Care for your home exterior

A lot of people tend to neglect the exterior of their homes, but when it really comes down to it the outside of your home is your face to the public and should be taken care of as thoroughly and diligently as the interior of your house. Some would even say that caring for your home’s exterior is more important than taking care of the interior. It’s also a sure way to keep your house from being devalued and makes it easier to sell, if that’s what you’re looking to do. If that is the case, then the better care you take of your property, the easier it will be to find a buyer willing to get it.

Here are a few simple tips that will help you to keep your house’s exterior in order, and make your house a cozy, wonderful place to live.

The number 1 biggest priority is to keep your home’s exterior clean. Your siding, porches, etc., can use a regular pressure wash to keep grime and filth from building up. Keep your yard clear of trash and free of random objects lying around. Keep it tidy!

Get moss and stains removed from your roof to avoid damaging shingles, and getting your home insurance policy suspended. Call a local roof cleaning ma company for a quote on how much it might cost for a soft wash treatment.

Don’t be afraid to get a little gardening done. Whether you do it on your own or hire someone, try keeping your lawn mowed, plant a few flowers, and have a couple of plants in your yard to spruce the place up a bit. Once you have a decent flower bed, make sure to provide it with fresh mulch and water as needed. Get rid of any dying or dead plants to keep the place looking fresh.

Make sure your paint job on your house’s exterior isn’t peeling or fading. Keep it looking sharp, and if you notice your house’s surface could use some paint, don’t hesitate to get it painted.

Make sure your windows and doors are in good condition, clean and not falling apart. Nobody likes to see a home with rickety old windows and doors.

By following these tips you’ll be able to keep your home clean, cozy, and presentable to the public. It takes a little effort, but the end result is well worth it.

How to Set up your New Hot tub

So you’ve got a new hot tub but you’re not sure how to set it up. It would be great if all you had to do was just fill it with water, jump in and enjoy, but there’s a little more to it than that. Don’t worry! It’s not incredibly complicated, but you do need to know what you’re doing before you get started. I’m going to run you through a couple of steps that should make everything clear.

The first thing you’ll want to do is read the user’s manual. It might seem a little tedious, but there’s bound to be a lot of useful info in it and getting familiar with it will give you a clearer picture of how your hot tub works. This will help you avoid damaging your hot tub down the line as you get into using it.

You’ll want to be sure you’re aware of the electrical requirements of your hot tub. You should be able to find these in the user’s manual. Portable, or lightweight, hot tubs are generally 120V. These are referred to as plug-n-play. These can run of the ordinary 110-120V of most households. Others have a plug with a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) which can go directly into an outlet. These use a standard 15 amp circuit. To prevent overload, make sure you have dedicated circuits.

A lot of hot tubs will already be equipped with a bit of antifreeze to prevent the plumbing from freezing. Fill the spa’s footwell with water, let the pumps run for a few minutes and drain it to avoid any issues with balancing the water.

Next, you’ll want to turn the spa off at the breaker, or simply unplug it. Remove the equipment door (access panel) to ensure the gate valves are open, allowing water to flow into your spa through the pump and heater. Make sure the drain valve isn’t open so it doesn’t all drain right out. Spray the interior part of your spa with a mild non-abrasive cleanser that won’t foam, then wipe it clean. Don’t use common household detergents as they might damage the tub shell, creating problems with foam and possibly altering the pH balance.

This should have you ready to use your hot tub. Enjoy!

Sponsored by Hot Tub Repair Philadelphia

Fixing Foundation Drainage

It’s imperative for every house to have a solid foundation if it’s going to last for a reasonable amount of time. If the foundation of your house has issues with its drainage system then it will probably cause complications for your home in the long run.

If rainwater can pool up near your house, within approximately eight feet, it can be dangerous for your house’s foundation. When water builds up so heavily, it turns the ground to mud and upsets the foundation.

We’re going to take a look at a couple of drainage issues here and how to deal with them. Some issues might be easy to fix, while others need somewhat of a larger overhaul or bigger fix.

One solution to your drainage issues could be installing a French drain system. This consists of a pipe placed in a trench and covered with gravel. The trench should be made on a little slope heading away from your house to direct the water away from the foundation. It’s called a French drain system due to Henry French who made this method of drainage popular in 1859 in a book he wrote about drainage solutions for farms.

Another options you could go for is surface drains. These are different from French drains in a lot of different ways. These drains are very effective for diverting big amounts of water as quickly as possible. They collect the water and push it away from your house. Installing these drains is also much less complex than setting up French drains. Both are good options, however, but each one might be better for separate scenarios and if you’re looking to make a decision, consult and expert to find out which one is the best option for your specific situation.

Proper slopes are another possible solution. When the ground around your house is slanted down toward the foundation this can create problems. This is called an improper slope. At least 8 feet from your foundation should be sloped away from your house.

These are just a few of the possibilities you can try to fix your home’s drainage problems, but there are a whole lot more.