Tag Archives: Home

Hand Held Vacuum Cleaners Don’t Clean Home Without It!

November 30, 2021   Matt

Hand Held Vacuum Cleaners Don’t Clean Home Without It!

Do you have one special tool around the house that you simply couldn’t live without? A gadget or gizmo that makes your life a whole lot easier simply because it exists. Most people have one little thing they simply cope without when it comes to keeping house, and for many, the portable practicality of a hand held vacuum cleaner makes this the tool that trumps the lot.

Regardless of your home environment, a hand held vacuum cleaner can make your life a whole lot easier. Whether you’re in a tiny apartment or vast mansion, these little cleaners are the ideal way to cope with those unexpected spills without having to drag the full-grown vacuum from out of storage. For anyone with messy kids or a crumb-creating spouse, a hand held vacuum can help you stay clean and tidy without losing your sanity.

Because the truth is that very few of us do housework for the sake of it. Perhaps there are a few dedicated souls who enjoy all the stretching and bending and lifting the whole process involves, but for the rest of us, it is the result that counts. A tidy home is nice, it is relaxing, and nothing is more frustrating than achieving one only to see your hard work shattered by the falling of crumbs on your newly vacuumed floor.

A hand held vacuum allows you to enjoy the same results without any of the hard work. Those of us who find peace in an organized home usually hide the tools we use to create it out of sight, and so dragging out that vacuum cleaner can be a chore all of its own. But for small spills and messes, a pint-sized cleaner can help you retain your sense of peace, because it helps you realize that the small stuff, well, really is just small stuff.

The tools we use to perform our household tasks should be things we love to use; this is the best way to ensure that housework actually gets done! A small and portable cleaning device is the ultimate in user-friendly cleaning equipment, cleaning up small messes before they loom large. You don’t have to work all the time to achieve the tidy home you want, you simply need the right tools to help you work quickly and easily. Pick up a hand held vacuum cleaner, and see how something so small can make a big difference.

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Determining And Fixing Plumbing Noises In Your Home

November 17, 2021   Matt

Determining And Fixing Plumbing Noises In Your Home

To diagnose noisy plumbing, it is important to determine first whether the unwanted sounds occur on the system’s inlet side-in other words, when water is turned on-or on the drain side. Noises on the inlet side have varied causes: excessive water pressure, worn valve and faucet parts, improperly connected pumps or other appliances, incorrectly placed pipe fasteners, and plumbing runs containing too many tight bends or other restrictions. Noises on the drain side usually stem from poor location or, as with some inlet side noise, a layout containing tight bends.

Hissing

Hissing noise that occurs when a faucet is opened slightly generally signals excessive water pressure. Consult your local water company if you suspect this problem; it will be able to tell you the water pressure in your area and can install a pressurereducing valve on the incoming water supply pipe if necessary.

Thudding

Thudding noise, often accompanied by shuddering pipes, when a faucet or appliance valve is turned off is a condition called water hammer. The noise and vibration are caused by the reverberating wave of pressure in the water, which suddenly has no place to go. Sometimes opening a valve that discharges water quickly into a section of piping containing a restriction, elbow, or tee fitting can produce the same condition.

Water hammer can usually be cured by installing fittings called air chambers or shock absorbers in the plumbing to which the problem valves or faucets are connected. These devices allow the shock wave created by the halted flow of water to dissipate in the air they contain, which (unlike water) is compressible.

Older plumbing systems may have short vertical sections of capped pipe behind walls on faucet runs for the same purpose; these can eventually fill with water, reducing or destroying their effectiveness. The cure is to drain the water system completely by shutting off the main water supply valve and opening all faucets. Then open the main supply valve and close the faucets one at a time, starting with the faucet nearest the valve and ending with the one farthest away.

Chattering or Screeching

Intense chattering or screeching that occurs when a valve or faucet is turned on, and that usually disappears when the fitting is opened fully, signals loose or defective internal parts. The solution is to replace the valve or faucet with a new one.

Pumps and appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers can transfer motor noise to pipes if they are improperly connected. Link such items to plumbing with plastic or rubber hoses-never rigid pipe-to isolate them.

