Month: January 2016

HOME MAINTENANCE: When There is A Hole Under Your Foundation

Home Improvement, Home Maintenance/Repairs, Home Safety

WHEN AN ANIMAL DIGS UNDER THE FOUNDATION

A hole dug under the foundation of your home can cause major damage.

A hole dug under the foundation of your home can cause major damage.

Last Thursday I got what may go down in history as the most unusual home repair request I have ever received.  A client of mine asked for my help with damage to the dirt beneath their addition foundation which was caused by their “free” rabbit.
It turns out the bunny dug a hole about 8″ in diameter and 42″ long beneath the footer and under the main portion of the house with an even larger area at the end!
I will be solving the structural problem by pumping concrete into the hole, and the homeowner has put their very expensive “free” rabbit back into her enclosure so she can do no further damage.
While this is a very easy structural repair to make, I have solved far more difficult ones for other clients.  From a sinking house corner, to termite eaten posts and beams, to roof joists hanging on by a wing and a prayer, I have repaired them all.

 

If you, or someone you know, suspect(s) that you or they have a house with a structural issue, please call me at 561-795-2551 and I will be happy to look at it and give you my professional opinion on how to solve the problem.

For all of your home remodeling and inspection needs, contact your local certified “roomologist”, Leading Edge Homes. Inc. at 561-795-2551.

Todd Perry, a State of Florida Certified Building Contractor and president of Leading Edge Homes, Inc., provided this information.

If you have questions about a home improvement project, call Leading Edge Homes at 561-795-2551 or email Todd at: todd@leadingedgehomes.com and he’ll be happy to share his knowledge with you.

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KITCHEN REMODELING: Which Cooktop is More Efficient

Home Improvement

WHICH COOKTOP IS MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT – GAS, ELECTRIC OR INDUCTION?

 

       
This may come as a shock to you, but the Perry house is not immune to appliance failures.  Recently the microwave oven and the cooktop have developed problems, and it doesn’t make sense to put money into 12+ year old appliances.
While out looking for a replacement cooktop, we got quite an education.  There are three types of cooktops available on the market: Gas, Electric and Induction. This is how they are different:

Gas: This type of cooktop has a burner on top and uses gas (LPG or PNG) to burn a flame that is used to heat a pot.

Electric: This type of cooktop has a coil that heats up due to resistance when current passes through it. As its name implies, it uses electricity to generate heat which makes a pot hot.

Induction: Although this type of cooktop uses electricity, it uses the magnetic property of steel to directly heat a pot.  Unlike other cooking methods, it does not use flames or a red-hot element to transfer heat to a pot. Thus it is considered more energy efficient. Also, it only heats the pot which is in direct contact, thus reducing the possibility of a burn injury.

Efficiencies of various cooktops 

The US Department of Energy did some boiling water tests to come up with the efficiency of various cooktops (Source: US DOE) and below is the result of the tests:
Gas
Electric
Induction
Efficiency
40%
74%
84%
The efficiency mentioned above is based on the heat transferred to the pot kept on top of the cooktop. Please note that the efficiency also depends on the size of pot used compared to the size of the flame/heating surface. The numbers above are based on an ideal setup.
So what did I buy?  An induction cooktop.  I’ll let you know how we like it once it arrives in about two weeks and I install it.

For all of your home remodeling and inspection needs, contact your local certified “roomologist”, Leading Edge Homes. Inc. at 561-795-2551.

Want to see some of our work? Visit our website or view our online book.

Todd Perry, a State of Florida Certified Building Contractor and president of Leading Edge Homes, Inc., provided this information.

If you have questions about a home improvement project, call Leading Edge Homes at 561-795-2551 or email Todd at: todd@leadingedgehomes.com and he’ll be happy to share his knowledge with you.