Reusable Shopping Bags

These days being “green” is in style. So why not be in style?

Approximately 100 billion plastic bags each year are thrown away and sent to the land fill. Plastic bags take up to 1000 years to decompose, and when they do, they break down into toxins that poison the soil and water.

So an easy, environmentally safe solution is to bring your own reusable shopping bags with you! They are durable, easy to clean, and can fit more groceries, reducing the amount of trips unloading the car. They also look good! Many grocery stores even reward you for bringing your own bags, such as Trader Joe’s, who every time you shop with your own bags will enter you to win a monthly drawing worth $25.

These days, there are many stylish shopping bag options. I really like bags that fold down into a smaller bag so I can carry them in my purse or store them in my car glove compartment.

In addition to carrying your own bags, here are some other quick tips to help the environment while shopping:
1. If you purchase something small, skip the bag and carry it out.
2. Ask your local stores to stop providing free bags, or offer incentives to costumers bringing their own bags.
3. If you must use bags at the store, opt for paper over plastic, and don’t double bag.

Image courtesy of Diana Lili M.

Craftsman Lawn Mower Maintenance

At some point during the winter, my lawn mower quit working. I would yank on the pull cord but to no avail. And so I began my Saturday determined to try everything I could before taking it to a repair center. Todd has a great post on maintaining a John Deere X300 over at Home Construction Improvement. His post reminded me of all the things I should have been doing anyway.

Lawn Mower Maintenance

FYI: I have a Craftsman rotary lawn mower with a 6.75Hp Briggs & Stratton engine. Mower model number 917.370721.

1. Inspect the air filter. Some mower filters are little foam squares. I’ve heard you can simply wash these and pop them back in. My mower had a paper filter. It was really dirty and in need of replacement. The correct filter for my mower was Craftsman item #33644.

2. Check out the spark plug. The spark plug on my mower is in front and has a spark plug wire connected that simply unsnaps. Unscrew the plug and have a look. A burnt out spark plug is easily spotted by the scorch marks. My plug was recently replaced and looked like it was still in good shape. It was manufactured by Champion item #J19LM.

3. Remove the old gas. The gas in the tank was from last season. I had added stabilizer but wanted to eliminate all potential problems. Over time gas will degrade and lose combustion. Stabilizer works to slow the oxidation process and keep gas fresh. All it takes is adding a little stabilizer when you fill up your gas can. As a precaution, I siphoned out the old gas (and later added new gas). Don’t do it the old fashion way! I speak from experience. Use a siphon like this.

4. Change the oil. It’s important to have an empty gas tank so you don’t flood the engine. All I had to do was tip my mower on its side and let the old oil pour out. Then, I added new oil till I reached the full level on the dip-stick. I used SAE30. Colder climates should use 10W-5. Also, my mower doesn’t have an oil filter to change.

5. Clean up the mower. I removed some grass and leaves from the underside and some more from the mower deck. I also removed the blade to sharpen it. I used a simple file but would recommend a grinder. Using a file is time consuming. Make sure you sharpen evenly to keep the blade balanced. Unbalanced blades become problematic down the road.

After all this I decided to give it a try. I was a little shocked when it started right up. Next, I happily mowed my front yard.

What do you think? What maintenance does your mower need?
Image courtesy of Sa’ d Khorsid.

Grilling Accident and Dry Leaves Cause House Fire

The following are pictures Kim took on a very sad day in our neighborhood last week:  the house across the court from us caught fire.  The fire and subsequent smoke and water damage have destroyed nearly everything in it.  Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the owners are fully insured.  The insurance company has already gone to work to triage the damage (those pictures were on our other camera).  We’ll certainly be watching how the insurance company performs.

The Story: One of the homeowners was cooking his wife dinner on a charcoal grill on the back deck.  A hot coal escaped from the grill and ignited dry leaves below the deck that had not been cleaned up last fall.  The fire quickly spread through the leaves and then caught the deck itself on fire.

Kim smelled the fire from inside our house and ran out to see what was happening.  She called 911 and was told she was the third report of the fire in 5 minutes.  She said that within 2 minutes of the deck catching, the fire spread up the whole back of the house, up into the second story, and through the attic.   It’s amazing how fast a fire spreads through a stick-built house, particularly in dry weather…

The Baltimore County fire department arrived in just over 5 minutes and quickly contained and extinguished the fire.  We commend them for the quick and effective response!  It makes us feel very good to have a responsive fire department close by, even though we hope to never use them!

