Delta Sigma Theta Homeownership

This past Saturday, March 22nd, myself as well as some of the other wealth builders, most notably Alex Coffey at Dr. Equity Appraisals participated in the Delta Sigma Theta Homeownership seminar held at the Chicago chapter headquarters at 45th and Michigan. It was a good attended event with people eager for good solid information. Had an opportunity to meet the new junior attorney at Woods & Evans LLC as well as renew some old business acquaintances.

Sunday, it was the radio show in the morning. In the theme of Resurrection, we talked about resurrected your life and career. In addition to the wealth builders, we had Latrice Spann-Leavitt on who I thought made some excellent points and is quite a polished lady in her own right outside of her father, Pervis Spann and older sister, Melody Spann-Cooper.

The market is still progressing nicely. We are getting our share of business. I just continue to improve on our business operations so that we can get stronger in the months ahead.

Check Your Floors, Walls and Ceilings

Houses are like people -- they sag in the middle when they get older!

What?

Check your floors, walls and ceilings

When?

Once a year -- the winter is a good time.

Why?

Your house moves. Not only does it settle over the long haul, but it moves daily and seasonally. The issue is whether the movement is typical, or represents a structural problem.

How?

Assessing the significance of movement within your house requires a skilled set of eyes and a firm understanding of structural engineering. If you have any inkling that any of the components of your house have moved appreciably, call in a professional. Let's look at the components:

Floors -- the day your house was completed, the floors were sagging. It is not uncommon for floors in new houses to deflect as much as half an inch at the midspan.

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With time, bookcases, refrigerators and waterbeds will cause the floors to sag even more. This is normally not cause for alarm. Be concerned however if the floors slope toward a supporting wall.

Walls -- The weight of a wall will cause the floor that the wall sits on to deflect. Therefore, walls that do not rest on other walls immediately below are more likely to show evidence of movement. This movement will show up as doorframes that are out of square and cracks originating at the top corners of doorframes and running diagonally up to the ceiling.

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Cracks in interior partition walls are far more common and less troublesome than cracks in the interior finishes of exterior walls.

Ceilings -- Interpreting cracks in ceilings is difficult. They may be the results of deflection of the floor above or movement of a wall where it intersects with the ceiling.

Tips

• Shining a flashlight parallel to a wall or ceiling surface highlights patches, cracks and other flaws.

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Caulking

Show us a water stain on a ceiling and, more often than not, it isn't a leaking roof ... it's a leaking bathroom fixture.

What?

Check the caulking in your kitchen and bathrooms. Don't just look for moldy or missing caulking; pull at it to see if the seal is good or if it's just sitting there.

When?

Once a year.

Why?

As inexpensive as it is, caulking is essential to maintain the normal life expectancy of tile bathtub and shower enclosures. It's equally important for the long life of laminated countertops and backsplashes.

The backing material behind the tile may be water-resistant, but it is not waterproof. The particleboard backing material for plastic-laminated countertops is even more prone to water damage.

The caulking may last for 10 or more years but because of poor surface preparation, poor tolerances and building movement, the seal rarely lasts that long.

How?

The key to good caulking is good preparation. The surface must be clean and dry. This often requires lots of scraping and vacuuming. If it's damp behind the old caulking, wait until it dries.

Use a caulking gun and caulking that can be cleaned up with water (acrylic latex silicone) for best results. Cut the tip of the caulking tube at about a 30-degree angle and make the hole in the tip the same size as the gap you are about to fill. Push the gun away from you. This fills the gap and the trailing edge of the nozzle leaves a professional finish. Go for one continuous bead. Stopping and starting makes a mess.

Tips

• When caulking a tub, fill it with water and stand in the tub. The weight of you and the water makes the tub settle a bit and opens up the joint to be caulked.
• After caulking, you can smooth the surface with a wet soapy finger, but don't push too hard.
• Some people use masking tape to make the job easier. If you do, be sure to pull the tape off immediately after caulking, and use the soapy-finger trick to smooth the edge.