You should find and fix leaky faucets and pipes because this will save you money as well protecting the environment. As long as faucets, toilets and showers are leaking, saving water is impossible. If a leak is dripping 30 drips per minute, when you do the math, that is over 1000 gal. per year just for one faucet . If you have several sources of leaks such as faucets, showers, commodes  etc. this could mean that you are wasting enough water each year to fill a swimming pool. Now by multiplying this amount by the number of houses in your neighborhood, and you see how it is causing a strain on the environment.

Home repairs

Most leaks are ones that you can fix yourself, without the expense of a professional plumber. All you need is a little help from your local home improvement or hardware store and some determination.

Collect information about the leaky item such as serial or model numbers and take a photo with you for reference if you have any doubts about make or model. Find a friendly plumbing department sales representative and ask for help with your situation. They can help you find the correct replacement parts, and can even give basic instructions on how to make the repair.

Almost two thirds of home water use is for toilet flushing and bathing. Don’t use toilets as waste baskets and fix any leaks immediately. Shorten your shower by 5 minutes and save up to 25 gallons for each and if you prefer a bath, consider filling the tub only half full and save 10-15 gallons. Consider using bath water for watering plants, washing down a patio, etc.

Cooling and ventilation are as important as heating, and there are many systems available, from fans to air conditioners. Choose carefully, according to your needs and the local climate, so you can regulate your home’s temperature for both comfort and energy efficiency. The more efficient the cooling equipment, the less power required, which saves energy and money.

The two basic types of residential air conditioners are room units and central systems. A central system circulates cool air throughout the entire house by means of vents, while and a room air conditioner installed in a window cools only the room it is in. A third type of air conditioner is the heat pump which is available in a single unit for one room, or a split system which will accommodate up to four rooms with one exterior unit.

Everyone has a temperature level that they are comfortable with and are willing to pay for. Keep in mind that each degree setting below 78°F will increase your energy consumption by approximately 8%, and over a years time can add up to a lot of money.

Every spring, inspect and clean both the indoor and outdoor AC/Heating coils as they are magnets for dust. Dust accumulation can cause poor efficiency and it is not only an energy burner, but is a strain on the system; causing a shorter life of the unit. Another energy saver is to delay heat-generating activities, such as dish-washing or baking, until the evening on hot days.

Maintenance on a room unit:

Change the filter several times during the cooling season. If the filter is permanent, soak it in warm, soapy water and rinse. At the beginning of the cooling season, vacuum the evaporator coils, which lie behind the filter.

Check to see that the unit slants slightly toward the ground, so that condensed water flows out. During the off-season, cover the outside of the unit to prevent rusting.

Maintenance of a central system

First and most important, change a disposable filter or wash a permanent one several times during the cooling season. If the filter is permanent, soak it in warm, soapy water and rinse.

In the late winter, have a professional wash the condensing coils, oil the fan motor with motor oil, if required, and vacuum the evaporator coils located in the ducting above the furnace. A professional will have the equipment to check and charge the refrigerant if needed.

Throughout the year, check regularly to make sure that leaves or fallen branches aren’t covering the fan grill on the outdoor condensing unit. If you live in an extremely cold climate, you should cover the outdoor condensing unit with a waterproof tarp during the cold months.

Most people consider mold and mildew to be the most dangerous pollutant in their home, however equally as hazardous is carbon monoxide. You would be surprised at the number of household devices that can release this dangerous gas. These items would including wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, barbecues, kerosene lamps, and gas-fired water and space heaters if they burn without enough oxygen. If you suspect that you have carbon monoxide in your home, keep a window cracked until you can eliminate the source.

Carbon monoxide can build up in your home and cause fatigue, irregular heart beat, headaches, and in cases of very high concentrations it can cause unconsciousness and even death. During the winter when your house is sealed up tight against the cold, the amount of fresh air to offset this deadly gas is limited.

