Rain Gutters, Why, When and How

The decision on whether or not to go to the expense of installing a rain gutter/drainage system to your home or building is relevant to several contributing factors.

• Your geographic location.
• Whether or not you have a basement.
• Pitch or slope of your roof.
• type of exterior wall surface of your home or building.
• type of ground cover surrounding your home or property.

Where you live in the US for example is relevant to the need, size and type of gutter you will install. If you live in the southwestern US desert climates where annual rainfall is very low you probably don't need rain gutter at all. However, if you have a basement with minimal overhang on your roof around the perimeter of your home or building it would be wise to catch even a small amount of water runoff from your roof to direct away from the perimeter base of you structure. Over time, without proper drainage this water can begin to penetrate the below grade walls of a basement leading to a continuous damp condition that can result in the formation of molds and mildews.

If the pitch or slope of your roof is quite steep, during heavy rains the water runoff can damage any landscaping or plants that may surround your home or building. In this case installation of a rain gutter system would be highly advised and several considerations come into play here.

Rain gutters come in many styles, materials, and colors but most importantly sizes. There are 4", 5", 6" and 7" wide gutters to choose from. In the case of the very steeply pitched roof, because of the increased speed and volume of water falling down the roof during heavy rains, you will want the widest gutter available in your area, at least the 6". For very shallow pitched roofs the minimal width with will be quite sufficient for proper capture of the water.

The type of exterior finish of your home or building is also a very important consideration. If you have a natural wood siding or cedar shake exterior for example, keeping this surface  dry as opposed to continuous water saturation during rains will greatly extend the life and finish of your exterior product. If your exterior is vinyl siding, brick or stone this is not as crucial but will still pose an aesthetic problem with dirt and debris that will constantly splash up the exterior walls making for an unsightly appeal to you home or building.

Rain Gutters will additionally protect your landscaping materials, flowers and plants from damage as well as prevent ground soil erosion. In the end an expense that is well worth its investment in maintenance savings over time.

Fire Safety When Cooking at Home

Whether a person is a gourmet chef or a newbie picking up cooking as a hobby, making unique meals in the home can be a lot of fun. There is a wealth of recipes from around the world and no one motivated to be a skilled cook will ever run out of new dishes to make. Enthusiasm about cooking, however, has to be tempered with clear designs on being safe. Even slightly deviating from good safety practices can create a fire hazard. Rather than see such a situation occur, it is wise to follow a few tips on improving fire safety in the home.

Do not cook when your concentration is waning. In other words, if you are sleepy or may have had a few drinks, you do not want to get anywhere near the stove. Errant fires have a tendency to occur when your attention span is low and you make mistakes on the stove. Your reaction time will be slow when you are impaired. As a result, if a fire does start, you will not react quick enough to prevent it from spreading.

Never leave anything cooking on the stove unattended. Walking out of the kitchen when a frying pan or pot is on top of a burning flame can prove very risky. You never know when food will start to burn or, worse, erupt in flames even when you are attending to it. Walking away from what you have on the stove means you are walking away from monitoring a potential fire. Do not do that!

Keep any and all things capable of catching fire away from the flame on the stove. Towels, cooking mitts and other cloth items are always at risk of burning. Be sure they are as far away from the hot stove as possible.

Beware of flammable liquids when you are cooking. Certain oils can go up in flames. Rum, a common ingredient in many exotic dishes, also comes with the potential of catching fire. Fires caused by flammable liquids are hard to put out and they can spread rather quickly. For that reason alone, you must exercise extreme caution when cooking with them.

Horseplay in the kitchen is certainly not advised. Fooling around in the kitchen can lead to mistakes capable of causing a fire.

Learn the basics of how to deal with a fire in the kitchen. Not all fires start out raging and uncontrollable. By learning a few points about dealing with minor fires, you likely will be able to stop one before it gets too out of control.

Having a fire extinguisher nearby would be a smart idea. A quality fire extinguisher can put out a flame quickly and easily.

When a fire does start to get out of control, evacuate immediately. Call 911 and have the fire department come deal with it. Staying in the vicinity of a out of control fire is enormously dangerous.

The common tips for kitchen fire safety are all very simple to follow. Putting them into action could prove to be very helpful to prevent or deal with a troubling situation the next time you prepare that unique meal you have been thinking about.

Air Conditioners Guide and Energy Saving Tips

Understanding your Air Conditioning System

There are three essential components to your AC system, heating, cooling, ventilation ductwork, and the thermostats. Each one of these parts contains a whole set of subsystems on their own. Let’s look at each part individually to get a better idea of that each one does.

