The High Cost of Cheap Rock Salt…..Part 1 of 2BY STAN Barrett · FEBRUARY 12, 2015

Rock salt also known as sodium chloride works by being absorbed into the water. The mixture of water and salt has a lower freezing temperature than the ice, making it possible to melt it. While this brine is in place on any surface, it makes it hard for ice to form. When shopping for different ice melting products, often there is a bewildering variety. What you want is to simply melt the ice and make the walkways and driveways safe, avoiding lawsuits and injury. Knowing you are going to have to use it often and maybe a lot of itso saving as much money as you can seem like a good idea, but is it. Maybe what you want to consider are the after effects of the products you are using to solve the ice problem.While good old fashion rock salt is cheap, provides a little traction as well, there are problems you will have to contend with later in the spring when all the snow is gone. Using rock salt repeatedly on your concrete also makes its way onto your landscape as it melts the ice and the brine runs off onto and into the ground area where your grass, shrubs, tree and flowers grow. If a green landscape is what you want, in the spring that’s what you’re not going to get. So let’s begin to look and some otherice melting options. I have a list.Well, there are the members of the chloride family; sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride and potassium chloride. You may have heard of these family members, each one has their own characteristics of course. Let me tell you what I’ve found out about them.

First, you may already know about the (market) leader of the bunch sodium chloride, “aka” rock salt. When you follow the directions in applying it rock salt will work in very cold temperatures—it works best in temperatures of between 15 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit. The main thing to be concerned about is overspreading the rock salt. It won’t make it work better, but just mix with the melted snow and drain into the ground. This in turn dehydrates the plants in addition to throwing off the balance of the pH in the soil. This is the result

[ picture ]. Rock salt can also damage: asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, metal, wood decks besides the landscaping. I should also mention that salt water can kill your pets if they lick it up.A strange thing is that about the damaging aspects of sodium chloride and concrete is that while concrete may look like a very solid hard building material it’s very porous. When rock salt melts, water it will soakinto the concrete (which acts like a sponge). The salt draws additional water, so when the salt water mixture gets into the concrete it will increase the water in concrete up to 10% more than it normally has. If ever the temperature falls below 25 degrees this salt water in the concrete expands resulting in breaking apart concrete to one degree or another. With additional freezing and thawing over and over again more damage occurs.

The next one in the family is magnesium chloride. Now, the fact is, even though rock salt (sodium chloride) is the most popular, magnesium chloride is an up and coming contender, yet calcium chloride is in the number two spot for popularity. In any case, magnesium chloride is a safer and smarter choice than sodium chloride.The reason I say safer is that it is better for the environment (your lawn) and less corrosive to concrete. It is also a very effective and fast acting ice melter, that works at temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Since magnesium chloride has the quality of being a hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air, just like calcium chloride) de-icer it absorbs moisture and forms very quickly into a brine, starting the process of melting. This is a very good quality in areas where there is a lot of foot traffic. If this product is not overused it will leave very little residue behind to be concerned about. Another good thing is a substanceknown as “CMA” [Calcium Magnesium Acetate] is a coating used in some brands of magnesium chloride, which provide additional protection for animals and children.You should know that magnesium chloride is also a hexahydrate salt, which means that it already has 53% water content by weight. Because it is rather diluted by water from the start more of it must be used to equal the melting effectiveness of calcium chloride or sodium chloride (rock salt). Given that magnesium chloride cost more, and is like the other members of the chloride family it is moderately corrosive to common metals that are unprotected. Therefore, since magnesium chloride is less effective than the other chlorides which is something of adrawback, yet it is safer for; pets, kids and plants are a big plus that makes this product well worth considering.

Nowfor area very

popular member of the chloride inthe number two spot, we havecalcium chloride.In stores you will find this calcium chloride, which is a fast acting ice melter made into flakes, pellets, or liquid form. What’s great about this one is that it works in temperature down to -25 degrees, which is much cooler than the temperatures usually encountered, Oakland County Michigan where West Bloomfield Township is located. Since this calcium chloride protection works down to such low “temps” it provides damage protection against freeze/thaw cycles that rock salt doesn’t.Both magnesium chloride and calcium chloride can leave a slippery residue that is difficult to clean from concrete, floors and carpet. On a note to manage these deicers in your home calcium chloride bonds morestrongly to concrete than to other flooring materials, and it takes a stronger acid to loosen its grip. Mix a solution containing 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water or 1 part hydrochloric acid to 20 parts water. Spread the solution generously; wait several minutes, and neutralize the acid by mopping with a dilute solution of household ammonia and water. To prevent people from tracking calcium chloride in your house, place an absorbent mat by the door and encourage visitors and family to remove their shoes when they enter.To Be Continued….

Calcium Chloride Beads

Flake Cacium Chloride

Ice Dams DamageBY STAN · FEBRUARY 6, 2015

When the buildup of snow on the roof melts, it travels down the roof’s shingled surface and later refreezes gradually creating ice dams. In an earlier post I stated that inadequate insulation and air blocking of any opening or recessed lighting,allowing heat to flow into the attic space contributes to ice dams. Now I’d like to correct that statement to say that interior heat is not the only problem leading to ice dams. Excess attic interior heat is only part of the problem, which can be corrected. The other part of the problem is on the exterior, whichyou can’t control and that’s “Winter Sunshine”. Yes, when you have a lot of

sunshine the roof shingles tend to store up heat (especially with a darker color) and that heat will melt the snow that is in immediate contact with it, even when the attic is totally insulated to the max.

