LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) have actually been around for quite a long time.  The first visible LED was invented in 1962 and was subsequently used as a “power on indicator light” for appliances like stereos.  So how far have we come in 50 years and where are we heading?  The biggest difference between what was around in the 1960’s and 1970’s and now is the brightness or “lumen output” and color that can be obtained.  Back then LEDs were pretty much limited to very small pinpoints of light with very low brightness, and only available in red or green.  The positive aspects were that they would last virtually indefinitely.  How many times can you recollect a power on indicator light going out? 

Around 1990 LED technology changed when the color blue was achieved.  What is so important about blue?  Blue, when combined with other ingredients gives out white light.  I am sure you now can see the enormous potential.   Once science figured out how to make white light from an LED and once they figured out how to increase the brightness “Lumen Output”, they were then on their way to making a substitute for the standard light bulb which, up till now has been the standard since the 19^th century.   

Now I know some of you are asking what about CFL’s (compact fluorescent lights)?  We are now seeing them as replacements for the standard 60 watt bulb.  Aren’t CFL’s the wave of the future?  In my opinion CFL’s will not withstand the test of time.  CFL ratings for life of bulb are maxed out at about 10,000 hours.  That actually is a much better alternative to the standard incandescent bulb which only has a life of about 750 hours.  However, with LEDs we are talking about a life of 50,000 or even 70,000 hours. WOW.  If you had an LED on continuously 24 hours a day/seven days a week then it could last 6 to 12 years.  If you figure that the LED is only on 8 hours a day, still every day, it would last for 18-28 years!!!  For most of us, we would never have to buy a bulb again for our home.  Can you see why the potential for LEDs to surpass CFLs is so great?   Also, LEDs require very little energy to work which make them very “Green” energy conservers.

So what’s the problem?  COST.  Even though the technology has shown us that LEDs are far superior to anything else, they are still expensive to make and therefore expensive to buy.  One bulb equivalent to a 100 watt light bulb can cost $200.00.  Imagine trying to replace every light bulb in your home.  The costs are still prohibitive, but each and every year the technology is getting better and the price is coming down.  I believe that within the next 5 to 7 years they will be affordable to the average homeowner.  You see them now in flashlights, exterior lighting, and other small items like a reading light fixture. If you have a situation in your home where a bulb is very inaccessible, you might consider replacing it with an LED.  Municipalities have gotten on the bandwagon and are using LEDs for such things as street lights and traffic lights.  To them, the manpower cost to replace is much higher than to buy a more expensive much longer lasting LED.  Because of their low voltage and long life, car manufacturers are using them extensively.  Everyone is beginning to convert to LEDs.

For now the CFLs will be the energy saving “Green” bulb of choice replacing the 60 watt light bulb for the home industry but don’t get too comfortable with CFLs.  LEDs are very much on the horizon and will soon dominate the housing and commercial market for an energy saving, mass produced, cheap, bright light that will not have to be replaced for a very long time.  I, for one, can’t wait for that day.

I came across an ABC news article about a man in Bozeman, Montana that caught my eye.  The article is about a man who is an Economist turned builder.  Now this story doesn’t seem that unique, however, upon reading further, the man’s selection of materials is.  He is constructing his houses entirely from American- Made products.  In other words everything that goes into this house, he has researched to make sure that the product was actually made in good old USA. This is something that other professional contractors, like me, should take note. 

Now why is this so interesting?  He claims that if every builder bought just 5% more American- Made materials, it would create an additional 220,000 jobs!  I don’t know about you, but if someone told me that if I made a conscious effort to run my business by purchasing only 5% more American-Made products, the US economy could greatly benefit; I would say that’s a win-win opportunity.  The economy wins because this is a new job creator, and I win because it becomes an opportunity for me to educate clients that we are doing our part to help the economic recovery.  Wouldn’t you as a homeowner, thinking about doing a remodeling project to your home, align yourself with a company that has that kind of thinking and commitment?

The Stan Better Family of Companies has committed itself to this task.  We are now researching our suppliers to determine how best to achieve this goal.  We are also working with our subcontractors to help them become involved in this effort.  Our ultimate goal is to be able to provide you, our customer, with as many American-Made products as feasible.  Unlike the “Green” movement which concentrates on recycling and energy conservation which all can add substantial upfront costs to the project, American-Made is a no brainer that only adds about 2% to the overall cost.

We all should try to do our part in this economic downturn.  If you agree with this thinking, I would encourage you to apply this principle to your own home or business.  It could be as simple as making sure your school or office supplies are purchased from companies that manufacture products right here in the USA.

This is not somebody else’s problem or just Washington’s problem to solve; it is collectively our problem to solve.  The Stan Better Family of Companies is committed to do its part and together we will get through these tough times.

If you are interested in looking at the article, here is the site:   http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/s011/10/how-to-build-a-made-in-america-home/

The site also lists the products he used for his project and the state it is produced.  The list can be found at:

http://abcnews.go.com/images/Business/Made%20in%20America%20List.pdf

One of the most horrific things that can happen to a Homeowner is fire damage.   Equally horrific is after the fire, the ordeal that a Homeowner is put through to get their home and life back together.  Unfortunately, there are more horror stories on this subject than all other aspects of home ownership.  After over 30+ years in this business, I have had my share of dealing with good and bad Insurance Companies when it comes to these types of losses.  I have even set up a separate company “SBC Restoration “ to specifically deal with these kinds of insurance issues.  So sit back, relax, and let me tell you what you are in store for if you are the victim of a fire loss.

