Home Inventory: Value Your Possessions After a Loss
Published: December 28, 2009
Use these tactics to create a home inventory after a casualty loss to support an insurance claim.
Despite your best intentions, you never got around to creating a home inventory, a detailed list of your belongings, for insurance purposes. Now that you've suffered a theft or casualty loss, you're kicking yourself. All isn't lost: There are strategies you can use to approximate a home inventory after the fact and assign value to your damaged or destroyed possessions.
Lita Epstein, co-author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Accounting," suggests first checking your insurance policy to see what's covered and to what degree. Ideally, you should have replacement cost coverage, which reimburses at full price for a comparable item rather than deducting for depreciation. Once you determine your level of coverage, you're ready to inventory your belongings.
Make a list
Start by making a comprehensive list from memory of everything that was lost, says Mark Goldwich, founder of GoldStar Adjusters, a Jacksonville, Fla., claims adjusting firm. Using a home inventory checklist--you can download our free PDF worksheet --might help you remember items that may not otherwise come to mind.
Record any important details that affect value such as types of stones in jewelry or the size of a television screen. Examine any available receipts, checkbook ledgers, bank statements, and credit card records for details on purchases.
Solicit photos and videos
Photographs or videos of your possessions can be an important part of proving the value of a loss, says Kelan J. Vorbach, an insurance representative with John B. Wright Insurance in Manasquan, N.J. Examine your photos and home videos, as items may appear in the background. Those images can be used as back-up documentation for your claim. Vorbach also recommends asking friends and family for any photos or videos taken in your home.
Work with what you have
In the case of theft, you may still have owner's manuals or accessories that came with the item that was stolen. In one of Goldwich's cases, proof for a claim included the remote control to a stolen video camera, as well as copies of credit card statements, emailed receipts from online purchases, and even tops from the packaging of some items. In cases where possessions are destroyed, Epstein recommends taking photos of the damage and assembling a list from any remains at the scene, as long as it's safe to do so.
Check online
Look on manufacturers' websites to get estimates of what similar items cost, suggests Epstein. You may even want to contact manufacturers to see if they can help you determine the retail value of a comparable item, she says. If you don't have replacement value coverage for your possessions, sites like eBay (http://www.ebay.com/) and Craigslist (http://www.craigslist.org/) that sell used merchandise may give you an idea of how much you can expect to pay for a similar item, says Goldwich.
Hire an appraiser
Especially if you lost high-value items, it may be in your best interest to hire a certified personal property appraiser to help you document your claim, says Epstein. Check with the International Society of Appraisers (http://www.isa-appraisers.org/), which has an online appraiser search function. Hiring a professional typically costs between $250 and $500, though fees can vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of a claim.
Some appraisers charge a percentage of the appraised value, perhaps 2% to 5%. Epstein says an appraiser's report can go a long way in helping you document the value of your items, often making the investment worthwhile.
Document everything
It's critical to devote a day or two to documenting your claims thoroughly, not only for your insurance company but also for the IRS. Federal tax rules allow for certain deductions related to theft and casualty losses, including declared disasters (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/tax-deductions-disaster-related-losses/). "Those types of claims have a high rate of audit, so you want to be sure you have as much documentation as possible to defend the deduction," Epstein says. Consult a tax adviser, and refer to IRS Publication 547 (http://www.irs.gov/publications/p547/index.html).
Gwen Moran has been writing about business, finance, and real estate for more than a decade. Her work has been published by Cyberhomes.com, The Residential Specialist, Entrepreneur, On Wall Street, Newsweek.com, Woman's Day, Financial Planning, and many others.
What You Need to Know About Foundation Repairs
Published: January 15, 2010
Foundation repairs run the gamut from simple DIY fixes to major reconstruction. Here's what you need to know about your options, and when to call in a pro.
Fixing foundation problems should be a priority for every homeowner. Foundation repairs prevent little problems from becoming bigger, keep your home safe, and protect the value of your property. Fortunately, foundation problems tend to develop and worsen slowly, giving you time to make a thorough evaluation (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/understanding-foundation-problems/) and decide on the proper course for repairs.
Narrow cracks
Cracks less than 1/4-inch wide require the easiest foundation repairs, especially if they're located where concrete tends to crack naturally from shrinking as it cures. You can probably leave these cracks as-is. But if water is seeping through (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/7-signs-you-may-have-a-drainage-problem/) or you'd like to seal cracks for cosmetic reasons, apply a good-quality, paintable silicone caulk or epoxy putty.
Wide cracks
Horizontal cracks, vertical cracks wider than ¼-inch, or stairstep cracks in blocks or bricks tip you to more serious problems. You can hire a contractor to plug deep cracks by injecting epoxy ($1,500-$3,000), or do it yourself with epoxy putty, but either way, you'll only be stopping water from coming in.
Patching cracks won't make your house level again or stop whatever forces caused the cracks in the first place. "Patching cracks is like putting on a Band-Aid," says Jim Hise, owner of Expert Basement Repair in Cleveland. To heal the wound, you need to fix the underlying problem.
