Modern homes lousy at storing our possessions

With apologies to the late, great George Carlin, where do keep your stuff?

Everybody has stuff. We Americans like to keep our stuff in the garage, instead of parking our cars there. We park the cars in the driveway, or on the street, so our garages can hold more stuff. But some people don't stop there. They cram the kitchen, the bathroom, sometimes the whole house full of stuff.

Yup, we Americans sure love our stuff. We buy more and more of it every year, never doubting that we'll be a lot happier as soon as we get our hands on even more stuff. This is a big comfort to our corporate marketing pals, who would really panic if we suddenly stopped buying all their stuff.

Rather than making us happier, though, what really happens with most of this stuff is that we just get tired of having it. You know the stuff I'm talking about: the fancy exercise machine with the digital readout; the bread, popcorn, peanut butter and yogurt makers with the digital readouts; and of course the air hockey table with the digital readout. Then there's that expensive gaming console your kids just had to have, which was white-hot two years ago and now is totally worthless.

All of this ends up in the garage, in closets, or under beds, inevitably transformed into just that much more useless stuff.

Of course, the best way to deal with all this stuff is to get rid of it and try not to buy any more for a while. My personal litmus test is this: If this stuff I've squirreled away suddenly vanished, would I ever even notice it was gone? Usually, the honest answer is no -- if I never saw this stuff again, I'd forget I ever had it.

Let's suppose you got rid of the stuff you didn't need, and now you're down to the irreducible kernel of stuff you think you really do need. Where do you put it?

Alas, much as we Americans love our stuff, our homes are poorly equipped to store it. Our storage arrangements are designed mainly for show, not for practicality. Sure, there may be lots and lots of fancy-looking cabinets -- whether in the kitchen, the bathroom, the laundry, or even in the closets -- but for the most part, they do a lousy job of storing your stuff.

Take the average base cabinet, for example. To find anything in there, especially if it's at the back, you have to go groveling on your hands and knees. Extra-cost bells and whistles such as pullout shelves or drawers help, but they can't overcome the basic flaw, which is that these cabinets are both too low and too deep to get at things easily.

Conventional wall cabinets aren't much better, because the interior space is typically chopped up into sections by vertical dividers, which are there, it turns out, mainly to attach those elaborate doors designers love so much.

While acres of fancy doors may look impressive, there's a simpler, cheaper and more practical way to store stuff: on plain old open shelves, in a little room that's just for storing all your stuff.

Next time, the junk room -- cheap, simple and it actually works.

Consider tin ceilings for a classic look

By Paul Bianchina
Inman News®

Q: I have been researching how to fix my horrible plaster ceilings and found a few solutions. My question relies on any or all knowledge you have regarding classic tin ceilings. Can you provide any answers to this? The American Tin Ceiling Co. seems to have some cool products for homeowners. Do you know of them? --Daniel M.

A: I'm familiar with these products, and in my opinion they're quite good. They have a number of different sizes and pattern to choose from, along with all the necessary trim pieces and other items you might need to complete the installation.

The most important thing to consider is that the panels need to be attached to something solid -- you can't install them directly over the old plaster. You can cover the old ceiling with plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), or even strips of one-by-two or one-by-three lumber.

Whatever you do, remember that the plywood or wood furring needs to be as flat and even as possible, so that may entail shimming the wood or removing some of the old plaster. Also, the panels need to be supported on all four sides, since that's where the attachment nails are installed. If you opt for the furring strips, they will need to be installed on 24 inch centers, with cross pieces installed every 24 inches as well; in other words, you need to form a 24-by-24-inch grid across the ceiling.

After the plywood or furring is installed, the tin panels are installed one at a time, either hand nailing them or using a small brad nailer. This is a two-person job: one to set and hold the panel, the other to nail it in place.

This is not a particularly difficult do-it-yourself project, but it does require a lot of preplanning to have it come out right. Also, you mentioned that your old plaster ceilings are "horrible." If that also means any mold or water damage, be sure that you get that cleared up first; do not just cover up mold or moist building materials.

Q: I have insulation in my unfinished attic in the rafters with the paper facing in towards the heated part of the house. My problem is the paper is brittle and the insulation is falling down, rows at a time. I could put the wire up to hold the insulation up in place, but it will not look pretty. What else can I put up over the whole surface to hold the insulation in place? --Keith M.

