How Rodent Proofing Your Garden Helps How Rodent Proofing Your Garden Helps: Your vegetable gardens, along with fruit and seed-bearing trees and flowers, serve as a one-stop grocery store and restaurant for rats and other rodent pests. Rats and mice love to feast on tender leaves and greens every bit as much as they love to eat seeds, nuts, fruits, and sweeter veggies. They even love to eat worms and insects making their home in your soil and garden beds, not to mention the allure of your irrigation system’s supply of freshwater. Once your garden becomes a favorite rodent hotspot, it’s inev ..read more

How Older Insulation Can Pose Health Concerns How Older Insulation Can Pose Health Concerns: Old insulation is a leading cause of poor indoor air quality and decreased interior comfort. Your outdated insulation can also pose health concerns, especially for occupants with existing respiratory issues. Insulation is everywhere in your home, your attic, your crawl spaces, even garages can be insulated. The reality is that all standard insulation options present some level of potential toxicity. This is why it’s so important to use a licensed insulation contractor when replacing insulation – ens ..read more

Harmful Molds That Could Be Hiding In Your Home Harmful Molds That Could Be Hiding In Your Home: All harmful molds and mildew are considered harmful as a result of the damage it does to your structure and furnishings, as well as the negative health impact that can occur by mold spores circulating through the home. The most common signs you have a mold issue are: Damp or moist areas of the home Evidence of mold in HVAC ducts A latent roof leak or plumbing leak that created damp or rot in the house Black or green spots, or other discolorations in walls or ceilings, particularly in the corner ..read more

Why Covering Your Attic Vents Is Crucial in The Winter Why Covering Your Attic Vents Is Crucial in The Winter: Your roof ventilation can increase your energy efficiency during the summer. We discussed that earlier. What we didn’t mention was insulation, sun exposure, and shingle type are exponentially more important factors. If they determine the dollars you save, your vents determine the cents. Even if you own an old home that doesn’t have roof vents, installing vents may not be your best option. There are other, lower-risk, cost-effective ways to decrease your home’s cooling bills. But ar ..read more

Insulate Your Crawl Spaces For A Cost-Effective Home Improvement Project Insulate Your Crawl Spaces For A Cost-Effective Home Improvement Project: Most people seem to shy away from the crawl spaces beneath the home because their dark, enclosed, and cobwebby nature is the stuff of childhood nightmares. However, because crawl spaces take up the layer between the ground and your first floor, it is never a good idea to leave them unattended or uninsulated. Insulating crawl spaces, or replacing old, outdated, and insufficient insulation, is a simple home improvement project that will pay for its ..read more

How To Test If An Unfinished Attic Is Safe How To Test If An Unfinished Attic Is Safe: With all the home renovation websites and television series out there, it’s no wonder the DIY approach is the preferred method of choice. But some DIY projects, such as an unfinished attic, require a little more precaution than others. If you’re renovating your home and need to access your attic, there are certain safety precautions you need to consider. Before you head up there, you should know everything from what safety gear to wear to how to walk in the attic without falling through. But there’s more ..read more

How You Should Use Your Attic For Storage How You Should Use Your Attic For Storage: If your attic is already being used as a storage unit, we recommend verifying that these “must-haves” or “must-dos” are in place with input from a licensed professional. If you plan to store more than a few, lightweight, cursory items in the attic, we recommend working with a licensed contractor and finishing the attic as a designated space. In addition to accomplishing everything we’ve listed below, it will increase your home value and give you more options for using the attic space in the future. While yo ..read more

Signs You Need Air Duct Repair Signs You Need Air Duct Repair: We all glance at our ducts once a year when pulling out holiday stuff from the attic. The quick eyeball doesn’t tell us much, though. “Yep, there are my ducts,” you think. But, those sheet metal pipes can hide some horrific secrets. In some cases, clear issues make enough noise to alert you to problems. Or, a rank smell becomes intolerable so you’re begging your ducts for mercy. But, some critical issues can be invisible. They will get your attention soon enough. Skyrocketing energy costs or a constant dusty home are a few. Wors ..read more

Household Pests That Dwell In The Home’s Insulation Household Pests That Dwell In The Home’s Insulation can affect the quality of your air and your home. Termites Termites can cause extensive structural damage to your home. These pests feed on wood all hours of the day which means if you have an infestation, you are soon to have a major problem. Termites will also feast on paper, books, and insulation, they have also been known to do damage to swimming pool liners and water filtration systems. If they are in your home, they are likely also living in the trees, shrubs, and bushes that surroun ..read more

Attic Improvements For An Energy Efficient Home Attic Improvements For An Energy Efficient Home: Well-designed roof and attic systems are essential when it comes to whole-home energy efficiency and comfort. If your attic doesn’t have adequate insulation or ventilation, if it’s leaky or topped by a dilapidated roof, it can be felt in the home. Your home may benefit from summertime attic improvements if: Your home is more than 10 years old The home feels hot and stuffy on warm days You haven’t replaced or updated insulation since you can remember You have mold/mildew issues (or your house s ..read more