Guest Post - Are Foundations Waterproof? What to Do After a Flood

Have you been flooded recently? Flooding can cause serious damage to your foundation, and it's important to deal with the aftermath as soon as possible to minimize your risk of future problems. Use these tips to repair your home after flooding and ensure your home's safety and stability long-term.

Are Foundations Waterproof?

After a flood, many homes are damaged by the water. If your foundation was affected, call on a professional to help you with repairs or restoration. While foundations often seem waterproof on their own, flooding can cause substantial damage. In some cases, professional foundation repair is required to prevent further damage and to ensure your home’s safety in future floods.

Seek Immediate Professional Help

After a flood, it's important to seek help immediately. Flooding can cause serious damage if your home is affected. Call your insurance company and contractor immediately, then contact friends or family who live outside of flood zones to ask for temporary shelter.

Decide If Major Repairs Are Needed or If Rebuilding is Better

If there is severe damage and your foundation needs major repairs, a contractor will need to examine your home and determine if it needs to be completely rebuilt. If it has flooded more than once, you may have a harder time selling your home in a seller’s market, so you may want to consider rebuilding instead of repairing it. In any case, contact a local foundation company with experience in these matters before proceeding.

Remove All Water From the Property

An important first step after a flood is to remove all standing water. When you do that, you prevent mold and mildew from growing. If there’s any standing water on your property, mop it up with sponges or towels. Be careful not to use your bare hands as bacteria can become trapped under your fingernails. For any areas where there is still standing water on surfaces like wood floors or countertops, carefully pour buckets of clean water over those spots until they are completely dry.

Determine What is Wasting Away

The next step after a flood is to figure out what is damaged beyond repair. After a flood, go through each room of your home and mark items that are damaged or that you can't use anymore. These items should be discarded or repaired if possible to avoid having unnecessary clutter in your home after repairs have been made.

Flooding can wreak havoc on your home, damaging everything from your walls to your basement to the foundation of your house itself. Use this guide to fix your home's foundation after flooding.

About the Author

Anica is a professional content and copywriter who graduated from the University of San Francisco. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she's used to putting things to a vote. She recommends Atlas Master Co when it comes to foundation repair.

The Pros of a Xeriscaped Garden

Xeriscaping is all about selecting the right plants that can thrive in your landscape with very little water. This method of gardening continues to grow more and more popular as people discover its benefits.

Xeriscaping originates from the 1980's when people employed this landscaping technique to survive ongoing droughts across the Western U.S. 

In Latin, the word ‘xero’ means dry and ‘scape’ refers to a view or landscape. People have been planting specific plants to match their climate since the beginning of time. Explore the different xeriscape garden design ideas to create the perfect garden:

The Benefits of Xeriscaping 

These include:

• The first and most obvious pro of xeriscaping is that it helps conserve water

• In addition, as compared to traditional gardening, xeriscaping helps cut down annual costs and labor required 

• Most xeriscape designs help you highlight native plants that can thrive in your garden with minimal care

• Plants in a xeriscape garden require little to no fertilizers. Once established, these plants will do well on their own 

The Top 2 Xeriscape Garden Designs 

Here’s how you can create an attractive yet conscious garden: 

Pine Bark Mulch 

Mulch is an effective way of conserving moisture, as well as reducing weed growth. Some mulches contain pesticides, chemical dyes, and herbicides that, in the long run, can harm wildlife and soil ecology.  

On the flip side, natural mulch like cedar or pine bark is a great way to keep insects away and enrich your soil. 

Lawn Alternatives

Green lawn maintenance requires a lot of water. This is why areas prone to ongoing seasons of drought hesitate to create a lawn landscape. 

Invest in lawn alternatives like walkways with gravel, small patio areas with pavers, or Zen gardens with planters, sand, and stones. You may even create ‘carpeted’ areas with low, soft ground covers like sweet woodruff, creeping thyme, or low growing sedum.

In the infographic below by HomeCity, we take a closer look at the best, most stunning xeriscape design ideas. Share your journey towards creating a xeriscape garden in your real estate in Texas to connect with like minded people.  

Guest Post - Get To Work! How To Make Your Home Office Space a Huge Selling Point

There are some things that are more important than money, and an office is one of them. It is the first impression your potential clients will get of you, your personality, and your professionalism. It’s a place where you can work more efficiently, eliminate distractions from your daily life, and have the peace of mind that comes from being able to ignore your home.

In this article I am going to explain all of these benefits and show you how setting up a space in your home for an office can make a significant difference in the quality of your work. Space will give you that little extra boost that makes it easier for you to keep going on those long writing days or those occasional slow weeks. It will elevate your business to a higher level, giving you more credibility and allowing you to focus more of your energy on the people who matter most.