Basic foundation repairs
A common culprit is water accumulation in the soil around the foundation, which expands the soil and puts pressure on walls and foundation footings, causing cracks to appear. Check to make sure all gutters and downspout drains are in good working order, and that the soil around your foundation is properly graded-it should slope at least 6 inches for every 10 horizontal feet.
Most foundations are required to have a perimeter drain system that channels sub-surface water away from the foundation. The drain system is made of concrete tiles or perforated plastic pipe buried in a gravel bed. It usually drains externally (a pipe that opens onto a low spot in your yard), or connects to your sewer system.
It's possible for this drain to become blocked, causing water to accumulate in the soil and putting pressure on your foundation walls. If you suspect a blocked perimeter foundation drain, seek the advice of a licensed foundation contractor.
Buckled wall and severe cracks
A perimeter foundation that has tipped, bowed, or severely cracked requires substantial reinforcement to prevent further deterioration. Repair the walls from the inside with wood or steel braces, carbon-fiber mesh, or wall anchors spaced 6 feet or so apart along the entire wall.
For about $500 to $700 each, wood and steel braces install against the wall and attach to the floor and overhead joists, blocking further movement. However, they intrude into the basement area about 6 inches, making it difficult to finish the walls. A newer option, which costs less than half as much and winds up almost invisible, involves spreading epoxy in vertical strips and then pressing on carbon-fiber mesh to lock the wall in place.
Wall anchors are similar to large bolts. They consist of metal plates in your yard (installed by excavating), and metal plates on the inside of your foundation walls The plates are connected by steel rods buried horizontally. The connectors are gradually tightened to stabilize and help straighten the wall. Wall anchors are placed every 6-8 feet, and cost $400-$600 each.
If a foundation wall bows severely (more than 3 inches) or if you want to make it straight again, you probably won't be able to fix the problem from the inside. You may need to excavate part or all of the foundation and rebuild it-a $30,000 to $40,000 job.
Washed-out areas
If a broken water pipe, a plugged gutter, or a drainage problem in your yard sent enough water cascading alongside a perimeter foundation to undermine an area, a contractor might be able to shore up the area with more concrete or shim the sill plate to make the area level again. Or you might need to tear out a section of the foundation, repour, and tie the new section into the old with rebar and epoxy.
Simple fixes with concrete and lumber might cost as little as $500 or as much as several thousand dollars. Just be sure that the underlying cause is fixed first, or the repair won't last.
Foundations and expansive soils
If your house is out of kilter and there is no obvious reason, it may sit on soil that expands when damp and shrinks when dry. This so-called "expansive soil (http://geology.com/articles/expansive-soil.shtml)" is found in all states and has damaged about a quarter of all houses in the U.S., according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (http://www.asce.org/). If you suspect you have the problem, check with your local building authority to see if expansive soils exist in your area.
Dealing with this kind of soil is most difficult if you have a slab foundation because access is to underneath the slab is limited. First, try to reduce moisture fluctuations under your house. Make sure soil slopes away from the house, and pipe away all gutter water. Replace water-thirsty landscaping within 5 feet of the walls with plants that need little water or, even better, install a concrete path around the house so rainwater can't soak in there.
If you live in a damp climate and notice settling issues such as sticky doors during droughts, try the opposite approach. Keep the soil evenly moist by running drip irrigation around the perimeter during dry spells. If you see cracks in the soil, it's too dry. But don't dump water into a crack; irrigate a foot or two away from the foundation, and use an automatic timer so you add a little water several times a day rather than a lot all at once.
A contractor may be able to raise a sunken area in the middle of a room by "mud-jacking," or pumping a cement slurry under the slab under pressure. Mud-jacking can't raise load-bearing walls, however. For that, you need to support the slab with underpinning that reaches down to a more stable layer, a fix that costs $5,000 to tens of thousands of dollars.
Options for underpinning include steel posts driven in hydraulically, and helical piers, which have blades that screw into the soil. Installation costs $1,200-$1,500 per pier, with one every 6 to 8 feet. Another option consists of pre-cast concrete pieces about 1 foot high that are pressed down on top of each other by the weight of the house, creating columns underneath.
Contractors tend to specialize in a single solution and often are quick to point out problems of other systems. That's why it is so helpful to have a structural engineer's guidance. In truth, the best option varies according to the circumstances.
Working with a structural engineer
Trustworthy advice comes from a structural engineer. An initial visit (about $500) should reveal the severity of your problem and tell you what to do next. If you need a full engineering report, expect to pay several thousand dollars. You might also need a soils engineer and core samples, doubling the cost.
In the end, you should get a written report that makes specific recommendations and lays out pros and cons of each option. If you need a complicated fix, you might want to hire the engineer by the hour ($100-$200) to inspect while work is underway.
