Home Services

Welcoming a baby into the family is often one of the most memorable and precious moments in a person’s life. Preparing a nursery for a child can be a full-time job in itself. From purchasing a crib to gathering a wardrobe, the entire process can leave you tired and broke.

If you wake up in the morning and the first thing you smell is gas, that would automatically tell you something is wrong. Leaking gas is inevitably a serious situation that you need to handle as soon as possible. It is never ideal to stall when it comes to gas leaks.

Water heaters are essential in modern homes, but they are as prone to problems as any other modern commodity. Nothing is worse than when your hot water tank won’t fill up when you need it most. So, why is your hot water tank not filling up?

The cleanliness of most parts of your house has nothing to do with the results of your home inspection. However, it does affect how easy it is for an inspector to move through your house, which affects how long it takes. You can also set a good tone and make a great impression on the inspector if your home is clean.

When I lived in a warehouse in Newark, we had a very serious mouse problem. As bad as it is to say, I actually got used to living with them because my “landlord” did nothing to solve the problem. Eventually, I found one dead on my bedroom floor and decided it was time to leave. Looking back, it’s pretty horrific. Was it even safe to sleep there?

California is arguably the most desirable place to live in the United States. With its scenic beaches, sweeping vistas and iconic cities, California is truly a one of a kind location. While there are many reasons to live in California, it is important to know some of the less desirable qualities of this state.

If you are preparing to sell your home, you might start looking differently at all your home appliances and furnishings. You want everything in your home to look and perform at its best so you can get the most money possible for your home. This might even inspire you to perform a few upgrades to boost your home’s value. If your furnace could use some upgrading, you might be tempted to swap it for a new one. But does installing a new furnace increase your home’s value?

Certain home appliances need cold water in order to work properly. These often include refrigerators, freezers, and humidifiers. To ensure that those appliances are working as intended, a saddle valve may be used.

Wasps are lean, mean, and ready to sting you and ruin your time in the garden. They wreak havoc on countless homeowners during the spring and summer. The average homeowner would do anything to keep wasps away. Understandably, many people struggle with how to get rid of wasps.

Imagine a situation where you just installed a water heater, but you found a mobile home that is much more in your price range. You don’t want to lose the value you put into this water heater, but you also can’t use it in your mobile home. When it comes to a mobile home water heater vs. regular heater, the two have significant differences.

One of the best parts about booking with a platform like Airbnb is that you don’t need to throw down a giant security deposit. Instead, when you book an Airbnb, you just pay the rental price, taxes, and fees up front. 

In the winter months, your heating system is one of your home’s main energy users. Since your home’s heating system has such a huge impact on you and your family’s comfort, it’s important that you consider all of your options. While you may already be familiar with forced air or hydronic heating systems, hydro-air heating is a less common choice. However, they are slowly gaining popularity largely because of their flexibility and reliability.

A blower motor that works in A/C mode and not heat mode is a perplexing problem. Diagnosing these kinds of problems can be a challenge for a homeowner. Before you call an expensive repair technician, there are some things you should check yourself.

Is there anything worse than discovering cockroaches in the property you’ve just moved into? If this is the situation you’re currently experiencing, you may be wondering what your best course of action is. You’re probably also curious about whether your landlord was obligated to tell you about the roaches before you signed the lease.

People build greenhouses for many reasons, such as supporting their hobby, extending the growing season, and earning extra income. No matter what your reason is, you most likely would do whatever you can to protect your greenhouse from burglars. You’re not alone if you’ve ever wondered how to burglar-proof a greenhouse.

The piping in your home or business will, for the most part, do its job quietly and efficiently. That is so long as it has been properly installed first. There are many aspects to the installation process, part of which is choosing between a pipe coupling or pipe union.

The sight of ants in your yard or home can understandably be discomforting. Not only are ant hills ugly, but they can indicate that you have an upcoming ant problem on your hands. Many homeowners have asked themselves the question: why are there so many ant hills in my yard?

Nothing is more annoying in the HVAC world than when your furnace won’t kick on. It can also be intimidating at first because we all know that furnace problems sometimes lead to expensive repairs. So, what should you do when the pilot light is lit, but the furnace won’t kick on?

For many homeowners, distinguishing between an occasional brown recluse spider sighting and an infestation is difficult. However, you can tell the problem has gotten out of hand if you watch out for a few key signs, such as:

Imagine drifting off to sleep at night and hearing scurrying and scratching sounds. It’s undoubtedly unsettling, to say the least, when you know you have critters living within your walls. Understandably, you want to know how to get rid of rats in the walls and ceilings once and for all.

