The cure for wet basements

Pretend, for a moment, that it’s spring (yes, it will come). Although snow is still deep, temperatures are rising.

What happens?

The snow will melt, sometimes rapidly, creating lots and lots of flowing water. Add a spring rainstorm to the scenario and you may be facing a serious problem.

Where will all this water go? Since the earth is still frozen, it won’t go down. It will follow the path of least resistance, according to Waters Basement Services in Buffalo, NY.

That path typically leads to the home’s foundation and, eventually, to the basement.

Rainwater isn’t the only type of moisture that seeps into basements, however, something as simple as condensation can build into puddles.

Just as condensation forms when cold outside temperatures meets warm window glass, so can that same warm air hitting a cold pipes or a concrete foundation create condensation.

Think you’re safe because your home is relatively new?

Think again. The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) claims that most new homes experience basement leaks within 10 to 15 years of being built.

Worse, excess moisture leads to the development of mold. ASHI experts claim that 60 percent of homes in the U.S. have moisture in the basement and nearly 40 percent of these basements will develop mold.

More than 60 percent of basements in existing homes have basement moisture.

The key to fixing the problem is to figure out where the moisture is coming from.

Searching for the source

First, you’ll need to determine if the moisture is seeping into the basement from the outside or if it’s a result of condensation.

Thankfully, this is easy. When you find moisture on a wall, tape a piece of foil to the location. Leave it on the wall for 24 hours and then check the foil for signs of dampness.

If it’s wet on the outside, then the source of moisture is coming from inside the basement (condensation, most likely). If the underside is wet, suspect moisture intrusion from outside the home, according to John D. Wagner at ThisOldHouse.com.

Now you’ll need to pinpoint exactly where the moisture is coming from. Wagner suggests that the most likely areas are where the floor joins the walls. Then, check the ceiling for signs of water intrusion (flaking paint, discoloration, etc.).

Other areas to check for leaks include:

• Beneath buckled floor boards or lifted tiles
• Rotten wood
• Near rusty metal surfaces, such as nails and screws
• Powdery-looking deposits on concrete, stone and stucco surfaces

 Fixing the Problem

The fix for your wet basement depends on the cause. If it’s condensation, airing out the basement may be the cure.

If the source of the moisture is coming from outside the home, the solution may range from filling foundation and wall cracks with epoxy to more expensive tasks, such as:

• Re-grading the yard to direct water away from the home
• Installing drains
• Installing a sump pump
• Replacing downspouts and gutters

Kevin Brasler of Washington Consumer’s Checkbook and HouseLogic.com offer DIY solutions to try before calling in a professional.

If that doesn’t work, don’t give up. Moisture can damage the home’s structure and cause mold. If the DIY suggestions don’t cure the problem, call in a pro.

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Is your home smarter than you? It could be

Is your home smarter than you? It could be

Have you ever stocked up on groceries for a week’s worth of recipes and then forgot which of them you’d intended to follow?

If you owned an LG InstaView ThinQ Refrigerator, it would’ve reminded you. This smart ‘fridge was but one of the many home tech creations on view at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Some of the others we found intriguing include: 

Tetra Dishwasher

Described as “a compact, connected dishwasher with 10-minute, half-gallon cycles,” Tetra is also downright gorgeous.

While we predict it will be popular with those with tiny kitchens, the fact that it requires no plumbing (water is poured in manually) “and can be placed and used anywhere with a standard electrical outlet,” may put it in-demand for even the owner of a full-size kitchen with a small family.

See Tetra at work at myheatworks.com.

Smart plumbing fixtures

We’ve used smart plumbing fixtures for years in public restrooms – toilets that flush automatically and faucets that stream water as soon as a hand is placed beneath it.

Now that same tech idea is available in our homes, only better. How many times has the cooking goo you want to get off your hands ended up on the faucet’s handle? With voice-sensing fixtures, it’s now hands-free and oh, so clean.

Check out Delta’s Wi-Fi-connected and Alexa-powered Touch2O smart faucet.

Brilliant home security

Deep Sentinel is revolutionizing home security by pairing “Artificial Intelligence with human intervention.” It starts by establishing a security perimeter around your home and then the smart cameras, motion sensors, extra loud siren, two-way speakers and “AI processing hub” all work together to defend it.

