ThermaPureHeat is a completely chemical-free new process called Structural Pasteurization that utilizes clean, pure heat to kill mold and bug infestations of any size without harming pets, plants or people.

Used effectively in difficult infestations such as bed bugs, it leaves no residues or smell behind. The treated areas can be safely occupied right after the treatment by anyone, including pets and small children.

The process is also scalable: it can be applied to a whole house, to a single floor or even a single area or room and the concept is very simple. Giant heaters — 500,000 bpu each — blast hot air into the house until it reaches the desired temperature. Different infestations require different heat settings but the treatment will kill the mold or bug infestation, with the added bonus of killing many harmful bacteria and viruses as well.

Here’s a Discovery Channel Video about the process:

However, forfeiting some renovation projects and important repairs might not be the smartest choice. That outdated HVAC system, the old windows, and cold basement might be costing you big bucks. The next rainstorm may flood your basement. In other words, the money you’re trying to save in repairs might be being spent instead in utility bills or depleted in bigger repairs later on due to the lack of proper preventive measures.
Even in tough times, there are some improvements that actually pay off, lowering your energy consumption, preserving or increasing the property value, and giving you much-needed peace of mind.
Below is a list of the five of the most cost-effective home improvements and the best investments you can ever make in your home.

Basement Finishing
Finishing your basement will do more that just add living space to your home. It will actually pay you back and eventually, even prove itself profitable! To sweeten the deal, it can be done at half the cost of building an addition.

Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value report lists basement finishing as one of the few investments in which you will be recovering most of your money right away in added property value. You can recover an average of 75% of the cost if you sell the property immediately.

However, the most significant benefit of a finished basement is the ability to improve the home’s energy efficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that an average 1,500 square-foot home that has a finished basement with R-10 insulation, and is heated by natural gas (at $0.72/therm) can save anywhere between $200 to $400 a year.

Add to that the fact that, even considering ups and downs in the housing market, the U.S. Census Bureau shows home prices tend to increase in average 251.69% every 20 years interval. Therefore, in 20 years, the added value to your property will not only fully cover the remodeling costs; it will prove profitable!

Crawl Space Encapsulation
That moldy, filthy, rotten crawl space is more than just unsightly and unpleasant. It’s a black hole in which not only your money disappears, but also your home’s value, structural integrity, indoor air quality, and your family’s health.

Because of the way the air moves inside buildings, everything that goes on in the crawl space has significant impact on how structurally sound, comfortable, healthy, and energy efficient your home is.

As the air in the house is heated, it rises and escapes through any openings in the upper floors. To replenish the air supply, new air is sucked from the lower levels, mainly from your basement or crawl space. That is called the “stack-effect” and because of it, everything that is in that filthy crawl space air, including mold spores and dust mites, is consistently entering your home.

It is estimated that 1/3 of the air you breathe inside the home is crawl space air. In addition, the typical crawl space moisture that is also being carried in with the air makes your home harder to cool and heat. During the winter, cold air is also sucked in through the floor. If air ducts run through the crawl space, energy losses can amount to as high as 50% – half of the money you pay in to heat and cool your home is literally wasted.

Crawl space encapsulation is a relatively inexpensive new technology that can control moisture and prevent moisture-related problems in this space. It protects your floor joists and wooden structures from mold and rot, and keep dust mites and other moisture loving pests at bay. Furthermore, according to studies conducted by Advanced Energy and Habitat for Humanity, sealing and conditioning a crawl space can make your home an average of 18% more energy efficient.

Battery Operated Backup Sump Pump
Say that you have a very good drainage system and a quality sump pump, which is well maintained and in great condition. Nevertheless, one morning, after a big storm, you wake up to a flooded basement and thousand of dollars in damaged property. The storm knocked down the power, and with it, the sump pump was rendered useless.

There is no way to fully protect your basement from flooding without a backup sump pump system, preferably one that does not run on electricity or depend on a generator.
During a long-lasting power outage, you will want the generator to spend its energy keeping your refrigerator, appliances and lights running.

A battery-operated backup sump pump is, in that case, your best option. If you have a finished basement, or you store anything of value in your basement, a battery-operated backup pump is a must. It saves you a lot of money and lets you sleep better, knowing that your basement is protected.

Replacement Windows
Replacing your old, obsolete windows with new Energy Star rated windows can help save a lot of money in energy bills.
According to the Alliance to Save Energy, a non-profit coalition of business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders, installing energy-efficient replacement windows can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to 30 percent! New double-hung, wood-clad windows with double-pane low-E glass, can reduce drastically your heating and cooling costs, besides improving significantly the looks of your home and adding value to the property.

HVAC Upgrades
Replacing obsolete furnaces, which usually operate at only 60 percent efficiency or worse for a new, high-efficiency two-stage unit, that rates at least 90% efficiency, can save you hundreds of dollars each year.

Likewise, replacing your old A/C system with a new unit that achieves a minimum of 13 SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) can save you big bucks in cooling costs during summer. In addition, most new models use non-ozone-depleting refrigerants, making them more environmentally-friendly than older units.