This roof/sun reaction I’ve learned will contribute to the formation of ice dams. So any heat from below as well as the solar heat from above will cause the snow to melt. The snow refreezes at not only the roof edges where it’s colder but also at the gutters as well as in the roof valleys and

Ice Dam off Overhang

roof overhangs.Now, after covering why ice dams can form, next I’d like to tell you the kind of damage they can do—if you don’t already know. Ice dam damage is progressive in that the longer they exist on your roof edge; 1.) The larger they can get2.) The greater amount of damage they can do. As I’ve covered before in a previous post on roof insulation and ventilation, ice dams first damage the shingles on your roof by lifting them up and out of place. They can also pull the gutters off the facia boards on the ends of the overhangs of your roof.

Liquid water can form behind the ice dams and leak into your home ruining drywall, paintings, wall hung photos, draperies, warping wood floors, creating mold, ruining clothing inclosets and damaging furniture plus many other things in your home. In doing handyman repair work over the years I have seen this happen many times. Most of what I have had to repair was ceiling and wall damage. I have also thrown out molded clothing, repaired or replaced wood trim and cleaned mold from walls. Large icicles can also be a safety hazard to family and neighbors. So now that you know why ice dams form and what damage they can do to your property, I’ll cover some options on how you can eliminate them.There are several means, but to begin with, you can use a snow rake on one story ranch homes to stop the snow from building up so much that it can melt down and refreeze to become ice dams, but this is not an option for larger homes in West Bloomfield, Novi and Orchard Lake area. So aside from getting on top of your roof which America’s Home Services Inc. doesn’t do, most usually chemical means are relied upon.

The class of chemicals which are known in the industry are called deicers. When it comes to your roof you have to be particularly careful, because the wrong chemical can do a lot more harm than good and can be quite expensive to repair. Ok, here you go: Stay away from anything with the name “Chloride” in it such as Calcium Chloride or Sodium Chloride. While Sodium is cheap and used on roads and Calcium Chloride works very well and fast, even down to -25F the Chlorides are corrosive to the galvanized roofing nails that hold your roofing shingles to your roofs’ wood sheathing. Also Calcium and Sodium Chlorides can be harmful to your evergreen shrubbery and grass, there is also an issue of throwing off the ph of the soil affecting grass and gardens. The water runoff created by the mixture of Calcium Chloride and the snow-melted water from the roof can make walkways and porches very slippery. Best products to use would be “Calcium Magnesium Acetate” known as CMA and another one is “Sodium Acetate” also known as NAAC. Whilethese would be the best chemical deicers to use on a roof with little or no danger to plants and animals. There is also the factor of the means of delivery. What I have seen used are long fabric tubes or these chemicals formed into large 3 inch diameter tablets placed on the ice dams.

Electric heat wiring placed in “W” patterns are also used or heating wires in the gutters or a combination of both are used as opposed to chemical means. The aforementioned electric option is not always completely successful with heavy snowfall. The best yet a more expensive option is engineered roof edge heat panels. Aside from this there are many companies that will provide placement service of deicers for any ice dam problems you may have.America’s Home Services, Inc., However, at this time is limited to an outside working height of about 14 feet and I am providing the above facts for informational purposes, so you can head off damage to your home.

The Dark Side of Spray Foam Insulation…..Part 4 of 5BY STAN · JANUARY 31, 2015

Open Cell Spray Foamwww.insulationnw.com

Spray foam can have many wonderful benefits and yet a small potential disaster

In this post I will cover more details about spray foam, to give you a more complete picture of this industry’s products. In homes spray foam insulation comes to in two main classes which would be first of all closed cell. Closed cell is usually is high density foam and may be called a two pound foam. Open cell is a low density foam and is referred to half pound.By use of the word pound it is referring to what a type of foam weight per cubic foot. Therefore, a unit of 2 lbs. or 3 lbs. Closed cell measuring 12 inches by 12 inches by 12 inches is much different than open cell weighting only ½ pound of the same size I mean we’re talking about onefoam product that is three to four times heavier than open cell.

THE HEAVY AND THE LIGHT WEIGHT

It is the heavier weight closed cell material that gives added strength to the interior of structures to which it is applied. It is the closed cell which is generally waterproof and provides resistance to water. It is the closed cell that is filled with a gas which renders it a more effective insulator than open cell which is just filled with air.

Foam Cakewww.pasprayfoam.com

WHEN THE SPRAY FOAM BENEFIT ARE REVERSED: PROBLEM OF FLAME COMBUSTION WITH SPRAY FOAM.

