What You Can Do To Improve Your Home
Giving your home a personal touch through home improvement is a great way to make your home more pleasant. You have to research first so you avoid wasting a lot of money or possibly doing harm to yourself or your family. These tips should give you a great start.
Write out a list of all things that your home needs before you set out to your favorite home improvement store. Having a list helps you stay more organized and prevents you from having to run back to the store again and again.
Basements typically have little in the way of natural light. Your basement can look better will well-placed artificial lighting. In the best of scenarios, your basement will have a portion of the walls that exceed ground level. If you do, you might consider installing windows to bring in some natural light.
If you have leftover baby food jars, don’t dispose of them. Instead, utilize them for organizational purposes. The tops of these jars can be used under a wall shelf. Insert small items into the jars, such as: beads, jewelry parts, screws or nails. Put the jars back under the shelf when you are done. You will make use of every inch of your shelf, and you are recycling the jars as well.
If you have just bought a home that sits next to an empty lot or thick woods, think about erecting a wood or chain link fence to surround your back yard. A fence will keep wildlife away from your garden and help you protect your privacy.
Many people that build homes don’t spend too much money because they use solid wood cabinets or particleboard ones that don’t have any kind of hardware. You can easily purchase any hardware you need at a home improvement store or online if you cannot find want you want locally. You can install designer accents, modern knobs, or vintage pulls in mere minutes.
Quotes and feedback from contractors should be viewed with a degree of skepticism. It is not uncommon for unscrupulous contractors to mislead homeowners who are not involved in the process or are easily intimidated. When a contractor mentions a problem or issue, a homeowner should verify it or get a second opinion before paying the contractor additional money or allowing construction to run longer than initially scheduled.
If you need home improvement done quickly, expect to pay a considerable amount for it. Contractors will usually be eager to work harder on a project. Understand that they are excited because deserve and expect extra! Fast work is usually more expensive.
If you’ve got space constraints, you can look into adding some more living area. Consider a play room, a living room or a den. Not only does this add value, but also makes your home comfortable. This should be one of the first home improvement projects you do.
It can be rewarding to do home improvement, but it is also a serious amount of work and time. You …
Things You Can Do That Pests Hate
Have you noticed any pests in your home? Don’t let it rattle you. These pests can most likely be eradicated using some pest control. You can probably even do it on your own. Take a look at these pest control tips, as they might help you.
Once you eliminate fruit flies, do they seem to keep returning? You may have a problem with your drain. Try taping some saran wrap over your drain for a day or two and watch if fruit flies pop up. If you end up seeing them you should clean your drain as well as you possibly can. This ought to stop fruit flies breeding.
Begin at the beginning. That means getting rid of what attracted the pests in the first place. You are likely providing food, shelter and water to the pests right now. Be sure to close off points of entrance and keep food scraps cleaned up. Eliminate water leaks under the house.
Learn the local ordinances and building codes to see what special treatments you have access to so that you can control your pests. You do not want to use harmful chemicals that contaminate your home and make it hard to sell in the future. Though this does not happen often, it does indicate a need to do your research.
Repair all of your screens if flying insects are prevalent in your area. Having your screens rip-free and properly secured will keep flying pests out as well as crawling pests too. Fix all the gaps in screens so that bugs can’t enter.
It can be quite difficult to eliminate bedbugs because they can hide in out-of-the-way places. Prior to exterminating, close open holes. This will keep any of the bugs from escaping before they’re all dead.
Fleas are notorious for being hard to kill, but there are some steps you can take. Start by vacuuming them every day and then using a flea spray. Change the bag in the vacuum cleaner immediately after sweeping the house.
Trees should not be planted close to your house if you have rat and mice problems. Rodents can easily find a way into your house by climbing these trees hanging over the roof. A good rule of thumb is to plant trees no less than 15 feet from the edge of your house.
Outside lights have their advantages but you should know these lights will attract pests. Outdoor lighting consisting of orange, yellow and/or pink bulbs will not attract so many pests.
Be sure and get rid of any fallen trees in your yard. Chop it up to make firewood. It can be used by you or given away. Don’t just leave the stump there. Stumps are simply dead wood pieces, and they often attract termites.
