Is a Silent Invader Attacking Your Home?

In this Blog, we will be addressing home owner’s tips and what to look for with possible water damage that might not be seen until there is serious problems and expenses involved.

Expensive repairs from water damage might be needed in your home. Repair them before they multiply! Water damage is possible any time in the year-from the weather, malfunctioned appliances, clogs, or by poorly done home repair. You can save on most home repair costs by ensuring that your home is safeguarded from water damage seasonally before anything turns into expensive repairs.

What does water damage look like? Standing water can weaken a surface, causing it to rot, rust, or mildew, and eventually turn into expensive repairs.


The most expensive repairs are foundational damage and mold growths. Such home repair can force you to vacate if the home is deemed unsafe even after treated for water damage by professionals. Take control by learning how to home repair or prevent potential water damage sites.


Outdoor water damage prevention home repair tips:
1. Do-it-yourself home repair for gutters are simple and not expensive. Repairs can be minimized if you remember to check for water damage or leaks and clean out the gutters and downspouts each season.
2. Block debris with gutter guards, and use downspout extensions to help divert the runoff from the foundation to prevent further expensive repairs from water damage.

Indoor water damage prevention home repair tips:
1. Home repair any loose window and door caulking to prevent rain or snow from seeping in and causing water damage.
2. In below-freezing weather, keep the water running at a trickle and allow heat to reach the pipes. This will avoid having them burst, with the potential for water damage.
3. Avoid expensive repairs to your basement's sump pump by keeping it in working order.
4. Replace or home repair the sump pump as needed, ensuring the surrounding area remains dry and water-damage-free.
5. Check refrigerators, dishwashers, and washing machines regularly for water damage itself, or for leaks that can cause water damage to floors or walls.
6. Avoid needless expensive repairs or home repair to bathroom drains and pipes by using drain guards to trap hair.
7. Home repair clogged drains with a plunger or a bent wire instead of professional products.
8. Replace leaky faucets, run bathroom exhaust fans during use, and thoroughly clean and dry surfaces regularly to prevent water damage and mold from building.
9. Don't use carpeting in areas exposed to water-damage can occur if carpeting is damp.


When to call on professional help:
1. To thoroughly dry carpeting/floor after flooding.
2. When home repair fails to correct a problem.
3. If water damage causes you to vacate the home.
4. To service your air conditioning unit.


Before you can file a claim for expensive repairs caused by water damage to your home, your insurance company expects you to have followed through with all safeguarding measures. Otherwise, be prepared to pay for any home repair due to your negligence.

When water damage comes fom floods, make sure your home insurance includes flood coverage, for it to pay for each home repair-including all of the expensive repairs-caused from water damage. In the U.S., the reality is that flooding and water damage can occur anywhere. Home insurance covers home repairs needed as a result of structural damage or theft, but in most cases you will need to purchase a separate flood policy if you want any water damage home repairs covered as a result of flooding. Flood insurance is truly a safeguard on home repairs, an affordable investment that pays for itself.






Author Bio
Adam Jackson is a home repair expert striving to bring you the best free home repair and improvement information on the web.
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Difference between Realtors and Real Estate Agent

You have all heard the terms REALTOR® and real estate agent interchangeably, but that is incorrect. There are differences between REALTORS® and real estate agents. They are not the same. Although both are licensed to sell real estate, the basic difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR® is a REALTOR® is a member of the National Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® must subscribe and be a member and uplhold all the NAR standards to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. So what does this mean to you as a consumer?

The Code of Ethics is not to be taken lightly and is strictly enforced. It contains 17 Articles and various underlying Standards of Practice. It's not just a bunch of rules that agents swear to uphold and adhere to. The Standards are much more restrictive and confining as to conduct than those governing agents who simply hold a real estate license. While there is no evidence nor guarantee that all REALTORS® are morally and ethically better than unaffiliated real estate agents, it is an attempt by the industry to regulate and, as such, deserves recognition.

