Month: August 2018

(BPT) – Moving into a new home is chaotic. You’ve got decorating to do, a neighborhood to explore, and a house to keep in tiptop shape. The last thing you need in the midst of all that commotion is the added headache of household pests like ants, cockroaches or rodents. With a few tips from Terminix, you can keep your move running smoothly and ensure no unexpected pests move in with you.

Look For Collecting Water

Stagnant or standing water attracts a variety of pests, from nuisance wildlife to mosquitoes. It doesn’t take a lot of water, either – mosquitoes can lay as many as 100 eggs in the cap of a bottle of water. Try to reduce standing water in sources such as pots and tires, and be sure to change out your bird bath at least once a week.

Inspect For Openings

Check the exterior of your new house for structural openings under doors, near windows and around utility penetrations. Any openings you find are essentially an open door to rodents and arthropods, such as spiders and millipedes. Reduce the number of pests entering your home by sealing any improper openings.

Be Wary Of Trees and Shrubbery

That flowering bush might look beautiful beside your home, but it could harbor countless pests. Note any tree limbs overhanging your roof line and any shrubbery or mulch close to the foundation of your home. These features play host to many different types of pests, and having them touch your house only makes it easier for pests to enter.

Check For Moisture Issues

Some pests, like termites, cockroaches and carpenter ants, love moisture and are more likely to be found in damp areas of your house. Check your new home for any moisture issues. This could mean anything from a leaky roof to plumbing and seals that should be fixed.

Look For Insufficient Screening In Key Areas

While you’re checking for moisture issues, you can also look for insufficient screening around plumbing or drains. Inspect the kitchen, bathrooms and laundry room to ensure all openings are properly covered. Otherwise, you could find your kitchen playing host to pests like silverfish, spiders, ants or cockroaches.

Call In the Professionals

Even the most diligent homeowners may still find themselves with a pest problem too big to tackle alone. Pest control professionals such as Terminix’s trained technicians can protect you and your new home from any unwelcome guests.

(BPT) – Cool breezes and falling leaves are around the corner, and for many parts of the country those telltale signs of fall signal the best possible season for roofing.

So what makes fall a great time for roof repairs or a full replacement?

1. Perfect Weather

The same perfectly cool weather that makes fall a favorite time of year for camping and outdoor activities also makes it a great time for roofing – and not just because it’s more comfortable for the roofer. Asphalt shingles, the most popular form of roofing in the U.S., have an optimum temperature for installation. Keep in mind, the perfect roofing weather of fall can mean busy contractors.

2. Spring and Summer Storms

The warmth and humidity of the spring and summer months are notorious for spawning severe thunderstorms. Hail can fall any time of the year, but is most common in the spring and summer months, reaching a peak in June in several regions. High winds from spring storms can also uproot trees and snap limbs, both of which can fall on the roof.

“We always recommend homeowners hire a professional to examine their roofs, both for their safety, and to protect their roof,” said Stephen McNally, vice president of sales and marketing for TAMKO Building Products, a major manufacturer of asphalt shingles.

3. Winter Is Coming

Depending on the area of the country, winter can bring subzero temperatures and up to 10 feet of snow. Freeze-thaw cycles, ice dams and damp weather require the roof to be in top shape to defend against these threats during the winter months. Winter can be a difficult time to roof, so leaks that show up during the winter months can take longer to fix.

“Weather is always a concern – as a contractor, I would never tear more off a roof than what could be re-shingled in one day,” said Rick Taylor, a longtime roofing contractor, now working as an industry sales trainer known as Rick the Roofer. “And if there was more than a 50 percent chance of rain that day, I waited to start the project.”

With the optimal temperatures and weather – and the need to prepare for winter – homeowners will find fall to be a great time for roofing. With a skilled labor shortage already pushing project start dates out weeks or months, homeowners should act quickly to schedule their roof project if they want it completed before winter.

(BPT) – The kitchen may be the heart of your home, but don’t underestimate the importance of your bathrooms. If you think about it, bathrooms are one of the most frequented spaces in the home. It’s where you go to rejuvenate and get ready for the day. It’s the place where you take the time to make yourself look and feel your best. A thoughtfully designed bathroom can start your day on a positive note and end it in a calm, relaxing and stress-free manner.

With this in mind, good design becomes essential. A well-designed bathroom has many elements that come together in a cohesive fashion. The space should not only reflect your personal aesthetic, but also adapt to your needs by streamlining your day-to-day routine. Finding a balance between fashion and function might seem challenging, but when you look to customization that incorporates technology, you’ll quickly see that creating a bathroom of your dreams is easily within reach.

