The Home Know-It-All

Replace An Old Showerhead

 
It's a bit funny how we tend to overlook the things we use most often. The excess dripping of a showerhead, for instance, might go unnoticed day after day. When we do become aware of the problem, fixing it can get demoted to the bottom of our to-do list—after all, it still works, right? 

This weekend, make it a priority to treat yourself to a more enjoyable shower, lower heating bill, and good feelings from helping out the environment. Installing a low-flow showerhead can be an inexpensive repair (showerheads range anywhere from $10 to $200) that is too easy not to do. 

What you'll need:

• Replacement low-flow showerhead
• Teflon tape (thread seal tape)
• Wrench
• Ten minutes

Preparation

Firmly turn off your shower faucets—this should be a dry process from beginning to end. Next, unscrew your old showerhead. The neck of the showerhead should be flat where it meets the wall pipe—this is meant for your wrench. You may find it's a bit reluctant to unscrew, particularly if it's been in use for many years. After its removal, clean the wall pipe's threads of any residual Teflon tape or pipe compound. 

Installation

Tightly wrap your new Teflon tape clockwise around the wall pipe's threads four or five times. Applying the tape in a clockwise direction will make sure the showerhead won't work against the tape seam when you tighten it during installation. Avoid wrapping the tape above the threads, as it will show after the showerhead is installed. It might be a small thing, but it'll irk you later. 

If your new showerhead comes with a rubber washer, place the washer inside the showerhead and hand-tighten only. Over-tightening (as is prone to happen with a wrench) will force the washer into the wall pipe, creating all manner of trouble. 

If your showerhead doesn't come with a washer, tighten it firmly with a wrench. Be careful to avoid cross threading the new showerhead with the threads on the wall pipe—this is particularly easy to do with aluminum, since it's a fairly soft metal. 

Not too hard, right? Go enjoy your new shower!

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Cool New Grilling Tools

 

Nothing says summer quite like a barbecue. Before you fire up your grill, here are a few new tools to consider that will give you a hand and turn a few heads. 

Hybrid Temperature Tongs - $19.98

What could make any grill master wake up in a cold sweat? The possibility of someone getting sick from undercooked meat they've prepared. Silence your fears with this nifty set of tongs—it combines all the handiest grill implements (a stainless steel fork and a spatula form either side of the tong) with a reliable, built-in temperature sensor that can adjust for whatever meat you're grilling. It will even tell you when the meat is rare, medium, or well done. 

Grill Daddy Grill Cleaner - $19.95

No one likes to clean the grill after a big cookout, and more times than not a crusty carbon residue becomes a familiar fixture on the grate. The Grill Daddy, which looks something like a futuristic handheld vacuum, makes clean-up easy. It works by spraying a stream of water as you scrub with the attached brush, keeping your grill clean and ready to use. 

The Ham Dogger - $7.95

It's easy to get tired of the 'burger or hotdog' paradigm at barbecues. Add a little versatility to the menu with the Ham Dogger—a plastic mold for forming ground beef, turkey, pork, or whatever you're inclined to use into a perfect hot dog shape. Eliminate the need for two kinds of buns and surprise everyone at your next barbecue!

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Choosing the Right Fence

 

Whether or not you subscribe to the adage 'good fences make good neighbors,' the diversity and utility of today's fencing is impressive. If you're considering installing a fence on your property, you may find the array of options intimidating. Here are a few tips to ensure you get a fence that fits your needs.   

Define its purpose.
A fence can safely contain children or pets, add a decorative accent to your property, and serve as a privacy barrier.  While there are exceptions, many fences are designed for a single, specific role. A decorative fence may not be adequate for keeping unwanted visitors out, for instance. 

Choose a material.
Though fences still come in traditional wood varieties, there are a variety of other materials to choose from as well.

Vinyl
A low maintenance alternative to wood, vinyl requires no painting or staining, and it won't rot, warp, or splinter. Oftentimes, vinyl fence sections are manufactured for easy assembly too. One downside to vinyl, however, is that it is typically more expensive than wood fencing. 

