What Are These White Crystals Growing On My Brick?

Recently, while visiting some friends, they asked my thoughts about some fine white crystals growing on the decorative tile around their fireplace. They have propane gas logs in their fireplace so the flue is supposed to be shut. This substance is called "efflorescence" and its a salt crystal that forms when water soaks through all kinds of masonry (efflorescence will also form on drywall and other surfaces penetrated by moisture) to the surface and dries. The water leeches out the salts from the masonry and when it reaches the surface the water evaporates leaving the salts behind. A little is normal, but excessive efflorescence will lead to the deterioration of the masonry and mortar if left unchecked, which is especially harmful if its taking place along your foundation, and is an indication of a moisture problem that will only get worse if left unchecked. Excessive efflorescence around a fireplace or chimney may be a sign of a compromised flue liner, so have a chimney inspector check your chimney for cracks or deterioration in the flue liner.

If you use your fireplace heavily, its recommended to have it serviced professionally every year. Every other year is adequate for a less frequently used fireplace.

My friends problem was two-fold. Their chimney is open, so rainwater falls unchecked into the chimney, and their damper is old so doesn't seal as it should in addition to a hole that has rusted through where the damper handle used to be. The damper, therefore, is letting warm moist are escape into the flue, where it condenses on the walls. To fix both of these contributors to an efflorescence problem, I suggest using a top-down chimney cap. This is a cap easily mounted to the top of a chimney. I recommend the screened variety: the screen helps keep animals and leaves from getting into your chimney, but it also has a spring loader damper to seal your chimney at the top. The damper is actuated by a cable that hangs down the chimney which you latch onto a bracket unobtrusively mounted inside the fireplace. To close the damper you pull the cable snug and slip into the bracket, to open, simply release the cable from the bracket.

Should you need to repair foundation supports due to deterioration associated with moisture, I recommend inserting a plastic membrane to serve as a moisture barrier. This is typically a moisture proof sheet of plastic that sits atop the lowermost foundation support and prevents the ground moisture from soaking into the higher adjoining masonry. For more on foundation moisture control check out the post on moisture proofing your crawlspace.

How To Tune Up Your HVAC

Without annual maintenance, your air conditioning doesn't operate at its peak efficiency and is more likely to lead to expensive repairs down the line. Some maintenance checks require a professional, so have one come out every 2 to 3 years to check the coolant level and electrical parts.

Outside

1. Turn off power to the condenser unit. There should be an electrical box attached to the side of the house in the immediate vicinity of the condenser. When you open this box you will find either a block shutoff that can be removed or a switch to turn off the power.

2. Vacuum the exterior of the unit to remove grass clippings, leaves and other debris using a soft bristled attachment. It's a good idea to bed the area with mulch or paving stones to prevent grass and weeds from growing up around the unit. Any bushes should be pruned back to allow for better air flow.

3. Crushed fins (the metal ridges similar to those on a car radiator or a fish's gills, which act much the same way) can be straightened with a dinner knife. Be gentle, you only want to straighten the bent fins and not puncture anything.

4. Unscrew the retaining screws for the grille/fan assembly on the top of the unit. Remove the grille and fan and remove any debris thats accumulated inside the unit. Wipe away any accumulated grime with a damp cloth.

5. From the inside of the unit, use a garden hose to spray the fins using moderate pressure from a nozzle attachment. You want to flush out accumulated grime and whatever the vacuuming missed.

6. Check the fan motor for lubrication ports or refer to your owner's manual. If availabe (newer models have sealed bearings that can't be lubricated) add 3-6 drops of electric motor oil (not all purpose oil or penetrating oil which can damage the bearings). Older models may have a belt driven compressor which may have lubrication ports as well.

7. Reattach the fan motor / grille assembly.

8. Set your inside thermostat to the off position. Restore power to the condenser unit. Wait 24 hours before resetting the inside thermostat.

Inside

1. Turn the power off to the furnace. There should be a nearby power switch.

2. Check the filter and change if necessary.

3. If you can get to the evaporator, vaccum the fins as you did for the condenser unit.

4. Open the blower compartment and vacuum up the accumulated dust and debris. Check the unit for lubrication ports or refer to the owners manual. If it has them apply electric motor oil to each found.

5. Check the plastic condensation drain tube for algae growth. Either clean the tube with a bleach/warm water solution or replace it with a new one. While you have the tube off, clean any debris from the drain port with a pipe cleaner or test tube brush.

