Favorite Plum Tree

During a brief few hours the other day, I could have  sworn it was spring. There was a real sense of warmth and I could feel the heat radiating on my face. I even caught a whiff of a floral scent from the favorite fruit bearing plum tree that I parked next to.

I was able to admire a few daffodils and the forsythia was a brilliant yellow too.

It got me thinking about living in a place that experiences all four seasons. Honestly, it seems like winters and summers dominate our part of the country, but growing up in the bay area, I had to develop an appreciation.

Naturally, I began catching up on some home improvement projects of my own including raking up the yard and replacing a faulty bathroom faucet that was beyond a washer repair.

Forsythia

Here are a few of the springtime projects that are worth looking at.

• Cleaning out gutters ( a necessary evil when trees are around)
• Verifying sprinkler system status (broken heads can do lots of damage)
• Changing out HVAC air filters.  (A clogged system is wasteful)
• Opening up foundation vents ( let your crawl space breath)
• Repairing leaks and running toilets (Water adds up quickly)
• Hoses and supply lines (If you have to ask, the answer is yes)
• Inline water filters (not all places have them)
• Look at the roof (we now have a 2 roof maximum till tear off)

I get the feeling that, like me, many of us are getting up the nerve to make that call to a contractor to see about improving our living spaces.

Look it over and make a plan

Look at your kitchen. Look at your bathrooms. Do a physical inventory of your home and spaces. Look inside and out, on top and underneath. Keep a watchful eye.

Hint, (think like water)

Unlike a fine wine that gets better with age, our homes, toys, and systems deteriorate with the passing of each season.

Plan, prioritize, and budget for the repairs. What is on your list? Whether you fix it yourself or have others do it, please don’t wait until it is an emergency. Trust me, nothing good comes from procrastinating until a failure occurs.

Your comments are welcome. To ask questions or get more information about remodeling, email me directly or visit our contact page.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

Moldy Stuff

Mold, also know as Fungus, has become a huge issue in homes as of late, with concerns coming from the medical as well as the insurance communities. Many misconceptions are floating around, which that have caused panic and hysteria. Usually a trained sense of smell is all that is required to locate a problem, and visible signs all that you need to confirm the diagnosis. The spores can cause a respiratory irritation, and if a preexisting sensitivity or respiratory illness exists, it can exacerbate that problem.

But all mold  is not bad, although I often refer to it as the “M” word. I prefer to use “bacterial growth” as it is more subtle. We must remember that mold is what makes the blue in blue cheese. It is what makes bread rise in the form of yeast. Mold is also the natural decomposer, it digests rotten organic matter (sometimes before the expiration date).  It is also the foundation of fermentation. God only knows where we would be as a civilization without that.

Mold Triangle

Mold, like fire, has a triangle of opportunity to proliferate: some sort of food (some sort of organic matter),  warmth (in most cases), and moisture. When combined the organism flourishes and reproduces at an incredible pace.

The EPA has set guidelines for dealing with mold and I believe they have a very sensible approach. they have provided many resources and reading materials to understand mold, to prevent it, and remove it as needed. The bottom line is that we want to prevent its growth and proliferation by being aware of where it comes from and making sure we treat it with respect.

From Levco’s perspective, mold in an area that is moist is an outward sign of a water problem that requires fixing. If dry, it is a sign that there was an issue that was not cleaned adequately. From a health perspective we focus upon proper respiratory protection, proper disposal of contaminated materials, and good personal hygiene.

We categorize water problems into two categories Acute and Chronic.

Acute:

The source of acute water problems are usually obvious. The stopping of the leak is of foremost importance. Cleaning up after an acute leak takes patience and attention to detail. we have seen many acute leaks that have not been dried adequately and have provided the third leg of the mold triangle. Seepage between floors and under materials tat do not breathe like vinyl flooring are prime locations for mold growth.

