Trees are vulnerable to powerful storms, even a single gust of wind. While tree damage can occur any time of the year, wind damage is more dangerous in certain seasons.
Fall can be a key season for wind-related tree damage because deciduous trees may still hold their leaves when storms bring strong winds and heavy rain. That’s why anyone who has dealt with mature trees knows how much more movement a leafy canopy creates during a storm.
The reasons leafy trees face more stress during windy weather, and the role wet soil plays, help explain why some fall storms cause serious tree damage.
Why Leaves Make Trees More Vulnerable to Wind
Tree professionals sometimes describe a dense canopy as having a windsail effect. Leaves and branches give the wind more surface to push against, placing extra pressure on the tree.
A video from arborist education account @fruitstitute on Instagram compared a thick canopy to a sail catching wind. Research published in the International Society of Arboriculture’s journal on red maples found that the makeup of a tree’s crown affects how much wind load it experiences.
Trees can reduce some of that pressure naturally. Leaves turn and cluster in the wind, while branches bend and move with gusts.
That doesn’t mean a tree should be heavily thinned before a storm. Pruning needs vary by species and tree condition, so major pruning decisions are best left to a qualified arborist.
Foliage can also increase the amount of wind a canopy catches. For example, an eight-year study of street trees in Rochester, New York, showed that most branch failures happened while the trees were in leaf.
Why Wet Soil Makes Trees Easier to Uproot
Wet ground can add another risk during a windstorm. After heavy or prolonged rain, saturated soil may hold tree roots less securely. The U.S. Forest Service notes that saturated soil and shallow roots can make trees more vulnerable to being uprooted by wind.
Penn State Extension also notes that trees may begin leaning or uproot when wet soil can’t hold the root system securely. Raised soil around the roots can be one sign of movement. A full canopy catching strong wind while the roots sit in soaked soil can create a difficult combination for a tree.
Why Fall Windstorms Can Cause More Tree Damage
Fall storms can arrive before deciduous trees have dropped their leaves, leaving a full canopy exposed to strong winds. If rain has already soaked the ground, the tree may also have less support around its roots. The combination can increase the chance of broken branches, leaning, or uprooting.
A tree’s condition still matters. Decay, root damage, weak branches, and earlier storm damage can all affect how well it handles high winds. After a storm, homeowners should stay clear of trees with new leaning, lifted soil, cracked limbs, or hanging branches. Penn State Extension recommends professional assessment when a damaged tree could threaten people or property.
There are a few things you should always check when looking through a lumber pile at a hardware store or lumber yard. Are you getting a straight board? Is it free of major knots or defects? Is it the right size and grade for your project?
But what about the paint color at the end of the wood?
Anyone who has spent time sorting through 2x4s has probably noticed that some pieces have paint on the ends of them. But why?
The confusing part is that there isn’t one meaning that applies to every painted board. Learn why lumber ends may be painted, what the colors can identify, and what shoppers should check before relying on the paint alone.
Why Lumber Mills Paint the Ends of Boards During Drying
Paint or another coating on freshly cut lumber can help slow moisture loss through the ends of the wood. The exposed end grain can dry faster than the sides of a board, which can cause cracks or splits as the lumber dries.
“End coatings are typically used to help prevent end checks on sawn lumber during the drying process,” according to research done by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, and Forest Products Laboratory. “These drying defects can cause a loss of valuable lumber.”
Timber Custom Woods describes the same process for logs and slabs.
“The ends of the slabs are painted in an effort to keep the ends of the wood from drying out to quickly causing cracking and checking,” according to Timber Custom Woods. “By painting the ends of logs before milling, we can help prevent splitting and cracking by slowing down water loss and allowing the logs to dry more evenly.”
The coating doesn’t stop the wood from drying. It helps slow moisture loss at the ends so the wood can dry more evenly.
What Different Paint Colors on the Ends of Lumber Actually Mean
There isn’t a standard U.S. color code for painted lumber ends. Blue doesn’t always represent one length, and red or green don’t automatically indicate a certain grade or species.
That helps explain the different answers in a Reddit discussion about 2x4s with blue-painted ends. Commenters described the colors used for certain lengths or products across different mills and lumber yards, showing how the meaning can vary by supplier.
A painted end may help slow drying, identify a particular product, or serve as an internal code for a mill or lumber yard. The color alone usually doesn’t provide enough information to identify the board.
Painted ends can also serve as a simple identification system. Lumber producers and mills may use different colors to separate types of lumber or identify species, grades, products, or brands.
U-C Coatings, which makes paint for lumber, says its end paints can serve these identification purposes. Because mills can choose from many colors, the shades don’t follow one nationwide system.
Individual companies may also use a recognizable color for a specific product. Dunn Lumber, for example, sells its signature blue-end studs. In that case, the blue identifies that company’s line of framing lumber rather than all lumber of a certain size or grade.
A lumber grader with almost 30 years on the job once watched a buyer reject five good boards for wane (bark or missing wood along an edge), then hand-pick five replacements. All five were below grade. Most of us choose lumber by the price tag and by eye, and the eye picks wrong more often than you’d think. The stamp on lumber tells you what the eye can’t. It says whether a board is rated to carry a floor, what decides how far it can span, and roughly how much shrinking it has left to do after it’s nailed in place.
