A crawl space is generally that area under the floor framing of a house or business that extends a short way to the bottom. The distance is generally 24 inches in depth. This distance can vary however from 8 inches to 36 inches. The floor is usually made of dirt. There usually is barely enough room in one of these spaces to crawl, so the term Crawl Space was invented. They usually have a ton of spider webs and are dark and smell of mold. Not a pleasant place. That’s where we come in.

A crawl space that is deeper, to about 48 to 60 inches is generally called a “Michigan Basement”. These can be paved with concrete or left as dirt. Michigan Basements are used as storage of stuff. Unfortunately they are usually below ground and are susceptible to water damage. Furnaces down here can also be damaged by water. This is where we come in….

A space below the floor boards that is 7 feet deep or more is called a basement. Basements 100 years ago were not paved but were paved with concrete back in the 50’s. This was usually a thin layer just to keep the dust down and feet clean. Finishing basements has come to popularity with the invention and use of the “Sump Pump”. This is a device that can pump out any ground water that would otherwise get on the basement floor. Other wise basements are a good place to store stuff. We do a lot of work in basements and have a web site just for basement waterproofing. Click here to see Basement Waterproofing Michigan.

Oakbridge Construction Waterproofing Division knows a lot about basements and Crawl Spaces. This web site is dedicated to the Crawl Space. Read on to find out more information. If you don’t have time to read call now at 248 522 1516 and get a free estimate.

Components
All sump pump systems include the same five components, although they vary in size based on the amount of water they are required to handle.
In the United States, components are fairly consistent. For residential applications, they consist of:
1. A plastic or metal sump liner, either 18 or 24 inches in diameter and 2 to 3 feet deep.
2. A pump, usually 1/3 or 1/2 horsepower and powered by either at 12-volt DC battery or standard 120-volt AC current.
3. A discharge pipe, typically 1 ½ inch PVC.
4. A check valve to ensure the water in the discharge pipe doesn’t flow backwards back into the sump;
5. A cover to keep vermin, pets, and debris out of the sump.

Sizing
Pump Size: A properly sized pump is critical. Too small and it won’t be able to keep up with water flowing into the sump. Too large and it creates unnecessary expense. An oversized pump will also “short-cycle,” turning on and off in rapid succession, which leads to premature pump failure. So getting the right pump is an important first step to ensuring basements stay dry.
“It’s important that your pump can draw water out of the basin (or “sump pit”) faster than water flows into it,” notes Duane Friend, at the University of Illinois Extension Office. “Therefore, the first thing you need to measure is the amount of water that drains into the basin during a high-flow period. During a heavy rain, stick a ruler in the basin and measure how many inches of water flow into the basin in 60 seconds.”
With an 18-inch sump, each inch of deepness equals one gallon. In a 24-inch-diameter basin, each inch is roughly 2 gallons.
In a new construction situation, approximate flow rates can be calculated based on rainfall averages, soil type and the size of a home’s footprint.
Once the volume of water that will need to be removed has been calculated, the installer will need to figure out the “total dynamic head” of the discharge pipe. This is the sum of the “static head” (the height in feet between the pump and the end of the discharge pipe) and the “friction head.” Friction head is calculated based on the length, diameter and material of the discharge pipe, and the number of turns involved. A table to calculate friction head is available on the www.waterproofmag.com website.
Knowing the maximum flow rate figures, the total dynamic head pressure involved, and the budget, the contractor or designer can determine the best pump for the application.
Basin Size: The size of the sump pit is also significant, as it plays a part in how long the pump runs and how long it takes to fill up. If the basin fills too quickly it may be best to install a larger one.
If the basement is already finished, a cheaper option may be to raise the height of the pump switch, basically making the sump deeper. This method, however, also increases the chances the sump will overflow, so be careful.

Power Supply
Direct-Wired: Almost all sump pumps run on standard 120 volt AC current, but the pump must be supplied with its own line from the breaker box. It must also have a dedicated breaker. In most areas, the power supply must be installed by a licensed electrician unless the installer is also the homeowner. As always, check with community building codes and ordinances.
Pumps are usually hard wired into the electrical system, rather than plugged into a conventional outlet.
Battery-Powered: Sump pumps face their highest loads during thunderstorms, when rainwater pours into the sump pit from the foundation drainage system. Unfortunately, thunderstorms can also disrupt a home’s power supply, knocking the pump offline at the time it is needed most. That’s why some homes-especially those with finished basements-have a second battery-powered sump pump in case the first pump fails. In a few areas of the country, where the sump pit only fills infrequently, battery-operated pumps are used as the primary.

