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The Serious Damage That Might Be Waiting To Happen To Your Home (And What To Do About It)

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The main role of our homes is to keep us safe from harm and to make sure that we are warm, dry and sheltered from the elements. What a home is not meant to be then is a death trap, or a calamity waiting to happen – but that’s often precisely what real estate is. You might not know it, but there are countless ways that your home might currently be at risk and if you don’t do something about them you may well wake up one morning to find your front room leveled. Here we will look at the biggest threats to your home, and what you can do about them.

Gas Explosion

If you have a faulty boiler or oven then this is a serious issue that needs to be attended to. Even if it’s just very old or you occasionally smell gas, don’t ignore it or you may one day turn on the light and find the whole kitchen goes up in flames. Have your gas equipment checked regularly, make sure to be aware of leaks, and invest in a carbon monoxide alarm to make sure that you aren’t quietly poisoning yourself in your sleep.

Falling Trees

If you have any big trees in your garden, then you should recognize these as a potential threat. A strong wind, or rot setting in, can cause trees to collapse in your garden and this could lead to them falling into your property and causing massive destruction again. Even if a falling tree doesn’t hit your home itself, it could collapse on your car or just destroy your fencing or sheds.

The solution is to make sure to check on any large trees to time to time to make sure that they’re strong and healthy. If you notice rot setting in, or they don’t feel overly stable, then bring in a tree surgeon and just remove the top of it so that it won’t pose such a risk.

Flooding

Flooding is a serious problem that many properties face and which can completely ruin not only your home, but also all of your belongings. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do to prevent a flood if you are living on a flood plain, so the only solution is to try and avoid choosing a property that is at risk. On top of that, you should also make sure that you plan for this eventuality if there’s even the remotest possibility of it happening. This means looking for insurance that will cover you against flooding, and it means keeping your most valuable things above ground level.

Leaks

Flooding doesn’t just come from being on a flood plain though, it can also come through your walls if you’re unlucky or seep into your basement if you haven’t waterproofed it. Deal with any leaks or seepage with waterproofing early on, because otherwise it could progress and seriously damage your belongings and your property. And even if it doesn’t – while it’s there it will still be filling your lungs with moisture and your home with mold.

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Today’s guest author, Phil Ryan, works for a waterproofing company in Toronto. In his leisure time, he enjoys writing on a variety of topics that interest him.

Fireplaces Can Be Seriously Cool

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There is something truly magical about a functional fireplace in the living room of a family home. You just seem to gravitate towards this feature as the heat and flames capture the entire room’s imagination. It makes you think about years gone by, when you were a youngster on vacation, or maybe visiting your grandparents for Christmas. You dare not get too close, but you can’t resist and eventually feel the warm glow against your skin. Fireplaces seem to be making a renaissance in modern homes, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Here we take a look at the practical reasons why you should think about fireplaces when you next get the home improvement bug in your system.

 Great In Bad Weather Conditions

Fire Angel

Whether your fireplace is set up to burn wood or coal, it is totally independent on external power sources. For some reason, power cuts tend to be more frequent during the winter months. Instead of being huddled around a solitary candle, you can be as warm as toast in front of your beautifully flaming fireplace. Don’t be surprised if you hear a knock on your door though, the neighbors will probably be queuing up for a slice of the action.

Multifunctional Options

Some fireplaces are designed so that they can power a cooking stove as well as heat your home nicely. You can make a lovely winter stew in the morning and keep it simmering for days as you smile, knowing the gas or electricity bill will not be affected. You can pretend to be on an exploring trip with your kids and get hold of some marshmallows on sticks, and heat up some hot chocolate on the stove.

Ambience With a Warm Smile

1991 X-mas

As we have already mentioned, the fireplace is one of those features that just keeps on giving. It is a living entity in your front or back room and your entire family will wonder how on earth they managed without it before. Imagine the scene at next Christmas Eve, your children and faithful dog all curled up around the fireplace as ‘Santa’ carefully hangs the festive stockings, pure magic!

