1- Remove the old caulk with a scrapper or razor blade and then clean the area with any good household cleaner. It is very important to have the caulking area squeaky clean. The caulk won’t adhere to a dirty surface.

2- Wipe down the cleaned area with denatured alcohol before applying the new caulk. The alcohol does a good job of removing any soap or chemical residue allowing the caulk to really adhere to the surface and seal it.

3- The type of caulk used is important. I prefer the silicone type caulks over the latex or water based products.  They can be purchased in caulk tubes or a smaller, handy squeeze tube.  I like the squeeze tubes because they can be sealed with a cap and are less prove to drying out and being wasted if you don’t use it all at once.

(4) The secret of having the job look like a professional installation is to not apply excess caulk.  This takes some practice, but a steady squeeze and rate of application will give you great results.  Sometimes if I don’t get a spot just right, I wet my finger and gently blend the caulk across the entire length of the bead.

(5) Let the caulk dry per manufacturers recommendations before using the tub or shower and then call all your friends to come over and see the great job you did.  Be sure to take pictures!

Home Inspectors, HomePro Home Inspections. Rick Erickson, Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942 http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Repairing a Door That Sticks Or Rubs

Doors rubbing against the door frame can sometimes cause the door to stick.  Changes in humidity through the seasons can result in doors sticking sometimes and not at all at other times.  Doors can also stick due to structure shift and out of square door frames.

Most door rubbing and sticking problems are a result of two common problems I typically find during a home inspection.  First, hinge screws are loose.  Tightening the screws will pull the door back into place, allowing for proper operation.  Secondly, doors can also swell due to humidity, closing hard in the summer and working perfect in the winter.

A simple door sticking situation is repaired as follows:

(1)  Check the hinges to make sure they are tight and supporting the door properly. If the hinges are loose most likely the hinges are the reason why the door is rubbing and sticking. If this is the case, tighten the screws. If the screws won’t tighten, try an old time carpenter’s trick to tighten loose screws. First, support the door and take off the loose hinge screws. Next insert toothpicks into the screw hole or holes with a dab of glue. Allow 20 minutes for the glue to dry and then reinsert the screws. You’ll be amazed at how tight the toothpicks have made the screws.  I’ve used this trick countless times over the years…It works.

(2) If the hinges are tight but the door is rubbing, the door needs to be trimmed. An inexpensive tool can be bought to do the job. The tool is called a block planer hand rasp. The cost is probably under $10 and can be purchased at your local hardware store. It looks like a small hand held flat cheese grater. This quick repair is done with the door in place. There is no need to remove the door. Mark the door with a pencil where the door is rubbing the frame. Now that the spot is marked, you can proceed to plane the area on the side of the door that is sticking until the door closes properly. This type of repair usually only takes a few minutes and very little material has to be removed from the area that sticks. If you have to remove a lot of material to make the door close, it would probably be better to have a professional carpenter evaluate the door problem.

Home Inspectors, HomePro Home Inspections. Rick Erickson, Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942 http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Corrugated Dryer Venting Clogged With Lint

If you have had a home inspection by HomePro Home Inspections you know that when I come across flexible, corrugated dryer venting, we discuss the potential for fire hazard.  Dryer manufacturers recommend solid metal smooth bore venting to provide for better air flow.  Considering how important this subject is, the stakes involved and the frequency of dryer fires in the home, the topic deserves more attention. 

Clothes dryer fires account for nearly 16000 fires annually, with 80% of them occurring in residences, resulting in 15 deaths and 300 injuries per year.

New home trends tend to locate laundry room in more hazardous locations away from exterior walls.  Locating laundry rooms near the center of the home results in longer vent lengths.  Failure to keep these long runs clean is the leading cause for clothes dryer fires.  In addition to fires, lint build up will prolong drying times, wasting energy, and contributing to even more lint build up.

