Category Archives: Home improvement

4 Tips for Hiring a Plumber

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Is your sink overflowing? Is your toilet making a strange noise with every flush? It might be time to call in a plumber. Before you pick up the phone, however, you should make sure that you’ve truly found the right person for the job. Here are just four tips for hiring a plumber.

1. Ask for Recommendations

The first step to selecting a plumber is asking for recommendations from family and friends. They’ve probably had plumbing problems before, so who did they call to fix them? Even if they can only give you a name to avoid, that’s one less company that you have to call.

2. Check Their Credentials

Once you have a shortlist of potential plumbers, it’s time to narrow down your options by vetting them as individuals. How long have they been in business? When did they get their license? Are they a member of any professional plumbing organizations like the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)? If they don’t have a paper trail, you can’t be sure that they’re legitimate.

3. Read Their Reviews

Another big part of choosing a plumber is reading their reviews. If they have nothing but one-star ratings everywhere you look, they’re probably not the person that you want to hire. On the flip side, if they have glowing testimonials and gushing reviews about how wonderful they are, you can feel relatively confident about giving them a call.

4. Stay Local

This might sound obvious, but you don’t want to hire someone who has to travel several hours to make a house call. Not only will this be terrible in an emergency plumbing situation, but you might also have to reimburse them for their mileage. Stick to your own neighborhood when choosing handymen. If you live in Naperville, hire a plumber Naperville.

These are just a few things to keep in mind as you search for a plumber. The classifieds might be full of candidates, but at the end of the day, there’s only one person who will really suit your needs. It’s up to you to find them.

Creating a Calming Décor

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If your home can be classified as a high energy domain, you might find yourself longing for some quiet moments to create a sense of balance in your home. The secret to achieving that balance could be your home décor. There are some design elements that can bring calmness to a room. Including those elements in your décor could result in some tranquil moments for the whole family.

Color

Specific colors are credited with generating calmness. You can paint a room one of these calming colors or simply create a quiet corner using calming colors. A reading nook or quiet zone in a child’s bedroom is a good place to include calming colors. Blue, sage, gray, mauve and tan would be good color choices for these areas.

Rustic Décor

While you may not want your entire home decorated in rustic décor, there are some elements of this décor style that you can include to create the calmness you desire. A rustic area rug featuring muted colors or dark blue, brown or gray could add serenity to the family room. Leather furniture has the durability to hold up in an active household. It also has an earthy, grounding element that promotes tranquility. Rustic décor often features nature-themed items. Pictures of animals, birds or serene nature scenes can have a calming effect on the whole family.

Accessories

Pillows encourage quietness. Young children like to cuddle up with a pillow while reading or watching TV. Teens and adults are more likely to prefer larger body pillows to relax with. Wall words that encourage everyone to embrace quiet moments could be included in any room of your home. Having books, magazines and quiet games readily available and setting aside a specific time for those activities can help you balance the energy in your home.

Sometimes you have to get creative in order to get your family to slow down. Quiet moments should be something your family enjoys even if they don’t fully understand its benefits. Creating a home environment that encourages quiet time can be beneficial to everyone.

Spring Cleaning! How to Tidy Up Your Garage Space

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Spring is the perfect time of year to take back your garage and tidy it up. If your garage is filled to the brim with too much stuff collecting dust, it’s time to go through everything, declutter and make your garage the perfect space for your car again. In the fall and winter, if your garage is too full for your car, the best option to keep your vehicle protected is a car storage bag. Once the temperatures start to rise and the days get a little longer, take time to work on your garage so it can finally be the space you want it to be. Here are steps to get your garage back.

Clear Everything Out

First, take everything out of your garage. Set aside a time in the spring, such as a holiday weekend, to tackle this big project. Recruit your family and kids to help remove all items from this space and get back to a completely empty space.

Deep Clean All Surfaces

Once the garage is completely empty, next, you’ll need to do a thorough deep clean of everything. Clean the floor, the garage doors, the walls and any other surfaces remaining in the garage. Remove dust, cobwebs and anything else living in your garage space.

Donate or Sell Unwanted Items

Instead of putting everything from your garage back into the space or moving stuff to some other part of your house, take time to declutter your life. Hold a garage sale for things you don’t use anymore, or take some items to a thrift store for donation.

Create an Organization System

If you want to avoid having a garage overrun with stuff again, you’ll need some sort of organizational system. Install shelving, hooks or another system to keep items in the right place.

Once you’ve got your garage ready and refreshed, it’s time to park your car inside. Don’t forget to buy the best indoor car cover or car storage bag from California Car Cover to keep your vehicle looking great. Check out this link for some details.