The Home Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on System Maintenance

Text copyright © 2006 by Dan Ramsey

Illustrations copyright © 2006 by Headcase Design

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Number: Requested

eBook ISBN: 978-1-59474-773-1

Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-59474-103-6

Designed by Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum @ Headcase Design

www.headcasedesign.com

Quirk Books

215 Church Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

quirkbooks.com

v3.1

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

WELCOME TO YOUR NEW HOME!

The Home: Diagram and Parts List

Product Life Span

CHAPTER 1: DESCRIPTION

Product History

Major Components

▪ Functional Spaces

▪ Interconnections

▪ Dimensions

▪ Design Philosophy

Ownership Advantages

▪ Easier Living

▪ Investment Opportunities

▪ Tax Advantages

Ownership Disadvantages

Ownership Options

▪ Single-Family Residence

▪ Planned-Unit Development

▪ Condominium Apartment

▪ Cooperative Apartment

Top-Selling Models

Home Design Trends

▪ Environmentally Friendly Design

▪ Off-Site Construction

▪ Adaptive Reuse

▪ Health-Conscious Designs

▪ Weather Resistance

▪ Flexible Floor Plans

▪ Accessibility

▪ Outdoor Living

▪ Abundant Storage

▪ Cultural Upgrades

CHAPTER 2: INSTALLATION

Installing Occupants

Determining Occupant Requirements

▪ Selecting by Type

▪ Determining Usage

▪ Choosing a Location

▪ Analyzing Condition

Home Pre-Acquisition Inspection Checklist

Shopping for a Home

▪ Using Agents

▪ Buying FSBOs

▪ Closing on a Home

Paying for a Home

▪ Cash Talks

▪ Conventional Financing

▪ Unconventional Financing

Moving In

▪ Moving Companies

▪ Self Moves

▪ Component Services

▪ Moving On

CHAPTER 3: PARTS AND SERVICE

Shelter Requirements

▪ Structural

▪ Electrical

▪ Plumbing

▪ Heating

▪ Cooling

▪ Security

Benefits of Maintenance

Maintenance Materials

▪ Structural

▪ Electrical

▪ Plumbing

▪ Heating and Cooling

Selecting and Using Tools and Fasteners

Shopping in a Hardware Store

CHAPTER 4: INTERIOR MAINTENANCE

Maintaining Home Interiors

Structural Maintenance

▪ Cleaning

▪ Maintaining Carpets

▪ Maintaining Door Locks

▪ Painting the Interior

▪ Filling Surface Holes

Electrical Maintenance

▪ Inspecting Receptacles and Switches

▪ Inspecting Cords for Damage

▪ Checking All Circuit Breakers or Fuses

▪ Testing GFCI outlets

Plumbing Maintenance

▪ Treating Slow Drains

▪ Checking Pipes and Fixtures for Leaks

▪ Draining Sludge from Water Heater

▪ Testing Water Heater Relief Valve

Heating and Cooling Maintenance

▪ Inspecting Systems

▪ Cleaning Ductwork

▪ Cleaning or Replacing Filters

▪ Checking Fans, Belts, and Motors

▪ Cleaning a Chimney

▪ Cleaning Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers

▪ Cleaning Radiators

▪ Bleeding Air from Hot Water Heating Systems

Safety Maintenance

▪ Checking Fire Extinguishers

▪ Testing Smoke Detectors

▪ Practicing Emergency Drills

▪ Replenishing the Survival Pantry

CHAPTER 5: EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE

Maintaining Home Exteriors

Roofing

▪ Checking the Roof for Damage

▪ Checking the Attic for Water Stains

▪ Cleaning Gutters

Siding

▪ Cleaning Siding

▪ Inspecting for Pests and Damage

▪ Painting Siding

Doors and Windows

▪ Replacing Damaged or Worn Weather Stripping

▪ Recaulking Windows, Doors, and Siding

▪ Checking Window Seals

Decks

▪ Pressure Washing Decks

▪ Recoating Decks

Patios, Walks, and Drives

▪ Pressure Washing Patios, Walks, and Drives

▪ Patching Surfaces

Yard Maintenance

Outdoor Storage Structures

▪ Maintaining Siding

▪ Maintaining Doors and Hinges

Garages

▪ Cleaning Garage Floors

▪ Patching Concrete

▪ Maintaining Garage Doors

CHAPTER 6: EMERGENCY REPAIRS

Avoiding Emergencies

Structural Emergencies

▪ Damaged Siding

▪ Rotten or Eaten Wood

▪ Leaky Roof

Electrical Emergencies

▪ Fixing Appliances

▪ Restoring Electrical Power

Plumbing Emergencies

▪ Leaky Faucet

▪ Clogged Kitchen Drain

▪ Clogged Bathroom Drain

▪ Clogged Toilet

▪ Broken Pipes

▪ Leaky Basement

▪ No Hot Water

▪ Leaky Water Heater

Heating and Cooling Emergencies

▪ Fuel Leak

▪ No Heat

▪ No Cooling

CHAPTER 7: OPTIONS

Decorating Basics

Interior Painting

▪ Preparing Surfaces

▪ Choosing Paints

▪ Selecting and Using Painting Tools

▪ Selecting Other Painting Materials

▪ The Painting Process

▪ Cleaning Up

Wall Coverings

▪ Preparing Surfaces

▪ Installing Wallpaper

Flooring

▪ Installing Carpeting

▪ Installing Hardwood Flooring

▪ Installing Hard Tile

▪ Installing VCT

Getting Professional Help

CHAPTER 8: UPGRADES

Remodeling Benefits

Remodeling Basics

Remodeling a Kitchen

Remodeling a Bathroom

Remodeling an Extra Room

APPENDIX

Technical Support

Glossary of Terms

INDEX

OWNER’S CERTIFICATE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATORS

Welcome

to Your New Home!

