Show Notes: Porch Taste In Homes – On the House
Home   >   Radio Show   >   Show Notes: Porch Taste In Homes

Show Notes: Porch Taste In Homes

By on January 16, 2021
porch taste

Thank you for tuning into this week’s On The House with the Carey Brothers! And check in next week for more cool tips! 

“Porch Taste In Homes” Show Notes for On The House with the Carey Brothers aired Jan 16, 2020. 

Missed our live show? Don’t worry! Because we have a podcast of the show. It’s the same thing we aired on the radio, but ready for you whenever and wherever you are! Check it out here. 

Preventing Home Heating Fires 

Don’t Become a Statistic!  

 December, January and February are the leading months for home heating fires. Overall, heating equipment is the second leading cause of U.S. home fires and home fire deaths. There are between 350,000 and 400,000 house fires in the United States every year that result in almost $8 billion in annual damages, according to the National Fire Protection Association. 

A heating fire can be catastrophic to a homeowner. Space heaters, fireplaces and water heaters are the biggest culprits but any type of heating element, including stoves and heating units, can cause fires. 

Here are eight tips to keep you and your family safe from home heating fires this winter: 

Inspect your furnace 

Contact an HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean all the ducts. Remember to change your furnace filter each month during the winter and to remove all flammable material from the area around your furnace. 

 Clean your chimney 

If you use your chimney a half-dozen times or more each year, it is a good idea to have it cleaned of soot and creosote every year. If you don’t want to hire a chimney sweep, consider a Creosote Sweeping Log, which can be bought at any home improvement store. 

Check your chimney for structural damage 

Make sure your chimney doesn’t have any cracks. If your chimney does have air leaks, it can change the flame in the fireplace and possibly ignite and cause a fire outside the fireplace. 

Use a diffusion screen with your fireplace 

A diffusion screen will prevent a flaming log from rolling out of the fireplace or sparks from popping out to cause a fire. If you have carpeting or wood flooring in front of your fireplace, it’s especially important to use a diffusion screen. 

Be careful with space heaters 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, space heaters are involved in 74 percent of fire-related deaths. The best way to prevent a home fire caused by a space heater is to purchase one with an emergency cut-off so that it will automatically shut off if tipped over or accidentally knocked down. Otherwise, if it falls on the carpeting and doesn’t turn off, it could easily ignite a fire. 

Never leave space heaters unattended. And make sure you place your heater on a flat, level, non-flammable surface such as ceramic tile rather than on a carpet. Don’t place space heaters near curtains, bedding or anything flammable, and make sure you are plugging the space heater into a GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) system, so that if a malfunction does occur, the electricity will automatically turn off. 

Check your water heater 

As your water heater gets older, the thermostat and the heating element inside will start to deteriorate and the flame will become inconsistent. This could cause a flash fire, particularly if the water heater is in the garage where it is susceptible to wind or changes in air supply that could be caused by someone opening or closing a door. 

Give your boiler a wide berth 

Be careful not to put flammable items, such as boxes and newspapers, around your boiler system. 

Don’t forget about the laundry room 

Most homeowners don’t realize the laundry room can be a source of home fires due to the duct that connects to the back of the dryer and collects flammable lint. Homeowners should have their duct cleaned at least once a year. Your dryer doesn’t capture 100 percent of your lint and some of it ends up in the ducts, and that material is very flammable. If you have enough dryer lint built up in the duct you can have a huge fire. 

 

Got a Tree That’s Gotta go? 

How Much Does It Cost to Remove a Tree From Your Yard? 

Trees make for an interesting focal point that works well with any landscaping, but trees can also be dangerous! Untended trees are dangerous to any nearby homeowners and increase the risk of damaging someone else’s property. 

Do you want to know how much it will cost you to remove a tree from your property?  

What Is the Average Tree Removal Cost? 

Removing a tree costs range anywhere from $150 to $1,500, with an average cost of $750 for most homeowners. 

You can expect to pay about $100 on simpler projects, while more complex jobs might cost you more than $2,000. It depends on the ease of use and charging rates (which vary from area to area) of the removal process. 

