Tag: home improvement

Summer Home: How to Keep Your Property Protected

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Summer homes are fantastic getaways while you’re using them, but they can be a constant source of anxiety and expense when you aren’t. Any number of little problems can turn into very big ones if you aren’t there to catch them, so being able to protect your vacation property is of paramount importance.

Protect Your Property from Thieves

One of the biggest concerns for vacation homeowners is protecting their properties from burglars and vandals. In this case, a security system can be a smart investment. It’s also helpful to choose a vacation property that is near-permanent residents, with a neighborhood watch program, or in a vacation community with its own security. While it might be tempting to choose a vacation home that lets you get away from it all, it also means it’ll take longer for police or security to respond to an emergency.

Protect Your Property from Fires

Fires are absolutely devastating, but they can often be prevented. Unplug appliances that won’t be in use while you’re away. Turn off energy vampires like water heaters, and you’ll even save money on your electric bill. Lastly, make sure that your furnaces or other heaters are properly serviced and maintained. Just because a heater is only used during vacation, doesn’t mean that it’s okay to neglect it; even underused furnaces need some love to keep them operating safely and efficiently.

Protect Your Property from Floods

Many people associate flooding with beach, or lake-front vacation homes, but they aren’t the only victims. Any area with below-freezing temperatures can suffer from leaking or burst pipes. Tree roots can also damage pipes and lead to leaks, blockages, and flooding. Don’t set yourself up for a nasty surprise– turn off the main water supply to the house before you leave to return to your regular home, and have a good plumber to call in case of emergencies.

You can’t foresee every emergency, but many of the worst ones are preventable. A good security system can prevent break-ins. If your vacation home is in Orlando, AC repair companies in Orlando can help keep your heating system safe and running smoothly all year round. Orlando service companies can help you keep your vacation home dry and your water flowing. By properly closing up your vacation home at the end of the season, and knowing who to call when things go wrong, you’ll be able to keep your vacation home problem-free.

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DIY Bathroom Remodel: Five Essential Tips to Keep in Mind

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

Whether you’re looking to renovate your bathroom to improve your home’s resale value or to simply improve your comfort level, taking the do-it-yourself approach can prove to be a rewarding experience. Here are some tips to keep in mind before getting started.

Tip 1 – Start with a Good Thorough Cleaning

Starting your renovation project with a thorough cleaning can offer you a few benefits. First, many projects, such as painting, will require you to have a clean work area free of clutter and obstructions. Second, it will help you discover any areas that may need repair. Third, after cleaning some items in your bathroom, such as sinks, mirrors, bathtubs, and so on, you may discover that they don’t need to be replaced after all. This cleaning and evaluation process with help you to better determine the necessary scope of your project.

Tip 2 – Assess Your Desired Changes – and Your Budget

Unfortunately, many projects revolve around one’s budget. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t move forward with your renovation plans. It only means that you may have to take on your project from a different angle. Sit down and make a list of everything you would like to change. Start off with the little things that are affordable. You’ll be surprised how far a little bit of time and money can go.

When your budget is able to afford it, you may want to go for a more in-depth remodel project. Even when your projects are large, you won’t want to overspend. For large projects that involve removing many of the original fixtures, you’ll want to plan in expenses for items like an affordable dumpster rental in Indianapolis.  You can then more effectively shop for providers that could fit your needs and budget.

Tip 3 – Assess Your DIY Capabilities

Before you get started, make sure that you are completely honest with yourself about what you can, and can’t, do by yourself. Trying to save a couple of bucks is a great idea, but not if you get in over your head and have to call a professional contractor. If you’re not absolutely sure, don’t risk it. Make sure that you really know what you are doing-especially when it comes to projects like replacing fixtures as doing it improperly will only give you further headaches down the road.

Tip 4 – Cheap Repairs in Proper Order

Once you have a list of things you’d like to change in your bathroom, it’s best to start by performing any repairs that are needed. It’s pointless to replace your flooring, only to have it ruined again by a leaking toilet, for example. Also, some repairs such as re-caulking your bathtub can prove to be relatively inexpensive and fairly simple projects, and as a bonus, fixing loose caulk can save you money down the line by protecting your walls from water damage.

