House for Rent by Fauser Home Improvement

We have a small 3 bedroom ranch house with a large yard in Carbon Cliff that will be up for rent August 1st. Rent is $600/month which includes water, $1,000 moves you in, that is first months rent along with a $400 deposit. Pets welcome, great school, close to park. 792-3122

Storm Damage

A damaged home can feel like a heavy burden, there are some important strategies you can follow that will help you take care of your family and get the process started to repair your home.

Begin evaluating the damage, if your roof has been damaged then try to get temporary measures such as tarps to cover your home and prevent any further damage by the elements. If you have had doors or windows damaged, then cover those openings with plywood to prevent intruders and keep out the elements. If the water pipes in your home are damaged then turn off the house water supply. If the power is off in your area, then turn off your main power breaker to prevent a surge to your home appliances when the power comes back on.

Schedule the adjuster to come look at your home as soon as possible. Begin to line up contractors to get the necessary repairs done to your home immediately. Quick repairs are essential to getting your house back to normal. Do as much of the repair and cleanup work yourself that you can.

Call Fauser Home Improvement and we will be happy to stop by. We will give you a FREE ESTIMATE and walk you through the repair process. 309/ 792-3122

Doorbells

Doorbells are simple electrical systems. Repairing one is normally easy and a good lesson in basic electricity—as long as you can find the key components. Because buttons, buzzers, and transformers are relatively inexpensive, replacing these faulty components usually makes more sense than trying to make involved repairs on them.

If you do try to repair your doorbell try the following:

If, when you push the doorbell button, you do not hear a bell, a hum, or even a click, it often means that electricity is not being delivered through the system.

1) Check for a tripped circuit breaker.

2) Check for a burned-out transformer. Turn off the power to the circuit before working on the transformer.

3) Be sure all wires are connected securely at transformer, bell, and button.

4) Remove and check the button. Because the button is the primary moving part of the system, this tends to be the most likely component to fail. To do this, remove the button's attachment screws and gently pull the button out.

Be sure the two wires are connected securely to the screw terminals. Then touch a screwdriver blade across both terminals (or remove the two wires and touch them together).

If the bell sounds, you are in luck; this is a very easy, inexpensive repair. Remove the wires, and clean corrosion from the button's contacts and wire ends with fine sandpaper or electrical contact cleaner.
Reconnect the wires. If the button still does not work, just remove and replace the button (available at hardware stores).

This button test will work if the power circuit is functional. If the button is faulty AND there is an additional problem, it won't. If the simple button test fails to ring the bell, you can make sure the button is faulty by doing a continuity test with an ohmmeter (set on ohms ).
Hold one of the meter's probes on each of the button's contacts, and then push and release the button. The meter's needle should bounce up when the button is pushed and drop flat when it is released. If it doesn't, the button should be replaced

Fixing Crumbling Sidewalk or Driveway

At some point all driveway's and sidewalks will need some improvements. Between salting, the weather, and time will cause the walk and drive ways to need repair. You can do it yourself and here are some tips:

Avoid cracks in the first place, seal your sidewalk or driveways once a year. You can fix existing cracks with tar, asphalt, caulk, or pre-mixed concrete patch. Clean the crack of loose material and ensure it is dry prior to repair.

Get help when you no longer feel comfortable fixing the cracks or unlevel areas yourself. Well maintained sidewalks bring benefits to homeowners and neighborhoods such as increased property values, reduced crime, and improved helath for people who walk. In many cities funding is available to rebuild sidewalks or shared cost. Insurance companies like to limit their liability from a damaged sidewalk so they may provide financial assistance.

As always you can call Fauser Home Improvement for a FREE ESTIMATE on any home improvement projects you might have! 

Home Maintenance Timeline

Every six months

Clean your gutters

Change smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries

Check your fire extinguisher gauge

Once a year

Give your hot water heater and furnace a good check up

Check caulking around windows and doors

Make sure all windows and doors shut and lock completely

Clean your dryer vent

Pull covers off and vacuum all exhaust fans in kitchen and bathroom

Every two years

Make sure shingles are not loose, missing, or damaged

Every four years

Have your heat ducts cleaned

Every 5-10 years

Replace all caulk and weather stripping around doors and windows

Every 10-15 years

Replace entry doors

Replace bathroom vents

Every 15-20 years

Replace chimney cap

Replace roof