|
|
|
Do You Work From Home? Plan Your Next Home Purchase Accordingly
The flexibility afforded by a “zero-commute” combined with the skyrocketing price of gasoline has strengthened the case for full time teleworking and telecommuting. According to an Environmental Protection Agency (2004) study:
“Americans spend...
Home Improvement Project
When starting a new home improvement project this is a time to
rope the whole family into it! So what if it is just a new coat
of paint on the walls, this is the time for friends and families
to get together and have a good time. Yes you can have...
How To Plan Outdoor Holiday Decorating For Your Home And Stay Within Your Budget
When I was a little girl, I remember my dad taking us for drives at night throughout our neighborhood to see the houses decorated for Christmas. There were some that had a simple wreath on the front door and some that looked like Santa's...
Knowing When (and How!) to Hire a Contractor
(ARA) - Did you ever take on a simple afternoon home remodeling project, but instead it took days … or even weeks? Have you ever called in a contractor to fix what you started? Ever unintentionally turn your basement into an indoor pool?
...
The Basics of the Murphy Bed Plan
As living space becomes more efficient, two social trends have converged to foster the Murphy bed’s regained popularity. First, because housing is more expensive, every available area needs to be used in as many ways as possible. Multi-use rooms are...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Winterizing A Vacation Home
Unlike winterizing your main home, winterizing a vacation or summer home effectively means closing down the home for the winter. However, winterizing a vacation home or summer home really only involves a few basic tasks that can be completed in about a day by a homeowner.
Shut off the Water System and Drain the Pipes
Since most vacation or summer homes that are winterized will not be heated, the most important task to perform is to turn off the water system and drain the supply lines.
The water system can typically be turned off by simply throwing the pump switch to the off position on the circuit panel. Some wells also have a mechanism several feet down that can be turned off to enable any water in the underground pipe to drain back into the well. If your well has this mechanism, a tool should have been provided by the water pump installer that allows you to do this. It is effectively a rod about 4 feet long with a T handle at the top. Basically the rod is inserted into the well head and turns a valve to drain the water from the underground supply line back into the well. Most wells do not require this however, as the well supply line is located several feet under ground. Thus it is safe from any frost concerns.
Next, water should be drained from the supply lines. First turn the faucets on, and leave them in the on position.
Since water will and should remain in the toilet and sink traps, an anti-freeze solution must be added to them to prevent freezing and pipe cracking. Also, the toilet tank should be drained of any water as well to prevent the tank from cracking.
Turn off the Heating Supply
Turn the heating system to the off position. Turning down the temperature setting on the thermostat is not good enough. The switch at the furnace or the circuit panel should be turned to the off position to ensure the furnace does not inadvertently go on during the winter months.
Remove all Food that could Spoil or Freeze
The refrigerator should be turned off, unplugged, and emptied of all contents. Likewise, anything in the kitchen cabinets that could freeze or spoil should be removed.
Unplug all Appliances
To prevent
the possibility of damage due to thunderstorms it is best to unplug all appliances in the vacation home.
Prevent Rodent Infestation
Various rodents will attempt to get into your vacation home during the winter months. It is best to leave a few boxes of Decon around the home to prevent them from taking up permanent residence.
Store Boats and Remove Pipe Docks
All boats need to be removed from the water. Similar to the home, all of the boats should be winterized as well.
Once the boats have been removed, the entire dock should be removed from the water and stored high up on shore. The pipes should not be left in the water, as they will be damaged by the ice. The damage frequently happens in the spring when “Ice Out” is occurring and large blocks, similar to ice bergs, shift and move along the shore line.
Rake Leaves and Debris Away from the Home
It is important to rake the yard, with particular attention made to removing leaves and other debris from around the foundation. Left to sit during the winter months, this material would otherwise become a collection area for ice and water, and become a haven for small four legged friends.
Properly Store away all outside Lawn and Yard Furniture and Tools
Clean all outside lawn and yard furniture and store it inside the home or shed or garage. Likewise winterize the lawnmower and properly store it away for the season.
Finally lock up the home, enjoy the winter and think of warm weather in the spring.