The spray foam used in most homes would be rated as “Class One” foam. This refers to smoke rating and flame spread and “Class One” is what you want for your home. In this case, both types of spray foam can be rated “Class One”.In the case of that old standby fiberglass many building code will allow it to be left exposed, that is not covered by drywall if it has that “Class One” rating. Most often you’ll see uncovered fiberglass in attics, basements and garages.Now here’s where the difference is between fiberglass and spray foam. Ifyou put a torch to a piece of cured spray foam and take it away the flame goes out. Well, that’s good right. The problem can result because spray foam is such a good insulator, foam is excellent at holding heat and stopping movement of air. Conversely, within an enclosed environment if it gets hot enough say around 450 degrees or better it will self ignite. That’s seems like a lot of heat, but actually it’s somewhatlower. So if there is a fire or lightning strike you can’t count on the spray foam not to burn.These facts about spray foam compared to fiberglass means that “Class One” rating is just does not have the same level of protection. Spay foamcannot be left exposed to some type of ignition barrier in any part of in many cases as well as fiberglass can.One thing you need to know is that when a home is insulated with spray foam from the basement to the attic it in effect become a heat trap. Parts of a home can be insulated with spray foam like the basement and/or the attic but not the entire house.The more facts you should know about spray foam insulation.Your first experience with open cell spray foam is that when it’s installed,you should leave your home for 24 hours, giving it a change to out gas and cure. This out gassing will continue for a period of as long as 30 days. Closed cell spray foam insulation don’t off gas nearly as much as open cell.

Another fact about open cell spray foam is that by being low density it has a high moisture absorption rate. Open cell sprayfoam can be somewhat sponge like with water vapor. This is so much so that it can be subject to condensation (dripping water). So now I may as well tell you that “anything” that hold water for a long period of time as I have seen as a

Open Cell Being Shaved Downwww.demandproducts.com

handyman working on houses for better than 3 decades, will develop mold and fungus.I have seen this in homes in West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake and Walled Lake other “lake boarding” cities where water abounds. I have dealt with mold on walls, cinder block walled basements and inside cabinets. Mold and fungus love wood and drywall best not that these other materials should be jealous.Sad news, fiberglass insulation is also friendly to mold. Anytime you have water penetration into the building where water is slow to dry out you’ll have the potential for mold problem.

Notice the tight layer that Closed Cell makes as it being applied.www.aaasprayfoamny.com

Closed cell spray foam it the hero in this case because it is so moisture resistant. Closed cell foam also makes a home more rigidity and less influenced by high wind conditions by this I mean movement.Both open cell and closed cell insulation reduce the volume of outside noises. Building codes will allow the use of spray foam in attic situations without ventilation, closed cell is the best fit in that case. Spray foam, closed cell, would also work well for cathedral ceilings. Insofar as open cell spray foam, it would present a high mold risk if used in the basement where there may be a high likelihood of water penetration, because it tends to hold water.NOW FOR THE REAL DARK SIDE OF SPRAY FOAM

Closed cell has many benefits yet, there is the possible problem of self ignition if not properly shielded and on the other hand with open cell spray foam there is the problem with moisture vapor absorption. But wait there more, remember when I wrote of out gassing, there are chemical that can cause asthma like breathing problems if the mix is wrong. It is estimated at 1% of homes were spray foam is installed that things can go south. When this has happened, it can be so bad that homeowners have had to sell their homes because this spray foam is very clingy or just extremely hard to remove. By in large closed cell

insulation is a wonderful insulator that can dramatically heating cost.Just know that closed cell spray foam several times more than fiberglass and more than the open cell type spray foam (which expands to the extreme and has to be trimmed or shaved down flat after it hardens). Keep this handyman in mind for your small home repairs.major source credit to:The Wonderful World of Foam for Beginnersby Pat DundonDundon Insulation, Inc

Insulating and Venting the roof…..Part 3 of 5BY STAN · JANUARY 29, 2015

Since I’m not in the spray foam business, but a regular handyman, it was necessary for me to do a some research about spray foam given the size of the of the homes I’ve work in, such as West Bloomfield and the Novi Michigan area. I like to start out by covering some of the basics about spray foam facts, also including theadvantages and pitfalls. Then I shall conclude with another option for you to

consider.Insulation it all about the HeatHeat moves in naturally is from warm place to a cooler place. Heat fromthe inside of your home during the winter to the outside, or from the outside to the inside of your home during the summer. Resistance to that movement is what insulation is designed to do.Depending upon the type of material the insulation resistance or “R” value will vary in effectiveness per inch of a given substance. Various kinds of materials used in construction such as window glass, wood, stone, fiberglass, spray foam or cellulose all have different “R” values.Among all of the different materials intended for insulation fiberglass,

ATTIC RAFTER and SHEATHINGAPPLICATION

rigid foam panels, spray foam or cellulose: spray foam and cellulose are on top in terms of insulation efficiency.Keep in mind these principles, “heat moves from the warmer place to thecooler place, therefore, in your home (in every room) the heat you pay for to keep your family warm is going to travel. It may travel to the garages, and under-floor crawl space, the attic and the basement. It will also go right through your doors, windows and walls to the great out doors. This just it’s thing it wants to do.Insulation’s job is to stop it this heat motion or slow it down from traveling to the colder locations. So just like a flush valve in a toilet whenthe water level lowers beyond a certain point, your thermostat senses the room temperature and signals to the furnace. Your furnace control valve then turns on what ever type of heating system you have to keep everyone comfortable.

SPRAY FOAM INSULATION

Every insulation type be it spray foam, fiberglass blankets, loose fill cellulose, fiberglass batts, trap air within them and as a result heat can’t travel very well through them.In the case of spray foam there are types which are filled with different kinds of special gases which increaseresistance to the flow of heat even more so than plain

still air as relied upon in fiberglass or cellulose insulation.I should also mention there is a reflective type of rigid foam insulation board that has a reflective foil on one side which reflects the radiant heat from our bodies and other sources back into your home. Different types of insulation are more suitable in certain cases more so than others, sorry it’s just not as simple as one size fits all.Insulation can only work where it is placed, therefore, heat will pass through were ever it has an opening to a colder area. As a result any gaps in the insulation coverage will allow heat to pass. This is where a handyman service like America’s Home Services Inc. can help with the air sealing of plumbing, electrical and other penetrations into the attic

from the ceiling below—usually before additional insulation is applied be it whatever type. Spray foam done correctly is the best at sealing attic (it covers so completely)spaces and open walls, lets say before drywall is applied.

Spray Foam beingapplied

insulationnw.com

Spray Foam applied to open walls in basement–I thinkgreenspirationhome.com

GETTING INTO THE SPECIFICS OF SPRAY FOAM

Among the various types of spray foam insulation there is Urethane which is a two-part system, like epoxy glue tubes, the amount of what’s called part “A” must be mixed with a precise amount of part “B”. If that mixture called a “ratio” is wrong you got some serious problems, including poor cell structure (oversized bubbles). Using a single drive cylinder to push product through two material delivery cylinders. ‘s Urethane is generally spray applied.The delivery system of the two cylinders is of equal volume, so unless the installer is careless or there is some malfunction normally it goes welland you don’t get what called on off-ratio mix with urethane. To be continued….

Insulating and Venting the roof…..Part 2 of 5BY STAN · JANUARY 25, 2015

The other major factor in the attic environment is ventilation.

While the main focus of these posts are winter conditions that drive up heating expense and effect the comfort of your home remember this fact:Even though ice dams can cause serous damage to roof edges and the interior of your home however an in adequately vented roof during warmmonths can go a long way to destroying your entire roof in a short few years.

This is due to excessive heat buildup, when your attic is like an oven. As a handyman or home repair-person I tend to notice curled or buckled shingles also with missing gravel coated surfaces.

This happens with newer homes (less than 15 years) as well as older ones. The time isn’t taken during construction to properly

BUCKLED ROOF SHINGLES

An Attic Fan is an excellent optionto maintain a cooled Attic Space.

install enough roof vents or it may be due to poor design in the first place.

Yes you do have to be conscious of making sure your roof is adequately vented. Moisture issues that may build up in between the roofing materialand sheathing especially in the Orchard Lake, West Bloomfield area there are numerous lakes and a lot of moisture.This Owens Corning venting calculator will help you determine home much venting should be in

place for your attic space. You might what a handyman service like America’s Home Services to go up and measure it for you—there could be bats up there.

•If you use closed cellfoam insulation you can blow that right against the underside of the sheathing and not worry about venting.•The thermo-dynamics of this

method greatly reduce any chance for issues from not venting

and this is an accepted method by building inspectors.• If you use open cell foam or any sort of batt or blow in insulation

you will need to vent the roof.• This can be achieved easily by installing

venting baffles on the underside of sheathingin the attic.

These venting baffles are manufactured items that fit between the roof rafters and block the insulation from covering the soffitvents, thus leaving an air space under the

Lake area Home fromrealtynetwork.net

Roof Sheathing Heat and Moisture

How a Soffit and Baffle work togethercreating a channl to Vented an Attic

Foam Insulation with InsulatedDuct work

Insulation Baffels all Air Passage

sheathing that vents the roof. You have to make sure that air can flow from the bottom to the top with these baffles. The baffles products have names like Raft-r-vent–and they are very inexpensive.

“You cannot control the environment outside your home, but if you don’t control it

within and on the exterior surface of your home, then you will have to deal with an

greater expense in heating and maintenance plus discomfort and deterioration of this

investment which is your home.” ___Stan Barrett

Insofar as the other exhaust part of the ventilation system; you can have combination several options. Most common are the round holes cut into sheathing and covered by the roof vents pictured above left. The best or most effective type of roof

vent is a different type of passive vent called a Ridge Vent. It creates anair flow that is more dynamic and effective.

Vented attic/roof designs have the advantage of a long, proven historical track-record. However, they work best with airtight ceiling/attic interfaces and not where ductwork and air handlers are located within attic spaces. The

increase in the use of complex roof shapes and cathedral ceilings has resulted in problems with vented roofs .

“Unvented attic/roof designs have the advantage of providing conditioned spaces for ductwork and air handlers. However, they require different approaches in different climate locations. Building Science Corporation”

As stated before homes with cathedral ceilings many of which I’ve seen the Novi,

Walled Lake and West Bloomfield area, with the larger homes many have air

conditioning units located in the available attic space.