I will use, as an example, a project I did a few years back.  The names are not important, but their story is very typical of what can, and generally does happen.  The Homeowners were out of town when a lightning bolt hit their two story home and caused the second floor to catch fire.  A neighbor called the fire department, and after the firemen flooded their second floor with water, were successful in saving the first floor of the home.  The roof was totally consumed in the fire as well as most of the second floor.   Their Insurance agent indicated that they were covered and that they should go and get three contractors to give a quote to put back the house.  The agent also indicated that they were covered for contents (clothing, furniture etc…) and they should make a list of all items destroyed, along with their value, so that the Insurance Company could repay them for the loss.  The Insurance Company also told them to find accommodations, like a hotel or motel which the Insurance Company would pay for, while their house was to be repaired.  At this point, you the reader are probably thinking that this is a reasonable request and it should be relatively easy to comply with the Insurance Company’s wishes.  But think about what is being asked of them.  They need to find immediate lodging, retain or go purchase new clothes and basic items, get three contractors to bid the work, and make an inventory of all the items in the home that were damaged or destroyed.  And by the way, go about their daily lives of work, school, etc…How would you feel in their position? 

Let’s take the issues our Homeowner needs to address and look at what happened as well as what should have happened.

Damaged contents: 

How many of you actually know all the items (contents) and prices in your home?  How many of you can name and price ½ the items in your home?  How many of you can probably name and price 20 items in your home?   This is a huge problem for 99% of us, and the Insurance Companies know this.  So most of us just throw up our hands and say to give me an average for my style of home in my kind of neighborhood.  If you leave it to the Insurance Co., they will naturally assume a lower number that you probably have in mind.  Unless you can document your loss, the Insurance Company is under no obligation to pay you for something you said you had, but have no proof you purchased it.  Remember that the Insurance Company’s sole purpose is to pay, within the law, the minimum required to get you to release the claim.   Some Insurance Companies will help you to establish this, but the more you can prove, through photos, receipts etc..  The better they can serve you to get a fair amount on your claim. 

The Homeowner needs to document their contents before a disaster occurs.  With digital photography this has become a lot easier to accomplish.  This is what I have done on my home.  It took me 2 hours to go into every room and photograph each dresser; drawer, nook, and anything that looked like it need to be remembered.  I then made a disk and placed it in my safety deposit box away from the house.  I also photographed the exterior.  For those who want to go further, you can actually make a list and categorize all your possessions and along with the photos, you will be well prepared in the event of a loss.

The construction loss: (the three bid syndrome)

Here is the subject I know the most about and am willing to depart my wisdom and experience.  In my opinion, the absolutely wrong approach a Homeowner should take in an Insurance loss is to get three bids.  We all have this 3 bid mentality hammered into our psyche, but in this case it does much more harm than good to the Homeowner.  Most Insurance Companies would love you to go out and select 3 contractors to bid the work because that gives them an out when it comes to negotiating a final settlement.  If you get three bids, guess which one the Insurance Company will want to take to start negotiating the final claim?  You have lost all leverage over getting an equitable settlement because you picked the contractors and the Insurance Company will say that it assumes you picked reputable contractors.  Also realize that the contractors you picked are put in a position of coming up with the lowest bid so that they can get the job.  They are not going to confront the Insurance Company, who has the money, because they will be quickly dismissed if they try to add questionable items that you should be entitled to.

Let me backup and tell you another significant fact.  While you are doing your thing with the contractors, the Insurance Company has hired or has on staff, and Adjustor that will come to the home and assess the damage for the Insurance Company.  Remember that the Adjustor is working for or is employed by the Insurance Company.  Their allegiance is with the Insurance Company, and they derive their pay from the Insurance Company.  How much impartiality do you think they have when it comes to putting a dollar amount to your damage?  Their value generally in my 30+ years of doing this has been roughly ½ to ¾ of what we ultimately settled the final claim for.

All right, so what does one do to protect oneself from being taken advantage of.  What I promote is at the onset of this process is for the Homeowner to not get three contractors, but rather get one contractor/expert that is solely on the Homeowner side and will act on the Homeowner’s behalf in negotiating with the Insurance Company to obtain a settlement.

Let me give you some examples, based on my example second floor fire, of why this process is in the best interest of the Homeowner.  The second floor flooring was carpet, so you would naturally assume that the Insurance Company has to pay for the replacement of the carpet.  The Insurance Company is required to pay “like and kind” for any damage done to the home.  Now I am going to tell you that there was hardwood flooring under the carpet.  Our position was that not only did the Insurance Company have to pay for carpet, but also for hardwood flooring as well.  Another example was windows.  Remember I said that the Insurance Company had to pay for “like and kind”.  Well the windows were old style single pane windows that obviously we were not going to put back, but rather we wanted to install a new insulated window which naturally costs more.  Insurance Company agreed that like and kind in this case would be best served with a new insulated window, but we were faced with another dilemma.  The first floor windows, which were not damaged, would have to remain.  This would have looked stupid to have the second floor windows all new and the first floor old, so what did we do?  After we settled with the Insurance Company, we took the money from the hardwood and used it to get new windows for the first floor.

