BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -Police say a California doctor apparently tried to get into the home of the man she had been dating by sliding down the chimney. Her decomposing body was found there days later.
Police Sgt. Mary DeGeare says investigators do not suspect foul play in the death of Dr. Jacquelyn Kotarac.
Authorities say the 49-year-old apparently climbed on the roof Wednesday night, removed the chimney cap and slid feet first down the flue after unsuccessfully trying to get into the house other ways.
DeGeare says the man whom Kotarac was pursuing had left the home unnoticed to avoid a confrontation.
The body went undiscovered for several days until someone noticed odors coming from the fireplace.
Firefighters dismantled the chimney Saturday to remove the body.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Radon issues
Surgeon General Health Advisory
“Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country. It’s important to know that this threat is completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques.”
January 2005
I have issues with the testing for Radon in homes here in Napa. The test is designed to be done with windows and doors closed over a 2 day period so the tester has time to collect a sample. Great if you plan to leave town for the weekend but not realistic overall. A 2 day test will tell you little in an environment where we deal with seismic occurances from time to time.
Radon is radioactive gas given off by soils and rock below your home. Yes it's there and it always has been, we survived somehow but it is estimated over 20000 deaths in america are due to Radon gas poisoning, scarry if you put it that way.
you could do a long term, 90 day test, only to have issues come up after the next little jolt.
Proper ventilation is the only real solution, one more reason to ensure your home is properly ventilated. Crawl spaces and attics can be power vented with solar with little or no cost to you over a 3 to 5 year term. The upfront costs can be offset my some incentives and tax breaks but we are talking a small entry level system that will cost about $2000.00 plus installation.
If you have a crawl space that's where most of your indoor air is coming from, if it's wet you are exposing your family to mold and other potentially hazardous contaminants. Proper ventilation is the bigest issue I see here in the bay area. My little solar solution is looking for homes to run a test market on so give me a call and we can talk. 707-260-5524
“Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country. It’s important to know that this threat is completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques.”
January 2005
I have issues with the testing for Radon in homes here in Napa. The test is designed to be done with windows and doors closed over a 2 day period so the tester has time to collect a sample. Great if you plan to leave town for the weekend but not realistic overall. A 2 day test will tell you little in an environment where we deal with seismic occurances from time to time.
Radon is radioactive gas given off by soils and rock below your home. Yes it's there and it always has been, we survived somehow but it is estimated over 20000 deaths in america are due to Radon gas poisoning, scarry if you put it that way.
you could do a long term, 90 day test, only to have issues come up after the next little jolt.
Proper ventilation is the only real solution, one more reason to ensure your home is properly ventilated. Crawl spaces and attics can be power vented with solar with little or no cost to you over a 3 to 5 year term. The upfront costs can be offset my some incentives and tax breaks but we are talking a small entry level system that will cost about $2000.00 plus installation.
If you have a crawl space that's where most of your indoor air is coming from, if it's wet you are exposing your family to mold and other potentially hazardous contaminants. Proper ventilation is the bigest issue I see here in the bay area. My little solar solution is looking for homes to run a test market on so give me a call and we can talk. 707-260-5524
Monday, August 9, 2010
July was a good month.
Regardless what you may hear about the current real estate market, you can see the enclosed statistics show that Napa Real Estate market is very strong.
Napa Valley Statistics July 2010 (reported by Bareis MLS):
114 properties reported sold amount to $64,770,000.
$568,157.00 Avg price
Of above sales we have 70 regular sales, 21 short sales and 23 REOs (Bank Owned.)
Over 60% were regular sales not the banks junk.
If you like to know more and detailed information about the local real estate market, new trends and real estate maintenance issues, I am here to help!
Napa Valley Statistics July 2010 (reported by Bareis MLS):
114 properties reported sold amount to $64,770,000.
$568,157.00 Avg price
Of above sales we have 70 regular sales, 21 short sales and 23 REOs (Bank Owned.)
Over 60% were regular sales not the banks junk.
If you like to know more and detailed information about the local real estate market, new trends and real estate maintenance issues, I am here to help!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Drain your water tank annually.
http://www.homewarrantyreviews.com/home-maintenance-basics-video
Water tanks are something we rarely think about until you wake up to a cold shower. Here is a tip to extend the life of your water heater substantially.
First consider the temperature setting, mine sits at about 120 degrees but I don't have 3 girls in the house either, the dishwasher heats water to the temp required to sterilize dishes so what you need is enough hot water to shower, wash and clean generally. With 50 gallons of hot water (the label on your tank will tell you how much) you likely don't need to have it near scalding at 150 degrees. Every degree you move it up the more heat and energy is lost all day while it sits there waiting for you to draw it down. Why bother to have it so hot you need to mix a lot of cold in? Insulating pipes is a good idea but a challenge to get it done right. Copper pipes in a crawl space or slab are going to be cold. Heating them to 120 is better than 150 since they will cool off shortly anyway.