Listed below are the 17 standards that a REALTOR® promises to do that non-affiliates do not:

#1) Pledge to put the interests of buyers and sellers ahead of their own and to treat all parties honestly.

#2) Shall refrain from exaggerating, misrepresenting or concealing material facts; and is obligated to investigate and disclose when situations reasonably warrant.

#3) Shall cooperate with other brokers / agents when it is in the best interests of the client to do so.

#4) Have a duty to disclose if they represent family members who own or are about to buy real estate, or if they themselves are a principal in a real estate transaction, that they are licensed to sell real estate.

#5) Shall not provide professional services in a transction where the agent has a present or contemplated interest without disclosing that interest.

#6) Shall not collect any commissions without the seller's knowledge nor accept fees from a third-party without the seller's express consent.

#7) Shall refuse fees from more than one party without all parties' informed consent.

#8) Shall not co-mingle client funds with their own.

#9) Shall attempt to ensure that all written documents are easy to understand and will give everybody a copy of what they sign.

#10) Shall not discriminate in any fashion for any reason on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.

#11) Expects agents to be competent, to conform to standards of practice and to refuse to provide services for which they are unqualified.

#12) Must engage in truth in advertising.

#13) Shall not practice law unless they are a lawyer.

#14) Shall cooperate if charges are brought against them and present all evidence requested.

#15) Agree not to bad mouth competition and agree not to file unfounded ethics complaints.

#16) Shall not solicit another REALTOR'S client nor interfere in a contractual relationship.

#17) Shall submit to arbitration to settle matters and not seek legal remedies in the judicial system.

Your Home First Aid Kit: 10 Must Haves

It's a known fact that the majority of accidents occur at home, which is why every household must be equipped with a first aid kit complete with all of the essentials needed to handle life's unexpected and unfortunate events.

Band-aids

No two ouches are alike, which is why a selection of band-aids is a requirement for every first aid kit. It's important to keep various sizes and shapes to accommodate all types of cuts, scrapes and everyday boo-boos.

Allergy Medication

Whether it's common everyday allergies or a reaction to a bee sting, it's important to keep your home's first aid kit equipped with the medication necessary to treat sudden ailments.

Antibacterial Wipes

If you have a small cut or scrape, you also risk bacteria being able to enter your body through the broken skin. If you want to reduce the risk of infection and clean the area, use antibacterial wipes as a temporary fix until you can flush out the wound completely.

Tweezers

If someone gets a bee sting and has the stinger left behind in their skin or they find themselves with a splinter, a pair of tweezers will help you to come to their rescue. These handy little tools are a must have in every first aid kit.

Gauze

Transparent fabric gauze is used for dressing and/or swabbing wounds. This product is a requirement for every home first aid kit as some mishaps require more coverage than a standard band-aid can handle.


Gauze Tape

If you have gauze in your first aid kit it's only natural that you would also need gauze tape. This product will keep the bandage secured to the skin for protection against re-injury and/or to prevent bacteria from entering the wound.


Nail Clippers

If a fingernail accidentally gets broken or requires attention to prevent it from being ripped from the surface, it's important to have a reliable pair of nail clippers on hand for just such an emergency. A badly damaged nail can be painful, but proper attention can help to ease the discomfort and prevent it from worsening.

Bandages

A bandage is a strip of material that's used to protect a wound or injury. These are an essential part of any home first aid kit.

Antiseptic Medicine

This type of over-the-counter medication is designed to prevent the growth of bacteria in a wound, which may lead to disease or infection. When applied to a wound, it may help to protect the sufferer from falling ill to either of these, which makes it a must have for every first aid kit.


Gloves

If you are dressing a wound, it's important that you wear the proper gloves to protect the injured from infection. Bacteria can live underneath your fingernails or even on your hands and can enter a wound if you aren't careful, so do yourself and the sufferer a favor by wearing the proper gloves when treating a wound that needs to be handled with a first aid kit.

