Outdoor Fire Pits

By Mark J. Donovan

Outdoor fire pits are great for enjoying the outdoors. During my recent vacation we gathered around our lake home’s outdoor fire pit just about every evening. Our particular fire pit sits at the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Most summer Friday and Saturday evenings my family and friends gather round it to watch the evening boaters and to look up at the night sky. Often we have a telescope handy to check out the Moon, Saturn, Venus and Mars.

An outdoor fire pit is easy to build. Years ago we constructed ours by simply digging a slightly recessed hole into the ground and encircling it with concrete pavers. It was about 3 feet in diameter. Recently we updated our outdoor fire pit construction by replacing the concrete pavers with elongated granite blocks that were placed vertically into the ground. Mortar was added in between the granite blocks to create a solid ring. Sandy soil was placed in the center of the outdoor fire pit to allow for good drainage.

Every year before using our outdoor fire pit we visit our local fire department office and pull a season permit for a campfire. It costs nothing and provides a little protection in the event of an accident. After 12 years of frequent summer use we’ve yet to ever have a safety issue with our outdoor fire permit. A few simple safety precautions, e.g. always dousing the fire completely out at the end of the evening, can go a long way in preventing accidents.

Painting Exterior Wood Trim

By Mark J. Donovan

Painting exterior wood trim can be painstakingly slow. Cutting with a paint brush is an unhurried and laborious task with any type of paint job. However, if you are installing new exterior wood trim you can make your life a whole lot easier. After you purchase the exterior wood trim lumber, and before you begin to work with it, pre-paint it. By pre-painting exterior wood trim you’ll save a tremendous amount of time, achieve a more professional paint job, and better protect the wood. Why will you protect the wood better? Because, when you pre-paint the exterior wood trim you can paint all sides of it, thus completely sealing and protecting the piece of lumber from moisture absorption. Also, keep a paint brush and small pail of paint near the miter saw so that you can touch up the ends of the cut exterior wood trim pieces with paint, again to completely seal the wood. Moreover, whenever possible buy pre-primed exterior trim lumber. With any type of paint job a primer should be first applied .

If you’re painting exterior wood trim that is already attached to the home, then you have no choice but to use a paint brush and do the traditional cutting method. When painting exterior trim I find it best to use a brand new 2-1/2 inch wide tapered paint brush. This way I am sure to have a nice sharp and clean paint brush edge. Then with my small paint pail in hand I start at the top of the exterior wood trim and work my way across and down, finally completing the bottom apron piece. I follow this method for around doors and windows, as well as along the exterior wood trim that may exist on the side edges of the home. By following this process I can be sure to clean up any accidental paint drips that may have occurred on the main house siding as I work my way down.

With any type of exterior painting project always make sure the wood is completely dry and that there is no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours. The last thing you want is to have running wet paint dripping down the side of your house siding.

San Francisco Trip - Homes and Napa Valley Vineyard Tours

By Mark J. Donovan

Last week I was in the San Francisco area visiting various tourist sites and checking out the home and housing markets. I also had a chance to meet up with an old friend and get his perspective on the housing market. As the rest of the country, the San Francisco housing market is still very soft.

I also had a chance to visit a few vineyards in the Napa Valley area including Robert Mondavi, Beringer Vineyards, and Sutter Home Winery. I took the tours at Robert Mondavi and Beringer Vineyards and got inspired on trying to make my own wine. I’ve already made my first batch of “Must” and am in the process of fermenting it. In a week I’ll rack it for the first time and transition it to a carboy for further fermentation and aging. I will rack it again three weeks later and then most likely bottle it in a couple of months.

While touring San Francisco I got to see a number of unique homes in the area and took a slew of pictures. Most interesting to me was some of the ornate fireplaces and interior trim work I observed.

I also had a chance to tour Muir Woods and get an idea and better appreciation of Redwood trees. They were absolutely giant and gorgeous. Some of the trees were well over 1,000 years old.

I also visited the Silicon Valley area and checked out some of my old haunts when I worked for a company located in the area. Not much has changed. Silicon valley is still filled with young high tech company’s looking to get rich quick, and add some value to the world – in that order I must add. Traffic is still a snarl during much of the day and early evenings.

Silicon Valley traffic aside, the trip was great. I got to see a lot of the area this time without having to visit customers and deal with pushy corporate management. I can’t wait to visit again.

Time to Install the Portable Air Conditioners

By Mark J. Donovan

With summer getting into full swing it’s time to pull out those portable air conditioners, clean them up a little, and install them. Portable air conditioners are perfect for cooling rooms and even entire homes, albeit with multiple units installed in the case of cooling an entire house. However, it’s important to install portable air conditioners in or near windows so that that the condensed hot air and moisture that is pulled from the home can be vented outdoors.

When preparing to install your portable air conditioner check the filters and clean or replace them if necessary. Often all you need to do to clean the air filter is to soak it in some warm soapy dish detergent water and gently scrub it. Let it fully dry, however, before installing it back into the portable air conditioner. Also make sure the air conditioner chassis vents are free of dust and lint. A clogged air filter not only causes the air conditioner to work harder, it also prevents the air conditioner from cooling off the room or home quickly. Also, if your portable air conditioner has a drain hose make sure it is free of debris that could cause it to clog.

If the portable air conditioner doesn’t seem to produce and/or blow out cold air after doing these few simple maintenance tips it may be wise to simply replace it, particularly if the fan or compressor is no longer working. The cost of portable air conditioner repairs are often as much as buying a new one.

Purpose of Ice and Water Shield

By Mark J. Donovan

I often get asked what exactly is Ice and Water Shield. When I first started receiving this question I was somewhat shocked that people were unaware of this roofing product. Ice and water shield has been a godsend in the housing industry for years now. It is used for protecting homes and roofs from water and ice damage and every responsible builder and roofer uses it today.

So what is ice and water shield? Simply put, it is a flexible and sticky membrane that is
placed on the roof sheathing prior to installing the shingles. This membrane seals up
leak-tight around roofing nails that puncture it. It is used mainly along the roof
edges and in the valleys, and along walls or chimneys to protect against ice dams and water seeping underneath flashing.

Ice and water shield is commonly sold in 3 foot width rolls. Typically one or two courses of it is installed along the roof eaves to achieve 3 to 6 feet of coverage. In the roof valleys it is usually positioned so that there is about 18 inches of coverage on either side of the valley. Where a roof abuts a wall the ice and water shield is typically installed up the wall 6 to 18 inches. House siding is then installed over it.

So if you are having your roof reshingled make sure that the roofing contractor includes the installation of ice and water shield in the quote.