Form with Economic Functionality

As well as the beauty of your new focal point, you can look forward to lower fuel bills in the immediate future. If your fireplace is a standalone model, it will happily heat your front or back room for the price of a bag of coal or wood every week or so. If you connect the fireplace up to your heating duct system, it will move the heat around your home. You will soon recoup the cost of installing the unit. If you can install or design a fireplace that heats your home and also cooks your food, you will be taking a big step towards becoming non-dependant on the big utility companies that hike up the charges whenever they see fit. In the summertime, you can clean out the furnace and the fireplace will still add a touch of class to your living room.

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Today’s guest post is courtesy Mark Whinehouse, a dealer of marble in New York. Home renovation is an issue very close to his heart and wishes to have a fireplace for his home. When he is in the peacuful confines of his home, he lets his creative juices flow and writes about home improvement.

Three Easy Steps To Prepare Your Backyard For The Warm Summer Months

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Pool parties, barbeques, and sunbathing… Spring actually isn’t as far off as it seems. It’s only a few months away! With Spring approaching shortly, it may be time to start thinking about some Spring-cleaning so that your backyard is ready to go by the time summer rolls around. Get your yard ready for summer by following a few simple steps such as cleaning it up and setting up a patio space… you may even want to consider a home extension if you live in a sunny area in order to beat the heat (and sunburn!) By following the steps below, you can properly prepare your home for the upcoming warm months and make the most out of your backyard this summer.

1.       Clean up

Chances are that your yard is a bit of a mess if you haven’t been keeping up with it throughout the winter. Enlist some helpers (i.e. family members) to help get the yard back in shape. This means picking up any fallen branches, cutting down dead trees, trimming bushes, weed whacking, and raking up any dead leaves that have collected over the past few months.

2.       Set up

It’s time to bring out the old patio furniture out of storage and uncover and fill up the pool. Set up a nice sitting area, as well as a lounge area so you can easily host a barbeque or get-together without having to worry about having enough seats. Place mosquito-repelling candles around as well as some extra lighting so your yard will be useful at nighttime as well – solar powered lanterns will do the trick.

3.       Improve

Think about what you can do to improve your backyard’s appearance, as well as it’s worth. Whether you add a garden with seasonal flowers or a miniature waterfall, your backyard’s aesthetic is just important as your home’s interior. Leave it to a landscaper to plan out your backyard and find plants that work best in your location’s climate and weather conditions. If you live in a primarily sunny area, you may want to consider adding on a home extension to provide shade to you and your guests.

There are a variety of things you can do to improve your yard and perfect it before the summer season arrives. However, the first step is cleaning up your existing yard, setting up with the tools and materials you already have, and then thinking about what you can improve on.

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  •  License: Image author owned

Jillian Johnson is a professional content marketing writer and blogger with a particular interest in writing about home and garden. To read more writing by Jillian, follow her @MissWritey.

How to Create a Warm, Inviting Home

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Home may be where the heart is, but is your home a place those outside your family love to be? This is a question many forget to ask themselves regularly. Maybe you enjoy how your home is set up but is your current setup something that makes people want to stick around? Are your guests comfortable when they walk through the door? Are things organized? Do they have a place for their shoes and coats? Are there things to look at and keep them entertained during their visit? Today we are going to help you think of some of the things that are easy to drop the ball on when you see the same area day after day and are immune to your way of doing things.

Start Outside and Work Your Way in

08 Front Yard Garden

If you’ve ever heard the term ‘curb appeal’ and know a little about it, then you probably understand just how important it is to make your home look nice not only on the inside but on the outside as well. Even if you aren’t selling your home, this is something you should keep in mind. What people see first when they walk up to your house matters. Do you want them to notice the fact that your yard hasn’t been mowed in months or do you want them to get lost in your beautiful marble entryway? Would you prefer them to notice the paint chipping on the side of your house or the beautifully painted mailbox you worked so hard to decorate?

