I recently solved a small problem for a restaurant I was visiting. I entered their restroom only to be assaulted with the smell of the sewer. The reason for the smell was simple. The water in the trap for the floor drain had evaporated and was allowing the sewer gasses in. Just like the trap under your kitchen or bath sink the floor drain has a trap too. If the floor is not cleaned by flooding it regularly, then it should at least have a cup or two of water poured down it to maintain the trap integrity. Once a week should do it.

A common scam

I have seen many examples of this common scam. When having a new concrete block wall built it is particularly important to be watching when the wall is built. You will see the mason put metal bars (rebar) criss-crossing throughout the structure of the wall as it is built. When the wall is finished to the desired highth, concrete should be poured into the holes in the blocks to form a completely solid structure. This is often not the case. When I say often, I mean, more often than not if you are not there to watch them. The devious mason will fill the holes with newspaper and pour the concrete just into the top of the holes to give the appearance of a filled and solid wall. If you are having a wall built and cannot be there, before you pay the mason, take a hammer and tap lightly on the side of the wall. If the wall sounds hollow, it is. Then take the hammer and tell the mason he won't be getting paid. When he threatens you, use the hammer to smash the teeth out of his lying mouth.

Please see my new video series about painting my friends house.Scaffold and paint.https://youtu.be/yiawFX_4XGo

I recently heard the old complaint of the barking dog. Is this really still too complicated to solve? Here's the solution - Cheerios. Buy a box of Cheerios. Throw a handful of Cheerios over the fence. Was that too fast? I'll say it more slowly. Throw    a   handful   of   Cheerios   over   the   fence.

The bark is a warning bark. The dog does not know the intent of, the sound it hears or the sight of the stranger it sees. It is simply warning you off. If you feed the dog it will stop barking. The dog will not warn off food.

Stop shouting at the neighbor, Stop threatening a law suit. Stop demanding obedience school. Damn, try to be smarter than the dog. If you are the dog owner, you buy the Cheerios.

You might even put them in a fruit roll-up. I don't know, get creative.

Safety and liability concerns.

     A quick glance around, with an eye toward keeping your home safe, should be an on going concern. Ignoring such things as, trip and fall hazards and/or potential structural failure, can cause serious injuries. I seem to be pointing out the obvious, yet tripping and structural failures injure or kill thousands every year.

     Some common hazards are:  Loose or torn carpet; concrete that has lifted and/or cracked, creating an uneven surface; loose bricks; muddy surfaces; loose gutters; objects left on stairs or walkways; protruding land scrape borders; loose handrails; overhanging objects; deterioration of structural members; etc.

     A new home is no guarantee of a safe environment either. Often best practices are ignored and are some times missed by inspectors who might be stretched to too many job sites in one day. I couldn't count the number of times I have heard the phrase, "That's good enough", on a job.

     In particular, too many preventable deaths occur from weight limits being exceeded on balconies or decks. These structures are never meant to support a large crush of party-goers. Balconies can separate from the wall do to poor attachment points and decks can twist do to poor bracing. In addition water damage leading to dry rot or termite infestation can further weaken the structure.

     Take to heart any stories or warnings you receive. These warnings can come from multiple sources, such as, friends or family, neighbors, news outlets, or even, perhaps, from my humble blog.

Terry Pold

We should start with the most important thing to know for any Homeowner. You need to identify the service shutoffs for your home and familiarize yourself with their functions.

 The water shutoff for newer homes is usually at the front door, or in, or near the garage. Of course with older homes it might be anywhere. Most of the time it will be a one inch copper pipe with a valve below and a hose spigot above. More often than not, the valve is a "gate valve". It will have a round handle that is turned multiple times. The turning drives a plug (called the gate) down into a seat and that prevents the water from flowing. If you are lucky the valve will be a ball valve. The ball valve is activated by a short handle. The handle in the position in-line with the pipe means that the water is flowing. The handle turned across the direction of the pipe means that the water has been successfully shut off. If you do have a "gate valve" you should consider changing it to a ball valve, as "gate valves" are notorious for failing just when you need them most. For most needs, it is best to have a hose attached to the spigot and when the water is shut off the house pressure can be relieved by, having the end of the hose where it is safe to discharge the water, and opening the spigot.

The gas shutoff is at the gas meter. It will require a wrench to turn the gas valve. There is a rectangular projection that is turned by a crescent wrench (adjustable spanner), an open end wrench or a wrench special made for this purpose. The special wrench might be made out of steel, aluminum, or fiberglass. The fiber glass type can be left near the valve on a string or wire and will probably not be stolen by metal thieves. After turning off the gas (similar to the ball valve for water) you can vent  excess gas pressure to the outside by removing the plug just above the valve. The plug is on the outbound branch of the "TEE" fitting that connects the valve to the gas meter.

The electrical box (some times called the fuse box, although fuses haven't been used for many years) is usually located outside your home. This is where you would turn off a circuit to do work inside on that circuit, or to stop an electrical fault from becoming a bigger problem. It is also necessary to understand how to turn on a circuit. This can be confusing. Follow these steps.

1. Identify the circuit that has "tripped". This can be tricky. You will need to find the breaker whose handle is out of position compare with the other breakers. This might be subtle or you might even have to push lightly on the handles to find the loose one.
2. Once identified the handle must be moved to the fully off position. Don't be confused by the terminology "off" and "on." The words mean different things when referring to power flow and handle position. For power flow, it is best to say "energized" or "de-energized." When speaking of the breaker handle there are three positions. These are:  OFF; ON; and TRIPPED. In the ON position the circuit is energized, but in the OFF and TRIPPED positions the circuit is de-energized. Pushing the handle to the fully off position will reset the internal mechanism and prepare the breaker to be returned to the ON position. The handle can now be returned to the fully ON position.
3. If the breaker becomes re-TRIPPED immediately, stop there and call an electrician.

I hope this has been helpful.

Terry Pold