Modular Configurations

Whether you have a standard bathroom layout or a tricky design with boxed-in constraints, modular configurations are a simple solution. When you choose configurable products from companies like Robern, you’ll be able to select from a wide array of sizes, shapes and options to fit your construction needs. That means you can design an amazing bathroom experience in the tiny powder room outside the den as well as the large master bathroom suite. Thoughtful design and complete customization can help you maximize any potentially awkward space.

Storage and Organization

Even the most exquisite bathroom can become a source of frustration if the counters are cluttered or styling tools are hard to reach. Configurable solutions – like modular vanities and multiple medicine cabinets creatively ganged – let you design a storage solution that fits your lifestyle. Robern engineers put cutting-edge technology into each product to simplify the bathroom styling process. For example, vanities feature electronic outlets for modern styling tools, strategic lighting for easy all-day use and magnetic strips for simplified storage.

Strategic Lighting

Lighting is a fundamental part of bathroom design and highly influential to enhance your routine. While lighting can perfectly illuminate the bathroom, it doesn’t necessarily mean it does a good job of illuminating the face. Top lighting – common in bathroom design – casts shadows on the face, which is bad for makeup application, shaving and other personal hygiene tasks. Consider lighted mirrors from Robern, designed to strike the face from at least two directions, providing even illumination and minimal shadows. No matter what illumination you choose, keep in mind that lighting from all sides with adjustable features will increase functionality.

Fixtures and Faucets

There are a multitude of choices that allow you to create a personalized and custom bathroom experience. For the shower, consider a variety of showerheads, raindomes, wands and ceiling shower tiles that elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary. Wall-hung toilets can be a subtle interior design statement that not only adds a cosmopolitan flair but also makes cleaning a breeze. For faucets, gooseneck or low-spout faucet designs are currently trending. To instantly boost the faucet luxury factor, plumbing brands such as KALLISTA offer an array of handles that can be selected with decorative elements including semi-precious stones and marble or onyx inserts.

Custom Flooring

The bathroom floor is often overlooked as an opportunity to inject your own personal style with custom elements. Prefer warm and cozy? Minimalist and modern? Whatever vision you have in mind for your bathroom design, tile is always on trend due to its high performing functionality and variety of colors, patterns and textures. ANN SACKS offers an abundance of choices, from custom colors that can be created on demand to faux finishes that look nearly identical to the real deal (think porcelain tile that looks like wood). Add heated elements during installation to further enhance your bathroom experience.

With smart bathroom design, fashion and function can blend together for the ultimate in customization. To learn more, visit www.robern.com.

(BPT) – When you start feeling those first hints of winter, the instinct to get ready kicks in. You may dig out your car’s snow brush, blanket, shovel and winter survival kit and place them in the trunk of your car. The winter coats and boots come out of storage, and you may pick up some extra mittens at the store.

We do these things to protect ourselves from the cold when we’re out and about. But what do you do to protect your house against the hazards of winter? If you don’t take time for maintenance and winterization now, you can end up paying for it later, whether it’s in the form of higher energy bills, frozen pipes or fixing a broken furnace.

Here are four problems that can hit home during the winter and what you can do to ward them off.

Sky-High Energy Bills:

Do your electric bills rise during the wintertime? Heating your home accounts for about half of your home’s energy bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Combat the cold by sealing off any cracks or gaps with caulk and inspect entrances for worn or broken weatherstripping. Schedule a furnace inspection tuneup with an HVAC contractor and consider installing a smarter thermostat. Learning thermostats, such as Nest, can remember your favorite temperatures, turning itself down when you leave for work, as well as returning to your favorite temp at the end of the day.

Water Leaks:

We take our pipes for granted, but we don’t always anticipate what can go wrong when we’re not home. According to the Insurance Information Institute, water damage accounts for half of all property damage claims. Add winter’s freezing temperatures to the mix, and you can end up with a big problem if your home has a power outage or your furnace malfunctions.

For extra peace of mind, there’s now a leak and flood protection system you can purchase that shuts off your water main’s supply when it detects leaks – and sends an alert right to your smart device. LeakSmart installs directly to your home’s main water supply, and wireless sensors placed around the house can detect a leak or temperature changes and shut down the whole house water supply within five seconds. And when the LeakSmart Hub is powered by a battery back-up, the system will still work if the power and internet go out, so you don’t have to worry about coming home to water damage.

