Archive for the 'Maintenance Hints' Category
From My December 2012 Postcard “Blog”
My local past clients receive a postcard from me each month with what I hope is useful information regarding market conditions, caring for their homes and other real estate related information. I see other brokers sending “purchased” monthly newsletters with everything from meatloaf recipes to automobile maintenance recommendations. I am in the business of real estate as an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent and think it makes the most sense for me to focus on real estate related topics.
MARKET CONDITIONS
Some of the reports that I follow are showing some improvement in Colorado employment figures. If you have been following my observations for the past few months then you know that this is the change for which I have been waiting as a harbinger of some better numbers for home sales and prices. If those reports continue to be positive then you can look for home price improvement during 2012. I have worked through three other real estate “corrections” and with those the bounce back was most significant at the beginning. This time I see a more gradual and longer period for improving prices.
MAINTENANCE HINT
One of the regular maintenance recommendations made by many inspectors is to replace the beeswax seal at the connection between toilet and waste line about every five years. I had not been convinced until a recent visit to one of my clients. I am now a believer. The leak and accompanying ceiling damage at the home was directly attributed to a deteriorated wax seal. In an era of many bathroom renovations it is important that the gap between the toilet and the waste line that is created by adding cement board and ceramic tile is bridged by a designed spacer and not just filled by a second beeswax seal. Replacement can be done by some homeowners but many will be better served leaving this to a professional.
It is my hope that the type of information provided in these messages will encourage you to protect what is probably your most expensive asset and to consider and Exclusive Buyer’s Agent for your Colorado home search and purchase.
Crawl Space Ventilation
The past few weeks have pointed out that too many homeowners just become complacent about checking around their homes and completing seasonal maintenance. Opening and closing the crawl space vents seems to be one of those chores that is just too easy to forget. If you forget or ignore, you run the risk of frozen pipes (vents left open) or moisture and mold (vents left closed).
During the just mentioned two-week period I wrote two contracts for one client and both failed because of mold in the crawl spaces of the respective homes. These homes were in the $400,000 range so it was not a case of lack of resourses to do maintenance. It may just have been lack of knowledge. I do not quite get the latter. As long as I can remember, inspectors have always reminded buyers of this maintenance activity. Perhaps these two owners passed on an inspection, did not have a good inspector, or just did not pay attention.
Even in our relatively dry climate, moisture control is important. Check your enclosed spaces frequently!
How’s that refrigerator running?
An easy to forget cleaning practice (out of sight-out of mind anybody) is cleaning the coils located at the base of your fridge. You will be surprised what you find! If you still have the appliance manual, it will contain instructions. In most cases, you can find a copy of the manual on the internet. (Well, except for some really old units.)
If you do not have instructions, try the following:
First, turn off or unplug the refrigerator. We don’t want anyone to be injured. There will be a removeable panel at the very bottom. You may need to open the door(s) for access. Usually this pulls off but check. Some may need to have several screws removed.
Once the panel is removed, used the crevas tool on you vacuum to remove the lint, pet hair, food, etc. HINT – Spraying with anti-static spray before and after will make this job easier.
Now pat yourself on the back. Your refrigerator will be working better and saving energy.
Watch Out For New Lead Based Paint Regulations
What is this about?
Several years ago the EPA announced new requirements. These requirement are in full effect beginning April 2010.
What is the problem?
Lead has been found to cause significant health problems to both children and to adults. Lead based paint in a home is not a problem as long as it is encapsulated and undisturbed. The problems occur when it is found to be chipped or flaking or if scraped, sanded or otherwise disturbed during painting or remodeling.
What homes are affected?
The homes that fall under the guidelines are homes for which a building permit was issued prior to January 1, 1978. For the Denver area, that is about 80% of the housing stock. You can usually find the construction date for you home in the county records for your county. You may want to call the county or the building department if that is a 1978 or 1979 date to learn for certain when the permit was issued. My own observation is that the use of paints containing lead was very limited after the mid-1960’s when water based paints began to be used extensively by production builders. I will still be found on some of those home in exterior paint and some woodwork. By the mid-1970’s it would have been typical only in more custom homes and then primarily on interior woodwork. Testing in several locations with very minor “destruction” will tell you whether or not your home is affected.
