With Labor Day coming up this weekend many home owners are planning on leaving home and heading out of town. Below is a timely list of tips I received via email from Jefferson Livingston at Pillar to Post Inspection Company.
An empty home is the ideal target for break-ins and burglaries, especially during the summer months. Vacation should be a time to relax and unwind, but the thought of leaving your home and valuables unattended can cause stress and anxiety. Take the time to secure your home before you leave so your mind can be at ease while you are gone.
Below is a list of some of the most important things you can do help make sure that when you return you will find everything just as you left it.
Inform a trusted neighbor that you are leaving town. For short trips request that they pick up and store your mail and paper deliveries.
For longer vacations, call your newspaper service and have your paper delivery placed on hold. Make sure to stop by the post office and request that your home mail delivery is stopped until you return.
Make arrangements for someone to cut the grass, and to keep bushes and shrubs maintained especially around the front of the house.
Inform your alarm company that you are going on vacation.
Turn the volume down on your phone so passerby will not be alerted to unanswered calls. Avoid leaving messages on your answering machine that could alert callers to your vacation status, and turn off the volume.
Automatic timers for your light fixtures are an inexpensive purchase that should be set to your usual evening schedule. Televisions and radios can be put on timers to provide noise.
Leave a car in the driveway if possible, or ask your neighbor to park there occasionally.
Check the locks on all doors, windows, and fences. If you have a garage, lock it, if there is an automatic opener, unplug it.
Leave the blinds and curtains open as if you were home.
The day you leave for vacation try to make your departure as unobvious as possible. For road trips load your car up in the garage with the garage door closed. For airplane travel arrange for early morning or night time flights when your departure from your home will not alert witnesses that your house will be unoccupied.
Prepare for the worst by taking an inventory of your most valuable possessions. Pack jewelry and smaller objects into a safety deposit box.
Thanks Jefferson Livingston for the awesome tips! For additional resources, please contact your local Pillar To Post office at 360-392-8731 or pillartopost.com
Believe it or not after this dark and dreary Winter, Spring is coming. With the first day of Spring coming up this Sunday it’s time to start thinking about getting your home ready for Spring and yes, some warmer weather! Taking care of some things around the house now can keep your home safe, looking good and allow you more time to enjoy the Spring and Summer.
- Check for low areas in the yard or next to your home’s foundation. These areas should be filled with compacted soil. Spring rains can cause yard flooding and can lead to foundation flooding and damage.
-Take a look at your room and see if you notice any lost shingles or damage from the Winter. Spring and Summer is an ideal time to get roofing issues fixed.
- After a long Fall and Winter of having fires in your wood stove examine the exterior of the chimney for signs of damage. Have the flue cleaned and inspected by a certified chimney sweep.
- Remove firewood stored near the home. Firewood should be stored at least 18 inches off the ground at least 2 feet from the structure.
- Check outside hose faucets for freeze damage. inside the home is damaged and will need to be replaced. It’s also a great idea to check your garden hose for dry rot.
- Check your gas-and battery powered lawn equipment to make sure it is ready for summer use. Clean equipment and sharp cutting blades will make yard work easier and less of a hassle when you are ready to start.
Having lived in a lot of homes over the years I have had many different types of wood flooring. wood floors come in a variety of materials. When it comes to choosing the best floor for your needs, consider the room it will be used in, the subfloor/existing floor, preferable design and cost. Since there are many options in wood flooring there is sure to be a type to fit your needs.
Solid Hardwood Floor lasts the longest and can go through many refinishing cycles. Hardwood is an excellent design solution and comes in materials such as oak, maple and ash.
Engineered Floor provides all the benefits of hardwood but does not require a subfloor. It can be refinished and installed on any surface. Engineered flooring is made of wood, but is not solid. It is a laminated product like plywood.
Laminate Floor is completely synthetic, with a tough melamine coat over a medium density fiberboard core. It can be made to look like any material at a fraction of the cost. It is easy to install and water resistant
Bamboo Plank is an eco-friendly material. Not only is bamboo fast growing and renewable, the manufacturers use binders with low emissions. Bamboo flooring is made by shredding the stalks and then pressing them together with a resin that holds it in the finished shape.
Article Courtesy of Jefferson Livingstong with Pillar to Post Home Inspection Service – pillartopost.com
With the amazing weather we have been having this summer it’s sometime hard to remember that this is also prime time to take care of things around the house as well. Below is a list of home chores that can be done during the warm and sunny weather:
Windows
Every summer, you should clean your outside windows, screens, and shutters. It is necessary to remove the screens before cleaning the screens and windows, but it is not necessary to remove the shutters. Always use a broom to remove spider webs and dirt before using water. Be careful of possible bee, wasp, or hornet nests. If you have a large number of windows or a two-story house, you should buy a window washing mixture that hooks onto your garden hose and makes the job much easier.