Common RoofVent

homeownershub.com deerparkroofing.com

These are more effectivethan small roof vents

America’s Home Services Inc. is

a handyman service, who’s

business model is to provide

small home repairs. The

information provided in this

series is for informational

purposes. What services I will

provide are; inspection, foam

sealing of gaps in the attic, attic

fan repair and replacement,

insulating small areas, inserting

baffles as mentioned and

illustrated above, and insulating access panels. In a future post I will have more to say about spray foam insulation (which I don’t do) andice dams.

Solving a leaking wood sided chimney problemBY STAN · JANUARY 24, 2015

Cross Section of Unvented Attic Design www.asme.org

America’s Home Service Inc. Servicing West Bloomfield, Novi and surrounding areas in Oakland County Michigan

Recently when ask buy a new customer about solving a problem with a leaking wood siding style chimney. This chimney (the customer believed) was leaking from the trim board joints. Under most circumstances a high quality caulking will do the job but thatyou see as just one option. Some other options would be to install one oftwo types of crowns (or chimney tops); 1) measure then shape bend and apply a metal crown flashing or2) apply a cement crown covering material which could further be protected with a weather seal coating

Now when it comes to just using caulking to fill suspect water entry points (without adding anything additional to the top), you will have two basic quality choices. Elastomeric Caulk

Chimney Crown Coated

This type of caulk is an excellent choice for most porous surfaces because of its flexibility and adhesion properties, its ease of use and water clean up. “Shorter-lived products won’t expand and contract as well. It can bridge gaps of up to 1/2 inch wide and deep, though it will usually require two applications or the use of foam backer rod to do this effectively. Elastomeric caulk can expand and contract as much as 200% and is claimed to last as much as 50 years by some suppliers/manufactures.

Elastomeric can be easily painted. Elastomeric caulk dries quickly, so you need to tool (that is press in with a rounded corner plastic or metal tool) this caulk immediately after application. These reason for this recommendation is that “Elastomeric” caulking is very long lasting, which is what you want in a situation where you don’t want repeated repairs every few years but every few decades. Also knowthat, rain, snow, or other inclement weather will affect the effectiveness during product application.Polyurethane Caulk

Polyurethane caulks can also be painted, it’s flexible,and weather resistant. Although it is more expensive of the more common caulk types, it is a standard of the construction industry for outdoor use.

Polyurethane Sealant

The reason being is that they have superior bonding ability, to the extentthat they can be used as an adhesive in certain applications. Because of this, polyurethane caulk works well in joints between dissimilar materials, for example window sill plate joints of wood to concrete, joints between flashing and masonry around chimneys, and joints in driveways and concrete slabs between different masonry types. Furthermore, polyurethane caulks are the most expensive and more difficult to apply than latex, butyl or elastomeric type caulking. Yet, on the other hand, polyurethane last longer than latex and butyl caulking, it can cover a wider gap (up to 3/4 inch), and will stretch farther. It takes about 2 days for the outside to skin over, about 1 month to cure fully, and it can last more than 20 years.

Another issue is that not only must the weather be good (not rainy or snowy) but the wood surfaces must be completely dry, with a maximum of 18% surface moisture content.

If rain or other inclement

weather is imminent the caulking products should not be applied because to become effective they will need several days to cure and bond. Further notes on caulking are;• Apply caulks when the temperature is between 40°F and 100°F.• Clean the surface: vacuum or wipe dust and dirt, then remove any

oils or surface deposits with a suitable solvent.• Use a backer rod to limit joint depth to half the joint width.• Tool with a spoon or other rounded instrument to completely fill the

joint and force the caulk against the sides.

The general rule of thumb is if you have a crackor joint that exceeds one-half-inch by one-half-inch, you should use a

foam backer rod.

Chimney Before Work Started AHSjob Finish Chimney External Rehab

AHS job

Caulk FinishingTool

Foam Backing Rod InPlace

Foam Backer Rod

In general I have a policy to limit my working height for any job done by America’s Home Services to a maximum 18 feet above ground level.

Insulating the Attic and Venting the roof…..Part 1 of 5BY STAN · JANUARY 23, 2015

The overall objective is to have the interior of an unfinished attic the same temperature in winter weather as the outside air. This temperature should be consistent from the top peakinside your unfinished down to that narrow edge where you can just barley fit your hand.THE POINT OF THIS “TEMPERATURE CONTAINMENT”IS MANIFOLD.1. To prevent roof ice dams at the

edge of the roof wherea. A strange (I think) mini glacier of ice moves up your roof often lifting up shingles as it goes.b. Melts and send a slow stream of water back along the soffit (defying gravity because of capillary action [don’t think I’m going to explain that one]) back into your homes exterior wall.c. This ice dam water saturates your wall insulation; reducing it’s effectiveness.d. Ruins the interior wood trim (crown moldings, baseboards, window casings and door casings.e. Mold “will” develop in any warm wet environment, which will contaminate the air quality of your home, often resulting in respiratory problems.f. Ice dams, if large enough will pull the gutters off your home, creating

Attic Envelope without Vents..Your Attic Design maydiffer.

