The storm has passed, but its dangers haven't. Here's how to keep your home, your property and even your neighbors safe and sound after a blizzard. In addition to beauty, quiet, and days off from school, a heavy snowstorm brings a range of hazards to homes and property, some of which can cause expensive damage or endanger your family. These five steps will help you keep your home and your family safe. 1. Lighten the load on the roof Head outside and walk the perimeter of your house, looking at the roof line. Are your gutters and eaves decked in icicles? Your roof may be forming an ice dam, where ice freezes into hard ridges that prevent snow melt from draining off your roof. Without anywhere to go, water will find its way into your home. Extreme snowstorms can also stress the roof through the weight of the snow. This is especially true as old snow compacts under fresh snow in subsequent storms.  If you live in a single-story home, you can help prevent ice dams and re...

After a fire, properties are in critical condition due to fire, smoke and water damage. The only true way to restore a property after a fire is with the help of a damage restoration company. These companies use specialized equipment and techniques in a step-by-step process to bring back the property to its pre-loss condition. Here are the different stages of the fire damage restoration process: Assessing the Degree of Damage The restoration technicians inspect the property and assess the extent of the fire, smoke and soot damage, as well as damage from the water that was used to extinguish the fire. The restoration team will then discover all the visible and hidden damage. Handling of Contents After the extent of the damage is determined, the workers will move or remove items from the property. Items can be either restored or discarded, depending on the amount of damage they suffered. Restorable items can be restored on site or at a different location. Protecting the Proper...

The dew point is the temperature at which moisture in the air will condense on a surface. It fluctuates with the outdoor temperature and relative humidity, which have an inverse relationship to each other.  Because cold air can hold less moisture than warm air, as the temperature falls the relative humidity rises and, when the temperature of a surface falls enough, it reaches the dew point—which is 100% relative humidity—and condensation forms.  The window glass of an air conditioned home will be cooler than the outdoor air on a warm morning and reaches the dew point temperature before other outdoor surfaces.  Occasionally, we get asked the question “Why do I have condensation when my windows are insulated?” An insulated window still has some heat/cold transmission, and the exterior glass surface will still be slightly cooler because of the chilled indoor air. Trying to determine why one window has condensate on it and a nearby one does not can get complicated due...

You have bought your dream home, BUT you had to by-pass the home inspection so you could make an offer without conditions just to get it!   Although it is not a good idea, unfortunately in today’s market this is what is happening. The good thing for you is, it's not too late!   You can still get that home inspection after the sale has gone through.   No, it won’t change the fact that you are the new owner of the home and any problems are now your responsibility…..it will give you a heads up as to what potential problems you may encounter.  If you are aware of what may arise, at least you will be able to budget for the repair and plan ahead.  Knowledge is power and knowing if you are going to have problems will definitely give you the upper hand. There is no difference between the home inspection that will be done after the purchase compared to before.  The professional you hire to do your inspection will review and check everything the same way. ...

The last thing you want to do when you step out of a nice warm shower is dry yourself off with a nasty-smelling towel. The stench can be overwhelming, and it really puts a damper on that “fresh from the shower” feeling. Luckily, this problem is easy to solve! With a few strategic cleaning cycles, the musty stench can be a thing of the past. Here’s how: The Golden Towel Rule: Do not let your towels stay wet! For each of these methods, it’s important that the towels are dried immediately. Set a timer to ensure that your clothes are switched from the washing machine to the dryer promptly. If you line dry, hang the wet towels in a sunny spot until they’re completely dry. Method #1: Vinegar Riding Solo Musty, smelly towels don’t play well with others, so give them their own load. Add one cup of white vinegar to the load – no detergent or fabric softener – and run the washer on the hottest possible setting. The vinegar will kill any lingering bacteria. Then, leave the clothes ...

If you're concerned about your house then call Inspect it All  to do a Maintenance Inspection! Plumbing System Water damage caused by bursting pipes during cold weather can be devastating. A ruptured pipe will release water and not stop until someone shuts off the water. If no one is home to do this, an enormous quantity of water can flood a house and cause thousands of dollars' worth of damage. Even during very small ruptures or ruptures that are stopped quickly, water leakage can result in mold and property damage. Broken water pipes can be costly to repair. All exposed water pipes in cold areas, such as attics, garages, and crawlspaces, should be insulated. Foam or fiberglass insulation can be purchased at most hardware stores. Insulation should cover the entirety of a pipe.   Plastic is more tolerant of cold expansion than copper or steel. Houses in colder climates might benefit from the exclusive use of approved plastic plumbing.  Water supply for exteri...