The SmartHome sump pump is a next-generation battery-operated sump pump. It is self-testing, self-diagnosing, and will immediate notify the owner by telephone and email if a component stops functioning.

Setting up a battery-powered secondary pump involves purchasing and installing the following components in parallel with the others:
A 12-volt DC sump pump matching the flow and discharge requirements of the primary pump.
A 12-volt DC lead-acid battery. A typical automobile battery is adequate. Some use marine-grade deep cycle batteries which are more expensive, but lasts longer.
A “trickle-charge” battery charger to keep the lead acid battery fully charged.
A separate water level sensor, check valve, and other components. The discharge pipes usually connect downstream of the check valves.
“One of the problems with most backup sump systems is they are rarely used so a component failure will not be noticed and the system will fail to operate when needed,” says Friend.
A few battery-powered pump systems have an integral computer that tests the system periodically and sounds an alarm if something needs to be replaced-like a “check engine” light on a car.
Regardless, Friend recommends that backup systems be tested monthly. “A good time to test is just after a rain storm,” he says. “Pull the plug on the sump pump so the sump well fills and verify the backup system activates and empties the well.”
Water-Driven: Recently, a few manufacturers have begun offering sump pumps that use the home’s culinary water supply to power the pump. The pressure in the home’s main water line turns an impellor, which drives the pump. These devices abolish the need for electricity entirely. They do cost more than motor-driven pumps, but because they don’t need a back-up pump, they can be cost-effective.
Regardless of the type of pump installed, plan on also using a simple battery-powered water alarm. The water sensor is attached to the sump liner a few inches below floor level and will sound a shrill alarm if the water level rises that tall.

The discharge pipe should stop as far from the house as possible. Here, it has been routed to a dry well, with perforated pipe and gravel to improve drainage.

For the reason that pedestal pumps sit above floor level, they are usually hidden from sight in finished basements. This can be a purpose-built enclosure, or by building the sump in a closet or furnace room.

Pump Type
Regardless of the type of power supply, sump pumps are usually divided into two classifications, pedestal and submersible.
Pedestal pumps are mounted on top of the pit, where it is more easily serviced, but also more conspicuous. Submersible pumps sit inside the sump-usually near the bottom-and are completely immersed in the water.
The decision is usually based on whether the basement is finished, or will be, as the submersible pump is less obtrusive.
In commercial applications, submersible pumps are largely common, as they funtion on a different principle. Unlike pedestal pumps that “suck” water up from the sump like soda thorugh a straw, submersible pumps “push” water up the pipe.
Discharge Pipe
The discharge pipe should end as far from the house as possible, to prevent the water from getting it’s way back underneath the foundation.
In decades past, the pipe was often connected to the sanitary sewer routine. This practice is now outlawed as it can overpower the water treatment facilities. Be aware that if you are retrofitting an older home, codes and ordinances may require you to also deflect the discharge line.

248 522 1516  - Bob

Water, in large quantities, can be devastating. From Noah’s Ark in biblical times, to the Johnstown (Pa.) Flood in 1889, to the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, water can be as much of a troublesome element as fire.

But in smaller quantities, water can be good. You glug down a couple of glasses of it every day to stay healthy. You wash your car with a bucket full of it, or a load of clothes with a bit more.

In even smaller quantities-when it is condensed and diffused, and generally called moisture, it can cause as much heartache as a flood or other act of nature, especially in the construction industry.

Moisture can be a villain that everyone faces at some point or other.

In a country such as the United States, with many different climates and weather-zones, combating moisture intrusion and subsequent damage calls for different products and tactics depending on where in the country the war is being waged.

Part of this article surveys many of AWCI’s contractors to establish widespread use of tactics and products in various areas, but first, let’s review some basics.

Three Water Flavors
Moisture, which is to say water, comes in three different flavors: solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (vapor).

Most contractors have a decent handle on the solid variety, and-especially in the South-have little or no trouble keeping it out of buildings. Many also have a fairly good handle on the liquid form. If anything is causing headaches nowadays, it is vapor.

