Show Notes: Roof Vents, Tips for Hurricane Season – On the House
Home   >   Radio Show   >   Show Notes   >   Show Notes: Roof Vents, Tips for Hurricane Season

Show Notes: Roof Vents, Tips for Hurricane Season

By on July 12, 2014

Is It Time To Start Thinking About Venting Your Roof?

If you have a heat and moisture build up in your attic,  it may be time to consider venting your roof.

While the value of venting roofs is widely debated, there are benefits for unfinished attics all year long. Here are the do’s and don’ts of venting roofs and how to prevent some common goofs.

In summer, venting provides relief from intense heat buildup. It helps to cool the house below and prolong the life of shingles overhead. In winter months, it helps prevent roof ice damming and excessive moisture buildup, which can structurally deteriorate all it touches.

The best venting provides continuous gentle airflow from the eaves at the bottom, up each set of rafters to a ridge vent running along the peak above. That’s where heat and moisture can easily and evenly escape. A common mistake is not balancing the intake and exhaust openings. For best performance, both should be equal in size.

Finally, while opening your home to fresh air, they should not provide easy access for rain, snow or critters of all types and sizes. Roof venting done right is a good thing

 

What’s Your Biggest Neighborhood Noise Issue?

 Every neighborhood has it’s own signature noise. Sometimes it’s pleasant and sometimes it can be annoying. What’s the biggest noise issue in your neighborhood?

 VOTE:

Barking Dogs

Traffic Noise

Leaf Blowers & Lawn Mowers

Car Alarms

Loud Music

Chickens

Others………

 

Family Handyman Tips For Hurricane Season

It’s that time of year again: HURRICANE SEASON. You don’t have to live in Tornado Alley or on the coasts to get hit hard by these monster storms, which can cause severe flooding, property damage and injury.

With as many as 30 hurricanes already predicted for 2014, it’s important not to get swept away this summer. Thankfully, The Family Handyman—the #1 in DIY and home improvement—has all of the advice and information you need to weather any oncoming storms and flooding. Tips include:

  • Take care in flooded basements: The flood water in your basement could be electrified by loose lines or wiring, turning what looks harmless deadly to the touch. Consider consulting a utility company or electrician before taking the plunge into what could be an energized pool of death.
  • Invest in hurricane windows: It’s no surprise that windows can be the most vulnerable part of your property during a storm, so it’s an important and worthy investment to install windows that can withstand extreme weather. Not only do these last longer than your average panes, they can also save you a bundle!
  • Have an evacuation plan: Some storms—and particularly those in recent years—can overwhelm even the best prepared homeowner. Be sure to have a backup evacuation plan that will provide a fast and efficient route to safety.
  • Trim your trees: When prepping for a hurricane, it’s easy to forget that your home’s surroundings can cause just as much damage as the storm itself. Be sure to hire a professional to check any potentially dangerous trees for loose limbs and branches, or do it yourself if you have the proper tools, training and equipment.
  • Only drive on dry land: Being in a car can feel safe during a storm, but many lose their lives every year by trying to drive through even inches of water. If you see a road flooding, don’t risk your car or your life for a short cut and look for a different, drier route instead.

We hope you will note The Family Handyman’s tips on how to survive storm season this summer. Please let me know if you’re also interested in an interview with a Family Handyman representative.

For additional DIY tips, product recommendations and more, download the latest digital edition of The Family Handyman on your iPad. You can also download the all-new DIY Tip Genius app, available on iTunes now: http://www.familyhandyman.com/diy-tip-genius.

 Michael Murphy, design expert, joining Morris and James to learn what’s new in exterior lighting fixtures. Take a look at LampsPlus.com for the newest in LED fixtures.

Monitor Your Propane Tank From Your Smartphone

https://www.quirky.com/shop/732

Nothing puts the kibosh on a cookout faster than an empty propane tank. With Refuel, you’ll never get caught off guard by said BBQ bummer again. This super smart propane tank gauge connects to the Wink app on your mobile device so no matter where you are, you’ll always know when it’s time to refuel.

 When You Are Low : When you position your grill in range of a Wi-Fi network, Refuel allows you to monitor your propane supply from anywhere and receive alerts when your tank is running out.

Light It Up: Whenever your smartphone’s not handy, just tap Refuel’s sensor to display an LED reading of the gas level. Got the green light? Grill on, grill master.

ONLINE   REVIEW:

We purchased our Refuel from Home Depot at $29.88 + tax. It took me about five minutes to take our Refuel from the box, download the App, let the App configure the Refuel and know that my tank was half full. It doesn’t get much simpler than that. I now have the App on my Droid phone and IPad. Both are very easy to use. No longer will I waste money exchanging a canister I believe may be running low or run out of LP while hosting a BBQ with friends.

Stop Your Junk Mail with  – PAPER KARMA

Reduce Paper Waste

Junk mail is the commercial ads, letters, and flyers no one wants, yet it continues to flow through our mailboxes at a rate of three million tons each year. That’s a lot of wasted trees that go straight to our dumps or recycling centers, often without ever being opened or given a second glance. PaperKarma is an app designed to stop that unwanted paper spam. Simply snap a photo of the unwanted mail and PaperKarma contacts the company to remove you from its distribution list. https://www.paperkarma.com

 Thank you  Jim Miller, president of  of Screw Products, Inc.  for joining On The House. You can find these products at  screw-products.com

Quick Saturday Project: Spackle And Spray

 Fixing a small hole in a wall can be a real challenge especially if the wall has a textured finish. It’s not so much the hole repair that gives most folks trouble, it’s matching the texture. For that reason, most patches are obvious or are hidden by a strategically placed picture.

Previously it took an experienced drywall contractor to make a texture match. No more.

Wall texture now is available in a spray can that offers do-it-yourselfer professional results. The secret to a successful patch is simple.

When filling a hole with spackle, dip the putty knife in water to prevent the spackle from sticking to the knife.

Remove the excess spackle surrounding the hole with a damp sponge. A bit of spackle, a shot of texture and a touch of paint will leave your wall looking like new.

Websites Mentions:

Quikcrete: http://www.quikrete.com/ProductLines/Concrete-Masonry-Sealers.asp

PRO-LAB Home Safety Test Kits | The Leading Brand of Home Testing Kits:http://www.prolabinc.com/

U.S. Federal Bans on Asbestos | Asbestos | US EPA:http://www2.epa.gov/asbestos/us-federal-bans-asbestos

About onthehouse

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Pin It on Pinterest