September Home-Maintenance Checklist - Series Final

Ever wake up in early September and notice that the air smells different? School begins, days get shorter, and a sense of responsibility begins to creep up on most of us. We've always wondered why "fall cleaning" isn't as popular as "spring cleaning." The air on brisk September mornings inspires us to button up the home in preparation for cooler days, longer nights and the threat harsh winter weather can bring.  Check out these helpful tips:

Clean dryer vent
This is another one of those tasks that should be on your to-do list every six months. Scoot your clothes dryer away from the wall, unplug it, and vacuum behind it. (If it's a gas dryer, turn off the gas supply to the dryer at the appliance shutoff valve.) Unhook the tube that leads to the vent and clear as much lint from the tube as you can. Grab a shop vacuum, go outside, and tackle the outside dryer vent as well.

Inspect your roof and chimney
If your roof isn't too steep, and isn't covered with slate or tile, you may be able to carefully walk on it on a dry day. Look for broken or missing shingles, missing or damaged flashing and seals around vent pipes and chimneys, and damage to boards along the eaves. Also peer down your chimney with a flashlight to make sure no animals have set up house in it. If you can't get on your roof, perform this inspection with a ladder around the perimeter. Pay close attention to valleys and flashings — many leaks originate in these spots. Some patches and roofing cement now can prevent thousands of dollars of water damage later in the winter.

--------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

 

 

 

 

 

 

September Home-Maintenance Checklist - Series - Part 4

Caulk exterior
Think of caulk as weather-stripping in a tube. Any gap on the outside of your home can be a candidate for caulking. Look at transition spots: corners, windows, doors, areas where masonry joins siding, or places where vents and other objects protrude from walls. Carefully read manufacturer's directions to make sure the caulk you buy will work where you plan to use it, and don't forget to purchase a caulking gun. Early fall is a good time for this task because caulk becomes difficult to apply when the temperature falls.

Got wood?
If you have a wood stove, it's not too early to lay in a supply of firewood. Though most of us buy whatever's local, bear in mind that soft woods like fir and cedar burn faster and create hazardous creosote in the chimney, thus requiring more system maintenance and more wood. Hardwoods such as oak, hickory and maple are slow, hot, clean burners. Wood piles attract insect and animal pests, so stack wood away from the house. Wood dries best when it's protected from rain and has air circulating around it, so under the roof of a wall-less carport would be an ideal wood storage spot.

September Home-Maintenance Checklist - Series - Part 3

Check gutters
Do a quick visual check to make sure gutters are clear — they'll be performing double duty soon with rainstorms and falling leaves.

Keep mice out
September inspires nesting in mice as well as humans. Mice are looking for a winter home now, and that newly insulated attic would be just the spot. Mice can squeeze through quarter-inch openings; rats need a half-inch. Make sure all exterior vents are screened, and that there are no gaps underneath garage doors. If you are careless about leaving doors and windows open this time of year, you'll be setting mousetraps later. Pet doors are another favorite access point for rodents.

September Home-Maintenance Checklist - Series - Part 2

Fight winter with plywood
Find a couple of scrap sheets of plywood and set them aside. When the weatherman predicts a cold snap, set the boards against the exterior basement vents on whichever side of your house bears the brunt of your prevailing weather patterns. This bit of scrappiness could help prevent frozen pipes. Be sure to remove the boards once the weather warms up — those vents are there for a reason.

Insulation speculation
This is a good time to check the condition of insulation and see if you need more, especially if you live in an older home. You can purchase unbacked or loose-fill insulation if you are just beefing up what is already there. If you are adding batted insulation to a spot that has none, remember that the foil-backed side is the vapor barrier, and it must face the heated area.

For example, if you are laying fiberglass insulation in an unfinished attic floor to keep heat in the living room below, you should see pink when you're done — not foil. If your walls lack insulation, consider having a professional install blown-in insulation foam. The energy savings will probably offset the cost of the procedure in a couple of years.

September Home-Maintenance Checklist - Series - Part 1

Add weather-stripping to doors and windows
Weather-stripping can be plastic, foam, felt or metal; its job is to seal small gaps, keeping moisture and cold air outside where they belong. Look around your doors and windows: Is the weather-stripping torn or missing? This can become expensive if ignored. On doors, make sure the bottom seal is working properly — there are many sweeps, gaskets and thresholds designed to seal this gap. Doors generally need weather-stripping in their jambs as well. Adhesive-backed foam pads are easy to install for this purpose. Newer, energy-efficient windows generally don't require added weather-stripping, but if your windows are older, weather-tripping can keep drafts at bay and energy costs down.

Check storm windows
If you have storm windows that are cracked or dirty, repair and clean them now — prior to autumn installation.

