Category: Home Tips
Giving Your Home More Curb Appeal
If the exterior of your home is dated, worn or tired, there are a few things you can do to improve the outside appearance of your home. Not only will these upgrade the curb appeal, they may also increase the value of your house.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
● New Shutters – Add them to your windows to create a nice accent to your siding or other exterior finishes, or replace your old faded shutters with new ones to dramatically improve the look of your home.
● New Siding – Siding is designed to give your home protection from the elements, and new siding can significantly alter the appearance of your home. If you own an older home with aluminum or asbestos siding, replacing it with vinyl siding will improve the look and functionality of your exterior.
● Add or Enlarge a Front Porch – Adding a porch or expanding an existing porch area is one of the best ways to make your home appear more inviting. Depending on the size, it can also create more outdoor seating.
● Replace Your Windows – Replacing your windows is a great investment to make in your home; a variety of options exist to match budget and the performance you are looking for. Often times, replacing windows can lead to decreased utility costs because the existing windows were not properly sealed or maintained.
If the exterior of your home needs updated and you want to talk about your options, give us a call. We’d be happy to sit down with you and find a solution that makes sense for you.
Common Exterior Problem Areas
Before dog-days of summer are completely upon us, take a look around your house for at some common exterior problem areas. If you see any of these, make note of them, and try to check at least one off every week. Doing these little things around your house now not only will preserve the exterior, but it will also give you more time to watch football this fall!
Caulking around Windows, Doors, and All Exterior Finishes: Caulk is not designed to last for the life of your home and will eventually break down. This can lead to hidden air leaks and, in certain cases, disastrous results. We recommend checking the caulking on the exterior of your home each year. Our service department is available to do an exterior home inspection and let you know where re-caulking is needed.
Exterior Painting: Wood frames on your exterior doors, porch posts and other painted materials should be painted every 3-5 years to prevent rotting. Rotting door frames is a very common issue that we see and can be prolonged by painting and maintaining proper drainage away from the bottom of the door.
Tree and Shrub Branches: These are often planted close to the house, but as they grow, they can scrape the exterior and cause damage on windy days or completely fall over during a thunderstorm. Keep them trimmed to prevent damage to your property.
Wooden Deck Boards: If you notice a board warping, splitting or splintering, take the time to replace it. Steps can be particularly dangerous, as weak boards can cause someone to fall.
Erosion around Your Foundation: Over time, the soil around your foundation will settle, causing low spots around your foundation. These spots are where water can puddle, and water against your home’s foundation can cause greater damage. Fill in these spots with dirt (not mulch) and take special care make sure the soil allows water to flow away from your home.
Smart Home Safety Tips for Summer
The home is a sanctuary for your family, and there is nothing more unnerving that realizing that your home has been broken into. According to the FBI, there were over 2 million burglaries in 2010 – a decrease of 2 percent when compared to the year before – and although crime is a serious concern, our homes and neighborhoods are safer than ever before – much in part to awareness and the preventative steps we are taking.
Still, summer is a season when homes are burglarize the most. The weather is nice and many families go on vacation. Additionally, because people are in and out of the homes more frequently – for strolls or a quick errand – they often get lax in securing their home.
Here are a few things to remember this summer to keep your home belongings and family safe:
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Never allow strangers in your home, even if they look hurt or in distress.
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Most contractors, such as HVAC or pool companies, will wear uniforms and/or show up in a company vehicle. If they are a smaller firm where their employees don’t have those items, they will present you with a business card and notify you ahead of time of what to expect when they show up to your home for the pre-scheduled appointment.
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When you go for a walk or leave your home for a quick errand, take the time to secure your home. Lock your doors, put your garage door down and close and lock any sliding doors or windows that can easily be entered.
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When you leave for vacation, make sure you tell a trusted neighbor. Ask them to pick up your mail, paper and other items that can make an unscrupulous person quickly see that you are away. Put your lights on timers so your homes looks lived in.
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Invest in a safe to store valuable items such as jewelry and important documents. You may also want to consider buying one that is flood and fire proof.
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One of your homes easiest entry points is the garage. Keep your garage door closed at all times and lock the door that leads from the garage into your home.
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Don’t leave ladders and tools unsecured outside. These items can be used to gain access to your home.
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Look at your shrubbery around your first-floor windows, and if you don’t have any, you may want to plant a few. They can deter a robber from entering your home – especially if they are thorny.
This summer, relax and enjoy the warm days, but also realize that break-ins can be avoided when you take some precautions. Get more home and neighborhood safety resources by visiting the National Crime Prevention Council’s website.
Summer Cookout Safety Tips
Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, and across the country, families and friends will gather to cook out, enjoy the warmer weather and visit with each other.
Grilling is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Not only does it make for easy meal prep, but it also keeps the home cooler during the warm summer months. But the grill can also be dangerous, so keep these cookout safety tips in mind this summer.
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Before you begin grilling for the summer, check the propane tank to make sure it is properly connected.
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If using a charcoal grill, make sure that the lighter fluid and matches are stored in a safe place after the coals are lit.
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Move the grill away from the side of your home and deck railing. The heat from the grill can melt vinyl siding and could also cause a fire. Additionally, never use a charcoal or propane grill indoors or in enclosed garages or patios.