Other Inlet Side Noises

Creaking, squeaking, scratching, snapping, and tapping usually are caused by the expansion or contraction of pipes, generally copper ones supplying hot water. The sounds occur as the pipes slide against loose fasteners or strike nearby house framing. You can often pinpoint the location of the problem if the pipes are exposed; just follow the sound when the pipes are making noise. Most likely you will discover a loose pipe hanger or an area where pipes lie so close to floor joists or other framing pieces that they clatter against them. Attaching foam pipe insulation around the pipes at the point of contact should remedy the problem. Be sure straps and hangers are secure and provide adequate support. Where possible, pipe fasteners should be attached to massive structural elements such as foundation walls instead of to framing; doing so lessens the transmission of vibrations from plumbing to surfaces that can amplify and transfer them. If attaching fasteners to framing is unavoidable, wrap pipes with insulation or other resilient material where they contact fasteners, and sandwich the ends of new fasteners between rubber washers when installing them.

Correcting plumbing runs that suffer from flow-restricting tight or numerous bends is a last resort that should be undertaken only after consulting a skilled plumbing contractor. Unfortunately, this situation is fairly common in older houses that may not have been built with indoor plumbing or that have seen several remodels, especially by amateurs.

Drainpipe Noise

On the drain side of plumbing, the chief goals are to eliminate surfaces that can be struck by falling or rushing water and to insulate pipes to contain unavoidable sounds.

In new construction, bathtubs, shower stalls, toilets, and wallmounted sinks and basins should be set on or against resilient underlayments to reduce the transmission of sound through them. Water-saving toilets and faucets are less noisy than conventional models; install them instead of older types even if codes in your area still permit using older fixtures.

Drainpipes that do not run vertically to the basement or that branch into horizontal pipe runs supported at floor joists or other framing present particularly troublesome noise problems. Such pipes are large enough to radiate considerable vibration; they also carry significant amounts of water, which makes the situation worse. In new construction, specify cast-iron soil pipes (the large pipes that drain toilets) if you can afford them. Their massiveness contains much of the noise made by water passing through them. Also, avoid routing drainpipes in walls shared with bedrooms and rooms where people gather. Walls containing drainpipes should be soundproofed as was described earlier, using double panels of sound-insulating fiberboard and wallboard. Pipes themselves can be wrapped with special fiberglass insulation made for the purpose; such pipes have an impervious vinyl skin (sometimes containing lead). Results are not always satisfactory.

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Landscaping stores have the ability to give your home an aura of warmth especially during winter when most houses look desolate or bleak

October 25, 2021   Matt

Landscaping stores have the ability to give your home an aura of warmth especially during winter when most houses look desolate or bleak

An excellent tree that makes a good landscaping tree is the mimosa tree which has full, lush foliage and which beautifies the front or back of the house without much effort.|In addition to providing water for your plants, snow also helps to invigorate the soul and keeps alive plants that are under the soil; in essence, design your landscape in such a way that even the snow will benefit your plants.

The phone book can yield good sources of landscape material or equipment. Make use any available one within your reach to get landscaping ideas today.|When buying landscape material, make sure you buy those that are pertinent to your landscape plan. There would be no point going for materials that runs contrary to your landscaping plans|There are many landscaping software that are virtually useless and expensive; therefore, ensure that you get a demo which allows you to determine if the landscaping software is something you want.

You can bury your landscape rock in your backyard and leave a considerable bit of it jugging out to create the impression that it has been there for some time.|Landscaping software is extremely useful only when you want to check out how the design you have in mind will look first before implementing it.

Landscape stones can be purchased at certain home building stores or at a local gardening center and make excellent depth adding pieces.|It is advisable for you to get your landscape supplies from wholesale companies that specialize in landscape materials because they will be cheaper. This is realized because these companies offers special discounts and equally sell items with whole sale price|Plants or flowers can be planted within an arrangement of landscape rocks at your backyard or front yard to create a bordering that is pleasing to the eyes.

