Proactive Maintenance

Great article in Seattle Times this weekend. (Can’t believe I said that. Oh yea, it’s because it was copied from a reporter for the Denver Post.) Proactive maintenance is key to saving money as a homeowner. Something mentioned in the article is what we have recommended to homeowners for years: If you had an inspection performed when you purchased your property, find it. It is an excellent, and usually well organized, template for checking all of the elements and systems in your home. You may even find a few deficiencies that were in the report, but were forgotten in the haste of moving in and getting settled.

Our Pond Is Waking Up…..

If you have a pond in your yard, you have noticed it beginning to wake up. The fish are moving, the perennial plants are beginning to sprout, and maybe the water has turned brackish with water borne algae. Yech!

Our pond is about 30 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. This is the second pond in our life, and I wanted make certain that it wasn’t the maintenance headache that was our first pond. I wanted it to be as natural as possible, and healthy in function and appearance.

There are many, many websites that proffer solutions/designs/systems for the perfect pond. There are water scrubbers, filters, recyclers, all kinds of contraptions on which one can spend thousands of dollars. The one design that I never see is the one I placed in my pond as I built it: an under-gravel filter, just like those you see in aquariums. This item, coupled with a pair of ultra-violet filters, keeps the pond very clear. A healthy pond still needs lots of water plants and marginal plants to compete with algae growth, but I think the under-gravel filter system does the most for the overall health of my pond. The best part is that it is inexpensive, just a recycled 3/4hp 220v hot tub pump and lots of PVC pipe.

It is a bit complicated to go into all of the details here, but if you are interested in knowing more about this approach, give me a call. A pond is a beautiful amenity to add to any home, as long as it looks good. Poorly planned, or unattended, it just becomes an eyesore. So plan ahead and you’ll have something you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Time To Fertilize The Lawn: Caution

I mentioned last week that it is time to get started with fertilizing your lawn in order to get ahead of the weeds and bugs. However, I failed to mention MOSS. Scotts fertilizer with moss control works very well on my lawn. The word of caution is that you take the steps necessary to make sure this fertilizer doesn’t end up on your patio. With a little rain you may end up with rust stains that are just about impossible to remove. The reason is that one of the important active ingredients in moss control fertilizers is iron.

If your lawn runs right next to your driveway, walkways or patio, be sure to use a “drop” spreader in these areas, not a broadcast spreader. Spread this type of fertilizer only when conditions are quite dry. To be on the safe side, sweep or blow off the flat-work areas when you are done to make certain that no particles of fertilizer remain. The flat-work around your home is an important value amenity. Value will be lost if these areas are rust stained from moss control fertilizer.

There are many websites that offer assistance in dealing with rust stains. Here are just a few:

http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/stain-removal/how-to-get-rid-of-rust-stains

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050619/news_1hs19heresh.html

I have no experience with these sites or the products they are peddling, so caution is advised.

Gutters Revisited Before Spring Rains

Maybe you cleaned your gutters in the Fall, but now is good time to check for plugged downspouts and all downspout connections before the Spring rains arrive. A client recently reported that their crawlspace filled with water during the last heavy rain. Worse than the hassle of renting a pump to clear the crawl space was the water that the furnace ingested, causing it to break down. It doesn’t take more than one or 2 failed downspout connections to inflict misery and expense during a heavy rain. Take the time to make certain that all water is going where it is supposed to and you will save yourself considerable expense.

I have trouble justifying the expense of the systems that claim “you’ll never have to clean your gutters again”. Having observed some of these systems over time, I am not impressed. While some may work with large leaves and debris, they are ineffective and susceptible to plugging with pine needles. The same holds true for homes under large cedar trees. Perhaps your experience has been different. If you think your $5,000 investment has worked well, tell us about it. In the meantime, if you would like help cleaning and/or restoring or replacing your gutter system, we highly recommend Integrity Gutters, LLC. Wayne Whitney has been in business forever, and is an expert at evaluating existing gutter systems and making astute, cost effective recommendations and repairs. You gotta love a guy that wants to do the right thing and not just try to sell you something you don’t really need.

