Answers
Systems and maintenance
Plumbing, air conditioning, energy and the short maintenance list that prevents most expensive calls in Florida.
6 questions
- Insurer wants polybutylene gone - what's involved?A whole-home repipe, and it is less awful than it sounds. Typically PEX run through the attic and dropped down walls, so drywall is cut at each fixture and at the manifold rather than the slab being trenched. Check whether drywall repair is included — often it is not.Read the answer
- Four HVAC quotes, four different sizes - who's right?Whichever one did a Manual J load calculation, and if none of them did, none of them are right. Sizing by square footage or by what is already installed is guessing, and oversizing is the classic Florida mistake — a clammy, cool house.Read the answer
- Best bang for buck to cut a Florida power bill?In order of return: air sealing first, then attic insulation to R-38 or better, then sealing or replacing bad duct work, then a radiant barrier. Windows are last — they are a comfort and noise upgrade more than an energy one.Read the answer
- Making the house safe for an aging parent - where to start?Bathroom first, because that is where the falls happen: a curbless or low-threshold shower, a handheld on a slide bar, a comfort-height toilet and grab bars lagged into blocking. Then lighting, which prevents more falls than almost anything else.Read the answer
- First-year homeowner - what should I actually be doing?Florida-specific and short: flush the AC condensate line monthly, change the filter, clear gutters before the wet season, check for damp under sinks and around the water heater, and know where the main water shutoff is before you need it.Read the answer
- Cracks keep coming back at the door corners - normal?Cracks at the upper corners of doors and windows are the most common cracks there are, because that is where the wall is weakest. Hairline and stable means tape and repair rather than caulk. Worry if they are wide, diagonal across the wall, or matched by cracks in the slab or stucco.Read the answer