Up In Smoke? Chimney Maintenance

June is a good time for chimney maintenance. In recent years more than 23,600 residential fires annually are related to solid fuel appliances and equipment. An additional 5,500 fires or so are attributed to chimneys and chimney connectors serving heating systems burning liquid and other fuels. Hundreds of people die or are injured, and property losses total about $200 million annually. Generally, North American homeowners are unaware that chimneys are an integral part of a home heating system and that they require regular evaluation and maintenance. They seem to have little working knowledge of chimney and venting systems. Homeowners who would quickly replace a faulty and dangerous automobile exhaust system allow their home's exhaust system, the chimney or vent, to go years without checks or maintenance. The threat of chimney fires and unsafe indoor air quality can be greatly reduced if these systems receive regular inspection and maintenance. See our article for more details.

Check Ceiling Fan Rotation Direction

Most fan blades can be reversed for summer/winter settings so that cool air flows down in the summer and warm air is propelled up in the winter. Some fans use an electric switch to reverse the direction of rotation (typically on the outside of the motor housing) and some require that you reverse the blades by unscrewing and remounting them. Observe the fan while it's running. In summer, the leading edge of the blades (the part that goes around first) should be higher than the trailing edge (the part that rotates last). When set correctly for summer, you can stand beneath the fan and feel the breeze. This should allow you to adjust your thermostat higher (or set the air conditioning lower), saving fuel while enjoying the cooling effect. Reverse for winter so that the airstream flows upwards.

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Consider Gutter Guards

If your gutters fill up frequently with debris, you might want to investigate installing gutter guards (or screens, filters or covers) to reduce—perhaps eliminate—cleaning. There's a wide variety, made from various metals or synthetics. Costs vary from around 60 cents per foot to $7 per foot, plus installation (the average house has roughly 200 feet of gutters), which means you could pay up to $1,500 for materials alone. You could hire someone to clean the gutters (at around $75 each time) for many years for that amount. And, while gutter protection is aggressively marketed, systems vary in effectiveness. Check claims by searching product names on the Internet, and get three or more references from customers who've used the product for several years. Then, call and interview each company.B

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Inspect for Roof Leaks

Using binoculars, scan for evidence of roof damage, including shingles that are curling, broken, cracked or missing. Check for structural stability from across the street and look at the roof line. If it appears to sag, there could be damage to the roof supports, so get a professional to inspect it. Next, look for telltale signs of roof leaks. In the attic look at the ceiling, rafters and walls, particularly right beneath the roof, for discoloration or stains. Pay attention to skylights and chimneys, which are leak generators. Seepage is most likely at joints and openings or flashings. Outside, check the siding beneath the eaves for evidence of leaks. If you find leaks, repair them (or have it done). Don't put it off; collected moisture can cause expensive rot and decay. (For DIY roof repairs, read "5 roof repair tips: How to fix leaks and broken shingles). 

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NEWS 

The National Association of Realtors® reported May 24 that contracts for sales of existing homes, which account for about 90 percent of the housing market, rose 7.6 percent in April to the highest level in five months. Demand may keep rising through June, the deadline to close a deal and still receive the home buyers' tax credit. Commerce Department figures released on May 26 showed new-home purchases, which make up the rest of the market, jumped 15 percent in April after surging 30 percent the prior month The Standard & Poor’s 500 Supercomposite Homebuilding Index, which includes Pulte Homes Inc. and Toll Brothers Inc., has increased 4.8 percent this year. The broader S&P 500 has fallen 4 percent.

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Fast Facts

• First human invention to break the sound barrier? Not an airplane, but the bullwhip - the loud crack's a sonic boom.

• Modern cross-blade scissors were invented in ancient Rome around 100 AD.

• More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

• The name for having a fear of long words: Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. Ironic, isn't it?

• Reno, Nevada, is west of Los Angeles, California.

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