Did you know? The thinnest house in New York City, a city known for high real estate costs and compact dwellings, is located in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Now known as the Millay House, a name honoring its one-time resident, the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, the house was built in 1873 and is a mere 9.5 feet wide. It is sandwiched into a space that once served as a car- riage alley. While Millay House certainly is compact, a home in Warsaw, Poland, is only four feet wide and, at its thinnest, is only 29.3 inches. The residence, called the Keret House, was built in a crack between two buildings. The entrance is in the rear of the home and features an entry hatch and a foldable, remote control- operated ladder. Radon is a naturally oc- curring radioactive gas that forms from the natural decay of uranium found in many soils. Colorless and odorless, radon can signif- cantly increase a persons risk of lung cancer. Smokers who live in homes with high radon levels are especially susceptible to lung cancer. Radon can enter a home by moving up through the soil beneath a home and fnd- ing its way through cracks and holes in the founda- tion. Many people may feel homes with basements are especially susceptible to radon, but radon can enter a home whether the home has a basement or not. Granite countertops may emit radon, but not always at levels that cause cancer. Countertops can be tested for radon emis- sions, and such testing is inexpensive and quick. Reducing energy consump- tion during the dog days of summer does not mean you have to turn off your air conditioner on sultry summer nights. Closing the shades during the daytime hours can keep sun from coming in and heating up your home, making it easier for your air conditioner to maintain a cooler tempera- ture. Routinely cleaning the air conditioners flters is an- other way to reduce energy consumption, as clean flters will ensure the unit does not have to work as hard to maintain a cool temperature. 2 | Sunday, August 18, 2013 Home Hunter CYAN-AOOO MAGENTA-OAOO YELLOW-OOAO BLACK 012908 My basement is wet; now what? Few things can cause more damage to a home than water. Leaks and fooding can cause various structural insuffciencies and may lead to unsafe condi- tions in a home. Panic often sets in when water enters a home. Some homeowners live in areas where a high water table inevi- tably forces groundwater up and into subterranean living spaces. Others may live close to coastal areas or rivers and streams that can overfow and cause home fooding. Still others who may not have had a water problem before learn that a heavy rainfall, and perhaps inadequate drainage outdoors, can cause water dam- age to a home. Compounding these issues is the fact that very often a homes utility systems are located out of the way in basements, or these spaces may be fnished to create additional living space. Water in a basement can be much more than a nuisance. Water can lead to thousands of dollars in dam- age. Moisture or several inches of water in a basement is nothing to take lightly. Furnaces and water heaters damaged by water can be costly to replace. Wires that come in contact with water can become hazards and cause an electrical fre, and water in a basement may be a harbinger for bacteria and viruses, creating unsanitary living conditions in the home. Mold spores that have developed in a damp basement can spread to other areas of the home thanks to a heating and cooling forced air system. And a cool, damp spot can be the per- fect habitat for insects. When a basement develops a water problem, it is best to call in a professional. Although it might not be cheap, calling a profes- sional can help you to remedy the situation faster than if you try several methods to fx the water problem yourself. When looking for a waterproofng company, seek recommendations from people you trust. Only do busi- ness with licensed professional contractors who are willing to give you a free estimate. You also can check out businesses by contacting consumer advocacy groups. You may be able to read up on their business practices and learn if there have been any com- plaints lodged against a company in the past. Hydrostatic pressure, poor foundations and cracks can each cause water to enter the house. Each situation is different, and a combination of exterior and interior changes may need to be made. In order to alleviate some water problems, certain modif- cations must be made. While the following solutions may not be applicable in each situation, they are some of the more common modifcations plumbers suggest when fxing fooded basements. Sump pump: In some cases, the installation of a well and a submersible pump may be all thats needed to keep base- ments dry. When water rises high enough to start the pump, the sump pump will then expel the water out through a pipe to a drain or the street. Sometimes a sump pump works in concert with a French drainage system, which is a channel around the perimeter of the basement that funnels water to the sump pump well. Vapor barriers: Vinyl, plastic and paint encapsulation systems may be applied to the interior of foundation walls to serve as a barrier system. This prevents wa- ter or condensation from reach- ing the interior of the house. A vapor barrier may extend below the foundation to direct water runoff into a drainage system. Exterior fxes: There are ma- ny ways to address fooding from outside the home. These include using outdoor vapor barriers and paints, having grading is- sues corrected so water will fow away from the home, digging of a swale to catch water away from the basement, exterior drainage systems, and utilizing specialized rain gutters and downspouts to direct water further away from the home during rainstorms. Plumbing repairs: Sometimes water issues may be the result of a pipe backup or a faulty appli- ance and not necessarily an out- door water issue. In these cases, repairing the source of the leak may be all thats needed. Home Hunter Sunday, August 18, 2013 | 3 CYAN-AOOO MAGENTA-OAOO YELLOW-OOAO BLACK 012908 4 | Sunday, August 18, 2013 Home Hunter CYAN-AOOO MAGENTA-OAOO YELLOW-OOAO BLACK 012908 Home Hunter Sunday, August 18, 2013 | 5 803.278.1818 SHANNONR.COM Lakes & Streams At Lakes and Streams, we not only have New Home Sites, but also a Great Neighborhood. 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