What do I need to know or do?
If you engage a contractor for any remodeling, including painting, window replacement or cabinet replacement, ask to see their EPA certifications. From reading the EPA web site, there appear to be two. One is more of a “registration”, with the second being the actual “training”. The contractors are obligated to follow EPA protocols during their work. All seem to agree that this is going to increase costs. There does not seem to be agreement as to how much. The fines for contractors not following protocols and/or not being “approved” are in the $30,000 range so this is considered by EPA to be a big deal.
What if I do the work myself?
Good question. Homeowners are not subject to the same restrictions. But, lead is a real hazard and you should check EPA protocols and follow them. You do not want lead dust air born in your home or flakes on the floor. Test first and know your homes conditions.
Comments or Questions?
Please add yours or contact me directly if you would like assistance. I am an experienced Exclusive Buyer Broker and always and only represent the interests of my buyer clients.
Russ Murray russ@buyerbroker-denver.com 303-721-1100, ext. 1
Where is your fire-extinguisher?
An Important "Accessory"
Is your answer “I don’t have one”?
You can fix that within a few hours and make your home and family that much more safe. Rated extinguishers can be purchased for $20 and up. What’s your excuse now? Please head to your local hardware store or “big-box” and correct this oversight right now.
What should I buy?
My suggestion is at least two, and maybe three. Put the first in an easy to reach location in the kitchen. That is one of the most common locations for home fires. Check on the extinguisher and/or with the retailer for a kitchen fire compatible unit. The second place is in the garage. You have more room here so you may want one that is a little larger and designated for the types of materials stored in the garage. The third? Perhaps on the second floor if you are in a two-story house or near the grill on the patio.
Next Step
Make sure all members of the family know where the extinguishers are located and how to use them. You may find that your local firehouse will have some training available. Here is a You-Tube FEMA video as a starting point.
Really Important!
The first two steps if you have a home fire do not include using the extinguisher. FIRST, call 911 and alert the fire department. SECOND, get everyone out of the house. THEN put your extinguisher training to work.
Want an agent who really cares about these issues and about you?
Call me. I am an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent with significant experience in all of the Denver area markets. Your interests are always first.
Russ Murray 303-721-1100, ext 1 russ@buyerbroker-denver.com
Roof! Roof! (Not Woof! Woof!)
What is this about and Who should read it?
Okay, if I have your attention, you will find useful information here whether you are evaluating the roof on an existing home or ready to replace the roof on your current house. And it is important. A good roof not only adds value to your home but also is the first protection of the structure itself.
(As with most of my posts, this information is relevant to the Denver, Colorado metro area.)
What types of roofs are out there?
The most common roof is a 3-tab composition roof. These are typically installed over rolled on asphalt impregnated felt paper. The shingle itself is asphalt based with fiberglass granules as a surface protection. Typical life expectancy is 20 years.
Next in the “composition” roof family is the “architectural grade” composition roof. The materials and installation are similar to the 3-tab but the shingles are laminated so that there are two layers. This product is sometimes known as a “bi-laminate”. The two layers provide a heavier shadow line and longer life. You can figure 25 to 30 years for this roof. In this same category is the “tri-laminate”; similar but with three layers and a potential 35-50 year life span.
Frequently in use for both new and replacement roofs is a lightweight concrete tile product. While the system is ”light weight” for tile, it is heavier than composition roof material and the structure itself must be evaluated by an engineer before installation. Many of these roofs come with a 50-year warranty. Your insurance will be much lower than with other options; in many cases low enough to recapture the incremental cost over architectural grade composition in just a few years. One “negative” to consider with this roof system is that it is quite east to break the tiles when walking on them so be really careful during any maintenance operation. You always want an experienced installer. In the case of tile that become even more important as some installers will attach the horizontal ”battens”, over which the tiles are installed, without either shims or vertical battens. While an “approved” method, it is likely to shorten the life of the roof as the horizontal battens, if not raised, will trap water and deteriorate faster.
