Q. When the home air conditoner is off (says off on the display) for some reason my air condtioner on the roof still runs like its not stopping at all please help me friends this is going to be a 104 day and tommorow a 108 day please help with ANY input, as I do not have money for a repair guy or technician, I really dont want my 8 month year old baby to get heat stroke, please help

A. You have a bad timer shutdown board, also known as a run board. this electronic board makes sure the blowers and compressor run for a couple of minutes after unit reaches desired temperature or are shut down in order to prevent premature capacitor failure. if the board is bad, either the motor will not shut down or will not turn on at all. if you are using an electronic thermostat you can bypass these boards, you will need an hvac pro to rewire the unit. its an inexpensive fix, less than $200

Q. Long story but, really need help. Our house was hit by lightning on 6/12. The attic caught fire but, that was it. The roof had to be replaced along with most of the trusses, duct work and ceiling of the up stairs. That day the insurance company sent out a company to put an ozone machine in to clean the air. A couple days later the insurance company sent this same company out to remove all of our stuff from the house. They took everything and cleaned it. With much influence from the insurance adjuster we hired this company to repair our house as well. We did tell the adjuster that we would be doing the painting and the flooring and she paid on the estimate from the company. Two and a half months later they started working on the house. They removed the roof that was keeping the water out. Replacing my roof took approximately 2 and a half months. The roof was not acceptable so they have hired a professional to come fix it. This is happening today, 4 months since they had the reach fork delivered. I have not paid this company a penny. I have refused to so far because of the length of time that it has taken them and the fact that most of they stuff they did was not done correctly. The roof, the landscaping, the HVAC system and replacing a gate that they ran into is all that is left to do. But, now when receiving the bill for everything minus the painting, carpeting and cleaning(at which we had to do because they kept delaying)they are charging me for a general contractor fee for the paint and carpet which they did not touch. Should I have to pay them for stuff they didn't handle??? Any advice at this point would be greatly appreciated.

A. You owe for any supplies and labor performed, not paint and carpet if they did not acquire those things. It is likely a billing over sight, call them up. There is no way you will get away with not paying them.

Q. Long story but, really need help. Our house was hit by lightning on 6/12. The attic caught fire but, that was it. The roof had to be replaced along with most of the trusses, duct work and ceiling of the up stairs. That day the insurance company sent out a company to put an ozone machine in to clean the air. A couple days later the insurance company sent this same company out to remove all of our stuff from the house. They took everything and cleaned it. With much influence from the insurance adjuster we hired this company to repair our house as well. We did tell the adjuster that we would be doing the painting and the flooring and she paid on the estimate from the company. Two and a half months later they started working on the house. They removed the roof that was keeping the water out. Replacing my roof took approximately 2 and a half months. The roof was not acceptable so they have hired a professional to come fix it. This is happening today, 4 months since they had the reach fork delivered. I have not paid this company a penny. I have refused to so far because of the length of time that it has taken them and the fact that most of they stuff they did was not done correctly. The roof, the landscaping, the HVAC system and replacing a gate that they ran into is all that is left to do. But, now when receiving the bill for everything minus the painting, carpeting and cleaning(at which we had to do because they kept delaying)they are charging me for a general contractor fee for the paint and carpet which they did not touch. Should I have to pay them for stuff they didn't handle??? Any advice at this point would be greatly appreciated. Our adjuster was fired. So the new adjuster says it is between us and the contractor. I told the contractor I would not pay him a contractor fee for the stuff they didn't handle and he said "oh yes you will". Thanks for all the answers!!!

A. The most important issure here is that you receive a *lien waiver, from this contractor if and when you make any payments to them. If you make a partial payment to them, you demand a partial lien waiver for the amount of the payment you make to them. Unprofessional contractors have a bad habit of not paying for any or all of the materials they use on a job (maybe your job). They also sometimes don't pay for equipment rental and other subcontractors they use on the job. I am really concerned about the boom lift truck that sat at your home for all this time. They do not rent cheap. Documentation is your best weapon. Starting now, try to recall all important dates concerning your project. Date of fire, Date adjuster came out,Date of contract,Start date of contractor,Days when no workers were present, Names of any subcontractors, Physical address,legal name of contractors on the job. Now, send letter to general contractor stating all these dates (as close as possible), then state all the work that was done that was either defective or that had to be re-done by another contractor. Include any damages that were made by any contractors, and also state that your home was not finished in a timely manner. I hope everything was done to meet local codes, * I would state that in your letter - that you plan to have the local county or city building inspector check all the work to determine if it is up to code. State that if it is not - you will be contacting your lawyer to file a lawsuit against them. * You don't have to have a lawyer at this time- you are just indicating to the contractor that you will if needed. Send this letter certified mail and pay the additional cost to get a return receipt showing that the contractor did sign and receive this letter. Include any photos you may have taken of defective installation methods or other items. This takes some time, but it is worth every minute/dollar used to prepare yourself against this type of contractor. Make sure you send it to the correct legal name of the company and address it to the the legal owner or President of this company. I would also contact the rental company for the boom truck (check for name on machine), see if the rent has been paid to date. As far as the General Contractor fee for paint and carpet, simply tell them you are not paying them for that - period. They cannot force you to pay for this. The biggest leverage you have is the money. Homeowners have more power than they think, contractors cannot just say you have to pay this or that. If worse comes to worse, throw them off the job and tell them not to come back. Tell them if they are stupid enough to take you to court - you have more than enough evidence of shoddy workmanship and extended completion time of contract to convince any jury to side with you the homeowner. It is YOUR house, and your money. I would also visit your insurance company agent, and tell them you are not pleased with this contractor that your adjuster suggested. There may be (collusion involved). This is a secretive relationship between the adjuster and the contractor, and it's against the law. If you just mention that you think there might be collusion violation with the adjuster and the contractor - that might be enough to get their attention. The most important thing here is the *Lien waiver or Partial lien waiver, then the certified letter, then the inspection by the building inspector,the talk with the insurance agent,equipment rental company. Take my advice and do all these things Now !