I framed and renovated houses for years with Wargo Construction, and I didn’t really know what that stamp said until I read the federal standard behind it. It’s a block of black ink a foot or two from one end of the 2x4s, 2x6s and other framing lumber in the aisle, and it names the mill, the grading agency, the grade, the species and how wet the wood was when it was surfaced (run through a planer to its final size). A 2×4’s grade turns on what its knots, splits and holes do to its strength, a different question from the one behind plywood grades.
Ahead, you’ll find what each field on the 2×4 stamp means, which values it can hold, and what each one changes about the board you take home.
Two boards side by side on the same rack, one graded Stud and one graded No. 2. Same species, same store, different rules about what is allowed to be wrong with them.
What Is the Stamp on 2x4s For?
The 2×4 stamp tells you which grade a qualified grader, or an agency-approved grading machine, assigned the board under an agency accredited by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC). That grade, with the species beside it, keys to the board’s design values (the published strength ratings that building codes are built on). Those values feed the span tables (the code charts that give how far a joist or rafter of a given size, species, grade and spacing can reach between supports).
The 2024 International Residential Code requires sawn lumber used for load-supporting purposes, meaning floor, wall and roof framing, to carry that stamp or a certificate of inspection.
The grader in that story is Pete Austin, Director of Quality at the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA), who has graded lumber for almost 30 years, 23 of them in sawmill production, and runs the association’s design-value testing for Western species. Most buyers never read past the grade, he says. They look at a board, see No. 2 and assume it will work. “I don’t think that they fully understand what it is they’re buying,” he says.
Paul Conway is Executive Vice President of ALSC, the standing committee behind the federal lumber standard PS 20 and the body that accredits the agencies grading under it. He wrote that grading is not an exact science, because a tree is a natural product and no two are alike. Agencies check a mill’s grading by the unit (the banded bundle of boards a mill ships as one lot), and a unit is on grade when 95 percent or more of its pieces make the grade. That is why the stamp “does not guarantee, however, that every single piece of lumber a buyer purchases in the big box store retailer’s bin will be on grade,” Conway wrote.
By the USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook, the published bending value starts from a strength near the bottom of the grade, one that only about 1 board in 20 falls below, and is then divided by 2.1 for safety and for loads that stay in place for years. “These design values are intentionally conservative to account for the weakest pieces that could be found in each grade,” Conway wrote.
Decoding the Stamp
Every accredited stamp carries the same five fields in the agency’s own layout, and some carry a surfacing note beside them. Start with who made and graded the board, then read the three fields that say how it should behave.
One stamp carries all five fields: mill 167, the WWPA mark, the grade, th
Mill number
This is the number, name or brand of the mill that made the piece. Three boards photographed for this article read 134, 167 and 338, all Stimson Lumber mills on WWPA’s list. The number won’t change what you buy. Read it and move on, because it only matters if a bad batch ever has to be traced back to where it was made.
Grading agency
The logo beside the mill number belongs to the agency that supervised the grading, not to the mill. ALSC’s January 2026 list, on alsc.org, carries seven U.S. grading agencies and ten Canadian ones, with a picture of each agency’s stamp for checking an unfamiliar logo. The ones you’re most likely to meet:
WWPA (Western Wood Products Association): Western species such as Douglas Fir-Larch and Hem-Fir.
PLIB/WCLIB (Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau): West Coast lumber, Douglas Fir and Hem-Fir are in this category. Its stamps carry either mark.
SPIB (Southern Pine Inspection Bureau): Southern Pine.
NeLMA (Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association): Northeastern species such as Eastern White Pine.
The Canadian agencies, where Spruce-Pine-Fir framing comes from, grade to the National Lumber Grades Authority’s rules and print their own logos. The grader is usually a mill employee, and the independence sits in the supervision. ALSC requires an agency to inspect each mill at least 12 times a year, and PS 20 bars accrediting any agency controlled by a producer whose products it inspects. Every agency’s dimension lumber rules have to conform to one National Grading Rule, so a No. 2 means the same thing under any of these logos. If the logo is one you don’t recognize, check it against ALSC’s list before you trust the grade printed beside it, because a logo that isn’t on that list isn’t an accredited grade stamp, and the board counts as unstamped (see the FAQ below).
Grade
The grade sets what’s allowed to be wrong with the board. The National Grading Rule for dimension lumber lists eight grades in three groups, with each group serving a specific purpose.
Select Structural, No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3: the structural grades, for joists, rafters, headers and trusses. The code’s span tables list these four and only these four, by species group. No. 2 is the everyday one, the grade the American Wood Council’s deck guide assumes for its joist and beam spans, and the grade to buy for a deck frame, floor joists or rafters unless your plans name another. No. 3 is in the tables too, at shorter spans, so buy it only where its row covers your span. Select Structural and No. 1 buy a longer span at the same size, which most home jobs don’t need. Austin once watched a winery job specified in Select Structural posts and beams when, he says, No. 1 or No. 2 would have carried it.
Construction, Standard and Utility: the light-framing grades, for boards up to 4 inches wide used as plates, sills, blocking and cripples (the short studs above and below openings). Buy them for blocking, plates and sills. The joist and rafter tables don’t list them, so nothing that spans gets built from them.
