Home Maintenance, Remodeling and Repairs

Water Heater Inspection | Home Inspector Tips

Dariusz Rudnicki — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:23:17 PST

Water Heater Inspection Guidelines The following water heater inspection guide covers 3 types of the most popular water heater installations: Gas, natural draft, tank water heaters utilizing galvanized steel vent pipe Gas, power vent equipped, tank water heaters utilizing PVC vent pipe Electric water heaters There might be some minor discrepancies between jurisdictions which will in most (probably not all) cases concern seismic areas water heater installations. I’ll cover it within this water heater inspection manual but I would highly recommend to obtain a water heater installation permit from your local building department (usually required) and verify plumbing code requirements in your particular area. Water heater [...]

Room Humidity and House Humidifier Energy Savings

Dariusz Rudnicki — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:24:19 PST

Control room humidity with a humidifier to achieve best energy savings Energy savings in your home can be improved by controlling room humidity levels and using two types of humidifiers. There are whole house humidifiers that attach to the forced air heating system or portable units and can condition smaller portions of your property. Both groups of humidifiers will help increasing room humidity but waste energy and/or water at the same time; some significantly, others considerably less. However, if used properly, good quality whole house humidifiers will make you feel warmer in colder months, thus allowing you to lower the thermostat temperature settings, and saving [...]

Air Circulation in Homes with No Air Return on Second Floor

Dariusz Rudnicki — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:15:49 PST

Air circulation in two story homes Air circulation in homes which are older and / or in poorly designed newer ones equipped with a central, forced air system might be compromised because they do not have an air return port installed on the second floor. It doesn’t matter how much you run the air conditioning system during the summer – that second floor will always stay much hotter than the first. During the winter it becomes difficult to keep the property warm without proper air circulation as well. In both situations, the forced air system is wasting huge amounts of energy to keep [...]

Garage Safety | How to Really Make Your Garage Safer

Dariusz Rudnicki — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:38:04 PST

Garage Safety While checking the news this morning I stumbled upon this short article listing a few garage safety issues by U.S. Home Safety Council. To explore a little more their garage safety suggestions I followed a link to their website and looked at much longer list. I have to tell you that I’m disappointed after reading it. While working as a home inspector I‘ve evaluated close to 5000 properties and majority of them with car garages. In most cases there were serious, even life threatening garage safety issues involved, and yet, 3 of them have not been included in that list, part [...]

How to Use Thermostat Fan ON – OFF Feature

Dariusz Rudnicki — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:56:59 PST

Thermostat fan ON – OFF Use forced air heating and / or AC thermostat fan ON – OFF feature to your advantage and help your HVAC forced air system perform most efficiently. Utilizing thermostat fan ON – OFF feature will probably be more beneficial for multi-level homes equipped with just one HVAC unit and little to no air return ports assigned for each room (ie. two air returns on a two story residence / one per floor only). HVAC systems designed with a single air return port, usually installed in the center of the house or in the center of each floor, are often [...]

Recommended Thermostat Settings For Energy Savings

Dariusz Rudnicki — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:29:08 PDT

Recommended thermostat settings and thermostat location Before I explain recommended thermostat settings for energy savings I’d like to point out the best and the worst thermostat locations. To maximize home energy savings and ensure the most efficient operation of your HVAC system, thermostat location should be chosen on an inside wall in a frequently occupied area of the house or the apartment. Additionally, thermostat location should be at least 18″ (46cm) from any of the house’s outside walls, and approximately 5′ (1.5m) above the floor surface in a location with freely circulating air of an average temperature. Thermostat locations you should avoid! The recommended thermostat settings [...]

Hot Water Heating Maintenance | Interior Fall Maintenance

Dariusz Rudnicki — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:51:58 PDT

Hot Water Heating Maintenance Hot water heating maintenance procedures should be an important task on your interior fall maintenance list. Hot water heating maintenance – bleeding hot water radiators once or twice a season Bleeding your radiators means releasing any air trapped in them. This hot water heating maintenance process improves your hot water heating efficiency instantly. Hot water can flow into every part of the radiator, so it does a better job of warming your room. In order to figure out your hot water heating system’s radiators performance, turn up the thermostat a few degrees above the room temperature, make sure that all [...]

Combustion Air Requirements for Fossil Fuel Burning Appliances

Dariusz Rudnicki — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 15:21:17 PDT

Combustion Air Requirements There are four possible combustion air sources in your home; House living space Attic Crawlspace House exterior In some cases combinations of the above combustion air sources is required, but the application of each has to be determined on an individual basis. EXAMPLE of the combustion air calculations For your own safety; I want you to examine the location of the fossil fuel burning appliances in your home as soon as you finish reading this chapter (furnace, water heater, fireplace, heating stove, etc.). If you have a problem figuring combustion air requirements and determining if everything is correct, email me with detailed description of your [...]

