Tree Damage: Trim Your Risk

Falling trees and limbs cause hundreds of millions of dollars of damage each year, as well as personal injuries and deaths. Windstorms and ice storms are leading causes of such damage and injuries. Wildfire risks exist in nearly every state, and in those areas buildings have also been destroyed by fire leaping from nearby trees and shrubs. Tree-related damage is usually apparent. Limbs crashing through a roof or onto automobiles or power lines are hard to miss. Sometimes the damage is so severe that entire homes are destroyed. This is especially likely to happen when large trees are torn out of the ground and topple onto a house, crashing through the structure or knocking it off its foundation. Remarkably, extensive tree damage can also occur underground, out of sight.

Natural Born Pest Killers: Home Remedies for Pest Control

Increased homeowner awareness of environmental problems has led many of us to seek alternatives to chemical pesticides. There are natural approaches to controlling pests including ants, wasps, mites, moths, flies and other insects. Have you tried cucumber peels or grits? There are good suggestions for safely attacking snails and fleas as well as various pesky plants such as Canadian Thistle. There are also traps and lures to help you identify the presence of pests, and to help control them.

Book Your Next Utah Home Inspection Online

Hidden Valley Property Inspection now offers you the ability to book your next inspection online. Please click here to book your home inspection.

Mold and Mildew and Allergies... oh My!

Mold and mildew inside the home can cause problems for those with allergies. They grow wherever it's damp and warm and there is little air movement. You can take some simple measures to keep your home free of mold and mildew. Tips suggested by the University of Illinois Extension include:
Keep clothes, closets, drawers, and walls clean.
Eliminate sources of moisture in your home.
Try to maintain air movement in all areas of your home.
Dry air prevents mold and mildew. Use a dehumidifier.
Treat cotton items such as awnings and tents with fungicides before using them.
Paste-wax shoe polish or saddle soap will help protect leather goods.

Top 10 Home Safety Tips

1. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area. Any room used for sleeping should also have a smoke alarm installed in the room. Test them monthly. If your smoke alarms are ten years old or more, replace them. If you build or remodel your home, install fire sprinklers.

2. Develop a fire escape plan for your family: Point out two exits from each room, pick a meeting spot outside and hold a fire drill at least twice a year.

3. Always stay in the kitchen while food is cooking on the stove.

4. Keep all stairways, paths and walkways well lit. Use railings.

5. Install grab bars in bath and shower stalls, and use a non-slip mat or adhesive safety strips inside bathtubs and showers.

6. Post the National Poison Control Hotline number (1-800-222-1222) and other emergency numbers next to every phonei in your home.

7. Install child locks on all cabinets used to store dangerous items such as poisons, matches and lighters. Install carbon monoxide alarms.

8. Keep your water heater setting at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

9. Install four-sided pool fencing with self-locking and self-closing gates, Fencing should completely isolate the pool from the home and be at least five feet high.

10. Constantly supervise children in or hear bodies of water such as pools, ponds bathtubs toilets and buckets.

Window Safety

Did you ever stop to think that windows are far more than sources of light and air? They can be killers or lifesavers. The National Safety Council says that, “Fires and falls of all kinds are among the leading causes of injury and death in young children. While some falls occur from windows, it is important to realize that in the event of a fire, a window can also save a child's life. This is why windows play a critical role in home safety.”

Easy Home Improvement Ideas

Fixing up your home can be fun and often times very profitable even when you're only doing a few easy home improvement projects. There are several touches that you could add to a bathroom or kitchen for added value in your home. These easy home improvement projects are very quick too. In this article you will learn some modest ways to fix up your home, and add significant value in less than a day.

Adding Trim to Your Ceiling

One of the neat tricks you can do when creating some easy home improvement projects is to add some trim around the top of your ceiling. Simply take a border of colorful wall paper about 5 to 6 inches wide and apply it around the top of the ceiling. This will give your room a rich look and is very cost effective.

Paint Your Bathroom Light Switches

If you would like to save some money fixing up your bathroom you can paint the light switches. Don't forget to do the plug-in covers as well. There are several easy home improvement projects that you can do to the bathroom. Maybe you could add a toilet seat cover and matching towels to add a nice look. The cost is very minimal, but can add a nice touch to the room. If you have a spare bedroom you may want to consider painting those switches as well.

The kitchen is another place where you can apply some easy home improvement projects. Try changing the handles on your cabinets. If the timing is right, you may find some great deals on closeout cabinet accessories at your local stores. Often times at the end of the year your local stores will have huge clearance sales and unload very nice packages of hardware to add to your kitchen cabinets. This is great when searching for some easy home improvement projects to do.

Change the Lights for Appearance and Savings

There are so many choices in lighting these days. You could add a couple simple energy saving lights to your kitchen or bathroom for your next easy home improvement projects. Many lights can add value and energy savings, helping the budget as well. Once you have finished inside you may want to think about some easy home improvement projects for the outside of your home next.

You can add some lighting to the outside of your home to make some nice touches. This is another one of those easy home improvement projects that only takes a couple hours, but if done right, can add value and convenience if you have nighttime gatherings at your home. As you can see there are many simple little projects you can implement to add some easy decorative touches to your home.