home

Ways to Keep Your Home Safe

Our home is where we feel secure, happy, and comfortable. But you never know that there are bad minds out there that could enter your home, vandalize it or do crimes in it. This doesn’t mean you can’t tough up your home and prevent these criminals and unwanted guests. Night time is when these bad guys do their work, but that doesn’t mean they don’t do it in the daytime, they do and there are many cases too. So suit up and get ready to keep your home safe as we provide you the ways to keep your home safe.

Keep eye-catching stuff

Keep your expensive and valuable things or gadgets out of your front yard or backyard as it attracts burglars and intimidates them to get their hand on that item. Grills are the most common stolen items at homes since their commonly located in the homes yards. A grill with wheels will make the thieves work much easier. There is nothing wrong storing your grill inside your home or garage, it’s for the best. If you don’t have a closed garage, always make sure to lock your vehicle properly, and make sure to put in a well-lit area.

Clear your yards of materials

These objects, tools, or materials can provide the intruder a tool to get inside your home easily, like when you leave a ladder in your backyard, the intruder can utilize it.

Know your neighbors

Do some background checks on them to know if they don’t have any criminal record or so. Also, socialize with them so you can ask them a favor of watching your house when you’re out of town.

Speak with the neighborhood association

If you see problems in the neighborhood regarding the people’s safety, speak to proper officials because it is your right. Common problems are the street lights if you see a street light not working, it is better to tell the association so they could run some solutions to it.

Always use curtains or blinds

Use curtains or blinds to prevent burglars seeing what items you have in your house, preventing them from making your home a subject or choice for burglary. You can also install curtains and blinds in your garage windows or basement windows. For a more high-tech feel, you can have some Home Automation installed in your home – like. motorized window shades installed in rooms, and in your own office.

Eliminate opportunities

Do not forget to leave your fences, windows, and doors unlocked. It will surely cause your home to be a subject for burglary, even more, if visible to the eye of an intruder. So train yourself and everyone in the household to always make sure that everything is locked, especially when night.

Purchase a CCTV system

Having these cameras in your home will make your house safer and could provide evidence of crimes committed in the house or even in the area. Consider purchasing a smart CCTV system since it has more features than ordinary CCTV systems. Smart CCTV systems can let you access the camera through your phone even when you’re not home.  (If you need a great computer consultant for managed computer services, click this line.)

Install motion sensor lighting

You should install a motion sensor lighting system for your home to easily detect burglars, and also alarm you. Having this would also scare burglars and making them have thoughts on entering your home.

Educate yourself and your family

It is better to have knowledge than to just leave your home gadgets to do the work on keeping you safe. But what if the burglar enters and you don’t know how to fight. Enroll yourself and your kids in self-defense to ensure yourself if things go wrong. Not only self-defense but also security and safety techniques and strategies to apply to your home.

Build an emergency doomsday room

Build an emergency doomsday room or bunker. If worst comes to worst that criminals have entered your home armed with weapons, it is better to have a secret bunker or hiding place with food, water, weapons, and medicine. Make sure the bunker is hard to find and access so the intruders won’t find you and your family. Also, make sure that your bunker has enough signal to make a call or a message.

Having a firearms license

Earn a firearms license and be a responsible citizen, purchase a firearm so you could have a weapon in your home. Place the firearm always near to you, mostly beside your bed. Or purchase multiple firearms to ensure yourself of having a weapon when you’re stuck in a certain area.

pantry

5 Tips to Keep Pests Out of Your Kitchen and Pantry

It is such a nightmare when we see unwelcome pests around our kitchen and near our food. Who would know where they came from and where they have crawled? Some pests are also known to carry germs and diseases. There may be roaches, fruit flies, rodents, weevils and many more kinds – crawling around our food, spreading bacteria and contaminating food in a “sacred” space in the home.

Homeowners should always be on the lookout for this pests. That’s why we listed some tips that you could apply to keep these pests away from your kitchen pantry, as much as possible. Prioritize the cleanliness of your home, especially where the food is!

1. Most basic and important: Proper Storage

I cannot stress this enough. Start with this and it will make a drastic change in keeping pests away. How will pests reach their target (food) when they can’t get it, right? Invest in insect-resistant containers, such as thick plastic and metal containers with a tightly fitted lid. Always stock up on airtight containers.

