed or had a tradesperson perform an annual inspection of your roof, foundation, and visible structural members?
10. Are you experiencing any water pressure or drainage issues?
11. Have you noticed any new cracks or movement in the drywall/plaster on the interior of the home?
12. Have you performed a test of all GFCI breakers and receptacles in the home in the last 30 days (NEC recommended)? If not, have you done so in the last year?
13. Have you had your boiler (if applicable) flushed and filled and all air bled this year?
14. Is your A/C system properly charged- with no leaks –  and are the components of the system operating properly?

This is the short list. And just in case you are curious- YES these are serious things to be checking. Roofs only leak when things have gotten BAD. Bad spots in masonry joints can quickly transform into water intrusion spots and structural weak-points. Missing caulk and paint on cement/wood siding invites water and weather in which means higher energy bills and possible mold formation along with ruined drywall and trim. Clogged dryer vents mean decreased dryer efficiency, higher operating costs, and a VERY REAL threat of fire. A slow drain can usually by handled with a drain auger, a stopped drain may be able to be augered but can translate into sewage backups and piping replacement. Defective smoke detectors and GFCI receptacles are defective life-safety devices and don’t protect anyone if they don’t work. These devices have saved countless lives and must be maintained to protect you.  Clogged furnace filters decrease efficiency by a tremendous amount, lower the ability of the furnace and A/C to make the home comfortable, shorten the lifespan of the equipment, and will wreak havoc on allergies. Dirty humidifier filters render the humidifier useless and can grow mold and mildew which is then pumped throughout the home in the ductwork.

A technician can inspect these items inexpensively and perform routine maintenance quickly in the vast majority of cases. This can save tens of thousands of dollars in replacement work, hundreds if not thousands of dollars in energy costs per year, and provide peace of mind. It can even save lives!

If you have done these things, I applaud you on your technical knowledge and diligence in the upkeep of your home. If you have not, consider doing so either yourself or by hiring a professional. A professional can show you how to perform the bulk of this upkeep yourself and can handle the ladder and technical inspections.

Protect your family. Protect yourself. Protect your investment. Inspect and maintain your home.

As we move into 2012, we wish you a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Note: Scarlett Construction Company employs several professional tradespeople who are more than adept at inspecting and maintaining homes. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to set up an appointment.

Once all the cruddy old roofing and paper was removed, it was time to do some assessing. The existing framing was sufficient to support the new roofing. I knew this for two reasons:

1. The new roof is synthetic slate which is SUBSTANTIALLY lighter than natural slate, and the roof was originally roofed with natural slate. Therefore, it had held the larger weight at one time.
2. I had repaired the rafter tails and supports for the mansard 2 years prior to this project when I had replaced the damaged soffits and fascia on the front of the house. I put in additional cribbage bracing when I did this which was bearing on the masonry wall at a 60 degree angle and took the “bounce” out of the 2×4 mansard rafters.

Next I had to investigate the existing sheathing for problems. The sheathing was 1×12 planks original to the house. Codes prefer that these be replaced with plywood, but do not require it unless the existing is damaged. While I did find some damage to the existing, it was isolated to one piece on the main slope and one each on the two small “hip” sides. I replaced the small piece on the main with old-growth clear douglas fir which matched what was there. On the hips, I cut triangles out of Advantech decking plywood and installed that. I did do the replacement as per code preference because the vast majority of decking was in great shape, I did not want to disturb the underframing structure, and the plywood preference by code is due to the stability needed for asphalt shingles. Asphalt shingles require a plywood deck with NO gaps or wind can rip away the shingles-slate/tile do not require this nor does synthetic slate provided all the nailstrikes are into solid material.

Once those repairs were made, I “papered in” with #30 roofing felt. I prefer the #30 over the standard #15 as it has a lot more strength, is much more tear-resistant, and can handle winds much better. It is required for natural slate installations, but not for synthetic slate installations. I was battling rain and consistent 15-25mph windy days with some days offering 35-40 mph gusts. Needless to say, this part was nothing but good times. I did get the paper on before the first rains came, and we were 100% watertight.

And as this lovely roof boasted a 16/12 pitch, I did the lower section using ladders/planks/scaffolding, the midsection using planks on roofjacks and a chicken ladder, and the top from the main flat roof. I will say, there were moments I had my nerves a little frayed (especially on the windy days), but I am a believer in and practitioner of fall-arrest harness use.  I didn’t use the amount of nailers and rails I would have preferred, but I knew that if I fell, it would suck a lot less. Harnessed falls do still hurt, but they slow the decent with less force and prevent complete drops.