Carbon monoxide is tasteless and odorless, so you are not likely to know if it is building up until you begin suffering from its ill effects. Therefore, it is important to take some common sense precautions:

1. Be sure adequate air is available to any room containing a gas-burning appliance. Without fail, I will always have my furnace inspected by a professional mainly to guard against carbon monoxide leaks.
2. Have your furnace, chimneys, and flues checked regularly for cracks and leaks that can release carbon monoxide into your home.
3. When buying a wood-burning stove, choose one that meets EPA safety standards and see that it is installed to meet local installation codes.
4. Make sure the door and stove pipe connections on all old wood-burning stoves fit tightly.
5. Use a range hood with a fan if you have a gas range, or install an exhaust fan in a nearby window.

Open a window slightly or make sure a door is open to the rest of the house when using a space heater that operates on oil, gas, or kerosene.

Never barbecue in the house or garage and make sure the garage door is open whenever the car is running.

I highly recommend that you go to your local home improvement store and buy a Carbon Monoxide Detector. A basic detector will cost you about $25.00 (pay more and get some bells and whistles). Every home should have a carbon monoxide detector without a doubt.

We all have horror stories pertaining to landlords and tenant disputes. From a legal standpoint, a property owner who rents a dwelling must meet safety regulations and minimal standards of cleanliness and liability. Some of these standards are open to interpretation, certainly, but once they’re met, if you are a landlord, you aren’t going to be particularly interested in remodeling a rented unit unless it will yield more rent or help retain a favored tenant.

As a residential tenant, your lease or rental agreement normally precludes you from doing any alterations to your dwelling, even painting, without the owner’s permission. Often, a casual agreement is reached between a tenant and an owner allowing the tenant to do a prescribed amount of work to a rental unit in lieu of rent if it’s major work or if the owner provides the materials (paint usually). Either way, it can be a bad idea for both parties.

The risk for a tenant from a legal standpoint is that the moment you pick up a paint brush or a saw and hammer in exchange for money or rent, what you have done is to have entered into a contract. What happens if you fall off  a ladder or you damage the property? What if you do sub-standard work that isn’t discovered until a later date, possibly after causing some damage or injury?

From the owner’s standpoint, the tenant has created a real mess. Would the tenant be considered an employee because they did the work for money? If so, to keep it legal, taxes and Social Security would have to be taken out, as well as state department of labor costs. If the tenant considers himself to be an independent contractor, then the legal problem of the license and the bond could also come into play.

If you do enter into any agreement to do work for rent or for separate payment, get it in writing. Have a document that spells out the terms of the work and the amount to be paid. Be sure the owner provides any materials up front so you don’t have to spend your cash.

These types of work arrangements are made all the time (often on low-rent properties), but only at the owner’s peril. Large, well-established property owners never allow this kind of work to be done by tenants, which means that, when it comes to remodeling your rental space, you could be out of luck.

From the tenant’s viewpoint, you don’t need to give up your remodeling fantasies completely, however. First, be an exemplary tenant and pay your rent on time and keep the premises clean. Present your case to your landlord by presenting him with drawings of your proposed changes and explain how they’ll improve the space (without increasing your rent, of course). Many owners are reasonable and will try to meet you halfway. Some proposals, such as adding some bookshelves, probably won’t present much potential legal jeopardy if you’re doing it for your own satisfaction without any expectation of payment. Remember, you’re renting. You don’t want to over improve the place and then turn the results of your labor over to the owner and the next tenant.

As a tenant, any work you do on your unit, even if it greatly improves it, can be held against you when you vacate the unit if it was done without the owner’s permission. At the very least, it provides a reason in the mind of a vindictive owner, to withhold your rental deposit.

If you do something major such as adding a deck or widening a doorway between a living room and a dining room, you can really have problems. Your lease is a legal agreement. If you don’t like the terms, change or negotiate them before you sign. Making unilateral remodeling decisions after you move in is an invitation to trouble.

Herbert Webster
Columbus Ohio

Good question, Herbert. First examine your exposed foundation wall and see if there are any cracks. If so, you’ll need to inject a water urethane resin into the cracks and holes. The urethane resin reacts with any water present to form a flexible waterproof gasket. If the wall moves again, the gasket moves with it without breaking the seal. This product can be purchased at any home improvement center.

Once you have properly sealed the leaks you have to turn your attention to diverting the water away from your foundation. Before you start digging, be on the lookout for water service line or telephone lines. It would be a safe bet for to call the utilities locator service to find out exactly where these lines are. Damaging one of these lines could be very costly to repair.

