Poconos Real Estate Blog

Spring To-Do List For Penn Estates Homeowners: 5 Things You Should Do Outside To Impress Your Neighbors &/or Prepare Your Home For Sale

Keeping a tidy property is the cornerstone of being a good neighbor and projecting good curb appeal. This short list will have you well on your way in no time. Plus it will get you out of the house as the weather breaks and get your winter-weary body moving again.

1) Clean the Yard & Decks
Pick up & dispose of litter and 'stuff' accumulated this winter; pick up sticks and branches, and remove dead vegetation as necessary; blow leaves away from house & off of driveway, walkways and landscaping.

2) Clean your Culvert
The culvert pipe under your driveway at the street, as well as the drainage ditch along your property, is your responsibility and very important to the welfare of the drainage system of Penn Estates. If your pipe clogs, it can cause back-ups and flooding in places we don't want it, and ruin driveways, landscaping and roads. A clean culvert will keep the water flowing where it should and show that you care about your neighbors and community! Mark your calendar to do this again in the Fall, after the leaves come down.

3) Clean up after the Dog
Most people don't stay on top of this chore through the winter months so when spring hits, and BEFORE the heat sets in, it is time to break out the shovel. Nothing ruins a picnic or a showing of your home like a shoe full of doo-doo.

And speaking of it, don't forget to take your baggies along when walking your dog. Remember, Penn Estates Rules require you take your puppy-prizes home with you.

4) Wash the Windows
Inside and out, panes and screens. And if they are foggy between the panes, have the panes replaced.

5) Identify Yourself
It is very important that your Lot & Section be clearly visible from the street, so take care of that now. You will want people to be able to find your house if they are visiting, delivering a package, or (most important) in case of an emergency!

Did you know:

Stroud Township Spring Cleanup for 2008
Thursday, April 24th through Sunday, April 27th 8 AM to 4 PM - Gaunt Rd. Maintenance Yard
Stroud Township residents are invited to bring unwanted junk and clutter from their properties to our Gaunt Road Township Maintenance Yard, located ½ mile north of the Stroud Mall on Rt. 611 from April 24th through 27th between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m..  Accepted items are: furniture, car batteries, automotive waste oil, car tires, appliances and yard waste (brush, leaves, clippings).

PROOF OF RESIDENCY is REQUIRED

Fees: Car Load $5
Van or Pick-up load $10
Utility trailer load $50
One-ton truck load $75
Tires: Car $4 each, Truck $5 each
Tires on rims or wheels $5 each
Appliances requiring freon removal are $20 each

 

COMPUTER & ELECTRONICS RECYCLING! Drop off up to 2 of the following items at no charge: computers, fax machines, scanners, keyboards & mice, main frames, VCRs, stereos, monitors, printers, telecommunications equipment, speakers, wire, televisions, DVD players. ($5. charge for each piece exceeding 2 free units)

NO FEE:
If you are only bringing the following items, there is no fee: car batteries, waste oil, yard waste, branches, brush, grass clippings

 

Materials NOT accepted:
No hazardous materials such as paint solvents or thinners, paint cans with contents, pesticides, herbicides, or chemicals will be accepted. (Monroe County Waste Management (570-643-6100) is working on ways to dispose of these items. No construction debris.)
Also not accepted: automobiles, dirt, cement, loose nails or screws. NO CONTRACTORS REFUSE!

Can You Cure A Wet Basement?

from the desk of
Richard A Hetzel
Architect (NY) Home Designer (PA)

Water in your basement or crawl space?  Dampness?  Musty odor?  Mold?  Structural decay?

Our area of the Pocono Mountains is blessed with all manner of natural and man-made water features...lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and bogs, all with their own surrounding wetlands and resplendent flora and fauna. But all these natural resources also mean that we face some special challenges in balancing our love of our specialness with what is best for our health, well-being and property.

How do we live with the sometimes inevitable eventuality of some water and/or dampness in our crawlspaces?  Well, it's only inevitable if things weren't done right when the house was built, or if needed repairs aren't made.  The overwhelming majority of damp or wet foundations can be cured, and most times for only moderate expense.

If it's only dampness, and not water, the first thing is to be certain there is a vapor retarder on or beneath the floor.  Often crawl spaces have earth floors, and often, someone has rolled out some polyethylene film on the floor and thought that they had installed a vapor retarder.  Well, they missed a couple of items.  First, all seams between sheets of film should be lapped at least six inches and taped.  Second, the film should be turned up against all walls and other penetrations (such as pipes, columns, posts, etc.) and taped to the wall or penetration.  Only then is the vapor retarder complete and fully effective.

