As a follow up to our article at the beginning of December 2011 on, preventing and minimizing fires in your home I thought it would be good to include a very important article on wood burning in your home.  With the increasing natural gas and fuel oil heating costs, many homeowners are turning to wood burning stoves to keep their home warm. Beware, that while you are saving money, you may increase your risk of a home fire.

I personally had an experience at my home a few years ago with a small fire that could have been disastrous. A candle up on a pedestal was not extinguished before going to bed and the candle in the glass container burned to just liquid and broke the glass spilling the hot candle fluid on top of the table cloth starting a big fire.  Luckily our fire alarm worked very quickly and let us know where the fire was.  I grabbed the fire extinguisher in the bedroom and ran out with the flames shooting to the ceiling.  I snuffed the fire out quickly by covering it with a nice tablecloth (cheaper than a new home) my backup was the extinguisher. The only damage we had was a little suet on the ceiling.  My dry natural Christmas tree was only a few feet away from the fire.  This was a very good lesson to put out all candles, make sure the natural Christmas tree is kept moist and last but not least we have for the most part changed to battery operated candles.

Below is a list of items that I feel are really important and hope you find this useful.

It is always wonderful when we can learn from the knowledge of others gathered from experiences. One thing I have learned, from being in business for many years, is that somewhere someone has already figured out something we want to know and are usually willing to share. Add to this list and pass on to others!

1. Wax paper is endlessly useful. Use it: To catch grated cheese, to place under seasoned flour for breading or spices for blackening, to tear into strips to slip under a cake you are icing, to cover a dish you are microwaving.
2. If you store your best silver in self-sealing plastic bags, it will tarnish much more slowly.
3. Never use disinfectants to clean the fridge, foods will pick up taste and odor.
4. Freezers run more efficiently when they're three-quarters or more full. When provisions drop, fill milk cartons or jugs with water and put them in the freezer to take up empty space.
5. For a fresh smelling fridge, keep a box of baking soda, a can filled with charcoal or dried coffee grounds or a cotton ball soaked in vanilla extract inside of it.
6. Drain de-clogger: 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup vinegar. Pour baking soda down drain first then follow with the vinegar. Close drain and let sit until bubbling has stopped then follow with a bucket of hot boiling water.
7. Refrigerate candles for several hours before lighting; it will cause fewer drips.
8. Have you ever peeled garlic or handled it and your hands smell to high heaven? The next time that happens, take any stainless steel bowl, pan or other stainless steel kitchen gadget and rub your hands on it. It will take away the smell of garlic.
9. Mice hate the scent of peppermint extract. Simply sprinkle *pure* peppermint extract on the items in your garage you don't want the mice in or on.
10. Spread some ground cinnamon where you think the ants are coming in to the house.
11. Minimize bacon shrinkage by running bacon under water before frying. This reduces shrinkage by about 50%
12. Always season your food while you are cooking. The seasonings work while the food is cooking and will not be the same if you add it at the table. And, always salt your meat before cooking will not become tough-It will bring out the juice and flavors.
13. Have Wooden Floors?
    Tired of your rocking chair making marks on those shiny floors? Glue some felt weather stripping underneath the rockers! Should stop some of the creaking, too!
14. Don’t forget to remove the emergency starting batteries in your gas fireplace to prevent corrosion of the battery case.  Batteries should only be re-installed when in an emergency you need to light the fireplace.
15. Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible on each floor and especially in the bedrooms.Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage.  Excess wattage over the recommendation may cause overheating of fixture.  When buying light bulbs buy 130 volt bulbs instead of the standard 120 volt because they will last much longer.
16. Have readily available the phone #’s of a plumber, electrician, heating contractor, and a roofer.
17. Review your fire escape plan with your family.
18. Test to See if You Have a Leaky Toilet 
    1. Add food coloring to the toilet tank (not the toilet bowl) Do not flush for 30 minutes. If the water in the toilet bowl changes color, you have a leaking toilet.
19. Unstuck sticky windows by opening them and rubbing wax or spraying silicone into the tracks on both sides. Move the window up and down several times to work the wax or silicone lubricant into the frame.
20. Protect all your electrical appliances from power surges and lightning by installing a whole house surge protector to be done by a licensed electrical contractor.
21. Replace all extension cords that have become brittle, worn or damaged.
22. Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.  Excess dust or insects on the inside may cause a false alarm.
23. The average life span for household appliances:
    • Central Air Conditioner 15 Years
    • Room Air Conditioner 12 year
    • Clothes Dryer 18 years
    • Washing Machine 13 years
    • Dishwasher 12 years
    • Refrigerator 20 years
    • Upright Freezer 20 years
    • Kitchen Stove 18 Years
    • Water Heater 13 years

If you have additional household living tips we would appreciate if you could This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it them to Kaufman Homes!

We get various questions from homeowners regarding the maintenance of their granite countertops. Granite is perceived to be durable and maintenance free, and in most cases that applies to most stone counters, but not all granite is the same. Although granite is extremely hard, some of the minerals in it may be very soft, depending on the type of granite.  The type of finish may affect how often the countertop should be cleaned and sealed. A polished finish is more desirable in the kitchen because it is easier to keep clean. Other finishes, such as, honed, flamed, sand blasted and brushed are available but will require more attention to the maintenance of the countertop. Knowing how and when to clean and seal your granite countertops will ensure they will maintain their beauty well beyond the life of your home.