The system can work on its own or be integrated with smart home systems.

If you’re interested in learning more about how this smart device can protect your home, visit LeakSmart.com.

Power Outages:

When a winter storm hits, the ice and wind can break power lines and interrupt the supply of electricity to our homes. It’s not uncommon for some outages to last for days, which is why it’s always smart to be prepared.

Before winter hits, make certain your generator or other backup power source has ample fuel and is in good working order. Keep some basic supplies at the ready, so you can keep your family comfortable. Make sure you have extra blankets, stocking caps, batteries and fully charged power banks for your mobile phones. It’s also good to have a few gallons of fresh water and some cans of ready-to-eat chili and stew. If you have a camp stove, keep it in an easy-to-reach place, along with a fuel supply.

Ice Dams:

Another thing to watch for in the winter are pools of water forming on your roof. These can be caused by ridges of snow and ice, and eventually cause leaks to the interior of your home. Ice dams can also lead to the formation of large, pointy icicles that hang from the gutters, which can fall and injure people.

Luckily, a little work upfront can go a long way toward preventing ice dams and the damage they can cause. First, make sure the gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves and other yard debris, so the snowmelt has a place to go. Next, poke your head into the crawlspace of your attic and see if the insulation layer is still thick enough to keep the heat from escaping through the roof. While you’re up there, look for gaps and leaks. Finally, this is a good time to invest in a simple snow rake, so you can easily remove wet, heavy snow from your roof before the dams can start forming.

Now that you know the most common winter hazards that can hit home, you can take the steps to protect your investment and keep your family comfortable and safe.

(BPT) – It’s easy to appreciate the sights and smells afforded by lawns and landscapes, but when it comes to your yard there is much more to consider besides pleasing aesthetics and aromas. Many would even be surprised to learn that the benefits of a lush lawn and stunning landscape design extend well beyond a yard’s perimeter.

That’s right, well-managed landscapes offer tremendous benefits for the community and environment. Here are just a few:

Scrubs the Air

Beautiful greenery, including grass, catch dust, smoke particles and other pollutants to make the air you breathe fresher and cleaner.

Protects Waterways

Well-maintained yards and lawns help prevent soil erosion and unwanted runoff into nearby lakes, streams and rivers.

Adds Oxygen

A 50-by-50-foot lawn produces enough oxygen to supply a family of four.

Boosts Home Values

The yard is the first thing a potential buyer sees, and it sets the first impression. If you plan to sell your home in the next few years, investing in your landscaping now can pay dividends later. A recent study by the National Association of REALTORS and National Association of Landscape Professionals found that investing in landscape maintenance recovers 100 percent of the cost at the time of sale!

Makes You Feel Good

Having a nice yard with lush turf and well-tended landscapes delivers some mood-enhancing properties as well. Looking at plants and trees, even through a window, has been found to lower stress and blood pressure, while walking among plants and trees improves attention and memory.

Ideas To Enhance Your Yard’s Natural Benefits

Now that you know the benefits of your lawn and landscapes, you may be inspired to try some of these simple improvements to make it look and feel even better. Some of these can even save you time and effort, so you have more hours to spend outdoors.

Mow Properly

Raising the deck height of your lawn mower is one simple thing you can do right now to improve your green space. When mowing, the blade should remove no more than a 1/3 inch from the blade of grass.

Mow At the Right Time

Professionals recommend to not mow right after it rains. Mowing wet grass will cause clumping and ruts. This also leaves the lawn more susceptible to certain diseases.

Let the Clippings Drop

“Grass cycling” your clippings allows nitrogen and other nutrients to return to the soil. Even better, it eliminates the step of hauling around heavy bags of yard waste.

Invest In Smarter Watering Tools

An irrigation system saves time on watering chores, but one that uses smart technology and weather-based data will apply water only when your lawn and garden need it.

Consider Natural Landscaping

The next time you choose flowers, shrubs or trees, opt for species native to your region. These plants have adapted to the climate, so they’re more resilient to your region’s weather patterns, and require less watering than exotic species.

With these tips, you have plenty to get started on creating a beautiful lawn and landscape that looks and feels even better. If you’re seeking fresh ideas to amp up your landscaping or want to maximize its full environmental and enjoyment benefits, consider turning to the expertise of a lawn care or landscape professional. With help from a professional, you can have the outdoor oasis of your dreams. To find a professional in your area, visit LoveYourLandscape.org.