Then, look to see that there are sufficient vents in the crawl space, and be sure the vents are open.  The total free area of all the vents should be one square foot of vent free area for each 150 square feet of crawl space floor area.  It is difficult to determine the net free area of existing vents, but generally, if you assume that the free area is about 50% of the area of the vent, you'll be close.  If you can find a manufacturer's name and model number, you may be able to find the net free area on the manufacturer's website.

Now, what if you have water?  If you have water, it is entering from outside the foundation.  If someone gives you baloney about hydrostatic pressure under your floor, show them the door.  If someone tells you your foundation was waterproofed when it was built and it didn't work then and it won't work now, show them the door.  There is a difference between "damp-proofing" and "waterproofing", and almost no homes are "waterproofed"...some, in fact, are not even "damp-proofed", especially homes that are maybe 20 years old or older in the Poconos.  Dampproofing is meant to keep minor moisture from wicking out of the soil and into the foundation wall, and that's all.  Waterproofing is meant to stop the infiltration of water completely.

Water enters a foundation in the following ways:    

     1.  Cracks in the foundation
     2.  A failure in the parging (plastering) of the foundation
     3.  A failure of the damp-proofing of the foundation
     4.  Open tie rod holes in concrete foundations

What causes cracks in the foundation?

     1.  Insufficient wall thickness and/or reinforcing for the height of soil supported.
     2.  Improper backfill (rocks, construction debris)
             {what?? rocks in the Poconos?? do you believe that??}
     3.  Tree or shrub roots
     4.  Heavy equipment or vehicles running near the wall, either during construction, or after
     5.  Hydrostatic (water) pressure in the soil outside the wall

This is important: Do not select a solution to the problem BEFORE the cause is determined!!  Also important is the fact that where water is seen entering your basement may not indicate where it is entering on the outside,  It is possible, and frequent, that there is a crack outside which won't show up inside.

One can determine the cause by first performing a hose test. With a garden hose, start at one point outside your foundation, and lay the hose on the ground so that it runs full blast at the foundation.  Let it run for about 45 minutes, and see if water appears inside the basement or crawl space.  Then move the hose about six feet and repeat the process, and continue doing so until you've gone all around your foundation.  Keep careful notes about where the water enters.  Now you know where the problem is, but you don't know why yet.

Now comes the hard part.  Dig, or better yet, have someone dig at the locations where your hose test showed that water enetered.  If your foundation is more than about three feet below grade, it's best to leave the digging to professionals who can recognize soil types and predict their behavior, because the risk of a cave-in becomes greater as the excavation gets deeper.  Let the pros take that risk.  If you dig yourself, do not pile the excavated soil at the edge of the excavation!  That could cause a cave-in.  Take it away by wheelbarrow.  The dig should extend out from the foundation wall about 18 inches.  By the way, the digging should be by hand, and not by machine, so that the walls aren't stressed or damaged by machinery operating close to the walls.

Having dug, you should be able to see the problem...a crack (see photo - putty knife inserted in crack for illustration), a hole, chipped parging, insufficient or absent damp-proofing...could be any of those.  If it's a crack or hole, clean it as best you can and patch it with hydraulic cement.  Then, apply a THICK coating, preferably two coats, of bituminous dampproofing compound (black sticky tar), and in the final coat, embed a sheet of 6-mil polyethylene sheet in the dampproofing, extending from finished grade down to and over the footing. (The second picture shows the same foundation waterproofed) Finally, backfill with pea gravel up to within a few inches of finished grade.  If you only had one place of water entry, that's all you have to fix.

A word about "inside" drainage systems:  rarely are they the right answer to a wet basement.  They are a one-size-fits-all solution to a problem that has not been defined.  Yes, they may keep water off your floor, but they won't keep it out of your basement, and they won't stop the entry of vermin, insects or radon gas, all of which can enter through the crack or whatever is letting water into your basement.  They will not reduce dampness, which is why those who sell them often recommend dehumidifiers.  Finally, they can cost many times the cost of fixing water problems where they should be fixed, and that is outside the foundation.  You may find that companies who sell such systems apply high sales pressure, and you may find that those companies also have many unsatisfied complaints with the Better Business Bureau.  Yes, they offer a "lifetime guarantee", which, if read carefully, doesn't guarantee very much.  You will also find that these companies frequently go "out of business' and then re-open under another name, and there goes the "lifetime guarantee".  Beware of such companies and their high-pressure sales tactics.