Stud: an all-purpose grade for vertical use in load-bearing walls. It’s the board for wall framing, and it’s held straighter than No. 2, Austin says, because it’s going into a wall and nobody wants a board that twists or curves behind the drywall. It isn’t in the joist and rafter tables, so a stack of studs isn’t the board for a floor or a deck frame, however straight it is.
Stamps abbreviate them (SEL STR, 1, 2, 3, CONST, STAND, UTIL, STUD), and a combined grade such as “2 & BTR” means No. 2 or better, carrying No. 2’s design values.
Knots decide most of the grade, and where a knot sits matters as much as how big it is. A knot is where a branch grew out through the trunk, and the grain swirls around it instead of running the length of the board, so the wood there is partly cross-grain and the load piles up around the knot instead of passing through. A board carrying weight bends, stretching one edge and compressing the other; the stress is highest along those two edges and lowest along the centerline. So an edge knot costs far more strength than the same knot in the middle of the face. And a narrower board gives the same knot a bigger share of its width, which is why the allowances shrink as the board does.
The rule book turns that into numbers. On a 2×4, No. 2 allows a 1-1/4-inch knot at the edge and a 2-inch knot on the centerline, Stud allows a 1-3/4-inch edge knot, and Utility allows 2-1/2 inches anywhere on the face. Austin has measured the difference by breaking boards in WWPA’s test lab. A knot on the centerline leaves clear wood along both edges to carry the load, he says, so it takes far more force to fail.
At the rack, match the grade on the 2×4 stamp to the job as the list above gives it, and between two No. 2s, take the one whose knots sit away from the edges.
Knots, holes and splits are the characteristics that cost a board strength. The grade sets how large a knot may be, and the rules are tightest at the edges. This one sits on the wide face, where the larger centerline allowance applies.
Species
This names one species, or a group that shares design values, printed as an abbreviation. The groups you’ll meet most:
Douglas Fir-Larch (DF-L, D FIR-L or DOUG FIR-L): Douglas fir and western larch.
Hem-Fir (HF, HEM FIR): western hemlock and the true firs, such as white fir.
Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF): the Canadian spruces, pines and firs. SPF(S) is the U.S. version, with different design values.
Southern Pine (SYP, Southern Yellow Pine): the pines of the Southeast, and what an SPIB logo stands for when no species is printed.
Western Woods (WW): a catch-all mix, which takes the design values of the lowest species in it.
The species group sets the design values, so the same grade and size span different distances in each group, and the span tables in the residential code list Douglas Fir-Larch, Hem-Fir, Southern Pine and Spruce-Pine-Fir as separate rows. Canadian-graded Douglas Fir-Larch and Hem-Fir carry an (N) after the name and have rows of their own.
If your plans or a span table name a species, buy that species. When the store stocks a different group, read the row for that group on the stamp instead, which may mean a larger size or tighter spacing, or ask whoever drew the plans. And if nothing names a species, read the group off the stamp, not the shelf tag, and look up that row with the grade before you pick a joist size and spacing. The tables are in the residential code’s floor-joist and rafter chapters, which the International Code Council posts online. A tag reading “Premium Whitewood Stud” is store signage. “Whitewood” covers a family of pale softwoods, and the board underneath says Hem-Fir.
The shelf tag names no grade. “Premium” is the store’s word, and “whitewood” covers a family of look-alike softwoods. The boards on this rack were stamped Hem-Fir.Same company, same grade, a different mill and a different species group. The stamp names the species group you’re holding, and span tables are read by that group.
Moisture Content
The code says how wet the board was at the planer, not how wet it is now. What you’ll see:
S-GRN: surfaced green, over 19 percent moisture.
S-DRY: surfaced dry, at 19 percent or less, whether it got there in a kiln or in the open air.
KD: kiln dried to 19 percent or less.
MC-15 or KD-15: 15 percent or less, a stricter code under WWPA’s rules.
You’ll often see HT beside the code. It isn’t a moisture code but a heat-treatment mark, which says the board’s core was held at 56 C (about 133 F) for at least 30 minutes to kill insects, which is what export packaging needs. Most mills with kilns stamp everything KD HT, Austin says, because one kiln run earns both, and WWPA inspectors read the kiln charts and meter the boards every month. S-DRY usually means the board reached 19 percent some other way. One WWPA mill near Fairbanks, Alaska, dries its lumber in the yard over months and stamps it S-DRY.
The code matters because wood keeps moving after it’s stamped. It shrinks as it dries and swells as it takes on moisture, almost all of it across the width and thickness of the board and very little along its length. Conway puts the change at about 1 percent across the width and thickness for every 4 points of moisture. On the way from 19 percent down to the moisture of a heated room, that comes to about 1/8 inch on a 2×4 or 2×6 and about 1/4 inch on a 2×10 or 2×12.
Framing that does that shrinking after it’s nailed in place loosens around its fasteners and moves the finishes attached to it. Nail pops in drywall, cracks in plaster, open joints and uneven floors are the common signs of a frame that shrank too much after it went up. A board stamped S-GRN starts wetter, so it has far more shrinking ahead of it, and what it hasn’t dried off by the time it’s nailed in place, it loses in the wall.
Match the moisture code to where the board is going. For anything inside a heated house, buy KD or S-DRY. Buy S-GRN only where movement can’t hurt anything (temporary bracing, for instance), because it will keep moving.
