Category Archives: Tips for Homeowners

Are Propane Gas Log Heaters Safe?

January 23, 2018Tips for Homeownerssmahoschadmin

Propane gas log sets come in a variety of styles and sizes. They are generally safe to operate but only for an hour or less at a time. The Canadian study here found that 1 in 5 homes using vent less heaters like the gas log sets found in many San Miguel homes had unsafe levels of carbon monoxide (CO) and oxides of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Your log set is probably located in a fireplace nicho, but don’t let that fool you. Look inside and up and you most likely will find there is no vent or chimney. You have a vent less heater and you need to be careful.

Personally, I find them unhealthy and I hope to see more homes with direct vent heaters, radiant in-floor heat and other safer and healthier heaters installed in San Miguel homes. Gas log sets are designed to burn less efficiently with a yellow flame (like a real fire) instead of the more efficient blue flame. Fortunately, the doors and windows in many San Miguel homes leak air and this allows for contaminated air to exit and cleaner air to enter. But of course this lowers the efficiency of your heaters.

What are the warning signs:

yellow/orange flame instead of blue/white indicate less complete combustion
strong smell of combustion
physical symptoms of incomplete combustion (eyes burning, headaches, nausea, dizziness etc)

What can you do ?

install carbon monoxide sensors that sound an alarm
purchase good quality gas heaters,
service the gas heater every year in the fall and insure you have blue flames indicating more complete combustion of the propane gas
do not use your heaters continuously, use them for an hour at most and supplement with electric heaters, warm clothes, electric blankets etc.
open you doors and window when the outside temperature is higher than in your house. Close up in the late afternoon when you feel the cool air outside.

Filling Your Propane Tank

January 18, 2017Tips for Homeownerssmahoschadmin

A civil list report in January of 2017 alleges that a gas company (go to the sma civil list on yahoo for more info) used a magnate to lower the fill percentage on the tank gauge thus justifying a larger amount of fill and a higher bill. (using a magnate does not change the printout, where does the extra gas go ???)….. So now as a consumer I am concerned that the receipt I get is not from my fill but from another more empty tank or near empty tank fill. They can reprint these receipts. I believe there has to be 2 components to the “scam”.

I see no date stamp or anything on my receipt that identifies it as mine. There is a “Numero de Nota” example #13638. There may be the possibility to imput this type of information on the 3 lines below the amount that show asteriks ***** . There is hand written date and a total showing my VIP discount. My total was 96.8 liters at $7.19 per liter for a Total of $695.99. The handwritten total was $595 for my VIP discount ($100mp which is too much and also raised my suspicious nature) which Imperial gas will give you even though it is Providencia Gas that is the official VIP gas company. I got mixed up and called the wrong company. Please report any “hanky panky” with caution but as a group, if we stop using one of the suppliers, I think this will have an impact on the company and make them clean up the problem whether internal or external. So again, be sure, be cautious.

My suggestions (if you cannot climb on your roof have a trusted gardner or cleaning person help out).

check (or have someone check) the gauge just before filling and give the gauge and tank a good thump to see if it is stuck. This is important even if the fake or recopying of receipts from other tank fills is happening. Please send us an email if the gauge moves after thumping so I can confirm that this can occur. Write on the receipt your prefill and postfill gauge percentage so you establish a relationship between percentages and liters to fill. Please note this is going to be different depending on temperature, time of year/angle of sun on the tank etc. Not an exact science. Aaaah such is life…!!
Ask when you call and before they fill if the receipt they will print is readable (I have gotten unreadable very faint receipts). Then ask them to wait to print until you are standing there and can watch the receipt print (can there be a discrepancy between the meter and what you get ?? possibly yes but we are trying to tighten up our process best we can). Before you let one of them go up to the roof, ask them to wait to reset the meter/printer mechanism until you return. If you have two people then you can send someone up while you watch the setting of the meter. I know….what a hassle !!
Escort the filler to the top. I have arrived up top late only to smell a lot of gas and when I asked what the hell is going on they said they were just checking the valve. Although this doesn’t put money in their pocket directly, filling a tank that is more empty helps the company and also shortens the time it takes them to empty the truck tank (perhaps there is incentive from the company ??). We as consumers should understand how it all works.
If the filler guy goes to the roof through the house and you only have one person, then after they reach the roof, lock them out of the house and apologize that you have to do this and will come back to escort them through the house. This is not being paranoid, it is common sense. If you have a fill valve on the street you can supervise it all from there.
Go down and supervise the meter reset, the printout and pay the bill. Go escort the roof top person down but ask for an “porcentaje exacto”. Write both pre and post fill percentages on your bill and over time you can get an idea of how many liters you will need. By buying a set amount each time you can also calculate how many percentage points this $500 or $1,000 pesos represents on your gauge (at that time of year or temperature). Good luck and be vigilant.

