Small and red or big and black, they will find a way in to your home.

Outside, they can be a benefit to aerating the soil and composting dead vegetation. But if they are bringing up all the sand from beneath your concrete, you must take action to stop them.

The best thing to do with “slab-on-grade” concrete such as driveways and patios is to seal the control joints so the ants cannot surface between the gaps and cracks. Power washing these cracks, then filling them to within a quarter-inch of the top with sand preps the cracks for application of what people commonly call “liquid-caulk” – what the Industry knows as Sikaflex. Caulk the cracks by applying Sikaflex over the sand and letting it flow into the joint. This high-memory product will survive the effects of weather and pesky ants!

Inside the house, ants are simply a pest looking for food. Those tiny red ants we often see are easily disposed of inside the home using bait stations with boric acid mixed with a “sweetener” such as peanut butter or corn syrup. Such baits should be placed where the ants have been observed and always out of the reach of pets and children!

Red ants often enter the home through gaps and cracks around the foundation, as well as doors and pipe and cable penetrations in the walls. Seal these and you may keep them out. Semi-annual application of a pesticide around the outside of the foundation will help. Keeping a tidy kitchen and eliminating access to food scraps can also keep them away.

The big, black, ants are a different story. They are called Carpenter Ants because of their affinity for nesting in wood. They can severely damage the wood frame of your home and oftentimes require the services of a professional pest control company if they are nesting in the home’s structure. Typical baits for Carpenter Ants are designed to attract worker ants that will carry the pesticide back to the nest where it will be consumed by others, including the queen. These baits are usually either a granular or a gel and often have a borate as the active ingredient.

Most deck frames are still going to be CCR or ACQ, (green), treated lumber. You should purchase higher quality, (species and grade), lumber for greater strength and longevity. These deck frames will often be reinforced with galvanized metal connectors and secured with either “double-dipped galvanized” or stainless-steel fasteners.

If the deck connects to the house, this is a critical juncture that requires good engineering, design, and installation. You should fasten the deck “through” to the floor frame with stainless-steel bolts – not screws.

For any deck-to-house connection, good flashing details are essential to keep out any moisture or active water! For the walking surface, common choices include naturally durable wood, vinyl, treated wood or composites.

Cedar, redwood and teak are termed “naturally durable wood” because they contain natural toxins that prevent or minimize insect and mold attacks. They tend to be pricier and require annual work to maintain the original beauty, but they can last for many years.

Vinyl’s are pricey, but have the advantage of little maintenance and longer life. They and the composites may require additional framing support below per manufacturer’s guidelines.

Treated (typically “green”) decking will “gray” without loosing strength and is still a price bargain compared to many products. It can be periodically sealed with various products including linseed oil.

If you really want to impress, consider high-end carpeted deck surfaces, membrane type roofing products that can be walked on, or even installing a ceramic tile meant for exterior use.

Housing and Lifestyle Information You Can Trust!

Listen to the The Inside Outside Guys on Talk Radio 1270!

“An owner has a responsibility to ensure a deck structure is A) properly designed and built, and B) properly and frequently maintained” – web site for law firm.

Consider:

1. Approximately 45 million existing decks in the United States attached to Residential Properties.
2. Estimated that 40% of these are “safe”.
3. North American Deck and Railing Association says , since 2000, over 30 deck collapse fatalities in US.
4. Over 40 million decks in US over 20years old.
5. Many failures are do to over-loaded/improperly built/secured railings.
6. Standard design decks are not intended for kiddie pools, hot tubs, etc.

Decks should be inspected on an annual basis. Inspection Highlights*:

1. Check for proper fasteners.
2. Check for proper fastener placement – particularly at deck. ledger/railings/handrails/stair stringers.
3. Check for fastener decay.
4. Check for wood rot/decay in ledger.
5. Check for depressions around structural posts at grade.
6. Check to assure sprinkler heads do not direct spray or water toward structural components.
7. Check to make sure downspouts do not direct water toward structural members.
8. Check to make sure intermediate vertical supports in rails are spaced such that a four-inch diameter sphere shall not pass between them.
9. Check to assure rails and rail supports are adequate.
10. Check to assure stair systems are properly anchored and in good repair.
11. Check to assure hand rails are graspable and properly anchored.
12. Check to make sure Rail posts are properly secured.
13. Check to make certain deck boards are not rotted or over spanned.
14. Check to make certain joists and beams are not rotted or over spanned.
15. Check to make certain all connections are adequate and secure for intended load and purpose.

