Managing Home Maintenance Costs

Hardwood flooring adds warmth and beauty to your home. Real estate agents will tell you that houses with hardwood flooring will sell for more easily and will sell faster than houses without hardwood floors. They always say that you never get out of your house what you invest in it in terms of additions and upgrades. However hardwood floors could be the one exception. Most people today would prefer hardwood flooring in their homes for many reasons. We will cover some of the the Hardwood Flooring Basics in this post.

Hardwood Flooring Basics – Low Maintenance

Hardwood floors are not high maintenance. In fact they are less maintenance than rug floors and do not get near as dirty. If you have allergies, switching to a hardwood floor will make a huge difference for you, especially if you install a central vacuum system that has the exhaust outside of the home. The finishes are tough and of course like everything in your home, you need to take care of your floors. They will last for many years!

Regarding the environment, wood is actually much better than using rugs for your floors.  Wood is also a good choice for allergy sufferers since its surface doesn’t collect dust, dander and other allergens. Would can be regrown in the forest and it lasts for many years with proper care.

Types and Styles of Hardwood Floors

There are many types and styles of wood floors and many types of wood can be used in them. The most common styles are:

• Strip – A floor made up of wood strips averaging 2″ in width. Strip flooring is ideal for small rooms as it makes the room seem larger than it actually is. Place the strips with the grain running lengthwise to make small rooms look even larger.
• Plank – Plank flooring uses larger wood boards ranging from 3″to 6″ in width. Same thing applies in terms of direction to run the planks.
• Parquet – This popular style is made up of wooden pieces that combine to create an attractive pattern. The simplest parquet pattern is a 6″ x 6″ checkerboard design, but there is really no limit to how complex a parquet floor pattern can become.

Wood floors can be protected by a transparent varnish that lets the wood’s natural tint show through or they can be stained any color you like to compliment any decor scheme. Over 50 different species of woods are used in wood flooring, including familiar domestic woods such as Pine, Oak, and Maple as well as more exotic woods like Bamboo, Mesquite and Teak. All of these woods vary in hardness and wear resistance, so consider the traffic patterns where they will be installed.

With all the flooring options available for the homeowner to consider, wood flooring remains a very popular choice. They’re more affordable than you might think.  with the increasing cost of oil and other materials, wall to wall rugs are coming close to the same costs as hardwood flooring. They maintain their beauty and value as time goes by. As the expression goes, “It’s the wood that makes it good!”

Maintaining Your Hardwood Floor

A hardwood floor will last many years if maintained properly. Always remove your outdoor shoes before walking on your floor. Leave them at the entrance to your home and have a mat to step on when you come in from outside. This mat will trap all kinds of loose particles and grit that could scratch your flooring.

Vacuum often, at least once a week to remove all dirt and grit that could scratch your floor. If you feel that a lot of grit is being tracked into your home from outside, vacuum these areas more often. Pets can bring a lot of dander, pollen and dirt into the home if they are outside a lot.

Install a central vacuum with the exhaust outside to remove all dust particles, even the fine  ones to reduce the dust in your home and also to reduce the impact on allergies if someone in your family suffers from allergies.

With proper care your flooring will last many years without the need to refinish your hardwood floors.

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If you are finding that your phone bills are larger than you expected check out whether there are text msg shortcode program charges on your phone. If you want the full story on these charges and what text msg shortcode program charges are click on the link above.

I was hit by 8 of these charges and they cost me $2 a pop for $16. They add up fast and I had no idea what they were. Nor did I even recall asking for them. However apparently according to my phone company I did sign up to receive them. Who in their right mind would sign up for a short code program that costs $2 every time you receive one? This is a serious scam from some company. They are trying to make money off of unsuspecting consumers who do not routinely check their monthly phone bills.

Text Msg Shortcode Programs – Legitimate

There are legit txt msg shortcode programs and then there are scams. The phone companies use them to send information messages to their customers at no charge, however many companies use them to send information to their customers and scam there customers. I was receiving information about sports scores which I really do not care about and do not want.

Removing the charges

To make a long story short, after complaining about the charges, the phone company reversed the charges.Also they told me how to stop the charges. If you get these messages and do not want them, just hit reply and type “stop” and then send! The company sending the messages is supposed to take you off the list and not send any more of these kind of messages to you. How many people just pay the bill and never question it. Stopping them was easy and I have not received any since.