an unsightly mess in the spring. When you then don’t have properly operating gutters during the snow melting and following rains; water canthen saturate the ground next to the foundation and find it’s way in if there are any small openings. I liquid water has reached an opening thenfreezes and thaws it will making the opening larger. The water gremlin wants to destroy your home.2. To prevent heat loss to the outside environment which drives up homeheating cost. You in effect are heating the outside of your neighborhood,hey, good luck with that.What you want is to keep every pennies worth of heat inside your living area were it belongs and not in an unfinished attic. When a roof is snow covered after a fresh snow and stays that way it’s a good indicationof a well insulated home, however, if you see snow melt in different parts of the roof (when you haven’t had a lot of sun) or a lot of the snow is melted when other houses on your block are covered then that’s a cause of concern.3. To increase the comfort of your home in the second floor if there is one, reducing cold then heating up cycles, resulting in a lower workload on the furnace’s blower motor.Ok, so I’ve explained why; now how it is done. A good starting point would be to understand the temperature zones of the United State. The are simply color coded horizontal bands running across the country stacked on upon another that tell you the general temperature ranges in your state.Having said that, Michigan is in zone 5, which means that the unfinished attic floor insulation should have at least an R38 to R49 value (depending of on the source of information you read) and a maximum of R60 would be needed for our area. Any more than R60 would be a waist of money.Even to achieve an R38 value takes fiberglass bats of a thickness which depends on how the product was made some claim to achieve R38 valuewith 6 1/2 inches and the most common thickness would be 9 1/2 inches and sometimes 10 to 12 inches. To reach a value of R60 would take a layer of R38 then a layer of R23. I favor the second layer at a right angle to the first in a criss cross pattern.An R 38 value in loose blown insulation would be 12 inches settle height. An R60 value would be 18 inches settled height, when the job is first done you could expect to be about 2 ½ inches higher.While I, as a handyman, generally don’t insulate entire attics in large homes (except for the small areas). I do seal openings and cover recessedceiling lights (with a special cover made for that purpose) which allow heat to flow into the attic.The insulation effectiveness is dependent upon open inlet spaces from

plumbing, electrical and any other opening which also allow heat to flow up into the attic space.Now that just covers the insulation part.The other part is the venting. Which I will cover in my next post. Most of the above information is my personal experience together which my training to obtain my builders license and my experience as a home inspector plus ongoing training to become a “Certified Home Inspector”. I’d like to say that I’m also involve in an ongoing study of “Building Science”. Maybe some day I’ll be an expert but for now should you hire an insulation company you’ll know a lot about what’s needed, hopefully, and how it should be done. In later posts I’ll cover venting of your roof and spray foam insulation. Take care.by Stan Barrett

When Water Comes In through Basement Windows…UninvitedBY STAN · JANUARY 22, 2015

I had a call to visit a homeowner who didn’t have any problems with water entering his basement via the floor or walls (which is usually what happens), but through three of his basement windows. I find that this can be a re-occurring problem with basement windows so I decided to give some advice to homeowners on different methods to help stop

leaking basement window wells.Exposed basement at grade with downspout to feed in extra water. First, you need to make sure that there is positivegrade at the edge of the window well and slopingaway from [like a hill] from the entire side of thefoundation, otherwise you will never be able to This is about a 20 degree

slop, when houses arevery close together a

valley effect for drainagebetween the two lots.

stop groundwater from flowing in along the basement wall.Then it flows directly into the window well because dips in the ground near your home serve as catch basins for water to collect–and seep into your home.

This is why I would say 10 to 15 feet away, only it looks a little unsightly but cheaper than anunderground drain (which I’ll do for you).

This is why I would say 10 to 15 feet away, only it looks a little unsightly and may be a nuisance when cutting the lawn, but cheaper than an underground drain which I’ll dig for you as part of my handyman service.

Downspout Drain Pipe Dug Out With on Gravel Base.

Second, make sure all of the downspouts carrying away roof water are extended underground about 10 to 15 away from the foundation′ ′ –the soil near the foundation of newly built homes (less than 10 years) tends to be more loosely packed. Having these long extensions has many benefits (except during lawn cutting, but cheaper than an underground trench), but in this circumstance, it prevents water from flowing directly into the window well or bleeding back through the sides of the well. The last call I was on had 2 downspouts pouring (almost) directly towards his window wells.

Third, if possible, the baseof the well needs to have asurface collection drain (drywell) to drain the wateraway from the home. Thiscan only be achieved if thehome has positive gradeaway from it’s position onthe lot. Another option is torun all the collection drains from the window wells to

a meter pit to pump the water away from the home.Fourth, add a cover to the well to divert rain water from the well during heavy rains. This is typically the first option homeowners go to; but it willonly stop a minimal amount of water from entering and should only be used after the water is being properly drained away from the window.

Fifth, it is possible to install a completely enclosed window well that can be fastened and sealed to the foundation. This option will likely have a cover to shed water off the top of the well. Typically, these egress window wells are installed for emergency access out of the basement. The only downfall to this system is the sealant used to prevent water leakage around the sides. As with any sealant, over time, it might fail; so it is vital that the homeowner inspects the sealant regularly.

Sixth, my least favorite option, is to channel excess water from the well through and down the basement wall into an existing drainage system. This would have to be a last case scenario. Typically a basement waterproofer will offer this option when a basement drainage system is being installed. It’s never a good idea to introduce more water into the basement, but in some cases, there is no other option.

