Intown Living
Morningside’s Monumental Ball
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Morningside’s Monumental Ball takes place this Friday evening at Piedmont Park’s Magnolia Hall !
Catered by ‘Affairs To Remember’, with music by ‘Kingsized!’, the Monumental Ball should prove to be one of the best outings of the year!
Tickets are $60.00 per person. Buffet, dancing, both silent and ‘loud’ auctions, and a cash bar will keep you entertained all night long!
Proceeds go to refurbish and maintain Morningside neighborhood landmarks.
Visit www.monumentalball.org or www.MLPA.org for more information!
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
How To Dry A Wet Basement
Tuesday, October 04, 2011
Some wet basements are easy to cure simply by clearing gutters and by diverting gutter water away from the foundation. But if the problem comes from other sources—water flowing toward the house on the surface, seeping in from underground, or backing up through storm drains or septic or sewer systems—you must take more aggressive action.
Here are eight strategies to keep water out of your basement.
Add gutter extensions.
If downspouts are dumping water less than 5 feet away from your house, you can guide water farther out by adding plastic or metal gutter extensions. But extensions aren’t the neatest or most effective long-term solution, especially if you’re likely to trip over them or run over them with a lawn mower. A permanent, underground drain pipe is invisible and capable of moving large quantities of gutter runoff much farther from your house.
Plug cracks in the basement floor.
If you see water dribbling into the basement through cracks or gaps around plumbing pipes, you can plug the openings yourself with hydraulic cement or polyurethane caulk for less than $20. Plugs work when the problem is simply a hole that water oozes through, either from surface runoff or from wet soil. But if the water is coming up through the floor, or at the joint where floor and walls meet, the problem is groundwater, and plugs won’t do the trick.
Restore the slope of your land.
If the gutters are working and you’ve plugged obvious holes, but water still dribbles into your basement or crawl space from high on foundation walls, then surface water isn’t draining away from the house as it should. Your house should sit on a “crown” of soil that slopes away from the structure at least 6 inches over the first 10 feet in all directions. However, if you have wood siding, remember, you need to keep a minimum of 6 inches ‘distance’ between the siding and the soil to lessen the chance of a termite invasion! . In that case, create a berm (a mound of dirt) or a swale (a wide, shallow ditch), landscape feature that redirects water long before it reaches your house.
Repair footing drains.
If water is leaking into your basement low on the walls or at the seams where walls meet the floor, your problem is hydrostatic pressure pushing water up from the ground. First, check whether you have footing drains, (commonly called a French drainage system). These underground pipes were installed when the house was built to carry water away from the foundation. If the drains are clogged, open the cleanout and flush the pipes with a garden hose. If that doesn’t work, a plumber with an augur can usually do the job unless the pipes have been crushed at some point in time. In which case, you’ll need to completely replace the damaged part of the system.
Install an interior French Drainage System.
If you can’t keep subsurface water out, you’ll have to channel out, from the inside. To create an interior drain system, saw a channel around the perimeter of the floor, chip out the concrete, and lay perforated pipe in the hole. The pipe drains either out to a low spot in the landscape far away from the structure, or, to a collection tank at the basement’s low spot, where a sump pump ‘lifts’ it out the house.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
Upcoming Morningside Events - Coat Drive and Party!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Share The Warmth Coat Drive starts this coming MONDAY, October 3rd.
PLEASE, PLEASE, go through your closets, your kids closets, everyone’s closet this weekend and find any ‘gently worn’, clean, jackets, coats, hats, gloves or scarves you DON’T wear anymore and donate them!
Please bring items to our office any time over the next two weeks or call us and we will come pick them up!.
THANK YOU!
Morningside Mile and Block Party, Sunday, October 16th!
Dude, it’s only a mile. The 2nd annual Morningside Mile is Atlanta’s only competitive 1-mile run with cash prizes for the winners. Runners of all levels from competitive runners to moms with jog strollers & kids are welcome. The race starts in Virginia-Highland (corner of Lanier Boulevard and Virginia Avenue) and ends in Morningside in the parking lot across the street from our office (141 North Highland Avenue).
Then, meet us at the finish line for a neighborhood Block Party thrown by Morningside Village businesses. Meet your neighborhood business owners and enjoy family fun for all ages! Invite your friends & family to cheer you on & enjoy the festivities. Neighbors are encouraged to “go green” and walk or bike to the event.
For more information on all the fun, go to: http://www.morningsidemile.com/block-party.php
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
Money Saving Tip – Get an Irrigation Meter!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
It is hot! But fortunately we have not reached Atlanta’s all-time high of 105 which occurred July 13, 1980! With the heat comes problems. Do you like a lush lawn, healthy bushes and trees, and vibrant flowers but you do not like the cost to keep those plants alive during our hot, hot summer months? Then consider doing two things that should, over time, save you big bucks.
Augment your soil around plants and flowers with water-retention soil such as Miracle-Gro’s Moisture Control Garden Soil. This product boasts to hold 25% more water than ‘plain’ garden soil. Miracle-Gro also produces Moisture Control potting soil which does a great job retaining water for plant use.
Install an irrigation meter for your irrigation system. Irrigation meters do not incur sewer charges since the water is not returned to the sewer system. If you have an irrigation system, but no separate meter, you incur higher water/sewer charges. While the initial cost to install a meter is not chump-change, over time, it will save you a lot of money! For the City of Atlanta, call 404-982-1486 for more information and/or to purchase an irrigation meter.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
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