Q. Have a GE dryer that is causing me some trouble. We've noticed in the past few days that the dryer lint is getting into the air and is accumulating also on the vent that goes to the outdoors. I don't know how the dryer is (it came with the house that we bought about 5 years ago). The vent is also 5 years old and has never been vacuumed or cleared out. I am concerned that it is a fire hazard (and not great to breathe). I tried disconnecting the vent from the dryer but the person who installed this really jammed the vent into the dryer (and I didnt see any clamps). I guess my question is: what would happen if I really pulled the vent out hard - will I do damage? If I decide to hire someone to fix this, what is the best serviceperson to do so (a HVAC contractor, an air duct cleaning professional, a plumber, a handyman, etc). And what should I expect them to do beyond cleaning the vent out (ie. should it be replaced, etc.). I appeciate any word of wisdom - I'm on a budget and have a new baby at home :)

A. A handy man can do this , but the heating guy ,would be better, he can clean it all out and make sure it free,from lint . i would suggest you get a service plan in place maybe every 6ths he cleans it out ,and make sure it working right

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Q. August 10th 2010 Regarding APT. # **** ********* & ********** ******** Denver City Texas Dear Mr. & Mrs. 'landlord': In October of 2009 I notified Mrs. 'landlord' of water slightly seeping in around the grout of the downstairs fire place and surounding tile, that was causing the grouting to come loose in some areas, which I showed to Mrs. 'landlord' outside. ( I showed her some of the peices of grout that had fallen off of the fire place area.) I was told by Mrs. 'landlord' that it shouldnt really be a problem. In June of 2010 I notified Mr. 'landlord' of a suspected roof/wall leak from the same wall but in the upstairs of the unit. This leak is causing damage to the up stairs master bedroom. Mr. 'landlord' came inside and looked at the damp carpets from which water was draining from the wall into the carpet and said he didnt think it was anything that bad. Since then the area on the wall of the bedroom has started growing mold, and also the paint is bubbling from water behind it in some areas on the wall. We have tried to clean the damp area, with lysol type cleaners ( to reduce the mold growth) and use a wet/dry vac to keep it as dry as possible, but the water damage is beyond what "cleaning" can handle. The carpet is growing mold and so is the wall. The mold also started growing on our bed and box spring which was about a foot away from the leaking wall. Everytime it rains the leaking and mold damage becomes worse. We are sending this letter to make sure we are protected when we do move from this unit. We want to make sure it is proven that we have notified you both of the damage caused by non repairs to this unit that we cannot control. We have documented the water leaking and the damage from mold with pictures and videos since Mr. 'landlord' came to see it in June of 2010. Becuase of the above mentioned complaints we have decided to give our notice to move out, and will be vacating the unit on September 30th of 2010. We have even had to seek medical help due to mold related symptoms and our property in that room is damaged from mold spores and actual mold growth, we are not worried about those things and just wish to leave the unit so perhaps it can then be finally repaired. Also we know in our lease that we are supposed to pay for a carpet cleaning services apon our moving out of the unit, but under the circumstances we do not feel we should have to pay to clean water and mold damaged carpets from the roof leaking. We will clean the rest of the unit to the condition it was in when we moved in. If we can work out a way to not be bound to that part of our lease for carpet cleaning we would appreciate that greatly. Sincerely, ***** and ******* *********** just looking for a proof reading or any advice or tips for this letter to our landlord about non repairs and our moving out of the apt. We are a young family with two toddlers. We are on a month to month lease starting at the beginning of this year. We have lived here for almost 2 years on a regular leasing agreement of several months. We have never had any real issues with our landlord. Other than many non repaired complaints on the unit, which we could live with or repair ourselves up until now. ( On a side note, not realted, we did have a verbal agreement with the LL to allow pets even though the lease states otherwise. We have a cat. ) Thanks! I cant believe some of the negative comments, stating that I choose to live in a moldy apt. We live in a town of less than 3000 people, this is the only apt complex, the next nearest town is over an hour away. My husbands job is what keeps our family stuck here. We couldnt just pick up and move. Saying that I am alright with living in this appartment is an assumption that is wrong. We finnacially have our hands tied due to where we live and where we work. Lysol does kill mold and mold spores. I have done my research. Bleach is not an option here ( would have ruined the burgundy carpet and given a smell to the drywall after the fact. )

A. Well... it seems to be a very well written letter. The important parts about this is that you are on a month to month rental. Because you are Month to month, you need to give 30 days notice, which you are if you send that befor the end of Aug... I would suggest you send this by mail where you get a return reciept (WITH SIGNATURE) that they have recieved the letter. They can't do much about the cat because you've had it so long and they didn't say or do anything about it, though they can still require a profesional carpet cleaning because of the cat, reguardless of the water damage... When you speak to the landlord after they recieve this letter, if they give you a hard time about the carpet cleaning that since their refusal to repair the house caused damage to your own personal property (including that mattress and boxspring) as well as medical bills because of the mold this moisture caused that you will expect them to pay for the damages as well as medical bills that their neglagence caused... This is a last resort kinda argument, but it might be worth a try... I would suggest that you start moving your stuff out right away, even if it's just into a storage place or something right away, because the landlord might decide to try to kick you out right away if you use the argument above... Good Luck!

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Q. Had a house fire, hired a restoration company to clean and repair fire, smoke and water damage. Who is supposed to the the buliding permits?

A. The permits are the responsibility of the contractor. They have to be licensed to do the work and they are responsible for furnishing the details of the work as well as doing the work to code. Period

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Q. My sister painted me an abstract painting using acryllic paint on canvas. It was involved in a fire almost three years ago, and I am looking to have it repaired. The only damage to it is smoke damage. I can barley see the painting below the soot that is now covering it. I took it to a restoration gallery and they are asking close to a thousand dollars to repair it, and I want to know if there is a cheaper method I could try at home.

A. Interesting question. NASA has actually created a document on this http://gltrs.grc.nasa.gov/reports/1998/TM-1998-208506.pdf I think you may be stuck with the professional. Household cleaners may ruin the painting. Good Luck

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Q. My husband and I are buying our very first home that needs some work and I am so overwhelmed and have no idea what to do or where to begin!! There was a fire in the house about 7 months ago and it caused damage to the Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom, which we are going to completely repair/replace. However, the walls and ceilings in the entire house are completely black. I don't know what to do with them! We spent yesterday and today trying different products to clean them, but at this point it seems so impossible!! I am planning to use Kilz Primer on each and every wall and ceiling, and am going to paint each and every wall as well. I just don't know how to clean the black walls, prior to the primer. Also, we are going to replace all of the carpet so that's not an issue. We've talked about hiring restoration pros, but are worried about the high costs. Plus, there aren't any in our area. Does anyone have any guesstimates on what it would cost to hire pros??? Thank you very much!

A. I don't think you can clean this. One way could be to paint the walls, but I am not sure what will happened with the smell in this case. Normally, finding a restoration company would be easy, since there are so many companies out there. You can visit http://www.firewaterrepair.com for more info on fire restoration issues. You can find more details about the whole process there. Also, there is a form that you can use, to find restoration companies near your city. Good Luck

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Q. The house that we rent out had a fire. I've already informed the insurance company, there's an adjuster coming out, and the tenants are staying somewhere else. If anyone else has been in this situation, I'm wondering if there's any helpful advice for us. Should we drive 10 hours to check things out? If so, when? How many repair/restoration estimates should I try to get aside from the one my insurance uses? I'd planned on doing other work to the home. Can I have a contractor do that work at the same time and split the billing appropriately, or will that screw up the insurance and tax stuff? Please provide any additional ideas. We've never had a big insurance claim and I don't want to overlook stuff. We had previously planned on having the tenants out by April, doing some renovations, and putting it up for sale. I don't know how much this will change things. One bedroom is destroyed and there's a lot of smoke damage throughout the upstairs.

A. When the work is completed make sure you have a mold inspector come out and do a test to clear the house before you sell it. The water damage following the fire can cause a liability for you and you want to make sure that the insurance company is covering it before they close your claim out. Also take lots of before and after photos for the prospective buyers. When you tell them about the previous fire damage it will make it easier to show them where the damage was and how it was fixed. Get LOTS of estimates. Each contractor will also help you think of issues you may not have considered. This is an ideal time to remodel - the insurance company will work with you. Just make sure this will not interfere with your rental loss benefit (if you have it).