If you follow the steps outlined here, you will be able to diagnose and, yes, solve almost all wet basement/crawl space problems, with only moderate expense, and minimum disruption to your home and yard.  Usually, they can work behind landscaping and leave it in place undisturbed by the repair work.

Finding the Perfect Home ... or Husband

Face it, finding the perfect house is tough. Even with all of the choices out there today, it can be hard to find the one that is 'just right.' My famous line to buyers is this: Finding the perfect house is kind of like a woman looking for the perfect husband...if you could take a little piece of each one and put it all together then, voila, perfection.

But let's be realistic, honey...that ain't happenin' !

So what is today's cultivated woman to do? Lower her standards? Never!

My advice is, figure out what faults you can live with and then TRAIN HIM.  ( =) c'mon guys, stay with me here)

Finding the perfect house can be approached in the same way. Find that one that has the best combination of must-have features and lack of fatal flaws, and then fix it to your liking.

Better still, save your cash and finance the alterations!

Enter the FHA 203(k) Streamlined Mortgage.

This  program has been around for a couple of years but has been very under-utilized. Recent changes in the loan limits, guidelines and processes for FHA loans in general have made it a much more desirable program, especially in today's lending environment. What makes the Streamlined(k) mortgage so special is its ability to facilitate 'simple' repairs or improvements to a home...up to $35,000 worth.

Eligible improvements include some of the most common home repair issues we encounter here in the Poconos like:

•  Repair/Replacement of roofs, gutters and downspouts
•  Repair/Replacement of flooring, kitchens & appliances
•  Painting, both exterior and interior
• Septic system and/or well repair or replacement
•  Repair/replace/add exterior decks
•   Basement finishing and remodeling, which does not involve structural repairs

Other improvements which could be financed include:

• Basement waterproofing
• Window and door replacements and exterior wall re-siding
• Weatherization, including storm windows and doors, insulation, weather stripping, etc
•   Accessibility improvements for persons with disabilities
•   Lead-based paint stabilization or abatement of lead-based paint hazards

Basically the rule of thumb is, as long as there are no structural changes or proposals that require engineering or architect reports, they are probably finance-able under this program. Simply providing bids, estimates or projected invoices is all the additional documentation required for this loan. An appraisal will be done to ensure the as-fixed value of the property, and the program allows up to six months after closing to complete the work.

There ya have it, the solution to your house-hunting dilemma...it's easier than teaching your husband to put his socks in to the hamper!

For more information on the FHA Streamlined(k), please contact Bill Cullen at Hometown Security Mortgage (570)424.1289.

Haul the Deck?

This is good information for homeowners to be aware of - for your own safety and in preparation for selling your property. Decks are very common areas of concern on the home inspection reports that most buyers obtain as a condition of the purchase contract. These issues, if severe enough, can jeopardize a sale all together or seriously affect your bottom line because these problems are often perceived as huge and costly to the average buyer, prompting demands for large concessions. Addressing the issues prior to listing your home allows you the time to properly plan and evaluate the costs of correction in order to make sound decisions in the negotiation process. Even if you don't actually DO the work ahead of time, having professional advice and estimates are in your best interest. - L

From the Desk of:
Richard A Hetzel
Architect (NY) & Home Designer (PA)

Well, let’s put it this way…much construction in the Poconos older than a few years is not the best, and decks may top the list of substandard construction.  Those buildings and decks were built when there was no particular building code, and inspection quality varied considerably.  The adoption of the Pennsylvania statewide building code in 2004, and the training of building officials have brought welcome change in quality and enforcement. Let’s look at some of the common problems of older decks.

COMPARE YOUR DECK TO CURRENT CODE

Starting with the ground, we find many decks which are not built on foundations which extend below the frost line, generally required to be 3 feet 6 inches below the surface.  Such construction risks frost heave, as such decks are commonly built on concrete blocks lying on the surface.

While we’re down there, look at the bottoms of the deck posts.  They should be anchored by galvanized steel or cast aluminum post bases which keep the end of the wood post from contacting the concrete foundation.  The post bases should have an anchor bolt which extends into the concrete.

Moving up a little, the posts themselves are often 4x4 wood, but if the deck is a full story above the ground, 6x6 posts are a better choice.

Then we move up to the girders that support all the deck joists.  There is no way to suggest what these girders should be made up of, because it depends on the exact design loads they are carrying.  The problems in this area arise because many decks were just thrown up by carpenters who simply guessed at the girder requirements.  We frequently see girders with very visible sag or deflection, which may indicate that they are inadequate for the loads.