Maria Spinu, Ph.D., of DuPont Building Innovation, has made a brilliant profession of studying and combating vapors especially, and has this to share about it-and the dew point temperature-in an announcement for one of her 2005 lectures:

“Water exists on earth in three physical states that can undergo reversible phase transformations. Dew point temperature is the onset of the vapor-to-liquid conversion known as condensation.

“Moisture problems in buildings are the result of liquid water accumulation within the building enclosure. The sources of liquid water within a building enclosure include liquid water intrusion or condensation of excess water vapor transported by air currents or through diffusion.

“Dew point temperature is the temperature at which the concentration of water vapor reaches its saturation and will condense on cold surfaces to form droplets of water. We often see condensation on windows or further cool building surfaces. This so-called surface condensation is not much of a problem. However, when condensation occurs within a building assembly (interstitial condensation) it can lead to moisture problems, which range from building durability and performance, to indoor environmental quality (IEQ).”

Envelope Breach
The purpose of a building’s envelope is to keep the internal environment separate-and protected-from external conditions. This includes keeping the cold (or the heat) out and the heat (or the cold) in. Another purpose of the envelope is to keep moisture out.

According to the McGraw-Hill Construction’s Continuing Education Center’s course on air barriers (January 2006), “Moisture, when it does enter the building, moves through the envelope as liquid water or as water vapors. The difference between the two physical states of water is the size of the molecular aggregates: fluid water exists as large molecular aggregates (up to 100 molecules at room temperature), while water vapors exist as free molecules. Consequently, the transport mechanisms are different for liquid water and water vapors.”

Liquid Water. The main source of liquid water for above-grade walls is rain, which can find its way behind the exterior cladding and so be driven into the building enclosure by four main forces:

• Gravity, which can draw water up through openings and cracks, and into the construction assembly.

• Capillary forces, which act like a sponge sucking water through small cracks and pores. Smaller cracks result in greater capillary forces.

• Rain droplets can pass through openings in the exterior cladding, driven by the energy of the falling rain.

• The pressure differential can push or suck water through openings and cracks, into the construction assembly.

Water Vapor. When moisture enters the building as water vapor, it penetrates the envelope either by air currents or by vapor diffusion.

For vapor diffusion to occur there has to be both a driving force and a conduit. In this case, the driving force is the difference in water vapor concentration (or difference in vapor pressure) across an assembly: Water vapors flow from an area of higher concentration (higher vapor pressure) to an area of lower concentration (lower vapor pressure).

However, looking at the practical side of things, experts estimate that the amount of moisture vapor shifted by air currents can be 100 to 200 times higher than the amount shifted by diffusion, and can account for more than 98 percent of all water vapor movement through the structure envelope.

The air current rule of thumb: Vapor flows from warm (high pressure) to cold (low pressure).

The Vapor Barrier
Keeping the moisture out (and away from insulation, where it can do major damage) is the purpose of the vapor barrier. The main design decision is where, exactly, to place it, especially since vapor, reaching a vapor barrier and with nowhere else to go, will eventually accumulate, reach a dew point and turn into fluid water.

Heating or Cooling Climate. In a heating climate-where a building is heated more days of the year than cooled-the vapor (by the warm-to-cold principle) will prevalently travel toward the exterior. In the cooling climate the opposite it true: Vapor will predominantly travel from exterior the envelope toward the inside of the building.

Since barrier membranes are usually placed adjacent to wall insulation, the issue of where, exactly, you place it is determined by the prevalent vapor direction. If you happen to place it incorrectly-i.e., at the far side of insulation-as the vapor travels, condensation is likely to occur inside the insulation and degrade it considerably over time. Fiberglass can lose as much as 70 percent of its insulating properties when wet.

It is therefore crucial to place the barrier at the near side of insulation-as the vapor travels-so that vapor hits the barrier before entering insulation.

In a heating climate, that means placing the barrier between the inside of the building and the insulation; in a cooling climate, between the outside of the building and the insulation.

Who Determines Placement?

When it comes to determining not only the risk for moisture intrusion, but the products-and their precise placement-to guard against it, the designer calls the shots.

As Bill McPherson of Central Ceilings in Massachusetts succinctly put it: “We don’t devise, or recommend, solutions. We implement them.”

This sentiment is echoed throughout the country, where it is always up to the designer or the architect to detect and solve potential dampness issues.