Free estimates from foundation-repair contractors make sense if you live in a neighborhood where one solution has succeeded in similar homes. "Get two or three bids and see if you get a similar pattern of suggestions," recommends Richard Morant, operations manager of Dawson Foundation Repair in Dallas. If the advice isn't consistent, call a structural engineer with no vested interest in a specific solution.
Jeanne Huber is a free-lance writer who has specialized in home-repair issues for about 15 years. She writes a weekly column for the Washington Post and is a former editor at This Old House.
Understanding Foundation Problems
Published: January 15, 2010
Foundation problems may mean expensive repairs. Here's what to look for and what you need to know to keep small concerns from becoming big headaches.
Most homebuyers are careful to have a home inspector check for foundation problems before they sign purchase papers. But that shouldn't be the last check. Recognizing early warning signs of trouble can forestall damage that costs tens of thousands of dollars or even jeopardizes the full value of a house. Luckily, some of the warning signs are easy to spot. Here's what to look for.
Inside hints
A floor that's not level is one tip of a possible foundation problem. Some people can sense this easily; others never notice even when a floor sags a couple of inches.
If you're in the latter group, there are other ways to hear your house whispering that the foundation is rising or sinking unevenly: A door begins to jam or fails to latch; cracks appear in walls, especially over doorways or windows or where walls meet ceilings; cracks open in vinyl or ceramic tile over a concrete floor. Windows that fail to budge or to close completely also hint at foundation problems, assuming the culprit isn't just sloppy or sticky paint or rotten wood frames.
Slab foundation problems
If you have a slab foundation, a structural engineer can help determine whether these signs point to normal settling or to structural damage. Expect to pay $500-$700 for a structural engineer to inspect your foundation and provide an evaluation, and as much as $2,000 for a full set of drawings for an engineered solution.
If it's a structural problem, your foundation is settling unevenly and has the potential to skew or pull apart the framing unless you take action. Best case: You can get the house level again just by keeping soil near the house evenly moist, either by irrigating during dry weather if you live in a damp climate or by switching to landscaping that doesn't need irrigating if you live where it's usually dry.
Worst case: You need to underpin the foundation with helical screws (http://helicalpiersystems.com/video/repair_video-lo.htm) or concrete piers. Installation costs $1,200-$1,500 per pier, with one every 6 to 8 feet.
Outside, take the long view
Moving outside, check to see if your foundation is straight by sighting down the length of your foundation wall from each corner. You should see a straight line. A bulge or divot in either a block foundation or a poured concrete wall could signal that the foundation has shifted.
Check for leaning walls with a level. If the top of the foundation sticks out beyond the walls in one area, the foundation wall may have tipped. Any signs of shifting or bowing means that the soil may be expanding and contracting, putting pressure on foundation walls, and remedial steps are necessary.
The poke test
If your house has a poured perimeter foundation and it appears to be shedding sand, poke it in a few places with a sturdy screwdriver. The concrete should be so dense and hard that you do no damage. If you can excavate a hole, the concrete could be deteriorating because the mix contained dirty or salty sand, or too much water. This problem, common in homes built in the early 1900s in some parts of the country, has no remedy short of a new foundation, perhaps a $35,000 prospect.
Checking crawl spaces
In the basement or crawl space, look for foundation problems that may include a system of posts and concrete supports, or piers. Posts should stand straight and be firmly planted underneath the beams they support. Bottoms of posts should rest firmly on concrete piers.
You shouldn't find puddles or see framing that's wet. Check for rot by probing wood posts with a screwdriver or awl.
Puddles and other signs of moisture in a crawl space may indicate poor drainage around the perimeter foundation. Be sure that gutters aren't plugged, and that soil slopes away from the foundation at the rate of 6 inches for every 10 horizontal feet.
Reading cracks
Concrete and block foundations usually have at least a few cracks. The trick is recognizing which are insignificant and which are serious.
As concrete cures, it shrinks slightly. Where the concrete can't shrink evenly, it tends to crack. Cracks where there is an L-shape section, such as where a foundation stairsteps down to follow a hillside, are probably shrinkage cracks, especially if they meander and taper down to a hairline. These aren't a structural issue, though you might need to plug them to keep the basement (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/8-solutions-to-common-wet-basement-problems/) or crawl space dry. Hairline cracks in the mortar between concrete blocks are also rarely worth worrying about.
If you find small cracks (less than 1/16-inch wide), paint over them with a concrete waterproofing paint (about $25 a gallon). Then check periodically to see whether the paint has cracked, which means the gap is opening up under pressure.
Stairstep cracks in masonry joints are a bigger concern, especially if the wall is bulging or the crack is wider than ¼ inch. A plugged gutter or other moisture problem (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/7-signs-you-may-have-a-drainage-problem/) outside is probably exerting pressure on that part of the wall. You'll need a structural engineer to help identify a cure, which can include bolting on steel braces ($500-$700 each, often spaced about 6 feet apart along the wall) or using epoxy to glue on straps of carbon-fiber mesh ($350-$450 each, similarly spaced).
