Parrish Construction

Archive for the ‘Ventilation’ Category

Q- It’s Fall and will start to freeze soon at night. What can I do to prevent frozen pipes?

Saturday, October 9th, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Basements, DIY Home Improvements, Energy-Saving Tips, Fall, FAQ, Flooding, Freezing Temp. Problems, Frozen Pipes, Heating/Cooling, Insulation, Plumbing, Spring, Timely Home Upgrades, Ventilation, Winter, YouTube Videos/"Larry on the Level" | No Comments »

A--As we all settle in for the upcoming Winter, it is worthwhile to consider one aspect of the new season that is not pleasant—frozen water pipes. Whether you are new to our climate or a “seasoned” veteran, a review of ...

Q—We live in an old house. I’m pregnant, and concerned about lead based paint. How can I find out if our house has lead based paint, and how do I remove it?

Saturday, April 10th, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Affiliations, Drywall Repairs, FAQ, Green Building Topics, Historic Homes, Materials- Construction, Paint, Safety Hazards, Ventilation | No Comments »

A—Many homes built prior to 1978 contain some lead in the paint. Prior to 1950, almost half of all paint contained large amounts of lead. In 1978, the Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the use of lead in paint for ...

Q—Recently, I’ve noticed a musty smell of damp earth in our crawl space. Is this serious? What can be done about it?

Sunday, February 28th, 2010 Posted in Basements, Building Codes/Regulations, DIY Home Improvements, FAQ, Freezing Temp. Problems, Heating/Cooling, Spring, Ventilation, Waterproofing | No Comments »

A—In the spring, when the rains and irrigation cause the water table to rise, many crawl spaces get damp, and begin to smell. In extreme cases, the humidity can get high enough to support the growth of mold and mildew, ...

Q—Help! We have a ceiling leak in our cathedral ceiling every winter. We’ve had it checked by a roofer who says the roof is fine. Any suggestions?

Monday, February 8th, 2010 Posted in Drywall Repairs, FAQ, Freezing Temp. Problems, Heating/Cooling, Lighting, Money-Saving Tips, Paint, Roofing/Ceilings, Spring, Structural Issues, Timely Home Upgrades, Ventilation, Waterproofing, Winter | No Comments »

A—The water damage is likely due to humidity inside the house condensing in the cold rafter space (usually the underside of the roof sheeting) and dripping on the insulation and drywall as the weather warms up. This is probably caused ...

Q—On the coldest days, some of the rooms in my house are cold, while others are warm. We have a forced-air system. Is there anything we can do?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010 Posted in FAQ, Heating/Cooling, Insulation, Ventilation, Windows & Doors, Winter | No Comments »

A—There are several things you can try. Many older homes have inadequate cold-air returns. A furnace can’t force air into a room unless there is a way for the same amount of air to exit the room. In large, open ...

Q—We’re planning to install new wood floors. Since they’re so expensive, we’d like to get a good installation job, especially avoiding or minimizing cracks between boards. Do you have any advice for us?

Friday, February 5th, 2010 Posted in FAQ, Flooring, Heating/Cooling, Kitchens, Remodeling Concerns, Ventilation, Winter | No Comments »

A—The key to a good flooring installation is the control of moisture and humidity. Wood expands as it absorbs moisture and shrinks as it dries, making it prone to movement as the humidity in the home changes with the seasons. Here ...

Q—Is My Attic Fan Poisoning Me?

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 Posted in Advice to Clients, Energy-Saving Tips, FAQ, Heating/Cooling, Safety Hazards, Summer, Ventilation | No Comments »

A—An alert reader has contacted me with a safety concern related to attic fans. He referred me to an article which details a study conducted on the safety of these fans. This study concluded that under certain conditions, attic fans ...

Q—Our contractor plans to use “Scissor trusses” to create a vaulted ceiling in our family-room addition. What is a scissor truss?

Monday, February 1st, 2010 Posted in Additions, Architecture, Blueprints, Construction Terms, Design Tips, FAQ, Remodels/Additions, Roofing/Ceilings, Structural Issues, Ventilation | No Comments »

A—You’ve probably seen more conventional roof trusses being installed on new homes under construction. They are engineered and factory-fabricated structural members designed to effectively span wide areas, often without center support. Typically with a triangular shape, they incorporate the roof ...

Q—We have hot-water heat. Can we still install a whole-house humidifier?

Thursday, January 14th, 2010 Posted in FAQ, Heating/Cooling, Historic Homes, Ventilation, Winter | No Comments »

A—Yes you can. While it is easier to add humidifiers to forced-air heating systems, because the fan and ductwork is already in place to distribute the humidified air, there are humidifiers on the market that have their own blowers and ...

Q: We have a large crawl-space under part of our house, and a basement under the rest. Is it possible to dig out the crawl space to enlarge the basement?

Friday, January 1st, 2010 Posted in Additions, Basements, Building Trends, FAQ, Remodeling Concerns, Remodels/Additions, Space-Saving/Organization, Structural Issues, Ventilation | No Comments »

A: While it’s always easier to build the basement first and then the house, it is probably possible to build in the reverse order, depending upon soil conditions, existing foundation details, access for digging equipment, and how much money you ...