Recently I came across a new product called Lint Alert.  Lint Alert is a home safety device that measures and displays the back pressure in the dryer exhaust vent.  The back pressure in a dryer vent will increase as lint builds up and restricts the airflow.  When the backpressure increases to unsafe levels, the lint alert will alarm, letting you know that your dryer vent needs maintenance and cleaning.  You can learn more about the Lint Alert at www.lintalert.com

Lint Alert

Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rick Erickson, Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942 http://www.homepro-inspection.com

In this HomePro home inspector video you will see an example of mold in a basement of a relatively new home. The mold and high moisture was confined to the surface of the front wall of the basement. As I arrived at this home inspection I noticed that there was a large pond built into the landscaping next to the front wall, as well as settling and poor soil slope. These conditions resulted in the wet basement walls. The recommendation to the homeowner was to properly landscape the front of the home to allow for water to flow away from the home. In addition, I recommended that they have professional mold remediation and testing done to resolve the issue.

If you enjoyed my home inspectors video, and would like to see more like it, please leave a comment.

Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rick Erickson, Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942 http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Mold revealed on garage ceiling

Your home inspector has turned up mold in your home and now you have questions. Is it possible for me to get rid of it, or do you need to call in a professional mold remediation company? 

There are situations where you can remediate, or halt the mold growth on your own.  Remediation is removal of contaminated and/or hazardous materials from your home.  If the problem is small, a good dousing of bleach should stop the mold infestation.  If the invasion is less than ten square feet, you can probably attack the problem on your own and do the repairs. 

There is one thing to remember though. Even though bleach can kill the mold, once the spore is dead it can still release harmful toxins into the air of your home. You must also consider that the fumes in bleach chloride are not the healthiest things for your lungs either.  The bleach you buy in the stores is watered down.  It has to be or it would be a public hazard to handle. And what does mold like? You guessed it, water.  While bleach can do some good, it is not the most reliable method of mold remediation. 

Antibacterial products are effective deterrent to mold growth. They will retard mold growth, but will not prevent dried (even dead) mold spores form floating in the air, releasing toxins and causing health problems in some people. However, once the mold and its’ source are removed, antibacterial gels can be a good deterrent to future mold infestations. 

So, how do you know if you got it all? Mold and mildew can seep into microscopic cracks and porous materials.  There are a lot of places in your house that are porous – concrete slabs, drywall, wood and brick, etc.   It may be worth it to call in a professional who handle this stuff on a daily basis. 

Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center of Disease Control (CDC)  have explicit standards and instructions on how to remove mold.  A respirator  ( N-95 dust mask) should be worn at all times in the presence of mold per the EPA.  If the mold is spread over 30 square feet, the regulations state that you have a choice whether to call in a professional or to let a cleaning or maintenance company handle the job. More than 30 square feet and it is always best to contact a professional mold remediation company. 

Not only do you have to stop the mold, you also have to stop the entrance of moisture into your home. If you can keep the mold from growing back, your battle is won. The EPA has a list of registered chemicals and even biodegradable substances specifically for mold remediation . These are contained in anti-bacterial sealants that professionals must registered to handle and trained to use.  The professional mold remediation technician may need to use methods of sanding or other abrasive techniques to help the sealant stick.  Let them. You should be wary of companies that just want to spray a filmy substance before the moldy or dirt laden surfaces are cleaned and treated.  There are several tings to consider when dealing with mold:  Invasive treatment v/s non-invasive treatment. Treat or tear it all out. As a home owner, how would you know what is best?  It may be in your best interest to contact a local mold remediation company.

So how do you find a reputable mold remediator?  Visit their web site.  Make sure they are using EPA approved equipment, chemicals and HEPA filtration devices. Check their permits and references. Check for nationally recognized accreditations or associations.  Also keep in mind that with all the scare out there pertaining to mold in homes, there are some flim-flam artists out there ready to prey on worried home owners.

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Bathroom Vented To Attic

Bathroom and Kitchen improperly vented to Attic Roof Vent

You can see from the pictures above that it is important that the home inspectors do a carefull inspection of the attic areas to insure that all venting exits through the roof.  These pictures are from two separate home inspections that I did over a couple of weeks.  In each case, the home owner had added either bathroom and/or kitchen exhaust vents and terminated then in the attic. They were all aimed at a roof vent in an effort to exhaust to the outside.  You see in the one picture that the handy work failed and the duct never even made it to the roof vent. 

To insure proper ventilation of bathrooms and kitchens it is important that all vents exit the roof through proper roof vents.  Venting to the attic adds moisture to the attic area which can result in icing and excess moisture in that attic area.   