I then installed the aluminum drip edge, snapped my chalk lines, and installed the starter and 1st courses. Once past the initial layout, I did my 2nd and third courses using the markings on the shingles. At course three, I took multiple measurements and snapped a new king line to make sure I wasn’t veering off or wandering on my accuracy. After that, I didn’t need to snap any more lines as the shingle markings were extremely accurate (one HUGE plus with the synthetic slate) and the nature of the roughness around the shingle allows some play. I am glad I did this check-up line though, if I had been off line, each successive course makes the error show more and it just gets worse and worse. I installed aluminum step flashing as I went at the rakes and hips. The cards I made were 10″x13″. I had to terminate the two hips under the fifth course, and while I had my concerns about how this would come out, it worked quite well with the preformed hip/and/ridge shingles.

I had to cut the top tiles into 10″ pieces, and I decided to use some poly-adhesive under the bottoms of these shingles for a little extra insurance against wind. At this point, I have not installed the ridge cap shingles or the counterflashing at the rakes, I am waiting on the shingles to arrive at the supplier (unfortunately, none of this stuff is stock or easily returnable). As for the counterflashing, I ab fabricating it out of 18ga sheet copper now as my next post will show in detail. Current state of the roof looks like this:

Note: I have not removed the jack brackets yet. Also, I mixed the random colors myself as I purchased these before you could get the “premixed bundles” the suppliers now offer. I am glad I did this though as I was sure that the pattern would be totally random, which is more historically accurate to this time period in my opinion. I also, wanted the roof to look like it had been there long enough to have had repair pieces put in that didn’t necessarily match the others….

They need to water their zoysia as well as mother nature

Next we see an example of someone fighting simple gravity – once again.

And here we see the damage caused by poor gutter drainage installation and maintenance:

Masons love this. Nothing destroys like lethargic maintenance.

That last one really gets to me. What a waste of a building for something as simple as $5 worth of pipe. Now it is a repair in the $1000′s, and that is if it has not compromised the foundation.

These last two are my favorites this week. They are on the same building (it scares me that the building is an educational institution). The first is a proper downspout connection from downspout pipe (aluminum 3×4 in this case) to cast iron, slip-sleeve type connection. The second is, well, I really am at a loss for a description. You tell me.

I can find no faults with this installation. School #1

And then….

Truth is stranger than fiction.

I would congratulate the installer of the last picture on their use of a proper mission band for the connection, except that the installation uses an unapproved connector for a code-violating installation. Aside from that, this will certainly result in masonry damage, flooding in the basement, damage to the window below, and likely promote mold and mildew growth. I am sure this is a quick fix for a clogged sewer line, but it is anything but a fix. If anything, they should have re-routed this downspout to the street or combined it with another downspout sewer connection until they could repair this one.

Quick fixes must be temporary when handling large volumes of water. Otherwise,  building damage is sure to result.

Water prefers to go downhill

This is one of the most frustrating things I see in older homes. The home has cast iron or clay gutter drains below grade that connect to the sanitary system, and they are failing. Rather than spend the often daunting amount of money to repair the pipes, the homeowner or their hired contractor decides to abandon the old line and “daylight drain” the downspout(s).  There are applications where this works, but it can also be bad choice if the drainage for the location is not correct.

This is a proper application of a daylight-drained downspout. Note that the ground slopes away from the downspout and the building, and the foundation is a slab-on-grade with no basement.

However, if you live in the Mississippi River Valley, you will rarely see these circumstances in older homes. First of all, the houses almost always have basements. Second, the soil is often heavy clay that saturates quickly and does not absorb much water. Third, the ground often slopes back towards the building. Therefore, by draining the water close to or at the house, doesn’t drain it at all! The water simply collects until it can cascade into the basement of the house! As it does, it rinses away precious mortar and soil, and begins to compromise the foundation. What is more damning about this, the downspouts are often at the corners of the structure which is the most vulnerable pier location in the foundation- transferring the shifting to two walls instead of just one.  It can also affect those that live near you. Observe:

My uphill neighbor's downspout...which floods my basement.

I am working with my neighbor, who speaks very little English, to solve the 1200 square feet of water that heads straight to my foundation in every rain. I am adding piping to carry the water to the front slope of our yard and to assist in irrigating the yards, without irrigating my basement.

Another issue with daylight draining is the creation of large icy patches in cold weather. An “elephant trunk”-type of downspout solution is popular among house-flippers. It costs very little, and keeps the water from simply running down the house. It does not counteract slope issues however, and it spreads the water out wherever it lands, creating a huge problem for those using adjacent walkways in icy conditions.

And yes dear friends, the alley walkway is immediately below it.

