Your home is vulnerable to bad weather. Snow, ice and rain can wreak havoc causing severe damage. Some of us are lucky enough to breathe a sigh of relief when nothing happens at all. Truth be told; luck does run out unless you are proactive. Here are some proactive measures: Remove tall, old trees that are close to the house. …

1 acre + 10 inches of evenly distributed snow = 1 inch/acre of water = 2,715 gallons of water That number is never the same because it is affected by many factors. For instance, it can change depending on the density of the snow and evaporation due to winds and dryness in your area. Also, consider the thawing of snow …

A home is a place where we grow up. It should be a healthy, happy and safe environment but there is a lurking fungus all around us waiting for the right moment to attack. This fungus is mold. It is in the air we breathe in the form of spores, and the levels change seasonally. You breathe them in daily, …

We never think about it. What is underneath our basement floors? We are too busy enjoying the rest of the house to ponder on that thought. Our basements may be unfinished and occupied by the usual suspects; a furnace, oil tank, water heater, water treatment tanks, washer, dryer, forced-air heating system, and storage. There is no reason to be down …

Any new home constructed with a basement below the water table is a candidate for a sump pump, but sometimes the sump pump is not strong enough to handle local rainfall or super soakers. Sometimes, a house does not come with a sump pump. Owners of a new home are often left to wonder, “How is a flood possible in …

There comes a time when cracks begin to appear in the sheetrock walls of a house. Those cracks usually appear in areas of least resistance, for instance, near windows or doorways. It is an unfortunate reality a homeowner must face from time to time. Usually, a victim will have to make a quick trip to the hardware store to get …

Efflorescences? If you have an unfinished basement with bare concrete or block walls, you might notice a strange occurrence that happens over time. You will gradually see an efflorescence, white and red stains appearing on the walls. This visual warning is chemistry at work. To understand why this efflorescence is happening we have to start at the very beginning. During …