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Moisture problems and stale air can produce unpleasant odors in your basement. These smells seep into your home through central air units and can seriously impact your indoor air quality. Luckily, the steps listed below can help eliminate moldy odors in many cases.

Seal Unfinished Floors

Dirt floors are a common feature in basements, and they can let water and mold spores seep through. Fixing the problem may be as simple as putting down some thick plastic cover to serve as a moisture barrier, but it’s best to lay down a solid floor.

If you don’t want to spring for a professional, you can lay wire mesh over the thick plastic, and then smooth quick-mix concrete over the top. A DIY concrete finish may be rough, but it significantly cuts down on dust, moisture and other issues common to dirt floors.

Improve Underground Ventilation

Improper ventilation often leads to moisture problems, and a typical basement environment is perfect for mold and other fungal growth. Air exchangers provide extremely effective ventilation, but are expensive to install and may not be worthwhile if your basement isn’t used often. A combined dehumidifier and fan can remove moisture from the air, while an ultraviolet light can help discourage mold growth and eliminate moldy odors.

Eliminate Existing Mold

Discouraging mold growth won’t do a lot of good if you already have mold growing in your basement. You should first address any obvious moisture issues, such as wet spots or visible moisture damage.

Because mold can permeate building materials, such as wood, wallboard and cracked concrete, elimination is not as simple as scrubbing everything with a mold-killing cleaner. At-home test kits can help confirm the presence of mold, but you should consult a mold removal expert to truly eradicate the problem.

Installing extra lighting is an effective way to increase the security around your home. Outdoor security lighting can also increase the value of your property, while keeping you and your family members safe. Read on to learn how to install outdoor security lighting around your home.

The first thing you have to do is determine where you need the lighting installed. Walk around your home at night and determine where the darkest areas are. Also, look for places where people can enter your home. This could be your patio doors, the window to your basement, or the window to your garage. You want to have sufficient lighting installed around these areas to make sure there’s no place for an intruder to find a safe entry point.

Next, you need to decide on what kind of lighting you need. Outdoor lighting can come with motion detectors, light sensors and other features, which make it more versatile. A motion detector will turn a light on if someone moves within a certain range, while a light sensor will turn the fixture on automatically when it’s dark outside. A timer can turn off your light after a certain interval.

Once you’ve made a decision on the location and type of lighting you need, it’s time for the installation. Installing outdoor lighting is not the same as installing indoor lighting. You need to use wires, switches and fixtures designed for outdoor use. If you need to install cable underground, you should use conduit to protect the cable. To keep your home safe, you should install grounding on each outdoor fixture. Get the help of an electrical professional to make sure your outdoor security lighting is installed properly.

After completing this installation, the final step is to adjust the settings on your fixture. The fixture will have instructions on how to adjust the direction and range of the motion sensor. You’ll also need to set any timers and whether you want the fixture to come on automatically at sundown.

Chandeliers can add a certain elegance to any room in your home. You may think chandeliers are too traditional or fancy for your decor, but today there are a lot more choices then there used to be. Plus, there are numerous benefits of hanging a chandelier in your Oregon home.

These benefits of hanging a chandelier show why it’s such a good idea to install one in your home. If you need help installing a light fixture, call Roth Home & Cooling. We offer electrical services throughout the Portland area.

Sewer gas can produce unpleasant odors in your home and create an unhealthy living environment for you and your family. If you’ve noticed foul odors in your basement, around the toilet or near drains, then sewer gas may be backing up into your home. Make sure you check these problem areas to locate and eliminate all sources of sewer gas.

Check Traps

Every drain should have a trap below it, which usually looks like a P-shaped bend in the pipe. This piece is designed to trap enough water to prevent gas from flowing back through the drain. Odors around a particular drain may indicate a missing or dirty trap. Clean traps at least once a year, or contact a plumber to do regular maintenance on your pipes. Floor drains should have a clean out plug inside them.

Clean Vents

Each drain has a vent that allows sewer gas to safely escape, while drawing fresh air into the pipes to prevent a vacuum. Sucking or gurgling noises in your drains may indicate a clogged or missing vent. Locate the vent and clear any debris that’s in or around it. Some older houses or DIY jobs may not have appropriate vents.