Deck joists may or may not be undersized, and again, we would have to see the specific deck to evaluate them.  Current building codes require that the joists be attached to the girders using “hurricane clips”, inexpensive galvanized steel plates which prevent uplift of the deck in high winds. These were not required on older decks (pre-2004), but are very easy to install on an existing deck.

If your existing deck does not conform to current codes, you cannot be required to update it, unless it was recently built without a permit, when a permit was required.  However, if it has any of the deficiencies described, you may elect to improve it to the extent you feel will be safe and reasonable. Additionally, keep in mind that if you are adding to, or roofing over, or doing any other major changes to your deck, you may be required to bring the entire deck up to current code standards, including footings and foundations.

BUILDING MATERIALS MATTER

All the wood used so far in our deck should be pressure treated with preservative, or woods with natural decay resistance such as cedar or redwood.  Older deck lumber was treated primarily with Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), but this chemical has been phased out for residential use in favor of Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ). Fasteners used with ACQ must be hot dip galvanized or stainless steel to prevent corrosion.

The decking itself (the “floor”) can be any of several products.  Older lower-quality decks have floors of pressure-treated lumber.  Better decks have cedar floors, and exquisitely expensive decks can have floors of teak or other exotic woods.  There are also several synthetic deck floor products on the market, most made of a combination of recycled plastics and wood fibers.

Surrounding the deck is a railing, which, since 2004, is required to have no space greater than 4 inches in width.  Many older decks have simple two-rail railings which would not meet current codes.  You are generally not required to upgrade older decks to new code requirements, but you may consider it, especially if you have very small children.  Railings can be made of pressure-treated wood, or naturally decay-resistant wood, vinyl, or exotic items like glass or plastic-sheathed cable.  Railings should be 36 inches high.

The place where the deck connects to the house is another potential trouble spot.  Usually a board is fastened to the house, and the deck joists connect to the board.  Very old decks might have a small ledger strip, such as a 2x2 nailed to the board on the house, and the joists rest on the ledger strip.  Newer decks connect the joists to the board with galvanized steel joist hangers.  The board itself should be lag-screwed into the house structure, with ½-inch diameter bolts not more than 32 inches on centers.  Existing decks can easily and inexpensively be retrofitted with both lag-screws and joist hangers, if they do not exist.

Finally, there should be metal flashing with extends up behind the siding, and out over the top of the attachment board.  Many older decks do not have this flashing, but it can be added with moderate expense.

CODE COMPLIANCE = SAFETY 

There are many stories of deck collapses, some with tragic consequences, and most could have been avoided with careful inspection and upgrading. Older decks should be checked for the presence of the features described, and missing elements added if possible.  It’s easy to add most of the features, and doing so will improve the safety and longevity of your deck, and you won’t have to “haul the deck” to the garbage dump.

Here’s an excellent link to a good compilation of building code requirements for residential decks.  Building codes change every three years, and the current code may differ somewhat from the linked document, but it won’t be by much.

http://buildingcodes.jocogov.org/documents/Deck%20Book.pdf

For information on permits and building requirements in your Monroe County home, contact your municipality.

 

 

The Importance of Proper Attic & Roof Ventilation

From the Desk of:
Jeff Remas, President
REMAS Inspections, Inc.
www. Painspector.com
877-223-4462

Just about everyone has an attic. Whether you use it for storage, finished space or never even look up there, you need to be aware of potential problems that can happen due to poor attic ventilation. Poor ventilation is not just a problem with attics. It affects cathedral ceilings the same way except you have no access into your cathedral ceiling so problems are normally severe by the time there are signs inside.

Why do we need our attic and cathedral ceilings to be well ventilated?

There are actually two main reasons this is important: Temperature & humidity control. Without temperature and humidity control an attic is likely to cause moisture- and heat-related problems.

Temperature & humidity control go together and need to be controlled during warmer months to keep attics cool by using ventilation to prevent hot, moist air from warping the roof sheathing. It also stops shingles from deteriorating prematurely due to excessive heat & moisture build up. Cooler air in the attic makes a home much easier to cool, which can result in lower energy costs.

During the cooler months, temperature & moisture control through ventilation is needed to keep attics dry. It stops water from backing up under shingles, damaging insulation, and rotting the framing. It also helps prevent ice dams from forming. Ice dams pose a special problem because they prevent melted water from running off the roof. Ice dams usually cause leaks inside your home, resulting in framing and drywall damage along with the potential to harbor mold. 

