Blog (Page 23)
Sewer Line Maintenance and Cleaning Tips
As a homeowner, residential sewer line maintenance and cleaning is critical, especially if you want to prevent big blockages and other expensive problems. If you have a large family, there could be a lot of questionable items being flushed down your drains, which can very easily snag in the main line and cause a burst or some other catastrophic event. It is important to understand that your main sewage lines are not impervious to damage. Even things like... ❯❯❯
5 Reasons to Consider Adding a Second Story Home Addition
In most instances, when homeowners want to build an addition to their home, they only have one direction to go: up. Indeed, this is the reason why second story home additions are so popular. When it comes down to it, there are many practical reasons for building a home addition, but there can also be some moderately impractical reasons as well. So, you want to make sure that you draw a line between the two. If you don’t have the money and you... ❯❯❯
How to Use the Sun for Heating, Cooling, and Powering Your Home
The sun is a massive celestial force – without it, there would be no life on earth. Since the beginning of mankind, we have shared a reverence for the sun and the warmth it provides us. But could the sun also help us beat the scorching temperatures in the summer? This is the amazing thing about the sun – it can cause the temperatures to soar in the summertime, but it can also provide the energy needed to power your AC system. In fact, it can... ❯❯❯
How to Identify and Manage Pests in And Around Your Home
Whether it’s ants, flies, spiders, roaches or mice, none of us like to walk into any room of our house and see a pest awaiting us. Yet, at one time or another, it is a reality that we have to face. The good news is that there are several things that all of us can do in order to identify and also manage the pests that try to lurk around our homes. If you’d like a few helpful tips on how to do just that, we’ve got a list of five of them for... ❯❯❯
Dining in Style Needn’t Cost the Earth
Picture the scene: you are at home enjoying dinner when you happen to look down past your plate to the table below. It is tarnished, scratched and generally looking a little unloved from the years of abuse it has been put through. You think for a moment about how much better you would feel with a nice, new dining table. You would be more inclined to eat at the table; you may even be more inclined to throw that dinner party you have been thinking... ❯❯❯
How to Prepare Your Home AC Systems for Spring
The springtime is officially here – not so much because the vernal equinox says it is, but because of the weather. Indeed, the weather is getting a lot warmer – in some places fifty to sixty degrees warmer than it was only a month ago. Because of these weather trends, it is important to prep your air conditioning system. Not only is AC prep important for the sake of staying cool during the hot weather, but also for the sake of home energy... ❯❯❯
Energy Efficient Window Benefits for Homeowners
As more people are becoming aware of all of the many benefits that come with being energy efficient, many individuals are making all kinds of upgrades to their homes. They’re conducting energy audits. They’re purchasing appliances that have the Energy Star label on them. And, they’re installing energy efficient windows too. If it’s time for you to purchase some new windows for your house and you’re curious to know about some... ❯❯❯
Top 5 Tips for Cleaning Tile and Grout throughout Your Home
If you live in a home that has a lot of tile flooring, then you probably already know that there are a lot of benefits that come with having tile. Aside from the fact that it’s relatively cost-effective and really easy to maintain, tile flooring also comes in a variety of styles, is extremely durable and will last you for years to come. In fact, if there is a disadvantage that comes with tile flooring, sometimes it can be a bit challenging to clean,... ❯❯❯
5 Tips to Get Good Value and Quality When Shopping for Kitchen Cabinets
Any time you make a purchase for your home you’ll find yourself straddling the line between quality and cost. And while this might not make a huge difference when you’re buying decorative items like throw pillows that you’ll probably replace in a couple of years anyway, you may want to err on the side of quality when it comes to purchasing new cabinetry for your kitchen, since it will have to stand up to a lot of abuse and last for years... ❯❯❯
How to Avoid Common Issues When Replacing Your Old HVAC System
Depending on the type of HVAC system installed in your home, you could enjoy heat and air conditioning for upwards of 20 years before you need to think about replacing your units. But when they go out and you find yourself facing an upcoming summer or winter season without the cool or warm home interior that will keep you comfortable and safe, it’s probably time to think about laying out the cash for replacement. The good news is that you can take... ❯❯❯