Horizontal cracks are most serious, and indicate that water-saturated soil outside froze and expanded, pushing in and breaking the foundation. Perhaps gutters (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/fast-fixes-common-gutter-problems/) backed up and heat was off for an extended period during especially cold weather. The consequence: You probably need a whole new foundation.
Horizontal cracks also occur because of problems with underlying soil. If you have soil that expands when damp and shrinks when dry, you face the same range of solutions as if you had a slab foundation. Hire a structural engineer to help you sort out your options.
Jeanne Huber is a freelance writer who specializes in home-repair issues. She learned a lot about concrete and the way it cracks when she wrote and built projects for two editions of "Decorative Concrete," book published by Sunset Books in 2005 and 2007.
Chimney Maintenance for Warmth and Safety
Published: August 31, 2009
Chimney maintenance and a fireplace inspection can make the difference between warm safety and drafty danger.
Your fireplace, the most low-tech piece of equipment in your house, may seem like a simple load-and-light operation, but ignoring annual maintenance can impair its performance, leading to heated air (and dollars) blowing out the chimney, harmful smoke inside, and possibly even a chimney fire.
The average number of annual U.S. home fires caused by fireplace, chimney, and chimney connectors between 2003 and 2005 was 25,100, and the average costs for those fires was $126.1 million, based on the most recent statistics from the Chimney Safety Institute of America. That's roughly $5,024 in damage per home. Annual chimney maintenance removes flammable creosote, the major cause of chimney fires, and identifies other performance problems.
Is it worth the $205 fee, two-hour service call, and all that ash possibly blackening your carpet? Here's what you need to know to decide.
Annual inspections keep flames burning right
Creosote-combustible, tar-like droplets-is a natural byproduct of burning wood. The more wood you burn, the wetter or greener the wood, and the more often you restrict airflow by keeping your fireplace doors closed or your damper barely open, the more creosote is produced.
Soot build-up, while not flammable, can hamper venting. One half-inch of soot can restrict airflow 17% in a masonry chimney and 30% in a factory-built unit, according to the CSIA (http://www.csia.org/). Soot is also aggressively acidic and can damage the inside of your chimney.
The more creosote and soot, the more likely you are to see signs of chimney fire-loud popping, dense smoke, or even flames shooting out the top of your chimney into the sky. Chimney fires damage the structure of your chimney and can provide a route for the fire to jump to the frame of your house.
"If the chimney is properly maintained, you'll never have a chimney fire," says Ashley Eldridge, the education director of the CSIA.
The best way to ensure your chimney isn't an oil slick waiting to ignite? Get it inspected.
Three inspection levels let you choose what you need
A level-one inspection includes a visual check of the fireplace and chimney without any special equipment or climbing up on the roof. The inspector comes to your house with a flashlight, looks for damage, obstructions, creosote build-up, and soot, and tells you if you need a sweep. If so, he'll grab his brushes, extension poles, and vacuum, and do it on the spot.
"You should have it inspected every year to determine if it needs to be swept. An annual inspection will also cover you if the neighbor's children have thrown a basketball in it, or a bird has built a nest," says Eldridge.
A level one typically runs about $125. Add a sweep, and you're talking another $80, or about $205 for both services, according to CSIA.
Consider a level-two inspection if you've experienced a dramatic weather event, like a tornado or hurricane; if you've made a major change to your fireplace; or bought a new house. This includes a level-one investigation, plus the inspector's time to visit the roof, attic, and crawl space in search of disrepair. It concludes with a sweep, if necessary, and information on what repair is needed. The price will depend on the situation.
A level three inspection is considered "destructive and intrusive" and can resemble a demolition job. It may involve tearing down and rebuilding walls and your chimney, and is usually done after a chimney fire. The cost will depend on the situation.
Small steps can improve your fireplace's efficiency
Besides the annual sweep, improve your fireplace's functioning with responsible use.
?Only burn dry, cured wood-logs that have been split, stacked, and dried for eight to 12 months. Cover your log pile on top, but leave the sides open for air flow. Hardwoods such as hickory, white oak, beech, sugar maple, and white ash burn longest, though dry firewood is more important than the species. Less dense woods like spruce or white pine burn well if sufficiently dry, but you'll need to add more wood to your fire more often, according to CSIA.
?Wood, only wood! Crates, lumber, construction scraps, painted wood, or other treated wood releases chemicals into your home, compromising your air quality. Log starters are fine for getting your fire going, but they burn very hot; generally only use one at a time.
?Close your damper when not using the fireplace to prevent warm indoor air-and the dollars you're spending to heat it-from rushing up the chimney.
?On a factory-built, prefab wood-burning fireplace, keep bifold glass doors open when burning a fire to allow heat to get into the room.