2. Keep the area clean

Pests are attracted to food spillage, crumbs, loose foods and open garbage – it’s like you are serving them food by leaving them in the open area, free to infest on. Immediately wipe countertops, tables, floors, and shelves. Garbages should also be sealed properly and thrown out regularly.

clean kitchen marble counter top to keep pests away

3. Seal any entryways of insects

Watch out for cracks and crevices around the kitchen area where pests may use as an entry point.Be sure to seal them immediately. Drains in the sink aren’t exempted – especially when a drain is clogged or filled with filth, it can actually attract insects of sorts and they may even live there. Good thing we can avoid clogging our drain and lessen the attraction our kitchen gives to pests.

4. The organic way: Bay Leaves

These leaves can work some magic among pests because of its pungent smell which the insects hate. You can add these leaves in a canister and packages of dry goods like rice, flour, and other grains.bay leaves scattered on wooden table to keep pests away

5. Keep eyes open when shopping

Be a smart shopper and always look at the packages of the items you’re buying.Make sure there are no signs of damages. Some grocery items tend to be infested on upon purchase. You definitely don’t want to bring these pests into your home and damage all the other goods.

Another important pointer when shopping is to check the expiration date. When you see expired items, inform the clerks. Back at home, toss away any products that are past their expiration date or have been stored for a long period of time.

Deal with Pests Immediately in Your Kitchen and Pantry

If you are currently dealing with pests infestation in your kitchen, or anywhere at all in your home, there are some DIY remedies you can do. But the best way to deal with them instantly and completely is to call a Professional Pest Exterminator for help. They would know the right methods and techniques to totally get rid of them. Quality exterminators also give advice to their clients regarding on what to do to prevent the infestation in the future.

garage door

7 Important Garage Door Maintenance and Safety Tips

As homeowners, we should always ensure the safety of our Loved ones and ours as well. Owning a Garage Door means we have to maintain its safety condition – since it’s most likely the biggest moving object in our home and can pose a danger. Of course, doing maintenance on it will also help ensure both the Safety Condition and Maintain its Proper Function to operate Smoothly, Quietly and Safely.

Here are some Regular Maintenance Tips for your Garage Door to keep it Safe:

Observe: Look and Listen

See to it if it moves Smoothly or Jerky. The Garage Door produces a lot of movement and vibrations which can cause some parts to loosen and some old rusty parts to break, especially when they are under extreme tension. Take a look at your Hinges and Rollers.

Tip: Replace Rollers after 3 to 4 Years

Tighten Bolts and Lubricate Parts

Because of a lot of Movement and Vibrations, hardware can loosen especially when a Garage Door is used every single day – which most likely is happening. Be sure to examine and tighten the bolts, hinges, and roller brackets.

Don’t forget about Parts that are in need of Lubrication! Remember that your Garage Door needs to be Greased Up. This will just take you about 10 minutes every year in exchange for added years of smooth operation of your Garage Door System. Use motor oil or spray lubricant on your Springs, and White Lithium Grease on you Opener’s Chain.

Check the Cables

Cables should always be in Good Optimal Condition because they are the main parts responsible for the actual opening and closing of the Heavy Garage Door. But don’t tinker with high spring tension cables on your own because it has enough force to bring you in danger and should only be handled by Professionals. What you can do is check for broken cable strands and other damages and be sure to ask help from a Professional Garage Door Technician if you find one.

Test the Auto Reverse System/Safety Sensors

Auto Reverse System is your Garage Door’s Auto-Stop Feature. When the door detects an obstruction, it will automatically return to the open position. Test this by putting something below the center of the door and see to it that it reverses when it touches the obstruction. When it doesn’t work, immediately call a Professional Garage Door Service to fix it for you.

Test the Emergency Manual Release

The Emergency Release is the Red Handle hanging from a rope which allows you to manually control the Garage door and bring it up or down as you please. If it gets partially stuck, be sure to call a Professional and let them handle it for you.

