Print written by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on Tuesday, June 2, 2:24AM
Bamboo is everywhere. There are bamboo clothes, furniture, musical instruments, and even the window shades in my home are made from it. It's used in the construction industry; it's used for flooring and other home products. And over the last few years, it has taken over the housing market as a 'green' product for its sustainable qualities. Pretty soon it could be taking over your garden too. Bamboo can spread over a garden bed, becoming the bully of your landscape. Despite its rapid growth, I personally wanted it in my garden, so I could have my own supply of this precious plant to help me save money.
Bamboo is a giant grass that fits into my plan of having a basically xeriscaped garden. Once established, the plant does not require much effort on my part to thrive, nor does it drink much extra water in my climate. I love spending time in my garden, but I don't always want to be working. I love flowers (annuals give off such a beautiful show), but I look for plants that are architecturally interesting to give other points of interest to the viewer. Since there are so many wonderfully different varieties of bamboo, I can have varying thicknesses and colors (my next acquisition will be a black bamboo). However, the plant can begin to spread, overrunning parts of the garden. While I'm known to enjoy a bit of disorder, this can begin to look bad.
Growth control
Controlling the growth of bamboo can be the key to appreciating it in your garden. If you don't mind the work, you can dig up the sections that you don't want, like you would do with spreading plants such as ginger or galanga. I would rather do less work. I have too many other things to take care of. My method was to create a barrier to prevent the roots from shooting out in all directions. I have a plastic barrier that goes down about a foot into the ground, and it is about three inches above ground. I planted a mondo grass around this plastic lip to hide it. If you use this method, have the barrier above ground in case you use mulch. The roots could grow through the mulch. My barrier is a homemade solution; there are products which will do the trick, like a bio-barrier.
Bamboos multifaceted functions
How does bamboo help save me money? For me, I make tomato cages with the plant. In fact, my beans and peas climb up bamboo poles; vines climb up bamboo trellises; and I make a few garden structures from it as well. You can use twine or wire to fasten the bamboo pieces together. I generally use those plastic ties for wiring, since I have so many around my shed. I find the plastic ties and twisting wire to be the easiest way to form shapes by fastening pieces. I let my imagination fly, forcing the bamboo to bend into shapes for my trellis or garden art.
I've even made a twenty-foot giraffe from bamboo and crepe myrtle branches for my wife. All of these structures are temporary, but that is alright. I will have more bamboo next year for another inspiration. My wife likes to take the bamboo and vines for flower arrangements. My children create forts and fences with the stalks. And when I'm really bored, I make toothpicks from the bamboo. That may be going too far though. We have used the stalks for art projects in the house too. Bamboo leaves go into my compost pile.
You should give bamboo a try; it is a great plant. About the xeriscape idea, you do have to water and take care of these plants for the first year until established. This applies to all landscapes created with the intent of not using additional water. Many bushes and trees that you find at your local garden center will have lower watering requirements once they have settled into their new home. Remember that you will still have to prune, particularly if they begin to grow near your home. You will want at least a foot of space between the plant and your house.
Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, is a Houston-based Professional Real Estate Inspector
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Print written by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on Wednesday, June 17, 4:59PM
From hybrid automobiles to Energy Star home appliances, eco-friendly products have generated quite the buzz over the last few years. Green appears to be the new black. But as advertisers and marketers jump on the green bandwagon, consumers should be asking themselves: What makes a product green? While going green is a new concept to many consumers, this eco-conscious movement has been around for decades.
Defining green
With increasing concerns over global warming and ballooning energy costs, many people are looking at the green lifestyle in a new light, and so has the government and other organizations to help define what green should mean.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will have a policy in place defining how businesses can use the term green in advertising which will affect all products, and we will have to see how President Barack Obama's administration will develop its plan for the green industry economy. In the home building industry, there are two major competitors when it comes to setting the standards for what a green home should be: LEED for Homes and the National Green Building Standard.
National Green Building Standard
The National Green Building Standard received a big boost last week when it officially became a standard – ICC 700-2008. This new standard can be applied to all residential construction work including single-family homes, apartments and condos, land development and remodeling and renovation. This new standard has also been approved by the [American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The ANSI is an organization that defines how products are made by setting definitions of the process by which they are produced. The National Green Building Standard is the first green building rating system to be approved by ANSI, making it the benchmark for green homes.
The National Green Building Standard was developed by the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The advantage that these set of rules has over LEEDS for Homes standards, is that many communities base their building codes on the codes developed by the ICC in their International Residential Code, and that most builders are members of the NAHB.