Of course, the kids loved seeing the fire trucks (I particularly like the picture Kim took of the fire truck in the third row).  It’s unfortunate that it was under these cirumstances that they got to see them.

What do you think? Have you had a great experience with your local fire department?  Do you have leaves under your deck you need to rake up?!?

Industrial Basement Ceiling Look using an Airless Paint Sprayer

Have you ever wanted to create a basement that has an industrial ceiling look (the one that has become popular in many commercial businesses, especially restaurants?).  Instead of installing a drop ceiling or a drywall ceiling in the basement, you might consider using an airless paint sprayer to paint the joists, ductwork, and beams.  You could try to do the job with brushes and paint rollers, but it would be simply impractical.  There are too many angles involved to get it to look good using that method.

What color should I choose? The ceilings I’ve seen done this way are either flat black, very dark brown, or white.  A darker color will tend to hide imperfections in the ceiling, but may also lead to the room feeling much smaller.  A lighter color may show more imperfections, but will make the room feel for open, and will make the ceiling seem higher.  You might also consider using an accent color (like a red or green) for the ductwork and other accent marks. Our favorite is a black ceiling, because it tends to draw the eye down into the room. No matter your choice, we recommend selecting a flat paint as it will definitely hide the imperfections in the ceiling much better than a gloss or semi-gloss would.

What Airless Paint Sprayer should I use? We used the Wagner Spray Tech II 2,750 PSI Paint Crew Sprayer, a version we purchased at Home Depot. The advantages of this particular sprayer include the hopper being located on the ground, and a long spray hose.  If you’re going to paint the ceiling, you don’t want to be holding the paint itself above your head for long as some sprayers would require; it will get very tiresome. There are a number of paint sprayers out on the market, and we’re only half-happy with the Wagner. I would recommend looking for hopper-on-ground versions of paint sprayers and selecting the one you find with the best reviews.

What about electric wires? Normally, electric for lighting would be hidden by drywall or a drop ceiling.  You will probably need to run wires in conduit if you leave the ceiling beams exposed.  Of course, requirements vary by locale.  You should always consult with a licensed electrician before finishing an electric project in your home.

What about ducts? We’ve gotten a number of questions about whether or not you can paint the ducts when you paint the ceiling. The answer is that you absolutely can, and if you prime first you likely won’t have any problem with the paint peeling from the duct work. Sealing ducts (with a mastic, for example), has become a more frequent project for folks looking to save energy on home improvement. Painting the ducts will not seal them, so if you’re considering sealing, make sure to do that first.

Our friend Chuck just wrote a guest post on painting his basement ceiling white. I’m a much bigger fan of the flat black look, but Chuck wanted the room to feel open and airy.

What do you think? Will you consider an industrial ceiling look for your home?  Have you already done this?

Algae Preventer / Killer for Discus & Angelfish Aquariums

That’s a picture of our tank.  We’ve been raising discus and angelfish (along with neons, corycats, and other tetras) for about 4 years.  At first, we were very diligent about water changes in the tank.  We changed out 1/3 of the water each week.  (We weren’t willing to do the 10%/day change that the discus would really love - that would be too time consuming).  Over time, we got lax on water changes – pushing the envelope to 3-4 weeks, and in worst cases, to 5 weeks or more.

During times when we didn’t change the water for extended periods, green and brown algae would begin to develop on the walls of the aquarium, and all over our plastic plants.  We were fearful of trying chemical algae preventers due to the harm they might cause the fish.  For those who don’t know, Discus can run anywhere from $10-$200 at retail stores, with prices only slightly better from wholesalers.  At those stakes, it’s not like killing a feeder goldfish; these fish are an investment.  Of course, we weren’t worried about harming plants; we prefer the low-maintenance aspect of the plastic ones we’ve picked.

We finally had a friend recommend Algae Destroyer Advanced by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.  We added it to the tank.  Wow!  We were impressed.  Algae Destroyer worked almost immediately (2-3 days).   Both the green and brown algae have abated.  In fact, the algae used to be our warning sign that we were overdue for a water change, now we don’t get any algae – even if we don’t change the water for 6-8 weeks.  I haven’t noticed any distress among the fish (nor have we lost any in the last 6 months since we’ve been using Algae Destroyer).

You may want to use caution if you have young fish or live plants.  I have not tried this algae preventer under those conditions (although AP claims it will work for that situation).

What do you think? Has Algae Destroyer or another product worked for you?

