Spring Cleaning Made Easy

Spring is finally here! Even a mild winter can still feel like it lasts forever when you’ve got a bad case of cabin fever. With a new season beginning, it can be nice to give your home a fresh start. Spring cleaning is an annual tradition for many people, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Here are a few helpful hints to make some of the biggest spring cleaning chores a little bit easier.

Windows

Now that spring has arrived, you’ll want to have your curtains open more often to let in some of that sunshine you’ve been missing for the past few months. When that time comes, you don’t want to be stuck looking at dirty windows, so springtime is a good time to wash your windows inside and out.

Try to wash your windows on an overcast day since heat from the sun can cause your cleaning solution to dry on the window and leave a streaky finish behind. Whether you’re working on the inside or outside of your window, one of the best things you can do is start by rinsing the window off or wiping it down to get rid of large pieces of dirt so they won’t get dragged around your window as you wash them. Be sure to use a squeegee or a lint-free cloth to get the best finish and be careful not to use too much cleaning solution.

Don’t forget your blinds or curtains! It’s also a good time of year to clean those up, too. The best way to go about this purely depends on what your window treatments are made of. Some types of curtains might be able to just be put in the washing machine, but some types of materials might need to be hand washed, steam cleaned, or brought to a dry cleaner. Vacuum cleaner attachments can be very helpful in keeping both blinds and curtains clean since they can allow you to get rid of larger pieces of dust without having to take anything down.

While you’re spending so much time around your windows, give each of them a good inspection to make sure everything is still in good condition. Replace your weatherstripping if it’s looking worn and patch up sealing that’s looking thin. If you’ve been thinking of replacing your windows with new vinyl replacement windows, it’s a great time of year to have that done!

Floors

Even if you’re good about vacuuming on a regular basis, you might want to consider having your carpeting deep cleaned a couple of times per year. You can hire someone to do this for you, or you can rent a carpet cleaning machine at your local hardware store. Area rugs should be taken outside and shaken out and beaten.

If you have wood or laminate flooring, remember that vacuuming is still an extremely effective way of cleaning your floors. A soft microfiber mop is another one of the best ways tools you can have to keep your wood or laminate floors clean. Using liquid cleaners on your floors should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, but if you ever need to do it, be extremely careful not to use too much cleaner on the floor. Don’t apply liquid cleaners directly to the floor and if possible, use cleaning products made by your flooring’s manufacturer.

Closets

Getting your closets in order is one of the most important parts of spring cleaning. After all, if your closets are completely packed with stuff, it can be hard to get the rest of your home organized, too. If you’ve got a cluttered closet, try separating your things into three piles: things you definitely want to keep, things you can definitely get rid of, and things you’re not sure if you should keep. Since it shouldn’t take much time to figure out which things should definitely stay and which things should definitely go, you’ll only have to focus on the things you’re unsure about.
Having a tough time narrowing those things down or is your “keep” pile too big? Try getting some advice from a friend. Since your friend won’t have any kind of sentimental attachment to your things, they might be able to help you thin out your belongings.

What to Consider Before Getting a New Fence

Your neighbors may be wonderful people, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want them to be able to see into your yard, walk on over anytime, or getting confused about where exactly their property ends and your property begins. Fences are the perfect way to establish those well-needed boundaries. But whether you’re looking to replace an existing fence or want to put up a brand new one, taking the time to plan the project out properly will ensure the project goes smoothly.

Why Do You Want a Fence?

Before you get started, ask yourself exactly what you want your fence to do. Do you want a privacy fence to prevent neighbors from seeing into your yard or do you just want something that will establish your property line or keep your dog in your yard? What you want your fence to do will have a big impact on the type of fence you should have. If you just want something to establish your property lines and aren’t particularly concerned about privacy, a simple chain link fence could be just what you need. But if you want a privacy fence, you’ll have to get a taller fence that has very small gaps between the planks.

How Much Maintenance Do You Want?

