Show Notes: Inspect Your Roof, Heat and TVs Don’t Mix – On the House
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Show Notes: Inspect Your Roof, Heat and TVs Don’t Mix

By on September 26, 2014

Autumn has officially begun and it’s time to get your home prepared for the for cooler and wet weather.

This week James and Morris are starting with the roof , air leaks and electrical safety. Don’t be caught with a leaky roof and drafty house with no lights due to a short!

 

Thanks you  Mark Ayres from Danco and The Perfect Seal for joining On The House this week. For more information on The Perfect Seat  visit: itsaperfectseal.com

 

TIPS FOR YOUR FALL ROOF INSPECTION

 October marks the 2-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy that devastated homes on the eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine, with particularly strong damage in New Jersey and New York. Damage alone amounted to an estimated $65 billion and homeowners need their roofs to be prepared.

  1. Start off by checking the roof framing structure to make sure it is not compromised. Visually scan the roof for any sagging or uneven areas.

  2. Inspect the gutter systems to make sure they are not clogged with branches, leaves, or other debris.

  3. Make sure that gutters are fastened properly and are tight and secure so that they don’t cause overflow and build-up or fall off the fascia board.

  4. Check the valleys of the roof to ensure that they are also free and clear of debris that can add weight to the roof and also act as a barrier to rain.

  5. Metal flashing should also be used around roof vents, pipes, skylights, and chimneys. One of the most common causes for roofing leaks is due to problems with flashing.

  6. Walk around to carefully inspect the shingles on the roof – look for curling edges, missing granules, etc.

 

INSTALLING A TV OVER A FIREPLACE?

In many home designs, it might seem like the best place to install the flat screen television is above the fireplace. But before you do that, the Chimney Safety Institute of America advises you to take a few precautions.

Review the fireplace and chimney venting system. Some natural gas log units are designed to be vent-free, which means high levels of heat can be radiating out from the appliance. Heat and TVs don’t mix.

Check the fireplace opening for discoloration. Discoloration means that some potentially hazardous by-products of combustion are entering the home and are rising above the fireplace opening, putting them in direct contact with the homeowners and the TV.

Consider industry safety standards when hiding cables. National building codes recommend a minimum 2-inch clearance between combustible electrical wires and a fireplace or chimney appliance. Carefully review mounting instructions when hanging the flat screen to reduce risk. If needed, consult a CSIA-certified chimney sweep.

Heat raises, anything over 85 to 90 degrees or so should be considered less than ideal for electronics, whether it’s inside a cabinet or on a wall. Over time, a TV that is repeatedly exposed to rising hot air over 100 degrees could see its life unexpectedly shortened and possibly even experience some misshaping of its plastic cabinetry. If you’re using the television and have the display panel and circuitry active while the fire is going in that type of installation, you’re asking for extra trouble, particularly so with plasma TVs that tend to run hotter than the LED LCD models.”

If you can’t find a suitable alternative location for the TV, try altering the mantel or hearth to allow for a different heat flow pattern.

 

DOES DIRT MAKE YOU HAPPY?

 Did you know that there’s a natural antidepressant in soil? It’s true. Mycobacterium vaccae is the substance under study and has, indeed, been found to mirror the effect on neurons that drugs like Prozac provide. The bacterium is found in soil and may stimulate serotonin production, which makes you relaxed and happier.

 

WHERE TO LOOK FOR AIR LEAKS IN YOU HOME

 You can save 10% or more on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home. Here’s how you can find them:

Test your home for air leaks. On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick next to the common sources of air leaks shown below. If the smoke travels horizontally, you have found an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weather stripping.

Pay particular attention to air leaks at doors, windows, and places where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets.

For a more accurate measurement of air leakage, hire a technician to conduct a blower door test in your home.

Some common sources of air leakage in your home:

Dropped ceiling

Recessed light

Attic entrance

Sill plates

Water and furnace flues

All ducts

Door frames

Chimney flashing

Window frames

Electrical outlets and switches

Plumbing and utilities

thanks to weather.com

 

WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT WINDOWS?

 The Romans were the first known to use glass for windows, a technology likely first produced in Roman Egypt—In Alexandria 100 AD. Paper windows were economical and widely used in ancient China, Korea and Japan. In England, glass became common in the windows of ordinary homes only in the early 17th century whereas windows made up of panes of flattened animal horn were used as early as the 14th century. Modern-style floor-to-ceiling windows became possible only after the industrial plateglass making processes were perfected.

wikipedia.org

 

Website Mentions:

Wiley: The Landscape Lighting Book, 3rd Edition – Janet Lennox Moyer

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118073827.html

Microwave Cavity Paint :

http://www.amazon.com/ERP-98QBP0302-MICROWAVE-CAVITY-PAINT/dp/B004NXUJ60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411826648&sr=8-1&keywords=microwave+interior+paint

 AO Smith 9005413105 – Mag-Erad Non-Toxic Cleaner, 1lb Can:

http://www.supplyhouse.com/AO-Smith-9005413105-Mag-Erad-Non-Toxic-Cleaner-1lb-Can

 

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