Green, Green, and More Green

Why Saint Patrick's Day?
Saint Patrick's Day has come to be associated with everything Irish: anything green and gold, shamrocks and luck. Most importantly, to those who celebrate its intended meaning, St. Patrick's Day is a traditional day for spiritual renewal and offering prayers for missionaries worldwide.

So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins.

In American cities with a large Irish population, St. Patrick's Day is a very big deal. Big cities and small towns alike celebrate with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green!

See all the Parades & Events going on around the World to celebrate St Patricks Day 2010 here and find your nearest Irish Pub!  http://www.st-patricks-day.com/ -

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Is Your Home Safe?

Home Safety Tips

Your home is your haven and, as such, it should be a place where you feel safe.  If you want to protect yourself and your family, home safety should be a priority in your life.  Here are some ideas on how to deal with some of the most common concerns facing homeowners today.

 

Do Some Detective Work On Your Detectors

Make sure that your smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries.  It's important to clean them regularly to avoid a buildup of dust and dirt, which may cause them to malfunction or stop working altogether. 

Make Sure That Your Security System Is Secure

If your home has a security system, make sure that nobody else has the code.  If you purchased your home with the security system in place, have the code changed as a precaution.  Just as you would change the locks to prevent friends, acquaintances or family members of the previous owner from entering the house without your permission or knowledge, it's equally important to change the code on your security system.


Obstacles and Falls
Many people die or get injured each year as a result of a fall in their home.  Make sure that the way you arrange your furniture and possessions makes it easy for you to move around your home.  Be especially careful about where you put low items that you may trip over.

Trailing electric and phone wires can also be hazardous-try to connect appliances to a socket nearby.  If trailing wires are unavoidable, arrange them as far out of the way as possible and tape them down with strong electrical tape or something similar. 

Keep staircases and passageways clear, and never place a loose rug at the top of the stairs.

Try to organize your storage so that you can reach items you use regularly without having to climb.  Don't be tempted to balance on chairs or boxes if you do need to reach something high-use a proper step ladder with non-slip steps, or wait until someone else can help.

My Cat Kisa

Strategies To Reduce Dust In Your Home

Strategies To Reduce Dust In Your Home

If you are like most people, dust is a part of life.  Regardless of how much or how often you clean, it still has a way of popping up when and where you least expect it.  In addition to being a visual nuisance, dust can also aggravate an allergy condition that may be giving sufferers something to sneeze about.  But, don't fret; you can reduce the dust in your home with a little footwork and a lot of knowhow.

Run A Tight Ship

Dust comes from many places, including the outdoor environment.  If you really want to reduce the dust in your home, keep your windows and doors tightly closed.  If you have an air conditioner, use it to keep your house cool in the summer rather than opening up your windows.  The fresh air may smell good, but it could be bringing much more into your home than meets the eye.

Check Your Vents

You can help to significantly reduce the dust in your home by stopping it where it starts.  Specifically, check the air vent covers in every room and vacuum the vents in order to prevent dust from being circulated into the air.

Cleaning The Air

Did you know that allergy sufferers can experience symptoms all year long?  During the winter, the indoor air can become stale and dry.  In the summer, the air is full of pollen and other elements that aggravate allergies, but you may be able to ease those symptoms by using portable air cleaners in every room.  These handy units plug into any standard electrical outlet and can help to filter out some common allergens, including dust, that may cause the sniffles.  Be sure to change the filters in your air cleaner(s) as recommended by the manufacturer or as needed.

Step On It
We all know that dust gathers in corners or on surfaces that aren't regularly used, but did you also know that carpet is the perfect haven for dust?  Despite the fact that you walk on it every day, dust can attach to the carpet fibers and create a significant problem.  If you have a lot of carpet in your home, you can do one of two things to reduce the presence of dust.  First and foremost, vacuuming regularly can help to remove some of the dust and other dirt buildup that may be hiding in your floor covering.  Although it may seem drastic, your second option would be to consider switching to alternative flooring, such as hardwood, tile or vinyl.

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