Pro Tips To Pacify Your House Problems:
Take some tips from the professionals when it
comes to taking care of your house problems and
you will be money ahead. Here is a baker's dozen
of techniques, products, and ideas everyone
should know about. They might just be able to
solve a problem or two, save you some money, or
make your repairs last longer.
1. It is well known that composition slag roofs
that pond water tend to live only half as long
as those that shed or drain the water off. (Most
manufacturers of roofing products won't honor
their material's warranties when a roof ponds
water for more than 48 hours after a rain. )
Many houses and apartment buildings with this
type of roofing have sufficient space beneath
the roof to accommodate a length of plastic pipe
to reach under the low spot of the roof and join
up with a drain cut through from the top.
Plumbers and roofers do will sometimes do this
type of work and such a drain retrofit can
enormously extend the life expectancy of an
existing roofing system.
2. The thinner varieties of wood shakes and
especially wood shingles are subject to drying,
curling, cracking, and splitting when exposed to
direct sunlight and mildewing and rotting in
shady locations. The life of this type of wood
roof can be considerably extended by
occasionally applying a mist spray of wood
preservative to the shingles. Use a garden spray
and avoid working when there is any wind since
most preservatives are toxic and will kill
plants downwind. Good ones often contain
cuprinol, and should be applied only after the
shakes or shingles have had a chance to dry
thoroughly.
3. The first step and usually the most effective
method of preventing basement water leakage is
to control what rain and roof runoff water
reaches within ten feet of the foundation. This
is best done by extending the gutter downspouts
and by building up the grade immediately against
the foundation. General handymen or professional
landscapers can usually accomplish this.
4. Apartments that operate from centrally
metered utilities tend to use approximately 50%
more energy than individually metered units. The
traditional way of individualizing electrical
meters often required extra wiring and between
$700 and 1,000 per unit. An in-apartment meter
can be installed for a lot less. Some electrical
companies specialize in "submetering".
5. Individual zoning of rooms can be
accomplished with the use of thermostatic
radiator valves. On most two pipe and even some
one pipe hot water systems and all steam
systems, these valves can provide room by room
control. The savings for one pipe steam radiator
systems in older apartment and condominium
buildings is phenomenal (Sometimes as much as
50%). The cost is around $100 to 150 per
radiator or baseboard though 1 pipe steam
systems can be retrofitted for much less. The
Danfoss Company makes an excellent unit. These
may be purchased from Commercial/Industrial
Systems, P.O. Box 68, Suite 204B, 50 MD, Route
3, North Millersville, MD 21108.
6. Loose and leaking ceramic tile work around
tubs and shower pans can be cured once and for
all by removing the bottom three or four courses
of tile and drywall backing. The drywall is
replaced with "Wonderboard" or other similar
cementious board and the cleaned tiles are then
"thin set" back onto the Wonderboard. The
thinset method is a modified cement method and
the reinstallation will be a permanent one. It
will be incredibly more resistant to moisture
penetration. About $300 per tub. Wonderboard or
similar materials can usually be obtained from
tile supply houses. Seal the tile/tub joint with
a silicone caulking.
7. Ceramic tile shower pans that leak normally
have the floor tile torn up, the lead sheeting
beneath removed and replaced with a membrane and
then new tiles are set over this. This runs $900
and up depending upon the size of the shower. An
easier method is to extend the drain upward, lay
a flexible membrane over the existing floor
tiles and then tile over the membrane including
a base course around the walls. This usually
cuts tear out cost in half. If a shower pan has
been leaking for a long period of time there may
be wood rot beneath it which would need to be
repaired. If that is the case, a tear out is
necessary to get to the wood. If you catch a
leak quick enough, there won't be any
appreciable rotting. Not all tile installers
know of this method but it works.
8. Old bathtubs that are chipped, or have the
porcelain worn beyond repair can be lined with
PVC (a type of plastic) liner that fits snugly
inside the existing tub. The liner is securely
glued or taped to the tub and is usually set
beneath the first course of wall tile. This
technique eliminates the need to break up and
remove the existing tub. The price is around
$300 and up for a single unit vs. $1,000 and up
for even a cheap tub replacement. The product is
available from specialist and some specialized
franchise outlets.
9. The reason why most window glazing compound
doesn't last very long (it usually falls back
out within a year or two) is that the binding
oils within the glazing compound have been drawn
deep into the wood pieces around the glass.
Priming the wood first and making sure it is
allowed to dry will make all the difference in
the world.
10. A new carpet cleaning method is blossoming.
The system uses a chemical sprayed on the
surface of the carpet which is then buffed with
a specially treated pad under a heavy floor
buffer. The chemicals and the friction heat of
the pad draw dirt out of the carpet and into the
pad. It works great, is cheaper than steam
cleaning and leaves far less residue.
11. Larger building projects are now using
infrared equipment to check recently installed
electrical services and find many, many
installer errors. The infrared checking is done
and repairs are made prior to any monies being
paid for the work. This one keeps careless
electricians on their toes.
12. Though most leakage through masonry walls is
due to poor mortar work, there are clear
sealants that can bridge tiny cracks and
crevices and "cure" many wall leakage problems.
It is important that a thorough diagnosis
considering all factors be accomplished first so
that this type of sealant will not contribute
new problems. A good product is "Hydrozo Clear
Double 7," available through masonry product
distributors.
13. The economies of scale can pay big
dividends. Builders often pay half what an
individual consumer would for roofing, siding,
gutters, painting, etc. The reason is that the
builder usually has a group of houses so the
contract is more substantial, the work goes
faster since setups are easy, the work is
standardized, the houses are unoccupied, and
there are no interferences from individual
homeowners. These same factors can lower costs
to conscientious homeowners who are willing to
collectively or group purchase their home
improvements. It is relatively easy to get 20%
off on major exterior work. It is wise to
utilize citizen association committees and
newsletters to poll the membership as to
interest, etc. More careful job specifications
and finish work surveys can be accomplished by
one (coordinator should have experience) who is
in charge of all jobs.