French drain

A French drain is a pit or trench full of gravel and covered over with regular yard plants or grass. It has to be located far enough down slope from your house to collect and hold all the water that has been going into your basement. A perforated, plastic drain line set in gravel will run from your trench out to the drain. The French drain allows the water it collects to slowly pass into the surrounding soil.

These caulking tips will solve some of your biggest headaches of home maintenance when dealing with leaky and mildew stained fixtures. Actually there are some very simple and effective ways to solve these problems that can be accomplished in less than an hour. Go to your neighborhood hardware store and buy a caulking gun and a tube of “tub and tile caulk”.

First, make sure you don’t squeeze out too much caulk while applying it, so you want to cut a small hole at the tip; if the gap is bigger than your bead of caulk, trim the tip a little more. The worst thing you can do is cut the tip too big because you’ll spend most of your time cleaning up. After you get a bead the size of the crack, then go back and use your finger to smooth it out. While your caulking gun is ready to go, seal any openings where fixtures come through the wall.

If you have smaller sealing projects you can purchase toothpaste-size tubes that can be disposed of at the end of this task. Drying times vary, some take 48 hours or more, thus spacing out multiple sealing projects over time is prudent so that you always have a usable shower or sink. These same steps apply for re-caulking the base of a tub, shower or sink.

Tub leaks

Tub leaks can be caulked in much the same manner, however depending on where your leak is coming from, tub leaks can be a bear fix. Check your spout to see if it is leaking water, maybe it is the handle either hot or cold not turning off completely. If this is the case, then, simply shut off the water at the meter box and remove the handle that needs repair. Usually all that is needed is a new O-ring due to wear and tear of the old one.

If you have a leak from the plumbing of your tub, you may have a little bigger problem. Look at the wall behind the tub and access the plumbing from a panel on one side of the tub or from underneath in the basement or crawl space. You can replace the drain fittings or if you are fortunate, just tighten them. If you don’t have access to your tub’s plumbing, now you will have to become a carpenter and create one. Hopefully your tub will back up to a closet or another room and not to an exterior wall. Cutting a hole into the drywall sounds hazardous, but patching drywall can’t be compared to the price of leaving a leaky fixture unattended.

Most leaks can be fixed by just replacing the drain fittings. A good tip is take your existing fittings with you to the hardware store to make sure you get the exact fit for your new one. Believe me, I have always said the hardest thing about plumbing repairs are the many trips back to the hardware store to purchase the correct item.

Give your caulking a good 24 hours of drying time before you use your tub, especially if your tub is a shower/tub combination. Save your remaining caulk by placing a small stick or nail in the tip of the caulking tube, then wrap some tape around it to seal the opening. The caulking will remain usable for a few months.

To embark on a new hobby, I was drawn to viticulture and erected a trellis and planted a grape vine. After two growing seasons it spread like wild fire and it has already produced a small cluster of grapes. Then here came some uninvited guests and moved in on my vine. I began researching the problems viticulturists have in order to solve future problems.

Grape vines don’t need a lot of encouragement to grow because you will find that they are hardy, once established, in fact they can become vine-spreading monsters if you don’t keep up with your pruning each spring. Grapes are unusual in that they out-grow all of these problems on their own within a couple of years.

Downy mildew

If you should get orange spots on the leaves and the grapes are turning a red-blue color and withering away, this can be controlled without a lot of difficulty. You will need to follow strict disease control practices such as pruning, cultivating and spraying. To be a successful viticulturist you will need to carry out all three of these practices on an annual basis.

Orange spots on the leaves are a common fungus which is a downy mildew. The fungus attacks all the green parts of the vine and initially, lesions are yellowish and oily and then become angular with yellow to reddish-brown spots. If not treated immediately, the infected shoots thicken and curl, then turn brown and die and young berries become gray when infected. Be sure to remove the fallen leaves because the fungus will infect other leaves on the ground over the winter.

