Thursday, April 7, 2016

3 Different Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

Everyone knows by now you can clean with baking soda and vinegar, but often people don't think about hydrogen peroxide as an ingredient for cleaning.  This stuff is frugal, Eco-friendly, and really can produce amazing results for both your laundry and for cleaning around your home.


Hydrogen peroxide is a type of oxygen bleach, which means as you'll see from the uses listed below, it's got a lot of laundry uses, as well as cleaning uses.

It is typically color safe, just like other oxygen bleaches like oxiclean.  That concentration is 3% solution which you can find in the brown bottle in your drugstore, typically in the first aid aisle.

Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide

1.  Brighten clothes as alternative to bleach. Instead of adding either chlorine or oxygen bleach, you can add 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide to your washing machine as a natural, Eco-friendly bleach.

2.  Versatile DIY pretreat stain remover.  If you enjoy making your own laundry products don't forget this easy recipe for a versatile stain remover--2 parts hydrogen peroxide to 1 part dish soap.  You can mix this recipe together and keep in an opaque spray bottle and use in a similar fashion to any other laundry pretreater.

3.  Remove red wine stains.  Red wine is known as a quite difficult stain to remove, but a simple recipe that works extremely well to remove these tough stains is equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dish soap.  Spray the mixture on the stain and allow it to sit for three hours, and then wash with cool water.



You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

Sunday, April 3, 2016

Small Repairs You Can Do Yourself

Small Repairs You Can Do Yourself

Broken tiles? Leaky faucet? Don't hire a professional for a small repair -- fix it yourself! We'll show you how


                        

  • Quick and Easy Repairs


    Want to fix a pesky problem in your kitchen or bath without breaking the bank? Tackle those small home repairs yourself -- home improvement expert Paul Ringling, from Strosniders Hardware in Bethesda, Maryland, explains how.
  • Problem: Broken Tile


    Solution: Remove the grout around the tile with a grout saw, a small tool available for a few dollars at paint and hardware stores. If a tile has already started to chip, continue to break off little pieces and remove the entire damaged tile. If not, make a hole in the center with a masonry drill, which will break the tile, and remove the pieces from the center outward. Glue the new tile in place with an adhesive such as Liquid Nails, then apply fresh grout around the edges.
  •                                             

    Problem: Torn Vinyl


    Solution: Use a silicone-base seam sealer to fill the tear and wipe off the excess with a dry cloth. Or try this easy fix: If it's a no-wax floor and the tear is small, take a bar of soap and rub it sideways along the cut until it is filled. You'd think the soap would disappear when you wash the floor, but unless you immerse the vinyl in water and use a brush, the soap will stay in place. It won't be as good as new, but it will go a long way to hide the problem.
  •                                              

    Problem: Scratches in a Wood Cabinet


    Solution: Hardware stores sell a number of scratch fillers that look like brown pencils or crayons. Find the shade that most closely matches your cabinet and rub it into the scratch. Or you can try a similar product that is more like a felt-tip pen and comes in different shades of ink.
  •                                                                                                                        

    How to Paint a Room


    Painting is one of the easiest ways to update and add color to a kitchen or bath. Here's how to paint a room like a pro.                        
  • Problem: Frozen Icemaker

    Problem: Frozen Icemaker

    Solution: Inside the freezer, remove the ice bin and find the tray where the water freezes into ice cubes. Open the tray and look for a little piece of plastic pipe where the water flows into the ice-cube tray. The end of that pipe can freeze up. You can thaw it out by aiming a hair dryer at the pipe. It should thaw within five minutes.
  •                                             

    Problem: Loose Laminate Countertops


    Solution: Buy an adhesive such as Liquid Nails -- the kind that says "projects" on the label -- and apply it beneath the laminate. Press the laminate down and put something heavy on top until it dries. Liquid Nails and similar products are available at hardware and lumber stores.
  •                                             

    Problem: Worn-Out or Dried Caulk


    Solution: Put some adhesive remover (3M makes a particularly good one) on a damp cloth or sponge and wipe over the silicone caulk. Let it soak in. Remove the old caulk and clean the area with a ceramic tile cleaner. Let it dry, then recaulk.
  •                                              

    Problem: Stains in Grout


    Solution: If grout is stained with mold or mildew, tile cleaners such as Tilex can kill it. Be sure to soak the stain well with the tile cleaner and let it sit for at least a couple of days. Mold and mildew need time to die, and when they do, they turn white. If the stain is from wine, remove the affected grout with a grout saw, then regrout. About 48 hours later, use a grout sealer to reduce the likelihood that the grout will stain again.
  •                                              

    Problem: Drippy Faucet


    Solution: First, stop the flow of water to the faucet by turning off the stop valves under the sink. If it's an old faucet, remove the handle by unscrewing it. (The screw may be hidden under a plastic piece that you can flip off with a pocketknife.) Once the handle is off, remove the chrome cylinder underneath, then remove the nut that holds the stem in place. Pull out the stem and replace the washer. New faucets have "seats" that serve the same purpose as a washer, but you need to buy one that's specifically for the brand and model of your faucet. Disassemble the faucet and take it to a hardware or plumbing store if you need help identifying the model.




You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

The Top 8 Native Plants Of Southern California

Top Native Plants of Southern California

These tough, beautiful plants can take hot, dry conditions with ease. They're among the best easy-care plants for gardeners in this region.