How To Prevent or Thaw Frozen Pipes ….Part 2 of 2BY STAN · JANUARY 20, 2015

Basement WindowWell with drain

Breakdown of window wellconstruction

One type of window wellcover

Frozen Pipe Break

When you have some cold areas (rooms) where water supply lines are

within the walls, floor or ceiling; keep a small trickle of water running in

the wash basin and tub/shower. There is also, something called a

transfer register which is just a hole in ceiling or wall covered by a grill

that allows heat to pass from one room to another.

Air Transfer Grill

I have had repair not only dry wall and the pipe section in a second floor

bathroom where water pipes were in a exterior wall under a window, but then

pack the wall cavity with insulation, after that, remove carpeting, use a wet

vacuum to suck up the water on the wood flooring and dry it out as well.

[It’s been my experience that the overwhelming majority (excluding furniture,

clothing and carpet) of the cost of water leaks are from the repairs of wall, floor

and ceilings.] __Stan Barrett

In many cases the pipe runs may be located in the exterior

wall –this is where the siding, brick or windows are part of

the wall or outside of it– because these pipe runs supply

water to your kitchen faucet can be within cavities which

lack in adequate insulation.

Over the course of many years I’ve seen a large number of homeowner

experience pipe damage they’ve never (this happed just recently in Oakland

County) had before because of an exceptional cold winter and the existing

insulation just failed to work well enough.

Injecting expanding insulation in the right amount and location is a very

workable solution, I think, because doing so causes only a small penetration in

the wall surface.It would be best to combine this with infrared

thermal imaging or using a temperature sensing gun.You can open the cabinet doors under the sink to allow

warm interior air to warm the wall and help protect

the pipe. (The problem with this solution is that you

might not always remember to do this but it doesn’t

cost anything.) Another way is to plug into the

remaining garbage disposal outlet a simple light

socket with a 75 to 100 watt bulb to generate heat.

Wait there more, how about using

a cool “temperature switch”

which will turn on a common

bulb or heat lamp when

freezing temperatures are

present.

Sump Pump Pipe Freeze

Another problem can be a pipe leading to a sump pump can become blocked with ice

causing them to run continually. There is when a basement sump pump discharge pipe

goes there a basement wall to a location in the backyard.This discharge pipe should be 42 inches below the surface of the ground and end

an a dry well—a hole filled with small rocks. A solution to this can be

relocating the pipes lower or insulating them at there existing locations using passive

insulation or “electric pipe heat tape” found at Home Depot and other places.

Infrared Thermometer with

Laser Sighting

Outlet-to-Socket Light Plug

Freezebuster FB3-TC3

Thermocube Ivory In-Line

Limiting Plug-In Freeze

Protection Thermostat

Suncourt Ductstat Plug-in

Thermostat Temperature Sensitive

Swith

Cozy Products Hi-Low Heat

Control Switch

When you have exposed pipes in attics, basements or

crawl spaces can simply be protected with heat wrap

electrical cord or split foam insulating tubes over

pipes.

In conclusion, water leaks from damaged pipes can

cause hundreds of dollars and more in damage to wall,

ceilings, floors, cabinets, carpet and furniture. This

may result in insurance clams (I’ve seen this

happen). So it always better to spend the required amount to prevent or solve this problem then spend hundreds or a few thousand later. One of the reasons I’ve stopped working on rental properties is that investors are unwilling do or spend what’s required.

While it may be past the time and well into the winter season, keep the measures in

mind because some are useful even now.

Know where the main water shut off is located in case of an emergency which can

save you a lot of money incase of a burst pipe. Just be sure you have a clean pathway

and lighting to get to it quickly. When you can have a ball joint lever valve installed

on it because this works extremely fast rather than turning a round screw in valve.

There is an insulated cover for outside water spigots

mention before but be sure to drain them and unhook the

water hoses, then store the hoses.

If you have any supply swimming

pool be sure that they are covered

with insulated pipe sleeves that go

right over the pipe.

6 ft. Electric Water Pipe

Heat Cable

Ball Valve with Drain

spigot cover

In attics, basements and crawl spaces be sure that both the hot water and cold water pipes are covered with these insulated split sleeve covers. Please don’t leave heat lamp unattended for extended periods of time resulting in a fire.-Walk around the perimeter of your home (called the build envelope) and locate all foundation and attic vent areas and cut insulating foam board to size, then caulk any small gaps you find at the vents or elsewhere.-If your house is at a consistent temperature (warm) both day and night the will help to prevent pipe freeze.-Be sure not to have your garage door open for extended periods of time.-Whenever you plan to be away from home for trips of any duration do not set your thermostat below 55 degrees.If anything else comes to mind or I find some useful advice, I’llbe sure to pass it on. Hope you liked this post and it helps you. If you need help with any of these measures (except changing the sump pump discharge or inlet pipe location), feel free to contact America’s Home Services Inc. Take care.