6. Reattach the drain tube, and turn the power back on.

How To Fix a Damp Crawlspace and Prevent Mold

The purpose of foundation vents is to allow passing air to carry moisture out of crawlspaces. Except in especially dry climates, this often isn't enough. Even in warm hot summer months the humid moisture laden air will condense on the cooler foundation walls, pipes, ductwork, and even the underside of the flooring. Moisture, still air, and relative darkness is the perfect breeding ground for mold and mildew.

One mold inspector/technician I know recommends leaving the vent's open year long (trim hedges or other obstructions back to allow better air flow) and also wiring the crawlspace with low wattage lighting to run 24/7.

These tips will help keep your crawlspace dry and mold free:

1. Create Better Drainage around your home to prevent rainwater from seeping under the foundation. Grade soil to about .5 inch per foot. Import the soil if necessary, if you'll pardon the pun, it's dirt cheap. This step is highly recommended even if you have gutters to direct the rain water coming off your roof. If you do have gutters, make sure the water is directed away from the downspouts and not pooling back to the foundation.

2. Insulate the Exposed Foundation walls with 1.5 inch rigid, moisture-proof insulation such as Thermax, taping the seams. It would also be a good idea to use this same insulation to insulate the rim joists (the joists that sit atop the foundation walls) and caulk to prevent air flow.

3. Cover the Dirt Floor of the crawlspace with a heavy plastic (10-20 mil) moisture barrier. You want the barrier to be mostly continuous (a few accidental holes wont undo the protection and may even help puddles from heavy rains or a busted pipe drain off) so overlap and tape the seams. Attach the plastic at least 6 inches up on the foundation walls.

4. Cap the Interior of the Foundation Wall with a strip of the plastic sheeting and galvanized flashing to complete the moisture barrier. The flashing will also serve as an obstacle to termites (not a complete defense, just a part of your control program.

Better moisture control not only helps prevent mold and mildew growth, but also will help to extend the life of your ductwork, plumbing, pressure tanks, and hot water heaters located in the crawlspace.

Habitat for Humanity - Give to the Community and Learn

A couple of disjointed thoughts that leads me to this post:

1. I just finished reading an article about homeless dumping and it got me thinking about a couple of things. Chiefly, giving here at home.

2. My mom, who gives much to her church sponsored charities, was asked to give to a specific charity at work. She told them that she had already given to that same charity at her church. She was told that her contribution was mandatory because her employer wants to be recognized as a charitable organization in the community!

Giving back to the community isn't about recognition, but that doesn't mean that we can't benefit from it. For the DIY'er I recommend giving to your local Habitat for Humanity for several reasons and in several ways:

Donate Supplies

When you replace a light fixture, cabinets, windows or what-have-you, if the ones being replaced are still usable and in good condition consider donating them to the local habitat projects. Usually, it only requires a phone call and they'll come pick it up. It's win-win. You don't have to cart it to the dump, it's not occupying space in a land-fill, and it's going to continue to serve its purpose for someone who will be grateful to have it.

Donate a Weekend

This is where you get something back other than the good feeling from knowing you've done something worthwhile. When you give your time you'll probably meet some very knowledgeable people that you can learn from. You also might find yourself using tools you previously never used because you didn't know how. You can apply what you learn to your own sweat-equity projects around the house, and you might even make some friends that you can call on in a pinch.

It's also important to note that anyone can give their time. If you want to give but are afraid of heights, they're not going to have you laying shingles. If you don't know the difference between a screwdriver and a socketdriver, they'll either show you how to do it or put you to work doing something you're comfortable with.

The Habitat link above is for the habitat.org website. Many community chapters have their own websites as well.

How to Install a Programmable Thermostat

A programmable thermostat can be set to not heat or cool as much when you're not home to enjoy it, thus saving you hundreds of dollars a year. Not too shabby for a $30 investment! This may seem like a daunting task at first, but its really very simple:

1. Turn off power at HVAC unit and trip the breaker.

2. Remove cover from old thermostat and unscrew assembly from the wall. Disconnect the wires and label with terminal designations.

3. Bundle wires together and tie in a slipknot around a pencil or scrap piece of wood, to prevent losing down the gap between the walls.

4. Remove any old corrosion from bare ends of wire with sandpaper. Re-strip about 3/8 inches from end of wires where necessary.