Do You Have Dangerous Mold ?

March 17, 2016Tips for Homeownerssmahoschadmin

The answer is….”you probably do not have so called toxic mold”. The conditions needed for black mold (stachybotrys is one of the most toxic) are significant and are often not present here in San Miguel. Black mold is black/green in color, often slimy and found in association with cellulose (drywall paper, cardboard, wood window sills etc). But if you are allergic, immune deficient or highly sensitive then of course any mold can cause health problems.

We are still looking for a reputable Mexican lab to do mold testing but until then, we have the ability to do quick on-site testing which is an important first step. We can determine if you have one of the 3 most toxic molds (Aspergillus, Penicillium,Stachybotrys). We can follow up with U.S. based lab testing but that takes time. You can order your own kit here and save our fees but it can take a few weeks to get the kit. Why not have an informed professional inspect for mold and perhaps save the kit fee altogether? In most cases we can eliminate the need for lab testing and also suggest simple remediation steps (better ventilation, stop the moisture source etc).

Since the most dangerous black mold (stachybotrys) is very rare it is better to remove doubt from a home owner’s (present or future) mind with a quick test. Recently, I received a call from a potential buyer about a moldy lower level laundry/maids room with poor ventilation. Based on their description, I doubt very much that toxic molds were involved but perhaps the doubt was a factor in their decision to let their offer expire. I did not get the chance to inspect and alleviate or corroborate their concerns.

We have the training manuals, documentation and information on the microbiology, the remediation schemes and most important the respirator and clothing specifications for the most extreme cases (involving large infected areas or sophisticated ventilation system contamination). We will share this information along with ozone “shock treatment” alternatives with anyone interested.

Note: as with all inspections, we can suggest and recommend some basic remediation steps, professional remediation contractors, ozonator options and other information but do not perform these services ourselves because of obvious conflict of interest concerns.

Simple Water Filtration

February 28, 2016Tips for Homeownersreverse osmosis, water filterssmahoschadmin

Continue reading Simple Water Filtration →

On Demand Hot Water Heaters, Save Energy or Save Water

February 17, 2016Tips for Homeownershot water heaters, on demandadminsma

Here in San Miguel, sometimes the flow rate on your shower heads and faucets isn’t enough to keep your on-demand heater on and thus allowing “slugs” of cold water to enter the system. If you are handy you can choose to use more water by removing the constrictors in the shower heads and drilling a small hole (when necessary) in the orifice to increase the flow rate so your on demand heater doesn’t keep turning itself off thus allowing the cold water to enter the line. If your pressure is a bit low (you are up high in the house and you have a gravity feed tinaco without a pressure boost pump) then you may be signing up for frustration with an on-demand heater.

Solar preheaters save energy and can work with a wider range of pressures. It is a great combination and will reduce your propane gas consumption.

