Ceiling Fans and Saving on Winter Home Heating Bills
Mark Donovan of HomeAdditionPlus.com shows how you can save money on your winter home heating bills by changing the rotation of your Ceiling Fans
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How to prevent water lines from freezing
Every year 250,000 households have their homes ruined and their lives disrupted, because of water pipes that freeze and burst.
An eighth-inch (three millimeter) crack in a pipe can spew up to 250 gallons (946 liters) of water a day, destroying floors and furniture. Both plastic (PVC) and copper pipes are susceptible to freezing and bursting.
There are a few easy steps you can take that will save you from the mess, save money, and save you from the aggravation frozen pipes cause.
Steps before Winter Arrives
Insulate pipes all the water lines in your home, basement, attic, and crawl space. These are the most susceptible to freezing.
Heat tape or thermostatically-controlled heat cables can be used to wrap pipes. Ensure you follow the manufacturers’ installation and operation instructions.
Stop any airflow coming in from outside; near where pipes are located. Check for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes. Use caulk or insulation to keep the cold out and the heat in.
Dripping Faucet Method
A slow dripping faucet of hot and cold water might be all it takes to keep your pipes from freezing. Let warm water drip overnight, preferably from a faucet on an outside wall.
When You’re Away from Home
Keep your thermostat around 55 degrees; this will assist in preventing freezing and save you money on the electric bill .
Have friends or family check your home regularly. They’ll make sure it stays warm enough inside the home and can check to see if any pipes may have burst. This will save you money in the long run and cause less damage, by detecting it early.
If your Pipe Freezes and Burst
If you detect or suspect that your water pipes have frozen and burst, turn off the water at the main shut-off valve in the house; leave the water faucets turned on. (You should know where the main water shut off valve is BEFORE you need to use it. Then make sure everyone knows how to use it if the time comes.)
Child Proofing the Home
Each year over 2.5 million kids are injured or killed in their own homes. Unknown to most parents, a lot of the things we use on a daily basis can be deadly to a small child.
Also, as they grow, the dangers don’t necessarily become less, often, new ones tend to emerge.
Place locks on your cabinet doors. This will keep kids out of those old containers, chemicals, and anything else that is hazardous. Keep in mind, children love to explorer, touch, and then put those things in their mouths.
Same goes with washers, dryers, and dishwashers. The odds of them climbing inside and turning it on are low, but they could suffocate if the door closes behind them. Some machines have auto locks on them when the door is closed.
Same for the refrigerator, kids figure out fairly young where the food and snacks come from. They will want to explore this on their own if given the chance. The dangers here lie mostly with what’s inside. A heavy glass container could shatter and break on the ground around your child. The odds of you standing right there when it happens are low, otherwise they wouldn’t have been in the fridge in the first place.
Little Sally here, loves to push buttons. Imagine what would happen if she pushed the wrong button, then climbed in the oven to hide or play. No more Sally! Lock the oven!
Safety 1st offers a wide selection of home proofing products. They’re durable, reliable, and inexpensive.
Place gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. Kids learn to negotiate climbing stairs faster than going down. We recommend the gates that attach or hinge on one side, rather than the ones with the cross beam. These are quick to install, easy to use, and will stay in place better.
Here’s another type of cabinet lock.
Also, keep plastic, packing peanuts, small parts and toys away from young children.
Ideas for Painting the Interior
Although the thought of painting is more frightening than a root canal for many people, I am a huge advocate for getting rid of those stark white walls.
Your home is the place you go to get away from the stress of work and traffic, and it gives you a sense of security and comfort. So why not use one of the best and least expensive home interior decorating techniques to help create the sanctuary you want.
You’ll find that the interior painting ideas presented in this document will serve you well…
Science has shown that color can and does affect us psychologically. Some paint colors provide a cooling effect, while others impart a sense of warmth.
So do yourself a favor and visit your local hardware or paint store and grab a handful of paint swatches that match your style and personality.
If you’re interested in adding texture and depth to a room, also consider one of these decorative interior painting ideas:
1. Wall Stenciling – this interior painting idea involves applying color to a wall, floor, or ceiling through cutout areas of a template that create a design. When the cutout template or stencil is removed, the pattern remains.
The pattern can be of anything you like including animals, stars, geometric patterns, flowers, the alphabet, etc.
The process is very easy and it will add texture to your room. Also, a stencil design can be used over and over again anywhere in your home. Click here to learn more about this interior painting idea… Wall Stenciling
2. Faux painting – (pronounced “foe”) means “false”. To faux paint is to paint one object to resemble another.
With this interior painting idea, you can use paint to create the illusion of natural materials such as wood, marble, granite, etc. Click here to learn more about this interior painting idea… Faux Painting
3. Rubber Stamping - Personally, this is my favorite interior painting idea. That’s because it’s super fast and easy, and will give you unbelievable results!
Narrow your selection to a few colors that seem to complement, rather than compete with, your furniture and furnishings.
Don’t select very bright colors unless you are certain that you want your walls to be the focal point in the room.
Your best bet is to find the most neutral shades for the colors that you have in mind. For example, if there are seven shades of red paint, the most neutral shade will be the one in the middle of the bunch.
Before you finalize your decision, return to the paint store and purchase small cans of paint for the top two or three colors that caught your eye. Also pick up some inexpensive 3″ brushes. You’ll want to paint 12″ x 12″ patches of the colors on your walls.
Leave the patches there for at least a day so that you can evaluate how well they will work in the room, and how they look in natural and artificial lighting.
On more than one occasion, I have found that a color on the wall appeared to be darker than the swatch.
This method allows you to make any color adjustments or to simply start over. Of all the interior painting ideas, selecting your paint color in this manner will save you the most disappointment.
Select The Right Type of Paint
These interior painting ideas will guide you to the appropriate paints for each area of your home.
Flat paint
* lowest sheen available
* the standard for most walls
Satin paint
* has a slight sheen and are easier to clean than flat paint
* can be used on any wall, but test in a small area first to see if you like it
Semi-gloss paint
* great for kitchens, bathrooms, and children’s rooms because they are highly durable
Gloss paint
* has a high sheen and are usually used on doors and in areas that are susceptible to getting dirty
* used to trim base boards and door frames
The amount of paint you need for each room will depend on the size of the area to be painted.
Use this formula as a guide:
Total length of all walls x Average wall height = Total Area
For example, if the total length of all four walls in your living room is a combined 80 feet (20 ft. x 4 walls) and the wall height is 9 feet, then the total area for the room is 720 square feet (80 ft. x 9ft).
A gallon of paint will cover about 375 square feet. So for your living room, you would need about 2 gallons of paint (720 sq. ft. /375 sq. ft. per gallon coverage).
Prepare Your Walls Before Painting Them
You may be tempted to move the furniture to the center of the room and start painting right away. But if you take a few moments and prepare your walls properly, you’ll be much happier with the finished product.
While the following interior painting ideas may be common sense, it is important that you keep them in mind.
Remove
* light switch and outlet plates
* light fixtures (or cover them well)
* drapes, curtains, lamps, furniture
Patch
* nail holes, dents, and cracks with spackling
* let the spackling dry before painting
Sand & Scrape
* remove loose paint
* sand to even any edges
Apply A Primer
* if you selected a dark paint color
* if you removed wallpaper (do not paint over wallpaper)
* if your walls are new or show lots of damage