During a mild winter such you have in the south, it may also survive as mycelium in buds. In the early spring, pre-bloom sprays are necessary for control. Unfortunately, once this problem surfaces, there is nothing that can be done other than treat and expect a better season next year. Every viticulturist  should keep a supply of Bordeaux mixture on hand because during the spring as foliage unfolds you will need to spray and repeat after a week or so and then again after 30 days. Again, be sure to rake and clean-up in the fall prior to the winter months. Bordeaux mixture is a very common and effective treatment and can be purchased at any garden supply company.

When the grapes get to 1/8 inch in diameter, florets can begin to develop into grape clusters and the grapes turn hard and black and do not develop into edible grapes. Start a spray program using a Bordeaux mixture as the plants begin to show new growth and continue spraying every other week.

If rot spots start to form on your grapes, you probably have black rot fungus, which is caused by certain weather conditions. Again, go to your stash of Bordeaux mixture and spray to stop the fungus from spreading. In late winter while the plants are dormant, spray the vines this time with lime-sulfur to sanitize the plants. Be sure to remove and destroy all infected grape clusters.

Spiders and bugs

If your vine is doing very well but all of a sudden you notice that some of the leaves have little bumps on them and after  further inspection of the under side of the leaves it appears that spiders have made an egg nest, simply remove the problem leaves. Once your grapes are starting to turn their purple color, you don’t want to spray, it is best to just remove the affected leaves. It is always best not to spray if you are not absolutely sure you know what it could be.

If you have a little white bug, this is most likely a mealybug, which is  a piercing, sucking type  of insect that in high enough numbers can debilitate the plants. They might instead be flying ones; possibly flying ants going after the honeydew secreted by the mealybugs. There are effective natural parasites that will solve your problem in time, but in the meantime you would lose your crop this year. To avoid this, I suggest a spray with Sevin, making sure you have covered the undersides of the leaves. This would also work on parasites such as small worms. Sevin is a bug killer that kills over 65 insects, including Japanese beetles, worms, ticks and ants, and best of all it can be used on vegetables, fruits, ornamentals and lawns.

If you are using Sevin as an insecticide or as a preventive spray, let me warn you that it is very toxic to the insects that you want to eradicate, however it also can thwart pollination. It may act as an embryo abortive to the grapes at a specific stage of development. It is essential that you never use a phenoxy herbicide near the plants during pollination time.

If you are finding that at first the vines will fill with small grape clusters in the spring but will all die off and there is no fruit in the fall; your vines could be full of small gnat-like insects that “wart” you to death when you are close to the vines. One way to get rid of them is the use of a Pyrethrum spray. Pyrethrum is a “GREEN” product which is a completely organic, environment-safe insecticide derived from 100% African Chrysanthemum flowers. It has good knock-down power and very low mammalian toxicity. You need to make  sure that there are no pollinators active at the time, so this should be used in the early morning or afternoon; usually the best time to carry this out. Use as directed on the label!

Spring pruning

You must prune in the early spring before new growth begins or the vine will take over your house! It doesn’t make any difference how far back you pruned, the vine will shoot up again and grow with vigor. Even if you don’t have a “Green Thumb”, you can be successful as a viticulturist.

Now is the time to buy investment houses to lease out. A rent house can be an excellent hedge against inflation thereby protecting your hard earned cash.

There are several points you must consider. If for several reasons you have converted some of your assets to cash and it is sitting idle; you need to wisely put it to work. If you are considering rent houses, look at your options. Let’s assume you have $1,000,000.00 to invest, if you have it in a good money market at 4%, you will make $40,000.00 at years end; then adjust for inflation and you may earn $20,000.00.

Excellent homes

In today’s depressed housing market, if you are willing to put time and research to work, you can find excellent homes in good neighborhoods that are foreclosures or desperate sales for about $75,000.00 per house. Make sure you are buying houses that would normally sell for approximately $125,000.00. Let’s say you buy 10 houses -$750,000.00- then spend another $100,000.00 for repairs and soft costs, you’ll have $850,000.00 invested. This will leave you $150,000.00 for unexpected expenses.

You should be able to gross at least $1,000.00 per house per month for rental income, -$120,000.00- for the year. Subtract $50,000.00 for taxes, insurance, administrative costs and this will net you $70,000.00 per year on you investment of $850,000.00. You will be looking at a 6% + return on your investment.

