Barrie Home Inspector

Home Maintenance and Tips for Home Owners

Tag: replacement

Replacing That Fuse Box?

Electricity

Electrical fusesOlder homes tend to have fuse boxes; newer homes and upgraded electrical systems use circuit breakers. Either device will protect your wiring if used properly. Circuit breaker electrical panels are installed in almost all new home construction. They have become the norm as people find them more convenient, but fuses are still a viable source of protection if used correctly. In most industrial installations, fuses are the preferred method of protection over breakers. When a circuit breaker trips you reset the circuit breaker and “pop”, it trips again, or it trips again when you go back upstairs and turn back on what you were using when it tripped in the first place. At this point you need to stop and identify the root cause of the problem making the circuit breaker trip.

The primary advantage of a circuit breaker is that it can be reset. That really matters when you’re running small electrical circuits, like in your kitchen. Older homes really weren’t designed with such heavy electrical power draws such as microwaves, dishwashers and the many other modern conveniences we have today. Which is why the 2002 National Electric Code (or NEC) calls for two 20 amp general appliance circuits, plus dedicated circuits for refrigerators, dishwashers, food disposals and the like in new, or remodeled home kitchens. That’s a minimum.
A lot of older homes, started out with few circuits but over the years more are usually added.

With fewer circuits and ever increasing electrical requirements, fuses would be at great disadvantage, because you’d blow them periodically. But for bigger power levels, say above 40 amps, the advantages become less clear, particularly when the house electrical system has been properly designed for the expected.

When buying fuses, look for the CSA mark. This shows that the fuse complies with recognized safety standards. Fuses are more reliable than circuit breakers. When a fuse rated at 20 amps exceeds twenty amps, it blows. Period. So if you buy a house with a fuses, don’t panic and decide you need circuit breakers right away. Even an old fuse will not betray you. Provided it’s not too big for the wire it protects, (and people are notorious for upsizing screw-in fuses when they have one blow) a fuse is a very effective way of protecting the circuit, the appliance and people.

A fuse is nothing more than a wire that melts when a known level of current flows through it. Fuses don’t age. But if you need more circuits you’ll need to put in a new breaker panel or subpanel as nobody makes fuse boxes for residential applications these days.

Circuit breakers and fuses protect your house from power overloads caused by spikes in the power supply. Without these an appliance, such as your dryer or microwave oven could easily overheat and catch fire. For this reason you must use extreme caution when working with them. Keep in mind that any electricity is dangerous, and that which powers your house can stop your heart under the right circumstances. If you feel you are in over your head at anytime, don’t hesitate to call in a professional electrician rather than risk fire or electrocution.

Both fuses and circuit breakers are overcurrent protection devices as defined by the NEC. You chose your breaker or fuse size after you’ve picked your wire size. Of if you’ve picked a fuse size, then the wire must match it.

Older breakers can ‘freeze’ in place. Breakers need to be exercised, turned on and off, so corrosion doesn’t weld the contacts together enough to make the breaker slow, or reluctant to blow. Old “Pushamatic” panels are notorious for this problem. A good practice when you have breakers is to flip all your breakers on and off once or twice a year to prevent the breakers for such seizures.

Fuses are fast. They open in one fifth of a cycle, breakers 1.5 cycles. That’s not much time at 60Hz, but it matters when you’re trying to protect computer equipment. A fuse might make the difference if you get hit with lightning.

Fuses are more flexible. You can get them with a dual element time delay which allow for a temporary overload in amps which occurs when AC compressors, fridges, dryers or other appliances which have high start up current draws. In a dead short situation these fuses will blow in a fifth of a cycle.

Of course, fuses must be changed, while breakers need to be reset. To change a fuse, turn the circuit to off and use an insulated tool, like linesman’s pliers o pull the fuse, and push in the new one. Screw-in fuses (type H) can be safely unscrewed if you resist the temptation to stick your finger in the socket. And remember to put exactly the same rating fuses back in. Remember an up rated fuse does NOT up rate the wire behind it.

