Winterize For Safety And Savings

From insulating your windows and doors, which can help lower your monthly heating bills, to having the right tools on hand to see you through an emergency, a few tips from the experts may help keep you, your family and your home safe this winter.

Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s “Helpful Hardware Man,” recommends several steps to winterize your home. “Any homeowner can undertake these steps,” said Manfredini. “If questions arise, just stop by your local hardware store, where a representative will be happy to help out.”

To start with, stock up on all the tools you might need to clear sidewalks and driveways, uncover a buried car and keep walkways clear. Snow shovels, a snowblower with gas, and salt or sand to pretreat the driveway and sidewalks are good items to have on hand. After that:

• As cold weather approaches, it’s important to appraise your roof. Use binoculars to look at it from all sides. Loose shingles, missing vent covers, even loose trim should be repaired or replaced. Clean gutters of leaves and debris before snow and ice build up.

• To stay informed during extreme weather, have a portable, battery-powered radio and/or TV on hand. You may also want to assemble a disaster kit that includes a first aid kit, battery-powered lamps with backup batteries, drinking water, canned food and a manual can opener. For more information on what to include in your disaster kit, please visit the American Red Cross at http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared.

• Insulate walls and attics to conserve heat and energy. Wrap pipes also, especially those near exterior walls of your home, which will both keep them from freezing and reduce the amount of energy needed to heat your water.

• Weather-strip your doors and windows to protect against drafting air, and install storm windows or use plastic sheeting to cover windows. Use all-weather caulk to seal around window frames, door frames and other openings in the exterior of your home.

“In some cases, a small investment in winterization can save up to $200 a season in heating costs,” said Manfredini.

For more tips, you can visit Ace Hardware. (Source: NAPSI)

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Kitchen Upgrades on a Budget

We would like to present several suggestions for decorating steps you can take in the kitchen that will have stunning impact on your kitchen appearance. These decorating ideas can be completed at a moderate cost, allowing you to realize a big décor change on a small budget. Additionally, these suggestions can be done individually as time or financing become available.

1. Our first suggested project relates to the kitchen cabinets, and includes an option. The primary step here is to paint the cabinets. If you can do this yourself, it can be a very inexpensive decorating step. It will be somewhat more if it is done professionally. If a total color change is selected, the insides and shelves will of course have to be painted too.

The big impact option along with painting the cabinets is to find a cabinet shop that will make doors for your top cabinets with glass windows. These will be made to match your bottom cabinet doors, and really make the cabinets stand out. You will likely only need 8 to 10 cabinet doors, so the cost should remain reasonable.

2. Item 2 addresses cabinet lighting. If you choose windowed doors as in #1 above, you can add lights inside the top of the cabinets. Either way, you can also install under- the-cabinet lighting. Either or both of these options has a major impact on your kitchen appearance, again for a moderate expenditure.

3. New cabinet hardware is another relatively inexpensive change. If you just change the pulls it is very easy. If you decide to also change the hinges, it will require more research and work.

4. Painting the walls a bold new color is straightforward and very economical, especially if you do it yourself.

5. Choosing new curtains that coordinate with your new colors is another quick, easy step.

6. Replacing your present kitchen lighting fixtures offers the opportunity to add a real style change to go along with the other steps.

7. Selecting a new sink and faucet can have an important décor impact as you may be moving from traditional to modern
, for example. This change can also be done economically.

These decorating ideas can provide exactly the new style and appearance that you want for your kitchen without spending a great deal of money.

Author: This article is brought to you by Swedish Designs where you will find knockout kitchen decorating ideas. (Source)

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Winter Is Coming–Is Your Roof Ready?

A home’s roof is the first line of defense against rain, snow, cold air and harsh weather. To keep it in top shape, experts recommend performing a roof inspection twice a year.

Look for missing shingles or deteriorated flashing (the metal that seals bends and joints on skylights, chimneys, etc.). More than 90 percent of roof damage occurs in these two areas and catching it early can be key to preventing bigger problems. Try these additional tips:

When To Inspect

Check your roof in spring after severe weather hits, and then again in winter, before the worst weather sets in.

What To Look For

• Examine the roof edge for wind damage or damage caused by driving rain and ice dams. The dams occur when water freezes and backs up under the roofing system.

• Inspect for signs of mold, algae and mildew growth. Signs include dark spots and discoloration on the shingles.

Roof Maintenance

Leaves, sticks and other debris can cause water to back up and flow under a roof, so be sure to clean out your gutters and roof drains regularly. Also be sure to check that all gutters are securely fastened to the house and that downspouts are pointing away from your home.

If You Spot Damage

If your inspection reveals roof damage, be sure to work with professional roof contractors who are bonded, insured and use quality materials. They can keep you from having to spend money on costly future repairs and prolong the life of your roof.

A free service that helps homeowners find a qualified roofing contractor is available through GAF Materials Corporation, North America’s largest roofing manufacturer. Call (888) LEAK-SOS or visit gaf.com. (NAPSI)

 

Sump Pumps Offer Protection

Many people dealing with water in their basement are still adamantly against installing a sump pump. There’s this national stigma against the sump pump. Thoughts of “water issues”, “flooding”, or “huge problem” tend to start flying and perpetually snow-balling to then turn into people skipping out on buying the home, or friends passing judgment when they come to visit.

New generation sump pumps are still heavy duty and can deal with most water level issues. Some of the newer models of the Pro-Series line are built with stainless steel, a separate switch and run quieter and more cost effectively then their archaic predecessors.

Sump pumps are an intricate part in protecting your basement from future cartographies and moistures issues. When paired with a duel channel drain system, vapor barrier, and an energy efficient dehumidifier like a Santa Fe, a sump pump becomes the heart of an otherwise barren room with moisture issues.

A sump pump can protect your basement during heavy rain fall and exterior land saturation. It removes water that can build up pressure underneath your floor and help to insure that the moisture that is removed from the air by a dehumidifier actually gets out of the house, rather than becoming a source of the moisture in it’s collection bin.

Sump pumps aren’t something to be afraid of. They are a sure sign that someone cares enough to address an issue. If there are signs of water, but no sump pump, then that warrants caution.

Things to look for:
*make sure that the cover of the sump pump is flush with the floor
*make sure that there are little to no openings to the sump pump (cord holes and discharge line are of course necessary)
*Sump liners shouldn’t run deeper than 24″, 19″ deep is optimal.

If looking at a house with a sump pump:
*how deep has the water gotten?
*has it ever flooded? Even with the sump pump installed?
*do you loose power a lot? Do you have a battery back up?
*do you have a waterproofing system installed in the basement?

If you have purchased or are thinking about purchasing a house with a sump pump and have questions, call a local waterproofing company.

Author Jacob Lee-http://www.pioneerbasement.com, http://www.homebasementfinishing.com (EzineArticles.com)

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