Utah Inspections – June home-maintenance checklist
June 12, 2010
Early summer chores should get you outdoors: Look for winter damage, ward off mold and rot, sharpen your tools and patrol your home’s perimeter for pests and other problems.
By Marilyn Lewis of MSN Real Estate
With the start of summer and warmer weather, you can focus most of your maintenance chores outdoors. First, however, attend to a couple of jobs that will help you stay comfortable and safe inside the house.
Switch ceiling fan blades
Switch ceiling fans
to push cool air down, where you’ll most enjoy it. Observe the fan while it’s running: In summer, you want the leading edge of the blades (the part that goes around first) higher than the trailing edge (the part that rotates last). Locate the fan’s switch on its outside body. When set correctly for summer, you can stand beneath it and feel the breeze. This should allow you to adjust your thermostat higher (or set the air conditioning lower), saving fuel while enjoying the cooling effect of the moving air.
Clean dryer vents
Although you probably know to remove lint from your clothes dryer’s lint filter after each use (to prevent fires), you may not have heard that maintenance also includes cleaning the hose that pipes warm, moist air from the dryer to the outdoors. Use a long-handled brush, found in hardware stores (or search online for “dryer vent brush“). Also, clean the recess beneath the filter with a lint-trap brush. Make sure to purchase a brush that fits your dryer’s particular lint-trap type. Read the dryer’s manual for directions. Check vent hoses to ensure they fit tightly to each other, to the dryer and to the outside of the house. Pull out the dryer and vacuum accumulated lint under and around it.
Tune up yard and garden equipment
If your lawn mower has gas left over from last fall, empty the tank before adding fresh fuel. (Gas becomes stale after a month.) If possible, just run the mower until the tank is dry (best done in fall before storing the mower for the winter). If that’s not possible, use a siphon pump ($3 to $4 at a hardware or automotive supply store, composed of flexible tubing and a squeeze bulb) to transfer the old gas into a gas can. Take the old gas to your county’s hazardous waste disposal facility. Call ahead to learn hours and rules for disposing of fuel.
To keep your lawn mower running for years, you’ll also want to keep it clean. Avoid cutting wet grass; it’s hard on the mower engine. Frequently wipe, brush or scrape the mower’s underside clean (with motor off) so clippings don’t jam the blades. Change the oil each spring; change spark plugs and lubricate with every change of season (consult the owner’s manual for product specifications and directions); replace air filters every couple of years.
Sharpen mower blades
Proper cutting is key to a healthy lawn, and lawns cut with sharp blades need less watering (read 10 secrets to a perfect lawn). Also, hard work is made easier with sharp tools. Manufacturers recommend replacing mower blades yearly if the mower is used frequently. Check your blades’ effectiveness by examining the cut edge of the grass: If grass blades are ragged, the lawnmower blade is dull. You can extend the life of a mower blade by sharpening. Call a hardware store, garden supply store or lawn-mower dealer to learn where to get tools and blades sharpened (about $10 to $20) or purchase a sharpening tool (Dremel, for example, makes a head for rotary tools) or buy a whetstone or hand sharpener at a garden supply or hardware store. Before removing the blade from the mower to sharpen it, disconnect the spark plug wire (otherwise you could jump-start the engine by moving the blade). Also, wear safety goggles.
Clean gutters
Take advantage of dry weather to clear out leaves, needles and debris, leaving gutters free to carry rainwater away and protect your home from mold and rot. Depending on your home’s surroundings, you should do this several times a year. Hire someone (around $50 to $100) or get a stable ladder (and someone to hold it) and do it yourself. Use a garden trowel or your (gloved) hands to muck out the debris. Scrub gutters with a non-metallic brush. Slosh water from a hose through the gutters and the drainpipes to finish the job and test that they’re clear and that water is flowing away from your basement, foundation or crawl space.
Tip: Newer ladders are rated for safety according to their use and the weight they can bear. An industrial-grade Type 1A folding ladder is safest for jobs under 17 feet, according to tests by Consumer Reports. Remain on or below the highest safe rung labeled on your ladder. Use an extension ladder for taller jobs. (See Rutgers University’s page on ladder ratings and safe use.) Keep aluminum ladders away from power lines.