The pests are no longer welcome in your home, and they need to go. You are the powerful one in this situation; use that power. You can get rid of all the creepy crawlies in your home by using the …
Keeping Your Pipes Free And Clear: Plumbing Tips From The Pros
Often, the plumbing in a house starts malfunctioning soon after you move in. The bathroom and kitchen are the most frequent sites for these problems. Plumbing troubles are an expected part of home ownership. Here’s some tips to use when this happens.
If you possess pipes that are alive with the sound of squeaking or hammering, you have an issue that is easily corrected. Anchor any pipes that are exposed. Enlisting the aid of a professional may be necessary if any of the pipes are located in the floors, walls, or ceiling.
To prevent pipes from freezing, don’t let temperatures drop under freezing in your home, and insulate external pipes. Obviously, frozen pipes occur due to freezing environmental conditions. If they freeze, it will be awhile for them to gradually warm. Therefore, it will take some time for you to have running water again. However, your pipes can explode, as well – making a huge plumbing bill.
Your septic tank should be pumped out at least once every five years if you want it to stay in optimum working order. This will keep sediment from building and causing backup into the house, and possibly causing the septic system to fail. While you may find it costly to get your septic tank cleaned out, the cost is much higher to have sewage and backups cleaned up and your septic tank repaired or replaced.
Knowing which tools to use and how you should use them is an important skill when it comes to plumbing. Read all the user manuals, and make use of the library and internet to learn all about projects you can do by yourself. Prior to attempting any repairs, be certain to plan ahead in order to avoid expensive errors.
Avoid the use of products for your toilet that help with odor, such as bleach tablets. These tablets have chemicals that can damage rubber parts that are essential to the proper functioning of your toilet.
If you aren’t having any luck using a plunger on a clogged toilet, you may want to try pouring warm water into it from waist high. Repeat this once your water goes back to a lower level.
Check floors around toilets for softness, so you can tell if you have any floor damage. Straddle your toilet and gently rock foot to foot to see if your floor feels a little weak or soft. As with many problems, early detection can save you a lot of money.
Do not put any oil, fat, or greasy foods or products in your sink. When they cool, they will harden and create clogs in your drains. If the sink has a garbage disposal, it will also make the blades less efficient. Throw away oils nowhere near the sink.
It is unwise to be unprepared for sudden plumbing problems. Every homeowner should arm themselves with a few basic plumbing tools and repair tips. If a plumbing problem arises in your future, the information you read in this article should …
Sleep Tight at Night With Home Security Monitoring
Your home is the one place you should feel safe and secure all the time. However, there are many different threats that can cause us to be uneasy in our homes at times. The night time can increase our feelings of insecurity and for good reason because most crimes to homes happen at night. There are other types of dangers such as a fire in our home. Fires are just as dangerous as burglaries and if your home catches fire during the night while you are sleeping there is a good chance you might not wake up until it’s too late. There are several precautionary measures that you can take in order to protect your home and your family.
Keep Your Home Well Lit
Keeping your home well-lit around the outer perimeter will help deter criminals away from your home. Strategically placing motion sensor lighting outside of your home will help provide enough light for you to be able to see anyone that is trying to break into your home.
Trim the Bushes
Anytime you have high bushes around your door and or windows you are just asking for trouble. It’s always best to totally remove all bushes from around windows and doors but if you simply can’t part with them keep them trimmed to a very low level. Burglars use bushes around windows to provide cover for them to break into your home without being seen.
Lock All of Your Doors
This may seem like a no brainer but you would be surprised to find out how many homeowners don’t lock patio doors, garage doors, and side entrance doors. These doors need to be locked and secured at all times even during the day while you are at home. Keeping your doors locked, even during the day, will help you stay safe.
Make Sure You Have Fire Extinguishers and Smoke Alarms
There needs to be a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and bedrooms. These could be lifesavers in the event a fire breaks out and you or your family needs to get out of the house quickly. Smoke detectors are also a must-have in your home. Every room should be equipped with a smoke alarm and you should check the batteries regularly to ensure they are working.
Home Security Monitoring
Home security systems are one of the best and most efficient ways that you can protect your family and your home twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Security cameras can be placed on the inside and outside of your home to make sure you have full coverage. You can also place sensors on all the doors and windows that will alert you if an intruder tries to break-in. You will have the main screen in your home where you can view the cameras at all times. Next, you will need to choose a home security monitoring service. This service will monitor your home day and night and if any alarms are set off they will call the …