Examine Floors and Pipes

Look around toilets, bathtubs and sinks for cracked seals or damp areas. Excess moisture can rot walls and sub-floors around them, producing odors and potentially damaging underlying plumbing. Pipes can also rust and leak, especially in older homes with steel, copper or cast iron pipes. Make sure you check all exposed pipes for signs of corrosion or cracks.

Have the Plumbing Serviced

Address all slow drains or backed up toilets immediately. Have a plumber assess and maintain your plumbing at least once a year, and keep up on DIY maintenance. If you’re unsure of the quality of the plumbing in your house, then have the entire system inspected – including the main sewer line – to ensure it’s properly designed and functioning properly.

In Portland’s damp climate, the last thing you need is a leaky water pipe to increase the humidity in your home. Because a small leak can quickly turn into a big problem, it’s important to repair any leaks you find as soon as possible.

Try a Quick Fix

For a temporary fix that will let you use the pipe until a professional plumber arrives, wrap a piece of heavy rubber around the pipe and hold it in place with a C-clamp. You can use small blocks of wood to give the clamp something to grip.

Smaller leaks can be repaired more permanently with either plumber’s epoxy or pipe repair tape. To repair a leaky water pipe with epoxy, pull off a piece of epoxy the same size as the hole or crack and knead the epoxy to soften it. Then, press the epoxy over the leak and smooth down the edges. Allow it to cure according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most brands require at least 30 minutes to cure.

To apply pipe repair tape, start by using a metal file to roughen the area around the leak. For a larger crack, press a disc of plumber’s epoxy over it and let it cure. Then, immerse the pipe repair tape in water to soften the epoxy on the tape before applying the tape over the hole and wrapping the roll around the pipe, pressing the tape down as you go.

Install a Pipe Repair Kit

To use a repair kit, cut the neoprene or rubber material supplied into a 1-inch square for pinhole leaks or, for larger leaks, to the size of the hole or crack. Then, lay the patch over the hole, installing hose clamps to hold the patch in place. If your repair kit comes with a pipe repair clamp rather than hose clamps, center the clamp’s rubber gasket side over the leak, and tighten the clamp’s screws to hold down the patch.

For professional assistance repairing a leaky water pipe, contact Roth Heating & Cooling in the Portland area.

A relaxing dip in your hot tub is the perfect way to unwind after a stressful day. Thanks to Portland’s moderate winters, you can enjoy a spa experience year-round by taking just a few cold weather precautions.

Tips to Winterize Your Hot Tub During the Winter

For more advice on how to keep your hot tub from freezing this winter, contact Roth Home & Cooling. We’ve helped Portland area residents increase their home comfort since 1976.

Access to clean, safe water isn’t a luxury — it’s an absolute essential. Whether it comes from your own well or you rely on a municipal supply, your water can contain a number of undesirable contaminants your family shouldn’t consume. Here’s why it’s important to filter drinking water in your home.

You’ll Trap Hazardous Heavy Metals and Pesticides

Tap water can contain toxic heavy metals, such as mercury, lead and cadmium. Lead poisoning can cause severe mental and physical impairment, and the effects are worse in children. The residue from various pesticides are known health hazards, and these chemicals are found in the groundwater in many states.

You’ll Eliminate Added Fluoride

Many municipalities add fluoride to their water supply in an effort to improve children’s dental health. However, recent studies have revealed a lengthy list of negative side effects related to long-term fluoride consumption. These include gum disease, bladder cancer, thyroid dysfunction, liver and kidney disease, endocrine imbalance, genetic defects, nervous system disorders and bone disease.

You’ll Filter Out Chlorine & Chloramine

Both chlorine and chloramine are commonly added by municipalities to rid water supplies of disease-causing microorganisms. In the human body, both of these additives increase the risk of rectal and bladder cancers, while chloramine can also cause kidney, liver and central nervous damage, anemia and reproductive problems.