Matilija poppy

This beautiful perennial native poppy is often called the "fried egg plant" for its enormous white crepe papery flowers with their golden yellow centers. This plant spreads by aggressive underground runners, so plant it on a slope or other location with room to run.
Name: Romneya coulteri
Growing Conditions: Dry growing in full sun with well draining soil. Fussy at transplant, so keep root disturbance at an absolute minimum. Plant in fall.
Size: 4-5 feet tall x 8 feet wide
Zones: 6-10
  •                                              

    Lemonade berry

    This large evergreen shrub is native to coastal sage scrub and chaparral. It has beautiful deep green leathery leaves and rose pink spring flowers. Excellent for screening and habitats. Stabilizes slopes.
    Name: Rhus integrifolia
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; full sun or part shade and well draining soil.
    Size: 5-10 feet tall x 10-15 feet wide
    Zones: 9-10
  •                                              

    Toyon


    This large, evergreen shrub has deep green leathery leaves and red berries in winter. Excellent habitat plant and screening plant. Stabilizes slopes.
    Name: Heteromeles arbutifolia
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; full sun or part shade and well draining soil.
    Size: 8–15 feet tall x 15 feet wide
    Zones: 7-10
  •                                             

    Hoary California fuchsia


    This mat-forming perennial has narrow, slightly fuzzy pale green leaves and brilliant vermillion flowers in summer.  Plants tend to run by runners so give it room to roam.
    Name: Epilobium (Zauschneria) canum
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; full sun. Grows in less but blooms best in full sun.
    Size: 1 feet tall x 4 feet wide
    Zones: 9-10
  •                                              

    Chalk liveforever


    Chalk liveforever's ghostly blue-white succulent rosettes create long flower spikes that feature silver and red flowers in late spring and summer. Excellent choice to tuck in amongst rocks.
    Name: Dudleya pulverulenta
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; full sun and well draining soils. Takes a little shade.
    Size: 1-2 feet tall and wide
    Zones: 8-10


  • Shaw’s agave

    This smallish agave grows as a colony of succulent rosettes, whose dusky green blades are edged in sharp teeth. Flower stems can reach 12 feet with golden flowers.  Mother plants die after flowering but leaves pups behind.  Good in containers.
    Name: Agave shawii
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; full sun and well draining soils.
    Size: Rosette 2-3 feet tall x 3-4 feet wide; fllower spike to 12 feet tall
    Zones: 9-10
    Image Credit: Shaw's Agave closeup 2 by D Coetzee is licensed under Creative Commons.
  •                                             

    Desert mallow


    A favorite evergreen shrublet with fuzzy, silvery, crenulated leaves and cupped flowers in shades of brilliant orange to watermelon red. Blooms in early spring and after the unusual summer rain.
    Name: Sphaeralcea ambigua
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; full sun and well draining soils. Cut back by 30% after bloom to keep plants from growing too leggy.
    Size: 2-3 feet tall x 2 feet wide
    Zones: 4-10
  •                                             

    Manzanita


    This is a large group of evergreen shrubs, from groundcover to tree height, and varying widths. Most have architectural structures and mahogany- to ebony-color bark. Excellent habitat plants.
    Name: Arctostaphylos
    Growing Conditions: Dry growing after established; part shade or full sun to part shade depending on the species.  Prefers draining soils.
    Size: 1-25 feet tall x 4-18 feet wide
    Zones: 6–10, depending on species




  • You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

    VA Loans Vs. Conventional Loans

    VA loans are home mortgages guaranteed by the federal government through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both active-duty military and military veterans are eligible to use the VA loan program to finance the purchase of a home. VA loans have key advantages over conventional mortgage loans.

    Significance

    VA loans are one of the few sources for 100 percent financing of a home purchase. Veterans can buy a home using VA funding without making a down payment. A conventional mortgage requires a minimum 5 percent down payment in most circumstances. Bankrate.com reports that more than 90 percent of veterans using VA loans purchase a home with 100 percent financing.

    Private Mortgage Insurance

    Conventional mortgages require the payment of private mortgage insurance--PMI--if the home buyer makes less than a 20 percent down payment. PMI can add $80 or more per $100,000 of the loan amount to the monthly payment for a buyer using a conventional loan and 5 percent down payment. The VA prohibits lenders from charging mortgage insurance on VA loans.

    Credit Qualifications

    The VA will allow a loan applicant to have some credit problems and still qualify for a mortgage. The VA looks at individual applicants and is willing to take special circumstances into account when approving a mortgage for a veteran. Conventional mortgage lenders are tied to specific credit scores and have stricter underwriting standards when an applicant has had credit problems in the past.

    Types

    The VA offers guarantees on several types of mortgage loans. Fixed-rate loans are available with terms of 15 or 30 years. Adjustable-rate VA loans can have an initial interest-rate period of one, three or five years with annual rate adjustments after that. Conventional loans are available in similar types. The difference is that the VA dictates the terms of the loans to prevent abuses. This is especially important in ARM loans, where the VA sets the rates and limits of the rate adjustments.

    Features

    VA loans cannot have prepayment penalties, and they are all assumable loans. Both of these features can make it easier to sell a home financed with a VA loan, since most conventional mortgages are not assumable and have a paid-in-full clause if the home is sold. An assumable loan can be transferred to someone buying the home, allowing the new homeowner to take over the current mortgage on the home and not have to take out a new mortgage for the purchase. Prepayment penalties can be placed on conventional loans, charging the homeowner extra fees if he or she wants to refinance or sell the home in the early years of the loan.






    You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

    5 Small Business Marketing Tips

    1. Don't Advertise Like a Big Business


    Big businesses advertise to create name recognition and future sales. A small business can't afford to do that. Instead, design your advertising to produce sales... now. One way to accomplish this is to always include an offer in your advertising - and an easy way for prospective customers to respond to it.




    2. Offer a Cheaper Version
    Some prospective customers are not willing to pay the asking price for your product or service. Others are more interested in paying a low price than in getting the best quality. You can avoid losing sales to many of these customers by offering a smaller or stripped down version of your product or service at a lower price.