Rolling out this winter, Deep Sentinel’s equipment package is selling now for $299 (the early bird special, otherwise plan on spending $399) and the Monthly Surveillance Subscription is priced at $49.99. Learn more about how to purchase the system here.

Check the weather while you shave

The stuff of sci-fi movies just a few years ago, Alexa and Google Assistant are added to mirrors, smoke alarms, and more.

Bathroom and kitchen product giant Kohler Co., introduced the Verdera Voice-Lighted Mirror, with Alexa built in. Use your voice to control the lighting, check the traffic while you shave or apply your makeup in the morning without putting up with the clutter of a TV or radio on the bathroom counter.

The next Consumer Electronics Show happens in January so we’ll keep you posted on what’s new and exciting in smart home technology.

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How to stage your home’s closets to make buyers swoon

Ah, to be a fly on the wall as potential buyers traipse through your home for sale. You could watch them peer into your cupboards and closets and peek into the drawers in the kitchens and bathrooms.

Don’t worry – most of them aren’t being snoopy; they are merely trying to figure out where they can store their “stuff” if they decide to buy the home.

If you are like a lot of Americans, your closets don’t represent your best foot forward. If shoes are spread across the floor and clothing randomly crammed in any available space, the chances are good that your closet looks smaller than it is.

The good news is that with a small amount of money and a couple of organizational hacks, the closets in your home will be screaming “Buy Me!” to every potential buyer who peers within them.

Start with the walls

Staging a closet involves changing your mind-set about it. Don’t consider it a place to hide junk, store items you no longer use or even it’s true purpose – to keep your clothing.

Instead, think of it as an additional room in your home, at least for staging purposes. This means, removing the clutter and organizing it.

It also means creating the illusion of spaciousness, regardless of how tiny the space is.

Paint color and sheen can go a long way in creating this illusion. The most common advice is to choose the whitest shade of white you can find and slap it on the closet’s walls and ceiling.

Many architects and professional designers claim that’s hogwash – that white actually makes a room seem smaller. And, really, when you think about it, isn’t it better to get color advice from a professional than from a freelance writer who specializes in crafts or personal finance?

More important than paint color is sheen. “Painting in a flat, matte or satin finishes [sic] will soak up light, while semi-gloss, high-gloss and lacquer finishes tend to reflect light, which make a darker room feel brighter and lighter,” Edith Gregson, partner in a Washington D.C. design firm, tells the Chicago Tribune’s Danielle Braff.

No doors on the closet? Debbie Zimmer, spokesperson for the Paint Quality Institute suggests painting the closet’s interior the same color as the room or, perhaps a lighter shade of the same color

Give the paint something to reflect

Closet lighting seems to be an afterthought for most home builders. Unless you own a luxury home with a super-sized walk-in closet, you most likely are greeted by a lone, bare bulb when you go to hang your clothes up after work.

You also know how frustrating it is to have to drag two pairs of pants into the light of day to determine which is black and which is Navy blue.

So, the next task in the closet makeover is to get more light in there so the paint can do its job.

Lighting solutions don’t necessarily require rewiring. Check out some of the LED lighting options at large home improvement stores or online at lighting retailers.

Add storage items 

One rod with a shelf above it – that’s the layout of the typical American bedroom closet. Sure, some are blessed with larger closets, but even those typically contain the lone-rod-and-shelf setup.

Adding additional rods below the current rod is always an option, as is adding additional shelves.

Find shelving and other storage ideas online at Houzz, Remodelaholic and Apartment Therapy.

Declutter and organize

Removing overly large and bulky items from the closet is winning half the battle when it comes to making it appear larger. Winter coats, blankets and anything non-clothing related should be moved to the appropriate area within the home or, better yet, to a storage facility.

Then, pare down what’s left to only those items of clothing and accessories that you actually wear. The jeans you’re saving for that day when you finally lose enough weight to fit into them? Get them out of the closet.

Purchase enough hangers so that they all match. Whether you choose metal or plastic, the most effective way to appear organized is by having them all match. Then, group your clothing along the rod, hanging all pants together, all shirts and blouses in one spot and so on.

If you really want to go for the “I’m the greatest housekeeper” award, follow this grouping by sorting everything in each category by color.

Finally, get the shoes off the floor by storing them in a rack or shoe bag.

A well-lit and organized closet not only offers the buyer the perception of additional storage space but gives him or her the impression that the entire home has been equally as impeccably maintained.

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An Up-Close Look at Housing Insecurity (and How to Help!)

