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6 Tips To Help Keep Your Home’s Exterior In Top Condition

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The exterior of your home is constantly exposed to the elements, so it’s important to take measures to protect it from damage. Rain is one of the biggest threats to your home’s exterior, as it can cause everything from water damage to mold growth. 

Here Are Some Tips To Help Keep Your Home’s Exterior In Top Condition During Rainy Weather:

Check the grading around your home

The first step to keeping your home safe from rain damage is to check the grading around your house. You want to ensure that the ground slopes away from your house, so water will run away from the foundation rather than toward it. 

Look for any areas where the ground is higher next to your house than it is further away; these are called “high spots.” If you find any high spots, you’ll need to excavate them and fill them in so that they’re level with the rest of the ground.

Repair any cracks in your foundation

Another important step to preventing rain damage is to repair any cracks in your foundation. Even small cracks can let water seep into your basement or crawl space, so it’s important to fix them as soon as you notice them. You can usually do this with a little caulk or concrete sealer, but if the cracks are large, you may need to hire a professional.

Install gutters and downspouts

One of the best ways to protect your home from rain damage is to install gutters and downspouts. Gutters catch rainwater as it falls off your roof and channel it away from your house; downspouts carry the water even further away. This helps prevent water from pooling around your foundation, which can lead to cracking and other damage. Just make sure to arrange for gutter cleaning by a professional at least twice a month.

Inspect your roof regularly

Another important part of preventing rain damage is to inspect your roof regularly. Look for any missing or damaged shingles and repair or replace them as necessary. You should also ensure that your gutters are clean and free of debris so they can catch and channel away as much water as possible. In addition, trim any tree branches that are close to your roof, as these can fall and damage the shingles during a storm.

Seal any cracks or gaps

Another way to prevent rainwater from entering your home is to seal any cracks or gaps in the exterior walls, foundation, or roof. You can use caulk or weatherstripping to fill in small gaps, while larger ones may need to be sealed with expanding foam insulation or patching compound. In addition, make sure that your windows and doors are properly sealed and caulked. By taking these measures, you can help keep your home dry and free of water damage.

Have your chimney inspected and cleaned

If you have a fireplace, it’s important to have your chimney inspected and cleaned regularly. Chimneys can easily become blocked with soot and debris, which can cause rainwater to back up into your house. This can lead to serious damage, so keeping your chimney clean and clear is important.

Make Your Home Energy Efficient with These Tips

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When was the last time that you considered the energy efficiency of your home? Are you certain that you are using energy in the right way? Many people live their lives and they go to work, they come home and they carry on. They don’t often think about the changes that they need to make to live a more sustainable lifestyle. They also don’t consider that the first place any changes should be made is inside the home in which they live. If you don’t apply the right energy-efficient changes, you get into bad habits. You’re spending more money on your utilities. Energy becomes a much bigger cost – and with the prices of energy rising right now, it can help to lower those costs.

Energy efficiency means using less energy to do the same thing. Instead of using the oven to cook your dinner, invest in an air fryer and cook instead. You want to ensure that the tasks that you regularly carry out take less money and less energy so that your home is giving back to the community in a positive way. Energy-efficient home windows, for example, or some of the best options that you could invest in to ensure that your home is not wasting energy in the right way. Once you start making the small changes, you are going to have a bigger impact. Let’s take a look at the tips that you need to make your home more energy-efficient.

  • Get your windows sealed. We just talked about using energy-efficient windows for your home, but you do need to seal them. If you want to keep your home energy-efficient, you need to make sure that there are no air gaps. If there are, you will have to seal these so that the air doesn’t leak out of your home or come into your home unwanted. No matter whether you are worried about hot or cold air, you need to be sure that your home stays at the right temperature. If your windows are drafty, weather stripping can make a big difference. You could also use those long cushions along the bottoms of the windows to keep the breeze out.