Even if we don’t mean to, as humans, it’s only natural to make assumptions and expect that what we see on the outside is going to be similar to what we see on the outside. Wouldn’t you be shocked to see a run-down looking home and yard with torn apart cars that have been used for scrap metal outside, only to find a fascinating home that is organized to perfection on the inside, with expensive pieces of unique art all over the walls and a spiral staircase drawing you towards the upper level? You see, setting the tone from the get-go really makes a difference.

Keeping Things ‘Old School’

By ‘old school’, we do not in any way, shape or form, mean ‘outdated’. Sometimes, it’s nice to get in touch with our roots and add something fresh and new that isn’t as commonly found in others’ homes. Many people these days are so focused on technology and having the ‘best of the best’ that they forget the ‘best’ isn’t necessarily what’s popular now. Fewer people have bookshelves nowadays, for example. If you love reading or know of people who do, this may be a great addition to your home; adding sophistication to your style.

Offering Comfort for You and Your Guests

Staying comfortable is important and as we touched on a bit above, it is an important part of setting up your home. Lighting is one of those things many people simply forget about; this and the color you choose for each space truly do set the tone. Colors that help to relax and calm include: green, blue and purple. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to paint your entire wall one of these colors but finding ways to add accents of any of them here and there is always nice.

Another very important aspect of comfort is entertainment. Not many of us like to sit around without anything to do. Make sure you have things for your guests to take part in when they are staying over. A few ideas to get you started would be a gaming system in your spare bedroom, or board games that the whole family can enjoy.

Everything Should Have a Place to Call ‘Home’

The Rorschach Light

Clutter can be overwhelming for guests. It gives the eyes too many things to want to focus on. To create an inviting atmosphere, it’s important that you limit how much you display. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to put everything away but choose wisely and don’t be afraid to alternate your favorite pieces from time to time. These ‘pieces’ can be simple objects such as lamps, flowers, family photos or awards. They don’t necessarily have to be paintings or anything fancy.

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Deborah Walker is a home improvement expert and has done interior designing for a lot of homes. She says that Marble Tiling & Flooring gives your house a very classy and elegant look.

Wouldn’t You Love A Space Lift?

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Is your space looking tired and drab?


Do you ever pass by the rooms in your home, tired of looking at the same old and tired-looking drabby space? Wouldn’t you love to replace your furniture or add art and accessories to your space, if only you knew what to place in the space? These reasons and more are why you need the help of an interior designer . Many believe that hiring an interior designer is only for those who have large-scale home projects in their minds. However, it’s possible to schedule a consultation with an interior designer, so that you can transform small spaces, or one room space at a time.

The next time you walk through a room or look at a designated space, look at your space with purpose. Many times, people are so used to looking at a couch or a table or a lamp simply for the purpose that these serve. An interior designer will help you to look at your space with fresh eyes. Not only will you learn how to view your space with intent, but you’ll learn how to view your space the way that your imagination sees the space. Your consultation will allow for you to sit down and actually consider all of the things that you’d like to see within the boundaries of a particular space. Would you like to see the space decorated with a certain color palette?  Would you like to see the space decorated in a certain style? What is your style personality? All of these questions will help your designer to lead you towards the look you’ve been searching for.

Is making your space warm and inviting a challange?

One of the challenges that an interior designer can help home dwellers to overcome, is how to change absolutely drab and uninspiring spaces into spaces that are warm, inviting and innovative. Sometimes a home dweller feels absolutely overwhelmed by the challenge of taking a totally blank space, and turning into a space they can be proud of. This is why the expertise of an interior designer can be very helpful. They can help a space transform from cold and overwhelming, to welcoming and exciting. So, whether a home dweller needs to get rid of old furniture or use furniture covers to reinvigorate old furniture, the interior designer can help. They have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves to help their clients absolutely love their new space lift!

This is a guest post written by Cheap Seo Services Inc., an internet marketing firm that helps others rank up in Google. We are writing this article about the interior designer Miami studios to help and educate others. If you would like Cheap SEO Services Inc. to write articles for you, or help you with other marketing work, please contact us at http://www.cheapseo-services.com/cheap-seo .

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