Chronic:

We find all sorts of telltale signs of mold that have existed for eons. In one case, a hillside leak came through a foundation crack and created mold growth in the insulation. It was stopped by the visqueen vapor barrier and never made it to the drywall. The wall eventually dried out, but when we went to remodel we needed to take special precautions not to breath in the spores.

Chronic Mold

We were recently referred by an insurance agent to a client who was having her laundry room flooring replaced with tile. When the contractor removed the vinyl, there were all sorts of black colored mold that had disintegrated the particleboard underlayment and left visible stains on the OSB subfloor. Within a few minutes, it became obvious that the leak was resolved long ago and the moisture was gone as well. The dust like material was easily vacuumed up with a HEPA vacuum and then the area was scrubbed with a soap and water solution. Finally, the entire area was soaked with a strong antibacterial solution and allowed to dry prior to having the new plastic underlayment applied and tile set.

How We Attack a Mold Issue:

Once we have decided to remediate a mold issue,

1. We survey the affected area from a safe distance.
2. We protect ourselves and provide containment.
3. We rapidly determine whether this is a project we can handle or if it requires referring to a specialty subcontractor.
4. We focus our attention upon ensuring that the leak or source of moisture has been resolved.
5. Once resolved, we make a plan for cleanup and repair.
6. Depending upon the severity, building components might require cleaning and disinfectant all the way to removal and disposal.

As a remodeler I was forced to add a mold clause that addresses the issue.

MOLD: Mold is a naturally occurring form of bacteria, it is everywhere including in healthy homes. In some occurrences, rare instances, sensitivity and reactions to particular types of mold can occur. We do not proclaim to be specialists in this field; however, we are aware of what it looks like, how to clean it up, and basic prevention techniques. When we suspect a mold hazard to health, we will at our discretion, contact a specialty contractor or mold resource for third party verifications and or recommendations. The Owner will be consulted and a Change Order will be initiated to provide this task at the Owners expense.

Having a third party response to a mold issue can be an expensive undertaking. At Levco, we try our best to handle these issues for our clients reasonably and responsibly. We have several backups in this area, most of which come with a hefty price tag.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

Ceiling Cave In

At Levco working with insurance companies has become a regular thing. Usually, things go well, but occasionally they go very sideways. We have used our vast experiences to share what we have learned. Here is how we handle insurance claims related to a Flood or Fire.

In most cases, the insurance company wants to work with everyone and get your home back together quickly. If they omitted something in their bid that is discovered after the fact, it is normally not a problem.

Owner Decided to Switch to Tile

The number one issue Levco has had is related to owners having unrealistic expectations of their insurance carrier. Owners believe the insurance agency is going to remodel more than was effected by the disaster! This is a constant battle.

• The idea is not to profit from a disaster. If you had hardwood before for instance, and want tile now,  you must sign a remodeling contract with a bid for the additional work. We do credit the difference, but has led to huge misunderstandings.

The second most frequent problem is that home owners have no idea what is excluded. They walk around as if no matter what happens that “You’re in good hands” or “You have an umbrella over you.” That is clearly not the case.

Thirdly, you will always need to pay your deductible out of pocket. The contractor won’t ” work it into the bid”.

Finally, you do not need to get 3 bids. If you select Levco, we will rebuild for the amount the insurance company allows.

Issues we have had include, but are not limited to.

1. Occasionally adjusters disallow repainting an entire room. They will only do a ceiling or one wall of a room.
2. Mitigation contractors (the disaster service of choice) butchering up the place, way more than is necessary.
3. The mitigation contractors pushing to be the company that rebuilds the home. You are not obligated. You may use your choice.
4. You may do your own work, however you are reimbursed at a substantially lower rate.

Flood

Frozen Split Pipe

Water problems. You are only covered by that which is caused by a domestic source. That means that you have to have something malfunction first, like a burst washing machine hose, or a toilet malfunction. If shingles blow off then you have a leak, OK, but not a worn out roof.

