Show Notes: Gas Leaks, Flood Clean Up and More – On the House
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Show Notes: Gas Leaks, Flood Clean Up and More

By on February 25, 2017

Think you might have a gas leak in your home? How can you tell? Considering installing solar panels?  There is some new technology that will interest you. Did you experience flooding at your home, and are wondering what to do to clean-up and restore you home? We have tips from the Red Cross that will help you through the process.

Thanks you to our guests: 

Mike Spanton; World Class Shows

Kab Benefield – Kitchen Craft Cookware  

 

New Technology For Solar Panels

 You Can Fold Up These Nearly Unbreakable Solar Panels And Take Them With You

 A typical solar panel—more than five feet long and encased in glass—isn’t exactly portable. But a new type of solar technology, miniaturized so that each cell is the size of a piece of glitter, could be used anywhere.

The tiny cells are made from high-efficiency silicon, like standard solar panels. But the new form means that they’re not only small but flexible, and can be folded up for transportation, incorporated into clothing, or easily used in electronics.

Conventional solar panels “are brittle because they’re crystalline,” Murat Okandan, CEO of mPower Technology, the startup making the new technology, tells Co.Exist. “If you bend or flex them, at some point they’ll just break and shatter. By making our cells small and then interconnecting them we’re able to make them almost unbreakable.”

https://www.fastcoexist.com/3068127/you-can-fold-up-these-nearly-unbreakable-solar-panels-and-take-them-with-you

 

Tips Following A Flood

 Once it is safe to go back in, protect your home and contents
from further damage.

 Get Organized

Some things are not worth repairing and some things may be too complicated or expensive for you to do by yourself.

A recovery plan can take these things into account and help you make the most of your time and money.

Dry Out Your Home

Floodwaters damage materials, leave mud, silt and unknown contaminants, and promote the growth of mildew. You need to
dry your home to reduce these hazards and the damage they cause.

 Restore the Utilities

The rest of your work will be much easier if you have heat,
electricity, clean water, and sewage disposal.

Clean Up

The walls, floors, shelves, contents and any other flooded parts of your home should be thoroughly washed and disinfected by a Commercial Flood Damage Restoration company.

Check on Financial Assistance

Voluntary agencies, businesses, insurance, and government disaster programs can help you through recovery.

Rebuild and Flood proof

Take your time to rebuild correctly and make improvements
that will protect your building from damage by the next flood.

 https://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4540081_repairingFloodedHome.pdf

 

 Got A Gas Leak?

How To Know…….

The following warning signs can help you spot trouble quickly:

You Smell Rotten Eggs or Sulphur

Propane, in its natural state, has no odor or color, making it almost impossible to detect without help. Manufacturers recognise the danger and add ethyl mercaptan to propane so homeowners and professionals can pinpoint a leak quickly. Ethyl mercaptan has a strongly disagreeable smell, much like rotten eggs, sulphur or cooked cabbage depending on its preparation.

Of course, not everyone can smell ethyl mercaptan. Allergies, colds, cooking odours and alcohol may interfere with the odour. And on rare occasions, propane may lose its distinctive scent as air, water or rust mix with the gas in the tank.

If you notice a persistent rotten egg odor, you need to react as if your home had a serious gas leak. Even if the smell is faint, you shouldn’t wait to call in a professional to diagnose the leak.

Gas Appliances Have a Discolored Flame

Natural gas is an efficient, reliable, fuel source, and understandably, you may count on it to power several appliances in your home. Stoves and ovens, water heaters and fireplaces may all use gas to function.

When you turn on these appliances, don’t forget to check the color of the flame. The pilot light should always have a vibrant blue color, as this hue indicates the correct gas-to-air ratio. However, if the flame takes on a yellow or orange hue, your appliance may be leaking more gas than it can combust.

While some appliances allow you to adjust the air levels to correct the ratio, you should hire a professional if you can’t correct the problem on your own. If the device is faulty, poorly maintained or out of alignment, avoid using the appliance until it has undergone repairs.

You Feel Sick, Nauseous or Dizzy

Though your nose can’t always tell you when something is wrong, the rest of your body can certainly give you a few signals. As you inhale the gas, the carbon monoxide builds up in your system, essentially replacing the oxygen in your blood.

Without enough oxygen, cells in your body start to die, and you may experience the following symptoms:

Headaches or migraines

Dizziness or light-headedness

Nausea or vomiting

Confusion and difficulty focusing

Drowsiness and vision problems

What Else Should You Do?

Gas leaks present a lot of health risks to you, your family members and anyone else in your neighborhood. Whether your pilot light looks discolored or you notice a persistent smell near an outdoor propane tank, you shouldn’t wait to contact emergency professionals for help.

