NEWS

So you want to paint your home. What Paint Should I Choose? What are the characteristics of paint?

Let's look at the basics first – the type of paint is determined by its thinner or binder.

Water-based or latex paints are thinned with synthetic latex, acrylic or polyvinyl acetate. The high acrylic content gives paint a tough skin. These paints clean up easily using soap and water.

Oil-based or alkyd paints are made with polyester resins or alkyds that give a durable coat that can produce a high gloss finish. They require mineral spirits for clean up and are a less healthy choice than latex paints.

Look for paints that are labeled: solvent and volatile organic compound (VOC) free, Low VOC, No VOC. People with respiratory problems, allergies, asthma or young children, and pregnant women should avoid exposure to paints with VOCs. Reactions vary between individuals. Learn about your different paint options for your home.

What Causes Basement Flooding? How do you Avoid Basement Flooding?

Spring and summer in this part of the world bring showers and sudden cloudbursts that can drop large amounts of rain in a short time. As a result, we hear about basement flooding and we are called in to diagnose the problem and provide advice on how to avoid the hazards, expense and inconveniences of wet basement. Learn about what causes basement flooding and how you can avoid the woes of a wet basement.

What To Do To Get Cleaner Air

Many homeowners don’t know how to improve their indoor air quality. While they may have no control over pollutants that come from outside, (especially if they live downwind from an industrial area), they can remove or at least minimize the pollution once it has found its way into their home. The three possible methods for dealing with poor IAQ are: disposal, ventilation, and effective filtering or air cleaning.

At the very least, you should protect your IAQ by keeping your home well ventilated and by maintaining your home’s comfort system in order to ensure that it operated effectively and efficiently.

Consider changing or upgrading air filters, pads and screens from air conditioning units, heaters or furnaces, vacuum cleaners, humidifiers, etc. When replacing filters, look for a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filer rating. Bear in mind that most air conditioning or furnace filters will remove particles, but will not “clean” the air. To so do requires activated charcoal or alumina filters, often operated under a separate air quality system.

If you have air ducts, you may choose to have them cleaned, although that may not be an effective measure of improving air quality. (If you decide to proceed, be sure to choose a reputable firm that does not use chemicals.)

Other measures that help improve IAQ include getting rid of carpeting, and replacing bedding and upholstery coverings with hypoallergenic fabrics.

Breathing Easier

If you have implemented the basic suggestions on how to improve IAQ, but still have concerns about IAQ, it may be advisable to have your air tested to identify troublesome pollutants. An IAQ professional can detect many threatening airborne pollutants. But, before you hire an IAQ investigator, ask for references, get advice from various health groups or municipal departments about local air contaminants, and sign a contract that specifies your concerns and how they will be addressed.

Smoke Alarm Basics

You need a smoke alarm on every level of your home. Single level home and apartments should have smoke alarms near the kitchen and all sleeping areas.

Test you alarm monthly by pushing the test button. Once a year, use a smouldering cotton string, cigarette or incense until the smoke makes the alarm sound. If the alarm is battery-powered and doesn’t sound, replace it with a new battery and try again. If it’s electrically connected to household circuits and doesn’t sound, check the fuse and try again. In either case, if the alarm still isn’t working, replace the entire unit.

Smoke alarms can be electrically powered, battery powered or a combination of both. Whatever kind you have, remember they don’t last forever. Err on the side of safety – replace them every five years with new ones.

Types of Smoke Alarms

A flaming fire burns combustibles quickly, spreads rapidly and generates a lot of heat but only a little smoke. Cooking fat or grease, flammable liquids, newspapers, paint, and cleaning solutions all burn quickly and create more flames than smoke. Ionization type smoke alarms typically respond first to fast flaming fires. They are best suited for rooms which contain highly combustible materials.

A smouldering fire produces a lot of smoke but little heat. Careless smoking, for example, may lead to fires which can smoulder for hours before bursting into flame. Photoelectric type smoke alarms typically respond first to slow smouldering fires and are less prone to nuisance alarms near the kitchen area. These models are best suited for living rooms, bedrooms and near kitchens.

Downspout Disconnection Problems

Be part of the water-pollution-solution

By making a phone call, you can help:

• Reduce your risk of basement flooding
• Reduce pollution to our creeks, rivers and Lake Ontario
• Make Toronto's beaches cleaner for swimming

How?
When you call the City's Downspout Disconnection Program at
416-392-1807, we'll arrange to disconnect your downspouts free of charge. Disconnecting your downspout reduces the overflow in our sewer system, helping alleviate pollution to our rivers and lake. When it rains in Toronto, a lot of rain falls on the roof of your house where it flows to the eavestrough, then down the downspout and directly into the sewer system. During heavy rainfall, millions of litres of rainwater mixes with sewage in the sewer system - overloading it and causing the mixture to flow, untreated, into our rivers and Lake Ontario. The overloading of this system causes flooded basements, contaminated lake water and beaches unsafe for swimming.

Did you know….

Key Home Inspections is well equipped to evaluate grow houses. Our focus is on the building rather than the occupants because we are building envelop scientists rather than environmental scientists. Our 5 years of experience serves us well in identifying and qualifying performance issues in the home.