Recent content by mkklein68

The two pipes on your furnace are for combustion air and flue gases. Hopefully, the system is tight and it has a net neutral effect on the air in the basement. The gas water heater also needs air for combustion and the flue gases draft additional air as they flow into the flue. Usually, a...

I have only one other thing to add. When purchasing replacement valves and gaskets, be sure that the description says that the rubber is chlorine (or other chemical) resistant. Rubber products that were used in toilets were found to be readily attacked by the water (chlorine) treatment products...

Pretty much all siding materials need to have a couple of inches gap between a horizontal surface the the siding. Even Hardie requires a 2 inch gap in its warranty coverage. The reason is that if the gap is too small, water can be sucked into it due to capillary action. Once in the gap, it can...

In reading responses to the original question, I see a lot of misconceptions going on here. Mold generally needs three things to grow: food source, spores and moisture. The first two are everywhere because they are floating around in the air. Therefore, moisture is usually the issue that...