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  Deck Maintenance

With warm weather taking center stage, it's time to examine that deck of yours. It requires regular maintenance to be maintained. In fact, wood needs to be periodically cleaned to remove fallen leaves, dirt and other debris from its surfaces if it is to continue serving you in the warmer months. There are a variety of methods for cleaning your deck and products you can  buy for this purpose.

Once a deck is a couple years old, the elements begin to take their toll on the surface. Cleaning is key to a quality restaining and finishing project. Using detergent or bleach as a means of cleaning has been replaced by new products that clean more thoroughly without bleaching the wood or raising the grain. If a power washer is used, be aware that it can damage the wood if it is held too close to its surface. If you�re unfamiliar with how to use one, consider calling on a professional.

Be especially careful to remove debris that collects between boards. There are special tools available for this. But, regardless of the tool used, the important thing is that the dirt is removed. Fallen leaves can stain a deck and collect moisture leading to mold and mildew problems. The deck should be regularly swept to remove them.

One of the major reasons decks need to be replaced is dry rot. Dry rot is a fungus that feeds on wood, leading to its rapid deterioration. Once dry rot has established itself, it often leads to further infestation of the wood by termites. The combination can quickly destroy a deck, and also provides a pathway into the wooden structures of the rest of your home.

Since dry rot requires wet wood to feed on, this problem can be avoided by sealing wood off from moisture. It's also important to keep the deck free from debris and dirt build-up between boards where moisture collects and dry rot can start.

In general, it's a good idea to treat your deck the same as you would any other flooring surface in your home. Cleaning and inspecting it regularly will greatly minimize the need for major repairs.

Other tips for keeping your deck clean include using a stain remover to remove stains, sanding splinters down, and using pot feet for planters so that they don't stain the deck. For decks built close to the ground it's a good idea to spread a polyethylene barrier over the soil, and then cover this with decorative rock. This will help to keep moisture from seeping in from underneath the deck.

Prepare your home for the winter months

Fall and winter are good times to inspect your home and make any necessary repairs or preparations for  colder weather.  Begin by giving your home and yard a general visual inspection.  Make a list of what you find needs attention.

Then starting with your roof, clear off any debris. Check the gutters and clean them out and flush them with a garden hose and jet nozzle to make sure rain water will flow easily.

Your roof needs careful inspection.  If you have a shingled roof, look for missing or loose shingles or flashing and repair those. If you have a metal or fabric covered metal roof, check the coating and re-coat if necessary, being careful to caulk around vent pipes. Check nearby trees to see if they pose a threat to your roof. If so, trim branches or remove the trees.

Inspect the skirting and crawl space or foundation. Make sure no holes are in the skirting to prevent rodents, cats and other animals from taking shelter during the cold weather.  Check the crawlspace of your home for damage, debris or animal nesting.  Remember, the crawlspace under your home is to be free of debri and do not store anything there. 

Check the entrance steps and make sure they are stable and in good condition.  

Rake any mounds of gravel or dirt that may have accumulated and pick up any debris on your lawn.  Inspect bushes, shrubs and trim if necessary.

Check your home's siding and wash it if needed.

Inspect your windows and screens. Repair any damaged screens and wash windows before installing the screens. If you need to replace any windows, do this before cold weather sets in.

Check the caulking around your windows.  If any is cracked, recaulk

Then sit back, relax and get ready for the cold temperatures.

Tips for Saving on Your Heating Bills

The news about energy costs this coming winter is not good. Heating costs are expected to skyrocket, and you need to start planning ways right now to save on your energy bills.

First, carefully check the exterior of your home. By sealing cracks, holes and drafts, you can make a world of difference in your heating bill. Consider the following fix-ups:

·         Install or replace weather stripping. To see if it's time to replace, try this test: hold up a piece of tissue near any cracks. If the tissue blows around -- you have cracks that need sealing. Add weather stripping or replace old weather stripping around doors. Foam sealant may be handy for hard-to-reach cracks. If you can't find exact replacements, spring V-strips, plastic strips, or tubular gaskets make good alternatives. Check with your local utility company. Many will provide free weather stripping to help tighten up your home.

·         Make sure exterior doors close tightly. Do they sag or rub their door frames? Are latch plates or hinges loose? If so, by spending time straigtening the way your doors hang, you'll save at the furnace in the amount of heat you use.

·         Repair air leaks around windows. On a windy day, use a lighted candle to find air infiltration. Make sure storm windows are in place. On old leaky windows, consider using plastic sheet insulator kits. Fix old and cracked caulk around window exteriors.

