McCulloch 25cc Gas Blower Review (The Mosquito 86 Gas Blower)

Fall is well under way in Baltimore, County MD.  Early to mid-November is the turning point here; most trees have traded their beautiful reds, yellows and oranges for a mixture of dark burgandies, tans, and browns.  About 1/3 of all the leaves that will fall already have, and by early-mid December, the molting will be almost complete.

The leaves on the ground gave us our first opportunity to test the McCulloch Gas Blower that Mosquito 86 sent to us for review & our September giveaway.  We used the blower to spread Mosquito 86′s Agent E solution in the late Summer, and were anxious to give it a whirl on fallen leaves.  I’m happy to report that overall, the McCulloch did well, but as with most tools, had its drawbacks.

McCulloch Gas Blower Review

Before I get started with the Pros and Cons, one thing made the McCulloch a real treat: no cord. When you use an electric blower, you must unwind a cord, plug it in, attach the blower, do the job, rewind the cord neatly, and put the blower and cord back.  A gas blower eliminates all but one of these steps, making it much more friendly for shorter jobs.  While you do have to refuel, the trade in our minds is a simple one.  I find myself blowing off our deck about once per week and it takes only about 5 minutes total, compared with what could be 15 minutes of work with an electric model.

Pros:

• No cord.
• Lightweight and well-balanced for blowing leaves.  (The handle is located in a good position).
• 180-MPH (claimed) airflow and 325cfm (claimed) air volume provided more than enough punch to move leaves quickly, even when wet.  This blower performed much better than electric models we’ve used.
• Gas tank yields 30-45 minutes of blower time between fill ups.
• Start up is quick and easy, requiring about 3-5 pulls when priming instructions are followed.

Cons:

• A moderate amount of vibration at the handle proved a little rough on the hands and lower arm after extended use.
• Worse for the environment than an eletric model.

What do you think? Have you used this or another gas blower?  What was your experience?

Free Standing Deck Using Two Sets of Posts

When we planned the construction of our deck, we wrestled with whether to install only one set of posts 12 feet out from the house, or to install two sets, with the second set of posts closer to the house (2 feet out) for added support.  After weighing the alternatives, we decided it made a lot of sense to install two posts, creating essentially a free standing deck.  Here’s why:

Advantages of Free Standing Construction

1. The deck can support substantially more weight than if the joists were attached to joist hangers alone.  If significant extra weight were added (e.g., a hot tub, which we’ve considered), we would need to double or triple the joists in that area of the deck, but the deck would be able to support the weight.
2. If the deck is not connected directly to the house, leaks cannot develop in the house. (Note: Our deck is still connected; see the third drawback for more info).
3. The extra set of posts allowed our builder to use a smaller joist size since the spanning distance was not as long.  While the cost didn’t completely make up for the labor and materials associated with the additional posts, it made the difference less.

Drawbacks

1. Additional cost associated with digging, pouring footers, and the pressure treated 6x6s and 2x12s  for the posts and supporting frame.
2. Furniture placement under the deck is further limited if you plan to install a patio area or lower deck.   We currently have no plans for this.
3. If the deck is ultimatley not connected to the house via a ledger board, diagonal supports must be added to handle racking forces (e.g. horizontal forces present on the deck due to a large group of people moving around).  We still connected the deck to the house.

Since we planned to build the deck structure to last for years to come, we decided the advantages more than outweighed the extra cost, especially since we may install a hot tub sometime in the future.

What do you think? Did you make a decision on free standing deck construction?  What did you choose?

What Does It Mean To Be Underwater in a Mortgage?

With all the turmoil in the housing market these days, the term underwater is being tossed about quite frequently, especially as it applies to home and mortgages.  So what exactly does it mean to be underwater?

Being underwater in a mortgage means that the total debt secured by a property (e.g., the total value of all mortgage loans), exceeds the appraised value of that property.  Being underwater indicates a negative equity position. For instance, if you have a first mortgage for $100,000; and a second mortgage for $20,000, but your house appraises for only $110,000, you are underwater by $10,000.

Being underwater was very uncommon for the six years preceding the last 18 months because home prices were constantly on the rise, by as much as 20% year over year.  Of course, universal 20% growth is simply not sustainable, and the correction the markets brought in 2007 and 2008 has put many honest, hardworking payers in a negative equity situation.

