Home Inspecting Fireman

I had a great day today. I was part of a large multi affiliated motorcycle group that escorted back 166 members of the 724th Army Unit from Bartonville, Illinois.  They have been deployed  in Iraq for the last year. Every member that left a year ago, returned, but several were injured and recieved misc. medals and awards for valor, heroism and injuries. I was humbled and honored to be a part of that escort. I made many new friends today. It was awesomr to see the  children run to their mothers/fathers after they were dismissed. Say thank you and shake the hand of the next Veteran you see, they deserve your respect and you owe them your freedom. U S A

Wasps and other flying creatures are a life threatening issue to some. To most, these creatures pose a general threat to your home and it’s occupants safety. First, if you are ever stung by one of these flying marauders, call 911 if you are allergic. Second, if you are not allergic, don’t pull the stinger out, this will cause more venom to be pumped into the wound site, simply, scoop the stinger up and out of the skin like a melon baller.   Third, caulk or seal all openings on your homes exterior that are an 1/8 inch or larger, this means siding, soffits, trim edges, etc,  secure and ensure all screens are intact and not torn, and finally, call aprofessional for large and unique infestations, they have equipment and products designed just for these pests. Good luck, Ron

Wow, I woke up this am and was met with a cooler, comfortable, sunny and pleasant morning. This is a good day to open those windows and air your homes out a little bit. Homes today are so airtight that they can actually have more bad air in them, than outside.  Turn off the a/c unit, change the filter, clean out the windowsills and turn a fan or two on. This will exchange the stagnant air in the house. It wil also smell better and give you a feeling of refreshment. It will also slow or stop any mildew, mold or moisture that was being generated by the ” seal ” your home has had with the recent hot days and weeks. My a/c unit has been running non stop, and yesterday the motor burnt up. It is under warranty,but this is what happens when they work that hard.  Enjoy the nice breezy day and let your house do the same. Have a great Sunday, talk to you soon, Ron.

With thunderstorms predicted for 5 of the next 6 days, it might benefit you to take  some preventative measures. Clean your gutters and ensure your downspouts and extensions are attached to ensure proper water shedding.  Clean any outdoor drains you have, i.e., drains in a split level home’s rear door steps area.  Make sure your sump pumps are working correctly.  Remember they are an electrical device and if you have to activate the pump with water in it, use a wooden dowel or broomstick to start it.  Visually inspect your roof for any damage or missing shingles and if you get on the roof, first of all, BE CAREFUL, and then look at all flashing, valleys,  and vent or pipe openings for proper sealing.  If you have outdoor plugs, make sure they have weather cover plates and/or are ground fault circuit interrupters, (GFCI).  A gfci plug will have 2 small rectangle push buttons in the center ( 1 says test and 1 says reset ) of the plug between the outlet holes. A regular non- gfci plug outdoors  can cause arcing, shorting, shocks to people, plug damage and or fires.  Clean out any well windows you may have, any debris in them will create moisture and not allow the ground to drain properly, possibly causing water to back up over the window sills.   Good luck, hope this helps. Ron

I have been getting more homes with crawlspaces lately than usual. If yours’ is wet, musty, funky smelling, damp, etc. ,ensure your vents are open and cleaned out. Also make sure the area on the outside of the vent is clear of bushes, structures, etc, that will block air flow. Yesterday I inspected a lake house with no vents inside the crawlspace and ground cover on the outside up to the bottom of the house siding ?  I advised the home buyer to install plywood across the interior access, trim it out to look better and then install a wall vent grill every 4 feet of the width.  A good rule of thumb is 1 sq. foot of vent space for every 300 sq. feet of floor space. This will provide enough airflow to repair most of the previously stated problems. Good luck

Bikers for Ta-Tas 2010 ride, All proceeds going to help support Methodist Mobile Mammography Van that services a 10 county area in Central Illinois! Sign in is 9:00-11:30am at BG’s Karaoke Saloon, Bartonville….$15 for rider, $5 for passenger….145mi. Stops in El Paso, Streator, Lacon, E.Peoria and ends at BG’s for prize drawings, 50/50, and good times! Pass the word along to all your fellow biker friends! Come on and show your SUPPORT!
If anyone is interested in buying “Bikers for Ta-Tas” t-shirts, PLEASE get me the size you need, limited quantity so get yours reserved now!! Both Uni-sex t-shirts and womens tank tops available!