?Have a chimney cap installed to prevent objects, rain, and snow from falling into your chimney and to reduce downdrafts. The caps have side vents so smoke escapes. A chimney sweep usually provides and can install a stainless steel cap, which is better than a galvanized metal one available at most home improvement retailers because it won't rust, says Anthony Drago, manager of Ashleigh's Hearth and Home in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
?Replace a poorly sealing damper to prevent heat loss. "You can get a top-mounted damper that functions as a rain cap, too, an improvement over the traditional damper because it provides a tighter closure," says CSIA's Eldridge.
?Install carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors in your house-near the fireplace as well as in bedroom areas (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/create-a-home-emergency-preparedness-kit/).
?If you burn more than three cords of wood annually, get your chimney cleaned twice a year. A cord is 4-feet high, by 4-feet wide, by 8-feet long, or the amount that would fill two full-size pick-up trucks.
?To burn fire safely, build it slowly, adding more wood as it heats and keeping your damper completely open to increase draw in the early stages. Burn the fire hot, at least occasionally-with the damper all the way open to help prevent smoke from lingering the fireplace and creosote from developing.
By the way, fireplaces aren't officially rated for energy efficiency because they're so varied. Depending on the source of information, they can be 10% to 30% efficient in converting fuel to heat.
No inspection will turn a masonry or factory-built fireplace into a furnace, but it can improve efficiency somewhat, decrease the amount of heating dollars you're sending up the chimney, and increase your enjoyment of your hearth time by reducing smoke. If a sweeping prevents a chimney fire, you're talking about the difference between another ordinary January day, and the potential loss of your home, or even life.
Wendy Paris is a writer in New York currently living in a home with a very smoky fireplace that has set off the smoke detector more than once. After finishing this article, she decided to schedule a chimney sweep. She's written for This Old House magazine, as well as for The New York Times and Salon.com.
Cleaning and Caring for Siding
Published: August 31, 2009
The annual cleaning and repair of your home's siding will pay off in a long life and increased value.
If you'd like to prevent costly home repairs and add to the value of your house, clean your siding. With proper care and a little regular maintenance, your home's exterior could be trouble-free for 50 years and more. Cleaning siding removes dirt and mildew that may shorten the life of your siding. A clean house protects your investment, too. "A good first appearance on a home can add as much as 5% to 10% to the value of the home," says John Aust, a past president of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers.
Cleaning wood, vinyl, metal, stucco, brick, fiber-cement siding
All types of siding benefit from a good cleaning once every year to remove grit, grime, and mildew. The best way-whether you have wood, vinyl, metal, stucco, brick, or fiber-cement-is with a bucket of warm, soapy water (1/2 cup trisodium phosphate-TSP, available at grocery stores, hardware stores, and home improvement centers-dissolved in 1 gallon of water) and a soft-bristled brush attached to a long handle. Divide your house into 20-foot sections, clean each from top to bottom, and rinse. For two-story homes, you'll be using a ladder, so keep safety foremost.
Cleaning an average-sized house may take you and a friend every bit of a weekend. If you don't have the time-or the inclination-you can have your house professionally cleaned for $300-$500. A professional team will use a power washer and take less than a day.
You can rent a power washer to do the job yourself for about $75 per day, but beware if you don't have experience with the tool. Power washers force water through a nozzle at high pressure, resulting in water blasts that can strip paint, gouge softwoods, loosen caulk, and eat through mortar. Also, the tool can force water under horizontal lap joints, resulting in moisture accumulating behind the siding. A siding professional has the expertise to prevent water penetration at joints, seams around windows and doors, and electrical fixtures.
Inspect for damage
Right before you clean is the ideal time to inspect your house for signs of damage or wear and tear. A house exterior is most vulnerable to water infiltration where siding butts against windows, doors, and corner moldings, says Frank Lesh, a professional house inspector in Chicago and past president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (http://www.ashi.org/). For all types of siding, look for caulk that has cracked due to age or has pulled away from adjacent surfaces, leaving gaps. Reapply a color-matched exterior caulk during dry days with temperatures in excess of 65 degrees F for maximum adhesion.
Other defects include wood siding with chipped or peeling paint, and cracked boards and trim. If you have a stucco exterior, be on the lookout for cracks and chips. For brick, look for crumbling mortar joints. Repair defects before cleaning. The sooner you make repairs, the better you protect your house from moisture infiltration that can lead to dry rot and mold forming inside your walls.
Repair wood, vinyl, and fiber-cement siding
Damage to wood, vinyl, and fiber-cement horizontal lap siding often occurs because of everyday accidents-being struck by sticks and stones thrown from a lawn mower, or from objects like baseballs. Repairing horizontal lap siding requires the expertise to remove the damaged siding while leaving surrounding siding intact. Unless you have the skills, hire a professional carpenter or siding contractor. Expect to pay $200-$300 to replace one or two damaged siding panels or pieces of wood clapboard.
Repaint wood, fiber-cement
Houses with wood siding should be repainted every five years, or as soon as the paint finish begins to deteriorate. A professional crew will paint a two-story, 2,300 square foot house for $3,000-$5,000. If you've cleaned your house exterior yourself, you've done much of the prep work and will save the added cost that a painting contractor would charge to clean the siding before painting.
