(StatePoint) After extreme weather events, it’s common to evaluate exterior home products and to feel a sense of urgency about replacing them if they’re not providing proper protection. One addition that homeowners should consider is a storm door, however, experts say it’s important not to rush the decision.
“Storm doors provide insulation, curb appeal, and weather protection for the entry door, but they are not one-size-fits-all,” says Brandon Morris, entry and storm door product manager at ProVia, a manufacturer that carries several brands of customizable aluminum storm doors. “Before making a purchase, first determine your needs and style preferences.” To help homeowners make sense of their options, ProVia is offering this round-up of essential factors to consider: Construction To reap the maximum benefits a storm door can provide, take thickness and construction into consideration. Those offered by ProVia all feature an aluminum wall thickness 20% greater than industry standard, to provide greater protection to your entry door, along with stability and durability for long-term use. Most brands they carry also have multi-hollow construction, which translates to greater strength and security than standard storm doors. Style Storm doors are not always just functional. Certain manufacturers understand that they are a home element that can boost curb appeal, too. Decorative storm doors come with options like beveled glass, stained glass, and privacy glass, adding visual appeal, and a unique artistic statement where you least expect. Different colors and multiple options in hardware styles and finishes allow the storm door to blend in with your exterior design, whether that’s traditional and understated or ultramodern and eye-catching. Glass The type of glass you choose can maximize energy efficiency. Low emissivity (Low-E) glass doors, for example, have a thin, invisible coating that reduces infrared and ultraviolet light coming through the door glass. In winter, Low-E glass lets radiant heat pass through, but doesn’t allow it to come back out, for a cozier interior. And in summer, it helps keep heat out. Low-E glass also features UV protection that can prevent fading of items inside your home. Storm doors with removable glass panels and retractable screens enable airflow and crucial ventilation between the storm and entry doors, while letting the design of the entryway shine. Accessories Accessories can create additional functionality for your storm door. Have a furry friend who needs regular outdoor access? Consider a doggie door so they can come and go as they please. Some manufacturers offer this option in multiple sizes to fit your pet’s needs. No streetside mailbox on your property? Add a mail slot to your storm door. Other optional features, such as a piano hinge and bottom expander, and an easy release closer, can help your storm door operate more smoothly, while ensuring it’s custom-fit to eliminate drafts. For more storm door tips and recommendations, visit provia.com/doors/storm-doors/. Like many home elements, there’s a lot to consider when selecting storm doors. By weighing your style preferences and security needs, and by determining what add-ons your household can benefit from, you can make a decision you won’t regret. *****
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(StatePoint) Severe weather can have a sizable impact on your home and your savings. Taking steps to prepare can help you maintain peace of mind should a hazard impact you. Freddie Mac offers the following preparation tips for homeowners:
Protect Your Investment A home insurance policy is an important layer of protection, generally providing you with the funds needed to repair a damaged property to its condition prior to an incident. Here, coverage can vary greatly depending on the company and plan you choose. To avoid surprises, it’s important to review your policy carefully and make sure you understand what is and is not covered. For example, flooding is not generally covered by homeowner’s insurance, so if you live in an area at risk of flooding, consider a separate flood insurance policy. Working with your insurance agent or broker can help you determine the types of plans and coverage that make sense for your budget, property and possessions. Keep in mind that after a disaster strikes, you will need to list your possessions and verify any losses for an insurance claim. Taking a home inventory beforehand will make the process much easier. Establish a Saving Strategy Create an emergency fund with a goal of saving enough money for three to six months of regular expenses. It’s best to keep your emergency fund separate from your regular savings account unless there’s an extreme need. While this can be challenging for any family, households that have emergency budgets in place tend to be better prepared to face disaster. Any resources you can put away will help you be more resilient if the time comes. Secure Your Home Regular home maintenance can help protect against the dangers of natural disasters, such as flooding and hurricane-force winds. Cleaning gutters and drains, for example, can prevent water from collecting around your home. You should also be sure you have a sump pump in good working order, and that your