AUTUMN – PEOPLE

Excellent Advice On Taking Care Of Your Roof

There are few things in the world that can ruin a home more thoroughly than weather damage. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against the vagaries of the weather. As a responsible homeowner, you should know how to care for it. You’ll find some outstanding roofing advice presented here. Take a look and you may learn something really useful!

Since you’re going up on your roof anyway to do work, clean the gutters while you’re there. Sometimes a leak can actually be the result of backed-up gutters. Try cleaning them out and then hose down the roof – if the leak doesn’t reappear, you may have actually solved the problem.

If you are trying to pinpoint the exact point where your roof is leaking, you can spray it with a hose and see what areas create a problem. Do not try this method in the winter, because it is not safe to spray water on the roof while the temperature is very low.

Remember that the area on the ground, just beneath your roof, is going to take a bit of a beating as your roof is replaced. If you have flowers or other shrubbery in that area, it might get damaged. There may be nothing your roofer can do to prevent it from happening, so try to avoid assigning blame.

If you are trying to replace or repair a roof on your own, always take precautions. Make sure to wear rubber soled shoes that grip and consider using a harness too. In addition, ask a buddy to remain on the ground in case you need help. Working on a roof requires standing in uneven ways and moving around far above ground, so these precautions are necessary.

When hiring a roofing contractor, you should make sure that he/ she has the proper equipment. If they charge you for labor by the hour, but are doing your entire roof with a hammer instead of a compressed air nailer, you will end up paying much more than you should.

When looking around for roof insurance, there are some questions you need to ask a potential company. Exactly what does the insurance cost? Will rates ever go up? What does the insurance cover? These questions need to be asked prior to agreeing to purchase roof insurance to be sure you are getting the coverage you need.

If you want to know if you should replace your roof, you have to take its age into consideration. Most roofs have a lifespan of around 20 years. If your existing roof was put directly into an older one, you really do need to replace it.

Sometimes owning a home feels like a constant struggle against disrepair. You’ll find that struggle a lot less challenging if you have a strong, secure roof on your side! No matter how handy you are and how much you know about home repair, learning a little more always helps. Make good use of this article’s suggestions and keep your roof in tip-top condition.…

All The Help You Need To Maximize HVAC Success

An HVAC system failure is one of the most frustrating occurrences a homeowner can face, largely because they may not know the right person to call. However, by simply spending a bit of time learning about what to look for in a contractor, things can actually go rather smoothly. Continue reading to gain some helpful insights.

Be sure to get every quote or estimate in written form. You have no recourse on a verbal agreement, so a written contract is a must. This will allow you to follow up if something goes wrong or you don’t get what you were promised, protecting you from shady contractors.

Make sure the equipment you are buying is ENERGY STAR compliant. It may seem a small thing, but it isn’t. Products that are ENERGY STAR compliant can save you a lot of money in energy costs over the year. It can be over $100 easily, sometimes a lot more.

Ask for references and be sure to call them as well. You are dealing with a high ticket item here, so you’ll want to do your due diligence to make sure you are getting the best for your money. Ask for references, but don’t stop there. Call each reference to check. A lot of people don’t take that important last step.

In order to cheaply cool your home, turn the temperature up. If you take a few showers a day or just drink a cold ice water, you’ll find that you’re saving a lot of money on your utility bills by keeping the thermostat a little higher than usual in your home.

If you currently have a manual thermostat, consider installing a programmable one. You can set your system for different temperatures depending on time of day and if anyone is home. Also, you can set upper and lower temperature settings to allow for a comfortable range of temperatures so that heating and cooling don’t kick in when not needed.

Clean your filters! If you have a window unit air conditioner, there will be a filter right under the grill you can vacuum. If you have a furnace or outdoor units, they will also have filters to be cleaned or replace. A dirty filter can make your unit inefficient or even let it overheat.

Consider all of your alternatives before installing a central air conditioner. You can only cool certain rooms, use whole-house fans, or even make use of a geothermal system. The more efficient the system you set up, the less you’ll spend on utility bills over time as you use it.

