UPDATED at 8:42 a.m. Thursday with new details from fire chief

CLAYTON A fire that apparently started in the attic early Thursday morning damaged a historic building of The Wilson School, a private school on DeMun Avenue.

The school, for pre-kindergartenthrough sixth grade,is at 400 DeMun Avenueoff of Wydown Boulevard in Clayton. Students are onspring break this week.

The cause of the three-alarm fire is under investigation. Authorities don't think it's suspicious. There were storms in the area, and a lightning strike is possible, said Clayton Fire Chief Mark Thorp.

About a third of the school sustained water damage, including to its library at the main entrance. The flames were confined to the roof and attic.

Thad Falkner, the head of school who lives next door,was alerted at about 2:20 a.m. Thursday that the smoke alarms were sounding. He was out frontasfirefighters were arriving, and flames and heavy smoke were coming from the roof.

About 60 firefighters helped put out the fire. No one was injured. The fire was under control within about 15 minutes, and it was out within an hour, the chief said.

Falkner added: "We don't know exactly the origin, but the fire spread throughout the attic, which runs above our classsrooom spaces, and they (firefighters) had to do significant work to battle the fire."

The firefighters went into the attic andtore a hole in the roof to ventilate it.

Falkner said students were scheduled to return on Monday but, with fire cleanup,he'll have to decide if that's still on track.

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Private school in Clayton catches fire

Article posted: 3/27/2012 7:20 PM

Flames shoot through the roof of a house Tuesday on the 1S400 block of Sunnybrook Lane in an unincorporated area near Glen Ellyn.

Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

Firefighters from Glen Ellyn and neighboring departments battle a house fire Tuesday on the 1S400 block of Sunnybrook Lane.

Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

The owners of a house on the 1S400 block of Sunnybrook Lane near Glen Ellyn get a hug during a fire on Tuesday.

Bev Horne | Staff Photographer

Fire caused extensive damage Tuesday afternoon to a house that was being remodeled on the 1S400 block of Sunnybrook Road near Glen Ellyn, authorities said.

Glen Ellyn Lt. Craig Eldridge said firefighters responded at 12:47 p.m. for what became a three-alarm blaze that swept the attic and second floor of the house. Crews from several area departments assisted.

There was a lot of fire in that house when we got here so it was a matter of opening the house up and finding it. It wasnt a small fire when we got here, Eldridge said. Theres heavy, extensive damage to this house.

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Fire causes extensive damage to Glen Ellyn house

A free program has tested for heavy metals in Butte soils and lead and arsenic in its attics and homes at more than 1,800 properties, but still has plenty of work in front of them.

The Butte-Silver Bow Residential Metals Abatement Program, started in 1994, has sampled more than half of the qualifying properties in the area. Many of those have received contaminant-free lawns and attics all at no cost to the homeowner.

Yet, some remain unaware of what the program offers.

Butte-Silver Bow Health Department Employees Eric Hassler and Michelle Bay, along with three abatement technicians, test and remediate attics year-round.

Hassler said they have cleaned more than 160 to date that had high levels of arsenic, mercury and-or lead present.

Depending on the size of the project, Hassler said crews can be in and out in a few days to vacuum out everything that isnt bolted down. After the space has been cleaned, county crews can stuff it with insulation and reduce energy costs for the homeowner.

The attic program has recently been expanded to places like Rocker and Ramsay. If the residence is located in the Uptown area it automatically qualifies for inspection. County properties located in the Flat and out of town qualify only if significant remodeling is planned, or if there are obvious signs of ceiling cracks or other problems that could cause contaminants to enter the main living space.

Hassler said all the work is done on a first-come, first-served basis, but those planning remodels can be moved to the top of the list to prevent possible exposure. In the past, Hassler more than 80 percent of attics tested qualified for remediation.

In addition, Hassler said the county continues to push its residential metals program, in which they test for soil contaminates. Hassler and Bay said they plan to test more than 240 properties this year. In the past, about 40 percent of tested homes have enough heavy metals in the soil to qualify for remediation, said Hassler, who also said he expects that percentage to increase because of new sampling protocol.

Hassler stressed that all the work they do is free, and that the landowner is not on the hook for any future liability.

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Free remediation program continues for Butte homes

MICHIGAN CITY | Authorities on Tuesday still were investigating the discovery of a possible bomb by a Michigan City man remodeling his home.

It could wind up being a federal case depending on the outcome of the ongoing probe, said Lt. Chris Eckert, of the Porter County Sheriff's Department bomb squad.

"It depends on what the investigation reveals," Eckert said.

Just before 1 p.m. Monday, officers were called to the 700 block of Warnke Road.

Ronald Burian said he was tearing out the ceiling when he found a backpack, and inside the backpack was a device that looked like a bomb, according to Michigan City police.

The object consisted of a carbon dioxide canister with two aerosol cans duct taped to it.

A green wick also was coming out of the carbon dioxide canister, police said.

Police said a funnel containing a black powder residue was located near the device in the attic.