You may have, or see on your prospective home, hand-split wood (usually cedar) shakes. For many years this system was considered an upgrade from a composition roof and certainly has the heavy shadow line that many people like. This is NOT a good roof in this area. It was not bad when a “heavy” shake meant 3/4″ to 5/4″ butt ends. These actually had reasonable hail resistance and I have seen some 30-year roofs that were still serviceable. As time progressed and builders tried to save money we saw medium and light shakes being used. One light hail event and they are toast and 20 years is about it for life-span. To the best of my knowledge shakes are not used in any new construction and the only replacements that I see are in neighborhoods where the residents have not been able to change covenants that allow only shakes. Check before you buy if you are thinking of replacing shakes with ANYTHING else.
Two roof types that you will find on existing homes but which are no longer being installed are “Woodruff” and “Permatec”. Woodruff is “pressed-board” product made from sawdust and glue. I was to be a shake replacement but better. Some of it has held up reasonably well and may provide a 20 to 25 year life but too much of it deteriorated. Inspect this roof carefully. There are far fewer Permatec roofs around. This too was the man-made answer to wood shakes, did not hold up and was the subject of a class-action suit resulting in large payments to home-owners.
I am beginning to see what are called “stone coated steel” simulated shake roofs being used as replacements. I have observed that in some of the older installations, the stone coating has begun to come off. I do not know if that is a condition that has been addressed with some of the newer products.
The above options cover probably 95% of the roofs that I see. There is the occasional metal roof and some other “simulated shake” roofs. I have not tried to address flat roofs in this post and will save those for another.
The Process and The Permit
First, hire a really reputable contractor. If one tells you that you do not need a permit move on. Get references, call them and look at the work. Make sure that the permit is not just issued, but also closed out with a final inspection. I recently had a transaction where the inspection resolution required the installation of a new roof “in accordance with local building code and properly permitted”. I went by the property just to check progress, saw some things that did not look quite right and called the building department only to learn the work had not been permitted. I reported the address and when I went by the next day the old roof coverings were being properly removed and the code-required, new solid decking was being installed. If you don’t have an agent on your side, you just need to be on top of the work.
These were just the high points!
Contact me with questions and/or leave your comments and your roof experiences below, particularly if you can add to everyone’s knowledge.
Russ Murray 303-721-1100, ext 1 russ@buyerbroker-denver.com
Stucco and/or EIFS – A Review
Why Is There More To Discuss?
I have just recently had an experience with a consumer asking my opinion regarding a home that is under-contract with the inspector having identified 16 major cracks in the synthetic stucco membrane. They elected to not be represented for this transaction so my only advice was to refer them to a qualified EIFS inspector. What I wanted to say was “Move on to another home. There is just too much risk”. That last comment is a bit of a departure from my advice over the past few years and is the result of the problem of synthetic stucco exteriors growing, not shrinking.
Let’s First Define The Products - Stucco - EIFS – Hard Coat
Traditional stucco is a cement based product that has been used for centuries. It is applied over wire mesh in two or three layers with a waterproof membrane installed first to protect the house framing. Cement stucco itself is not waterproof and “breathes” so that moisture that may penetrate has an opportunity to escape and the waterproof membrane prevents moisture from getting to the wood framing members.
The history of synthetic stucco is much shorter. It was first used in Europe post WWII and was primarily applied to their typically masonry buildings as a repair and update. While there is some cement in the product it also has epoxies which provide some flexibility but which also render it waterproof. That was not a problem with application over a masonry structure.
When it began to be used in the United States in the 50’s and 60’s, builders saw it as a less expensive alternative to traditional stucco. As energy conservation took root, the ability to apply it over a foam insulating panel became attractive. With the foam insulation underneath, the “system” became known as “exterior insulating and finish system” (EIFS). Synthetic stucco installed without the insulating sheets is sometimes referred to as “hard coat” but this can also be used to reference cement stucco. Be sure you know which. There is a difference.
The BIG Problem With Synthetic Stucco
In short, it does not allow moisture that gets behind it to escape. Unlike cement stucco, synthetics must adhere to the structure and therefor a waterproof membrane cannot be applied. I thought for some time that the application without the foam board was acceptable. The more I read and see, the more I am convinced that it is problematic either way.