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

Fall foliage is one of nature's most beautiful displays, but what makes it happen?

Between late August and early October, people across North America travel hundreds of miles to witness one of Mother Nature’s most beautiful pieces of artwork: fall foliage. A breathtaking natural spectacle, the wild splashes of red, orange, brown and yellow leaves racing up and down rolling hills and lining quaint neighborhoods have a certain homey nostalgia. Some places seem to have a tendency to produce more flamboyant versions of this natural artwork than others, and there's a good reason for it.

Those green leaves that we turn to for shade on hot summer days contain what is called chlorophyll. So much of this pigment is in the leaves that it masks the other pigments. Sunlight is one of the biggest factors in providing chlorophyll, so summer is when green leaves thrive. However, as light diminishes with the approach of autumn, so does the chlorophyll. This allows the other natural pigments, called carotenoids, to steal the show. The carotenoids come in yellow, brown, orange and a variety of hues in between.

There are other colors, however, that appear on leaves that weren't there before, and these are from anthocyanin pigments. Red and orange colors form due to an increase in sugar concentration in plants, typically occurring toward the end of summer. The more anthocyanins present in the leaves, the more burning reds you'll see on your next fall foliage trip.

Colder, northern climates tend to accelerate the process of chlorophyll decomposition. For instance, St. Paul, Minn., sees fall foliage peak in late September, but Tulsa Okla., likely sees it peak in early November. Temperature does affect leaf coloration to some degree, but it is not the determining factor. If it's a sunny autumn in your area, you'll see the brightest fall leaves.

If you live in an area with plenty of autumn sunshine and cool, crisp nights, expect a dazzling show this year. On the other hand, if the clouds just won't quit and the air remains a bit on the mild side, expect a more conservative presentation of duller yellows and browns.

5 quick facts about fall foliage

·         An increase in carbon-dioxide levels could further delay the onset of fall foliage colors in the coming years.

·         Leaves of some trees, such as birch, tulip poplar, redbud and hickory, are always yellow in the fall — never red.

·         Evergreen trees may shed their older leaves, which often turn bright yellow, in spring rather than fall, but they never drop all their leaves at one time. That's why they stay green all year.

·         The most vivid colors on tree leaves typically can be observed after a succession of very warm sunny days in autumn that in turn give way to cold, but not freezing, nights.

·         The most varied fall color, as well as the longest-lasting, occurs in areas such as the southern Appalachians, where a dozen or more kinds of trees may change color at slightly different times over the season.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes The Seasons Change?

Many people look forward to changing seasons: the brilliant colors of fall, gentle snows of winter, fragrant blossoms of spring and sunbathing days of summer. The rhythm of winter to summer and back again is so predictable that few stop to remember why this happens.

While the Earth’s orbit around the sun is a key player in making sure the seasons change, the most important aspect is the tilt of our planet's axis of rotation, which comes to about 23.5 degrees. The tilt is always there, but as Earth makes its laps around the sun, the amount of daylight we receive varies.

So why is the Earth tilted in the first place? Most of our planet's landmass and ice buildup is in the Northern Hemisphere, making it a bit top-heavy. If it weren't for the tilt, our seasons would have very little variation, making fall, winter, spring and summer somewhat one-note.

In a Northern Hemisphere summer, the planet is oriented toward the sun and receives enough solar radiation to thaw out and warm things up. While this is happening, the Southern Hemisphere experiences less solar penetration and colder temperatures, thus inaugurating its winter. Six months later, thanks to the Earth's orbit, the opposite is true. In between these two dominant seasons come spring and autumn, which help serve as a healthy transitional period.

3 quick facts about the changing seasons:

·         Other planets in our solar system also tilt at various degrees. Uranus rotates almost sideways at 97 degrees and has extreme seasons. The axial tilt on Venus is 177.3 degrees, causing very little variation to the seasons.

·         Earthquakes can shift the Earth's axis, but only by an infinitesimal proportion.

·         Earth is decreasing in obliquity, or tilt. An increase in tilt can lead to ice-age conditions, while a decrease in tilt can warm the Earth's surface.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Healthy Is Your Home? Series Final

Homes can be surprisingly dangerous places with the potential for both environmental hazards and safety concerns.  They can contain lead-based paint, asbestos, formaldehyde, radon, mold, imported drywall and other substances that can cause illnesses or chronic health problems. Homes are also full of safety hazards from stairs and stoves to bathtubs and swimming pools that can contribute to accidents, injuries or deaths. In this 3 part series we will explore ways to improve the health of your home.