In addition to all the benefits, some of these improvements, such as basement insulation and HVAC upgrades, may qualify for loans, grants and tax incentives under different local, state, and federal government energy efficiency programs.

In conclusion, a good assessment of your home’s overall condition is fundamental in times like these. You can’t afford to let your property, which is probably your most valuable asset, lose value. Sometimes, the best way to save money is to invest in technologies and repairs that will keep you from wasting it.

Energy Efficient Homes

Can you imagine a house that is able to warm itself without the need of a furnace or any separated heat contraption?  Paying less for your monthly electricity than you pay for a pizza?

The creators of German Passive Houses Project go beyond imagining it. They actually made it a reality and proved it is indeed  possible to have a home that is so energy efficient that you need no separate heating system to keep the house warm and there is no loss of comfort.

The Passive House is the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction: Energy saved on heating is 80% compared to conventional standards of new buildings. The energy requirement for heating is lower than 10 to 20 kWh/(m²a) (depending on climate), adding up to a low cost of 10 to 25 € ($15 to $36 USD) per month.

For you to have an idea on how energy efficient those houses are, keep in mind that the average home in ths U.S. spends 40 kWh a day. Almost twice of what a passive house spends in a month!

According to the website, such efficiency is achieved through a combination of the following:

• Proper insulation methods
• Design without thermal bridges
• Air tightness
• Ventilation with heat recovery
• Proper comfort windows
• Innovative Heating Technology

This technology can be easily applied in new construction as well as existing buildings.

The next step? The Self-Sufficient Solar House, conceived by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy in Freiburg, Germany.

Controlling indoor pollutants

A few more weeks and summer will be over.  Outdoor furniture will be folded or put away, pools covered, and gardens prepared for a long winter nap. Our windows will be closed, and we will try to close, seal, insulate and caulk every air leak to protect our families from the bitter cold and maximize the efficiency of our heating appliances.

However, once all the windows are closed, another danger emerges: indoor pollution, which according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is 2 to 5 times worse than the outdoor pollution, and can aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms.

This article How to Detox Your House from Good Housekeeping magazine offers a step-by-step guide on how to control indoor pollution, detecting the main problem areas in the house and listing simple measures that can significantly improve indoor air quality during the winter months.

The wrong contractor, a bad weather spell, an unclear contract clause or last minute changes can all can contribute to turn a dream project into a  homeowner’s worst nightmare.

As more homeowners prepare to tackle home improvement projects this year, Consumer Reports, which recently conducted a poll on Home Remodeling, points to the 5 most common mistakes homeowners make when dealing with contractors and conducting the project:

1. Don’t rush in. Make sure you carefully plan the whole project, and are 100% sure that you will be satisfied with the final result. Making changes to the project “on-the-fly” is the costliest mistake homeowners make. It can add in average of $1,500 to kitchen projects and $650 to bath remodels.
2. Prepare for the unexpected. As the work begins some new problems might be uncovered. When walls are stripped, things like water damage, mold or pest infestation may surface.  Good contractors are able to anticipate some of the problems and allow the homeowner to adjust the budget. Consumer Reports reveals that water damage was an issue with 17 percent of bathroom remodels, and structural problems delayed 10 percent of kitchen projects.
3. Don’t chase the lowballs. What seems to be cheap initially may end up costing more. To compete in a tight market contractors lower their profit margin, but will make up their costs in labor or other areas. According to the Consumer Report poll, readers who went for the lowball spent in average $1,500 extra on their kitchens and $1,000 extra on their bathrooms. Make sure the contract specifies amounts for products and materials before you sign. Avoid signing contracts with too many  “allowances”.
4. Get the paperwork in order. Have the contractor attach copies of his up-to-date license, insurance and workers’ compensation policies to the written contract. He also should get permits and provide a lien waiver when the job is done; this will keep suppliers from contacting the homeowner for unpaid bills.
5. Focus on the boring bits. The tedious details no one wants to think about are the ones that will usually make a difference between a successful remodeling experience and a tragic one. Things like the proper placement of outlets for appliances and electronics,  task lighting, the proper fan for a bathroom, or even determining a place for the garbage can are usually overlooked in projects but will prove to be fundamental later on. Changes made after the remodeling job is concluded are usually a costly hassle.

Sources:

• Shop Smart: Top five remodeling headaches.
• http://www.consumerreports.org/

Before it becomes visible, mold usually smells.

If it smells like mold, that is what it is, says Eunice Sahr from  North Dakota University Extension Service Office in an article published in the Jamestown Sun.

“If you can smell a musty odor or see mold, you have a mold problem. You don’t need to test for mold. Reliable sampling for mold can be very expensive since it requires special equipment and training. Testing is not generally recommended as a first step.”

Along with tips and instructions for safe mold removal, the article discuss means of keep the mold from coming back.

“The moisture problem must be fixed to prevent future mold growth. Since there are some mold spores everywhere and since mold grows on any wet organic surface, the only way to prevent mold growth is to keep things dry.”