Integrity Gutters, LLC

Wayne Whitney, Owner

integritygutters7777@comcast.net

(206) 354-9406

TREX Decking: It’s Not Working

TREX decking took the industry by storm over 15 years ago. But now, as we see more and more homes with TREX decks that are over ten years old, the truth is…..it does not age well. Prone to discoloration, there is no way to restore color. Prone to swelling, similar to LP siding, it is impossible to replace pieces of TREX decking without having new boards stand out like a sore thumb.

Gorgeous when first installed, easy and quick to install, uniform in color and texture compared to wood, people love it when it is new. But there was ever anything that makes resale properties look tired, it is a worn and faded TREX deck.

Until there is a means by which this material can effectively be refinished, we recommend to all homeowners in the Northwest: stick with cedar. Yes, it’s a lot of work and expense to refinish every year or two. But the fact is, that it can be made to look good many times over with proper care. The same cannot be said of TREX.

When It Rains This Hard, Check Crawl Space and Gutters

It looks like today’s storm may set a rainfall record. It is the right time to take a peak in your crawl space in verify that it is draining properly. A little bit of water under your vapor barrier is to be expected, but there should not be any water accumulation on top of the plastic. After this heavy rain subsides for about a week, check the floor of your crawl space again. If you still have standing water, it will have to be addressed. It may be a simple matter of unclogging the drain line that allows water to escape. This is usually a 3″ or 4″ perforated plastic pipe located at the low point of your crawl space floor. After several years, silt may build up in this pipe causing water to back up in your crawl space. It may be cleared with a garden hose at high pressure. If that doesn’t work, it may require professional assistance.

A company we have come to rely on for their good quality work, professionalism, and fair pricing is:

 Perma-Dry Contractors 1-800-584-9118

Be aware as there are some less than reputable companies out there which seek to take advantage of the uninformed.

Gutters. If water is spilling over the side of your gutters, correct this condition immediately. Few things cause more long term headaches and expense than gutters that are neglected. Painting, siding replacement, water intrusion and subsequent framing damage, displaced soils that support your foundation……the list goes on. As unpleasant as it is, don’t wait for the rain to stop to take care of it. As with most homeowners, it is an easy item to overlook when it’s not raining.

Hot Tub? Do It The Right Way…..

Did you see the Saturday, Nov 10, ‘07 article in the Seattle Times about hot tubs? “If you don’t want hot tub, no need to get soaked”. We have experience with hot tubs, both owning one and selling houses that have them, and there are a few things you should know before you invest in one for your current home, or buy a home that already has one.

Numero uno: portable hot tubs do not enhance the value of your home. They hold no value for prospective buyers as they are often an imposing presence in a back yard, whether they are on the ground or on a deck. It is difficult to effectively landscape or decorate in a way that makes them less of an eyesore than they are when new, much worse after the wood siding has faded.

We bought a portable hot tub for our old house on Education Hill in Redmond. After addressing the hassles of pouring a patio on which to place it, and routing 220v power to it (very difficult when your house doesn’t really have a crawl space to accommodate such retrofits), we enjoyed our new hot tub enormously……..for about 3 months. We even purchased one of those expensive “Sunbrellas” to keep the rain off.

While it was enjoyable, it was a hassle to enter, requiring a small step ladder because the height of the thing.

Anyway, after 3 years of intermittent use, mostly the kids playing in it in the summertime sun, it conked out. I don’t recall how it came about, but that is when I met Damon Fletcher, owner of Elite Spas Northwest http://www.elite-spas.com/. He tried to get it going, but advised that it would continue to fail, as these types of tubs are not designed to last very long. I asked what the right type of hot tub entails, and learned more than I bargained for.

Damon advises that the most important consideration when contemplating a hot tub is the setting.

One mistake I made in placing our first hot tub was putting it under a huge tree. Seemed like a good idea at the time, but became a total nuisance keeping the hot tub cover free of leaves and other tree debris.

Planning for our new hot tub, I thought sinking it all the way into the ground would be the way to go. “Not really, and for a number of reasons”, said Damon:

1. Unless you want to install a railing, which can be unsightly, it is awkward getting in and out of such tubs;

2. The equipment, specifically the plumbing connections, are almost unserviceable;

Instead, Damon advised that the tub be sunk about 18″ into the ground, leaving the edge at about bench height for seating, and making it easy to get in and out of the tub by first sitting, then swinging your legs over the side, and slide in.