Asphalt Driveway Repair Tips for Homeowners
Asphalt, also known as blacktop, is not only a durable substance to use for a driveway, but it has some advantages over other options like concrete and parking pads. Concrete, for example, is not terribly malleable once it hardens, which can be problematic if the earth moves, if it is hit by hard objects, or if cracks form and water gets inside and freezes. Asphalt, on the other hand, is somewhat more elastic and therefore better equipped to handle cold... ❯❯❯
5 Internet Controlled Thermostat Benefits for Homeowners
These days, everything is smarter – from the phones we carry in our pockets to the appliances we use in our homes. With the advances made in digital and wireless technology, not only can people communicate on a more global level, but we have also been given the opportunity to complete basic tasks remotely. This is the case with Internet enabled HVAC thermostats. If you are due for a new air conditioner, you may want to think about equipping your home... ❯❯❯
Spray Foam Insulation Benefits for Homeowners
If you’re someone who’s serious about energy efficiency, then we’re pretty sure that you are constantly looking for ways to make your home “greener”. You may have solar panels. You may have appliances with the Energy Star label on them. You may have double-pane windows too. But did you know that there’s another effective way to reduce the energy costs that you have? All you have to do is make sure that you have the... ❯❯❯
How to Conduct Your Own Home Energy Audit and Evaluation
Conducting your home energy audit is easy, but it is first important to understand why it is so imperative to conduct and energy audit in the first place. If you suspect that your home is using an excess amount of energy, there could be a chance that you are widening your home’s carbon footprint and contributing to the greenhouse gasses that are being released into the atmosphere. As these gasses build up, it is causing strange and catastrophic... ❯❯❯
5 DIY Home Improvement Projects You Can Tackle Now
Home improvement projects often sound daunting and overwhelming. Some changes can require lots of prep work, money and experience. However, there are other projects that are simple but dramatic as well! Here are 5 home improvement projects that you can tackle now when looking for projects to do around the house. Caulk windows and doors to improve home insulation. Over time and through the cold and hot seasons, windows and doors with expand and contract.... ❯❯❯
How to Eliminate Phantom Loads to Save Energy at Home
If you’re someone who prides yourself on being proactive when it comes to conserving energy in your home, then there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve done things like install a programmable thermostat, add some LED lights and put full loads into your dishwasher and washer and dryer. But what have you done about the phantom loads that are in the various rooms of your house? If you’re not sure what phantom loads are, basically they... ❯❯❯
5 Fall and Winter Home Energy Conservation Tips
Winterizing your home is a multi-step process that usually involves taking down screens, putting up storm windows, and cleaning the fall leaves out of gutters and downspouts before they freeze. But while these activities will certainly help to protect your home during inclement winter weather, they aren’t really enough to offer you the energy-efficiency that will keep you warm and lower your utility bills throughout the long months of this chilly... ❯❯❯
How to Screen a Home Service Contractor Before You Hire
There are all kinds of tasks that could require you to hire home service contractors. When you hear the word “contractor” you might think of someone who owns a contracting business that hires out for home renovations. But home service contractors can also include the skilled and experienced technicians you hire to inspect, clean, and repair your HVAC system, or the companies that contract out for a variety of home maintenance tasks like... ❯❯❯
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Pool Contractor
Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own private swimming pool. In some areas the winter weather makes the prospect of an outdoor pool downright ludicrous. But even if you live in a region that enjoys temperate climes year-round, you still need yard space large enough to accommodate a pool, as well as the cash or credit line to build and maintain this pricy aquatic structure. That said, if you’re keen to beat the summer heat with the aid of... ❯❯❯
Building a Natural Swimming Pool: 5 Things to Consider First
If you’re someone who loves to swim, so much in fact that you’re seriously considering building one in your backyard, have you ever considered forgoing a conventional swimming pool design and going with a natural swimming pool instead? By taking this approach, not only do you end up exposing your body to a lot less chemicals but natural swimming pools are better for the environment overall. If this seems like something you would be interested... ❯❯❯