The bomb was carried out of the home and placed on the driveway, where the Porter County Bomb Squad retrieved it.

Eckert said whether the device is an actual bomb still is being looked into.

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Possible bomb found in Michigan City home during remodeling project

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) The recent unseasonably warm weather in many parts of the country has homeowners already contemplating post-winter home repairs and improvements as they begin their spring cleaning.

Some projects should take top priority: Those that will not only make your home safer, but will save you money down the road. In fact, some improvements even will help you shave some bucks off your home-insurance premiums.

Ideally, homeowners should inspect their houses twice a year, once before heavy spring rains and then again in the fall, said Jim Hunt, owner of Hunt Home Remodeling in Omaha, Neb. That way, they can catch small problems before they become overwhelming. In the springtime, many homeowners also have the advantage of having a fresh tax-refund check in hand, and funding repairs is easier.

Its not an exhaustive list, but here are seven spring inspections and repairs homeowners should consider in the weeks ahead.

1. Clean and repair gutters

Taking care of a homes gutters is one of the most requested jobs Hunts company handles this time of year. At about $100 to $150 for an average home, it wont cost that much, he said. But it will prevent plenty of headaches down the road, especially if they werent cleaned in the fall.

Its not [replacing] the gutter thats expensive. Its the water damage that results from neglected gutters, Hunt said.

When gutters arent functioning properly, water may seep into the homes foundation, for example, and make for costly repair bills. Also look for other areas where water is liable to pool near the foundation.

2. Check the roof

After the winter, its a good idea to have your roof checked before spring showers hit, Hunt said. During the inspection, its common to find broken shingles that need to be replaced.

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7 spring home repairs that save you money

SALEM This is one of the driest winters on record. It has been dry almost everywhere.

Everywhere, that is, except the Hawthorne Hotel.

On Feb. 27, the historic hotel had one doozy of a flood. During a bathroom remodeling project, a pipe burst in the attic, dumping an estimated 2,500 gallons of water down six floors and all the way to the tavern on the ground floor.

How much water is that? Think above-ground pool.

How bad was it?

Pretty bad. It knocked almost 50 rooms out of commission and caused more than $1 million in damage.

Fortunately, the hotel has insurance. And, fortuitously, this event of near-biblical proportions happened during the low point in the tourism season, when most of the animals are off the ark.

Incredibly, the hotel did not close.

It shifted a few events around and lost some business, but it stayed open. It still had more than 40 rooms available for guests.

Four weeks later, the hotel is still making repairs and drying out. Those ServiceMaster trucks you see parked outside have been pumping in hot air to dry out a few of the walls.

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A winter to remember — or maybe forget

Q. I am taking advantage of the unusual February weather in Vermont to go house hunting. I've seen several 1950s-era ranches with attached garages. What baffles me is that their attics are completely open to the garages. There are no vents on the ends of the attics in these buildings. There is no visible insulation inside the attic roof. The only insulation is on the bottom of the attic, between the boards above the ceiling. (Don't know where the bathroom vents exhaust to.)

Can you please explain why an attic would be open to the garage like this? It seems like an invitation to bugs and critters. Wouldn't this house lose a lot of heat? Wouldn't the moisture from the house condense on the inside of the roof?

If a homeowner wanted to make a house like this more energy-efficient, what could be done about insulating the attic? Should the opening to the garage be closed in, even partially? Should the homeowner always leave a hole?

A. It was a common practice in Vermont in the 1950s to leave the gable end facing the garage open when building ranches. I guess the thinking at the time was the open gable into the garage provided the attic's ventilation. I assume the builders of the time didn't give much thought to the need for ventilation or to the fact that the moisture brought in by the car in winter would contribute to moisture in the attic. I also don't think the builders ever thought about mice and squirrels nesting in the attic floor's insulation. Times have changed! Building a house this way is indeed not a good practice.

The insulation was properly installed between the attic's floor joists, but it was to the day's standards and is woefully inadequate by today's. Heat loss was not increased by this system, but it also is high by today's standards. The good part is that such open gable construction makes it easy to add insulation.

The open gables in these houses can certainly be closed, but other means of ventilation may then be required to avoid moisture accumulation and potential mold problems on the roof rafters and sheathing. The attic should be checked over several winters for condensation or frost on the roof sheathing, rafters or roofing nails. If these are present, additional ventilation should be considered.

The best ventilation system is a combination of soffit and ridge vents with an open connection between the two.

Q. Is there a way to recapture the heat or energy from sources in the home? For instance, it has always struck me that we spend all this energy to heat water to cook, wash and bathe with, and yet we let most of that energy go down the drain. I also can't stand to see the heat from the dryer vent billow out into the freezing air.

A. Recapturing the energy from the sources you mention is not easy or, in some cases, possible. You can let cooking water cool on the stove or countertop, or take a bath instead of showering and let the bath water cool before draining the tub. Laundry is primarily done with cold water nowadays, so this is no longer a source of wasted heat.