Exclusions include:

1. The malfunction that caused the flood. (You always need to pay for that)
2. External sources are not covered. (Unless you have federal flood insurance).
3. Having a rider that allows for code upgrades. Without it, things like hardwired smoke detector and upgrades to your electrical system, that are required will come from your pocket.
4. If the city system backs up into your home’s basement toilet, you need to get the city’s insurance carrier to take care of the bills. (This is not as easy as you might think)
5. If you are a renter, you are out of luck if you don’t have renter’s insurance. If your stuff is ruined in a fire, tough luck.
6. Although there is an exclusion for doing LSPW (lead safe work practices) in an emergency (during tear out and drying), a contractor must do LSWP in pre 1978 homes during the rebuild phase.

Fire

Garage Fire

Fire and Smoke. In one case, a neighbor had a fire in a rundown home and the insurance company replaced all sorts of things.  In Boise, like most metropolitan areas, a total loss is rare, so do not expect your burnt home to get replaced.

Issues we have had include but are not limited to.

1. Mitigation contractors (the disaster service of choice) go crazy cleaning everything you own and in one case, running up a $12,000 dry cleaning bill.
2. Delaying the cleanup to hold the home owner hostage until they get the rebuild contract too.
3. When rebuilding, we are held to new codes. Frequently there are huge headaches with getting structures rebuilt in the same place or with like materials.
4. Detached structures are rarely covered for enough to replace them. Your contents are normally not the problem.
5. If you are a renter, you are out of luck if you don’t have renter’s insurance. If your stuff is ruined in a fire, tough luck.
6. Although there is an exclusion for doing LSPW (lead safe work practices) in an emergency (during tear out and drying), a contractor must do LSWP in pre 1978 homes during the rebuild phase

Mold:

Unheated Garage with ADU Above

Just a note, after speaking with my agent Brian Frechette of Farmers insurance in Boise. Mold has been excluded as a covered item for the past 10 years but there is some softening occurring. If there is mold as a result of a recent flood then the additional cost associated with removing it is possible that you are covered. The circumstances must be as a result of an acute loss. Again you need to check with your agent for specifics.

Levco has your back. We take care of  the rebuilding that comes after a disaster. We do it well, and we do it quickly. We understand the intricacies and we have the relationships with the adjusters in the area.

Insurance companies Levco has worked with so far:

Liberty Mutual Insurance

Farmers Insurance

Farm Bureau Insurance

Auto Owners Insurance

Formost Insurance

Oregon Mutual Insurance

Safeco Insurance

God forbid, if some disaster befalls your home, insist that Levco is your insurance related rebuilding contractor of choice.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove them at once.

Obvious Water Problem in Basement

Water enters basements in a variety of ways. I wrote an informative article on ways it enters our homes. This article focuses on how to take preventative actions.

In Boise, Idaho, we live on the edge of a desert; and we have fairly sandy soil, which is a good thing. Most older homes have never had any moisture proofing needs, and many have basements. The most we are used to seeing is some mineral effervescence from moisture passing through the concrete foundation walls. Other than making paint impossible to stick to, it causes little harm. Over the years it may break down the concrete and require patching or replacement in severe situations.

When acute water enters the home it can usually be tied to an event.  A hose left on next to the foundation. Torrential downpour for a day or so. Rapid snow thaw. A sprinkler head broken off. You get the idea.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to dealing with water in basements. Inside Job or Outside Job?  Prevention or Acceptance? It is not always black and white, and often we take multiple approaches to ensure success.

Hillsides are a special challenge and may require retaining walls. We used several redundant systems on a newly created basement where flooding was a common occurrence.

Prevention

Prevention includes anticipating that there will be a problem and then blocking moisture from entering in the first place. Therefore, it is an outside job. This is best done during construction, normally it is the last thing that needs to be done. Provided that the redundant systems that are installed work, there need only be routine maintenance. If a failure occurs, like a tree root growing into the foundation after settling cracks them, we must move on to acceptance. This does not mean giving up, it just takes a different approach.