foundation and roof are in good condition. If a storm is in the forecast, clear your lawn of items that may be damaged, destroyed, lost, or cause damage to your home. You should also cover windows and shut off utilities. Many of these precautions can also protect against tornadoes, which can develop quickly and often arrive without warning. Make Safety Upgrades Before buying a particular house, you may want to consider the area’s history of natural disasters, and take stock of the home to ensure it’s up to code and has the safety features needed to protect you and your family. Whether you’re a current or prospective homebuyer, you can reference information provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (known as FEMA) to help you assess which hazards could impact your home, and identify relevant safety upgrades that can strengthen its defenses. For example, earthquake damage may be mitigated by installing flexible gas line connections to prevent leaks and fires and by securing exterior structures like decks, porches, garages and carports. Homes at risk of storm surge could benefit from reinforced garage doors that can withstand water and high winds, storm shutters, high-impact glass windows, and flood-resistant insulation and flooring. Depending on the scope of renovations, you may consider taking out a loan to cover the costs. There are a variety of refinance products available that allow you to leverage your home’s value to fund renovations. Talk to your lender to find the right financing option for you. For additional emergency preparation tips, check out Freddie Mac’s collection of homeownership resources found at myhome.freddiemac.com. Natural disasters are hard to predict. But being prepared can help you weather the storm, both physically and financially. ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- PHOTO SOURCE: (c) Kurgu128 / iStock via Getty Images Plus (StatePoint) Want to live your best backyard life? Experts say outdoor flooring can help you do it.
“Outdoor flooring can keep grass healthy by providing a solid path over high-traffic areas and define areas of your yard for different uses,” says landscape designer, Doug Scott of Redeem Your Ground. “However, as with interior decorating decisions, the materials you select can impact how you can use those spaces. And because you’re outside, there is Mother Nature to consider.” To help homeowners make smart outdoor flooring decisions, Scott has partnered with lawn care equipment manufacturer, Exmark, to offer these insights: • Moss: Moss and other “steppable” living ground covers are perfect for areas with minimal foot traffic, such as shady retreat spaces. The major concern is your yard’s ecosystem. If growing conditions are right, it’s incredibly low maintenance. But when conditions aren’t favorable, it can become a maintenance nightmare. Before making any purchases (costs can range greatly), research if your yard can support this type of organic flooring. • Mulch: Mulch is an affordable option that keeps outdoor spaces looking natural. Mulch can be used to decorate landscape beds, and as flooring for pathways, play areas, and dining or living areas. While maintenance is low, mulch will need to be replenished periodically as colors fade and the elements wear it down. • Aggregates: Aggregates include crushed granite, pea gravel and slate chips. Aesthetically versatile, cheap, and easy to install and maintain, aggregates add a natural look, and make a great option for areas with drainage issues. Because they tend to get worn down or washed away, you’ll need to replenish them occasionally or build a border with stone or brick around them. Before moving forward, consider that pea gravel is great if you want a softer flooring option, but note that its give can create unstable footing. And, if you have young kids, you might want to avoid aggregates entirely. “I don’t think I know a kid under age 12 who can resist the temptation to pick up a handful of gravel and throw it,” says Scott. • Wood: Wood flooring is incredibly versatile. It can be cut, customized, painted and stained to fit any style and space and provides a smooth, level surface for entertainment and furniture. The type you choose should depend on your budget and how much maintenance you’re willing to do. Manufactured wood can be expensive, but thankfully requires very minimal maintenance. Natural wood, on the other hand, requires regular staining and sealing. • Concrete: If you’re looking for a flat, stable surface, concrete is the best choice on the market. While it might seem less chic, it can always be beautified with stains and stamp patterns mimicking brick or stone. While fairly low-maintenance, concrete is prone to cracking, and stamped concrete will need to be sealed periodically. Those repairs can become annoying and expensive down the line. “If your outdoor space is above tree roots or areas prone to settling, concrete is probably not the right choice for you,” says Scott. • Stone: Both natural stone and manufactured pavers are durable and a great way to transition from formal to natural in your yard. Natural stone is generally the most expensive outdoor flooring choice, but its durability and versatility makes it well worth it. Manufactured pavers