2015

When you sit down with your homebuilder to start tweaking those floor plans, you might be ready to customize your space for your unique preferences. Unfortunately, what looks great on paper might not translate well in real-life, and your quirky customized floor plan might become the bane of your existence. Here are two home design mistakes you should avoid and why:  1: Creating Large, Open-Concept Spaces That open-concept floor plan might make your space seem large and airy, but how functional will it be for your busy family?

Insulation is one of several key components of your home that keeps it cool during the blazing summer and cool during the freezing winter. Having insulation in good condition will contribute to lowering your cooling and heating bills, and protect your home against moisture. Unfortunately, insulation doesn't last forever. The material does degrade, and there will come a time where you need to replace it. Look for these 3 signs to determine if you need new insulation in your attic.

Driveways play a big role in how much curb appeal a home has. A rundown, cracked, or simply unattractive driveway can actually decrease the value of a home. Installing a new driveway is a great way to increase a home's value and curb appeal. Asphalt paving is a great choice for a driveway. Asphalt is resistant to cracks, easy to work with, and one of the least expensive driveway materials available.

Liquor bottles stored in a closet, glasses in a cabinet, sink in the kitchen—none of that sounds very festive. A wet bar provides a hub for your entertainment. With a wet bar, all the essentials of making beverages are collected in one convenient center. A well-designed beverage station also adds to the beauty of your home. Design a wet bar that complements both your lifestyle and home's decor. Beverage Selection

Furnace filters can be expensive and need to be replaced on a regular basis in order to make sure that the air that is going through your house is as clean and unhindered as possible, with all of the dirt and dust removed. As a result, you may have decided to purchase a filter that is reusable and can be cleaned, rather than requiring a replacement. Here are some steps that you should follow in order to clean your furnace filter.

Shower glass doors offer a versatile, stylish way to make your bathroom look larger and to show off any tile work you have inside the shower. While many love the clear glass, others might wish there was a bit more visual interest to the glass itself. There are a couple of ways you can have shower glass doors with a pop of color that doesn't detract from the natural beauty. Discuss your options with your shower contractor during your next consultation.

Refrigerators aren't exactly picky when it comes to their position in your home, but choosing the right spot for your new refrigerator will help you get the best performance out of your appliance. Knowing which factors to consider when choosing the location for your fridge will help you make a choice that's right for you.  Heat Sources Create Problems Refrigerators need to remove heat from the interior of the fridge to the exterior of the fridge in order to maintain a low internal temperature.

If you have a gas furnace, you have to be diligent when it comes to maintaining your unit due to the dangers associated with gas leaks. Gas leaks are so dangerous, in fact, that they can prove deadly if they are not noticed in time. While some gas leaks are easily noticed due to the unmistakable odor of natural gas or propane, others are not. In some cases, homeowners don't realize that there is a leak because they have an old unit that lets off an exhaust smell that can be similar to that of a gas leak.

Drilling in the ground is often an effective way to get fresh water, but the problem is that it's particularly important to filter well water. Well water may often have dangerous toxins in it that have to be carefully removed in order to make the water usable. If you're looking to drill for potable well water, here are a few new technologies that can help you with filtration. The Dangers of Water Wells

No matter where you live, big sewer problems often require professional expertise—read on to find out what kinds of dire situations sewer companies deal with in serving customers. Tree Root Damage Over time, tree roots can creep in and infiltrate a sewer system by breaking into a pipe or line. Small roots may grow large enough to completely clog a line, which can lead to really bad backups. Homeowners may not know about this until the system backs up completely.

While common sense dictates that the winter is the least favorable time to replace your furnace, narrowing it down further will take some extra effort. You can stave off the eventual expense for a while, but it's better to have a new furnace selected and a contractor on hand before your furnace fails. By knowing the status of your furnace, and what to look for from those available on the market, you can plan ahead and save yourself the problems associated with a mid-December HVAC job:

Whether you are building a new home, or in the midst of a remodel, investing in custom woodwork makes sense. Having the opportunity to introduce custom pieces into your home can be beneficial, despite the perceived expense of custom woodwork. Here are three reasons you can't afford not to include custom woodwork in your home in the future. 1. Custom woodwork can increase resale value. Very few people in today's market spend their entire lives in a single home.

The days are getting warmer and hot summer weather is right around the corner. In a few weeks, those warm, sunny days will become very difficult to tolerate. As the heat from the sun becomes stronger, many people begin using their air conditioning units nonstop. Unfortunately, this leads to a substantial hike in the power used in your home and very expensive electricity bills. However, there are some easy, inexpensive ways to make your home easier to cool while also cutting back on your utility bills.

Having a basement is a luxury for many people. Before the contractors put in the basement, they have to make sure that there is not too much groundwater and that the foundation is sturdy enough for a basement. However, even if your lot has been zoned for a basement and everything checks out, you can still have flooding problems. This could be from ground water or even a flood from the house.

Far too many people fail to understand how their septic tank really works. As a result, homeowners will often behave in a way that actually prevents their septic tank from working properly rather than encouraging functionality. As a result, many homeowners will eventually find themselves dealing with expensive repairs as the result of septic system failure. You can avoid this type of issue by learning more about how your septic system works and what you can do to ensure that it continues to function properly.