 One final example.  This one is the most important in whom the Homeowner chooses.  The second floor was where the water came in, but the first floor ceiling got the major hit of water damage.  Even though it was intact, there was mold growing everywhere and there were signs of major deterioration in the drywall.  The Adjustor indicated that he was not willing to replace the drywall, but rather said to us he would pay for us to clean it and let it dry out before repainting it.  Would you accept that in your house?  Also there were charred wall studs that the Adjustor said were structurally sound and that he would pay for only sealing the charred wood.  Would you accept that in your house knowing that every time it rains or gets humid that the smell of charcoal will permeate the house?  Remember in the three contractor bid scenario, they would be forced to abide with the Adjustor’s wishes.  We, on the other hand, being experts, convinced the Adjustor and the Insurance Company that it was not acceptable because it was not in the Homeowner’s best interest .    

All in all, our initial projected amount of loss that we presented to the Insurance Company was for $152,000.  The Adjustor’s initial determination of loss was $84,000.  After two months of negotiations, we settled for the amount of $ 138,000.  Had the Homeowner settled with the Insurance Company for the $84,000, the Homeowner would have had to live with recurring mold on the ceiling, the smell of charred wood every time it rained or was humid, and windows on the first floor that looked different than the ones on the second floor.

Time limit to settle:

When you obtain Insurance, most people don’t think about the policy having time limits.  There will be a limit for contents, so if you have those gold plated golf clubs, you better insure them individually as an itemized item.  There is a limit for construction dollars.  If the amount of damages for your home exceeds the limits of your policy then it is considered a total loss and the Insurance Company is just obligated to hand you a lump sum check for that limit and walk away.  It then becomes your problem as to how to rebuild.  There is also a limit for living expenses.  If the negotiations for the settlement of your construction drags on too long, then the Insurance Company will politely tell you that you have X amount left in your living expenses before they are no longer obligated to pay under your policy limits for your living expenses.  Most people assume there is an unlimited amount and until the project is finished being rebuilt, the Insurance Company is only obligated to pay up to your policy limits for living expenses.  So beware that the minute the claim is called in by you, the clock is ticking.

A couple of additional comments:

Some Insurance Companies are more sympathetic than others in settling a claim. There are a few Companies and a few Adjustors that I have met over the years that are very fair minded persons and truly try to help.   Next, I want to reverse the comments and say that there are some Homeowners that try to obtain funds from the Insurance Companies that they are not really entitled to.  This is also a fact of life that we all must recognize.  Finally there are also Homeowners that see all this money being spent on their behalf that try to keep some for themselves.  The particular instance I am referring to is the contractor overhead and profit portion of the settlement.  Some Homeowners feel that they can do the repairs themselves and think that they can pocket the contractor’s overhead and profit portion of the settlement.  This is a very dangerous activity for the Homeowner to be involved in.  First and foremost I must tell you that Insurance Companies discourage this practice by having a policy that if a qualified contractor is not used to reconstruct the project then the Homeowner does not have the right to receive the contractor’s overhead and profit.  So you Homeowners out there that want to do your own construction and take the money and run take heed.  You are not entitled to contractor overhead and profit of the overall settlement.  Remember that the Insurance Company’s first obligation is to protect the investment of the home and discourage the Homeowner from becoming a do it yourselfer.

As always, we at the Stan Better Family of Companies are always here to help you in your time of need.

We have the ability to act on your behalf.  To fight for the Homeowner’s best interest to get a fair and equitable settlement.  We are not on any Insurance Company’s “preferred list” therefore we have no allegiance nor will we be intimidated by an Adjustor or the Insurance Company. We have Architect/Contractor experts to assist in providing expert opinion in the negotiations.  We have the special computer programs that the Insurance Companies and the Adjustors understand and prefer.  And we have the construction company “SBC Restoration” capability to build the project back the right way.  I hope it never happens to you, but if it does, or if you know of someone that might need our services, I hope you will give them our name.

Now that we know what to look for to identify possible problem areas in our leaky basement, we will focus on what solutions are out there in the marketplace.  I have found that the solutions tend to be categorized into three divisions:

 The exterior major surgery approach:

 Some basement waterproofing companies feel that the best and only way to truly guarantee that a basement won’t leak is to perform major work to the exterior of the building.  The theory behind their thinking is to stop the water from ever having a chance to get into the basement.  This actually is a very sound approach to the problem.  It is very expensive.  For those who can afford this and can afford the construction consequences that go along with it, this is the right approach for them.

What this solution entails is the digging up of the entire perimeter of the home; applying proper measures to the existing foundation wall (generally this is a patented system that each company is promoting as their exclusive cure all system); applying their waterproofing and  drainage system; and then refilling the trench with gravel and finally dirt.  The homeowners  are then left with reinstalling landscaping, walkways, driveways, patios, porches, or any other elements that got in the way of their system.  These solutions tend to run in the 10s of thousands of dollars.  One thing I will say is that they generally really do work and the guarantees are realistic.  This is a very aggressive solution that does solve the problem.