    3. Offer a Premium Version
    Not all customers are looking for a cheap price. Many are willing to pay a higher price to get a premium product or service. You can boost your average size sale and your total revenue by offering a more comprehensive product or service ...or by combining several products or services in a special premium package offer for a higher price.


    4. Try Some Unusual Marketing Methods
    Look for some unconventional marketing methods your competitors are overlooking. You may discover some highly profitable ways to generate sales and avoid competition. For example, print your best small ad on a postcard and mail it to prospects in your targeted market. A small ad on a postcard can drive a high volume of traffic to your website or generate a flood of sales leads for a very small cost.




    5. Trim Your Ads
    Reduce the size of your ads so you can run more ads for the same cost. You may even be surprised to find that some of your short ads generate a better response than their longer versions.




    You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

    Creating An Effective Social Media Strategy

    Do you have a social media strategy for your business yet?
    If you don’t, you could be missing out on game-changing results.
    According to the 2011 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, 78% of marketers saw increased traffic with just six hours a week invested in social media.
    The businesses that do social media marketing well will see even bigger wins in 2012, as the gap between who “gets it” and who doesn’t grows wider by the minute.
    The good news? You don’t need to be everything to everyone anymore. Chances are your strategy will be more effective if you keep it simple.
    As Michael Stelzner predicted, “The old mantra of ‘be everywhere’ will quickly be replaced with ‘be where it matters to our business.’ …It will be essential to focus on where you’ll see results.”
    Below is a three-step plan designed to help you develop an effective, streamlined road map for social media success.

    Step #1: Assessment

    Start with a single question: “Why social media?” The answer will dictate everything you do in this first phase. Assessment is to evaluate where you are, where you want to go and what the wins will be along the way.
    Put Your Audience First
    First things first: You need to clarify your audience’s needs, wants and challenges—not to mention where they’re spending time online. Use tools like Survey Monkey or Google Docs to quickly and inexpensively survey your customers
    The five major benefits of knowing your audience are considerable:
    1. Laser focus: You can create content that resonates instantly.
    2. Break barriers: Confront pain points head-on to build trust.
    3. Language: Increase engagement by being a person your audience relates to.
    4. Empathy: The more you listen, the better you can respond to specific needs.
    5. Positioning: You can become the go-to source in your niche.
    Define the Guiding Theme of Your Strategy
    In their book, The Now Revolution, authors Jay Baer and Amber Naslund explain the importance of defining your theme. Since you’ve identified your audience, the next step is to ask yourself what you want them to do . What’s your theme? It’s usually one of three things:
    • Awareness
    • Sales
    • Loyalty
    Loyalty and awareness can both lead to sales, of course—but stick to just one overarching goal for your strategy. Consistency and simplicity are key here.
    Now it’s time to get really specific. This might be the hardest piece in the assessment process, and yet it’s critical to your success. Ask yourself, what does my business actually do? What do my fans say when they’re happy? What is at the core?
    Talk it out with your team. Together you can hone in on what Jay Baer calls your “One Thing”—the heart and soul of your brand. Your “One Thing” will affect every content and posting decision you make.
    To borrow Jay’s examples, if Disney = magic and Apple = innovation, what do you equal?
    Your “One Thing” is the voice of your strategy across every network.
    Identify Metrics and Monitoring Opportunities
    How will you measure your strategy’s success? Depending on your theme, the metrics may change. For example:
    • If your theme is awareness, you’ll want to measure growth, engagement, brand awareness, sharability, likes and subscribes.
    • If it’s sales, look at click rates, social e-commerce sales and conversion rates.
    • For loyalty, look at engagement, sentiment and influence (HINT: Klout and EdgeRank Checker are good sentiment-measuring tools).
    It’s useful to monitor some overall trends too, like mentions of key people at your company, your company name, brand names, product services, competitors and industry keywords.
    And if you’re new to data measurement, take baby steps. Start with a simple free tool like Google Alerts.
    Don’t wait for an emergency to nail down your communication policies. For example, what happens when there are negative comments? How should the company’s social sites be used? Are there guidelines for what fans and followers can post to a company Facebook page?
    Drill down on the answers in a written editorial guide tailored to your business, team and goals. A good guide will address:
    • Who is your team? Who is responsible for what?
    • What’s the point? Identify why you’re using social media, and what you want to track.
    • Where? Identify the networks you want to focus on.
    • When? Be as specific as possible; e.g., blog at 8 am, post it to Facebook at 10 am.
    • How—identify team tools and platforms. Including examples is great, especially when it comes to formatting of content. Your guide should enable anyone new on the team to know what’s going on.

    Step #2: Implementation

    Next up: execution. The implementation phase is all about zeroing in on the details and day-to-day tasks you and your team are now responsible for.
    Create a Content Calendar
    Now that you have an editorial guide, it’s time to translate policy into concrete actions—preferably on an editorial calendar. The more information and detail you include, the better you can measure effectiveness. Consider:
    • What is the theme or essence of your content?
    • Who will create it?
    • When and where will it be shared?
    • How often will you create content versus share third-party content?
    • How will you deliver content—as eBooks? Blogs? Video? All of the above?
    Have a Step-by-Step Plan for Promotion and Growth
    There are literally hundreds of ways to get your team promoting and sharing on the key social media sites you plan to use. Here are a few to get you started:
    Run contests and promotions or offer rewards.
  • Showcase your expertise. Drive traffic (and build a reputation) by offering webinars and training programs, interviewing experts and guest blogging, to name a few.
  • Promote your networks consistently. Add networks to letterhead, email signatures and business cards.
  • Identify Core Sales Campaigns
    Yes, social media is about relationships first. But the fact is, once you’ve built solid, genuine relationships online, you’re going to want to use your influence to grow your business. That doesn’t mean shoving it down fans’ throats or putting sales above the relationship. It simply means that you can and should promote what you offer to the people who believe in your mission.
    Establish an action plan for the core campaigns you’ll use to collect and nurture leads, like:
    • Outline promotional policy—what is acceptable, and what is not allowed?
    • Identify and implement opt-in opportunities—like a custom welcome tab on your Facebook page.
    • Determine where to direct leads—for example, will you create an eCommerce platform on Facebook with a custom tab, or sell only on your site?