The Heating System

The Heat in an HVAC system is supplied by a natural gas or oil-fired furnace. The furnace unit contains a heat exchanger- responsible for the actual warming of the air. 

The Cooling System

Unlike the furnace, the air-conditioner unit is placed outside the home and runs on electricity. It uses a compressor and coolants to remove the heat from the air.

The Ductwork

Once the heat is extracted from the air, the ventilation ductwork moves heated air to the outside of the home, and cooled air throughout the inside. 

The Thermostat

You can think of your thermostat as the brains to the system. This is the part of the operation that controls everything that happens to your system. Thermostats can turn systems on and off and can be operated manually or set to a predetermined temperature. 

Note: Using an automatic thermostat can save you up to 10% off your air conditioning bill.

How Long Will my Air Conditioner Last?

Most air conditioners have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. Unfortunately, most homeowners neglect to perform proper maintenance on their units, which takes down the average life span of your unit to around the 8 to 10 year mark. 

The most common causes of premature system deterioration are improper installation and improper maintenance.

It is essential that you conduct proper maintenance like changing the filter, cleaning the ductwork, flushing your piping systems and other basic maintenance tasks. This will not only extend the life of your system, but will also save you money on your electrical bill.

Improving Your Units Efficiency

Your air conditioner and heating system uses about 44% of the energy in your home. If you want to save money on your monthly electricity bill, start by tackling the air conditioner. 

Here are some of the things you can do to improve its efficiency:

· Replace your old system with more modern Energy Star qualified equipment. This alone can cut your bill by more than $400 a year.

· Seal and insulate every part of your duct work. This can improve your systems efficiency by %20 percent or more. 90 percent of homes in America have leaking or damaged ductwork.

· Install a programmable thermostat – Like I mentioned earlier, having a programmable thermostat allows you to control air temperatures even when you are not home, this little smart tool alone can shave off $180 of your yearly costs.

· Replace single-pane windows with Energy Star approved windows can save you around $300 a year. 

· Increasing insulation thickness can save $100 for every 1200 square feet of ceiling area.

· A heating and cooling loss of up to 12% occurs around windows and doors. Proper weather stripping can prevent this loss.

We hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any questions in regards to your air conditioner system please contact us at AC Repair Miami. We are glad to help!

A Plumbing 101 For First-Time Homeowners

So you’ve just bought your first home? Well first off all…congratulations! With so many things running through your mind, I’d venture to guess that plumbing isn’t one of them. 

While this isn’t the most glamorous of topics, why not take a few minutes to read through some of the basic plumbing issues that may occur in your home. If you can fix these problems while they are still minor hiccups, just think about all money you can save and put towards decorating your new humble abode.  

So here we go…

The Clogged Toilet: Toilets are fairly innocuous and straightforward appliances however occasionally you will find that when you flush the toilet water will rise in the bowl as opposed to descending. Should this occur, simply shut off the valve to the toilet and turn it off quickly. The valve will likely be located under the toilet tank. Once you’ve done this, use your plunger and relieve the clog that has occurred.

Sweating Toilet: During the summer months, toilet tanks have a tendency to sweat…wait what? As I said, these plumbing issues wouldn’t be the nicest, but just hang in there! When the temperature rises, hot and humid air comes into contact with a toilet tank filled with water. To prevent a sweating toilet, install insulating rubber or foam materials inside the tank. 

Continuously Running Toilet: This is a common plumbing problem that people seem to have. It occurs when the float arm does not raise high enough to turn the inlet valve inside the toilet.  It can happen when the float ball filling with water or the inlet valve stopper no longer shuts off properly. Should this occur, check the assembly of both the float ball and the inlet valve. Replacing either one is very easy and inexpensive.   

The Noisy Toilet: Another very irritating plumbing issue. When the toilet tank fills with water causing you to hear a high pitched noise it is most likely due to a blockage in the supply line. To remedy this, shut the toilet supply valve off and disconnect the supply line hose. Check both the hose and the valve area for potential blockages that could be constricting the flow of water. Should the supply line hose be crimped in any way, it is recommended that you replace it. 

Toilet Doesn’t Flush Well: If you find your toilet is not flushing properly it could be caused by the toilet flapper not rising up far enough or staying up long enough when you push the handle on the toilet. In this case, remove the toilet tank cover and check the toilet lever arm to see if it is working properly. When checking it, make sure that it pulls up the toilet flapper high enough and long enough to allow an adequate amount of the toilet tank water to enter into the toilet bowl.