Big no-no for Free Rides

Kids may find it fun to ride on the Garage Door handle which exposes them to possible dangers. Teach children that the Garage Door isn’t a toy and ensure that they keep their hands and fingers away from the panels of the Garage Door.

Check the Garage Door itself

Garage Doors have different types of Materials. Knowing the material of your Door will give you an insight on how to maintain it. For Wood Doors, check for water damages, chips, and warps. Steels tend to develop rust spots so be sure to sand, prime and paint them. Also, keep your Garage Door clean regularly by washing it at the same time you wash your Car.

Always ensure the Safe Operation of Your Garage Door and keep it maintained and clean regularly! If you need any help in keeping your Garage Door in smooth operation or if it needs a check-up, repair or tune-up, be sure to choose a reliable Professional Garage Door Service. Just like our favorite Company, Fort Lee Garage Doors, they will surely keep your Garage Doors in safe working order!

living room

A Simple Guide To Properly Mount a Flat Screen TV

These days, you won’t be able to find a household without a television set. This handy appliance provides endless hours of entertainment for you and your loved ones. And as our society continues to evolve, so does television sets. The current trend nowadays is to have a flat screen television. This innovation helps save a lot of space without sacrificing functionality or any of its features. As such, knowing how to properly mount a flat screen television on a wall will be quite useful for you. You won’t need to spend money to hire a professional handyman if you have this knowledge with you.

For starters, you will need a drill, measuring tape, a pencil, a screwdriver, and some screws. To help prevent any accident from occurring, don’t forget to wear protective eye goggles and gloves. Plus, bring along a broom because your floors will be dirty once you have successfully mounted a flat screen television.

First and foremost, take the television and its corresponding mounting brackets out of its packaging. Attach the aforementioned brackets on the back of your new television. This is done by tightening several screws that will connect the mounts to your TV. Make sure the mounts are securely attached to your television by nudging it a bit.

Next, you need to find where the studs are located inside your wall. To accomplish this feat, you will need an electronic stud finder to help you out. As soon as you find these studs, mark their location using a pencil. You need to find these studs because they provide the necessary support to hold the mounting brackets and your flat screen television.

After you have located the studs, take your drill and make some holes on your wall. Do keep in mind to use the corresponding drill bit that matches your mounting brackets’ screws. If you use the wrong drill bit, you won’t be able to mount your flat screen television and you’re going to damage the walls at the same time. Furthermore, don’t forget to protect your hands and eyes using protective gear to prevent any body part from sustaining an injury while you are accomplishing this particular step.

Now that you have drilled several holes on your wall, take the other half of the mounting bracket. Test it first if all of its moving parts are intact and secure. Then, place it on the wall with drilled holes and drive the screws through them. Use a screwdriver to do this step and make sure you have a good grip on it. Pick up your flat screen TV carefully and mount it onto the brackets. Move it around to see if the mounts are tight and secure in their position. For the final step, clean up the mess caused by drilling on your wall. After you have done that, you can now enjoy using your new television.  But if you need a home automation professional, click this line!

lavatory

10 Things that Clog Your Drain and How to Avoid Them

All kinds of oddities get put down in the sinks. It’s a serious issue for many families, and it can be a serious financial issue if you have to call a drain service to solve the problem.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to plumbing. Professional plumbers in Elizabeth have literally seen everything come out of a clogged drain. Though there are a wide variety of things that end up in the drain, there are a few repeat offenders that plumbers know are going to clog those drains over and over again. If you can manage to avoid these, then you’re in pretty good shape.

  1. Baby products – Wipes are the main culprit here. Those things are really never flushable, and it’s much better not to try.
  2. Cotton – Cotton swabs, cotton balls, cotton from cigarette filters. This stuff absorbs water and expands, causing a plumbing nightmare.
  3. Hair – If your family has a lot of hair, it’s best to protect your drains and insist that everyone do their part to keep it out!
  4. Grease – This stuff gets gooey and hardens into a disgusting blob in the drain. It’s not pretty.
  5. Food scraps – So many people put food down the drain! Pasta noodles are some of the worst, as they get smashed and then expand. Vegetable peelings are another tough contender that clog drains constantly.
  6. Coffee grounds – They might be small, but coffee grounds are gnarly in your kitchen sink. Prevent kitchen clogs by never putting coffee grounds down the sink!
  7. Super ply toilet paper – The higher the ply, the more likely it is to give you a clogged toilet. Don’t go overboard.
  8. Bath salts and bath bombs – These luxuries don’t always dissolve as well as we’d like them to, leaving that tub drain clogged.
  9. Soap – Yes soap! It’s, of course, necessary in the bathtub or shower, but the little bits congeal and then grab every little substance in your drain to get it clogged beyond belief.
  10. Children’s toys – This is the classic toilet clog, and it’s rough stuff. You’ll end up with a plumbing service if your child decides to see what goes down the hole.  