While you wait, remember to exercise extra caution in the area. Do not turn any electrical devices on or off, as the spark may ignite the gas. If possible, put out any smoking materials or open flames. Let others in your area know about the problem, and do not re-enter a building

http://www.royaltyonline.com.au/3-telltale-signs-you-have-a-gas-leak

 

Time-Sucking Remodeling Mistakes

 Avoid Delays And Frustrations With These Home Remodeling Tips

 Designing before budgeting

You think you can afford that luxurious marble countertop — until you talk to the fabricator. It’s $2,000 over budget, and there’s no room to squeeze. If you’re already past the design phase, that’s a brutal discovery requiring a serious re-think — and extra time you don’t have at this stage of the game.

“There are an infinite number of design possibilities, but as soon as you pick a budget, seven-eighths are gone,” says Charles Rinek, who owns a remodeling and custom construction firm in Palm Coast, Fla. “Concentrate on the eighth that is appropriate with your budget.”

Know your budget. Then follow your dreams.

Indecision

Even the design-challenged can create a stunning kitchen with Pinterest on their side. But the breadth of options might create dismay — and delay — if you keep finding a better backsplash.

“Over-analysis becomes paralysis,” says Annmarie Bhola, who co-owned a remodeling company. “Now you spend all this time watching shows, and looking through Pinterest, and before you know it, oh my gosh, now I have all this data. Which should I choose? Should I go with light or dark?”

And then, the paint color isn’t right. So now you’ve got to rethink your complete color scheme.

Don’t be that homeowner. Once your design is finalized and construction is under way, consider your choices set in stone, or you might find yourself days, even weeks behind schedule when workers are waiting on you to decide.

Scheduling Work Before Materials Are On Site

You might have allotted enough time for each step — but if what you need isn’t there when you need it, all the scheduling in the world isn’t going to make up for that lost time.

Before scheduling workers to install your new cabinets and appliances, make sure the materials will be there for them. Don’t just allocate installation time; know how long it will take to ship your farmhouse sink. (Another related point: Know your contractor’s schedule, too, so you won’t be dismayed when he can’t come the day your cabinets arrive.)

Bhola says her common practice is to order everything ahead of time, to know the delivery dates, then to schedule contractors to start after that date.

Choosing to Live in the Mess

Remodeling is messy — dust everywhere, your pots and pans scattered, and living spaces become storage spaces.

No one expects you to be Martha in the midst of a home makeover, but too much disorganization will hog your time because you can’t find anything. Next thing you know, you’re a day behind because you couldn’t find the installation guide for the dishwasher.

As part of your project plan, include a strategy for all the stuff that needs a new home while construction is happening. And be sure to plan time to move it all so a) you don’t end up dumping everything in the nearest clear spot, or b) delaying the start of demolition, which means you’ll be starting out with a #fail.

Not Paying Attention to Permits

Your Uncle Joe swore he didn’t pull a permit for his kitchen remodel, and everything turned out fine. But if an inspector raises an eyebrow on a drive around the ‘hood, skipping this essential step could cost you months of inspections and repairs.

Give your local building department a heads-up. Plus, permits ensure your renovation is to code, catching any dangerous (or deadly) errors, like faulty outlets and improper plumbing.

Just make sure to budget time for the inspection.

“You can’t move forward with anything until it’s been inspected,” Rinek says. “God forbid he doesn’t show up until 4 p.m. and he doesn’t like your work. All that time adds up.”

Not Doing a Test Run on Materials

That soft teal was sure to make your subway tile pop. Until it didn’t. Give every paint, tile, and wood type a test run, otherwise, you might find yourself not liking the results, and then find yourself falling behind schedule while you pick the replacements.

For paint, Harris recommends covering a few inexpensive canvases in your favorite colors and leaving them in the room for a few days to help you decide. Do this long before workers come on site. As for cabinets, he suggests you “get a whole door.” You can’t see what a cabinet “really looks like from a three-by-three sample.”

A Too-Rigid Schedule

It might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes, your best choice is to just suck it up and cause a delay — especially if you don’t want regrets later.

“Time is almost always the reason why kitchen remodeling mistakes happen,” says Evan Harris, a San Diego real estate investor with past success investing in Krypto kaufen.

If you do start falling behind schedule because of unexpected surprises (darn carpenter bees — on top of hurricane weather, really?!), you might be tempted to try and make up the time.

But there’s where the danger lies, says Harris. That’s when you end up with sloppy work that may not stand the test of time: cabinets that aren’t level, a floor that wasn’t allowed to dry completely between coats and loses its luster too soon, a sloppy paint job. Cue future problems and expenses.

His advice: Budget even more time than you think you need for every step — and you might even finish early, in plenty of time to plan your housewarming.

 https://www.houselogic.com/remodel/remodeling-tips-advice/house-remodeling-tips/?site_ref=mosaic

 

Website Mentions:

Sound Control Materials

Homeasote: www.homeasote.com

Roxul:www.roxul.com

Quiet Rock: www.quietrock.com

 

 

 

 

 

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