The Benefits of Designing an Office in Your Home

No distractions. I have already mentioned it but it is worth mentioning again. A home office offers you the ability to work free from external distractions, something that is hard to get in an outside environment. I mean, can your office prevent your kids from charging in? Can you avoid your spouse coming in and chatting with you about weekend plans while you are trying to get an article out? The answer is no. That’s not to say a home office doesn’t have its own distractions, however. These include frequently empty coffee mugs and dirty laundry piles. But if you have a nice neat little space, that’s kept well organized,  the distractions are minimal.

Peace of mind. I don’t know about you but, when my job is on the line, I am not really too worried about hanging out at the park. For many freelancers or people who work from home, that same mentality carries over into their home life. When things go sour they are there to pick up the slack and help out. Sometimes this is a good thing, but if you’re not organized you can find yourself in a situation where you have too much work to do and no idea how to start. Having an office in the same space as the rest of your life opens up that solution.

Better work efficiency. A lot of professional writers or freelancers rely on coffee, or possibly energy drinks, to get them through the day. This may be okay for some people but can gradually damage your overall health if you’re not careful. If you want to get more out of your workday try getting in some physical activity. Take a break for ten minutes and go for a walk, or grab your bike. On days when you need extra energy, grab something that will keep you alert throughout the day.

Have an open space where people can drop by. No office is complete without having people drop by unannounced. In fact, it’s a part of many industries. When you have a space that is available for you to work in without being disturbed by people, you can get a lot more done. And if someone does come by, the sense of freedom and freedom from distractions is enough to get them hooked so they will want to come back.

Convenience. If you have a place where you can work at home, chances are you won’t need to travel for long periods of time. Or at least you can avoid busy roads and crazy traffic. That is a benefit that is hard to ignore especially if you have a family.

Create a dedicated space with a designated entrance. A great way to really get your home office up and running is by creating a spot where people can enter your office without going through the rest of your house. This can even help to designate you as having a home office, which will allow you to save on taxes if it applies. At the same time, you can also create an area where clients or potential clients can come by for appointments.

Avoid distractions. Keep your workspace separate from other spaces in your home so that you can avoid interruptions and distractions. If other people are nearby they will just feel more inclined to talk with you or drop by.

Create a wired environment. Residential WiFi can be spotty at best, but if you have an internet connection you will be able to work more efficiently. You can cut out the middle man and deal with fast, reliable networks that eliminate all that waiting for the network to load stuff. This means you can get more done in less time because you won’t have to wait long periods of time for your research or writing materials to load up throughout your day.

Keep your office in the center of the house. With the internet, it is best to have your office in the center or hub of your house. This will reduce or eliminate the need for wires to travel into every room in the house. Working from home can be an alternative to working outside, but it can also be a place where you are productive while you are relaxing at home.

Combine your office with a sitting room. You can also combine your office space with a sitting or sitting/dining room so that you have a listening area as well as somewhere to do your writing. This would be ideal if you have clients who might want to offer feedback on an article, for example.

Have space for computers and other tools. Another good idea is to create a place where you can put all of your computer and work supplies.

About the Author

Joey Miller

Author at Geaves Surfaces

This article was written by Joey Miller from Geaves Surfaces, a commercial & retail design company in the UK.

Reasons You Should Rent A Storage Unit

A storage unit is where you can store belongings that don’t fit in your house or apartment, and it’s a great option for those with limited space to work with. Even with the monthly fee, it’s worth it because you have all your stuff and the space at home to spread out. There are several reasons you should rent a storage unit.

Less Stressful Move

One of the reasons that people opt to use a storage unit is because they are in the process of moving. Having a rental unit means that you don’t have to worry about getting all of your stuff into your new place immediately, especially if you’re moving out and can’t immediately move into your new place. Owning a storage unit means your belongings are kept safe until you’re ready for them.

You Want to Get Organized

Storage spaces are not just for people who are moving. They are also for people who want to get their homes clean and organized. If you have a separate place to put your extra belongings, then it will be easier for you to get organized. Storage space will also provide you with a place to keep your seasonal items that isn’t in the attic or garage where they could get buried.

Store Your RV

You don't want to keep your RV in a driveway. Not only is it an eyesore, but you may not have enough room for your regular vehicle. A storage unit can be used for RV storage, meaning there will be plenty of space for everything.

Keep Your Business Organized

A storage space isn't just for your home. You can also use it for your business. Keeping your business organized will make it easier for you to run it. Any type of business can benefit from having a storage space. However, salespeople, antique dealers, carpenters, and antique dealers are examples of some of the specific businesses that can benefit from a storage space.

Help Renovate Your Home

Just like if you were moving, if you are renovating your home then you can only benefit from having extra storage space. That way your belongings are safe and stashed away long before any walls get torn down or paint comes out. It will also be a lot easier for the people in charge of working on your house if your belongings are out of the way.

You may want to rent a storage unit if you need space for your belongings. If you are moving, then it will not be as stressful for you. It will also be easier for you to get organized. You can store your RV in your unit. You will have an easier time keeping your business organized. Furthermore, it will be easier for you to renovate your home.