Whether you are experiencing issues with your gas furnace or are simply performing routine maintenance, keeping your furnace clean is imperative. When components get dirty or clogged, it can lead to components working improperly or not at all.

We live in a technological world with seemingly endless amounts of cloud storage. In turn, it has become almost impossible to lose important documents and treasured photos. But some documents and personal items exist in real life, not in the cloud, and they must be kept safe. This is where a fireproof safe comes into play. Every home should have a fireproof safe to keep valuable possessions safe. But what items should you keep in a fireproof safe?

When you start your house search, it’s only natural to hope your dream home will become a reality. If you find your dream property, then you want to do everything in your power to get the deal done. You may hit a few speed bumps in this process, especially if the seller is unwilling to negotiate on price.

It is very common for people to unknowingly bring bed bugs into their home and if they’re not detected quickly, you could end up with a full-scale infestation. Like cockroaches, bed bugs are considered one of the most difficult household pests to eradicate completely. However, is it possible to only have one bed bug in your home?

Since mice have the ability to squeeze through spaces as small as a nickel, it’s important to carefully inspect the interior and exterior of your home for holes. Even one small hole in the wall can result in a major infestation over time. To prevent mice from infiltrating your home, repair large cracks or holes and fill small ones with a combination of steel wool and caulking compound. This makes for an effective plug to seal small openings; however, “what grade steel wool is recommended?”

The other night, a friend of mine came back to his apartment from a night out, only to see that the toilet had flooded. There was brown stuff everywhere, and he was horrified. I mean, most of us would be, right? He called up his landlord and asked who was responsible for this. The answer might surprise you.

The “rough-in” building stage is when the plumbing fixtures and pipes are all lines are put in place, but they are not yet connected. Plumbing rough-ins, such as sink drains, are just one of many things inspected throughout the building or renovation process.

Installing your own septic system may be a necessity depending on where you live. If there are no centralized sewer systems in your area, you must install a septic system on your property.

When you install a furnace in your home, you expect it to run for long periods of time. This is especially true when you’re still working on making your home warm. This includes the furnace blower as well. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

The air filter plays an important role in your furnace. Aside from the fact that it is meant to catch the dirt and debris in the air, it can play an important role in the overall air quality of your home. Moreover, a dirty filter can cause a number of issues with your furnace.

At the apartment complex that I lived in, there is one little rule that no one wants to ignore: the parking rule. It’s common knowledge (and heavily advertised) that you do not park in a certain lot without prior permission. Having an expired tag is a bad move, too. When I first moved in, I wondered whether this is legal.

Water heaters can make all kinds of noises when something is damaged or not running properly. However, if you suddenly start hearing a hissing noise coming from your water heater, you may want to take care of it soon. A hissing sound may not be dangerous to you and your family, but it can eventually damage the water heater. 

Many homeowners hide keys to their houses somewhere in their yard. Whether kept under a garden gnome or a potted plant, the key isn’t as well-hidden as you think. This is such a common practice that many burglars know to check such spots for keys.

Many tenants worry about how much privacy they’re entitled to when renting a property. This is especially true now, in the digital age, since it’s so easy to take and post photos. One common concern is whether or not your landlord can take photos of you and the property without your consent.

Whether renovating a current shower or building a new one entirely, it is important to ensure that the water wiping is up to proper standards. That means using the right materials for piping water into your bathroom.

Nobody wants roaches in their home. But getting rid of them can be a challenge. So, who’s responsible for a roach infestation? And can you sue your landlord if they don’t fix the problem? Here’s what you need to know.

There are many hurdles you must jump over on the road to purchasing or building a home. One of these hurdles is a home inspection. A home inspector will need to enter the home, survey and visualize the property, and report on his or her findings. But when it comes to home inspectors you should know that they are not a one-stop-shop. In fact there are lots of things home inspectors are not allowed to do.

Most motors are designed to run only one way, clockwise or counterclockwise. They are not made to run both ways unless it is a multidirectional motor. Any kind of motor that runs the opposite way than what is intended will not produce the effects they are supposed to. In other words, your AC will not blow cold air.

When you receive a letter from your landlord certified mail you may automatically think the worst. Certified mail can mean the start of the eviction process, sure. However, there are a variety of reasons a landlord may want to use this USPS service to send you information.