How To Prevent or Thaw Frozen Pipes ….Part 1 of 2BY STAN · JANUARY 19, 2015

HOW TO PREVENT FROZEN PIPES PART 1 OF 2

Freezing water always expands and when it happens to be in your pipes (a confined area), pipes will develop either small or large cracks. Even when cracks aren’t visible they will still leak.So how do you keep pipes from FreezingThe most venerable pipes are those in or near the exterior walls of your home and the pipes outside your home buried in

shall ground like those of sprinkler systems or garden fountains.Buried water pipes which are below the frost line in our area of West Oakland County Michigan is 42 inches (it is different at other locations in the United States) do not present a problem. Sprinkler systems and fountains should be drained in the late fall season before the first frost.

Your water hose bibs orspigot (actually is referred to in the trade as silcock) should be drained by first turning off the water inside then turn off when water line outside for each hose bib with the

water hose removed.While we are past the time for this preventative maintenance to be done,remember that in the spring when things thaw out. A fast leak, when you turn on the water is better then a slow one, this is because a slow leak that goes on for days or weeks can do much more damage to the drywall and wood framing of your home.Ok,so what about right now!Well, water pipes located along basement exterior walls, in garages, under porches, in crawl spaces and in attics are all places I have had to thaw out frozen water pipes in crawl spaces. In thawing out pipes use a hair dryer (not a torch), as a pro I’ll use a heat gun. You can also use a space heater –I prefer the new infrared heaters

I call this a medium size split because a crackcan be just a hair line size.

Sprinkler ConnectionRepaired it was just to closeto the surface of the ground

Old style hose bib

To prevent pipes from freeze I’ve used split foam wrap, fiber glass wrap, used a small opening or

ran a duct work to heat the pipe location and plug in heat wrap cords (called a heat cable). A heating cable should always be plugged in a grounded electrical outlet at the least but a GFCI outlet is best.…………to be continued

Best way to clean granite counter tops.BY STAN · JANUARY 17, 2015

Cleaned and Sealed Kitchen Granite

There are a lot of different opinions on this — use Windex! No, never use

Windex!

Use a special granite-only cleaner! No, you don’t need a special granite-only

cleaner! — but after doing some research, here is an agreement among most stone

experts on how to care for granite.

The best part? You really don’t need any special cleaners to get those countertops

shiny and streak-free.

Split foam insulation should thenbe sealed with duct tape

pipe wrap This Fiber Glass Pipe Wrapcan be combined with foam

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF CLEANING GRANITE

DO: Make sure your granite counter-top is sealed (that’s where America’a Home

Services Inc. comes in. While granite is a very hard surface and less porous than

marble, unsealed or weakly sealed granite will soak up oils, spills, and

stains. To check whether your granite is sealed, leave a few drops of

water on the surface. If it beads up, you have a secure seal. If after a

few minutes the water has soaked into the granite, then it’s time to

reseal the stone.

DON’T: Use harsh or abrasive cleaners and sponges, Windex, acidic cleaners

like vinegar, lemon, lime, or anything with ammonia or bleach. Frequent

use of these chemicals will dull and weaken the sealant over time.

Basically, the harsher the cleaner, the quicker it will break down the

sealant.

DO: Wipe up spills as soon as you notice them.

DO: Use warm water, a mild or gentle dish soap, and a nubby washcloth or

microfiber cloth for daily wipedowns.WHAT ABOUT DISINFECTING?

A well-sealed granite countertop is relatively impervious to bacteria. Hot water and

dish soap should be adequate for daily sanitizing. However, if a stronger

disinfectant is desired, mix together a 50:50 solution of water and 91% isopropyl

alcohol. Spray onto the granite, allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then rinse with water

and dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Avoid bleach or ammonia-based cleaners.WHAT ABOUT SPECIAL GRANITE-SAFE CLEANERS?

There are granite cleaners out there, like this one from Method and this one from

Granite Gold. Some all-purpose surface cleaners also specify that they’re safe for

granite. Use these cleaners if you want — just know that you don’t have to buy them

if you don’t want to.The cleaning instructions below will work just fine!

All you need to clean granite counter-tops are warm water, mild or gentle

dish soap, a dish cloth, clean microfiber cloth or terrycloth towel, and

91% Isopropyl alcohol (optional).

•Here’s an Item List To Clean and Disinfect Granite Countertops

Warm water

Mild or gentle dish soap

Dish cloth

Clean microfiber cloth or terrycloth towel

Isopropyl alcohol (optional)HOW TO GET IT DONE.

–Wet your dish cloth with warm, soapy water. Fill the sink with warm water and a

mild dish soap, then thoroughly wet a clean dish cloth.

–Wipe down the granite countertops. You don’t need us to tell you how to do this

part. Just wipe away any spills or crumbs on your countertop!

–Dry with a microfiber cloth to avoid streaking. Dry and buff your granite

countertop thoroughly with a microfiber cloth or soft terry cloth towel to avoid

streaking.

–Shine and disinfect with a water and isopropyl alcohol solution. To

periodically disinfect your granite countertops, remove soap residue, and restore

shine, mix together a 50:50 solution of water and 91% isopropyl alcohol.

–Spray onto the granite, allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, then rinse with

water and dry with a clean microfiber cloth. Enjoy your nice, shiny,

clean granite countertops!