If you’re heading south for the winter, there are several key things you can do to help protect your vacant home. Taking these steps can help protect your home from theft, water damage, heating or electrical system malfunctions and other possible threats while you are away for an extended period of time. 1. Make Your Home Appear […]
Whether or not you know it’s coming, a power outage can be a major disturbance. It never hurts to be prepared and to know what to do once the lights go out. Before Power outages can happen at any time and are unavoidable, but the costs associated with them can be lessened by installing a home […]
Many cities have friendly neighborhoods with great properties. However, it’s important to know what to look for in a rental listing, so you can make a smart assessment about each rental listing you’re interested in. Use this rental property viewing checklist to stay organized and prepared when viewing properties. What is the cost of rent? […]
Every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hundreds of people in the U.S. die from carbon-monoxide (CO) poisoning—and the invisible, odorless gas sickens thousands more. The numbers seem even more tragic when you consider that most of these deaths and illnesses are preventable. Here are tips from the Consumer Product Safety […]
There are three main sources in your home; the first being air leaks. Air can leak into the home through walls, roofs, and floors and have damaging effects on a house. Uncontrolled airflow through the envelope of the home not only carries moisture into framing cavities, causing mold and rot, but it can also account […]
Hurricane Harvey, the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States in more than a decade, made landfall on the Texas coast late Friday as a Category 4 storm, destroying homes, overturning vehicles and sinking boats, severing power lines, and forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee, while leaving ten dead. As […]
The top five deadliest floods in world history occurred when the Huang He (Yellow) River in China exceeded its banks. The yellow silt that provoked the river’s name can pile up higher than the land around it, causing the water to spill out of its causeway and onto the flat land surrounding it. Natural ice […]
Equipping your home with the right fire safety equipment can help you gain precious seconds in a fire emergency. Be sure your home includes the following equipment, that you (and your family) know how to use it. What to Include in Your Home Fire Safety Kit 1. Smoke Alarms The single most important piece of […]
Whether it’s a hurricane or a routine power outage, navigating a dark house is never fun. That’s why many people choose to install backup generators in their homes. A backup generator can power your home until regular electricity resumes. This also proves useful for powering sump pumps during heavy rains which can result in major […]
Today’s homes feature a large number of devices connected to the Internet—everything from kitchen appliances to thermostats to light bulbs. While there’s convenience to being able to turn off forgotten lights or monitor who comes and goes, connected home devices can also create a security headache. Cyber security protocols aren’t nearly as strong for home […]