What You Should Know About Lead-Based Paint

Most houses and apartments built before 1978 contain lead-based paint. Lead-based paint produced before 1960 contains higher concentrations of lead than paint manufactured in later years. In fact, the older the home, the more likely it is to have lead-based paint hazards.
HUD and EPA estimate that at least 19 million homes in the U.S. have lead-based paint hazards, of which at least 4 million were occupied by families with young children under age 6 (HUD 1990; EPA 1995). Over time, homes with these specific conditions change, as families age or move, and as buildings deteriorate
Lead-based paint can be on walls, ceilings, woodwork, windows, and sometimes floors. When lead-based paint on these surfaces is broken, sanded, or scraped, it breaks into tiny, usually invisible, pieces that you or your child may swallow or inhale. Even small repair and renovation jobs, including repainting projects, can create enough lead dust and chips to harm you. If proper precautions are not taken, renovation, remodeling and maintenance, including repainting, can generate large amounts of lead-contaminated dust and soil.
Before You Repair or Renovate
BEFORE you disturb a surface with old paint on it, you should ...
• Contact a certified lead inspector or call your county health department or check your yellow pages under lead-paint detection services.
• If lead-based paint is found in your home, have the repair or renovation done by a contractor who has been trained in "lead-safe work practices."
If You Suspect That You Have Lead Paint . . .
AVOID the following activities, which can produce dust and chips:
• dry scraping, sanding, or using a heat gun on painted surfaces before repainting;
• making holes in walls to get at pipes, or tearing out walls;
• allowing furniture or other objects to bump against painted surfaces, or unnecessarily opening and closing windows and doors with painted frames and sills.
If You are Doing the Repair or Renovation
If you will do repairs or renovations yourself in areas where you know or suspect lead-based paint is present, you SHOULD:
• Move children and pregnant women to another apartment or house until work is completed and the area is properly cleaned.
• Seal off the work area with 6 mil plastic and duct tape. Also, cover AC/heating ducts, furniture, carpets, rugs, and floors. Dispose of the plastic carefully.
• To keep dust down, lightly mist painted surfaces with water before you work on them.
• Clean up thoroughly.
• Always clean up dust and chips with wet mops or rags soaked in a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP) or phosphate-containing powdered dishwasher detergent and warm water. (Powdered dishwasher detergents are recommended because most have high phosphate contents. Most multipurpose household cleaners are not effective in cleaning up lead dust.)
• To avoid skin irritation when cleaning with TSP or high-phosphate dishwasher detergent, wear rubber gloves.
• Use two buckets-one for wash water and one for rinse water.
• To prevent recontamination of cleaned surfaces, wash mops and rags thoroughly after each use. If this is not possible, or if you have already used the mops and rags several times, place them in plastic bags and dispose of them carefully.
• Avoid dry sweeping or vacuuming the work area with an ordinary vacuum. Sweeping spreads lead dust around. Vacuuming also spreads lead dust around, since tiny lead particles can pass through and out of ordinary vacuum cleaners.
If Repairs or Renovations have been completed
If renovations have already occurred or are occurring, you should do the following:
• Keep children away from paint dust and chips.
• Clean up all dust and chips with wet mops and rags, as described above. Pay special attention to floors and to window sills and wells.
• Close your windows if work is going on outside your home that may be scattering lead dust (for example, a neighbor scraping exterior paint). Using wet mops and rags, clean up any dust that has gotten into your home.
• Have children under six years old tested for lead. To arrange for testing, call your doctor or your local health department.

10 Important Things to Consider Before Designing a New Kitchen ?

Here are 10 important guidelines for your kitchen design project.

For efficiency, the work triangle (the space between the sink, refrigerator, and stove) should measure 26’ or less with no single side longer than 9’, or less than 4’.

In kitchens smaller than 150 sq. ft., opt for at least 13’ of base cabinets, 12’ of wall cabinets, and 11’ of countertop. In kitchens which are larger, go with at least 16’ of base cabinets, 15 1/2’ of wall cabinets, and 16 1/2’ of countertop.

For convenience, plan work aisles to be at least 42” wide for one cook, and at least 48” wide in multi-cook kitchens.

Specify a minimum of 24” of counter space on one side of the sink and at least 18” on the other.

To create the most accessible landing for unloading groceries, allow at least 15” of counter space on the handle side of a standard refrigerator; on both sides if it’s a side-by-side model. Or include a landing area directly across from the refrigerator, but no more than 48” away.