Before and After: Pressure Washing the Fence

This weeks “Before and After” comes to you from my neighbors back yard. This is the same friend with the large stump that needed to be removed. He’s working hard to transform his backyard and part of that is addressing the dingy looking fence.

The fence looks to be about 20+ years old and has taken that grayish tinge. The fence-posts have been set in concrete which makes removing the fence that much harder. An easier (and cheaper) option was to use a pressure washer to remove the dirt, mold and years added by weather.

He borrowed Fred’s pressure washer. It’s a Troy Bilt, gas powered, pressure washer. One important feature is adjusting the pressure level. High enough pressure will damage the material you are washing. Low pressure will be ineffective. Make sure you set the pressure to the appropriate level. Generally, 1500 PSI will do the trick for most wood surfaces. Try this setting on an unseen area beforehand.

Check out the difference! Next he will clean up any rough spots, seal and stain.

And now it’s your turn! Link in your “Before and After” post and leave a comment below. Thanks.

Melnor AquaTimer Duo Hose Timer Review

I bought the Melnor AquaTimer Duo Hose Timer for $29.99 from Home Depot with high hopes. I’ve always wanted a fancy in-ground automatic sprinkler system, but haven’t been willing to spring for it. The Melnor AquaTimer promised the middle class alternative: just hook it up between the hose spigot and the sprinkler, set up a watering program, and you’re good to go for hassle-free watering.

Unfortunately, the Melnor turns out to be hassle-free for only seven days.

On or about the seventh day, you’ll find the plastic coupling on the top of the timer has broken and disconnected from the spigot (see below). Of course, the water will still be flowing at full force, flooding anything that’s down grade from where the timer used to be connected.

Our Experience

We’ve owned two of these units now. The first I connected directly to the spigot per the instructions from Melnor. It worked for about a week before the coupling failed. I realize that any product can fail once, so I took it back to big orange and exchanged it for another. I figured that the weight of the timer and hose hanging from the spigot may have contributed to the failure. So, I attached a small 5 ft. hose to the spigot, then the timer, and then the long hose to the sprinkler. One more week passed, this time with the timer sitting on the ground, and it failed again, dumping hundreds of gallons of water into the back yard.

Pros, Cons, and Verdict

Pros:

• Easy-to-use digital interface.
• Multiple programming options for watering on specific days, odd/even days, etc.
• Second non-timed connector for regular hose use.
• Promises to use only one 9-volt battery for the full watering season

Cons:

• Similarly-priced models can control two hoses (although usually lack digital programming)
• Works for about 7 days, then fails in the worst way

Verdict: Great for spontaneous mud pit creation and flooding the neighbor’s basement. Fortunately, the 9-volt still has enough charge after 7 days to be used for something else.

What do you think? Have you had a better experience with a Melnor product?  Can you recommend a hose timer that actually works?

Home Inspection Questions – Heating and Cooling (part 3)

This is the last part of a series covering some major questions to ask your home inspector. We’ve already covered home exteriors and electrical. This post will focus on heating and cooling systems.

Heating and Cooling

Find out what type of heating system is installed. Basically, most heating systems fall into two categories: furnaces and boilers. Furnaces will heat the air and distribute it with fans and ductwork. Boilers heat water and distribute heat with pipes and pumps through radiators.

Does your heater have a SEER rating or AFUE rating? The SEER rating indicates the efficiency of the system. Higher SEER ratings equal a more efficient unit meaning lower energy costs for you. The AFUE rating is between 0 and 100. Higher AFUE ratings mean more energy is utilized for heating and less escapes as exhaust.

Make sure you are comfortable turning the unit on and off. Learn what kind of maintenance is required (i.e. cleaning, changing filters). Spend a little time with the thermostat. Programmable thermostats are worthwhile but can be confusing at first. Be sure your comfortable operating it. Find out if it’s hard-wired or battery powered. If your heating unit won’t come on, check the thermostat first. It may simply need new batteries.

Find out the age of the air conditioner. Average life expectancy is around 12 years. A new compressor is like a new motor for a car. But be careful as generic brand compressors are cheap replacements that won’t last. Only use manufacturer approved replacements.

Ducts should be cleaned and inspected periodically. For the majority of homes, once every three years is adequate. Find out the last time the previous owner had it done. Cleaning your ducts (especially laundry vents) eliminates fire hazards and allergens.

