Curtis Petty

We Test your home for lead! Reasonable rates.

Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta

*Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the U.S..Let us provide a inexpensive testing in your home if it is 1977 or older.If you use these homes as rental properties,section 8,investments this could save you from exposer to liability.

*Even children who appear healthy can have dangerous levels of lead in their bodies.

• People can get lead in their body if they:
  • Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths.
  • Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
  • Breathe in lead dust (especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces).
• Lead is even more dangerous to children than adults because:
  • Babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them.
  • Children's growing bodies absorb more lead.
  • Children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
• If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from:
  • Damage to the brain and nervous system
  • Behavior and learning problems (such as hyperactivity)
  • Slowed growth
  • Hearing problems
  • Headaches
• Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from:
  • Difficulties during pregnancy
  • Other reproductive problems (in both men and women)
  • High blood pressure
  • Digestive problems
  • Nerve disorders
  • Memory and concentration problems
  • Muscle and joint pain

Where Lead is Found

*In general, the older your home, the more likely it has lead-based paint.Accurate home inspection have affordable, accredited lab with microbioloigist for testing mold,asbestos,and lead*

• Paint. Many atlanta homes built before 1978 have lead-based paint. The federal government banned lead-based paint from housing in 1978. Some states stopped its use even earlier. Lead can be found:
  • In homes in the city, country, or suburbs.
  • In apartments, single-family homes, and both private and public housing.
  • Inside and outside of the house.
• In soil around a home. (Soil can pick up lead from exterior paint, or other sources such as past use of leaded gas in cars.)
• Household dust. (Dust can pick up lead from deteriorating lead-based paint or from soil tracked into a home.)
• Drinking water. Your home might have plumbing with lead or lead solder. Call your local health department or water supplier to find out about testing your water. You cannot see, smell, or taste lead, and boiling your water will not get rid of lead. If you think your plumbing might have lead in it:
  • Use only cold water for drinking and cooking.
  • Run water for 15 to 30 seconds before drinking it, especially if you have not used your water for a few hours.
• The job. If you work with lead, you could bring it home on your hands or clothes. Shower and change clothes before coming home. Launder your work clothes separately from the rest of your family's clothes.
• Old painted toys and furniture.
• Food and liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
• Lead smelters or other industries that release lead into the air.
• Hobbies that use lead, such as making pottery or stained glass, or refinishing furniture.
• Folk remedies that contain lead, such as "greta" and "azarcon" used to treat an upset stomach.

Where Lead is Likely to be a Hazard

*Lead from paint chips, which you can see, and lead dust, which you can't always see, can be serious hazards.*

• Peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking lead-based paint is a hazard and needs immediate attention.
• Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear-and-tear. These areas include:
  • Windows and window sills.
  • Doors and door frames.
  • Stairs, railings, and banisters.
  • Porches and fences.

Note: Lead-based paint that is in good condition is usually not a hazard.

• Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry scraped, dry sanded, or heated. Dust also forms when painted surfaces bump or rub together. Lead chips and dust can get on surfaces and objects that people touch. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air when people vacuum, sweep, or walk through it.
• Lead in soil can be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when people bring soil into the house on their shoes.

Checking Your Family and Home for Lead

*Get your children and home tested if you think your home has high levels of lead.*

*Just knowing that a home has lead-based paint may not tell you if there is a hazard.*

To reduce your childs exposure to lead, get your child checked, have your home tested (especially if your home has paint in poor condition and was built before 1978), and fix any hazards you may have.

