When storm season is upon us, it’s natural to feel anxious for your family and your home. Protecting where you live from the inside out is important for peace of mind and also to minimize the risk of losing precious property. Whether it’s wind or water damage, there are steps anyone can take themselves to boost the integrity of their home.

What can I do about wind damage?

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Wind damage can be a serious issue if you live in an area prone to hurricanes, tornadoes or even the occasional gale.

There are two main concerns with wind damage, which are flying debris and the wind itself. You can attach extra locks to doors and windows, especially deadbolts, to make sure they don’t blow open during storms and also cause roof damage due to wind pressure entering the house.

For roofs, you can purchase hurricane straps or screw-in clips to make it hug the foundations more closely. Also be sure to bond any loose tiles which can easily fly off when the wind hits. If you’re not sure how to do this, consulting a roofing contractor that specializes in hurricane roof protection can really help.

Surrounding trees should also be regularly checked for dead branches and kept trimmed to keep the overall structure more solid and wind-resistant.

Finally, when you know a storm is coming, have a thorough check around the exterior of your property and bring in any lawn furniture, trash cans and other loose items. You’ll be doing your entire neighborhood a favor, because the less there is to potentially blow around, the less risk there is of any single home being damaged.

What about water damage?

Flood

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This is the other main concern when storms hit, as damaged water mains and overflowing lakes, rivers and sewers are common during severe weather.

Even when it’s not stormy outside, it’s important to waterproof basements to be sure of avoiding mold and long-term water damage. An unprotected basement is pretty much dependent on luck to stay dry.

Any heavy rainfall or a lot of melting snow, such as in winter or spring, can be enough to flood a basement. Even in milder weather, gradual groundwater seepage can create a damp environment where mold can easily grow.

That’s not to mention the potential damage to your property due to water damage when floods happen. As basements are often used for storage of delicate assets including family photos, books and furniture, the effects of flooding can be devastating.

Self-applied sealants allow anyone to do their own basement waterproofing, even in old homes with lots of cracks and holes along the walls and floor. These do-it-yourself products are great for cheaply and quickly boosting protection from water damage at any time.

It’s also vital to ensure the seals around anywhere water is drawn in the house are regularly checked. Bathtubs and showers, faucets and toilets can all gradually seep water and then become a source of flooding if storm damage occurs. Having a pressure release valve installed in your water system can help avoid this.

Storm damage is a common problem in the United States, but there are steps any homeowner can take to minimize the risks themselves. As a bonus, insurance premiums are likely to fall when the house becomes safer!

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Renewable energy is something that people often think about on a larger scale. How can energy companies and big businesses use renewable energy to make the world a better place? Of course, it’s important for corporations and governments to take responsibility. But renewable energy also works on a smaller scale too. If you’re hoping to make your home more energy-efficient and eco-friendly, you have a range of renewable technology available for you to use. Although investing in some solutions can be costly, there are more affordable options to look into too. If you’re thinking about using renewable energy in your home, consider the following options and how they could become a reality for you.

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Adding Solar Panels to Your Home

When it comes to renewable energy, the first thing most people think of is solar panels. Perhaps because they are a visible technology that you can easily see on people’s houses. You can use solar panels even if you don’t leave in a very sunny place, although they will often be more effective if you get stronger and brighter sunlight. Most people think of them as going in rooftops, which is often the most convenient place for them. However, they’re also suitable for the side of a house (at an angle) or installation on the ground.

If you have been thinking about installing solar panels, you should first consider the cost. You might have grants or financial assistance you can access, which could make them cheaper. Another thing to consider is how much of your energy you’re aiming to get from solar power. Powering your whole home can often be a big ask, and might not be possible for a lot of people. If you’re thinking about electricity, you want photovoltaic or PV solar panels. These convert energy into electricity that you can use to power your lights or other appliances. Before you go ahead with installation, you also need to think about whether solar panels can affect the value of your home.

It’s important to consider the cost of installing and maintaining solar panels. They don’t usually require much maintenance, but it can take a long time to recover the cost of installing them in the first place. Be prepared to wait a couple of decades before you have saved enough on your energy bills to break even. When you look for an installer, make sure they have the necessary certifications. You should get some different quotes before installation to find the best deal.

Using Solar Water Heating

Another way to use solar energy is by using solar thermal. This is a method of using the heat from the sun for water. You can then use the water for heating, as well as for daily uses like showering and washing. If you’re thinking about solar water heating, you’ll need to look for plumbing services that offer the right professional installation. They can install a water tank that will supply solar-heated water throughout your house. The water heater will be connected to solar panels outside. However, it’s important to remember that appliances like electric showers and cold-fill washing machines won’t use the water heated by the solar panels.

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Try a Solar Oven

For a smaller and interesting way to use solar energy, consider creating a solar oven. It might seem at first like something you would make at school. But it can be a very useful thing to have, especially if you live somewhere sunny or somewhere you might lose power because of the heat. As the name suggests, a solar oven uses the power of the sun to cook food. As well as reducing energy costs, it can make sure you’re prepared in the event of an emergency. You can make one yourself fairly easily, but you can also buy a robust one. If you’re not sure how to use it, there are lots of guides to cooking with a solar oven that you can find online.

