W.E. Davies Recommended
"Honey Do" Projects for the Month

Summer Honey-Do-List

The following is a general description of items proposed. These may change due to owner’s decisions or product selection. All contractors involved have Certificates of insurance on file with W. E. Davies.

These items are some of those “to do” things we all know need to be accomplished maybe only once and maybe a few times throughout the warmer months of the year but for some reason seem to linger past.

A couple of these are very simple items I have found not only tackles the item at hand but also helps inspect the general area around the house for possible “added” items we would have missed.

1) Clean the general area around the air conditioner unit for weeds or shrubbery. These may impede with the performance of the unit or get into the mechanical working parts and cause wear and tear to these parts.

2) Check the openings of the dryer and other vent outlets around the house. Since it is nice weather, what better time to clean out some of those lint balls that seem to be around these units. This definitely can cause other issues such as putting strain on the fan unit.

3) Gutters & Downspouts – Yes, you heard right !! Those unforgiving things that always clog with the first real gully washer of a rain that makes you go out when you had no idea how much rain can fall. If you do not have gutter screens or covers, you should be doing this multiple times throughout the year and why not do it when the sun is shining ?

I do stress that if you do not feel comfortable doing this, it is not worth a trip to the E.R. Ask a neighbor or even a contractor if they provide services such as this. They may not advertize it but offer it as a service to their customers.

4) Pest Control - Even though this has nothing to do with remodeling, this is something ALL homeowners are notorious for doing. Our foundations to our homes are exactly that – the foundation to what we live in. Pests love these areas where concrete and wood meet. Ants, earwigs, and all the other critters that live in the moisture ridden areas.

A trip from your favorite pest control company can give your foundation a spray coating of “critter control” in the early / mid months of the summer. It may require an additional trip later.  

Serious Energy Savings In A Flash

Even though we all know about how to save on our energy bills and consumption, we all may not know how easy some of these long term items can be to accomplish. Here is just a quick list of items we have come up with. For a full information pamphlet on your homes energy saving needs, you can call (608 222-6609) or e-mail a request for a Home Performance with Energy Star pamphlet at wynn@wedavies.com

The Inside Scoop:

• Remove the outlet covers on the exterior walls and either caulk or use spray foam insulation to seal around the perimeter of the box. You can buy the spray foam in a can for about $5.00 and this should be enough to do almost the entire house (once opened, you cannot save it). Let the spray foam harden before trying to wipe the excess, just noting that this product is really sticky when wet and will expand more than you think. You may want to use a pair of rubber gloves just in case. Try not to get any of this product on the adjacent surface just knowing that it is somewhat difficult to get off.
• Due the same procedure to any recessed can lights in the ceiling that has attic space above it. Most recessed can units will have some amount of space between the unit and the drywall or plaster around it. You will need to remove the baffle that surrounds the light. In most cases, this is held in by (2) springs that are easily removed. Again, if using spray foam, wait for it to harden before continuing. You also can do the same process to all fan units that lead to the attic space. These are notorious for air leakage.
• Check all the exterior door frames and sills for air leakage. If you feel a draft to the bottom of the door, some units will have an adjustable sill that can be raised or lowered. If not, they sell strip weather-stripping that has been precut for different width doors. Install this to the bottom interior. If the door is warped and does not fit tight against the frame, you can install self stick weather-stripping to the jamb stop to help. Note: I will normally tell our clients that this is not a permanent solution and may need to be addressed yearly because of the wear and tear door systems take on a daily basis.
• In closing, these are just a few tips to knock down those nasty heating bills and would be mentioned in a home performance with energy star report. If needed, we offer a range of these services to our clients and can help direct them to accomplish these and more savings to their home.

Spring Cleaning - It's just around the corner!

Our Spring cleaning chore checklist will help you take care of important seasonal chores and welcome Spring to an organized home. Pick a weekend and enlist the family for Spring cleaning. Many hands make light work!

The Home Exterior

1. Schedule a family garage clean-out. Create efficient storage for sporting goods, camping equipment, recreational vehicles, and garden tools. You'll have the jump on summer fun! Reward the team with dinner at a pizza parlor.
2. Inspect, clean and repair outdoor furniture.
3. Inspect the roof for winter damage: leaks, missing or broken shingles or tiles. Arrange for any needed repairs early; roofing contractors can be hard to find during summer's construction season.
4. Use a sunny Saturday to scrape, prime and paint peeling spots on trim or woodwork. You'll protect wood against Summer's heat and moisture--and prevent a more difficult paint job come fall.

The Inside Story

1. Changing seasons, changing clothes. Hold a family wardrobe check as you bring out warm-weather clothing. Sort winter clothing for discards and donations before you store.
2. Wash windows inside and out.
3. Arrange for a spring inspection of cooling systems. Don't wait for the first hot day! Air conditioning firms will give better service when they're not busy.
4. When the weather warms, deactivate heat system humidifiers. Check the system manual for instructions on how to power down for the summer. (See previous lists for Winter Checklist)

Kitchen Update Ideas

1.  Change out the handles or knobs to something more recent. Brushed Nickel or Burnished Bronze. Keep in mind you will need to stay with the same dimensions (hole spacings) of the existing handles.
2.  Clean those old drab looking wood doors and frames and make them sparkle again. We recommend a wood cleaner / protector product called "Cabinet Magic". It comes in a aerosol can and is sold in some grocery stores or your local hardware store (True value - Ace Hardware). This product has been around for at least 20 years and really works well to bring that wood sheen back to looking like new. Just a little elbow grease needed.
3.  Add under cabinet lighting or a couple recessed can lights to those dimly lit working areas. This will really make a difference in the way you feel in the kitchen.
    

For more great "Honey Do" projects email Wynn

Heating Season Check List

If you are not certain or do not feel comfortable doing any of the following, please call a professional.

Even though we are well into the heating season, it would not be a bad idea to make sure those little things are taken care of. Which ones you ask?

1.  Change the furnace filter twice a year. Cleaner air quality in the home means happier family members if anyone has allergies. It also will extend the life of your fan motor.
2.  Make sure all smoke alarms AND carbon monoxide detectors are properly working and change out batteries (if needed). You can buy carbon monoxide detectors that simply plug into an outlet and will give a led readout of (parts per million) count of this gas. This basically warns you if this gas gets to a hazardous level in the home and acts just like a smoke alarm.
3.  Turn off all the outside faucets from the interior shut off valve. If you don't know if you have one of these, just follow the pipe into the house and there should be a valve close too if not near the exterior wall in the basement. This valve is part of the secondary backup so that if the exterior freezes and bursts the line, the interior valve has stopped the flow of water.
4.  Keep the snow off the eve ends of the roof. This would be all areas of the roof that have gutters. This will help to minimize the ice build-up in these areas.

 For further information about ice build-up and ice damming email Wynn  

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