• Your Family
  • Childrens blood lead levels tend to increase rapidly from 6 to 12 months of age, and tend to peak at 18 to 24 months of age.
  • Consult your doctor for advice on testing your children. A simple blood test can detect high levels of lead. Blood tests are important for:
    • Children at ages 1 and 2.
    • Children and other family members who have been exposed to high levels of lead.
    • Children who should be tested under your state or local health screening plan.
  • Your doctor can explain what the test results mean and if more testing will be needed.
• Your Home
  • You can get your home checked in one of two ways, or both:
    • A paint inspection tells you the lead content of every different type of painted surface in your home. It won't tell you whether the paint is a hazard or how you should deal with it.
    • A risk assessment tells you if there are any sources of serious lead exposure (such as peeling paint and lead dust). It also tells you what actions to take to address these hazards.
  • Have qualified professionals do the work. There are standards in place for certifying lead-based paint professionals to ensure the work is done safely, reliably, and effectively. Get a list of contacts in your area.
  • Trained professionals use a range of methods when checking your home, including:
    • Visual inspection of paint condition and location.
    • A portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine.
    • Lab tests of paint samples.
    • Surface dust tests.

Note: Home test kits for lead are available, but studies suggest that they are not always accurate. Consumers should not rely on these tests before doing renovations or to assure safety. We provide affordable pricing at our atlanta inspection office.You can rely on us to provide you with first class service.

Are You Planning to Buy or Rent a Home Built Before 1978?

Many houses and apartments built before 1978 in atlanta have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly.

Federal law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting or buying a pre-1978 housing:

• Residential Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Program
  • LANDLORDS have to disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leases take effect. Leases must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint.
  • SELLERS have to disclose known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before selling a house. Sales contracts must include a disclosure form about lead-based paint. Buyers have up to 10 days to check for lead hazards.
  • More information on the disclosure program.

Remodeling or Renovating a Home with Lead-Based Paint

*If not conducted properly, certain types of renovations can release lead from paint and dust into the air.*

Many houses and apartments built before 1978 in atlanta have paint that contains lead (called lead-based paint). Lead from paint, chips, and dust can pose serious health hazards if not taken care of properly.

• Federal law requires that contractors provide lead information to residents before renovating a pre-1978 housing:
  • Pre-Renovation Education Program (PRE)
    • RENOVATORS have to give you a pamphlet titled Protect Your Family from Lead in Your Home, before starting work.
    • More information on the Pre-Renovation Education Program.
• Take precautions before your contractor or you begin remodeling or renovations that disturb painted surfaces (such as scraping off paint or tearing out walls):
  • Have the area tested for lead-based paint.
  • Do not use a belt-sander, propane torch, heat gun, dry scraper, or dry sandpaper to remove lead-based paint. These actions create large amounts of lead dust and fumes.
  • Lead dust can remain in your home long after the work is done.
  • Temporarily move your family (especially children and pregnant women) out of the apartment or house until the work is done and the area is properly cleaned. If you can't move your family, at least completely seal off the work area.
  • If you have already completed renovations or remodeling that could have released lead-based paint or dust, get your young children tested and follow the steps outlined to protect your family.

  • Did you know that a lot of homes built prior to 1978 had lead paint? Here is a quick review, FYI. All sellers with homes built prior to 1978 are required to fill out a lead-based paint disclosure form and provide you, the buyer, with a lead-based paint educational booklet in any sale. Lead is a highly toxic metal that was used for many years in products found in and around our homes. Lead may cause a range of health effects, from behavioral problems and learning disabilities, to seizures and death. Children 6 years old and under are most at risk, because their bodies are growing quickly. On the other hand, there are millions of homes with lead paint out there, and many have been painted and repainted several times so the lead paint is well covered up. If in doubt, have the paint tested and evaluated by a professional inspector who will send results that measure to the standards of the EPA.

    If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank You! Sincerely, Accurate Home inspection of Atlanta 404 680-4578. Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead-Based Paint in Housing (November 2, 1994) http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/paint.htm

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PEX piping offers reduced heat loss and improved thermal characteristics when compared to metallic pipe. In addition, less energy is used by the water heater because of shorter delivery time for hot water with PEX parallel plumbing systems.

Cost Effectiveness-PEX plumbing systems have lower installation costs than rigid metallic plumbing systems.Installation time and labor required is greatly reduced. In service, the use of PEX systems can reduce energy and water use by delivering water to the fixtures faster and by reducing losses in the piping.