Examples of prevention include

Swale

• French drain system hooked to downspouts
• Positive drain grade away from home.
• Directing sprinklers away from home.
• Gutters.
• Grading and drain swale.
• Proper sub-grade window wells and drainage plan
• Down spouts being piped away from the basement
• Tar parging
• Bituthane or other rubberized membrane
• Sheet drain
• Diatomaceous earth rope in key way of footing to stem wall connection
• Dry wells
• External pumping stations.

Acceptance

Acceptance, on the other hand, is primarily an inside job. Once you determine that attacking from the outside is a more expensive way to go, or there is no access, IE the water is coming in through the floor, you must attack the problem from the inside.

The principle is that water is going to get in via cracks or increased pressure or you name it. Then we take control of it and pump it out before it causes damage in our homes. One caveat is to pump uphill as little as possible. Gravity is your friend on a hillside, use it!

Examples of acceptance include

1. Perimeter trench with piping to the collection area.
2. Deep well collection area.
3. Sump Pump.
4. Dry-Loc paint
5. Xypex or other specialized interior coatings.
6. As a bonus a small fan can be added to eliminate Radon Gas (Radon is a know carcinogen that is emitted from the earth)

Removing water from a basement is challenging process. It is costly but worth every cent. Having a useable space within the footprint of your home is the cheapest square foot addition you can do. The days of the scarey basement should be a thing of the past.

Let us evaluate your basement for refinishing. These spaces can be warm and inviting if given the proper attention. With the addition of an egress window, there is safety, security, and natural lighting.

If you have a damp, wet, or scarey basement in the Boise area, and need to get it evaluated for repair, please contact us right away at 208-947-7261

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove them at once.

First Clue of Trouble

Did you ever have one of those days? I awoke groggy I inadvertently kicked the cat water bowl and tipped over their food. While cursing and cleaning it up I noticed another spot of water near the corner of my refrigerator that was suspicious. Those that live on hardwood floors need to be really careful with water so I investigated. What I saw was a bit of an emergency. Floor cupping and a small amount of water. Could I have spilled some water there? Had an ice cube or two fallen there and not gotten picked up before it melted? This is the same side-by-side refrigerator that I had just replaced the defroster heaters in, is this becoming a pattern? I wondered.

One good thing about wood floors is that minor cupping caused by water may go back to its original shape but we will have to wait and see.

Condensation Drain

My first suspicion is that I had a leak in the water supply line. As I have reported before that can cause all sorts of problems with large volumes of water. I frantically pulled the fridge from its alcove and inspected the area. Not seeing any problems with the supply, I then removed the back of the unit and verified that the evaporation tray was dry. I quickly removed the bottom shelf of the freezer expecting to see a clogged drain line and sure enough there it was.

The defroster comes on regularly to melt off any build up from the freezer coils. The melted frost turns into water that flows on the back of the unit and out the little hole in the floor area of the freezer into an evaporation tray. In a top mount the water runs down a longer tube but ends up at the bottom too.

I tried to run a brush through but it was too curvy so I got my air tank and blew the hose out with compressed air. I then poured a cup of water down to verify I had it clear. Seeing water flowing freely into the tray was a relief. Who knows what the clog was I am just glad it is gone now. This one goes on the 15 year cycle of checking.

Some of the Removed Ice

I pulled out the heat gun and removed the piled up ice from the floor of the freezer and put it all back together.

The moral of the story is sometimes good things happen as a result of bad. Keep your eyes open and stay alert.

Oh sure I would have eventually discovered that there was a problem but it could have been a whole lot worse

Things Not to Flush

I was just going about my normal morning routine when I noticed that my wife had left some dried house plant leaves floating in the toilet. This got me thinking, what should not be flushed, and why? I recalled taking this toilet off a few years ago because water was coming from the base, I couldn’t tell what the obstruction was at the flange at the time, but I assumed it was part of the construction debris. It turned out that it, too, was a large leaf. I guess old habits are hard to break.

I had also received a complaint from a client that had clogged his toilet after taking his first good dump. The assertion was that we had flushed construction debris, and that had made his poop get stuck. After removing the toilet there was nothing but poop to remove. Perhaps we should have flushed it a few times prior to it’s inaugural use.