The Mill’s Own Marks
The big-box chains often order No. 2 with in-house limits on wane and skip (a patch the planer didn’t touch), Austin says. Mills flag those orders with words like “Premium” or “Top Choice,” which ALSC allows only if they sit at least 6 inches from the grade stamp, and such a mark can’t borrow a grade name from the rule book the board was graded under. One mill had to drop an “APP” mark, Austin says, because APP is the rule book’s own name for an appearance-limited grade.
None of those words changes the grade or says anything about strength, and the same word on a shelf tag is the store’s own, not the mill’s. What the word buys you is fewer patches of wane and skip, which matters for looks and for nailing. A stamp can also carry a surfacing note beside the five fields, like the “1/4 EE” on the boards photographed here; it isn’t one of the five and doesn’t change the grade. Read past all of it to the grade stamp, and never take “Premium” as a strength claim.
FAQ
Can I build with lumber that has no stamp?
Not for load-supporting framing, unless a grading agency issues a certificate of inspection for the pieces. Any of the accredited agencies can inspect the pieces and issue one; arrange it before the lumber goes in, because it stands in for the stamp.
Does ripping a 2×4 change its grade?
Yes, and it voids it. Ripping (cutting along the length to narrow a board), resawing (cutting through its thickness) or planing a graded board cancels the grade and its design values under PS 20, and the old stamp is supposed to come off. Cutting to length doesn’t.
So never rip down a joist, rafter or header to make it fit. Buy the size the span table allows instead, and if a ripped piece has to count as graded lumber, ask your local code official before it goes in the wall.
Is a cleaner-looking board a stronger board?
Often it’s the other way around. A board with clean edges and a large knot is weaker than a board with wane and no knots, because wane and skip are appearance problems that don’t cost strength, while knots, holes and splits do. When Austin breaks No. 2 pieces whose only defect is wane, they test stronger than pieces carrying a knot or a hole, “every time,” he says. “I’ll buy lumber with wane before I buy lumber with large knots all day long.” That fits where the wood comes from. Wane is usually the rounded outside of the log showing on the board, and the outer rings of a trunk are its mature wood, while the weaker juvenile wood grows in the rings nearest the center.
How do I pick a straight board?
Sight down it, because nothing on the stamp predicts warp. The grade caps how much curve and twist a board can leave the mill with, more can develop afterward, and neither says anything about strength. Austin’s test lab takes in boards as wet as 30 percent moisture, stacks them with spacer strips between the layers and lets them dry to the lab’s 12 percent before breaking them. Some warp badly and others never move, he says. “There’s no way to put on a stamp what it can do.”
So sight down each edge and each face from one end and set aside any piece with a visible curve or twist. Then stack the rest flat where it will be used, with spacer strips between the layers, and give it time to take on the room’s moisture. Austin’s lab allows a couple of weeks for stock that comes in wet; kiln-dried framing has less distance to travel, but give it time all the same. Then sight it again before you cut, and set aside anything that moved.
Sources
Interviewed sources:
Paul Conway, Executive Vice President, American Lumber Standard Committee, the standing committee for the U.S. Department of Commerce softwood lumber standard PS 20, which accredits the agencies that grade under it; written responses by email and a phone interview.
Pete Austin, Director of Quality, Western Wood Products Association, a rules-writing and inspection agency for Western species; written responses by email and a phone interview.
Other primary sources:
National Institute of Standards and Technology, alsc.org, “Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-25, American Softwood Lumber Standard” (2025)
National Grading Rule Committee, spib.org, “National Grading Rule for Dimension Lumber, with Interpretations” (November 2025)
American Lumber Standard Committee, alsc.org, “Lumber Program Facsimile List: Agencies Accredited by the Board of Review and Typical Grade Stamps” (January 2026)
American Lumber Standard Committee, alsc.org, “Lumber Program Enforcement Regulations” (November 2025)
American Lumber Standard Committee, alsc.org, “Summary of ALSC Staff Responses Ratified by the ALSC” (November 2025)
USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, fpl.fs.usda.gov, “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282, Chapter 4, Moisture Relations and Physical Properties of Wood” (2021)
USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, fpl.fs.usda.gov, “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282, Chapter 5, Mechanical Properties of Wood” (2021)
USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, fpl.fs.usda.gov, “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282, Chapter 7, Stress Grades and Design Properties for Lumber, Round Timber, and Ties” (2021)
USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, fpl.fs.usda.gov, “Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, FPL-GTR-282, Chapter 13, Drying and Control of Moisture Content and Dimensional Changes” (2021)
Western Wood Products Association, wwpa.org, “Interpreting Grade Stamps”
Western Wood Products Association, wwpa.org, “Dimensional Lumber”
Western Wood Products Association, wwpa.org, “Buyers Guide: Stimson Lumber Company”
Western Wood Products Association, wwpa.org, “Hem-Fir, White Fir”
Western Wood Products Association, wwpa.org, “Western Lumber Grading Rules 2021, Section 5, National Grading Rules, Framing and Decking” (2021, print rule book)
Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, plib.org, “Standard No. 17, Grading Rules for West Coast Lumber, Section 1” (2018)
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau, spib.org, “Frequently Asked Questions”
American Wood Council, awc.org, “What is the difference between SPF and SPF south? DF-L and DF-L(N)? HF and HF(N)?”
