Posts Tagged ‘home maintenance’

Can you believe that it was 1986 when Crocodile Dundee came out?  Well, moves are stress relieving entertainment for a lot of us and John gives us a term I’d like to steal for my own purposes.  I’ll call this stress relieving activity a Walkabout.

Symptoms of needing a walkabout:

1) You or your partner start talking about moving.

2) Someone says about the home you all once loved, “I hate this house.”

3) “What are we going to do about kitchen?”

How to Do a Walkabout:

1) Get a pen and a legal pad.

2) Walk your whole property corner to corner and write down what needs to fixed, improved, or an area you know could be more than it is.  Maybe you have a vision for that space, maybe you need help with the vision, but just write it down.  Don’t forget the garage or other outbuildings.

3) Walk through every room of your house starting upstairs and working all the way down to every room in the basement.

Tip: Phrases could be very discrete like, “Add doorstop to the kid’s bathroom door.” “Get referral for cleaning service.”  ”Wash siding on the North side of the house.”  Or more visionary like, “Create a guest suite to make Mom & Dad feel welcome all summer.”  ”More elbow room for holidays & family gathering.”

4) Go out to dinner.  Take the list to organize it or leave it behind. Celebrate taking a huge step forward in managing a large asset in your portfolio.

5) Organize the list – priorities, what is DIY vs. what needs professional help.  Is there a timeline or phases depending on budget?

Promised Outcomes:

1) Less Stress & Worry – By writing it down, you can get it off your mind.  It will be one less thing to worry about.

2) Confidence – When you prioritize your list you have a game plan.   It’s the way to get what you want.

3) Congruence – If you value maintaining your “stuff” and keeping your possessions in working order a list of home projects keeps you in alignment with your values.

4) Clarity – So many people fix up their homes just before they sell them.  Having a complete inventory of your home projects will help you decide what you can do to stay, or give you clarity on what projects need to be completed before you can leave.

So there you have it.  A step-by-step guide to reduce stress by taking a Walkabout with your partner.  Hey, if you are feeling nostalgic for silly 80s movies, you can buy Crocodile Dundee the movie for a buck or two on www.amazon.com.

I recently had coffee with Bill Moss, Firm Foundation Home Inspection, LLC (616-260-0779, ffhomeinspection.com).  An interesting part of our conversation was about common problems he sees in homes every day.

Every era of homes brings with it unique advances as well as problems.  Today I just wanted to highlight 1-2 per decade, from 1960 – 2000.

1960: 3-wire grounded “Romex” electrical wire came on the scene in 1950 but well into the 1960s some electricians were still not using the ground wire.  I personally live in a home built in 1968 that had many non-grounded outlets.  Today, we want to make sure that we at least retrofit the “wet” areas of the home like the kitchen, bathroom, & outdoor outlets meet the current code that requires them to be GFCI protected (and therefore also grounded).  Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) outlets help protect people from electrocution and may save electronics if a house is struck by lighting.  It’s the safer way to live.

1970: Dow came out with a laminated drywall system that had two layers of drywall that were glued together.  Eventually, the glue failed and the ceilings bowed.  We repair a ceiling like this at least once per year as part of a larger project.

1980: FRT – Fire-Retardant-Treated plywood thermal degradation effected nearly 750,000 multi-family housing units.  Solar radiation caused the plywood to de-laminate, bubble, and sink between roof trusses.  I define what went wrong in the 80s by Decora cabinets and laminate counter tops with oak trim on the edge.

1990: EIFS – Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems were designed to be the primary and only barrier to keeping water out of the wall system on these “synthetic stucco” homes.  Most other types of siding systems depend on multiple layers of protection to keep water out of a home.  Thousands of homes had thousands of dollars in water and mold damage.  Also, “Tyvek” and other breathable air-infiltration and water barriers started making their way on the scene and are now code-required.  From the photo at the top of this article, you can see how many builders neglected to use housewrap on the gable end of their homes b/c they didn’t care if air migrated into the attic of a home.  What they failed to appreciate is how exposed to the weather the gable end is and how much water degraded homes because of their lack of concern.  This was one of Bill’s very hot button issue.  Thank you Patty McDaniel for use of the above photo.

More personally, I define the 90s by brass hardware (that peeled off in a few years), white thermofoil cabinetry, and Corian counter tops.