Not too many years ago, the Boise River was the destination for all untreated sewage We now have state of the art system that still ends up ultimately discharging into the Boise River. This brings me to my point.

Boise River

NOTHING except human waste and toilet paper should be flushed or sent down the drain, and this is why.

Whatever gets flushed is mixed with a small amount of water and slips down past a P-Trap. It then goes merrily along pipes that are only 2″ – 3″  in diameter  and often at a grade of only 1/4″ per foot that feed into into the main drain. This pipe can be anywhere from 3″-4″ and can go for 80′-100′ in some cases. It’s a straight shot under the back yard or, in one case, around the house, with several 90 degree turns and out to the front of the home.

Depending upon the age of your home, the sewer pipes could be made of a number of products that are no longer approved for use. This list include those made of orange-burg, terracotta, and cast iron; Only ABS and PVC are allowed now. These older homes are full of rough edges and root penetrations that are just looking for something to hang up, and can easily obstruct the flow. Leaves, hair, and feminine products are the perfect set up for a clog.

Treatment Plant

Our flushed debris and waste then goes on through the maze of city pipes, commingling with your neighbors’ debris via a gravity system, to one of two sewage treatment plants that are scattered about the city. At the plant, there are all sorts of processes the waste goes through – including screens, settling tanks, and pressurized filtration. These are designed to pull the junk out and eventually clean the water, then return it back into the Boise River. Here is a link to the Boise City Works promotional video You can also take a tour and admire the many learning opportunities for related field trips.

Here is a partial list of stuff that has been recovered from our system according to Dave Baccaa who oversees the camera operations for the system: jewelry, money, plastic wrappers gold fish (lots of gold fish), and even an iguana.

WTH, an iguana?

Vince Trimboli, the system’s public information person says “One of the biggest problems is FOG: Fats, Oils, and Greases. This is fairly easily controlled at restaurants with grease traps, but the residential contribution is a huge problem. Much like atherosclerosis, grease coats the pipes, narrowing their ability to carry sewage away from the home. It becomes white and hard and is difficult to clean out. It even extends into the city sewer system.

Another huge problem is flushed medicine, and all sorts of other things that are not human excrement being flushed. We have 2 very cool methods of disposing of stuff in Ada County. First of all we have a free hazardous waste disposal spot at the landfill. They also have mobile pick up sites placed regularly around the city. Next, we have this medicine drop off program at all of the local law enforcement agencies. It is a no-questions-asked safe place to drop them off.

FUN FACT:

Q: Name the day and time when the sewer system regularly gets the largest volume of flushed water annually?

A: Half time during the Super Bowl.

Roofs

When we talk about roofs it is important to identify the type of roof correctly. Here are the six basic types it is important to grasp that these are architectural styles, so not all steep roofs are Mansard. Many homes have slight variations on these themes and some have several shapes on separate out buildings. Levco has dealt with everything except a Gambrel to date, but  we are only a phone call away from that. Recently we were faced with a faulty shed roof that seemed to fail in the middle as a result of folks setting asphalt shingles on too shallow of a slope. The fix was to add metal roofing. I have a situation where asphalt shingles were placed in a mansard type roof edge and they failed to stick and hold down too.

The slope or pitch of a roof is described in ( a number : 12)  so a 7:12 means for every 12″ in run it rises 7″ in elevation.

Roof Pitch Guide

The International Residential Code IRC for Idaho a low slope roof is anything under 4:12 and shingles should definitely ever be used when the pitch is 2:12 or less. With 4:12 special double underlayment is recommended. What happens is that water starts headed down the roof with gravity helping and it wicks under a poorly sealed shingle or it puddles as the snow load bends the roof down and finds all kinds of ways in. Metal roof is a solution but a “Torch On” membrane would have worked well also. Keep in mind the snow loads when considering low slope roofs from a structural perspective an overbuild of a better slope is often a viable solution.

