Tag Archives: home improvement

Home Decor, Home Improvement, DIY

How to Invest in Solar Power for Your Home

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Most people don’t view solar energy as an investment due to its high installation costs and the fact that it doesn’t run like a business. However, if you consider the massive savings on your energy costs and the overall improvement on your home’s valuation, then solar energy is a great investment in the future of your home. With an installation cost as high as $45000 to $100000, solar energy will give you freedom on your energy needs and also give you a chance to redesign your home’s energy needs. This article will guide you on how to make the most of your solar energy investment. 

Why Solar Is a Great Alternative

Grid energy has been around for long and even though it has continued to serve a great purpose of powering our homes, the rising energy costs and the toll on the environment is too great a cost to bear. Most energy companies use fossil fuels to generate electricity and this is negatively affecting the environment. Global warming is therefore a reality we cannot ignore and solar energy offers the next best alternative due to its availability, simplicity, ease of use and longevity. 

Extra Advantages of Solar Energy

Another advantage of solar energy is that you can rely on its availability so long as there is sunlight. Advanced solar panels don’t require intense or direct sunlight throughout the day. They can easily convert daylight into electricity and with even more advanced batteries, you can store this energy for much longer than before. Certain battery packs can serve you for 2 days without any solar energy. You simply need to adjust your energy needs so that the output from your solar panels can meet your daily needs. 

Steps to Finding a Great Installer

For a good installation you need professionals to handle every aspect of the installation process. The best solar companies retain several professionals to help you in assessing your property and measure the possible energy output. California solar panels companies rarely offer such services since their main business is in selling solar panels and solar panel accessories. A solar company should have the right permits, licenses and professionals to handle the work.

Ensure you check on the installer’s credentials since this will ultimately affect the quality of the solar system you install. A good installer will take their time to assess and give you the cost implications of the installation. They will also let you know whether there are incentives and discounts on offer to help you reduce the overall spend. Most solar companies will have affiliate networks with solar components manufacturers and this is good for you since any component will have a quality assurance from the manufacturer and you can expect the best solar companies to always have most components on time as soon as they order. 

Conclusion

Investing in solar energy for your home should be a positive step. Ensure you properly maintain the solar panels and other components so that they can outlive their warranty period of 25 years. Also ensure you routinely check on the system to see whether it is working optimally.

Home Decor, Home Improvement, DIY

Tips for Keeping Your Home Healthy and Comfortable in Winter

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When winter comes, you must ensure your home is ready and comfortable for the cold weather. That means making all the necessary adjustments to keep it safe and ensure the cold season will not affect you. It means checking the heating system to ensure it is in good working condition, sealing cracks and spaces on windows and doors, cleaning gutters, etc. you also need to supervise the areas around your house to ensure no trees will be falling on the roof. Not doing all these things could put you in danger and make your home uncomfortable. So, confirm you and your property will be safe by being cautious and preparing for winter. Here is what you need to do.

Check the Heating System

The heating system is a vital piece of equipment in the house. Usually, it is possible to ignore it during the warm seasons until winter comes and you need something to heat your home. It is advisable to maintain the unit even during the hot season to ensure it will serve you well when the cold season comes. If you have a faulty system, it means you cannot warm up the house. You may also be risking your home to a fire. Therefore, before the season starts, call a professional to inspect the heating system and ensure it is in top-notch condition and ready for winter.

Check the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Sensors

You will use the furnace and heating system most of the season. Therefore, it means you may have instances of fire. It is vital to ensure the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. Carbon monoxide has been for a long time the leading cause of house fires. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure you can detect the presence of dangerous gas before it causes an issue. So, inspect the detectors, and if they are faulty, consider replacing them with new ones.

Repair Cracks

Another crucial thing you will do is repair cracks to prevent warm air from escaping from the house. Open spaces on windows and doors could be the escape route for warm air. Cold air could also be seeping in therefore, ensure you seal all the cracks to prevent air from escaping.

