Blog (Page 24)
Choosing the Right Light Bulb
One of the biggest, most often overlooked, costs for a homeowner are the utilities. It’s a monthly, albeit necessary, drain on your wallet, and the bills can add up. This is especially true when it comes to lighting. While it may be tempting to light up your home with the cheapest (incandescent) light bulbs at the store, in fact you’d be doing yourself and your dwelling place a disservice. Here’s why you should pick energy saving light bulbs over standard... ❯❯❯
The Best Energy Efficient Upgrades for Older Homes
If you live in an older house, chances are that you’re spending a significant amount of your monthly budget on energy costs. There’s a lot to enjoy about an older home, including the size of the rooms and all of the character that it contains but there’s also several features that it might be about time to consider upgrading to help out on energy costs. The good news is that there are some upgrades that you can make that will instantly make the rooms in... ❯❯❯
How to Eliminate Mold in AC Ducts
Mold in the air ducts – it’s every homeowner’s worst nightmare. However, many homeowners have no idea that they even have mold in their ductwork. If you haven’t cleaned or used your AC system in a long time, there may be a chance that your air ducts are full of mold. Ideally, you want to clean out the ductwork before you turn on or use your AC system, because if you don’t, you could risk spreading mold throughout your entire home. Here is how to eliminate... ❯❯❯
5 Design Tips for a Green Family-Friendly Kitchen
If the last time that you looked at your energy bill, you thought to yourself “I’ve really got a find a way to lower these costs”, then this is the kind of article that you’ve been looking for. That’s because we’re going to give you some tips on how to make one of the most occupied spaces in your home– your kitchen –a bit more energy efficient. If you’d like some effective suggestions on how to make your kitchen “greener” so that you can get you... ❯❯❯
How to Prevent Common New Home Construction Problems
When you’re in the process of having a new home built, there is so much to take into consideration. The design of the home. The materials that you want to use. The time frame that you would prefer the house to be completed in– the list goes on and on. And being that we’re pretty sure that you don’t want there to be any “hiccups” or serious issues, we thought that it would be a good idea to provide you with a list of some common new home construction... ❯❯❯
Remodeling can lead to Costs Savings
Home owners are driven to make improvements to their properties for a number of reasons, including preparing for a sale and improving their own living conditions. In many cases, the decision to upgrade your home's features is a result of economic conditions influencing your circumstances. For example, when real estate markets are slow, home owners unable to move to new properties fix-up their existing residences instead. Even in robust economic times,... ❯❯❯
How to Choose the Right Mirror for Your Bathroom
It doesn’t matter if you are remodelling your bathroom or just updating some of the fixtures that you currently have, knowing how to shop for the latest items and understanding what parts of the project can make the biggest difference in your overall decor makes the entire process successful. One of the easiest ways to upgrade your bathroom is to change the mirror that you have for a different style that has some lighting that comes with it. You can... ❯❯❯
5 Tips for Reducing Home Energy Usage and Costs
All homeowners are concerned about their energy usage and costs. Not only does wasted energy harm the environment significantly, increasing your carbon footprint, but also it can get extremely expensive, as energy costs are constantly rising. Instead of wasting energy and spending more money than necessary, some simple changes around your home can make a tremendous difference in your energy use. Here are 5 tips for reducing home energy usage and costs. ... ❯❯❯
Framing and Insulation Tips for Older Homes
When you happen to live in an older home, although it tends to have a lot of room and comes with a lot of charm, being that it also has a bit of wear and tear on it, understandably there will come many times when you’ll need to do a bit of upgrading to your home. This is especially the case as it relates to framing and insulation. If after doing some inspecting, you’ve come to realize that your house needs some help in either one or both of these areas,... ❯❯❯
Natural Ways to Ventilate Your Home
There are a lot of things that all of us must do in order to keep our houses in great condition. One of the ones that oftentimes goes overlooked is creating an environment where the various rooms in our homes are well-ventilated. Yet when we make a point to do that, not only does it improve the quality of the air but it also reduces odors, decreases the chances of mold and mildew accumulation and also helps to keep the house at a more regulated temperature... ❯❯❯
5 Effective Drought Survival Tips for Your Lawn
Having a green, lush lawn is something to be proud of. In the dry, summer months however, you may experience a drought which could shatter your lawn care dreams. Despite droughts, there are several things you can do to take action and protect your lawn from the negative effects of drought season. Here are 5 effective drought survival tips for your lawn. Prepare your lawn for long-term survival by not watering the grass too often. If you water your... ❯❯❯
The Basics of Landscape Design for First-Time Homeowners
If you are a first-time homeowner, then we’re pretty sure that you’re thinking about all of the things that you can do to make your house exactly the way you want it to be. You may be choosing some interior paint colors. Or perhaps you’re looking at some new fixtures for your kitchen or bathroom. Well, as you’re in the process of doing some decorating, make sure that you don’t overlook your yard. After all, before your guests can see all of what you’ve... ❯❯❯
7 Great Interior Accessories Every House Should Have
When it comes to home decor, even a few small changes can make all the difference. The right accessories can completely transform the look of a room. When decorating your home, you must consider your personal tastes and budget, of course. Yet there are certain items that can be considered essential if you want to make your home’s interior more appealing. 1. Comfortable Rugs Rugs are both highly decorative and provide comfort. In cold weather, they help... ❯❯❯
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 don’t have a... ❯❯❯
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 also power... ❯❯❯
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 you below: Set... ❯❯❯
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 about. ... ❯❯❯
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 efficiency. An... ❯❯❯
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 of the lasting benefits that... ❯❯❯