American Wood Council, awc.org, “DCA 6-2015, Prescriptive Residential Wood Deck Construction Guide” (2015 edition)
American Wood Council, awc.org, “Residential Wood Deck Design,” on DCA 6 (STRUCTURE magazine, April 2017)
International Code Council, codes.iccsafe.org, “2024 International Residential Code,” Sections R502.1.1, R602.1.1 and R802.1.1 and Tables R502.3.1(1), R502.3.1(2) and R802.4.1(1)
Driving around the country is a favorite American pastime, and I’ve certainly done my share. When I arrive in a city in which I’ve never been before, I like to ditch the car for a while and walk around. But that can be risky if you don’t know the parking rules that apply there. And given the traffic flow modifications that many cities have recently adopted, the rules (some of them, anyway) seem to be changing faster than drivers can keep up.
Where can you park and where can’t you? If parking is legal, how long can you stay without getting towed, and how much will it cost if you get towed? But really, there’s no mystery, according to auto insurance specialist Melanie Musson. “Knowing where you can and cannot park is pretty easy if you pay attention.” All you have to do, she says, is follow the signs.
Assuming there are any.
Where You Can and Can’t Park
You can always park in a municipal parking lot or parking garage, as long as there’s room and you pay the fee. It’s usually also OK to park on the street, especially if other cars are there, but if the space you choose has a meter, it’s important to feed it. Fines in congested urban areas can be expensive. The cost of a meter violation rose by 40 percent in San Francisco since the pandemic and can set you back more than $100, according to the San Francisco Standard.
Signs usually identify the places you can’t park, as well as curb colors and symbols, such as the universal handicap symbol. Anyone who has taken a driver’s test should know them, because they’re the same all over North America. Engineer Paul Dorr of The Traffic Group refreshes your memory. You can’t park in front of:
Fire hydrants. A 5- to 15-foot clearance is required, depending on the city.
Red, yellow or white curbs. White curbs are loading zones and often have signs indicating when parking is not allowed;
Green curbs for longer than the period indicated by the sign (anywhere from five to 30 minutes or longer);
Blue curbs. These are handicap spaces, and fines for using one without a placard are steep;
Intersections or pedestrian crossings;
Commercial or residential driveways.
Double parking, which means parking alongside a car that is legally parked, is also a violation that some big cities take seriously, even if you do it for only a few minutes. The base fine in New York City is $115, and it rises quickly if you do it repeatedly.
Parking Signs, Meters, and Time Limits
If you see a sign near an open parking space, be sure to read it. It’s probably advising you:
of a time limit;
parking there is allowed only at certain times of day;
parking there requires a permit.
When you pull into a space with a meter, read the meter label before you feed it, because in most cities, parking in a metered space is free after a certain time of day, usually 6 or 8 PM. You might not have to pay.
The label also tells you the rate per hour and, if the meter takes payment cards, it usually provides basic instructions for using one.
How Parking Rules Change in Big Cities
In increasingly congested cities, cars compete for curb space with bike lanes, commercial loading zones, pedestrian walkways, outdoor dining, bus stops and EV charging stations. To manage all this, some cities prohibit street parking in certain areas altogether.
Two big changes across the country have an increasing impact on your ability to park. One is the sheer number of cars on the road, which has grown steadily over the years, jumping by 13 million in 2023 alone. The other is that some cities — San Francisco, San Jose, Austin and Hartford among them — have reduced available parking to make room for more buildings. This puts a premium on parking spaces, and meter rates may be significantly higher or vary according to time of day or demand in these cities.
Street Cleaning and Alternate-Side Parking
The signs near an available parking space may be advising you of alternate street parking. That’s a parking rule that requires drivers to move their cars from one side of the street to the other on specific days and times so street sweepers can clean along the curb.
“Typically,” explains Dorr, “parking is restricted for one day during the week between certain hours so the street sweeper can clean that side of the street. The following week the parking restriction is on the other side allowing the other side of the street to be cleaned.” Needless to say, you can get a ticket if you ignore these signs, and your car could get towed or sideswiped by a street cleaner.
Parking Tickets, Towing, and Other Penalties
If your car gets towed, it’s important to retrieve it quickly, because storage fees accumulate every day the car is impounded. You can usually find out where it is by calling the local police non-emergency line. According to Dorr, you ‘ll have to pay some or all of the following fees:
Towing fee, which can range from $100 to $300, depending on the city;
Storage fee, which ranges from $15 to $50 per day;
Administrative processing fee, which can range from $30 to $100;
Parking fine or traffic violation ticket.
How to Check Parking Rules Before You Park
“Look up the municipal government page (such as the local Department of Transportation or Parking Authority) for the city you plan to visit,” advises Dorr. “They often list street sweeping schedules, permit zones, and meter rates.” In addition he suggests consulting a parking app like Spot Angels or ParkMobile, or a GIS parking restriction map on your mobile device for the city you’re visiting.
FAQ
How Do You Know If Street Parking Is Legal?
You can park on any street as long as there are no painted curb colors or posted signs. To avoid a fine, you must stay the legal distance from fire hydrants and intersections, you can’t block a driveway, and your car must be within 18 inches of the curb. Some cities require you to turn your front wheels toward the curb when parking on a slope and fine you for non-compliance.
How Close Can You Park to a Fire Hydrant?
It’s pretty standard, but it can vary depending on the city. According to Dorr, the standard rule is 15 feet. Two outliers are Washington, D.C., where it’s 10 feet, and Salt Lake City, UT, where it’s only 5 feet.
