Asphalt Maintenance & Repair

Filling cracks and holes as a preventive maintenance can significantly prolong the life of your driveway.

Asphalt Drive Maintenance/Repair

Here a few things you can do,

First thoroughly clean your driveway

Using a quality solvent, remove all dirt and oil from surface and be sure cracks are completely dry and free of debris before filling. The use of a high pressure water or air hose can be helpful for initial cleaning and a shop/vac for cleaning debris from cracks is very useful.

Small cracks less than 1/2 inch wide are normally sealed with a quality rubberized filler that can be purchased at most local hardware stores and is applied with a caulking gun. Read and follow manufactures instructions.

Wider cracks or sinkholes are usually repaired with, a cold-patch. Again, purchased at most local hardware stores, following preparation and installation instructions is very important!

Next Apply Sealer/Filler

Both coal tar and asphalt-based products are available at most hardware stores. You normally get what you pay for and a higher quality sealant is normally worth the difference. Manufactures application instruction are posted on the containers and should be closely followed for best results.

Most asphalt driveways only need to be sealed about every three years or when the asphalt begins graying indicating that the surface is losing the aggregate binder in the asphalt

Your licensed home inspector will call out driveway cracking  in his real estate inspection report.  Certainty serves the Jeffersonville,  New Albany, Seymour, Bedford,  Southern Indiana  and Louisville Kentucky area for your real estate inspection needs.

Driveway Cracking & Repair

Repairing driveway cracks is important to prevent moisture from entering the cracks and causing further damage.  Fixing driveway cracking  also increases the “curb appeal”.  Before starting the repair, check the area around your driveway looking for the cause of the crack.  Growing tree roots, impacts and heavy objects sitting on the driveway may be the cause.  Standing water is the most common cause of driveway cracks because water gradually seeps into the concrete, expanding and contracting with temperature changes.  First, clean the crack so that the surface of the driveway can bond with the repair materials.  Break off any loose concrete with a screw driver of chisel without making the crack larger.  After cleaning the crack remove any other debris with a wire brush, air compressor, or shop vac.  Small cracks use a textured caulk, concrete sealer, or pourable grout specifically for concrete.  With concrete sealer or grout, wet the surface lightly with water.  With caulk, apply to a dry surface..  Fill the crack and use a pointing trowel to push the product into the crack.  When using caulk be sure to slightly over fill the crack to allow for shrinkage after drying.  If the crack is over 1/2 inch wide then it may be wise to seek a professional’s opinion.  The supplies you need can be found at your local home improvement stores.  Need a home inspector in the Jeffersonville Indiana area then Certainty Home Inspections a call at 866-417-9591.

Window Caulking Maintenance

After a period of time it may become necessary for you to re-caulk around the windows of your home. Often times the sun will take its toll and cause cracking and separation of the caulk surrounding your windows. When the caulk pulls apart or cracks this will allow water to penetrate into the window are. Caulk forms a seal for cracks that is flexible. Caulk is recommended on cracks or joints that are less than ¼ of an inch. Caulking varys in strength, properties, and prices but can be used for several repairs around the house. Use caulking around bathtubs, wall trim, windows, and doors. Caulking helps to seal out cold air and it can even help with water damage when used around windows. Water-based caulk can be cleaned with water, while solvent-based compounds require a solvent for cleanup.

Be sure to use the appropriate caulk depending on the job you are performing since there are many types of caulk to choose from. First, decide if you want to use water or solvent based caulk, then decide the kind of caulk you’ll use such as, silicone, painters, latex, kitchen and bath, asphalt or rubber. If in doubt, ask your local home improvement store what would be best. The best time to apply caulk is during dry weather when the outdoor temperature is above 45°F (7.2°C). Low humidity is important during application to prevent cracks from swelling with moisture. Warm temperatures are also necessary so the caulk will set properly and adhere to the surface.

When caulking around the home be sure to follow these tips:

1. Clean all areas that will need to be caulked. Remove any old caulk using a putty knife and make sure to dry the area well.
2. Hold the gun at a 45 degree angle so that when squeezing the caulk it goes into the crack
3. Try to caulk in one continuous line without any breaks or stops
4. Be careful to use enough caulk do not try to be skimpy with what you use.
5. Make sure the caulk is sticking as you apply it to create a nice line of caulk
6. Let go of the trigger before pulling the gun away to avoid excess caulk
7. If the caulk shrinks, reapply it or if it comes out, take a putty knife and push it back into the crack or joint.