Fiber-cement siding, whether it comes with a factory-applied color finish or is conventionally painted, requires repainting far less often (every 8-10 years) than wood siding. That's because fiber-cement is dimensionally stable and, unlike wood, doesn't expand and contract with changes in humidity.
It's a good idea to specify top-quality paint. Because only 15% to 20% of the total cost of repainting your house is for materials, using a top-quality paint will add only a nominal amount-about $200-to the job. However, the best paints will outperform "ordinary" paints by several years, saving you money.
Repair brick mortar, stop efflorescence
Crumbling and loose mortar should be removed with a cold chisel and repaired with fresh mortar-a process called repointing. An experienced do-it-yourselfer can repoint mortar joints between bricks, but the process is time-consuming. Depending on the size of the mortar joints (thinner joints are more difficult), a masonry professional will repoint brick siding for $5-$20 per square foot.
Efflorescence-the powdery white residue that sometimes appears on brick and stone surfaces-is the result of soluble salts in the masonry or grout being leached out by moisture, probably indicating the masonry and grout was never sealed correctly. Remove efflorescence by scrubbing it with water and white vinegar mixed in a 50/50 solution and a stiff bristle brush. As soon as the surface is clear and dry, seal it with a quality masonry sealer to prevent further leaching.
Persistent efflorescence may indicate a moisture problem behind the masonry. Consult a professional building or masonry contractor.
Remove mildew from all types of siding
Stubborn black spotty stains are probably mildew. Dab the area with a little diluted bleach-if the black disappears, it's mildew. Clean the area with a solution of one part bleach to four parts water. Wear eye protection and protect plants from splashes. Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Repair cracked stucco
Seal cracks and small holes with color-matched exterior acrylic caulk. Try pressing sand into the surface of wet caulk to match the texture of the surrounding stucco. Paint the repair to match.
Take time to inspect and clean your house siding, and you'll be rewarded with a trouble-free exterior.
John Riha has written six books on home improvement and hundreds of articles on home-related topics. Riha has been a residential builder, the editorial director of the Black & Decker Home Improvement Library, and the executive editor of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. His standard 1968 suburban house has been an ongoing source of maintenance experience.
Conduct Your Own Energy Audit
Published: August 28, 2009
A do-it-yourself energy audit can teach you how to be more energy efficient and make you a more-educated consumer should you decide to hire an expert.
Self-starters don't necessarily need a pro to assess their home's energy deficiencies. With a little elbow grease and one of several free do-it-yourself guides to home energy auditing, you can get a good sense of where your home is leaking hot and cool air, and how your choice of appliances and your energy use contributes to energy loss.
What you'll save on fixes
By following up on problems, you can lower energy bills by 5% to 30% annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (http://www.eere.energy.gov/). With annual energy bills averaging $2,200, according to Energy Star (http://www.energystar.gov/), investing in fixes or energy-efficient replacement products could save you up to $660 within a year.
And self-audits can cost virtually nothing if you already own a flashlight, ladder, measuring stick, candles, eye protection, work clothes, dust mask, and a screwdriver-or roughly $150 if you're starting from scratch. As for time commitment, expect to spend two to four hours to investigate home systems, refer to utility bills, and conduct research about local norms for products, such as insulation, say experts.
Types of DIY audits
Since there are a variety of ways to conduct a do-it-yourself audit, you'll need to know your tolerance for the tasks involved.
Some require you play home inspector, climbing into attics and crawlspaces on fact-finding missions and delving into unfinished portions of your home to look at duct work. Questionnaire-based audits rely the assumption that you can answer such questions as how many gallons of water your toilet tank holds to the R-value (thickness) of insulation in your home.
If you don't have time to familiarize yourself with your home's systems or confidence about diagnosing problems, are disabled, are squeamish on ladders and in crawlspaces, or are already planning to invest in a major remodel, you may benefit from hiring a pro (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/paid-energy-audits-the-costs-and-benefits/).
Even homeowners who complete a self-audit often hire a professional to double-check their diagnoses. A self-audit may reveal drafts but not their exact source, such as ducts or insulation, for instance. Because the costs to address a draft can range from minor to major, investing in a paid audit may be justifiable.
What should you check?
All the home systems and appliances that contribute to energy costs. Here's the breakdown of a typical home's energy usage that Energy Star references:
?Heating (29%)
?Cooling (17%)
?Water heating (14%)
?Appliances (13%)
?Lighting (12%)
?Computers and electronics (4%)
?Other (11%)
Self-audits hone in on details pros may not
While the pros use special equipment to focus on hard-to-research aspects of a home's building envelope and indoor air circulation, DIY audits can teach you-based on the questions they ask-to identify and address the numerous small ways in which your home wastes energy.
