While it may not get the attention of the walls and floors, the ceiling can be an indicator of certain problems affecting a home’s condition, so it’s important to identify and address any issues that arise.

From “popcorn” to plaster, wood to drywall, there are many different ceiling materials in today’s homes. Look for signs of damage no matter what the material. Ceiling stains can indicate water damage from leaking pipes, a bathroom fixture overflow, or a leaky roof. Before any attempt is made to repair water damage, it must be determined if the cause of the leak will continue to affect the ceiling, or if it the damage is related to a single event in the past. If water is dripping from the ceiling, the source of the water will need to be found and stopped, and the ceiling material will need to be thoroughly dried before attempting any repair work. If the damage is severe, a professional contractor specializing in structural drying should be consulted.

Mold is a real threat when moisture is allowed to remain in the ceiling and the space above it. It can take a little as a few days for mold to begin growing inside a ceiling, so acting quickly to get everything completely dry is the best course. In addition to being a health hazard, mold can eventually cause structural damage to the home if left to grow and thrive. Mold removal should be done by a qualified professional who will certify that their work is done correctly.

Minor ceiling cracks are not uncommon and may simply be the result of the home settling. Even older homes can continue to settle for decades. If the cracks are minor, they can be repaired with relative ease. The technique used will depend on the ceiling material. Old plaster ceilings will often sag and crack over time, and can be patched with drywall instead of new plaster. Cracks in a popcorn ceiling can be covered with aerosol sprays made specifically for this use. Major cracking can be due to seismic activity or structural issues and should be assessed by a professional before repair or replacement.

Paying attention to the ceiling can really pay off by allowing the discovery of small problems before they can become big ones – avoiding serious and potentially costly problems down the road for homeowners. 

To better cut your energy cost, you should know the thermal boundaries of your house. The boundary is usually determined by the area of the house that is conditioned (heated and/or cooled). To minimize energy usage, the boundary should be surrounded by insulation and an air barrier. Unconditioned spaces might include attics, crawl spaces and attached garages. Once you have determined the thermal boundary of your house, you should identify those areas lacking insulation and consider completing the thermal envelop. An energy audit of your house can assist in this review or you can play the detective and figure it out for yourself.

Consideration should be given to including unused basements and crawl spaces in the thermal boundary. Factors that favor inclusion are:
1) surface area
2) possible future occupancy of the basement
3) use of waste heat from the furnace or hot water heater to reduce heat lost through the floor
4) relative difficulty of insulating and air sealing the floor
5) possible freezing of basement pipes if they occur outside the thermal boundary.

There have been marked improvements in the efficiency of refrigerators and freezers over the past 25 years. Prior to 1990 the average, KWH/YR usage for a refrigerator was 1250 kilowatt hours. The 2001 standard is now 476 kWh per year, about 60% less. Similarly, the pre-1990 kWh usage per year for a freezer was 1025. The 2001 standard is 413.

In selecting a new refrigerator consider the following: automatic defrost models waste energy, chose a manual defrost if available in the size you want
side-by-side refrigerators/freezers use more energy than units that have the freezer apartment on the bottom or top
upright freezers use more energy than chest freezers operating two refrigerators uses far more energy than one larger model. Updating your kitchen is one of the most important considerations when preparing your home for sale. These are good options to think about when doing so.

Water-Saving Landscaping Tips

As signs of sunshine start to peek through the fog of winter, we grow nearer to the season marked by the hum of lawnmowers and the smell of freshly churned soil. Spring, and the joys (or chores) of landscaping, are nearly upon us.

Depending on your point of view, gardening and yard work can either be a necessary evil or a cherished escape into the fresh air. But whether you’re a minimalist landscaper or have the greenest of thumbs, the added expense of landscaping water bills can be an unpleasant reality every spring and summer. The tips below are just a few ways you can responsibly make it rain without draining your wallet dry.

Harvest the Downpours -

Setting up your own rain barrel is an easy way to save a significant amount of money each season. For every inch of rain that falls on 750 sq ft of roof, you can collect 450 gallons of water. That means many areas can gather upwards of a thousand gallons of water every year. That’s water you can use to hydrate your houseplants, flowers, vegetable garden or lawn. In addition to saving you money on water bills, using natural water is environmentally sustainable (cities spend a lot of money and energy treating and pumping water into homes). Plants will also grow better with rainwater compared to chlorinated and fluoridated tap water.

Rain barrels can be fairly easily constructed out of old garbage cans, a few washers, a spigot, caulking, and a hose clamp. By connecting one of your home’s downspouts to the barrel, you will harness some of the rain collecting power of your roof. If Do-It-Yourself is not your cup of tea, premade rain barrels can be purchased at most home improvement stores, usually ranging from $100-$200. When setting up your rain barrel, make sure to place it on a platform (bricks, etc.) roughly a foot or so off of the ground to make it easier to fill up watering cans and also to give more pressure if you decide to hook it up to a hose.

Mulch Ado -

Adding a layer of mulch to landscaped areas doesn’t just serve as an aesthetic touch; it’s also one of the most effective and environmentally-friendly defenses against weeds that threaten to steal moisture from your plants. Mulch layers are air and water permeable, making them easy to plant into. Organic mulches such as hay, grass clippings, leaves and shredded bark will also improve the soil quality as they decay over time. Rubber, plastic or rock/gravel mulch layers can also be used with positive results.

Clamp Down -

Nothing wastes water quite as much as a needlessly running hose. Attach spray nozzles to all garden hoses to avoid leaving the water running. Spray nozzles also provide you with a little extra “oomph” of water pressure for watering hard to reach plants.

Hold the Sprinklers -

Using sprinklers can be a hassle-free way to water your lawn and plants, but if left on too long they can cost you a bundle while over-saturating your landscaping. Some sprinklers nowadays are equipped with built-in timing mechanisms and routines. As an alternative, you can install a simple faucet-mounted timer that remembers to shut off the water supply so that you don’t have to.

Pay Attention to the Weather -

Overwatering your plants and lawn costs you money, isn’t good for the plants and results in a great deal of water runoff. Keep in tune with just how much rainfall (roughly speaking) your yard is soaking in. This can be accomplished either by monitoring local weather sites or by setting up a simple rain gauge in your yard. Typically, plants need about an inch of water per week during the growing season. If you have sprinklers set on an automatic timer, make sure to adjust it as needed during periods of seasonal rainfall.

Let it All Soak In -

Unlike traditional sprinklers, soaker hoses aren’t susceptible to water loss through evaporation. Soaker hoses slowly drip water into the soil. When covered over with mulch, they have proven to be an extremely efficient watering method.