The interior minor surgery approach:

Some basement waterproofing companies feel that the exterior major surgery approach is overkill and that you can save significant dollars by dealing with the problem from the interior.  This approach allows or rather accepts the fact that water will come into the basement from the exterior, and attacks the problem by applying a perimeter drainage system where the foundation wall meets the floor slab.  Generally this approach only is applied to areas where noticeable water infiltration has been observed and not necessarily the entire basement.  This is very desirable to many homeowners because it is far  less costing than dealing with the exterior approach. 

The solution entails cutting a one or two foot wide trench at the existing floor slab along the affected wall area.  Then the workers remove the concrete.  Next they dig down about a foot deep.  The company’s patented perforated pipe system is then installed to collect the water that has infiltrated from the exterior.  This pipe system is then connected to an existing basement drain or sump pump situated below the basement concrete slab floor.  Generally,  the only construction item that the homeowner is then responsible for is replacement of a finished floor and possibly some finished wall fixing.  This is a very good approach and most of the time will solve the problem.  Because it is not attacking other areas in the basement, there always exists the possibility that other areas may have problems in the future.  These solutions tend to cost in the low thousands and the companies will guarantee their work.  The problem is that they will only guarantee the area that they did the work on.

The minimal approach:   

This approach targets a specific issue and tries to solve it.  For example:  If there are cracks in the basement wall, and it is observed that when it rains, water comes thru the cracks, it is logical to deduce that these cracks are where the problem lies.  In this case it is reasonable to assume if you patch the cracks with the proper material, you can stop the leaking.  This is not always the case, but many times it is all that is need to solve the problem.  Unfortunately, if you call a waterproofing company that has a major surgery approach system, then be prepared to be given an estimate in the 10s of thousands.  It is sometimes difficult to determine which company will have which approach, so my advice is get multiple estimates and compare.  I recently had a client that got estimates for a basement leak that ranged from $800.00 to $18,000.00. 

Another common solution is one that I personally experienced.  My basement is 30 years old and up to the first 25 years of its life never had a problem with basement leaking.  About 5 years ago during a heavy storm, my basement floor started to leak in the middle of the basement.  Since I did not have a sump pump, I deduced that water had, over the years, worked its way under the basement slab and was now coming up in the control joint cracks in the middle of the basement floor.  I installed a sump pump as close to the area as practical and was able to solve the problem.  Now every time it rains, I hear the sump pump pumping the water back outside and safely away from my finished floor.

One other comment:  I think it is important, when talking about having problems with water in basements, to talk about plumbing.   Sometimes basements flood through no failing of the construction, but rather a backup in the plumbing system.  This occurrence is mainly limited to older homes in older neighborhoods.  When older neighborhoods were built, many public sewer districts allowed for what is called “combination sewers”.  What this means is that the exterior gutters, downspouts, and yard drains that carry storm water were tied directly into the main sewer system of the house.  Now, back then the local sewer district could accommodate the “overload on the system” caused by a major rain storm.  Today, with all the new subdivisions, many sewer districts cannot keep up with the huge demand on the system that a big rain storm can provide.  Newer code regulations now require a separation of storm water and sewer water for new construction.  The problem is that we still have these homes with combination sewers still attached to an overloaded system.  What happens when we get a major rain?  The sewers back up because there is not adequate size piping to channel the rush of water all at one time into the system.  There are options to solve this problem.  The first is to disconnect all storm related water pipes from the sewer lines.  This may be easy to accomplish for a downspout, but not so easy for a yard drain.  The second it is install backflow preventers.  Contact a professional plumber for details to see if this is a viable option for you. 

As always, you can find this and many other articles on my blog page at my website www.stanbetter.com  .  If you would like further information,  or if one of my companies can provide construction services to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 

I am sure everyone has been experiencing our historic amounts of rain for this April.  As a consequence of all this water, we have been getting numerous inquiries about water in basements.  I thought I would dedicate my discussion in this newsletter about this topic.

Most people see water in their basement and immediately blame the foundation construction.  This sometimes is justified, but in many cases it is not.  Here are some helpful hints to stop and analyze what problem you actually have and how to go about solving the problem. 

First, identify where exactly the water is coming from.  This can be very difficult sometimes.  You may look and see water on the floor and immediately assume that is where it came in when in fact it may have been a number of system failures.  Here are some possible candidates you can use as a check list:

