[caption id="attachment_8526" align="alignright" width="300"] Pretty roof. Damaged vent cover.[/caption] One of our Realtors asked us recently if one of her listings had a roof with hail damage. Recent hail storms had passed through the area, which tends to bring out "roof inspectors" (otherwise known as "consumer lead generators"), one of whom knocked on the Realtor's customer's front door. ...

"How's the air at home?" If you're like most people, your eyebrows raised and you find this to be an odd question. But you might just want to take a little time to learn more about the air quality in your home. Besides, wouldn't you want to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, chronic bronchitis, nausea, headaches, fatigue and breathing problems, not to mention minimize the chance of slow or sud...

Zinsco or Zinsco-Sylvania is the name given to a brand of electrical panel that was commonly installed up to the mid-1970's. It was a very popular product and installed throughout North America. Production was halted when design flaws were discovered. However, previously purchased panels were still being installed for a time after that. The deficiencies that became evident were serious enough t...

Mama always told me "You better shop around." [caption id="attachment_8399" align="alignright" width="300"] You've got to grind it out - cold.[/caption] No, seriously, Mama always told me "Don't use hot water in a garbage disposal!" Was Mama right? At the risk of offending your sensibilities, Mama was only half right. Grind food waste with cold water. Grease and oil solidify and m...

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]At the risk of stating the obvious, a garbage disposal is a device, usually electrically powered, installed under a kitchen sink between the sink's drain and trap. The disposal unit shreds food waste into pieces small enough—generally <2 mm—to pass through plumbing. About 50% of homes in the US have garbage disposals; food scraps range from 10% to 20% of house...

Poopy smells usually come from the toilet. So what exactly is that poopy smell coming from your sink or shower drain? Sludge Begone [caption id="attachment_9259" align="alignright" width="300"] Stench collector: accordion pipes capture sludge.[/caption] Most of the time, stink is from sludge on the stopper, drain cover, or top of the drain pipe.  If you pull out the stopper and see a tangl...

Recently, I performed a home energy audit here in SE Michigan. The customer was bothered by many cold spots throughout the house. I set up my blower door in an entry door to test for air leaks. I turned on the blower door and then went hunting for those air leaks. I found air leaks at some electrical outlets and switches on the exterior walls. This infrared photo of a quadruple switch box and a...

Stucco siding is a sand-based siding and is very porous. Stucco is installed in several ways, such as: over concrete block, over wood frame with a metal or plastic lathe, over Styrofoam on wood frame called EIFS, and the list goes on. Stucco like any other masonry surface develops typical cracks from various reasons such as shrinkage after it dries, poor installation mixture, or normal settlement....

As part of our "coverage" of National Radon Action Month, I thought we could take a look at a question that seems to be getting some discussion lately—How often should you test your home? A colleague of mine shared an interesting analogy with me that helps put frequent testing into proper perspective. She compared radon testing to medical checkups. You get your teeth checked twice a year. Women an...

ON mode may actually increase radon gas levels! You and your family can’t see or smell radon gas but it’s present in every home. Radon is a cancer-causing gas which comes from radioactive elements (uranium and radium) present in soil.  Radon gas enters through the home’s foundation due to pressure differences between the inside and outside of the home. Operating your HVAC system in ON mode may...