For cleanup ease, install the dishwasher within 36” of one edge of the sink and allow for at least 21” of standing room next to it.

For microwaves and ovens, provide at least 15 “ of counter space nearby, at least 16” deep.

For optimum clearance, no entry, appliance, or cabinet doors should interfere with another.

For comfort and to help avoid repetitive-motion injury, plan for work counters of different heights; between 28 and 36” off the floor (easier for chopping and seated-use access), and between 36 and 46” for general tasks (higher counters accommodate taller cooks).

To install a cabinet unit above the cook top, make sure the clearance is at least 24” for a fireproof surface, 30” for an unprotected surface.

Designing a kitchen is as much a science as it is an art. Knowing the recommended measurements to use when planning the project can make all the difference in the final outcome.
More about home design at: http://luxury-home.ca/Design.htm

Radiant Floor Heat: Caressing Your Mind, Body and Your Soles...

There is no doubt that radiant floor heating is a superior method of heating your home. Its popularity is steadily increasing as people discover that not only is it the most comfortable form of heating, but also the most cost efficient.

Though comfort and cost are the two biggest benefits of this heating system there are many others:

-Silent operation – no hum or whistle of a forced air system.

-Inconspicuousness of the system – you don’t see vents or air blowing.

-A healthier home – forced air systems can spread dust, pollen, and germs.

-Even, quiet warmth: even with wood, tile, or uncovered concrete floors.

-Also, radiant heat is less likely to dry out your breathing passages and skin.

The warmth of the floor on a cold winter morning would probably be enough to convince a lot of people that radiant floor heating is the best thing since sliced bread. However, after discovering the cost savings, there is usually no going back.

Radiant floor heating concentrates the heat in the lower half of a room where the human body needs it most. Since heat is evenly distributed in the floor, the thermostat can be set 2 – 4° less than a forced air heating system. This can reduce energy cost by 10-30%. Homes and building with high ceiling will save even more in heating costs as heat generated by forced air systems quickly rises to the top of these structures, where it is of little use.

Whereas a forced air system delivers heat which quickly rises to the ceiling – a radiant floor heating system radiates heat from the floor and delivers the heat evenly throughout the rooms.

In a radiant floor heating system warm water circulates through tubing beneath the floor. This turns the flooring into an efficient, low temperature radiator.

Though Radiant Floor heating is not a complicated system, there are components which are required, and that the homeowner should be aware of – The Heating Source, The Boiler, The Pump and the Tubing.

The heating source can be electricity, solar, natural gas, propane, oil, wood, or any other heating source.

The boiler, with a certified efficiency rating houses the water to be heated. This same boiler can also be used to heat the pool, snow melting, heating a hot tub, or and domestic hot water needs.

A Pump is required to circulate the water though the tubing located under the floor.

The tubing for a radiant floor heating system is located either in the concrete, under wood subfloors, or on a subfloor of wood, precast concrete or concrete slab-on-grade, then covered with gypsum.

Once a homeowner makes the decision to install radiant floor heating system, contacting the right installer is imperative.

Some companies who design radiant floor heating systems may also install the system.

A qualified System Designer and a qualified System Installer will work together and know which components work well together, capacities of various systems, special considerations for installations in your area, and manufacturers’ warranties and reliability.

The designer should do a room-by-room heat loss analysis of your home or building done as well as a step-by-step system sizing process.

Original article can be found at: Radiant Floor Heat
More Articles at: Radiant Floor Heating and Radiant Heat

Selling your Property – How to Present to Potential Purchasers

When you are deciding to sell your property it is always an idea to make the property a potential purchase too as many buyers as possible. One of the best ways of doing this would be to present the property as if it were a blank canvas on to which a potential buyer can stamp their own individual tastes. Below are provided a few simple rules which should help you when to obtain that potential sale of your property without too much effort or cost to yourself...
more at:Luxury Home.ca
More Info can be found at: Ontario Home Builder
or at: Repairing/Building Contractor

Waterproofing Your Foundation? What Is The Right Choice?

Waterproofing is Protecting your property foundation – be it residential or commercial – from cracks due to natural processes such as water damage, thermal movement, shrinking, settlement and other causes...
Read more at:
http://luxury-home.ca/Articles/Waterproofing-Your-Foundation.htm

More info at: http://www.luxury-home.ca
or at: http://ontario-home-builder.com