Tip 5 – Cheap Upgrades

While you’re at it, don’t forget about the variety of cheap upgrades that you have at your disposal. Upgrading your shower heads, getting new shower curtains, getting brighter light bulbs, and putting on a new coat of paint are great inexpensive and easy ways to improve your bathroom experience. The ways you can improve the look and feel of your bathroom are only limited by your imagination.

As you can see, renovating your bathroom doesn’t have to be an expensive, complicated disaster. By keeping these simple tips in mind, your do-it-yourself project can be a fun, hassle-free experience — all without breaking the bank!

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The Four Home Additions That Will Be Worth Your While

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

No home is complete without the right additions. Technology is advancing at a very fast pace and there are many different gadgets and additions that every homeowner should look into. These additions can add an extra element of safety to your home, or they can make your house easier to clean and maintain. Whatever the case, here are the top four home additions that will be worth your while.

Smart TV

Every house could use a Smart TV. Smart TVs differ from their “dumb” cousins by adding a lot of different features that can enhance the TV watching experience. These features include social media sharing, streaming services, compatibility with tablets and smartphones, and voice recognition.

Home Security

An advanced home security system is a must when you are making additions to your home. How secure you want your house to be is entirely up to you. If you live in a good neighborhood, perhaps you will be fine with just a security camera and a loud alarm. If you want to go a little overboard, there’s probably a security system out there with radar and heat-seeking missiles. Whatever the case, you want your house to be secure. Orlando Security Company is a great place to check your options in regard to home security.

iRobot Vacuum Cleaner

This adorable little guy goes around cleaning up all of your crumbs. No one likes picking up behind other people, so engineers created a robot to do it. This makes housekeeping a lot easier and less of a pain. While it may not seem like much, this is just the precursor to having actual robot maids cleaning our houses.

Home Automation Systems

Home automation systems are becoming increasingly popular. These systems allow the house to perform tasks on “autopilot” to an extent. If the house detects that no one is in a room, it will turn off any lights in case someone left them on. This saves energy and money. A home automation system also allows certain house functions to be performed via an app on your smartphone or tablet. For instance, you would be able to control the lights, locks, doors, and thermostat all from your phone.

As technology continues to move forward, it’s very likely that a lot of these things will become much more standard with houses. Show everyone you’re ahead of the curve by investing in some of these additions right now. They are helpful and will make your home life a lot easier and more enjoyable.

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The 6 Most Common Pests That Can Invade Your Home And How To Prevent It From Happening

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

No one wants their home invaded by pests, and sometimes it can be a major problem before it is even noticed inside the home. Here are a few of the most common household pests and how you can keep them outside where they belong:

Ants

Ants enter homes to find water, sweets or greasy foods. When one enters, you can be sure more will follow due to the chemical trail it leaves. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see just a couple of ants on your floor or counter, and by the time you find them, it seems like there are thousands. To prevent ants, make sure all cracks and openings are sealed. Clear up any moisture problems, and keep areas where food is prepared or stored very clean. Clean up crumbs on the floor and counters more often. If they don’t have something to come in for in the first place, it won’t be as big of a problem.

Termites

Usually, homeowners are unaware of termites until they have caused significant damage. They feed off of your home’s foundation, weakening it and other wooden structures. It is important that the wood in your home does not contact the soil. This gives termites easy entry. Leaks and standing water should be taken care of promptly. If you do have termites, getting the help to rid your home of them is essential to making sure they are all eliminated, suggests professionals who specialize in pest control.

Mice

While mice usually enter your home looking for food, they contaminate much more than they take. They often bring additional pests with them such as fleas or ticks. To prevent mice, all openings must be sealed. Mice can get through the smallest holes and cracks. Mousetraps work well to eliminate one or two visitors. If you have more mice, consider calling a professional.