Typical attic airflow----------->

The real cause of ice damming

In our northern climate, especially Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, the potential for ice damming is great and an all too common occurrence. There is one common misconception about the cause of ice dams. Recently while at a training seminar the subject of ice dams came up and a contractor said the cause was rain gutters. This could not be farther from the truth. The real cause is a combination of poor attic ventilation, and inadequate insulation.

An attic must be very close to the outside temperature to prevent ice dams from forming. Yes, we want a very cold attic in the winter time, the colder the better. This is why a well insulated attic with a good vapor barrier and minimal air leakage is needed. When hot air escapes from inside the home is heats the framing and decking of the attic if there is not adequate ventilation to let the heat escape. This causes the snow to melt on the roof. You will notice this during winter months when you look at older homes and they lose the snow off of their roof sooner than well insulated, new homes. As snow on a roof above the attic melts, it slowly drips down to the lower edge of the roof line. The lower edge of the roof is called the eve or soffit. This area is on the outside of the home and where they hang over there is no heat therefore this portion of the roof is much colder. It is as this point the dripping, melting snow stops because it is now freezing. Any roof whether it has gutters or not has the potential for ice dam growth. If you do not maintain your gutters the ice can build up and create more of a problem for you making the ice dam larger. But again, gutters are not the cause of ice dams, they can, however, make them worse. 

<-----------------How ice dams occur 

Other problems that start in the attic

Ice dams are not the only problem in the winter time. The moist air that escapes gets trapped in an inadequately vented attic and becomes frost on the bottom of the roof decking. This will cause heaving of the roof, cracking of the shingles and as it melts it drips off of the nails creating dark spots on your insulation. The biggest problem is the fact that this moisture penetrates the wood decking causing it to rot, warp and promote wood eating fungus and mold growth. As the winter season gives way to warmer temperatures, the potential for mold growth intensifies. Mold in the attic soon becomes mold inside the home and the walls.

Moisture and humidity

There are a few sources that feed moisture into attics. Those sources are: a wet crawlspace, a wet basement, bathroom vents, vent less gas appliances such as propane logs or wall heaters and finally stove vents that discharge into the attic.

• Wet basements and crawlspaces generate a lot of moisture vapor that transmits right up into the attic.
• All bathroom vents should be through the roof or side wall, never terminate inside a soffit. A soffit acts an in inlet and will bring that moisture right back in, causing mold.---------->
• Vents for cooking appliances should terminate outside.
• If you have a recirculation vent that is on an exterior wall, I would recommend that you vent it to the exterior.
• A good insulation vapor barrier will help ease the amount of water that transmits into the attic. A family of 4 generates an average of 2-4 gallons of water vapor per day!

Achieving adequate ventilation

Optimal attic ventilation is done by having at least 1 square foot of ventilation for every 150 square feet of attic space by using a combination of vented soffit and a ridge vent. The soffit vents need to be kept open by the use of baffles in the attic between rafters that keep the insulation from blocking the opening; this is the number one ventilation problem found in attics.

If you have a hip roof with minimal horizontal ridge then a power vent is the next best option. Many new construction roof lines are complicated creating poor attic ventilation, so discuss your options with your architect and builder.

There are many products out there to ventilate your attic. Always do your homework and research prior to making that decision. As far as ridge vents are concerned, those with an outside baffle that keep rain and wind out are far better than simple, inexpensive rolled ridge vent. I personally recommend ShingleVent®II manufactured by Air Vent. The comparison data on this product appears to be unmatched by any competitor. I recently inspected a house that was nearing one million dollars with granite counter tops and other high end amenities. The roof ventilation was poor and they used the cheapest rolled ridge vent out there. This was a complete mismatch in my opinion.   

<------------Ridge vent sample

Different methods of terminating bathroom vent------------------------->

The attic & roof need to peacefully coexist

If you are planning on replacing your roof, make sure that the roofing contractor who comes out to gives you and estimate also inspects the attic. This is the mark of a true professional. Ask them if they want to take a look in your attic. If they say “no” then you can eliminate them as a potential contractor.

It is advisable to tear off any existing layers and place down an “ice & water” barrier under the bottom edge of the roof. A second layer of shingles is acceptable in most cases, but not advisable. It can cause weight issues on your roof during snow periods and makes a good installation harder. Three layers are not acceptable and against the building code.

Preventative maintenance pays off

I would recommend that everyone take the time to inspect his/her attic just a little bit closer and if you have any questions, call a professional. Adequate attic insulation and ventilation are a very important part of maintaining your home. It helps with energy efficiency, air quality of the interior, shingle longevity and the structural stability of your roof. A little preventative maintenance can only benefit you and your home in the long term. Don’t wait until it is too late.