But there is one interesting caveat: According to Pat Arrington of Commercial Enterprises in New Mexico, the builder license in his state lays the ultimate responsibility for any building problems at the contractor’s feet, whether he followed incorrect design advice or not. So, New Mexico contractors, beware.

Gregg Conrad, president of CSW, Inc. in North Carolina, adds to that that if he notices something wrong as far as combating moisture goes, he would “raise a flag. Even though the designer specifies the system, and we’re only responsible for applying it properly, if there’s an inconsistency in the design we have to make them aware of it.”

An Engineering View
Jim Stump is a Portland, Maine-based engineer with Criterium Engineers, a company of consulting engineers with more than 70 offices in North America. His view on moisture problems/solutions is well worth sharing: “Of course, moisture intrusion is always through the building envelope. How that occurs here in Portland, Maine, nonetheless, is different from how it occurs in North Carolina, and certainly dissimilar from, say, Phoenix, Ariz.

“The vapor barrier needs to be on the warm side of the insulation. That is the basic criteria. So, in the South, where the warm side of the insulation is usually the outside, and you are attempting to cool the indoors, the vapor barrier would be toward the outside of the building.

“In northern climates like here, it’s the converse. The warm side of the building in the wintertime is the inside; the cool side is on the outside, so the vapor barrier should be toward the inside.

“The difficulty with design comes in climates that are in-between, states approximating New Mexico or the mid-Atlantic states like Virginia or North Carolina, which you get both.

“The vapor moves from hot to cold, and when it reaches the dew point it will condense, and if that happens to be in the insulation, then you have a problem.

“A critical issue when evaluating a construction for moisture solutions is to view the building as an organic whole, and take all aspects into consideration.

“The climate is just one issue. You also have to evaluate airflow, plan, specific location-a building on top of a hill will behave quite differently from one down in a valley-the type of heating deployed, the type of cooling used. How much sun does it get? Is it a solar building? All of these things relate to the organic whole that you need to consider.”

Fiberglass Insulation. As mentioned earlier, fiberglass degrades greatly when wet. Why precisely is that?

“Fiberglass insulation,” explains Stump, “relies on air pockets, and when it gets wet it loses those air pockets and, therefore, loses its insulation value.”

As much as 70 or 80 percent?

“It’s certainly possible. And I, unfortunately, see that phenomenon quite often.”

Wood Framing. Stump has this to offer: “Some designers suggest that when it comes to wood-framed walls, you should put a vapor barrier on both the inside and the outside to try to seal the wall.

“My experience is that, even as this may look good on paper, in practice-because no barrier is ever 100 percent effective-you’re going to wind up trapping moisture inside that wall.

“You have to consider that the wood frame has quite a bit of moisture in it already, even if it is a kiln-dried piece of lumber. Over time, it will lose some of that moisture, and this has to go someplace. If sealed in, it will eventually reach dew point and condense inside the wall.”

Taking the Country’s Moisture Fighting Pulse
What products are used where? Keeping in mind that the contractor as a rule does not choose, nor recommend, the moisture fighting weapons he deploys, the question becomes as an alternative: Which products does he normally install (as specified by the architect)?

The brand names you would expect to hear are the names that popped out of the mouths of contractors from all over the country; it is their preferences in product type that vary.

Gabriel Castillo of Pillar Construction in Virginia likes liquid-applied membranes, which become part of the substrate. “When the liquid spread on membrane dries, it hardens to a rubber-like, waterproof membrane, so you know that it will cover and seal well. There are no pores, no holes, no way for moisture to penetrate. … You just roll it on. It’s as if you were to apply a very thick paint.”

Stephen Angell, president of Cape Cod Plastering in Rhode Island, uses “a self-healing, peel-and-stick product, for exterior cladding.”

Robert Aird of Robert A. Aird, Inc. in Maryland does of lot of exterior insulation and finish systems and sees the gamut when it comes to product names, but he cautions about maintaining the integrity of the entire system: “Some [barriers] can be used with other products, but normally they are only tested and approved to work with their own EIF system.

He goes on to say, “In the last 10 years or so, though most actively over the last three or four years, we tape all sheeting joints, we spot the screw heads, we seal all penetrations and connections to other materials, and then apply a liquid-applied barrier over the whole face of the building to create an air- and water-barrier-or a WRB, a weather resistant barrier.”

