Clarksville Home Inspections

Mortar Joints Failing

Johnny Goad — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:52:25 +0000

Roberta H writes, I have been living in my new home for some time now & have been asking for the contractor to clean the brick because it is obvious that they never were. Well, last week they finally sent someone to clean the brick with a pressure washer & not long after beginning the guys stopped to come & show me that the mortar joints were being blown out from between the bricks. Needless to say, I told them to stop. What would cause this?

That doesn’t sound good Roberta, one thing that could cause it with a pressure washer would be if they were using the “0″ tip instead of one of the fan tips, & it would also damage the bricks, but if they were using the regular fan tips & it was blowing the mortar out of the joints there is a good chance that it was a bad batch of mortar, & if that is the case then the question becomes was that bad batch of mortar isolated & just used in that area or is this going to be a problem for the whole house. Being new construction, have the general & masonry contractor take a look at it & see what they say, if your not getting straight answers or get the run around give me a call & we’ll do what we can to help.

Lukewarm Shower Water

Johnny Goad — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:39:36 +0000

Dan H writes: We recently moved into a new home & although the showers get warm enough for me to take a shower, my wife would like to be able to take a “hot” shower or bath. The water at the bathroom & kitchen faucets is considerably hotter, what would be the cause of this & can it be fixed.

Dan, it sounds like you have the anti-scald guard fixtures. A lot of plumbers will not adjust those off of the factory settings for liability reasons. You should be able to pull the handle off & see a plastic adjustment ring that you can adjust to allow for hotter water at the fixture. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, & since you are in a new home, contact the builder & see if he would ask the plumbers to adjust it for you or at least stop by & show you how to make the adjustments.

Rusty Hot Water

Johnny Goad — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:37:49 +0000

Ben D asks, We had a hot water recirculating system installed recently & now we are having rusty looking water on the hot side. Do you have any idea of what would be causing this?

It sounds like someone installed a recirculating pump meant for a hydronic heating system instead of one that is intended for potable water use. The pumps used on the hydronic systems look the same & are cheaper, but they do not have the stainless steel recirculating blades & as you have found out, will leave a rusty residue in the water. You will need to swap out the recirculating pump.

“Crackly” Sound In Laminate Flooring

Johnny Goad — Sun, 18 May 2008 23:55:54 +0000

Rhonda L writes:
My laminate floor suddenly started making a “crackly” sound when we walk on it.
The only things we can think that caused it are using too much cleaner, (our
housekeeper may have used something other than the made-for-laminate cleaner),
the temperature got very hot outside (but our home inside is not that hot), but
the humidity has been much dryer, or our dogs tracking in pollen, which has been
prolific. Which do you think caused it, and do you think it will it go away by
itself? Thank you.

If it has just started making the sound then too much cleaner could lead to
swelling & result in what you are hearing. It seems 2 of the most common
things are lack of an underlayment underneath, but that it usually more of a
squeaking sound (wood rubbing against wood). The other wood be inadequate
spacing at the perimeter. There should be 1/4 inch gap left at the perimeter
to allow for expansion. If there is no room for expansion then the floor
will try to buckle & could also result in the crackly sound you are hearing.
Tell your cleaning lady not to use anything but the recommend cleaner on it
& not much of that. Monitor & see if it gets any better. If it does not then
it could possibly be an installation issue?
How long has the floor been down?

Bathtub Surround Preparation

Johnny Goad — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 21:15:26 +0000

Donnie J says, my bathroom is gutted to the studs, & I’ll be tiling the bathtub surround. Should I drywall this area & then put up cement backer-board, or dose the backerboard go directly over the studs? Do I need felt paper?

Don’t put up drywall under the backerboard. I am a believer in the felt behind the cement backerboard practice, but there are a lot of professionals that question the need for it & install without it. Your tub should fit snugly to the studs & have a support ledger under the long side. You should fur out the studs so that the backer board comes down over the lip of the tub leaving a space between the bottom of the backerboard & the top of the tub to prevent moisture wicking of the backerboard. Also make sure you tape the backerboard corners & joints with fiberglass sheetrock tape & mud them with thinset & you should be ready to start tiling.

Polarity Matters

Johnny Goad — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:23:18 +0000

Mike L writes, On old fashioned lamp plugs, both prongs on the plug are the same size & the lamp works any way you plug it in. On new plugs the prongs are different sizes. I’ve been told this is to keep the polarity constant. What is polarity & why does it matter.

Polarity refers to the two conductors of an electrical circuit. These conductors are called poles, as in the poles of a magnet. One pole is a supply & the other is a return. The supply is the black or “hot” wire & the return is the white or “neutral”.

In modern receptacle outlets one slot is taller than the other. The tall slot should be connected to the neutral conductor & the short slot to the hot. That’s normal polarity.