The result of the trapped moisture is usually mold growth. If caught early it can be mitagated. If not, it can grow into “black mold” which can affect the health of occupants.
In the perfect world, the synthetic material would be installed in strict accordance with manufacturers recommendations and then MAINTAINED in accordance with those same recommendations by the home owner. There would be no problems. Listen, I have seen hundreds of these homes and have seen only a very few that were installed and maintained correctly. The installers take shortcuts or use poorly trained workers, the general contractor trusts the sub contractor and/or does not become familiar with the product and finally, the home owner sees stucco as a “maintenance free” product.
But I Already Own An EIFS House or I Love This House And Want To Buy It
If you are an owner walk around your house carefully and look for any cracks. Look very careful at all penetrations; windows, deck rails, lights, etc. If you see any cracks or openings it is time to bring in a qualified EIFS inspector. The inspector will be able to tell you if there is moisture behind the walls and make recommendations for repair and/or maintenance. If you are lucky and there is no moisture problem, put yourself on an annual inspection and maintenance program. If problems are identified, they should be corrected and then begin regular maintenance.
If you really, really want to purchase one of these EIFS homes, make sure that you find a QUALIFIED EIFS inspector. You will probably need permission from the seller for some moderately “destructive” testing. (1/8 inch holes that are then re-sealed.) I have never seen an EIFS house come through with less than several thousands of dollars of repairs with one estimate for $70,000 because of mold.
Want An Agent To Represent You Who Cares About This Stuff?
That be me! I have been around and involved in construction and try to stay up to date on what is happening. You will benefit from my business practice of always and only representing the interests of my buyer-clients.
Russ Murray 303-721-1100 russ@buyerbroker-denver.com
“I’LL BUILD IT TO CODE. WE DON’T NEED A PERMIT”
What You Need
What is a “building permit”?
Every municipality with which I am familiar requires some sort of permitting for additions and modifications to a home. Standards and requirements may vary but the requirement does not. A permit is usually issued by the building department, requires payment of a fee and comes with the requirement for progress inspections by a representative of the buidling department. If a contractor is saying that a permit is not required, I suggest that you call the building department, describe the scope of the work and learn for yourself. Permits are always required for modifications to plumbing, heating, electrical and the structure. One may or may not be required for removal and replacement of cabinets and/or a dishwasher or disposer.
Why do you need one?
Permits are required to protect your health and safety. The best general contractors, electricians and plumbers can miss something or simply be behind on recent building code revisions. Once those pipes and wires are buried in the wall you will learn about the errors the hard way! Just a few of the problems that I have encountered in my practice are missing attic insulation, improper construction of interior walls, ungrounded electrical outlets, overloaded electrical panels and un-connected plumbing drains. There are more but the preceeding should give you pause enough.
Does the building department inspection provide a “guaranty”?
Unfortunately, not! It is a good start. The municipal inspectors are usually competent but they are human and can be defensive. I found an instance of an unsafe difference in riser heights on a stairway and approached the chief inspector who said that the contractor must have gone back after it was inspected! That made a lot of sense! If you are doing a significant project, you should hire your own inspector who will become the third or fourth set of eyes evaluating the progress. A competent and responsible contractor will welcome the addition. Just be sure your inspector has the right perspective regarding his/her role. This sounds like a broken record but when the health and safety of your family is on the table, you want to have someone on your side.
Monitoring the process
Just obtaining the permit is only a start and I have seen many remodels where the contractor has the permit posted but never calls for an inspection. The homeowner did not know how to follow-up. The best thing that you can do is to know what inspections are required and then kind of casually ask your contractor when they are expected. The contractor will then know in a relatively non-threatening way that you know what to expect. Better yet, have the municipal and your personal inspections as a part of the contract and progress payment.
Be sure the permit is “finaled”
Again, learn from the building department how they “final” or “close out” a permit. Have your final payment to the contractor be subject to your receipt of the completed permit and/or satisfactory confirmation that the final inspection approved the completed project.