Shop around before hiring an HVAC contractor. It is always wise to check their status with the BBB. In addition, check out customer reviews that appear online. Doing all of this will make sure you hire the best company for your HVAC needs.

It is tough to deny the fact that a failed HVAC system can wreak havoc in the life of any homeowner, particularly during times of extreme weather. Fortunately, there are things that can be done to mitigate the frustration experienced during such events. Using the advice presented above is a great way to stay prepared.…

How To Increase Your Crop Yields In Your Garden

Is store-bought produce a little bland for your tastes? Is produce from organic growers at farmer’s markets much too expensive? Read on to find out how you can stop relying on others for your fruits and vegetables, by building and maintaining your own home organic garden, full of delicious produce!

Vegetable oil can keep your trimmer running smoothly. If you find yourself stopping frequently to deal with trimmer line jams and breaks, get some cooking spray or vegetable oil out the next time you need to refill. Spray the trimmer line thoroughly before installing, and it will feed smoothly without breaking.

When deciding to take up gardening, it is important to study and know your geographical area. Some vegetation simply can’t survive a northern winter. Contrarily, some plants can’t survive a Texas summer. As such, it is important to know where you are and what the plants that you intend on growing can handle.

Fertilize the soil you are going to plant in three weeks before planting. By doing this, you are helping the soil improve its ability to retain nutrients and water, which are especially important for new plants. There are many fertilizers from which to choose at your local gardening store.

When you need to control weed growth, choose your weed killer carefully, and always follow the directions. Many weed killers have chemicals that are harmful to people if they are not applied properly. They are especially harmful to young children if the children play around an area that has recently been treated.

Are you wondering if you need to water your lawn? One good way to tell is to simply walk across it. If you can see your footprints, you have a thirsty yard. Every week, your lawn should be receiving up to one inch of water. If you live in an area where it doesn’t rain frequently, make sure to give your lawn the “footprint test” whenever you’re not sure if it’s had enough to drink.

When planting your vegetable garden you must keep in mind that some plants do not grow well together while others do. Remember that some plants cannot be planted next to each other, so you must avoid certain combinations. For example, broccoli cannot be planted next to tomato, and so on.

Did you know that a tablespoon of powdered milk sprinkled around your rose bushes early in the season can help to prevent fungus growth on your beautiful flowers later in the spring? If you prefer to use a spray, you might try diluting some skim milk and spraying the plant leaves. The lower fat content in skim milk reduces the chance that it will turn rancid.

Wear comfortable shoes and clothing when gardening. Never work in the garden in bare feet or sandals. Wear shoes that lace up and give good cushioning and arch support. If it is hot and sunny out, wear a hat to shade from the sun and clothes that will protect the skin from burning. The more comfortable you are, the more you will enjoy your garden.

Now that you’ve read these tips on building and maintaining your very own organic garden right in your back yard, why wait! Stop relying on stores and farmers to give you produce that you could be growing on your own property, grown with love and pesticide free! Build your organic garden today!…

Handle Your Plumbing Problems With These Tips

In plumbing, a lot of things can go the opposite of how you’d like them to go. While some things require little knowledge or effort to repair, others may seem impossible. Regardless of the exact issue, it is critical that you understand at least the basics of plumbing so that you can fix the problem or get it fixed in a very timely fashion.

Do not use the liquid cleaning supplies that are designed to clear clogs. These cleaners are harmful and can damage your pipes as they clear the clog. Instead of using damaging liquids, use a plunger or a plumbing snake. These are much more effective and will not harm pipes.

To prevent the pipes from freezing, it is advisable to seal off air vents, cracks and access doors. In order to keep the heat in and the cold out, you can try using insulation or caulk. In the event a leak occurs, make it a point to remind everyone where the master circuit breaker is so it can be shut off immediately.

Drain the sediment from the bottom of your hot water heater twice a year to keep the hot water heater working at its optimal levels. Simply open the drain valve and allow the water to run out into a bucket until the water runs clear. Then close the drain valve.

Set the temperature on your hot water heater to a temperature that does not exceed 120 degrees. This helps to save energy and prevents the water from becoming too hot and potentially scalding someone in your household. Older models that do not have a temperature setting should be set on Medium.