I have heard from enough owners and plumbers on this subject to say that in San Miguel de Allende you need to check your system carefully before installing an on demand heater:

Do you have a 3/4″ gas supply line from your propane tank to the heater (needed for a 185,000 btu heater)? Long distances from your water tank (tinaco) to the heater may cause insufficient flow and tempermental heating if your line is the typical 1/2 inch copper. A recommended minimum heater size of 185,000 btu’s needs a good flow rate from the propane tank.
Do you rely on street pressure to fill your water tank (cistern or rooftop tinaco)? Some houses have no cistern and no pressure pump. So they are stuck with gravity pressure from the rooftop tinaco. This means low pressure on the top floor to showers which improves as you go down to lower floors in the house. On demand heaters need a minimum flow rate of around 7/10 gallon per minute. You can test this by just running your hose or shower into a bucket for one minute.
Do you have a boost pump to increase water pressure to your water lines, filtration system etc? Do you have good pressure everywhere in the house?
Will you calculate your high or peak demand useage to correctly choose your heater size and does this demand match the delivery rate capacity of your water line (1/2 inch lines with rooftop pressure may not be enough unless your tinaco is perhaps 2 to 3 floors above the heater)
Does your filtration system (whole house type) maintain enough pressure to avoid cold water “slugs”?

I cannot improve upon David Grubbs information on tankless hotwater heaters here.

Water and Moisture

February 2, 2016Tips for Homeownersadminsma

Keeping water outside the house, preventing it from coming in through the roof, walls, floors, doors and windows can be a challenge when you have the kind of hard rains we have here in San Miguel. Many homes do not use thresholds and weather-stripping at the doors so windblown rain can really come in fast.

MOISTURE IN THE WALLS

More frustrating is the infiltration of moisture through walls, ceilings and floors. The problem is finding the source of moisture which may not be on your property. The water can be traveling through the soil or through other house walls for very long distances. The only protection you have is to put waterproofing coatings on the outside of your foundations, floors and walls. If you have buildings up against your walls then generally you are stuck with the problem unless you can excavate on both sides of the wall and foundation and this is most often not possible. There are some coatings that can go on the inside of the walls and floors, there are French drains and vent holes that can be added but all of these options are almost never 100 percent effective and the moisture usually returns at the same spot or someplace nearby as the moisture finds the easiest path to escape.
Despite these well known infiltration problems, builders and architects continue to build foundations and stem walls without proper damp proofing (or none at all). If you already own a home and there is an empty lot or a garden next to your exterior walls, before the access is permanently blocked, put on a waterproofing membrane (better than a coating) and install French drains if you can slope the drain to daylight (if not, all you are doing is creating an underground pond for water to collect and eventually enter your house). Many architects and builders need better specifications and installation practices. Asphalt/bitumen based “roof coating” rolled or brushed on is helpful but the current standard (of course I am talking about the U.S.) is a membrane that combines these materials with polymers in a tuff sheet sold in rolls that can be torched on or self adhered. Bitumen or asphalt based brush on coatings (impermeabilizantes) are better than nothing but if you can access the lower walls and foundations then I recommend spending the money to install a membrane. As coatings get more sophisticated (polyurethanes etc) they become more effective. Wikipedia has a decent discussion of “waterproofing” and “dampproofing” that is helpful.

EXISTING HOMES

DOORS AND WINDOWS
I came home one night to my recently rented house during a hard rain and found a cascade coming down the stairs. The wind direction was just right to maximize the amount of rain getting in under the unprotected terrace doors and the terrace drain was partially blocked by leaves and debris. So we adapted the door sweeps which stopped the main flow but we still need a towel on the floor during certain storms. Good thing we have Saltillo tile floors.

First, if it isn’t too late, put in thresholds on the unprotected exterior doors, the ones that are not under a portal (yes, I know this changes the “feel” of how the indoor and outdoor space flows). Next, add door sweeps with flexible weather stripping on the bottom to minimize water infiltration. Some rain will still get in if you have French doors. In a perfect world, French doors belong under protective overhangs and portals.

UNFINISHED SIDE WALLS
Second, are the sides and back of your house plastered or raw brick ? It is common here to wait for your neighbor to finish their house and cover up the unfinished sides of your home. This is one of my “pet peeves” about builders and developers here in San Miguel. If you cannot afford it then okay, you have to wait. But if you can you should at least plaster one coat and throw on a coat of paint that matches your other elevations. If you don’t, hard rains may enter and damage the plaster and paint on the inside of those walls. Here is an unfinished wall with no moisture problems inside perhaps because it faces east. The other west wall had to be plastered to stop the moisture damage. Note the white paint could have been tinted to be more like the house. It was a pretty quick fix. Note the white efflorescing below the parapets. More on that in another post.