But breakers sometimes have to be changed too. Square D, a manufacturer renowned for quality, only warrants its breakers for one trip. The reason is that every trip involves an electrical arc, and potential damage to the breaker’s contacts. A breaker that trips often should be changed. Fuses are generally cheaper, but at the household current level, good breakers are quite affordable.

Hardwood Flooring Tips

Real Estate

Hardwood Flooring Tips. Installing a hardwood floor is a great way to enhance a room and increase the value of your home. Wood flooring is also one of the easiest types of floors to install, and you can install it with tools you’re familiar with: drills, saws, and hammers.

Many different species of wood are fabricated into wood flooring in two primary forms: plank and parquet. Hardwoods are typically much more durable than softwoods.

Solid wood products, on average, have a substantially, or slightly, thicker ‘sandable surface’, and can be installed using nails. Lastly, solid wood tends to be less expensive than engineered wood, but this, as with the thickness of the ‘sandable surface,’ depends on the quality of the engineered wood (most inexpensive engineered wood products are ‘veneer’ wood floors, and not ‘engineered’).

It is difficult to compare in generalities solid wood floor to engineered wood floors, as there is a wide range of engineered wood floor qualities. Engineered floors typically are pre-finished more often than solid wood floors, and usually are supplied with beveled edges, affecting the appearance.

Engineered wood flooring has several benefits over solid wood, beyond dimensional stability and universal use. Patented installation systems (such as “unilin” or “fiboloc”) allow for faster installation and easy replacement of boards. Engineered wood also allows a
‘floating’ installation (where the planks are not fastened to the floor below or to each other), further increasing ease of repair and reducing installation time.

Cork Flooring is a flooring material manufactured from the by-product of the cork oak tree. Cork floors are considered to be eco-friendly since the cork oak tree bark is stripped every nine to ten years and doesn’t damage the tree. Cork flooring comes in both tiles and planks, and can have glue or glues-less installation.

Pick the longest, most visible wall to start your installation. Start by laying down a chalk line 1/2″ from the wall and extent it the full length. This is where your first row of flooring will go.  Remember for maximum performance strip flooring must be nailed down at opposite directions to the floor joists. The Barrie Home inspector uses his knowledge on flooring types and systems to provide you with a comprehensive report detailing your new homes information in a clear and concise manner.  Whether buying or selling a home in the Barrie, Alliston or Orillia area, ensure your Peace of Mind by contacting the Barrie Home Inspector.

Avoid Water Leaks on New Window Installations

Windows and Doors

Avoid Water Leaks on New Window Installations. Avoiding leaks when installing vinyl retrofit windows is simple with a little expertise and common sense.

These days a lot of homeowners are replacing their old windows with vinyl windows using the retrofit style of window frame. This is particularly true in the west, and specifically, in California. The number one argument that I have heard against using the retrofit method, is that it is susceptible to water leaks. Well, that’s true if you don’t do it properly. But, if you do a complete tear out of your old window down to the studs, you’re going to have water leak issues there as well if you don’t install the new window properly. So I think that argument is, well, all wet. So, let me tell you the best way to install your retrofit windows that will ensure that water cannot get in.

There is an old song that goes, “It never rains in California, but girl don’t they warn ya, it pours, man it pours”. For those of you in California, you know how true this is. While California doesn’t get a lot of annual rainfall, when it does rain, it can come down in buckets due to the close proximity to the ocean. So, you want to be sure that your windows are well sealed. If you are installing retrofit frames against a stucco house, you want to put a thick bead of sealant right on the outside face of the old window frame, all the way around. Latex caulk should work fine, but if you want to spend a little more to get the best sealant available, use 100% silicone. Depending on the number of windows you will be doing, this extra cost can add up. You pay approximately for a tube of acrylic latex caulk, and or more for a tube of 100% silicone. You are going to use 1-3 tubes per window, depending on the size. So you can see how it could add up. Here is a trick that I used to do to save a little money; The most vulnerable part of your installation is the top of the window, because gravity will have the water running down from the roof to the ground. It’s not likely that water is going to find it’s way through the sides or bottom. So, I used to carry two caulking guns, and load one with the silicone, and the other with the acrylic caulk. I would run the silicone accross the top of the old frame, and caulk the sides and bottom. Then, put your new window into the opening and have a helper hold it firmly in place while you plumb and level it, then screw it into place. After you have the window completely installed, your final step should be to caulk where the retrofit lip meets the stucco. Here again, I used to use white silicone on the top, and caulk on the sides and bottom. You now have a double barrier against water infiltration. After about a week, check the sealant around each window for signs of cracking. Because stucco is usually uneven, there could have been gaps that were larger in some areas than in others. If you don’t force the caulk into the gap to completely fill it, the caulk can sag before drying, causing a crack to form. Simply recaulk over any cracks that you see. You can check the silicone on top as well, but because silicone dries like a rubber substance, you shouldn’t see any cracks there.

