From The Detroit News | By Ken Calverley and Chuck Breidenstein
DETROIT, November 30, 2023 ~ The hosts on 760 WJR‘s “‘JR Morning with Lloyd Jackson, Jamie Edmonds, and Guy Gordon” recently posed a great question to the Guys.
Lloyd, Jamie, and Guy asked what homeowners should be doing to stay comfortable, safe and healthy throughout the cold months to come.
Safety must be No. 1, just ahead of comfort, so the answer begins with a “clean and check” on the heating system from one of our recommended professionals.
Will a properly maintained furnace or boiler also provide greater comfort and economy? Absolutely.
But a trained technician will also check the heat exchanger for any carbon monoxide leaks.
Leaks can develop over time and get worse, potentially contaminating the house’s air and rendering the living environment unsafe.
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December 3, 2023 ~ Chuck “The Inside Guy” Breidenstein and Ken “The Outside Guy” Calverly offer the knowledge and resources you need to make the home of your dreams a reality. Catch them every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon on 760 WJR.
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A concern for the owner is that the company is using the maintenance call as an excuse to sell a new heating device to them, but a professional company like those we refer to will not do this. What they will do is record you as a new client and give you priority booking when you experience an emergency such as a “no-heat” situation.
A recent email recounted a similar occurrence where the listener had to wait five days to have a technician look at her furnace because she had no prior relationship with the company.
Such a service can also include installation of a clean — and properly specified — filter which results in healthier air throughout the home.
The next thing we suggest to owners of older homes is the purchase and installation of a product like the DAP Seal and Peel, which is a caulk that can be applied around breezy windows in the fall, then easily removed in the summer.
Application of such a material allows an owner to work on their caulking skills for possible future application of more permanent material. 3M and others also make a shrink wrap type product kit that can function as an interior storm window during the winter.
The Guys also suggest keeping a blower or push-type snow shovel handy to quickly clear drives and sidewalks of light snow falls before they are walked or driven on to form ice.
Once that ice has formed, we strongly suggest only using a 50% mixture of magnesium chloride and sandbox sand as a snow melt product. Keep it outside the door in a sealed 5-gallon pail and spread it with an old cup or tin can when needed.
Use of any salt products will degrade concrete as we have all witnessed on Michigan’s roads.
We strongly encourage anyone using a fireplace to have the system professionally inspected prior to use.
A company like Brickworks Property Restoration in Macomb offers a 21-point inspection that includes running a scope down the chimney to check for cracks and soot accumulation.
The exam also includes a look at the chimney cap, firebox, damper, juncture of roof and chimney and exterior brickwork.
If the budget allows, installation of attic and sidewall insulation is always suggested. Sidewall installations are best left to true professionals as there is potential for damage, missed wall cavities and even long-term settling and dissipation issues with certain products and companies.
There are some great tax incentives for this type of installation that already has a great return on investment, and comfort benefits that will be immediate.
Professional duct cleaning and sealing will also ensure cleaner and healthier air in the home, so we strongly suggest this as a consideration; perhaps even as a gift to those difficult-to-buy-for parents or grandparents.
We would also like to see every home with properly installed and functioning smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors, so this becomes a great time of year to provide this added level of safety and peace of mind.
Thanks to the folks at “‘JR Morning with Lloyd Jackson, Jamie Edmonds, and Guy Gordon” for a great question!
Make sure the next few months of keeping the house closed are safe and comfortable for all by using professionals like those you’ll find at InsideOutsideGuys.com.
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For housing advice and more, listen to “The Inside Outside Guys” every Saturday and Sunday on 760 WJR from 10 a.m. to noon, or contact them at InsideOutsideGuys.com.
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