Now here is the good part; not only will you have made 6% on your money, when the market recovers each house should at least return to the original $125,000.00 market value and if you sell all 10 houses they will yield a profit of $400,000.00 ($1,250,000.00 less $850,000.00 invested). At this time you may consider holding them a while longer for a larger gain.

Risk takers only

If you are a bit of a risk taker, using these same figures, you can buy 100 houses with a 90% loan on each house. You would have the annual principal and interest cost, however when you go to sell, you calculate your earning only on the invested amount of 10% per house. To explain, sell 100 houses for $12,500,000.00 less the mortgage note $6,750,000.00 will leave you with a gain of $5,750,000.00. This option may only award you with a very small positive cash flow; however the prize will come at the end and it will be huge. Let me caution you that there are many unknowns in today’s economy; therefore anytime you are working with borrowed money, the risk is also huge.

I used $1,000,000.00 for an example. This same principle can be applied to one house as well as 100. One successful real estate investor stated that if you own one house, buy two more and if you own five, buy ten more and so on. Real estate can take a hit; however historically it has always recovered with a sweet ending.

Eastern Subterranean Termites live in underground colonies located between 5 and 30 feet below the surface near large food supplies. Since termites eat wood, unprotected homes are an attractive food source. You must make every effort to conduct termite inspections and do preventive treatment, even if you don’t have an infestation.

If you have synthetic stucco commonly called EIFS (exterior insulation & finish systems), this product can absorb and hold moisture; termites require moisture to survive and this system may contribute to termite infestations.

There are three popular termite treatment systems used in eradication and prevention of the subterranean termite:

Traditional barrier system

The traditional repelling barrier system places a chemical barrier in the soil near every potential entry point into the house. These chemicals create a barrier that termites will have difficulty penetrating. The barrier chemicals used today are less durable than Chlordane, a popular chemical that was banned by the EPA in the 80’s. The chemicals used today must be reapplied every few years to achieve the same protection.

Bait system

The bait system strategically places a series of bait stations in the soil around the perimeter of your home. The intention is for a termite to find the bait and take it back to the colony therefore eliminating or substantially reducing it.

Non-repelling barrier system

This system is similar to a traditional barrier system, except that active ingredient used is not a repellent. The termites can not detect the active ingredient and inadvertently bring it back to the colony, where it can either eliminate or substantially reduce the colony.

If you are comparing proposals from different companies, make sure you get details in writing for an accurate comparison; the lowest price may not always be the best deal.

I found your site on Sandy Loam Soil and found some really good information for a new gardener. I have just purchased a home in Enid, Oklahoma with an already established Bermuda grass lawn. What kind of fertilizer should I use and can you offer some tips on how to apply it?

Thank you, Larry H.

Soil testing

The first thing you should do is test your soil to find out what nutrients are needed. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service or Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service office to get information on obtaining a soil test. A local home improvement center can also be helpful.

A soil test will help you understand what your plants require, then it is a matter of reading the label on the fertilizer bag to find what is the best fertilizer. I would choose a fertilizer that has at least one-fourth of the nitrogen in a slow-release form, such as sulfur-coated urea.

Leave clippings on lawn

A lot of homeowners bag their grass clippings and put them out for the garbage man to take. I recommend that you leave the grass clippings to decompose on the lawn. Annually, this will provide nutrients equivalent to one or two fertilizer applications. Set mower at 2 inches to reduce water use during hot weather.

Fertilizing tips

It is best to apply fertilizer when the soil is moist and then water lightly. This will help the fertilizer move into the root zone where it is available to the plants, rather than stay on top of the soil where it can be blown or washed away.

Do not over water; too much water will wash away the nutrients from the lawn’s root system.

It is better to apply fertilizer in small frequent applications. An application of 2 pounds of fertilizer five times per year is better than 5 pounds of fertilizer twice a year.

Be sure and read the instruction on the fertilizer bag and calibrate your fertilizer spreader to be sure you know exactly how much material is being discharged in a given space.

When applying the fertilizer spread the ends first, then go back and forth across the lawn spreading only half of the recommended amount; then apply the other half of the fertilizer going back and forth in the opposite direction.