No matter the age of your home, drywall damage will occur. Whether it be from doorknobs, roughhousing, minor water damage, moving furniture or mounting hardware from artwork, mirrors, TV mounts, window treatments, etc., it will happen. Minor damage is a relatively easy fix. Small screw or nail holes can even be patched with white toothpaste and touch painted to blend in.

Repairs to areas of major water damage are best left to the pros. You never know what kind of damage is lurking behind that drywall. There could be mold and that is something that is best left to a professional mold remediation expert.

The age and condition of the paint on your wall and stored paint from when it was applied are really the key factors in how quickly you will finish drywall repair projects. But it’s the quality of the patch work that is critical to restoring drywall to look like new. The paint will only look as good as the surface it’s applied to. A poor patch with a poor texture match will stand out more than you’d expect, even with the best paint coating.

Nail holes in a wall where a picture used to hang can be filled with spackling paste, caulk or even toothpaste for an especially tiny hole; let it dry and sand it down before repainting.

For dents or holes larger than a quarter, drywall texture and drywall tape or mesh will be required to complete the project. Anything over a 2-inch square will require a scrap drywall piece to cut a filler piece along with the following tools:

• Utility knife or drywall saw. Having both can come in handy, but you won’t need both if you only own or have access to one.
• 12-inch straight edge.
• A level.
• 4-inch putty knife.
• Coarse sponge or sandpaper.

Optional:

• Acrylic caulk if the patch is matched up to another material/surface such as a countertop, shower, tile finish, etc.
• Drywall pan if a large amount of mud will be required.
• Texture spray for orange peel finishes.

Water-damaged drywall

Water-damaged drywall can be identified in a few different ways. Oftentimes on ceilings and walls you will notice that there are ripples or blisters in the paint. If you feel the blisters and they aren’t solid or if the paint starts flaking off as soon as you touch it, you likely have a water issue.

You may even find water in the paint blisters which makes your investigation easy! Other common signs are areas where the drywall is soft to the touch and water stains/discoloration appear. Before you start a water-damaged drywall repair, be sure to identify and fix the source of the water intrusion.

If water is getting into your wall from rain, a sprinkler that’s too close to your house or even from a plumbing leak, you’re likely to see patches of damage on your walls near the spot of the intrusion. That’s because drywall has a paper backing, so when it gets wet, it can bubble and wrinkle, sort of like a sheet of paper does.

To diagnose the problem, place a 4-foot level across the damaged area and learn how much the sheetrock has sagged. If it’s more than about 3/8 of an inch, the structural integrity of the drywall is probably ruined and the section should be replaced.

If no sagging has occurred, use an awl to randomly push into the sheetrock. You should feel substantial resistance, and the awl shouldn’t be able to penetrate the sheetrock any more than 1/8 of an inch without excessive force. However, if the awl goes through the sheetrock much deeper than 3/16 of an inch, consider replacing the section.

To replace the section: Use a utility knife to cut out the damaged area, leaving a square or rectangle so it’s easy to match up with a new patch of drywall. Look in the hole to see if the damage goes deeper than the drywall (to the studs, for example) and find the source of the leak so you can stop it before you fix the wall. Set up a fan near the hole you created and thoroughly dry the area before continuing. Cut a new piece of drywall to fit tightly into the hole you have created. You may have to back it with a piece of plywood. Then attach the drywall and use a good-quality drywall tape to cover the seams.

Prime, paint and keep a close eye on it in case the damage returns. That could signal a more serious water problem than you suspected.

To repair the damage: If the damage is superficial, you may not have to replace the drywall. Dry the area thoroughly, sand the blisters from the wall and prime the spot with a pigmented lacquer product called KILZ.  This product will keep the stain from bleeding through a new coat of paint.

source https://ktar.com/story/2935604/heres-how-to-repair-and-patch-damaged-drywall-2/

MELVINDALE (WWJ) — A group of Dearborn firefighters had to spend the night in their rigs instead of their usual firehouse.

The president of the Dearborn Firefighters Union, Jeff Lentz, says Station Five, on Oakwood Boulevard in Melvindale, developed mold from flooding a couple of weeks ago and it remains a health hazard.

Firefighters, who work in 24-hour shifts, spent the night in their rigs at the Melvindale Civic Arena parking lot after the mold was discovered by cleanup crews on Wednesday. The discovery occurred when a piece of dry wall was removed and revealed mold on a previously unexposed wall. 

«When I first found out that the station was closed, I was relieved that our firefighters were not being exposed to any potentially harmful mold or any other type of airborne hazard,» said Lentz. «But when I was told that they were being forced to be housed outside in freezing temperatures for over 16 hours with no other place to relax or try to get some rest and no relief of other crews coming to relieve them I was a little upset. It is a definite safety issue.»

Lentz said he’s not sure why Fire Chief Joseph Murray made the decision to leave the firefighters outside all night long. 