Noise Reduction-When properly secured, PEX piping can be significantly quieter than rigid systems. It is inherently less noisy due to its flexibility and ability to absorb pressure surges.

Water Conservation

Properly designed PEX plumbing systems have the potential to conserve water. The flexibility of PEX allows it to bend around corners and run continuously, reducing the need for fittings; this allows downsizing the pipe diameter to 3/8-inch for certain fixtures.Home-run systems and 3/8-inch pipes minimize the time it takes hot water to reach the fixture. Lengthy delivery time for hot water represents a significant waste of water as well as energy; a problem exacerbated in larger homes.

In 2002, the NAHB Research Center conducted software simulations and laboratory tests on a "typical" hot water system using a trunk and branch rigid pipe design and one that included a 3/8-inch diameter PEX home-run system. Results indicated that systems using shorter 3/8-inch runs with a home-run manifold reduced the wait time for hot water and wasted less water than longer runs of rigid pipe with many elbows and connections.

Environmentally Sound

PEX is a modification or enhancement of high-density polyethylene, an economical and highly cost-effective construction piping material. Generally, manufacturing equivalent lengths of plastic pipe consumes far less energy than manufacturing metallic pipe. The lighter weight of PEX compared to metallic piping helps to lower transportation costs and energy consumption,offering even greater benefit.PEX pipes can be recycled as an inert filler material that can be incorporated into other polymers for specific applications. There is also reduced water use through faster delivery time.

In addition, PEX pipe does not contain harmful VOCs.PEX is a material made up of molecules of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) that are permanently linked to each other by a process called crosslinking. Crosslinking makes PEX a"thermoset" polymer, which gives it long-term stability.Polyethylene can be crosslinked using several technologies. All methods induce links between the single strands of PE to form a dense network through radical reactions. The number of links between the strands determines the crosslink density and is an important factor in determining the physical properties of the material. The minimum percent crosslinking for each method is specified in the ASTM F 876 standard.

Ease of Installation

The installation of PEX pipe is generally easier than rigid pipe. It is available in long coils which eliminates the need for coupling joints. Its flexible nature allows it to be bent gently around obstructions, minimizing the use of fittings. No solvent, chemical, or solder joining is required.The mechanical fittings are secure and reliable when installed properly. The pipe is lightweight,making it safe to transport and easy to handle. For a comparison of the installation of rigid metal pipe to PEX pipe.

The PEX piping industry is highly regulated. Standards, specifications, and code requirements define tight material and production quality controls. Continuous-use temperature ratings as high as 200ºF (93ºC) are required as well as standardized chlorine resistance testing to ensure that the piping will withstand the most aggressive drinking water conditions. Nationally accredited, third-party certification agencies require strenuous quality control testing, including random plant inspections and annual monitoring testing.There are numerous opportunities for more widespread use of PEX pipe in the U.S. residential market.

• Some plumbers are reluctant to use PEX piping due to a lack of experience with installation methods and design requirements

• Some jurisdictions prohibit the use of PEX piping for water supply plumbing even though PEX pipe is approved for use in all model codes

• Codes were originally written for rigid trunk and branch systems; while they have now been amended to include PEX piping systems, they do not provide many system design details

• There is a perception among some that PEX piping systems are inferior as a building product, generally based on knowledge of past failures of PB piping systems.Although these hurdles exist, the following are among the many benefits of PEX piping systems.

• Ease of Installation - PEX pipe uses mechanical connections eliminating the need for solders, flames, and chemicals. Its flexible nature allows it to bend around obstructions. Use of manifolds can speed installation and improve performance.

• Corrosion Resistance - PEX piping will not pit or stress corrode.

• Scaling Resistance - PEX pipe's smooth interior walls and chemical properties make it resistant to mineral build-up.

• Cost Effectiveness - PEX plumbing systems are less labor intensive and can optimize system performance.

