Winter Safety Precautions to Protect Your Family and Finances

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Winter is here, which means it’s time to brace yourself for the temperature drops. In addition to getting used to the colder climate for a season, it’s also a time of more accidents and potential damage to your home.

Luckily, you can get ahead of those winter hiccups. Here’s how some simple winter preparations can save you and your family from costly repairs in the future.

Remember Car Maintenance

When it gets cold and icy out, cars have a higher chance of sliding or crashing into someone else. If you live somewhere that gets extremely cold or snows frequently, you should have your car inspected and maintained to the best of your ability. If you’re on a tight budget, at least invest in tire repair services. Durable tires are an important part of driving during the winter. When roads are covered in ice, it’s important that your car has plenty of traction when making tight turns. Tires that have deteriorated could cause your car to slide and cause an accident.

If you can afford to do more, have your brakes checked. You should also keep an emergency kit in your car in case your car stalls or breaks down. Common items to include are jumper cables, blankets, water, warm clothes, and nonperishable food items.

Seal your openings

Winter months typically mean higher heating bills, especially if your windows and doors aren’t properly insulated. Regularly dealing with drafts can expose you and your children to the cold air which can compromise your immune system. If you have older windows and can’t replace them, there are weather insulation kits you can purchase from the store as a temporary fix. Preventing cold air from entering your house will also reduce the need of running your heating system for an extended period of time.

Prepare your water pipes

A general rule is that if you live in temperatures that are 28 or lower, you should take precautions to protect your water pipes. If your pipes freeze, they can cut off your water supply. In severe cases, your plastic or metal pipes can burst and cause a myriad of damage. Water leakage can cause moisture to accumulate and may even cause mold to grow over time.

Certain areas like basements, crawl spaces, and garages are even more susceptible to damaged pipes because they don't get as much attention as common areas like your living room and bedrooms. Therefore, be sure to have them properly insulated before the temperatures drop too low to keep your water supply flowing and save you money on future water damage.

Winter months come with more than snowmen and hot chocolate. As a homeowner, you have to practice preventative care in colder climates. Simple tasks like preparing your windows, servicing your tires, and insulting your water pipes will keep both your home and family safe. Who knows, you may be able to finance a family outing with the money you save by prepping for the cooler weather.

Guest Post - Office Kitchen Design Tips

Designing an office space involves many aspects. While you have to ensure desks are set to promote productivity, you also want to include a space for relaxing and collaboration. That’s where the kitchen comes in. The ultimate office kitchen is functional and stylish, creating a friendly space for employees to eat together and rest. If you’re planning to develop an office kitchen space soon, follow these design tips to get started. 

Avoid The Open Plan Kitchen Design

While most homes have an open-plan kitchen, the office could be different. Smells, dirty dishes, and disorganized counters have no place in an office setting. Not only will this affect productivity, but it also sets the wrong image to visitors and clients. Ideally, you want the kitchen to be a separate area that only employees can access. 

Prioritize Functionality 

Having a counter that is easy to clean and stain-resistant might be expensive at first sight, but it should not be taken lightly in the long run. If you don’t have a dishwasher, is your kitchen large enough for a couple of people to wash their dishes? Also, storage is a must. For you and your employees too. Having enough space to store cutlery and containers can make any kitchen upgrade more. More than anything, your office kitchen needs to be functional and practical. 

Think About How The Space Will Be Used

Your employees don’t enjoy eating at their desks unless they are doing something; they need an area to go and rest. Having a kitchen created with enough space for your employees will be the best way to thank them for their work when they are at the office. Mix up different seating areas and tables to make sure everyone fits. Use the counter if you have to pull some high stools for to-go people that want to grab a quick bite.

Add a Coffee Station

A coffee maker is everyone’s best friend in an office. Investing in a good coffee machine is always accepted by everyone, including yourself probably. Having decaf and regular coffee to keep employees happy will make their work lives more manageable. Even if your kitchen space is small, a coffee station will add visual interest to the room that’s also functional. 

All these tips help you with our budget but help maintain a good work environment as happy employees make equally happy customers. These tips can help you transform any room into a great office kitchen you and your employees will enjoy.

Geraldine Orentas is a writer from Happy Writers, Co.

When Is It a Good Idea to Remodel Your Kitchen?

You may have been thinking about a kitchen remodel for some time. Or you may have just purchased a used home and feel like sprucing up the kitchen is a great way to either make it feel like your own or increase the homes value. Here are a few indications that now is the right time for you to remodel your kitchen.

Eliminate Inconvenience and Improve Functionality

You want your kitchen to function in a way that meets your needs. If your kitchen has an awkward layout or is too small, it can make any necessary or enjoyable task feel frustrating and like a chore. For example, if someone uses the refrigerator, maybe you cannot open cabinets. An awkward layout could also mean that you don’t have enough counter space to prepare meals. If this is the case, remodeling your kitchen could allow you to add storage space. You could reconfigure the space by including an island. You may install smaller appliances or make better use of the space by including a storage pantry area.