The amount of time and effort you’ll have to put into taking care of your fence will largely depend on the type of materials you use for your new fence. There are lots of different options for fencing materials, so whether you want something that requires virtually no maintenance or don’t mind some level of upkeep, you’ve got lots of options to choose from.

Wood fences look very nice, but can be damaged by water over time and will have to be painted or stained every now and then. Vinyl and composite fences come in lots of colors and can even have a convincingly wood-like appearance, but don’t require the upkeep that real wood fences need. Chain link fences are another very low-maintenance option.

Do Your Research

Doing some research before you get started building your new fence can save you a lot of headaches in the long run. First of all, you’ll want to be completely certain you know exactly where your property line is. You may even want to have your property re-surveyed to be completely sure you know for where your property ends. You certainly don’t want to end up getting into a dispute with your neighbors because your fence was built just slightly over your property line.

Finding out what rules your city has regarding fences is also another essential step in the planning process. Many cities have rules about things like how tall fences can be and how far they should be from the property line.  Corner lots might have special rules to prevent problems with visibility. If you have to deal with a HOA, they might have very specific rules about what types of fences you can have, how tall they can be, or what materials they can be made out of.

If you hire someone to build your new fence for you, they’ll be familiar with the building codes in your area and will get any permits necessary for the job.

Neighbors

As a courtesy, it’s nice to let your neighbors know about your new fence plans. After all, it’s something they’ll have to look at, too, and you’ll want to make sure your new fence won’t have a negative impact on their home in anyway, such as by blocking a nice view. Plus, they may appreciate the warning that you’ll have people working in your yard so close to their property in the near future. And, of course, make sure the finished side of your fence faces outward so that your neighbors don’t have to look at unfinished planks of wood or support beams.  

Benefits of Having Ceiling Fans in Your Home

When you’re looking for projects to help improve your home’s value and make them more appealing to potential homebuyers, it’s easy to think of more significant projects like installing vinyl replacement windows, replacing your home’s siding, or fixing up your kitchen. But don’t overlook the simpler projects! There are lots of smaller, relatively inexpensive projects you can do around your home that can help add a little extra value to your home and make your home more comfortable. Installing or replacing ceiling fans is one of those projects.

Many homebuyers are interested in features that improve a home’s energy efficiency and ceiling fans can do a lot to help with that. Did you know that ceiling fans are an excellent way to cut down on your home’s heating and cooling costs? They’re not just for days when it’s not quite warm enough to turn on the air conditioner, they’re very useful all year long.

Ceiling fans don’t work by actually changing the temperature in the room. What they do is help the air to circulate in a way that will make it more comfortable to be in a room without adjusting the thermostat. Since warm air rises, setting your ceiling fan to rotate in a clockwise direction on a low speed in the winter will help push some of that warmer air down where you’ll be able to feel it. That way, you’ll feel warmer without having to turn the heat up. On warmer days, setting the fan to go counter-clockwise will create a nice cooling effect in the room so that you’ll be able to relax and enjoy your room without adjusting the air conditioner.

In addition to the heating and cooling benefits ceiling fans offer, they’re very practical for other reasons. Ceiling fans are excellent to have in kitchens and dining areas since the air circulation they create can help deter insects from flying around. And if your kitchen ever gets a little smoky while you’re cooking, a ceiling fan will help move that air out of the room. Of course, ceiling fans are also a great way to add a decorative touch to a room. Ceiling fans are available in a wide variety of colors, styles, and sizes so you’re bound to find an option that will look great in any room. If you’re planning to put your home on the market soon, one thing homebuyers won’t want to see is outdated light fixtures so if you’ve had your existing ceiling fans for a long time, replacing them with newer ones could help give rooms in your home a little facelift. Best of all, ceiling fans don’t have to be terribly expensive, either. There are some lower-end fans that cost around $100 or less, but most mid-range fans cost a few hundred dollars. You might be able to install a ceiling fan yourself, but if you are nervous about working on something so high up in a room, an electrician could be able to install it for you. Even if you go for the professional installation, it’s still a relatively inexpensive way to make your home more comfortable and make it more appealing to potential homebuyers.