·         Examine your foundation. A deteriorated foundation will probably have cracks, air leaks, and drafts. Add foam sealant to seal any cracks you find.

In addition to tightening up your home's exterior, you can also make a difference in energy efficiency with a few interior adjustments.

·         Insulate water pipes in unheated areas. This will protect against freezing and save energy. Wrap pipes with insulation tape or encase pipes with perforated plastic foam. While tape tends to be less expensive than foam, it's more time consuming to apply. Other options include standard blanket insulation wrapped with duct tape or an insulating liquid. If you're concerned that a particular pipe will freeze, wrap it with an electric heat cable, which prevents freezing even with icy temperatures of 20 degrees or below.

·         Clean up your fireplace and chimney. Before winter has you reaching for some seasoned logs, hire a professional to inspect your chimney flue and clean it if necessary. Make sure the flue's seal is good. A drafty chimney is a wintertime energy eater.

·         Check your furnace. Don't let temperatures plunge before a professional heating contractor inspects your oil-burning unit, heat pump, or radiator (annually) or your gas-fired or electric furnace (every two to three years). In addition, ask the inspector how you can best maintain your system year-round.

·         Check your water heater's tank pressure and temperature relief valve.  You should also drain off water through the valve at the bottom of the tank until no sediment shows. Be sure to lower the temperature of the thermostat several hours before doing this to avoid scalds.

Their blinds are made in Hayward, CA and unlike their competition they make their blinds with steel headers for durability. Their Hercules Blinds are the ones we use.  Order only from P.J. Vierra. He will personally come to your home or office and measure your windows the right way. The blinds will be custom made right in Hayward, CA.  Your windows will have the best fitting blinds they've ever had. Call P.J. today at 510-487-3500 or Toll Free 800-972-0660.  He goes the extra mile!

Here are some quick preventive maintenance tips that pay off in both time and money.

How to keep out drafts and leaks:

Sealants, caulking compounds and roof coatings prevent leaks and drafts. Sealing your home is probably the easiest and least costly way to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient. Basically, any crevice, crack or connection (except the edges of siding panels) should be sealed.

To determine if your old caulk needs replacing, poke it with a screwdriver or nail. It should have a rubbery consistency. If it is hard, brittle and cracked, remove and replace it as part of your regular preventive maintenance. You will probably need more than one type of sealant to do your entire home. Here are some common sealant types:

SILICONE. Expensive, but excellent for most uses. High adhesion and longevity. Paint might not stick to surface.

ACRYLIC LATEX. Not quite as expensive as silicone. Good adhesion and longevity. Can be painted.

VINYL LATEX. Somewhat expensive. Good around damp areas such as tubs and toilets.

OIL-BASED CAULK. Fairly inexpensive. Does not last long. Bonds well to most surfaces.

EXPANDABLE FOAM. An excellent way to fill gaps around pipes. Also provides insulation value. Very adhesive.

ROOF COATING - ALUMINUM BASED. Available in a variety of grades. Should be applied to entire metal roof at least once every two years. Prevents leaks and corrosion.

ROOF COATING - WHITE. Can be acrylic or elastomeric (rubber). More expensive than aluminum based roof coating. Prevents leaks and reflects sun's rays. Keeps house cooler in summer.

REPAIRING HOLES AND CRACKS IN DRYWALL

Holes up to a couple of inches across and cracks in your interior drywall walls can be easily repaired. Pin holes can be repaired with a bit of joint compound or filler putty.

 For larger holes, use the procedure explained below, or purchase a repair patch at a hardware store or home center. These patches consist of self-adhesive metal or fiberglass mesh that can be used to bridge the hole and support the joint compound.

Repairing pinholes: For very small holes, apply joint compound to the void with a putty knife. After drying, sand until smooth.

For larger holes, follow these steps:

1. Patching larger holes: For larger holes, cut pegboard slightly larger than the hole, but which you can get through the hole. You'll use this as a backing for your patch.

2. Fasten backing to wall: Tie wire to it, smear compound on hardboard, and slip into wall. The backing will cling to the inside surface of the wall.

3. Secure backing: Tie wire to a pencil and twist tight. After patch dries, cut the wire off and fill the recess with compound.

4. Finish patch: Fill with two or three thin coats of compound, lightly sand, and sponge to blend repair. Prime and paint.

