March 1st, 2013
Ahhh- The grass is green, the birds are chirping, and spring is in the air but it’s only February!
I don’t know about you but I really really love wearing shorts in winter, it ain’t pretty but it feels like I’m getting away with something. The problem is that the critters sleeping in the dirt pretty much feel the same way. The doves are cleaning out my bird seed, they think its springtime and the grub worms are churning under my grass digging the sleep out of their eyes.
Nature has some great tools to help control bugs and critters and cold winters is one of them. A few hard freezes goes a long way towards controlling insect survival or not, much the same way a good long drought helps control mosquitoes. I already found a tick on my dog and it’s supposed to be the dead of winter!
Green grass in February makes me nervous and I’m glad I don’t sell firewood for a living but I may wish I was an exterminator and could afford a yardman. I know not to get complacent because the invasion is coming and the invaders are going to be really hungry.
A nice warm spell that brings the soil temp to 70 degrees for a few days will bring out the termites. Swarming by the millions, it is perhaps the ickiest feeling a person can get; especially when they realize the bugs are living in their walls. A good organic treatment in the soil is the best way to treat them at the source, http://www.ehow.com/how_4815780_kill-termites-chemicals.html.
Wasps’ are natures bug controllers, they kill millions of insects including spiders and other wasps but sometimes they just build their nests in the wrong places. http://www.insectidentification.org/bees-ants-wasps-and-similar.asp If you have a recurring problem with wasps , spiders and other bugs building nests on your porch ceiling, try painting it aura blue or in the south “haint blue” http://betweennapsontheporch.net/haint-blue-for-the-porch-ceiling/ or any other sky blue color. This fools the insects into thinking it’s the sky and they won’t build a nest there. And rumor has it that it wards off ghosts.
Avoid spraying chemicals on wasp nests, instead, mix a couple of tablespoons of dish soap in a tall glass with water and douse the nest – the wasps will be dead when they hit the floor. It may take several treatments as wasps that are away from the nest return.
Mosquitos are more than a nuisance they carry deadly diseases and transmit them humans, dogs, and horses. Blood diseases and parasites such as Heart Worm dogs and The West Nile Virus to horses is becoming a larger problem. Preventative medicines such a Trifexis are designed to heart worms, hookworms, and fleas and the great part is that it’s an all-in-one chewable tablet. http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/NewsEvents/FDAVeterinarianNewsletter/ucm110414.htm .
Are you a mosquito magnet? Check this out: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/are-you-mosquito-magnet
Whatever you do try not to kill the good bugs and there are lots of them.
Send comments or questions to alex@housetalktoday.com
Posted in Contractors, Drought Texas, Eco-Friendly, Energy Resources, Foundation, green building, Gulf Oil Spill, Helpful Links, history of houses, Home Building, home remodeling, House Talk Today, housing trends, Kitchen Remodeling, Lead Based Paint, Lighting, Oil spill, remodel, To Our Listeners, tornado, Trends, Watering Foundations, wind farms | Comments Off
September 19th, 2012
September 19, 2012 at 4:35 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged aging in place, Alex Guthrie Construction, budgeting remodels, construction, drought, green remodeling,HBA Dallas, heat, heat wave, history, home, home improvement, House Talk Today, l a guthrie, NARI, planning remodels, plumbing, remodeling, residential, universal design ·Edit
As I traveled down the streets of my childhood recently it was easy to return to the past; paper routes, yards that I mowed, basketball in this driveway, football in that yard. Imagine houses with yards big enough for the kids to actually play football, houses that were designed to fit the lot properly; a large house on a large lot or a small house on a small lot. Houses that people bought not with a 5 year plan but a lifetime plan, a house they wanted to leave to their children and so on. The occupants of these homes were indeed my friends and many as close as family, we played together, went to school together, and many of us remain friends to this day.
Unfortunately my memories are outliving the houses as one by one they are being removed for newer versions and our history is being left behind with them.
History is a funny thing, it can bring us great joy and at the same time great pain, a glimpse of the past and a lesson for the future. It can teach us the stories of who came before us and teach us the evolution of our times.
The depression era houses were constructed by the old European master craftsmen, everything built on site without the aid of power tools. Old country techniques that used the natural surrounding and the forces of nature as a guide; plaster that cooled in the summer and north or south facing houses that utilized the predominate wind for cooling and heating. Many of these houses stand today like beacons from our past inviting us to learn from those that came before.