The second step here is to drain your tank annually to clear all the sediment buildup that will ultimately kill the tank and cost you $1000.00 or more. I see tanks 20 years old working well and I've seen 5 year old tanks being changed out due to lack of care or regular maintenance (turn it down when you go out of town or if the gas is off) The link provided will give you a series of steps to take when you want to drain that tank. Allow lots of time to let it drain all the way so turn it down, go and shower or use up the water and then drain what warm water remains on a saturday morning. Turn the water off that enters the tank after you have used what you need or there will be no pressure. Water tanks today are stainless steel inside and most of our pipes are copper now so rust isn't the big issue, what you need to clear is all the chemical residue or particulates in the water that build up over time. Flushing isn't requires just drain and refill once a year to maintain the water quality hot or cold.
One last note, in an earthquake you have 50 gallons of water waiting for you in this system, attach a hose or fill a jug but use it wisely you may need it for a week. Placing garbage bags in the toilet to be thrown away uses less water but the toilet will flush if you fill the tank at the back.
If you don't have an earthquake preparedness kit in place you need to work on it, I will pull a list together next week and post it here.
Water tanks are something we rarely think about until you wake up to a cold shower. Here is a tip to extend the life of your water heater substantially.
First consider the temperature setting, mine sits at about 120 degrees but I don't have 3 girls in the house either, the dishwasher heats water to the temp required to sterilize dishes so what you need is enough hot water to shower, wash and clean generally. With 50 gallons of hot water (the label on your tank will tell you how much) you likely don't need to have it near scalding at 150 degrees. Every degree you move it up the more heat and energy is lost all day while it sits there waiting for you to draw it down. Why bother to have it so hot you need to mix a lot of cold in? Insulating pipes is a good idea but a challenge to get it done right. Copper pipes in a crawl space or slab are going to be cold. Heating them to 120 is better than 150 since they will cool off shortly anyway.
The second step here is to drain your tank annually to clear all the sediment buildup that will ultimately kill the tank and cost you $1000.00 or more. I see tanks 20 years old working well and I've seen 5 year old tanks being changed out due to lack of care or regular maintenance (turn it down when you go out of town or if the gas is off) The link provided will give you a series of steps to take when you want to drain that tank. Allow lots of time to let it drain all the way so turn it down, go and shower or use up the water and then drain what warm water remains on a saturday morning. Turn the water off that enters the tank after you have used what you need or there will be no pressure. Water tanks today are stainless steel inside and most of our pipes are copper now so rust isn't the big issue, what you need to clear is all the chemical residue or particulates in the water that build up over time. Flushing isn't requires just drain and refill once a year to maintain the water quality hot or cold.
One last note, in an earthquake you have 50 gallons of water waiting for you in this system, attach a hose or fill a jug but use it wisely you may need it for a week. Placing garbage bags in the toilet to be thrown away uses less water but the toilet will flush if you fill the tank at the back.
If you don't have an earthquake preparedness kit in place you need to work on it, I will pull a list together next week and post it here.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
When to Hire a Contractor
When to Hire a Contractor vs. Do It Yourself Work
Author: Jessi Moyle
It’s easy to look at a remodel or repair job and convince yourself you can handle it. Surely it can’t be that difficult to fix that leaky pipe….surely! Of course, it’s easy to look at some jobs and know there’s just no way you can tackle the project. Sure…go ahead and knock that wall out…but make certain it’s not a bearing wall. A what?
You’d find out soon enough what a bearing wall is when you remove it, because what it’s probably bearing is some of the roof truss load. Knock that wall out and you’re in for a big surprise…a big unpleasant surprise when you compromise the structural integrity of the house.
Deciding when to hire a contractor versus doing the job yourself is often clear, but not always. Jobs that require regulatory inspections, such as electrical and framing, usually must be completed by a licensed contractor. Large complex jobs such as adding a room are best left to the professionals.
But you can’t really say that all small jobs are ideal for the do it yourself homeowner. If you don’t know how to hang wallpaper, then odds are you’re going to make a mess out of the job. Instead of a beautiful new room, you get lumpy unattractive walls that make you think you’re seeing things where the designs don’t match along the seams. There’s nothing more aggravating than buying materials and spending time on a job only to have to redo the whole job over again. It’s expensive and time consuming.
In addition, you need to admit to yourself when you don’t have the right skills. If you you’ve never built kitchen cabinets or replaced a roof, the time to learn is not on your house. Building materials are expensive today and you don’t want to waste money. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of a do it yourself job, doesn’t it?
Other factors to keep in mind include the following.
• Do you have the right tools for the job?
• Can you safely do the job?
• Do you know all building regulation and permit requirements?
• Can you maintain a high quality?