You’ll Remove Dangerous Pathogens

Filtering your home water supply can safeguard your family’s health by lowering the risk of ingesting bacteria and parasites, such as E. coli, cryptosporidium and giardia. These nasty pathogens can cause symptoms including abdominal cramps, diarrhea, vomiting and fevers, along with more serious complications.

Filtering is Environmentally Friendly

Each year, approximately 17 million barrels of oil are used to make 50 billion drinking water bottles. Roughly 75 percent of these bottles are dumped in landfills. Filtering your tap water also puts less strain on the environment. Considering that about 25 percent of bottled water is simply repackaged tap water, the benefits of filtering are clear.

To learn more important reasons to filter the drinking water in your Portland area home, contact Roth Home & Cooling today.

A malfunctioning garbage disposal is frustrating, but some of the more common disposal problems are simple to solve. Even if you can’t solve the problem, taking a minute to pinpoint the cause can help your plumber get your system working faster.

Slow draining – A clogged drain line is the most likely cause. This can be solved by removing the discharge pipe and taking out the drain trap for cleaning. Avoid chemical drain cleaners, which can damage the disposal.

Poor grinding – If this occurs, either you’re not running enough water or the blades are worn. In the case of broken blades, replacing the unit is usually the most cost-effective solution.

Disposal won’t turn on – This indicates an electrical problem. Make sure the disposal is plugged in, then press the “reset” button. This button should pop out after the disposal is reset. If it doesn’t, check the breaker in your electrical panel. A tripped breaker may indicate you need to replace the disposal’s switch.

Disposal only hums – If your garbage disposal hums when you turn it on, but doesn’t run, chances are the flywheel is stuck. This can happen when a hard object, such as a bone, jams the disposal. Place your disposal’s offset hex wrench into the flywheel hole at the bottom of the disposal and turn it clockwise. This should free the flywheel.

Leaking water – If your disposal leaks water at the sink flange, it’s probably due to loose mounting bolts or deteriorating plumber’s putty. Tightening the bolts or replacing the putty should help. For a leak by the dishwasher connection, try tightening the clamp or replacing the hose. If the leak is near the discharge drain, you may need to tighten the bolts or take them out to replace the gasket.

If you’re not sure how to work with the bolts, pipes and other parts of your garbage disposal, call a plumbing professional for help. Incorrectly disassembling or adjusting your disposal’s components can cause permanent damage. For help keeping your home’s plumbing in top form, contact Roth Home & Cooling in the Portland area.

Outdoor security lighting can make your yard and property as secure after dark as it is during the day. Once the sun goes down, your landscape and outdoor ambience becomes a darkened recess that can seem unwelcoming to family and friends, while attracting uninvited intruders.

Low-voltage, high-efficiency outdoor lighting provides a wide range of illumination and color alternatives without excessive power drains. A security lighting system has a very low impact on landscapes and is unobtrusive and inconspicuous during the day.

Some reasons homeowners are lighting up their premises with outdoor security lighting, include:

Accident Prevention

Any darkened yard presents numerous slip and fall hazards. Illuminated walks can safely light the way to commonly-used areas of your property, while zone lighting chases shadows away from dark corners. Well-lighted driveways are also important to prevent personal injury, as well as property damage.

Home Security

Darkness is an intruder’s ally. A home with well-lit premises communicates a message to potential prowlers and thieves that the residence is occupied and trespassers will be observed. Adding motion detectors to certain zones can flood those areas with high-lumen security illumination as needed, while consuming no electricity when it’s not.

Wildlife Deterrents

You might be surprised by the variety of creatures who visit your yard at night. Some can be a nuisance to your home and garden, as well as a threat to your own pets. Possums, raccoon, rodents and coyotes are common in many residential areas, but tend to avoid well-lit areas. Motion detector sensors can be adjusted to trigger lights only when critters of a certain size trespass.

Aesthetic Enhancement

Outdoor security lighting can incorporate a palette of colors that express your individual creativity. Lights also effectively accent and emphasize certain landscape features, such as trees, shrubbery, fountains and pools. Lighting design can be an artistic statement, while increasing the curb appeal of your home.

For more information about the energy-efficient benefits of outdoor security lighting in Portland, contact Roth Home & Cooling.

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