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Organize Your Seasonal Home Decorating

October 16, 2021   Matt

Organize Your Seasonal Home Decorating

I don’t spend a lot of money decorating my home. Many people
don’t want to spend the time or money to decorate with the
seasons, but over the years I have learned some ways to
creatively seasonally decorate that have cost little or next to
nothing.
Because I work a lot, I don’t spend very much time decorating my
home. When I’m updating my home to a new seasonal theme, I don’t
spend more than a couple of hours arranging and rearranging to
get a nice seasonal effect. Here are some of the ways I’ve
learned to organize my seasonal accessories:
– I store my seasonal decorations in several large stackable
Rubbermaid containers: two for Christmas, one for Easter/spring,
and one for autumn/Thanksgiving. When I’m ready to change themes,
I get out the one(s) to put things away in, dust or otherwise
clean the area(s) where the new decorations will sit, and then
get out the new decorations. The storage containers get put back
away, and everything is still organized for next season. Make
sure you mark the containers in some way to know which one is
which. Color coding them buy buying different colored containers
works well.
– You will inevitably forget to put something away and stumble
across it when you’re cleaning another day. In each bathroom I
have a corner of a closet shelf reserved for miscellaneous
seasonal decorations. Or if someone gives you a seasonal gift you
don’t have anywhere else to put at the moment, this is a good
place to put it.
If you find the task of re-decorating your entire home
overwhelming, look for certain areas of your home that would be
good for displaying seasonal decorations. In my home the kitchen,
dining room, and living room are the focal areas of our home.
There are certain areas where I concentrate when decorating for
the seasons:
– Kitchen: I don’t do a lot of seasonal decorating in the
kitchen, but there are a couple of easy things you can do to
liven it up a little. Seasonal dish cloths and hand towels are
really cute, as well as seasonal floor mats. If you use the
towels for decoration only, like hanging from your oven door
handle, they will still be nice for the next year. Seasonal
refrigerator magnets are also easy to update.
– Dining Area: Our dining room table is the focal point of our
dining room. We have a long oak table that is great for seasonal
decorating. A table runner makes a nice seasonal addition. I have
one made out of Easter fabric for spring, a floral one for
summer, and one of Christmas fabric. I just need to get one for
autumn. You can accessorize with seasonal place mats, napkins,
and napkin rings. These you can make yourself or pick up at yard
sales or clearance sales off-season. I also like to decorate the
center of the table for the season. A lot of times I will use a
vase of seasonal flowers. For autumn I have a vase of artificial
fall foliage. I accent the vase with Indian corn, gourds, and
artificial fall leaves.
– Living Room: The main areas of the living room I concentrate on
are the fireplace mantel and hearth, a corner curio shelf, and
the entertainment center. I lay a garland across the top of the
entertainment center that can be changed with the seasons: fall
foliage for autumn, flowers for spring and summer, and evergreens
for winter. On the shelves of the entertainment center and the
curio shelves I rotate my seasonal knickknacks. The last place I
decorate is the top of the piano. Sometimes I just decorate with
houseplants and photographs, but it is also a great place to
showcase collections, like my angels at Christmas or my bunny
village in the spring. I also have a piece of fabric draped over
the piano that I can change with the seasons.
– Other: Window clings are great for any season. Door wreaths can
also be rotated any time of year. My grapevine wreath goes up in
the autumn and is soon replaced by my Christmas wreath. You could
have one for every season. Although I don’t have one yet, a lot
of people have seasonal flags or banners displayed outside of the
house. These you could buy or make yourself.
These are just ideas to get in the mood of seasonal decorating.
Learning to bring the outdoors indoors can be fun–there are many
easy, inexpensive ways you can change the look of your home to
get in tune with the seasons.

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How To Do Some Plumbing In Your Own Home

October 08, 2021   Matt

How To Do Some Plumbing In Your Own Home

Maintaining and repairing your own plumbing is an essential part of home improvement, but understanding it and buying the right equipment can be tricky. There are lots of things to consider for your particular plumbing job. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you get started with your own plumbing jobs.

At least once a year remove the faucet aerator and clean the screens. This helps it properly function. The function of a faucet aerator is to allow for an even flow of water and to conserve water. Be sure to clean out the aerator and you’ll notice a these things working.

