When investing in a home, there are a number of points that you need to take into consideration. The most important of these points is that aside from getting your home in order and ensuring that everything is well taken care of, you also need to protect yourself against all the potential structural and appliance problems that can arise. To do this, the best thing to do is to invest in insurance. The main issue that most homeowners have with this insurance is the difference between home insurance companies and home warranty companies. The distinction isn’t always obvious, which is why the explanation of the difference will be described below. More about home warranties at www.ahs.com.
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There are two types of companies that you should be aware of: the homeowners insurance that you’re most familiar with, and the home warranty company. The former category is essentially a company that allows you to take out insurance on the house itself. In this type of instance, the insurance scheme is meant to protect the home and not the workings of the home. You can forget about having your appliances, plumbing, electric, HVAC, and other systems protected. Instead, this insurance scheme is going to protect the home itself from damage. The damage that it usually protects from is flood damage, tornado damage, fire, and other like-issues that can arise. If you live in an area that can be dangerous due to the weather, then this type of insurance is always a good idea – and it’s a terrific idea even if you don’t live in a hazardous region. However, it does not mean that you don’t need a home warranty.
Home Warranty
This type of insurance scheme is different from the one above in that it protects what is in your home. At the basic level, you can get your plumbing, HVAC, electric, and other types of inner systems protected. This level of protection is always useful because the truth is, these types of problems can always arise. At the premium level, you can also get your home’s appliances and roof protected. The main types of appliances protected include your oven, attached microwave, water heater, washer, dryer, and so forth. Not only will you save money with this type of insurance scheme, but you’ll also get speedy service when something breaks down and as a homeowner, you are certainly aware of how often and unexpectedly that can happen.
Frozen pipes are an issue which all homeowners dread. Not only are frozen pipes an inconvenience, if left untreated, can become a very serious problem. Frozen pipes occur when the freezing temperatures outside cause that water within the pipes to freeze. When water freezes, it expands. Since pipes stay the same size as the water expands, frozen pipes pose the imminent threat of bursting. In order to save this costly repair from occurring, you need to be able to diagnose frozen pipes quickly, and take measures to rectify the situation before it gets out of hand.
Knowing When Your Pipes Are Frozen
Frozen pipes are an all too common occurrence during the winter months. You are able to tell when your pipes are frozen when you turn the water on and only a trickle comes out, or in some cases, nothing at all. When this happens, you will need to correct the situation as quickly as possible to save your pipes from bursting. To figure out where the freeze has occurred, go throughout your home and test your water features and plumbing fixtures to test whether or not they have water flowing through them correctly. This will help you determine which pipes contain the freeze. If there is no plumbing working throughout the entire house, it is likely that the freeze is located near the water pump. If the water is only pumping through sections of the house, then the freeze is clogging a pipe in a wall lacking insulation. To warm the pipe up, expose the wall to the warm air of your home by opening any cabinets or furniture that may be blocking the heat in your home to that area of the wall. If it is once faucet that is not working, open up that faucet and apply heat to it slowly.
Slow Burn
When applying heat to frozen pipes, you want to do it with a consistent flow. If you use a blow torch or another form of heat that would blast towards the pipes, the intense contrast of conflicting temperatures will cause your pipes to burst. Boiling water is also unsafe to pour onto the exterior of frozen pipes. The best way to unfreeze a clogged pipe is by using a hair dryer or a heat lamp. You can also wrap warm rags around the pipes as well but a heat lamp or hair dryer takes less effort and no clean up. Once you have unfrozen your pipes they are no longer in danger of bursting. In order to protect yourself from frozen pipes in the future you can apply electrical heating cable to them by wrapping to around the pipes that were affected or are at risk of being frozen.
Frozen pipes are almost guaranteed to happen at some point in the life of the home owner. It is important to know the signs frozen pipes early on, and how to correctly fix the problem before you have the bigger problem of burst pipes on your hands.
Contrary to what most people think, you don’t need a professional to get home installation projections done. For example, if you’re currently considering installing a hot tub, below is a step by step guide to help you do the job on your own.
- Step 1: The Permit
First and foremost, before you undertake any installation projects in your home, you need to verify if you need a permit to build. If you do need one, you can check with the correct authorities.
- Step 2: Decide On Where
The next step is deciding upon where you want to install the tub. You want to make sure that the space you choose is large enough to accommodate the tub and that you are placing the tub far enough from your house. Every county has its own regulations dictating how the required distance.