Attic Furnace Passageway and Platform Installations Requirements

Dariusz Rudnicki — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 19:20:06 PDT

Attic Furnace Walkway & Platform Attic furnace installation must comply with you local mechanical code or IMC (International Mechanical Code) if such was adopted in your area. The following are attic furnace installation requirements based on 2009 IRC and 2009 IMC (The codes refer to it as “Appliances in attics”). Attic furnace access / passageway and platform Attic furnace passageway and service area electrical requirement Appliance in the attic / Attic furnace access / passageway and platform Access opening and an unobstructed passage way to the appliance / furnace in attic area must be provided and be adequate in size to allow removal of the [...]

Fall Maintenance | Home’s Interior Fall Maintenance Tips

Dariusz Rudnicki — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:13:41 PDT

Interior Fall Maintenance Tips The interior fall maintenance tips is a second part of home maintenance check list series dedicated to routine, seasonal tasks around your house. Follow this link: exterior fall maintenance tips for the first part of those important home maintenance procedures. We’ll start interior fall maintenance tips check list from the top of your house. 1. Evaluate your house’s attic for signs of leaks, moisture, and mold / compare suspect areas with any exterior roof observations you may have and correct issues. Moisture and mold presence might be a result of ventilation problems and during the cold season is when an [...]

Asphalt Shingles Types | Roof Shingle Choices to Consider

Dariusz Rudnicki — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:07:01 PDT

Asphalt Shingles Types | Roof Shingles Choices to Consider The majority of homes in the USA, Canada, and the European countries tend to be covered with various asphalt shingles types. They create superb systems which safeguard homes from poor weather conditions, blowing wind as well as water. Simply because asphalt shingles are such an essential section of just about any home, there are numerous manufacturers both local as well as overseas which produce different asphalt shingles types for various purposes. Actually, the number of shingles types is really so significant, that simply choosing the kind of roofing shingles for the home could be mind-boggling [...]

Illinois New Roof Cost Calculator | 10% OFF a Shingle Roof Installed

Dariusz Rudnicki — Mon, 16 May 2011 18:55:13 PDT

To calculate your Illinois new roof cost you do not have to get up on the ladder, in many cases everything can be measured from the ground. If you’re trying to figure out northern Illinois new roof cost I have just that information for you… with a 10% OFF bonus if you choose to accept the already low price.

Building My Shed Requires Plan | Prepare for Garden Hut Construction

Dariusz Rudnicki — Sat, 07 May 2011 16:03:27 PDT

Just like any project small or big, building my shed requires a plan. It doesn’t matter if you’re an experienced carpenter or still going through the learning curve, it’s always extremely important to have everything ready in place before beginning the project.

3 Ways To Get Free Shed Plans | Blueprints For Woodworking Projects

Dariusz Rudnicki — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:22:15 PDT

Free shed plans and blueprints have many benefits for anyone attempting to start a garden shed project. Unless you are a professional carpenter experienced in building sheds for a living, you will need some kind of a plan; step by step instructions that will guide you through the entire garden / storage shed construction project.

Wood Shed Plans Collection of Everything Made Out Of Wood

Dariusz Rudnicki — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:00:35 PDT

You must be looking for some wood shed plans and / or experiencing “need for storage space” in and around your home. This… I think you can call it “wood shed plans collection review” may be helpful. Before purchasing anything online I always try to do research and find all the positive and negative reviews. Also, an important criteria for me is to determine which of the reviews are purely affiliate recommendations (just to push a sale, make a profit without even knowing what you’re recommending) and which are made by a person who has actually “touched” the product.

10 Tips on How to Use Free Shed Plan and Build an Outdoor Storage Shed

Dariusz Rudnicki — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:43:42 PDT

There are ten easy steps you should follow after downloading this free shed plan. Even if you’re not a skilled carpenter you can build a shed by sticking to the plan described below and inside the “free shed plan” file. If you didn't have a chance to download it from "My shed plans decision" post, click on the shed picture to the left and get it now - no name or registration needed.

My Shed Plans Decision| Garden Shed Blueprints

Dariusz Rudnicki — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:56:09 PDT

The weather has finally improved to the point that my shed plans started taking an actual shape, at least a virtual one at this moment. Hopefully they can become a reality soon because storing some of the garden equipment in the garage isn't possible anymore. A few extra square feet of space in my shed seems to be the only option.

Vinyl Shed Shopping, Search & Compare Different Products

Dariusz Rudnicki — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:48:49 PDT

Vinyl shed shopping, search & compare sheds from different manufacturers. Find a shed in your local store or order on line. Shop for deals on vinyl shed at Bizrate Bizrate Related posts:Outdoor Products Recalls and Alerts (6.1) The following is the newest list of outdoor products recalls...

Water Heater Maintenance 3 | Anode Rod, WH shut-down, Combustion Air

Dariusz Rudnicki — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 17:22:39 PDT

Water heater maintenance Part 3 explains sacrificial Anode Rod maintenance, vacation and extended shut-down of the water heater, water heater’s combustion air.

Tank Gas Water Heater Maintenance 2 | TPRV, Tank Drainage, Flue-Way

Dariusz Rudnicki — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 07:20:14 PDT

Second part of the tank gas water heater maintenance explains: TPR valve maintenance, water heater tank drainage, and internal flu-way maintenance / venting.