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Vinyl flooring stain due to leaky toilet

The gray, and pinkish stains below the surface of the vinyl flooring found around the toilet by the home inspector indicates water damage.  When there are stains around your toilet, there is probably a leak in the wax seal ring that seals the toilet to the plumbing flange at the floor.  Continued leaking over a period of time will rot the flooring under your toilet and eventually leak into the areas below. 

Try moving the toilet gently from side to side.  Your toilet should not move.  If it is loose, you will probably need to have a new wax ring installed. 

Sometimes a quick fix can be completed by tightening the nuts at either side of the toilet at the floor.  Usually these nuts are located under a small plastic cap.  You will need to be very careful in tightenening these nuts.  Your toilet is made of porcelain that can break if you over tighten, have uneven pressure, or poor support at the flange.  Turn only a quarter turn at a time.  When the toilet will no longer move, it is tight enough.

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Refrigerator Coil Cleaning Brush

Although kitchen appliances are not included in the standards of practice for the home inspection profession, it is common practice to at least check to see if they are operating properly.  Typically on a refrigerator freezer unit that means checking to see that it is colder on one side than the other and that the water and ice dispenser works.  Recently I came across a refrigerator/freezer unit that was heavily frosted up in the freezer unit.  I took a look underneath the unit and the coils were completely loaded up with lint and dust bunnies.  When the coils under a unit are all loaded and dirty up they can not operate efficiently, resulting in higher energy bills.

The answer to this problem is to give your refrigerator/freezer coils a breather.  Coils should be cleaned at least once a year.  These appliances have a set of coils typically in the back, or on the bottom.  These coils circulate refrigerant which is cooled by air passing over them.  If the coils and area is plugged then air can not flow smoothly, causing your energy bills to soar.  To clean the coils, remove the clip-on cover from the bottom front on the unit and use a coil brush to loosen and remove the built up lint and dust.  A vacuum cleaner with a crevice tool can come in handy too.  You may need to roll the unit out to get at the back side if everything is not accessible from the front.   Be careful not to damage any attached water lines for ice makers.  The attached picture shows a coil brush which can be purchased at your favorite Rochester or Southeastern MN hardware or home maintenance store.  

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Attic insulation

When it gets cold outside we usually grab a blanket to help stay warm.  Wrap your home in a blanket by adding insulation to areas like the attic, basement walls, and crawlspaces.  Additional insulation can help to reduce your yearly energy costs and make your home more comfortable.

You can make the biggest impact to your energy savings by adding insulation to that attic area of your home.  If you are able to access your attic, make a general inspection of your average insulation depth.  A recommended R-Value for the Rochester and Southeastern MN area is between R49 and R60 for attics.  This can mean adding anywhere from 12-24 inches of blown fiberglass insulation on top of what you may already have in your attic. 

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com

Carbon Monoxide Detector

I see a lot of homes in the process of performing home inspections that do not have Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors installed.  In some cases  I find that they are not installed properly.  If you are installing only one carbon monoxide detector in your home, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends it be located near the sleeping area, where it can wake you if you are asleep.  Additional detectors should be located on every level and within 10 feet of every bedroom of a home to provide extra protection against carbon monoxide poisoning.

It should be noted that carbon monoxide detectors not be located directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, as appliances may emit a small amount of carbon monoxide upon start-up. Also make sure that detectors are not placed within fifteen feet of heating or cooking appliances or in or near very humid areas such as bathrooms.

I often get asked whether it is better to place a carbon monoxide detector at the ceiling or use the type that plugs into an outlet.  Carbon monoxide is roughly the same weight as air so it can and may be contained in warm air coming from combustion appliances such as home heating equipment. If this is the case, carbon monoxide will rise with the warmer air.  Carbon monoxide is produced from incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. In the home CO can be formed, for example, by open flames, space heaters, water heaters, blocked chimneys or running a car inside a garage.

Since CO is colorless, tasteless and odorless (unlike smoke from a fire), detection and prevention of carbon monoxide poisoning in a home environment is impossible without such a warning device. To make sure that we are covered here in the Rochester and Southeastern Mn area, the state of Minnesota passed a law that requires CO detectors in all dwellings.  And again, that’s every level and within 10 feet of sleeping areas to protect you and your family.

Rick Erickson, Home Inspector, HomePro Home Inspections. Rochester MN, Southeastern, MN. 507-202-8942. http://www.homepro-inspection.com