Inspect gutters
While you’re at it, inspect the gutters. Look for joints separating, loose connections and attachments, sags, dips and corrosion. Tighten or reattach loose gutter connections.
Clean out downspout ends (also called “leaders”). These should extend out at least 3 feet at the ground, though some experts suggest 5 or 10 feet. The idea is to prevent water from running back to your home’s foundation. At the same time, take care that your downspouts don’t drain onto your neighbors’ property, causing problems for them. Some cities have ordinances regulating the distance you can discharge your gutters from your property line (ask for details at the city planning department).
After you’ve cleaned and repaired your gutters, test them by having someone run a hose into the gutters while you walk around the house, looking for leaks and observing where the water drains. Or walk around the house to check during the next heavy rainstorm.
Consider gutter guards
If your gutters fill up frequently, you might want to investigate installing gutter guards (or screens, filters or covers) to reduce — perhaps eliminate — cleaning. There’s a wide variety, made from various metals or synthetics. Costs vary from around 60 cents a foot to $7 per foot, plus installation (the average house has roughly 200 feet of gutters), which means you could pay up to $1,500 for materials alone. You could hire someone to clean the gutters (at around $75 each time) for many years for that amount. And, while gutter protection is aggressively marketed, systems vary in effectiveness. Check claims by searching product names on the Internet, and get three or more references from customers who’ve used the product for several years. Then, call and interview each company.
Inspect for roof leaks
Start on the ground, using binoculars to scan for evidence of roof damage, including shingles that are curling, broken, cracked or missing. To check your roof for structural stability, stand across the street and look at the roof line. If it appears to sag, get a professional to inspect it. The cause could be damage to the roof supports from heavy snow or many layers of roofing materials.
Next, look for telltale signs of roof leaks. Inside, inspect the attic — look at the ceiling, rafters and walls, particularly right beneath the roof — for discoloration or stains. (While you’re up there, check to ensure that attic fans are working.) Pay attention to skylights and chimneys, which are prone to leaks. Seepage is most likely at joints and openings where one material meets another and where the flashing (seal) is weak. Go outdoors again and check the siding beneath the eaves for evidence of leaks. Call a roofer to repair leaks and reinforce flashing. Don’t put off patching a roof leak, since collected moisture can cause expensive rot and decay. (For DIY roof repairs, read “5 roof repair tips: How to fix leaks and broken shingles.”)
Check for foundation cracks
Make a yearly tour of your home’s foundation to spot any cracks. Hairline cracks and diagonal cracks that start at windows are unlikely to signal serious problems, but keep an eye on them to see if they change. Call a structural engineer if a small crack grows wider or if you find any of the following:
- a crack wider than the thickness of your fingernail
- horizontal cracks
- a stair-step crack that break bricks, blocks or solid concrete
- a pattern of cracks that rounds a corner
- a crack with one side higher than the other
- a crack that starts narrow and grows wider
To keep moisture out of cracks that you’ve found to be stable, fill them. Purchase a foundation crack repair kit (many include an instructional CD, goggles and gloves) that uses an expanding polyurethane filler for a permanent seal. Caulk and concrete aren’t effective for this. Learn more about foundation cracks and repairs at InspectAPedia.
Patrol the grounds
Spend a half-hour walking around your house with an eye to where the foundation meets the ground. Make sure the earth around the house slopes away from the structure — about an inch per foot is good — so water does not collect around the foundation. Dampness invites mold and mildew and, in worst cases, weakens a foundation. Also, keep your eyes open for signs of termites: wings or droppings that look like little pellets. Rake leaves away from the foundation to discourage mice and rats. Keep garbage cans tightly closed. Store recycling securely and clean bottles and cans well before putting them out so food odors don’t attract rodents. Turn compost piles regularly and compost only vegetable matter, not animal products.
Scrub the decks and porches
On a sunny day, wipe down and hose off lawn, garden and deck furniture. Sweep decks and porches. Inspect wood decks and porches for rot by pressing the wood with your hand, foot or a tool to find any soft spots. Gently probe soft spots with a screwdriver to learn the extent of the damage. Paint stores carry epoxy putty used to harden, seal and stabilize rotted wood. (These are potentially toxic products, so follow directions carefully.) If the damage is severe, replace rotted boards.