 

6 Home-Safety Tips

Preventive measures can make a home safer as well, according to Amy Artuso Heinzen, program manager at the National Safety Council, a nonprofit organization in Itasca, Illinois.  "Every family and every home is different," Heinzen said. "Walk around and assess potential hazards, particularly for the dynamics of your specific family."

Here are some of her tips:

1. Install a fence around a swimming pool to keep out unsupervised children who can slip silently into a pool and drown without a sound being made.
2. Keep toilet seat lids closed, never leave a bucket of water unattended and never leave a young child in a bathtub without an adult present. A young child can drown in a small amount of water.
3. Create an emergency evacuation plan and practice it twice a year with your family, preferably during the day and at night. Plan at least two ways to exit your home in case one route is blocked.
4. Make sure your home's windows aren't painted or nailed shut. If they are, get someone to open them so you and your family can escape in an emergency.
5. Install smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms outside each sleeping area and on every level of your home. Test alarms monthly. If you or someone in your family has impaired hearing, install alarms that vibrate or flash a light.
6. Make sure your hallways and bathrooms are well-lit at night to prevent slips, trips and falls.

"We all live with a certain amount of hazard," Heinzen said. "It's important to educate yourself and take proactive safety measures to do your best to avoid illness and injury while actively living and enjoying life."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Healthy Is Your Home? Series Part 2 - Four Healthy Home Tips

4 healthy home tips

Homes can be surprisingly dangerous places with the potential for both environmental hazards and safety concerns.  They can contain lead-based paint, asbestos, formaldehyde, radon, mold, imported drywall and other substances that can cause illnesses or chronic health problems. Homes are also full of safety hazards from stairs and stoves to bathtubs and swimming pools that can contribute to accidents, injuries or deaths. In this 3 part series we will explore ways to improve the health of your home.

These tips from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) can make your home safer and healthier:

1. Keep your home clean and dry to discourage mites, cockroaches, rodents and mold
2. Be careful with pesticides. Improper use can make health problems worse since residues pose serious health risks.
3. Keep your home free of lead paint, radon gas, pesticides, carbon monoxide, asbestos particles and other hazardous chemicals
4. Keep your home well-maintained. Remediate peeling paint promptly, especially if you live in an older home.

----------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Healthy Is Your Home? Series - Part 1 - Home Inspection

Homes can be surprisingly dangerous places with the potential for both environmental hazards and safety concerns.  They can contain lead-based paint, asbestos, formaldehyde, radon, mold, imported drywall and other substances that can cause illnesses or chronic health problems. Homes are also full of safety hazards from stairs and stoves to bathtubs and swimming pools that can contribute to accidents, injuries or deaths. In this 3 part series we will explore ways to improve the health of your home.

Home inspection

Many home hazards were originally introduced by builders and contractors, says Jay Gregg, director of marketing at Pillar to Post Professional Home Inspections, a Tampa, Florida-based franchise company with 450 outlets in the U.S. and Canada.

One way to find these hazards is get a home inspection, but that's only a starting point. A home inspector can't move furniture or boxes without the homeowner's permission and even a vacant house isn't 100 percent accessible.

First-time homebuyers especially should seek the help of a home inspector as they have never been through the home buying process before and are not aware of the potential problems they could encounter as homeowners.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

 

Be Ready, Nat´l Preparedness Month is Here! - Series Final - Maintain a Healthy State of Mind

September 2014 marks the eleventh annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US Department of Homeland Security. One goal of Homeland Security is to educate the public about how to prepare for emergencies, including natural disasters, mass casualties, biological and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, and terrorist attacks.   Take note of this final valuable tip for preparing for unexpected events.

Maintain a Healthy State of Mind

Everyone has their own ways of dealing with stressful situations. Resilience—the ability to adapt well to life's ups and downs—can help manage stress and feelings of anxiety. Everyone can develop resilience. It involves thoughts and actions that can be learned and practiced over time.

Anyone who experiences a disaster is affected by it, whether directly or indirectly through location, family or friends, or exposure to media coverage of the event.

Even if a disaster, such as a terrorist act, produces little physical damage, it can bring fear, confusion, and uncertainty into daily life. Strong and varied emotional reactions to such an event are natural. People are resilient and able to recover from difficult experiences.

Given the uncontrollable nature of disasters, some people question whether they can take steps to plan for catastrophic events. Actually, we know that the more people prepare for the unexpected, the better they manage these situations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

Be Ready, Nat´l Preparedness Month is Here! Series - Part 4 - Understand Quarantine and Isolation

September 2014 marks the eleventh annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US Department of Homeland Security. One goal of Homeland Security is to educate the public about how to prepare for emergencies, including natural disasters, mass casualties, biological and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, and terrorist attacks.   Visit our Blog all this week to learn valuable tips for preparing for unexpected events.