Solar Air Conditioning

Solar air conditioning might seem like a contradiction at first. After all, solar power is usually used to heat things, not cool them down. But solar energy can be used to run an air conditioning system to keep your home cool. The hot water from a solar thermal system can be used in air conditioning unit to create cool air for your home. This is an excellent choice if you use air conditioning a lot, which many people do. Air conditioning is often one of the highest electricity costs for many homes, so replacing it with a more environmentally friendly solar system can cut electricity costs significantly.

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Air and Ground Pumps

Another option available to those wanting to use renewable energy in their home is heat pumps. These come in two main types: ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps. As the names imply, one gets heat from the ground while the other takes it from the air. Despite being called heat pumps, they don’t need a lot of heat to collect energy. For example, an air source pump can collect heat even when the temperature is as low as -15 degrees Celsius or 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

One thing to remember about heat pumps is that they need some energy to run. So they can have some impact on the environment, but the heat they extract can balance it out. They can be used for heating and hot water, which can help you save on other types of fuel and energy. Once a heat pump is installed, they don’t need much maintenance. As with solar panels and other types of renewable energy, you might be able to get financial assistance or incentive to encourage you to install a pump. However, one thing to consider before installing one is efficiency. They will typically deliver lower heats than you would get from a gas or electric boiler. Installing a ground pump requires more work because you need to drill into the ground, but it’s more efficient than an air source pump.

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Room for a Wind Turbine?

When people think of wind turbines, they often picture the huge ones you can see in rows in fields. If you own some land, you might consider having one of these larger turbines. However, for most people, this isn’t going to be realistic. But there are smaller wind turbines you might be able to have for your home. Some of them can fit onto your roof or the side of your property. You can then use them to generate energy to power your home. Before installing one, however, it’s a good idea to think about the issues they might present. Some people don’t like the noise they make or find them unattractive to look at. They also take up space, and you might not even be allowed to have one. But if you like the idea of a wind turbine, it could provide more energy than solar panels might.

Hydro for the Lucky Few

Another option that is only possible for some people is hydropower. Energy generated by moving water is a possibility if you own land with water running through it. For example, you might have a stream or small river running through your land. If you’re able to harness its power, it could be a great idea. You can use a turbine and hydropower generator to convert the energy from the water and power your home. However, it’s not necessarily a simple process. You are likely to need someone professional to help you. You also need to divert part of your water supply through a turbine, so the flow is controlled. If you are able to use hydro, it could be a great benefit to your home. It provides a stable power supply (unless the water dries up in the summer) and could generate a lot of energy.

Biomass Heating

Biomass or wood-fueled heating systems are an interesting option to consider to heat your home. They can provide heating to your whole house, and they’re more environmentally friendly than using other types of fuel, like oil or gas. They use logs, chips or wood pellets as fuel. You can use a stove or a boiler, which provide different levels of heat. A stove heats one room, but can also have a chimney or pipe that goes through the levels of the house to heat further rooms. A boiler is connected to a heating system or water system to heat all the rooms in your home.

Renewable Energy Contracts

Sometimes, you just want a simple way to use renewable energy in your home. If you don’t want to go through the energy and effort of installing equipment, there’s an easier way to use renewable energy. Many energy providers offer green contracts, where some or all of the energy supplied to your home comes from renewable sources. You can use renewable energy without going through the effort of installing any expensive new systems.
Renewable energy helps to make your home greener. If you want to lower your impact on the environment, you should explore the options available to you.

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Almost everyone secures their home when they go on vacation or plan to leave the property unattended for a long time. It makes a lot of sense because the house is vulnerable and you are nowhere in the vicinity. But, what about when you are at work? The reality is that it is a very similar situation, yet you won’t take the same security measures. In fact, some people don’t even think their home is vulnerable just because they are a few miles away. Homes are always vulnerable, which is why you need to take its security seriously when you go to work.

Here is a handful of tips that will help you make the transition.

Ask A Neighbour A Favour

Thieves love properties with no one watching because they are an easy target. What they hate is a noisy neighbour that is looking for trouble. Although they can be annoying, neighbours do add plenty of value when it comes to security. By keeping a lookout, they will automatically scare away intruders. And, most people are happy to do it because they will expect the same in return. All you have to do is ask them to keep their eyes out for anything suspicious and to call you if anything happens. It’s a simple tactic but very effective.

outside the 21st century museum of modern art in kanazawa, japan

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Big Brother Is Watching

Another thing burglars hate is cameras. They hate them because it means there’s a higher chance of getting caught. Cameras these days are so good they can identify an intruder from quite a distance. Thieves can’t take this chance, not if they don’t want to go to jail. For those of you that can’t afford a system, dummy cameras are available. They are a gamble, but it is a gamble that tends to work because it uses the law of averages to its advantage. An intruder can never know if a camera works or not, so they won’t take the risk. Instead, they’ll look for a house with less security.

