What’s Causing Those Footsteps in the Attic, Spooky Sounds and Smells?

spooky house

Spooky house issues? Let’s take a CLOSER look….

By: John Riha

Are you haunted by strange noises and weird odors? With the proper maintenance, you’ve got more than a ghost of a chance to rest easy.

Creaking and Popping in the Night

The many materials that make up your house — wood framing, plywood, glass, metal ducts, nails, plumbing pipes — all expand and contract at different rates.

When a house cools at night, these materials may move slightly, rubbing against each other and making noises. Occasionally, they’ll contract with an audible pop.

These sounds tend to be more noticeable in fall, when warm days give way to rapidly cooling nights. The bad news? Not much you can do about it. The good news? Those sounds are harmless and normal.

Zombie Odor

It’s either time to throw out the garbage, or you’d better call your gas utility to check on your gas lines and connections.

Natural gas is odorless, but natural gas suppliers add a foul-smelling odorant — butyl mercaptan — to alert occupants to any leaks. The smell is like rotten eggs.

Leaks can occur at your gas-fired water heater, fireplace, clothes dryer, and any gas line. Leaking natural gas is potentially dangerous — leave the house and call your natural gas provider to assess the situation. Most utility companies perform safety checks for free.

Footsteps in the Attic

Amplified by an unfinished attic space, a raccoon or even a good-size squirrel on your roof might sound like an ax murderer is doing the polka overhead.

These rooftop transits are normal for critters — roofs offer a nice long unobstructed highway.

Make sure your soffit, rafter, and gable roof vents are covered with screens and in good shape, or your rooftop buddies might find their way into your attic for real. Trim back branches that provide critters easy access to your roof.

Something’s Burning

You can smell the odor of burnt wood, but the smoke detectors aren’t going off and there’s no smoke in the house. The culprit could be your fireplace — even if you haven’t had a fire for days.

The probable cause is a drafty chimney and negative air pressure in your home, meaning that outside air is infiltrating down your chimney, bringing stale burnt smells with it.

Stop drafts by making sure your damper has a good seal. Regulate air pressure by adding more cold air return ducts to your HVAC system. You’ll get rid of the odor and save on your energy bill, too.

Moaning and Clattering

These classic spooky sounds often show up when the wind blows and there’s a storm brewing.

Vents for clothes dryers, bathrooms, and water heaters exit out the roof or the side of the house. To prevent backdrafts, these vents have dampers — flaps designed to let vented air out and prevent outside air from coming in. These flaps sometimes move and rattle in high winds.

Because dampers often are located in attics or in between floor joists, the sound can be difficult to pinpoint. You may need a new damper ($85).


Visit HouseLogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from HouseLogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®.

 



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Fall Fun in Ohio

Ohio sure offers lots of beauty and fun for all ages. Here are some links to pages that may offer awesome photos, activities, recipes, events and more for your family to enjoy. Note: at the time of researching them, they were for general audiences, so if their content has changed or the links no longer direct to the right places, apologies in advance. Have any links to share? Feel free to let us know and we’ll add them here, too.  Thanks!

Discover (Fall) Ohio www.discoverohio.com/season/fall

Ohio hiking

Take a hike!

Discover Things to Do in Ohio here, a Calendar of Events, Seasonal Guide, Lodging info and Free Publications that you can get, including a free Ohio Travel Guide and free Ohio Calendar of Events. Take a hike. Enjoy a nice ride and lots of fun activities, rest and relaxation, fine foods and a whole lot more. Just click the link above.

Ohio Traveler www.ohiotraveler.com

Ohio mazes are amazing!

Ohio mazes are amazing!

Find a maze near your and treat your family to some seasonal fun! Check out other seasonal activities and events and explore your options 😉

Ohio.gov www.ohio.gov/tourism

Ohio State Parks

Ohio State Parks &  more….!

How about a fishing trip combined with a camping weekend at an Ohio State Park? Discover information about the parks at this site.  Plus education yourself about Ohio in general. If you are considering relocation to Ohio, this site boasts a tons of useful info: learn about educational opportunities here, jobs and more.