* Reference American Wood Council DCA6 – Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Guide

The summer of 2012 has been a grueling one so far and doesn’t look to get better anytime soon. If you haven’t seen your electric bill for the last month yet make sure you’re sitting down before you open it.

Here are a few tips to help you keep cool and lower your bills for the rest of the summer.

Try something called “Texas Cooling”. It’s quite simply just “play the sun”. About an hour after the sun goes down open the windows on the east and west sides of your home. In the morning before the sun comes up shut the windows and shades. The light coming through your windows acts like a magnifying glass and makes it even hotter so, doing this will help cool your home for the day.

Don’t introduce any heat inside of your house. Do laundry at night or use a clothes line and get the fresh air to do the work, keep lights off, eat cold food, cook outdoors or better yet treat yourself to a  night out for dinner. Make sure all your duct vents are shut in the basement. Because your basement is below grade it will always be cooler then the floors above. The more time you can spend down in the basement the less you have to cool the floors above.

When your family leaves in the morning you can adjust your thermostat but don’t turn it off. It will cause your AC condenser to work harder when you get home to cool the house back to a comfortable temperature. The harder your AC unit works the more energy it takes and the more it costs. One thing we strongly recommend is to get your Air Conditioning condenser looked at every couple of years by a licensed professional, the cost for the checkup will be paid back in the way of your system working more efficient and by making sure you have the proper amount of freon. Your thermostat should be around 15 degrees lower than the anticipated high temperature. That should be plenty cool enough to ensure comfort.

One of the most common areas that people cost themselves more money in cooling is by not making sure the coils on the condenser gets enough air flow. It is just as important to change your furnace filter in the summer months as it is in the winter because your furnace blower is used to blow the cool air through the same duct system as it uses to blow the warm air in the winter.

Make sure your outside condenser is able to bring air into it through the sides. Check for grass or other debris blocking the unit and wash the coils on the side with a light hose spray. Those coils are easily bent and once they are damaged they will not run as efficiently. If you have a window unit the same cleaning methods apply. Just make sure you have your unit on the north side of the house where the sun won’t help it heat up as much. By adding a stand by generator to your home you can insure your AC will work even when the power goes out.

A couple more small tips- try to minimize the ins and outs, and keep the outside doors shut. Take cool showers to lower your core body temperature, use fans to cool as needed. When fall comes around plant some shade trees around the sunny side of the house all that shade will help keep the temps inside your home down. Above all enjoy the summer and be safe.

Don’t SWEAT the small stuff.

In an effort to reduce our footprint, we are making improvements to our homes such as better roof ventilation, energy efficient windows and doors and higher efficiency HVAC and filtering systems. We have sealed our homes up tight to conserve energy and reduce utility costs, and shrink our footprint. These things are all good, but your home still has to breathe, and short of living in a bubble with some sort of Jules Verneian re-breathing unit, the air you breathe inside has to come from outside…and what is in it?

The use of electronic filters and air purifying systems can improve indoor air quality, but the fact remains that the impurities that exist are airborne until they are filtered and therefore still pose risk, and are you considering all of the sources of these impurities?

The “sleeping giant” in this initiative for better indoor air quality may well be your basement. It has been said, “There are two kinds of basements…those that leak, and those that will leak”. Patching cracks and filling holes is an expected part of home-ownership, but few of us consider properly sealing the basement to keep what’s out, out.

Weeping walls, leaking rod holes and standing water from foundation and footing shift allow moisture into the home, which increases humidity and spawns mold (which becomes airborne before being filtered) and greatly reduces indoor air quality (increasing health risks). An additional invisible culprit that affects the air you breathe in your home is radon gas. Radon is a naturally occurring gas created from soil decay. The amount of radon in the soil depends on geographic location, but it exists in all soil. It [Radon] is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that is carcinogenic.

Properly sealing your basement is the first line of defense against mold, mildew and Radon gas. You can test your home (or have it tested) for radon gas, and there are products available to seal the gas out of your living space.  You should find a qualified, licensed contractor in your area that can test and seal your basement.

If you are considering finishing your basement to gain living space, you should first  properly seal it against moisture and gas infiltration. If you simply want to improve indoor air quality, don’t ignore the basement. The cleaner the air coming in, the fewer the airborne impurities, the less your filters have to work, and the more you can breathe easy.