Above grade, adequate ventilation and fans will most of the time do the trick. Basements and crawl spaces will often need a dehumidifier, as the relative humidity brought in with the outside air will usually increase as it enters naturally cooler below grade spaces.

The article also advises homeowners to wait until wood moisture readings are dry enough for reconstruction, otherwise the mold might contaminate the newly added woodwork.

Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless.

It’s been a rough, wild summer when it comes to weather. Heavy prolonged rains, tornadoes, powerful storms bringing monsoon-like rainfall, golf-ball-sized hail, apocalyptic thunderstorms and winds powerful enough to level entire neighborhoods.

The most common occurrence under such conditions are power outages which, depending on the size and amount of the damage inflicted upon the power distribution system, can last for days.

To keep the household running, the food from spoiling in the fridge, the sump pump from stalling when it is needed the most, homeowners will usually resort to a gasoline powered generator, lanterns and gas-powered appliances.

According to State and Federal Emergency Management Officials, many people die after a storm or similar disaster from carbon monoxide poisoning due to improper use of such generators and gas-powered tools.

Carbon monoxide is a very poisonous, invisible and odorless gas that can fatally poison a person in a matter of minutes. Opening doors, windows and using fans will not stop carbon monoxide buildup, which is why equipment that produces carbon monoxide should never be used indoors.

Symptoms of CO poisoning include dizziness, weakness, fatigue, and chest pains for those with heart disease, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, lack of coordination, impaired vision, and loss of consciousness and – in severe cases – death.

Here some important safety tips to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:

1. Under no circumstance, run a gas powered generator indoors, in the garage, basement or crawl space. Gas powered generators are only safe if running in a well ventilated area, at least 10 feet away from the house
2. Do not use a grill (gas or charcoal) inside a house, garage, shed or tent or fireplace.
3. Do not use the heat from a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
4. Add battery operated carbon monoxide detectors to your emergency preparedness kit.
5. Consider buying battery operated backup versions of vital equipment, such as the sump pump, to minimize the need to run a generator during power outages.
6. If you are running a generator or any carbon monoxide producing appliance and start to feel dizzy, get out immediately. Don’t wait. If anyone faints or loses conscience, call 911 immediately.

Source: The Anahuac Progress.

Moisture cause mold growth

Health care providers in New Hampshire are bracing for a rough fall season, as the rainy weather creates ideal conditions for widespread mold growth and as a result, people with respiratory problems may suffer complications this fall.

In an article published in  Fosters.com Dr. Donald Woodmansee, section chief for allergy and immunology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon states:

Dust mites and mold flourish in similar conditions. Both commonly trigger allergies and asthma in sensitized people and when they shut their homes up in the fall after a wet summer, problems can result

Under  rainy conditions, many old,  structurally unsound and improperly insulated homes will have water infiltration problems and eventually mold will start to grow, sometimes in places where it can’t be immediately detect, like the insulation behind the drywall.

When the weather begins to cool down during the fall season, windows are shut and the house in closed. That is when most people with respiratory problems begin to report the worst symptoms.

Although asthma, emphysema and cronic obstructive pulmonary disease are reported year-round, during fall and spring, the numbers of patients seen in hospitals because of such problems typically increases.

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA., reports molds produce tiny spores to reproduce, just as plants produce seeds. Mold spores waft through the indoor and outdoor air continually. When mold spores land on a damp spot indoors, they may begin growing and digesting whatever they are growing on in order to survive. Some molds can grow on wood, Sheetrock and even bacteria on dirty carpeting.

The only  way to control mold in a home is to to keep it dry, by eliminate the sources of moisture and keeping the humidity levels at or below 60%. Fans and exhausts to make the air circulate above grade and a good basement dehumidifier are proven methods to control mold.

According to a recent poll conducted by Consumer Reports , over the next 12 months, 54 percent of homeowners are planning a remodeling project.

Although 65% report planning to to do at least some of the work themselves, there is still good news for the remodeling industry as a whole, especially during tough economic times.

The economic downturn, however, is at the very core of this trend as it forced 67% of the interviewed to reconsider their housing plans with 39% of them choosing to fix and improve the property they already own.

To cut down costs, 42% will do the work themselves while 36% will remodel in phases. Also, 46% of the interviewed reported the need to cut down expenses because they don’t have enough money.

The most popular remodeling projects include painting (56%), designing (39%) and flooring (34%).

Consumer Reports Remodeling Poll Methodology
The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a telephone poll of a nationally representative probability sample of telephone households. 1,002 interviews were completed among adults aged 18+. Interviewing took place over April 16 – April 19, 2009. The margin of error is +/- 3.2% points at a 95% confidence level.

Source: Info-Zine

Basement Waterproofing

Basement Troubleshooting Guide.

Have a wet basement or a crawl space?

This  interactive guide is the ultimate basement and crawl space troubleshooting tool.

It will help you understand the vast majority of basement and crawl space problems, and show you ways to solve it.

A must for any homeowner facing a basement or crawlspace problems it allows them to make informed decisions considering their waterproofing needs.