Check Your Monthly Bill

A friend of mine would never even notice. He has his mobile phone bill on automatic payment and rarely looks at the details. There are probably all kinds of charges on his bill that he is paying for that he does not even use! He is well off and has a good pension and frankly does not worry about money too much. A perfect customer for this scam program. He could end up spending a hundred dollars a month on these charges and not even be aware of it. That is a lot of money in my books. There is no way that I want to pay these kinds of fees.

There are probably thousands of people or millions of people who fall into the category of never checking their bills and the details. They are the ones that these scammers are trying to rip off. They are really the perfect candidates for this kind of scheme. Even a quick glance at your bill will tell you if there is something unusual going on. Check the total every money. If it varys every month, there may be charges that you are not aware of that you would want to question.

Anyway that’s all I wanted to say about text msg shortcode program charges and how to avoid them. Click on the link above for more detailed information. Comments are welcome.

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Most people do not worry too much about their homes when they go away for the weekend. What about for the week or even for longer periods? They may tell the neighbors and family. However unless there is something unusual going on , no one will check the home while they are away. For the vast majority of people this is fine as long as your home is secure. It also assumes that you have followed some or all of the home security checklists we have discussed in earlier posts. Most homes are never broken into. The furnace works all of the time during the winter and there never is a water leak.

But it just takes that one time for a water line to break and you end up with thousands of dollars in damage. Then what do you do if the insurance company will not pay? Because you did not have anyone checking on the house.

What Steps Should You Take When Leaving a Home Vacant

Consumers should always check with their insurance companies before they leave to make sure that their home is still covered even while you are away from home. Some companies will demand that a person visits every 24 hours especially in the winter time when the furnace is running. Frozen pipes that burst can cause a lot of damage. Other companies are more lenient as long as the water is shut off and will only need someone to check on the home once a week. They are all different in their requirements so call them to find out what you need to do to make sure you are covered for all damages while you are away.

There are one or two exceptions that we can think of when you may want to make arrangements for someone to check on the house and / or visit your home while you are away even if it is just for the weekend.

Weekend House Watchers – What to Do With Pets

The first issue would be if you have pets. Cats can usually look after themselves for the weekend, especially if you put out extra cat food and water. Cats are known for not over eating. They can survive quite well on their own for several days with no problem. If you have an older cat that needs medicine other arrangements are needed. Then you may want to make arrangements for someone to visit and provide what ever is needed.

Dogs on the other hand need almost constant attention. They need to be walked and fed and given a chance to empty their bowels etc, otherwise you are probably looking at a huge mess when you get home, not to mention a very hungry dog. They will tend to eat everything in front of them at one time. Weekend house sitters and dog walkers can help most people in this situation by taking your dog for a walk several times a day as needed.

Snow Clearing

People in northern climates may also need to have snow cleared in the winter time. People with pools may have to have someone look after their pool in the summer time. Most neighbors will gladly do this for you for a free swim in the pool. Or a return favor some time. All of these activities will make the home looked lived in and as if someone is home.

Even with a weekend house sitter or a neighbor looking after your home, you should still have lights on timers. So that there is no perceived change in schedule. If you use electric timers for lights while you are away, it will be hard to tell if you are home or not. Weekend house watchers can also water plants, check for water leaks and make sure that the heat is on. They can collect any newspapers that might be laying on the front step.

Why take the chance and leave your home unchecked. After all your insurance could end up being invalid. Or a claim rejected all because you were going to save a few dollars. Your home and your contents are worth far more than what you would pay for someone to house sit your home. Or to check your home on a schedule that you have set up that satisfies the insurance company.

If you have thoughts on this subject or wish to leave a comment, please do so.

Critical Tire Maintenance keeps Your Car Rolling Smoothly with no delays. It saves you thousands of dollars in gasoline costs over the life of your tires. Did you know that if Americans simply maintained the proper tire pressure in their tires, they would save over 4 billion dollars a year. This is significant not to mention the repairs needed on tires that fail prematurely and require replacement. It is also much safer for the driver and passengers to also have properly inflated tires.

Maintaining your tires is so important and we do not even think about it until it is too late.  Accidents are also caused due to under inflated tires which can cost more money and possibly cause death to your family. You could potentially be avoiding some or all of the following:

• Uneven wear,
• Poor performance
• Lack of control of your car
• Failure to respond in an emergency situation and
• Possibly even a blowout.