Can You Park Overnight on a City Street?
This depends on local laws. It’s generally legal unless “no overnight parking” signs or signs advising of alternate side parking are posted. In some residential neighborhoods, you may see a sign advising that a permit is required to park there. “If there are “permit parking only” signs and you don’t know what a permit means,” says Musson, “that’s a good sign that you don’t have a permit and can’t park there.” She also advises paying attention to what other drivers do. “If no cars are parked on the street, that’s a good sign that it’s not allowed.”
About the Experts
Melanie Musson is a published insurance and finance expert. She is an expert consultant with AutoInsurance.org.
Paul Dorr is the Director of Engineering Design at The Traffic Group. He is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), County Engineers Association of Maryland (CEAM), and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).
It’s not exactly a secret that gas prices are pretty high right now. Anyone who took a road trip this summer, commutes regularly or works in trucking can tell you that the simple act of driving a vehicle is currently very costly. And when gas prices are this high, one thing tends to dominate the minds of drivers everywhere: fuel efficiency.
Owning a vehicle that gets high miles per gallon is one of the simplest ways to get more out of your gas. Unfortunately, a recently announced rule may make it easier for auto companies to lower their fuel-efficiency standards and start producing vehicles that use more gas on average.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced a new rule that dramatically reduces the fuel-efficiency requirement for new vehicles. Let’s take a look at the new rule and how it will shape the next half-decade of car manufacturing.
What Are the New Fuel Standards?
Under the Biden administration, strict fuel efficiency rules were set that required automakers to meet a fleet-average fuel economy of 50.4 mpg. Trump’s new rule, dubbed the “Freedom Means Affordable Cars” initiative, slashes that requirement from 50.4 mpg all the way down to 34.9 mpg.
For those of us who are new to this kind of lingo, a “fleet-average fuel economy” means the combined performance of all vehicles produced by an automaker. So this rule doesn’t mean that every car a manufacturer makes has to hit that new 34.9 mpg— it just means they have to hit that mark as an average across all of the cars you sell.
Why the New Rule?
The Trump administration believes that the former standards set by the previous administration are too high and have forced automakers to produce vehicles that their customers do not want to buy.
“This rule restores integrity to the national fuel economy program, balancing vehicle affordability and energy conservation goals while improving safety on our roadways,” said NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. “Newer cars are safer cars. By reducing vehicle prices, more American families will be able to afford newer vehicles, and sensible standards allow automakers more freedom to design and produce vehicles consumers actually want.”
Critics of the plan are skeptical that the changes are being made in good faith, as most of the savings gained from dropping fuel standards will go straight to the automakers. In theory, cars will be cheaper to produce, which is obviously good for the company that makes them.
But is it good for the consumer? Sure, these new standards might knock some money off your monthly car payments. But there’s a good chance you’ll have to put that savings directly into gas, with lower fuel efficiency naturally leading to more time and money spent at the gas pump.
Atid Kimelman with the Natural Resources Defense Council called the new rule a “get out of jail free” card for U.S. car companies.
“Fuel economy standards are supposed to improve fuel economy over time,” said Kimelman. “For Americans facing prolonged high prices at the pump, the administration has made the stunning move to basically force them to pay more.”
When Will Fuel Standards Actually Drop?
These fuel regulations are set for 2031, so it will be a while before consumers actually see any change in auto prices related to these new rules. It will likely have a noticeable impact on the number of electric vehicles that U.S. automakers develop and produce in the near future. Part of the new rules is eliminating the “CAFE credit trading program” which allowed automakers to sell or trade credits earned when their lineups exceeded fuel economy targets to other manufacturers that didn’t meet the CAFE requirements.
That trading program will now be gone by 2028. That means that electric vehicle companies like Tesla, which were able to sell credits to other automakers and use that revenue to develop their own vehicles. Removing that revenue stream will certainly impact the number of electric vehicles developed and produced in the United States— which is the ultimate goal of the current administration.
“Eliminating the credit trading program restores fairness, puts all automakers on an even playing field, and ensures that manufacturers are spreading fuel-saving technologies throughout their fleets,” reads the White House’s official statement.
For now, the average American is not going to feel the impact of this new rule. Just don’t be surprised if the next time you go to shop for a car, you find yourself looking at some low fuel efficiency numbers and a lack of electric options.
After working in the chimney industry for most of her life, Tracy Zarriello traded the office for the rooftop—and she’s never looked back. Now the owner of Queen Sweep Chimney, Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Heating Services, she has seen firsthand what causes the most common fireplace problems and knows exactly how homeowners can avoid them. Here are her top tips for a safe, warm and worry-free fall and winter.
Know Your Fireplace
The maintenance your fireplace needs depends largely on the type of unit in your home. While you may not always get to choose your fireplace—many homeowners simply inherit the one that came with the house—it pays to know how it works and how to care for it to avoid unnecessary service calls.
Wood-burning fireplaces create an undeniably cozy atmosphere with real flames and soothing crackling, but they’re also the most labor-intensive option. They produce ashes, require regular chimney maintenance, and mean hauling firewood and keeping fireplace tools nearby, including a poker, tongs, broom and ash shovel.
Wood-burning fireplaces bring character—and extra maintenance.