Prior to World War 2 houses were built primarily with all wood often including the foundation; you could order an entire house from the Sears and Roebuck catalog and it would be delivered by rail ready to assemble. Many of those houses remain today referred to as kit houses. A reflection of the times they often were adorned in Victorian trim and were built by the owner. There was no such thing as central air conditioning , dish washers wore shoes, and the clothes dryer was a rope in the back yard.
As the war effort went into full swing in the 1940’s builders had to find alternative and resourceful ways to build houses. Standard building materials were being used in the war effort and the work force were off fighting, so concrete houses and innovative engineering became the norm.
Often when looking at remodels, I get caught explaining to a younger client that most things were planned around wars, weather, and railroads. That many towns were built a day’s horse ride from each other and what is a highway today was wagon trail first.
It’s not uncommon that we will find notes, scribbles, and old newspapers buried in the walls of the old homes we’re remodeling. These pieces of the past are pure treasures and can never be replaced. Little time capsules teasing us to look deeper. Through wars, the great depression, disasters and boom times our past is there for us to see, reminding us where we came from and when we got here.
And so our history becomes a victim to the times as we tear down the old and replace with the new; like an old tree that is blown down by a storm or a vacant lot that is now someones home. Time goes on and we go with it, but wouldn’t it be nice if occasionally we took a step back and saved a piece of the past.
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September 11th, 2012
Some mysteries just aren’t fun; like the time I was trying to find a client’s water meter and even with the assistance of 2 plumbers, we could not locate it.
This shouldn’t have been difficult, it’s a relatively simple thing, find the water meter cover; open it and turn off the water. Only no one including the property owner realized that the water meter had never been hooked to the water supply. The house was still hooked up to the temporary water supply from when the house was built years before; and buried underground. It occurred to me, what if there had been an emergency and the water to the house needed to be turned off? In fact, it was odd that disaster hadn’t occurred!
Not all water meters are the same but there is a simple and inexpensive tool called a meter wrench that you should have ready to use in case you need it. This tool has a key on one end that unlocks and opens the meter cover and a 2 pronged wrench on the other end for actually turning the water valve on or off. Be aware that fire ants and other critters sometimes love nesting in meters.
It surprises me that homeowners aren’t more in tune with how their house operates, especially potentially dangerous things like gas and electrical. Unfortunately, many times this isn’t a priority for the builder and most cities don’t regulate the accessibility to these services. So you may have to run to the street to turn off your water or to the ally to turn off your gas.
Your sewer clean-outs may be buried in the garden and your electrical panel might be in the garage or a closet or the outside wall. You can save yourself a lot of unpleasantness by knowing where your sewer clean-outs are located in the yard and in the exterior wall of the house. Normally these are in key locations and are simple to open. Look for white PVC caps sticking up near the house or in a wall. If you suddenly have sewage back-up open these caps and often the sewage will come out before it’s in the house.
Air conditioner compressors (the big noisy thing outside) are supposed to have a disconnect on the wall with-in reach of the unit but occasionally don’t. It’s a good idea to know how to turn it off just in case.
Your gas meter will normally be in the alley but in some older neighborhoods are in the front of the house. Learn which position is off, the water meter wrench might work for this or a pair of channel locks (pliers).
Some houses have multiple electrical panels; know where they are and how to turn them on and off. Also, learn how to turn off or reset your smoke and fire alarms.
Mystery solved!
To contact Alex 469 446-8508 or email alex@alexguthrie.net
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May 25th, 2012
Ruben and Mary Alice were in a conundrum, deciding what to do with their house of 30 years. In need of numerous repairs and updating, plus it was inefficient and would need total upgrades in windows, air conditioning and electrical. They had plans drawn to enlarge and modernize the home where they raised their children and grandchildren. But still the decision to go forward was a tough one. Would it be worth the investment? Should they move? What about building a new house?
As we are living longer, and in most cases healthier more active lives, we see ourselves as more independent in our later years. The need to leave a house and neighborhood we feel comfortable in is less appealing. But father time will catch us all sooner or later, so planning for later is a good idea.
As our body’s age, simple things that we used to take for granted become physically challenging and in some cases next to impossible. Stairs can become our enemies. Too low or too high cabinets make removing and replacing things difficult. And if a walker or wheelchair is required, narrow doorways become unusable. In the bathroom, arguably the most dangerous room in the house, slippery floors, cold hard surfaces, and tubs and showers that require us to climb in and out of while wet, cause many injuries.