«He refused to allow them to be housed at a neighboring firehouse and also refused to allow other crews from other stations to rotate over to that location to give those crews assigned to Engine 5 and Rescue 5 some relief and some rest,» said Lentz. 

Rest is especially important for firefighters who need to be alert and aware when on duty, Lentz added. 

«We’re responsible for making life and death decisions on a split-second basis,» he said. «We understand that we do work 24-hour shifts so there are many days where we are sleep deprived because of the 911 calls. But we are provided areas to try to get some sleep and some rest so we are refreshed to be able to make those split-second decisions when those 911 calls are sent over for us and we respond to the citizens that we protect.»

Officials say they are in the process of getting rid of the mold damage, which is described as extensive. Air quality tests are expected back later Thursday.

«We should be told if those mold spores are harmful or if they’re not harmful,» said Lentz. «But in either case, the mold still needs to be abated and the hazard litigated. The drywall still needs to be removed by a professional company in accordance with national and local standards and our firefighters need to be housed at a station that provides them with some type of place where they can relax with bathrooms and sleeping quarters and showers.»

According to city officials, it is thought that the mold is most likely due to a previously unknown leak from the station’s laundry system and is unrelated to the sewage backup, which happened Jan. 9. 

If environmental testing determines that remediation is required and cannot be completed by late Thursday, the city says accommodations will be made for the firefighters assigned to Station No. 5 to sleep inside the nearby Melvindale Civic Arena.

source https://wwjnewsradio.radio.com/articles/news/dearborn-firefighters-sleep-in-rigs-due-to-mold-in-station

source https://ventsmagazine.com/2020/01/23/5-tricks-to-effectively-eliminate-mold/

The Treaty of 1855 created the Yakama Nation reservation as we know it today. In the decades after, the Yakama, Washington state, and the United States were trying to figure out their new relationship — one fraught with disagreements, court battles and even war.

At the turn of the century, Louis Mann was in the middle of it all, working as an interpreter for the tribe. Now, audio recordings of Mann’s strong voice have resurfaced.

Alvin Shuster grew up hearing stories about his grandfather Louis Mann — about how he educated himself and learned to speak English, about his work for the Yakama Nation, interpreting for its chiefs in Olympia and Washington D.C. 

Now 75, Shuster never thought he’d actually get to hear him.  

“He died before I was born,” Shuster said. “When I heard his voice, it felt good. To hear your grandfather for the first time. The songs that he sang. It was nice to hear.”

Photographer Edward Curtis recorded Louis Mann singing in 1909 using wax cylinders, which are fragile and prone to damage from mold. 

Six recordings survived the test of time thanks to archivists at Indiana University. They include ceremonial prayer songs, a Klickitat Hand-Gamble song and a Yakama love song. The recordings are a part of Mann’s legacy that Shuster and the rest of the Mann family didn’t know about until last year.

Shuster said he wonders why his grandfather would agree to record the songs, especially the out-of-context prayer songs for funerals.

“I didn’t know how to take it other than, maybe he thought that when it got to (the year) 2000, everything could be gone and it was his way of preserving what happened,” Shuster said.

Carrying The Yakama’s Message

Around the turn of the 20th century, the Yakama Nation reservation was still relatively new. Tribal leaders were fighting a fishing rights case in the U.S. Supreme Court. They were fighting to keep Mt. Adams within the reservation boundaries. 

That meant going to court, writing letters to congressmen and signing documents — all in English. According to Shuster, his grandfather Louis Mann saw his role as an interpreter meant carrying the message of Yakama leadership to elected members of the government.

“He didn’t dress up in war chief regalia,” Shuster said, noting that Mann would instead wear suits. “He didn’t like to limelight himself. He’d rather stand in the back.” 

But Mann had a strong voice himself, evident in letters he wrote to the federal Bureau of Reclamation when the government sought to charge him and other tribal members for their water rights. He wrote in his correspondence: “Who in your office is too damn white to understand my water rights?” according to Emily Washines, a Yakama Nation tribal member and historian. 

Washines tracked down Mann’s recordings and brought them to his descendants.

“[Mann] represented someone that was just vocal,” Washines said. “He just said it. He didn’t mince words about when he thought deals seemed to be unfair. Even if that was to the federal government.” 

In a letter to President Calvin Coolidge, Mann wrote: “We ask you for a square deal. … We are infringed by state law, our treaty unrecognized.” In a letter to the chairman of the U.S. House Indian Affairs Committee, he wrote: “We want the white man to be honest and treat us right. Our words are done.” 

Those strong words earned Louis Mann a nickname, according to Shuster.

“Our grandfather was called the ‘Bad Injun of Ahtanum’,” Shuster said, using a slur Mann reclaimed. “He didn’t comply with the government nor with what the nonIndians wanted to do. He would only find a way to protect our people. It’s a legacy. Those are big shoes to try to fit.”