Draining your gutters to daylight can also cause problems for motorists in icy conditions. Consider a downspout, one that carries the load of a 2500 sq ft roof, drained into a paved alley. And now consider that it is at the high end of a 1/5 mile alley and will help to re-ice it as the alley covering melts while the roof drainage replenishes the supply of water to ice-over. Yes, I have seen that also.

But who cares, right? Drainage rolls downhill...

There are solutions to all of these problems. They do not have to be expensive, and often they can be VERY beneficial to the environment. I will go over the solutions in my next post.

Just bear this in mind, water is your home’s worst structural enemy in a masonry home. The cheapest solution is often actually the most expensive when taken over the long term.

And if you are wondering why your yard slopes toward your home, the most likely culprit is landscaping. Yard grading was likely correct when the house was built. But add 100 years of sod, seeding, planting, mulch, edging, and thatching, and you have a gradual buildup of the yard surrounding the house….

Sounds kind if rickety? Well, some of those sewers are still in use! Many of them have been modified (photo of coating) to to modernize them and extend their lifespan. Many methods have been used to do this, but one of the most common has been parging them – much the same as we parge rubble-stone basements to keep out water.

The River Des Peres (or River Des Pieux as many Saint Louisans call it), was once actually a river (large stream anyway). It only became the sewage beheamoth we now know when it started being used to carry raw sewage from western City developments (such as the Central West End). It was later re-engineered into its current form by City engineers trying to contain the foul nature of its contents. There is a fantastic article titled “The Harnessed Channel: How the River Des Peres Became a Sewer” byMichael Allen posted at preservationresearch.com. This article does a fantastic job of describing how city systems evolve, outlining achievements that have been made, and giving some idea of the daunting tasks that now face MSD and the STL city engineers to modernize the system.

The problems we now have are not the fault of the system engineers from the last 150 years. While they could account for population increase, they could never have accounted for the lack of greenspace (to absorb water) we now have. Everything is paved and there is very little opportunity for rain water to be absorbed back into the soil.

They couldn’t account for one or more showers/baths per day-per person. They couldn’t predict the amount of commercial water usage and waste that is now created (AB uses thousands of gallons every day and has wastewater as a result. Add to that a lack of wild foliage to use the water, and now you have a problem of excess water that must be contained, routed, and treated. We send it into the sewers where it (hopefully goes to a treatment plant) eventually goes to the Mississippi river, but this is a process mined with potential problems.

As the monster storms we have had this season have repeatedly proven, water can get into almost any space with the right conditions. Basements are below-grade and therefore extremely succeptible to flooding. Water can come through the walls as a result of hydrostatic pressureand foundation cracks. Water can enter the basement as sewage through a clogged sewer line. Water can even “wick” through the concrete or stone walls as it is attracted to the dry conditions inside the home via the masonry basement (and masonry is a fantastic moisture wick!).
There are many plans and options to help handle sewage backups and hopefully divert future problems. The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) outlines some of these options on their website. MSD has done quite a bit to upgrade and modernize the system, such as promoting the use of rain-barrels (photo and info) used by customers – and MSD has offered them at below-market pricing in some cases.

Now comes the warning…there are many companies that are in the business of stopping basement water infiltration. While these companies provide a valuable service, it is always good to examine the cause of the problem and the potential effects. Some basements have structural weaknesses resulting from water infiltration. Others suffer mold and mildew accumulation. Most commonly we see damp conditions and ruined possessions. But don’t start throwing your money around yet!

First, you need to determine where the water is coming from and why your basement is its chosen path of egress. Below I have included a list of items to consider before taking any further steps to waterproof your basement.

1. Is the water in my basement sewage or groundwater? If sewage, you need to contact a licensed plumber who specializes in drainlaying. If groundwater, read on.
2. Where do my gutters drain? If not connected to the sewer, are they simply flooding my yard until that water comes back into the house? If they are connected to the sewer, is the line intact and not blocked?
3. Are my gutters clogged and therefore overflowing?
4. Does the ground around my home slope away from the house?
5. What soil type do I have around my home? Is the soil saturated beyond the ability to absorb new water?
6. Still unsure of the problem? Contact a general contractor to look at the situation and determine the problem. Most (including yours truly) will do a walk-thru at no charge to determine a course of action.

The MOST COMMON CAUSE of BASEMENT LEAKING I see is improperly drained downspouts. Are yours drained properly? Don’t answer too fast! Take a look at my next post about daylight draining and clay soil around the old house.

There are multiple tenets upon which to judge a tool’s usefulness and value by.  In my opinion, the following are the critical items one must consider when selecting and purchasing a tool. They are in order of importance with number one (1) being the most important.