"We have to believe that a better future is possible.”

Five years ago, Timothy C. Acena was living — and sleeping — in his wheelchair behind a busy fast-food restaurant. At night, he’d park himself on a fresh piece of cardboard near the restaurant’s dumpster and clip together a makeshift awning of eight umbrellas to protect him and the five backpacks full of his belongings from the elements.

During the day, he’d sit in front of the restaurant and ask customers to buy him a meal, which they always did, he says. He used the restaurant’s bathrooms and traveled for showers and laundry. All the while, he waited for an affordable apartment to open up.

Today, Acena, 52, has his own bed and a roof over his head. The former construction worker, who lost the ability to walk when he was 40, lives in a studio apartment in West Seattle in a building that provides affordable, stable housing and mental health and addiction treatment services to him and 65 other people who had been sleeping in shelters or out in the cold.

In the building’s lobby, letters cut from beige construction paper hang over the mail slots on the wall, spelling out the season’s message: “Be thankful.” Acena says he lives those words every day. He knows he would probably be dead or still homeless had other people not cared enough to build and manage a place where he could afford to live — and where he could very well spend the rest of his life.

More than a half a million Americans were homeless in 2017, a number that increased for the first time since 2010, according to a one-night count by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Experts agree the count doesn’t capture all the people sleeping outside and say the number is likely to be much higher.

In some cities, homelessness has reached crisis levels as the economy continues to expand and people flock to urban areas for jobs, driving up rents that were once affordable for people earning low and middle incomes.

Many people are one emergency away from a missed rent payment. Today, only 52 percent of renters say they would be able to cover an unexpected expense of $1,000 if they had to, according to the Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report 2018. Gen X renters, who are between the ages of 39 and 53, are the most vulnerable: Only 44 percent say they could weather a $1,000 hit to their budget.

In some cities, the share of median income spent on rent exceeds 40 percent, according to Zillow economists, whose research also ties rent increases to moves and even homelessness. In Los Angeles, for instance, a 5 percent increase in rent would add 1,993 people to the ranks of the homeless.

Colin Maloney, project manager for Cottage Grove Commons, the Downtown Emergency Services Center building where Acena lives in West Seattle, said homelessness affects a broad swath of humanity: families, people with advanced degrees, people with mental and physical disabilities, and people with job skills no longer in demand.

Some residents of the Grove apartments grew up in homelessness or bounced through the foster care system only to end up alone when they turned 18. Others, like Acena, have struggled with addictions or remain yoked to criminal records that keep them from jobs and homes. At times, it’s hard to for them to see a path back to home, Maloney says.

But, he adds, “We have to believe that a better future is possible.”

Acena is proof of that. Before he became homeless, he lived in a $60 a night motel room, paid for with a combination of his Social Security disability check and funds from a church youth group. When the group’s subsidy stopped, Acena made a temporary home behind the restaurant rather than return to shelter living.

Acena smiles recalling the day he moved into his current home. He could finally sleep lying down. “It was like somebody took a Tyrannosaurus rex off my shoulders,’’ he says.

His apartment costs him $215 a month, about 30 percent of his $720 monthly Social Security income. He spends his days there building plastic models, watching TV, indulging in pancakes with peanut butter and staying healthy.

“I don’t think it’s unsolvable,’’ he says of homelessness. “It’s just difficult. Anything difficult has got to have something good in the end if you go through it.”

This holiday season, you can help these organizations that are working to bring housing security to communities across the country. Their success brings hope to all of us.

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Is your wood-burning fireplace ready for winter?

 Winter brings images of getting cozy in front of a crackling fire. Whether your image also includes a steaming cup of cocoa or a glass of crisp Chardonnay, it’s definitely something to look forward to.

A house fire most likely doesn’t factor into your dreams of hearthside dreams. But the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) lists fireplaces as one of the top 10 causes of house fires.

Make fireplace maintenance a priority before touching a match to even one piece of kindling.

Inspect the fireplace and chimney

 You may only need to have the chimney swept. Or, you may need additional maintenance work before your first fire of the season.