Since lighting, electronics, and appliances collectively account for nearly 30% of the average home's energy costs, you can make an impact on your bills by replacing old appliances with energy-efficient replacements and simple fixes-plugging appliances into power strips versus wall outlets, making sure refrigerator doors are properly sealed and don't leak air, and opting for a programmable thermostat.
How to spot common energy leaks
1. Check your home's exterior envelope-the windows, doors, walls, and roof exposed to outdoor air. Hold a candle or stick of incense near windows, doors, electrical outlets, range hoods, plumbing and ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and ceiling fans in bathrooms. When smoke blows, you've got a draft from a source that may need caulking, sealant, weather stripping, or insulation.
2. Check insulation R-value or thickness. Where insulation is exposed (in an attic, unfinished basement, or around ducts, water heaters, and appliances), use a ruler to measure, recommends the DOE. Compare your results against those suggested for your region via an insulation calculator (http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome.html).
Although examining in-wall insulation is difficult, you can remove electrical outlet covers, turn off electricity, and probe inside the wall, the DOE notes in its DIY audit guide. However, only a professional's thermographic scan can reveal if insulation coverage is consistent within a wall. Insulation can settle or may not be uniformly installed.
3. Look for stains on insulation. These often indicate air leaks from a hole behind the insulation, such as a duct hole or crack in an exterior wall.
4. Inspect exposed ducts. They may not work efficiently if they're dirty, have small holes, or if they pass through unfinished portions of the home and aren't insulated. Look for obvious holes and whether intersections of duct pipe are joined correctly. Since ducts are typically made out of thin metal that easily conducts heat, uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose 10% to 30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home, says DOE.
When should a professional make repairs?
The DOE recommends calling a contractor before insulating ducts in basements or crawlspaces, as doing so will make these spaces cooler and could impact other home systems, such as water pipes. Plus, these ducts might release noxious air. DOE also recommends you hire professionals to clean ducts periodically. If you've noticed that some rooms get disproportionately hot or cold, bring that to a pro's attention. It could be duct related.
In addition, some DIY audits-like the City of Seattle's free online audit guide (http://www.seattle.gov/light/printdocs/DoItYourselfHome.pdf), suggest hiring a pro if you suspect asbestos materials have been used in insulation or around pipes, ducts, or heating equipment. Airborne or crumbling asbestos particles are a health hazard. And a pro might be the right choice when dealing with insulation around or near electrical or examining electrical systems with bare wires.
A self-audit, like a paid audit, serves as a jumping-off point to help you set priorities (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/prioritize-tasks-after-an-energy-audit/) for making your home more efficient. Whether or not you choose to make repairs yourself, one thing's for sure: You'll come away knowing more about your home's strengths and weaknesses than you did before.
Jane Hodges has written about real estate for more than half of her 16-year journalism career, for publications including MSNBC.com, Seattle Magazine, The Seattle Times, and The Wall Street Journal. In 2007 she won a Bivins Fellowship from the National Association of Real Estate Editors to pursue a book on women and real estate. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, CBS's BNET, and Fortune. She lives in Seattle in a 1966 raised rancher with an excellent retro granite fireplace. Latest home project: remodeling a basement bathroom.
Essential Heating System Maintenance
Published: September 24, 2009
Getting your home's heating system professionally serviced every year will keep it running smoothly and help keep heating costs under control.
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" is usually a good rule-except when it comes to your heating system. Even if it's humming along just fine, having a technician take it apart once a year to clean the lines and filters and give it a thorough inspection is absolutely essential. Regular servicing reduces the risk of breakdowns and prolongs the unit's life. Plus, it saves you money: For every year of maintenance you skip, energy bills jump 5% to 10% because of reduced efficiency. Here's the lowdown on heating system maintenance.
Who does the job?
The simplest way to get the work done is to hire your fuel company to do it. Oil companies and gas utilities usually provide this service, or you can hire the contractor who installed the equipment. Also, some plumbers handle heating systems.
What is involved?
The technician will clean soot and corrosion out of the combustion chamber where the fuel is burned, and check it for leaks or damage. He'll inspect the flue pipe for open seams, clogs, or corrosion that could cause carbon monoxide to backdraft into the house. He'll replace the filters on oil and forced-air systems. Finally, he'll test the exhaust from your cleaned machine and use the information to adjust the burner for maximum efficiency.
How much will it cost?
You'll pay between $100 and $180 for the service, depending largely on whether you have a gas system, which is easier to maintain, or oil, which requires a fair amount of soot removal. Usually the cost is covered by an annual maintenance contract that also provides 24-hour emergency service. While the technician is there, he should also service your water heater, assuming it has a separate oil or gas burner.
When is the best time to do the work?
Ideally, have your system tuned up in the fall so it's in top shape for the start of the heating season. Of course, that's when technicians are the busiest, so if you can't do it when you want, do it when you can-as long as your system is serviced once a year. And don't expect your provider to call to remind you that it's time. Even if you subscribe to an annual service plan, you still need to call to make an appointment. Call in the spring or summer to be sure of getting on the schedule in the fall.