1. Usefulness on specific project, positive impact on productivity/safety, likelihood of consistent reuse
2. Reasonable expected lifespan of the tool and durability
3. Warranties
4. Power, flexibility/versatility, compatibility with other tools or available kits
5. Weight and transportability
6. Purchase cost
7. Available accessories and accessory cost
8. Maintenance cost
9. Location of Manufacture and Brand

The individual weight each category carries can vary for each person, but these are the baselines that I draw to decide which tools I purchase.

Experience has taught me to research each tool before buying and not to trust tools that have a brand name that has a bad history or is likely not made by the name on the tool. For example, Craftsman-brand cordless tools are outsourced to a third party to manufacture and have (in my experience) short battery lives. That is not to say that all Craftsman tools have drawbacks – their mechanics tools are some of the best available. But be cautious about blindly trusting brands.

For cordless screwdrivers, the 12V lithium-ion tools by Milwaukee and Bosch are fantastic for those just starting out or those that want a lighter and more agile alternative to corded and heavy cordless tools. Unlike their predecessors, these drills can drive 3″ screws with little effort, the batteries charge quickly and are less likely to overheat, ad they are extremely lightweight. Don’t let the weight fool you though, there is plenty of power for their purpose.

Why does weight concern me? If you tend to tote a lot of tools around from job to job, every ounce of tool weight is an ache you will feel at the end of the day and possibly beyond. My back and shoulders instructed me to stow my machismo a long time ago in the interest of self-preservation. The result is more productive workdays and less aches at the end of those workdays.

So how do these two drills match up?

There are things I have not covered here.

• First- there are other tools and I am not trying to shun anybody. I have used both of these and I have a comfort level with them. Please feel free to suggest others if you so desire.
• Second- torque and RPMs. These drills are about the size of squirt-guns and therefore I don’t rank torque as being a high-priority. It doesn’t matter how much power it has if it breaks your wrist – there is too much torque. I only worry about a drill’s torque if it has a second or side-handle attachment.
• Third- clutch. You don’t need a clutch to drive 3″ screws into wood. The clutch is only useful for very delicate applications where stripping the screw is of a high likelihood, applications where you are desperately concerned about binding (such as when driving machine screws into a pre-threaded piece of metal), and for those that want to reign in the torque.
• Fourth- LED lights: many of these drills have small lights designed to illuminate the work area when the trigger is pulled. However, these are generally not very bright and are still a bit gimmicky in my opinion. If you can’t see your work piece, stop and set up a work-light for safety. Drilling in the dark is lazy planning and downright silly.
• Fifth- chuck type. The Bosch has a retractable-sleeve 1/4″ Hex chuck which only fits bits with the same base. This restricts the amount of items you can use with it – but you are driving screws, not using ship augers. The Milwaukee has a 3/8″ ratcheting keyless chuck. Tried-and-true, but not a great benefit for something used primarily to drive screws.

I first began using these types of drills when I got sick of my 18V hammerdrill constantly pulling my toolbelt down due to the weight. I bought and currently use a 7.2 volt Dewalt cordless screwdriver. I didn’t bother to mention it in the review as it is a NiCad battery which is a dying technology and inferior to the power and lifespan of Lithium Ion, and with the battery installed it weighs 4 lbs. It is durable, and I have no complaints about its service to me. But it has no other kit components in that 7.2 volt range (with exception to a right-angle driver) and the batteries for it are both hard to find and expensive.

Other benefits to consider: The Milwaukee has about 200 attachments for their 12V LI line and many of them are very useful tools. Remember, don’t buy the drill for the other items in the kit. I have made that mistake and regretted it.

Personal Overall Preference: The Bosch. Lower price, lighter weight, same batteries, smaller size, comparable power, backed by Bosch and the Bosch warranty

So what is my problem? Well, my understanding of human history gives the majority of wins to nature – not humankind. Constraining a river like the Mississippi to those parameters gives me images of the first 30 minutes of any disaster flick. Everyone lives around the source of the disaster thinking they are in harmony with it and that nature has been conquered. The people in the movie then get an immersion re-education (no pun intended) starting at 28-40 minutes into the film. See “When Time Ran Out” trailer.

Now- we have levee breaks, catastrophic flooding, sewer backups, failed infrastructure, and basements filling with water. How do we stop this?

