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Project of the Week

Keeping Your Rugs and Flooring in Good Condition During Winter

by Nirra on February 8

Image Source: Modigy.net

Winter is here and many places in the world have harsh winters to endure. If you prepared your home’s rugs before the season began, you will likely have very little to do to keep up with it. Even if you did not make preparations to your home’s rugs before winter started, there are still some things you can do to make them better than they were at the beginning of winter. Everyone wants to keep their rugs and floors in good condition during this season when it is easy to make a mess in your home.

You would, of course, want to focus on your carpets, rugs, and flooring during winter. During the winter time, your rugs can undergo a lot of damage as they are the coverings of your floor and people often walk around in shoes that are covered with mud, dirt, and water, all of which can cause damage to your rugs. One of the things you should have done before the beginning of winter was to prepare your rugs by having them cleaned. The reason you would want to clean any rug that you own ahead of time is so that the season would start off with a rug that is free from sand and other types of debris that could get caught in the fibers of carpet. When people walk into a home with wet shoes, they can cause a dirty rug to get a stain so it is important to have a rug cleaned beforehand. [click to continue…]

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Winterizing Your Home – the Procrastinator’s Survival Guide

by Karen Lawes on January 26

Unfortunately, many of the coldest winter days are still ahead. February and March bring some of the heaviest snow and the coldest temperatures, particularly for those of us living in harsh climates. If you haven’t taken steps to winterize your home, it is not too late to start.

Winterizing your home prevents damage and reduces your risk of costly repairs. It helps lower energy costs and eliminates safety hazards. Make the freezing days ahead as painless as possible by crossing these last-minute tasks off your to-do list.

  1. Inspect Your Furnace
    The last thing you want to deal with in the middle of winter is a faulty furnace. Change your filter and stock up on a few extras for the months ahead. If you can afford it, hire a furnace repair service to clean and inspect your furnace and duct work.Furnaces can also pose a fire hazard in the winter months. Keep the area around your furnace free from clutter and debris – particularly anything that is flammable.
  2. Protect Your Pipes
    Frozen pipes can be a nightmare. Frozen water can rapidly expand, causing pipes to burst and resulting in serious water damage to your home. Most pipes are safe, as long as your heat is working and the pipes are located inside of the home’s insulation. But make sure any pipes that are exposed to the elements are insulated with electric heat tape or foam insulation. You can hire a professional or take this on as a do-it-yourself project. [click to continue…]

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Checklist to Reduce Energy Bills

by Stephanie Staszko on January 18

January can be a financially challenging month for many families, with little work available, cold weather resulting in high heating bills and of course, the aftermath of Christmas to contend with. Money is often tight, which in turn means belts must be tightened to cut everyday expenses wherever possible. One of the most common complaints from homeowners is that their energy bills are incredibly expensive. A simple daily checklist can help to prevent energy bills from becoming extortionate.

Image sourc: HowStuffWorks.com

Thermostat Control

Your heating could be turning on without you even touching your thermostat, in some central heating systems, the heating is programmed to automatically turn on if the temperature hits zero or below. This generally isn’t a problem for homeowners unless their room thermostat’s located somewhere obscure like the garage. If your thermostat is located in a room which doesn’t have a radiator or other heat source, like the garage, it will automatically turn your heating on regardless of the temperature of the rest of your home – this is when you may notice an anomaly in your heating bills.

To get around this problem, turn all your radiators off using their thermostatic radiator control valves, this will prevent them heating the room even if the room thermostat attempts to. [click to continue…]

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Keeping Your Pets and Home Safe

by Adria Saracino on January 17

For all the joy our pets bring us, taking care of them can be a lot of work. However, there are ways you can decrease the amount of work your pets require.

Aside from giving pets plenty of love and attention, make sure your home is a safe place for them to patter around. Prepping your home for any potential damage your four-legged companions might cause can not only protect them, but also minimizes damages to your home.

Here are a few tips for keeping your home pet-compatible:

1. Cover any exposed wires. If your pet likes to chew, this tip is for you. Buy cord covers for any wires that run along the floor or in places your pet is likely to explore. Here’s a DIY eco tip: use old paper towel or toilet paper rolls to weave cords through and hide them behind furniture to prevent not only tangling, but curious pets.

While it is definitely a nuisance when dogs chew through cables, it is their health that can be at risk. If your puppy is a chewer, consider investing in some dog insurance so he/she is protected in case of electrocution. There are also cat insurance options available if your kitten is the wire-tampering culprit.

