Home Maintenance - 5 Things Every Home Owner or Renter Should Know

Posted by: Sound Marketing for House Smart Home Improvements

When you buy a home, you’re signing up for a certain amount of maintenance and care. Little things are easy to fix, like loose trim or a squeaky hinge.

When you can do some maintenance task yourself, you can do them around your schedule, instead of having to deal with someone else’s priorities. Some knowledge could even be valuable to renters. For instance, if your toilet gets clogged at 2:15 AM, you can have it fixed by 2:20 AM, instead of having to wait for a plumber to come by – and if you’re a homeowner, you’d also be considering a plumber’s fee.
With that in mind, here are five DIY home maintenance tasks that everyone should know:

1) Painting. 

Painting is relatively easy, but professional painters can charge a hefty fee. If you learn how to paint, all it will cost you is the price of the paint, the tools, the tarps, and your time. That’s actually the real clincher, the amount of time it takes, especially if you have to apply multiple coats. But imagine the color possibilities for your walls if you could paint them whatever, whenever the mood strikes you? If you’re renting, you may want to get the okay from your landlord before you do any painting. They may want you to paint it back before you move out. 


2) Caulking. 

You might immediately just think of caulking around the bathtub or the toilet, but those aren’t the only important places where knowing how to use caulk would be beneficial. There is often caulking around windows and doors to keep out the wind. With a well sealed house, you can save on heating and cooling bills. Though caulk can be used for a variety of sealing purposes, it can also used for decoration to attach tiles, glass, mirrors and more.









3) Toilets. 

Knowing how a toilet works can save a lot of money on plumber bills. It’s actually pretty basic: There’s a tank, a flap, a balloon, a bowl and some pipes. They work using basic physics of gravity pulling water downwards. If you know how to fix issues in the tank, you can reduce your water bills from various types of leaks. If you also know how to use a plunger and a drain snake, you have most of your toilet issues covered. And if you know how to use drain cleaner, you have a good chunk of your sink issues covered, as well.








4) Faucets. 

Which brings me to faucets. Many leaks can be stopped with a few turns of a wrench. Yes, there are handles on faucets that turn water off an on, but there’s also usually another set of handles under the cabinet below the sink where you can shut the water off to make repairs or even replace the faucet. With more knowledge on faucets, you can also easily install faucet-mounted water filters, aerators or even a fancy touch-activated faucet.




5) Air systems. 


We take our air filters, central air, air conditioners and furnaces for granted. They keep the air in our homes the temperature that we’d like them to be, but they’re more than that. Often they are a line of defense for air quality within the home. If you know how to change out air filters, scrub grates and clean out air ducts, you can reduce breakdowns, increase efficiency, eliminate musty smells and extend the lives of your air and furnace units.

That’s it! It’s a pretty simple list, but knowing how to take care of the DIY maintenance tasks mentioned above could save a lot of time and money. You can use your time for more productive endeavors and with the money you save, you can be more prepared financially in case something more serious happens.

- by Kurt Jacobson - RentFinder

 

House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or  furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  Give us a call. 604-585-2020. Right now, save 100 per window for a limited time if you live in the lower mainland, BC Canada 

Home Finance for Home Improvements - Snap Home Finance

Posted by: Sound Marketing for House Smart Home Improvements

Introducing SNAP Home Finance Corp. by HOUSE SMART HOME IMPROVEMENTS.....

 

SNAP is the fast, flexible, easy way to pay for your heating, cooling and indoor air quality needs without having to wait. It’s the consumer-friendly financial program endorsed by your local dealer.
Why go to the bank when you can simply click on the pre-approved logo below and complete our secure credit application. With SNAP, credit decisions take just minutes!



With SNAP you will enjoy:

• Up to 100% financing for all your home comfort needs

• No down payment necessary
• Variety of financing offers including:

• No Interest No Payment programs
• Low Monthly Payment Programs
• Open Loan – Pay off the entire loan at anytime without penalties
• Personal and Confidential
• Easy deductions from your bank account
• Take up to 12 years to pay.  

Start Saving Money NOW!

There’s no need to putting off a more Energy Efficient, Cost Effective home comfort system.
We make it simple – start saving money now – CLICK below to get started! http://housesmarthomeimprovements.com/snap/




House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or  furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  Give us a call. 604-585-2020
Right now, save 100 per window for a limited time if you live in the lower mainland, BC Canada

10 Principles on How to Save Energy!

Posted by: Sound Marketing for House Smart Home Improvements

 A Large Amount of the Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the World Comes from Domestic Energy Use.


To reduce our impact on the environment, we must think about the lifestyle changes we can make, using a little technology where necessary. Small changes can make a big difference, so here are our top 10 ways to save energy, helping the environment, along with your pocketbook.


1) Switch off.

Always switch off lights when you leave a room. Turn off and unplug computers, games, consoles, mobile phone chargers, etc. when not in use. Do not leave them on standby!

Also, turn off taps when you are not using them. While you are brushing your teeth or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing.









2) Turn it Down

Turn your thermostat down. Reducing your room temperature by 1 degree could cut your heating bills by 10 percent. If you are still feeling cold, then put on an extra jumper! Reduce temperatures in any unused rooms to a minimum. If you have a programmer, set your heating and hot water to come on only when required rather than all the time.






3) Insulate / Draft Proof

Install wall and loft / attic insulation and draft proof your home. Install weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows and fix drafts from doors, windows, letterboxes, keyholes, etc. Close curtains to keep heat in at night. Put an insulating jacket around your hot water tank.