• Availability of Pipe Sizes - PEX piping is available in a wide range of diameters.

Accurate Home Inspection of Atlanta

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Are your energy bills too high? Is your home not as comfortable as you want it to be? Do you want to do more to protect the environment? Do you have teenagers at home giving your hot water bill a beating? Whatever your situation, this will help you to find a solution that's right for you. This guide is primarily aimed at homeowners who are thinking of upgrading or replacing their home's existing heating or cooling systems. It also contains useful information for people who are having a home built for them, and for those who want to reduce their energy consumption in general. While builders generally offer a standard heating or heating/cooling package, upgrades to more efficient equipment might be available.Always have them system inspected after installation so proper codes with the different systems, fuel options. Remember to also ask your builder about other energy efficiency upgrades, which can range from extra insulation to a complete R-2000-certified home. Before being R-2000-certified, each home is evaluated and tested to ensure a high level of energy efficiency has been designed and built into it. There are both financial and environmental benefits to conserving energy and using it wisely. To help you conserve even more, this will also direct you to resources that can help you reduce energy consumed for purposes beyond heating and cooling your home. A Wise Choice The options presented will help you to select heating and cooling systems that meet the needs of both your lifestyle and your check book. Besides the obvious savings for you that occur by lowering your consumption, by reducing demand for energy through conservation or, in the case of electricity, even from shifting consumption to times of lower demand, together we can lower the market price for the energy that is consumed. The advantages of investing in energy efficiency aren't only felt within your family budget- they are realized in the cleaner environment that goes hand in hand with more efficient systems and the wise use of energy.
Before You Start Putting an energy-efficient heating system into a drafty, poorly insulated house will not lower your energy bills. But you'll notice a more dramatic increase, and even create even geater problems.If you want to make your entire house more energy efficient. How? Let a atlanta home inspector do a affordable energy efficient inspection.

• Weatherstrip and caulk to seal air leaks. You may have to replace uncontrolled sources of air with designed sources to ensure proper ventilation.
• Increase insulation levels where appropriate (such as in the attic or walls) to reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
• Open drapes on south-facing windows on sunny winter days so that the sun's energy can help heat your home, and close them in summer to help keep your home cool.
• Choose energy-efficient products when replacing windows and doors.

By making your house more energy-efficient, your heating and cooling systems will work less, and you may reduce the capacity needed when you replace your systems, which means more savings for you. Why Energy Efficiency Matters It's good for your budget, your comfort and our environment. Each year you spend hundreds of dollars to heat and cool your home and to heat your hot water. By installing energy-efficient equipment, which gives you the same comfort for less energy, you can lower these costs. Furthermore, the lower you can make your energy costs now, the better off you will be should energy prices go up - and conservation reduces upward pressure on energy prices. Whenever fuels are burned - in your home, in a generating station to produce electricity, in vehicles or elsewhere - carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide are released. These emissions contribute to environmental concerns including smog, acid rain and climate change. Reducing energy use lowers the amounts of these emissions and their impact on the environment. You can help by practicing energy efficiency and conservation not only in heating and cooling your home, but everywhere at home, in the workplace and in your transportation choices. Many factors can affect your annual energy bill such as size and location of your home, yearly variations in weather, efficiency of your furnace and other appliances, thermostat settings, number of occupants, and the local cost of energy. Are you serious about how to go about cutting your heating and cooling costs? Follow these steps:

• Where appropriate, improve the insulation and air sealing in your home.
• Use this guide to help you decide what kinds of changes to your heating and cooling systems will be right for you.
• Consult with a registered heating/cooling contractor and your fuel supplier before making a final decision.
  

Heating Units and Controls
There are four common types of heating units:

• A furnace provides heat through a forced air distribution system.
• A boiler provides heat through a hydronic distribution system. (Hydronic systems are also referred to as hot water systems.)
• A space heater supplies heat directly to the room where it is located.
• A heat pump extracts heat from the air, ground or water outside the house and usually delivers it through a forced air distribution system.

