Term of the Week - Cantilevered

This term is typically used to described decks, balconies and staircases and can also be referred to as 'floating'. These structures

or building elements, appear as if they require vertical supports, when structurally, they do not. The structural load and

calculations are usually predetermined prior to installation. 

While they provoke appealing curiosity for the observer, they typically produce the opposite effect for Structural Engineers and Home Inspectors trying to determine their safety and proper installation! 

Term of the Week: Coffered Ceilings

There are many types of decorative ceilings out there, but these lend a sense of warmth and elegance. They are usually geometric in design - a 'fancy grid' more or less on your ceiling, and are typically the design work of a detailed architect.

They can be made of solid timbers, glued together wood planks (glulam), or finished wood on the exterior, with hidden supports in the middle.

New Year's Home Resolution

We make New Year's Resolutions for ourselves, so why not make one for our homes?

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Here are a few resolutions you should consider making for your home this year:

• Get an air-conditioning service plan. If you don't have one, then get moving! Air-conditioning is a major component in hot climates, and regular servicing can help it to work more efficiently and extend the life of the system. Homes that have air-conditioning service plans, also tend to have less overall problems and generally pass home inspections more frequently as well.

• Spruce-up your front door. One of the first things that people notice on a home is the front door. If yours is wood, refinish it and put on a fresh coat of oil, wax or urethane. If your front door is painted, put a fresh coat of paint on it, or maybe consider a new color. Clean up around the door and the entrance area, and make it inviting for guest and visitors.  

• Straighten-up those closets. An organized closet saves time, looks appealing and shows pride of ownership.

• Pressure wash some stuff. By stuff, I mean most anything outside, but not the dog or the kids! Start with the driveway. A plain concrete driveway looks 1000% better after a pressure washing - so does the exterior of the home and windows. Pressure washing is relatively inexpensive, and goes a long way in appearance. 

Pro Tip: When pressure washing driveway pavers that have been sealed (as is common in hotter climates like South Florida and the Caribbean), be sure to hold the nozzle head a little further away from the surface than normal. This will help to prevent the water pressure from potentially stripping away any sealant. The same applies to paint on the exterior of some homes.

 

2 reasons why solid hardwood flooring can be a bad choice

Hardwood flooring is beautiful, long lasting, and adds a comfortable and

inviting feel to a home - but is it a good choice in hot climates like the Cayman Islands?

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The short answer to the question is No. Yes, solid hardwood flooring can be installed and maintained in a Cayman home, but is it a good choice? Again, the answer is No - and here's why:

• Solid Hardwood flooring needs to first acclimate to the environment it is to be installed, and more than likely, that environment will be air-conditioned. Once the floor is installed in an air-conditioned space, the temperature inside the home must remain relatively unchanged. However, with an extended power outage or our desire to open the windows and doors more frequently in the winter months, this spells potential trouble because wood absorbs heat and moisture, and will expand and contract when exposed to these conditions. See the potential result below.

• The Cayman Islands are situated at sea level - meaning, many homes are subject to flooding during a tropical storm or hurricane. If a solid wood floor is subjected to flooding, once the wood begins to eventually dry-out, the below-mentioned result will most likely occur.

-- Flooding, excessive changes in temperatures or moisture may cause a solid wood floor to eventually buckle, cup or separate, and ultimately ruin a once beautiful floor --

----------------- SO WHAT ARE THE ALTERNATIVES? -----------------

Thankfully, there is an alternative. Hardwood flooring is also sold as 'engineered wood flooring'. This means that the flooring is not a solid piece of wood, but rather, consists typically of a plywood base (a much better choice than a 'MDF' base), and a thin layer of hardwood on the surface. This type of wood flooring will perform the best in Cayman, and similar climates. The plywood base, if exposed to water or changes in temperature, resists contraction and swelling much better than solid wood - and engineered wood flooring does allow for the surface or 'top layer' to be sanded and re-finished a few times through the life of the floor, should you need to.

Finally, if you choose this type of flooring, remember to have it installed correctly and in accordance with the manufacturers specifications (i.e. perimeter spacing, glued vs. nailed, floating, etc.)

Where's the best place to locate a Home Safe?

OK, WHERE'S THE SAFE?

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This is the first thought of a burglar or thief entering your home with hopes of finding your valuables. So the first thing you should do, is buy an in-house safe - But where do you put the safe? Where is the safe, safe?

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There are clever hiding spots all throughout the home. I have heard of some interesting places to hide things, but if these don't include the use of a safe, once your valuables are discovered, consider them gone. Some of those interesting hiding places are picture frames, potted plants, the freezer, the toilet tank and even the oven.

I once heard of a man freezing his diamonds in an ice tray, while another placed gold in a toilet tank. However, a safe provides an additional layer of security.

Where shouldn't you place a safe:

• On the ground level, in the floor - Why is this bad? A great majority of safes are electronic and when subjected to moisture and flooding from low-lying areas and storms, they can malfunction and ultimately become inaccessible

• Near an exit door - Why is this bad? If intruders gain access to it, they can exit quickly, even if the police are on the way

Recommended places for a safe:

• An in-wall safe that is hidden behind clothes or a picture - Especially a cement or concrete block wall, as is commonly found in the Cayman Islands

• In a closet or room, out of sight, where only you can easily access
  

Another consideration is to purchase a fireproof safe to store valuable documents like marriage licenses, birth certificates and passports.

-- REMEMBER TO SECURE THE SAFE WITH BOLTS AND NUTS (usually provided with the safe) or you may return home, only to find your valuables AND your safe missing! --

Preparing Your Home For Sale

Quick tips:

You've put your home on the market and carefully prepared it for a potential buyer. 

• Did you follow your real estate agent's advice? 
• If the buyer requests a Home Inspection, is your home ready? 

Anyone who has put their home for sale, understands the steps required to get their property in good-selling condition. Undoubtedly, some home repairs will be found and in need of correction - and although most are easily corrected, many are passed over. 

Below is a typical repair or correction that is often overlooked in Cayman. Take our Tip below, be proactive, and put your home in the 'right light' for a potential buyer.

THE PROBLEM AREA: Non-functioning smoke detectors

THE REPAIR: Just press the test button to ensure they work in each location. In many cases a battery is missing or dead. If a replacement is needed, a battery powered unit is easy to find and install. On newer construction, they are often wired directly into the home's electrical system. 

Be ready, correct problems, and get your home sold faster!