ATTENTION!

Before beginning this manual, please inspect your model carefully and check for all of the standard parts described here. If any of these parts appear to be missing or inoperative, it is recommended that you consult the home’s builder or appropriate service providers immediately.

Whether you have just acquired a new home or are planning to do so soon, congratulations! A home is a wonderful thing to inhabit, particularly when it is owned—and it is in good working order.

Unfortunately, components break, wear out, and mysteriously go awry, especially when homeowners share their residence with occupants who don’t pay the repair bills. And if homeowners spend most of their time in the world of high technology, the processes and problems of low-tech homes may elude them. Regrettably, homes don’t come with instruction manuals, so homeowners are left on their own to unclog a sink, maintain cozy heat, or make the lights come back on. To make matters worse, many first-time buyers don’t know what to look for in a home before purchasing one. Nor are there instructions for upgrading to Home 2.0.

Until now, that is. This manual includes not only an overview of how a home works, but also many step-by-step instructions on what to do if it doesn’t—or if the occupants decide to make some changes. It also includes some practical tips on selecting and moving into a first or next home. Like other owner’s manuals, it is designed for quick and frequent reference. Unlike other manuals, this book is printed on heavy paper to stand up to frequent use. Here’s what is covered:

DESCRIPTION describes the major functions of homes as well as the advantages and options of ownership.

INSTALLATION explains the home selection and occupant-installation processes.

PARTS AND SERVICE explains how home systems operate and interact to furnish comfort and convenience to occupants.

INTERIOR MAINTENANCE offers specific instructions for 25 common maintenance projects inside the home, including keeping plumbing clear, maintaining electrical and heating systems, painting, and more.

EXTERIOR MAINTENANCE includes step-by-step instructions for 19 common projects for the home’s exterior, including roofing, siding, doors and windows, decks, patios and walks, yard maintenance, and storage structures.

EMERGENCY REPAIRS is a quick and easy reference for handling 16 common home emergencies in plumbing, electrical, heating, and structural systems.

OPTIONS suggests popular improvements that will make a home more livable and gives specific instructions on how to complete them.

UPGRADES covers numerous things that homeowners can do—or have done for them—to increase the functionality and value of a home.

The APPENDIX includes technical support resources and a glossary of housing terminology.

When maintained properly, a home can furnish years of living comfort and convenience for current and future occupants. Remember that homes require an investment of time, energy, and money that may make occupants reconsider renting. However, a home is a long-term investment that offers financial and emotional rewards beyond those available through rent receipts.

Congratulations and welcome to the world of home ownership!

The Home: Diagram and Parts List

Major home systems: structural, electrical, plumbing, comfort. Each of these systems has an important function. To ensure that these functions are met, modern homes must be built to standardized rules, called building codes, for safety. Older homes typically are required to come up to code if remodeled. Codes are especially important for standardizing the safe use of electrical, plumbing, and other vital systems.

Structural

The primary system within a home is the structural skeleton. It includes:

Foundation: A concrete structure that firmly attaches the house to the ground and distributes the structure’s weight.

Framing: The wood, steel, or masonry skeleton that forms the floors, walls, and ceilings of the home.

Exterior: The sheathing or skin over the outside of the framing a well as the exterior barriers (doors and windows).

Interior: The sheathing or covering over the inside of the framing as well as the interior barriers (doors).

Electrical

Modern homes rely on electricity to power appliances and lighting. Electrical power is generated in power plants and distributed through wires as alternating current (ac). The electricity is moved along the wires by voltage, electrical pressure measured in volts (v). The voltage is reduced by transformers until it reaches residences at 240 v. Electric clothes dryers and some shop equipment use 240 v of electricity, but everything else in the home uses 120 v, so the electrical power is cut in half at the electric service panel.

CAUTION: Residents who attempt to work on a home’s electrical system should know how it functions, how to disable it, and how to perform maintenance safely—all covered in this manual.

From the electric service panel, numerous branches of power, called circuits, are distributed through wires. These wires start within the service panel at a circuit breaker and end within the house at outlets (plugs) or fixtures (lights). The circuit breakers are safety devices designed to stop the flow of electricity if it exceeds what the wire and fixtures can safely handle. (Homes older than 40 years may use replaceable fuses instead of circuit breakers.) Fixtures typically have a switch nearby that allows the circuit to be turned on or off manually. Large and small appliances can be attached (plugged in) to outlets to draw electrical power required for operation.

Electrical systems can be seen at either end (the service panel and the fixture), but are unseen; the wires are run through walls, floors, and ceilings. Because electrical systems have no moving parts, maintenance and repair typically is done at one end or the other of the circuits, making them relatively easy to maintain (see here–here).

Plumbing

Plumbing is a distribution system that delivers fresh water to plumbing fixtures and separately removes the waste water for treatment. Water is distributed by utility services through water pipelines under the ground in front of homes. Alternatively, private water systems can gather and deliver water from springs or wells. Water moves through a pipe and water meter to individual homes and is distributed throughout the house by smaller pipes to kitchen, bath, utility, and other rooms as needed. Fixtures (faucets, toilets) manually start and stop the flow of water at these locations.

A portion of the incoming water supply is routed to the water heater for heat and storage. A second set of distribution pipes delivers the hot water to selected fixtures (kitchen and bathroom sinks) and appliances (dishwasher) within the home. The remainder of the fresh or supply water serves the cold water needs of the home.

Waste water from plumbing fixtures (sinks, toilets) flows from the drain-waste-vent (DWV) system to the public sewer or