Question: What might cause standing water in my yard?

Answer: If your yard, or some portion of it, remains wet and soggy for extended periods after periods after a rain shower, it probably means the natural drainage ways have been blocked and have settled, and there isn’t enough grade in your yard to allow water to drain properly.

Most yards were originally graded so that water was able to flow from the front of the home to the street and from the back of the home into a ditch or storm sewer. Patios, walkways, mounds of mulch or planted beds, and even tress can add to the raising of the ground surface.

If this is the case, you may need to consider installing subsurface drainage around your yard. In addition, you should take a good look at ht landscaping around your home. Many homeowners who like a manicured yard are often tempted to mound mulch in plant beds, around trees and against their home’s foundation, for aesthetic purposes, as well as keeping away weeds or undesirable ground cover. How could this affect your yard’s drainage?

Unfortunately, this practice may produce the unintended result of encouraging water to pool in different areas of the yard. If water pools around the foundation, it can cause considerable damage to the home.

The fill around your home should be compacted and graded to slope away from the home for a minimum of ten feet, making the frond six inches lower than the ground surface at the house wall. This will drain surface water away from the wall and help prevent water from standing against the wall. Planting and mulching around outside wall should be done carefully to preserve drainage away from the wall.

Following these tips can lead to a dryer yard and a dryer home.

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Homeowners know that a great deal of energy is required to power heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, especially once winter or summer electric and gas bills arrive. In fact, as much as half of the energy used in a home goes towards heating and cooling the indoor environment.

The goal of an HVAC system, when operating properly, is to provide a temperate climate and the best possible air quality, delivered for and affordable price. Most homes today are equipped with central air and heating systems that maintain temperatures in al l rooms of a home they service.

Whether a home is new or older, the heating and cooling equipment should always be sized to properly fit the home. Proper equipment sizing is determined by your home’s heat loss during cold weather and heat gains during warm weather, and is calculated using a design load formula. To determine if an HVAC system is the right sixe, homeowners can do their own calculations using software found at the website energystat.gov

A system that is properly sixed will prove to be more cost-efficient than an oversized unit. A unit that is too large will constantly cycle on and off, raising energy costs. Undersized equipment, with airflow that is insufficient, will reduce the efficiency of the air distribution and speed up wear on system components, leading to inadequate room temperatures and equipment failure.

However, installing new equipment isn’t always the answer when homeowners are looking to lower energy bills. Before an HVAC system needs to be replaced, it pays to review routine maintenance issues. One problem that can be remedied easily is stopping air leakage within the home or around air ducts. These leaks can be sources of problems rather than the HVAC equipment itself. The homeowner or a contractor can seal ducts and pipes by using mastic or metal-backed tape, or an aerosol-based sealer. Once any leaks have been sealed, the system can be checked for optimal air flow. When the air flows at proper levels, a home is comfortable and energy bills are more affordable. If air flow is too high, duct leakage increases and the temperature at the register is not sufficient for optimal home comfort. If air flow is too low, air distribution efficiency drops and accelerates the wear on system components, causing discomfort as well as premature failure of equipment.

There are a number of systems that can be checked when trouble-shooting HVAC systems. Thermostat settings can be adjusted to ensure comfort levels are maintained when family members are home and energy is conserved while they are away. Moving parts in the HVAC system can be lubricated for better operation and reduced electricity use. Evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils can be cleaned and air conditioner refrigerant levels can be checked and adjusted.

Homeowners also can extend the life of their system by staying on top of filter maintenance by inspecting, cleaning or changing filters at least once every three months. Filters should be changed monthly during the heavy-use summer and winter months. A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep family members warm or cool and that wastes energy. A clean filter will also prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system which could lead to expensive maintenance and/or early system failure. Routine maintenance can make a big difference in the life and effectiveness of an HVAC system , as well as the cost to maintain a comfortable and healthy home.

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Preston Sandlin of Home Inspection Carolina was recently doing a home inspection in Monroe NC near Charlotte when hw noticed some trouble with the gutter system There are several causes of overflowing gutters. In could be that they are clogged, rusted or leaking at the seams. They might also be loose or sloped the incorrect direction. To find out for sure what the problem might be you need to climb up on a ladder to inspect your gutters.

Overflowing gutters can cause problems worse than just stained siding. The repeated flow of water from overflowing gutters can cause wood siding to rot. A more serious problem can be caused when gutters overflow and water backs up under roofing shingles and flows down inside the wall cavity. Moist conditions like these can also increase the likelihood of termite infestation.

Every homeowner should clean and inspect his or her gutters twice a year: once in late fall and once in the spring. If you cannot do it yourself and cannot afford two cleanings per year, clean your gutters once after the last of the leaves have fallen in late fall. Don’t wait until spring because seeds will have sprouted in the leaves and other organic matter that accumulates in your gutters, which makes them much more difficult to clean.

If you have a single-story house, first use a gutter-cleaning attachment for a leaf blower/vacuum or a wet/dry vacuum. These attachments have a long tube with a U-shaped bend on the end designed to reach into gutters. The ideal time to clean gutters is after a long, dry spell so the debris in the gutters will be dry and more easily sucked into the tube.

Next, climb up on a ladder near the downspout end.
Always have a helper steady the ladder. Move the ladder often and don’t try to reach too far because it is easy to lose your balance.