Most heating systems need air for combustion. Furnaces, boilers and space heaters that burn fuels need a supply of air to be able to burn properly, and a vent to the outdoors so that combustion gases can escape from the house. Electric heaters do not need to be vented. Combustion is a two-step process: air in, and gases out. Air in In the past, there was usually plenty of air leaking into a house to keep the furnace, boiler or stove burning well. Modern homes, however, are better sealed and use controlled ventilation, rather than uncontrolled leakage, to provide greater comfort and energy efficiency. Vents that supply air for heating units should never be blocked. It is important to ensure that there is an adequate supply of combustion air available, even when other air exhausting equipment is in use. Gases out Venting used to be done through a chimney. Today, however, many models of natural gas, oil and propane equipment can be vented by pipe directly through the wall, which greatly simplifies installation. Remember that combustion gases cannot escape from your home unless you provide air to replace them. That's why venting problems can often be traced to air supply problems. Controls The indoor temperature is automatically controlled by a thermostat. Two important considerations are location and type. Central systems are normally controlled by a single thermostat. To achieve proper temperature control, the thermostat must be located in an area where it will sense the "average" indoor temperature. Locations exposed to localized temperature extremes (outside walls, drafts, sunlight, hot ducts or pipes, etc.) should be avoided. Different types of thermostats are available. Basic types maintain a fixed indoor temperature. However, you can reduce your heating costs by installing a set-back thermostat which can be programmed to automatically lower the temperature when no one is home or everyone is in bed, and then warm up the house before you get home or wake up. Savings will vary, but a set-back of 3ºC for eight hours daily could reduce your heating costs by about 5%. Where space heaters are used, each unit will likely be individually controlled by its own thermostat - which is usually the basic type. This allows you to keep unused areas at a lower temperature than those areas you do use.

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Controlling the surface water around a home is an important in maintaining a home. Surface water in refers to water introduced to the soil when it rains. The water, if not properly controlled, could lead to water penetration and result in damage to the structure, interior surfaces, and homeowners' belongings. In addition, hydrostatic pressure that is created when water accumulates next to or below a foundation may cause structural damage to the foundation. The best methods for controlling the surface water are contingent upon local weather patterns, the type of soil and the type of foundation the home has. However, the simplest method to properly divert water away from the property is to use gutters systems, combined with proper surface grading around the home.

Exterior Surface Grading
The grade or slope of the soil should be designed to direct water away from the home. Water accumulation next to the home can lead to water problems such as structural damage to wood framing, interior damage to finished surfaces and damage to the homeowners' belongings. Additional problems such as hydrostatic pressure against foundation walls or surface water mixing with expansive soils next to or under a foundation can lead to cracking of the slab and foundation walls. Proper grading is one of the easiest ways to manage surface water, reduce the possibility of water hydrostatic pressure, and control the water content in expansive soils.

Grading of the Soil Around the Perimeter of the Home
The soil around the perimeter of the home should slope away (at a minimum of six inches for the first 10 feet) from the house to prevent rain water from accumulating next to the foundation. Soil in this case does not refer to the topsoil but the layer of soil which directs the water away from the house. Many times the topsoil is porous (as would be used for planting) and absorbs the surface water.The overall lot grading is also an important concern since surface water may enter from adjacent properties. Generally, if the house is located on a slope or on a lot that receives water run-off, swales are often used to direct the water around the house. Swales are shallow ditches or depressions in the landscape that capture the water run-off. Then, like a small creek, the water is directed around and away from the house.

WET BASEMENT

A wet basement can be a nuisance or a real nightmare. Each year, thousands of homeowners are faced with the unpleasant side effects of seasonal rainfall. Problems they can face range from mere dampness to flooding. Chronic basement leakage is a serious problem that can destroy personal property, furnishings, appliances, and can sometimes cause permanent structural damage to a home's foundation. Excessive moisture is a huge attraction to wood-eating insects, wood rot and decay. Despite the pervasiveness of the problem, few homeowners are aware of the causes of wet basements.