1. The roof gutters:  If you have gutters that are stopped up due to leaves or other things, this could be where the water in the basement originates.  Clean your gutters so they are free flowing to the downspouts.
2. The gutter downspouts:  The downspouts channel water to a particular pipe in the ground that is supposed to channel the storm water away from the building.  If this downspout is split or cracked it could leak excessive water into the ground that eventually finds a way into the basement. 
3. The downspout storm drain line:  This is a tricky one because many houses just have the wall downspout dump water directly on to the ground without channeling it away from the house.  If there is no positive drainage away from the house (the dirt or grass or concrete sloped away from the house) then this is a likely culprit to allow excessive amounts of water to puddle at your foundation wall and eventually get into the house.  If the downspout does go into a storm pipe in the ground, then make sure that line is clear and channels the water to a safe place away from the house.  Make sure that this line is not cracked or in any way leaking water into the ground at the house foundation.
4. The surrounding landscape:  Believe it or not this is one of the primary issues I find that causes leaks in basements.  If the ground surface is sloped back to the house then water just puddles around the foundation and finds the easiest path to enter the path.  Landscapers are notorious for building up mulch against a house.  Over time, this mulch raises the level of the ground.  There is actually a building code issue that the level of the outside grade must be lower than the top of the foundation wall.  If let’s say you have a brick veneer house, then it has what are referred to as weep holes at the base course of brick.  They are designed to allow moisture behind the brick to escape out from the wall behind, but if water is allowed to flow into the weep hole from the exterior, then you have water showing up in the basement.  Bushes, vegetation and mulch are excellent for water retention during rain storms and gradually release the water back into the ground so they are a good thing.  Just watch out that you don’t overdo it with the mulch or create drainage with the ground that allows water to go back to the foundation.
5. The yard drains:  Make sure that any yard drains are clear and free flowing.  This also goes for French drains which are trenches that are filled with stones and generally have perforated pipes at the bottom to filter water away.
6. The window wells:  It is nice to have natural light come into a dark basement from a window.  The problem with basements that are totally below the outside grade is that the only way to achieve this is to create a window with a well on the outside.  These wells when first installed by the original contractor generally are not drained properly and especially over time can clog and fill the well with water.  I have seen this condition to a point that it looked like there was a fish tank on the outside of the basement window.  Once the well has been created, then it is hard to undo the damage without major surgery.
7. The block foundation walls:  Unfortunately I come across block foundations many times in older structures.  I believe it was mainly a cost factor when the home was originally built.  These foundations almost always have structural problems and leakage problems.  If you have a block foundation and are experiencing water problems in your basement, you really have only two choices.  The first is to move.  The second is to have a professional perform major work to stabilize the wall and secure it from leakage.
8. The concrete foundation walls:  Concrete, when designed and poured correctly is your best bet in foundation walls.  The trouble with this is that in a lot of cases the design and/or the original pouring was no done properly.  There is a subdivision near my home that had their foundations poured in sub zero weather.  The concrete did not have the proper safeguards to cure and as a result, the concrete walls of the basement are perpetually leaking.  Other cases involve the design deficiency and have resulted in cracking which has allowed the water to enter the basement.  Another is improper pouring techniques.  I just had a case with this problem.  This happened to be a new home.  The contractor was pouring the foundation on a warm day and got half way up the forms to create the wall.  One of the concrete trucks broke down and the concrete company could not get another truck there for 4 hours.  The contractor, not really knowing any better, just finished the pour.  The problem arose when they removed the forms and found that the first pour had cured before the second pour had a chance to intermix with the first, thus creating a visible horizontal crack half way up the entire basement foundation wall.  This is called a cold pour. Since the owners never visited the site or had a professional oversee the construction, the contractor finished the house, and by the way, finished the basement.  A year after the house was finished the Owners experienced water in their basement every time it rained. 
9. The waterproofing:  There many versions of what waterproofing means.  Unfortunately, the older waterproofed homes, in many cases, have foundations that have waterproofed areas that over time have failed.  There are a number of reasons for this.  It could be that the foundation moved and cracked and the waterproofing had become brittle and not elastic.  It could be that improper techniques or inferior products were used.  There are a host of issues.  These need to be reviewed on a case by case basis.  I will tell you that even today, there are “waterproofing” applications that are extremely minimal and invite problems down the road.  One thing to check on, if you can find the information,  is what guarantee to do have?  I just read a waterproofing guarantee on a million dollar home that, to me, sounded totally useless.  The guarantee was that after the house was built, if it was determined that the basement leakage was the fault of the waterproofing, the company would pay to reapply the waterproof coating a no cost.  Think about that for a moment.  You house is built, you have a fortune in landscaping, the entire yard is picture perfect, and now you are responsible for digging it all up to expose the foundation so that the waterproofing company can reapply their product which failed the first time.  After that, you are responsible for filling the foundation back in, and replacing any landscaping, walkways, driveways, etc.. that were affected.  Not only that, there is an exclusion clause in the waterproofing warranty that protects them from being sued by you for all items in the interior.  So if you have a finished basement, you are responsible for all damages caused by the faulty waterproofing.
10. The floor slabs:  In some cases water does not come from any of the above items, but rather from the ground below the basement slab.  Most water during a rainstorm is retained by the surface ground and eventually makes it way down into the earth.  That is why we have wells below the surface.  Some of these wells can be hundreds of feet down.  Some pockets of water can lie just below our basement slab.  We generally use the term “underground spring” to describe these pockets.  Some are small and do no harm to the house because there is a plastic barrier required in all construction directly below concrete slab basement floors as well as gravel that will allow water to stay there for a while before going further into the earth below.  Over time, these pockets of water can build up to where they do manage to come through the basement floor slab.  They may come up in a control joint in the concrete or along the perimeter of the foundation walls, or maybe in a crack that has developed over time.  Fortunately there is a relatively easy solution which I will discuss in part two.

 This part one blog will be followed by Basement Water Leakage Solutions (part two).  For now, please feel free to use this as a check list to help you determine if any of these items help you discover possible areas that may be linked to your problem.  Remember, there could easily be more than just one item listed that can cause water leakage in basements as well as other factors I have not listed.

