Tips on Using Salt to Melt Ice Safely Around Your Home

We all know salt melts ice, but some deicers can be harmful to pets, plants, and our water supply. Here are some tips on choosing deicers.

There's no denying it: Ice on steps and walkways is extremely dangerous, leading to countless injuries each year. It's bad enough if you or a family member take a tumble, but it may be even worse if someone else does. Under certain circumstances, you could be liable if someone slips and injures themselves while on your property.

Thankfully, salt and ice can't co-exist. Commercial deicers use various chemical variations of salt to melt away dangerous ice on patios, walkways, and driveways.

Unfortunately, those same chemicals can harm fish, wildlife, and household pets. In addition, they can corrode your hard masonry outdoor surfaces.

How salt works on ice

Salt and deicers are effective ice-melting agents because they lower the freezing point of water, turning ice back into water. Salts and deicers are cheap, effective, simple to use, and easier than attacking ice with brute physical force.

What's the problem?

That same chemical magic that turns ice into water creates a very salty brine that can make household pets sick, and eats away at outdoor hardscaping made of concrete, brick, and stone.

Deicing products also can damage your plants by altering the chemical composition of the soil in planting beds and yards. Inside the home, tracked-in salt can mar carpets and wood floors.

The problem is bigger than your back yard, too.

"Salt is very soluble, and it runs off into nearby creeks, rivers, and lakes, where it can have a tremendous effect on native plants," explains Jim Bissell, Director of Conservation at Cleveland's Museum of Natural History.

Deicing products are blamed for fish and amphibian kills, aquatic dead zones, and corrosion of vehicles, bridges and roadways, plus a host of other environmental ills.

Choosing the right salt and deicing product

 As a shopper for deicing products, you'll have to balance your needs with any environmental concerns.

Ignore packaging promises like "natural," "pet-friendly," or "environmentally safe" - those labels can be misleading and inaccurate. Buyers should also take with a grain of salt claims that a product works to sub-arctic temps, as those results rarely are duplicated in real-world applications.

In general, the lower the price of the product, the more salt it contains and the more potentially harmful it is to the environment. Check product labels to figure out the chief ingredients in these popular deicing products:

            •Sodium chloride: Also known as rock salt, this basic compound is one of the cheapest ice melters on the market. It has the lowest price per pound, but it's the hardest on the environment and not that effective at temps less than 15 degrees F. Cost: $6 for a 50-lb. bag.

            •Calcium chloride: One of the best choices for super-cold climates, it's effective down to minus 25 degrees F. It's a better environmental choice than sodium chloride. Cost: $20 for a 50-lb. bag.

            •Calcium magnesium acetate: Relatively new on the market, it's a salt-free product that's touted as environmentally friendly, but that claim has yet to be tested in the long run. It costs more than other deicers. Cost: $30 for a 50 lb. bag.

Other options

Unfortunately, there are few proven eco-friendly alternatives to chemical deicers. Some products have lower salt content but include glycols, fertilizers, and urea, which are blamed for aquatic dead zones, algae blooms, and other water-quality issues.

Sand does not melt ice, but it can aid in traction. While not directly harmful to the landscape, sand can clog storm sewers and it must be cleaned up at some point by the home owner.

Tips for using deicing products

            •Buy the right blend. By having a product that best suits your climatic conditions and average low temps, you'll need to use less of it.

            •Keep walkways shoveled in the first place as snow quickly becomes ice when walked upon.

            •Pre-treat walkways before the storm hits. You'll need less deicer in the long run.

            •Mix sand with salt - you'll use less to melt ice, and gain the traction provided by sand.

            •Store ice-melt products in airtight containers to maintain maximum effectiveness.

Article From HouseLogic.com | By: Douglas Trattner | Published: 12/22/11

How to Clean Up After Thanksgiving in Half the Time

The Pilgrims were on to something when they planned a Thanksgiving potluck; here are other good ideas that'll simplify your T-Day kitchen cleanup.

Want something to be thankful for? Check out these tips that'll make your Thanksgiving kitchen cleanup faster and easier -- and will give you more time to enjoy family and friends.

Plan a potluck: The first Thanksgiving was a potluck; so let your guests share the fun and bring dishes to share. Then make sure they take home their serving bowls and platters, which will cut down on dishes to wash and put away.

Decide on disposable: Leave Mom's good dishes in the breakfront and set your table with disposable - and recyclable - place settings. Party stores sell plastic dishware that look like real china (12 dinner plates for about $13). After eating, collect and toss. If you can't stand to set a table with anything but your best, use disposables for hors d'oeuvres and dessert.

Triple-duty cookware: Cut down on cleanup by selecting cookware that can go from oven to table to freezer. Or, serve food in edible containers, such as bread bowls or hollowed-out winter squash, which you can either consume or compost.