2. Use a foot-pedal trash can. Let’s face it: Without a barrier, many dogs and cats will eat out of the garbage.

Aside from leaving a mess in your kitchen, there could be things in the trash can that are bad for pets. Go for the foot pedal, and nip that problem in the bud. [click to continue…]

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Saving Money with Energy Audits

by David Lupberger on January 11

Image Source: starenergyaudits.com

There are some interesting statistics in regards to the country’s housing stock relating to home energy efficiency.  This information comes from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS):

Of 113 million homes in the United States

  • 64 percent are not well insulated. Most of these were built before 1980
  • 47 percent are drafty at least some of the time
  • 42 percent have single-pane windows
  • 96 percent have not had an energy audit

Wow, did you have any idea?  Over half of the homes in this country were constructed prior to 1980.  With low energy costs prior to that time, energy efficiency was not much of a consideration in home construction.  What this means is over half of the homes in this country are under-insulated.  This translates to high heating and cooling bills.  It also translates to homes that are uncomfortable in winter due to drafts, and cold spots.

If you have one of these homes (you pay high heating bills and you’re still cold), there is a potential solution.  You can call your local public utility and ask if they are providing any kind of home energy audit.  You can also do a Google search under Home Energy Audits.  A home energy audit allows a “home energy auditor” to measure the energy efficiency of your home, and make recommendations on how to increase your home’s energy efficiency, and how you can make your home more comfortable.

There are a number of recommendations that are made, but the most cost-effective is adding additional insulation to your attic, and then following specific “air-sealing” procedures around your home.  In this way,  you can increase the “thermal envelope” of your home, stopping the excessive leakage of warm air to the outdoors and making it more energy efficient.  At the same time, you can eliminate drafts and cold spots, making your home a more comfortable place to live.

Want to find out more?  Hire a professional to conduct a Home Energy Audit.

David Lupberger, author of the book Managing the Emotional Homeowner, draws on more than two decades of experience in the residential remodeling field, working with remodelers to develop proven business systems. Through his work in the remodeling industry, he hopes to redefine the way the remodeling industry operates so that the trust between quality remodelers, their customers, suppliers, and trade contractors can be leveraged and improved.  Visit David’s website at: www.DavidLupberger.com

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Repair vs Replace – Which Is Better For You?

by Danielle Butlerson on January 3

There comes a time in every old appliance’s life where it just doesn’t perform like it used to and nowhere is this more prevalent than in the faithful washing machine.

The latest figures show that the average lifespan of a washing machine is around 7 years; however few will actually remain in a single household for that long – so why are so many people abandoning their washing machine?

“It Just Doesn’t Work Like It Used To!”

Your old faithful washing machine might seem to be on its last legs and a repair could set you back a fair bit, probably just less than purchasing a brand new budget machine; however many of these budget models will actually be built with a shorter lifespan (so as to keep manufacturing costs down). So whilst your old washing machine lies dejected in the scrapheap reminiscing over the good old days before its belt snapped, you could actually be spending a lot more on a very temporary solution. [click to continue…]

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Fix Any Cooker Problems Before the Christmas Rush! – Part 2

by Mark Cummings on December 28

The oven is probably the most used of all the kitchen appliances and keeping it in working order is essential, after all nobody wants to be reaching for the takeaway menu night after night. With the festive period fast approaching your oven is sure to be in constant use, whether it’s roasting the turkey or baking festive treats. Below are several tips to fix two common oven problems. Be sure to also read part 1 of this two-part series to fully learn how you can ensure your Christmas is off to a great start!

The oven won’t heat up!

If you switch on the oven and there’s no heat then it can be difficult to know what’s wrong. More often than not it’s likely to be caused by a burnt out element. If the element has blown then it will need to be replaced.

Depending on the type of oven you have, there may also be a grill element as well as the main oven element. If you suspect that the grill element in your cooker has failed, inspect it to see if it is obviously the cause of the fault. If it is not clear just from looking at the element to establish if it is the cause you can test it with a test meter. You also need to check the connector pins as they may need cleaning up or in some cases the socket will also need to be replaced. Remember to switch off the power supply before undertaking any repair work.

The oven bulb has blown

This is usually the easiest oven repair. It is important that when you replace the bulb in your oven to make sure you use a bulb specifically made for ovens or grills. This will ensure the bulb will withstand the high temperatures inside the oven. When buying a spare part for any appliance it is advisable you search using your appliance’s model number, this is a unique identifier for your particular type of oven and will ensure the part you purchase it will fit.

Whatever the fault with your oven a do-it-yourself oven repair is usually the most cost-effective option. For more information on appliance repairs or to purchase spare parts, visit www.buyspares.co.uk.

For more oven tips, read part 1 of this series!

BuySpares are a leading retailer of appliance spare parts and accessories. BuySpares sell genuine replacement parts for most leading appliance manufacturers including Hotpoint spares . On the BuySpares website you can find tips and advice on how to repair and maintain home appliances.

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