If you’re painting your deck, make sure to scrub it first. To remove mold from wood decks, use a solution of three quarts warm water, one quart household bleach, one-third cup detergent and two-thirds cup tri-sodium phosphate. Rinse thoroughly after scrubbing, then treat the deck with a commercial fungicide (found, along with TSP, at paint and hardware stores). Caution: Wear rubber gloves, work in a ventilated area and do not mix bleach with any products containing ammonia; the combination creates toxic fumes. To clean composite decking, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Seal decks against weather
Wood decks need to be painted or stained every two or three years — more often if they face extreme weather. Watch the weather forecast for a spell of several dry days before treating decks. (You don’t want to seal moisture into the wood and encourage rot.) If you’re unsure if the wood is sufficiently dry, borrow a moisture meter from a paint store (sales people will explain how to use it). Take readings in many spots. When the wood is dry, thoroughly strip old stain or paint before applying the new finish. Paint stores carry products for this purpose. When renting a power washer, ask for instructions and use it cautiously. Pressure washers can easily gouge and splinter wood decks and railings.
Find property flaws before it’s too late
June 4, 2010
Don’t let your new home become a money pit of despair. Let a home inspector find the home’s hidden defects before you get stuck with the bill.
By Lisa Scherzer of SmartMoney
After a home inspection turned up everything from leaky toilets to termites, Cincinnati couple Hannah Powers and Ben Clinkinbeard thought about rescinding the $305,000 offer they’d made on a four-bedroom home. Instead, they got an estimate for the cost of repairs, and worked it out that the seller would pick up the $10,000 tab. “You can’t wash dishes and flush the toilet at the same time,” Powers, 28, says. “That’s a problem you’d think someone would mention.”
Though you may think you’ve found your dream house, no property is perfect. For buyers who signed contracts before May 1 to meet the deadline for the homebuyer tax credit, now is the time to make sure your new home isn’t hiding any defects or problems.
Some homebuyers, in the rush to meet the deadline to get the tax credit, may have overlooked a few of “these issues related to home inspection,” says Robert Lattas, a real-estate attorney in Chicago.
Here’s what you should know.
Inspection contingency
As Powers and her husband did, buyers should be sure to make the purchase contingent on a home inspection. The contingency period typically lasts a week or two. This is when the buyer should get an inspector to check the house for problems that need fixing — and to look for other obviously important information that could kill the deal. This could include things like water damage, a furnace that’s too old or flaws in the foundation.
And with the hurry to get contracts done by April 30, “I’m sure there were many contracts that did contain a post-contract inspection period,” says Alan E. Katz, a real-estate attorney with Greenfield Stein & Senior in New York.
- Video: First-time homebuyers guide
Keep in mind, however, that while a standard home inspection can be revealing, inspectors technically don’t have to check for problems with appliances, sprinkler systems, septic systems, smoke detectors, lead paint, radon, asbestos or pests. Some inspectors, who may also be engineers, can check on these details, but often they’d be considered extras.
Negotiating the repair
Many states, including Illinois and New York, require home sellers to fill out a property disclosure statement, which is supposed to note any “material defects” with the house that are known to the seller.
If the inspection uncovers a problem that wasn’t noted in the disclosure form, the buyer might — depending on how the contract clause was drafted — have the right to terminate the contract, have the problem fixed by the seller before closing or get a credit for the cost of the repair at closing, Katz says.
If the seller lied on his report — for example, he knew there were flooding issues but didn’t disclose the information — the buyer could sue. But the buyer would need to be able to convince a judge or jury that the seller knew of the material defect and did not disclose it to the buyer, Lattas says.
Most real-estate agents and attorneys representing homebuyers would recommend against letting the seller handle the repair. The risk here is that the seller will do a shoddy fix-up job. As a buyer, “I don’t want the seller to fix these issues, because I’m not aware of their quality,” Lattas says. A better alternative is to try to negotiate a repair credit as Powers and her husband did. But be aware that the contract might cap the credit amount.
Final walk-through
A standard contract typically includes a provision requiring the seller to “maintain” the property between the contract date and closing date. That means if the buyer sees a gash on the hardwood floor during the final walk-through that wasn’t there at the time of inspection, that’s considered a changed condition. “You might be able to bring this up and ask for a price abatement,” Lattas says. At that point, the seller will likely concede — he’s out of the property and presumably buying another home.