5. Slip wires through new wall plate, and position with level. Using a pencil, mark the holes for the mounting screws. Remove the wall plate, drill the holes, and secure wall plate into position.

6. Connect the wires using terminal designations and/or manufacturers directions. Push the excess wire back through wall plate into gap between walls.

7. Attach front of assembly and cover. Turn power back on, and program your new thermostat.

That's all there is to it!

How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

I recently read an article about a science teacher who wanted to see how low he could cut his power bill. His success was so remarkable, that the power company took notice and suspected him of tampering with his meter. Many of the things he did were simple things that any of us could do easily.

1. Insulation. This is a broad topic and I'll be exploring more of this in a later post but for now I'll keep it simple. It's also #1 for a reason, though, as lost conditioned air makes us run our HVAC more than we should.

a. Outlet Pads - These are foam insulation pads that you can buy at most hardware stores. Simply install under your outlet or light switch covers to prevent air moving into or out from between the walls, especially on exterior walls.

b. Fill in the Gaps - Check under the sinks for gaps around plumbing. You'd be surprised how large some of these can be and still go unnoticed. Not only do these gaps allow cool damp air from your crawlspace to flow into your home, but may also be a little thoroughfare for unwanted critters. For larger gaps stuff with steel wool (to help prevent critters from chewing through) and cover with aluminum sided insulating tape. Smaller gaps can be filled with insulating foam.

c. Cover your insulation - Flooring your attic will increase its "R" value, but if you don't have the resources for that at the moment you can buy rolls of heavy plastic to roll out and staple to the joists with a heavy duty staple gun. This can be done in the attic and the crawl-space to help keep the conditioned air in the living space. You don't want the plastic to be airtight as some air should flow from crawlspace to attic (you also don't want to trap moisture in), just to slow it down.

d. Check Your Attic Access - Whether you have pull down stairs or a hatch, check for drafts. Weather-stripping is your quickest, most economical, choice. However, some people's access just won't seal due to warps or what have you, in this case I recommend insulated covers which are pretty cheap (about $30) and easy to install.

e. Check Your Chimney Flue - If you notice a draft coming from the fireplace, I recommend installing a top sealing chimney damper. These actually close off your chimney at the top (no more dead birds to dispose of every winter) and are spring loaded so exceptionally easy to open and close. Very easy to install (if you don't mind going up on the roof, otherwise call a professional) and cost as low as $125.

f. Check the Doors and Windows - Apply weather stripping where needed and fill gaps in the casings if you find any. For older doors and windows consider replacing with their more modern, energy efficient alternatives.

g. Check the Outside - Walk around the exterior of your home. Look for any gaps around exterior faucets, outlets, etc. Fill with a silicon sealant to keep the water out too.

2. Switch out your bulbs - Though slightly more expensive at purchase, fluorescent light bulbs are extremely long lived and energy efficient, you'll more than make up the cost in savings on your power bill.

3. Install a Programmable Thermostat - A programmable thermostat can be set to not heat or cool as much when you're not home to enjoy it, saving you hundreds of dollars a year. Not too shabby for a $30 investment!

4. Fill empty space in refrigerator and freezer with jugs of water. The mass will conserve the temperature in addition to taking up air space that warm air can occupy when you open the door. A full refrigerator and freezer are much more energy efficient that empty ones.

5. Unplug electrical appliances that are seldom used, say in a guest bed-room. Even when they aren't running, appliances will slowly "leak" electrical current.

6. Wait to do full loads of dishes and laundry. Additionally, when doing laundry, use the correct setting for the amount of laundry you're doing.

7. When you have to buy new appliances, always shop around for the ones that are the most energy efficient. After all, you'll probably have them for many years, and the savings will add up.

How To Install Laminate Flooring

Laminate wood flooring is an excellent alternative to natural wood flooring with a few key benefits:

1. Price - As more manufacturers get into the market, the quality of the products available goes up and the prices come down.

2. Ease of Installation - Installing laminate flooring is incredibly easy. In fact, some friends of mine who were expecting a baby installed the flooring themselves throughout their house with relative ease. This is saying something considering my friend usually calls upon me for any task that calls upon using power tools! Truthfully, I helped him out at the very beginning, but once he had a little faith in himself, he had no problems.