come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes, and have the added benefit of affordability. While both options require periodic sealing and staining to retain their appearance and durability, if done right, they’ll last you many years. Scott offers more insights in “Outdoor Flooring,” a recent video from Exmark. To watch the video, visit Backyard Life, which is part of a unique multimedia destination with a focus on helping homeowners make the most of outdoor spaces. “Now that you have a variety of outdoor flooring ideas handy, all there’s left to do is bring your dream yard to life,” says Scott. ***** ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- PHOTO SOURCE: Exmark Fall is almost upon us and with it brings the changing of the leaves, the first hints of cooler weather, and all sorts of projects to wrap up before the upcoming frigid winter. There are many things you can do around the house to get ready for the Autumn season – one area that’s often overlooked is the garage. This part of the house is often used as a catchall – a place to keep your vehicles, extra refrigerator, general storage, tool bench, and workout room to name a few. To get the most out of this area there are few things you should look at and do to get it into tip-top shape. Check Out the Garage Door What is probably the largest piece of mechanical engineering in your home, can also have some of the largest problems associated with it. A shoddy garage door can be a bit of a headache as it can let out your home’s heat and be a structural weak point for a would-be burglar to exploit. Take a look at the inside of the garage door first – keeping a close eye on springs and tracks. If you need to replace any springs be extra careful – these pieces have plenty of tension wrapped up inside of them and improperly handling them can result in injury or worse. If any other parts look dirty or rusted, clean them off and give them a healthy application of lubricant. Greasing them like this reduces friction while at the same time giving it extra protection against the elements. Speaking of the elements, spend some time checking out the perimeter of your garage door – any gaps should be fixed with new weather-stripping. Time to Declutter While most people wait until spring to do any major cleaning project, for garages autumn is the better time. The reason for this is that you’ll probably want to do some parking in your garage come the winter months. Before you begin to take a good assessment of what you do and don’t need – those roller blades from twenty years ago aren’t going to be useful to you anymore, but all those haphazardly thrown cleaning supplies probably will be. Don’t be afraid to part with things that you’ve had for a long time – getting rid of all your old things will only make room for the new. In-Depth Cleaning and Maintenance of the Floor If your garage floor has become battered and bruised over the years and you want to fix it, now is no better of a time. A clean floor can make a world of difference in a garage and can often be done with a day worth of work. Go ahead and sweep out all the corners of the garage, brushing up dust mites and spider webs as needed. To make sure you get everything, go ahead and put a dust mask on and fire up that blower to blast it out of the front. From here you can get some real in-depth cleaning with a high powered hose nozzle or a pressure washer with associated soap. If you want, you can go a step further and repaint the floor to give it a look that will really pop. Inspect the Walls and Foundation Now that you’re here this might be the best time to look at how sturdy your garage is. Ideally, you want to inspect the interior and exterior of your garage walls to see if there are any cracks or mold build. The rule of thumb here is that any cracks that are smaller than a ¼” width shouldn’t be concerned with – anything bigger than this though you might want to either institute some sort of repair or if it’s serious enough have a contractor come and look at it. Check to see if the roof is straight to make sure that nothing has settled up top. Organize It’s time to get everything in the proper order. Organizing your garage can save you plenty of time and headache in the future. Try to get all the cleaning supplies in one spot, tools in another. Try to invest in other things like shelves, cabinets, and hooks to hold extra items. Make sure to take advantage of all parts of your garage too – this includes the ceiling. There is plenty of unique racking and hooks out on the market today that allow your garage to hold a lot more than you would normally think possible. Institute Safety Protocol This is also a great time to see how safe everything is. If you’ve already decluttered and cleaned you’ve actually already completed part of this tip, as a well-organized garage is much less likely to be a fire or tripping hazard in the future. Aside from this, you should spend some time seeing if your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in working order – if they beep sporadically or not at all, you should switch out the batteries. If your detectors are more than ten years old, then you should invest in new ones. Chemicals should also be in good working order – it’s best to have especially volatile chemicals like chlorine, bleach, and ammonia a safe distance away from each other. Make sure to also have all other poisons and chemicals properly labeled and out of reach of little hands. Consider Winterizing Your Garage
