On the Wire - Bracing for the Storm
We’re not out of the woods from hurricane season until November. Folks in Florida and along the North Carolina Outer Banks actually plan for a visit from a major named storm sometime during the season. For them, securing vulnerable doors and windows is a snap. But for most folks in hurricane-prone areas, a quick review might be in order. The main word that needs to be directly associated with hurricanes is "pressure." Pressure is created when the path of rapidly moving air is blocked or otherwise obstructed. When hurricane-force winds are propelled against a tree, a sign or your house, the pressure builds up and pushes until it finds a path around an obstruction.
One of the most vulnerable areas ¬¬is your garage door. It doesn’t take much of a gust to push in the center of a double-wide garage door and pop it off its roller tracks. Once that wind gets in, the pressure could blow the roof off your house. Most manufacturers make reinforced garage doors for potential high-wind environments. If you don’t have one, upgrade kits are available. These kits consist of several horizontal metal braces that can easily be installed with a drill or screw-driver. As an added precaution, park your vehicles inside the garage, close the door, and then carefully back the vehicles tight against the door for additional support.
You can also make storm shutters for glass doors and windows. The most important part of this job involves the fastening system. A surprisingly large number of plywood shutters get blown off houses during hurricanes because of a failure in the fastening process. The best choice is 5/8-inch exterior grade plywood. Measure the size of the window or door and add 8 inches to both dimensions. This will provide an ideal 4-inch overlap on all sides. Depending on the size of the piece, drill between four and six half-inch holes across the center of the plywood panel. These will equalize the pressure in the cavity between the window and the shutter. Now it’s time for the fasteners. If you have a wood framed house, use quarter-inch lag screws that are two inches long for any windows that measure 4’ by 4’ or smaller. For larger windows, use 3/8-inch lag screws that are 3-1/2 inches long.
To find out how to brace large glass doors or picture windows or make storm shutters for your masonry wall home, click here.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Remodel or Not?
This week’s question comes to us from Linda Langford in Indiana: “I bought a 1910 Craftsman house in Indiana. I was ready to remodel when I was told by the contractor to consider selling because of structural issues in the front of the house. The brick stairwell support is crumbling and two front bedroom floors are sloping 3-4 inches. I also found out there was a fire in the attic at some point, none of which was disclosed to me before purchase or found by the inspector. I am ready to retire on a limited budget. Do I hope the house will last another 100 years and do my remodel?”
Linda, the good news is that if it lasted this long, it will probably be around for a while. It may sound like there are a lot of problems, but they may not be as serious as you think. Of those you mentioned, the first one you should address are the floors. You need to find out why they are sloping. Get some advice from a contractor or engineer and find out whether this is normal settling, or something more serious such as a termite infestation. The brick stairwell support is not connected to your home and easily fixed. Tackle each problem individually. Start with structural issues and then work on cosmetic problems. You’ll be enjoying your new home and retirement in no time!
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Got A Question About Your Money Pit?
You can do-it-yourself but you don't have to do-it-alone. Getting in touch with us is as easy as 1 - 2 or 3!
- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
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On the Air - iPod, uPod, We Can All Pod!
iPod? uPod? We can all Pod together! Important Announcement for Podcast listeners: As you may know, The Money Pit is available for download to your iPod or other mp3 player. If you are already a Podcast subscriber, you will need to re-subscribe to the feed to receive current shows. To do so, click hereand follow the instructions.
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Dot Common Sense - The Best Online Calculators
This week, we wanted to bring you the best online calculators out there. Here are some great websites that will save you time and money by doing the math for you:
Go to www.behr.comfor interior and exterior paint calculators. Not only can you figure out exactly how much paint you’ll need, you can plan your painting project from start to finish. With the Color Smart system, you can see exactly what your paint colors will look like and you can even order sample sizes of paint to try out your colors before you make a commitment.
Visit www.homedepot.comto take advantage of this site's handy and easy-to-use project calculators to automatically estimate the amount of materials you need for popular home improvement projects. You may never buy more materials than you need again!
If you have 5 minutes and your energy bills are handy, you can go to www.energystar.gov to find out if your energy use is above average. You will need to enter some common information about your home such as age, square footage, number of occupants and energy bill totals for a consecutive 12-month period. If you don't keep your bills, contact your utility for a 12-month summary. You can even get a list of customized energy improvements and the estimated savings.
www.warmair.net features an excellent selection of energy conservation calculators. By answering a few simple questions, you can compare cost savings by converting gas to oil or oil to gas. There are also calculators for estimating insulation savings, as well as to determine how much money you can save by adding a set-back thermostat.
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Fun Fact - Concrete Care
Concrete is a tough but porous material that can easily hold dirt and grime. But by applying a sealer to fresh concrete, you can keep it looking new for years to come. For older concrete, use a pressure washer along with an application of mildicide. The mildicide kills fungus that detracts from the concrete's surface and the pressure washer blasts years of grime away.
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Short Cuts - Old Furniture, New Life
Admit it, you must have it lying around somewhere. Not many escaped the 80s without shiny furniture. We’re talking about the lacquered, contemporary stuff that lots of you probably held onto long into the next decade. There is a way to give that old 80s lacquered furniture new life.
Preparation is the key to a great paint job on previously stained or lacquered furniture. Start by washing surfaces with a cleaning solution, then rinse well with clean water. Next, give the furniture a good sanding with 320-grit sandpaper and lastly wipe surfaces down with a tack cloth. Now your furniture is ready for that fresh coat of paint and a whole new look!
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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