artefact_admin, Author at Mancuso Nowak

Poison Prevention

This week is Poison Prevention Week. It is a perfect time to re-evaluate our homes to make sure they are a safe place for our children. Children are curious by nature. The world is new and amazing to them. They want to see, touch, and taste everything! With their budding curiosity it is important that parents keep the hazardous items out of their reach.

Here are a few things to review in your house to make sure it is not an accident waiting to happen:

Make sure all your medicine has child safety caps
Keep all your medicine (prescription and non-prescription) in high cabinets or cabinets that lock
Never buy poisonous plants to keep in the house, they are too tempting
If your house was built before 1979 make sure it has been tested for lead
All cleaning products should be safely locked away
Even if the cleaning products are in a locked cabinet, you should turn the spray function to ‘Off’
Have a carbon monoxide detector located on each of the floors in your house
Keep all pocketbooks out of sight. There are lots of items such as pills, lotions, antibacterial cleaners founds in pocketbooks.
Post the poison control number on the fridge and in your wallet: 1-800-222-1222
It is always important to remind children that they do not put anything in their mouths, unless it is food specifically given to them, without asking an adult.

Keep everyone safe with these tips!

Be Safe and Have Fun on Spring Break

Spring Break is a part of college life. Many kids like to take road trips with their friends during spring break. As a parent you want to make sure your child is safe and they take the necessary precautions to avoid accidents. Here are some items to go over with your children before they leave:

– Check the Auto Policy. Is it active? Have you/him/her paid the premium? Are your children listed as users on your policy if they are driving your car? Do you have sufficient limits of liability? We recommend a minimum of $100K/$300K for line items #3, #5 and #12 on the policy.

– Have a tune up done on the car at least a week prior to departure. A tune up should find any issues with the car and make sure all fluids are sufficient.

– Check the tires. Use a pressure gauge to check the pressure. The recommended tire pressure is different for each car so check on the front door panel when you open the door or the owner’s manual.

– Know the cell phone laws in each state that the child would be driving through. Some states require hands free devices such as CT while other states don’t have a restriction as MA.

– Have a windshield/dashboard GPS or a factory installed GPS, make sure the child is not using his/her cell phone GPS as it is not safe to try to read a small phone while driving.

– No texting while driving!

– When your child reaches his/her destination make sure he/she remembers to lock up all valuables. Hotels have safes, use them!

– No crazy Facebook/Twitter/Instagram posts. They will come back to haunt. Think before posting.

– Always have a designated driver or a reliable taxi service in the area to get everyone home safely.

Keeping safety in mind during spring break will benefit both college kids and parents. Everyone will have more fun!

Home Flooding Due to Snow Melting

All this snow on the ground has to go somewhere. It will melt (hopefully!) and this water will seep in to the ground. Normally when snow melts the ground does not have a difficult time absorbing it, since it usually does so over a period of time. However, with the feet of snow we have outside there may be issues of the groundwater level rising and flooding into your basement. If you have only lived in your house for a short period of time and do not know if the water table is an issue in your neighborhood, contact the town.

Now is the time to check your basement and do some preventative work. Seal all of the cracks in the foundation floor and walls. Using polyurethane masonry caulk to fix the cracks, should be sufficient. If the cracks are larger than 1/4 inch use hydraulic cement, since it expands as it dries. Also address the windows in the basement and make sure they are properly sealed, as water cold leak through these also. After sealing all the cracks make sure you do not have any items that could be destroyed by water located on the basement floor. Good solutions for storing items in your basement: buy large durable shelving units, buy large plastic storage bins. Keep all goods in waterproof containers. Do not keep rugs, paper supplies or mattresses in the basement, as they will need to be thrown out if flooding occurs. If your house is known to flood, it would be a good idea to have a sump pump installed.

If your basement floods this spring, first do not walk through the water without making sure all the electricity to the area is shut off. When you have properly assessed the area, start getting the water out! A submergible surface pump can be used to get the water out and then use a wet vac to clean up the remaining water.

A homeowners policy does not cover flood damage, which is why it is in your best interest to try and prevent flooding. If you are in a flood zone or are prone to flooding, you may want to look into flood insurance. This is a separate policy you will have to buy. There is a 30 day waiting period for flood insurance to become active, so don’t try to get a policy right before a big storm or predicted heavy snow melting. There is an endorsement for your homeowners policy if you have a sump pump already installed at your house. This endorsement provides coverage for loss to property as a result of water which backs up or overflows from a sump pump.

Call us to find out more information on flood insurance or the Water Back-Up And Sump Pump Overflow Endorsement. www.mancuso-nowak.com.

Watch Out For Ice Dams!

With all the snow the region has been receiving many have snow accumulation on their home or building roof. This snow accumulation is dangerous for two reasons. The weight of the snow on any flat part of the roof could cause collapse and the other reason is ice dams.

Ice dams form when the heat from the attic melts the snow on the roof, but then stops melting when it reaches the eaves where there is no heat underneath. Consequently, this forms a solid barrier of ice on the edge of the roof. When there is an ice dam the melting snow on the roof above the ice dam on the roof allows water to find its way under the shingles on the roof. Water under the shingles can leak into your house and cause water damage inside. This could lead to numerous other issues such as mold and property damage. Another issue with ice dams is the formation of large icicles. Some of the icicles can get enormous and be a danger if they fall on a person or property below.

