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A Reminder for you folks who have just received a notice from their local Assessor's office: If this whole property tax thing baffles you, you're not alone. The Feb. 2000 issue of this newsletter could be really helpful. It will give you a basic understanding of how the system works, and maybe even how to get your taxes lowered! The time to deal with this is right now. Appeals boards meet in 2 weeks!
Monoxide update: Researchers at Brigham Young University have found that individuals respond differently to carbon monoxide. Not everyone will have the same symptoms at a given exposure level. They have also found that chronic exposure (low amounts over a long time) may cause mood swings and depression. This is news, because most of the equipment, testing methods and diagnostic tools presently in use are looking at severe short-term exposures. {Source: Indoor Environment Business, Nov/Dec 2000 issue}
Sherlock Homes uses very sensitive monoxide detecting equipment during home inspections. Our Monoxor II will detect this poisonous gas at levels 40 times lower than the standard hardware-store detector. However, it looks at the "right now" level, and can't tell us if the monoxide is present after the inspection is done. It would be great if there were a monitor that would measure monoxide over a period of days, and report the results hour-by-hour. This would be really handy when somebody's CO alarm goes off, but the Fire Dept. and the gas company can't find anything wrong. Well, such a monitor exists. Actually, it's an attachment to the Femto-tech monitors that we use for radon. As soon as we get a request for such a service, we'll order one!
This is a good time to talk about a sensitive subject: Mice. People seem to get really upset when their home inspector finds mouse evidence. I'm sometimes amazed at how such a little creature can cause such a huge fuss. Here are two important facts to keep in mind: A: At one time or another, most homes have mice. B: It's nearly impossible to build a house that no mouse can get into.
Mice are a normal part of the outdoor environment. They were here before humans, and will probably be here after we're gone. They're not particularly intelligent, but they do know enough to get in out of the cold, so we usually notice them in our homes in the fall. Can we keep them out? Not really. A mouse can pass through any hole big enough to admit its skull, and a mouse's skull isn't much bigger than a raisin. So what can we do?
tart by closing up some of the bigger mouse highways. Look at the points where pipes penetrate the wall; hose bibs, air conditioner lines, etc. Caulk any openings you find. Make sure your dryer vent has a flap or louvres that close when the dryer isn't running. One big welcome mat is wood-chip mulch up against the side of the house. This provides shelter for the little beasties as they look for cracks or other small openings. Try to keep the mulch away from the house. Store firewood on platforms at least a foot above the ground. A paper bag full of dog food sitting on the floor of the garage is a potential Mouse Marriott. You can slow them down by taking care of these details, but some furry infiltrators may get in anyway. And it only takes two.
So what do you do when you see or hear a mouse? My personal recommendation is old-fashioned mouse traps. I've used poisons, but the mice always seemed to find some inaccessible place to expire, and that's an odor problem I'd rather not have. With traps, you always know where the body is. If removing the corpse from the trap is more than you can handle, just toss the whole thing into the trash. Traps aren't expensive, and neither is peanut butter, the preferred bait. Creamy or crunchy, your choice!
Ok, it looks like time for the monthly nag! How's the furnace filter? Did you really change it in December? Ok, it's time to check it again. If you changed it in January, you're off the hook for now. How about that humidifier? If you have a drum type, it's probably getting pretty groady by now.
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