Mow the Lawn

Winter may be the best time to trim your grass and apply fertilizer for the grass to sprout well. The first thing you need to know when you have a lawn is how to take care of your grass. Know the best months to fertilize, overseed and aerate. Cutting the grass during winter is the best option. Apart from keeping your lawn healthy, it also prevents creating harboring grounds for pesky insects and pests like mosquitoes and rodents. It may be an excellent idea to look for the best lawn care services in the area. Professionals will help you take care of the lawn to keep it and your home healthy for winter.

Collect Firewood

It is good to ensure you have collected enough firewood if you have a chimney. Please keep it away from water and in an accessible place. It may also be good to clean the chimney. You can DIY chimney cleaning or call a chimney sweep. Ensure the wood is stored in a safe and dry place so you will not need to walk outside the house.

Clean Gutters

The gutters may have accumulated debris during summer when trees are shedding leaves. So, before the cold season, clean the gutters to ensure water will flow smoothly away from the house. This eliminates the problem of having water accumulating in the basement and doorway. Water could seep through the roof without proper flow, causing structural damage. So, clean the gutters and repair any issues to ensure water flows well.

Inspect Your Compound

Winter comes with wind, rain, and sometimes heavy storms. If you have trees hanging too close to the house or power line, you may risk ruining the roof, inviting pests, or losing power. So, remove all broken, bending, and shaking branches hanging from the tree. Inspecting the areas around the house will ensure you will not have any issues when the season begins.

Conclusion

These are simple ways to keep your home comfortable and healthy during winter. The cold season requires you to stay warm. That means you need to make several changes to achieve that. Try the above tips to ensure you are ready for winter. Making these adjustments early before the season starts is advisable to ensure everything is in a good state.

Home Decor, Home Improvement, DIY

5 best ways to avoid the risk of fire due to electrical fault

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Electrical hazards are very common, and many incidents ultimately lead to a fire. Approximately 51000 fires, 500 deaths, 1400 injuries and $1.3 billion in damage occur each year due to these electrical hazards. All this is a result of a little negligence. 

Even the tiniest carelessness can end up in a devastating impact and so, Hexo services ensure your home is safe. 

Outdated electrical wiring

A worn-out wiring system in your home/workplace is very dangerous. Such wiring cannot handle heavy voltages of commonly used electrical appliances, e.g. refrigerators, air conditioners, iron, and microwave ovens, resulting in a short-circuiting causing fire. 

This is because the old wiring heats up quickly due to the heavy power load. As the wiring system is spread all around the property, so the damage is not just confined to one place. In worst case scenarios, you may need to call an emergency electrician to help handle the problem.

Multiple plugins in one extension cord

This is a very common cause of electrical fire, and most people tend to ignore it. This occurs when a lot of electrical appliances such as phone charger, television, and computer etc. are connected to a single extension cord, which is connected to a single socket. Due to such overloading, the wiring connected to the socket heats up, resulting in a fire.

Worn out electrical outlets

When sockets get older, their wiring becomes loose, and there is a higher chance of breakage, which can cause a fire. The old appliances consume a lot of power, and when these are connected to old sockets, they further increase the chance of fire. There is also a fire hazard when these appliances are connected to a single extension cord.

Light fixtures

Installing a high wattage bulb creates a risk of an electrical fire. This is because its high wattage heats the wiring inside the socket it is connected to, ultimately causing a fire. Also, placing a piece of cloth or a paper on a lampshade is potentially dangerous.

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

EXTENSION CORDS

Safety should be your priority. You should ensure that your extension cords don’t contain many plugins. If your room has fewer sockets, install more of them to prevent any extreme outcome. Alternatively, you can have heavy-duty extension cords but make sure that its wiring does not run underfloor rugs or carpets because doing so can generate excessive heat.

APPLIANCES

Replace your old appliances with new ones to mitigate the risk of electrical hazards. If your existing appliances are not outdated, check if any severed wires need replacing. You should not hesitate in investing new and safe appliances as it ensures your utter safety.

ELECTRICAL WIRING

You need to replace any old and impaired wiring as soon as possible. Several signs show that the wiring has been worn out, such as flickering lights, sparks from power outlets or shocks from appliances, etc.

LIGHT FIXTURES

Always use the bulbs with recommended wattage and avoid placing a piece of cloth or paper on lamp shades.

