In-Ground Pools vs. Above-Ground Pools

While you can always head to a local pool to cool off on a hot summer day, nothing beats having your own pool to swim in and lounge around with friends and family. If you've decided to get your own pool, you're now trying to decide whether you should get an in-ground pool or one that is above-ground. Since both have advantages and disadvantages, here are some tips that might make your decision easier.

Cost Variations

As you would expect, there are wide cost variations between in-ground and above-ground pools. For an in-ground pool that's 12x24 and includes a safety fence, retractable cover, and concrete apron, you can plan on spending about $32,000. Should you opt for other features like diving boards and sloped entries, costs could go as high as $70,000. If this is too much for your budget, an above-ground pool of similar size and amenities may only cost about $10,000.

Installation

Typically, for above-ground pools, transporting the pool and getting it installed where you want it is going to get handled by experts. However, if you are a seasoned DIY person who likes tackling home projects, chances are you and some family members or friends can install an above-ground pool yourself in about three days. If you have questions or don't have the experience and tools needed for such a job, leave above ground pool installation to the experts. That way all of the equipment and needed hardware are installed properly. 

Should you want an in-ground pool for your home, this will require extensive excavation and likely take weeks to finish and you should turn this job over to professional installers. In addition to the excavation, the cement, sealing, and tiles is an extensive job that needs to be done perfectly for it to last. This makes it incredibly important to work with a company that specializes in pools with a record of successful installations.

Adding Value to Your Home

Like most home improvement projects you've had done over the years, one of your goals was to add value to your home, which can be important should you decide at some point to sell. An in-ground pool can be a great way to add value. Often viewed by prospective buyers as a status symbol, an in-ground pool will add several thousand dollars of value to your home, especially if your pool has an elaborate design and has numerous features. Unfortunately, if you get an above-ground pool, this generally adds little to no extra value to your home. There are some ways to make the above pool seem more luxurious and attractive to help drive value but even the most elite features won’t compare to an in-ground pool when it comes to selling your home.

Pool Maintenance

Ensuring that your pool is properly maintained is essential. Filtering, cleaning, and maintaining your pool’s chemical balance are all tasks you’ll have to perform no matter which type of pool you choose. The time and frequency of needing to complete maintenance tasks are also similar between in-ground and above-ground pools. In terms of maintaining the structure of the pool itself, in-ground pools have the advantage of generally being more durable and longer-lasting. That being said, both pools will eventually require these kinds of repairs. In addition, the repairs of both the in-ground and above-ground repairs will eventually lead to the pool being replaced so consider that when considering how long you intend to live in your home with the pool. 

Safety Issues to Consider

In-ground pools are usually not a great option for people with small children and pets. Unless your pool has a fence with a locked gate around it, you run the risk of your kids or animals falling into the pool and potentially drowning. In fact, well more than half of all accidental drownings occur in in-ground pools. Of course, drownings can also occur in an above-ground pool. Nonetheless, above-ground pools are statistically far safer, which is definitely something you’ll want to keep in mind when making your decision.

No matter which type of pool you choose for your home, it will be a source of fun and relaxation on the hottest of summer days.

Renovations 101: How To Replace A Toilet

Whether you've decided to give your bathroom a big makeover or just happen to have a toilet that is no longer working properly, replacing it may feel like a daunting task. However, it's actually one of the easier DIY plumbing projects you can undertake. If you're willing to give it a try, here's how to replace your toilet.

Get Rid of the Water

To start, turn off the water to the toilet and flush the tank. If your tank is full, then this process may require a few flushes before you get to the point that flushing doesn’t get rid of water. At this point, you’ll need to soak up the remaining water. Many people choose to use towels and sponges but professionals may use a water pump to go from the tank directly to the toilet bowl, at which point one last flush should do the trick.

After you've soaked up any remaining water in the tank, you will likely want to clean the toilet. That way as you are removing it, you don’t have to worry about handling a dirty toilet. 

Disconnect All of The Water Lines and Nuts

After you’re done cleaning it, then you can disconnect the water lines. Additionally, you can prep to move the old toilet by loosening the nuts and bolts holding the toilet bowl to the floor. Sometimes there will be a build-up of gunk on the bolts so you may need to clean the nuts and bolts before being able to unscrew them.

