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Wouldn’t it be a shame if the first cold day of the year rolled on in and you went to turn on the heat only to realize a vital component has failed? Time to get out the hats, mittens and scarves to keep warm. Well, not so fast! It’s time to test your home’s heating system now, before you’re left out in the cold!   Step 1 – Turning The System On The first thing you’ll want to do, is turn the system to the “heat” setting and raise the temperature on the thermostat a few degrees so that it’s set to at least 10° warmer than the temperature of the room. Listen for the system to fire up and then check the temperature in the room with a thermometer after roughly 15 minutes. You should feel heat coming up from the radiators or out of the vents and the temperature of the room should begin to increase. Step 2 – Checking For Cracks, Rust & Damage Now that the system successfully fired up, inspect the heat exchanger for cracks, rust and any other obvious signs of damage. Why is this step so important? Larger cracks could interrupt steady flames

Let’s face it, it’s not one of the most anticipated home improvement projects. We’re actually not quite sure we’ve ever heard anyone say they’re looking forward to spending the afternoon caulking, have you? Well, it is something that needs to be done from time to time and quite frankly, it’s not as difficult a task as you may think. See below for 5 quick tips for making caulking and sealing a heck of a lot easier:   #1 – DIY Caulk Gun Sight If you’ve ever used a caulking gun, you probably noticed it can be difficult to keep the tip of the tube from rotating which can lead to missing the mark. Grab a black marker and make a mark on the long end of the tip. This way, you’ll be able to see when the tube rotates and make sure you correct the positioning for a continuously smooth bead. #2 – Choosing The Right Caulk Take a trip down the caulk aisle at your local home improvement store and we’ll bet you quickly become overwhelmed. The possibilities seem endless. Just remember, for siding, windows and doors, polyurethane is best. For kitchen and bath applications, we recommend silicone products.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning to sell your home in the next month or you see yourself staying put for the next 25 years, there are a few things you should never avoid. After all, your house is something that requires you to pay attention to it and trust us when we tell you a little maintenance goes a long way. If you notice any of the 4 warning signs below, it’s time to take action right away.   Bulging Washing Machine Hose: the next time you throw in a load of laundry, take some time to inspect the washing machine hose. If you notice bulging anywhere in the line, act fast. That thing could burst any minute and it won’t just be a slow leak. You’ll want to replace those rubber hoses with stainless steel.  Water Spots Around The Fan: you certainly should have exhaust fans installed in all of your bathrooms, but if you notice water spots around them, that’s a problem. Why? It usually means there’s condensation forming inside the duct and wet, dark places lead to mold. It could also mean the roof is leaking or that water is forming somewhere and soaking the drywall

Sure, it’ll keep your smile bright and shiny and your teeth in good shape, but did you know toothpaste can also help you around the house? That’s right, there are plenty of home improvement tasks that can be tackled without heading to the local hardware store – all you need to do is head to the bathroom and grab that tube! Don’t believe us? See below and we’ll be shocked if you don’t find yourself with with Crest or Colgate in your hand this weekend!   Mark spots for nail or screw holes: instead of using a pencil or a permanent marker to make dots on the wall or ceiling, use toothpaste. It’ll help you line up your drill and your screwdriver and unlike pencil or marker, you can easily wipe away the remnants when you’re done.  Brighten up seals: that old refrigerator seal has turned funny colors with age, but you can bring it back to life with a bit of toothpaste. If it can brighten your smile, it can surely make that seal look new!  Fill holes in the wall: instead of making yet another trip to the home improvement store, use a dab of toothpaste to fill

When was the last time you cleaned your dishwasher? Really think about it. No, we’re not talking about running a dirty load and thinking the dish soap you put in the dispenser will do the trick. We’re talking about a real deep clean. Not sure? Well, that means it’s time!   Contrary to popular belief, giving your dishwasher a deep clean is quite simple. All you really need is two ingredients: White Vinegar: fill a dishwasher safe coffee mug ½ – ¾ full with white vinegar. Place it on the top rack (where you normally load your cups) and turn the washer on for a normal cycle. The vinegar will help loosen up soap scum and food particles that are caked on the inside of the washer. It will also help clean the walls, racks and even help loosen up and wash grease down the drain. Baking Soda: after you’ve successfully run a cycle with vinegar, the next step is to run one with baking soda. Sprinkle some baking soda all over the bottom rack and the base of the dishwasher and run a normal cycle. This will help break down any food particles missed by the vinegar and you’ll

Have a garbage disposal that just isn’t “cutting” it anymore? Time to sharpen the blades so it can get back to incinerating and pulverizing food scraps like it used to, right? Well, we’re going to let you in on a little secret, below!   First and foremost, garbage disposals don’t actually have “blades.” They do however, have little teeth-like pieces that rotate rapidly to shred food scraps and discard of them accordingly. So is it possible to sharpen the teeth then? The answer again is, no. It’s nearly impossible to sharpen the shredding teeth, but you can clean them! How To Clean Garbage Disposal Teeth There are a couple of ways to clean the teeth, and clean teeth help the disposal operate more efficiently and effectively. One way to clean them is to drop a few ice cubes into the disposal, run cold water at full blast and turn it on for about a minute or two. As the teeth crush and chop the ice, it will help dislodge and items that may be caked on. PRO TIP: toss a few citrus fruit peels into the disposal with the ice cubes if yours is giving off a pungent odor. Another