SIGNS AND SOLUTIONS
One client, whose husband was unable to speak and was confined to a wheelchair, told me how he would fight the caretaker every time they were headed to the shower. Having dealt with wheelchair bound clients before; I knew he was probably trying to tell them he was cold. Wheelchair bound people may experience a loss of circulation in their bodies making the world a very cold place. Based on previous very successful experiences with two other clients, I recommended they install a separate heating system to service the rooms used frequently by her husband.
Another client was having a hard time getting items out of her kitchen cabinets because of the pain she experienced bending over to search the back of shelves. Converting the shelves to slide out to expose the entire contents meant she wouldn’t need to sit on the floor anymore to find her favorite frying pan.
Installing a pop up shelf sturdy enough to handle the weight of her KitchenAid mixer helped another older client continue to do what she and her grandkids loved – bake.
The Double Drawer
Building a small shallow drawer inside a larger deeper drawer is a great way to maximize a limited space by allowing you to store things you use every day in one organized drawer. Think about opening a drawer; in the top is the silverware, slide back the top drawer and the place settings are stored underneath.
Raising the height of a dishwasher 12” off the floor, lowering the adjoining countertop and opening some lower cabinet areas will enable a person in a wheelchair to function more easily in the kitchen
Widening doorways and hallways, lowering switches, raising outlets, and installing hard surface flooring allows a wheelchair bound person to thrive in a normal house.
Showers with rollover thresholds and well placed grab bars are beneficial for older folks and care providers that may be assisting them.
Handheld shower fixtures and well lit showers are added safety as well as convenience.
What did Ruben and Mary Alice decide? After considering everything and when put to a vote with their children, they decided to stay and upgrade. A well planned house or remodel can become a benefit for now and later years — for young and old alike.
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April 20th, 2012
Your house may be your castle, but chances are it’s not built like one. While built to be energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and comfortable, it may not be built to last. Giant cedar beams, stone or brick facades, balconies and 20 foot ceilings give the impression that our dwellings are built to withstand the most destructive natural forces. But looks can be deceiving…….
THE SITUATION:
Roofs are frequently the first to be damaged in high winds. Roof bracing is designed to do two things: 1. Keep the roof from shifting diagonally and 2. Keep the roof from sagging. What it is NOT designed to do is keep the roof from lifting from an upward pressure that would be associated with tornadoes or straight-line winds.
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE:
- A simple soft metal strap or ¼” wood gusset can be nailed to the brace tying together the roof member and bracing member and the bracing member and house can really help.
- Simple metal braces called hurricane clips (or tie-downs) can be purchased at big box stores. When installed, they keep the rafters attached to the top plate. The same straps can also be used to hold the stud to the stud-bottom plate (helps keep floors tied to the foundation)..
- In new construction, the builder should bolt the bottom plates to the slab or the foundation beams (required in most cities).
- In the attic, add bracing to reinforce gable ends.
- Add additional sway bracing also.
OTHER PROJECTS:
- Tornados and high winds create lots of “flying” debris that can easily break glass. If you’re changing your windows or patio doors, shop for impact resistant glass and check the wind load rating or Design Pressure (DP) rating. The higher the DP rating the better performance under winds — a DP-50 window is structurally more sound than a window rated DP-35.
- Consider exterior doors of steel or fiberglass.(great for security too)
- High-wind upgrade kits are available to strengthen existing garage doors or replace with a door specifically designed for high-winds.
While these solutions and projects are not a guarantee that high winds will not do major damage to your home, they will strengthen the structure. Imagine the tires on your car being held on with 1 bolt instead of 5 or your windows with cellophane instead of glass.
For more information check: the Federal Emergency Management Agency: http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/saferoom/ and the Texas Tech University Wind Science & Engineering Research Center: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/weweb/
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March 18th, 2012
Everyone needs to start somewhere and sometimes they need a hand up; I understand this as well as anyone, however when you’re about to make a huge investment to your house, be careful who you hire. Hiring out of work friends or family will ruin an otherwise good relationship faster than you can believe. Feelings get hurt and expectations don’t get met and it gets personal, if its a purely business relationship you can deal with it totally different than a family member or friend. I have learned this lesson time and again through my clients and my family. Many years ago I had to put my foot down with family and friends and learn how to just say no, explaining that I care too much for our relationship and time has taught me that the tough times will take of themselves eventually. It’s usually much better to help them find a job then to hire them to do your project.
