Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Whats wrong with this picture?
And once again....is this a serious question?
Snapshots from the Field
 |
Can You Guess what is wrong with this sliding glass door?
A) It is not high enough off the ground
B) The door opens the wrong way
C) The staircase/deck on the outside of the door is missing
National Property Inspections®
America’s Premier Inspection Service
Jason M. Lapp
npijlapp@cinci.rr.com
npiweb.com/lapp
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Snow and home damage prevention
Snow can cause home damage, this one simple step may help...Courtesy of Doris Gibbons, Gibbons Insurance Agency with American Family www.DorisGibbons.com
Rooftop snow could spell trouble with ice dams.
Driveways and sidewalks may not be the only things that need clearing after the recent heavy snows in this area. Residents may want to turn their attention to their roofs to prevent home damage caused by ice dams.
Ice dams form when melting snow runs down the slope of the roof and refreezes near the edge. As more snow melts and runs down the roof, water builds up behind the ice dam and seeps into the home, damaging drywall, carpeting and cabinets; and sometimes even collapsing ceilings.
“The recent snowstorms have created conditions that are ideal for ice dams,” says American Family Agent, Doris Gibbons. “The good news is that in some cases homeowners can prevent the situation from becoming a major problem.”
The best approach is to clear snow from the bottom 6 feet of the roof, which allows water from the melted snow to reach the gutters and drain to the ground. This can be done – without climbing on the roof – by using anextendable “roof rake” that can be purchased from a hardware store or homemade. It is not necessary to clear snow from the entire roof.
“Our hope is to nip the problem before it occurs so homeowners can save on the deductible expense they would incur if they did sustain damage and had to file a claim,” Doris says.
Long-term, a key to ice dam prevention is keeping the building’s attic temperature as close as possible to the outside temperature. This means insulating the attic floor and installing adequate ventilation. Peak or roof-mounted vents allow warm air to exit the attic; soffit vents allow cold air to enter the attic. Both types of vents are advised.
Moreover, inspect gutters from the ground to see that they have not pulled away from the structure, and that the gutters slope towards the downspouts. Clean gutters and downspouts to allow unobstructed flow of running water to the ground.
Driveways and sidewalks may not be the only things that need clearing after the recent heavy snows in this area. Residents may want to turn their attention to their roofs to prevent home damage caused by ice dams.
Ice dams form when melting snow runs down the slope of the roof and refreezes near the edge. As more snow melts and runs down the roof, water builds up behind the ice dam and seeps into the home, damaging drywall, carpeting and cabinets; and sometimes even collapsing ceilings.
“The recent snowstorms have created conditions that are ideal for ice dams,” says American Family Agent, Doris Gibbons. “The good news is that in some cases homeowners can prevent the situation from becoming a major problem.”
The best approach is to clear snow from the bottom 6 feet of the roof, which allows water from the melted snow to reach the gutters and drain to the ground. This can be done – without climbing on the roof – by using anextendable “roof rake” that can be purchased from a hardware store or homemade. It is not necessary to clear snow from the entire roof.
“Our hope is to nip the problem before it occurs so homeowners can save on the deductible expense they would incur if they did sustain damage and had to file a claim,” Doris says.
Long-term, a key to ice dam prevention is keeping the building’s attic temperature as close as possible to the outside temperature. This means insulating the attic floor and installing adequate ventilation. Peak or roof-mounted vents allow warm air to exit the attic; soffit vents allow cold air to enter the attic. Both types of vents are advised.
Moreover, inspect gutters from the ground to see that they have not pulled away from the structure, and that the gutters slope towards the downspouts. Clean gutters and downspouts to allow unobstructed flow of running water to the ground.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The farm in the winter
The girls went to visit Ms. Mary and Papoo David at the farm today. If your not from Ohio you might not appreciate the urgent need to for some outdoor family time. Then again, as I watch the news, its freezing in almost every US state this month. Nonetheless, Skylar and Sydney spent some much needed time on the farm. Instead of continuous outdoor activities, except a few horseback riding debuts, Mary had them doing some incredible crafts. Ive attached some pictures of their work in this post. One of the most inventive crafts Mary Herr does is horseshoe art. We display much of her work in our home but she could start her own business with her talent. I hope to post more of her work in upcoming blogs.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Whats wrong with this picture?
Saw this in a inspectors newsletter today.....had to giggle. Sorry but the rest of the newsletter was very helpful.
 |
Can you guess what is wrong with this picture?
A) The paint on the house is chipped
B) The tree is too close to the house
C) The window is too low to the ground
so? Let me know what you think...
copyright:
National Property Inspections®
America’s Premier Inspection Service
Jason M. Lapp
(513) 218-6532
npijlapp@cinci.rr.com
npiweb.com/lapp
Monday, January 18, 2010
Princess Tea Party for 10
We celebrated our daughters 4th bday this past weekend. I think this is a great menu to a perfect princess tea party.
Not only is this party fun and fancy but its inexpensive and youll have left over crafts for the kids to use to make their valentine day cards.
Invitation was handmade as follows:
Sydney is 4!
Our Sassy Cupcake, Sydney, is 4 and has requested your presence at the cupcake palace for a tea party. Please come dressed in your fancy pants or party dress. Fancy delights, finger food, crafts and fun.
Party from 12-2pm
Other details......
15 Cheese and white bread cut into heart shapes (using a cookie cutter) (could also do P/b and J)
20 Turkey hot dogs wrapped in croissants (rolls)
25 Salami and cream cheese roll ups (used a toothpick for easy handling)
10 each Pineapple and strawberry fruit skewers
Pink Lemonade (we used sugar free and served in a fancy glass pitcher)
12 cupcakes and Birthday cake
Pretzels and goldfish for snacks
Serve meal on reusable heart shaped plates (walmart and target have them cheap this time of year).
Drinks can be poured when sitting children down and we used disposable paper princess cups.
Everything can be make ahead of time excepts the hot dogs which need to be cooked prior to eating.
Table was preset, we had kids sit at the same time to each and placed a little of each on both sides of table for kids to get with ease.
Crafts
Heart shaped jewelry boxes (set of 12 goes for $10.00 from Oriental Trading Company.com)
Self stick jewels, sequin, foam shapes and wood markers to decorate (also from above website)
Displayed each item in a separate bowls, spread out on a long table covered with old wrapping paper.
Kids can gather around the table and work while standing and talking.
Nail station
One or two adults can sit and paint finger nails with quick dry nail polish.
Be sure to cover the card table with old paper in case of accidents.
Also can apply gel glitter eye shadow or temporary tattoos (princess themed).
Coloring station
Princess coloring books and blank paper at a small table away from other craft stations.
Have an assortment of markers, stickers and crayons.
Story Time
Read Princess and the Pea story book
After reading book either play a group game or open gifts.
Guest gifts
Shop local Claires or clearance racks for nail polish gifts, jewelry etc. We found 10 boxes of nail polish with hair clips and lipstick for 85 cents a piece!
Also included crown shaped suckers and baged gifts in heart covered bags with a tie string.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)