The easiest way to keep your stone looking great is to avoid bad habits that may damage it. Granite, marble, travertine, limestone, soapstone, quartz and solid surface are similar in many ways, but their differences require varying degrees of maintenance.

Going away for a period of time means you are either leaving your home for a vacation or going on extended stay. Either way we all go with concerns for what may happen to our home while we are gone, what services have we forgotten to cancel and how secure is our home while gone. Hopefully the following list will help prepare your home and yourselves for vacation and give you more piece of mind and avert potential problems or disasters. Kaufman Homes can do many of these items for you or do a consultation on the proper ways to do preparation.

Regular Vacations:

• Have newspaper and mail stopped or regularly picked up by a designated person
• Have bottled water service stopped.
• Turn off gas to water heater or turn down temperature to conserve energy.
• Let your trusted yard service company know that you will be gone and to keep their eyes open and give them your cell # or a trusted persons #.
• Ask a designated person to check periodically on your home.
• Make sure a designated person knows where the water main shut-off is located in the event of a broken pipe.
• Set timers on interior lights to deter burglars
• Unplug TV, computer and appliances susceptible to lightning and power surges.  Or install a whole house surge protection system.
• Advise your alarm company and local police if you will be gone for an extended vacation.  In  case of an alarm who will they call?
• Turn off water valves to your washing machine, ice maker and dishwasher
• Take jewelry and valuable papers to a safe deposit box or a personal fireproof safe.
• Call your credit card company and inform them where you will be going so when they see an unusual spending pattern that they don’t cancel or suspend your credit card.
• Turn off your waterfalls or water feature or have a designated person check periodically to see that it is working properly or to feed the fish if necessary.
• Always give phone numbers of where you can be reached on vacation to trusted relatives, neighbors or friends.
• Be willing to reciprocate to those who have helped you while you were on vacation.
• Inform trusted yard Maintenance Company that you will be gone and who to call if have a problem or observe a problem.

Extended Vacations:

• When going on an extended vacation, especially during the winter months, turn off water meter on the street side to keep water meter from potentially freezing.  If an extended cold period happens while you are gone, and there is no daily water running through the meter, the stagnant water in the meter and water line gets colder each day and as the cold weather continues it may freeze the meter solid and when it thaws the bottom of the meter is designed to break but water will run on the ground until someone turns the meter off on the street side.  If you have an indoor fire sprinkler system do not turn off water meter, but instead insulate the meter by putting insulation on and around the meter.
• Some people suggest leaving an outside faucet dripping but that wastes a lot of water and also freezing weather will cause the dripping water on the ground to build up unnecessary ice.
• Open cabinet doors to allow heat to reach non insulated pipes under sinks and where appliances are near exterior walls.  This is especially important with older homes which may not have much or any wall insulation.
• Turn off gas to water heater if gone for extended period of time.

So there is the list and the various ways that you could prepare your home for vacation. It is pretty long and we know that people are busy and because of that we are excited to annouce that our Home Repair Services division can easily take on any of these tasks and take more off your plate.

It is very important to always have your home prepared for emergencies such as power outages and or many other natural disasters which may interrupt your normal living patterns.If at all possible designate a place in your home, which is readily accessible, to these emergency items. I have lived through a variety of emergency situations and found the following items to be important and I also didn’t always have these things gathered together in one place. An unexpected emergency or disaster is stress enough without having to find the items needed to deal with the situation, especially in the dark!

Please be aware of vulnerable people, seniors, widows, single women and single mothers in your neighborhood who may be in need of some help at these times.

What to have on hand for a power outage, emergency or disaster:

1. Access to a flashlight, radio & fresh batteries. Always keep the batteries separate until you are ready to use them.
2. Candles & matches.
3. Bottled drinking water. Be sure to store at least one gallon per person per day. If a storm is forecast, fill the bathtub with water so bathroom facilities can still be used by pouring a bucket of water down the toilet to create a vacuum flush. This especially important to a home which may be on a private electric water pump.
4. If you have a fireplace or woodstove, keep kindling and dry firewood on hand. Store firewood at least 30 feet away from your home.
5. If you have a gas fireplace with a low voltage lighter, keep fresh batteries available if there is a power outage. Do not install batteries until needed as natural gas will corrode the batteries and the case if batteries are left installed for an extended period of time.
6. Clothing. Wear extra layers and cover your head with a hat. Have sleeping bags and blankets handy too.
7. Easy to prepare food items. Purchase items that don’t require much cooking - canned or instant soups, stews or chili, packaged freeze-dried meals, and protein or breakfast bars are good to have on hand.
8. Gas camp stoves, lanterns or barbecues. NEVER use a camp stove or barbecue indoors! Be sure to use any lanterns on a flat, stable and non-flammable surface. Make sure to have extra fuel for cooking outdoors.
9. Ample supply of essential prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs. During a storm, road travel may not be possible for several days.
10. First aid kit. Make sure that all of the supplies are filled ready to go.
11. Games. Board games and cards are fun and handy to pass the time.