Your Family’s Needs Have Changed

A kitchen remodeling project can help turn your kitchen into a space that fits your family’s needs. Your family may have grown since you bought or built your house, so you need more space for everyone to move around or a larger table for everyone to eat together. You may want to add more counter space to your kitchen so that your children can use it as a place to do hobbies and homework. Whatever your family’s current needs are, a kitchen remodel could fill them.

Your Style Has Changed

Walking into your kitchen should not make you cringe. You should not feel like you traveled back in time because your kitchen looks outdated.

People tend to spend a lot of time in their kitchen. You deserve to have a place where you want to spend time. Remodeling your kitchen can help turn your kitchen into a comfortable space. This means creating pleasant surroundings that match your style. It could be simply changing the colors in the kitchen, getting some updated appliances, adding attractive backsplash tiles, or changing the linoleum floor for a hardwood floor. It is surprising how much a simple tweak can change a gloomy kitchen into something vibrant and contemporary.

You will be spending a lot of time in your kitchen. Make sure it is a place that is functional and meets your family's current and future needs.

How to Organize a Basement Area for Maximum Storage

Many basements are used to store waste. As a result, clutter forms over time. While a basement can serve as a great storage space, most basements are not designed to be dumping grounds.

Many people will store their gym equipment, old furniture, and other unused items in their basements and then forget about them.  A properly maintained basement will last longer and will not attract pests that can make your living situation unpleasant.

Here, our focus will be on how you can organize your basement area for maximum storage.

Steps to Organize Your Basement

When you clean and organize your basement space, you are triggering a reset of the room. While you go through your basement, you will encounter many items that you have not used for months or even years.

Clutter is something that should be avoided. Clutter takes up space and makes it hard to navigate a room. Clutter will also attract dust and pests and may even rot, depending on the housed items.

A junk removal service may be of service. Simply call or email a junk removal company in your area. They will pick up any unwanted items and recycle, donate, or dispose of your unwanted basement items.

By donating items you no longer use, you will essentially be giving them a new lease on life.

Create a Master Plan

Before you tackle your basement, you should create a master plan. Your master plan will help you in the decluttering process by saving you time and stress. Efficiency is the name of the game.

Create a realistic schedule for the project. Create a deadline and stick to it.  Factor in time for breaks, meals, and other projects to avoid burnout.

You can take advantage of long weekends and the holidays to take care of business. Friends and family can also be asked to volunteer their time to expedite the process.

Declutter Your Basement

It is now time to declutter your basement and bring your master plan to fruition.  It may help to sort unwanted items together. The condition and size of your basement will either make your organizational challenge easier or more difficult.

The decluttering process may prove daunting, so try and take frequent breaks to reduce your stress. Old furniture and other obsolete items should be thrown out or donated to a local charity.

Some items that are worn but still functional can be refurbished. They can then be donated to the less fortunate, or they can even be sold. You can try selling unwanted items on local classified websites or online auction websites to make some money.

Plan Your Basement Storage Area

If you want to make the most of your basement space, you need to plan ahead of time. Sturdy shelving is very important. The items you plan to store should be carefully measured beforehand to ensure adequate shelf storage for them.

If you wish to build your shelves, you should use plywood that is paintable and 2x4 studs. Also, do not place heavy items on the topmost shelf, as you may injure your back when you try to remove them for future use.

If you have several storage areas, then specific areas should be set aside for certain items. You may also want to add large labels to boxes or containers, as doing so will make it easier for you to identify items in the future.

Moreover, using plastic bins will also make it easier to see what is inside them. Airtight lids can help certain items last longer and prevent bugs and other pests from accessing them. However, certain items, such as clothing, should not be stored in airtight containers.

Clothing requires ventilation. If you would rather use cardboard boxes to store your clothing, then avoid stacking them so that they will have sufficient air circulation.

In addition, if you have sewing equipment, then they can be stored using pegboards. You can opt for magnetic systems to store tools. 

If you also use your basement as a rec room, you can save some space and make your basement appear more modern by installing a wall system with baskets that slide in and out.

You should also look under the stairs to see if there is sufficient space for storage. If your budget allows for it, you can also look into adding a few built-in cabinets to further expand your home’s storage capacity.

Groundwater is also a possible issue, depending on where you live. If you have valuables that you need to protect from groundwater, then you should try to keep them off the floor if possible.

You can make tracks on the ceiling by fabricating a basic flange system. All you will need is some basic framing material to make it.

Then, store your items in Tupperware containers and hang them in the flange system to expand your home’s storage capacity further. Use your basement’s ceiling as an additional storage unit.

Taking the First Step

Decluttering a basement and maximizing its storage capacity will take some planning. The basement accessories that you use should help prevent moisture damage and should provide optimal ventilation.

Maximal access is also a must, as you will need to access your basement now and then without feeling claustrophobic or possibly injuring yourself. Metal cabinetry and shelving are also superior to wood-based storage solutions, as most basements are vulnerable to dampness.

Cardboard boxes should also be used as a last resort. Instead, try to use plastic bins whenever possible to help protect your valuables from damage.

A junk removal company can also be of use if you have many items in your basement that you wish to throw out, recycle, or donate without having to handle all of the work yourself.

Source:

37 Basement Storage Ideas And 9 Organizing Tips - DigsDigs