Fleas

Fleas can carry disease which make their presence in your home particularly disturbing. Unexplained, itchy bites on humans or a pet that scratches itself incessantly are signs that you may have a problem. To get rid of fleas, first treat the main problem, which is likely your pet. The next step is to thoroughly clean your home, and there are products you can buy at most stores to help rid your home of fleas.

Bedbugs

Bed bugs are difficult to spot since they can hide so easily in headboards and tiny cracks. While they do not carry disease, they do feed from humans and cause welts with their bites. They are carried in from the outdoors on shoes or luggage. To get rid of bedbugs, a thorough cleaning and vacuuming is necessary. All bedding must be washed in very hot water to kill bed bugs that remain. You can buy products to spray around your bed to prevent them from returning.

Stinkbugs

Stink bugs, so named for the horrible smell emitted when they are crushed, become plentiful in the fall. Vacuuming is the best way to rid your home of stink bugs. Commercial, non-toxic traps are available as well.

There is no reason why you should have to allow uninvited visitors into your home. These tips will help make and keep your home pest-free.

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Why should you choose Home Automation?

Posted on by Jenny Zamora

 

Imagination has been the driving force for all the technological developments, which exist around you. In fact, the scientific revolution has its very base on the entity of imagination, and imagination comes from nowhere, but your mind. So, why not imagine a home, where you can control things by a single touch. Imagine a home, which plays music to match your mood, and calms you senses. Imagine a home, where lights get adjusted to your party theme, and you just have to worry about nothing, but enjoyment. All this creations of imagination have now turned real with Home Automation.

What is Home Automation? Home Automation is a concept which involves aggregation of several technologies that convert your ordinary homes into Smart Homes. For instance, when you return home tired from a hard day’s work, you will find it stressful to switch on the lights. All you want to do is slouch over the coach, and listen to your favorite music or watch television. However, the ordinary light switches and the typical television set snatches away this luxury from you.

Security is one of the leading concerns when it comes to protecting your home. Security alarms and locks play a key role in keeping your home secured, but they are not full proof. Similarly, you have to check them each time when you have to leave your home. Moreover, these systems cannot be interfaced together with lights and fire alarms and need individual operation. Now, who will like to worry about each and every alarm and lock when you have a sophisticated system like Control4 at your disposal? Control4 smart home system is a single system which controls home theaters, lighting, temperature, intercom and security in your home. It also provides a variety of controllers like remote, keypad or touch screen. If you are comfortable with handling controllers, then its easy-to-use Android or iPhone app is always a handy option.

Now, what if you want to spend the rest of your weekend enjoying the ambiance and climate of the tropics? You can shirk your worries, and rejuvenate your mind and body by bringing the tropical sunshine and breeze right at your footsteps with Lutron Lighting Automation system. Lutron system from RSI is specially made to address your entertainment needs. It combines together audio, video, security and HVAC and requires simple A/V Installation. This system will give you the privilege of tuning the lights to match the bright sunshine of the tropics, and adjust your air-conditioner to get the touch-and-feel of the tropical winds. The system is highly intuitive to detect the daylight changes and temperature changes and adjusts the indoor environment without you having to touch the controls. So, why not layback and sip your favorite cocktail when you have Lutron to simulate the tropics?

Now imagine a scenario where you have to host a party at home, and your local DJ is running a tight schedule. Now, how do you plan to play the party music, and groove with the beats? For such times, the Steinway Lyngdorf digital sound system is the best. Unlike the other Home Theater systems available in the market, Steinway Lyngdorf is different due to its intuitive playback and music delivery. This system from RSI promises you high performance all the time, with no cracking of speakers or loss of woofer. You can play any kind of music on it, and groove to the tunes played. Moreover, the music can be synced with one of the Lighting Control systems from RSI, and your hall room will get converted into a full-fledged disco. Now, who will like to buy costly disco passes when you can host a disco at your place?

Like these, there are many instances that will challenge your imagination. So, why not convert your imagination to experience comforts into reality by opting for Home Automation systems?

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