What’s the Difference Between Single and Double Hung Windows?

When you’re shopping for vinyl replacement windows, you’ll find out there are a lot of different styles of windows out there -- casement windows, bay windows, picture windows, and garden windows, just to name a few. You’ll also probably hear a lot about double-hung windows, which are one of the most popular types of windows out there. But what exactly are double-hung windows and howe are they different from single-hung windows?

Even if you don’t know exactly what a single-hung window is, you’ve probably seen them many times. With a single-hung window, only one section of the window is moveable. The bottom half of the window can be opened and closed as needed.

While single-hung windows only have one sash that moves, double-hung windows have two operable sections. This gives you a little bit more control over how air circulates around your room. Since heat rises, being able to open the sash will help direct warmer air out of a room more effectively than a single-hung window would. On the flip side, if you wanted to get a little fresh air on a cooler day, perhaps in early spring or during the fall, keeping the top section shut and the lower section open will help keep warmer air in.

A big advantage of double-hung windows is that they can be easier to clean than single-hung windows. Both sections of double-hung windows can be tilted inward, making it easy to clean the exterior side of your windows without having to actually go outside. If you have windows on more than one story of your home, this can be a huge benefit since you won’t have to worry about having to get on a ladder to wash your windows from the outside. Some types of single-hung windows can also be tilted inwards for cleaning, but many single-hung windows don’t have this functionality.

Whether you go with single-hung or double-hung vinyl replacement windows, you’ll have the assurance of knowing that you’ll be getting windows that are very durable and are easy to maintain!

Do You Need Flood Insurance?

If you’re a homeowner, one of the best things you can do is purchase homeowners insurance. Your home is one of the most important investments you make in your lifetime and a homeowners insurance policy will help protect that investment by covering damages caused by things like fire and many types of weather damage. But when you hear the words “weather damage,” do you think that would include damage caused by flooding? After all, many floods are caused by excessive amounts of rain, so you’d think damage caused by them would be covered by your homeowners insurance policy, right?

Many homeowners are under the impression that flood damage is covered by their homeowners insurance, only to find out the hard way that it isn’t actually covered. Most homeowners insurance plans cover some forms of water damage but do not cover flood damage, so if you want to protect your home from flood damage, you’ll most likely need a separate flood insurance policy. Damage caused by flooding can be astronomically expensive. According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the average claim for flood damage in 2014 was over $38,000, so purchasing flood insurance can help spare you from being hit with a massive expense.

However, there are a lot of misconceptions about flood insurance. Many people think they should only get flood insurance if they live in an area that’s at a high risk for flooding and that it’s a waste of money if your home has never flooded before. But the reality is that over 20% of flood insurance claims are made by people who live in areas that are considered low-to-moderate risk for flooding. Flooding can happen anywhere for a multitude of reasons, including excessive rainfall, rapidly melting snow, and construction projects in the area. Even if you don’t live anywhere near a body of water and never experienced flooding before, it’s still entirely possible you could find yourself dealing with a flood at some point.

If you live in an high-risk area for flooding, your mortgage company might require you to have flood insurance, but in most cases, nobody is going to require you to have flood insurance. But a lot of people are under the impression that they can’t get flood insurance or that flood insurance is very expensive. Virtually anyone can get flood insurance as long as they live in a city that participates in the NFIP. Like any other type of insurance, the price of flood insurance will largely depend on how much coverage you want to have and whether or not you live in an area prone to flooding.

Whether or not flood insurance is worth it is entirely up to you, but don’t feel like flood insurance is something that’s impossible to have. Just remember that it takes 30 days for flood insurance policies to become active, so be sure to keep that in mind if you’re looking to get covered in time for the winter thaw and springtime rainfall.