New York Renovator

Many old homes are loaded with toxic stuff, mine included. My area of New York State has one of the highest levels of homes with lead-based paint in the state. A lot of these homes were built in the 1800s, before people knew (and even after some manufacturers knew) about the dangers of toxic products for the home. Everyone hears about lead paint these days, and the dangers of it, but who hears about the dangers of asbestos? I hardly ever hear about it, and I know that a LOT of old homes have it. Mine does– it was used to wrap furnace ducts and hot water pipes, and is even on the exterior siding (lots of homes around here have asbestos-cement siding– a salesman made the rounds in the 60s and managed to wheedle a lot of homeowners to get it. :-p). Don’t fool with asbestos! It must be removed very carefully. You don’t want the fibers to become airborne, and you do not want to breathe them in.

Asbestos has been known to cause asbestosis and mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer. It was big news here in Central New York when a construction company had its workers remove tons of asbestos-laden materials without proper safety procedures and protection. It’s becoming all too common, so much so that there are now Mesothelioma Lawyers who specialize in this kind of action. (Ever see A Civil Action? Kind of like that). Mesothelioma is most common among people who work in the shipbuilding and construction industry, and in auto mechanics (brake pads are still lined with asbestos). The really maddening thing about this is that for DECADES industries have known about the dangers of asbestos and still some have done little or nothing to protect people. GRRRRRRR!!!

Asbestos is fireproof, which is why it became so popular. But when the material is broken into small fibers and allowed to become airborne, it can get into the lungs and “stick” to the inner lining, causing health problems. It is less of a threat to everyday homeowners, but you don’t want to be an idiot and spew the stuff all over the place! Read up on how to deal with asbestos and other toxins in your home before you start any demolition. In most cases, you can remove small quantities yourself with a strong plastic bag, a spray bottle to capture any loose fibers, and a HEPA mask. Know the dangers! And if you or someone you know has worked in the construction industry or shipbuilding industry, make them aware of the health effects, and get checked. And put the pressure on industries to stop poisoning our homes and communities!!

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There have been a rash of robberies in my area lately. I remember, years ago, when we could easily leave our doors unlocked while we went out. Not so anymore. As a matter of fact, I admit that I sometimes don’t sleep very well because I’m concerned of a break-in. There’s just SO much night time activity around here these days and it seems to have worsened along with the economy; it’s unnerving.

I always thought security systems were something for “the rich people’s homes.” I always saw that blue octagonal “ADT” decals on doors of houses I visited. I have recently checked into the ADT home security system, and I must say: I am impressed. It’s very affordable! I don’t see how any home can be without it.

There are many various options and plans you can choose from with the ADT security system. You can mix and match an alarm system with video surveillance, 24-hour burglary monitoring, or get their new TouchPad system (it disarms the alarm with a wave of a special remote keychain device). Installation cost is as low as $99 (there’s a special going on right now, see here) and monthly monitoring costs are right around $35– that’s the cost of a pizza dinner for 6, people. I had no idea ADT was so affordable! And now I know why so many New York State homes have ADT– there’s a monitoring station here in the state, and ADT is the largest and most reliable security system in the country. ADT can monitor for burglary, fire, flooding (oh THAT would be wonderful for my property!), medical emergencies and more. The ADT Safewatch QuickConnect plan has gotten good reviews, too.

I’m looking into the ADT security system for my home. I recommend you do so, too. ADT offers a free home security evaluation- see here. You can fill in the form and an ADT representative will contact you for an appointment. If nothing else, check the website for home security tips and information about how to make your property more secure. Don’t leave things to chance!

I’ve been pondering if we Westerners put too much time, effort, and money into our homes and yards. I have been reading the latest This Old House magazine, and this month’s stories are celebrating the hundreds of thousands of dollars average homeowners have been dumping into their homes. Don’t get me wrong– the houses are beautiful. But it cost these folks a ton of money to do it all. A few of the showcased homes are in Wisconsin and Indiana. And you know what? Some of those houses are probably underwater now, after the torrential rainfall and flooding that has afflicted that part of the country. And you know what else? If these homeowners didn’t have flood insurance (and many who don’t live in flood plains don’t), then these homeowners lost everything. EVERYTHING. And to top it all off, they are probably in debt to  the hundreds of thousands. Yikes.