    Step #3: Monitor, Measure and Get Momentum

    After about two months of running your brand-new social media strategy, it’s time to hunker down with your team, evaluate your progress and fine-tune the details.
    Schedule an Evaluation Session
    Don’t put off analyzing your results. Schedule your first evaluation meeting when you start phase one. I recommend scheduling a meeting about two or three months out from your start date. That’s just enough time to start seeing results and identifying weak spots.
    Make sure you or your team members bring numbers and data to the table and are prepared to discuss them. Metrics, no matter how simplistic, will help you figure out what’s working and what’s not. Include time for brainstorming new ideas, too.
    Take Advantage of the Momentum
    If you’re seeing traction with your strategy at this first evaluation milestone, consider mixing it up and adding some more advanced strategies into your plan. You have momentum building—run with it!
    Here are ideas for some “next steps” to take:
    • Facebook ads are a good, inexpensive way to grow your fan base, increase engagement and collect leads. Try mixing up different ad types and destinations.
    • Run a multi-level contest integrating multiple channels (like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). Use a promotion, event or reward that will resonate with your audience. Word-of-mouth is a powerful way to leverage momentum.
    • Live Q&As on Facebook, Twitter or Google+ hangouts.
    Ultimately, everyone’s social media strategy will look different—and will get very different results. To be effective, know your business and the metrics that matter to you. A consultancy might need just 100 high-quality fans, whereas a company that sells a product might need several thousand to see financial results.

    Now It’s Your Turn

    Does your business have a social media strategy in place? What tips do you have for someone putting a strategy together for the first time? Leave your questions and comments in the box below.




    You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

    Wednesday, March 30, 2016

    Eaves And Fascia Board: How (Not) To Fix Them

    Eaves are a vulnerable part of your house, exposed to weather and damage by falling limbs.  Luckily, they aren't too hard to repair when the inevitable happens and repair is needed.  So, if your eaves are wooden, and you have some damage to your fascia board to deal with and if not why are you reading this? 

    Fascia? That's the name for the vertical board or panel on the front of your eaves.  It's complement is the "soffit"- the board that forms the bottom of the structure.

    The first thing is getting to the eaves, which means using a ladder.  That's the dangerous part, especially if the ground where you need to work is uneven or sloping.  It's important to find or create an even, level surface for the ladder.

    Once you are up there, you need to remove the damaged part of the board.  In this case it was easy because the damaged section of board was already short.  But if you have damage to a long section of fascia board, you may choose to replace just the damaged portion.  That's not easy because the need to protect the roof deck of itself makes it hard to make a complete cut across the fascia board.  A reciprocating saw, sometimes referred to as a "Sawzall" is probably your best option.

    Once the damaged board is removed, you are ready to begin fabricating the replacement pieces.  Often that will just mean the main fascia board itself.  The common board in use for this purpose in North America is a 1x6.

    If you're replacing a corner piece, the easiest way to measure the angle you need is to use the old board as a template.  You can do this even if the old board doesn't have a clean, complete edge due to the damage suffered.  Just use a straightedge to create the straight line you need, as shown below.  

    Once the board is cut to fit, paint it.  I believe in painting both faves of the board to better protect it from moisture and insects, though contractors will usually just paint the outside.

    The next step is to replace the fillet.  You can use a cardboard template or pattern to fill the space.  I actually drew directly on the scrap piece of plywood used for the repair.  Paint the piece as you did for the fascia board, and then install it.  

    Seal joints with a paintable sealant, both for a smooth finish appearance and to keep moisture out.  I used a good quality latex product.  


    You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html

    Sunday, March 27, 2016

    Advantages Of Solar Energy

    Solar energy offers considerable advantages over conventional energy systems by nullifying flaws in those systems long considered to be unchangeable. Solar power for home energy production has its flaws, too, which are outlined in another article, but they're dwarfed by the advantages listed below.
     