3. Nearly Maintenance-Free - Laminate flooring resists staining, wear, and fading much better than wood and natural stone. It's very durable (about 10 times stronger than a kitchen countertop) and is water-resistant (since it is made of wood, however, it will still swell and buckle in areas of excessive moisture, so care should be used to adhere to spacing, and the use of glue is recommended). Unlike most hardwoods, laminates are virtually dent resistant, but matching fillers are made in case of gouges or dents. Laminate flooring requires little maintenance. You won't have to wax or oil your floors, have them sanded and restained, or screened and recoated.

How to Install

For my descriptions, I'll assume you are working from left to right, and that you are working with a glueless laminate flooring in an area not prone to excessive moisture. In areas prone to moisture (entry ways, halls outside of bathrooms, and utility closets) I advise gluing all panels. This will help prevent water penetrating to the core of the panels.

1. Prep the floor. If you can't remove the furniture from the room, move it to one side, try to give yourself a good 6-10 feet of room to work . You should plan to run the flooring along the wall offering the most light. Laminate flooring can be laid on top of most existing flooring provided it is sound, and level.

2. Install a vapor barrier. This is a thin foam mat coupled with a sheet of plastic that you can buy at any flooring provider. It will help prevent moisture from the sub-floor surface penetrating the laminate as well as provide a cushion and sound baffle so the laminate doesn't "bounce" or "pop" off the sub-floor. Most will come with a self-adhering tape to join the strips together.

3. For the first row you lay down, lay two panels close together end to end with the long tongue facing you. Cut a panel in half, using either a table saw or a circular saw at an appropriate work table, and lock in the right-hand half below the first panel in the top row. Always use caution, and wear safety goggles and respirator masks when cutting.

4. Lock in a full panel in the row you started with the half to bridge the two initial panels above. Now, using your tapping block (Hard plastic block shaped to not damage laminate) and hammer, tap the right-most panel in the top layer to lock into the panel to its left, and then repeat for the row below. Continue to use this bridging technique for the first row.

5. When you get to the end of the first row, where a full panel will not fit you will need to measure and cut a piece to fit: a. using a full panel, rotate the panel by 180 so that the long tongue is facing away from you, b. line the panel up where you would like the panel to end, giving yourself enough clearance to lock in place, c. using the end of the last board, mark on the panel you're going to cut using a straight edge (hint: I usually end up using that second half of the first board we cut as my straight edge, and thickness guide for cutting the door frames, etc). Cut the piece, position, and tap into place using a hammer and drawbar (metal bar shaped something like a "Z" to allow you to pull in end pieces).

6. Using the other portion of the panel you just cut, begin your next row. Some instructions say you should never use a piece shorter that 16 inches.

7. Continue in this fashion until you complete the room. Unless you're really lucky you'll probably need to "rip" all of your last row to fit. Here's where those with table saws have an advantage, but you can still do it with any other saw. Simply flip the panel over and like measuring for the end pieces, you'll measure for the remaining strip for the length of the panel.

8. There you've laid the flooring, now all you need to do is install toe molding (quarter round) to cover the clearances you left for expansion. Use care to attach molding to shoe molding, wall studs, or even the subfloor: NOT the laminate.

Addition note: For larger rooms (larger than 40 feet x 25 feet) you may need to install expansion joints, so that the entire floor will not be continuous but separate floating floors bridged by a strip that covers the gap, like you'll be using at the thresholds. For most homes, however, this won't be necessary if you do each room and hallway separately using the threshold strips to bridge the gaps.

How to Fix Popped Nails in Drywall

Often we'll see popped nails in our homes. These usually look like nickel sized bubbles in the drywall, or sometimes the nail head will pop through the drywall altogether. Fortunately, these are really easy to fix with common household tools. Here's what you do:

1. First, make sure theres a stud where the nailhead is. About two inches above or below the popped nail drive a wallboard screw through the wallboard into the stud. You'll want to slightly countersink the screwhead just below the surface of the wallboard.

2. With a hammer, gently drive the popped nail just below the drivewall surface. Lightly sand the spots with fine 150 grit sandpaper.

3. Using a wallboard knife (a putty knife will do if you have one) fill the sanded dents with joint compound or spackling. Let these dry thoroughly, generally 24 hours.

4. Since joint compound shrinks as it dries, give them a second application, then wipe with a damp sponge to level with the surrounding drywall. Again, let them dry thoroughly.