The American Indian tribes built temporary homes. The Indians realized how fickle and uncontrollable North American weather patterns can be. Even the Iroquois of New York and Canada, whose homes were of solid tree-limb framing and sided with tree bark, could strip everything down and move quickly. They actually did move very frequently, every twenty years or so.

Now please don’t take this wrong– I’m not saying we should return to bark-sided houses and cook mice over open campfires! And I like my CAT6 Internet wiring just as much as anyone! But there comes a point when we no longer own our home, but our home owns us. This is true for many other things, these fleeting material things in this world.

I’ve blogged about the Amish before, written how I admire their simple ways. The reason they avoid most “technology” is because they realize that these things complicate our lives and threaten the family and community units. I think they have been correct about this. And yet the Amish are usually the first ones to show up after we “Gentiles” experience a natural disaster. The Amish came out in droves to help New Yorkers whose homes had been ravaged by floods in 2006. The Amish may have rejected modern ways, but they have not abandoned the timeless rule of loving one’s neighbor as oneself.

I am not Amish, but I share a good deal of their values and admire their way of life. Some of you might even consider us as somewhat Amish- we still have no electricity for half the house, the heating system is defunct for the upstairs, and we have no television, dishwasher, or Wii! The difference is that I would love to have electricity and a dishwasher (I’ll skip the tv and Wii, thanks). But stepping back is good. I don’t ever want this house to own ME. I’d like to fix it up, make it work, and be comfortable, but Lord please keep this thing from becoming an idol in my heart. In a fleeting moment, it’ll all be gone.

flooding photo from AssociatedPress.

I’ve said it numerous times before and I’m still saying it– the economy in the United States as well as the rest of the industrialized world is undergoing a radical change. Our lifestyles of excessive waste and consumerism are rapidly going by the wayside. I think we are going to see a need for more frugal living.

For many years, I’ve watched the demographics of American communities change. Remember in the 1950s, there was this trend of expansion? This was the time of the automobile, the shopping malls, the suburban development, the “plastic” age. Our society was built on the production and consumption of affordable petroleum. It was a big artificial bubble built on a shaky kind of prosperity (foreign oil and foreign goodwill). Things have changed. Now that world governments are ruining the economies and the food supply, I think we will have to change our way of life to adapt.

For example, my nearest grocery store is two towns away. That’s over 3 miles, and I am one of the closer ones! Some people have to drive 30 miles– THIRTY MILES– to get groceries. I’ve heard of some people getting scooters or mules or horses for transportation, but here in the Northeast, it is impossible to go that far to get groceries without a vehicle and gasoline. What happens when owning a vehicle and buying gasoline is no longer affordable (and I believe this will happen)?

Our modern society has been built on the automobile. There once was a small mom-and-pop grocery store down the street, but they closed about ten years ago because they couldn’t compete with WalMart, (just 10 miles, but a whopping 25 minutes away). And my town has “sections” of development that were concocted in the 1960s– a section for shopping (and the traffic is crazy there!), a section for housing, a section for government offices, etc. American state and town governments have basically eliminated the community. Anyone remember when we used to have communities– you know, the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, lol. You knew who your grocer was, your postman, your doctor, etc, and everyone was close by. You didn’t have to drive 20 miles to buy clothes or 15 miles to see the family doctor. Today everything is so far removed, and cold and antiseptic. I think we are going to see a huge change because this kind of lifestyle is no longer sustainable. I hate to admit it as much as anyone, but I really don’t think gasoline prices, energy prices, and taxes are going to go down.

What irks me is the mindset of so many “greenies.” It’s so very popular to live “green,” to do things the “green” way… but what good is it to recycle your plastics and still drive an SUV? You are canceling out any benefits you might offer. Going “green” is a lifestyle; it’s not a good deed you do once in a while to make yourself feel good or earn a gold star in school. And it’s not a laborless lifestyle, either; going green is HARD WORK.

Maybe I’m ranting a little… but I see an earth-shaking change coming and if we want to make it through, we need to realize that we need to change ourselves. We are going to have to build local communities again, just to be able to meet our basic needs. I think the time of excessive, individualistic living is over.

