Brendan Marchant

HELPFUL HINTS:

These easy, affordable touches will cozy up your home for the cooler days and longer nights ahead.

Whisk away whisper light sheers, and rehang your heavier drapes and curtains for a snug, warm feeling.

Sprinkle in low- or no-cost accents, like a wooden bowl filled with juicy pears, ripe apples or other seasonal produce, or a clear glass bowl holding a single leaf.

Light candles infused with spicy-sweet ginger, pumpkin, cinnamon-apple and brown sugar.

They’ll “hug” your home with the feel-good scents of the season! Add seasonal blooms, such as sunflowers, asters and mums to your tables, shelves and countertops.

Pile on pillows, and toss on throws in fiery colors ­ such as golden yellow, deep crimson and burnished orange – shades that echo the hues of lush fall foliage!

Whether you are making an addition to your home or remodeling your bathroom cabinets, eco-friendly choices can help you conserve resources and reduce your impact on the environment. As the demand for green building materials grows, major manufactures are expanding their affordable sustainable options, so the green choice may also be the less expensive one. Here are some green guidelines to consider during your next remodeling project.

* Consider renewable sources for cabinetry. Choose wood products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which will be harvested from sustainably managed forests. Spruce, eucalyptus or reclaimed wood are durable, sustainable options from sources that rapidly replenish.

* Use eco-friendly paint. Most paints release toxic fumes called VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that can be inhaled even after the paint is dry. They are potentially carcinogenic and contribute to indoor air pollution. But now low- or no-VOC paint is readily available for use. Most paints rely on petroleum based solvents, but eco-friendly paints are water based and are offered in all forms including primer, finish, sealer, wax and stain.

* Opt for durable sustainable materials when replacing your floors. Linoleum is made from all natural ingredients (linseed oil) and has a life span of thirty to forty years. It resists damage and is easy to clean. Other popular choices include concrete, which can be decoratively embellished, and bamboo and cork flooring, which are both FCS endorsed. Recycled-content carpet not only produces fewer emissions during manufacturing and less off-gassing in the home, it can also be recycled when its useful life is up.

* When replacing appliances, select models that exhibit the Energy Star label. This means the item meets or exceeds international guidelines for energy efficiency. The more efficient the appliance, the more energy and cost savings you will have over the long run. You may get a rebate on your purchase as well; check with your utility company.

* The less material in our landfills the better, so consider what to do with your remodeling waste. Can any of the materials be reused in another project? Can items be donated or sold? Consider donating your deconstructed material to industrial recyclers so it can be reused in the product stream.

Stone Foundations

Stone foundations were standard fare before World War I. Stone foundations will only stay dry if the soil surrounding the foundation is dry-- hence it is unreasonable to expect them to be 100% dry. This being said, stone foundations are very vulnerable to leakage problems. If the construction was shoddy, there may remain gaps between the stones where the mortar was filled, which become an entry point for leaking water. If it is a mortared stone wall, then a leakage crack can be identified as a single thin crack localized around a particular region of the wall, especially where the stones join together. Trees with substantial underground roots may also cause mechanical weathering of stone foundations. Stone foundations have also been known to crumble under vibrations which may be caused due to vehicles running aboveground.

Brick Foundation

Brick was predominately used between 1910 and 1935 in residential construction. It was used in solid masonry walls as well as foundations. Brick foundations are very common in some areas and unheard of in others. In some cases you may see them every day or not at all. Brick foundations are better than you may think at keeping water out. Bricks swell when they get wet and this often has the positive result of sealing off any leaks. A constant migration of moisture through the brick is to be expected; it won’t be wet but it will be damp. You will note that if you leave a cardboard box next to the foundation wall, it will get wet because of the constant moisture migration.

Concrete Foundations

While we usually associate concrete with a more modern foundation system, concrete has been used for a long time. Modern concrete foundations are about the most reliable system. They are strong and fairly resistant to moisture. Foundation cracks are common but are generally not a structural concern. Old concrete foundations are not quite as robust as modern concrete. Often river sand and large chunks of gravel and stone were used as aggregate. This concrete does not hold together quite as well as modern concrete. In addition, it has proved to be less than ideal when exposed to water infiltration over a long period of time. For example, if water has been seeping through a section of foundation for many years (such as from bad grading on one side of the home), the concrete deteriorates in this area.

Knowing what to expect from a basement is half the battle. So what is the difference between a wet basement and a typical basement? The answer lies in understanding that no basement is 100% dry. Historically the basement was not expected to be a living or dry storage area. Today however, many people expect much more from the basement space – anywhere from basement apartments to recreation rooms to home offices. Most basements, by the sheer nature of the fact that they are built into the ground, present the distinct possibility that water can intrude. (i.e. the walls of the basement are also the foundation of the house). Water in the soil can put constant pressure on basement walls. Plus, water follows the path of least resistance into a home and over time can find its way into a basement. Ultimately this turns what was once a dry basement into a potentially problematic area. In order to prevent wet basements, it is important to understand where the water is coming from. There are two common sources of water that seeps into basements:

• Surface water running down foundation walls

• Groundwater in water-saturated soils being pushed into the basement by hydrostatic pressure

Foundations New and Old Foundations have evolved over time and different materials have been employed. You may find that in your area there is a predominant foundation type.

Stone foundation 1800’s to 1920 Brick foundation late 1800’s to 1930’s

Concrete foundation early 1900’s to now

Concrete block foundation 1940 to now

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Sizing up Your Structure: You’ve been in your new home now for all four of the seasons; you may have learned about a leak in the basement during the winter or a sticky window during the spring, but what other issues might you have missed? New homes are often plagued with structural defects and flaws in construction – both minor and major – that slowly come to light during the first year of occupancy. A professional inspection of your new home while it is still under warranty can help you find and address many of these issues at a minimal cost to you. At Pillar To Post, we recommend you have an inspection done after eleven months to ensure you have enough time to bring any flaws or defects to your builder’s attention before your warranty expires. A Pillar To Post new home warranty inspection will cover up to 1,600 points on a typical home, and include a thorough investigation of its structural and material adequacy. Here are a few examples of the kinds of issues that a new home warranty inspection will address:

* Has the builder correctly installed attic framing components and proper insulation? If an attic has not been built with proper ventilation, there is potential for moisture buildup and rot. Proper air flow in your attic reduces humidity and heat, which are elements that can compromise the energy efficiency of your home and the life expectancy of your roof.

* Is the water heater installed per the manufacturer’s warranty requirements? Are there missing furnace vent caps? This could potentially allow water to enter the heat exchanger and cause premature rust and failure. * Are doors sagging and windows no longer easy to open or to lock? An out-of-square window can also be an indication of a greater structural problem.

* Are any of the roof tiles broken or cracked? It’s typical to discover problems in the flashing details, where the chimney meets the roof, or where the roof changes directions.

* Has water penetrated into the basement through foundation walls? If the ground of the backyard is graded so that it slopes toward the house, it is very likely that water is collecting and may find its way into your home.

* Are there any areas of the floor that are “soft”? Are any of the floor joists cut improperly? These could be indications of damaged or defective framing and may compromise the structural integrity of the floor.