Keep it green: Harsh summer heat can up the ante when it comes to caring for your lawn. Make sure to keep it watered and fertilized! Fire it up: Get a head start for the upcoming winter and clean out your wood-burning fireplace and chimney. You’ll have one less winter task to attend to! Carpet care: Now’s the perfect time to have your carpets professionally cleaned, which will protect your carpet and make it last even longer. Want to save a few bucks? Rent a quality carpet cleaner and do it yourself! Touch-ups: Inspect your home—inside and out—and touch up any paint where necessary. This can be done quickly and easily, and will prevent future peeling! Lock and key: Check all of the locks on your windows and doors and ensure that everything is working properly. Being proactive about safety is always a smart move! Oil it: Anything squeaking? Add a squirt of WD-40 or similar product to door, cabinet and window hinges to keep them in top repair. Park the car: If your garage is filling up with an abundance of stored items, take a day to reorganize and get rid of unwanted clutter. Give your unneeded items to charity, or have a fun summer yard […]
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Spin it: Ceiling fans are an excellent way to keep everyone cool, and they’re beautiful as well. But did you know that they can also help you save on your energy bill? By circulating cool air throughout your home, you won’t need to keep the thermostat set as low as you would without the help of one, two or more well-placed fans. Green is good: There’s no debating how refreshing a large patch of shade can be on a hot summer day…so why not invest in some shade of your own? Planting trees is an excellent way to ensure shade and to keep your house cool in the warmer months. Already have some? Make the most of the summer foliage by relaxing beneath a large tree and sipping some cool lemonade. Clear as a bell: Window manufacturing and supply companies now offer an invisible way to keep you cool: by installing a transparent coating to windows that effectively blocks heat. Adding this type of treatment to your sunniest windows is a smart and easy way to save a few dollars on your energy bill. Program and relax: If you have a programmable thermostat but haven’t gotten around to figuring out how to use it, […]
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Water = Green: Water is one ingredient that your lawn cannot live without, so make sure that you’ve got a great routine in place for keeping the lawn damp. If you have a good sprinkler system installed, you’re already a step ahead of the game! If not, make sure that you’re reaching all areas of the lawn if watering by hand or by moveable sprinkler. Water in the evening or very early morning for best results, but don’t overdo it! Know how to mow: Make sure your lawn mower has sharp blades; mowing with dull blades can tear the grass, altering its healthy appearance. Also, the more often you mow, the healthier your grass will be! Mow the lawn at least once per week for optimal results. Fertilize and vitalize: Invest in a good fertilizer and use it regularly for the thickest, greenest grass. Ever wonder why the fairways and greens on a golf course manage to look beautiful throughout the year? Fertilizer is the key to the greens keeper’s success. For the greenest grass possible, purchase a fertilizer with iron content. Weed it out: Weeds are an obvious eyesore when it comes to the care of your lawn, and you’ve probably noticed how […]
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Maintenance means everything: Ideally, you should clean your gutters twice per year. Maintaining clean gutters will help you to avoid drainage problems that could potentially lead to more costly repairs. Climb on up: Borrowing (or investing in) a good, sturdy ladder is the key to ensuring your personal safety and to making the task as hassle-free as possible. Make sure that the ladder is placed on a flat, steady surface, and follow the rule of two: never stand on the top two rungs of a ladder, as it becomes very difficult to maintain your balance. Protect yourself: Thick, heavy gloves are a must when performing this kind of task. Gutters may have sharp or jagged metal pieces as well as screws or nails that may pose a danger to your hands and fingers. Want additional protection? Safety glasses are also a good idea! Up on the roof: Santa might find rooftops to be a walk in the park, but for the rest of us, they aren’t generally ideal perches. However, if you have a flat roof or a roof with a low slope, you may find it easier to accomplish the cleaning by situating yourself up top. Always use extreme caution, wear non-slip shoes, […]
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Dance while you dust: This is the perfect time to fully indulge your musical interests; break out the iPod or turn up the CD player, and you’ll be singing along to your favorite tunes and won’t find cleaning to be a chore at all! Clear out the clutter: Take the opportunity to dig into the closets, storage spaces, and of course, the garage. You’ve probably got a veritable treasure trove of old clutter that’s just taking up space—now’s the time for a yard sale! Turn that clutter into cash. Room by room: Try to focus on just one room at a time, and try to complete one room each day. This will make the whole job seem more manageable, and you’ll probably get things cleaned more thoroughly than if you tried to tackle the whole house at once! Just a little more laundry: One of the things that we rarely attend to is the state of our draperies, shower curtains, and rugs. Now is your chance: gather up every spare bit of linen in the house and have it laundered; you’ll be surprised at how much brighter your home will look! A room with a view: It’s time to tackle those windows! Set aside a […]
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Go green: A few changes to the landscaping of your home can make a world of difference! You might want to consider planting some fruit trees in the backyard, adding a touch of color with some bright and unusual flowers, or perhaps finally starting the vegetable garden you’ve always dreamed about. Add a touch of color: Feeling creative? Why not give the family room, bedroom or bathroom a whole new look? By focusing on the improvement of one room at a time, you’ll find that what can seem like an overwhelming job becomes fun and simple. Repainting a single room can be inexpensively completed over a single weekend. Bright and beautiful: Replacing the light fixtures in your house with personally selected pieces can drastically increase your home’s beauty and value. Choose a cohesive look for the entire house, or decorate room by room! The installation of new fixtures is generally a quick do-it-yourself task. Tile it up: While it might seem like a daunting task, installing new tile in a kitchen or bathroom can be easily accomplished with a little know-how and the right supplies. Your local home improvement warehouse will have everything you need to revamp and personalize the flooring of your choice! […]
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