What do you think? What did you discover about your HVAC system? What kind of problems did your inspector find?
Image courtesy of Justin Baeder

Allstate 3% Tropical Cyclone Deductible

Allstate Insurance Company: “Dear Customer, We’re writing you to let you know about a change we’re making to the Allstate Insurance company property policy referred to above [our home].  At that policy’s upcoming renewal, it will add a mandatory Tropical Cyclone Deductible to your policy in an amount equal to 3% of your Dwelling Protection coverage limit.“  Italics are theirs, not mine.

Fred & Kim: “Let’s see, 3% times…. carry the…  multiply by the fraction of … that’s um… that’s a $9,900 deductible! That can’t be what they mean… let’s call the agent.”

…So we called our agent and got his assistant (We’re in good hands, you know).  I asked the two questions I could think of: ”What exactly qualifies as a Tropical Cyclone?“  and, “You’ve got to be kidding right? Isn’t the point of insurance not to outlay that much money in a disaster?”

The agent’s assistant said that Allstate defines a Tropical Cyclone as any storm named by the National Weather Service (Andrew, Isabel, Katrina, etc.)  She also said that it would be unlikely for us to be hit with that type of storm in the Maryland area.  (eh hem… if that’s the case, it begs the question why the deductible needs to be so high in the first place).

Anyhow, I can only assume she isn’t from here.  Back in 2003, Hurricane Isabel came straight up the coast, boasting 80mph gusts when she got here.  Since Maryland isn’t in hurricane alley, those winds knocked down countless shallow-rooted trees.  In fact, our previous house had a tree fall on the roof during the storm.  My insurance company at the time (Harleysville Mutual) paid more than $4000.00, and this without sending out an adjuster!  And, since I removed the tree with the help of friends, they waived my deductible ($500.00)!  Had I been with Allstate under this new policy, they would have paid a big fat zero… zilch… nada.

As for the answer to my second question… well… they weren’t kidding.  To his credit, our agent promptly called me back and acknowledged that it was a lot of money.  He said he’d call corporate and see if they could do anything about it.  I noted that we have two properties insured with Allstate, and that there was no way we could stay with the company with the potential of a $17,000 bill if both were damaged in the same storm.  Ultimately, corporate wouldn’t budge.  Our agent referred me to a friend of his who is an insurance broker for a broad range of companies.  That I liked.  At least he’s being a good salesman (if you can’t get the commission, at least get the referall fee).

So we’re leaving Allstate (at least for homeowners).  But I think there’s a bigger issue here:

Is Allstate Being Deceptive?

I can understand that Allstate needs to recover their losses and price their coverage to make a profit.  But there’s a bigger issue here in the manner in which they’ve disclosed this increase:  Allstate could have easily quoted the actual dollar figure for the deductible instead of citing it only as a % of the Dwelling Coverage limit.  My guess is that many people will see 3% and will not realize the magnitude of the outlay they are committing to.  Further, I think Allstate knows this, and that’s why they chose this way of presenting the increase.  What’s worse is that people will be hit with this cost at a moment of weakness – likely when their house has been destroyed during a storm.

What do you think? Do you have Allstate?  Does Allstate have a responsibility to more fully disclose this information, or am I overreacting?

Photo: There’s a House Under There… Somewhere by billums.

Before and After: Home Office

This week’s “Before and After” features our home office. You may have read some about this project when I reviewed paint brand options.

When we moved into our house this room was the least offensive to the eye. I really liked the chair rail and didn’t mind the sage green color. Two years later, I’m bored with the color and HATE the off-white trim. The walls were chipping in spots and damaged from lots of nail holes. So we decided it was time to redesign!

One day, the office will become a baby nursery (no, we are not pregnant) and since Ethan and I both dislike painting, I wanted to choose a design that could easily be converted. I originally fell in love with the color below the chair rail, Cheyenne Rock by Behr, and in order to add more light to the room, chose two shades lighter on the color spectrum for above the chair rail. The top color has more of a purple hew than I pictured, but I added more green accents to the room in order to neutralize this.

With the walls no longer green, the hunter green hand-me-down dresser and end-table no longer fit the decor. I refinished them by lightly sanding, priming, and painting them. I highly recommend using a small roller designed for painting cabinets. The furniture looks brand new and I even surprised myself with how good they look painted.

So after painting the walls and trim, refinishing the furniture, getting rid of the clutter, and changing out the wall art (with Photography by Chris Paulis), the room finally feels finished. I am really enjoying the fresh, new feel, especially with the white furniture and new accents.

What do you think? What would you have done differently? Any suggestions to help complete the design?

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