You will need approximately ½ a tub of caulk per window plus a caulk gun to perform this maintenance.

We are home inspectors for the following cities:

Jeffersonville, Clarksville, Seymour, New Albany, Bedford, Charlestown, Sellersburg and other southern Indiana and also, Jefferson county in Kentucky.

Pipe Boot Cracking

When walking a roof surface, one of the items we are looking for is a cracked boot commonly known as a neoprene roof boot. The neoprene is a flexible rubber like material that is found to be dependable for a period of about 7-8 years. The suns UV rays and heat can cause premature cracking of this boot. Once this boot becomes cracked water can filter into the house, causing leaks to need attention. If left unattended, these leaks can lead to mold, weakened roofs and ceiling damage. Typically boots will last about half the life span of the asphalt shingles you use and roofers will often suggest you replace the boot at least once during the life expectancy of the shingled roof. Commonly, roof boots will get the majority of their wear and tear on the south side of the house and on the south side of the boot. On occasion, if the crack is not too significant, you can use tar to patch for a short period of time until further repairs can be made and the roof boot be properly replaced. If one boot becomes cracked, you may consider checking and replacing all if needed, and possibly reduce the costs of replacing just one at a time.

As Clarksville Indiana Home Inspectors,we perform home inspections in several counties in Indiana where it is very common to see cracked boots throughout an Indiana home inspection.

Installing A Door Knob

Do your door knobs close and open the way they should?   Change the door knob, it may be that simple.

We enter and exit our doors several times every day and it’s typical for the doorknobs to become worn out and require to get exchanged.Take a moment to stop and look at the number of times your doors get closed and opened each day.Most people have the necessary ability to remove and replace the door knobs within their home using a screwdriver and some patience; here is some information about how to help make your doors close and open efficiently.

The type of door knob you may need depending on whether or not they are to be used on an exterior door or an interior door.

Outside doorknobs is going to generally be a heavier duty kind doorknob with a heavy duty lock. If you replace the exterior door knob you are normally have a deadbolt lock that needs to be replaced whenever you change your door lock in order to have matching keys for both locks.

Inside doors use a simple doorknob and are available in two typical sizes; 2-3/8 inches and also 2-3/4 inch. How you can figure out which size the door has would be to measure from the sharp edge of your door to the center of the door knob. If you buy a replacement door knob be sure it will match up with your door size.

To remove the current doorknob use the proper kind of screwdriver and take the two screws out completely. Tug on the knobs from each direction and the door knobs should come a part on either side.

To take out the latch extract the pair of screws on the door edge as well as the face plate as well as latching mechanism will pull out. Now remove the strike plate from the door facing by taking out the 2 screws which have been holding it in position.

Now that you are well prepared to get going with your installation; for those who selected an adjustable doorknob make sure it is set in the appropriate setting.

You need to install the latch 1st; slide it through the small opening ensuring it does not bind up and screw it back into place. Simply somewhat snug your anchoring screws, this tends to let you shift it around a bit to get the knob assembly to work a little more smoothly, you can tighten all of them later on.

Now you have everything prepared to slide the doorknob assembly directly onto place, put the side in first that receives the anchoring screws, the actual spindle will have to go all the way through the latching assembly and as well as fit through the opening accurately.

While you’re holding it just barely rotate the knob back and forth, this allows you realize you have it in the right way.

At this time slide the opposite knob assembly directly into place and begin the screw in correctly. Once more; just sung the screws and make sure the doorknob works freely.

At this point place the strike plate located on the door facing simply by being certain that it fits in the slot accurately and installing the screws.

Slowly and gradually examine the door to make any necessary modifications.

Straightforward work saving tip; Make sure you turn any locking mechanisms along with the latch the proper direction initially, you can certainly insert them in facing the wrong direction, then you will have to re-do your work.

For more information on tips to maintaining your home visit our Home Maintenance & Safety section on our website.  Certainty Home Inspections has three licensed home inspectors serving the Louisville Kentucky area and Southern Indiana area including Jeffersonville, New Albany, Seymour, Bedford,  Sellersburg, Charlestown and Clarksville Indiana.  We provide several services including septic, termite, mold, radon and well water testing.  We also perform Indiana Housing and Rural Development loan inspections.  Call us today to book your next inspection 866-417-9591.

Painting Tips

Here are 21 Home owner painting tips for painting the inside of your home

Painting within of your home may be a very rewarding job; sometimes just getting started may be the most difficult. Nowadays there are many different types and colors of paint to select from merely getting all your paint together may very well be overwhelming.

