Protecting and Safeguarding Your Home
As an asset, your castle has great potential to increase in value, but not without diligent, ongoing maintenance. As the colder months approach, it’s a wise idea to look closely at your drawbridge, moat and turrets.
You’ll find a surprising number of things you can do to shield your property from the siege of unwanted invaders, be they small, large, wet or even invisible. Preventive maintenance is the key.
Radon
Radon is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas produced by the radioactive decay of uranium and radium in rocks, water and soil. The gas seeps from the ground into houses via basements or crawl spaces. When breathed in over a long period of time, radon increases the risk of lung cancer.
All homes should be screened for radon, particularly those in areas of suspected contamination. You can hire a reputable testing company to come and set detectors and retrieve them at a later date for analysis. Or, you can get detectors yourself, set them up as instructed and send them to a lab.
Since radon gas is likely to accumulate only in unventilated basements and floor spaces which have a direct path to the ground, ventilation and sealing of potential radon routes is most important.
Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is similar to radon, in that it’s an odorless and colorless gas. Carbon monoxide can be created from any fuel-burning substance. Poisoning from this gas mimics common illnesses such as the flu or food poisoning and can be fatal.
To reduce your risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, have both your furnace and fireplace cleaned and inspected by a qualified serviceman each autumn. Be sure to use nonelectrical space heaters only in well-ventilated areas. Finally, even if you prefer a warm car in the midst of winter, never leave a vehicle running in a nonventilated garage or other enclosed space.
You can also purchase and install a carbon monoxide detector, which looks and acts much like a smoke detector.
Water heaters
Water heaters need to be checked periodically and fall is a good time.
Remove about a gallon of water from the drain valve at the bottom of the tank.
Along with the expelled water will be any rust, sediment and mineral deposits that have settled on the tank bottom. These deposits hinder the efficiency of the unit’s heat transfer process by which the water is heated.
At the same time, check the thermostat setting. The lower the temperature of the heated water inside the tank, the cheaper it will be to run the heater.
Generally, the maximum benefit from a hot water heater comes when the temperature in the tank is kept between 140 and 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
Air quality within the home can be affected by many things, such as pet dander, mold, smoke, bacteria and dust. In an effort to make our houses tight and energy efficient, we could be trapping bad air inside. In past years, the EPA has ranked poor indoor air quality as one of the top five environmental issues in the United States.
The three primary ways to improve indoor air quality are source control, ventilation and filtration. The first line of defense should be controlling the source of the problem.
Air filters should be changed in the fall and in the spring. Ordinary fiberglass furnace filters screen out about 15 percent of airborne particles, whereas high-efficiency air cleaners can remove up to 95 percent of the tiniest microscopic particles.
Your roof should be checked in the fall, just prior to the scourge of snow and ice. Preventative roof maintenance can save you thousands of dollars in future repair costs.
An ideal time to check your attic for leaks is during a steady autumn rain. Shine your flashlight at the underside of the roof and roof framing. Look for drips or wet spots. The exact location may be difficult to pinpoint, since water droplets can flow along the wood framing and drip a considerable distance away from their point of entry.
Outside, when it’s not raining, visually check for debris or missing shingles. While inspecting, you might as well look at flashing and trim, gutter and downspouts. You need not walk around on the roof; in fact, it’s best to minimize the amount of walking done on a roof. Use binoculars or a neighbor’s attic window. Never walk on a roof in wind or rain, or if the roof has fungi-coated shingles.
Other reminders for fall include, cover all window AC units and clean and install storm windows. For the most efficiency, reverse your ceiling fans at this time and set them for low speed. The fan will recirculate the warm air, which tends to rise toward the ceiling.
With your castle defenses ready for the onslaught of winter, you can settle in for merriment and feasting with a light heart. With any luck, the moat will freeze over and you’ll have a fine ice skating rink.