Ultimately, the goal of maintaining and cleaning your garage in the fall is to get ready for the winter. If you’re one of those people who is going to use their garage plenty during the colder season you should consider making it more resistant to freezing temperatures. Since garages are notorious for being poorly insulated consider reinforcing it. Properly insulating the walls with a high R-value insulation will go a long way – make sure to check out both the walls and ceiling. If you have any windows make sure they are at least sealed around the edges – if you have an older crank model you should take this time to consider upgrading to something more energy efficient. If you have a little extra money you can get a forced-air heater installed in your home – these units can run off of electricity, propane, or natural gas. Other types of heating elements are also available in the form of convection, portable, and infrared models. Keep Your Garage Maintained for Fall Maintaining your garage thoroughly this fall season can be a bit of an adventure, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. When looking for a place to start first take a look at the garage door – make sure all the parts are well lubricated up and the bolts are nice and tight. From here you should take some time to declutter, clean, and organize everything as you see fit. Take advantage of machines like pressure washers and blowers while also incorporating nifty cabinets and hooks to really maximize your space. This is also a great time to get everything to fall in line with home safety guidelines – fire alarms especially should be checked out here. Finally, if you have a little extra money think about making your garage warmer for the winter by adding extra insulation and heating elements. Garage Improvement Tips Fall is a perfect season to get started on garage renovation and construction. You sketch out your dream garage in your notebook and then you make a list of priorities that are important to you. You want extra space in your garage, enough to fit 2 cars and possibly a tool bench. In addition, you want a strong roof that will withstand extreme weather conditions in the Midwest. You want a roof with a steep slope so rain and snow will slide off and you won’t have to worry about your garage caving in. At Danley’s, we have garage styles and sizes you’re looking for and it’s up to you to speak to a specialist today about your garage construction project this fall. Get a free quote and speak to a specialist today. Especially for a commercial establishment, you are responsible for the not just the comfort of your employees and customers, but also their safety. So it’s essential to make sure your equipment is properly taken care of. This HVAC maintenance checklist is a resource that can make sure you’ve covered the essential tasks to prevent a breakdown of your heating system.
It’s important to note that fall heating maintenance is not one-size-fits-all. Depending on the type of equipment you have, how it is fueled, and the specific needs of your building and your business, there may be different HVAC maintenance checklist tasks that need to be completed. Change filters Especially if the same filters serve both your AC and heating systems, be sure to change those now, to avoid introducing contaminants that can cause system damage. Also, ask your service provider to show you how to change them and how frequently it needs to be done. Depending on your system and usage, you may need to change filters monthly or even more often. Check belts and pulleys Just like your air conditioning system, you heating equipment has belts and pulleys that control the blower and motor housing. These can get worn over time. Now is the time to replace any worn parts to prevent breakdowns and further damage to your heating system. A small thing like that can cause you to be without heat during freezing weather. This HVAC maintenance checklist task prevents bigger problems later. Calibrate thermostats You won’t get reliable heating if thermostat readings are off. Make sure they are working properly before the start of the heating season. Check operation of blower fans and motors The blower assembly is a critical part of your heating system. If fans are covered in grime or a motor is operating sluggishly, your system’s performance can suffer. Parts must be cleaned, lubricated, and faulty parts replaced. Inspect electrical parts A simple failure of a wire or electrode can take down your heating system. Make sure your electrical parts and connections are in good shape. Check operation of the limit switch The limit switch is a safety control that turns off the burner when parts of your heating system get too hot, and then shuts off the blower after the temperature drops. If blower is running continuously, this part could need to be adjusted or replaced. Check duct insulation The insulation in your ducts can become damaged over time. When that happens, your expensive heated air can escape before it ever has a chance to reach the areas where it’s needed. As a result, your system has to work harder to warm your space. That translates into higher energy bills for you and extra wear and tear on the system that can cause breakdowns. Don’t skip this essential task on the HVAC maintenance checklist. Additional steps for gas heating systems:
Fall HVAC maintenance checklist: AIR CONDITIONING
You’re probably wondering why you need to do AC maintenance now, when you (hopefully) won’t be using your AC again for a while. The fact is, now is the best time to clean and protect your AC system after this record-breaking hot summer. If you skip these important AC-related tasks on the HVAC maintenance checklist, you’re risking a major HVAC repair headache (not to mention a major expense) when you start up your air conditioner in the spring and find it’s not working. Call in your HVAC maintenance technician to tackle these steps so your system is in top condition come spring: Clear drain lines and pans It’s never a good idea to leave standing water around. Not only can it lead to mold and mildew growth, but standing water also attracts insects and vermin. Also, drain lines should be checked for blockages so you don’t end up with water leaks and a big mess when you turn on the system in the spring. Clean the coils Built-up grime on your AC coils not only causes the system to lose efficiency, it can cause corrosion of the metal coils. Don’t let that dirt and debris sit there over the winter, possibly causing coil damage and refrigerant leaks. Learn more about coil cleaning: AC Coil Cleaning: How to Tell When You Need It Check refrigerant charge Speaking of leaks, now is the time to make sure you don’t have any. If refrigerant charge is low, that means there’s a leak somewhere, and it’s better to find and fix it now. If you don’t, you’ll be turning on the unit on that first hot day to find it won’t cool your space. Check belts and pulleys Worn belts sitting idle all winter can break when your system starts up again. Prevent bigger problems with this HVAC maintenance checklist item: have your system inspected and replace worn parts now. Get ducts inspected Especially after such a hot and humid summer, moisture can accumulate in your ductwork. When that happens, it can lead to the growth of mold and other biological contaminants. In the worst case, people can experience health problems and even Sick Building Syndrome. Does your service provider include duct inspection on their HVAC maintenance checklist? If not, ask for your ducts to be inspected to see if you need duct cleaning services. (StatePoint) While finances are a main topic that families fight over, a new survey discovers that cleaning and organizing also top the list.
According to the survey, which was conducted by Duck brand, 76% of people feel “overwhelmed” by their family members’ messes. In fact, the research finds that messiness impacts relationships between family members: 46% of people say it causes “tension” between them; 35% say it causes arguments; and 33% say it is a “source of stress on a daily basis.” Knowing that disorganization impacts relationships, the survey aims to shed light on the source of the stress, as well as pet peeves families have when cleaning and organizing: • Arguments about tidying up may happen frequently because 74% of people say they have a different idea of what “clean and organized” is compared to other members of their household. Additionally, 44% say “cleaning and organizing frequency” is the most difficult task for their family to agree on. • Survey respondents say their top peeves about their family’s cleaning and organizing style is they procrastinate (56%) and they don’t like to clean/organize themselves at all (36%). According to 48% of survey respondents, another big annoyance is having to frequently remind other people in the home to pick up their belongings. When they don’t clean up after themselves, most (58%) say it makes them feel annoyed and some say they feel angry/frustrated (29%). • Clutter in the living room is the “most annoying mess” that family members make on a regular basis, followed by not wiping up spills in the kitchen or fridge (45%), according to the results. Although there is a lot to disagree about when it comes to clutter, there is one thing families are aligned on: 85% believe “living in a tidy home leads to more harmony among household members.” Duck brand offers simple solutions for a happier, more efficient home: Install EasyMounts Interior Drywall J Hook in the hall closet, entryway or garage to encourage family members to keep bags, hats and toys off the floor. If the kitchen is a messy hotspot, place Clear Classic EasyLiner Brand Shelf Liner in the fridge to cut down on sticky spills. For expert tips and ideas on how to use EasyMounts and EasyLiner around the house, visit Duck brand. “Families are constantly on the go, so it is hard to keep up with daily tasks around the house,” says Angee Mantell, Insights & Innovation product manager at Shurtape Technologies, LLC, the company that markets the Duck brand. “Implementing a few simple solutions can help teach tidy habits and encourage everyone at home to play their part in making spaces neat and clutter-free.” ***** |
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