Empty fridge: Start your holiday with a clean slate, which will make the inevitable mess less daunting than piling clutter onto clutter. Before beginning Thanksgiving prep, pick up depressing home clutter and clean out your fridge to make room for ingredients and leftovers.

If possible, designate a shelf for Thanksgiving food, which should be empty when you start your meal, then filled with leftovers when you're finished. In a week, clean out that shelf again. Make soup from leftover meat and veggies, and then freeze. Compost wilted greens. Toss old dairy products.

Prepare roasting pans: You won't have to clean what you don't get dirty. So line your turkey roasting pans with heavy-duty aluminum foil, or cook the bird in a bag. Pour drippings into a pot to make gravy, then throw away the liner.

Line garbage cans: Double- or triple-line garbage cans, which saves time when the cleaning campaign begins. After you toss a trash bag, there's another waiting for action.

Soaking bin: Soak pots and pans as soon as you transfer food to platters. But instead of filling the sink with soaking pots, designate a small trashcan as the soaking spot. Fill it will soapy water and dirty pots, and hide it under a sink or in a mudroom. That way, your sink is free throughout the evening to clean as you go and rinse dishes on the way to the dishwasher.

Stop stains: Don't let stains on carpet or rings on furniture set. While wine stains are still wet, dab with go-to cleaner hydrogen peroxide mixed with a few drops of dish detergent; blot with a clean cloth. Get rid of water stains on wood furniture with a dab of white toothpaste (not gel). Rub in the direction of the grain.

Article From HouseLogic.com | By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon | Published: 11/1/12

Tips on How To Prepare Your Home for Holiday Guests

Is your home ready for holiday visits from friends and family? Here's how to prepare for the invasion.

I'm lucky and have a guest suite always ready for holiday guests. But even with a dedicated space, preparing my home for the annual onslaught of friends and family takes time and forethought.

Some preparations for holiday guests take only a few minutes; some take a lot longer. My advice: Start preparing your home for the holidays now.

Prioritize

The day before guests arrive is no time to pull apart junk drawers and clean out linen closets. Declutter guest rooms and public areas - foyer, kitchen, living room, den, and dining room. Remove anything unnecessary from countertops, coffee tables, and ottomans; if it's out of sight, keep it out of mind, for now.

If you run short of time, bag up the clutter and store it in car trunks, basements, and out-of-the-way closets. Sort and arrange after your guests depart.

Safety

Light the way: Even though you can navigate your home blindfolded, your guests can't. Make sure outside lights are working so they don't trip on the way to your door. Put motion-activated night lights in hallways, bathrooms, and bedrooms to ensure safe passage after the sun sets.

Child proofing: Ask parents to bring hardware that keeps their small ones safe, such as baby gates and cabinet locks. Transfer toxic cleaners and medicines from base to wall cabinets. Hide matches and lighters.

Fire prevention: If you didn't freshen smoke detector batteries (when you switched the clocks to Daylight Savings Time, change them now. After your guests arrive, run a quick fire drill: Make sure they can locate exits and fire extinguishers, and that they know how to open windows and doors.

Entryway upgrades

Your home's foyer is the first place guests see, so make a good first impression.

            •Upgrade exterior entry doors or give old doors a new coat of paint. Polish and tighten door hardware, and oil hinges to prevent squeaks.

            •Remove scratches from hardwood floors, stairs, and wood railings. Place a small rug or welcome mat at the entrance to protect floors from mud and snow.

            •Clear out shoes, umbrellas, and other clutter.

            •Add extra hooks to walls so guests can hang coats and hats.

            •Add a storage bench where guests can remove boots and shoes.

Kitchen prep

Your kitchen is command central during the holidays, so make sure it's ready for guests and extra helpers.

            •To increase storage, install a pot rack to clear cooking items off countertops and ranges.

            •Move your coffee station into a family room so guests don't crowd the kitchen when you're trying to fix meals.

            •If you like to visit while you're cooking, place extra stools and chairs around the perimeter of your kitchen so guests can set a spell.

Sleeping arrangements

If you've got a guest room, replace the ceiling fixture with a ceiling fan and light combo, which helps guests customize their room temperature without fiddling with the thermostat for the entire house.

 To carve sleeping space out of public areas, buy a folding screen or rolling bookcase, which will provide privacy for sleepers. Fold or roll it away in the morning.

Bathroom storage

Bring toilet paper, towels, and toiletries out of hiding, and place them on open shelves so guests can find them easily.

If you don't have enough wall space for shelves, place these items in open baskets around the bathroom.

Also, outfit each tub with a bath mat (to avoid falls) and each toilet with a plunger (to avoid embarrassment).