There are many items to consider regarding the different varieties of paint to choose from. Below is a list and limited explanation to assist you to select what kind will be the best for your project.

1.       Flat or matte finish paint doesn’t necessarily reflect lighting and it’s always the best option to disguise bumps and damage on a wall

2.       Eggshell paints happen to be getting more popular because of the lower shine and durability, these kind of paints can be utilized for a wall paint in any room or living area and perform very well

3.       Satin finish paint features a gentle velvety consistency as well as a slight gloss; it actually is used for wall surface painting as well as trim paint. Satin paint is a wonderful choice when the smooth texture and consistency is actually needed and a little more resilience is required within a bathroom or kitchen

4.       Semi-gloss paint is a shiny long lasting paint normally utilized in kitchen areas and bathrooms; they’re particularly long lasting as well as quite simply wiped clean however the surfaces may show any existing blemishes

5.       High Gloss paints will often be used for cabinets and trim any time a very heavy-duty slick brilliant surface finish is sought after. Another typical use with regard to high gloss paint is for the metal trim or railings.

6.       Ceiling paint, this really is relatively self-explanatory; these types of paints do not cover or wear very well and are specially designed to be applied on your ceilings

7.       Get yourself ready, old clothing, simply no jewelry, older cap and cotton gloves. Making use of throw-away clothes and keeping all of the paint away from your hair is definitely easy enough, and yes put on cloth work gloves; I was taught this approach by a certified painter and the idea works very good

8.       Have all brushes, rollers and roller extension handles, tray, masking tape, enough paint, drop cloths; getting prepared at the beginning permits you to begin and finish without stopping and have to make a visit to your home improvement center

9.       Move all of the furnishings out of the room or space if possible

10.   Remove all of the hardware and outlet covers you can within the room or living area; Never forget Safety First! Zip-lock style plastic bags works out very well at keeping everything together and it is a good time to clean all the pieces

11.   Wash all the walls down, thoroughly cleaned surfaces paint best and also look and feel better when you are done

12.   Fill holes and / or cracks and any nail pops using latex caulk and / or spackling

13.   Do not use silicone type caulk

14.   Sand the wall evenly in case there are actually numerous problems

15.   Tape along the trim as well as along your ceiling that you simply desire to protect; sharp clean intersections help make a paint job look really good

16.   Thin coats are always far better than thick coats regardless what sort of paint you choose

17.   While you are purchasing your paint a very good general guideline is normally: one gallon of paint will cover 400 Square feet of wall space

18.   It is best to paint starting at the top and working down, start with the ceiling then you should paint your wall space

19.   Generally try to maintain a wet edge while you paint, what this means is if you let an edging to dry and begin in the center of the wall it will certainly develop a line which you can notice.

20.   Always maintain enough paint on the roller so that you will keep a consistent even surface.

 

For a 48 hour walk through check listclick here

Water Tips For Water Savings

8 WATER TIPS

FOR WATER SAVINGS

 

Everyone knows the reasons to save energy and money, but most individuals don’t realize the amount of water we all use every day. It is possible to take it for granted but there is however an expense linked with using water, especially hot water.

Your daily life style accounts for plenty of waste and if you are willing to take enough time to improve a number of habits and simply getting a grasp on a few simple facts your family will enjoy a difference in your power bills.

If you will only cut back on a modest amount of water daily it will increase throughout the year into a great deal of direct personal savings and some indirect financial savings.

Here’s a listing of simple things you can do to conserve water, electricity and money with a small amount of effort

1.       Fix any leaky pipes and / or faucets; any faucet leaking a single drop of water every second may easily waste 2700 gallons each year. How much cash is that; particularly if you are wasting hot water?

2.       Ensure that all your toilets are not leaking; you may glance on the inside to see if a little trickle of water is running inside of the bowl, often it creates a little discoloration. You can place a little bit of food color to your tank water and wait around one or two minutes to figure out if some of the colored water makes it inside the bowl. Switch out the flapper valve if it’s leaking.

