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I am Designating this section of the website to something I know about, Home Building and Remodeling

For approx 30 years prior to having a stroke and Cranial Aneurysm Rupture, I worked or was involved in the Home building trades, For the most part I was a remodeling Contractor. So I decided to write about something I knew about. And thats what brought me to this point.

If you have a project going or are in the Planning stage of a remodel and would like to ask a question or if you have a comment about something, Let me know by using the mail form at the bottom of this page.

Preventing Water Damage in your Home

	Simple maintenance is all that's required to avoid water problems in and around the laundry area. The steps i've listed below are easy enough for the average homeowner to do and can help you to avoid a potentially expensive repair in the future from water damage that can be caused by the washer, the dryer or hoses if left unattended to. Be sure to perform these inspections every few month and be thorough when performing them. The Washer The washer has 3 areas of potential leakage. At the back of the machine you will find 3 hoses. Two of these are a small dia. high pressure inlet hoses, one brings in hot water and the other brings in cold water. The third hose is larger and has a large hooked end to hang in the opening of the drain box in the wall. Check these regularly and often. Start by inspecting each connection and if a leak is found, fix it before moving on to the next. If your Machine has a screen or filter that the water passes thru,clean or replace it. A clogged filter will slow the water flow into the washing machine, and may cause damage to the Machine. This problem becomes worse in areas where hard water is the norm. If this is the case you may want to consider installing a whole house filtering and softener system. I'll have to see what I can put together on a filtering system for an article later. Check all the shut-off valves for drips and replace if you find any seepage.
	Here is a little tidbit I picked up a while back. When checking for leaks you can't always see the connection you're checking really good enough to find a small leak so I use one of the blue color paper shop towels to wipe the connection with and if there is the tiniest amount of water it will show as clear as day on the towel. It can save a lot of work if you can't get where you can see the connection clearly. Always change the hoses if they look old and cracking. It's a lot easier to change a hose on a Washer than to change the adjacent wall and floor after one of them breaks and you are not at home!! The Dryer Dryer's are less of a Maintenance problem than washers but they can cause some moisture problems. The dryers 4 inch vent hose can clog from lint or can become kinked where it will not vent properly and this causes the moisture laden air to escape into the home instead of to the outdoors. It's easy to check the hose by just taking a flashlight and looking behind the dryer between it and the wall. If you see a buildup of lint then you know the vent hose is either clogged or kinked and it's time to check further. If you can locate where the vent empty's into the outside air, turn the dryer on and check to see if the airflow is unobstructed. If it is then there may be a hole in the hose next to the dryer. Utility Sink If you have a Laundry Sink in the Laundry Rm, "Congrats" That's one of the handiest things available in a Laundry area. The Laundry sink can be a source of leaks that are troublesome but are easy to find and fix. Just as any other, the Faucet Set and The Trap and Drain should be checked often and repaired if a leak is found.

               Use this form to send your questions or comments, Thanks.  



                                                   

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