The “bottom line”
By requiring a permit you will have more confidence that your project will be completed with no health or safety issues and that when you are ready to sell your home you can demonstrate to a buyer that all work was properly permitted and inspected. I always check for permits and have had several clients walk away from and otherwise desirable house when learning that modifications were made without permits. A reputable contractor will not work without a permit. You may want to reconsider a contractor who wants to do your project without a permit.
If you find this information more than just interesting and want a broker who understands the whole process on your side for the purchase of a home, you can contact me.
Russ Murray
INCLUDING THE KITCHEN SINK!
The Best Choice?
Everything Ages
Looking at our own homes is sometimes like looking in a mirror. We just do not really “see” how things are wearing out. One of the items that does not always age well (but which we may not notice) is the builder-installed kitchen sink that we use many times each day. Look closely. Yours may be showing that age and wear. The correction may be easier than you think.
How Do You Know What You Have?
Most production builders install an “enameled steel” sink because it is the least expensive. You can tell that is what you have by “thumping” it with your fingers. If you hear a hollow, oil can sound, you have enameled steel. If you are continuing to read this and considering a replacement, you are probably noticing some chipping and marks. The steel flexes but the enamel does not and that is why it does not stand up as well.
Some production builders install “stainless steel” sinks. This tends to be a slightly better option. The two problems with many builder-installed stainless steel sinks is that they are often shallow and of a lightweight “gauge” of stainless. Owners usually do not notice this until trying to wash the turkey roasting pan and/or finding dents in the sink.
It is possible that you may have an enameled cast-iron sink either by the builder or a replacement by a prior owner. Because of the cast iron, the “structure” of these sinks holds up well but the enameled finish really takes a beating over time and eventually does not clean up well.
What Are The Options?
Over my twenty years of showing homes, I have seen thousands of kitchen sinks. The older sinks that look the best are always of heavier gauge stainless steel. Various factory made composite sinks have been available for several years and my outlook for these is good. There is just not as much history as there is for stainless. If you are replacing counter tops with a manufactured solid surface, I recommend against the integral sinks as I am seeing many of those look beat up and chipped after a short time.
What To Look For?
Be sure to see the sink that you are considering out of the box. Check the depth and be sure that it will meet your needs. (Hint – 6 inches is too shallow!) Price will vary according to the design and very important, the “gauge” of the metal. (Lower numbers are heavier guage.) Anything lighter than 18 gauge (i.e. a higher number/gauge) is likely to disappoint as it will dent easily. Consider a heavier gauge if your budget allows.
Should You Attempt The Installation?
If you have already had some experience with plumbing repairs around your home, removing the old sink and replacing it with a new one may be a fit for your skills. If not, call in the pro. You can figure 2-4 hours depending on the complexity of your installation.
Other Home or Replacement Questions?
I see a huge number of homes every year and have listened to comments from hundreds of home buyers. You can look to me for any of your home-owner questions and/or to have a broker with you who really knows how to evaluate the condition of a home.
Russ Murray russ@buyerbroker-denver.com
IS YOUR FAMILY SAFE IN YOUR HOME?
Almost everyone becomes somewhat complacent regarding safety issues in their homes and it seems that the longer we are in the home, the more complacent we become.
Testing is Important
When was the last time you “pressed to test” your smoke alarms? Batteries changed annually? (A good time to help remember is at the change from Daylight to Standard time.) If you are in a home built before smoke alarms were a requirement, have they been installed?
Add a CO detector
Many states and/or municipalities are now mandating carbon dioxide (CO) detectors in new construction and at time of sale for existing homes. These are relatively inexpensive devices that are regularly saving lives.
CO is colorless and odorless and as many parts of the country get into the heating season with doors and windows closed, the chances for the presence of CO grows. Having your fossil fuel heating system serviced is a start. The CO detector is next.
As a note, your smoke detector is on the ceiling or a high wall because smoke goes up. CO is heavier than air, so install the CO detector closer to the floor.
Want a Colorado Broker who understands safety and your real estate needs?
You can call me at 800-621-9747, ext. 1 or email russ@buyerbroker-denver.com .