If you are using PEX tubing for the supply lines in your home, make sure you get the right tools for the job. PEX tubing requires a completely different tool type than regular lines. PEX has a lot of benefits though, so don’t let the different requirements throw you off.

Insulate all of the pipes in your home that run along an exterior wall to prevent them from freezing. This step is not going to cost you a lot of money, but it is going to save you quite a bit of damage by preventing pipe freezes. It is easy and cheap to do and should be done as soon as possible.

The next time you have a clogged drain, avoid the simple solution of dumping drain-clearing chemicals into the pipes. While this method involves the least amount of effort, the chemicals in these liquid cleaners are destructive to your piping. Instead, consider using a little bit of elbow grease with a plunger, snake, or other device designed to clear your clog without chemicals.

Remove all foreign objects from your drain, before you clean the area with chemicals. These objects include all kitchen utensils, fruit pits and certain types of metal objects. These cannot be flushed down your drain and could damage your unit significantly, if you put them through the garbage disposal.

Keep an eye on the grout between tiles in your bathroom. Watch for cracks and areas where the grout seems to be falling out, and repair them immediately. Small grout crack issues can be easily repaired by pulling out the bad and putting in new grout. Allow any new grout to dry completely before exposing it to water.

In order to keep your garbage disposal in optimal working condition, run it on a regular basis. Just a simple 60 seconds per day under cold water can keep it running clean and smooth. If not run regularly, your disposal can be susceptible to corrosion that will eventually make it inoperable.

If you are considering a plumbing improvement in your home, consider the costs of hiring a professional vs. doing-it-yourself. After thinking about how much it will cost you to figure out what the appropriate pipes to use are, the time it will take to learn the trade and the time needed to learn the mapping of your plumbing system, you may find it cheaper to hire a professional.

As you read, plumbing can be an incredibly important aspect to your current and future home improvement and so is understanding all the different techniques and equipment. This is so it makes it easier for you to understand what you need for your plumbing jobs. Following the tips in this article is a very good starting place.

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Spy Cameras And Home Protection

September 15, 2021   Matt

Spy Cameras And Home Protection

With crime on the rise, technology has lead to a decrease in home security prices. Although many devices have dropped in prices over the years, the spy camera is one of the most popular to experience a decrease in price. What was once only dreamed about in movies such as James Bond is now a reality that is very affordable.

The spy cameras of today are included with pin cameras, pens, and even cameras that are hidden in a pair of sunglasses. Most kits cost a few hundred bucks and will come with sensors and remote Internet access – complete with alarms. This way, you’ll have the chance to hook up your house wide cameras to your main cable system and watch the spy camera from any screen in your house. To watch the video though, you’ll need to have your television set to a specific channel.

Along with spy cameras there is also a variety of other devices that you can use to protect your home and yourself such as motion sensors, alarms, trip wires, spy cameras, surveillance cameras, finger print locks, digital locks, and many more. Almost everything is available at an affordable price, unless you choose to have professional installation. Professional installation will cost a lot more money, possibly even thousands of dollars if you have a big house.

If you aren’t familiar with the way spy cameras and other spy related security works, it may be in your best interest to hire a professional. A professional can show you how to work the equipment and answer any questions that you may have. Even though it will cost you a lot more than if you were to do it yourself, it would be a lot better than messing something up. Spy cameras and equipment can be very tricky – especially if you have no experience with home security.

The pin and sunglasses spy camera is among the most popular. These cameras may require professional installation, as you’ll need to hook the wireless panel up to a monitor or your computer. Depending on the type of spy camera that you are using, hooking everything up can be anywhere from novice to professional level. Sunglasses can be great to use at home or anywhere else you travel within distance, as the camera is completely undetectable to those who are standing within your field of vision.

For protection around the home or anywhere else you travel, a spy camera can be a great investment. These cameras are becoming more and more popular these days due to the drop in price. Although they were very expensive when they were first introduced, those times have changed. You can get a spy camera now for just a few hundreds bucks – making it an investment you can never go wrong with.

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