HEALTH CONCERNS
Moisture in walls grows mold. I have done many mold inspections in San Miguel and in the U.S. I have yet to find dangerous black mold (stachyboris) and asperguilias here in San Miguel. But as I learned from clients here, any mold can be harmful to a person with sensitivities, allergies or with compromised immune systems. See more in the “harmful mold” post http://smahomeinspections.com/blog/2016/03/17/do-you-have-dangerous-mold/ .

Electrical Service and Circuit Panel

February 1, 2016Tips for Homeownersadminsma

YOUR SERVICE. Your electric service probably starts on the street where the CFE poles and electric lines are located. There is a “drop” to your house, usually two cables to a masthead then down the pipe/wall to your meter (mechanical ones spin, newer digital with readout only). From the meter it usually goes through the wall into your garage, house, entry or some other space where it often stops at a “main breaker” which tells you how much service you have (usually but not always). Larger modern houses with hot tubs, electric heaters, electric clothes dryers, cooktops etc need a 200 amp service but a lot of homes in San Miguel have 50/60 amp to perhaps 100 amp sercvice.

YOUR PANEL. First, know where your panel is so if you have a power outage you can check and make sure you didn’t just trip a breaker. 50/60 amp services often have 8 circuits like the one shown. 100 amp service often have 16 circuits. Outlets/receptacles should be 20 amp with 12 gauge copper wire, lights 15 amp with 14 gauge copper and equipment such as a 220V oven should have larger circuit breakers sized to protect the wire and appliance they serve.

In another post I will give you a few simple trouble shooting techniques to help when there’s a problem. “Hey, what’s that smaller boxy thing to the left of the panel…..?” More on surge protectors in another post.

Tile Tips

January 27, 2016Tips for Homeownersconcrete, installation, thin set, thinset, tileadminsma

Someone in San Miguel asked about setting tile:

There are a few basic rules but the subsurface needs to be evaluated. If you have cracks in the cement floor/subsurface they should be “bridged” or patched with an anti-fracture membrane perhaps reinforced with mesh. These membranes are flexible and absorb some of the movement that caused the crack and can minimize or lessen the transfer of the crack up through the finish tile. In the U.S. we often use “expanded metal lath” which is harder to find here. This is nailed down to the base and a first layer of thin set is put down to form and completely new base on which you use more thin set and then tile. This could be “overkill” for your conditions.

Next the concrete base must be really clean and free from debris, dust and especially grease and oil. For most residential applications a professional tile setter will level the surface with a first coat of a multipurpose “thin set mortar” in the low areas then continue with the tile setting job with more thin set that is designed for your application (indoor?outdoor?what kind of tile etc). It is sticky because it can be used over plywood, cement etc. It will probably be portland cement based and have latex and other additives that fortify it and give it adhesive quality. The tile stores here sell decent products.

TIP: Some tile setters don’t dampen the bottom of the tile before installation and if it is porous tile, it sucks the moisture out of the thin set so fast that the adhesion and strength of the setting compound is adversely affected. The thin set will harden too quickly and not bond. Dense, high fire, machine-made tile doesn’t need much moisture if any.

There are other methods such as chipping little notches in the base material (cement or mortar) so that the next application of plaster or cement or in the case of tile, the setting compound/thin set will bond better because it “keys” into the base (a standard practice here). If you want to know how effective this is, just watch how easily the plaster comes off the wall when it is chipped off an aging wall to prepare it for a new coat of plaster. Often it isn’t well bonded. This could be more due to a dirty dusty surface than lack of bonding from the notches.

Good luck with your new floor, Ron

Why is my house acting like a refrigerator?

January 21, 2016Tips for Homeownerscold, insulation, mass, refrigerator, solar, thermaladminsma

GE nor Mabe built your house! But I have lived in two beautiful homes with boveda ceilings and nice architectural details and for at least two months of the year, I had to go outside to get warm. No fireplace or electric heater could warm it up. The minute I turned off the heat, the room returned quickly to refrigerator temperatures.

So what’s going on?