POWER OUTLETS

Replace old sockets with the new ones. Also, check the wire ends when sockets are being swapped. If they are burnt or severed, this is a clear indication that the wiring needs to be substituted.

Home Decor, Home Improvement, DIY

Five Reasons Why You Need Building Inspectors Adelaide

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Safety is one of the primary needs of people according to a popular psychological theory. According to this article, it makes sense since we cannot enjoy ourselves anymore if we do not feel safe in our surroundings. As we cannot enjoy and feel love within ourselves and other people, we cannot improve as well, and every effort that we do would be useless. This is the reason why it is essential to make sure that the place we are staying in can sustain life.

Always Safety First 

You might be wondering why building inspection is necessary before you can use a particular infrastructure. After all, these are supposed to be safe already based on its construction? No one wants to build or stay in anything that is not going to be at least durable. However, there are many aspects of buildings that you need to look into wherever you want to stay. Safety and security is the reason you need to have these inspections beforehand so that you will have a semblance of peace of mind.

However, it would help if you had any infrastructure checked before anything can be done with it. It is not just for legal purposes, but the safety of all the people staying inside your home. Whether it is going to be a commercial or residential property, it does not change the fact that many others would still use it. It can be detrimental to anybody involved if something collapses along the way. Aside from these possible outcomes, below are other reasons why you may need these professionals for an inspection.

Building Inspections Are Necessary

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  1. Checking Particular Parts of the Building

When you are buying a house or building for the first time, it would be you who is going to do all the inspection. As a buyer, this would be for your interest since you will be the one acquiring the property. However, there are many areas wherein you might not be able to check correctly. Unless you have the training, there are some details that you would miss just because you are still making the deal. This is exceptionally true for those transactions that seem too good to be true.

If a seller is giving you an almost “too low” price, then you need to start worrying about the real deal. This could mean that there is a specific reason why it is getting sold for such a ludicrously low price. There might be a flaw in its construction, or there are some areas that may not be safe for anyone. You may need to have a professional’s eye before you can notice comfortable with missing yet essential details. 

  1. Helping with the Sale Negotiation

Once you have noticed a possible flaw, then it can help you out with negotiations on the sale. For one, these “problems” would be a key factor for the deal to be sealed by both parties. You can attain a lower price point as well since these issues may cost you extra to solve. However, it can also make the sale or fail it entirely. For example, the building was constructed on soft ground, or it is in the middle of a fault line. Some buyers might not care for it, but others may not be as accepting and would decline the sale.

  1. Looking for Pests in Vulnerable Areas

Another important detail that you should look into as a buyer is the pests in the vicinity. Here in Australia, we are already known for having a lot of pests that can be dangerous to humans. This does not include the common insects that can terrorize you like wasps, mosquitoes and termites. As some of these animals stay hidden during the day, it can be tricky to spot them since you will be doing inspections during that time. 

This is why you need a good inspector for your chosen property. If you are in South Australia, for example, there are many building inspectors Adelaide can offer, but only a few of them can truly deliver an excellent service. Most of the best professionals in this field can easily see which areas of the house or building is susceptible to common pests. They can even see possible breeding grounds, so you can treat the site properly and would deter these critters from coming into this part of the vicinity.

  1. Knowing which Part is Best for Certain Uses

Most people these days would like to have a bigger home. Buildings are already a given since you need more space to gain commercial power. However, there are specific areas that can be appropriately used to maximize their potential. For those who do not know proper building design, this might mean nothing since you can do whatever you like with what you have already bought. However, there are many ways that you can still save money while keeping the place more efficient and effective as you can see here: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/realestate/home-decor-ideas. 

A simple example would be choosing where the kitchen would be situated in your home. If you like having barbeques during the summer, it would be best to have one near the backyard exit to accommodate possible guests. Some people might take this to be the standard design; they want to be unique and put their kitchen on the second floor or something along those lines. In infrastructures wherein there is already a specified area depending on its use, the building inspector can check and see which parts may need to be redesigned for a better look and feel.