The heat from the dryer is another story. During the energy-crisis panic in the early 1970s, hardware stores sold a gizmo that was installed on the dryer vent and directed the heat and moisture into the room while taking care of the lint in a different way. It was OK with old leaky houses, which needed added moisture for the health of the occupants and furniture, but quite undesirable in today's tight houses, where moisture can already be a problem.

Original post:
Attics that are open to the garage pose problems

As part of each weeks Startup Report, Mass High Tech highlights five startup companies and their business goals and provides guest access to their company profiles in the New England Tech Directory. With each weeks Startup Watch, Mass High Tech will choose the weekly featured companies by soliciting nominations through a poll of 10 startup companies, with links to their respective websites.

Please choose five startups that you would like to know more about for the March 27 edition of Mass High Techs weekly Startup Report e-mail by visiting http://www.masshightech.com/startup-watch.

For guest access to todays directory listings, visit the following companies:

Sidewalk Branding Co.: an internationally published Rhode Island search engine optimization and local marketing company.

Greenovations: A catch all building and remodeling outfit, Greenovations offers everything from paint to insulation, floors to countertops, cabinets to wood stoves, paints and coatings to solar tubes, attic fans, plywood and tiles.

The Rifinery: Cutting-edge and innovative concrete design company that specializes in green techniques, designs, and products.

Abovestress Inc.: a Boston-based technology startup that develops innovative self-management mobile apps for personal health and wellness.

Eco Firebox:Eco Fireboxs masonry heater uses only a fraction of the wood used in standard woodstoves, producing a clean, radiant heat that provides even temperatures for 12-24 hours after the fire has died out.

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Startup Watch: Five you should follow

London -- We stepped out of the Tube at Covent Garden, and I panicked. It was our first night in London, and I hadn't anticipated so many people -- rushing, crowding, pushing.

It felt like Midtown Manhattan, times two.

I grabbed my kids' hands and I thought to myself: If I don't come up with a plan to keep us together, I will lose my children in this city.

So we devised a system that night. My husband and I told the girls: If you get separated from the rest of us, stay put. Don't move. We'll come back and find you.

Turns out, we used that strategy only once, on our last day in town. My husband got distracted inside Harrods department store and wandered away from the family. The girls and I stayed put -- and eventually Steve circled back to where he last saw us.

It was one small glitch in an otherwise near-perfect week in London, my daughters' maiden voyage abroad.

England makes a lot of sense as a first trip overseas. First, there's the matter of language. Menus, metro signs, museum exhibits -- they're all in English, which makes basic touring a bit less stressful, for adults as well as children. Guided tours are also (mostly) understandable. And the city is certainly well-equipped to accommodate a large number of visitors, with some of the world's top museums and attractions, an easy-to-use public transportation system, and friendly, helpful residents.

But relaxing, it won't be. This is one of the biggest cities in the world -- you'll get lost, you'll get tired, and you'll pack more into your days than you should. Especially with kids, it's crucial to balance the important with the just-for-fun.

I put together an itinerary that combined some of the city's world-renowned sights with kid-friendly diversions: the British Museum and the London Eye, Westminster Abbey and a terrific new musical based on Roald Dahl's "Matilda."

Not every attraction was a hit. My 11-year-old quickly lost interest in the Royal Observatory in Greenwich; even the Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace went on too long.

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Taking on London an ideal journey for young travelers

An enjoyable afternoon on Ed and Arlene Andersons porch turned into a frantic emergency phone call after the couple saw smoke pouring out of their neighbors North Side home Friday afternoon.We were just coming out here to sit and enjoy this nice weather, and saw smoke rolling out, Mr. Anderson said. My wife ran over to holler at them, to try and get them out of the house. Then we called the Fire Department while they were getting the dogs and everything out.Six crews responded to 1021 Roosevelt Ave. about 1:20 p.m., as smoke rose out of the two-story green house.I was downstairs in the dining room, playing on my laptop, when my nephew upstairs came down and said I smell smoke, said Ronda Carlson, owner of the home. I thought maybe someone was out burning.He went back upstairs, then came back down and said, Aunt Ronda, there is smoke coming out of the attic and the bathroom.Ms. Carlson, her nephew and a family friend gathered the familys three dogs, grabbed antique guns and evacuated the home. Ms. Carlsons husband and another family friend were not at home at the time.Fire crews battled heavy smoke as firefighters ripped through the roof to gain access to the house. Ms. Carlson said the family had been remodeling sections of the 1800s-era home and had additional renovations planned.We just put on a new roof in July, Ms. Carlson said. Well, like my husband said, now we have a new skylight.Joking about the unfortunate circumstances, other family members and friends comforted the family as the tight-knit neighborhood banned together. Fire Inspector Jason Ziph said older wiring in the attic sparked the fire, causing approximately $80,000 in damage.No injuries were reported.Kristin Hoppa can be reached at kristin.hoppa@newspressnow.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SJNPHoppa. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by

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Fire damages North Side house