Traffic Accident Stats

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, tire failures or blowouts are believed to contribute to over 400 deaths and 10,000 injuries in the United States every year.

We can quote all of the statistics we want, but most people feel that it will never happen to them or it is always the other guy. Why take the chance, why not protect your family?

Under-inflation is one of the leading causes of tire failure. This means putting too much air or not enough into the tires and both cases can cause stress and excessive heat to build up, which can lead to overheated tires which  may even result in a blowout or a car crash. Combine high speed with an under inflated tire and if you do not crash from a blown tire you probably will crash due to poor control of your car since the tires just cannot respond well enough.

Temperature Change – Tire Pressure

Changes in outdoor temperature can actually affect a car as well as the pressure in the tires.In cold weather air condenses and your tires lose pressure. In hot temperatures, air expands increasing the inflation of your tires. Both are lethal combinations and should be monitored closely. Snow birds who drive from the cold north during winter are particularly pron to this problem as they hit warmer climates.

The rate at which tires lose air is higher during the warm spring and summer months. A tire will lose approximately one or two pounds of pressure per month on a normal basis. During the warmer months, pressure loss is even greater.

Check your tire’s pressure every time you fill up your car’s fuel tank, especially if you go for several weeks between fill ups and at the least checked once every month as well as prior to leaving for a long road trip.

Gradually apply the break until you have regained control over the vehicle if you have a blow out while driving. Once you have brought the car under control, slowly guide your car to a safe area as far away from the road as possible. Never apply the brakes until you have control of the car.

Perform regular inspection of your tires:

• Regular inspections of all four tires
• Uneven tire wear
• Missing balance weights
• Checking the air pressure often.

With the proper maintenance, a potential problem can be diagnosed before it occurs and will help to ensure you and your family will arrive at your destination safely.

More posts about tire maintenance, click here.

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What is Green Energy Anyway? Well the answer is that it really depends on who you talk to and what you read. Fortunately many companies have realized that it is important to be seen to be on the Green bandwagon. Unfortunately many are using this new phenomenon to further market their existing products. They may or may not use green sources of energy. We decided to write this post, because as we are doing some of the research for our posts we started to realize that all energy generation causes pollution of some kind – Air, visual, habitat and manufacturing processes.

Local Power Supply

Take your local electrical supply company. If you read some of the brochures in your monthly bill, or read their annual reports, they will likely talk about how they are gradually going green and buying power from green electrical generation companies. But what is really green and were does the power come from, given that our power system across North America is totally connected and integrated?

Power comes from coal and oil fired plants, it comes from nuclear generating plants and power also comes from hydro electric generation plants which are dams that use flowing water to turn turbines to generate electrical power. Added to the mix is power from solar panels and wind farms that are increasingly being set up!

In my opinion, all power generation has an impact on the environment depending on how the equipment is manufactured, depending on the footprint of the facility that generates power and of course the fuel or energy source that is used.  Wind farms and solar power generation are broadly accepted as green technology because they do not pollute the air, however they do pollute our space and they take up a lot of land. Hydro generation causes thousands of acres of land and wildlife habitat to be flooded. So are they really green?

What is Green Energy Anyway

The broad categories include:

• Manufacture of equipment
• Land use for the power generation facility
• Fuel used to generate the electricity
• Connecting the plant to the distribution systems

These are very difficult to measure so that you have absolute comparisons. We have yet to come across any real comparisons using mathematical or financial measures. What we have read so far are really opinions based on perceived common sense which can be suspect some times.

Land use for the power generation facility

It appears that hydro generation from dams and rivers would have the largest impact since thousands of square miles can be flooded. However I have not seen comparisons of how much land would be covered if you generated the same amount of power from solar panels for example. It could be calculated and some would say that if you confined the solar panels to roof tops and desert areas, what is the harm. We have not found anyone looking at this yet, although the information may be there.

Fuel used to generate the electricity

Oil, coal and uranium to power nuclear sites are clearly the most polluting in terms of the air and radiation. But do not forget the mines that these fuels come from in the case of coal. Also the impact on our economy for the oil we pay to other countries. And nuclear power really has a bad name these days due to the catastrophe in Japan.

Connecting the plant to the distribution systems

All of these plants must be connected to the grid. Power lines must connect to dams. Solar power as well as wind farms, while new oil and coal plants can be built closer to were the power will be consumed. If you do not like long miles of power lines, then dams will not be your favorite source of power. Nor will wind farms or solar power since they must be located were they can maximize the efficiency of power generation.

