http://www.askpinoyarki.com A Philippine architecture and construction focused blog, with musings about local news, housing and home designs, real estate and heritage architecture. Like Google, we hope to be the online place to seek for local help in topics such as repair, renovation, and building construction. Sun, 29 Jul 2007 05:17:51 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en br>Many homeowners become complacent about home security because they feel they have nothing worth stealing. What they fail to realize is that the majrity of burglars have no way of knowing escatly what is inside any home. Most break into a house, expecting to be lucky. Given enough time, a ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/real-estate/seven-theft-deterrent-strategies-for-your-home/ Well-designed fan motors have sealed bearings so that they require no lubrication or maintenance. However, vibrations sometimes can cause the screws on the blade mounts or motor housing to work loose. That results in noisy fan operation. The remedy is simple: Tighten any loose screws with a screwdriver. Do not overtighten. ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/heating-and-ventilation/maintaining-your-ceiling-fan/ Two of our previouse articles talked about "Home Protection from Termites" and "Termite Infestation" but how do you pinpoint a termite's actual location or nest? Having a detective's eye would really help, you just need to observe keenly, patiently and try to think like a termite! Sometimes you can see termites ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/construction/how-can-you-tell-if-you-have-termite-infestation/ Most of us tend to take electricity for granted. Whe we flick a switch, we expect the power to be there. We expect that power to be safe and constant. That is not always the case, especially here in the Philippines where almost everyone can be an electrician and will ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/electrical-and-plumbing/electrical-tests-at-home/ In our previous article we talked about the how to's in cleaning and repairing a gutter. Now, we will try to cover (pun intended) leaks on a gutter and how to go about fixing it. First thing to do is inspect all gutter seams for possible leaks. It's really difficult ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/roofs/fixing-gutter-leaks/ Most homeowners position the fan in the center of the ceiling. Used as a decorating accent, the fan can be positioned in a corner, but the blades should be no closer than 18 inches to the wall. That distance will allow sufficient clearance for proper air circulation. In the bedroom ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/heating-and-ventilation/ceiling-fan-positions/ Some people believe that termites attack only older, wooden structures, while new homes made of brick, stone or with termite barriers remain relatively safe from the marauders. The fact is that new homes - even houses under construction are susceptible to termite attack. Termites can enter the home through expansion joints, ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/construction/termite-infestation/ Now is the best time for inspecting and cleaning rain gutters. If you neglected to repair your gutter during the summer months, you can still do repair while rainy season is just starting. The common culprit of gutter damage are the accumulations of leaves and dirt that block the flow of ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/roofs/gutter-repair/ Stucco is a surface coating made of Portland cement, sand, and sometimes lime. It is also known as "Portland cement plaster", "cement plaster finish" or just "cement finish". Since stucco can be colored with mortar colorants and textured with a variety of tools, it is an ideal medium for dressing ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/finishes/stucco-for-the-home/ Soffits are the narrow strip of ceiling material made of either wood, metal, or pvc that covers the underside of the roof eaves. This part of the house is often ignored by homeowners until rot, corrosion or decay develops which is usually caused by leaks in the roof that drip ... http://www.askpinoyarki.com/index.php/roofs/soffits/