July 2016 - albaninspect

Perennials you can plant right now [Video]

Flowers are essential to most curb appeal strategies, lending home facades small pops of eye-catching color. If you’re looking to draw in buyers with some new blooms, consider planting perennials. As their name suggests, these plants flower for years, using elongated rootstocks to draw in extra moisture and reappear every growing season.

There are myriad perennials to choose from, but savvy gardeners focus on a couple key species.

Most flower enthusiasts are attracted to classic perennials like black-eyed Susans and peonies. However, a number of others are just as beautiful and can make your flower bed more unique. For instance, Russian sage plants provide colorful canvases for smaller blooms, but also draw ample attention with their tall, pale-blue stems and wide bases.

Of course, blanket flowers are another good option. These durable wildflowers come in vibrant gold, orange and red hues and look similar to daisies.

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Pool cleaning tips you need to know [Video]

With summer in full swing, you must pay extra attention to you pool, as homebuyers will no doubt give it the once over as they pass through. To get ready for this scrutiny, you should probably refresh your water. Need some pool cleaning guidance? No problem.

First, begin with the basics. Skim the surface of the water to remove any floating debris and empty your built-in skimmer baskets. Then, grab your pool vacuum and clean up the pool floor – you want to move across the bottom in even, parallel strokes. Finish off the cleaning stage by scrubbing off any algae.

Next, check your pool chemicals. Find a pH testing strip to measure the water – you’re looking for a reading between 7.4 and 7.6. If your water is under 7.4, you will need to add soda ash to bump it up to a safe level. Are you seeing a pH above 7.6? Mix in some muriatic acid to bring it down.

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How to protect your deck during summer [Video]

Planning to sell your home this summer? Your deck is definitely going to get some extra attention. To prepare, do some summertime deck maintenance so your outdoor relaxation area can withstand the literal and metaphorical heat.

Start off the process by addressing any grime. If potted plants take up a portion of your deck space, move them and clean up the wet soil that lies beneath. Then, find your plants a new home to prevent future buildup. Additionally, take care of anything that might lead to messy situations in the future. For instance, the grease that flies off food during backyard barbecues can stain deck surfaces, so attach a grease catcher to your grill or relocate it altogether.

Once you’ve tidied up, move onto protective measures. Make sure your deck is sealed against the elements and destructive organisms. Apply water repellent to keep moisture from penetrating your planks and slap on some wood preservative to address possible insect activity.

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How to safely remove lead paint [Video]

Lead paint is a serious safety hazard and can cause major health problems, including lead poisoning. If your home is coated in the toxic mixture, you should remove it as quickly as possible.

Though there are many methods for dealing with lead paint, removal is the most effective option. To begin, gather the proper materials. You’ll need protective gear, such as a disposable respirator, goggles and gloves. Next, pick up plastic wrap and tape to protect surfaces and prevent toxic paint chips from drifting into crevices. Additionally, before you begin, move out all of your furniture and personal items.

Wet sanding is the best method for removing lead paint. For this, you’ll also need a sander and a spray bottle filled with water.

Start the removal process by applying a coat of water to the wall and sanding slowly to prevent large clouds of paint dust from forming. Once you’ve stripped the surface, perform a thorough clean up and roll on a new coat of lead-free paint.

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3 pool cleaning tips for summer

Swimming pools offer sweet salvation from the sticky summer heat. Of course, these sparkling blue saviors require a lot of maintenance, and for good reason. Every year, thousands of Americans contract recreational water illnesses while swimming in contaminated pools, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Before organizing your next backyard bash, review these essential pool cleaning strategies:

Deal with debris
Most pool owners find floating debris to be an aesthetic blight and nothing more. Unfortunately, this simply isn't the case, as pool debris contaminates water with harmful bacteria. Fortunately, there's an easy fix to this common problem: skimming.

You've probably got a stock, hand-held pool skimmer that can do a decent job. But if you want to perform a more thorough cleaning, you can always modify your skimmer by stretching a pair of nylon stockings around its baskets, Trulia reported. This will enable you to scoop up smaller particles, including dirt, sand and stray human hair.

After you've collected all the debris you can, be sure to dispose of it far away from your pool – you don't want a sudden gust of wind undoing your work. Additionally, if you find yourself regularly skimming for leaves or other organic bits from nearby shrubbery, consider relocating those plants, This Old House suggested.

Keep your pull clean by regularly skimming it for floating debris.

Pump and vacuum
Most in-ground pools come equipped with pumping and vacuum systems. The latter are especially effective for cleaning up submerged debris stuck to the pool bottom. To get started, connect your vacuum attachment to its accompanying hose, then submerge both. You want water to pour out of the free end of the hose. Finish up by attaching that end to one of your built-in pull skimmers.

When vacuuming, move across the bottom of the pool using long, parallel strokes. The entire process should take around 30 minutes.

Unlike vacuums, pool pumps do all the work on their own. However, they still require occasional maintenance. You should regularly clean your pump filter and monitor its performance. Even if your pump is up to par, you might consider swapping it for an energy efficient model. Your pool pump can account for as much as half of your total home energy consumption during the warmer months, NBC News reported. If you'd like to improve your home's overall energy efficiency, adopt a pump with less horsepower – a 0.75 horsepower model will work just fine, according to the Department of Energy. Additionally, switch out your current filter for a larger version that can catch more debris.

If you're weary of making drastic changes to your pool pump setup, you could always install a timer to facilitate more efficient cycling periods. Of course, keeping intakes clean and free of debris will also help, as your pump won't have to work overtime pushing pool water through clogged grates.

