Guest Post - How to Prepare Your Home for Inclement Weather

All kinds of challenges come with owning a home, and preparing for bad weather is one of them. Being ready for whatever’s to come can be one of the most important things you can do, both for your family and your house. Here’s how you can prepare your home for inclement weather, both inside and out.

1. Have Salt on Hand

Using salt to coat your driveways and walkways can ensure nothing freezes over and causes people to slip. Keep a bag in your garage or shed at all times so you don’t have to worry about running out and restocking.

2. Pull Out Your Snowblower

There are plenty of places that get several feet of snow at a time. Whether you’re expecting mere inches or a total coating, pulling the snowblower out and having easy access can make cleaning things off a much easier endeavor.

3. Disconnect Your Garage Door Opener

If you have people coming and going by way of the garage, it’s important to make sure the doors can withstand the elements. Disconnecting the opener from the garage door can ensure it doesn’t get opened during the storm accidentally.

4. Clean Your Gutters

Ensuring your gutters are cleaned out before a storm hits can make things much less likely to freeze or get stuck. Usually, it’s best to do this early in the season if possible. Each fall and spring, climb up there and remove all the leaves and debris that has accumulated since the last cleaning.

Prepping Your Home for a Storm

Storms can sometimes be scary. If you’re adequately prepared for the inclement weather ahead, you’ll have a much easier time cozying up and waiting for it to pass. You can ride the storm out with the peace of mind that you’ve taken every precaution needed to stay safe.

Author bio: Rose Morrison is the managing editor of Renovated, where she offers advice on home renovation, maintenance, and organization.

How to Get Your Garage Door Repaired in No Time Flat

Having a garage is a massive convenience, allowing you to keep your car safe and dry while giving you plenty of storage space. The only problem is that garage doors have an annoying habit of breaking. A busted garage door can be seriously frustrating. Suddenly, something as simple as leaving your house becomes a lengthy ordeal. Rather than dealing with this annoyance for months on end, you should have the problem resolved once and for all. Here’s how to get your garage door fixed in no time.

Determine What the Issue Is

The entire repair process will be easier if you know exactly what the problem is. Sometimes the motor powering the door burns out, while the door itself can also come off its tracks. Take a careful look at the door and surrounding fixtures until you’ve determined the source of the problem. You can then use this information to get accurate quotes and let mechanics know exactly what it is they’ll be dealing with.

Research Local Mechanics

Once you know what the problem is, it’s time to find someone who can fix it. The internet is a great tool for finding local specialists in garage door repair. Look for a contractor or company with years of experience and lots of good reviews. After finding someone who seems to fit the bill, give them a call to inquire about prices and availability. Feel free to call multiple mechanics to make sure you’re getting a good deal.

Make an Appointment

When you feel you’ve found a mechanic you can trust, it’s time to make an appointment. You should be able to find somebody who is available within the next few days. While a broken garage door is hardly a matter of life and death, it is still relatively urgent.

Meet the Mechanic at the Door

If at all possible, try to be home at the time of your appointment. That way, you can speak directly with the mechanic. A face-to-face encounter will allow the mechanic to explain the problem in detail and give you some advice about avoiding similar issues down the road. You’ll also be able to build a lasting relationship with the mechanic that could prove handy in the future.

A broken garage door is frustrating to say the least, so you shouldn’t let the problem remain unresolved. Just by taking the simple steps outlined above, you can get your garage door back in working order.

Guest Post - Signs you Need A New Roof

A durable and dependable roofing system protects the home and the family from the severest elements. No homeowner can undermine how incredibly essential it is to ensure that the roof stays in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Roofing is a complex system, that just like everything else comes with a lifespan. A roof’s life depends on its materials and installation. No matter how sturdy or well-maintained a roof is, there comes a time when it requires replacement. 

Roof replacement is an expensive project involving a significant investment. Homeowners should remain proactive and observe the symptoms showing the roof’s health and condition during routine inspections.

The process of roof degradation happens over time. However, every roof starts to show signs indicating that it is nearing its lifespan. Homeowners should remain proactive and notice the symptoms that highlight the roof’s health and condition during routine inspections. 

Let’s look at few telltale signs suggesting that it is time to get a new roof:

Recurring leaks and moisture

An occasional leak springing up does no harm, but if a roof develops recurrent leaks, consider installing a new roof. Several people tend to ignore small pinhole leaks as they are considered harmless. However, they are at the root of all major leaks as they continue to grow and get bigger with time, causing significant damage and demanding expensive repairs. A leaky roof usually is the first sign of a failing roof. To check if a roof is leaking, look for signs of water intrusions or condensation in the attic. Water stains on the wall or ceiling, peeling or blistering paint, dripping sounds, musty odor, water pooling, moss, mold, and mildew growth, and rotting wood all indicate water leaks and moisture presence.

Shingle condition

A roof faces a lot of abuse over the years since its installation. It bears rain, storms, thunder, lightning, heat, snow, and other weather conditions that may cause significant wear and tear. Shingles begin to show signs of wear and tears as the roof ages. Several missing, curled, buckling, or cracking shingles, finding shingle granules in the gutter, and inconsistent shingle color are all signs of a roof inching towards the end of its service life. If the roof starts to appear old and worn out, it is the best time to get a new one.