Gas fireplaces offer the convenience of an on-demand fuel supply and don’t produce messy ashes. They carry a much lower risk of chimney fires than woodburning fireplaces and require less care and maintenance overall, but regular inspections are still recommended to ensure the burner and venting system are working properly.
Electric fireplaces have simulated flames and produce no combustion byproducts. They’re primarily decorative, but most models also include a heating element and function as a space heater.
When it comes to heating efficiency, “many homeowners are surprised to learn that a traditional open wood-burning fireplace can actually pull heated air out of the house,” Zarriello says. “If your goal is heating, a gas insert or an EPA‑certified wood stove is usually far more effective than an open masonry fireplace.”
The Hidden Hazard in Your Chimney
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, it’s important to understand creosote.
“Creosote is a highly flammable residue created when wood smoke cools and condenses inside the chimney,” Zarriello says. “Think of it like grease accumulating inside a kitchen exhaust hood.”
Creosote begins as light, flaky soot but can progress into crunchy, tarlike deposits and eventually a hard, shiny glaze. Zarriello says this last stage is the most dangerous because it’s much harder to remove and can ignite with only a spark or hot burst of exhaust.
A chimney fire can exceed 2,000 degrees, Zarriello says, and sound like a roaring freight train. But some of the fires aren’t so dramatic.
“Many homeowners don’t realize they’ve had a chimney fire because some are slow-burning and occur inside the flue,” she says. Yet even an unnoticed chimney fire can cause a cracked flue liner, structural damage and the potential for dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to enter your home.
Simple Habits That Pay Off
Preventing creosote buildup starts with smart burning habits and regular maintenance.
Zarriello recommends burning only seasoned hardwoods such as ash, maple and oak. “Wood should generally be dried for 6 to 12 months or longer and have a moisture content below 20 percent,” she says. Burning wet or green wood produces more smoke and creosote.
Chimney caps keep rain and pests out and help contain sparks.
Make sure the damper is fully open before lighting a fire, and leave it open while the fire burns. “Airflow is everything,” Zarriello says. “A properly drafting chimney pulls smoke upward and out of the home.” That airflow helps create a hotter, more efficient fire.
Use a fireplace screen to contain sparks, and remove excess ash from the firebox only after it has completely cooled. Once a month during burning season, inspect the firebox for cracked bricks or deteriorating mortar joints. Test the damper to make sure it opens and closes properly, then go outside and look at the chimney cap from the ground. A missing or broken cap lets in rainwater and gives animals an opening to nest in your chimney.
“A properly installed chimney cap is one of the best investments a homeowner can make,” Zarriello says.
Don’t Skip Your Annual Inspection
Have your chimney professionally inspected at least once a year. “While homeowners can perform visual checks, they cannot see most of the flue system without specialized equipment,” Zarriello says. A qualified professional can inspect the flue liner and other parts of your chimney; check for creosote buildup, water damage and masonry problems; and confirm proper ventilation.
“A fireplace should provide warmth and enjoyment—not become a hidden fire hazard,” Zarriello says. “A yearly inspection helps protect your home and your family.”
FAQ
Are chimney-cleaning logs worth the hype?
Commonly sold at home centers and online, chimney-cleaning logs (also called creosote-sweeping logs) release chemicals as they burn and are marketed as an easy way to reduce creosote buildup. Simply burn the log like a piece of firewood, then sweep out any loosened debris after the fire goes out.
But Zarriello warns they aren’t a substitute for professional chimney maintenance. As she puts it, “Don’t be fooled by chimney-cleaning logs!”
“While some products may help loosen light deposits, they do not eliminate the hardened creosote that sticks to the inside walls of your chimney,” she says. “The only way to properly remove creosote is through a chimney inspection and a cleaning using the proper equipment.”
Creosote is a serious fire and safety hazard, and relying on a cleaning log alone can create a false sense of security. “Protect your home and your family—don’t rely on a log when your chimney needs a real cleaning.”
Citric acid is a surprisingly powerful natural cleaner. Popular in Europe, this versatile product is great for removing limescale, hard water stains and mineral buildup. “Citric acid can descale an electric kettle, remove spots from glass and even shine up stainless-steel sinks,” says Sofia Martinez, cleaning expert and owner of Sparkly Maid Austin.
It’s inexpensive, too, and safe for use on most surfaces. Read on for some of the best ways to use citric acid around the house, with expert-backed tips from professional cleaners Martinez, Enrique Gonzalez of Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy and Terry Klymkiv of Alpha Cleaning Company.
What Is Citric Acid?
Citric acid is a naturally occurring acid found in citrus fruits, that can also be manufactured for use as a preservative, food ingredient and cleaning agent. Purchase it at your local grocery or hardware store in powder or crystalline form.
Ways to Use Citric Acid Around the Home
Citric acid’s superpower is removing water mineral deposits, but it has a host of other uses as well. It is an acidic cleaner, so test it first in an inconspicuous place and consult the manufacturer’s instructions before using it on metal-finish fixtures.
Descale a coffee maker
Coffee makers develop scale as minerals separate from heated water through and build up to form a white crust over time. Use citric acid to easily descale and return back to its original condition. “Add one to two tablespoons of citric acid to a full tank of water. Run one brewing cycle and then two cycles using just plain water,” Gonzalez says. Descale an Electric Kettle
A useful countertop appliance to quickly boil water, electric kettles also develop scale over time. To descale, fill the kettle with water, then add one to two tablespoons of citric acid. Bring the water to a boil, then let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. To rinse the citric acid from the kettle, Gonzalez says to empty,, rinse, then boil clean water again and discard.