To prevent ice dams make sure the floor of the attic is properly insulated. This prevents the heat from the house getting up to the attic. Also, it is important to stay diligent to rake the snow off of your roof so there is no accumulation of ice from the melting snow. The best type of rake is made of aluminum and has wheels on it so it doesn’t damage your roof shingles. If you have ice dams and want to get rid of them, it is not a good idea to break up the ice with a hammer or other hard object, as you could damage your roof.

A trick from This Old House to melt ice dams (not recommended on a regular basis, as it could damage gutters because the chemicals are corrosives): take a pair of old nylon pantyhose and cut the legs off, fill with calcium chloride ice melter. Place the nylons on the roof of the house so the toe part hangs over the edge of the roof. This channels the melting ice water off of the roof.

If you do have ice dams and the water backup has caused damage inside your house, most of this is covered under your homeowners policy after your deductible is met. However, if your roof has not been maintained over the years and the leak is from poor upkeep of your property, the loss may not be covered. Please call us with specific questions on a loss to see if it is covered. The best way to avoid a loss is preventative action to insulate properly and remove snow from your roof! www.mancuso-nowak.com

Everything You Want To Know About Life Insurance

What better gift is there than life insurance for Valentine’s Day? We think it is one of the best! Buying life insurance is one of those things you always put off because you never want to think about anything happening to you or your family. However, life insurance is a necessity and will help those who are left behind when you pass away. Life insurance lets your loved ones remain financially secure after you are gone. Some of the life events that prompt people to buy life insurance are getting married, having a child, becoming a homeowner or changing jobs.

Take getting married for example, once you are married many of your finances are combined. You make joint investments, such as buying a house/condo. With such large joint investments, it would be difficult for just one of you to make all the payments. This is why life insurance is so crucial. Even if both of you have life insurance through work, it is also smart to buy a separate policy for each of you. If one of you loses his/her job, all the money invested into the company life insurance is gone. You don’t have life insurance anymore. On the other hand if you are putting money into personal life insurance policies they are always there.

How much life insurance do you need to buy? Many times people only buy 4 times his/her annual income, when in reality you will probably need closer to 10 times your annual income. Think of all the expenses life insurance needs to cover: funeral costs, mortgage, car loans, credit card debt, taxes, education, retirement, and list goes on. An equation you can use to help determine your life insurance needs is:

current and future financial obligations – (spouse’s earnings, savings, investments and life insurance already owned) = amount of life insurance

There are two main types of life insurance: term and permanent life insurance. As the name implies, Term Life Insurance is for a specified term or time period. Policies can range from 1-30 years for a term. This type of life insurance is relatively inexpensive because it does not build any cash value and it just ends when the term expires. The payments are at a fixed rate until the end of the term. If future life insurance is needed, the rate will most likely go up because the person buying it is now older (an influence on the rate of a policy) and could have health issues that were not present when first buying the term insurance. If the purchaser does die during the term of the policy, the beneficiary will receive full payment of the policy. This type of life insurance can be used for the purpose of covering a mortgage. If you have a 30 yr mortgage, you may buy a 30 yr term policy just to cover your mortgage payments if you die within that time period.

Permanent Life Insurance, such as Whole Life, will initially be more expensive. However, the rate on the policy will not change regardless of any changes in health or occupation, as long as timely payments are made. A significant difference from Term Life Insurance is that Permanent Life Insurance will build up cash value. Over time, the policy value will be increasing by more than the actual premiums. The owner will have access to this cash if so needed. In the end, Permanent Life Insurance will be more cost effective and provide a better solution to family planning.

Being prepared is the best way to provide a secure future for your loved ones, should you pass away. Buying life insurance could be the most thoughtful and caring thing you can do this Valentine’s Day! Call us to find out more about your life insurance options www.mancuso-nowak.com.

What You Need To Know About Radon

January is Radon Action Month. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself and household against radon exposure is to test the radon levels in your house/condo. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. There is a direct link between household radon exposure and lung cancer. “We know that radon is a carcinogen. This research confirms that breathing low levels of radon can lead to lung cancer.” The below map show the radon zones in Massachusetts. The red indicates the zone where radon is most prevalent, but radon has been found in all 3 zones.

Protect your home from this damaging radioactive element:

Get a radon test kit. You can buy one at Home Depot, Lowes or most local hardware stores
Mail in your results to the address indicated on your test kit
Contact a certified radon mitigation specialist, if your radon levels are high. Here is one we have used.
Have a radon mitigation system installed in your home/condo
Check radon levels periodically on your radon mitigation system to make sure the radon levels do not rise into the danger zone

More information for the state of Massachusetts on radon organizations.

Mancuso-Nowak wants our customers and potential customers to know these important facts on radon and what to do if you have radon. If you have any questions about the company we recommend, please contact us www.mancuso-nowak.com, ask for Joe or Melissa. Good luck and we hope your home is radon free!