A: If you don't want the expense of replacing the insulation, here's a solution that's a little more labor intensive but it won't cost you very much. One row at a time, remove the insulation from between the rafters. Peel the paper face off the insulation -- it should peel off pretty easily -- and discard it, then push the insulation back into place between the rafters. Friction should hold the batts in place temporarily.

When you've done several rafter cavities, or even one entire half of the attic if the insulation will stay in place OK, you can then cover the insulation with 4-mil clear plastic sheeting. Simply staple the sheeting to the face of the rafters. If you have to seam the plastic in any areas, make sure it overlaps at least a couple of inches. If you live in a high-humidity area, the seams should also be sealed with tape. The plastic sheeting will hold the insulation in place and also act as a vapor barrier.

All this assumes that you have adequate ventilation behind the insulation to prevent any potential problems in the event that any moisture does get into the cavities. If you're not sure about the ventilation situation, it's best to contact a qualified roofing or insulation contractor to inspect the situation before you proceed.

Q: I am currently doing a project of painting all the exterior trim on my house. It was painted with an exterior alkyd gloss 10 years ago, so I was told to continue using the oil, which I am. I am having a problem during application, with a brush or roller, thinned or not thinned, with air bubbles. The paint is bubbling about five to 10 minutes after I apply it and it's drying like that. Any suggestions on what's causing this? A remedy would be great. -- Anonymous painter

A: The old trim that you're painting has to be dry, clean, and slightly rough, otherwise the new paint won't adhere to it. It sounds like the trim either has some underlying moisture or some type of surface coating (a film of dirt, oil, or something else) that's preventing adhesion. I would suggest you make sure the wood is dry, then lightly sand the old paint with 180- to 220-grit paper to roughen it so the new paint will grip better. Wipe off any sanding dust, then paint. If you have any bare wood showing, be sure it's primed with oil-based primer before applying the new paint.

Incidentally, you can also make the switch to latex paint, which would actually be my preference. The trim, as I mention, needs to be clean and dry. De-gloss the old paint with 180- to 220-grit paper (old oil-based paint actually sands much more easily than latex) dust it off, then apply a coat of oil-based or shellac-based primer. I like BIN pigmented shellac myself. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, and have good ventilation. Once the primer is dry, you have a solid surface for painting over with latex.

These suggestions apply only to homes built after 1978. For pre-1978 homes, you need to have the paint tested for lead before doing any sanding. For more information, please go to www.epa.gov/lead.

10 tax tips for home sellers

By Stephen Fishman
Inman News®

The IRS has recently issued a helpful list of 10 tax tips all homeowners should keep in mind when selling a home:

1. You are usually eligible to exclude the gain from income if you have owned and used your home as your main home for two years out of the five years prior to the date of its sale.

2. If you have a gain from the sale of your main home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases).

3. You are not eligible for the exclusion if you excluded the gain from the sale of another home during the two-year period prior to the sale of your home.

4. If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return.

5. If you have a gain that cannot be excluded, it is taxable. You must report it on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.

6. You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.

7. Worksheets are included in Publication 523, Selling Your Home, to help you figure the adjusted basis of the home you sold, the gain (or loss) on the sale, and the gain that you can exclude.

8. If you have more than one home, you can exclude a gain only from the sale of your main home. You must pay tax on the gain from selling any other home. If you have two homes and live in both of them, your main home is ordinarily the one you live in most of the time.

9. If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and within 36 months of the date of purchase the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full credit is due with the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence, using Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit. The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year's tax return.

10. When you move, be sure to update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive refunds or correspondence from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address, to notify the IRS of your address change.

For more information about selling your home, see IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home.

Mortgage rates down again

By Inman News
Inman News®

Mortgage rates eased for a second week in a row on mixed economic news, but could be poised for a rebound after the European Central Bank announced a new round of bond purchases today that undermined prices of U.S. Treasurys, pushing up yields.

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 3.55 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending Sept. 6, down from 3.59 percent last week and 4.12 percent a year ago, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages hit an all-time low in Freddie Mac records dating to 1971 of 3.49 percent during the week ending July 26.

