4 Everyday Acts That Keep Your Home in Better Shape

While major renovation and maintenance projects may feel much more important, there are a number of small, daily tasks you can do to help keep your house in prime condition. By taking these small actions daily, you can reduce your maintenance costs over time. Here are four everyday acts that keep your home in better shape.

Wipe Up Water on the Bathroom Floor

Whenever you step out of the shower or tub, it's normal for some water to drip off of you and onto the floor. Even though bathroom flooring material is designed to resist water damage, it's still a good idea to wipe up this water as soon as possible. If you let the water sit until it evaporates, you're increasing the chance that it will seep down underneath the floor and cause water damage.

Vacuum Dust From Carpets

Although they naturally have a shorter lifespan than hardwood, carpets can last a fairly long time if they're cared for properly. One of the most important parts of carpet care is getting dust, dirt and debris off the carpet before it has a chance to become ground into the fibers. The more often you vacuum, the longer your carpets will remain fresh.

Clear Debris From Drains

If you want to prevent blocked drains, it's important to remove any debris from your drains on a daily basis. The most common examples of drain debris are bits of food in kitchen sink drains and hair in shower drains. Regularly clearing out anything that could work its way down into the pipes and form a clog will keep your drains running as they should.

Pull Weeds From Your Driveway and Sidewalks

Weeds growing in cracks in concrete surfaces can cause damage over time. To prevent this, it's best to simply pull the weeds up as you see them sprout. If you start early in the spring, you shouldn't have much trouble keeping up with the weeds. If you wait until everything is up, though, you'll have a large, time-consuming project on your hands. Pull a handful of weeds up each day, and you'll find that managing them becomes much easier.

Taking these four simple actions on a daily basis will help to keep your house clean and in good condition for years to come. While you'll still have to deal with larger maintenance projects from time to time, keeping up with daily maintenance tasks is a great way to keep major issues to a minimum.

The Warning Signs That You Need a New Roof

A properly installed and quality roof is critical to maintaining your home and ensuring it’s a safe and comfortable place to live. That is why you need to watch out for the warning signs that you need a new roof. A faulty roof can lead to extensive damage to the inner structure of your home and reduce the quality of living inside.

If you cannot remember or do not know the last time you have had maintenance done to your roof, then consider the following symptoms.

Leaks

The most obvious signs for a new roof is leaks. Check your attic for any current leaks or clear signs of any recent leaks after a rainfall. You can quickly determine the integrity of your roof whether or not there is water present in your attic. The more water that has entered your attic through your roof, the worse your roof’s condition is.

Presence of Mold

With extensive damage, water can leak through your roof, into your attic, and then spread to other parts of the home. Look for discolored spots on your ceilings, which could be due to the buildup of mold as a result of moisture from rainwater.

Increased Energy Consumption

A roof that’s old, falling apart, or poorly insulated can result in an increase in energy use to keep the house warm. Hot air naturally rises, and by insulating your roof, the hot air is trapped in your home, warming it so you won’t have to leave the heater on all day. A faulty roof will allow this hot air to escape, causing your home to cool down when you need it to be warm.

Added Money Saver

While the cost of a new roof is one of the major considerations when installing one, the increased insulation will save you money in the long term because you won’t have to use your heater constantly. Without repair, you’d waste heat and lose money. While roof repair is initially expensive, it can save you money in the long term since you’d no longer be wasting money and heat.

Cracked Shingles

Going outside and looking at the condition of your roof can quickly tell you the extent of weather damage done to your shingles. A few individual shingles that need replacing isn’t cause to replace the entire roof. But, if the damage is widespread, then that may require you to have a full replacement done.

The Best Roof for Your Home

Always be aware of the signs of a failing roof and know what material is best for your environment. Some applications are better than others and more sturdy shingles may be necessary for the harsh weather conditions of your particular region.

Oh, sure thing, it does read a little rough. I was trying to say that allowing heat to escape from your home will cause you to use the heater more when it's cold outside. So in the long-term, you'll lose money on all the heat you are wasting. But that extra expense of heating your home can be eliminated with repairing your roof. Where you have an expensive initial payment with the roof, over time you are no longer wasting money heating your home every year.

4 Pests to Be Aware of in Your Home for Spring and How to Treat Them

They say that spring is the season of new life. What some people fail to consider is that not all of that new life belongs to cute creatures like baby birds, rabbits, and trees; spring marks the end of the coldest months and warmer activities mean you may very well need to look into some pest control. Provided below is a breakdown of four common pests that tend to show up as the weather warms up and how to go about dealing with them.

Mosquitoes

These pests make irritating noises and great vectors disease. While mostly considered an outdoor pest, it is not impossible for these bloodsuckers to infiltrate buildings. The best piece of advice for preventing swarms of mosquitoes within your residence is to remove any sources of stagnant water; stagnant pools are the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Carpenter Ants

Warmer temperatures signal these insects to start hunting for food and lodgings. They will use pipes, your foundation, cracks, vents in the attic, and even telephone lines and electrical wiring to reach those goals, in numbers and over considerable distance. The two greatest tells of carpenter ant infestations are rustling within wooden objects and the presence of shavings beneath wood. These are best handled like any other ant colony. Remove traces of food and hire an exterminator.