Here are some things we can do at home:

• Make sure there is plant-life growing everywhere you can.
• Install a rain-barrel to divert some rainwater out of our sewage system and use that water to irrigate your yard or garden.
• Daylight-drain your gutter downspout. I say this with some caution- not near the house. Drain it into the yard several feet from the house and make sure the ground doesn’t slope back toward the house.
• Reduce artificial irrigation whenever possible. The more saturated your soil, the more likely it will not take much water in rainstorms and that water will be diverted into your basement or into the sewage system (back to the river).
• Avoid unecessary water use (use water-saver appliances and make sure the DW or washing machine is FULL when you use it).
• Install a vegetative (or green) roof. This does not mean you have to do it all at once! Put ONE plant on your roof and see if it is something you can keep up with. Then expand!

Here are some things we can do locally/regionally:

• Encourage that new buildings be required to use sustainable building practices.
• Encourage others in the responsible use of water.
• Meet with local leaders to discuss ways to return the watershed to more traditional levels.

Here are some things we can do nationally:

• Stop building in flood plains
• Stop thinking levees will prevent flooding (you know who you are STL County Engineers!) See Gumbo Flats…I mean, Chesterfield Valley.
• Encourage vertical living and responsible land use.
• Stop beating up on the Core of Engineers for doing what they were asked to by the People! Work to solve the lock-dam-levee problems.
• Spend money to improve infrastructure. Yes- I said spend money. Probably tax money. Probably tax money from NEW taxes. This is how we built the infrastructure in the first place. It is now out of date and must be renovated.
• Stop looking for who’s to blame and start fixing the problems.

The only way we are going to get ahead of our problems is with action. Do it nationally, do it locally, do it at your house. Every little bit is a step in the right direction.

By read and know, this means read the fine print and the bold print. If you hire a contractor to change a light bulb, you cannot specify how he should change it unless it is in the contract.

If you tell a contractor a project is taking too long, they may not and more likely won’t care, unless it is written in the contract clearly how long it should take.

If the contract outlines payment terms, you cannot just change them later because you don’t agree with them or don’t like them.

And if you intend to rely on the courts and an attorney to fight on your behalf, you should review and know your obligations as the client. Have you met them? Have you paid your bills fully and on time? Have you fulfilled YOUR part of the bargain?

If not, you may be setting yourself up for a very expensive education in your local civil litigation system and a destroyed business relationship.

If you are unsure of a contract or what it contains, have a QUALIFIED (someone that handles construction contract law) review the contract before you sign it. After you sign it, you are as much on the hook for the contents that relate to you as the contractors are to those that relate to them…..

This concludes the first installment of this segment. However, I will leave this with one additional bit of advice-

Don’t sue someone, unless you are ready to be sued back.

But there are a few things you should consider first:

1. There may and likely will be some form of similar tax credits next year (although the requirements may get a bit more strict), these tax credits existed before 2010, and they will be back in 2011 or 2012. The current lot of credits are popular because the qualifying product requirements are a bit relaxed and the applicable caps have been expanded. But keep this in mind, the Fed does not want to punish or stifle the economic recovery. Combine with that the fact that energy efficiency has not been nationally achieved (and really never will) as it is a moving bar. Once we achieve all 90% efficient heating systems and low-E glass in all our windows, other areas will need to be addressed.
2. THIS IS IMPORTANT- make sure the windows meet the criteria for the tax credits! Just because it is Low-E does NOT mean that it is tax-credit-approved. The windows that are approved generally cost more than those that are not. Any window upgrade in efficiency is a good one, but don’t get stuck with new windows that you thought would get you money back and find out that they do not. Your vendor should be able to answer this question, and the manufacturers are so keyed into the saleability of the eligible products that the windows will likely have the paperwork stapled to them if they are approved!

I am not saying that you shouldn’t hurry to upgrade your efficiency.

I am not saying that the tax credits next year will be just as good and seamless as this year – in fact I am not promising tax credits in 2011. But I am saying that the tax credits will be back.

The tax credits may not even return in their current form. They may return as a rebate from your local building authority or a local utility.

Just remember this- there is a “sale of the century” every weekend somewhere. If it were true, then each sale must be progressively better than those of the last ten years. I think of this every time I see a cheesy, high-pressure-sales remodeling company billboard that says “Last Year For The Window Tax Credits”…..

Now that my praising and such is done, how do I get this stuff off my hands? Well, if it is still tacky and uncured, you can use acetone or most other similar chemicals that are in that class although acetone seems to work best. If it is cured, you can scrape it off (painfully), or you can wait until your skin builds up enough oil behind it that it basically peels off. It will not fall off hair in most cases, you must remove the hair.

This goes for any place you spill or splatter the stuff, it can only be removed by mechanical means or scraping.

In other words, BE CAREFUL when you use canned insulating foams. They are really sticky!

http://greatstuff.dow.com/