For 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, rates averaged 2.86 percent with an average 0.6 point, unchanged from last week but down from 3.33 percent a year ago. Rates on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages hit a low in records dating to 1991 of 2.8 percent during the week ending July 26.

Rates on five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) loans averaged 2.75 percent with an average 0.7 point, down from 2.78 percent last week and 2.96 percent a year ago. Rates on five-year ARM loans hit a low in records dating to 2005 of 2.74 percent during the week ending July 26.

For one-year Treasury-indexed ARMs, rates averaged 2.61 percent with an average 0.4 point, down from 2.63 percent last week and 2.84 percent a year ago. That's a new all-time low in records dating to 1984.

A separate survey by the Mortgage Bankers Association showed demand for purchase mortgages fell a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent during the week ending Aug. 31 compared to the week before. Demand for purchase loans was up 1 percent from a year ago.

Like Treasurys, investors see mortgage-backed securities (MBS) guaranteed by the government as a safe haven during times of economic uncertainty. Demand for Treasurys and MBS pushes their prices up, and yields down.

Investors were placing their bets today on an economic recovery, boosting the share prices of many publicly traded companies, after the European Central Bank announced a round of unlimited purchases of government bonds issued by deeply indebted European governments.

The move also helped pushed down the price of bonds issued by more stable countries, such as the U.S. and Germany, Reuters reported.

The Federal Reserve is scheduled to meet next week to discuss whether to launch another round of "quantitative easing" that could include stepped-up MBS purchases. Some analysts think that decision could hinge largely on employment numbers the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release Friday.

Speaking at an economics symposium in Jackson Hole, Wyo., last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke called stagnation of the labor market "a grave concern," reiterating past promises that the Fed would "provide additional policy accommodation as needed."

A report issued today by payrolls processor ADP showed private sector employment increased by a seasonally adjusted 201,000 from July to August, the first time since March employment gains have exceeded 200,000.

Private, nonfarm employment growth since 2001

Right-click graph to enlarge. 

For the week ending Sept. 1, initial claims for unemployment insurance totaled 365,000, down from 377,000 the week before and 411,000 at the same time a year ago, the Department of Labor reported.

Although there's been some speculation that the Fed won't take action before the election, former Fed members told CNN Money that Bernanke is unlikely to be swayed by political pressure from either party.

6 tips for upgrading home's electrical system

By Bill and Kevin Burnett
Inman News®

Q: Recently you advised a correspondent on upgrading the electrical system in an older house. You recommended that he upgrade to a 200-amp main electrical panel. What is this based on? Is 200 amps the new baseline standard for residential electrical service? How would you describe the typical electrical service standard for new or remodeled houses?

A: The National Electrical Code (NEC) governs the size of the electrical panel for new homes or remodeled homes. There are various versions of the NEC. Check with your local building department to see which version is followed in your area.

If you're considering doing some electrical work on your home, please heed this word of caution. Electrical work is not for the novice do-it-yourselfer. While it's certainly possible for an amateur to add an outlet or replace a light switch with a dimmer switch, doing much more probably means hiring a licensed electrician.

We've noted that Bill was the electrician and Kevin was the plumber when we built Kevin's house and remodeled Bill's. Both of us had pretty extensive experience before tackling these projects, and we studied up before moving forward. And, on all these jobs, permits were pulled and our work was signed off by building inspectors.

If you decide to tackle an electrical job, consult your local building department and get an electrical permit before starting work. Have the job inspected at the appropriate intervals dictated by the inspector.

Because modern homes us a number of energy-hungry appliances, a 200-amp panel is the minimum we'd suggest. This size panel will adequately serve an average home and give room for some upgrades.

The total amperage of the branch circuit breakers serving the house should not exceed the amperage of the panel.

The load needed to serve the electrical demands of the devices in the house dictates panel size. Modern appliances such as electric cooktops, ovens, clothes dryers and air conditioners, as well as mixers, hair dryers and so forth, can eat up panel space in a hurry.

Multiple lights and most outlets can be run on a single circuit. But devices such as microwave ovens, cooktops, ovens and clothes dryers require a dedicated circuit.

Here are a few rules of thumb when thinking about the electrical requirements in your house:

1. Wire size is counterintuitive. The larger the gauge number, the smaller the wire. Eighteen-gauge wire is smaller than 12-gauge wire. The larger the wire, the greater the load it can handle safely without getting hot or causing a fire.