Pop quiz:  What technology in your home is 132 years old and yet is still being used today.  The answer is the incandescent light bulb.  It is hard to believe that with all the advances in the last 100 years and especially in the last 20 years that we still rely on a technology, invented by Thomas Edison, when our great grandparents were alive.  In the last few years however, the game has changed and we are now making significant advances on improving the good old light bulb.

With everyone now thinking about real energy conservation, new technologies are moving with incredible speeds.  The inefficient light bulb is in the sights of conservationists, and industry is responding.  I must say that even everyday people like you and me are becoming aware that the way we currently think and act in our daily lives is unsustainable and our mindset needs to be changed.  No longer do we have the luxury to say that what we consume is plentiful and will never diminish.

So what about the new “green” light bulbs.  There are basically two concurrent technologies attacking the problem.

The first is the fluorescent bulb, or more precisely the compact fluorescent light (CFL).  Fluorescent technology is not that new.  I remember going to Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1936 Falling Water home and noticing in the bathroom a “new technology” fluorescent fixture used in the residence.   That makes this technology 75 years old.  What is different today is that this technology has been “upgraded” to a point where we can make mini versions of the 4 foot strip.  By doing this we can:

• Have a 4X more energy efficient bulb (50-80% less energy consumption than incandescent).
• Reduce the heat that is emitted by a standard bulb.
• Still use a standard light bulb socket.
• Have the new bulb last 10X longer than an incandescent bulb.
• Emit light similar to the standard light bulb.
• Keep a half ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere over the life of the bulb.

One notable drawback to this new technology is that each fixture contains a very small amount of mercury.  If you accidentally break one you should do the following:

• Open a window and leave the room for a minimum of 15 minutes.
• Use a wet rag to clean it up and put all the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag.
• Place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag.
• Call your local recycling center to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash.
• Wash your hands afterward.

The next generation in home lighting is Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s).  These are very small solid lights that are extremely energy efficient.  Until recently you would have seen these as power indicators on instrument panels like a stereo or TV.  By clustering these bulbs, manufacturers have greatly increased the use of these fixtures.  You now see them in flashlights, car headlights, indoor and outdoor lighting of all kinds.  There are now even High Intensity LED streetlights.

The high cost of producing LED’s has been a roadblock to widespread use, but as technology improves we will be seeing them more frequently.  The advantages of LED’s are very impressive:

• They are longer lasting.  LED’s last up to 10 times longer than the new compact fluorescents and much longer than the old incandescent.
• Since they do not have a filament, LED’s are not damaged easily which makes them very durable.
• There is very little heat produced by LED’s which eliminates the need to cool or insulate them from overheating.
• There is no mercury in LED’s which make them very environmentally friendly.
• LED’s consume very small amounts of energy (about 70% less than a CFL or Incandescent) which make them very efficient.
• LED’s work well in remote areas where electricity may not be readily available.  An example is the solar powered lighting for walkways for your house.
• Even though LED’s right now are expensive, the life cycle cost easily outweighs the initial cost.  I recently purchased some LED’s for my home that were good for 50,000 hours.  If I ran these bulbs for 8 hours a day, 365 days a year, it would take 16 years for the bulbs to run out.  That certainly would recoup my high initial cost when I spread it out over that length of time.

So even though CFL’s are the relative new “Green” kid on the block and the incandescent bulb will soon go the way of the Dodo bird, look to LED’s to gain more and more popularity.  I am reminded of the classic movie “the Graduate” with Dustin Hoffman.  Dustin is told by Mr. Robinson that the future is  “Just one word:  PLASTIC”, and back in the 60’s they were right.  Now, given the same circumstances, I would have to say the “Just one word is LED”.

How about this for a statistic:  If everyone in the US used energy efficient lighting right now, we could close down 90 average size power plants.  Saving energy on this scale can not only reduce CO2 emissions, but also sulfur oxide and high-level nuclear waste.  Now that is “Green” thinking on an earth changing scale.

# Some of the information on researching for this article was obtained from eartheasy.com.

Green is the buzz word of the millennium.  Everyone wants to be a part of the Green Movement, but most do not know how to do it.  So I am going to take the principles of green construction and apply it to the remodeling of a kitchen.  There is no such thing as getting a green certification for your kitchen unless it is part of a total house remodeling, but that shouldn’t deter you from applying some of the common sense principles. 

Resource efficiency is an important part of building sustainability.  Think of your home as a major resource consumer.  Your home has and will consume resources.  This affects the environment by depleting natural resources, energy use, and increases in waste.  By using durable, renewable, responsibly produced materials, and managing building waste, you can positively affect the environment and achieve your own level of Green.  So what positive steps can you take in your remodeled kitchen:

 RESOURCE EFFICIENCY:

• Recycle:  Create a built-in collection space.  This collection space encourages sustainable living for the occupants.  Recycling becomes convenient and a daily part of your life.  Collection spaces should be designed with odor and air quality in mind.  Your positive decision should not create a negative situation elsewhere.
• Use of Reused or Salvaged Materials:  Your old cabinets could be used in other locations in the home, or possibly donated to such organizations as Habitat for Humanity.  Consider updating the kitchen cabinet door panels and not replacing the existing cabinet structure.  Salvage old hardware.
• Recycled-Content Building Materials; Countertops and hardware are good examples of selecting materials made from recycled content.
• Recycled Construction Waste:  The goal here is that construction waste is recycled and hazardous materials are handled and disposed of properly.  This is different from Recycled-content.  It is mainly concerned with the recycling of new construction materials, such as drywall, plastic, cardboard, wood, etc.  The recycling of these materials takes place off site.
• Renewable Materials:  Renewable materials are considered biobased.  Biobased materials are made of renewable agricultural materials (plants, animal, and marine materials) and forestry materials.  Try to maximize the use of renewable materials in your kitchen remodeling. 
• Indigenous Materials:  The object here is to think about what products are produced locally.  Materials produced locally and are renewable and regional would be good sustainable choices for your remodeled kitchen.

