It’s that time of  year again. The time when Arizona receives the most  substantial portion of rain for the year. In preparation for Monsoon season, Carrig and Dancer found a nifty article outlining the 20 or so chores needed to complete before monsoon season takes full force. The completion of these chores will ensure our homes are safe and dry from the severely heavy rainfall. Among the comprehensive list of chores like patching the roof, staking young trees, adding surge protection, and ensuring that your lawn and porch are ready to bear the rain, is a much overlooked task. That is the task of installing and properly situating vapor barriers. The vapor barrier is essentially a condensation controller for your insulation. It is used to resist diffusion of moisture through the wall, ceiling and floor assemblies. In the depiction below, the vapor retarder is on the interior of the wall. Which is common in hot, humid climates. The warm, moist air enters the wall cavity and accumulates onto the cold interior wall board.

One of the worst case scenarios homeowners may face is moisture damage. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , one third to one half of all homes have damp conditions which may result in the development of pollutants such as molds and bacteria. One of the best preventative practices, as advised by the H.U.D. is to install an exterior wall sheathing with an effective air barrier. This will significantly affect the pressure gradient across the wall. Sheathing of an exterior wall will create an air barrier that minimizes the intrusion of humid outside air.

-img src: www.stanford.edu

The effects of moisture damages are far reaching to say the least.
Carrig and Dancer specialize in residential and commercial insulation. We will service your every insulation need to improve the value and the comfort of your home.

Washing windows is one of the many have-to’s or honey-do’s we check off our home maintenance list every year. It requires time, organization, and a will to finish a job well done that improves both the look and feel of your home for family, friends, and neighbors.

Cleaning with Standard Window Cleaning solution and paper towels actually rubs the dirt around which creates streaks. On top of that, the motion creates a static charge which attracts even more dirt and dust to the windows.The following method is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly method that should enhance the length of time needed until the next cleaning cycle.

The first step is to gather the necessary materials. Get a few large buckets; one to hold the supplies, another bucket for the white-vinegar solution, and a third for the soap and water solution.

We recommend the following materials.

•                 One bucket of soap and water simple solution
•                 A ½ cup white vinegar one gallon water solution
•                 Squeegee
•                 Towels
•                 Sponges
•                 Lint-Free Cloths

Then count the windows in the house. Tally them up in order to not skip a single window. While checking off each window, inspect the amount of dirt and grime built up on each.  For those with an overwhelming amount of vinegar, use the soap and water solution with a separate cloth for that bucket.

Go around the grimy windows first with the soap and water. Remove the sediment gently with a separate cloth. Rinse and prepare for the white vinegar solution.

Now, begin washing using a sponge with the white vinegar solution. Place a towel at the bottom of the window to catch the excess water. After wiping the window down with the squeegee, use a towel to wipe once more with the white vinegar solution. Then dry with a lint-free cloth. Follow this procedure for each window.  It is a best practice to clean the windows during a time of day when the sun is not shining directly on the windows.

For more information on residential window installation, treatment, or insulation, contact Carrig and Dancer at 253 584 7704 or visit our website http://www.carriganddancerinsulation.com/