Consider water quality
Getting rid of visible contaminates is only half the battle – you must also address microscopic bacteria. Seemingly clean pools can contain harmful bugs, such as E.coli, or incubate and spread illnesses from sick pool goers. Chlorine is obviously the solution here, as the chemical kills bacteria and puts an end to algae.

Chlorine kills harmful bugs and puts an end to algae.

There are several methods for dispersing chlorine in pool water. However, most people opt for easy-to-use chlorine tablets, which are normally placed in built-in pull skimmer baskets. Once you've added the recommended dose, be sure to test your pool pH levels. Readings from 7.4 to 7.6 are ideal. If you get something out of this range, adjust your water by adding muriatic acid for pH readings above 7.6 or soda ash those under 7.4. Test your water a couple times a week to make sure you're in a good spot and maintaining a healthy aquatic environment. Your swimming companions will thank you.

Montgomery Country legislators pass new radon testing regulations

In November of last year, local legislators in Montgomery County, Maryland passed legislation requiring homesellers to test for radon and make the results available before putting property on the market, The Washington Post reported. Montgomery County is the first local government in the U.S. to enact such a law.

The Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors protested the legislation, arguing that it served little purpose, as most buyers make radon testing a condition upon sale. The organization also contended that current state legislation, which mandates that sellers disclose radon problems to buyers, effectively addressed the issue.

Legislators, along with officials at the Montgomery County attorney's office, asserted that buyers needed further protections.

"We are just asking people to test," Councilman Craig Rice, the bill's sponsor, explained in an interview with American University Radio. "Just to make sure that they know what may be lurking in their homes unknown that might be a silent, deadly killer."

"Legislators in Montgomery County, passed legislation requiring homesellers to test for radon."

Radon is an invisible, tasteless and odorless radioactive gas that forms in soil and groundwater deposits, according to the Environment Protection Agency. The gas usually invades homes through cracks in their foundation and can cause lung cancer in adults and children. In fact, an estimated 21,000 people die each year as a result of radon-related lung cancer.

Radon is an especially serious problem in Montgomery County, as it's centered on an area that exhibits higher than average radon levels, Bethesda Magazine reported. Indeed, the EPA considers the municipality a Zone 1 risk, meaning local radon levels exceed 4 picocuries per liter. Most public health authorities, including the EPA and World Health Organization, consider readings above 2.7 Pci/l unsafe.

The new legislation goes into affect October 16.

Radon testing kits cost as little as $15 a piece. However, most experts advise homeowners to schedule radon testing with a local home inspection company.

How to remove lead paint

Lead paint can be a serious health hazard for homeowners, especially those with children. It's is the leading cause of lead poisoning in the U.S., according to the Mayo Clinic. Yet, many American homes are still covered in the poisonous material. The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that more than 37 million houses have lead paint.

If you suspect that your home is one of them, you should take steps to mitigate its toxicity, or better yet, remove the paint altogether. To get started, review these important tips:

Schedule lead paint testing
Before you begin contacting contractors or gathering supplies for a do-it-yourself job, call up a local home inspection company and schedule lead paint testing. The federal government banned the use of lead-based paint in 1978. If your home was constructed prior to this embargo, there's a good chance it will test positive.

You can perform the assessment on your own with a store-bought kit sanctioned by the Environment Protection Agency. However, its better if you leave this duty to professionals, as simply performing such a test can be dangerous, Better Homes and Gardens reported.

Before beginning your lead paint-removal project, be sure to pick up the proper equipment.

Try the DIY method
When it comes to actually executing your lead paint-removal project, you have three options: encapsulation, enclosure or removal. The first method involves covering a preexisting lead-painted surface with water-tight sealant, the National Association of Realtors reported. This is by far the most cost-effective solution, as encapsulation mixes roll on like paint and cost about $35 per gallon. Enclosure is a more elaborate process in which lead-laden walls are enclosed by brand new drywall. With removal, you'll be required to actually get rid of your lead paint and swap if for a healthy alternative. Though many consider this to be the ideal solution, removal is an involved process that requires planning and special equipment.

When securely attached to the wall, lead paint poses few problems. However, if disturbed, the stuff gives off toxic dust that, if inhaled, can cause lead poisoning in adults and children. Obviously, if you plan to remove the lead paint from your walls on your own, you must prepare for the clouds of harmful debris that will likely fill your home.

First, remove everything in the vicinity of the painted area, including clothing, decorative fixtures, food and furniture. Anything you can't remove should be securely wrapped in plastic. Basically, there can be no crevices in which toxic lead-paint dust can linger, according to the EPA. If you're taking up a large amount of lead-based paint at one time, you might even need to build a makeshift airlock. Again, you can use plastic sheets to do this.

Next, you should acquire some key protective gear. A disposable respirator will be necessary. You want to purchase an N-100 model equipped with a National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health-certified, high-efficiency particulate air filter. Goggles and gloves are also must-haves.

Of course, you'll need tools for taking up the paint. Wet sanding is commonly used technique. You can use a heat gun or hand scraper as well. But no matter which method you choose, be sure to properly prepare your home. Removing lead paint is dangerous work.

Call a contractor
If you live in a state that bans individuals without lead poisoning training from undertaking lead abatement projects or simply aren't interested in doing the work yourself, calling in a contractor is your only other option. Most charge between $8 and $15 per square foot for lead paint removal. Just be sure that the contractor you ultimately hire has been certified through the EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Program.