Aluminum
Aluminum fences possess all the benefits of being rust resistant, light-weight, and affordable. They come in several grades, ranging from residential to commercial. Commercial grade aluminum fencing will be more durable and of higher strength and quality than its residential counterpart. Adding a spray-on finish will give you plenty of options for changing your fence's appearance and will further magnify its durability. Though typically more expensive than wood fencing, aluminum fencing prices still come in well under vinyl fencing prices.

Bamboo
For a look that emphasizes your love of nature and the outdoors, check into bamboo fencing. It can be an eco-friendly option—learn more about it in our All About Bamboo post. Bamboo is also affordable and makes an excellent privacy screen, but does not offer much in the way of security. 

Wrought Iron
Don't let the high price of wrought iron scare you away—installing it could increase your property value handsomely. While not very useful for privacy applications, it is used almost exclusively as ornamental fencing. You can choose to have your wrought iron galvanized to prevent rust, though some find that the rust ads charm. 

NOTE: Neighborhood associations may require a very specific brand or style of fence. To avoid disappointment, be sure you're familiar with your association's expectations before breaking ground. 

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Prevent Floodwater Damage

With everyone here at the office coping with the recent glut of Iowa rainstorms in one way or another—driving delays, power outages, or basement flooding—I thought it would be appropriate to provide some tips on preparing for and preventing flood damage to your home. 

Go to Higher Ground
When it comes to flooding, low ground is the enemy. Move possessions and your family to higher ground. Appliances too large to move to another floor—washers and dryers for instance—should be put securely up on blocks. 

Know Your Electricity Plan
We all know water and electricity don't mix. So when water is encroaching on places with electrical appliances or, as is often the case, getting near your water heater or furnace, unplug, disconnect, and shut off everything. Just don't try to unplug an appliance or device if you have to stand in water to do it! If you hear buzzing or popping noises, or see sparks, stay away and call an electrician or emergency personnel. It might also be wise to make sure your circuit breakers and fuses are clearly marked for each area of your home before flooding occurs to facilitate easy shutoff in an emergency. 

Take Long-Term Action
Applying a waterproofing compound to your basement walls, or having a basement waterproofing contractor install a sump pump system are both long-term, preventive efforts that may seem inconvenient during the dry season, but are real life-savers when rain hits hard. Keeping an emergency kit on hand is always a good plan regardless of how prepared you think you are.

Reduce Water Usage
When water is everywhere, the last thing you want is to contribute to the mess by producing additional wastewater. Don't flush toilets or take showers unless absolutely necessary. You may even want to go so far as to plug plumbing receptacles to prevent wastewater backup. 

Stay dry!

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Carbon Monoxide 101

While we all understand (or should) the importance of smoke detectors in our homes, carbon monoxide detectors are an equally important device that could save your family's life. Colorless and odorless, carbon monoxide can be an insidious threat—one that is generated by every major appliance that functions using combustion. This includes furnaces, gas water heaters, and space heaters to name just a few. Detectors are an affordable way to secure a little peace of mind. 

Why It's Dangerous
Carbon monoxide is attracted to hemoglobin in the bloodstream. As you breathe it in, carbon monoxide displaces oxygen in your system and causes flu-like symptoms that increase in severity until you lose consciousness or worse. 

What to Do
If you or someone in your family begins to suffer from headache, nausea, dizziness, and/or vomiting, get everyone out of the house and into fresh air before calling the fire department. NOTE: Do NOT try to track down the source of the leak yourself, as the highest levels of carbon monoxide will be found there. Leave this task to the fire department who will be equipped for it, and first seek fresh air and medical attention for you and your family. Keep in mind that children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or coronary problems may show symptoms before healthy adults. Ideally, the installation of a carbon monoxide detector will notify you before anyone in your home reaches this point. 

Possible Culprits
Odds are very good that you have at least one appliance in your home that creates carbon monoxide as a byproduct of its function—wood burning stoves, fireplaces, gas ranges, and gas dryers all do. Keeping these and similar appliances well ventilated and well maintained should ensure that all of the toxins they are producing find their way outside. 