Problems Caused by Being Underwater

The most significant problem caused by being underwater in a mortgage is the inability to move without putting up a large amount of cash to make up the deficit in value.  Since selling the property will not net enough proceeds to pay off the loan, homeowners are essentially stuck in their current residences unless they have a large financial reserve.   In forced-move situations (for instance, due to lack of employment in the area), homeowners must be foreclosed, or come up with a creative solution, like renting their current property and moving into a rental in the new location.

Worse yet for many homeowners is the inability to refinance the loan(s) to a lower rate.  As Ethan wrote about in his recent article, when a property is underwater, mortgage lenders don’t want to take the risk.  The fact that a homeowner already has a loan is of no consequence to a new lender (since refinancing would essentially shift the risk from the current lender to the new lender).

The Impact of Closing Costs

While the standard definition of being underwater is cited above, its important to consider the selling a property costs money (usually as much as 7-8% for realtor fees, transfer taxes, etc).  So, a mortgage of $100,000 on a $100,000 may still be considered underwater since the proceeds from the sale would only generate about $92,000, $8000 short of covering the entire loan.

Relief for Borrowers

In recent conversations with a mortgage lender for Wells Fargo, she said there’s been some rumbling in the community that a future housing bill passed by congress will attempt to ensure people with negative equity situations can still refinance to a lower rate.  How this will be achieved practically in the market remains to be seen, but we’ll write about it if we see things materialize.

What Should I do if I’m Underwater?

Basically the financial equivalent of holding your breath. Keep making payments on time for your loan.  This will preserve your credit report and score through the downturn.  Eventually, by sheer math, you’ll own more of the home.  If you have any difficulty keeping up your payments, contact your lender to determine options.  In dire situations, lenders can make loan modifications to either suspend principal payments, reduce interest rates, or re-amortize the loan to a longer payback period. Remember, lenders don’t want to foreclose on your property, especially in the current housing market.  They’ll be willing to work with you if you are serious about your commitment to them.

As a last resort, a short sale is an option for those who must move.  In a short sale, the bank authorizes you to sell your house for less than the total mortgage value and they agree to take a reduced payment for the loan.  There may be an impact to your credit score in this case, so it’s still a lose-lose, but it’s better than the alternative of full foreclosure.

Do Hardwood Floors Add Value to a Home?

We’re all told that hardwoods are one of the best ways to upgrade our homes. They’ll add beauty and value, they say. You’ll make more on the sale of your home than you’ll pay to install them, they say. Of course, the payout is sweetened if you install the hardwoods yourself.

No doubt we’ve all heard this advice.  And personally, it rings true for us.  We upgraded to hardwoods in our last home and they were a major attractor according to the feedback we got from our Realtor as he surveyed prospective buyers.  Hardwoods are a timeless design element for sure.  Ever since we’ve been stick-building houses, hardwood floors have been a part of their construction.

A recent conversation with a friend prompted me to do some online research to see whether there’s any hardcore statistics about hardwoods and how they affect home appraisal value.  Here’s what the research turned up.

Hardwoods Add Appeal… and That Adds Value

Woodfloors.org (the Hardwood Flooring Association of America, an admittedly biased resource) reports that 90% of real estate agents surveyed indicated that hardwoods made a house sell faster, or at a premium price.  While real estate agents aren’t appraisers, if 90% of them believe wood floors are a significant factor in house buying, we think that says a lot.  Plus, a faster sale means more money into the pocket of a seller faster.  That’s real money into the seller’s bank account earning interest.

An Appraiser’s Perspective

Some more searching brings us to Yahoo Answers, where Joe L, an appraiser, points out that a lot of factors would go into determining whether wood floors would add value, but as a universal rule, hardwoods don’t directly increase the appraised value of a home.  What’s more important is the quality of whatever surface is present on the floor.  So, if a floor is completely worn out, hardwoods will add value, but so would any new flooring surface.

We’ve had the opportunity to discuss the issue with a few appraisers in the area. In our area, a premium surface floor may get you a few extra dollars in the appraisal depending on the area. Premium floors include hardwoods, ceramic, travertine, marble, etc. It’s important that the floor is in very good shape and shows no signs of wear. Standard floors include vinyl, carpet, and stick-down tiles, and these wouldn’t qualify for any increase in the appraisal. At the same time, these appraisers noted not to expect too much, and that sometimes it comes down to a judgment call. Just because you spend $10,000 putting in beautiful hardwood floors, doesn’t mean you’re going to reap that reward at sales time.

