Flowing water away from your house properly will protect your foundation, keep stains from developing on your siding, and keep walkways ice-free in the wintertime. There are four basic types of gutters ­ aluminum, galvanized steel, vinyl and, rarely, wood. If you suspect that you need to replace a gutter section, be sure that it is your gutter, and not the gutter support, which has failed. Remove any retaining hardware from the section of gutter that you need to replace, then the retainers and connectors. Place a 4x4 block of wood inside the good section of gutter as you cut the bad section out with a hacksaw. This will help your gutter keep its shape. Cut a replacement section about 2 inches longer than the section being replaced. Using a caulk gun, apply roofing cement to the inside of the original gutter and place the new section so that it overlaps about an inch on each side. Drill holes into the overlapping sections of the gutter, and fasten the sections together with rivets. Then, replace any retaining hardware that you originally removed, so that the gutter stays in place. Where possible maintain downspouts & surface extensions, 6' away from the foundation.

As of the current date only two remedies for aluminum wiring, discontinued use of the aluminum circuit or, less costly, the addition of copper connecting "pigtail" wires between the aluminum wire and the wired device (receptacle, switch, or other device). The pigtail connection must be made using only a special connector and special crimping tool licensed by the AMP Corporation.

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING:

The operation of an air exhaust system or a fuel-burning appliance removes the air from the house, thereby creating a slight negative pressure inside the house. If too much air is removed, the negative pressure can become large enough to reserve the natural flow of gases up the furnace chimney and instead cause the chimney to become a passageway for the supply of outside air into the house. Installing a supply air duct from the outdoors to the return air plenum of the warn-air heating system, ensures more acceptable comfort conditions.

Mold growing on a fabric is called mildew. The spores are hair-like bodies of individual mold colonies are too small for us to see without a mircoscope. The colour of mold is influenced by the nutrient source and the age of the colony. If mold is growing behind vinyl wallpaper, colourful pink or purple splotches may appear. If there is only a small amount of mold, such as in a bathroom or kitchen, scrub the moldy area with soapy water, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. If you have asthma or severe allergies or a weakened immune system, get someone to do the clean-up. If you have mold on a wall or ceiling, you must first correct the moisture problem, then clean the area as stated above.    Articles on Moisture & Mould

In a typical modern system, waste from house plumbing, (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, shower, toilet, laundry) flows through house waste pipes into a two-part system: a septic tank, whose job is to retain all solid waste, and a soil absorption system whose job is to permit clarified effluent (liquid from the tank) to seep into the soil. In the absorption system bacteria which occur naturally in the soil digest septic bacteria and other pathogens so that the liquid is eventually sanitary and doesn't contaminate the private wells, ponds, or streams. There is some bacterial action in the tank but most of it, and all of the important action occurs in the soil absorption system.

If the tank is more than 10 - 15 years old , signs of corrosion, dents or rust the tank must be replaced. In the past oil lines have been bare copper tubing. Under the new code regulations all oil  lines must be coated in plastic to avoid corrosion. Also, if your oil tank is outside it is quite likely the line must be changed from 3/8" to 1/2" tubing. In the past oil filters on outside tanks were placed outside with the tank. Under the new code regulations oil filters must be put inside. Heating oil tanks must be located at least 5ft from any heating appliance. (this is not a new regulation but is extremely important)  On all outside tanks, patio stone footings must have 6" of gravel placed under them to allow for water drainage.