Mass. Homes in San Miguel are most often built with stone, tabique/bricks, adobe and concrete masonry of different types. A lot of mass with no exterior insulation. As the temperatures drop in the fall and winter the dense heat absorbing mass goes to work. Your body radiates its heat out and the walls, floors and ceilings suck it up. Just like cooling coils of your refrigerator. To make matters worse, the homes in our area are often built completely connected without airspace between houses so the mass just increases….it is insatiable. Anyone living next door or even two doors down from a remodel knows that the masses are connected without the sound deadening and insulating quality of air space. Who’s banging on our walls ?

Sun. The only savior is the sun or massive amounts of gas and electricity. In the Centro, the sun isn’t so easy to come by and if you have some south facing windows then you are probably huddled in front of one of them during the winter.

Rules for Buying a New Home. If you haven’t bought yet you can minimize the “refrigerator effect” by following a few simple rules. Ask your professional Realtor to show you houses on the north side of streets that run predominately east west. The top of maps are almost always north. Your house should face the bottom of the map if possible. The street creates a little distance so the house across the street, in front of the lower winter sun does not cast a shadow on your home. This will make all the difference. Nothing can replace the San Miguel sun.

I live in a home in upper Independencia, it is on the north side of the street, it has south facing windows and doors, it is cold in the early morning winter and quickly warms up as the sun floods in through the windows. It is not a “solar” house but it has very straightforward no nonsense design features that make the house comfortable all year long. My new neighbor bought her home without thinking of any of these concerns but happily is on my side of the street. Her “gut” feeling when she saw the house may have told her about the southern light and the suns warmth she would get to enjoy. She got lucky but you don’t need luck. You have information which is better.

Okay….so you fell in love with a house that doesn’t follow my “rules” and will have some cold rooms. Now what do you do? See my upcoming blog on clerestories and getting the most out of what little sun you have.

Is Silicone Caulk The Best?

January 21, 2016Tips for Homeownersacrylic, butyl, caulk, latex, polyurethane, rubber, siliconeadminsma

Many architects and builders, especially here in Mexico, are having a love affair with silicone caulk. They use it in many applications where it is not the best option. So why is it so commonly misused?

Try to buy something else and you find out why. Superior caulks like polyurethane and rubber butyl can be hard to find and you may have to order it and wait.

Just a few Pros and Cons

We could talk about caulk for months but let’s just remember a few things about a few types of caulk and that will suffice for the average homeowner.

Silicone (100%). It is clear or white and most are not paintable. It’s main advantages are its stretch and strength coefficients and it remains flexible for a very long time. If applied cleanly (see my “how to caulk neatly” blog) it has a low visual impact although it is shiny on flat surfaces like stucco or painted plaster. It is a remarkable product in this regard. It’s weaknesses include low adhesion compared to polyurethane and rubber butyl and because of this water can get through it over time. If it has a biocide or is mildew resistant, it can be used in tub shower areas.

Polyurethane. Pros include strong adhesion, durable over time, comes in colors (mostly in the U.S.). Can be found sanded to match grouts in bathrooms (see also “siliconized acrylic”). I am a fan of this caulk and have used it in tough applications for many years. It does dry out just a little over 20 years and gets stiff in the tube if not used within a year or so. But it adheres like construction adhesive which is a very good thing unless you have to remodel and tear something out that is held together with polyurethane.

Rubber Butyl. This is an awful product to use, very sticky, messy, black or brown….but oh my does it last….and stick….and flex (careful, some types shrink). This is the best performing product and that is why window manufacturers and automobile manufacturers use it. If you are worried about water infiltration (around pools, fountains, windows and doors) then rubber butyl may be the way to go. But can you find it? I will let you know where in another blog.

Acrylic/Latex. Mostly garbage. Sorry but it is a marginal product that has a few indoor uses to fill cracks before painting (“painter caulk”). Don’t use it in the bathroom or outside no matter what DAP says. Mold resistant …..not in my opinion. It may be “siliconized” and this improves performance considerably and may make it a paintable caulk. But why ruin a good product like 100% silicone by adding a crap ingredient like latex?

That’s the basics of the four types of caulks.