OK, what if the replacement windows are going between wood trim surrounding the opening? If you are using the retrofit lip, and trimming it to fit between the wood, then you still apply the heavy bead to the old frame before installing the window. But, instead of sealing where the retrofit lip meets the stucco, you seal where it meets the wood. Then, you want to be sure to seal above the window, where the top piece of wood meets the stucco. Again, use silicone up there. Now, no water can run down the stucco wall and get under the top piece of wood. Sometimes, though, you might decide not to use a retrofit style frame between the wood, choosing a block replacement frame instead. If you choose to do it this way, you have to add trim to the outside. You still want to apply the sealant to the old frame, then apply your trim so it contacts the new window as well as the sealant on the old frame.

If you follow these procedures, you won’t have to worry about any water penetrating into your home, I don’t care how hard it pours!

Repairing Rotting Wood Tips and Techniques

Exterior

Causes of Rotting Wood

Whenever wood has more than 20% moisture exposure it has the potential to deteriorate. It’s very important to keep up on caulking and painting with quality materials to prevent wood rot.

If you are at the point where you already have wood rot we recommend you do not use pine for rot replacement. Pine available on the market today tends to be new growth pine. Pine available today is not as dense as older growth pine and will rot in a very short period of time. So many home owners are so disappointed to find their new homes have extensive wood rot damage within the first five years.
window rot by Barrie Home Inspector

Painting and caulking are two of the home owners best materials that will help prevent wood rot. Caulking is one of the best defenses your home has against moisture. Home owners should be vigilante for the appearance of peeling or cracking paint and cracked or missing caulking. Either of these are indicators that your wood is now being attacked by moisture. As a home inspector I am always reminding my clients of the old but true adage that ” an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”


Repairing Areas of Wood Rot

Using a wood chisel, an electric drill with a spade bit, or another tool appropriate for the location to remove all of the wet, loose and decayed wood.
Probe the surrounding area with an awl. If it feels as solid as unaffected areas, drill numerous closely spaced holes of 1/8-inch (3-mm) diameter in the wood and inject a liquid wood hardener following the manufactures directions.

Mix two-part epoxy or polyester wood filler as directed. Mix only what you can apply and shape in a few minutes. Once the material hardens it is un-workable and must be thrown away.

Fill the hole or build up the affected area with the wood filler, using a putty knife or flexible plastic spreader. Press hard on knife to work the initial layer into the surface for a good bond.

Clean off the applicator and mixing container immediately

Use a rasp tool to roughly shape or level excess filler as soon as the filler sets up, but before it dries completely.
Use medium or coarse sandpaper to further shape and blend the patch when the filler is completely dry. On flat surfaces, use a rubber sanding block or power sander. On contoured surfaces, use wood dowels or other appropriate shapes to back the sandpaper.

Blow off the dust and apply freshly mixed filler to fill any remaining depressions or pinholes, or to build up more material as needed to attain the desired shape.

Use medium, then fine sandpaper to smooth the patch and feather it into the surrounding wood.

After completely dry prime and paint to suit.

Choosing Your Exterior Paints

For most exterior wood in reasonably good shape, pick a high-quality acrylic primer. It remains elastic and permeable so moisture can “breathe” through the paint skin. This will decrease the chance of the paint bubbling and peeling due to moisture in the walls.