The site for our new, gas-fired hot tub was a big new patio with an area blocked out for excavation and setting the footwell of the shell of the new tub. Once the tub was in place, it was simple to build a support frame up from the patio to the edges that also became the framework for a nice continuous cedar bench that surrounded the tub. Next we built a large cedar trellis near the South side of the tub. The idea was to grow some vines on the trellis that would give the hot tub some shade during the Summer when we would drop the temperature and let the kids use it. Also, we mounted some outdoor speakers on the trellis.

Another amenity added was an ozone generator. This item eliminated the need for chlorine, taking over the sanitization duties, and eliminating the unpleasant chlorine odor.

All in all we ended up with a functional, attractive, affordable and fun amenity in our back yard.

To enforce this idea of creating an amenity vs having a portable type tub dropped in your back yard, consider the observation of the person that bought our house 10 years later: they had a hot tub at their old house that they NEVER used. It was an expensive portable that was plopped down on a patio beneath an existing deck. They absolutely loved our hot tub, the way it was set up, the lighting, the music, the surrounding landscape, and they used it almost every day.

All this thanks to the direction, consultation, installation and equipment provided by Damon Fletcher of http://www.elite-spas.com/

We have planned our next hot tub project to be installed beside our swimming pool at our current residence. Just saving up the cash to get it done.

 So before you get psyched up and buy that “special” on a hot tub at Home Depot or Costco, think very carefully about how it is going to look in your yard. For the same investment, and a little patience, you could get a nice set up that will be enjoyed for years as part of your overall landscape, will enhance the value of your home when it is time to sell, and you won’t be stuck paying someone $100 to get rid of it.

LP Siding: There is a 25 year warranty from the date of install!

In case your home has LP siding, you should know that you have a 25 year warranty from the date of installation. To make a claim call 1-877-677-6722 to speak to an LP representative. It takes 4 to 7 months to complete the process, so it is best to get it started sooner than later.

An excellent siding replacement company is Valley Siding at  425 888 9127. Excellent service, quality work, very competitive pricing.

Hot Tubs. First, You Need A Hot Tub Guy……..

It's that time of year when you start thinking about backyard improvements. What would be a nice addition that will allow you to relax, decompress, sort of act as an informal gathering place in your yard, something the kids can play in a bit, and costs less than a tenth of the cost of a swimming pool? HOT TUB!

You've seen them at Costco, the Puyallup Fair. I think I've even seen them at Home Depot. They're tempting, but the question is, "Who is going to install it correctly, make certain it works, give pertinent advice on operation and sanitation, and who am I gonna call when things aren't working right?"

You need a Hot Tub Guy! http://www.elite-spas.com/ Damon and Polly Fletcher of Woodinville have been supplying, building and servicing custom hot tub installations for over 20 years, I think. (They'll correct me if I'm wrong.) We managed to literally melt our first "off-the-shelf" type unit from one of the big local suppliers. That's when we met Damon, our "hot tub guy for life". He supplied us with a beautiful hot tub that worked flawlessly for years at our old house. His advice on how to site it in our yard, the equipment recommendations, how to get the utilities to the site, were all flawless. We're getting ready to start building our pool that Diana has waited 20+ years for. Damon and Polly will supply our new hot tub and expert advice.

My Deck is Green

Have you gone out on your deck to fire up the barbeque on one of these nicer days, only to slip on the slippery green surface and send your 2" peppercorn steaks over the neighbor's fence into the clutches of a friendly pit bull terrier? Well, maybe nothing that bad, but it's easy to get hurt if the condition isn't corrected. We recommend applying a solution of 1/2 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of hot water. Don't necessarily scrub, just sweep into the wood grain with a stout whisk broom. It should be black the next day, and fairly easy to clean up with a hose and the broom. Be careful of adjacent plants, trees, children and pets. They don't like bleach.

If the result isn't satisfactory, carefully clean with a pressure washer. But be careful to hold the nozzle at least 12" off the deck. Too close and you may fray the grain, creating a bigger mess than you started with. We recommend that the pressure washing be followed, as soon as it dries out, with application of a wood preservative or stain. The reason is that the washing strips natural protective oils from the wood. If not replenished with a preservative, a deck is prone cracking, cupping, and aging, thus failing, prematurely. Pressure washing is better done in the summer when the deck can dry out quickly and completely before applying a preservative.