A former carpenter and newspaper reporter, Oliver Marks has been writing about home improvements for 16 years. He's currently restoring his second fixer-upper with a mix of big hired projects and small do-it-himself jobs.
Save Money With an Insulation Upgrade
Published: September 10, 2009
Beefing up inadequate insulation is one of the quickest energy-payback projects you can do, resulting in lower heating and cooling bills and increased comfort.
Even if you live in an older home, there's no reason you need to shiver through the winter or roast in the summer. If your house doesn't have enough insulation-common in homes built before 1980, when energy awareness began to take hold-bringing it up to current standards will make it more comfortable all year long. Plus, you'll save anywhere from 10% to 50% on heating and cooling bills. The amount of savings for upgrading insulation depends on many factors, including where you live, what type of heating system you have, and how much insulation you add.
How to compare different types of insulation
On each type of insulation, a label states the R-value per inch, a measure of resistance to heat transfer. The bigger the number, the more effective the insulation. Where space is tight, such as within wall cavities, you need a high R-value per inch. In an attic or under a floor, where there is more room, you can boost the insulation value of a lower-rated material simply by using a thicker layer. As a rule, the more insulation you add, the more money you'll save. But there is a point beyond which you can spend more on materials than you'll recoup in lower energy bills. The tipping point varies depending on where you live. Consult the Department of Energy's zip-code specific recommendations (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs%2bwalls/insulation/ins_16.html) for the right amount of insulation for your climate.
Adding insulation in the attic
The attic is a great place to start, because adding insulation there is quick, easy, and cost-effective. (To make any insulation upgrade more cost-effective, it's a good idea to seal air leaks (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/8-easy-ways-seal-air-leaks-around-house/) first.) In the Northeast, for example, upgrading attic insulation from R-11 to R-49 would cost around $1,500 if you hire a pro-half as much if you do it yourself-and, depending on the type of heat you have, save about $600.
To determine how much to add, look up the recommended amount for your area (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs%2bwalls/insulation/ins_16.html), then subtract the value of your existing insulation. If you don't know, you can figure it out using the Home Energy Saver online energy audit tool (http://hes.lbl.gov/hes/makingithappen/no_regrets/insulationold.html).
There are two ways to improve attic insulation. In unfinished space, you can simply add layers to what is already on the floor. Or, if you're thinking about finishing the attic, you can put the insulation against the roof. Insulating the roof is the better method if heating and cooling ducts pass through the space, or if you live in a humid climate and want to cut down on musty smells coming from the attic.
If you're doing the job yourself (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/when-it-pays-to-do-it-yourself/), blanket-type material is easiest to work with. Just be careful not to compress it or it won't be as effective. If you're hiring a contractor, go with loose-fill cellulose or fiberglass, which fills crevices better. You'll pay a pro around $1 a square foot to blow in material; DIY batts cost about half that.
If you're insulating the roof, sprayed foam polyurethane (http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/insulation_airsealing/index.cfm/mytopic=11600) works best because it molds to rafters, blocks water vapor, and has a high R-rating per inch. Expect to pay about double the cost of loose-fill insulation.
No matter which method you choose, federal tax credits (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/tax-credits-adding-or-replacing-insulation/) of up to $1,500 are available to defray the cost of materials.
Adding insulation to walls on main floors
It's fairly easy to add insulation in stud bays where none exists. (To check, cut the power to a few outlets on exterior walls, then unscrew and look behind the cover plates.) A contractor drills small holes through the inside or outside wall and blows in material. Costs range from around $1.25 per square foot for loose-fill fiberglass, cellulose, or rock wool to $4.40 for polyurethane foam, which insulates about twice as well.
If your walls already have some insulation, you probably can't add more without tearing into the drywall or plaster. That's not cost effective unless you're remodeling, so the best strategy may be to wait until you need to replace siding (http://www.houselogic.com/articles/your-guide-to-replacement-siding-options/). Then you can add insulating sheathing underneath it.
Basements and crawl spaces
Even though hot air rises, homes lose heat in all directions. So besides insulating the top and sides of your house, you also need to insulate the bottom, where as much as 30% of energy loss can occur. As with the attic, you have two choices: Insulate under the bottom floor and treat the crawl space or basement as outdoor space, or insulate the walls and treat the area as indoor space. In that case, you would close off all exterior vents except those needed for combustion air or exhaust.
Though floor insulation is more common, wall insulation has many advantages, including cost-it takes about a third less material to insulate the walls of a 36-by-48-foot basement as to insulate the subfloor above. A key detail, not understood by all builders, is to place a layer of rigid foam insulation against the foundation to keep moisture from condensing against the cold walls. If you want to finish the basement, you can cover the foam with a stud wall, fill it with unfaced fiberglass insulation, and cover with drywall.
Jeanne Huber is the author of 10 books about home improvement and writes a weekly column about home care for the Washington Post.