Now that you’ve learned some basic plumbing tips you are ready to tackle any problems that hopefully never arise! 

Author Bio: Sarah Saadoun works for HMS Plumbing, a family-owned business in Manassas, Northern Virginia. If you need plumbers in Fairfax, Herve and his dedicated employees at HMS are proud to be serving the plumbing needs of Northern Virginia residents and businesses. For a reliable Northern Virginia plumber, HMS Plumbing is your first choice.

Choosing the Right Roofing Material

It’s important to ensure that when developing your roof, you get the important decisions right. After all, a roof gone wrong can cause all sorts of problems, including a loss of heat and water leaks.  In the long run, it can also lead to the decrease in value of your property.  That’s why we’ve written this guide on how to choose the right materials.

Location is one of the most important aspects in choosing the material, as the climate can make a significant difference to the needs of the occupant.  If you live in naturally very warm climates, then light-coloured roofs are more suitable as they will reflect the heat.  Vice versa for colder climates and darker roofs.   Anyone who wants to save money on heating bills should definitely consider a darker roof!

Another choice that needs to be considered is whether or not you want to make a long term investment or a short term investment.  Materials such as fibreglass are more expensive initially but are far more resistant to wear and tear due to their lack of joinery.  Typical slate roofing, though, is cheaper to get started with but will also require more maintenance in the long run.  As with all areas of substantial investment, this requires careful thought!

Take into account your energy costs.  A lot of people aren’t necessarily aware that certain roofing materials can make a significant difference to the costs of their home energy bills.  If you live in an area where your central heating is on at all times, then a material such as fibreglass can make for a great investment, as it will keep the heat in and bring the bills down.  Obviously if you live in an extremely hot climate then you won’t have to worry about the issues.

The last point to consider is which firm you get to fit the roof.  With such a substantial investment, it’s important that you pick a company who has a substantial reputation for efficiency and excellent value for money.   Whilst many jobs out there can be considered  for a bit of do it yourself, roofing is definitely not one of them.  Unless you’re a certified builder yourself, of course!

This article was written on behalf of Stuart Pease Ltd, UK experts in fibreglass construction.

The kitchen benchtop

The kitchen benchtop has to be able to take a lot of abuse including the heat of pots, cutting and knives and abrasive cleansers. The ideal benchtop should be able to stand up to heat and the sharp edge of a knife.

Let us take a look at 7 of the most popular kitchen benchtop materials being used today:
Granite - A natural stone, granite is a popular choice for its classic beauty and durability.  Granite is the hardest and densest of the natural stones.   It can create a kitchen benchtop that is extremely scratch resistant and can keep its luster longer than most materials.  They are the most expensive of all kitchen benchtop surfaces; although it is still considered a very practical material in that it is virtually imperishable.

Marble – Marble is considered to be the height of stylishness and will last longer than most kitchens. It is however, is very exclusive and requires some care: acidic foods such as orange juice will scrape the finished surface of a marble kitchen benchtop.

Slate – Because of it richness and beauty slate is usually used in interior applications such as kitchen benchtops, bathroom basins or fireplace surrounds. It can be used in either modern or traditional kitchens as well as in combination with marble.  Slate is durable, sturdy, and can withstand hard use.  It is less expensive than marble.

Concrete – This is one of the biggest trends in kitchen benchtops today. Available in pre formed sections or poured and formed on-site.  Concrete is a good material for unusually shaped counters.  Concrete kitchen benchtops are expensive and must be treated with care.  The benchtop can crack if the concrete should contract.  Concrete can be stained any colour.  The most popular colour is a natural grey tone. The top layer can be finished as desired.

Corian - A solid surface material that first became popular in the 1990’s it is highly recommended by kitchen benchtop experts.  It is a totally manmade product and is not porous.  As a solid surface it can easily be repaired if scratched or burned.

Stainless Steel - Advantages include very hygienic, easy to clean, has ability to stand up to extreme wear and heat.  Stainless steel can provide a great look for an ultra-modern kitchen.  Some disadvantages with stainless is that it can be noisy and that scratches can develop.

Tile - Tile surfaces can be tough, hard-wearing, takes hot pans, heat and stain resistant as well as beautiful. There are many types of tiles including ceramic, porcelain, quarry, glass, natural stone and mosaic.  Available in many colours, sizes and textures.  It has good design flexibility.  Tile can often be used for trim or backsplashes.  The downside of tile is that the grouts can be easily stained.  Also the tiles can become chipped or cracked.