During a recent home inspection in Somerset, New Jersey, I noticed that a temporary hollow post was installed beneath and supporting a Steel I-beam located in the basement. As standard procedure, whenever a large beam is installed whether it be a built up wooden beam or steel I-beam, a solid steel concrete filled post is placed as support for the structural beam.
If you ask me, I think the hollow steel post had been put in temporarily and forgotten about; the hollow post is not rated to for such a heavy load as a house structure. These steel I-beams were not connected together in anyway. Luckily it appears that the existing concrete posts were installed over solid concrete footings. Since the only thing that is needed is an additional post, the existing footing will be sufficient. I always advise to install (4) four inch solid steel concrete posts under all types of beams.
I’m wondering how the Somerset County, NJ municipal code official missed this? Quite obvious during the rough framing inspection I would imagine. The house has been like this for quite some time. Luckily there was no structural damage, only the lack of a proper structure support.
It may sound like a cliche to talk about fire safety tips in the central New Jersey area
during the holiday season, but if there’s one statistic that bears
repeating, it’s this: Even with adequate smoke alarms, a house fire today can
become uncontrollable in less than(3) three minutes.
That’s down from an average 17 minutes in 1975 — a whopping 82 percent
difference. And the reason for the drastic change, according to a report by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, isn’t just the type of house you live in, but what you put inside.
“It’s not how old the home is, but it’s the furnishings,” Jack Watts,
Director of the Fire Safety Institute, told AOL Real Estate.
A spokesperson for the National Association of State Fire Marshals told AOL
Real Estate that the worst culprit in home fires is upholstered
furniture, because it often contains highly flammable polyurethane foam. These
all-too-common materials provide the fuel for what fire experts call the
flashover — the point at which everything in the room simultaneously bursts
into flames. It doesn’t help that many of today’s homes are built with more
open floor plans and modern building materials like wallboard that can lead to
faster fires, according to the Wichita Eagle.
The numbers show an alarming trend. In 1977, the first year when data was
available, there were 750,000 residential fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
In 2010, there were roughly half that many, thanks in large part to widespread use of smoke detectors. But the incredible speed with which home fires can spread in today’s homes represents a major step backward in fire
safety.
The use of proper caulking, weatherstriping, backer rods and spray foam to help stop air from leaking out of your livingspace. Apply these sealants around windows and doors, electrical conduits and pipes, electrical receptacles located on exterior wall and wherever conditioned air can escape to the outside. Adding insulation especially in the attic can make a big difference in energy efficiency, utility bills and your family’s comfort. One last thing to check, the duct system in forced air systems. Check for adequate air flow/or the lack of air flow that may indicate a disconnected duct.
Energystar
Check out ENERGY STAR’s Do-it Yourself Guide to insulating you home and learn alot. Download the PDF at: www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/publications/pubdocs/DIY_Guide_May_2008.pdf.
The elimination of bedbugs has become a big problem for hotels and places that recieve guests for an indeterminate stay. The EPA has created a website that describes how to get rid these pests for good using a safe EPA pesticide, along with removal of clutter, covering matresses, vacuuming and other steps.
Chinese Drywall
There is an EPA pesticide database: http://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/productsearch. Tips to prevent infestation: http://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has just released the white paper on corrosive/oe chinese drywall according to a news item submitted by Kenneth Kruger, ACI as was noted in the December 2010 issue of the ASHI Reporter. This documentation helps to identify the many problems associated with corrosive drywall.
Chinese Drywall
Corrosive drywall (CDW) was installed in thousands of homes and buildings mostly in the southern part of the United States as early as 2001. It has high levels of elemental sulfur, which caused problematic hydrogen sulfide emmissions.
These emmissions have a very strong rotten egg odor, cause major damage to homes by destroying copper, and cause health concerns in the form of allergy-like symptoms, as well as headaches and nose bleeds. Homes that have Chinese drywall are being gutted completely, because the repair requires replacement of the drywall in the copper in the home – plumbing pipes, electric wires, electric panels, aire conditioners…etc.
As noted in Florida, Lousiana and Virginia but not limited to these regions. Metal components connected to electric receptacles and pipes hidden within walls were considered to have serious corrosive defects.
To read the entire document go to:
www.aiha.org/news-pubs/govtaffairs/Documents/W-Corrosive%20Drywall-10-10-10.pdf.