5. After the joint compound has dried, you can still level with either a wet but well wrung out kitchen sponge (polyurethane) or fine 150 grit sandpaper.

6. Now you're ready to paint!

How to Fix Common Toilet Problems

Problem: Water runs constantly
1. Adjust lift chain (or lift wire) so that flapper (or tank ball) seats securely in valve seat.
2. Clean valve seat and flapper or tank ball.
3. Check overflow pipe: if corroded, remove (unscrew) and replace.

Problem: Water overflows into overflow tube
1. Bend float arm down slightly.

Problem: Water continues to run after flushing
1. Bend float arm up slightly
2. Shake float to check if water has gotten inside, if so, replace
3. Clean valve seat and flapper or tank ball.

Problem: Whistling sounds coming from tank
1. Replace washers in ballcock valve plunger (located at top of water inlet pipe in the tank) or
2. Replace whole assembly with newer and more trouble-free floating cup-ballcock assembly.

Problem: Splashing sounds coming from tank
1. Reposition refill tube to flow directly into overflow tube
2. Replace washers in ballcock valve plunger (located at top of water inlet pipe in the tank) or
3. Replace whole assembly with newer and more trouble-free floating cup-ballcock assembly.

Problem: Tank doesn't flush completely / Usually have to flush more than once
1. Shorten lift wires or chains to make tank ball or flapper lift higher
2. Bend float arm up slightly
3. Shake float to check if water has gotten inside, if so, replace.

Problem: Tank sweats
1. Insulate tank by lining with fitted sheets of polystyrene or foam rubber, usually sold as kits at your local hardware store
2. Contact a plumber to install a tempering valve to heat the water in the tank.

Problem: Tank leaks
1. First, check to make sure all connections to tank are tight (be careful to not overtighten and crack porcelain), if so try to isolate where the leak is coming from. Your local hardware store will have dye tablets to help you spot the source of the leak
2. If you can't isolate where the leak is coming from, remove all fittings from the tank, remove the tank, clean, dry, and look for any possible hair-line cracks. If there is a crack, no matter how small, you'll need to replace the tank. However, if no cracks are apparent, now would be a good time to replace all the fittings. Mineral deposits accumulate in a tank over time and accelerate corrosion. I recommend replacing all fittings so you won't have to repeat this process 6 months from now for a different fitting.

Problem: Toilet leaks at base / Smell sewage in bathroom
1. Tighten nuts on base of bowl. Use care to not overtighten and crack porcelain.
2. Turn off water, drain tank, remove nuts and bolts securing bowl to floor. Remove wax seal completely from base of bowl / drain pipe. Replace wax seal following instructions on container. Secure bowl to floor using new nuts and bolts that should come with the wax seal, again, use caution to not overtighten and damage the porcelain.

Losing Water Pressure? Getting Blasts of Air From Your Faucets? Check Your Pressure Tank!

Your pressure tank lies between your well pump and the rest of your homes plumbing. Its generally less than half the size of your hot water heater. It's purpose is to act as a pressure switch to your well pump. The tank fills with water pushing the trapped air to the top of the tank. When the air pressure drops below a pre-set amount, usually 30-40 psi, it turns on the pump. When the pressure gets within the target range, usually 50-60 psi, the pump is turned off.

When the tank loses too much air it becomes "water-logged", and this causes the well pump to turn on and off again fairly frequently, and you'll notice a marked loss in water pressure.

How to fix a waterlogged pressure tank:
1. Turn off power to the pump
2. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve located on the bottom of the tank, open the valve and drain the tank of all pressure
3. Now turn on a faucet to allow all the water to drain from the tank
4. Turn off the faucet, close the drain valve, remove the hose, and turn the pump back on.

Usually a tank becomes waterlogged due to a leak. Inspect your tank for any spots of corrosion. Tank plugs are available, but its a temporary solution and should only be used as a stop-gap until you can replace the tank.

If, when you turn on your faucets, you get a blast of air, your pressure tank may be "air-bound."

How to fix an air-bound pressure tank:
1. Turn off power to the pump
2. Attach a garden hose to the drain valve located on the bottom of the tank, open the valve and drain the tank of all pressure
3. Replace the air volume control if your tank has one
4. Close the drain valve, remove the hose, and turn the pump back on.

If the problem persists, you probably have a leak in the piping between the well pump and the house, and should call a licensed well contractor.