3.       Program the high temperature on your water heater at one hundred twenty-five degrees; you will definitely save money by simply sustaining the lower water temperature within the water tank

4.       Think about speedy showers; taking a brief shower rather than a bath or just standing and soaking inside the shower for a long time of time can help to conserve as much as twenty gallons of water daily

5.       Turn the water off when you’re shaving or brushing your teeth; just doing this can help to conserve up to 5 gallons of water every single day

6.       If you decide to change an old toilet which was manufactured before 1994 with a newer model it will consume about 50% less water

7.       Launder full loads of clothing; if you have to launder smaller sized loads of laundry make sure you start using the correct setting for your washer

8.       If you live in a rural area and have a well for water as well as a septic tank utilizing a lesser amount of water has even more benefits; a well pump motor will have considerably less wear, even use considerably less electricity and continue working longer and have considerably less water going into the septic system.

Our Indiana home inspection provides an examination of the homes plumbing system and reports on any visual issues found at the time of the inspection.  Need a home inspection in Indiana or Louisville Kentucky give us a call today or book your home inspection here.

Indiana Real Estate Routine Maintenance

If you think home maintenance means fixing something only when it’s broken, then you could be in for some costly surprises. Routine maintenance can help identify and address home-related issues early and prevent them from becoming bigger problems later.

Spring and summer are ideal times to perform critical home maintenance projects. The improved weather allows better access to areas of the home and yard that may have been inaccessible during winter, and the additional daylight allows more time for outdoor work than other times of the year.

“Cars get routine maintenance from a mechanic and people get regular checkups from a doctor, but unfortunately our homes often get neglected until it’s too late,” says Rhonda Hills of Kudzu.com, an online resource for homeowners looking for expert home advice and local service providers. “Homes need constant attention, and in most cases regular maintenance can help save thousands of dollars by allowing owners to catch problems early or prevent them altogether.”

* Get your air conditioner serviced – Properly maintained heating and air conditioning systems run more efficiently and have a longer life expectancy. During a maintenance visit, your HVAC technician should check your system’s refrigerant levels, clean the condenser coil, replace dirty filters and calibrate your thermostat among other things. The goal is to ensure your air conditioning system is operating properly and is in tip-top-shape for the warmer weather ahead.

* Inspect the roof – Wind, rain, hail and other weather events can damage the roof and leave it susceptible to leaks. When conducting a visual inspection, try to stay off the roof. Instead, start from the ground and look for missing or damaged shingles, discolored spots or areas of the roof that sag.

* Check toilets for leaks – The average home loses 10,000 gallons of water per year to leaks, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s enough water to fill a swimming pool. To ensure your home is leak free, start by checking your toilet. Just drop food coloring in the toilet’s tank. If after 30 minutes the water in the bowl starts to change colors, then there is a leak. This can usually be corrected by replacing the toilet’s flapper.

* Have your home pressure washed – Pressure washing your home can keep it looking brand new and can also extend the life of your siding or other building materials. Dirt, mold and mildew will gradually accumulate on your home, deck and other surfaces, and you may not even notice it. In some cases, these contaminants can deteriorate building materials and can create slick, unsafe walking surfaces.

* Get your gutters cleaned – Gutters help capture rain that hits your home and direct it as far from the structure as possible. Clogged gutters cannot properly redirect water and can lead to water pooling against your home’s foundation and leaking into your crawlspace or basement.

* Rake and aerate your lawn – Raking a winter’s worth of leaves will allow sunlight and nutrients to reach your sod, and aerating the lawn will prevent soil compaction, improve drainage and promote better root development.

* Have your trees trimmed – Pruning is typically done to remove dead or diseased limbs, eliminate overcrowding or to prevent potential hazards. In addition to creating a healthier tree, pruning can also allow better light penetration which can be a benefit to plants below.

* Look for termites – Termites are wood-destroying pests that can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home. The most obvious sign of a termite infestation is a termite swarm, which is when winged termites take to the skies to find a mate. These winged termites are easily confused with winged ants, so if you spot a swarm, gather some of the winged specimens and immediately contact a professional pest control company so they can inspect.

Have a quality home inspection performed on your Indiana real estate today and learn about home maintenance and ways to help your home stay in good shape.  A licensed Indiana home inspector from Certainty Home Inspections will inspect your home as if they were buying it for their own family.  Book your inspection online now!

Fire Protection In Your Home

Cleaning, dusting, freshening and organizing – these steps are all typical activities for a spring cleaning routine. But while you’re organizing your house or home office this season, make sure you’ve added organizing and streamlining your family safety and fire plans to your to-do list.

While you can never plan for a fire, if one does break out, it not only puts you and your family in danger, but also compromises the safety of your community fire fighters and first responders. The spring season is the perfect time to review your fire escape plans as you simultaneously tackle your traditional spring cleaning to-do list. By reviewing these fire safety tips from Duracell and taking precautions, you can help keep both your family and local first responders safe.