2000: Poor water management from the 90s created mold litigation into the early 2000s.  It will take a little more distance for me to declare what we have done for our clients is now out dated.  I have my ideas on what some passe items will be, but for now, I plead the 5th.

If you’d like to know more about building history stay connected to the Better Building category of the blog.  Don’t be too harsh with the history, friends, because hindsight is genius and everyday is a school day.

Last week I was in a safety seminar that our staff attends annually and as we were moving through slides I grabbed my smart phone and posted these 10 Safety Tips on the Thompson Trio Facebook page. I have not posted the catastrophic photos that illustrate the importance of these tips as a courtesy. Here they are for the benefit that heightened awareness will bring you.

Safety Tip #1 – Ladder 4:1 Rule – means don’t make your ladder angle more than 75 degrees. If your ladder is 10 ft tall, make sure the base of the ladder is at least 2.5 ft from the house.

Safety Tip #2 – Cut away from your body and hands so you don’t stab yourself with a utility knife.

Safety Tip #3 – Don’t use a flathead screwdriver to pry stuff. Use a flat bar or pry bar. Screwdrivers break.

Safety Tip #4 – Duct tape is not a suitable fix for cracked handles on a hammer or sledgehammer handle.

Safety Tip #5 – Spend $10 on safety glasses that are comfortable and may even look semi-cool. If they aren’t comfortable… you won’t wear them.

Safety Tip #6 – Don’t ever let your skin (fingers/body) come within 3″ of a saw/power cutting blade.  Use a push stick when using a table saw.

Safety Tip #7 – Take off your rings and watches before doing ANY carpentry or home repair projects. Pay $30 to have your rings resized so you can easily remove them.

Safety Tip #8 – Remove strings from your hooded sweatshirts that you work in.  Make sure your work clothes are not loose or “holey.”

Safety Tip #9 – Your children, grandkids, spouse, and friends want to be able to talk to you when you’re 60 years old, so wear good ear protection when you work or even mow the lawn (only $10).

Safety Tip #10 – When you rent equipment, please pay attention to the operation and safety instructions.  It will speed up your learning curve, you’ll get more work done, and it will keep you safe!

There you have it.  Safety tips that are commonly avoided and very cheap personal insurance.

Limited free time and too long a list?  We can help!

1. Buy a case of furnace filters (12) and replace it each month.

2. Deep clean the the inside of the house to reduce allergies.  Hire a pro if needed.

3. Be sure gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves and other debris.

4. Visually inspect the outside of the house & inside of the house down in the basement.  If “critters” have access to your home, stop ‘em with caulk & spray foam.

5. Be sure your attic vents (lower and upper) are not covered with insulation.  Ice dams on your roof are often caused by poorly performing insulation & improper ventilation in the attic.

6. Close & latch every window in the house (Keep count, you’ll be shocked).

7. Unhook and store your garden hoses.

8. Make your “Honey Do” list of BIG and small projects you need Thompson Remodeling to handle for you.  If you’d feel more comfortable judging someone else, do the same at your friend’s house.

Even if we may not perform the work directly for you, I want to be your #1 trusted source for all your home improvement needs.  You can always give me a call and I’ll keep you headed in the right direction.

Your home is an asset worth protecting.  As you are making your Honey Do list, think about what really bugs you about your home.  Does it reflect its ultimate potential?  Is it in saleable condition to compete in a market like today’s?

You know we help our clients with the big projects that transform their home, but we also will help our past clients and close friends with the little things listed below:

- Small carpentry projects & built-ins

- Drywall repairs

- Electrical, plumbing & HVAC repairs

- Hardwood floor refinishing

- Closet organizers and cabinetry

- Floor covering (all types!)

- Painting and power washing

- Tile backsplashes, repairs, sealing & maintenance — Hardware repairs & replacements

- Roofing

- Leaky basements

- Window replacements

- Upgrading & maintaining your deck

- Patios, walkways, outdoor fireplaces

- Driveway sealing and repairs

- Sheds & storage facilities

- Fencing

- Gutter cleaning & repairs

- Window cleaning & seasonal deep cleaning

- Screen repairs and installation

- Junk disposal and donations

- Landscaping & lawn maintenance

We can help you stay on course!

Call 616-942-1866