Local Market Factors Always Prevail

It’s hard to escape the reality that a buyer’s expectation will play heavily into whether hardwoods add value.  If most of the homes in your neighborhood feature a hardwood entryway and staircase, but your house sports tan carpet, chances are not having hardwoods is costing you. Notice that in this case, its not so much that hardwoods add value, as they take away value if you don’t have them because a buyer’s expectations aren’t met.  Its a subtle difference, for sure, but nonetheless a reality.

What do you think? Do hardwoods add value? Weigh in and let yourself be heard!

Image courtesy of Lars Lentz, via Wikimedia Commons.

Leaking Threaded Pipe Joint – Use Plumber’s Tape

While most pipes in our homes are joined by sweat soldering them together,  we frequently find threaded connections at end fixtures to ease the effort required to replace them.  The most common locations include sinks, shower heads, outdoor water spigots, water heaters, toilets, whole-house humidifiers, and refrigerator water lines.  Of course, there’s no limit to where a threadedd joint might be installed.  In fact, we intalled two removeable sections of pipe in our basement when we knew we’d need to take them out in the future for some joist work on the floor above.

While threaded joints offer the utmost in convenience (no soldering to replace the connection), they can also leak.  For sweated joints, we use a flux compound and non-lead solder to seal the gap.  For threaded pipes, the material of choice is teflon tape (aka thread seal tape, or plumber’s tape).

Teflon Plumber’s Tape

Teflon plumber’s tape comes coiled in a 2″ diameter spool and is very easy to work with.  Simply wrap a healthy amount of tape around the threads of the male end of the connection, and tighten the adjoining pipe or fixture.  Voila!  Teflon tape usually results in a water tight seal immediately.  If a seal isn’t achieved on the first time, you might need slightly more tape.  (In a worst case scenario, for instance if the threads are mutilated or the pipe is no longer circular, the joint may need to be replaced).

Note that while plumber’s tape is called ‘tape’, it isn’t actually sticky.  The joist will not be difficult to undo if you need to replace the fixture later. In fact, Wikipedia notes that plumber’s tape actually lubricates the joint, which contributes to the overall seal.

While teflon tape is used most frequently in indoor applications, it’s also great for outdoor connections (e.g., where the hose connects to the house), if you are having trouble getting a leak to completely stop.  Most hoses include a rubber washer inside that wears out over time.  Even new washers may not provide a 100% seal.  Teflon tape can be used to augment the washer to fix this problem.

What do you think? Do you have experience with plumber’s tape?

Image courtesy of our bathroom shower head, which I just fixed for Kim.

DIY Round-up: Patio Shade Sail Edition

It’s the return of weekend round-ups!  In an effort to share some of the best from the DIY web, here’s some of the things we’ve been reading over the last two weeks that we think you’d enjoy too.

Bill over at Renovate Australia teaches us how to install a shade cloth sail.  Bill’s project turns out great and earns the title and picture for our round up.  It makes me pine for the Summer here in the states.  I picture my self sipping cool lemonade margaritas beneath Bill’s shade.  So…. when are we getting our invite Bill?

Charles and Hudson brought our attention to this collection of 100 abadoned homes pictures by photographer Kevin Bauman.  Sad to see such much in disrepair, but the photography is excellent.  Maybe in a future life my job will be restoring homes.  Yeah… that’d be cool.

Todd over at Home Construction Improvement gives us a lesson on how to pick saw blades for various purposes.  He even provides the links to streamline the flow of money from your credit card to Amazon!

CalFinder gives us 20 reasons living in a smaller home is better.  With the economic downturn, we expect newly constructed homes will be smaller on average for the first time in years… And we’ve gotta say, it’s about time.

ToolMonger highlights this cute pizza cutter shaped like a circular saw … great for the Pizza Lover DIYer in your life (eh hem… hey honey… that’s me!)

Even though it didn’t get any comments when it ran (fooey on all of you!), I was pretty happy with my article on how to rewire a switch to control an overhead fixture.  Was it just not understandable?  Or was it boring?

And finally… even though V-Day is a distant memory, we couldn’t resist sharing Green Gardenista’s Gardening Meets Romance Meets “How’d They Do That?” discovery:  a plant that buds with the words  “I Love You” written on the first leaf.  If Bill hadn’t done such a great job with that shade, GG would’ve been #1 for this round-up.

Alright, here’s your Chance! Leave a comment below and add your own best articles for this round-up.  And please, nothing cheesy (like a circular saw turned pizza cutter), ok?

