Backflow Prevention Water is supposed to flow in only one direction in a system. Backflow occurs when the normal water flow in a water system reverses. This can be a dangerous situation, introducing industrial waste, bacteria, and a lot of other unhealthy things into the water systerm. Devices ca
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10/31/2010
It may have been a 42 degree F day in Michigan, but the temperatures are always perfect at the Detroit Zoo's Butterfly House in Royal Oak. The Detroit Zoo is at I-696 and Woodward Avenue.
10/31/2010
What's that white stuff on my bricks? Chances are, that white chalky stuff is efflorescence (pronounced ef-luh-res-uh ns), an accumulation of minerals and salts on brick and cement. We can see it on bricks all over Michigan, on old houses and new. While it is unsightly, efflorescence itself is no
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10/26/2010
Why should I use a space heater? As I write this, it is an unusually warm end-of-October day in Michigan: 65 degrees F. Still, it is inevitable that the weather will turn cold and furnace days will be in full swing. But furnaces aren't the only way to heat a house. Portable space heaters are us
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10/26/2010
Avoiding Explosions -- Meet The TPR Valve Ok, the TPR valve isn't the most exciting topic... at least until it fails. TPR (temperature pressure relief) valves (also called a T & P valve) are the safety devices installed on water heaters, and they automatically release water in the event that p
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10/24/2010
Washing Machine Hose Failure Hot and cold water faucets near the washing machine supply water to the washer through rubber hoses. Unless you shut off the supply, these hoses are always under pressure -- and, really, few of us do shut them off, at least when we aren't traveling. But that means the
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10/23/2010
Mudjacking We've all seen them... especially those of us who live here in Michigan. Those unsightly, un-even slabs of concrete that create serious trip hazards. Uneven concrete is like most problems around the house: a two-part issue. The obvious issue is the concrete -- it needs fixed. What's
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10/21/2010
Adding Insulation: Starting With The Attic So you want energy efficiency and you know you need insulation. What's next? Figuring out where to put the stuff. A house should be properly insulated from the roof down to its foundation. But first, for other exciting information about insulation (a
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10/21/2010
Adding Insulation To An Existing Home -- Ventilation Concerns Adding Insulation To An Existing Home What Is R-Value? The Purpose Of Ventilation Every home needs ventilation, the exchange of indoor air with outdoor air. There are a lot of contaminants that can plague the health of the home and t
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10/20/2010
Adding Insulation To An Existing Home Newer houses are typically constructed with energy efficiency in mind, but homeowners of older houses around Michigan can conserve energy and protect their bank account by insulating and air sealing their house. How Insulation Works Let's go back to 7th Grade
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10/19/2010