- Step 3: Get the Site Ready
After you are up to par with the necessary regulations and codes, you can start getting the site ready. You want to create a firm foundation for your tub by pouring thick and high-quality concrete onto a pad. If you don’t want to use concrete, then you can also try prefabricated spa pads. If you need to relocate the tub, pads are ideal.
- Step 4: Deck
While you can do most of the job on your own, if you need to build a deck, then contacting a general contractor is the best decision. Otherwise, you can also build the deck on your own if you have experience.
- Step 5: Electrical Wiring
The next step is to build a route from an electric source to the tub outside. Most likely, you’ll need a hard-wired circuit. One sufficient option is a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. In some cases, you may require a 60-amp circuit.
- Step 6: Install and Assembly
Now you should be ready to focus on installation and assembly. Once you have the tub set in place, you need to assembly it and attach the electricity to the tub. Because the tub’s voltage is higher than most other electronics, then you’ll also need to install a breaker.
- Step 7: Check and Add Water
After all the above steps are complete and the electricity is turned off, you can open the air valves and fill the tub with water. After it is filled with water, turn on the electricity and add the required chemicals so that the water stays safe and clean. You should now be ready to use your tub without having broken the bank.
If you’re like most people, then you’ve probably encountered a plumbing problem or two in your lifetime. You also probably realize that a plumbing problem isn’t the type that you can sweep under the rug and forget about – it is an issue that persists and worsens over time. Out of the many plumbing problems out there, one of the most inconvenient types is when you have a broken toilet. The main concern that most people have is whether it is advisable to fix a toilet in disrepair on their own. If you are also wondering the same thing, below is an overview explaining when you can do it on your own and when you need a professional.
A Simple Clog
A toilet can break in many different ways. The most common problem associated with toilets is that there is a clog in the piping right where the toilet is. In this type of situation, you’ll notice a great deal of backflow and possibly a toilet bowl overflowing. For this problem, you certainly do not need to contact a professional because it a job that you can do on your own with a plunger and some strength. If you notice that no matter how hard you try to remove the clog it doesn’t solve the problem, then you may need to call a professional because it could be a more serious clog than you initially thought.
Leaks
Another common issue that may or may not need a professional is a leak. If the leak is coming from a visible and easy to repair portion of the toilet, then you certainly don’t need a professional. All you need to do is to purchase new piping and the tools to stick the piping together. On the other hand, if the leak is large and not something that you can control, then you should certainly consider hiring a professional.
Recurring Clogs
There is also the issue of clogs that don’t seem to go away – no matter how many times you work on unclogging your toilet. If you have this problem, it may mean that you have a pipe that is broken or seriously clogged in the main sewage system. This type of job requires special tools, and therefore you should hire a professional for the job. Overall, knowing the above issue and whether you need a professional can protect you and save you money in the long run.
People take putting a tool kit together very seriously. The best repair persons have a tool kit that includes everything necessary for any project that arises. By having a tool kit that incorporates everything that you need, you’ll be able to take on those repairs that typically need an expensive repairman. As you put your tool kit together, you’ll realize the tools that you’ll need. However, no matter how much thought you put into putting a kit together, one particular tool that you can’t compromise on is a set of premier chisels.
Tool Overview
This type of tool is shaped with a cutting edge on one side and a comfortable handle on the other. The cutting portion is known as the blade. Depending on the type of material the blade is made out of, you will be able to carve or cut materials like wood, metal, or even stone all by hand. The handle itself is made out wood or metal for comfort and a strong grip. To use the tool, professionals typically force the blade into a particular material and start shaping the material that they are cutting into. When you apply force to the tool when it is in the material, it sends to perform better.
In order to increase the force of the tool, many people also use a mallet or hammer in conjunction with it. The mallet or hammer can be tapped on the back of the tool lightly to exert force on the particular material that you are working on.
Uses
There are a number of uses for this type of tool. In general though, the tool is most popularly used when undertaking woodwork that involves carving the wood in order to reach a desired shape. The largest type model of this tool that you can use is called a slick. The slick is particularly used when dealing with timber frame construction or wooden shipbuilding. In addition to the slick, there are a few other popular models. These include the carving model, the corner model, the bevel model, the framing model, the mortise model, the paring model, and the skew model. When you visit your local hardware store, each of these types will be displayed along with the material that the tool is best suitable for. At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a great woodworking tool, then this is the one to choose.