    Solar energy is a great choice
    The following are advantages of solar energy:
    • Raw materials are renewable and unlimited. The amount of available solar energy is staggering -- roughly 10,000 times that currently required by humans -- and it’s constantly replaced. A mere 0.02% of incoming sunlight, if captured correctly, would be sufficient to replace every other fuel source currently used.
    Granted, the Earth does need much of this solar energy to drive its weather, so let’s look only at the unused portion of sunlight that is reflected back into space, known as the albedo. Earth’s average albedo is around 30%, meaning that roughly 52 petawatts of energy is reflected by the Earth and lost into space every year. Compare this number with global energy-consumption statistics.  Annually, the energy lost to space is the combined equivalent of 400 hurricanes, 1 million Hoover Dams, Great Britain's energy requirement for 250,000 years, worldwide oil, gas and coal production for 387 years, 75 million cars, and 50 million 747s running perpetually for one year (not to mention 1 million fictional DeLorean time machines!). 
    • Solar power is low-emission. Solar panels produce no pollution, although they impose environmental costs through manufacture and construction. These environmental tolls are negligible, however, when compared with the damage inflicted by conventional energy sources:  the burning of fossil fuels releases roughly 21.3 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. 
    • Solar power is suitable for remote areas that are not connected to energy grids. It may come as a surprise to city-dwellers but, according to Home Power Magazine, as of 2006, 180,000 houses in the United States were off-grid, and that figure is likely considerably higher today. California, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, Vermont and Washington have long been refuges for such energy rebels, though people live off the grid in every state. While many of these people shun the grid on principle, owing to politics and environmental concerns, few of the world’s 1.8 billion off-the-gridders have any choice in the matter. Solar energy can drastically improve the quality of life for millions of people who live in the dark, especially in places such as Sub-Saharan Africa, where as many as 90% of the rural population lacks access to electricity. People in these areas must rely on fuel-based lighting, which inflicts significant social and environmental costs, from jeopardized health through Rural, off-grid homes are excellent applications for solar powercontamination of indoor air, to limited overall productivity.  
    • Solar power provides green jobs. Production of solar panels for domestic use is becoming a growing source of employment in research, manufacture, sales and installation.
    • Solar panels contain no moving parts and thus produce no noise. Wind turbines, by contrast, require noisy gearboxes and blades.
    • In the long run, solar power is economical. Solar panels and installation involve high initial expenses, but this cost is soon offset by savings on energy bills.  Eventually, they may even produce a profit on their use.
    • Solar power takes advantage of net metering, which is the practice of crediting homeowners for electricity they produce and return to the power grid. As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, public electric utilities are required to make available, upon request, net metering to their Manhattan, and much of the northeast USA, goes dark in August, 2003customers. This practice offers an advantage for homeowners who use solar panels (or wind turbines or fuel cells) that may, at times, produce more energy than their homes require. If net metering is not an option, excess energy may be stored in batteries.
    • Solar power can mean government tax credits. U.S. federal subsidies credit up to 30% of system costs, and each state offers its own incentives. California, blessed with abundant sunshine and plagued by high electric rates and an over-taxed grid, was the first state to offer generous renewable-energy incentives for homes and businesses.
    • Solar power is reliable. Many homeowners favor solar energy because it is virtually immune to potential failings of utility companies, mainly in the form of political or economic turmoil, terrorism, natural disasters, or brownouts due to overuse. The Northeast Blackout of 2003 unplugged 55 million people across two countries, while rolling blackouts are a part of regular life in some South Asian countries, and occasionally in California and Texas.
    • Solar power conserves foreign energy expenditures. In many countries, a large percentage of earnings is used to pay for imported oil for power generation. The United States alone spends $13 million per hour on oil, much of which comes from Persian Gulf nations. As oil supplies dwindle and prices rise in this politically unstable region, these problems continue to catalyze the expansion of solar power and other alternative-energy systems.
    In summary, solar energy offers advantages to conventional fossil fuels and other renewable energy systems.
     


    You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html


    Inspecting An Adobe Style Home

    Adobe is a natural building material made from clay and sand mixed with water and an organic binder, such as sticks, straw or dung. Adobe structures are more common in inhospitable climates and where lumber is scarce.  They're commonly built in low-income communities that lack the resources to construct more complex or conventional designs whose components are more costly. InterNACHI inspectors should be prepared to find adobe buildings in all types of communities -- even wealthy ones -- as green building advocates and experimental builders have become more attracted to adobe construction in recent years.
     
    The History of Adobe
     
    Due to the abundance of its constituents and ease by which it is produced and shaped, adobe construction is truly ancient and universal. Even the word “adobe” has existed for around 4,000 years, with little change in its pronunciation or meaning; it can be traced from the Middle Egyptian word for “mud brick” and was borrowed by Late Egyptian, Demotic, Coptic, Arabic, Old Spanish and, finally, English. San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe, New MexicoEntire cities have been made from the material and many adobe buildings have seen continuous use for thousands of years. Even within the United States, many of the oldest buildings, indigenous and European, were made from adobe. Two such examples are the San Miguel Mission of Santa Fe, New Mexico, thought to be the oldest church in the country, and Pueblo towns and villages that have withstood the winds of the American West since 750 AD. Today, the use of adobe is still widespread across the American Southwest, North Africa, West Africa, western Asia, South America and southern Europe.
    Perhaps not surprisingly, adobe is an ideal building material for the climates in which it is most commonly found, such as deserts and other regions typified by hot days and cool nights. The material’s great thermal mass cannot transfer heat without a relatively long input of sun exposure, keeping the interior cool during the daytime when the sun burns intensely. By the time the sun sets, the thick adobe walls will have absorbed the sun’s heat, which is then slowly released into the living space when the outside temperature is at its lowest. By the time the structure has exhausted its heat reserves, the sun will rise again, starting the cycle anew.
    Adobe provides excellent soundproofing and fire-resistance, which is helpful when a fire must be kept lit during cold nights. It is also easy to produce; according to Sustainable Sources, a green building journal, adobe requires less than 1/150th of the energy required to manufacture a similar amount of Portland cement, and less than five times the energy required to produce ordinary brick. 
    Adobe Construction Elements
     