Common Causes

A common cause of wet basements is improper surface drainage, such as a yard sloped toward the home. In many cases, the problem can be greatly alleviated by re-grading the yard to slope away from the homes foundation or diverting surface water around the house. Other common culprits include poorly positioned rain gutter downspouts, missing, leaking or clogged rain gutters. A downspout that is improperly positioned to drain against the side of the house, allows water to build up along the foundation wall, until the backed-up "reservoir" finds a weak spot in the foundation wall.

The most serious cause of basement leakage is a high water table. A high water table problem occurs when the home is built too deeply in the ground, into the level where water remains constant throughout the year. A high water table problem can also be caused by under ground springs or sustained periods of rainfall that cause the water table to rise during the wet seasons.

Is it Leakage or Condensation?

You should try to determine if your wet basement is the result of water "leaking" in or condensation forming on the cool surfaces. Condensation occurs when warm, humid air comes into contact with cooler basement walls, floors, water pipes etc. To illustrate, take a cold bottle of soda out of your refrigerator and sit it on the counter. After several minutes, you'll notice steam forming on the outside of the bottle. After many minutes pass, you will see a small puddle of water forming at the base of the bottle, from the beads of moisture running down the bottle. The result is classic condensation, not "leakage". If your basement is actually leaking, you should be able to locate the source of the leak in the form of a puddle or stream or water.

Helpful Tips

Your rain gutters should be cleaned of leaves and debris at least once per year. Downspouts should direct water runoff from the roof to a discharge point at least several feet away from the homes foundation. Use a splash block at the end of your downspout to avoid soil erosion. Never bury your downspout lines unless you can empty them out to daylight.

Consider buying a good dehumidifier to lower the natural humidity level in your basement. Make sure your dehumidifier is the proper size for your basement. Ask for a drain hose attachment so you don't have to empty the water collected every day and get a unit with a built-in de-icer. Dehumidifiers are actually refrigeration coils and can freeze up and stop working. Keep the doors and windows to your basement closed, year round. Opened doors and windows allow extra humidity to enter your basement, causing condensation. Your dehumidifier will also run less.

Home settle caused be poor lot drainage.Water is the worst enemy to a foundation to a home.Settlement often happens when parts of a house drop below the elevation or height where they were placed during the original construction. There are numerous reasons why this may happen. The soil beneath the foundation or beneath column supports may shrink due to moisture loss. The soil may not have been compacted properly before the foundation was installed. Large pieces of organic material may have been included in the soil under the house. When it decays, the soil above it collapses to fill the void. The list of possibilities is nearly endless. Not all houses settle, but many suffer cracking of one type or another.

Cracks happen for all sorts of reasons. Different construction materials have different expansion and contraction coefficients, some materials change shape and size as they absorb water and water vapor while materials immediately adjacent to them do not budge.Understanding House Settling Cracks.If you have an understanding as to why cracks happen, then you can often work to make permanent repairs. There are some cracks that can't be easily repaired. What's more, it is hard to totally disguise some cracks. Large houses have joints within them. These are places where the house relieves movement, just like the joints in our fingers, arms and legs. I often see cracks in modern homes where columns support beams. You can see cracks right where the contact point between these two structural members meet.

Hardwood floor often develop cracks. There are all sorts of reasons for that to happen, and almost always they can be traced to a humidity or moisture problem.If you are getting ready to build a home, you need to realize that certain subdivisions are cut and fill operations. In other words, the developer takes dirt from one place and uses it for fill in other parts of the subdivision. If this soil is not placed with great care, it can settle! If you think that you are building on fill dirt, by all means spend the extra money to get it tested by a soil engineering firm. If you don't and you end up with problems.
Shallow Foundations

Many houses are built on slabs or have crawlspaces. The footers for these structures need to be placed just below the frost limit in the local area. The closer the frost line is to the surface (warmer climates) the greater chance you might have for droughts that cause your foundation to move. If you live in an area of clay soils and have seen a dried mud puddle with large cracks in it, then you have expansive clay soils in your area. Not only do these soils shrink sideways as they dry (this creates the cracks you see), but they also shrink down in volume. The shrinkage can be dramatic and can cause all sorts of cracking, door and window fit problems, etc. You can plan ahead and minimize foundation movement if you install water injection pipes next to the footer when you build the structure. I always did this on my jobs and it has given my clients the ability of tricking the soil under their houses and room additions into thinking it is raining up there on the surface!