While it’s always best to hire a pro to inspect and clean the chimney (we’ll get into the how-tos of that in a minute), many homeowners prefer to perform their own inspections. If you are among them, keep the following in mind:

• Begin your inspection inside the home, at the fireplace, checking for cracks in the firebox. Use a flashlight to shine up the flue to check there as well.
• Open and close the damper to ensure it is in working condition. Then, check the metal for signs of damage. Keep in mind that “replacing a damper is not a do-it-yourself job; if the damper is in bad shape, hire a professional to replace it,” according to the pros at Better Homes & Gardens.
• You’ll also need to check the exterior of the chimney for cracks. If you find them, consult with a licensed mason. If, on the other hand, you find faulty flashing, call a roofer.

We can’t recommend that you drag out the ladder to climb on the roof to inspect the rest of the chimney. It’s always best to hire a professional rather than risking bodily injury.

Call in the chimney sweep

Most experts recommend a professional clean of your chimneys about once a year (or every 80 fires). The Chimney Safety Institute of America offers advice on how to hire a chimney sweep. Also, be sure to check reviews on Yelp.com and similar review sites.

Additional safety precautions

• Cut away tree branches that hang over the chimney.
• If you suspect critters have settled in the chimney, call animal control.
• Ensure your smoke detectors are working properly and consider installing a carbon monoxide alarm.
• Keep the little ones and pets at least three feet from the fireplace and always supervise them while a fire is burning.
• The same goes for holiday décor – three feet from the fireplace to be safe.
• Don’t burn wrapping paper in the fireplace.
• Use only seasoned firewood.
• Don’t forget to clean out the ashes about once a week, or whenever they’re about an inch thick. Allow the ashes to cool completely before disposing of them.If you’re up for it, why not store those ashes in a bucket until summer? They make a delicious treat for flower and vegetable beds, according to the Oregon State University Extension Service.

Now all you need to do is stock up on firewood.

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What You Need to Know before Becoming a Landlord

Thinking of becoming a landlord? While this can be financially and personally rewarding, you must do your homework before you take the leap.

To help you learn the ropes and avoid any costly missteps, here are some handy tips of the trade.

It cannot be overstated how important it is for landlords to do their pre-closing homework.

During the home inspection, remember to take a thorough look at the property to see what will need to be repaired or replaced.

For example, you might want to change the toilets to low-flow models. You’ll also probably want to invest in essential upgrades to three common areas: water, door locks, and flooring.

Don’t make the rookie mistake of underestimating the costs of fixing and maintaining the property, both before and after a tenant has moved in.

Most landlords account for insurance and taxes, but it’s easy to miss expenses like garbage, gardening, and regular maintenance.

According to Money, you should set aside at least 35 to 45% of your annual rental income to cover these costs. (And when you’re calculating this income, it’s a good rule of thumb to account for only 10 or 11 monthly payments per year.)

When it comes to finding a tenant, don’t be too relaxed. Interview prospective tenants on the phone first to find out if they meet your requirements. Then, it’s important to check your potential tenants’ credit and speak to their references. Confirm the source and amount of their income. It should be at least 2.5 times the annual rent. You should also learn what’s legal in your town. For example, can you ban pets?

Once you’ve found a great tenant, act fast to get the lease signed. From there, never forget that you’re running a business and your tenant is a customer. Treat your customer right, and success is more likely to come your way.

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5 Negotiation Tactics That Kill a Sale

Negotiation is a subtle art in real estate, but skilled negotiators can usually find some common ground that satisfies all parties. On the other hand, using the wrong negotiation tactics can sink a deal pretty quickly. Here are some negotiation tactics buyers (and real estate professionals) should avoid:

1. Lowball offers: Going far below market value when you make an offer damages your credibility as a buyer and can be insulting to the seller. The seller has a range in mind that they’ll accept, and if you’re not even approaching the low end of that range, they won’t even consider the offer.
2. Incremental negotiations: Don’t continue to go back to the seller with small increases in your offer ($1,000 or less). The constant back-and-forth can grow tiresome and lead the seller to consider other opportunities.
3. “Take it or leave it”: Try not to draw a line in the sand with your initial offer. The seller can get defensive and consider other offers if you immediately show that you’re unwilling to budge. Even if it’s true, don’t make a show of it.
4. Nitpicking after inspection: Obviously if inspection reveals a major issue, it should be factored into the final sale price. But insisting on a lower price for every minor repair can put negotiations in a stalemate.
5. Asking for more, more, more: Some buyers will request that the sellers throw in add-ons like furniture or appliances that weren’t included in the listing. Try to avoid giving the seller a reason to build up resentment and think that you’re being greedy.
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