    The following materials are commonly found in adobe construction:
    • bricks:  While adobe can simply be piled up and shaped into a structure (as did American Indians before their contact with the Spaniards and their architectural influences), it is generally cast into uniformly sized bricks before they are assembled.  A man molds adobe bricks in the traditional method.The adobe mixture, by weight, is roughly half sand, one-third clay, and one-sixth straw or some other organic, fibrous material. Modern bricks are 14 inches long, 10 inches wide and 4 inches thick. Water is used to turn the clay and sand into a more fluid, malleable consistency, and the straw helps the bricks shrink more uniformly while they dry. Visible alkali salts or brackish water should be avoided for mixing adobe.  A test brick is sometimes made to ensure the suitability of local soil. To form bricks, the wet adobe mix is poured into molds or pressure-molded using special machinery and then left to cure for weeks. Bricks are sometimes kiln-fired in low temperatures, but their use at the exterior is discouraged in climate zones with daily freeze-thaw cycles;
    • mortar:  Traditionally, mud mortar was used to lay adobe bricks, as the two have the same rates of thermal expansion. Modern adobe bricks may be laid with cement (or some other strong mortar) if the adobe bricks are stabilized during production using certain admixtures, such as asphalt, in order to limit the adobe’s water adsorption. Cement mortar will accelerate the deterioration of natural (or non-stabilized) adobe bricks, however, because the cement is stronger than the adobe;
    • foundations:  The foundations of historic adobe buildings were made from a variety of materials, including seashells, bricks, tile fragments and field stones. In more modern adobe structures, foundations may be large or non-existent.  Adobe structures were rarely constructed over basements or crawlspaces. Modern building codes prohibit the use of adobe as a foundation material due to its low structural strength;
    • walls:  To compensate for their structural weakness and to support a heavy roof, adobe walls are massive. They may account for 15% to 20% of the weight of the whole house, while frame-house walls account for about 5% of the structure’s weight. The aspect ratio, or the ratio of the height of the wall to its thickness, should not be higher than 10 or the structure will be unstable. For this reason, adobe structures are almost exclusively only one or two stories tall and used for single-family housing;
    • floors:  Floors may be flagstone, tile, fired brick or adobe brick;
    • roofs:  Older adobes of the American Southwest were typically built with flat roofs with parapet walls. Logs and wooden poles were incorporated into the roof for support. Sawn planks and boards are used in newer adobe roofs and for repairs in older adobe. Adobes built over the last hundred years in New Mexico have sheet metal for roofing;
    • bond beams:  On top of the highest layer of brick is the bond beam, which provides a horizontal bearing plate for the roof to distribute the weight more evenly along the wall. They help anchor the roof against wind loads and secure the structure against earthquakes and the gradual effects of gravity. The Universal Building Code (UBC) states:

      The wood tie beam shall be a minimum of 6 inches in thickness, except as provided for walls thicker than 10 inches above; A wooden lintel framing a window in an adobe structure
    • lintels:  Lintels are used to distribute loads over entrance ways and window openings, as well as for decoration. Concerning lintels in adobe, the UBC states:

      Lintels shall be minimum in size, 6 inches by wall thickness. All ends shall have a wall bearing of at least 12 inches. All lintels, wood or concrete, in excess of 9 feet shall have specific approval of the building official; and
    • footings and stem walls:  The footing and stem wall of adobe houses should be 24 inches and 14 inches, respectively, both of which are somewhat larger than those for frame houses whose difference is due to the greater weight of adobe walls. In colder regions, such as the mountains of New Mexico, adobe footings are dug even deeper to avoid the expansion and contraction caused by freezing cycles. 
    Adobe Coatings
    Adobe walls that are not stabilized require exterior coatings to protect against moisture intrusion. Even in stabilized adobe, protective coatings can retard surface deterioration caused by sand, wind and insects.
     
    While inspecting adobe homes, InterNACHI inspectors may encounter the following types of coatings:
    • mud plaster:  This was typically used on historic adobe houses because it bonds easily with the brick and exhibits the same expansion under heat. The mud plaster must be smoothed manually, which can be a time-consuming process;Workers plaster a massive adobe wall.
    • whitewash:  Similar to mud plaster, whitewash includes gypsum and acts as a sealant when it’s brushed onto the adobe. It has fallen out of favor in recent years due to its impermanence and high maintenance, as it must be re-applied regularly;
    • lime plaster:  Consisting of lime, sand and water, lime plaster is stronger than mud plaster but it tends to crack easily. Walls are sometimes cut with hatchets to create grooves that encourage the lime plaster to adhere to the adobe. This style became popular during the early 20th century; or
    • stucco:  This consists of cement, sand and water and is applied with a trowel over a wire mesh nailed to the adobe surface. This material has enjoyed popularity because it requires little maintenance when applied over fired or stabilized adobe brick and because it can be easily painted. Many New Mexican structures appear to be adobe but they’re actually stucco-clad wood or concrete, as their builders use stucco to convey a historic adobe appearance. 
    Adobe Buildings and Moisture Damage
    Adobe structures are extremely vulnerable to the effects of moisture, which are mainly in the forms of rainfall and the local water table. Adobe will lose its structural strength as it becomes saturated, turning into putty and eventually flowing and dripping as a liquid. Rainwater splashes can cause coving, which is the hollowing-out of the wall just above grade level.  The drThis adobe walls shows the damage begun by coving.ying process after rainfall can create furrows, cracks, deep fissures and pitting. Weakened walls will bulge, deform and eventually collapse under the roof’s weight. For these reasons, the survival of adobe structures depends on keeping them free from excessive moisture. 
     
    The destructive effects of moisture on adobe buildings may be substantially halted by the following remedies:
    • Slope the land adjacent to the structure so that rainwater does not pool next to its lower walls. Consider creating drainage channels, French drains or swales to direct rainwater away from the building.
    • Remove trees, plants and other vegetation from the adobe structure’s foundation and walls. Moisture can be collected by their roots beneath, next to or even on the building’s walls. Roots might also be growing into the structure and physically destroying the walls from within. See our article on Tree Dangers for more information about the problems of intrusive roots.
    • Apply hydrophobic coatings to repel water from the walls. In older structures, mud plaster, whitewash or stucco may be used to maintain the historic appearance.
    • Slope the roof. Flat roofs will allow rainwater to pool. Parapet roofs are particularly troublesome, as their high walls will allow rainwater to pool, slowly disintegrating the adobe.
    • Stabilize the bricks near ground level. Natural untreated bricks should not be used within 4 inches of ground level, where moisture intrusion is most likely.
     
    Adobe Buildings and Earthquake Dangers
     
    Adobe is a heavy yet relatively weak building material, which makes adobe structures particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. The typical mode of collapse is out-of-plane failure of the walls, resulting in the loss of support for the roof.
     
