by Marci Broderick | Oct 21, 2014 | Miscellaneous
Wet walls can be one of your home’s scariest nightmares. Water saturation can disintegrate wallboard and cause wood to swell, rot, and warp. Moisture acts as an unwanted invitation to mold, mildew, and fungus, and if your walls get too saturated with water, they risk total collapse. According to the American Society of Home Inspectors, “most new homes develop basement leaks within 10 to 15 years, and over 60% of basements have moisture seepage, while 38% experience mold and fungus growth due to an elevated moisture level.” Whether your walls are wet because of heavy storms, plumbing leaks, or leaking cracks, it’s important to get them taken care of before they lead to irreparable damage.
by Marci Broderick | Oct 8, 2014 | Miscellaneous
Your home is your biggest investment. It’s probably your largest purchase, ever, and you want to keep it strong and safe for a really long time, right? So you’re probably already aware of that crack going through your living room ceiling…and wondering what to do about it. But before I give you a solution (and don’t worry, I will), it’s important to know what caused that crack in the first place.
by Marci Broderick | Sep 30, 2014 | Miscellaneous
A Crawl Space is built below the living area of a home. Although it doesn’t have the same depth and height as an actual basement, a crawl space can serve as a much less expensive version. Since a home is built on top of the crawl space, structural instability within the crawl space can mean serious issues for the strength and safety of the home itself. This particular crawl space under an Arizona home is one such case; a bowed ceiling threatened the safety of the crawl space and the home’s living area. The homeowner chose HJ3’s StrongHold™ system to repair her crawl space rather than strengthening the ceiling with heavy and expensive steel beams.
by Marci Broderick | Sep 25, 2014 | Miscellaneous
It’s no mystery that home values and home remodel spending have declined significantly in the last several years. Contractors and homeowners alike have struggled to keep their heads above water as foreclosures and a declining economy have taken over the housing market. But good news has finally arrived! Home values are increasing, which means homeowners have more equity and financing options available for home remodels. In fact, census trends indicate that home remodel spending is at its highest point in several years. As HJ3’s StrongHold Product Specialist, I’ve seen first hand just how busy home contractors have been this season. And while housing statistics and home remodel trending reports indicate that the rise in home improvements will start to ease going into 2015, the projections for 2015 are still far above what we’ve seen from the past few years.
by Marci Broderick | Sep 16, 2014 | Miscellaneous
Buying a home with fix-up potential can save you money, but it can also cost you a fortune if the wrong things are wrong with it. Look past the new paint job and sparkling appliances and instead, inspect the structure of your possible new home. A solid, good quality foundation with an old kitchen or a bathroom that desperately needs updating will usually be a much better buy, and will save you a significant amount of money in the long run.
by Marci Broderick | Sep 12, 2014 | Miscellaneous
Several factors can play a role in damaging your home’s foundation. Unfortunately, most of these factors occur silently over time, and are therefore difficult to identify. But if your foundation is damaged, your home will let you know in other, less subtle manners. If you notice any of the following, you might want to consider contacting a foundation expert; many repairs can be relatively inexpensive if caught early enough.
by Marci Broderick | Sep 11, 2014 | Miscellaneous
The Fall season is upon us, bringing the changing of tree leaves and cooler weather everywhere (yay!). But for many parts of the country, Fall also brings moisture, which can be damaging for your foundation.
Let me clarify. Moisture isn’t bad for your foundation. In fact, in dry conditions, it’s imperative to make sure your foundation gets enough water. But what can be damaging for your foundation is the transition from dry seasons to wet ones (and vice versa).