Article From HouseLogic.com | By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon | Published: 11/14/11

Tax Credits for Insulation

Congress extended an energy tax credit for adding insulation through 2013.

Whether it's summer heat or winter cold, insulation makes your house a lot more livable. If you add insulation before the end of the year, you'll be eligible to collect a $500 energy tax credit.

Tax credit limits and deadlines:

            •10% of expenditures, up to $500 for the year, for all energy improvements combined. It's a lifetime credit.

            •Insulation must have been installed by Dec. 31, 2013.

            •Save receipts and labels for Uncle Sam.

            •Be sure to file IRS Form 5695 with your return.

The Energy Star site is your safest bet for information on how to get the credit. Energy Star has been pretty flexible on what it allows for this credit:

            •Batts

            •Rolls

            •Blow-in fibers

            •Rigid boards

            •Expanding spray

            •Pour-in-place

Products that reduce air leaks also qualify:

            •Weather stripping (such as fabric, foam, or metal to provide a seal)

            •Spray foam in a can, designed to air seal

            •Caulk designed to air seal

            •House wrap

Installation isn't covered.

Don't rely solely on contractors who may not know the details or who promise their products will get the credit in order to make a sale.

Insulation costs

Adding insulation is a relatively affordable home improvement project, and the savings can be felt almost immediately. Some DIYers can even tackle the project themselves over a weekend.

Cost for adding attic insulation to a 2,200-square-foot home:

            •$1,000 to $2,500 including labor, depending on how much you put in and how easy it is to install.

            •Effort and expense go up when you add it to exterior walls or around hard-to-reach ductwork.

Insulation is measured in R-values

The higher the number value (measuring its resistance to heat flow), the better the insulating power.

Recommended R-values are 30 to 60 for most attics, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. R-38 (or about 12 to 15 inches, depending on the type) is the sweet spot for most attics, says Energy Star, a joint program of the DOE and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In colder climates, go for R-49. The DOE's online calculator (recommends R-values for all areas of your home's "envelope":

            •Attic

            •Walls

            •Floors

            •Basement

            •Crawl spaces

You need more insulation if your insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists.

Just about all types (fiberglass, cellulose, mineral wool, spray foam, foam board, cotton batting) qualify for the energy tax credit, as long as its primary purpose is to:

            •Insulate

            •Bring your home up to recommended R-value guidelines

Insulated siding doesn't count, because its main purpose is not insulation, but simply covering your house.

Generally, most homes built before 1980 have inadequate insulation. The easiest kind to add is blown loose-fill insulation. You'll probably need to hire a contractor. Since insulating an attic isn't too complicated, you can get quotes-at least three-by phone. However, get a copy of the quote in writing before work starts, and be sure it specifies R-value.

Michael Kwart, executive director of the Insulation Contractors Association of America, recommends rolled insulation for do-it-yourselfers. The new material can be added on top of the existing.

Savings and energy audits

Depending on where you live and how much insulation you already have, adding more can trim heating and cooling costs anywhere from 10% to 50%.

            •A home owner in the Northeast with an uninsulated attic, for instance, can save about $600 a year by adding about 15 inches of insulation (R-38) between the rafters, according to the Energy Department.

            •Just 6 inches can net annual savings of about $200.

Energy audits uncover even more ways to save energy

Besides adding new insulation, conduct a whole-house energy audit to find other ways to reduce power consumption and save even more on monthly bills.

Caulk around drafty windows and doors, and stop gaps in siding and the foundation, says Matt Golden, president and founder of San Francisco-based Sustainable Spaces. Reducing a home's air leakage by 25% can lower annual energy costs by about $300, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

This article provides general information about tax laws and consequences, but isn't intended to be relied upon as tax or legal advice applicable to particular transactions or circumstances. Consult a tax professional for such advice; tax laws may vary by jurisdiction.

Article From HouseLogic.com | By: Gil Rudawsky | Published: 01/09/13

Tips for the Home Buying Process

As the housing market continues to rise and interest rates remaining attractive, first-time homebuyers are looking to purchase. Buying a home can be an easy and enjoyable process if well prepared.

Buying a home should not be a frustrating process. To be prepared and confident in the process, a mortgage applicant should know, roughly, what their credit score is before applying for a home loan. The difference between good credit score and an unappealing one is the interest rate offered to an applicant. All home buyers and investors want the lowest interest rate possible; the best way to ensure a low monthly payment on a mortgage is to apply for a loan when your credit score is strong. To reach a good credit score the individual must prove that they paid, on time, a range of financial obligations. If the applicant has missed a few large or important payments in the past, such as a car payment or credit card minimum payment then a credit risk will present itself causing the lender to raise the interest rate.