A business relationship that is based on cost verses value is an inherently impersonal and manageable partnership between two parties. You hire me based on the value I bring to the project, you pay me according to our agreement for services provided; nothing personal and nobody has emotions tied into the agreement. If I don’t meet your expectations you can tell me exactly how you feel and you don’t have to worry about me moping at the next holiday dinner or not speaking to you for 6 months,you and I have fiduciary responsibilities, me to meet your expectations and you to pay me for that work …period.
Now replace the word business with personal and you have totally different expectations and possible outcomes. You hire your cousin who was laid off and is having a hard time paying his bills, it is a noble and considerate thing to do and it helps you feel secure because you know he would never steal from you or lie to you, so you can let your guard down and let him do his thing. After all it’s just a paint job and anyone can slop paint on a wall. The problem is that he can’t work normal hours because he’s looking for a job and his wife needs a break from watching the kids so he must relieve her of her duties for a couple of hours a day; of course you’ll understand because your related and he’s giving you an incredible deal since your buying all the supplies. Now, would he be able to do that if we was back working at the bank, heck no. Good will, patience, and compassion are great and valuable things, but they don’t get the paint on the wall and when you’re living in the house that’s being worked on you want it done quicker than now!
The truth is that it would be much better to help your friend find a job that will provide the things they need for their family for the long term and hire a professional that has a pure and compelling motive to do a great job in a timely manner. There is no greater motivation than profit and no greater sense of pride than good workmanship.
Remember that is difficult to say who do you the most harm enemy’s with the worst intentions or friends with the best.
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February 12th, 2012
Want Wind Power? Move Near a Wind Farm.
Looking for a wind farm community? In today’s ever more eco-aware environment, many communities are choosing to live a lifestyle powered solely by wind power. Wind farms generate electricity through a collection of wind turbines. The energy the wind farms harness is channeled back into existing electric grids. Wind farms may consist of a few dozen to several hundred individual wind turbines spread out over hundreds of square miles. Nothing goes to waste with wind power because wind power consumes no fuel, produces no pollution, and the land in between the wind turbines can be used for agricultural or other purposes.
Wind Farm Community: Rock Port, Missouri
The 1,400 residents of Rock Port, Missouri have something to look forward to that most other Americans can’t relate to: They will not have to deal with rising energy bills for the next fifteen to twenty years. That’s because this small rural town in the northwest corner of Missouri is a wind farm community powered entirely by wind turbines, which have a life expectancy of twenty years. Rock Port is the first American town to operate solely on wind power. Loess Hills Wind Farm has four Suzlon 1.25 mega-watt wind turbines that specifically generate electricity for the whole town. The wind power is collected and transmitted to Rock Port Municipal Utilities, which then distributes it to customers throughout the town. Sometimes, there is even excess electricity. When this happens, Loess Hills sells the extra energy to the Missouri Public Utility Alliance in Columbia. Locals of this wind farm community can also make some extra money by leasing part of their property for installation of new wind turbines.
Wind Farm Communities in Texas
Texas is the top wind energy producer in the United States and is also home to the largest wind farm in the world: Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in west central Texas covers approximately 47,000 acres and has more than 400 wind turbines. Each wind turbine generator produces enough electricity to serve an average of 250 to 300 homes on a typical day. The U.S. Department of Energy awarded the City of Austin the Wind Power Pioneer Award in 2005 for its leadership and innovation with its wind power program, whereby the municipally owned electric company buys wind-generated electricity under 10-year, fixed price contracts and then delivers it throughout the Austin electric grid. Houston is another wind farm community that powers one-third of its electricity with wind farm turbines.
Wind Farm Communities in California
California is another leader in production of wind energy and is home to some of the nation’s oldest wind farms, dating back to the 1980′s. Most of the state’s wind farms are concentrated in three locations: Altamont Pass (near San Francisco), Tehachapi Pass (southeast of Bakersfield), and San Gorgonio (near Palm Springs). Altamont Pass is one of the largest wind farms in the state and provides energy for Oakland, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Jose. The state of California as a whole is a great place to live if you are looking for wind farm communities because of its Renewable Portfolio Standard from 2002. This state ruling requires a 20 percent renewable energy total for the state’s utilities by 2020.