More “Words to Wise” will be added as I acquire more wisdom…

1. In older homes, 2 x 4 studs are sometimes turned sideways (the 4″ side faces you instead of the normal 2″ side). This makes wiring difficult, because the electrical boxes won’t fit in such a small depth. It also makes drilling holes through studs for the cables impossible. Consider building out the studs by adding another layer of new ones on top of the old, to add width for the boxes. When you have drilled holes through the studs for the cables, you’ll need to use metal nail plates to protect the wires. I couldn’t find any nail plates wide enough to fully go across studs turned sideways. So instead, I nailed junction box covers to the studs. These are wide enough to fit across the 4″ sides of the studs.
2. When wiring in new electrical wires, use Number 12 (12 AWG) wire for everything. It has been typical to use No. 14 for lighting and No. 12 for outlet receptacles, but more and more local codes are requiring minimum No. 12 for the entire electrical system. Besides, electronics are only getting beefier, and future devices may need No. 12. No. 12 costs a few bucks more than No. 14, but it is worth it in the long run. If you do decide on No. 14, though, never use for anything except lighting runs.
3. It is sooo true to do as much as you can when you have the walls open. I always balked at this recommendation in the home improvement books, but have come realize that it is true. So, despite your tiny budget, do everything you possibly can while the walls are open! Don’t think you can “do it later”! It will be more expensive and a lot more frustrating then.
4. If you are motivated (and short on funds), remember that a lot of home improvement repair is basic and simple. You truly can “do it yourself” easily enough. However, be willing to spend some evenings studying about the systems that you will be doing yourself. For example, learn about the basics of air flow and furnace BTUs before you start chopping through floors and throwing in heater ducts. The local library and the Internet are filled with helpful resources, all for free.
5. Recycle water when you can. We have a sump pump that runs day and night, year ’round, and empties into a catch basin nearby. During summer’s dry season, we remove the sump pipes from our catch basin and divert the water to irrigate our thirsty gardens. (My husband added an extra plastic pipe to the end of the line and drilled small holes into it). Other folks collect roof runoff water in rain barrels. The rain barrels have a spigot at the bottom that can attach to a hose. This water can be used to water plants or clean off dirty tools.
6. Think “natural.” If you have a garden, compost all your organic waste. I use two large plastic containers with lids to store waste. I drilled holes all over the containers for airlow and to allow water (keep your compost pile moist). Also, when you are digging around the yard and discover worms, add them to your compost pile. Worms love organic waste and will speed up the composting process.
7. Recycle materials as much as you can. For example, we removed some old, decrepit wire fencing and old chicken wire from around the property. Rather than place it in the dump, we are going to use it as underlayment for the concrete walkways we plan to build around the yard. This way, we can buy the less expensive “regular” sidewalk concrete instead of the pricey fiber-reinforced sidewalk concrete.
8. Never use “Drain-O” or other drain-declogging chemicals in old plumbing. Unless, of course, you love replacing old plumbing. Use a toilet plunger to loosen hair and debris, instead. Then clean your fixture with bleach.
9. Never install a high-efficiency furnace or water heater into an old chimney flue. Either install a liner (all the way down from top to bottom) or buy direct-vent appliances.
10. It is best, even when you are cash-strapped, to completely demolish a rotting old porch and start from scratch rather than rebuild around it. Otherwise, even your best efforts at repair will sag miserably with the rest of the porch over time.
11. Try to place the debris dumpster as close to a window as possible. That way, you can hang a board from the window to the dumpster, and dump your buckets of plaster “down the chute.” This is much better than the back-breaking work of hauling heavy buckets of debris through the house to the dumpster.
12. Before you undertake remodeling anything in your home, do some research. Determine if your home is balloon-frame, stick-frame, or post-and-beam, for example. Don’t just start tearing your house apart and sawing through joists and studs; you may wind up sacrificing the structural integrity of your home.
13. When at all possible, go clean and natural with home-building products. For example, think of how short-sighted our home-building forefathers were when they got the bright idea to use asbestos, lead, and fiberglass in and around everything. Idiots.
14. Rodents are enemies. Rodents are not cute. Squirrels nest in the attic joists, and hoard their winter forage. Mice and shrews are attracted to this forage (as well as just about everything else). Chipmunks nibble away at the limestone mortar between your foundation stones. Because old houses have so many holes, leaks, and open spaces, rodents easily make your home their home. Rodents also are hosts of parasites like fleas, ticks, and lice. Get rid of rodents at the first sign of them.