The Price of Safety
In-home carbon monoxide detectors cost anywhere from $20 to $120. The Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests installing a carbon monoxide detector near every bedroom in your home, and replacing the detectors every five years. 

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Why Is My Tree Dying?

While almost nothing is a more iconic representation of strength than a mature tree, they occasionally, and sometimes inexplicably, fall victim to damage. Before calling an arborist, check this list to identify possible explanations for your tree's changes.

Excess Water
Persistant flood conditions or poor irrigation can lead to leaf chlorosis (yellowing), defoliation, and reduced leaf size and shoot growth. If water is high enough to cover low branches, trees may die within a single month! Long term flooding can also decay large portions of the tree's root system. 

For an idea of where your tree ranks on the list of flood-tolerant species, view this PDF from the Iowa State University extension website.

If poor irrigation is leading to an excess of water, check out the Vacaville Tree Foundation's tips on watering both newly planted and established trees.

Misapplied Pesticides or Herbicides
Though the application of pesticides and herbicides may keep your lawn clear of undesirable weeds, it can also cause severe damage to your trees. Glyphosate, commonly found in herbicides like Roundup, causes premature leaf loss and discoloration of foliage. The herbicide 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid—found in many "weed and feed" lawn products, an ingredient in the infamous Agent Orange, and the most widely used herbicide in the world—can completely kill certain trees if used in large amounts. 

De-icing Salt
If you live in an environment where de-icing salt is regularly used to clear roads and driveways of snow and ice, your trees could be suffering. Damage occurs when the tree's roots take in large amounts of sodium and chloride from the de-icing salt. The salt can also affect the soil's structure and ability to drain, which in turn can cause more harm to trees in the area.  

Read more on salt damage to trees and see which varieties stand up better to salt spray at the University of Minnesota extension website.

Drought
During dry periods, trees go through several transitions in an effort to survive. The first includes the rapid growth of upper soil surface roots—an attempt to gather the little bit of water that is available. If the drought continues, the tree responds by allowing those roots and its uppermost branches to die. If rain still doesn't arrive, the entire tree may die. Trees suffering from drought may also become vulnerable to an assortment of pests that would ordinarily not be able to survive on a healthy specimen. Be aware, long-term damage may not be visible for several years after the drought ends.

Some eco-friendly ideas for lasting through a drought include rain water harvesting and water recycling.

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All

Sweating Copper Pipes

For those preparing to tackle a DIY plumbing job, there's a good chance you're going to be working with copper pipes—in which case cutting and joining them is almost inevitable. "Sweating" a copper pipe is simply the process of joining two copper pipes using solder. So if cascading streams of water aren't something you want to see in your home, pay careful attention to these tips.

What you'll need:

• Appropriate copper pipes and joints for your project
• Hard or soft, lead-free solder (NOTE: Hard solder contains a phosphorous flux already in its composition. This is toxic if ingested—it should not be used for potable water lines)
• Tube reamer
• Combination wire brush
• Rag
• Plumbing flux
• Propane torch

Preparation:

The first key to achieving a watertight bond between your two pipes is careful preparation of the two mating surfaces. After cutting a pipe, use your reamer to remove any burrs from the cut end, followed by your wire brush to clean both mating surfaces and remove any oxidized copper. Use a clean rag to wipe off any grit. The basic principle here is that clean surfaces will bond tightly. 

Assembly:

Apply plumbing flux on the now-abraded surfaces and connect the joint. Move your torch flame around the joint, keeping the flame just touching the surface and heating evenly. The copper should get shiny as the flux proceeds to melt, followed by the metal getting dull and the flux beginning to smoke. This indicates it's time to apply your solder.

Soldering:

Carefully touch the tip of the solder to the joint, keeping the flame on the joint to maintain the temperature. The solder should be sucked directly into the joint as it melts. On horizontal connections, start applying the solder at the bottom of the joint and work your way up and over the pipe, then back around. For vertical pipe connections, apply the solder evenly around the pipe. 

Click here for more information on keeping your newly assembled pipes from freezing during the winter.

Until next time, 

The Home Know-It-All