  1. Creating a Better Environment for Everyone

This is probably the most important reason: keeping everyone’s life better while they are inside this building. It is meant to be used by many people. Having it already checked by the best inspectors is already a blessing for everyone involved in this process. The possibility of pests infesting the area would be minimized, and the other threats can be neutralized immediately. You don’t need to worry about the building falling apart either unless the inspector has already warned you. 

Home Decor, Home Improvement, DIY

5 Things to Consider Before You Buy Your First Plant

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Once you decide to start investing in plants, whether you put them indoors or outdoors, there is more to becoming a first-time plant parent than going into a store and buying any plant and bringing it home. Besides, even though you order one online before you learn about what your plant will need, it is unwise to do so. Preparation is important as there are some considerations that you should focus on first. You can learn this from experienced plant owners that have made various mistakes, after rushing to taking care of a plant with no idea what is required. In this article, you will learn things to consider before you buy your first plant to successfully grow them. 

  1. Choose the plants wisely 

If you love to grow plants that you may have seenin a friend’s house or on a friend’s page. Do not rush to buy it before you understand how best to take care of it, especially now in this fast-paced society where no one takes time to study. It is best to research a plant that suits you and your particular situation as well. This includes the space you need to accommodate your plant. But also how you plan to take care of it depending on the routine you have. Consider how much room is there in your home. You can grow a sago palmindoors instead of outdoors, since various plants grow in different ways and require enough space to fit well. Importantly, consider the amount of time that you have to commit to the plant. Do you have a lot of time to tend to the plants, or are you away a lot, and you require a plant that needs little attention and has to care for itself? So consider choosing your plants wisely as you plan to get your first one. 

  1. Learn of the plant needs 
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No matter the plant that you want in your space. You need to reach the plant needs necessary. Every plant you wish to buy has its different needs, and you need to know if you are in a position to care for them. Some plants require more care than others, and it is important to be familiar with their individual needs, especially the ones that you are bringing home. For instance, how much light, maintenance, and moisture does the plant need? Plus, does your home have adequate light for them to grow? As there are low light plants and those that require full sun. Besides, if you get succulents, they do not need much water, and many people need to learn about this before they over water. Ferns are the opposite. As they are moisture-loving and you have to ensure too, not to underwater them. Learning plant needs is vital to avoid killing the plant. 

  1. Do not buy a lot of plants 

Once you get your first plant and love the experience. It is easy to go ahead and buy more. Although it is not wrong to buy more plants as one is not always enough. However, as you buy, ensure you are ready to take care of them. Be careful not to purchase too many than you intend to have as you may not have enough time to take care of all of them. Consult from other plant lovers who can explain to you the mistakes they made when they added more plants to their collection. To know how best to add more plants and what you need to consider as you keep on adding to avoid facing the same challenges as them. Also, when it is time to stop buying more plants as you cannot accommodate them all. So, as your collection grows and you become more confident in taking care of plants. Remember, you need to consider how available you are to care and maintain them as you keep adding.

  1. Think about location 
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Where do you plan to locate your plant? Although various plants can grow both indoors and outdoors as well. Others you need to be sure where you intend to locate them to ensure they thrive. Knowing where is the best spot for your plant and how you will display it is vital for your first plant. For instance, will it sit on a table, grow vertically on a hanging basket, grow in your balcony or the window sill. Others prefer having a tall floor plant that will take center stage. So, it depends on where your motivation comes from, but plants are more suited to space that will make them thrive. Plus, the plants you choose will dictate this as every plant has its particular needs. 

  1. The type of container 

The choice of the container you choose for your first plant is important. If it holds soil, it will then accommodate the plant as well. Still, there are some considerations that you should account for here. According to the plant that you choose, not all of them are suitable for the container that you have. Besides, some plants perform best in containers than others. For instance, if you want to buy succulents as your first plant, as they require little water. The best container for them should be a terra cotta pot, something porous. If you prefer plastic containers, it is better to choose plants that need more water as this takes more time to dry out. As every plant has its own needs, there are also different types of containers for various plants. 

To conclude, if you are new to growing plants. It is important to do your research first and follow the above considerations as it is not the same as caring for a pet. This is about attending and nurturing to the needs of a plant and care for it as it grows. Having a plant for the first time is about being responsible, to ensure that the plants thrive to its full potential.