Spade Drill Bits (aka Paddle or Flat Bits)

Spade bits are the drill bits that we turn to to drill larger-than-average holes.  They are flat (like spade shovels), and always feature a center point.  The best spades also feature spurs on the edges to assist with cutting.  Spade bits are commonly found in sizes ranging from 1/4″ through 1-1/2″ and are available at just about every hardware and home improvement store.  There is no limit to the size a spade bit can be; however, speed becomes an issue as the bit gets larger, making sizes larger than 1.5 inches uncommon.  A typical 1/2 inch electric drill would struggle to effectively power a 2 inch+ spade bit through framing lumber.

Because of the way spade bits cut and scrape the surface of wood to drill a hole, they require more force than their standard twist drill bit counterparts.  Spade bits also cause tend to cause splintering (a.k.a. tearout) on the face opposite the drill start side.  Near the end of the hole, it is easier for the wood to push out of the way than to be cut. (Techniques described below can limit this effect).  Spade bits featuring a spur and reamer design, like the the Bosch version shown at that Popular Woodworking link, help to limit this effect by cutting the the edges first.

Drilling a Hole with a Spade Bit

Before you drill: If you’re trying to drill a very precise hole (say, for furniture or other wood working), you should drill a pilot hole first.  The pilot hole will serve as the guide for the spade’s center point and will eliminate inaccuracies in your placement.  For less precise work, like electrical work where spade bits are frequently used to pierce framing members for Romex, no pilot hole is needed.  Some spade bits, like the one shown in the Popular Woodworking article, are better at self-piloting than traditional style bits like the one on the right.  Also, as Experts Village suggests in their video on the topic, you should place another piece of wood behind the wood you are drilling to reduce splintering.

Drilling the Hole: Set the center point on your pilot hole and start drilling slowly until the full spade is engaged.  Steadily increase speed until your drill is operating at full power.  Note that spade bits have a tendency to grab during drilling.  This is especially true if you are forced to work in a tight area (for instance, between two framing members where the drill cannot be properly held straight).  When this happens, the drill will whip around violently if not held tightly.  It is very easy to get bruised and battered.  Highly sharpened blades or those with excessively tall (a.k.a. aggressive) spurs will tend to grab more. and require more care.

Follow Through: Don’t stop drilling until you make it all the way through the wood.  As you get closer to the end of the hole, the drill may vibrate significantly more, especially if a dull bit is being used.  A spade bit is particularly prone to grabbing at the end of the hole, so care should be taken to keep the drill at a 90 degree angle to the surface, with force applied and the drill moving at full speed.  If the speed is dropped, the bit will be more likely to grab.

Sharpening a Spade Bit

There’s just something about resharpening a bit that makes you feel really good about life.  It saves money and reduces waste.  All that’s needed for this job is a simple bench grinder that can be used for all kinds of sharpening jobs.  Sharpen both sides of the middle of the blade and the protrusions on the edges.  Answerbag.com has a great video showing how to sharpen a spade bid using this method, so we won’t rehash it fully here.

Hole Saws (When Spade Bits Aren’t Enough)

When a hole larger than 1.5 inches is needed, the tool of choice is the hole saw.  This article isn’t about hole saws, though.  If you’re interested in learning more about hole saws, take a trip over to Wikipedia. (Their article is complete with some great pictures from WikiCommons).

What do you think? Weigh in and let us know (or better yet, link to it )

Image courtesy of Luigizanasi on WikiCommons.  Cropped and description text added by us.

Is Glass Furniture Safe?

About nine months ago we had a fierce thunderstorm sweep through our Baltimore County neighborhood.  The storm came up quick and without warning, sporting gusts of over 40 mph.  It came so fast, we didn’t realize that the umbrella in our glass-topped patio table was still up.  The wind took the umbrella like a sail, which in turn put a great deal of pressure on the glass in the table as the umbrella bent over.  Eventually… well… the picture speaks for itself.

As you can see, the glass in our table shattered into a million little pieces.  While annoying to clean up, it was relieving.  The shattering indicates that the glass in our patio table is tempered (a.k.a. safety glass or toughened glass).

The Dangers of Glass Furniture

Glass that has not undergone a tempering process will shatter into large, dangerous shards.  A piece of glass the size of the surface of this table could easily break into the equivalent of a 1-foot-wide sharp pointed spear that could slice through a limb or puncture an organ.

So that got me thinking… is all glass furniture safe?  Tempering has been around for ages, so one would think tempered glass would be a basic requirement for all glass furniture?