Modern plugs match these receptacles & correspond to wiring in lamps, appliances & tools. A lamp is wired such that the neutral wire goes to the casing of the lamp socket & the hot wire goes to the tab or button at the bottom of the socket. The routing path is an important safety feature. If your installing a bulb without unplugging the lamp, you’re more likely to accidentally touch the socket casing than the socket tab. For a tool or appliance, the hot wire is fed through the switch. That means there’s only an inch or two of energized wire in the case of the tool or appliance. If the polarity is reversed, virtually all the wiring in the case (including all the motor windings if there’s a motor) is energized when it’s plugged in. Damaged insulation on a wire or a motor winding could energize a metal tool case, creating an electrocution hazard. Correct polarity is another way of putting the odds in your favor.

When replacing the cord or plug on an appliance, be sure to get the connections right: The neutral wire is the “identified” conductor. It may have ridges running along it’s length or a colored thread between the wire & insulation.

Peeling Paint In Bathroom

Johnny Goad — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:21:26 +0000

Ted W writes, I repainted our bathroom a few months ago & now the paint is kind of flaking off in areas, what would cause this?

More than likely Ted it is from hairspray on the walls, I have run into this problem myself & this what I did. Scrape any areas that have peeled or look like they are going to peel. Paint over then with an oil based primer like Kilz & when it is dry repair with drywall mud. After these areas have been sanded, prime all of the walls with the same oil based primer & then repaint with 100% acrylic enamel eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss, which will hold up well to moisture. You shouldn’t have any further problems after following these steps. I know from now on I will always prime a bathroom wall with the oil based primer in hopes of eliminating all the additional work that I & now you have experienced. Thank you for sharing your question.

Choosing The Best Grass Seed For Your Area

Johnny Goad — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 15:24:50 +0000

Growing a healthy lawn involves preparation & maintenance, but regardless of how well you’ve done both if you choose the wrong seed you will fight an uphill battle & the lawn is doomed. Grasses that flourish in an open sunny area may not survive in the shade. Some grasses are more durable than others & are better suited for high-traffic areas.

Grasses are separated into cool & warm season varieties. Cool season grasses including bluegrass, annual & perennial ryegrass, & bent grass should be used in cooler climates. Cool-season grasses are usually blended in a seed mix than can be spread with a broadcast seeder. In warmer climates, use warm-season grasses including St. Augustine, Bermuda, centepede, & buffalo grass. Warm-season grasses are planted as singl-species plugs.

Some seeds need more water than others, but in general you can expect to do more watering if you live in an arid part of the country, (duh). If you live in a mixed climate you may need to blend warm & cool-season grasses for a successful lawn.

Most likely, the seed sold in stores in your area will grow there & will be marked for use in sunny or shaded areas. I have always had good luck with a mixture of rye & fescue in the Clarksville area, but you may want to check with the Co-op extension service or one of the local nurseries for your particular application. You can even take a soil sample to the Co-op for a free analysis to get a better idea of what your lawn may require. It’s getting that time of year so get a game plane together & get to work!

White Stains On Chimney

Johnny Goad — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:12:14 +0000

Pat M writes: My new brick chimney has white streaks down the sides. Both the builder & the mason say the stains are normal & will go away on their own, but I am still concerned. Are they a long-term problem that I will have to worry about when my warranty runs out?

The white stains described are probably either efflorescence or calcium carbonate. Efflorescence occurs when water dissolves salts in brick & mortar, bringing them to the surface & leaving them on the face of the wall, these stains can usually be removed with water & a brush.

Calcium-carbonate stains are also caused by water in the brick which dissolves calcium hydroxide in the mortar & when exposed to carbon dioxide in the air forms calcium carbonate. These stains are thick, hard, crusty, & are not water soluble. Muriatic acid must be used to remove these stains.

Water in the wall is the cause of each case & an initial outbreak is fairly common & not a serious problem. If either persists over time, however, it is an indication that water is entering the brickwork on a regular basis & corrective measures would need to be taken in order to identify & repair the point of entry.

A Better Asphalt Sealant

Johnny Goad — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:54:47 +0000

Evan S says, Temperatures in the 70’s the other day got me to thinking about some spring time projects around the house, one if which will be re-coating my asphalt driveway. Are all asphalt sealants the same?

Funny you should mention that Evan as I found my mind wandering down the spring time “honey-do” list myself that day. many of the driveway sealers sold in retail stores are nothing more than thick paint & can be a waste of money. What you want to do is buy a more professional product that contains more sand, known as “solids content”, which helps to seal the whole thing so that water doesn’t get into & under the asphalt. If there are large cracks in the driveway then these will need to be filled with the appropriate caulk or filler prior to sealing. Most of the retail brands have a solids content of around 24% whereas professionals generally use a sealer with around a 52% solids content