The way you trick the soil is to install a four inch perforated pipe along the side or on top of the footer of the shallow foundation. You install one or two tee fittings in the piping so that you can extend a vertical riser pipe up to the surface. Install a loose fitting cap over this riser. When the drought hits, you simply let a garden hose run very slowly in the riser pipe for 24 hours or so. The pipe will evenly distribute the water around the footer if you have installed the footer fairly level. This system is simple and inexpensive to install and will save you hundreds of dollars in repairs and lots of headaches as well! If you try to fix a house that has cracks, talk with a structural engineer. If you pier one or more corners, you may create new stress points at other places!

Formaldehyde is an important chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It is also a by-product of combustion and certain other natural processes. Thus, it may be present in substantial concentrations both indoors and outdoors.

Sources of formaldehyde in the home include building materials, smoking, household products, and the use of un-vented, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters. Formaldehyde, by itself or in combination with other chemicals, serves a number of purposes in manufactured products. For example, it is used to add permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, as a component of glues and adhesives, and as a preservative in some paints and coating products.

In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Pressed wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture tops). Medium density fiberboard contains a higher resin-to-wood ratio than any other UF pressed wood product and is generally recognized as being the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product.

Other pressed wood products, such as softwood plywood and flake or oriented strand board, are produced for exterior construction use and contain the dark, or red/black-colored phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin. Although formaldehyde is present in both types of resins, pressed woods that contain PF resin generally emit formaldehyde at considerably lower rates than those containing UF resin.

Background

Since 1985, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has permitted only the use of plywood and particleboard that conform to specified formaldehyde emission limits in the construction of prefabricated and mobile homes. In the past, some of these homes had elevated levels of formaldehyde because of the large amount of high-emitting pressed wood products used in their construction and because of their relatively small interior space.

The rate at which products like pressed wood or textiles release formaldehyde can change. Formaldehyde emissions will generally decrease as products age. When the products are new, high indoor temperatures or humidity can cause increased release of formaldehyde from these products.

During the 1970s, many homeowners had urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) installed in the wall cavities of their homes as an energy conservation measure. However, many of these homes were found to have relatively high indoor concentrations of formaldehyde soon after the UFFI installation. Few homes are now being insulated with this product. Studies show that formaldehyde emissions from UFFI decline with time; therefore, homes in which UFFI was installed many years ago are unlikely to have high levels of formaldehyde now.

Sources of Formaldehyde

Pressed wood products (hardwood plywood wall paneling, particleboard, fiberboard) and furniture made with these pressed wood products. Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI). Combustion sources and environmental tobacco smoke. Durable press drapes, other textiles, and glues.

Health Effects

Formaldehyde, a colorless, pungent-smelling gas, can cause watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes and throat, nausea, and difficulty in breathing in some humans exposed at elevated levels (above 0.1 parts per million). High concentrations may trigger attacks in people with asthma. There is evidence that some people can develop a sensitivity to formaldehyde. It has also been shown to cause cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans. Health effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation; wheezing and coughing; fatigue; skin rash; severe allergic reactions. May cause cancer. May also cause other effects listed under "organic gases." EPA's Integrated Risk Information System profile.

Levels in Homes

Average concentrations in older homes without UFFI are generally well below 0.1 (ppm). In homes with significant amounts of new pressed wood products, levels can be greater than 0.3 ppm.