About the Author: Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. For more home improvement and repair information visit: http://www.homeadditionplus.com and http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com.
Source: www.isnare.com
|
|
|
|
|
| Lowe's Home Improvement |
| Retailer of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment. |
| www.lowes.com |
|
| Do It Yourself Home Improvement, Repair, and Remodeling ... |
| Doityourself home improvement and diy repair at DoItYourself.com. Includes diy home improvement projects, home improvement how to, home repair, ... |
| www.doityourself.com |
|
| "Home Improvement" (1991) |
| Home Improvement on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... |
| www.imdb.com |
|
| Hometime: Home Improvement, Remodeling and Repair |
| Hometime features step-by-step information to home improvement, remodeling, and repair. Projects include decks, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, landscaping ... |
| www.hometime.com |
|
| Home Improvement Cyberfans |
| Information on ABC's hit sitcom Home Improvement, it's cast and their acting careers. |
| www.morepower.com |
|
| Home Improvement Encyclopedia |
| Home repair, do-it-yourself and improvement advice for hundreds of home improvement projects. |
| www.bhg.com |
|
| the home depot |
| www.homedepot.com/ - 2k - Cached - Similar pages |
|
|
| Home Improvement - Do It Yourself - Home Remodeling | BobVila.com |
| Home improvement projects, featured products, tip library, bulletin board, designer tools, and information about television programs hosted by Bob Vila. |
| www.bobvila.com |
|
| Do It Yourself Home Improvements - Home Improvement Information ... |
| Research do-it-yourself improvements with home improvement information from our website. Search home repair articles by subject, task or location. |
| www.bobvila.com |
|
| Energy Star Home Improvement Toolbox |
| Improve Your Energy Efficiency at Home. Use our Home Improvement Toolbox to save money and help protect the environment without sacrificing comfort. |
| www.energystar.gov |
|
| Home Tips: The Web's Most Helpful Home Improvement and Repair Site |
| Free home improvement advice, great remodeling tips, and appliance buying guides by leading home improvement authority, DIY expert and HGTV personality, ... |
| www.hometips.com |
|
| HGTV : Decorating, Remodeling, Home Improvement & Gardening Ideas ... |
| Take a fresh approach to the way you live with HoFind ideas and inspiration from HGTV's videos to transform your home through decorating, home improvement, ... |
| www.hgtv.com |
|
| Home Improvement - Decks, Flooring, Lighting, Tiling, Renovations ... |
| Do-it-yourself home improvement projects and home improvement videos for decks, flooring, lighting, tiling, renovations and more, plus tips and step-by-step ... |
| www.diynetwork.com |
|
| Home Improvement TV Show - Home Improvement Television Show - TV.com |
| Home Improvement TV Show, TV.com is your reference guide to Home Improvement Show. Episode guide, photos, videos, cast and crew information, forums, ... |
| www.tv.com |
|
| Home Improvement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| From the outset of Season 2, Tim and Al would make a theme of a particular home improvement project or item on Tool Time by hosting a week long "salute" to ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Home Improvement Archive |
| Home Improvement Archive -- Episode Guide, scripts, articles, and much more! |
| www.hiarchive.co.uk |
|
| Free Home Improvement Contractor Matching Service and Resources ... |
| Be matched with qualified and screened, expert contractors in your area in seconds with no obligation now. Improvenet offers the largest free contractor ... |
| www.improvenet.com |
|
| DIY Home Improvement, home repair Tips |
| DIY home improvement, remodeling, house repairs and maintainance Help Center...How To instructions for all your projects. |
| www.alsnetbiz.com |
|
| Amazon.com: Home Improvement: Electrical, Plumbing, Hardware ... |
| Online shopping for Home Improvement from a great selection of Tools & Hardware; Electrical, Plumbing, Hardware, Heating & Cooling, Building Materials ... |
| www.amazon.com |
|
| Home Improvement |
| AsktheBuilder.com: Build and remodel your home the right way. Learn how the master craftsmen of old built things to last. |
| www.askthebuilder.com |
|
|