HEALTHY, WEALTHY & WISE
OCTOBER 2015
Published exclusively for clients of ABC Cleaning
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” – Helen Keller
In This Issue
Hidden Leaks Cause Big
Problems
Making Playgrounds Safer
Top 5 Financial Planning Tips
Recipe: Grandma’s Chicken
Noodle Soup
Good Clean Funnies and
Quick Tips
October is
Positive Attitude
Month!
Hidden Leaks Cause Big Problems
It may seem like a minor thing. You have
a small leak around a window. It’s only a
problem when it rains. There’s a tiny drip
coming from one of the valves under a
bathroom sink. You see a small water
stain on the drywall ceiling in your guest
bathroom. There’s some missing grout in
the shower.
These small problems can lead to big
headaches. Over time, a seemingly
insignificant leak can cause expensive
damage and provide a breeding ground
for mold. In addition, certain pests
such as ants, roaches and termites are
attracted to these reliable water sources
and may choose to set up housekeeping
by building nests and raising their young
inside your walls, above your ceilings and
under your floors.
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As the weather gets cooler, there is
also a potential for more condensation
around windows, inside walls and in
crawl spaces and basements. A little bit
of condensation is all that is needed to
create a veritable petri dish of microbial
activity on just about any surface.
pipes. A single small drip from one of
these pipes can go undetected for years.
And when you finally see a visible sign,
it may be nowhere near the actual leak.
Water follows the path of least resistance,
making leak location a tricky proposition.
In addition to plumbing, there are doors,
windows and roof vents that penetrate
your home’s protective envelope. Any of
these penetrations can develop a leak. If
your home has a chimney, add that to the
list of potential leak sites.
Water can also enter your home through
the foundation. As a house settles, small
cracks can develop in the concrete slab,
block foundation and brick mortar.
Think about the appliances like your
icemaker, water heater, washing machine,
dishwasher, garbage disposal, and the
water dispenser on your refrigerator. All
of those connections, drains and pumps
represent potential leaks.
Then there are the gutters and
downspouts. They are designed to take
large amounts of water from the roof
and divert it away from the house and
The problem is that these leaks can be
hard to spot. And even if you see evidence foundation. Clogged downspouts can
of them, finding the actual source can be cause water to overrun the gutters
nearly impossible. The average home has allowing water to enter the home at the
over 300 feet of plumbing pipes, including eaves.
supply lines, drains, sewer lines and vent
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