Eyes And Ears Everywhere

Should anyone get inside your house, you want to identify the person as soon as possible. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to install cameras inside the property as well as outside. Hidden cameras and nanny cams can watch your house and record anyone that enters that shouldn’t be there. And, you can even link them to your phone to get live updates. Eyes are excellent, but eyes and ears are better. Micro recorders are available at Spycentre and other stores, and they are an awesome purchase. They record any sound that takes place in the property, which means you’ll get the audio as well as the video. Audio and video should be more than enough for the police to ID an intruder and put them away.

You might think that while you are at work nothing will happen at home. That is wrong because your house is empty and open to attack, which is why you should secure it every time you leave the house.

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Urgh cleaning! Why does it seem to take up so much of our lives? Surely no matter how much you love to have a spick and span home, there are better things that you can do with your life? But its seem like it’s a constant battle, to get a professional standard of cleaning in your own home, by doing it yourself. But wait, what if you used the tips and trick that the professional did? Read on to find out more.

Base Boards

So one of the mortal dreaded cleaning jobs is making sure that the baseboards in your home are clean and dust free. You have to get on your hands and knees and gives over every square inch, right? Well, wrong actually. This is a job where you can really benefit from working smarter not harder.

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For example, did you know that you can get telescopic baseboard cleaning tools? Which mean all you need to do is walk around the edges of the room, and the tool will collect all the dust for you? You can even wet it slightly to get rid of stains.

Then, and this is a real professional gem of a tip, take some dryer sheets and rub them around the baseboards. Why? As they repel dust, so the job will last for longer, and be loads easier to do, the next time!

Treating wood

Another hugely time-consuming job is cleaning wooden items like floors in your home. Especially if they are made from expensive materials. Of course, you don’t want to leave anything that can cause a stain, but you also don’t want to be stressing that if you don’t catch a stain or mark immediately that it will be there for life.

But this is where some insider knowledge can really pay off. Instead of varnishing your wooden surfaces use a product like Real Milk Paint Company Wood Oil. This protects the wood, but also give you an easy clean surface to work with. Making, cleaning up any spills and keeping wooden items in good repair, a lot easier.

Robotic Vacuums

So, if you are cleaning as a profession, anything that takes a job away from you and gives you more time is a bonus. That is why robotic vacuum cleaners are such a good idea. These are little circular robots with built-in vacuums that you can program to run around your home independently.

That means the vacuuming will always be done because you can set them off when you are out of the house, and they do it all for you. Easy!

Drapes

Lastly, as we all know dust is the enemy of a clean home, and while you can use an air filter to help reduce this you will never get rid of it completely. In particular, it can stick to surfaces and items like drapes and be very tough to remove.

But of course, the pros know this, and have the perfect if a little unexpected solution. A hand towel. Yep, that’s right beating the drapes with a hand towel will dislodge way more dust that the diaper attachment on your vacuum. Then all you need to do is vacuumed up the dust when it falls to the floor.

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The security of our home is a concern we all have before we head away, whether on business or a holiday. It’s that thing that gets us hot under the collar as we are sat in our seats on the plane, wondering if we did enough to protect our castle from an intruder. We question any weaknesses in our defense.

Well, before you go away on your next trip, here is a checklist of things you can do to better protect your home from coming under any harm.

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Stay Away From Social Media

It only takes a like for your Facebook or Instagram posts to become visible to unwanted eyes, and leave your home open to attack. As such, make sure you avoid every temptation to increase your social standing until you have got back from your trip. Posting a picture of your morning view of white sandy beaches and endless oceans is an attractive proposition in a social media-addicted world, but while you’re busy being pleased with yourself, someone else may be alerted to the fact you aren’t home, which could wipe a smile off your face.

Over Sell Your Security System

If you don’t have one, then investing in the best home security system should be your very first move. Your second move should be to advertise your security system. Burglars cannot be deterred by a system they don’t know about. Of course, you could run the risk of telling a thief what system you are using and thus how to get past it. So why not buy window stickers that advertise a different company, and install fake security cameras, and anything else that will make them think twice. There are plenty of homes, so make yours the least attractive proposition to thieves.

Make It Look Like Someone Is Home

A great way to do this is by actually having someone look after your home while you are away. Perhaps your best friend has a daughter that wouldn’t mind a break from her parents and a bit of extra cash. If not, then buy a few timers and spread them out over your home. Don’t just limit them to the lights, though. Have the television come on, or the radio. The outside lights and the cellar. Anywhere and everywhere you can think of. Leave your car in the driveway. Have the gardener come in a couple of times that week. The cleaner too. The more activity there is at your home the better. Think Home Alone.

Your Post Is A Giveaway

Before you head off for a week or two, always head to the post office and ask them if they can hold your post. The same goes for milk deliveries and newspapers. The reason for this is simple. If you have a ton of letters poking out of your letter box or a hundred milk bottles, a thief is going to realize that something is up; namely the fact that no one is in. They’ll sense a weakness and they will pounce, so don’t let your post give you away.

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