Remove the Old Toilet

This is the part of the process that often results in a damaged flang, which is needed for your new toilet. With that in mind, it may be ideal to recruit someone to help you lift it so you can lift it straight up and off of the hardware in the ground. When getting rid of your old toilet, look at your local regulations for how to dispose of it properly.

If you didn’t remove the tank beforehand, you should ask for assistance because it might be too heavy. Don’t put too much pressure on the tank bolts when lifting the toilet because excessive force can cause the toilet porcelain to crack. A pro tip after lifting the toilet is to put it inside a durable trash bag so that the remaining water will not drip on the floor. You can also opt to replace your old one with a compact toilet, which is perfect for small and cramped spaces.

Remove the Wax Ring and Old Wax

Now that the old toilet is set aside, remove the wax ring and old wax on the flange. Since wax rings can't be reused, you can take a putty knife to scrape off the old wax. To keep your tools or anything from falling in the drain, stuff a rag or towel inside. As an added bonus, this will also prevent foul-smelling sewer gases from filling your bathroom.

Fix the Flange

Once you remove your old toilet, chances are the flange may need some repair work. Fortunately, repair kits are readily available, and it's somewhat simple to do. Remember, the flange should be slightly higher than your floor. Otherwise, there may be rocking issues after the toilet is installed. 

If, for any reason, you aren't comfortable doing this repair or run into unexpected problems, contact a local professional for plumbing services and assistance. Though professionals can handle the entire toilet replacement, they may also be willing to answer any questions you may have as you are already going through the process.

Install New Closet Bolts and Wax Ring

When you're ready to install your new toilet, begin by installing new closet bolts on the ground around the flange where the slots are. These bolts are what will hold the toilet in place. At this step, you’ll also be adding the wax ring to the bottom of the toilet. The wax ring will be what seals the toilet plumbing to the piping. To make sure the wax ring seals properly to the toilet, run it under warm water for several minutes before placing it on the toilet.

Install and Secure the Toilet

Now that it's time to install the toilet. If you placed a towel in the drainpipe, then make sure you remove it before placing the toilet. Place the new toilet straight down on the flange and secure it by tightening a nut over each closet bolt. When placing it on the flange, set it down straight instead of rocking it into place. This part may require two people, so consider recruiting someone to help you lower the toilet in a controlled manner. 

Connect the Tank and Lines

Next, check the tank's valve assembly and connect the rubber gasket to the base of the toilet. You will set the tank on the bowl and secure it with its nuts and bolts. Once the tank is in place, you can connect the water lines and secure the valves.

Review the Connection Points and Check for Leaks

After everything is connected, make sure that you check all of the connection points for leaks. You can do this by slowly turning the water on. In addition to looking for leaks, you can feel for leaks with your fingers and listen for leaks with your ears. If you installed everything correctly, then you shouldn’t need to make any adjustments. However, it is worth checking every 5-10 minutes as the tank is filling to make sure it isn’t leaking and thus flooding your bathroom.

Install the Toilet Seat

Once the toilet and tank have been installed and the tank is full of water, then you can add the final touch - the toilet seat. Most seats have a screw that goes directly into the toilet base and then a plastic cover goes over the screws for a nice clean look.

While it may take some time, replacing your toilet may be easier than you anticipated. However, after you’ve done it once, it seems even easier to do for the rest of the bathrooms in your home.

How to Prep Your Home for Holidays This Year

There are certain times of the year you must prepare for. This is certainly true in regards to the winter holiday season. If you don’t get started early, you may be left scrambling with only days left and nothing to work with. This also holds true in regards to your home. Below are a few ways you can prep your home for the holidays this year.

Buy Decorations While They Are on Clearance

One of the most important parts of preparing a home for the Christmas season is decorating it. You can find all kinds of decorations in the clearance sections of stores, and they can be bought for a fraction of their original price. However, you shouldn’t wait until after Thanksgiving to shop for Christmas decorations. Traditionally, Christmas decorations go on sale the day after Christmas. Sometimes you can find things on sale in the days or weeks leading up to Christmas, but it’s a safer bet you’ll find something you love if you get started on next year’s decoration shopping the day after you’re done celebrating. Purchase your decorations for the upcoming Christmas season while these items are on sale and then place them into storage until they are needed after Thanksgiving.

