If you’re bored and what to play a game that is homeowner related, try this little home-maintenance action game Home Owners Revenge.The game demonstrates to home owners how their homes may be at risk from leaves, birds, and other critters that invade the plumbing pipes on their rooftops.
"This new, interactive video game is designed to give tormented home owners a creative outlet while educating them and encouraging them to have a good time," said Kenneth Brown, president of the creator of the game, JAF Industries.The game tests speed, hand-eye coordination, and includes three proficiency levels: easy, hard, and insane. Miss a falling leaf or bird and the penalty is a big bill. Get too many bills and you lose your home.
Of course, every time you lose the game you get a commercial for the services of JAF Industries, but hey, we already said that you were bored. The real point of the game is to let you see the damage and potential repair costs of letting debris and critters have access to your plumbing pipes.
I suppose we could have a similar game where leaves collect in your gutters and then they fall off or water drips off and gets into your basement or ice dams build up and your roof leaks. What fun!
Perhaps in our modern attention-deficient-disorder oriented world games like this are the only way to get attention on problems that need attention. Maybe we should have a mortgage foreclosure game. You could watch as the little cartoon sheriff auctions off your house and then kicks your little cartoon behind out of the house. You’ll be laughing all the way to the curb. Wait! Maybe a little cartoon congressman will appear out of nowhere, with little cartoon fists full of money and bail you out. How can real life get any better?
Someone pass me a pen. I want to draw a little cartoon Lotto official showing up at my door to tell me that I won the Big Game Lotto drawing. Then you can have the pen back.
Showing posts with label home maintenance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home maintenance. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Prevent chimney fires...
I got behind a service truck the other day that got me thinking about this topic. It was a truck from one of the local chimney sweep services. I haven’t had my chimney done in a few years and need to get on that.
The National Fire Protection Association advises, "Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents should be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs should be done if necessary." This is particularly important in common wall communities like condominiums and townhouses where a chimney fire can spread to neighboring units.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be cleaned at 1/4" of sooty buildup, and sooner if there is any glaze present in the system. Factory-built fireplaces should be cleaned when any appreciable buildup occurs. This is considered to be enough fuel buildup to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home. The fact that fireplaces are rarely used doesn’t change the need for inspection. Birds and other animals may build nests in the flue or there may be other types of deterioration that could make the chimney unsafe to use. Chimney caps rust away defeating the spark protection features. For a great article on the “anatomy” of your fireplace click here.
The chimney is one of those “out of sight-out of mind” areas of maintenance in most houses. We never seem to think about them when we are using them and by then it’s too late. For a great FAQ section by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, click here.
Finally, there are differences in the woods that you might burn in your fireplace that can make a big difference in how fast creosote build-up occurs in your chimney and how much risk there is for a chimney fire. Click here, for an article to read on that topic.
Before fall turns to winter and fireplace burning starts, arrange this critical fire safety inspection and make sure to include it in your budget next year as a line item so you don’t forget to do it. The key is to just do it.
The National Fire Protection Association advises, "Chimneys, fireplaces, and vents should be inspected at least once a year for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances. Cleaning, maintenance, and repairs should be done if necessary." This is particularly important in common wall communities like condominiums and townhouses where a chimney fire can spread to neighboring units.
The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that open masonry fireplaces should be cleaned at 1/4" of sooty buildup, and sooner if there is any glaze present in the system. Factory-built fireplaces should be cleaned when any appreciable buildup occurs. This is considered to be enough fuel buildup to cause a chimney fire capable of damaging the chimney or spreading to the home. The fact that fireplaces are rarely used doesn’t change the need for inspection. Birds and other animals may build nests in the flue or there may be other types of deterioration that could make the chimney unsafe to use. Chimney caps rust away defeating the spark protection features. For a great article on the “anatomy” of your fireplace click here.
The chimney is one of those “out of sight-out of mind” areas of maintenance in most houses. We never seem to think about them when we are using them and by then it’s too late. For a great FAQ section by the Chimney Safety Institute of America, click here.
Finally, there are differences in the woods that you might burn in your fireplace that can make a big difference in how fast creosote build-up occurs in your chimney and how much risk there is for a chimney fire. Click here, for an article to read on that topic.
Before fall turns to winter and fireplace burning starts, arrange this critical fire safety inspection and make sure to include it in your budget next year as a line item so you don’t forget to do it. The key is to just do it.
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