Wearing gloves to protect your hands from sharp metal or protruding screws clean out the downspout opening and stuff a rag in the opening so debris will not fall into it. A garden trowel works well for scooping out debris.

After you have the gutters cleaned out, remove the rag from the downspout opening. Move the ladder to the other end of the gutter. Flush the gutter with water from a garden hose and observe the flow of the water. It should flow toward the downspout and there should be very little standing water when you turn off the water. Also, check for leaks from beneath the gutters.

If you notice leaky spots, hopefully they are at the seams. You can repair leaking seams with caulk and probably get many more years of service before the gutters need to be replaced. If the leaks are from a non-seam section, the gutters likely need to be replaced.

When water is left standing in the gutter, this means the slope of the gutter is incorrect or it is sagging. Changing the slope is a major job you might not want to tackle yourself. If there is a just a sagging spot, several of the mounting nails have pulled out.

Don’t just drive the nails back into the holes. They may feel tight, but they will pull out during the next rain. Go to your home center and get some long gutter screws made for this purpose. They screw into the old mounting holes and support the gutter. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Recently a Charlotte home inspector found a problem on a porch roof while doing a Waxhaw home inspection. The problem with this roof was that there was troff on the front edge of the roof and no where for the water to go, The water is going to trapped and run down the wall. This could lead to mold and deteriation of the wall. If you have any home inspection or roof inspection questions, please contact Preston Sandlin at http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

In August of 2009 Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin was inspection a house near Concord NC when he noticed water dripping out of the condensation overflow pipe. This owner was aware of the dripping becuse of the stepping stone there but he or she may have been unaware of exactly what was going on. The primary line has clogged probably as the result of a dirty or wrong size filter. This dirt and debris gets in the coil as it did in this Concord home and drains down into the condensation line which cloggs it. The condensation ten overflows into a catch pan which has a drain that comes out the side of the house. This is what we are looking at here from this Home Inspection Carolina video. The primary line needs to be unclogged to prevent the pan from rusting. Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin says he sees this alot especially during the warm humid Summer months. http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Recently Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin performed a home inspection in the Piper Glen area of Charlotte. While performing the inspection he noted that the AC units where not level. If these units are nt level it will cause the lubricant to settle on one end and burn the fan motor out prematurely. For more home inspection or air condition information go the our site http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

Charlotte home inspector Preston Sandlin recently found a leaky fountain near Remax Metro in Charlotte NC The tile on the interior lining of this fountain is failing causing it to leak continiously. Home Inspection Carolina inspectst fountains as well as structural and mechanical and termite inspections. If you have home inspection questions or you are in need of an inspection near Charlotte, Mint Hill, Gastonia, Weddington, Lake Norman, Lake Wylie, Fort Mill, or Rock Hill go to http://www.homeinspectioncarolina.com

There are a few different methods for removing outdoor paint. Depending on the overall project, you’ll either want to remove all of the old paint or remove enough of it to allow a new coat of paint to adhere without the risk of chipping.

If the painted surface is wood:
When refinishing a wooden deck or fence, the best method for removing old paint is to use a power sander. A sander will take off the top layer of the wood, however be careful not to overdo it. Because the project is outdoors, ventilation is not a problem, but you should still wear a breathing mask.

If the painted surface is concrete or brick:
Concrete and brick are porous surfaces and getting paint out of all the cracks and crevices is no easy task. The best way to tackle the job is to use a steam pressure washer. This type of pressure washer uses steam which essentially melts the paint, allowing it to be washed away by the pressurized washer.

If the painted surface is metal:
It can be very difficult to remove paint from a metal surface, especially if you want to preserve the original look and quality of the metal. If scratching the surface is not a concern, then sandblasting will probably work best. If you are concerned about scratching the surface, a chemical paint stripper is ideal, but be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions regarding proper handling and use.

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Without a doubt, buying a home can be the largest investment youll ever make. With the average home costing approximately $190,000, many homeowners take great pains to ensure that all cosmetic and structural repairs are attended to. However, the truth is that many expensive repairs could be avoided by simply sticking to a routine maintenance schedule. Routinely checking your home for emerging problems will prevent larger, more expensive problems that leave homeowners scrambling for a quick repair—rather than a cost-effective one. Clearly, regular home maintenance is something you cant afford to ignore.

When to Inspect

Spring is a good time to begin assessing your home for any damage or repairs that need attending to. A good rule of thumb is to check your home at the same time you change your fire alarm batteries—at the beginning (spring) and end (fall) of daylight savings time. Doing so will ensure that minor repairs dont turn into major expenses. Some components of your home may require less-frequent monitoring (foundation), and some may require more (changing the furnace filter). However, taking a walkthrough of your home twice yearly is a good rule of thumb to begin with.

Who Should Inspect

If you feel unqualified to asses every crack and unidentified water leak in your home, feel free to hire a handy man. Not only will he be able to spot any problems, but he can also advise on repairs and costs right on the spot. Do you want a thorough evaluation? Hire a home inspector. Do keep in mind, however, that home inspectors cost much more (around $300) and may not necessarily find every problem.

In most instances, though, simply paying attention to your home is all it takes to spot any emerging problems. For example, if your toilet runs all the time, chances are it needs to be repaired. Have you noticed that your doors dont shut properly anymore? That could be a sign of foundation settling or warping. Simply making a list of things around your home that seem off can make your inspection process much easier

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