May 8, 2013
Spring is in full swing and after a long winter, it’s time for you and your home to bask in the radiant sunshine outside. That’s why it’s important to make sure your home is prepped and ready to take on the rays and heat bound to come in the months ahead.
Here are five quick spring maintenance tips for your home:
● From the ground, examine roof shingles to see if any were lost or damaged during winter. The summer sun can really damage roof shingles. Shingles that are cracked, buckled or loose or are missing granules need to be replaced. Flashing around plumbing vents, skylights and chimneys need to be checked and repaired by a qualified roofer.
● Inspect concrete slabs for signs of cracks or movement. All exterior slabs except pool decks should drain away from the home’s foundation. Fill cracks with a concrete crack filler or silicone caulk. Then, when weather permits, power-wash and then seal the concrete.
● Check outside hose faucets for freeze damage. Turn the water on and place your thumb or finger over the opening. If you can stop the flow of water, it is likely the pipe inside the home is damaged and will need to be replaced. While you’re at it, check the garden hose for dry rot.
● Have a qualified heating and cooling contractor clean and service the outside unit of the air conditioning system. Clean coils operate more efficiently, and an annual service call will keep the system working at peak performance levels. Change interior filters on a regular basis.
● Check your gas- and battery-powered lawn equipment to make sure they’re ready for summer use. Clean equipment and sharp cutting blades will make yard work that much easier.
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January 18, 2013
Winter is in full swing! But it is never too late to take care of your family, your home and your wallet through the cold, wintry months. Here are some tips to help you stay warm and safe!
● Warm air rises and leaves the house through the roof, so focus your efforts on your ceilings and attics. For example, seal areas around recessed lights, the attic hatch and plumbing vents because they frequently are the main culprit in allowing warm air to escape from your home. Be sure to check insulation in your attic and crawlspace, too.
● Close curtains or shades at night to keep the warm air in, and open them during the day, especially in rooms that receive a lot of light and sun. Put some distance between you and the cold air by re-arranging your furniture away from any exterior walls. This will leave room for the air to move around better, making it warmer.
● Remember to change your HVAC filter each month. Replacing your HVAC filters is crucial to keeping your air clean and for your heating system to run more efficiently. Filters clean out pollutants such as molds, skin cells and allergens.
● Check the gas connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger to ensure safety and efficiency. Improper connections are a fire hazard and a dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes poor burner operation.
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September 26, 2012
Before the rainy season comes to stay for the remainder of the fall, you’ll want to be sure to clean out the gutters around your home before they clean out your wallet. If rainwater can’t properly flow through the gutter and the downspout system of your home, you may face some costly home repairs that will add up quickly thanks to rainwater damage. So get out your rubber gloves and let’s get to cleaning!
Here’s what you’ll need to safely get started:
1. A ladder that’s tall enough to let you see and reach into the gutters.
2. Thick gloves to protect your hands and lower arms.
3. Safety goggles to protect your eyes.
4. A bucket or trash bag to collect debris.
5. A garden hose connected to a water source so you can rinse the gutters and unclog downspouts.
You’ve got your supplies – now what do you do?
1. Prop the ladder up securely against the side of your home. Be sure the feet of the ladder have rubber pads on them and that they rest solidly on the hard ground.
2. Collect handfuls of debris from the gutter and place them in the bucket or trash bag.
3. Spray the gutter with water from the garden hose to remove any leftover leaves or dirt. Make sure the water flows toward the downspout to help clear the tubes.
Before you get started, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
1. If you find hard and crusted debris from the gutters, try using a narrow trowel, which is the perfect tool for digging this kind of material out from the gutters.
2. If the downspout does not clear with water from the garden hose, try using a “snake” or plumber’s auger to unclog tough debris.
3. Never attempt to clean your gutters without using heavy-duty gloves. These will protect you from any sharp edges on your gutters or roof flashing.
There you have it. Cleaning the gutters of your home is as easy as 1-2-3!
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July 18, 2012
This summer, make sure your fans are spinning in the right direction in order to produce the proper breeze to keep you cool. Most fans are reversible, with one direction of the spin forcing air down to create a cool breeze perfect for heat waves. When the fan spins the other direction, air is pushed up to distribute heat during the colder months of winter.
How do you tell if you fan is spinning the right direction to beat the heat in the summer?
1. Turn the fan on and stand beneath it.
2. If you feel a cool breeze, then you know the fan is spinning in the correct direction.
3. If you don’t feel cool air, then you need to change the direction of the spin.
4. To change the fans spin direction, there should be a switch on the base of the fan that can be flicked to rotate the fan’s blades in the opposite direction.
More often than not, in the summer months, the fan’s blades should spin in a counterclockwise direction or left. In the winter months, the blades typically should rotate clockwise. But you should follow the steps above to make sure you’re getting the most out of your house fans this summer.
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April 26, 2012
Did you know that having a working smoke alarm reduces the chance of death by fire by half? Smoke detectors are designed to warn you when a fire erupts in the home, but if the batteries aren’t working properly, you may not know when a fire breaks out.
For your protection, most houses have installed smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside every sleeping area and in every bedroom. Now that you’ve moved in, it’s important to remember to replace smoke alarm batteries once per year. Typically, a good way to remember this is to change out the batteries when the time changes at daylight saving time, either in the spring or fall.
Here’s what you need to do. Check each smoke alarm in your home by pressing the button on the front. If you hear a loud beep – that means the batteries and the smoke detector are working properly. However, if the alarm fails to go off, you should replace the batteries.
To do so, open the smoke detector by twisting the front to the left. Take the old batteries out and replace them with new ones. Twist the alarm’s cover back on by twisting it to the right.
That’s it! This quick and easy safety check should be completed at least once each year. So, if you missed doing this at the last daylight saving time, be sure to check them as soon as possible to make sure you and your family remain protected.
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