Oregon's Smoke Alarm Law: A Refresher - 08/25/10 10:48 AM
I thought it might be helpful for buyers, sellers and agents in Oregon if I posted some information on smoke alarms.
I've been amazed at how many homes still do not have the kind of smoke alarms required by Oregon law when a house is sold and many of these homes have sold two or three times since the law went info effect in 2002.
Oregon State law (ORS 479.260) requires that when you sell your home, all smoke alarms must meet the following requirements.
All Ionization smoke alarms must have a hush feature and if solely battery powered must also … (0 comments)

Planning for an Evacuation - 08/24/10 10:48 AM
With all the forest fires going on in our neck of the woods I thought I'd post some tips to help prepare for an evacuation.
Use care when driving as smoke may hinder your visibility. Have an alternate route in mind in case your primary route is closed!
IF ADVISED TO EVACUATE, DO SO IMMEDIATELY! You may have only minutes to act. Save yourself and those with you.
Read the checklists for During and After. The checklists on the left provide tips on how to react during and after the event. These tips can help to further reduce property damage … (1 comments)

Black mildew on fresh paint Q & A - 08/17/10 10:43 AM
Q: We painted our house last spring, but now there's a black mildew growth on porch columns and other exterior trim (see photo). We stripped the old paint, sanded, primed with oil-base primer, and then topcoated with oil-base paint. Even after cleaning with bleach, the growth returns. How can we solve this problem?
A:  Mildew spores are everywhere, so exposure to the source is impossible to control. If the wood or existing paint is infected, the mildew must be killed and removed before you add another coat of paint to the columns and trim. Mildew will grow through coatings of paint. For the best … (2 comments)

Are Energy-Efficient Appliances Worth It? - 08/16/10 10:30 AM
The price premiums for Energy Star dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators, and freezers are small and pay for themselves in no time.

When homes turn over, is it green to automatically turn over all of the major appliances as well? The answer is likely to be yes. Unlike many other goods, major appliances in the US over the last 20 years have gone way UP in energy efficiency while going DOWN in price. Research by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories shows that between 1980 and 2001, the energy efficiency of refrigerators and freezers improved by about 60% while at the same … (1 comments)

Yellowjacket Wasp Control - It's That Time of Year - 08/13/10 10:51 AM

Yellowjacket wasps live in large colonies dominated by a queen. Colonies start in the spring when the queen emerges from winter dormancy. Once she rears a few workers (female offspring) the queen no longer leaves the nest. Colonies grow throughout summer, reach maximum size by fall then begin to decline. Most nests die out before winter. Only mated queens survive until the following spring.
Colonies become aggressive in late summer
Wasps can be particularly aggressive in late summer when colonies reach maximum size. This aggression is generally associated with colony defense but wasp stings can occur away from the nest … (1 comments)

Safety Sense: Bugs? Not in Your Backyard - 08/10/10 10:40 AM

Sure, spending time outdoors is great - except for all the bugs. But experts say you can stay bug free - without spending a fortune - if you...
Get out the clippers.Keep tree branches cut back from your deck and patio, and minimize ants. Also, pull up any weeds nearby. Mosquitoes use them as rest stops.
Give flowers a shower.Soaking them thoroughly with a garden hose before a picnic or party to mimic a rain shower. Pollinating insects like bees don't like wet conditions and will stay away until plants dry out. That's usually about two hours.
Blow bugs away... … (2 comments)

Inspection Insights: Lead-Based Paint - 08/09/10 10:34 AM
 

April 2010, a new federal regulation regarding lead paint has just taken affect for every building built before 1978 - and unlike an earlier law, includes apartments and not just common areas. Starting April 22, 2010, any hired professional - from outside contractor to your co-op or condo's super - must have a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lead-paint-removal training and certification for any painting, window/door replacement or anything else that disturbs more than six square feet of paint in an apartment or house.
Two thirds of homes and half of the schools and day care centers built before … (0 comments)

Household Maintenance: Dealing With Lead Paint - 08/06/10 10:24 AM
With the implementation of the new lead paint paint law there are some common sense things to remember:
Lead poisoning does not happen overnight, so do not panic. For peace of mind, you can test your children for lead poisoning with a simple blood test done by your family physician. Wash children's toys often - toys may collect dust. Wet mop floors and wipe surfaces weekly to minimize the amount of lead dust. Have children wash their hands often, especially before meals. Do not attempt to remove lead-based paint yourself as you may create a much bigger problem by spreading lead … (0 comments)

Ventilation Choices: Three Ways to Keep Indoor Air Fresh - 08/05/10 12:01 AM


ABOUT VENTILATION
Delivering the right amount of fresh air

All the effort that goes into creating tighter houses results in significant energy savings and greater comfort. But moisture, chemical toxins, and cooking odors can't dissipate as easily in a house with a tight envelope as in a leaky house. Opening a few windows may provide too much or too little ventilation, with adverse effects on comfort in either case. Even in houses where building materials and furnishings have been carefully chosen to reduce indoor air pollutants, some form of mechanical ventilation is a prerequisite for healthy occupants and … (3 comments)

Bark Side Up or Bark Side Down? - 08/04/10 07:18 PM

So when you install pressure treated, flat sawn, wood decking, do you face the bark side up (left in photo) or bark side down (right in photo)?  Ask ten people and half will likely say ‘bark-side-up,' a few will say ‘bark-side-down' and the rest will shrug their shoulders.   For some direction, we can turn to wood scientists - they actually study stuff like this.
But who cares and what do we hope to gain by orienting deck boards a particular way?  The objectives for orienting the decking bark side up or down are to minimize cupping (which leaves raised edges … (2 comments)

Setting The Stage: Making Your Stove Shine - 08/04/10 10:40 AM
One of the most dreaded cleaning chores is the mainstay of every kitchen - the stove. Here are some easy environmentally friendly ways to keep your stove shining with less effort.
… (0 comments)

DEQ is seeking public comments on its proposal to raise fees - 08/02/10 01:02 PM
DEQ is seeking public comments on its proposal to raise fees for certifying that activities requiring licenses and permits comply with water quality requirements and standards. The fees would apply to most removal, fill and other activities - except hydroelectric projects - that may result in discharges to navigable state waters.
DEQ is proposing the fee increase to ensure sufficient revenues and staff for implementing the 401 certification program, including reducing the time for certification review and increasing technical assistance. The increased fees, as directed by the 2009 Oregon Legislature, will be based on projected program costs rather than on volume … (0 comments)

Drying Clothes With Less Energy - 08/02/10 12:57 PM

Today we'll turn our attention to drying, which accounts for approximately 6% of all household electricity consumption in the U.S.
The more effectively we extract water from clothes during the spin cycle of washing, the less energy it takes to dry them. That's another reason the new horizontal-axis (H-axis or front-loading) clothes washers are so good. The extremely fast spin speeds remove far more moisture than vertical-axis top-loaders-and more than some H-axis machines.
When we traded in our older, entry-level Frigidaire H-axis on a new Whirlpool Duet mode, the difference in water removal was dramatic. It seemed that the clothes came … (0 comments)

 
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Chris Livingston

Portland, OR

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Address: Portland, OR, 97224

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Serving all of the Portland Metro and outlying areas for over 13 years. We serve buyers and sellers ranging from first time homebuyers, to captains of industry.


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