4) Watch Your Washing

Fill up your washing machine, tumble dryer or dishwasher: one full load uses less energy than two half loads. Use cooler settings to wash your clothes and dishes. Modern washing powders work just as well at lower temperatures and most clothes can be washed successfully at 30 degrees C. Whenever you can, turn off your tumble dryer and hang your clothes outside to dry.





5) Boil Only What You Need

Only boil as much water as you need in a kettle. Jug kettles tend to be more efficient. Cover pans when boiling water to speed up the process and reduce heat wastage.











6) Use Energy Efficient Appliances

Consider energy efficient models when you next have to change or buy a home appliance. Consider installing a tankless water heater, they heat water on demand so no stored water needs to be continuously heated. Avoid products that come with excess packaging especially molded plastic and other products that can't be recycled.







7) Use Energy Saving Light Bulbs

They last 10 times longer than regular bulbs. Using more energy efficient light bulbs reduces the amount of energy used by the light bulbs, saving you A LOT on your electric bill in the long run. The LED method of producing light loses far less energy to heat than do other lighting technologies.









8) Stop Drips and Use Less Water

Fix leaky taps and make sure they are fully turned off. Have a shower instead of a bath and try to stick to 5 minutes in the shower. Having a shower not only saves on water but it saves on the energy used to heat the water.










9) Use the Natural Resources

Let the sun be your guide. In winter or during cooler weather during the day open drapes and blinds to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home and close them at night to avoid any chill from the cold windows. In summer or during warm weather, close drapes or blinds to keep it cooler.





10) Think Quirky!

Utilize ceiling fans. Running fans in reverse very slowly in the winter will circulate warm air down around a room. Check the arrangement of your furniture over vents or a baseboard radiator, which decrease the efficiency of the units.

House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or  furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  Give us a call. 604-585-2020
Right now, save 100 per window for a limited time if you live in the lower mainland, BC Canada

4 GREAT TIPS ON HOME MAINTENANCE TO SAVE COSTLY REPAIRS

Posted by: Sound Marketing for House Smart Home Improvements
 

 Routine maintenance can extend the life of your home's major components and prevent expensive and time-consuming repairs in the future.

Something as simple as sweeping debris off your roof once a year can help prevent moisture from building up. Moisture can break down your roofing material and cause an expensive leak. Or how about preventing your pipes from freezing by covering them inexpensively?
In this week's article, we give you 4 preventive home maintenance measures to help save you money:

AIR CONDITIONER MAINTENANCE

Clearing vegetation from around your air conditioner to prolong the life of the unit.One of the easiest ways to keep your coils clean is to keep the area around your air conditioning unit clean. Dirt, leaves, branches and anything else that happens to blow by the air conditioner can cause the coils to get dirty. Regular cleaning around the unit will go a long way towards keeping the coils clean. This is a great chore for a young teen to do, not a something critical, but if done regularly will prevent a lot of the buildup of dirt and debris on the coil. Also regular activity around the air conditioner will also prevent mice snakes and other pests from wanting to nest there. Here is a good article showing you how to do this: http://voices.yahoo.com/cleaning-air-conditioner-coils-5855896.html

PATCH CRACKS, COVER PIPES 

Check vents in the attic for cracks and rips and patch them with foil tape to improve the efficiency of your HVAC system and take the load off of your air handler. Seal gaps around pipes, recessed lighting, and ducts into the attic might help prevent future damming and lower your heating and cooling bills. Cover pipes with inexpensive insulation to prevent freezing in winter. Here are some instructions: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-insulate-pipes/index.html 

CHECK YOUR ROOF

 

Roofs are the most vulnerable to water infiltration, given their exposure to the elements and the laws of gravity. On a sunny day, use binoculars to spot cracked, curled, or missing shingles, which are signs that the roof is near its end of life. Also check flashing around chimneys, skylights, and roof valleys, and the rubber boots around vents for cracks.Check for loose roof shingles and secure them with roof cement.

Siding is also susceptible to leaks, especially where it meets windows and doors. A $5 tube of caulk might save you thousands of dollars in structural repairs. If you live in a cold climate, check the siding under the roof eaves for water stains, which could be a sign of ice damming.

WATER HEATER MAINTENANCE

A water heater is one of the most important and yet nearly invisible items in one's home. Most of us don't even pay attention to our water heaters until they start making funny popping noises or there's water all over the floor next to it or they quit working completely. Taking care of your water heater now by draining the water and its sediment can add to a longer life for your water heater. Ideally, a water heater should be drained once every year. This may need to be either a longer or shorter period of time though, depending on just how much sediment is in your water.

What is sediment? Simply put, sediment is anything solid that has not dissolved in your water. This can be sand, grit, rust or mineral deposits. Most wells or city water companies are going to have at least some sediment which will eventually end up in your water heater. Once inside your water heater, the sediment sinks to the bottom of the water heater tank. Here the sediment can build up over a period years and eventually clog up the tank or take up so much room that there is hardly any room for the water to enter and be heated. This is why a water heater should be flushed regularly, to prevent the build-up of sediment.
You don't need to be a professional plumber to drain your hot water heater. It is a DIY task that anyone can do. There is however, one very important thing you need to know before you decide to drain your water heater; do you know how to re-light the pilot light? If you have never had to light the pilot light on your water heater, then have someone teach you how and then practice until you can do it. Otherwise, call a professional plumber to drain your water heater for you.
As long as you can re-light the pilot light on your hot water heater, you are ready to start the process of draining it. This article will detail all the steps needed for you to drain your hot water heater by yourself.

House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an  A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or  furnaces and heat pumps, or to install  insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades,  Give us a call. 604-585-2020
Right now, save 100 per window for a limited time if you live in the lower mainland, BC Canada.