QUESTION: Can you clean exhaust fans in bathrooms? How do you do it?
ANSWER: It’s important to have an exhaust fan in every bathroom in your home; and the fans should be vented to the outside of your home. But many times the years roll by, and no one cleans the fans even though they get covered with dust and grime.
When you clean the fans, start by turning off the electric supply to the fan. On the electric panel for your home, you can turn the circuit breaker for the bathroom area to the off position. Remove the cover from the fan by using the spring mounts; then take the cover down and clean it thoroughly on all sides, possibly with a vacuum cleaner or by using an old towel or rag and a cleaning solution. You may want to clean the ceiling or wall around the fan area as well. Use an attachment from your vacuum cleaner to clean inside the fan housing and around the motor. Then reinstall the fan cover using the spring mountso.
Q: There is a subdivision near my home that is still under construction. During the recent rainstorms, some of the homes were heavily soaked with water, including the unfinished roofs on top of some houses. Shouldn’t the builder wait for the wood and tar paper to dry before workers resume installing the roofing material? Couldn’t there be problems with mold and mildew if the roofing material is covered up with tiles or shingles before the underlayment dries?
A: Even though the wood and tar paper get wet, construction can continue. The roofs will continue to dry because water vapor can rise through tar paper. Millions of homes throughout the country get wet during the construction process, but generally turn out all right.
Q: I have an undeveloped half-acre on my property that is mainly desert, rock and sand. It is largely covered with weeds that can grow to be two to three feet tall. They keep cropping up, and I’d like to get rid of them. How can I do that?
A: You need to use a pre-emergent herbicide twice on this area — in late summer as the weeds are drying out and also in early spring. The chemical has to be watered in thoroughly after it’s applied in order to prevent the seeds from taking root and coming back again next spring.
Q: If I smell a gas-like odor in my neighborhood, who should I call?
A: Call 911 immediately, and repair personnel will respond very quickly.
Q: There is a shaded area of gravel on my lot that always seems to be wet. A plumber came to the house and checked the water meter after turning off the water supply. But the meter reading never moved and so he couldn’t find anything wrong? So, what could be going on?
A: Because of the recent rains and the shade that falls on that part of your yard, it’s probable that the gravel and the soil underneath will take a very long time to dry out.