Place the tree on a sturdy stand that you know won’t fall over when a little one tries to climb it or a pet gets tangled up in the lights or cords.

Keep the tree away from any possible heat sources like space heaters, fireplaces, candles, radiators or stoves.

Do not block any exits and make sure any lights you use are indoor lights specifically made for Christmas trees. Read all manufactures instructions for any trees or lights you may be using.

Be sure to check all cords for any signs of wear or tears and check the lights for burnt out bulbs. Make sure you only replace with bulbs that are meant for that string of lights.

Unplug all lights before leaving the house or going to bed. Also, be sure that the end of a string of lights can’t fall into any water at the bottom of the tree.

When you buy a real tree you get a fresh one. The needles should never fall off when touched and should be able to bend. Make sure you check the water and refill as needed.

What kind of tree is greener the real tree or the artificial one. When I say green I mean environmentally friendly?

One acre of Douglas fir trees can absorb as much as 11302 lbs. of co2 a year. Plus, once you’re done with your tree you can take it to many different tree recycling centers where it can be made into mulch.

I’m sure my mother didn’t know this when I was a child but many artificial trees have lead in their needles to make them softer. That really could explains a lot about the way I am today.

The Children’s Health and Environment Coalition recommends you do not have an artificial tree in your home if you have kids under 3 years old.

An artificial tree cost between $75.00 and $300.00 dollars so they will pay for themselves after 2 to 4 years. You can’t recycle them however you don’t have to kill them either.

It really doesn’t matter what tree you use real or fake or weather you concerned about the environmental issues or not.

What matters the most is that you enjoy your family, give thanks for all your blessings and have a safe happy, healthy Christmas.

Thanks for your time

Ken the Outside Guy

Even without the green label anything that you do to your home that saves energy is a good thing.

By doing these things like adding new insulation, windows and weather stripping you’ve done what is commonly known as tightening the envelope of your home. This means keeping the warm air inside your home, and the cold air out.  Now you want to make sure the air inside your house is as healthy as possible. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Change Filters

The filters for your furnace, air conditioner, air cleaners, and vacuums need to be cleaned and changed for a couple of reasons. The main reason for changing filters is because they become dirty or clogged.  Filters work by moving air flow through the filter. If the filter is dirty or clogged the appliance works much harder to push air through it and the harder that appliance works the more it will cost to run which in turn shortens the life span of the appliance.

Eventually the filter will either tear, and stop working all together and will allow dirty air to pass through and circulate around your house which is not healthy to breathe.

Get your air ducts cleaned

When a new home is built it should get all the saw dust and construction debris cleaned out of the duct work right away. An older home should look at getting air ducts cleaned every 5 to 10 years. That smell you notice every year when you first turn your furnace on is the dust that has been building up over the years. If your furnace filter and air ducts are cleaned then there is no doubt that your pushing clean air through your house. There are a lot of germs that can grow in the worm moist environment of your duct work. Most duct cleaning companies can sanitize your system as well.

Change your water softener, humidifier and dehumidifier filters

The same holds true with these filters as does the air filters with one more consequence. The water softener filters will actually start working for the negative and send dirty drinking water to your family.

Weather your humidifier has a filter that needs to be changed or a pad that needs to be cleaned, or it’s a on the furnace unit or a standalone. These filters could get mold and mildew on them and those spores could be blown through your home. Then a source that is meant to keep you air clean will be doing just the opposite.

Get a Radon test for your home

Radon can enter your home year around however, with your home being locked up as tight as Fort Knox it has nowhere to go so, it lingers in your home longer.

All homes in southeast Michigan have the opportunity to have radon some more than others depending on what area you live in. Go to Michigan.gov/deq, for more information. January is National Radon awareness month so, that should tell you when Michigan see’s it at it’s worse. Radon is also the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. Getting a Radon test is very easy. Go to a hardware store and pick one up. There will be directions on where to send the test to and then, The Inside Outside Guys can help you find a licensed, insured and state certified Radon mediation company to help you if your test comes back with more than the EPA recommended 4.0 pCi/ per liter.

Musty, damp basements, or crawl space

Living in Michigan a lot of us are used to that musty smell in our basements.