* Check your smoke alarms once a month to make sure they work. If your alarms are 10 years old or older, it’s time to replace them, because alarms can become desensitized over time. If possible, purchase interconnected alarms. If one alarm goes off, all the alarms connected in your house will go off, helping to alert everyone in all locations of a possible fire. Also check the locations of your smoke alarms. Have at least one on every level of your home, and one inside or near sleeping areas. Also replace the batteries inside your alarms once a year with batteries you trust, like Duracell.

* Develop a fire escape plan for every room in the house. Make sure all family members know of at least two exits for every room in the house, and where an outside meeting place will be – away from the house. If you have a second story, have portable escape ladders stored in each of the rooms so family members can escape safely. Practice a fire escape drill twice a year.

* Changing weather temperatures can cause windows and doors to stick, so make sure every member of your family is able to unlock and open these escape opportunities – especially as the seasons change. If you have security bars on doors or windows, have a “quick release” latch so it’s easier to get outside in an emergency. Also keep stairways and doorways open – not blocked with clutter that could slow down your escape.

* Practice safety with candle flames, space heaters and cigarettes. Blow out all candles if you plan to leave the room or go to sleep. And keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that could burn. Turn them off before leaving the room or going to sleep. And make sure all cigarettes are completely extinguished and wetted down with water before being put into the trash.

* Be educated about your community first responders: Did you know that of more than 1 million active firefighters in the U.S., about 73 percent serve on a volunteer basis?

More than 23,000 volunteer fire departments in the United States operate on tight budgets to help keep your community and your homes safe in case of, and when, fires strike. Many volunteer firefighters report they spend up to $500 of their own money each year in purchasing supplies and equipment for their department, according to a U.S. Fire Service Needs Assessment Survey.

You can support your community volunteer fire department by simply doing what you already do, purchase batteries for your household. Through the Duracell Power Those Who Protect Us battery donation program, with every purchase of specially marked CopperTop batteries, a battery donation will be made to volunteer fire departments across the country to help power the devices and life-saving equipment volunteer firefighters use. Through this program in partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council you can direct the donation to your community by visiting Duracell.com/protect or Facebook.com/Duracell.

To have an Indiana home inspector or Louisville home inspector  check your smoke alarms, either book online now or call our toll free number now 866-417-9591

How To Clean A Dryer

How To Clean A Dryer

Unlike your washing machine, your dryer will need some ongoing regular maintenance to keep it working properly and safely. Let’s talk about how a dryer works first. You put wet clothes in and it spins them around with hot air and the exhaust vent sends the damp air outside. The hot moist air should end up outside, not in the crawl space or garage.

When your clothes are being tumbled around they tend to lose bits of fabric or tiny fibers, this is usually caught in the lint trap. Always keep the dryer lint trap clean, it will be located inside the dryer door or on top of the dryer for ease of access. The best way I have discovered is as simple as using the dryer sheet to clean the filter trap. The dryer sheet picks up all the lint, keeps your hands clean and lint free and then you just toss them out.

If you allow lint to build up inside the exhaust pipe it can overheat creating a potential fire hazard especially if you have a gas dryer, and your new energy star dryer can lose its energy efficiency.

Here are some tips to clean out the exhaust pipe.

• First unplug the dryer (we don’t want anyone to get electrocuted).
• Pull the dryer out away from the wall so you can get behind it to work.
• Take a screw driver to loosen the screw on clamp (this is what holds the pipe on the dryer)
• Reach into the hole where you took the pipe loose from and pull out any lint or debris (a vacuum works well)
• Now reach into the pipe as far as you can and pull out any lint (again the vacuum works well for this). Most build up will be within the first twelve to sixteen inches
• After all the lint has been removed put the pipe back on the dryer and replace the clamp. Tighten the screw back down snug. We don’t want it to blow off when the dryer is put back in use.
• Now go to the outside and remove the vent cover and clean this end out.
• Look inside to see if you missed anything.
• Plug the dryer up and run on fluff for ten minutes. This will blow out any loose particles left in the pipe so don’t stand in front of it.
• Check the outside for good clean air flow; you are ready to put the vent cover back on.

To have a quality home inspection done by a certified Indiana home inspector give us a call today or booked online and have one of our three licensed home inspectors perform a home inspection for you.

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