Recently a customer called to report that the water pressure to his hose was very weak when he turned on the hose bib installed on his new addition.  The first thing I asked him was if he had left his water hose connected to the faucet over the winter.  He said that he had and I told him I suspected that had caused water to remain in the pipe and when that water froze and expanded over the winter it caused the pipe to rupture. I told him I would go by with the plumber to take a look.  Sure enough when we got there the water line had split and water was pouring out of the pipe under his house causing low pressure at the hose. This diagram demonstrates how it is supposed to work. If a homeowner leaves a hose or timer attached to the hose bib over the winter it prevents the water from draining out of the pipe and when that water freezes it causes the pipe to split. Since the outside faucet is normally not used over the winter it isn’t until Spring when the bib is turned on that there will likely be a leak under the house. Fortunately this homeowner recognized an issue immediately before any damage was done. If the leak is not detected, the amount of water pouring out under the house, can cause moisture problems and high water bills.

Tips To Remember:

[su_list]

• Make it a habit to remove any hose, timer or attachment in the Fall
• Always install a frost proof hose bib
• Remember if you forgot to remove the hose that in Spring you need to check for leaks

[/su_list]

Image via InterNACHI

Did you hear the one about….. the 9 year old boy who went upstairs to start filling the bathtub and thought he had time to go play a video game?  Well, let me share that story.  I got a call to provide an estimate for repairs that were needed for a water damaged home.  When I got there the mother explained that she sent her 9 year old son, who loves to play video games, upstairs to take a bath.  She did not think twice about what he was doing until the laundry room ceiling caved in and water started pouring down.  She ran upstairs squishing through the wet carpet to find the water still running and the son in his bedroom still playing the video game.  Once the water was turned off at the tub she realized that the upstairs carpet was wet and the water had seeped down through the floor and ceiling below dumping water into the first floor laundry room.

I share this story in hopes it will heighten your awareness around the potential damage that water can cause and how quickly it can happen.  Hopefully this “water escape” situation (to use insurance lingo) can be avoided at your home but any water leak no matter how small can cause damage.  Don’t ignore that leak around the toilet, the creeping dark patch on your white vinyl floor under the refrigerator or the stain on your ceiling after a storm.

Proactive Steps to Prevent Water Damage

1. Frequently inspect appliances – refrigerator, dishwasher and washing machines
2. Install the metal braided supply hoses for your water lines to the washing machine
3. Check for leaks anywhere there are water pipes and connections
4. Check around windows and exterior doors to ensure no water stains
5. Maintain your roof and replace as needed
6. Inspect gutters and downspouts and clean regularly

A couple of weeks ago I went by to check on a project where we were installing vinyl replacement windows.  The homeowner shared that his pest control technician had told him that he had a lot of moisture under his house.  I said, “Let me guess… he recommended that you hire them to install dehumidifiers.”   He confirmed and  I told him that most pest control company’s realize that the homeowner is not likely to go into the crawl space and it is their technicians that usually report moisture or leaks under a home and that gives the pest control company a lot of leads in a completely different area than their area of expertise…killing bugs and vermin.  They have a captive audience and charge a LOT of money to do it. Installing dehumidifiers is not a service where you can pick up the phone book and look up dehumidifier installation.

He asked me to ballpark the cost to install dehumidifiers under his house.  I told him that for his size home I would install two units that can purchased at any home improvement store and would handle the plumbing to install a drain to the outside.  I explained that an electrician would need to come in to add an electrical outlet for the unit as well and that was about it. The price I gave him was half the estimate given by the pest control company.  Once I gave him my opinion on the cost, I changed the subject to what was causing the water under his home and that he should consider addressing the root cause of the moisture not just the resulting high moisture levels caused by water seeping into his crawlspace.

[su_note note_color=”#86858f” text_color=”#1811ed”]There are three key things you can do to “prevent” moisture in your crawl space- besides just remove it once it’s already there:[/su_note]

1-If you are building a home especially in an area that does not drain well insist that the contractor add sand inside of the foundation so that the ground level inside the foundation is higher than the ground level on the outside of the home.  Ideally the sand or ground inside the foundation should be higher than the flower beds created outside the foundation.  The external grade should have a negative slope away from the foundation meeting building code regulations.