But in Florida, Eric Boulanger of Boulanger Drywall Corporation does not usually see liquid applied membranes being applied.

Gerald Roach of Forks Lath & Plaster in North Dakota mostly sees the big brand names, but adds that “it’s also getting more common to do a sprayed-on or trowelled-on moisture barrier over the sheeting, in particular on bigger jobs like the Wal-Marts and motels.”

Glenn Sieber of Easley & Rivers, Inc. in Pennsylvania says, “What we now see more and more of is studs, sheeting, then a spray-on or a trowel-on or a place-and-press membrane for waterproofing-after that a rigid insulation.”

Richard Riley of Simpson Commercial Contracting, Inc. in Alabama: “On the exterior perimeter substrate we like to use a roller applied barrier, because they’re seamless. On the exterior wall-if we’re worried about moisture-we normally use an elastomeric finish.” Riley adds that all the major brands work.

The moral of this story is that if you can smell it, you missed a turn way back there, and you’re now facing damage control, literally … which usually means several pounds of cure.

The ounce of prevention is to understand how moisture travels, and how to channel its movement.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho-based Ulf Wolf writes for the construction trade as Words & Images.

Attention:

Sellers have been actively accepting offers on properties prior to the Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan auction. We have Pre-Sold approximately 20% of the properties in the Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan area.

Please refer to our website to verify if your property of interest is “Still Available.”

Thank you,

HUDSON & MARSHALL

America’s Auction Authority
———————————————————

I know you don’t want to read someone elses spam on a blog but here it is anyway, furthermore that is the news we have been waiting for. As you can see the above auctions have pre-sales for cash customers and people are buying repossessed houses up left and right. At first there was a lot of investors ready to buy some of these and fix them up and rent them out to pay for the costs and then later when the market balances out, and the prices go back up, sell them for a huge profit. And this is very true. The basic people that were buying houses were the individuals with more money than brains. The gamblers and real estate investors. But now the people that need a house are entering the market. That is where the customers are going to have to come from to get this huge backlog of houses off the market.

I know some people in that boat. The economy seems to be stabilizing somewhat and regular people are buying houses. People that had an apartment and because one of a couple got laid off, they moved in with mom and dad or Uncle Jim and they have had enough of that, and want their own place and with financing they realize they can buy their first house for less than the rent on an apartment. It is true that these people have protected their credit ratings and they have good credit and have like I said have been putting away for a down payment. Well guess what? The ten or 20 percent down payment has been cut in half or more with some sweat equity.

I also understand, because my tie-ins with the real estate industry, I know some people that are the investors I first mentioned. I went with them to look at plenty of houses and check the conditions of the houses. That was late last fall I started doing that. At that time we could take our time and look at lots of houses. We could throw in bids from 25% to 50% less than the banks were asking. Now lately the to get a house we have had to over bid by about 5% to 10% to get the property. Also we have seen a lot of the banks remove the house from the list during our negotiations.

Well so what does that all mean? There is getting to be a scarcity of these under priced, reposessed houses. The prices have been progressively rising over the last 9 months. I realize that there are still people in financial trouble and hanging on by  a thread and may yet lose their house. But the real truth is that the supply of these houses is starting to dry up. People in general are not clued into this. They won’t figure it out till it is too late to buy one for investment.

The upshot is that all the people that have legitimate reasons to sell their house, like job opportunities and divorce along with grandpa dying and retirement might be able to unload their homes pretty soon at a reasonable price.

The actuality is that people are becoming convinced that the financial system has stopped getting worse. That is all it is going to take, for people to start spending again. The government laid out almost a trillion Dollars to boost things but that was a smoke screen because very little was really sent out. Only where they needed it the most. Something like 10% was sent out. I think the government did all the right things. Rescued some companies that needed to be salvaged. Convinced people that they (the government)are doing something. Got lots of publicity about helping people and companies by the complainers. Built a huge smoke screen. It was or is a very complex plan and it is working.

People don’t realize how ghastly things could have gotten in the world financial system. There had been a huge recession in the economy every 65 to 70 years since the Roman ages. It materializes after everyone is dead that went through the last one and there is no one left to educate the lessons. So I guess the next one will not occur till 2075 or so. How’s That?

Basement waterproofing is not a do it yourself job. For a correct assessment, it is most reliable to obtaining the opinion if a trained, experienced Basement Waterproofing expert.

