Articles by Nicolette

When it comes to home improvement, many homeowners believe in an all-or-nothing approach. They prefer to wait for a total remodel rather than tackling a series of smaller, more manageable projects. Choosing the latter can save money and make your home a more attractive and enjoyable place to live. Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.

Decorating your walls on a tight budget can be quite simple and requires no painting. Consider buying a large quilt or an interesting piece of tapestry and affixing it to your wall. This can be a nice conversation piece on your wall, and provide you with a nice piece of your personality to look at.

When it comes to home improvement, be sure to weigh the cost of purchasing CFL bulbs for your home. While they do save energy because of lower wattage usage, the upfront cost is higher than regular bulbs. Also, they may pose a health hazard to you if ever broken due to the amount of mercury used inside the bulb.

For a beautiful addition to your home, consider turning two windows that are close together into sliding glass or french doors. With glass doors, you are allowing the light to come in as well as the beauty of the world outside your door. Being able to look out at nature while having your first cup of coffee will make the investment worthwhile.

When it comes to home improvement, small additions such as power strips and surge protectors can be extremely beneficial. Power strips allow for you to easily turn off groups of electronics, saving money on energy. Most surge protectors will protect your electronics from lightning strikes and power surges.

When using nails to join wood surfaces, such as those in door frames, try reinforcing them with glue or liquid nails. By doing this, the wood will be reinforced with a much tighter bond than normal and strengthen the quality of your construction, which will last for many years without the need for constant repairs.

To save on your energy bill, try changing your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs and LED light bulbs cost more than regular light bulbs, but use less energy to light your home and last longer. You should see returns on your monthly energy bill in no time after replacing all of the normal bulbs in your home with these.

Home improvement stores are the center of all home improvement projects. Not only do the stores sell everything you need to start a project, the staff tends to be knowledgeable and can help you if you ever get stuck. Many stores also offer classes on how to effectively improve your home yourself.

Cleaning your decanter can be made quite easy with the following steps. Fill up your decanter up with hot water halfway and add several drops of dishwashing liquid inside. Add two or three tablespoons of vinegar and one cup of raw rice (doesn’t matter what type). Swirl the concoction in your decanter until clean. The rice helps rub off the excess dirt while you’re swirling the liquid.

Install smoke detectors in every room of the house. Smoke detectors are cheap, and they can save your family’s life in the event of a fire. All you need for installation in most cases is a screwdriver. At a bare minimum, make sure you put one in the kitchen and one near the door of every bedroom.

Resist the temptation to use fancy bricks with decorative faces in your next home improvement project. Not only is such brickwork an unnecessary expense, it is rarely as strong and durable as ordinary brick. Decorative bricks are easier to deface, spoiling their aesthetic advantages. Finally, decorative brick styles are rarely produced for long, making it incredibly difficult to find matching replacements for repair work later.

If you love the look of wall murals, but can’t commit to the high prices and logistical problems, try using decorative wall adhesives to create a focal area or dress up a small space. These decals, which are available online and in many home improvement stores, can be applied in a single day and are designed to last for years. When or if you move, the decals can be easily removed without damaging the walls.

Rather than wait decades to save up the money for a total remodel, why not look for home improvement projects of all sizes and scales? By following the advice in this article, you can discover the joys of making occasional enhancements and upgrades to your home without waiting for a day that may never come.

If the thought of an HVAC failure leaves you scratching your head wondering what you would do during such an event, you are not alone. The key to knowing how to handle such events is spending some time learning how to hire the best possible professionals. The information found below can serve as just the resource you need.

Ask for referrals when hiring someone to install your HVAC system. Someone may seem like they know what they are doing, but you cannot simply take their word for it. You should be able to call past customers to get an idea of what to expect from this particular installer.

Before you start calling to find someone to fix your unit, make sure you know the type of system that is installed. Know the model and brand and find it’s maintenance history, if possible. This will help make sure that the contractor you hire has all the necessary information.

If problems arise with the HVAC system, check the entire house before contacting someone to come for repairs. Notice the temperature in each room. Are some cooler or hotter than others? This can help the contractor determine the problem areas quickly and fix the problem easily.

Before you hire anyone to do any work on your HVAC, be sure to get a written estimate which has itemized costs listed on it. This will ensure that comparing one contractor to another will be simple as you can see what one offers that another doesn’t, or what price they’re charging for the same items.

Make sure you have your HVAC system checked at least twice a year. This should be done in Fall and Spring to prepare it for the extreme months. Even though it may seem as nothing is wrong with the unit, a simple inspection can prove otherwise.

In the winter, wearing layers can save you a ton of money on your utility bill. If you can install a digital thermostat that makes the house cooler when you’re asleep and warmer just before you get up, you can see significant savings on your next bill when it arrives.

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.

Shut off the air conditioning if nobody is home. Turning it off does allow the temperature to rise, but only so far. Leaving your heating or cooling running full blast while you are away is a waste of money and energy.

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.

Looking for an efficient way to cool your home? Consider installing a whole-house evaporative cooler. They use water to cool air instead of traditional chemical coolants, using a ton less energy to cool your home than those other units. That said, they do work best in dry climates and not at all in humid ones.

Do you want to make sure your HVAC unit works for you like it should? It is important to have your unit maintained on a regular basis. Any reputable technician will know exactly what you mean if you call them and ask for a maintenance service on your system.

Do not close your vents. Keep air vents open and unblocked at all times. Many people believe that closing off a vent will save them money on cooling costs. This is not true. It can actually damage your HVAC system. Closing vents can cause your cooling coil to freeze and damage the compressor.

Would you know what to do if your air conditioner or furnace system were to fail just when you needed it most? As long as you have spent some time learning about what makes for a terrific HVAC service professional, you should answer in the affirmative. Keep the above advice handy, and you will never go wrong.