How to locate and fix a leak in your roof

Roof Leaks

Obstructions, moss, needles, leaves, and tree branches slow water flow down the roof, hold water and cause water to flow sideways on a roof. They need blown off the roof. Roofs are only designed for water to flow straight down them. The roof is water resistant, not water proof. This is probably the biggest cause of roof leaks.

   To find the leak, run a garden sprinkler on the roof and try to get it to leak. Once     you locate the leak, mark the location by driving a long nail so it can be seen later when you get up on the roof. Tri Polymer Sealant can be applied in the rain but this is not advisable due to safety concerns of slipping off the roof. It can also be applied in freezing conditions. Once you have the leak located and marked it is best to wait for good weather before getting on the roof.

Get up on the roof and locate the nail. Mark the location and go back down to remove the nail. Go back up on the roof and spread the Tri Polymer Sealant around the area. It is clear and about the consistency of honey so it will run down into your nail hole and the hole that has been leaking. Since the sealant is clear it can be used      on any color of roof without looking offensive like tar might.

Window Condensation

Window condensation plagues many homeowners each winter. The source of condensation is invisible water vapor that is a component of the air inside your home. Condensation is what happens when water changes from a gaseous state to a liquid state. Water vapor turns into liquid water when it touches a cool or cold surface. Even new windows suffer from condensation. You can control condensation by monitoring the amount of water vapor you have in your home.  To minimize condensation you can use a humidifier, bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans (that discard air outdoors not into attic space), or use a fan to blow air onto the window condensation.

How to PROPERLY clean your vinyl siding

Most people pick vinyl siding because of its clean look. Over time vinyl siding can start to look dirty and dull. Let Fauser Home Improvement tell you how to give your vinyl siding an overall cleaning. Start by covering all electrical fixtures and outlets on the exterior of your home. Move all toys, grills, and etc., away from the structure. Check for mold, mildew or dirt. These will be dark spots on the siding. To test it out, put a drop of bleach on the dark spot. Mold will turn white while dirt will stay black. Get rid of mildew with 5 parts water to 1 part bleach. Once you've finished the prep work, you're ready to get started washing the siding.

Using a garden hose, apply a gentle mist to water the vinyl. Using too much pressure can cause water to get under the vinyl, damaging the wood underneath. Vinyl siding is designed for rain to fall on it from the sky, so hold the hose down, onto the siding. Fill a handheld garden sprayer with dish soap and turn the hose to spray a small section of your siding. Working in small sections will make sure that the sun doesn’t dry the soap to the vinyl before you get a chance to scrub or rinse. Dampen your scrub bush with water. Starting at the bottom, scrub from side to side until you get to the top. Using a long handled brush may be enough to reach to the roof. If not, use a ladder. Rinse from the top down and then move on to the next section until is completed.

Insulating a Raised House

Cold weather is coming! There are four basic options for insulating beneath the floor.

The most traditional and least expensive is to run fiberglass insulation between the joists. This method, however, does not stop airflow completely –– nor does it stop moisture. The closer your house hovers to the ground, the more moisture problems you’ll face. If your house is high you might be able to get away with it!

Another approach is to encapsulate the entire subfloor with a rigid foam board, attached at the bottom of the joists and sealed tight. The materials are more expensive than fiberglass insulation, and in a small crawlspace it’s difficult to execute properly. It depends heavily on the quality of the installation. It must be sealed tight as a drum and secured in such a fashion that the seal will hold up over time.

The other two approaches deal with spray-foam insulation squirted up against the subfloor. This is more flexible than foam board and “more goof-proof.

There are two kinds of spray foam: open cell (low density) and closed cell (high density).

Closed-cell spray foam gives the better performance at a lower risk of failure. It is nonabsorbent and will stand up to flooding. But it’s also an expensive product.

Open cell is less expensive but can let some water vapor through. It may be a good compromise between cost and performance –– “promising but not yet proven.” To reduce moisture penetration, it’s recommended coating the underside with a vapor-barrier paint.

But no matter what approach you take start with the basics. Deal with drainage issues underneath the house, making sure the ground is higher than around the house and covering it with plastic