    The scope of this danger can be seen in the devastation caused by the 2003 earthquake in Bam, Iran, where a 6.6 temblor leveled thousands of adobe homes. Along with them fell the 2,500-year-old Bam Citadel, which, at 180,000 square meters, was then the largest adobe structure in the world. Iran's Bam Citadel, which was destroyed in a 2003 earthquake
     
    In seismically active Peru, one can further see how not to design earthquake-resistant adobe homes. Traditional construction techniques used there do not call for binding the four walls together, making them vulnerable to even modest seismic shifts in a country that has experienced more than 450 major earthquakes in the last century alone. One Architecture Week reporter commented, “You can see gaps at the corners and between the walls and the roof. That means that when there's an earthquake, the walls just flop outward like cards.  And the roofs, which can weigh up to 11 tons, come crashing down, crushing people to death."
     
    Experimental building techniques in Peru have revealed that strips of electro-welded wire mesh may be used to "sew" the house together along the inside and outside seams of the walls, which are then covered with concrete. This adobe wall shows a severe gap where these walls (almost) join.Local materials, such as bamboo and sugar cane, have also been used successfully to strengthen houses against earthquakes. These measures do not make the structure indestructible but, rather, allow the occupants extra time to escape before the ceiling comes crashing down.
     
    Building codes related to the structural reinforcement of adobe are more stringent in seismically active regions, and inspectors and adobe homeowners should learn about the earthquake dangers for their region. An engineering analysis should be performed to determine whether and what type of reinforcement may be necessary.  According to the UBC, steel reinforcement, if used in adobe, "should be embedded in a cement-based mortar and grout unless there is a positive interlacing of reinforcement around the earthen material." Misguided attempts to secure adobe walls often cause more harm than good, as steel reinforcement inserted vertically into adobe bricks can cause cracking because it prevents the new adobe from naturally shrinking. Steel will also not bond with adobe as easily as it will with fired brick or concrete.
     
    Other Inspection Tips
    Inspectors may notice that adobe walls are pitted, bulging or cracked, or the roof may be sagging, but the cause of these problems may not be obvious. Yet, historic and modern adobe structures share common deterioration problems, so it pays to understand the basic vulnerabilities inherent in the material.
     
    Consider the following sources of adobe deterioration:
    • intrusive vegetation:  Perhaps not surprisingly, adobe tends to attract vegetation and animals that naturally live in soil. Seeds deposited by animals or blown by the wind will germinate there.  Insects, rodents and birds will find adobe walls and foundations very comfortable to nest in. Plant roots will forcefully degrade adobe bricks and retain moisture, undermining the strength of the structure. All plant and animal pests should be removed from the structure unless their removal would cause further damage;
    • sand erosion:  Wind-blown sand is a common source of adobe deterioration in desert climates. This damage is generally found at the top half of the wall and at the corners, where it can be distinguished from coving that is caused by rain splashing on the lower portion of the wall. New adobe mud may be applied where sand has damaged the walls or roof. Trees may also be planted as windbreaks, although they should be planted far enough away from the structure so that their roots do not themselves pose a threat;
    • incompatible materials:  Older adobe structures have periodically been repaired using cement or steel, which may cause the surrounding adobe to crumble. The reason for this is simple: the relatively weaker adobe material is crushed by the newer materials, which expand at different rates due to temperature changes. Watch for the presence of steel doors and wooden lintels. Latex and plastic wall coatings applied to their exterior will not expand with the rest of the structure and will eventually cause portions of the wall to break off;
    • cracks in walls, foundations and roofs:  In adobe, cracks are generally quite visible, but their causes may be difficult to diagnose. Some cracking is normal, such as the short hairline cracks that occur during the curing process as the adobe shrinks and continues to dry out. More extensive cracking, however, usually indicates serious structural problems. The UBC states:

      No units shall contain more than three shrinkage cracks, and no shrinkage crack shall exceed 2 inches in length or 1/8-inch in width; and
    • the ground is not compressed or sufficiently tamped before building:  Before assembling an adobe structure, the ground should be compressed because the weight of adobe bricks is significantly greater than a conventional frame house. Uncompressed earth may allow sinking of the structure, eventually resulting in wall cracks, among other problems.

    In summary, adobe is an ancient and beautiful building material, and there are ways to prevent it from returning to the earth on which it stands.  InterNACHI inspectors, as well as green homeowners, can help avert costly mistakes and potential disasters by learning some fundamentals about its characteristics.



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    Example Of A Garage Inspection

    Above:  garage exterior
     
     
    This is the exterior of a townhome I was asked to inspect. During the inspection, I ran into a neighbor who told me that the roof of another garage, identical to the one pictured above two buildings down, had collapsed the previous winter under a snow load.
    So, I decided to keep my eyes wide open as I went through the garage.
     
     
    Above:  trusses and truss connections
     
     
    Some defects you have to search for, and some are pretty obvious. These first two defects were obvious from the doorway:
    • improper alterations; and
    • improper bearing points.
    Trusses cannot be altered in any way without the approval of a structural engineer. When you see plywood gussets added at truss connections like these triangular gussets, then an alteration of some sort has obviously been made and you have to recommend evaluation by a structural engineer.  So, that condition went into the report
    Trusses are designed to bear loads at very specific points. Typical roof trusses should not touch any interior walls and should bear only on the exterior walls. The two trusses at the left of the above photo are bearing on an offset portion of the garage wall.
    A portion of the structural roof load was being transferred to the bottom chords of the trusses at a point at which they were not designed to support a load.
     