Remove hard-water buildup from faucets
Keeping hard water stains off of bathroom and kitchen faucets can feel like a full time job, but use citric acid for faster work times. Mix one to two teaspoons of citric acid to one cup of warm water, then apply with a soft, damp cloth. Martinez suggests leaving it to sit for three to five minutes before wiping away, and dry when done to avoid new spots. A word of caution:
Clean shower heads
Remove mineral build-up from shower head spray holes by soaking showerheads in a citric acid solution. “Dissolve a tablespoon of citric acid in two cups of warm water and soak your shower head,” Martinez says. Rinse with clean water when finished, then run hot water through the showerhead to remove any remaining deposits.
Tackle soap scum in the shower
Soap scum deposits can be challenging to clean, so let the citric acid mixture sit for best results. Mix one teaspoon of citric acid in one cup of warm water. “Place cloth or sponge soaked in the solution over the area where mineral deposits have formed,” Gonzalez says, then allow it to sit for five to 10 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. After rinsing, dry the surface completely. Gonzalez recommends avoiding using this technique on marble surfaces.
Remove hard-water spots from shower glass
Hard water spots are notoriously difficult to remove from glass shower doors, but citric acid cuts through them for easy cleaning. “Mix one tablespoon of citric acid to two cups of warm water and apply to hard-water spots with a spray bottle, Martinez says. “Allow the citric acid to sit on the hard-water stains for up to five minutes without letting it dry, then wipe away with a clean, damp, nonabrasive rag or sponge.” For a streak-free finish, squeegee or buff the glass right away.
Clean a dishwasher
Hard water stains, food build-up and detergent films can make a mess of any dishwasher. Gonzalez recommends first cleaning the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher tub, then running a cycle with citric acid. “Place a couple of tablespoons of citric acid in a small bowl and place the bowl on the uppermost rack in your empty dishwasher,” he says. “Then run it on a hot cycle.”
Remove rust stains
Rust stains develop from high levels of iron in your water or from wet metal objects left on bathroom surfaces. For these tough to remove stains, you’ll want to make a paste of citric acid and water. “Apply the paste to the rust stain and let it sit for twenty minutes,” Klymkiv says. “Scrub gently with a soft brush and rinse.” Repeat these steps until the stain is removed.
Clean stainless steel sinks
Citric acid removes hard water stains or even small rust spots on stainless steel sinks and appliances. First, mix one teaspoon of citric acid in one cup of warm water. “Apply to hard-water spots with a dampened microfiber cloth, wiping in the same direction as the grain of the stainless-steel,” Martinez says. “Allow to sit for two to three minutes, rinse and immediately dry to prevent new spots from forming.”
Clean toilets
“This is the easiest and probably my favorite tip,” Klymkiv says. “Add two to three tablespoons of citric acid powder directly into the toilet bowl. Let it sit for at least thirty minutes or even overnight. The acid dissolves mineral deposits without unpleasant fumes of chemical bowl cleaners. Scrub with a toilet brush and flush.”
Where You Should Not Use Citric Acid
While citric acid is an amazing cleaning agent, it is corrosive so use it with care. Avoid using it on:
Natural stone surfaces like marble or granite: It can etch or discolor these materials.
Finished wood surfaces like furniture or floors: Citric acid will strip away protective wax or polish and leave a dull, cloudy residue.
Electronics screens: The screens on modern tvs, computers and cell phones have an oil-repelling coating that can be removed or damaged by citric acid.
Certain metals: Always test citric acid in an inconspicuous place first when applying to metals, as it can tarnish the finish. Especially avoid using it on brass, aluminum and copper.
Citric Acid Cleaning Tips
Patience is a virtue when cleaning with citrus acid, as it does take time to work its cleaning magic. It’s not a product to apply and immediately wipe away. When applying to vertical surfaces, mix a thicker paste that will resist dripping and try to prevent it from drying out during wait times. For the best results, always dissolve citric acid in warm or hot water and only mix as much as you can use in a two-week period, as it will mold if left to sit for too long. “Citric acid should be handled with gloves and without inhaling the powder,” Martinez adds.
FAQ
Can you put citric acid in a spray bottle?
You can, but pre-mix the water and citric acid first to ensure it’s fully dissolved. “Label and date the spray bottle, store it out of reach of children and pets, and never store it in a former beverage container,” Martinez says.
Can citric acid damage stainless steel?
“Stronger concentrations of citric acid or leaving it to sit for long periods of time can discolor or damage some types of stainless-steel surfaces,” Martinez says. “Always check with your manufacturer if your appliance or fixture is coated or has a fingerprint-resistant finish.”
What should you never mix with citric acid?
Citric acid should never be mixed with bleach as it creates toxic chlorine gas.
About the Experts
Terry Klymkiv is owner of Alpha Cleaning Company, a commercial cleaning company in Schaumburg, Illinois.
Enrique Gonzalez is an expert home cleaner and owner of Seattle Green Cleaning Fairy, a full-service residential cleaning company.
Sofia Martinez is a professional cleaner and owner of Sparkly Maid Austin in Texas.