Is there anything else that might affect the total costs of removing a tree? Of course! Let’s talk about the factors, extra charges, and what could happen if you remove a tree by yourself. 

Factors Affecting the Tree Removal Prices 

Most tree removal companies use the following factors to estimate the average cost. One of the key factors is the height and size of the tree in question. 

It might vary a lot, but here are the height categories along with the expected costs: 

  • Small trees (under 30 feet) cost $150-$450 
  • Medium trees (30-60 feet) cost $300-1,000 
  • Large trees (60-100 feet) cost $700-$1,500 
  • Very large trees (over 100 feet) cost $1,300-$1,800 

Another thing to consider is the complexity of the project. These include preparation time, tree’s condition, use of heavy equipment, the thickness of the trunk and branches. 

If it’s near any plumbing and power lines, you’ll need the technicians for safety precautions. 

Extra Services and Charges 

Cleaning up the fallen tree might cost about $50 to $130, depending on the species and bulk size. 

If the location is outside of their service area, you’ll pay a travel mileage fee of around $0.5 per mile. Cutting up limbs, log splitting, landscaping, and stump grinding add $150 to $500 to your average expenses.  

It’s vital to pay the permit fee for cutting trees over 10 feet in most states. There are also other requirements needed and costs $60 to $150 which varies depending on the area. You’re likely to pay more if you live in heavy-regulated areas for tree removal. 

Can You Remove a Tree by Yourself? 

The short answer is yes, especially if there’s no local code about cutting down trees. 

However, some cities are stricter about removing a tree without license and permits. Environmental associations might come after you and demand a tree care certification. 

If you’re not careful enough, you’ll be responsible to pay for the damages and subject to fines. You should hire professional ISA Certified Tree Removal experts. You can ask for their opinions and cheaper alternatives to keep everything within your budget. 

Tree Removal: Knowing the Average and Total Costs 

Don’t worry—the total price will be worth it in the end! If you remove a tree from your yard, you can avoid property damages, dying from fallen trees, and other tree hazards. 

 

Adding Porch Appeal To Your Home

A Porch Taste in Home Decor

 Porch columns do more than just serve a practical function for home entries and porches. They are useful as decorative items to enhance a home’s exterior palette. Learn the basics of column materials and styles with these ideas for using porch columns in your home. 

 Porch columns are used in a variety of ways on homes of all sizes and styles. These upright pillars can support just a slice of a roof around a small entrance or establish the boundaries for an expansive screened area. Columns serve a practical purpose by helping physically support the structure of a porch or overhang, but they also provide a decorative accent on a home’s facade. These components add another layer of detail and visual interest to the exterior and add prominence to the front porch or entry. 

 As with most decorative and practical elements in a home, porch columns have several considerations, including material and style. Although most front porch columns are made of wood, posts can also be fashioned out of other materials, including fiberglass, aluminum, stone, and more. It’s important to consider durability, cost, and aesthetic appeal when choosing the best material for your porch columns. As for style, front porch columns will typically reflect the overall style of the home. Depending on the desired effect, the columns can be rounded, square, tapered, or ornately decorated. If you’re designing a new home or looking to update your exterior, use our guide to porch columns to help you find the right fit for your home. 

 Popular Porch Column Materials 

Front porch columns are typically found in four main material types. Each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, which are important to consider before choosing a material for your home. 

Wood Porch Columns 

Wood porch columns can be painted or stained to match an existing or new exterior color palette. Particularly when made of very strong hardwood types, porch columns are quite resilient. However, some wood columns are hollow, which might make them less sturdy. Wood porch columns can be prefabricated in a specific design or crafted on-site for a more specific home design. As with wood home siding, if not properly cared for, wood porch columns are more susceptible to pests such as termites, moisture, and other weather-related stressors. 

Fiberglass Porch Columns 

This type of porch column often mimics the graining and detail of wood. Fiberglass porch columns can also be painted, and they’re more resistant to insects or rot than wood varieties. However, fiberglass may not be as aesthetically pleasing to some as real wood. 