     
    Above:  the connection
     
    Then I walked over and looked more closely at the connections where the trusses attached to the wall and found these problems:
    • inadequate metal connector (hanger);
    • inadequate fasteners (deck screws); and
    • improper fastener installation (through drywall). 
    These trusses would have best been supported by bearing directly on wall framing. The next best solution would be an engineer-designed ledger or engineer-specified hardware. And that may have been how they were originally built, but by the time I inspected them, 24-foot roof trusses were supported by joist hangers designed to support 2x4 joists. The hangers were fastened with four gold deck screws each.
    Gold deck screws are designed to resist withdrawal. Fasteners for metal connecters such as joist hangers are designed to resist shear.
    Withdrawal force is like the force which would be generated if you grabbed the head of a fastener with pliers and tried to pull it straight out.
    Shear force is what’s used if you take a pair of heavy-duty wire cutters and cut the fastener. Fasteners designed to resist withdrawal, such as deck screws, are weak in shear resistance.
    So, there were drastically undersized metal connectors fastened by badly under-strength fasteners.
    To make matters worse, the screws were fastened through drywall, which doesn’t support the shaft of the screw and degrades the connection even further.
     
    Above:  gangnail integrity destroyed
     
    And, once I looked really closely, I found more truss alterations. The gangnail had been pried loose and the spikes which form the actual mechanical connection were destroyed. In their place were a couple of bent-over nails. This condition represented a terrific loss of strength and this roof, too, was a candidate for catastrophic structural failure.
     
    In summary, look carefully at connections for problems which may lead to structural issues, as some are more urgent than others.  Be sure to call these out in your report.  Also, all electrical receptacles in garages must be GFCI-protected, without exception.
     



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    15 Tools Every Home Owner Should Own

    The following items are essential tools, but this list is by no means exhaustive. Feel free to ask an InterNACHI inspector during your next inspection about other tools that you might find useful.
     
    1.  Plunger
    A clogged sink or toilet is one of the most inconvenient household problems that you will face. With a plunger on hand, however, you can usually remedy these plumbing issues relatively quickly. It is best to have two plungers -- one for the sink and one for the toilet.


    2.  Combination Wrench Set
    One end of a combination wrench set is open and the other end is a closed loop. Nuts and bolts are manufactured in standard and metric sizes, and because both varieties are widely used, you’ll need both sets of wrenches. For the most control and leverage, always pull the wrench toward you, instead of pushing on it. Also, avoid over-tightening.

    3.  Slip-Joint Pliers
    Use slip-joint pliers to grab hold of a nail, a nut, a bolt, and much more. These types of pliers are versatile because of the jaws, which feature both flat and curved areas for gripping many types of objects. There is also a built-in slip-joint, which allows the user to quickly adjust the jaw size to suit most tasks.

    4.  Adjustable WrenchCaulking gun
    Adjustable wrenches are somewhat awkward to use and can damage a bolt or nut if they are not handled properly. However, adjustable wrenches are ideal for situations where you need two wrenches of the same size. Screw the jaws all the way closed to avoid damaging the bolt or nut.

    5.  Caulking Gun
    Caulking is the process of sealing up cracks and gaps in various structures and certain types of piping. Caulking can provide noise mitigation and thermal insulation, and control water penetration. Caulk should be applied only to areas that are clean and dry.
     
    6.  Flashlight
    None of the tools in this list is of any use if you cannot visually inspect the situation. The problem, and solution, are apparent only with a good flashlight. A traditional two-battery flashlight is usually sufficient, as larger flashlights may be too unwieldy.
     
    7.  Tape Measure
    Measuring house projects requires a tape measure -- not a ruler or a yardstick. Tape measures come in many lengths, although 25 feet is best.  Measure everything at least twice to ensure accuracy.
     
    8.  Hacksaw
    A hacksaw is useful for cutting metal objects, such as pipes, bolts and brackets. Torpedo levelHacksaws look thin and flimsy, but they’ll easily cut through even the hardest of metals. Blades are replaceable, so focus your purchase on a quality hacksaw frame.

    9. Torpedo Level
    Only a level can be used to determine if something, such as a shelf, appliance or picture, is correctly oriented. The torpedo-style level is unique because it not only shows when an object is perfectly horizontal or vertical, but it also has a gauge that shows when an object is at a 45-degree angle. The bubble in the viewfinder must be exactly in the middle -- not merely close.

    10.  Safety Glasses / Goggles
    For all tasks involving a hammer or a power tool, you should always wear safety glasses or goggles. They should also be worn while you mix chemicals.

    11.  Claw Hammer
    A good hammer is one of the most important tools you can own.  Use it to drive and remove nails, to pry wood loose from the house, and in combination with other tools. They come in a variety of sizes, although a 16-ounce hammer is the best all-purpose choice.

    12.  Screwdriver Set
    It is best to have four screwdrivers: a small and large version of both a flathead and a Phillips-head screwdriver. Electrical screwdrivers areWire cutter sometimes convenient, but they're no substitute.  Manual screwdrivers can reach into more places and they are less likely to damage the screw. 
    13.  Wire Cutters
    Wire cutters are pliers designed to cut wires and small nails. The side-cutting style (unlike the stronger end-cutting style) is handy, but not strong enough to cut small nails.

    14.  Respirator / Safety Mask
    While paints and other coatings are now manufactured to be less toxic (and lead-free) than in previous decades, most still contain dangerous chemicals, which is why you should wear a mask to avoid accidentally inhaling. A mask should also be worn when working in dusty and dirty environments. Disposable masks usually come in packs of 10 and should be thrown away after use. Full and half-face respirators can be used to prevent the inhalation of very fine particles that ordinary facemasks will not stop.
    15.  Duct Tape
    This tape is extremely strong and adaptable. Originally, it was widely used to make temporary repairs to many types of military equipment. Today, it’s one of the key items specified for home emergency kits because it is water-resistant and extremely sticky.
      
     You can read similar articles online at www.echomeinspection.com/our-blog.html


    Original story found at https://www.nachi.org/15-tools.htm