Find out the plumbing codes in your local area before starting any project. Plumbing codes can vary wildly from area to area and you don’t want to run afoul of the codes. Visit your local building department to find out information or hire a plumber for a day to help you go over your plans and provide advice.

If the hot water heater in your house is over ten years old, you should look at replacing it. Hot water heaters are very susceptible to corrosion on the bottom. This can lead to leaking and flooding whatever room it is in. Then not only will you have to replace it, but you’ll have to fix any damage caused by the leak.

Sometimes kitchen sinks can be clogged up due to a slow accumulation of solidified grease. One quick fix for this is to try pouring very hot grease down the sink, which will liquefy the grease clogging the drain and carry it down. Water won’t work, because grease will not dissolve in water.

In the winter months, if you live somewhere where temperatures fall below freezing, leave your faucets on a little bit to let a thin stream of water through. This will help prevent the pipes from freezing, which could be a major problem for you and all the pipes in your home.

As mentioned above, there are many problems your plumbing can have. These range from minor repairs to major disasters. By applying the tips that you have read, you will realize that dealing with your plumbing problems does not need to cause a lot of stress.…

Begin Your Organic Garden By Following These Tips Today!

In addition to the food gardening can provide for our table, it adds beauty to our world. Gardening is something that is shared by all cultures and all time periods. It is something that is taken up by people from all walks of life. While there are many consistent rules inherent in this hobby, there is also room for variation. These tips will provide a brief look at both.

A tip to prevent dirt from accumulating under your fingernails while working in the garden, use a bar of soap before starting. Rake your fingernails across a bar of soap and it will seal the undersides of your nails so that dirt will not collect beneath them. When you are finished in the garden, just use a brush to scrape the soap from beneath them and your nails will still be sparkling clean.

Design your garden so that your harvest is staggered over as long a season as possible. Use cold-tolerant root crops and greens in the fall, for example, and plan to pick and preserve early strawberries in June. This way, you will have the space and time in your life to store everything you grow.

Use both well-matured compost and mulch in your garden. Compost will naturally help plants grow faster, taller, and healthier, and increase the yield of your vegetables. Mulch helps prevent the growth of weeds. Mulch also shades the ground around the roots of your plants, protecting them from heat and conserving water.

No gardener really enjoys weeding, but it is necessary. Using weed control cloth can make your job a lot easier. Lay down strips of cloth between your rows and you’ll end up saving yourself a lot of trouble. It may not look quite as nice, but your body will appreciate it.

Plants should be protected from cold weather. During winter time, the cold can present dangers to plants, either by freezing the water in their stems or forming sharp ice crystals which may sever or puncture important organs. Tomatoes, in particular, are very susceptible to the frost and should be moved to a warmer indoor climate, or covered outside with frost-resistant cloth.

Fertilize the soil you are going to plant in three weeks before planting. By doing this, you are helping the soil improve its ability to retain nutrients and water, which are especially important for new plants. There are many fertilizers from which to choose at your local gardening store.

When your summer blooms have bloomed and faded away, remember to dead-head the flowers. This means pinching off the flower heads. This will encourage new flowers to bloom longer next year, and it will also strengthen the plant. Since the flower heads have seeds, you can also save the flower heads that you have pinched off for planting at another time.

Even a small investment of time and effort to gardening activities is sure to be greatly rewarded. Those rewards may come in food to feed our families or in flowers and other decorative plants to beautify our environment. Everyone can reap these rewards. The tips that are outlined above will get us started in that direction.…

Get More From Your HVAC With This Article

Do you often find your home uncomfortably warm during the summer, even when your air conditioner is running? Do you shiver inside during the winter? If so, you may need to have your HVAC system replaced. For some useful advice on doing so, read the tips in the following article.

Before calling someone to repair your system, make sure you know what kind of HVAC system you actually have. You need to know who manufactured the product and the item number. Also, get the maintenance records from your files if you have them. This will enable you to give your chosen contractor any information they might need.