If you you are building new or dealing with water trouble the same rules apply. Further than 90% of basements drip water from the walls and the joint anywhere the floor and wall meet. Basements seldom leak water up through the floor, although this can happen in some cases, generally from blocked drain tiles around the exterior perimeter around the building. This can as well happen if there are artesian wells beneath the floor.

If the subsurface or subterranean water level is nearby to the bottom of the basement floor slab, water rises through the slab by capillary action, and you will suffer with a wet basement. If the subsurface or ground water level is higher than the basement floor, water leaks inside up through the walls and floor, causing standing water in any basement plus, at times, humidity in the rooms overhead.

As concrete cures, it inevitably develops capillaries. Let the concrete to harden for at minimum 28 days and after that spreading a sealant to the concrete. Protect the cement against water leakage; this will also toughen the concrete. Void cinder blocks and concrete blocks have a empty core; some have observable holes other than microscopic pores.

The most effectual basement waterproofing technique is to use a sealant on both sides of the concrete block. Be certain the concrete has dried for at least 28 days, making sure to allow 14 days for the mortar in concrete block walls as well. After spreading the sealant, let the concrete cure out for at least 3 days before doing any extra external waterproofing or backfill.

One basement waterproofing is by means of black tar on top of the outside. Using this method of waterproofing for a basement is rather questionable. The difficulty is that it does not hold up very long. It might help to improve your problem for a while, most likely it will only hold up for a few years.

A better choice for basement waterproofing, is rubberized membranes. These exceptional membranes when apply to your walls and your floor are initially a liquid that hardens quickly into a special membrane. They are uncomplicated to do yourself.

Another basement waterproofing method includes using waterproofing paint. Waterproofing paint is the least expensive option. However, it is not one of the best choices. Some people have had good success with this technique, well others felt it did not last very prolonged at all.

Costly yet effective basement waterproofing is to due the exterior foundation drains. This option is good if you turn out to have your home in an area where it rains a good deal. Most individuals have found that it is extremely effective.

Every one of these methods have pros and cons, though, it is important that you know your options for basement waterproofing. In most cases going cheaper may be useful for your difficulty; however, a bigger problem might be lurking and water could start dripping into your basement. This might call for some drastic waterproofing actions.

Water troubles can come about at any time, you may in no way have dealt with water problems previously. Then spring comes and all of a sudden, you have a problem. First check that you own a functional sump pump and after you have determined that your sump pump is operational and you still have a soaked basement, Call a to have your basement assessed for waterproofing Expert and that would be Bob M.
Call Bob At 586 703 0112

The 25-year-old banker had stopped by his friend’s place near Federal Boulevard and West 112th Avenue to say hi. He was wearing flip-flops.

His friend, who asked to remain anonymous, was tending to a leaky pipe beneath the home while Stafford chatted with his friend’s wife.

“Thirty seconds later, I heard what sounded like the yelp of a small, frightened child,” Stafford said Monday.

His friend had spotted a snake in the muddy crawl space.

“Dude, you’ve got to go get it,” Stafford recalled his friend saying.

With a flashlight and a stick of firewood, Stafford climbed into the crawl space and onto the blue tarp that covered the muddy surface. The tarp moved beneath him; the floor writhed with bull snakes — 41 of them by the time Stafford got through stuffing them into a trash bag.

“They were moving pretty slow, so I think they were still hibernating,” he said.

An obvious crack was likely their entrance way, said Stafford, a native of Texas who spent last year traveling in the bush in Australia, where snake encounters were common, he said.

His friend doesn’t want to be named because he doesn’t want to discuss the discovery, Stafford said.

“We went out for a beer afterward,” said Stafford, who took the bag of snakes to an open field several miles out of town.

That was a smart move, said Mel Horne, owner of Alpha Animal Control in Broomfield, who removes snakes and other varmints for a living. Snakes can find their way back to a comfortable spot unless they’re taken several miles away, he said.

Bull snakes and garter snakes are known to hide in cool, dark spaces beneath homes in the northern metro area, he said.

Bull snakes, often called gopher snakes, are not poisonous and feed on field mice, large insects, lizards and other snakes.

They grow large — up to 6 feet long — so their fright factor is their greatest risk to humans, especially since they resemble a rattlesnake and their snorelike hiss is often mistaken for a rattle.

From the Vail Daily News