Q. I want to get my earnest money back, and I want ALL OF IT !! I made an offer on a house with the intentions of living in it not rehabbing it. The offer was accepted, and we had the home inspected. There are a lot of things wrong with the house. It costs more money to repair these things than I can afford, and besides I'd rather buy something worth the money I would have to spend, rrather than put money into the house for major things. The house needs new windows, tuckpointing all around and a new roof. Here is a letter I wrote to the seller, tell me what u think. HELP !!!! All these problems need to be remedied before this transaction can go any further. If the issues are not addressed we will continue on our search for a home. FURNACE The furnace/central air needs to be properly and completely installed and functioning. The furnace needs a shut off valve, and a plastic exhaust pipe. Debris in the "clean out" area at the base of the chimney should be removed as part of system service. PLUMBING The old steel piping is subject to corrosion on the interior of the pipe. As corrosion builds up, the inside diameter of the pipe becomes constricted, resulting in a loss of water pressure. This piping is typically replaced when the loss of pressure can no longer be tolerated. ELECTRICAL Extension cords should not be used as permanent wiring. This wiring should be removed through out the house. Poor connections between newer wiring and the old-knob-and-tube wiring were observed. All connections of this type should be performed within junction boxes, fitted with cover plates. The installation of a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is required in the kitchen and bathroom. GFCI offers increased protection from shock or electrocution. STRUCTURE Evidence of termite damage was observed and there is risk of additional hidden damage since termites can do a substantial amount of damage. If the property hasn't already been treated, a licensed pest control specialist should be engaged to eliminate further termite activity within the home. All damaged wood should be repaired or replaced. ROOFING The downspout should discharge water at least 5 feet from the house. Storm water should be encouraged to flow away from the building at the point of discharged. Install downspout at left rear section of house. Stairs leading to basement need hand rails. Drop ceiling in same area needs to be repaired. The fireplace needs a damper. All appliances must stay.

A. Well did you make your offer based on it passing inspection or your obtaining financing? Those are two very common terms when putting down earnest money. Did you understand what Earnest Money was? The earnest money is an amount of money that the buyer puts up to show he or she is serious about purchasing the property. The money represents the buyer's commitment to buy and acts as an unofficial option on the property. After receiving an earnest money check, the seller will usually stop showing the property, and wait to see if the buyer can get a mortgage. Earnest money is important to the transaction because it shows the seller that the buyer is operating in good faith (hence the name, "earnest"). The bigger the deposit, the more reassuring it is to the seller, who thinks, "This buyer is serious.'' It also ties the buyer to the property and keeps him or her from looking for additional properties. When Do I Get The Earnest Money Back? If the sale goes through, the earnest money is used as part of the cash down payment and is paid to the seller. If the sale does not go through because of a reason covered by a contingency in the contract (if, for example, the buyer could not get a mortgage), the seller should sign a release of escrow and the earnest money will be refunded to the buyer. The earnest money should also be refunded to the buyer if the sale does not go through because of a problem on the seller's side. If, however, the buyer backs out of the deal for no reason at all, or for a reason that is not covered by a contingency, return of the earnest money may go to the seller. FSBO (For Sale By Owner) Earnest Money If negotiating directly with the seller without the assistance of a Realtor®, never give the earnest money directly to the seller. If you are dealing with a for-sale-by-owner seller who insists upon earnest money before a contract can be executed, write the check to their lawyer or closing attorney or your lawyer or closing attorney, and write fiduciary agent after the lawyers name. This money will then go into a trust, or escrow, account until the negotiations are completed, the contract signed, and all contingencies met. If the deal falls apart, you'll get it back. But if you give the earnest money directly to the seller, you may never see it again, or you may have to go to court to get it back. Good Luck to you.