Even though the activities associated with prepping for a major disaster has been concentrated in the United States, there are more and more people from Canada and Australia who are becoming concerned about their ability to be self-sufficient in the event of a widespread emergency or disaster. While it seems to be agreed that the most immediate needs in such an event would be food, water, shelter and a way to stay warm, long-term survival might require a method of repairing and keeping your survival equipment serviceable.

If you own a business, you know that labor and production costs account for a large portion of your overhead. In fact, they could account for the majority of your overhead, depending on the type of business you have. Therefore, if you want to reduce overhead and increase your profits, you need to concentrate your efforts in these two areas. Fortunately, there are several ways you can tweak your operation to reduce costs.

Just a few centuries ago, homeowners had few choices when it came to heating options, and many relied exclusively on the traditional wood-burning fireplace. Built from brick or masonry, these units were relatively simple – burning wood for heat and blowing smoke out the chimney to keep pollutants out of the home. While the traditional masonry fireplace lends a sense of warmth and romance to the home – it's one of the top three features buyers look for when shopping for a home – it's not necessarily the best source of heat.

Spring is in the air, and everyone is bustling about trying to get their homes clean and tidy for the season. If you're an allergy sufferer, you need to be more careful about spring cleaning than most. After spending all winter inside with the windows closed, your home is probably full of mold spores, pet dander, dust and other particles that cause your eyes to water and your nose to plug.

If you are affiliated with a pet rescue organization or humane society, you are always looking for forever homes for your adoptable critters. Why not hold an adoption event in your community to find the perfect families for those four-legged orphans? Here are seven basic steps to help you get organized. Pick a Venue The first thing you need to do is pick a venue and secure the date well in advance--at least a couple of months.

In today's society, a lot of products that we use for everyday life are produced in plants, thanks to machines that use pressurized gas. Piston compressors, also known as reciprocating compressors, are among the most important core components in these machine plants. If you are going to operate a factory that is safe, efficient and productive, you will need to internalize some of the best techniques to safeguard and maintain the operation of these machines.

Are you planning to redesign your yard's landscaping this spring? Have you decided that the big tree in the front of your home must go? Here are some reasons for you to leave the tree and stump removal processes to an expert: Felling trees can be dangerous: Many people are tempted to try removing their own trees. However, this can be a potentially costly or even deadly mistake. You probably already know how heavy some pieces of lumber can be when bought from the store.

If your furnace has recently abruptly stopped working, you could be dreading the idea of hiring and paying a heating and air conditioning company to fix it. Although there is a good chance that you will need to hire an HVAC professional to help you fix your heater, there are a few things that you can try yourself. Give these tips a try, and you might be able to get your heater running again without having to hire a professional.

If your lawn is shabby, or worse, non-existent, you may want to start planning on implementing a lawn this year. There are many uses for a lawn, beyond the appearance. Making the right choices for the intended purposes of the green-space, while taking into account the climate and future maintenance, may point to the best types of lawn to strive for: The uses Lawns provide a range of purposes at the home, from purely aesthetic to more functional.

Owning a home is a great responsibility. These structures are extremely expensive to purchase, and if they are not properly maintained, it is possible for them to lose much of their original value and they may become unsafe. Sadly, many new homeowners are not fully prepared for the challenges that they will face, and this can lead them to believe a couple of relatively common misconceptions.  Myth: Hail Damage Only Affects The Roof

If you must file a claim with your homeowners insurance company, you want to be sure that you hire the right contractor to make the repairs that your home needs. Unfortunately, this can be difficult because you want someone who will not charge more than what is going to be covered from your insurance, but you also want to be sure that you have someone who is honest and gets repairs done as quickly as possible.

Your septic tank, when maintained regularly, should run well throughout the year. However, there is a greater risk in the winter months because the cold temperatures and frost have the potential to freeze the tank and what is inside. Here are some of the things that can lead to freezing of a septic tank so that you can reduce your risk. Snow-Related Causes There are a couple different ways snow or lack of it can affect how easily your septic tank freezes in the winter.

Whether you're contemplating the purchase of a new deck or if you simply want to renovate your current one, it's important for you to understand that wood is not the only material that is suitable for constructing a great deck.  Instead of choosing a traditional wooden deck, consider the benefits of erecting a deck constructed out of vinyl.  Use this information to learn more about why you should select vinyl for your next deck.

If you have an outdated bathroom, remodeling it can give you a modern bathroom that adds value to your home. There are many ideas you can use for the remodeling of your bathroom, but if you want to have a bathroom that is different, you may want to think outside of the box with things like lighting, window treatments and fixtures. Here are four ideas that will help make your bathroom unique and personal:

Did a hailstorm leave your home windows broken or with a lot of cracks? You may want to invest in getting the glass repaired fast so you won't waste energy when running the heating and cooling system. Find out how damaged windows can have an effect on energy costs and what you might have to pay for repairs to be done. How Can Damaged Windows from a Hailstorm Affect a Home Energy Bill?

Basement floods hurt in more ways than one. In addition to water damage to the structure of your home, flood damage extends to your furniture, collectibles, restoration costs, and of course the potential harm of your family. Floods can often strike without any advanced warning, and people can panic under the additional stress and urgency. In order to assure the best outcome after water invades your home, remain calm and take the following steps: