Archive | August, 2011

Swimming Pool at Your House, Why Not? (3)

29 August 2011

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If the homeowner will have guests all the time using the pool, the homeowner will have to foot a large bill for upkeep and care. Pool maintenance costs can be high even when the pool is not in use, especially if a maintenance service is under contract to take care of it regularly.

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Swimming Pool at Your House, Why Not? (2)

25 August 2011

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At least Jack was building a pool for the right reason: to enjoy it. Too often, homeowners spend $25,000 or more on an in-ground pool hoping to add value to the house. That’s when it ends up being a liability, because not everyone wants a house with a pool.

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Swimming Pool at Your House, Why Not?

21 August 2011

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Swimming pools may please you, but they rarely add value. Jack Severson had a spacious backyard that could easily accommodate a large swimming pool, which would provide plenty of entertainment for his children and grandchildren in the summer and daily exercise for him and his wife.

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Cleaning the House from Water (4)

17 August 2011

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One homeowner spent $7,600 on a basement waterproofing system that included a back-up battery for the sump pump in the event of a power failure. When even the battery backup failed and his basement filled with water, the damage was $2,700, with all but the deductible paid by the insurer. The homeowner believed the waterproofing [...]

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Cleaning the House from Water (3)

13 August 2011

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That’s illegal, of course. Even if it weren’t, the homeowner would need to install a device that prevents sewage from the soil line flowing back into the sump. A better solution would be a dry well somewhere in the yard to handle the water from the sump without turning the lawn above into a swamp.

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Cleaning the House from Water (2)

9 August 2011

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When rain falls, it should be flowing away from the foundation, not toward it. A possible solution is to regrade, first banking soil against the foundation to achieve a minimum grade of 2 percent, which most engineers consider enough to divert water away from the foundation.

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