Housing : article
PERRYVILLE, Mo.—Homeowners who made repairs after last year’s floods and windstorms may now be finding ghostly shadows—dirty patches of mold and mildew—in parts of the home that got wet. This is a health hazard for people living in the home.
JOPLIN, Mo. – Harold Noirfalise used to curse the big steel box in the garage of his Joplin home. It was there when he and his wife, Brenda, bought the house a couple years ago. The box shared space with a pickup, a car and a workshop where he built radio-controlled model airplanes, making for a…
Safeguard household items before flooding: clean, wrap, inventory valuables; use plastic or climate-controlled storage to prevent damage.
Inspect hail damage? Get an insurance adjuster to evaluate missing granules, dented vents, roof “bruise” spots, and whether hail size triggers replacement.
MOBERLY, Mo. – Spending few hours now on spring home maintenance can save you many hours and dollars later, says a University of Missouri Extension housing specialist.
Tom Fuhrman says it’s time to take care of any problems caused by winter weather and spring storms to protect your investment.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If your basement sprung a leak during recent intense rainfalls, you’re not alone.
MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Water has a unique property: It expands as it freezes. This puts tremendous pressure on whatever is containing it, including metal or plastic pipes. No matter the strength of the container, expanding water can cause pipes to break.
MARSHFIELD, Mo. – Unwanted icicles hanging from the roof overhang are a warning sign of ice dams, which can inflict considerable interior and exterior damage to your home.
According to Bob Schultheis, retired University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist, nonuniform roof…
Seal your home to save energy but test for radon to protect against harmful exposure and lung cancer risk.
Colorful laundry pods can poison children. Store them safely and childproof laundry areas to prevent accidents.
Ensure flood-damaged homes dry fully before replacing coverings to prevent mold, mildew, and long-term damage.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri saw abundant rainfall in 2015. That’s often good news for crops but can be bad news for homes.
Even if your home escaped serious flood damage, moisture seeping into your basement or condensing from humid air can create ideal sites for mold growth.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Temperatures hovering near zero could mean problems with frozen water lines. Homeowners should take precautions to prevent pipes from freezing and know to how to thaw frozen pipes safely, according to University of Missouri Extension experts.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Even if you regularly check the batteries and test your home smoke detectors, you may not be alerted if a fire breaks out.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A new classroom on wheels is designed to help Missourians better understand home energy efficiency.
Find online resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from winter storms, including safety tips and emergency guides.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – When storms, floods and other disasters leave damaged homes in their path, local contractors often get more business than they can handle. In many cases, out-of-town contractors will arrive in force to pick up the slack.
TRENTON, Mo.– University of Missouri Extension has prepared a checklist of measures people can take to reduce the impact of floodwater on their homes.
FARMINGTON, Mo.– Renters as well as homeowners can save money by using less energy at home.
A lot of simple practices can cut renters’ energy costs every month, says Rebecca Blocker, University of Missouri Extension housing and environmental design specialist.
One practice is to minimize “vampire…
CARTHAGE, Mo. – People can become victims twice in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Dishonest businesses, questionable charities and others looking to make a quick buck try to take advantage of both disaster survivors and those wishing to help.
MARSHFIELD, Mo. –Buyers trying to reduce winter heating costs should closely examine claims by manufacturers of infrared space heaters, said a University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Before investing in a solar-power system, look at the energy efficiency of your home, says a University of Missouri Extension energy specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Moisture and rising temperatures can turn parts of your home into ideal sites for mold growth, said a University of Missouri Extension housing and environmental design specialist.
MARSHFIELD, Mo.– While you wait for the spring thaw, consider testing your home for harmful radon gas, says Bob Schultheis, a University of Missouri Extension natural resource engineering specialist.