* Picture from the EPA website

Deep Frying Your Turkey For Thanksgiving?

Over the past few years the popularity of deep frying the turkey for Thanksgiving has rapidly increased. It is an absolutely delicious way to cook the bird, but probably the most dangerous. If your Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a deep fried turkey an oil free or electric deep fryer is a safer alternative to the conventional deep fryer. According to the National Fire Protection Association every year deep frying turkey accidents have accounted for 5 deaths, 60 injuries, 900 homes destroyed and over $15M in structural damage.

However some people love their outdoor deep fryer, here are some safety tips if you are using one of these:

Always read the manufacturers instructions first
Keep the deep fryer away from your house, never use it in the garage!
Make sure your turkey is completely thawed. If frozen, the turkey has too much moisture and hot oil and water don’t mix
Don’t fill the vat of oil too high, oil spilling over is the number one cause of fire
Don’t let the oil get too hot, it can just ignite if it reaches a temp that it too high
Never put out an oil fire with water! Use a chemical fire extinguisher
Always have your fire extinguisher close by.

Here is a great fried turkey recipe that turns out crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.

Make sure your home insurance policy is current, paid and insured to adequate value based on current replacement cost! Call us with any questions on your policy: www.mancuso-nowak.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is Your Car Battery Ready For The Winter?

Even though it is still fairly nice weather, the cold winter months are right around the corner. Now is the best time to prepare your car for the brutal weather of the winter. AAA of Southern New England stated that the #1 reason for car breakdowns during the winter is a dead or weak battery. How do you prevent this from being you this winter?

Car batteries usually have a life of 4 years. If your car battery is near the 2 year mark, start looking for signs of weakness. If you don’t remember when you last replaced the battery look at the letters and numbers on the battery. For example, Interstate Batteries have a code on the cover of the battery. The first letter stands for the month it was manufactured, A = January, B = February, etc. Then the following number indicates the year, 1 = 2011, 2 = 2012, etc.

Signs of battery weakness:

Your car is slow to start or it hesitates a little.
Your check engine light comes on.
Your fluids keep running low.
The battery case looks inflated. Swelling can be caused by excessive heat of the summer and cause it not to last long.
If your battery smells like rotten eggs…replace it!
With any of the above symptoms of possible battery weakness, you can have your car checked out by a mechanic. It is a good idea to have your car thoroughly inspected before the winter. If the battery is over 2 yrs old and you are questioning it going into the cold winter months, it might be a good idea just to replace it. Better safe than sorry!

Why We Wear PINK!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It is a special time of year to honor and remember those effected by this disease. And most importantly, remember early detection helps save lives! Find a health care facility that helps with early detection and make your appointment now. When breast cancer is detected early the 5 year survival rate is 98%. We have living proof at Mancuso-Nowak that early detection is what leads to beating breast cancer. Kelley Tyan, Tony’s wife, was diagnosed in 2008 and is now cancer free!

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women and 1 in 8 will get it during their lifetime. Here are the factors that increase your chance of getting breast cancer:

Age – Over 50 is the highest risk group
Personal History – If you have had breast cancer in one breast, it is a higher chance you could get it in the other
Race – Caucasian women are more likely to get breast cancer than other races
Family History – If a direct relative – mother, sister, father or child – has had breast cancer you are at increased risk and if the person was under 50 yrs old your chances increase more
Dense Breast Tissue – as found on a mammogram, can increase your chance of breast cancer
Harmful Gene Mutation – Namely in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. If you have family history of breast cancer get tested for this gene mutation.
Menstrual and Reproductive History – Early menstruation and late menopause increase your chances. Also having children later in life or never having children can also increase chances of breast cancer.

This is why it is time to find a cure! Kelley and Tony Tyan are part of the PINK Revolution, join us and support a local breast cancer organization:

Not So Spooky Books For The Littlest Goblins

October is the beginning of the holiday season and the holidays start off in a spooky way. To get the little ones ready for the big day read lots of fun, not too spooky books. These are some of our favorite Halloween books for the kids:

Spooky Wheels on the Bus by J. Elizabeth Mills – A fun holiday twist on the orginal Wheels on the Bus book. The bus fills up quickly with ghosts and gobblins. See which monster your little monster likes best.

A Very Witchy Spelling Bee by George Shannon – Cordelia loves to spell….in more than one way. She likes to spell words and likes to cast spells. See if this little witch can out spell the reigning champion of the Witches’ Double Spelling Bee.

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson – The Witch runs into a problem when she loses her hat, bow and wand while flying on her broom. Thankfully 3 animals find the missing belongings and only want a ride on the broomstick as payment for returning the witch’s items. Is there enough room on the broom?

Halloween Night by Marjorie Dennis Murray – The Halloween version of The Night Before Christmas. Read about the witches, mummies and bats throughout the house.

*** The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano – Poor Spookley is shaped all wrong. He is square, not round like his friends. No one likes to be different, but this book shows how being different is sometimes better. Don’t judge a book or a pumpkin by its cover, it’s what is on the inside that really counts.

Enjoy the Halloween season with the kids and read lots of fun books!

*** Our Favorite Halloween Book!