2. Generally a 14-2 Romex cable will serve most outlets. This means two insulated 14-gauge wires and one bare wire encased in a rubber sheath. The black wire is the "hot" wire; the white wire is the neutral wire; and the bare wire is the ground wire. It's suitable for loads up to 15 amps.

Vacuum cleaners and lamps operate just fine on this amperage. Most home plug circuits are wired with 14-2 Romex that supply up to eight outlets per circuit. Depending on the usage, a couple of fewer outlets per circuit might be in order.

3. Generally, outlets serving the kitchen and dining room should be 20-amp circuits wired with 12-2 Romex. This is because these circuits will likely take appliances that draw greater amperage.

4. Outlets and switches within a certain proximity to a sink or other water source must be protected by a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). A GFCI breaks the circuit even when a minute amount of water is present. This safety device prevents electric shock and in extreme cases prevents death. Plugs installed in basements, garages, outdoors and bathrooms also require GFCI protection.

5. Electric dryers require a 30-amp outlet protected by a 30-amp circuit breaker, while an electric oven mandates a 50-amp and 8-gauge wire protected by a 50-amp breaker.

6. It's important to size circuit breakers for the wire size they serve. If a 14-2 cable is run from the panel to the outlet, then a 15-amp circuit breaker is the largest that can be used to protect that circuit. If a 12-2 cable is run from the panel to the outlet, then a-20 amp circuit breaker is the largest that can be installed to protect the circuit.

Back in the day when many houses used fuses it was not uncommon for unknowing homeowners to replace a 15-amp fuse that was constantly failing with a 20-amp fuse. This mistake created the risk of a wire overheating and causing a fire.

Rotten deck boards could be sign of larger problem

By Paul Bianchina
Inman News®

Q: I recently purchased a home. I have a deck that is more than 600 square feet and needs some repair, such as replacing rotting wood. The person who built the deck used nails, not screws. The nails are popping up in some places. Also, I am concerned how the deck will look with partially replaced wood. The color won't be the same.

I can't replace the whole deck because of the expense. I would like to sell the house in five years or so and move to a different part of the country. Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated. --Connie D.

 

A: You need to be thinking about safety first, so begin by carefully and thoroughly evaluating the deck to see what its condition is and what needs to be replaced.

I hate to make a bad situation worse for you, but if you have rotting deck boards, there's a possibility that you may have some rotten or damaged support framing as well. The fact that the nails aren't holding is another indicator of that. You definitely don't want to put a Band-Aid on the deck by replacing a few deck boards over support framing that's unsafe and unstable, so you need to determine that first. If the joists or other framing that support the deck need to be replaced, you may not have any choice about removing all of the deck boards, so the color matching becomes a moot point.

If it turns out you're only replacing some of the boards, then you want to be sure that you select boards of the same size and wood species. After the new boards are in place, work your way around over the entire deck and remove any loose nails. Pull them straight up and out, using a thin scrap of wood or metal under the pry bar to prevent damaging the deck boards. Replace the nails with new, longer, all-weather screws that are made for deck use.

To get a color match, consider having the entire deck sanded and stained with a UV-resistant deck stain. This will offer good protection for the wood, will blend the colors, and will keep the deck looking rich. Done correctly, the deck will become a resale asset to the home when you go to sell it.

 

Q: I'm going be having some hip surgery soon, and I'd like to install grab bars in my older tile shower. How do I do that so they'll be secure, and also not break any tiles? --Ellen R.

A: The grab bar has to be attached to something solid, such as a stud. It can't be screwed directly to the tile, or attached with anchors. Some stud finders will work though tile, or if you have a drywall area above the tile, you can locate the studs there. When you know where the stud is, mark the mounting hole locations for the grab bar. You can install the grab bar vertically so both ends are on the same stud, or at an angle so each end is on an adjacent stud.

Use a masonry bit that's larger in diameter than the diameter of the screws you'll be using to fasten the grab bar, and drill a hole through the tile at each of the mounting locations. The reason for doing this is so that the mounting screws will pass through the tile without binding up. Just drill through the tile and whatever mortar is behind it, not into the stud itself. You'll know you've drilled far enough when you stop seeing mortar dust coming out of the hole while you're drilling.