Consider oil- or shellac-based primers for cedar or redwood. With these, you have to factor in problems with tannin staining. Tannin is a natural substance in the wood which will bleed through and cause yellow or brown stains in your finished paint job. It is water soluble, so it will bleed through any water based product. Oil and shellac primers will stop tannin from bleeding through. Some water-based primers claim to be able to stop tannin staining, although sometimes two or more coats will be necessary. Use your own judgment.

Ask at your paint store about breathable oil primers, which are formulated to allow passage of moisture from the house through the paint. (All water-based products, unless they are sold specifically as moisture-barriers, are breathable.) Breathable oil primers would be your best choice to help combat tannin staining some plywood materials, in addition to cedar, redwood.

Use oil-based primers for very punky, soft older wood. Oil-based primers penetrate much deeper into the wood fibers and create a more solid substrate to paint over.

This article is brought to you by Roger Frost, The Barrie Home Inspector, browse our Home Maintenance Tips Blog for more Money Saving Tips

Home Inspection And Your Furnace

Heating, Home Inspection

Home Inspection And Your Furnace.  Typical Methods of inspecting your gas furnace by qualified inspectors will save you needless expenses and repairs. Home inspectors usually find either high efficiency or standard efficiency furnaces in most homes.  Up-draft furnaces are common while down-draft types are rarely seen.

Over the last 20 years, a new generation of higherefficiency gas furnaces and boilers has come to market. Anessential difference in the design of these units is howthey are vented, eliminating the need for dilution air. Thecombustion of gas produces certain by-products, includingwater vapour and carbon dioxide.

Eliminating the need for a chimney is the primary method of energy savings in high efficiency furnaces.  Heat loss and products of combustion through the chimney is significant.  Newer furnaces have an AFUE rating which is based on estimated energy consumption of unit for one year.  This is expressed as a percentage.

The newer designs have been modified to reduce the amount of heated air that escapes during the on and off cycles and by extracting more of the heat contained in the combustionby-products before they are vented.
Natural Gas Furnace Components which are inspected during home inspection or service call.  The typical Natural Gas furnaces are comprised of a cabinet, distribution system, heat exchanger, fan and controls and a thermostat.  There are many additions that can be added to a gas furnace which include, humidifiers, air cleaners and HRV’s.
Standard Inspection Steps performed by a Typical HomeInspector will include these four basic inspection steps:

1. Remove burner and fan cover with power turned off.
2. Check the heat exchanger.
3. Start the furnace and inspecting flame, exhaust system.
4. Check the duct system and air flow through ducts andreturn air systems.

Gas Furnace Age and Life Expectancy

Most gas furnaces are expected to last from 20 to 25 years. The heat exchanger is usually guaranteed for 20 years. Failure of heat exchanger usually means replacement of furnace.
Having your furnace regularly serviced by a trainedtechnician can greatly enhance its life expectency.

 
Learn more about Barrie HomeInspections.  Stop by Roger Frost’s site where you can find out all about Home Maintenance and Tips and what it can do for you.

Maintaining Your Furnace Filter

Heating

Maintaining Your Furnace Filter

The first step in checking furnace filter is to check and make sure your filter is properly sized for your furnace. Ensure that the filter completely fills the holding area, with no gaps at top, bottom or sides. Also the filter should be thick enough to seal off any avenues for air to bypass the filter. You can typically look at the filter in place by removing bottom panel of furnace. This should only be done once power is shut off. Newer furnaces have a safety switch on their fan compartments but turning power off is always advised.

Another item to check is your owner’s manual for the furnace and check that you have the right style of filter for your furnace. Some people buy universal re-usable filters that might provide too much resistance for the modern high-efficiency furnaces used today. If no manual is available check on the internet for manufactures site and look up specifications for model of furnace you have. If no specifications are available, send them an email, most companies gladly provide information on requests from customers.