Big Shoes

But Shuster did fit into those big shoes. After a career working in farms, logging and as a mechanic, Shuster started working as an advocate for education committees in the Yakima Valley. In the 1990s, he became chair of the National Congress of American Indians’ education subcommittee, where he pushed the Clinton administration to issue an executive order to make education of Native Americans a national priority.

Shuster is thankful for his grandfather’s work and for the recordings Mann made with Edward Curtis. He hopes sharing the recordings will lead to more information about Mann and connect his family with other descendants they don’t know.

“We didn’t even know that there [were] recordings of Mann,” Shuster said. “Things that are kind of kept secret from us, we need to find out what those are.”

For Yakama historian Emily Washines, the recordings made her wonder what other photographs and recordings were gathered by people like Edward Curtis, who portrayed a romanticized image of what he thought were dying cultures.

“What does that mean for the descendants of people that were photographed by Edward Curtis?” Washines said. “How do we regard these photos, as yes, these are my actual relatives, and at the same time allow ourselves to be critical about the sentiments?”

Though the images and audio gathered by Curtis can be problematic, Shuster said his grandfather made the recordings to fight for his culture.

“When my grandfather did it 100 years ago, he thought of us and what I’m doing right now. I’m thinking about our yet unborn, just like he did.”

source https://www.opb.org/news/article/yakama-nation-interpreter-wax-recordings-descendants-connection/

source https://www.syossetadvance.com/articles/syosset-woodbury-rotary-welcomes-guest-speaker-9/

source https://durangoherald.com/articles/311399

[unable to retrieve full-text content]A landlord’s responsibility | The Harvard Press | Opinion | Editorial & Press Opinion  Harvard Press

source https://www.harvardpress.com/Opinion/Editorial-Press-Opinion/ArtMID/4536/ArticleID/20322/A-landlord%E2%80%99s-responsibility

FIREFIGHTERS battled a car arson in Flintshire. 

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it was called to the incident on Rose Lane in Mold at about 2pm on Tuesday.

A spokesman said the fire was started deliberately and that the vehicle sustained 100 percent damage. 

source https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/18178920.crews-battle-car-fire-mold/

As the project entered its third year, with no completion date in sight, the Sherborn Select Board decided to terminate the contract of Five Star Building Corp., the contractors for the expansion, on Jan. 16.

SHERBORN — The Sherborn Library on Sanger Street still stands empty, with an expansion left undone.

Currently, there is no work being done on the project, which began in early 2017 and was expected to be completed by the end of that year.

As the project entered its third year, with no completion date in sight, the Sherborn Select Board decided to terminate the contract of Five Star Building Corp., the contractors for the expansion, on Jan. 16.

As a result, Five Star and its subcontractors were ordered off the site.

The reason, according to a letter sent by the Select Board, was “due to FSBC’s repeated failure to supply enough property skilled workers, failure to prosecute the work timely and in a workmanlike manner, disregard of applicable laws and codes, performance of and failure to correct defective work, poor workmanship, and other material branches of the contract.”

The letter provided further details of Five Star’s deficiencies on the project, including:

… failure to properly install the foundation and footings;

… failure to properly install granite curbs, requiring replacement;

… improper fabrication and installation of the library’s windows, which required the removal;

… substantially defective masonry work, and failure to correct that work;

… proceeding with interior work in violation of the contact and building code, failing repeatedly to maintain adequate weather protection and heat for the building, resulting in water infiltration and significant water and mold damage;

… failure to properly install flashing at the skylight/chimney interface, resulting in water damage;

… improper installation of roof decking;

… failure to comply with its obligation to procure property insurance as required by Article 11 of the General Conditions and Supplementary Conditions; and failure to keep the building weather tight and maintain and enforce a no-smoking ban, making it impossible to procure adequate property insurance for the library building and work.

“FSBC’s poor workmanship has resulted in substantial delay in completion of the project and significant monetary damages to the town,” the letter said.

The letter added that the town may have to shell out $1 million for additional costs for architectural, project management, and expert/consultant services.

What happens now

The town has sent word to Travelers Casualty and Surety Co. of America, which issued a performance bond, “immediately undertake to perform and complete all project work and assume all liabilities and fulfill all obligations of the surety as set forth in the performance bond,” according to an update provided by the Sherborn Library Board of Trustees.

Town officials are working with the town counsel at KP Law on the next steps, and the library trustees and Town Administrator David Williams have notified the Mass. Board of Library Commissioners on the project’s status. The town is expecting the final portion of the $3.6 million grant from the MBLC.

According to the Trustees’ update, once the surety (Travelers) responds, the Select Board, Library Trustees and Library Building Committee will provide an updated project plan to the town.

The library continues to run out the first floor of the Sherborn Community Center; its lease runs through February.

For updates on the project, visit sherbornlibrary.org.

source https://sherborn.wickedlocal.com/news/20200122/sherborn-fires-five-star-as-building-contractor-for-library-project

source https://durangoherald.com/articles/311399-after-flood-cortez-walkin-clinic-warns-of-mold-exposure