Why are children in charge of their parents in this generation. My wife and I rarely go out and enjoy a drink and discussion at a bar without having to deal with unattended children hanging near and/ or playing the machines on the bar, ( not tables or dining, THE BAR)  I like children, but we have raised ours. We are not interested in baby sitting someone’s child because parents are either lazy or just want 5 minutes of peace.  We were at a local bar last night and this happened, when we asked the bartender and manager about the laws and having them find their parents, they responded with ” Well we don’t want to upset our customers, Hmmm, aren’t bar patrons customers also I asked.  They simply ignored our request and the offending little tax dedcuctions  and allowed this to continue, at that point I asked the children to go find their parents and have the parents return with them. The bartender then chastised me for interfering, I reminded her that we asked for help, received none, and was taking care of it on my own as a paying customer. I was advised to stop or we would be asked to leave. Can you say, customer service ?  I cant tell you the bars name, but the initials are….Old Chicago @ the new mall….=) Everyone enjoy the Holiday weekend

Chipmunks are an issue where I live. THEY WILL CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR FOUNDATION. If you have seen these little brown striped rodents, I have a few options to get rid of them and possibly save you a water entry problem into your basement and subsequent foundation damage.

1 )  Fill the holes with sand by slowly flowing  fine sand and water into the hole until the hole is filled with sand. The water carries the sand into the hole.

2 )  Experts say to put flake red pepper and most dry pepper products into and around the hole…I tried this with no success.

3  )  Use a professional ( and expensive ) bait that is sold at most larger stores as well as a garden and flower shops.

4 )  Live traps and release them to a remote area.

5 ) ” The Bucket Of Death”…this is my current method for the last 2 years. I killed 72 in 2009 and 42 so far this year….Fill a 5 gallon bucket with water 6-8 inches from the top, then sprinkle black sunflower seeds on the water surface, making sure to hide the water, then attach a 2 – 3 foot long plank of some kind from the  grond to the bucket’s edge. I notch the bottom to sit better on the bucket. The chipmunks will go up the plank, see the seeds and think the bucket is full of seeds, jump in to eat, plunge through the seeds and drown trying to get out. This is a last resort, but it works. A few dead rodents or a damaged foundation, you choose. Good Luck.

I apologize to all for being sparse here….I had a family issue then my 2 year old Grandson had tonsils and adnoids surgery….all is better and mostly back on track as they say. I appreciate  the facebook  inquiries , calls and texts from those of you in the know….My family very much appreciated them. Thought for the day….I been recieving many inquiries about a/c units not running just  right…you need a 14 – 22 degree difference in the air temperature coming from the vent to cool your home and the posted temp on your thermostat. Small things should be done to ensure this and proper operation of the a/c unit.

1 ) Keep weeds, shrubs, etc an 18 ” minimum from your unit, they will impede proper airflow.

2 ) Make sure your vents are clean, if they have’nt been cleaned professionally in the last 2 years, call for a service.

3 ) If air is blowing, but warm or less cool, call for service and ensure you have the right amount of refrigerant (freon)

4 ) Look at the 2 pipes/lines leaving the unit. The small line ( high pressure) should be warm to hot and the larger line  (suction) should be cool/cold and free of any ice buildup. If this is not the case, get a service call.

5 ) If the unit has never been serviced, that your aware of for at least 3 years, get it serviced and checked. Yearly maintenance is a reasonable cost will allow the unit to live a much longer, happier, efficient life, which also saves you money in the long run.

6 ) You should be noticing that the units are running more efficiently lately than a couple weeks ago….It’s simple, higher temperatures put higher loads on the units, they were working, but it seemed like a longer run time, lower temps, etc.. it’s normal, thats how they are designed, another reason for regular maintenance.

7 ) Change the filter in your furnace/air handler once a month, I recommend a pleated filter versus the blue and green fiber filters that you can see through. Pleated gets more garbage out of the air and are more efficient, and only cost a couple bucks more.       Thanks and talk to you soon…….

Just woke up at Firestation this am…WOW..what a mess the rain and high winds caused last night and early this morning, check your shingles to see if they are all still there and if they are torn, broken, etc…clean out your gutters of debris and check the gutter’s general condition, loose attachments, disconnected joints, etc. check your trees to see any broken limbs that may fall later on you or the house, look at the West and South side windows, sills, doors, trim, etc for rain or wind damage, check window sills for water retention and clean out to avoid rotting, mold, etc… The majority of wind and rain come from those 2 directions.  Grandma’s ole advice, ” an ounce of prevention” applies here, always check your home and grounds after a storm like we had.  Have a great weekend and A Happy Fathers Day everyone, talk to you Monday….       =)