Keeping the outside condenser clean of debris and leaves will improve the system’s efficiency. Prior to working on or cleaning the unit, be sure to turn off the power. Additionally, remove leaves and any other debris from the outside condenser unit.

Regularly remove debris from outside condenser units. After a wind or rain storm things may pile up, causing problems with your HVAC system. It can also cause it to overheat.

Every spring you need to make sure your condenser fan’s coils and blades on the fan part are clean. First, turn the power off so nothing moves when you’re working with it. Remove the grill and the blades, and then you can give them all a gentle clean.

In order to avoid having any problems with your air conditioning unit, keep all vegetation at least two feet away from the outdoor unit. The unit should be clear of any vegetation on all sides and above. When you mow the lawn, aim the grass clippings away from the a/c unit. This will prevent grass getting inside the a/c and making it malfunction.

When you are no longer using your outdoor air conditioning unit, be sure to protect it with a tight cover. This will keep it free of debris, frost and snow so that you’ll have a working unit when the spring comes and you are ready to uncover it and use it again.

Put a bit of time into researching various HVAC specialists; you’re more likely to choose the right one for the job. It is a good idea to check with the BBB and look for reviews from prior clients. These steps are going to help to ensure your decision is a wise one.

Before having someone install a new HVAC system or maintain or repair yours, make sure they are insured. Having someone who is insured work on your system will assure that if anything happens while they are working at your home, they are financially covered and you will not be responsible.

Every year hire someone to give your HVAC unit routine maintenance. This will ensure that it works properly throughout the entire year. It will also allow you to have lower heating and cooling bills. When your HVAC is running properly, it will use the least amount of energy and save you money.

Upon completing this article, you should have learned a great deal about what to look for in an HVAC system. Keeping the inside of your home at a pleasant temperature, no matter what it is like outside, should be your goal. Use what you have read here to choose a great new system.…

Informative Advice For Anyone Seeking Knowledge About Plumbing

A problem with your plumbing can happen anytime. If it does, you need to know what to do about it. It is possible for you to take care of many of these problems on your own. Here are some helpful tips to teach you how to handle plumbing problems yourself.

Before you start a plumbing project you should tighten all of the pipes that are easily accessible. Especially if your pipes are making a range of loud banging sounds, as this is a clear sign that there are loose pipes along the line. It is also a good idea in case there is a clog so the excess pressure released does not break a loose pipe.

Act quickly if your pipes freeze! Shut off the water and open the faucet, enabling it to drain when it thaws. Starting with the faucet, and working your way to the iced-up area, aim a propane torch or hairdryer at the pipe – this will quickly defrost it. You could also wrap the pipe in a heating pad or aim a heat lamp at it, but this will take quite some time. A last resort is to wrap the pipe in rags and pour boiling water over it.

To help you repair a leaky water line, you should hire a plumber. A leaky water line can be a problem because it could lead to a flood. The best way to fix this problem is to hire a licensed plumber who is trained to repair the leak.

If you have noisy pipes, you can cushion them with a rubber blanket or add additional anchor straps. Banging pipes are usually caused by loose pipes, water hammering to a stop as you turn it off, or hot water pipes shifting in their position. All of these problems can be solved by cushioning and anchoring the pipes.

You can check your toilet for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring, Kool Aid or some coffee grounds to the water in the toilet’s tank (not the water in the bowl). Check the water in the bowl after a half hour or so. If any of the coloring agent is visible in the water in the bowl, the tank is leaking, and you will have to have it repaired.

Be sure that the overflow holes don’t clog up. You may not even notice the overflow holes on your sink, but if you have a major water leak you will soon regret your apathy. When you’re periodically checking your sink for possible problems, take the time to clean out the overflow holes.

While it may seem like a seemingly harmless thing to do, never run potato peels through your garbage disposal. The chemical make up of this seemingly harmless food allows the potato to turn into a thick, viscous substance that can wreak havoc on the disposal itself, with the potential to render it completely useless.

When you have a plumbing problem that comes up in your home, you do not necessarily have to pay a plumber a lot of money to come out and fix it for you. The helpful points you learned in this article will enable you to care for basic plumbing maintenance and repairs around your home yourself.…