We really shouldn’t be. If your basement smells damp, moldy and musty then it is damp, moldy and musty. The dangerous part is you and your love ones are breathing that nasty air in. Your best option is to call a Basement professional. Prices for basement water proofing have come down over the years mostly because of increased competition and newer technologies.  These new technologies allow water to be moved away from your foundation easier and contractors can do smaller sections when the whole basement isn’t problem. A crawl space encapsulation is a must for all crawl spaces. All crawl spaces are damp dark places. And they’re breeding grounds for mold. In most cases a home owner will notice the improvement in air quality right away.

Keep your pets clean

This is a more disgusting  problem than you think.

A person who doesn’t have pets can usually notice right away when they walk into a home that does. Just look at your pets when they walk outside. What are that playing and rolling around in? Not to mention what they are stepping in.

Try to wipe your dog’s paws off whenever they come in and out of your home.

A weekly bath and as much brushing as possible will make a huge difference on what your home smells like.

These are just a few tips to try to make your home as healthy as possible during the heating season in Michigan. Whenever the weather allows try to introduce some fresh air into the house. Just remember if a home’s air smells unhealthy than it is unhealthy.

Hope this helps. Stay safe and bring on Spring.

Thanks for your time

Ken Calverley

The Outside Guy

City: Wixom

Question: My 15 year old (cedar) deck has heaved on one end; some of the boards are rotted (both on the floor and railing); the fascia (?) along the bottom outside of the door wall has rotted and needs to be replaced. asap (the inside floor may already be damaged). I’d like to use “no maintenance” material to replace the deck but find a large variety of products. Am also finding a wide variety of contractors, none of whom is
making me feel very comfortable. My problem was not big enough for the first; the second left me in limbo until his larger jobs were complete
and is now pressuring me to build because the price will increase next year; the third forgot about faxing my estimate because he was sick, and
I’m still waiting …So, I would like to find a responsible, trustworthy contractor. Any ideas???
Ann,

That’s what we are about. Please listen in and/or come and see us at the Novi Suburban Collection Showplace Home and Garden Show October 6-9. Give us an address, we will happily send you complimentary tickets.

Cedar decks were all the rage 15-20 years ago – but most people were never informed that, A) there are different grades of cedar and, B) it requires work to keep it looking as it did the day the deck was completed. Cedar Heartwood has the highest concentration of natural decay resistant toxins -and it is the most expensive – thus least used grade.

he point where a deck meets the building is a critical juncture and care has to be taken to prevent damage to the house through moisture, insects and molds. True experts understand the process and materials needed to accomplish this. They also understand the differences between various materials beyond initial price.

In some cases it is possible to have the deck almost – but not quite – touch the house so air and water can move between house and deck. Two people we suggest – both are very good and, thus, very busy – are Cross Renovations at 734-286-2244 and Clearwater Construction at 734-502-5060.

Take some time in the initial call to explain the anticipated type and size of project. Your sense of urgency here is understandable, but at this point an extra month or so will not increase the risk or the cost – so you DO have time to make an informed decision.

If you have other questions, please let us know – we are glad to help.
God Bless,

The Guys

Natural Mosquito Repellent Safety

There are a couple of different formulations you can make for your natural mosquito repellent. In general, what you are doing is diluting an essential oil that the mosquitoes find distasteful or which confuses them so they can’t find you to bite you. The oils don’t mix with water, so you’ll need to add them to other oils or to alcohol. It’s important to use an oil or alcohol that is safe for your skin. Also, don’t go overboard with the essential oils. The oils are potent and could cause skin irritation or another reaction if you use too much. If you are pregnant or nursing, do not use any mosquito repellent, natural or otherwise, until after you’ve gotten it cleared by your physician.

Natural Mosquito Repellent Ingredients

If you are making large amounts of mosquito repellent, a good rule of thumb is to mix the repellent so it’s 5-10% essential oil, so mix 1 part essential oil with 10-20 parts carrier oil or alcohol. For a smaller batch use:

• 10-25 drops (total) of essential oils
• 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil or alcohol

The essential oils that work well against mosquitoes are:

• cinnamon oil
• lemon eucalyptus oil
• citronella oil
• castor oil

Safe carrier oils and alcohols include:

• olive oil
• sunflower oil
• any other cooking oil
• witch hazel
• vodka

Natural Mosquito Repellent Recipe

Mix the essential oil with the carrier oil or alcohol. Rub or spray the natural insect repellent onto skin or clothing, using care to avoid the sensitive eye area. You’ll need to re-apply the natural product after about an hour or after swimming or exercise. Unused natural insect repellent may be stored in a dark bottle, away from heat or sunlight.