Clean or replace your disposable furnace filter periodically, during the winter, check the filter monthly. Brush and vacuum the heat exchanger surfaces every year, if recommended by your owner’s manual. Before the heating season, clean the blower blades and seal any air leaks in ducts with several wraps of duct tape. (use the metallic duct tape only)

Types of Filters

Pleated – Experts typically recommend this type of filter as a bare minimum requirement. Pleated filters should also include the metal wire to perform electrostatic dust control. The pleat feature allows greater filtration because of greater surface area which creates less air restriction.
Disposable fiberglass filters – These filter are the least expensive – and also the least effective, designed to block only large dust and dirt particles to protect your furnace. Smaller particles, like pollen and mold, pass right through.
Electronic air cleaners Electronic air cleaners are expensive but are the best at removing harmful particles and pollutants from the air. In many cases, the initial cost can be offset with lower medical bills for allergy suffers.

Filter Ratings

What is an efficiency or MERV rating?

Most filters are labeled with a MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rating number, which measures a filter’s ability to trap particles ranging in size from 3.0 microns to 10.0 microns. This number is derived from a test method designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and is intended to help people compare filters.
Residential filters commonly have MERV ratings of 1-11. The higher the MERV rating, the more efficient the filter is, and the more particles it can filter.

A MERV rating of 6 means the filter is 35% to 50% minimum efficient at capturing particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.
A MERV rating of 8 means the filter is 70% to 85% minimum efficient at capturing particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.
A MERV rating of 11 means the filter is 85% to 95% minimum efficient at capturing particles, sized 3.0-10.0 microns.
MERV is an industry standard rating, so it can be used to compare filters made by different companies.

A little maintenance goes a long way toward keeping your forced-air equipment working properly. Start by cleaning or replacing the filter. With forced-air furnace systems, air returning to the furnace’s blower first passes through an air filter designed to catch dust and debris and help clean the air before it’s recycled to your home.
On new homes, check all your ducts by removing grills and vacuuming any debris that you can reach. If extremely dirty, notify the builder and have him clean the ducts. This is only possible on new construction and ducts should be inspected on your Pre-Delivery Inspection.

When typical filters become clogged with debris, they cut down on a furnace’s efficiency and, over time, can cause parts to wear out faster. Change filters quarterly or sooner if they look dirty. Pleated fabric filters are a good, inexpensive choice for reducing dust and allergens. Most experts recommend a pleated filter with wire for electrostatic performance. If you buy filters that are 3 for .00 then you probably could read a book looking through them, so you can imagine how useful they would be. Also check your manufactures recommendations before installing a washable filter, some type restrict too much air on high-efficiency furnaces and may cause premature failure of fan motor.

Steps to changing your furnace filter:

1) Turn off the power to the unit. Every furnace is required to have shut off switch.
2) Look for the door or panel that conceals the blower; sometimes this is marked “Filter.” Lift this door or panel off of its holding hooks or unscrew its retaining screws to remove it. Some furnaces have a custom sized filter which is held in place by wire screen in bottom compartment of furnace.

3) Standard filters are mounted next to or under the blower motor. Newer furnaces have the filter installed on exterior of furnace on supply side. A good installation will have a metal cover over side of filter to prevent air leakage. Remove cover and slide the filter out along its tracks. Check to see whether it is a disposable filter or intended to be cleaned and replaced–this should be marked on the filter’s edge, along with directions for cleaning if applicable. If it’s a disposable filter, its size will probably be printed on the frame’s edge also. Make a note of its size.

4) Buy a replacement and slide it back into place, noting that arrows stamped on the side indicate the proper direction of airflow; be sure you face these in the proper direction. If your smoke detectors or carbon-monoxide detectors start going off after cleaning your filter, you have installed the filter facing the wrong direction. Remove and reverse filter, this will resolve your detector alarm problem.

If someone in your family has allergies and you move to a new home that had pets living in it, cleaning your ducts might be advisable to remove build up which will then allow your filter to perform to its optimum ability. The most recommended type of duct cleaning is with brushes, which are sized according to the duct they are cleaning. This will allow filter to prevent dust and particles from circulating in your home.

Barrie Home Inspector © 2013 Frontier Theme