Interior Painting Tips for New Homeowners

Now that you’ve purchased a house, you want to make it feel like your own. One of the most satisfying ways to completely change the look and experience inside a home is to update the paint. Here are some interior painting tips for new homeowners to ensure you get the best look possible.

Try Samples Before Choosing

Picking up swatches at the home improvement store is one thing, but you can also get paint samples to try out. As helpful as it is to picture certain paint colors in a room, the only way to know for sure whether a color is right is to try it out. Paint a large square of each of your sample colors, and view them at different times of day to see how the paint looks in varying qualities of light.

Prepare the Surface

Before you paint your walls, you’ll need to prepare them for painting to ensure the best results. First, dust your walls with a damp rag, and wait for them to air dry. Next, remove outlet covers and any smoke detectors on the walls. Cover vents with painter’s tape, and use painter’s tape to attach tarps to your floor.

If there are any holes in your walls, fill them with spackling and wait for the spackle to dry. Then, sand the spackling until it sits flush with the rest of the wall. Now you’re ready to break out the brushes and rollers!

Know Design Trends

Whether you follow them or not, it’s good to know current design trends to help generate ideas. Right now, there’s a movement toward bold interior paint colors, along with eye-catching accent walls. Search the web for homes that have followed trends to see if they feel right for your house. If you think you’ll ever sell your home, sticking with trends can generate interest from buyers!

Now that you know these interior painting tips for new homeowners, make your house look exactly how you want it to and wow your friends with a sleek new design.

Different Ways To Keep Your Home Heated This Winter

The summer has come to an end, and the cold weather of the fall and winter seasons is beginning to loom. This may come with some dread if your home isn’t properly outfitted with a heating system, or perhaps if its central heating system is outdated. To help you stay nice and warm, here are some different ways to keep your home heated this winter.

Refurbish Window Seals

Drafty doors and windows are typically problems in older homes because of the wear and tear that happens with time. Before the harsh cold of winter comes, use the fall season to re-caulk your windows and seal up any cracks in the doors to prevent heat from escaping your home and drafts from entering. Cranking up the thermostat to compensate for lost heat will cost you a lot more money and use up a lot more energy. Always start here when you’re considering the different ways to keep your home heated this winter.

Install Baseboard Heaters

Baseboard heaters are much safer, more effective, and cheaper than older central heating systems. Baseboard heaters are also much more subtle than radiators while still capable of evenly heating a room. They also use far less energy than other heating systems. They’re easy to maintain, too, typically only requiring you to remove the baseboard cover and clean the heater of dust once a year.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Whatever system you’re using for heat, installing a programmable thermostat is another great way to keep your heating system much more energy efficient. This will allow you to preset temperatures for different times of the day so that you don’t have to worry about adjusting the temperature yourself. You’ll see a noticeable difference in your energy bills when your heating system isn’t operating at the same temperature around the clock.

4 Things to Think About When Rewiring Your House

When it comes to home renovations and upgrade, ensuring top-quality electrical work is never a concern to be taken lightly. From eliminating potential safety hazards to future-proofing your next home upgrade, you would do well to address the following concerns before you begin rewiring your home.

Safety

Working with electricity can be extremely dangerous, especially for those who lack the proper tools or training. Handing the job over to a licensed and experienced professional can often be the best way to deal with the situation. Should you have any doubts or reservations about your ability to rewire your home, you would be wise to contact a professional.

Following that, the first thing you should do when it comes to electrical safety is turn the power off. Do not turn the power back on until you’re finished. After that, it’s a matter of making sure you have the correct tools for the specific job you’re undertaking and an understanding of what you’re trying to do. Deteriorated or fraying wires should warrant the most attention, as their state leaves live wires exposed. You should also be sure to not overload your fuse box, as this will automatically shut off the power.

Ensuring All Work Is up to Code

Work that fails to meet local building codes can lead to no end of problems. In addition to being a potential fire and safety hazard, substandard electrical work could damage appliances and electrical equipment or force you to deal with costly repairs and additional upgrades in order to correct the problem. Doing business with professionals who offer a full range of residential electrical services needed to complete your next home upgrade can provide you with superior results as well as peace of mind.

Using Quality Equipment and Electrical Components

Trying to save on costs by purchasing poor-quality wiring, fixtures, and other electrical components could end up being more costly in the long run. Working with equipment that may wear out prematurely or installing appliances and electrical devices that are unable to provide the features, performance, and level of dependability you require is a misstep that you may soon come to regret.

Planning for Future Upgrades and Home Renovations

Fixing up an older property or turning your existing residence into the home of your dreams can often be a long-term project. Spending a little extra time, effort, and expense to future-proof your next renovation can spare you the added costs and headaches of having to duplicate your work and efforts in the days ahead. Additional redundancy, a modular wiring scheme, or electrical components that can easily be built upon or added to should the need arise may be able to provide you with greater value.

Rewiring a home can be a crucial aspect of any home expansion, renovation, or modernization project. Careful planning, access to the full range of equipment and resources you may need, as well knowing which issues or concerns may benefit from a little extra attention can all help to ensure the work goes as smoothly as possible.

Tips for Picking the Right Tree for Your Yard

One of the best ways to spruce up your landscape is to plant a tree. The trick is to find one that fits your space, will thrive in your climate, and suits your needs. Whether you want something decorative, something that provides your yard with much-needed shade, or something that produces fruit, you have a plethora of options. Start your search with our tips for picking the right tree for your yard.

Pick One That Suits Your Location

As with any plant, some trees grow best in specific regions. Pecan trees grow well in southern climates, while apple trees grow well in northern climates. When choosing a tree, make sure you check its USDA growing zone and ensure it’s compatible with yours.

In addition to climate, you want to consider the area in which the tree will grow. Some trees do better in sheltered areas, while others do better with full exposure, such as on a hilltop. Other trees, such as pecan trees, grow to be enormous and, therefore, need lots of space to thrive.

Determine Your Needs

Do you need your tree to provide privacy or shade a play space for the kids? Perhaps you’re looking for a tree that burns a bright yellow, orange, or red in the fall or flowers in the spring. Knowing what role you’d like your tree to play in your yard will help you choose the right tree for your space.

Consider Your Space

Trees can be messy. They can drop twigs, leaves, fruit, or seeds at any time—especially after a big storm. If you have small children, fruit-producing walnut trees can pose a hazard. They can also be frustrating when it comes time to mow the lawn. If you’re planting a tree or two around a pool, know that you’ll be raking out leaves and twigs all summer long. Also, you’ll need to ensure that you don’t plant your tree near powerlines.

Consider the Season

Last up on our tips for picking the right tree for your yard is the season in which you’re purchasing the tree. You can plant some trees late in the fall, while others you should wait until spring. Do some research on your tree of choice before making the investment—this way, you’ll plant your tree at the right time and set it up to thrive.