Plaster Walls

If your home has plaster walls, you will have to periodically repair them because of settling. This is true whether you own a site-built or factory-built home. And if you are going to re-paint any walls, you can probably resign yourself to having to patch before every paint job.

Harmless cracks will return with regularity no matter how often you fill them. Watch, though, for loose or crumbly cracks, holes, and bulges; these may mean you have a leak. If you have a leak, fix it before doing any work on the walls.

To repair walls, here's the materials you may need:


1. Dry-mix joint compound is strong, making it a good choice for wide cracks and holes.

2. Vinyl surfacing compound is soft and flexible. Use it for narrow cracks or holes.

3. Patching plaster or gauging plaster creates a genuine plaster surface, but it takes time to learn how apply it correctly.

 4. Latex/silicone caulk stays flexible and so can accommodate shifting cracks.

Aerosol crack seal is ideal for small cracks. Spray it just before priming.

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HOW TO INSTALL HEAT TAPE

In the below article, we showed you how to thaw out a frozen water pipe. It's better to prevent your pipes from freezing in the first place. And if you haven't done it yet, it's still not too late to install heat tape to protect them in the first place. It's also relatively easy to install heat tape, and, of course, it's a good way to prevent major damage to your factory-built home. If your freshwater pipes are already wrapped in heat tape, check the heat tape again to ensure it was properly installed, and periodically check the heat tape to make sure it isn't worn or frayed. The coldest months are still just ahead.

By the way, you should apply heat tape to all exterior water supply piping and shutoff valves. You should also protect any interior water pipes that run along outside walls or anywhere that the temperature may drop below freezing.

How much heat tape you will need depends on the length, size and type of the pipe. You need to know the pipe length and diameter and the number of valves or faucets along the run. To determine how much heat tape you'll require, consult the manufacturer's guidelines.

If your water supply piping is plastic, ONLY use automatic thermostatically controlled heat tape. Non-automatic heat tapes can damage plastic pipes, especially if the taped pipes are covered with insulation. For this job you'll need automatic heat tape (the kind with a thermostat), electrical tape, and pipe insulation (which could take the form of a waterproof insulated pipe jacket, or pipe insulation with vapor seal cover). Some heat tape kits combine several of these items.

First: Check pipes
Don't install heat tape over leaking pipes. Not only will a slow leak damage insulation, but it may also short out the heat tape. Pay particular attention when you check the pipe joints for leaks.

Next: Attach to pipe
Use only automatic heat tape, with heavy rubber insulation around the wires. Don't use non-automatic heat tape, as this could damage plastic pipes. Start with the plug end next to the outlet, and run the heat tape the entire length of the freshwater supply pipe. Also wrap the water pipe below ground level, to the frost level. Methods for attaching heat tape to the pipe vary. Some types of heat tape wrap around the pipe, some run along one side of the pipe. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Third: Attach heat tape
Be sure to space your wraps according to the manufacturer's guidelines. Use electrical tape, not electrical wire, to hold the heat tape in place. It is very important that you never cross the heat tape back over itself: this creates a real fire hazard.

Fourth: Insulate
It's a good idea to cover the water pipe and heat tape with pipe insulation or pipe jacketing. If the insulation does not have a weather-protective outer surface, you will need to cover it with a waterproof wrap.

Finally: Plug it in
Don't forget to plug in your heat tape once it's installed. Never use an extension cord. The heat tape must plug directly into a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) receptacle. You should find a GFCI protected outlet underneath your factory-built home, near the water inlet. If not, you will need to install one.

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Preventive Maintenance Pays Off

Keeping your factory built home maintained and functioning properly prevents numerous future problems and makes living in your home more comfortable and affordable in the long run. This includes controlling pests, bugs, and other varmints from invading and taking up residency in your home. What follows are some pest prevention tips that should assist you in eliminating pest infestation before it becomes a problem:

CHECKING YOUR HOME

A little maintenance work on your part will keep your siding looking new and lasting longer. There are two reasons for providing regular maintenance of your home’s siding: appearance and protection. Your siding protects your home against natural elements and pests, adds stability to the frame of your home, helps insulate and it also adds character to the outside of the home. Although there are several different types of siding you can choose from for factory-built homes, the three most common found on Karsten homes are cement-based siding, vinyl siding and wood siding.

• Cement-Based Siding
  
  With cement-based siding, you can give your home a good washing for a fresh new look.
  · Make sure you close all the windows, doors and vents.
  
  · Cover anything on the house you don’t want to get wet. Use plastic bags and tarps with duct tape to cover bushes, outdoor furniture and light fixtures.
  