 Fall Recipes

fall recipes

Fall recipes

– Lighten up some fall favorites at US News & World Report  health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2015/10/16/4-easy-ways-to-lighten-up-classic-fall-recipes

Cooking Light – Fall Recipes www.cookinglight.com/food/in-season/fall-recipes

–  Taste of Home – Seasonal Fall recipes www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/seasonal-recipes/autumn-recipes

MidwestLiving – Fabulous Fall recipes www.midwestliving.com/food/holiday/25-fabulous-fall-recipes

 Fall Downloadable Worksheets  

fall worksheets

Fun Fall Worksheets!

Education.com – Download some coloring sheets, tracing pages and more at www.education.com/worksheets/autumn-fun

Crayola – Find lots of seasonal fun here: scarecrows, leaves, pumpkins and more to color, paint, trace, etc.  www.crayola.com/free-coloring-pages/seasons/fall-coloring-pages

 

10 Reasons to Buy a Condo

By Kathryn Lively

Cozy Condos!

Some people only need one reason to buy a condominium as opposed to a house. If you are looking for a new place to live, and are located in an area where condos are plentiful and ideally located, you no doubt have given the prospect of owning one some serious thought. Yes, there are things to consider like monthly or yearly fees, payments following assessment, and living very close to your neighbors, but condo living is not without its many advantages. If you are scraping for just one reason to buy one, here are ten from which you can choose.

1) Buying a condo is a good investment. You could live in one for many years, but if ever you need to move you may have the option of turning your property into a rental. Condos are typically a prime rental property in resort areas – you could rent yours year round or during peak seasons.

2) Owning a condo usually means less yard work. If you buy into a high-rise, you definitely don’t have to mow a lawn! However, if you buy into a more spread out community, your fees cover the cost of landscaping.

3) Buying a condo is a better investment than renting. When you rent, you give money away to live in your home. When you’re finished, you have little if anything to show for it. Buying a condo gives you property that is yours.

4) Simple repairs and renovations may be covered in your fees. Unlike with a home, you probably won’t be able to add on to your condo, but simple fixes in plumbing and electricity may be handled by your condo community, so you’ll save time and the hassle of hiring a contractor.

5) You gain access to amenities you might not obtain otherwise. Pool ownership, for example, can produce headaches. Buy a condo with pool access, and you can enjoy the luxury without the stress of maintenance.

6) You want security. Most complexes offer some level of security, be it gated borders or password-protected entryways. Your fees cover this benefit to condo life.

7) You want to de-clutter. Often people move from houses to condos after children have moved away, they have divorced, or they want to downsize. If the maintenance of a house is too much for you to handle these days, scaling down your possessions and moving into a smaller condo is probably the right step to take.

8) Your job doesn’t suit a house. Let’s face it: houses mean work. You have to make sure everything runs, and that the lawn is neat. If you travel extensively or work long hours, you don’t have time to take care of maintenance. Living in a condo, however, takes some of the load off your shoulders.

9) You like being around people. Condo living puts you in proximity with your neighbors, whereas home living can be an isolated existence. If you are social, a condo community may be ideal for you.

10) Condos are cozy. You want to feel comfortable where you live, and condo living gives you the right amount of space without making you feel claustrophobic.

If you’re looking for a new place to live, considering looking into a condo for sale in your area.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on downtown Norfolk condos and Virginia Beach condos.

 

Getting ready to sell? Remodeling advice here…

Which upgrades should you focus on to get your house ready to sell? Here are some helpful tips and ideas from Dr. Kermit Baker, presented by the National Association of REALTORS® on YouTube. He talks about popular issues and trends as well as the outlook in home remodeling.

“He talks about home designs and remodeling projects that are in demand, especially by the largest demographic groups, the baby boomers and millennials. Find out which home renovation projects appeal most to home sellers…”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=10&v=asXuhQZdMC0

Note: Dr. Baker mentions this URL for further tips and other helpful info:

www.jchs.harvard.edu