Decks & Driveways
The beginning of summer is a great time to do these once-a-year cleaning jobs. Don’t use a power washer! They are very dangerous to you, and they can destroy your deck and driveway. For outdoor decks, you can use a diluted mixture of TSP or deck cleaner (available at home improvement stores), then use a push broom or stiff brush to scrub the deck clean. Be sure to rinse the deck well. For asphalt driveways, use 1 scoop of laundry detergent in one gallon of water. For concrete driveways, use 1/4 cup dishwashing detergent to 1 gallon of water. Scrub with a push broom, then rinse thoroughly. Grease stains can be treated with kitty litter or dry cement left to absorb the stain and then swept away. You can also use a commercial grease remover.
Luggage
Whether or not you travel in the summer, it’s a good time to clean and air out your luggage. Clean the outside with a diluted mild cleanser (leather should be cleaned with a commercial leather cleaner). If the inside has a musty smell or possible mildew problem, clean it with a vinegar-water solution (1:5). Let it air dry for several days. It’s a good idea to air out your luggage for a few days whether there’s a musty smell or not. Before putting the luggage away for storage, toss a fabric softener dryer sheet into the closed bag, especially if you don’t use the luggage often.
Water Heater
Once a year, you should drain and flush your water heater. This cleans out all the sediments from the bottom of your water heater. It makes your unit run more efficiently and last longer. This can be a big job, depending on the size of your tank and where it is located in your home. Because you are dealing with electricity (or gas) and potential flooding, it is worth calling in a professional. If you’re an ambitious do-it-yourselfer, it’s not a difficult job. Remember to turn off the electricity and then turn off the water before you begin. Turn the water back on first when you’re done. The tank should not have electrical current if it is empty.
Vents and Registers
If you have a central air-conditioning unit, you should clean the vents and registers at the end of the season. This means actually removing the registers. You should be able to vacuum both sides. If there’s caked on dirt from condensation mixing with dust, you can use a damp cloth to clean it. If anyone in your home suffers from allergies, you might also consider using a register filter to further clean the air during heating and cooling.
We’ve had a wonderful stretch of warm weather in Bellingham and around Whatcom County. Well, warm but local standards at least. Many find it hard to justify the cost of air conditioning in this climate, but when it gets warm many are left second guessing their decision. Below are some tips courtesy of Pillar to Post Inspections on how to cool your home without air conditioning.
Let the Cool Air In -When the day cools off, open doors and windows to allow the cool air to circulate through the rooms of your home. Turn on fans to create a cross-breeze, circulating the cool night air. Keep the kitchen cabinets open all night because they can store heat in your home.
Keep Out the Heat – As the temperature climbs during the morning, close doors, and shut your blinds and curtains to block out the sun. This way you keep the cooler air in and prevent hot air from entering. Close doors quickly when entering or exiting your home.
Insulate -One of the most effective ways to keep a home cool is to install adequate insulation. Insulation keeps the home cool in summer.
Seal Drafts – Seal holes, cracks and openings in your home to stop the flow of hot air seeping in through the walls and ceiling. Weather stripping and weatherizing your home greatly reduces the amount of cool air that escapes.
Turn off heat sources- Avoid using the stove and oven as much as possible. Instead, use the microwave to quickly heat food without raising the temperature of the kitchen, and set your dishwasher to use its non-heated drying cycle. Incandescent light bulbs also create heat – switch to compact fluorescents instead. Turn off lamps, electronics, and computers when not in use. Thanks Pillar to Post for the great tips!
With Labor Day coming up this weekend many home owners are planning on leaving home and heading out of town. Below is a timely list of tips I received via email from Jefferson Livingston at Pillar to Post Inspection Company.
Believe it or not after this dark and dreary Winter, Spring is coming. With the first day of Spring coming up this Sunday it’s time to start thinking about getting your home ready for Spring and yes, some warmer weather! Taking care of some things around the house now can keep your home safe, looking good and allow you more time to enjoy the Spring and Summer.
Having lived in a lot of homes over the years I have had many different types of wood flooring. wood floors come in a variety of materials. When it comes to choosing the best floor for your needs, consider the room it will be used in, the subfloor/existing floor, preferable design and cost. Since there are many options in wood flooring there is sure to be a type to fit your needs.
With the amazing weather we have been having this summer it’s sometime hard to remember that this is also prime time to take care of things around the house as well. Below is a list of home chores that can be done during the warm and sunny weather:
We’ve had a wonderful stretch of warm weather in Bellingham and around Whatcom County. Well, warm but local standards at least. Many find it hard to justify the cost of air conditioning in this climate, but when it gets warm many are left second guessing their decision. Below are some tips courtesy of Pillar to Post Inspections on how to cool your home without air conditioning.
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