Switch to a smaller, standard bit and drill pilot holes in the stud, whatever size is correct for the mounting screws you're using. Squirt a small dab of clear silicone into each of the holes in the tile. Hold the grab bar in place, and attach it to the wall with the mounting screws. The silicone will keep moisture from getting into the wall and damaging the wall framing. Install the trim rings on the grab bars, and you're done.

Incidentally, the grab bars are probably going to be tax deductible as a medical expense. Hang onto all your receipts and give them to your accountant at the end of the year.

 

Q: I live in a townhome. My master bedroom has a common wall with my neighbor's master bedroom. I hear all kinds of things and am desperate to find a soundproofing solution. I've heard of QuietRock soundproof drywall; however, it's expensive and I don't want to spend a lot of money on something that may not be sufficiently effective. Do you know if QuietRock drywall is effective in blocking noise? Or do you have any other suggestions for soundproofing? --Lynn G.

 

A: While I don't have any personal experience with installing QuietRock, everything I've heard about the product is very good. My understanding is that, while it is expensive, it compares favorably to other soundproofing methods when you take the additional labor of other methods into consideration.

I would suggest that you talk with a licensed drywall contractor who's experienced with sound issues; your local drywall supplier will have some recommendations of good contractors. Have one or two visit your house and evaluate the situation, and offer specific suggestions for your particular home. Also, if the home is less than 1 year old, I would also talk with the original building contractor, since you may have some warranty help available as well.

Ceiling to blame for cottage's musty odor

Q: I desperately need your advice. We have a cottage in our backyard that was run-down, dirty and smelled badly inside. We gutted the cottage and redid everything except for the all-wood ceiling.

The problem is that, after all our work, the cottage still smells. For a while we used the cottage as a kitchen and at that time I didn't notice the smell so much. My husband's great cooking with all the garlic must have covered it up. But now that the cottage has gone unused for a while, it smells again. I put my nose to the wooden beam and it stinks with that same smell.

Is it possible that the smell is coming from the wood? If so, what can we do to get the odor out? We have company arriving soon and I am embarrassed for them to stay there.

 

A: It's not only possible but likely the smell is from the wood. Years of neglect and lack of ventilation probably is the cause of the unpleasant odor. It also could be that you're especially sensitive to that musty smell. We mention this because cooking odors masked the smell. Heavy use of the "stinking rose" covers a lot.

With company arriving soon you probably don't have enough time to permanently fix the odor issue. To get ready for your guests give the ceiling a good cleaning and ventilate the room before they show up. Your permanent solution is to refinish the ceiling.

Cleaning is a two-step process. First, give the wood a good scrubbing with trisodium phosphate (TSP), which is sold as a powder available in the paint section of your local hardware store. Mix a good handful of TSP in a gallon of warm water and stir until it dissolves. Use the abrasive side of a "scrubby" sponge to scrub the ceiling. This will remove most of the dirt and gunk that is causing the odor. We suspect the water will get dirty quickly so change the solution often. Make sure to rinse the ceiling with clean water.

Use drop cloths if the room is carpeted. Move any furniture out of the way. It's inevitable that the water will drip and TSP followed by a bleach wash can stain. Also it's a good idea to wear a long-sleeve shirt and to "glove up." TSP and bleach, even when diluted, are mildly caustic and can irritate sensitive skin.

Next clean the ceiling with a bleach solution. Bleach should kill any organisms contributing to the smell. Make the solution four parts water to one part household bleach. Again make sure any fabrics or carpet are covered or out of the room.

While all this is going on leave the windows open. Fresh air goes a long way in getting rid of foul smells.

You may find that the heavy cleaning is enough to banish the smell. But you're not done yet. To solve the odor problem once and for all, seal the wood. If the ceiling is only stained and not varnished, the cleaning you've done is the preparation needed before applying a seal coat.

After your guests leave, apply two coats of water-based polyurethane to seal the wood. If the wood has a smooth surface, use a sponge brush to put on the sealer. They are cheap, disposable and give a good finish. If the wood is rough-sawn, you'll need a traditional paintbrush to do the job.

So, to sum up, open the window to let the fresh air in. Give the wood a two-step cleaning with tri-sodium phosphate and bleach. And, after your guests leave, seal the ceiling.