Once the credit check process is completed the applicant should know their mortgage rate and amount they may borrow. From this point he or she can filter their property and judge how much to spend in relation to a comfortable monthly payment. A good rule of thumb is to find a home no more expensive than the homebuyer’s annual income times three. This way the homebuyer is not purchasing something that is not difficult to afford nor is there a great possibility of a large loss of equity in a market down cycle. With foreclosure rates declining, lenders are eager to hold the current market trend positive.

www.firsthomefirstloan.com | Stephen Katz | 11/5/13

Are You Prepared to Evacuate in an Emergency?

When stuff hits the fan and you need to flee your home, being organized is the best way to protect your home and family.

If there comes a time when you have to abandon your house, an emergency probably won't give you enough time to gather essentials and take steps to limit property damage. Getting all of your ducks in a row before disaster strikes is the best course of action.

How to Get Ready Now

Evacuations in the U.S. are more common than most people realize, according to FEMA. Natural disasters aside, people are forced to leave their homes hundreds of time a year because of transportation and industrial accidents.

Here's a list of things you can prepare now in case your home is ever in harm's way:

            •Have a grab-and-go kit. Include essential supplies, such as water, food, and first-aid supplies.

Related: What to Put In Your Emergency Preparedness Kit

            •Have copies of important papers. Keep these in a plastic, waterproof case. FYI, this stuff is priceless, because you may need to prove who you are and that you own your house. Include:
            •Your driver's license.
            •The deed to your house.
            •Proof of insurance.
            •Medical records.
            •Passports.
            •Social security cards.
            •A list of personal contacts.

            •Safeguard pets. Make sure they're micro-chipped and have I.D. collars. Create pet grab-and-go kits that include leashes, medications, meal bowls, and three days worth of food and water.

            •Prep your yard. Maintain your trees and shrubs so diseased or weakened branches won't fall down and damage your property.

            •Know your utility shutoffs. Learn now how to safely shut off all utility services in your home. FEMA has tips for shutting off electricity, water, and gas (http://www.ready.gov/utility-shut-safety). Note: To turn off gas you may need a special wrench.

            •Stockpile sandbag materials. If you live in a flood prone (http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/disaster-insurance/protect-yourself-and-your-home-flooding/) area, keep sandbags on hand or the materials to make them. It takes 100 sandbags to create a 1-foot-tall wall that's 20 feet long. If you're filling bags on the fly, two adults can create the wall in about an hour.

            •Protect windows If you live in an area susceptible to hurricanes, install shutters that are rated to provide protection from windblown debris.

When It's Time to Evacuate

Before you pick up and go (and if you have enough time) follow these steps -- they're designed to protect your pets and help prevent property damage:

            •Clear your yard. Remove any objects hanging on trees or your home's exterior, such as birdhouses and wind chimes -- they can break off in high winds and cause serious damage. Bring inside anything that's not nailed down including lawn furniture, trashcans, toys, and garden equipment.

            •Shut off utilities. Turn off electricity, water, and gas. Doing so will help prevent additional dangers including flooding, fire, and explosions. Keep in mind, you're going to need the utility company to turn your gas back on when you return home.

            •Windproof windows and doors. If you don't have storm-proof shutters, fit plywood coverings over all windows. (FYI, using just tape on windows is not recommended because it will not stop windows from breaking, just shattering.)

            •Protect indoor stuff. Move valuables to higher levels in your home to prevent water damage. As an extra measure, wrap electronics and furniture in sheets, blankets, or plastic drop cloths.

            •Gather up pets. If it's not safe for you to stay, it's not safe for Fido. Make plans to stay with friends or at a pet-friendly hotel -- most emergency shelters will only accept service animals that assist people with disabilities.

            •Lock your house. Because crooks and looters take advantage of evacuations, lock all doors and windows and don't leave house keys in an obvious place, such as a mailbox.

Important Stuff to Remember

Whether the order is voluntary or mandatory, if officials in your area tell you to evacuate, you should do so before things get worse. Although laws vary from area to area, you may receive a hefty fine or face a jail sentence if you don't follow a mandatory evacuation order.

Failure to follow an evacuation order can place your life in danger by leaving you stranded in an area with no basic services or food and water.

When you return home after an emergency, don't use matches, lighters, or any sources of flame or spark until you're 100% certain that you don't have a natural gas leak inside your home -- you'll need a gas company service technician to confirm that it's safe.

Stay Informed with Emergency Alerts

Smartphone technology has made it easier to receive disaster alerts free of charge. You'll automatically receive alerts if you have a phone capable of receiving Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and your wireless carrier participates in the program. To find out if your mobile device is capable of receiving WEA alerts, contact your mobile device carrier or visit CTIA - The Wireless Association.

Related: Preparing Your Home for a Natural Disaster

Article From HouseLogic.com | By: Deirdre Sullivan |Published: 10/11/13