Sagging deck

One of the prominent signs of a failing roof is a weak and sagging roof deck. It indicates a compromised roof structure having severe consequences like a roof collapse. In this case, getting a new roof is the best choice to protect the home’s structural integrity.

Damaged flashing

Flashing prevents water seepage under the shingles in areas like around the chimney, pipes, vents, and skylight. Loose, rusted, missing, cracked, or deteriorated flashing sections allow water entry into the home. During the regular roof inspection, keep an eye on the flashing for any signs of damage.

Roof’s age

The most obvious sign and a perfect indicator that it is time to get a new roof is its age. Each roofing material has an expected lifespan, and the material used determines when it needs replacement. If the roofing system is made of asphalt shingles, the most commonly used roofing material, and is over 20 years old, getting a new roof will benefit in more ways than one. A metal roof lasts about 70 years, wood shingles between 30 and 40 years and clay, concrete, and slate roof lasts over 50 years. When a roof completes its lifespan replacing it using better and long-lasting materials is a wise choice.

 Regular inspection by a roofing contractor helps catch these early signs, and you may get a new roof before the old one causes significant damage to the home. If it is time to replace the old roof, hire a reliable and professional roofing company to install a new roof.  

About the author:

Richa writes content extensively for roofing contractors and garage door companies. When not busy with work Richa enjoys playing guitar, and spending time with her family. To know more about Richa, check her out on Linkedin.

Air Conditioning Tips, Tricks, and Hacks You Should Know

We partnered with a cooling company for this post. The opinions in the post are honest. All reviews and opinions expressed in this post are based on our personal views. We are excited because we know you will love it.

With ever-rising global temperatures, air conditioners have become indispensable for many people.

However, for all the comfort it brings, air conditioner use does account for 46 percent of the energy consumption of an average American home.

We also tend to work our AC systems to the point of shortening their lifespans, especially if we’re in the habit of keeping them on while we’re away.

Considering the cost of buying and installing an air conditioning system, we’d all want the one we have to last for as long as it should. At the same time, we would like our AC unit to be as efficient as possible.

Apart from regular AC maintenance, there are other tips, tricks, and hacks that will help us do just that. Here are some of them.

Smart Curtain Use

When your air conditioning is running full blast in the summer, you can help it do its job by using curtains, blinds, and drapes smartly.

The above window attachments can help keep direct sunlight out during the day. With your curtains, drapes, or blinds down, you can help keep the temperature inside cool and ease your AC’s workload at the same time.

Do Some Tree-planting

Curtains, drapes, and blinds are good at blocking the sunlight coming through the windows, but they can’t do much about the sunlight hitting the roof and walls directly and making your home feel like an oven.

If your home gets plenty of sunlight, you might want to consider planting trees in strategic spots around the house. 

Trees, specifically those with broad leaves, can provide your home with plenty of shade to keep temperatures down, which should help your air conditioning unit out in terms of performance and efficiency.

Keep The Air Filter Clean

Your air conditioning unit’s air filter doesn’t just prevent dust particles, pet dander, and allergens from circulating in your home.

Aside from maintaining good indoor air quality, air filters also protect the internal components of the AC unit itself.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for air filters to accumulate dust and debris to the point of clogging.

Once the air filter is blocked, it will lead to poor airflow, which will force your AC unit to work harder and longer just to keep you comfortable.

If you use your AC unit sparingly, cleaning or replacing the air filter every two months would be ideal. For more frequent AC use, a once-a-month replacement should do.

Neglecting regular air filter maintenance can significantly decrease the AC life expectancy. A well-maintained system not only ensures a comfortable environment but also prolongs the lifespan of your air conditioning unit.

Wear The Right Clothing Indoors

Some people turn the thermostat way down to keep themselves as cool as possible.

The problem with doing this is that setting lower temperatures means the AC compressor will have to work longer, which leads to higher energy consumption.

You won’t have to do that if you wear appropriate clothing indoors.

Shorts, tank tops, and clothes made of breathable materials like cotton, linen, or jersey help you keep cool.

Wear any of the above indoors, and you can stay comfortable even when the thermostat is at 26 or 27 degrees instead of 18. That much difference translates to considerable energy savings.

Use Fans

When your AC unit is running, you can help it out by turning on fans, which can help cool air circulate throughout your house.

While any type of fan is acceptable, Energy.gov favors ceiling fans when the AC is on, as it allows you to set the thermostat higher without compromising your comfort.

During the summer, set your ceiling fans to turn counterclockwise at a higher speed. Doing so will create a wind-chill breeze effect that will keep everyone at home feel cooler.

Cook Outside

The lower the temperature in your home, the better it would be for your AC unit.

Since cooking on your oven or stove will make your home hotter and your AC work so much harder to keep everyone comfortable, consider breaking out the grill and preparing your meals outside.

All of the above tips can help ease the burden on your air conditioning system. Do them on top of having your air conditioning system serviced professionally on a regular basis, and you will have an efficiently-working cooling system that will last a long time.