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Place your grill on a flat surface so it is stable and can’t be tipped over.
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Keep children and pets away from the grill. It is natural for everyone to congregate around the chef while he is cooking the burgers and hot dogs, but make sure that everyone keeps a safe distance away from the grill so they don’t get burnt.
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Don’t wear loose clothing around a grill.
Another favorite pastime in Lancaster County is gathering around the fire pit during the evenings. The kids toast marshmallows while the adults share stories and plans for summer vacations. Open fires can also be dangerous, so please keep these safety tips in mind:
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Observe “burn warnings” in your area. Townships will post notices when it is too dry or windy to burn.
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Build your fire pit in an open area – away from dry grass, leaves and overhanging trees. You don’t want windborne embers catching things on fire.
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It is better to keep your fire small so it stays controlled – just a few logs at a time.
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Keep a bucket of water and a shovel close to the fire, just in case. These will also be handy when you are ready to extinguish the fire for the evening.
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Never leave fire pits unattended.
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When you are ready to call it a night, take extra care to make sure the fire is completely out before heading indoors.
Read more of our blog articles for home tips and inspiration.
Weekly News Roundup – November 15th
We’d like to provide you an opportunity to browse some current home design, real estate news, and building / remodeling articles by bringing you a few each week that we think might be useful, informative and entertaining. Enjoy!
MSN Real Estate provides an insightful article into some home maintenance musts as winter approaches
A Houzz.com article gives some inspiration and direction on selecting a countertop and backsplash
This interesting Yahoo.com feature highlights a few stories of 20-somethings who debated between renting a home or buying new
Enjoy this unique picture collage of Bathrooms from Dwell.com – you’ll be sure to get some “out of the box” ideas!
Be “Green” around your Home – Conserve Water
With all the
talk out there of “Going Green” or “Being Green” we’d like to offer you some practical tips on how to be more sustainable or “green” in your home.
Conserve water at your home – Here are a few helpful water conservation tips from the American Water Works Association.
- Use the Shower. A Five minute shower = 10-25 gallons of water; A full bathtub = 70 gallons
- Check for drips at faucets
- Only run your dishwasher when it is full
- Replace your old clothes washer with a high efficiency machine that can save up to 12-15 gallons per load
Fall Home Maintenance #3
Turning off your outdoor faucets sounds simple enough, but each fall many homeowners forget or neglect to winterize the faucets on the outside of their homes. This can be a costly mistake, potentially costing hundreds of dollars in repairs. Water can stay trapped in the pipe behind the faucet and freeze in the cold weather, causing pipes to crack or burst.
The first step to prevent this from happening is to locate each outdoor faucet on your home. Next, you will want to determine the style of your faucet(s). Newer models are generally frost proof. If this is the style of faucet on your home, winterizing is as easy as disconnecting any hoses and turning the water off. In these frost proof models, the valve is located well behind the faucet itself so the flow of water is stopped on the inside of your home. (See picture below)
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f you determine that your faucet is not a frost proof model, you will need to locate shut-off valves that should be installed in your basement leading to your outdoor faucets. You will need to turn these valves off to cut off the water supply to the faucet. Next, you should open the faucet outside and allow the water between the shut-off valve and the faucet to drain out. It is important to note that although all the water may not drain out, as long as the pipe is not full, the remaining water should have enough room to expand without breaking the pipe.
Fall Home Maintenance #2
Sitting in front of your fireplace is most likely one of your favorite places to be as the cold weather sets in. Now is a great time to be thinking about the maintenance of your fireplace and chimney so it is giving off that heat and creating the warmth you need this winter.
Here is a recommended maintenance list for your wood burning fireplace:
1. Clean out any old ashes and soot left from previous burning. Go green and use the ashes in your compost. They are a welcome addition to any compost pile.
2. Clean stains off the glass doors of your fireplace. Only clean the glass when it is cool. One option is to use a cup of vinegar in a gallon of water, apply the solution with a sponge, and wipe clean with newspaper.
3. Be sure to do a chimney sweep and cleaning as necessary. Hire a certified chimney sweep. It is recommended to have this done annually to catch problems before they create a need for expensive repairs.
4. While thinking of fireplaces, it’s a great time of year to make sure your smoke detectors are in working order. Make it a habit to change the batteries on your smoke detectors as you turn back the clocks for daylight savings time every year. (This Saturday, November 5, don’t forget!) Also remember to clean around your smoke detectors as excess dust can cause the alarm to go off. Using a soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner should do the trick.
Fall Home Maintenance
Home ownership is a great thing; with it, however, comes lots of responsibility. Often these responsibilities, such as regular maintenance of your home, can be overwhelming and un-exciting. Metzler Home Builders would like to help you by providing some tips and guidelines to follow this fall as you consider your home’s maintenance needs. We will post a series of these maintenance guidelines over the next few weeks. Here is the first one.
Check your Gutters and downspouts
Leaves, sticks, and other debris can be a major nuisance to your gutters and downspouts. If clogged with these, rainwater can run off the roof missing your gutters and cause water to pond around your foundation during heavy rains. Take the time to inspect your gutters and clear the debris if needed. Also make sure that your downspouts are allowing the collected rainwater to drain away from the foundation of your home. If this is not the case, be sure to re-grade these areas so the water runs away from your home.