- MSN Money: Find a mortgage below 5%
Also note that every contract indicates what in the house is included in the purchase price and what’s not. Ellen Assael, a real-estate agent with ZipRealty in Westchester, N.Y., had a client who, during the final walk-through, discovered that all the air-conditioning units had been removed. Under the contract, the units were supposed to be left in the house. “There was big trouble at the closing table,” Assael says. Ultimately, the seller gave the buyers a credit.
Property permits
Did the seller add a porch to the house or renovate the kitchen? If he did, make sure you have an amended certificate of occupancy or building permit that verifies the improvements were reviewed by the municipality and done according to code.
“Sometimes owners don’t even know they need to get a permit to reflect the addition,” Katz says. Either way, buyers should have a provision in the contract that has the seller saying that the structure doesn’t violate any code. This could also affect the buyer’s ability to get bank financing. “If you don’t have a valid certificate of occupancy, the bank won’t go through with the mortgage commitment,” Katz says.
Designing a man den
June 2, 2010
Here’s how to create the perfect getaway, whether you’re into sports, music or projects.
By Jason Carpenter of This Old House
Every guy needs a getaway, a place where he can go to hang out, by himself or with his buddies. Batman had his secret cave, Superman his remote Fortress of Solitude. Well, you’re not going to tunnel underground or fly off to the Arctic for your special sanctuary. But you can create the perfect hideaway within your own home. All it takes is a spare bedroom, a corner of the basement or even an attic to carve out a manly escape — especially if your idea of escaping is locking yourself in a room to listen to Miles Davis albums at floor-shaking levels, shouting encouragement to your alma mater’s football team or tinkering in the privacy of your workshop.
Slide show: Check out these workshops and man dens
Here we present three fantasy spaces for the modern man, complete with all the gadgets and gear a guy could want (especially if money is no object). So come on in — just don’t give away the secret handshake.
1. The sports den
The guy: You haven’t quite outgrown your love for hoops or video games, and Sundays are holy to you because of pro football. Whether it’s March Madness or the latest action-movie DVD, everyone wants to watch it on your big screen.
The getaway: Your basement home theater has to be big enough to accommodate a crowd, but you don’t want to sacrifice anything in the way of sound or video quality. That means a high-definition digital projector, a 75-inch (or larger) screen and at least 5.1-channel surround-sound speakers. For comfort, you need ample plush seating, and for convenience, a built-in bar complete with taps for your favorite suds.
- Video: Check out these man caves
Setting it up right
Today’s high-quality projectors have excellent “off-angle” viewing, which means you don’t need to sit directly in front of the screen to get a sharp image. Marc Leidig, owner of Ambiance Systems in Clifton Park, N.Y., suggests mounting the projector against the back wall or in the wall cavity to avoid the distraction of a machine hanging overhead. An acoustically transparent screen, with thousands of tiny holes that allow sound to pass through, lets you install the center channel speaker of your surround system behind it, further reducing visual clutter. Leidig recommends a fixed screen rather than a retractable one. “It saves money that you can spend on other features in the room, and it performs better because it can’t move around and affect video quality.”
2. The listening room
The guy: Your tastes run more to single-malt scotch than malt liquor, and you want a sophisticated space to indulge your passions: vintage jazz, fine cigars and the occasional game of Texas hold ‘em with the guys. You’re one of the few people you know who still keep a collection of LPs and a turntable to play them on, the centerpiece of an audio system that gets pride of place in this mellow den.
The getaway: Think Edwardian library, updated for the 21st century with built-in storage for stereo equipment, sound-absorbing floor and walls, and a wireless tabletop remote control to operate everything from the music to the lighting to the thermostat.
- Design Center: Create your home theater
Setting it up right
Whether it’s in a downstairs den, a converted bedroom or the attic, the key to a good listening room is containing the sound. After all, you can’t crank up the volume if the kids are next door trying to sleep. The best method, says Utz Baldwin, president of Houston-based electronics installer AD Systems, is to build a room within a room, creating an air buffer zone to deaden sound. But if you’re not inclined to construct a high-tech listening chamber, you can install sound-baffling materials on the floor, walls and ceiling. And don’t forget to audition your speakers. “Listen to your ears, not to a salesperson,” Baldwin says. Try to position your sitting area so it creates an equilateral triangle with the speakers, and place the speakers at least a foot or two away from the side and back walls for best sound quality.
