Jun 6 2016
If your home has drainage problems and you do not have rain gutters, you should consider installing them. This can help correct or even prevent foundation issues.
If you DO have gutters and you allow these gutters to become clogged or broken you can cause more damage than good. We know that cleaning leaves out of gutters is hardly anyone’s favorite pastime, so we suggest that you install a wire frame netting across the top.
May 30 2016
A cracked cap allows water to penetrate the chimney causing premature deterioration. The purpose of a chimney cap is to prevent water from penetrating the top of a masonry chimney. The chimney cap should not be confused with the rain caps which sometimes cover the tops of chimney flues to prevent rain water from running down the flues. A chimney cap is usually constructed of concrete; however, some are stone or metal. A good quality cap normally overhangs the sides of the chimney at least one inch to provide some protection for the chimney from water which is dripping off the cap.
In many cases, a proper cap is not provided. Bricklayers often put a thin coat of mortar over the top of the chimney (exclusive of the flues, of course). With time, this thin layer of mortar cracks and eventually becomes loose. The rate of deterioration to the top of the chimney which does not have a cap depends largely upon the type of masonry used to build the chimney and the quality of the mortar.
May 23 2016
After a storm you should always check your roof for missing shingles, missing rain caps on furnace and water heater vent stacks, and natural gas appliances that require vents. You don’t necessarily have to climb on your roof to check these out; using binoculars works just as well and is much safer. Make a habit of looking up at your roof whenever you approach your house, either from the front or back yards. This way you will notice immediately if something is wrong.
Furnaces are expensive and a missing rain cap on the vent stack can shorten the life of the heat exchanger by more than half. Note that not all pipes sticking up on your roof need rain caps, some of them are plumbing vent pipes.
We encourage you to look at your roof as you are driving up to your house, since you can get a good view of the roof that way.
May 19 2016
This has been a very dry winter in the Central Texas Area. The strength of the foundation, particularly east of IH35, is directly dependent on the moisture content of the soil. You can easily check this with a screwdriver. About 12 inches from the foundation push a long screwdriver down into the ground. If the soil is moist you can tell it … if It’s dry you can tell that too. Your goal is to keep the moisture content as evenly as possible year round. Remember, fluxuation in the moisture content is the major contributor to movement of the foundation.
May 19 2016
It is not that uncommon over time for a garbage disposal to start leaking water under your sink. Fortunately, this is not a hard fix. The leak can only come from three areas; the sink flange (very top of the disposal), where the waste drain line meets the disposal and where the dishwasher hooks up.
For a leak at the sink flange you will want to unhook the garbage disposal which consists of loosening three screws then rotating the unit counter-clockwise a half-turn. The unit will slip right off and then you just need to remove a snap ring (stick a flat head screw driver in and pop it off) then you can pop the sink flange right out which is sealed to the sink with plumber’s putty. Clean off all of the old plumber’s putty from the sink flange and the sink; also make sure nothing is bent so that the sink flange can sit flush with the sink. Roll some plumber’s putty and make a ring on the sink where the sink flange will sit, then put the sink flange back in place and add pressure. The excess putty will ooze out up top and underneath the sink, clean that away and put everything back together.
For the other two leaks, make sure that all screws and clamps are tight. If they still leak you might need a new hose (only for dishwasher) or pipe. There should be a gasket where the waste drain line hooks up, so make sure that is there as well.
