Garage Door Safety
What is the largest, heaviest moving object in your home? You got it – the garage door. So it makes sense to do frequent safety checks on the door. First, look for a safety label near the control button or the overhead door. It will tell you how to safely operate the door and test […]
Thump, It’s the Water Heater
Water Heater Making Noise It’s annoying when your water heater thumps, pops, and whomps whenever you use hot water. What can you do? You’ve probably heard your water heater thumping, popping or even hissing when you turn on the tap. This is a fairly common problem that has many causes and solutions. The most common […]
An Easy Fix for a Nasty Water Problem
Water, water, and water – the three most damaging elements to a home. Water at or below ground level leaks in moves under, and pushes through to damage your home. It is vital to keep water away from your foundation. That’s true whether your home is built on a slab or has crawl spaces or […]
The Crafty Way to Outwit Window Drafts
On many cold, sunny days it would be great to air out your home without feeling a nasty cold draft from an open window. It may be essential to air out the house when you have just fried some bacon, and the kitchen exhaust fan can’t remove the odor. But if you open the window, […]
My Concrete Has Cracked
You know the old saying: two things in life are certain – death and taxes. Well, I can add a third certainty to the mix: all poured concrete will crack. Concrete shrinks about 5/8 inch in 100 feet of length. And that’s assuming the concrete is formulated correctly, placed, and cured under the right temperature […]
Why Use Primer When Painting?
Why Use Primer When Painting Your Home If you are painting, priming the wall would be a good idea. Primer helps your paint adhere to the wall and produces a good finish on your wall. Without primer, the paint can be absorbed unevenly, especially if the wall is porous. Priming is also important if you […]
Is It Plumb, Level, or Square?
Is it Plumb, Level, or Square? We like to check to see if things are on the level – or should we say “plumb”? Is a wall plumb or level? Is the floor level? Is the door frame plumb or square? Confusing, isn’t it? Here’s a quick guide to those terms. What Does It Mean […]
Get Smart About Exterior Electrical Safety
You have heard about how dangerous high-voltage electrical wires can be: never touch a downed wire…storms can damage wires and so on. But what about the wires feeding your home? They can be dangerous too. For residential electrical feeds, the wiring is generally 240 volt without overload protection – which means no circuit breaker will […]
Should You Insulate Your Attic?
Homeowners are always looking for ways to save energy while making our homes more comfortable. One of the easiest ways of doing this is to improve insulation in the attic. The attic is relatively easy to access. Often, it’s also the source of major energy losses, because warm air rises. To find out how much […]
Why Is the Toilet Flushing Itself?
OK, so you just heard the toilet flush in the middle of the night. No one else is in the house, and you don’t think your home has a ghost. Later that night, you hear it again. Ughhh. How will you explain this to the plumber? Don’t worry. What you’re probably hearing is the toilet […]