Clean Out Your Gutters

Preparing for the winter holidays also, to no one’s surprise, means preparing for winter. One thing you must do to prepare your home for winter every year is to clean out your gutters and remove all the leaves, twigs, dirt, and gunk that has accumulated inside them since their last cleaning. If you don’t, ice dams could form on your roof. That, in turn, could lead to moisture damage inside your home as the snow on your roof melts.

Pump Your Septic Tank

The holidays are usually a time when you have family and friends over to visit. Many may, in fact, spend the night. If your home has a septic tank, you don’t want a nightmare scenario to happen in which it backs up. Your toilets may stop working, and human waste may be forced back into your house. Instead, it’s always a good idea to have a septic tank pumping performed by professionals before the winter season every other year.

Do A General Cleaning

The Gutters and your Septic Tank should rank high on your to-do list, but they shouldn’t be all you worry about getting clean. General cleaning of your entire house is a good idea no matter the season, but especially when preparing for the holidays. All the more so if you’re expecting company. Preparing the common areas in your homes, such as the living room or kitchen, will make these spaces ready and available to be used when celebrating gets underway.

Cleaning your house can also turn into clearing out your house as you make room for incoming gifts, decorations, and family members come Christmas Day. Getting your house clean before Christmas festivities get started will have you presenting a nice, beautiful home.

Prepare For Guests

Preparing your home for visitors can feel like a huge task all on it’s own. It would be a good idea to ready your guest room, or the living room, for your guests that are planning to stay overnight. This may mean providing extra toiletries, stocking up on more food, and preparing your home to handle small children if any are headed your way.

Install a Home Security System

Sadly, break-ins and burglaries do happen during the Holiday season. Criminals know that many families buy expensive Christmas presents and use the opportunity to break in and steal those gifts when they can. If you want your family to be safe during the holidays, certainly invest in a home security system. The mere existence of a home security system may be enough to ward off most would-be criminals.

Overall, don’t wait until it’s too late. Prepare for the holidays early. Part of those preparations should be prepping your house for winter and the company you will have over during the Christmas season. Doing things like pumping your septic tank and cleaning out your gutters may not be things you think of in connection to celebrating the holidays, but doing these things beforehand can save you a lot of trouble later on.

Making Sure Your Home Is Ready for the Winter

It is important to have your home ready to withstand the cold before winter arrives. This means ensuring areas around your house like the pipes are insulated, your gutters are clean, and your heating system is working.

Service Your HVAC

The ability to heat your home will make the cold winters more bearable. Your heater will be less likely to fail on you when you need it the most if it is serviced before the winter arrives and you’re not left shivering while you wait to get it fixed. Your hvac contractor will make sure that all of the components of the system are working properly. They will also perform basic maintenance, such as an air filter change.

Insulate the Pipes

Your pipes are prone to freezing any time the temperature dips below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Your pipes freezing means there’s a potential for them to burst, especially if you try to heat them back up too quickly. Insulating the pipes beforehand can prevent this, and save you the worry or hassle of figuring out what to do next. The most important ones for you to insulate are the ones that are in the crawl space, basement, or any area that does not receive a lot of heat.

Clean the Gutters

Clogged gutters have the potential to trap water and lead to ice damns. This can break your gutters and lead to damage for the rest of your house, such as the walls and roof. Before winter falls, either you or a professional should clean out your gutters and then keep an eye on them throughout the season.

Seal the Furnace Ducts

The furnace ducts can waste anywhere from 20 to 30 percent of the heated air that they transport. If your ducts are leaking, then your house won’t be able to heat adequately and you will never be able to get as comfortable as you want to be. Your energy bills can also increase due to the wasted heating.

You can prevent this by sealing the furnace ducts. You will not be able to seal all of the ducts because many of them are in places that you cannot reach, such as the ceilings, floors, and walls. However, you can seal the ones that are in the crawl space, garage, and basement. Talk to a contractor before you decide to seal the ducts. You may need to get a combustion safety test done first.

You should have your home prepared for the winter several weeks before the cold weather arrives. You can prepare for the winter by making sure that your HVAC system is working properly. You should also clean the gutters and seal the duct leaks. Additionally, you should make sure that your pipes are insulated to prevent them from freezing.