Last
Updated:
January 20, 2009
In this section:
Recommendations
Garage Door Repair
Painter
Plumber
Tips
Water
- A condo's worst enemy
Carpet Cleaners (and what they're supposed to
do)
Removing Spots from Granite Countertop
Removing Calcified Water from Dishwasher
Locating Morris Place on Google
Maps
Creating a Container Garden
Cleaning Air Ducts
Recommendations
Garage Door Repair Service
KC Garage Doors & Openers
Kevin Critchley, Owner
Phone: 973-586-7742
Painter
Several residents recommend Camargo's Painting and Wallpaper. Ask for Sergio's team of painters. They are clean, tidy, efficient, and professional.
Phone: 201-919-5037
Plumber
Several residents have found the following plumbers professional and fair
Danny Foster:
Phone: 201-213-7702
Keefe Plumbing (Morristown)
Phone: 201-400-2786
Tips
Water - A Condo's Worst Enemy
Part 1: Washing Machines
According to CAU Risk Management Services, water leaks cause more damage to condominium residences than any other source - roughly 65 percent* of property damage, in fact. The biggest culprit of such leaks is your washing machine. That's right! That trusty washing machine that you use so often is the most likely source of water problems.
So how can you prevent water problems? Two actions on your part can prevent thousands of dollars of water damage:
Replace the connecting hose.
Most companies that install washing machines use rubber hoses to connect the machine to your home's water outlets. These hoses last roughly four or five years - and they don't give warning when they're wearing out.
A much safer - and long-lasting option - is installing a metal hose or one that is reinforced. One such hose, called FloodchekTM, comes with a twenty-year warranty.
Turn off the water at its source.
By turning off the water at the washing machine faucet, you can relieve pressure on the connecting hose and extend its life. One way to make this job easier it to install a knife switch or automatic shut off valve, so you don't have to struggle with the faucet knob. With a simple flick, a knife switch can save you from an expensive flood of water. Ask your plumber for more information.
Part 2: Water Heaters
Check your instruction manual for details on how to do these tasks, and remember that it is each resident's responsibility to take quick action in the case of water leaks. Especially considering the location of water heaters in Washington units, there is potential for significant and costly damage not just to your property, but also to your neighbor's .
Thankfully, Morris Place is a new community and hasn't suffered a lot of water problems. Let's keep it that way!
* Source: "Interior Water Damage: A Disaster You Can Prevent" by CAU Risk Management Services.
Carpet Cleaners (and what they're supposed to do)
A few weekends ago, a resident scheduled a second touch-up visit from her carpet cleaner. The gentleman who came to clean did not do the same job as his predecessors. Here is what you should make certain that your cleaners do:
- Move all furniture to clean underneath it.
- Put all furniture on styrofoam blocks to keep the wood from bleeding onto your wet carpet. Keep the furniture on blocks for a day or two, to be safe.
- Put signs near your stairs warning that the carpet is slick when wet.
- Put a foam pad around the door through which the cleaning hose enters your house. (More on this later.)
- Park away from your garage and keep the engine off!
What is the problem, then, that leads to this story?
Carbon monoxide.
The resident's cleaner parked close to the mouth of her garage and left his
motor running. And for the sake of speed, he didn't put the aforementioned
foam pad around her door, which minimizes air flow while your house door
is ajar. The result was a house full of carbon monoxide from the truck exhaust.
The good news is that all her CO detectors were tripped – and she safely
evacuated while the fire department cleared the air. (Remember the four or
so fire engines and one police car stationed outside buildings 3 and 4 one
Saturday morning?)
The resident's advice, then, is this: Even with a good carpet cleaner, keep a watchful eye on what they're doing.
Removing Spots from Granite Countertop
Problem: Our granite countertop has a fruit juice stain. Is there any way to restore the granite to its natural beauty?
Update: the fruit juice stain turned out to be a permanent water stain. (We assumed that it was a fruit juice stain because it was impossible to remove. It did not occur to us that it could be a water stain, until we started to get more and more difficult-to-remove spots around the sink area.) We tried granite cleaner, but that did not work.
Solution: We have yet to identify a way to remove what appears to be permanent spots. However, you can prevent further damage to your granite countertops by cleaning your countertops regularly with a special granite cleanser and then applying a special granite protector every six months. This applies to countertops made of other materials, too. Countertop cleansers and sealers are sold at HomeDepot and similar stores.
Follow-up # 1: While cleaning and sealing the countertops obviously did not remove exisiting water spots, we are happy to note that no new permanent spots have developed. We were convinced of the effectiveness of the new protection job when we were able to remove a coulpe of 12-hour old water spots from the countertop with ease. We strongly recommend you clean and protect your granite countertops within the first five months of moving into your new home, and every six months thereafter.
Follow-up # 2: Rinse Aid removes those stubborn spots. After three years, we finally found a simple solution!
Removing calcified water from the dishwasher
Problem: How do you remove calcified water from the dishwasher?
Solution: Use a general descaler – available from Wal-Mart and similar stores.
Locating Morris Place on Google Maps
Google Maps now recognizes Morris Place.
For a more visually appealling locator, check out Google's satellite image maps. (Let's hope next time they capture our fully-constructed community in the spring ....)
And how do you get from Morris Place to NYC? Here:
Creating a Container Garden
If you've walked around the community over the past few weeks, you'll have noticed that quite a few residents have planted flowers in containers and placed them on their patios and decks. This adds much beauty to our community.
It's very easy to plant summer annuals in containers that can be placed in entry quads or on patios and balconies.
How to make a container garden
- Visit a reputable garden center such as Agway on Ridgedale Ave., in Morristown. They have a great selection of summer annuals that will add color and beauty to your outdoor living space.
- Start with a large container, either clay or resin, and fill with potting soil to within 2-3 inches from the top. A good potting soil, such as MiracleGro Potting Mix, will fertilize your container garden for about three months.
- Determine where you want to place the container plant and how much sunshine it will get. For shady areas, such as the entry quad, consider annuals such as impatiens, tuberous begonias, caladiums, or fuchsia. For sunny areas, consider annuals such as petunias, geraniums, New Guinea impatiens, or alyssum, just to name a few.
- When planting your container garden, choose annuals that vary in color and texture, and plant them close together. Do not follow the spacing suggestions on the flower market packs for container gardens. According to garden center instructors, the plants grow better when they're packed in close together.
- Water regularly.
- Place your container garden where you can enjoy its beauty - and where others can appeciate it, too!
Where to find ready-made container gardens
Garden centers such as Agway in Morristown or J&M in Madison can give great advice. If you don't feel creative, these garden centers have pre-planted containers that you can bring home and instantly enjoy. You will, of course, pay for convenience of this instant beauty.
Cleaning Air Ducts
If you're thinking of having your air ducts cleaned, check out the following resources first, as recommended by a fellow Morris Place resident:
- The Environmental Protection Agency article, "Should You Have the Air Ducts in Your Home Cleaned?"
- The National Association of Air Duct Cleaners (NADCA), Web site, where you can learn more about air duct cleaning, get some tips on how to select a contractor, and search for NADCA members in our area.
Unfortunately, the resident came across these resources only after shelling out $$$ to have his air ducts cleaned, to "questionable" effect, by a non-NADCA member.
Note: The resident does not recommend National Restoration Duct Cleaners.