The only complaints American residents have filed about wind farms is that their appearance is not always something they want to look at. But if you are willing to put up with a few propeller blades in exchange for lower energy bills and clean energy production, a wind farm community could be the perfect new home for you and your family.
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December 11th, 2011
Yesterday during the show Chris and I discussed the recent cost vs value report that was published in Remodeling Magazine. Some surprising things caught my eye such as the overall loss in value reported in virtually all but a few categories and it seems smaller projects have a higher return than in the past.
It is apparent that the housing industry is still in a very bad state and the recovery has yet to take hold. Unfortunately for the industry, it probably will remain flat until after next years Presidential election and then it will take quite some time to gain any real traction. The home building industry is directly affected by the employment picture and consumer confidence, consumer confidence is directly affected by the unemployment numbers and so on and so on.
My take on the cost vs value report is that property values are still dropping and until we hit the bottom in more markets and start a real rebound with housing values increasing we will remain stagnant. This will require existing foreclosure inventories to get sold, unemployment to stabilize and reverse it’s present course, and the politicians to start acting like grown ups again.
It should be a great time to remodel with the competitiveness that is so pervasive in the industry. So don’t be too intimidated by all the news but be smart with the dollars.
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July 31st, 2011
You can see the earth separating around the the foundation, sidewalks, driveway,and curbs, but it doesn’t stop there. The earth is also drying up UNDER these places, leaving voids that can cause havoc and major damage if left untreated. Still the only way to deal with these problems is from the surface; watering your yard and foundation is the most practical way to mitigate damage.
As the drought continues moisture is drawn out from under foundations, sidewalks, and streets; this natural support that is usually dependable and depended on is no longer there. Evidenced by uneven sidewalks, cracking, and shifting driveways and streets and of course shifting foundations. Proper watering is critical and inaction can be costly; while over watering can have equally negative consequences.
Placing a soaker hose 15″ – 18″ from the foundation and allowing it to run 20- 30 minutes 3 or 4 times a week is an accepted method. Take care not to over water as you can cause the opposite effect and cause your foundation to heave.
Keeping your yard well watered (enough to keep your grass and gardens healthy) should help with sidewalks as well as foundations.
Trees and shrubs draw moisture from under the house and often are a big cause of damage so keep them watered away from the foundation. Be mindful of the cause and effect of removing large trees less than 15 feet from the foundation as they will leave large voids in the ground over time as they decay.
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June 26th, 2011
Finding the right balance between your budget and your expectations is tricky when the economy is good and very frustrating when money is tight. Older houses are particularly difficult when the inevitable happens and you have to make a decision whether to invest more money in them. Top that off with an anemic housing market, high energy costs, and escalating construction costs; well it kinda makes you want to move to a cabin in the mountains.
In our current financial climate houses are steadily losing value with no end in sight, so the idea of investing for a quick profit may not be as dependable as it once was. We used to feel confident that investing in a kitchen or master suite would have a better than 50% return at resale but now those assumptions may not be so reliable. This has created a paradigm shift from dream designs to practical, from money is no object to it being the object, from decisions made on the fly to carefully planned and executed projects. You may end up in your home longer than you planned so the path you choose may have larger consequences than in the past.
But the real challenge is the balance between this years investment vs next years budget; investing more now vs recovering those costs down the road. Meeting all these requirements can be daunting but it is doable if you plan and execute timely.
The best method is to create a master plan that reflects all the areas in the house you want improved or changed and implement a strategy to get the project completed over the shortest period of time. A master plan will enable you to not only do the project in phases but also make purchases at optimum times as well. This will also give you great flexibility in cost and design.
Phasing projects is a smart and reliable way to control your budget while moving forward at a manageable pace. This is not for everyone since it prolongs the length of time your house is under construction and some people simply aren’t suited for the constant and continuous upheaval; on the other hand, some people enjoy the process. Selecting the start and finish areas can be simply a matter of practicality and lifestyle; if you have kids at home for the summer it might be best not to start the kitchen first, but with a good plan in place you can certainly start somewhere else and work towards the kitchen. This also gives you an opportunity to buy appliances , cabinets, lighting, and plumbing fixtures on sale and store them until you need them. Taking careful notes and keeping a project file complete with pictures of products and features you want helps everyone throughout the life of the project.
At a time when budgets are tight and the market is unstable, a good well executed plan is the best way to be the winner at the end.
Tags: appliances, House Talk Today
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