Q. I am renovating a 1900's home with a slate roof that needs replaced. There's too much damage to repair but still have hundreds of square feet of perfectly good slate roof tiles. I am not an artist that wants to paint a million little tiles but I do have a kitchen and bath that need to be remodeled. Can I use the slate roof tiles as floor tiles? If so, what extra steps do I need to take to make them suitable for the floor?

A. Thickness doesn't matter, as they would be laid in concrete anyway...I would think that too thick would almost be worse as it would raise up your floors too much...the only way you could reuse the tiles is if you cut off the end where the 2 holes are from attached to the roof. You also do not want to paint them, but they will need a good cleaning... & sealed after installation. I applaud you for thinking about repurposing & recycling, & therefore, saving money as a result!!! Not only that, but you're incorporating the history of the house to the interior. I think that's pretty cool!!! I hope you give it a serious shot at this, & get the advice of a tile expert in how to make this a successful project!!! Best of luck!!!

Q. I have an older home that needs several things done: new roof, porch repair, plumbing and electrical upgrades, and remodeling of the kitchen and bathroom. What are the advantages of using a general contractor to do the work, as opposed to hiring companies that specialize in one kind of home improvement?

A. I'd presonally say that you're better off to hire a general contractor and pay them the extra money. If you put it out on individual contracts you open yourself up to a headache. Coordination of trades becomes your problem and if someone isn't on time and it holds someone else up they can make a claim against you for causing them a lost day. Also as the others have said by selecting individual contractors you run the risk of getting someone that's bad. An experienced general contractor is going to select subs that do the job right, do it for the right price, and do it when it's supposed to be done. Since most of the work looks like it could be performed by a general contractor you're better off with a single prime contractor instead of multiple prime contractors. If the only work being performed were specialized then i'd suggest going straight to the subs and saving the money but with the extensive nature of the remodel let the pros handle the headache.

Q. The licensed roofer tore off half my roof before the rain set in. He tarped it well, but not well enough because at 4:00 AM, my pregnant wife and I awoke to puddles of streaming water coming in the closet ceiling. The house was built in 1964. I'm not sure if asbestos or lead paint is an issue. Now there is damage in master bedroom closet, bedroom, hallway, bathroom and downstairs living room. The big questions are: is mold and mildew a concern? Can he just paint over the water stains or should he replace all the drywall, texture and paint? Or should I call my home insurance and let them make sure it done correctly? The contractor says he'll fix it all, but where do I draw the line? Dry cleaning bills for my wife clothes that got soaked? Wet carpet? Soaked floorboards? Will water stains come back if they're just painted over? Help!!!!

A. I'm a roofer. It's never good to tear off more than you can roof if you can help it. if it looked like rain, he should have torn off small sections at a time. If it's a straight roof (no valleys or walls), it shouldn't be hard to tarp so that it doesn't leak, unless the tarp has a hole in it. You can easily get a hole in a tarp without noticing it. Chimneys and other obstructions make it difficult to tarp properly. Once I had a leaky tarp. I went straight to a hardware store, bought another tarp, and put it over the other one. The roofer should be responsible for all damages. As little as I know about the law, you are expected to mitigate (do your best to minimize them) the damages if you can. If you don't trust that roofer maybe you should call around, get advice from other companies. A reputable roofer would be happy to help you, especially if they're honest and considerate) because it makes a good name for them. I've worked for a number of roofing companies, and there diligence and concern for their customers can vary a lot. Ask around, get advice from people you know who have had roofers. Hope it works out.

Q. I inherited a rather large Victorian style house. It is in desperate need of maintenance such as roofing, trim repair and painting, asbestos remediation, wiring and plumbing. I've called just about every contractor in the phone book or in the local trades. Most of them don't even return my calls, and the ones I am able to reach directly are either too busy, don't service my area or don't do residential work (I wish they would say that in their ads). I also tried Service Magic, but the few that did respond to my inquiries gave very high estimates - like one that wanted $18,000 to do one area of the roof. I think $1,800 would be a lot for one dormer! Like I sais, some things need immediate attention. What is a good way to get a reliable contractor?

A. Old homes like that, although beautiful, require regular maintenance. If let go, the damage caused can really add up $$$$ quickly. Sounds like you have quite a bit of water damage already. The suggestion to get an inspection with a good contractor is right on. He'll be able to give you at least a ball park figure of how much it's gonna take to get the place back into decent shape. Be prepared for a pretty hefty amount, and, as a WAG I'd say it could approach $200 sq ft to remodel. I know that sounds crazy when some brand new houses are going for $100 sq ft, but think of the work involved here. The house will likely need extensive demolition work for starters, then the mechanicals will probably all need ripped out, replaced, and brought up to code, and then the finishing work will begin. After remodeling many old homes I do know one thing - It's usually a few steps back (wrecking stuff) before it can be built again to today's standards and that is what costs the $$$ . Just be patient, the good contractors are all busy now and will get to you soon. Good luck. I love them old homes.