No Legal Requirement…Injuries are Prevalent

In this case, common sense doesn’t prevail.  According to a December, 2008 Consumer Reports article, an estimated 20,000 injuries occur every year due to glass furniture accidents.  In the United States, there’s no law that requires glass furniture be manufactured only with tempered glass.  The article goes on to point out that this issue could be easily addressed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but it has yet to get the appropriate attention.

What’s worse is that it’s virtually impossible to identify tempered glass with the naked eye without breaking the glass.  Plus, eager salesman could be quick to assume that all furniture glass is safe, when in fact there’s no regulation that would require that.

Our recommendation:  Stay away from glass furniture unless you are absolutely sure that the glass is tempered.  We have a second glass patio table that matches the first that we’ll keep.  We also have three glass tables in our living room (a coffee table and two end tables) that we have decided to recycle.

Slate Tile Flooring

Check out this fabulous 24 x 24 slate tile floor we saw at a local restaurant (you can click to enlarge). As we continue to work towards our basement gameroom, we’ve been thinking about what tile or stone floor will give us the right atmosphere with a rich, natural look.  Slate is high on our list for its durability, stain resistance, timeless look, and brilliant coloration.

These tiles caught my eye immediately for their perfect color variation and large size.  They filled a large restaurant hall and bar area well without making the floor look like a sheet of gridpaper.

Slate over Radiant Heating

Our electric radiant heating system requires a flooring material that will conduct heat to the surface.  Just like all natural stone tiles slate is a very poor insulator, making it highly desirable for this type of installation.  When heated, the slate will feel warm to the touch, making the best use of the radiant heating investment.

Large Tiles for a Large Area

At 1000 sq. ft., our room demands a large tile to give the space an open and flowing feeling.  While 24×24 tiles are about 30% more expensive per sq. ft., we think the large tiles are worth it to give the space the right look.  We’ve also considered a patterned tile (where the tiles are different shapes designed to work together in a pattern) to break up the room.  Either would work well for our application, and the decision will likely come down to price.

Neutral Coloration and a Flat Surface are Essential

There’s no doubt we love slate.  But not all slate.  Some slates have too much color variation or have a strong green hue.  We think these slates will look dated over time, and are more difficult to incorporate into a decorating scheme.  Slates also vary in how much they have been grinded or planed to a flat surface.  Almost all slate tiles will have some variation (+/- 1/32 inch), but some slates can vary as much as 3/16 inch across a 1 sq. foot area.  These will feel bumpy and uncomfortable in bare feet, and we think they should be avoided for indoor installations.

What do you think? Do you like slate?  Have you used it in your own home?

Pottery Barn Kids Furniture

Got this idea from my little sis – of flip-up bed storage fame. As she was buying replacement furniture from the fire at our other sister’s house, one trick she found was to stalk the Pottery Barn Kids furniture clearance sales.

Ordinarily, Pottery Barn would be out of her price range. Ours, too, at this juncture during which we pay everything for adoptions and sit upon hand-me-down chairs and couches. But if you don’t mind a little bit of work for the sake of owning some quality-made furniture, the clearance sales are the way to go!

My sister bought a light-blue bed-side table and dresser. Didn’t want light blue, but they were 75% off, so light blue it was! Solid wood, great looking pieces. I got a shot of the dresser while she was still living here with us, so here it is:

And once she was able to move back into their home, she took both items out to the back porch, sanded and painted them the color she wanted. And you can’t tell that’s what happened when you look at them in her room.  They look like they were purchased to fit there.  And they don’t look like “kids’ furniture.”

So some quick tips for getting well-made furniture at a real-folks’ price:

1. Don’t let the color scare you. Look for the shape you want. Repaint or sand and stain it later.
2. Don’t be limited by the definition given the piece on the website. Her “dresser” could double as a dining room buffet or side-board (once the color was changed, of course).
3. Unless it’s a tiny chair or some such, just because it’s sold as “Kids’” furniture doesn’t mean it has to be used in a child’s room.
4. Patience, patience. Rather than settle for something you don’t really like, if you’re committed to keeping what you buy for the long-term, wait and watch the sales.

She saved hundreds of dollars on the furniture she bought, and it should last her as long as she wants it to.   I know.  The twins “tested” it (read “climbed all over it”) for her the day it arrived.  Didn’t affect the furniture one bit.  This stuff is solid!

What do you think? What’s your trick for getting a great value for a great price when furnishing your home?

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