Termites

Spring and rains are the two key motivators of termite activity. Termite infestations have some common elements with carpenter ant infestations but also cause sagging or crumbling of wooden structures, mud tubes along building exteriors, and clusters of winged bugs or abandoned wings. Use poisonous chemical baits to attract and end them.

Rats

Rats are serious health hazards because they leave trails of urine wherever they scurry; bites are not the only way rats disease humans. The best way to prevent rats is to watch for quarter-sized holes along your home's exterior, use metal weather stripping to cover gaps under your doors, and keep your garbage cans closed. If you suspect you have a colony skulking within your home, contact an exterminator for a swift and permanent end.

Remember that while spring brings new life to the planet, you need to remain vigilant for pests. Rats and mosquitoes pose serious health hazards, while carpenter ants and termites pose serious damage to your home or business. Take precautions to stop them from showing up and understand that the problem is usually too large to tackle on your own if you notice several of them within the building.

8 Hidden Health Hazards Lurking in Your Home

Home is often associated with comfort and rest. It is a place where we get to unwind and feel safe. However, making your home a safe environment for everyone requires some work. There are hidden hazards that may cause harm to your family, and these need to be assessed and addressed. 

Safety should be the utmost priority, and it requires some work on your side. Fortunately, many of these are easy to manage and are fixable. 

Radon

It is a radioactive gas that naturally occurs thorium, uranium, or radium breaks down in soil or groundwater. We are exposed to it, but this becomes a hazard when the gas enters into cracks or holes in your home, and you are inhaling a high level of radon.

This gas increases the risk of lung cancer when exposed for an extended period. You may not notice its presence because it is odorless and colorless. This can be avoided by checking the level of radon through a testing kit. Improving ventilation can reduce the amount of radon indoors, but you’ll need professional help to eliminate it.

Asbestos

Another natural fiber, asbestos, is commonly found in construction materials, textiles, and insulation. It is durable and can withstand high temperatures. In general, asbestos is safe to use. However, it becomes a health hazard when the asbestos-containing material crumbles or is friable.

When the asbestos material is in a poor state, a simple movement releases dust particles into the air. When handled poorly, you might inhale the dust particles and damage your lungs. These particles can stay in the air for a while. 

You need to get rid of asbestos fast because there are common diseases associated with asbestos inhalation, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. 

Molds

If you notice a musty odor around the house, there might be mold growth in the area. Excess moisture promotes the growth of molds, which might indicate water leaks in the house. 

Mold is a type of fungus that can irritate the nose, throat, and lungs. Its presence in the house can trigger respiratory problems, especially those suffering from asthma and allergies. Infants, the elderly, and people who are immunocompromised are susceptible. 

You can check for molds in the kitchen, under the sink, in your shower curtains, or basement. Mold in small amounts is harmless, but the spores being released in the air can harm everyone in the house when it is significant. 

You can control the growth of mold in the house by getting a dehumidifier in damp areas, keeping every area clean and dry, fixing any leakage and improving ventilation, controlling humidity, and making sure the house is warm during the cold season by adding insulation or heater. 

Carbon Monoxide

If you have kerosene heaters, gas stoves, a fireplace, wood stoves, or any gas equipment at home, you need to be careful with carbon monoxide poisoning. The gas is odorless and colorless making it dangerous because you wouldn’t notice you’re being exposed to it. 

Homes with poor ventilation are at high risk for carbon monoxide poisoning—headaches, weakness, dizziness, vomiting, and chest pain. If you inhale a large amount of these toxic fumes, you can pass out. Those who are sleeping or drunk can die of carbon monoxide poisoning without them even noticing it.

If you have equipment that uses gas, make sure to have proper ventilation. Install CO detector, purchase equipment certified by the appropriate agency, and hire licensed technicians to do yearly maintenance on your gas equipment. 

Lint

Removing lint from your dryer can keep your home safe. There are many benefits in keeping your dryer clean, like reducing electricity consumption, drying the clothes faster, and most importantly, preventing fire risk.

Lint is flammable, and the dryer produces heat which can create potential fire. Aside from fire, it also promotes mold and mildew growth because it can increase humidity around the vent. Clean the lint trap after every load. For hard to remove lint, soak the lint trap in hot water and brush gently. 

Dust mites

Your furniture, carpet, and bed can harbor dust mites. These hard to see, microscopic creatures love dead skin cells and hair. The bug is a potential allergen and can trigger the immune system to react. Those with asthma and sensitivity to insect bites are prone to dust mites. Those who are allergic will experience a runny nose, watery eyes, and difficulty breathing. 

Lead

If you are living in an old home, you might want to check for the presence of lead. There might be a chance that the lead is hiding behind a few coats on your wall. Children are at the most at risk for lead poisoning and this can lead to severe complications.

Lead poisoning signs are developmental delay, irritability, loss of appetite, hearing loss, seizures, abdominal pain, and vomiting. You can get a lead testing kit to make sure your home is safe. 

Household cleaners

A prevalent health risk at home is household cleaners. When poorly stored and used, it can irritate the eyes, mouth, and nose. Others are volatile chemicals that can cause serious health problems, such as bleach and ammonia. 

Store these chemicals safely away from the children, read and follow instructions, avoid mixing chemicals and reduce the use of harmful chemicals by substituting them with natural ingredients. 

Be proactive when ensuring the safety of your home. Follow guidelines and research for information that can help keep your home free from health hazards.