Space-Age Style Is it a bird, a plane? No. It’s an indoor air purifier! With a patented advanced ionization process and conventional electrostatic filter techniques, the IonFlow 50 Surface by Lightair is as savvy as it looks. The smallest model of the silent, award-winning Swedish-made appliance, which stands 22 inches tall and w… Read more...

Spring is a time of increasing bounty, but when precipitation is a bit too bountiful or concentrated in an undesirable location, long-term damage can result. The impact may be on the landscaping, on the basement or crawlspace or on the home interior if roof, flashing or gutter details are inadequate. Even if the landscape surrounding a home was properly graded at the time of construction, things… Read more...

The big “m” word. MOLD! It scares people and has created more litigation than ever before. Foreclosed and vacant properties can be even riskier since there can be a higher presence of mold in these houses. Banks have established special disclaimer forms dealing with mold when selling a foreclosure. No one wants to take responsibility and for good reason. The clean-up and the mitigation can be… Read more...

The first wave of the baby boomer generation just hit 65, but these individuals are far from giving up the active lifestyle and creature comforts they have come to know. Today’s housing market has baby boomers either selling their homes to downsize or remaining in their homes for the long term. For those who want to remain in their homes, some improvements should be considered when remodeling t… Read more...

Several months ago during the course of a home inspection, I approached an electrical panel box located in the basement. I noticed that hanging below the panel box, coiled on a nail, there was a large sheathed wire with a 220-volt ale cap attached to the end. Following the wire further, I discovered it was connected directly to a 40-amp breaker as a 220 circuit. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the… Read more...

Tamper-resistant receptacles look the same as a standard receptacle. They are made with shutters specifically designed to allow a two- or three-prong plug to enter while preventing other objects such as nails, forks, keys, etc., from penetrating. The National Electrical Code (NEC) for 2008 requires tamper-resistant receptacles in all new homes in participating jurisdictions. Georgia adopted the c… Read more...

Most of the time when I talk about tools, I mean hand tools or power tools, portable or bench tools, things you hammer, cut, drill or sand with. Tools! Having been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, I have been forced to recognize one of the most important tools available to any homeowner, especially when planning a home improvement project. You are probably ahead of me already.… Read more...

Let’s face it: Mold has become part of our daily lives, causing anticipation, fear and panic. There are those that are using the “m” word as intimidation to make money. Usually these mold mitigation businesses do not have the certification or the expertise to do the job and leave the consumer in a worse position than when they began, including a large dent in their cash reserves. Understandi… Read more...

Clichés and proverbial sayings persist because they contain more than just a little truth. “Waste not, want not,” for example, has both private and public application. If the conservation concept of reuse, as discussed in our last article, is the private application, recycling is the public one. While the homeowner may not benefit directly from recycling, the indirect benefits are substantial… Read more...

Could your home use a little TLC? Take advantage of one-stop shopping! Whether it’s a want or a need you’ll find it at the 28th Annual Fall Atlanta Home Show. Hundreds of exhibits and thousands in savings can be found for three days only at the Cobb Galleria. It’s a great opportunity for comparison shopping where you can see the actual products, learn from the experts and discover the new tr… Read more...