 

  • Keep your thermostat at a balanced temperature. If your home has a heater when it gets too cold, you need to lower the thermostat. There is no need to constantly move the thermostat up and down just to be comfortable. If you keep your home at a good temperature all year round, you’re going to save a lot of money and stop wasting any energy. You only need to keep it a degree or so warmer than the outside temperature, so that your house should be temperate and you can feel more comfortable.

 

  • Have your furnace inspected. If you have a new furnace model it’s likely to be more energy-efficient than an older model. If you are still working on an older model, make sure that it’s checked regularly and repairs are done promptly. You need to make sure that there is good servicing to prevent major repairs in the future. If your furnace is still working the right way, professionals will give it a good clean for you and repair any issues. A dirty and broken-down furnace will have to work much harder than it has to. Aside from the regular annual servicing or semi-annual servicing, replace the filters every three months or sooner if you have pets. This will ensure that the air is moving properly through the unit, extends the unit’s life, and makes the air you breathe as fresh as possible.

 

  • Unplugtruck any appliances that you don’t use. A good way to ensure that your home’s energy-efficient is by unplugging your unused appliances. These are energy vampires and they are sucking on the energy from your home and don’t have to be. You can increase the life of your appliances when you unplug them when they’re not in use because you’re saving them from sudden power outages. You’re also going to lower the risk of fire in your home, which is always a good thing! Many home fires are due to malfunctions in electrical appliances, so you can prevent that from happening. If you have appliances that you cannot keep switching off because they have timer clocks, consider the few seconds it will take you to reset the clock face. It’s always worth it if it’s going to save you from a fire due to a power surge.

Fresh Content: How To Stay Safe While Hiking

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Hiking is often considered to be one of the most accessible forms of exercise, and you can bet your bottom dollar that no matter your age or level of fitness, it’ll be a great work out to undertake a hiking session with a friend!

That said, while hiking can seem relatively low-impact and something you can take at your own pace, that doesn’t make it completely 100% safe and free from possible problems. After all, hiking means going into nature, and depending on where you live or where you’ve traveled to, more or less planning may be required.

That said, it’s always a good idea to make sure that you’re prepared for things to go wrong just in case they do, no matter where you go, or how private the reserve is where you intend to walk. A good rule of thumb to begin with is to never hike alone unless you are thoroughly familiar with the area and are likely to encounter other people on your journey.

In this post, we’ll discuss some additional tips to ensure you remain as safe as possible:

Map Your Route & Tell Someone Where You’re Going

It’s important to make sure to map your route in advance, and if going alone (again, this is better to do with people unless you’re thoroughly experienced), make sure to tell someone where exactly you’re going. Apps like What3Words can also help you clearly indicate your grid reference should you need to tell someone exactly where you are. Safety is often social, and so making sure you make those provisions is important.

Always Adhere To Official Advice

It’s essential to stick to official advice and routes in the area you’re hiking. This way, you can avoid unsafe paths and potential wildlife that may not be happy to see you. In some countries, this is more appropriate than others. For instance, in the United Kingdom, it’s unlikely that you’ll see wildlife worth worrying about outside of farm animals occupying fields that have also been designated as public footpaths. In the US, bears, wild cats, and more may be something you need to keep in mind. Always understand the official guidance as a result, it is specifically designed to keep you safe, and is always updated when necessary.

Appropriate Equipment At All Times

Without proper equipment, you’re more likely to encounter problems. This is why it’s a good idea to use a reputable retailer such as ecogearfx.com, as being able to depend on your equipment is key. From flashlights to flashlight batteries, to rucksacks that can secure everything you need in a manner that you can carry ergonomically and easily, as well as footwear that allows you to walk in a purposeful manner, protected the whole way, a little investment makes a big difference. Sure, hiking is accessible, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t invest in your preparation and safety. Now you’ll be sure to do so in the best possible light.

With this advice, we believe you’ll continue to stay as safe as possible while hiking.