 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

• Energy Efficiency:  When you think of Energy efficiency, you think of appliances.  To think of appliances is to think of energy.  Appliances use a lot of energy, making the kitchen one of the most energy consuming rooms in the house.  The important point is when thinking about a sustainable kitchen, think of energy-efficient appliances.
•  Lighting is also a critical component in your decision making.  Use appliances and lighting fixtures with Energy Star ratings.  Consider installing sensors on the kitchen lighting so that the lights only are on while in the kitchen.  Another item to consider is induction cook tops.   

 WATER EFFICIENCY

• Water is a resource that is becoming more and more depleted.  Water preservation is important to the future of society, and this needs to be impacted through using water efficiently in our homes.  Kitchens use water in cooking and cleaning process.  Kitchens impact this by the use of hot water, dishwashers, food waste disposers, faucets, laundry washers, and even ice makers.
• In order to reduce indoor water usage, certain steps can be taken:  the design and location of a kitchen relative to hot water can help reduce water usage and energy consumption.   
• Food waste disposers reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

 INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL AIR QUALITY

• Certain building products, such as cabinets, can emit toxins into the air.  Choose products that eliminate or reduce the presence of these toxins in building products and furnishings.
• Flooring in kitchens generally is limited to hard surface products.  You do not see too many carpeted kitchens.  The hard surface must be durable and cleanable.  Some hard surface flooring is made with glues that also emit toxins into the air.  Select materials that emit low or no levels of toxins.
• Architectural coatings such as paints, stains, and varnishes potentially can have VOC’s  (volatile organic compounds).  Pick the coatings that have zero VOCs.
• Remove pollutants produced by daily kitchen activities. A kitchen exhaust plays a role in sustainable kitchen design by eliminating odors, moisture, grease, and pollutants created by cooking and frying.  The exhaust should be vented to the outside.

These suggestions will start you on your way to being greener in your decision making.  This naturally should extend your thinking to other rooms in your house as well as your position on doing your part to help save the planet.  If each of us implements just one or two of the ideas mentioned above, we’ll be better off and start our way to a better future.  As always, the Stan Better Family of Companies are here  and ready to help you should you need our assistance.

As I am sure most of you are aware, the US population is comprised of a large portion of Baby Boomers (people over the age of 55).  I am one of those persons, so I can write this article with some firsthand experience.  My generation is significantly different from previous generations in that our professional desires, general health, life span, and overall view of what retirement  is, has a different mindset than my parents had.   I intend to work well into my 70’s or even perhaps 80’s.  Retirement to me means just  cutting down a few hours in my work day.  I love my work and really have no plans to formally retire.

So why should I be concerned with Aging-In-Place Design?  The reason is quite simple.  Just as I have provided for my financial retirement, it is just as important to plan for my aging retirement.  I want to remain in my home throughout my senior life, and the only reason I intend to leave my home would be because I have stopped breathing. 

What steps have I taken to assure my Aging-In-Place retirement goals are met?  This is where Aging-in-Place Design comes in.  As an Architect and Contractor, I have been able to design and remodel my home to a Universal Design standard.  This Universal Design standard refers to the design of spaces and elements in a home that can be usable by all people whether handicapped or not.  In other words, if I become disabled, but my wife is not, the design elements of my house can still be used by the two of us.  Some of the Aging-In-Place Contractor/Universal Design elements I have incorporated are:

• Making sure that I have an accessible way to access my home in the event I become disabled.
• Making sure that doors have a significant opening to allow a wheelchair or motorized cart to get through. 
• Eliminating sharp turning areas to allow for free flow of a wheelchair or motorized vehicle throughout the entire house.
• Making my bathroom accessible using Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements as a guide.
• Having a portion of my kitchen area that is usable from a wheelchair. 

Do I need any of this now? No.  Is this a smart way to address this problem now rather than in crisis mode when I do need it? Absolutely.  As an Architect/Contractor and one who has designed and created many Aging-In-Place projects, I can tell you this is stuff worth looking into.  I have been specializing in this type of design for virtually my entire professional life.  As a Architect/Contractor specialist, I can tell you that this type of service is more important now than ever before for the Baby Boomer generation.  I have had many a client that had no idea or intention of addressing this issue when they were thinking about remodeling their home.  Once I explained the future benefits to them and to their loved ones, the elements that could turn a basic remodeling project into an Aging-In-Place project became an easy sell.

Let’s face it, no one really likes to think of themselves as needing Aging-In-Place design or Universal Design.  But the clear fact is everyone will eventually need it and those who plan ahead will be the ones that will benefit the most.  Baby Boomers will need it much sooner than later and those that are smart enough to plan ahead for Aging-In-Place Design now will reap the benefits later.