  · Attach a soft car-washing brush to your garden hose and wash off the dirt.
  
  · Remove tree sap and any other stubborn stains. First soak the sap with raw linseed oil, mineral spirits, or auto bug and tar remover. Let stand until soft. Wipe with a clean cloth.
  
  · You can use household detergent to clean the siding or purchase a cleaning compound specifically for your siding material. Several varieties are available at manufactured home supply stores.
  
  · Wash your siding from top to bottom to keep the lower area wet, preventing detergent lines.
  
  · Rinse off the cleaner. Attach a spray nozzle to your hose to increase water pressure.
  
  · Dry the siding with a towel from the top down.
  
  
• Vinyl Siding
  
  Vinyl’s durable surface makes it the easiest siding to maintain. It won’t rot, peel or show scratches because good quality vinyl siding permeates its color throughout the entire thickness of the panel. Although vinyl is virtually maintenance free, keep your siding in the best condition to make its lifetime last even longer.
  
  · Don’t rely on a rainstorm to keep your siding clean. Give it a good cleaning at least once a year to keep sediment and grime off its surface.
  · Replace any damaged panels. New panels are quick and easy to install.
  
  · If your vinyl siding has a wood grain or pebble finish, it will hold dirt and require more frequent washing.
  
  · If you do not have rain gutters, your house will need more frequent cleaning.
  
  · Rubbing compound scratches vinyl surfaces.
  
  · Vinyl siding is brittle in very cold weather. Be careful not to hit or strike it, or it might shatter.
  Keep grills from vinyl. Exposing the vinyl to intense heat will melt the siding.
  
  You might think that a paint job would be an inexpensive and easy solution to make faded vinyl siding look like new again. But paint does not hold well to vinyl’s surface because it continuously changes with the weather. Vinyl soaks up heat causing expansion and contraction as temperatures rise and fall. Instead of a short-term painting job, consider replacing your siding altogether. Check with a several retailers to see the variety of colors and textures to choose from. Ask them about lifetime warranties or guarantees that they offer.
  

• Wood Siding
  
  Cedar, Cypress and Redwood sidings are popular siding choices that offer natural beauty to the outside of a home. But wood siding requires more upkeep than most siding because of its natural surface. With regular maintenance and care, you can prevent damage and keep your wood siding looking beautiful for several years.
  
  · Caulk any joints, holes or cracks with a paint-able caulk. Seal the bottom of the panels and any chips.
  
  · Paint or stain the wood every four years. Check the manufacturer's guidelines to see what kind of paint or stain works best with the wood on your home.
  
  · Keep an eye out for critters. Birds, insects and rodents love to make a home or a meal out of wood siding.
  
  · Keep sprinklers away from the home. Heavy exposure to water might result in decay, chipping, bowed or expanded panels, disintegration or shrinkage. Wood siding resides best in dry regions.
  
  · Check the paint for flaking and re-cover any exposed surface.

Prepare to paint:

• Thoroughly wash the exterior of your home.
  
• Caulk any cracks or holes along the panels, around corners or around windows with a paint-able caulk.
  
• Cover everything you don't want painted (windows, doors, the roof, etc.) with newspapers, drop cloths, tarps or masking tape. It's much easier to cover these areas beforehand than to remove paint later.

Before you’re ready to apply an oil-based metal paint primer, the siding needs to be completely dry. Mix one gallon of the oil-based paint primer with one pint of paint thinner. Tint the primer to a lighter shade of the paint color you choose. The primer will help the new paint adhere to the surface and provide an extra color coat. Let the primer dry completely before adding the next coat of paint.

Use acrylic-based, latex exterior house paint over the primer. A high volume of acrylic resin in the paint will make the paint job last longer. Invest in premium paint, brushes and roller covers. Bargain paint is no bargain if you’re looking for better coverage, longer wear and a more washable surface.

To compute the amount of paint needed, multiply the height of the house times the entire perimeter. Do not subtract for windows because this area will roughly equal the trim, eaves and soffits. Divide the total square footage by the number of square feet per gallon cited on the label of the paint.

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The Smoker Company positioned the two-story section, the heaviest part of the structure on the hitch end of the unit for stability in towing the mobile down the highway.  The Vista-Liner boasted four bedrooms and two baths.  The "basement" section featured a short escape door in one of the the kids bedrooms. The kitchen was positioned in the center of the unit, which doubled as a buffer to the living room at the rear.