LEED for Homes can be a very expensive process, so it is not seen as practical for most builders. Part of this expense is due to the verification process. The National Green Building Standard has its own process using a green verifier program that will rely on independent inspectors (green verifiers) to check on the green claims.
If you visit the NAHB's green Web site, you can see how they will be doing this by rating your own home. If you scroll down the page, you will find a button that says 'Score My Project.' You gain points by meeting the standards. The number of points you garner determines what level of green your home is. The highest is 'emerald,' or it will be once everything is in place now that ANSI 700 has been approved.
So what do these streamlined standards mean for homeowners? It means that production home builders can participate in constructing verifiable green homes. These builders may not all meet the 'emerald' standard, but it is a move that will make eco-friendly homes affordable for the average consumer.
Learn more
A teleconference scheduled for Thursday Feb. 5 at 2 p.m. (EST) will discuss implications of this first-ever green residential standard.
To participate in the teleconference, please dial 1-800-860-2442 and ask for the 'National Green Building Standard' Call.
If you are unable to participate in the teleconference, you may listen to a full replay of the call after the teleconference has concluded by calling 877-344-7529 and entering 427664 followed by the # sign when prompted for the account number. The replay will be accessible beginning at 5:00 p.m. EST on Feb. 5 and will be available until 5:00p.m. on Feb. 19.
Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, is a Houston-based Professional Real Estate Inspector
Print written by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on Thursday, June 18, 5:24PM
It looks like there's a new eco-friendly label in town to help consumers when it comes to water conservation. WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) helping to make it easier for Americans to save water and protect the environment.
The WaterSense logo is a green and blue water drop, and can be found on faucets, toilets, washing machines or any other appliance which uses water. Similar to the Energy Star label, using a WaterSense appliance or product can greatly reduce your monthly water bill and more importantly, it's a step toward helping to reduce your impact on the environment. The WaterSense label provides a reliable mark to help consumers identify products that save water and perform well. Unlike many other eco-labels, the WaterSense label is backed by third-party certification in order to ensure that every product that bears the label has met EPA's criteria for both water efficiency and performance. Any product that bears the WaterSense label has been independently tested to use about 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than conventional models.
Water shortage
The program is relatively new, so many consumers and professionals seem to still be unfamiliar with it. But as the green building movement grows more momentum, we need to look at the total green home package. While water conservation usually falls low on a homeowner's list when it comes to their green choices, it is just as important. As a growing number of regions across the country are faced with looming water shortages, municipalities and residents in those areas will need to find more efficient ways to conserve.
Many municipalities today have already begun discussing charging more for water usage. Currently, prices are kept low to ensure all residents have access to this vital source. But over the past few years due to heavy drought in certain regions of the country, some cities have begun setting limits for the amount of water used in a particular home, and charging at a higher rate once that limit has been reached.
This is the situation facing Atlanta's northern and western suburbs, where regional water wholesaler Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority increased rates by about 50 cents per thousand gallons in October. Atlanta communities had cut back water use significantly in response to a record drought in the region that started in 2007.
Water budget tool
In addition to identifying appliances that are water-efficient, the EPA has released a spreadsheet called the water budget tool to help builders and landscapers determine some factors to improve water usage in and around a home. What I like about the spreadsheet is that it is easy to use. What I don't like is that homeowners and possibly some professionals will not have access to the data needed for their local area. For example, to calculate your landscape water allowance (LWA) for a site, you need to know your grass reference evapotranspiration in inches per year. This means knowing how much water will evaporate through your grass in the course of the year. At this point, I think county extension agents may be flooded with calls asking for LWA data for their area.
Regardless of the complex calculations, you don't have to be a professional landscaper, home builder or inspector to surf the WaterSense Web site. The site provides a great deal of information for the average consumer, as well as items for kids and educators.
As green building initiatives take hold, water conservation will soon play a vital role in shaping the development and construction of modern homes. Even with the recent downturn in home sales, the demand for more eco-friendly homes is not going away anytime soon.
Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, Professional Real Estate Inspector
Print written by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on Friday, November 14, 9:27AM
As a home inspector and avid blogger, I often receive calls from people all around the country seeking advice regarding their home purchases. New homeowners have a lot going on at the time of the sale, and sometimes the details of a move-in are left out. Similar to knowing what to do when you have your first child, it would be nice to have an operator's manual to come with the house.
Devil in the details
You have your keys, and excitement mounts as you envision your plans for your new home. During all of this, the previous owner may have left the utilities on for the week after your purchase. I like to remind my clients that they should make arrangements immediately to ensure continuous service. Generally, several electrical companies will be competing for your business, so you need to ask for information to check their plans.