If you are thinking about some remodeling to your existing home, please take the time to consider what I have said.  As a specialist in this design field and as a Contractor, I am always available to consult on your particular circumstances.  Please feel free to contact me, although don’t wait too long.

ENERGY CONSERVATION (DUE TO THE OIL SHORTAGE)
HEALTHY LIVING (DUE TO ASBESTOS HAZARDS IN BUILDING MATERIALS)
DURABLE PRODUCTS (DUE TO A BACKLASH FROM THE CREATION OF CHEAP, DISPOSABLE PRODUCTS FLOODING THE BUILDING MARKET)
CLEAN ENVIRONMENTS (DUE TO POLLUTION OF LAND, SEA, AND AIR)

Now along comes “THINKING GREEN” as the new buzz word for 2010 and beyond. I have now lived long enough to see the day when everything old is new again. However, I believe this time it is a horse (or in this case” house”) of a different color (green). Everything old is new again has taken on a new meaning. The three “R”s of the green movement are leading the way:

We now need to reduce the amount of trash and waste we create. We need to reuse items such as boxes and grocery bags. And we need to recycle such things as cans, newspapers, and bottles. So how does “THINKING GREEN” relate to Design and Construction? “THINKING GREEN” to building designers goes beyond the three R’s and considers the three P’s:

PEOPLE need healthy buildings and not environments that will make them sick. Humans instinctively want and thrive in buildings that have a lot of daylight and ventilation. They also want beautiful and enjoyable spaces.

The PLANET needs for us to be more responsible for our pollution of land, sea, and air. Designers need to promote the use of recycled or earth friendly building materials. Designers need to use building materials that require less energy to make, and consider energy efficiency in the design process.

Designing better “GREEN” buildings leads to a better PROSPERITY. We would be saving money in the long term. We would be improving productivity. And most importantly we all would be happier and healthier.

There are many aspects to becoming Green, and Green will mean different things to different people. The “GREEN THINKING” has now geared us to think more on the total process and life cycle of things. Energy conservation is definitely a part of this. It is the one aspect that people can most clearly understand and contribute to. “Saving the planet” and creating less of a carbon footprint is a considerably more daunting task and one that most people feel good talking about but have trouble when it comes to appropriate implementation.

My overall message is that “THINKING GREEN” has actually been around for a long time. It is, in part, just thinking energy smart and applying common sense to the way you use and live in your home. The newer part of the equation requires, in many cases, some additional help to understand. There are many ways to learn more about “THINKING GREEN”. The main idea here is that if everyone just did even a small part, and help contribute to the overall good, then GREEN will be a worthwhile endeavor.

My last newsletter was on the business side of remodeling as it related to the state of our economy.  This time, I would like to get back to some of the nuts and bolts issues of remodeling.

 If you were to ask me…Stan-what has been the greatest technological advancement you have seen in your thirty years in the remodeling industry?   My answer would be simple and to the point, “LVL”.  What the heck is LVL?  LVL stands for laminated veneer lumber.  What is laminated veneer lumber?  Well…let me explain.

 In the past, we contractors and architects used to only have two alternatives when structurally designing for a remodel job.  Our choices were either steel beams or dimensional lumber (meaning 2X solid wood).  Both of these alternatives are still very much being used today.  The problem was that if you wanted to keep prices down you would choose wood, but wood had a significant drawback.  It was very difficult to use to span large distances (say over 10 feet) without getting a very sizable beam  or even worse you would need to sandwich multiple beams together to achieve the strength you needed the beam to carry.  Also you didn’t want the beam to be too bouncy (deflection).

 In the late 1970’s the technology was developed to create a cheaper alternative to 4X8 plywood panels.  OSB (oriented strand board) became an overnight success with architects and builders alike.  The original technology had some problems, but by the 1980’s the problems were solved and OSB became the sheathing of choice for most remodelers.

 So along in the 1980’s comes the invention of LVL beams.  Laminated veneer lumber is an engineered wood product that uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives.  So even though it still is actual wood, it is put together in a factory using small pieces of wood and glue.  Now, surprisingly enough, there are numerous benefits.  First and foremost it is significantly stronger.  A  LVL has about 4 times the strength of a normal lumber.  This means you can use less wood to achieve the same thing.  Second it is straighter.  The normal lumber is cut from a tree.  It is then kiln dried to remove a certain amount of moisture.  This drying process shrinks the lumber and in many cases warps and twists it as well.  And thirdly it is more uniform.  An LVL is “assembled” and has far less shrinkage and warpage so it remains dimensionally stable.  Whether you are installing it in high or low humidity conditions, the LVL remains dimensionally stable because it has been made in a factory under controlled specifications.  That is a huge plus for contractors.  LVL’s have many other usages than beams.  They can be used above windows as a lintel, above an opening as a header, as floor joists, or ceiling rafters, and many additional uses. 

 A common name for LVL is Microllam.  This is just one manufacturer’s trademark name.  Something like Kleenex tissues… were Kleenex is just one manufacturer’s brand name that has become synonymous with tissues.

  So I pick LVL as my most important technological advancement in my 30 years in the remodeling business.

 I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and I also want to convey Seasons Greetings to all of you who have supported me and my company.   My sincere hope is that the new year brings peace, happiness, and prosperity to each and every one of you.