2-Install a moisture barrier – minimum of 6 mil polyethylene vapor retarder –  Below is the current building code requirement approved in March of 2013, however homes built several years ago may not have moisture barriers, have a barrier that is less than 6 mil or not have full moisture barrier coverage.

R408.2 Ground vapor retarder.

When required by Section R408.1.1 Exception, a A minimum 6-mil (0 15 mm) polyethylene vapor retarder or equivalent shall be installed to nominally cover all exposed earth in the crawl space with joints lapped not less than 12 inches (305 mm). Where there is no evidence that the ground water table can rise to within 6 inches (152 mm) of the floor of the crawl space it is acceptable to puncture the ground vapor retarder at low spots to prevent water puddles from forming on top of the vapor retarder due to condensation. Crawl space drains shall be kept separate from roof gutter drain systems and foundation perimeter drains.

The effective date is June 1, 2013

3- Properly installed gutters, downspouts and leader pipes – If your yard is negatively sloped away from the house at least six inches within first 10 feet and the foundation is still damp or wet then adding gutters is essential.  Gutters handle the water coming off the roof and when installed properly then the water is directed away from the foundation.

Rainwater must be diverted away from the building foundation and gutters and downspouts are a key tool in preventing foundation problems.  Without gutters the amount of water that is dumped onto your foundation can cause foundation wall failure or cracked foundation and wall joints not to mention mold and mildew.

Back to my homeowner story….  I told him that he could install dehumidifiers under his home but even the best dehumidifier may not work effectively if too much outside moisture seeps into the crawlspace.  I suggested as a first preventive step to install gutters and ensure the crawlspace had a proper moisture barrier.  Then if that does not remedy the moisture level he should pursue a dehumidifier.

The homeowner felt my recommendation made sense and he said that the pest control technician never mentioned how to prevent the moisture from accumulating under the house just how to remove it.  He said he would rather prevent the problem so he asked me to install gutters and downspouts with extensions on his home.

For those of you who have gutters you should check to make sure the gutters aren’t clogged and that downspouts are directing rainwater at least 3 feet away from the house. Grade your property so that rainwater flows away from the foundation. Other ideas to remove moisture in your home are: keep the duct for your clothes dryer properly vented to the outside, make sure that it isn’t clogged or leaking, run an exhaust fan or open a window when showering, and squeegee or wipe down shower walls afterward. When cooking, use a range hood or exhaust fan that vents outdoors.

It makes me feel good when I am able to help a homeowner prevent future problems.  If I can do the same for you just give me a call.

I don’t know about you but the single biggest investment I’ve made in my lifetime is my home.  You’d be surprised at how many homeowners don’t take care of their largest investment.  Routine home maintenance not only extends the life of your home but also helps ensure the safety of your home and family, reduces energy costs, keeps small repairs from turning into major expenses and can save you money on resale not only in increased value but fewer things found to repair following the home inspection.

I see a lot in my line of business and many of the most expensive unexpected repairs could be prevented by routine home inspection and maintenance.  Below I am going to outline some large and some small things you can do to maintain your home.

Every 7-8 years you should have a reputable firm take a look at your roof.  The roof boots that flash the plumbing and vent pipes coming out of the roof have a gasket between the boot and the pipe.  The gasket deteriorates over time and needs to be replaced before you have water seeping into your roof and atic.  Once that happens the chances of detecting the leak before it causes major damage is unlikely.  This might set you back $300 – $400 dollars but it is money well spent.

Dryer vents need to be thoroughly cleaned at least once a year and I recommend that you vacuum under and around the dryer as well.  One of the most frequent causes of appliance fires is failure to perform routine maintenance.  Lint buildup in the dryer vent lines can ignite or can cause the dryer to overheat.  The pipe that runs from the wall under the house to the outside has a vent attached to the wall outside.  The vent has a grill that allows about marble size objects through.   That grill is there to keep out pests but also catches large lint balls and causes buildup.  This vent does two things, it is a fire hazard and also puts a strain on your dryer and could cause the unit to burn out.   The fix is simple depending on how frequently you use your dryer.  You need to take your shop vac and vacuum out what you can from  the line.  Since we have a toddler we do lots of laundry and  I do this once every couple of months at my house.  The best way to prevent this is to have the dryer vent hard piped when your house is built. (more…)