Water could be provided by a municipality, by a firm hired by a municipality or by a well. Hopefully, your inspector would have mentioned if you obtain water from a well or not. To find out the firm or department responsible for water in your neighborhood, go to your city's Web site to find the water and sanitization department. Some people think that they do not need gas, but check your home inspection report. The inspector should mention if you have any gas appliances, like a heater.
If your dream home has a pool, I recommend that you immediately contact a pool service company to clean the pool and go over the equipment with you. Pools can be expensive to repair when they are not maintained.
I find that creating a simple fact sheet with an introduction to the neighborhood, which should include some utility phone numbers, can be very helpful to the new homeowners. It makes a nice impression, and it's something simple that you can provide to the buyer.
Get to know your home
Do you know where your breaker box is? How do you shut the water off and on for the entire building? (There are usually two valves for this task.) Where is the gas meter? I like to point out these items to my clients. You may believe that these answers are obvious, but a buyer who has lived in an apartment may not have never seen this equipment before. Have your home inspector walk you through the home to go over key components. He could also draw a map of the home so you can keep it as a reference. In Texas, we have to list these locations on our report next year. There are parts of the country where the breaker box (service panel) is placed on the exterior of the home.
Home winterizations
Finding service technicians can be difficult, and typically there are no 'home winterization specialists' listed in the phone book. Your best resource is finding a local association of a trade group. For example, quality roofers would belong to a roofing association. But for those odd home repairs, call your home inspector and ask him or her to suggest someone. As for home winterizations, you will find home inspectors or general contractors generally take care of that task for foreclosures.
Just realize that it takes awhile to settle into a new home. That means, even after the boxes have been packed, you still have more work to do before you're fully settled. Good luck.
Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, Professional Real Estate Inspector
Print written by Frank Schulte-Ladbeck on Thursday, October 23, 8:47AM
Last night, my wife and son decided to abandon me and head out with their friends. So I decided to take my daughter out to dinner. Being the adorable toddler she is, she was a big hit at the restaurant. One waitress came over to our table to tell me how pretty she was. After giving me a quick glance, and looking back at my daughter, the waitress said my wife must be very beautiful. Maybe I should've stayed home.
While I may not be gracing People magazine's most beautiful list this year, I, like many other Americans, will probably be spending a lot more time cooped up at home, regardless of our not-so-flawless appearance. With our current economic crisis, more people have started scaling back on dining out and doing things outside the home.
As a home inspector, I usually write about safety issues. But to keep up with current issues facing homeowners across the country, I decided to provide some helpful tips on how to make your home more comfortable and save you some money at the same time.
Air circulation
At an inspection yesterday, I spent some time planning out changes with the potential owner to make his indoor environment more enjoyable.
People usually associate comfort with temperature, and air circulation plays a major role in impacting the comfort zone. Temperatures set at 72 degrees can feel stuffy and hotter when air is not properly circulating through a home. The most basic way air moves in our homes is by going through a return to the air conditioning system then out through the registers. Many older homes only have one return. The house that I was inspecting had two returns with one inside the master bedroom and the other outside the door of the master bedroom.
Adding returns (air ducts) to each bedroom is a great way to make air move through the entire structure of the home. This involves adding ducts to the return plenum, and vents for the returns. By doing this, air moves through the home each time the system turns on. Instead of 72 degrees, you may find that 76 degrees is more comfortable. Many people lower their thermostats just to have the system blow air into a room to feel good.
The magic of fans
In the home I was inspecting, there was only one fan in the family room, and it didn't even work. Ceiling fans can be a great way to move air through a room. Since they are reversible, you can use them to pull cold air away from the floor during winter months or push cool air down during the warmer months.
This process allows you to lower the amount of heat or cooling needed, so you can conserve energy. Installing these fans is not so difficult, since most will attach to the same fixture box where your light was installed.
My wife can't sleep in a room without a ceiling fan running on low. As for me, I like an open window to catch some night breezes. In my case, I have to check that my window screens are in place and that they have no holes. I want to enjoy the air, not the insects.
We also use a programmable thermostat. In the early morning before work and school or in the evening before bed, we keep the temperature a little cooler or warmer. When we are asleep or out of the home we increase the temperatures during warmer months and lower them during cooler months to save energy.
To keep utility bills low, you do not want your indoor temperatures to drastically fluctuate. Keep your temperature variations within five degrees or less. The more that your air conditioning system has to work to cool or heat the home, the more energy you use. Turning on a fan will make your room more comfortable and save you money at the end of the month.
Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, Professional Real Estate Inspector
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