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Q. FACTS: My apartment caught fire while I was not home in mid Nov 09. The fire was in fact caused by something of mine that my cat was playing with which touched the floor heater while I was gone. I thought that by turning the thermostat all the way to the left, the heater was off, which I always did before leaving. But the thermostat did not have any numbers or words on the unit, and the fire chief told me it does not turn off, just turns down! Although I have warned my landlord in the past the floor Furness is extremely unsafe, and has almost started fires 2 times before, I was prepared for the fact that I would not get my $1200 deposit back, and I would also have to pay out of pocket for some of the repairs. This was a very small fire which caused little damage to the apartment other than the wall that it was next too, small area of the hardwood floor and the smoke damage. I was displaced for the period while the apartment was to be fixed, however once I saw how long it was taking and how cheap and unprofessional my landlord going about the repairs, I decided to start looking for a new place. I gave my 30 day notice, and moved this last weekend. Over the weekend I also received a letter from my landlord's insurance company stating that I am solely responsible for the damages, and am being charged over $21,000!! It has taken 2.5 months for the apartment to be fixed back up...clean smoke damage from walls, paint, replace 2 single pane windows which fire fighters broke, replace 8x8 area of Pergo floor, patch small wall area (aprox 36" x 24") with drywall, replace floor heater with up to date wall unit...Then there is what is left to do...clean or replace hallway carpet (aprox 5' long hallway), and bedroom carpet (aprox 12'x14'), replace blinds throughout. The work was done very unprofessionally, and I doubt the man who did the repairs is even licensed, because I met him and he didnt even speak English. There is lots of areas which were not completed completely (mostly finishing of the segments where floor goes from on room to the next, and the workers left all the waste from the work they did in the apartment, which I had to move to the back porch. My neighbor told me my landlord asked him to do the repairs and he would pay him under the table or deduct it from his rent. Also my landlord's girlfriend informed me the apartment was ready to move back in at the beginning of Jan, and that I am being charged rent for Jan, however the apartment is still not ready to move into. I feel that my landlord has taken the $21,000 and then hired someone under the table to do the work, since he originally asked my neighbor to do the work under the table, but he refused because my landlord has still not paid him for a water leak and mold damage that he himself had to repair in his own unit. HISTORY: My landlord has told me time and time again that he does not want to put any more money into the apartment building (2 duplex's), when I have requested small repairs (land line phone jack install, kitchen plumbing leak, bathroom faucet leak, unsafe heater unit), and always asked me to fix things myself or find someone to do it cheap and he will either go half with me or deduct a portion of my rent. He is what I see as a slum lord, who has lots of properties in low income areas, and does whatever he can to get as much out of them as he can...He drives a brand new Mercedes, and lives in a new home. He also will tell you whatever you want to hear, just to please you then will not follow through or will follow through with very disappointing results. MY QUESTION: How do I fight the charges...it is not possible that it cost over $21,000 to do these half a** repairs...I need to know what I should do. Contact an attorney? Call the insurance co and dispute it? I have photos of the damage, and photos of what the repairs look like. I have informed my landlord that the work is not even complete and I only get a response from his very rude girlfriend. I have a feeling my landlord collected this $21,000 and pocketed it, then hired people under the table to do the work. Please help, I am a single woman and I cannot afford to pay such unfair charges!!!! Also...I did anticipate paying for the damages, and not getting my $1200 deposit back. I understand i am responsible for my pet if she caused the fire, but I anticipated it costing no more than $5000, which I would have possibly gotten a loan to pay for. $21,000 is excessive for such minimal damage and the qaulity of the the repair work.

A. Yeah are probably responsible for it. If the work was done completely and professionally then I do think it could amount to $21,000 but it just sounds like that is an overstated amount that his insurance company quoted the work out to be. I would definitely get receipts. It's one thing that he got $21k but if it didn't cost him $21k then you should only pay for what it actually cost (problem is that could work the opposite way too if the repairs were ligit and over $21k). Get a lawyer who focuses on real estate law. This is also a classic case of live and learn. You must get renters insurance which will cover this in the future. It is very cheap, typically $5 to $20 per month respectively.

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Q. What is the best process for cleaning up? I don't even know where to start. = ( Some stuff was annihilated and some is just "smoke damaged". I want to keep everything I can because I had no insurance and I can't afford to replace much. Some items will be obviously beyond repair, but what about the things with just soot on them? Does soot wash off of metal? plastic? fabric? I know it doesn't come off of skin well, I had to use a pumice stone for that, but are there any products you can reccommend that will work better than dish soap and other household chemicals? I'm hoping to hear from people who have been through this before. I thank you in advance for any tips!

A. For your furniture for smoke damage, it's pretty much had it. You'll have to buy new furniture. Believe me, no amount of febreeze will take that smell out. As for your clothing, curtains, sheets, whatever is fabric that can be washed, there is a laundry soap that you can buy that is made specificly for washing clothing that's been in a fire. I don't remember the name but, you can just buy it at the grocery store. For cleaning the walls, you can buy a chemical dry cleaning sponge. You can also, buy special carpet cleaner and everything. Some of these items are hard to come by. We found most of ours at a hardware store like Home Depot or Lowes. What we didn't find at stores we bought off line. Good Luck!

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