#4 - Understand Quarantine and Isolation

People can be infected with dangerous diseases in a number of ways. Some germs, like those causing malaria, are passed to humans by animals. Other germs, like those that cause botulism, are carried to people by contaminated food or water. Still others, like the ones causing measles, are passed directly from person to person. These diseases are called "contagious".

Contagious diseases that pose a health risk to people have always existed. While the spread of many of these diseases has been controlled through vaccination and other public health efforts, avian influenza ("bird flu") and terrorist acts worldwide have raised concerns about the possibility of a disease risk. That makes it important for people to understand what can and would be done to protect the public from the spread of dangerous contagious diseases.

The CDC applies the term "quarantine" to more than just people. It also refers to any situation in which a building, conveyance, cargo, or animal might be thought to have been exposed to a dangerous contagious disease agent and is closed off or kept apart from others to prevent disease spread.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the U.S. government agency responsible for identifying, tracking, and controlling the spread of disease. With the help of the CDC, state and local health departments have created emergency preparedness and response plans. In addition to early detection, rapid diagnosis, and treatment with antibiotics or antivirals, these plans use two main traditional strategies —quarantine and isolation— to contain the spread of illness. These are common health care practices to control the spread of a contagious disease by limiting people's exposure to it.

The difference between quarantine and isolation can be summed up like this:

·         Isolation applies to persons who are known to be ill with a contagious disease.

·         Quarantine applies to those who have been exposed to a contagious disease but who may or may not become ill.

Definitions

Infectious disease: a disease caused by a microorganism and therefore potentially infinitely transferable to new individuals. May or may not be communicable. Example of non-communicable is disease caused by toxins from food poisoning or infection caused by toxins in the environment, such as tetanus.

Communicable disease: an infectious disease that is contagious and which can be transmitted from one source to another by infectious bacteria or viral organisms.

Contagious disease: a very communicable disease capable of spreading rapidly from one person to another by contact or close proximity.
---------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.

  

Be Ready, Nat´l Preparedness Month is Here! - Series - Part 3 - Learn How to Shelter in Place

September 2014 marks the eleventh annual National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the US Department of Homeland Security. One goal of Homeland Security is to educate the public about how to prepare for emergencies, including natural disasters, mass casualties, biological and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, and terrorist attacks.   Visit our Blog all this week to learn valuable tips for preparing for unexpected events.

#3 - Learn How to Shelter in Place

"Shelter-in-place" means to take immediate shelter where you are—at home, work, school, or in between. It may also mean "seal the room;" in other words, take steps to prevent outside air from coming in. This is because local authorities may instruct you to "shelter-in-place" if chemical or radiological contaminants are released into the environment. It is important to listen to TV or radio to understand whether the authorities wish you to merely remain indoors or to take additional steps to protect yourself and your family.

At home

·         Choose a room in advance for your shelter. The best room is one with as few windows and doors as possible. A large room, preferably with a water supply, is desirable—something like a master bedroom that is connected to a bathroom.

·         Contact your workplaces, your children's schools, nursing homes where you may have family and your local town or city officials to find out what their plans are for "shelter-in-place."

·         Find out when warning systems will be tested. When tested in your area, determine whether you can hear or see sirens and/or warning lights from your home.

·         Develop your own family emergency plan so that every family member knows what to do. Practice it regularly.

·         Assemble a disaster supplies kit that includes emergency water and food supplies.

At work

·         Help ensure that the emergency plan and checklist involves all employees. Volunteers or recruits should be assigned specific duties during an emergency. Alternates should be assigned to each duty.

·         The shelter kit should be checked on a regular basis. Duct tape and first aid supplies can sometimes disappear when all employees know where the shelter kit is stored. Batteries for the radio and flashlight should be replaced regularly.

In general

·         Learn CPR, first aid and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). (Contact your local American Red Cross chapter for more information.)

How will I know when I need to "shelter-in-place"?

Fire or police department warning procedures could include:

·         "All-Call" telephoning - an automated system for sending recorded messages, sometimes called "reverse 9-1-1".

·         Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcasts on the radio or television.

·         Outdoor warning sirens or horns.

·         News media sources - radio, television and cable.

·         NOAA Weather Radio alerts.

·         Residential route alerting - messages announced to neighborhoods from vehicles equipped with public address systems.

Facilities that handle potentially dangerous materials, like nuclear power plants, are required to install sirens and other warning systems (flash warning lights) to cover a 10-mile area around the plant.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

This blog is brought to you by SERVPRO^® of Great Neck/Port Washington, a leading provider of fire and water cleanup, mold mitigation, remediation and restoration services. For more information and a full list of our services, please visit us online at www.servproofgreatneck.com or contact us at 516-767-9600.