Septic Systems: Understanding Title V

If you are not from New England, where it all began…you may not be familiar with Title V Regulation, Septic Tanks, Tight Tanks, Leaching Fields and so on.  ‘Homes that are not connected to a sewer system use septic systems or cesspools, both of which are regulated by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and local boards of health.’¹

Originating back to France this technology developed by John Mouras was brought to the new country as early as 1883 and used in many towns and cities. ² Most homes in New England that were built in the 1600 and 1700’s were farms, cabins, single family homes in the middle of nowhere and most people would have an outhouse of some form.  In Cities, homes were able to hook up to public sewer systems.  In the late 1800’s rural communities did not have the luxury of hooking up to public water and sewer because of their location  so they relied on a private well for water and some form of a private septic system for disposal of waste.  The most effective private system providing you have the acreage is the septic system that carries the waste away from the home in the form of a leaching field.  The waste comes from the home via a PVC pipe and is delivered to a Distribution Box/Tank (D-Box), from here, the solids will settle to the bottom of the tank and the scum and liquids float to the top.  The liquids are then channeled away from the D-Box into long perforated PVC pipes.  Depending upon the design,  a typical trench system can use drainage pipes as long as 100 feet.  The length of the pipes is a direct correlation of how fast the leaching field will drain as well as how many bedrooms the system can handle.  The liquid waste and lighter material is carried along these pipes and then dispersed along these holes to another drainage system of sand and rock.  As this is biodegradable material, it will continue to break down, some will go back into the ground water, feed vegetation such as  the plants or lawn.   In homes that have no land or are built on a ledge or near bodies of water, a “tight” Tank may be installed.  This is exactly that, a tank, everything from toothpaste, soaps and detergents as well as waste is contained.  Once this gets filled up, it must be emptied of all its contents.

In today’s housing market, before selling your home, you must have your septic system tested by a licensed Title V inspector (The Title 5 regulation, 310 CMR 15.00)³.  They will inspect the system to make sure it has proper drainage, all the parts in are intact and the soil in and around the system remains solid.  A good system can last 20 plus years and can be repaired and updated as anything else in your home.  To maintain your system and to have it pumped regularly will extend the life of the system.

Now, if for any reason your system fails this inspection, you may have a very costly project.  Typically they fail because the land and soil are no longer breaking down the waste and it will no longer drain.  A new system can be designed and built in some cases in the same location but in many will be moved to another location of the property.  An Engineer and Board of Health will determine where the system can go and must adhere to local and state guidelines.  A new system can be as little as $10,000 and up to $40,000.  In a traditional sale of a home where a buyer obtains a mortgage, you cannot convey title (sell your home) until this system has a passing grade.  However, there are mortgage solutions for this type issue that allow for holdbacks and special financing options to cover the costs of the repairs or new system.

 Please email Bill for more information.   bill@billnickerson.com

¹ Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Title 5. http://www.marealtor.com/content/title_5.htm

² http://www.newtechbio.com/articles/history_of_the_septic_system.htm

³ http://www.mass.gov/dep/water/wastewater/buysell.htm

15 Interior Painting Tips and Techniques

It’s the spring market season.  A great time to spruce up your house before putting it on the market.  A fresh coat of paint is inexpensive and can transform a room from so-so to WOW!  I’ve painted many rooms and houses over the years; Here are a few tips that I have learned to help make your next painting project go quickly and easily!

1.  Use canvas drop clothes instead of cotton or plastic.  For an additional buffer to the canvas, you can put plastic under it.

2.  Clean dirty surfaces (walls, ceiling, and window sills) with a TSP spray solution so paint can form a strong bond.

3.  Fill any holes or imperfections with Spackle, wait for it to dry, and then lightly sand the patches.  Also scrape any peeling chipping paint.

4.  Stir your paint before you begin, and don’t paint straight from the can.  Mix several cans of paint together in a 5 gallon bucket for consistent paint color.

5.  Remove hardware, fixtures, closet doors.  Anything that might get in your way of painting.

6.  Taping is optional, especially if you have a reasonably steady hand. Using an angle brush, start slightly away from the edge and then curve in to meet it. This will help you avoid leaving a big blob of paint where you begin.

7.  Use a plastic grocery type bag (check for holes) to put your wet roller into for short term storage.  Wrap the bag around the roller (to create a seal) making sure all air is removed from inside the bag.

8.  Paint the ceiling first.  Whether you paint the walls or the trim next is up to you.  My preference is to paint the trim first because I find that I can get a cleaner line when I cut in to paint the walls. If you like to tape off your edges, you may find it easier to paint the trim last.

9. Use a good quality roller cover. Cheap ones leave a messy edge and can shed little fuzzies all over.  I use a fresh cover for each paint job versus cleaning it.  Cleaning a roller is time consuming and all that paint residue going into the water isn’t good for the environment.

10.  Use a good quality brush. I like a 2.5″ angle brush for most projects.  Any bigger and it’s too tough to have a good grip on the brush for painting.

11.  Only dip your brush about a half or quarter of an inch into the paint, then wipe off one side on the edge of the paint container. This will help you avoid paint runs (from using too much) and keep your brush in good condition.

12. Keep a wet edge, and always paint from dry to wet. This will minimize brush strokes and roller marks.

13.  Paint in long, continuous strokes. Not doing so is one of the most common mistakes.

14. When painting with a roller, aim for covering a three foot wide section at a time. Working from top to bottom.

15.  Put on a second coat. Your paint job may look OK after just one, but it will look better after two. If you’re using a dark or vivid color, you may even need three (or more) coats.

With a little prep and practice, painting a room is an easy, inexpensive DIY project and you can do it!

For more information about this topic or others, please email me at bill@billnickerson.com