Manufacture of equipment

This one is incredibly complex. All of the systems that generate power have a manufacturing process. Some which have less impact on the environment than others. Right now it looks like that solar panels might be the worst based on a kilowatt of power generated. But that is just opinion at this point.

We would like to get your comments on this subject and any sites that can provide more information.

Well, it is mid Oct and it is time for fall home maintenance. Time to get ready in preparation for the winter, especially in northern climates.  Inspect your home on a regular basis. Follow good maintenance practices is the best way to protect your investment in your home during the winter months. Consumers can save a lot of money and frustration by doing this home maintenance.

If you do not feel comfortable performing some of the home maintenance tasks listed below, or do not have the necessary equipment, for example, a ladder, you may want to consider hiring a qualified person to help you. There are many handyman service companies that abound in every city that will do this type of work. If you need general work done, a general handyman is ok and not too expensive. However, for furnace maintenance as an example, you are better off to hire professionals.

Fall Home Maintenance

Performing these checks and steps will not only save you money but will ensure that your home continues to look great. Perform any repairs to any areas that you notice during the performance of your checklist. Here is our list of items to consider on your checklist:

• Furnace or heating system serviced by a qualified service company every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace, or as recommended by the manufacturer.
• If you have central air conditioning, cover and protect the outside unit with a tarp or cover that comes with the unit. Turn the power off to the AC so there is no danger of the system running with this cover in place. The cover will protect your outdoor unit from damage from debris, ice, and snow.
• Lubricate circulating pump on a hot water heating system if you have one.
• Bleed air from hot-water radiators.
• Connect the power to the furnace and examine the forced air furnace fan belt, if installed, for wear, looseness, and noise. Clean fan blades of any dirt buildup.
• Check chimneys for obstructions, such as a bird or squirrel nest, before turning on your furnace.

Remove Dust

• Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.
• Remove the grills on forced air systems and vacuum inside the ducts.
• Turn on gas furnace pilot light, set the thermostat to heat, and test the furnace for proper operation by raising the thermostat setting until the furnace starts to operate. Once you have confirmed proper operation, return the thermostat to the desired setting.
• Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during the heating season. Ventilation systems, such as heat recovery ventilators, filters should be checked every two months.
• Check to see that the ductwork leading to and from the heat recovery ventilator is in good shape, the joints are tightly sealed in any depth installation of plastic duct wrap is free of tears and holes.
• If the heat recovery ventilator has been shut off for the summer, clean the filters and the core, and pour water down the condensate drain to test.

Check Safety Items

• Check smoke, carbon monoxide, and security alarms, and replace batteries. Detectors should be replaced every seven years.
• Clean portable humidifier, if one is used, and install a new foam dispenser.
• Check to see that the bathroom exhaust fans and arrangements are operating properly. If possible, confirm that you are getting good airflow by observing the outside vent exterior damper which should be held open by the airflow.
• Check sump pump and line to ensure proper operation, and to ascertain that there no line obstructions or visible leaks.
• Replace window screens with storm windows.
• Remove interior insect screens from Windows to allow air from the heating system to keep condensation off window glass. It will allow more free solar energy into your home.
• Ensure windows and skylights close tightly; repair or replace weather-stripping as needed.
• Ensure all doors to the outside shut tightly, and check other doors for ease of use. Replace your weather-stripping if required.
• If there is a door between your house and garage, check the adjustment of the self-closing device to ensure it closes the door completely.

Keep Up with Outside Maintenance

• Ensure that the ground around your home slopes away from the foundation wall. Avoid water collecting against the wall and does not enter into your basement.
• Clean leaves from the eaves trough and roof and test downspouts to ensure proper drainage from the roof.
• Drain water from outdoor hoses. Clean interior valves to outdoor hose connection and drain the hose bib ( exterior Faucett), unless your house has frost-proof bibs.
• Have well water tested for quality? Test for bacteria every six months.
• If you have a septic tank, measure the slide and scum to determine if the tank needs to be emptied before the spring. Tanks should be pumped at least once every three years.
• Winterize landscaping, for example, store outdoor furniture, prepared gardens and if necessary protect young trees or bushes for winter.

If this list appears a bit daunting, schedule an activity every day. You will be surprised at how quickly it is finished. Comments are welcome concerning anything that we might have missed.

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