3. The wired workshop
The guy: Just because you’re not in the office doesn’t mean you’re not keeping busy. Weekends find you ensconced in a corner of the basement or in the garage, tackling projects from building flower boxes for the bay window to sharpening the lawn-mower blades in anticipation of spring.
The getaway: Since you get restless just watching other people fix stuff, the flat-panel TV is within sight of your workbench, so you can TiVo “This Old House” and cue up the segment you need. A stainless-steel fridge lets you slake hunger and thirst without tracking sawdust and motor oil into the house. Music is a must, so why not a boom box that charges your batteries? And you’re going to need your laptop to download projects from online, but a wimpy one won’t do the trick. This is a hard-working hangout. Things could get rough in here.
- MSN Lifestyle: What is a man?
Setting it up right
Where square footage is at a premium, “you need to decide if you want to maximize work space or storage space,” says Jaime Twitchell, owner of Custom Garage Systems Inc. of Bozeman, Mont. “You can run out of one or the other in a hurry.” An organized system keeps clutter in check: sports equipment and kids’ stuff in one area, yard tools in another, power tools in the workshop. “Use modular cabinet systems so you’re not stuck with one configuration as you accumulate tools and toys,” Twitchell says. Other important considerations are lighting — Twitchell recommends swapping out hot-burning incandescents for cooler, energy-efficient compact fluorescents — and ease of cleanup. An air compressor hooked to piping around the perimeter of the room comes in handy for blowing away debris (as well as pumping up bike and car tires).
Knock down and rebuild
June 2, 2010
Home rebuild fraught with obstacles
When you knock down and rebuild a home, you face possible snags with zoning and financing.
By Steve McLinden of Bankrate.com
Q: My husband and I plan to knock down our old home and replace it with a new one on the same lot. Should I go to the bank for a construction loan or a home equity loan? The value of the current home is about $300,000. What are some of the other issues to consider with this sort of plan?
A: What you are pondering is referred to as a “knock-down rebuild.” Any number of design-and-build construction firms can handle this. Or you might opt for a construction consultant to walk you through all the options, coordinate the hiring of the contractor and the architect and contain costs.
However, whether your demo plan will work depends on how much added value you plan to create in the replacement home and, to some degree, your neighborhood’s dynamics. If you plan to downsize or build only a slightly more valuable home, the numbers probably won’t add up. The bank would rightfully be concerned that the new home might not create enough additional value for it to recoup its money should you default. I might add that five years ago, you would have almost surely gotten the green light for such a project. These days, however, the loan approval process has gone from full throttle to closed throttle in many instances.
In some desirable parts of the country, where older, functionally challenged $300,000 homes are being razed and replaced with $1 million brick homes, your sort of plan has worked well for owners and lenders. Unless you’re similarly positioned or have substantial equity in the current home, and can pay for the teardown out of pocket plus produce 20% or so of the down payment, you may face stiff challenges to finding affordable financing. In most knock-down rebuilds, the larger the replacement home, the less of a default risk you are considered.
In any event, you will need to produce exhaustively researched numbers for the lenders on construction costs and the estimated value of the replacement home as well as its design. The design is important because the lender will want to know that the new home will be built in context with existing neighborhood homes. By the way, it’s unlikely that a lender would give you a home equity loan, as your question asks, on a house that you are demolishing unless the land is extremely valuable.
Also, some cities have strict permit policies on teardowns or are amending zoning laws. Before you spend any more time or money planning this, find out from the city whether a demolition is even permitted. Also, don’t forget to factor in the cost of alternative living arrangements while your replacement home is being built. Based on your home’s value and presumed living needs, that could set you back at least $10,000 in rent.
You might instead consider a comprehensive remodel that would involve a partial demolition, some new construction and significant upgrades. This would help assure the home’s continuity with the existing neighborhood. Plus you would be able to live there at least for part of the process. Alas, in many cases, it’s actually less expensive to demolish a home than remodel.
Inspectors, Richard Belt and John Bracket, bring to you over 46 years experience from the construction and engineering fields.