Aluminum Porch Columns 

A more lightweight option than either fiberglass or wood, aluminum porch columns offer fewer design possibilities but are also less expensive than other porch column types. You can typically customize the color with a powder-coated paint finish, and the metal structure offers good durability against corrosion and wear. 

Brick, Stone, and Iron Porch Columns 

These three decorative porch column options are generally selected to match specific home styles, construction methods, or architecture. You can customize the designs to complement the stonework or metal accents seen on other parts of the exterior. However, these specialty materials tend to cost more than wood or fiberglass. 

Which ever column material you select for your home make sure to individualized them to match the aesthetic preference of the homeowner. Personalized designs can include paint, carving, and a mix-and-match of styles and materials. 

 

Why (and How) You Should Clean Your Walls 

Have you ever looked at your walls and thought, “Should I be cleaning you?” Then, once the idea pops into your head, you begin to notice various stains, scuff marks, and layers of dust that are making your walls look less than fresh. So yes, you should be cleaning your walls on a regular basis. 

 Considering how much we lean against and touch them on a daily basis, keeping your walls clean is just as important as cleaning other household surfaces. 

Cleaning your walls can also boost your mood by making your space appear fresh and clean and can help with mold elimination. Probably the worst enemy to every home is the mold that stains and attacks the walls. While this fungus is present in almost every building, having too much of it can pose serious health risks for the home dwellers. 

Now that you know you should be cleaning your walls on a regular basis, the next question is: What are some tips for cleaning walls? According to the experts, you’ll have to adjust your technique depending on the type of wall you’re working with. 

Painted Walls 

Tips for cleaning painted walls: 

  • Dust walls before washing them. You can use the brush attachment on your vacuum and run it over walls to remove surface dust and dirt. A Swiffer Sweeper or duster will also work.  
  • While cleaning painted walls, use two buckets — one for the cleaning solution and one for the rinsing water — and change out the water when it begins to look dirty. 
  • Be sure you wring out your sponges before using them on the wall. You want a damp sponge, not a wet one.  
  • Work in sections instead of tackling the whole wall at once.  
  • If you have a stubborn stain, make a paste of baking soda and water, rub it over the stain and let sit for a few minutes. Rinse with water and a clean microfiber cloth.  
  • If you’re dealing with crayon marks, you can use mayonnaise to get them out. Simply place regular mayo on the spot, leave it for 15 minutes, wipe it off with a damp microfiber cloth, use soap and water to fully clean the area, and then dry it off with a towel. 

Wallpapered Walls 

When it comes to cleaning walls covered in wallpaper: 

Like with painted walls, dust before you clean.  

  • Before using your cleaning solution on the walls, perform a patch test in a small, not noticeable area to make sure your solution doesn’t damage the wallpaper.  
  • If you’re dealing with a bad case of mold, a store-bought product suitable for the wall surface is usually your best bet. Remember to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer to avoid any accidents.  
  • For ink, crayon, and marker stains left behind by unruly kids (or adults!), use a liquid solvent cleaner such as WD-40.  
  • To remove grease stains, simply use warm, soapy water. 

Tiled Walls 

For tiled walls, such as those in your bathroom: 

  • If you’re working with the tiled walls in your bathroom, start by running a hot shower over your ceramic tiles to open up their pores. This will make it easier to get dirt and debris out of their surfaces while you clean them.  
  • With printed pattern tiles, scouring pads are too rough. A safer alternative is a sponge or a microfiber cloth. 
  • If you have a marble wall, do not use vinegar or abrasive tools. Instead, follow instructions for cleaning natural stone. 

Once you start cleaning your walls, you’ll never want to go back! 

 

Mentioned Links 

~ Thank you~ 

A very special thank you to all of our callers! We live to answer your questions, so keep them coming! 

Thank you to our Technical Support: 

  • Danny Bringer – Chief Engineer  
  • Carol “Remodeling Babe” Carey – Executive Producer  
  • Sam Reed – Associate Producer  
  • Rico Figliolini – Digital Master

About onthehouse

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Pin It on Pinterest