Ever open up the cabinet underneath the sink to grab cleaning supplies, toilet paper or a new roll of paper towel only to have your nose be greeted with a foul odor? You know, that musty, damp, mildew smell? So you grab what you need, close the cabinet and go about your business – but what’s causing that smell could in fact be, MOLD!   Why is Mold Growing Under the Sink? Believe it or not, vanity cabinets are perfect breeding grounds for mold. Why? Well, there’s a good chance there’s moisture around from the sink and the warm, dark atmosphere is ideal. To make things worse, pipe leaks can often be to blame. You may have noticed the pipe underneath the sink had a small, slow drip so you put a little putty over the problem area or put a small cup or bucket there to catch the water. No big deal, right? Why are Leaky Sink Pipes Such an Issue? Temporary solutions are just that, temporary. And pipe leaks definitely require permanent solutions. Why? Leaky pipes can not only cause mold to grow – hence that musty, mildew smell we mentioned earlier – they can also cause your

It’s not uncommon for tree roots to grow into, and clog up, your sewer pipes. You may be wondering how they get in there and why the heck they would want to get in there in the first place and don’t worry, you’re not alone. After all, tree roots can cause major problems when it comes to your home’s plumbing system so we’re going to answer your question and explain what can be done to correct the problem, below:   Why Do Tree Roots Like Pipes? Just like other plants, trees need water and oxygen to grow. Guess what can be found inside your sewer pipes? That’s right – water and oxygen. But that’s only an appetizer for tree roots. There are plenty of additional nutrients tree roots are looking for that they can get a hold of once they get inside your pipes. We’re assuming they don’t think twice about the taste! How Do Tree Roots Get Into Pipes? There’s a lot going on underground that regular people simply can’t see. Tree roots tend to enter pipes through small cracks or gaps where they then find a home for themselves. As they continue to absorb water and nutrients inside

It may be no surprise that severe summer rain storms can leave streets, houses and neighborhoods flooded. But what you may not be thinking of, is how flooding can affect plumbing systems. Of course, your first plan of action should be to get flood waters out, but then it’s time to check on your pipes.   Here are a few different ways flooding in your area could wreak havoc on your home’s plumbing system… Saturated Soil When heavy rain falls, the ground gets saturated and when it can no longer take on any more water, that’s when flooding begins. Since saturated soil tends to be much softer than it is when it’s dry, it can shift drastically which could lead to large openings or gaps. The result? The soil may no longer be able to support heavy underground pipes. This can lead to cracks, holes or even burst pipes that could leave you and your property in a world of trouble. Buildup of Dirt and Debris As mentioned above, shifting soil and erosion are common results of flooding. But that dirt and debris needs to go somewhere and in lots of cases, it could end up in or around exposed

Finally pulling the trigger on a new air conditioner? We don’t blame you – it can be difficult to survive the summer months without one. But before you head out to the local home improvement store or pull up a new window online, it’s vital to understand BTUs. What are they and why are they important? Find out below! What is a BTU? Air conditioners are rated on an energy-efficiency system based upon the size of the room they are intended to be used is. This unit of measurement is called BTUs, or British Thermal Units. Generally speaking, the larger the room, the higher the BTUs should be in order to cool the room efficiently. And oversized, or undersized air conditioner can actually make energy bills skyrocket. BTU Calculator Room Size (Feet) Area (Square Feet) Recommended BTUs 10 x 15 150 5,000 17 x 20 340 8,000 18 x 25 450 10,000 25 x 32 800 15,000 39 x 40 1,560 24,500 Additional A/C Buying Tips: Be sure to calculate the size of the room before you begin shopping. This will help you sort through models and options so you can look for what you need.  Make sure there are

You made it! That vacation you planned a while back felt like it would never get here, and now, it’s officially time to clock out, pack your bags and enjoy a few days of much-needed relaxation. Don’t forget to pack a bathing suit, some sunscreen and definitely don’t forget to take care of these five energy-efficient hacks before you head out the door.   Turn up the thermostat on the air conditioner. If you don’t want to turn it completely off, we recommend raising it as high as 85 degrees . (However, you may want to set it a bit lower than that if you’ll be leaving pets at home while you’re away).  Have a smart thermostat? You may want to turn it off completely so that it doesn’t trigger the system to kick on every day when your friend or neighbor stops by to bring in the mail. (As mentioned in tip #1, this may not be applicable if you have pets).  Close blinds, shades and drapes. Not only will this help prevent burglars from peering into your home while you’re away, it will help keep temperatures down during the daytime hours. Blocking out sunlight all day can help

I think we can all agree that it would be nice if we could keep the house comfortable AND save money during the hot summer months, right? The problem is, you’re stuck somewhere in between lowering the thermostat a few degrees because it’s getting warm and having to shell out another hundred dollars on your utility bill – we’ve all been there! Well, with the five air conditioning efficiency hacks below, we certainly hope it will become less of a struggle to keep cool while saving money.   Keep the area around your air conditioner clear. This includes dirt, debris, sticks, twigs, leaves, etc. Adequate airflow is one of the may keys to efficient operation. The outdoor unit isn’t the only thing you need to keep clean. Double check to make sure indoor vents aren’t being blocked and remember to vacuum them once a month. Raise the temperature on the thermostat a few degrees. Yes, you heard us correctly. Doing so will prevent your system from working so hard to mitigate drastic spikes in indoor temperature. Close blinds and curtains during the daytime hours. The sun’s rays are quite warm and they can quickly and easily heat up the house