The great thing about these ten common drain clogs is that you can avoid all of them! Keeping clogs out of your sink doesn’t have to be a massive challenge. Change your habits when it comes to drains, then don’t worry about calling a plumber!

Looking for a trusted plumber to fix your clogged drain? Check out this company that offers professional residential and commercial plumbing services.

door hinge

3 Quick Fix DIY – Squeaky Door Hinges

Doors get a LOT of use around the house. We literally go in and out of them constantly! Sometimes all that wear can cause doors to either get squeaky or to get sticky, depending on what’s going on with them. In order to fix your door hinges, you just need a few minutes.

Here are three ways to quickly banish squeaky or sticky door hinges – DIY style.

1. WD-40

Grab a can of WD-40 and go to town on those hinges. This is your first line of defense, and it’s usually going to work well. Spray the product right into the hinges, then move the door back and forth. You should immediately feel the door loosen as you work it in.

2. Petroleum Jelly

This isn’t as good as WD-40, but it’ll still work. Rub a pea-sized bit of petroleum jelly on the door hinges and then move the door back and forth as with the WD-40. Again, you should feel the door loosen up quickly.

3. Three-in-one oil

You’ll find three-in-one oil at any hardware store – just ask about it. To use this, you’ll have to lift the pins in the hinge halfway up, then lubricate them with the oil and push them back in. Be sure to use a cloth to catch drips as this product can cause stains.

With just a couple of minutes of DIY home magic, your door hinges won’t be a squeaky, stick problem!

nolisy garage door

5 Tips for Quieting a Noisy Garage Door

Over time garage doors can start to make an incredible noise. Not only is it annoying, it can lead you to think that you’ve got something seriously wrong with your garage door. More often than not, a noisy garage door doesn’t actually indicate a bigger underlying problem, but something fairly cosmetic. Still, it’s better to go ahead and get the noise gone if possible for your own peace of mind.

1. Tighten bolts and screws

Unplug the power before you start tightening bolts and screws. Check the door track for broken or loose screws and fasteners, tightening or replacing if needed.

2. Insulate your garage door

Homeowners often opt for non-insulated steel garage doors out of a concern for cost. Unfortunately, non-insulated doors are often noisier than insulated doors. You don’t have to go to the expense of replacing the door though, you can purchase Styrofoam insulation panels and attach them to do the door yourself. This can often solve a noisy garage door problem.

3. Check garage door struts

The long aluminum rails that go across the width of a garage door are called struts. Over time these can need tweaking in order to improve the garage door performance and reduce noise. If your garage door doesn’t have struts, you can call your garage door service provider to see about installing them.

4. Replace garage door rollers

The steel or plastic rollers that are a part of many garage doors can wear out over time and cause a great deal of noise and vibration. Nylon rollers are quieter and more durable than any other option.

5. Lubricate moving parts

Garage doors are inconsistent motion. Over time these moving parts need lubrication in order to function more effectively and quietly. Don’t reach for the WD40 though as it will dry out these parts. Instead, look for a garage door lubricant that’s specially formulated for this purpose. Lubricate the pulleys, the tracks, the rollers, the hinges, and the springs. Not only will lubrication cut down on the noise – it will also lengthen the life of your garage door.

A little DIY garage door maintenance can go a long way in helping you to have fewer problems with your garage doors.  Quieter garage doors are possible!

If all these tips fail and you decided to replace your squeaky garage door with a new one, check out this Garage Door Service. They specialize in replacing residential and commercial overhead garage doors.