• Do you have the knowledge needed to do the job?
• Do you know what materials are required?
• Do you have the time to complete the job? 1
These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to repair that foundation crack or replace soffit. When you’re wife wants the bathroom remodeled, you might ask yourself if you are really up to tearing out the bathtub and or installing a new shower enclosure. You can’t do without the use of a bathroom for very long, so it’s wise to admit when you’re not sure you can handle the project.
I know….it may be hard to admit you don’t know everything. But do you want a nice remodel job, or the nightmare and expense of redoing a poorly done job? If your ego is wounded, just tell everyone you’re just too important at work to spend time remodeling. They may not believe it, but it’ll make you feel good anyway.
Sources:
(1) http://www.nari.org/homeowners/tips/doityourself.asp
Maintenance
Author: Jessi Moyle
It’s easy to look at a remodel or repair job and convince yourself you can handle it. Surely it can’t be that difficult to fix that leaky pipe….surely! Of course, it’s easy to look at some jobs and know there’s just no way you can tackle the project. Sure…go ahead and knock that wall out…but make certain it’s not a bearing wall. A what?
You’d find out soon enough what a bearing wall is when you remove it, because what it’s probably bearing is some of the roof truss load. Knock that wall out and you’re in for a big surprise…a big unpleasant surprise when you compromise the structural integrity of the house.
Deciding when to hire a contractor versus doing the job yourself is often clear, but not always. Jobs that require regulatory inspections, such as electrical and framing, usually must be completed by a licensed contractor. Large complex jobs such as adding a room are best left to the professionals.
But you can’t really say that all small jobs are ideal for the do it yourself homeowner. If you don’t know how to hang wallpaper, then odds are you’re going to make a mess out of the job. Instead of a beautiful new room, you get lumpy unattractive walls that make you think you’re seeing things where the designs don’t match along the seams. There’s nothing more aggravating than buying materials and spending time on a job only to have to redo the whole job over again. It’s expensive and time consuming.
In addition, you need to admit to yourself when you don’t have the right skills. If you you’ve never built kitchen cabinets or replaced a roof, the time to learn is not on your house. Building materials are expensive today and you don’t want to waste money. That kind of defeats the whole purpose of a do it yourself job, doesn’t it?
Other factors to keep in mind include the following.
• Do you have the right tools for the job?
• Can you safely do the job?
• Do you know all building regulation and permit requirements?
• Can you maintain a high quality?
• Do you have the knowledge needed to do the job?
• Do you know what materials are required?
• Do you have the time to complete the job? 1
These are just a few of the questions you need to ask yourself before you decide to repair that foundation crack or replace soffit. When you’re wife wants the bathroom remodeled, you might ask yourself if you are really up to tearing out the bathtub and or installing a new shower enclosure. You can’t do without the use of a bathroom for very long, so it’s wise to admit when you’re not sure you can handle the project.
I know….it may be hard to admit you don’t know everything. But do you want a nice remodel job, or the nightmare and expense of redoing a poorly done job? If your ego is wounded, just tell everyone you’re just too important at work to spend time remodeling. They may not believe it, but it’ll make you feel good anyway.
Sources:
(1) http://www.nari.org/homeowners/tips/doityourself.asp
Maintenance
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Trades and construction support
As a home inspector I do my best to remain impartial with all the reports I do.
The national code of ethics for home inspectors dictates a few practical standards for our industry to live by
Knowing what needs to be done is half the battle and perhaps here is the other half.
I am constantly in contact with qualified trades people who have the proper skills to get things done right the first time. Many of these companies are eager for work and more than willing to bid work that needs to be done in the near future, which is the case with the work on my report.
I will, over the next few weeks be adding contact information to my website for some of the people I know who are capable of doing a quality job at a fair price. Since I do not recommend any one contractor for any one job I am living up to my desire to remain impartial in my inspections.
Remember: I work for you, I will provide you with the information to make an inteligent desion on but you still need to pull the trigger.
Good luck and happy hunting.
The national code of ethics for home inspectors dictates a few practical standards for our industry to live by
- I will not do any work on a home I have inspected for one year from the date of the inspection.
- I will abide by the Nationally accepted standards of practice that are designed to protect the public
- I will work exclusively for the customer, (not the bank the seller or the realtor)
Knowing what needs to be done is half the battle and perhaps here is the other half.
I am constantly in contact with qualified trades people who have the proper skills to get things done right the first time. Many of these companies are eager for work and more than willing to bid work that needs to be done in the near future, which is the case with the work on my report.
I will, over the next few weeks be adding contact information to my website for some of the people I know who are capable of doing a quality job at a fair price. Since I do not recommend any one contractor for any one job I am living up to my desire to remain impartial in my inspections.
Remember: I work for you, I will provide you with the information to make an inteligent desion on but you still need to pull the trigger.
Good luck and happy hunting.
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