Other common places for problems occur when a gable roof  terminates into a side of a wall. The siding is rarely flashed property ( the subject of a future blog) and the siding is too close to the roofing so water wicks up into the siding and in some cases into the home through a ceiling or recently through the head casing of a sling glass door. The good news is that when there is a problem the solution is usually obvious to the trained eye. This is where experience plays a huge role. Be sure to contact a knowledgeable contractor to find and fix your roofing problems.

Although we have focused much attention on low slope roofs, high slope roofs have their issues as well. In addition the weight of roofing materials plays a roll in the structure, I have seen many a sway back terracotta tiled roof in my day. With the new craze of DIY shows more than one bearing wall has been removed without proper supports being replaced. A vivid memory is of a garage that had been converted into a living space that I was inspecting for a potential buyer. The ceiling joists had been removed and the walls were bowing out. Another one in my neighborhood that is still for sale where the front room was vaulted by removing ceiling joists again causing a sway back roof and bowing front wall. Are there solutions to these problems? Yup, it starts with a plan and permits, often the advice given during plan review will prevent a structural failure.

Remember we now have a 2 roof maximum before you must rip off and replace here in Boise Idaho. Contact us at Levco builders for all of your remodeling needs.

This seems to be the wettest season I can ever remember so I thought I would refresh everyone on flood issues.

Levco has responded to all sorts of floods and have even been victimized by a few myself. Insurance companies have a list of the most common causes of loss and floods are up there in the top ten.

There is no better temporary fix than shutting off the water supply as soon as possible. There are other tips on our site here

Typical main shut off

Locate the valve and have it labeled to remember in a crisis. Rarely are tools needed to shut this off.

I have not seen everything yet. When you understand that there is a pressurized system living in your home at 50-60 pounds per square inch, it doesn’t take much imagination to run through the “what if ” scenarios of a failure.  Water from an outside cause is not covered by homeowner’s insurance, unless you have federally administered flood insurance.

Water alarm

Much of my approach to dealing with homes and water is preventative. Time spent looking for potential problems is not wasted. There are new products on the market that are designed to shut off if excessive flow occurs. Unfortunately many failures are of the slow drip over a long period. My favorite system is the water alarm that is a battery operated  device that alarms like a smoke detector when it comes in contact with water.

Here are some of the problems we’ve responded to for water. These are usually covered except for the object that caused the flood.

Leak in braided steel flexible water heater supply line

Failure of the internal mechanism in a freezer ice maker to shut off.

Rupture of a water supply line to a refrigerator.

Rupture of a washing machine supply line.

Near miss

Failure of a drum trap in a basement.

Leak at a shut off valve for a toilet

Toilet overfilling and running onto the floor through the flush handle.

Clogged toilet overfilling.

Blockage of sewer line.

Nail through a water line in the wall. (Hanging a framed photo)

Failure of a fitting of a polybutylene plumbed system.

Washing machine failing to drain and overfill.

1. Clog in pump from a child’s sock
2. Ornament hanger wire stuck in pump.

External sources of water entering the home: These are usually not covered events.

There are lots of ways for this to occur too. Occasionally we see several of these issues working together to cause a flood.

Water backing up into the home from the city sewer line being clogged.

Reversed grade of ground back to the home.

1. water coming down the hill through a foundation vent
2. underground spring on a hillside
   

   Broken head

3. Ruptured sprinkler line at the top of a hillside home.

Gutters not being directed away form the home.

Sprinklers being directed to the home.

Pressurized irrigation water entering the crawl space through a foundation vent. (over 40 thousand gallons) ruined the HVAC duct system.

Knocked off sprinkler head flooding into a window.

Tree roots growing in through cracks in the foundation.

Improperly made foundation allowing water back into the home.

When leaving for vacation: Consider turning the pressurized water to your home off by turning off the ball or gate valve that allows it in ( usually it can be found in the basement or in the crawl space) as seen above. Do not mess with the water meeter at the curb, the water folks get upset especially if you break it.