Your home should be your sanctuary, but pests like ants, termites, and mice do not care about disturbing your peace. All of those pests are annoying to deal with, but at least we are familiar with them. If the pest that has invaded your household is a bat, you may have a more complicated issue on your hands.

Nearly 45 million American households are rented instead of owned. That’s a lot of people navigating apartment living! Just because you rent your place instead of owning it doesn’t mean you don’t want your rental to truly feel like home. 

With so many components in your furnace, it only makes sense that one may stop working from time to time. More often than not, a dirty or clogged filter will be the cause of a furnace that isn’t working properly.

It’s likely one of every homeowner’s biggest fears — termites in your house. The unsettling thing is that termites could be feasting on your house for three years before you notice visible damage. By this time, the extent of the problems can be devastating and costly, so recognizing early signs of termites is critical.

Whether you’re moving into your first home or you own an apartment complex, you’ll need a working water heater. Until it comes time to install one, you may not even realize how often you use it.

It’s typically better to sell an empty house than one with furniture in it. That’s because many buyers view furnished homes as an inconvenience. This is especially true when moving from a house or apartment they’ve lived in for years. 

There are few things more frustrating in the world than bed bugs and roach infestations. If not addressed properly, a cockroach problem can lead to serious health concerns, hygiene issues, and even the spread of diseases. Whereas, neglecting a bed bug infestation can result in major allergies, skin infections, costly remediation, and even a negative impact on your mental health.

All homes will require repairs at some point. As the homeowner, it’s your job to address the new issue that has emerged. But what if it’s a bit more complicated than that?

Regardless of what type of bathroom aesthetic you are trying to achieve, you want your bathroom to look clean. The last thing you want is to have insects all over your bathroom. What do you do, then, when you notice that insects like weevils have moved into your bathroom.

When I first got an apartment of my own, I didn’t know what to expect as far as responsibilities go. Even something as simple as fixing a pipe scared me, simply because I didn’t know if I was even supposed to fix my stuff. The division of responsibilities between landlord and tenant can be perplexing. Let’s talk about clogged drain responsibilities!

When pests wreak havoc on your home, they can be irritating, expensive, and even harmful. If you suspect that you may have bed bugs, the first step is identifying what bed bug eggs look like. Bed bug eggs resemble the eggs of other bugs, so accurate identification is extremely important. 

Moving in to a new place is very exciting. It is an opportunity to decorate a new space and reorganize your life. Once you pass the application process and get the keys to your new place you may think you have everything you need. 

If you’ve heard much talk about furnaces and their specific components, you’ve likely come across the term “blower.” The blower, or blower motor, is one of the most essential components of your furnace.

As a homeowner, keeping your home free of termites is a very important responsibility. Protecting your house’s structure from the little wood-consuming bugs can be a process. The first step in this is scheduling an inspection, but how long does a termite inspection take?

When people start talking about plumbing, it’s easy to feel like you’re hearing a bunch of gibberish. Flange? Macerating toilet? Yeah, it’s a lot to take in at first, especially when you’re just dipping your toes into the water. (Sorry, had to add a pun!) Wet vent plumbing is one of the lesser-known terms that’s just starting to catch on in parts of the country, but what exactly is it?

There are few appliances that are as central to your lifestyle and comfort as a water heater. Everything from your daily chores, to your hygiene, to your level of comfort, is affected by how well (or not well) your water heater supplies hot water to your home.

Water heaters can be vented in a variety of ways, but some systems require specific ventilation configurations. In this article, direct vent water heaters will be compared with standard atmospheric vent water heaters, as this way the reader will be able to select the best water heater for their home.

Pianos are a staple of many homeowner’s decorative tastes. Not only are they gorgeous and add class to the room they are in, but first and foremost, pianos are powerful instruments. Just like a car needs an oil change to keep running smooth, a piano needs regular tuning to stay sounding its best.

There will always be questions concerning the responsibility of various repairs and obligations regarding the tenant-landlord relationship. In many situations, where those obligations and responsibilities lie is clearly defined by tenant-landlord law.

Skinks may be less scary than other pests, like snakes and brown recluse spiders, but you don’t want them in your house. Your house can’t sustain skinks when they get stuck, and you’re better off deterring them from getting into your home. That said, you’re not alone if you’ve ever struggled with how to keep skinks out of the house.