Home Maintenance 101 (II)

What could be the worst case when you are running late and the moment you rush to bathroom to get a shower and you find a leak in the faucet? Well, this freaky situation might have been avoided if regular checks would have been done. After Heating & Cooling checklist, we have come up with Plumbing checklist that you might want to follow as to avoid the horrific situation we just mentioned above. Let’s get started with Home Maintenance 101 (II).

18. Inspect faucets for leaks

19. Flush 1 gallon water from the water heater if the valve is in working order

20. Check water pressure in home 21. Inspect accessible, exposed drain lines for signs of leaks

22. Inspect accessible water lines for signs of leaks

23. Check to see if sump pump is working

24. Test water heater operation

25. Check for slow drains in bathtubs and sinks

26. Check operation of water heater elements (electric)

27. Check amp draw of water heater elements (electric)

28. Check operation of water heater gas burner (gas)

29. Check thermocouple on water heater (gas)

30. Check gas valve on water heater (gas)

31. Check flue pipe for deterioration on water heater (gas)

32. Inspect shower tiles for obvious cracking or separation

If we have missed out any point, do leave us a comment and we’ll add it up in the list. Stay tuned until we come up with Home Maintenance 101 (III), meanwhile do enjoy reading other posts.

Home Maintenance 101

Just like regular oil changes keep up your car on the road, regular home maintenance keeps it in good condition. If you think it’s going to be a tedious task, you are probably mistaken. It won’t take your extra time and if it gets done regularly, it will save you wasting your hard earned money. However, it’s a long list of various tasks, but you schedule them accordingly. Since it’s a long list, we’ll feature all the checklist points in 4 posts so that you can also get time to check all the points yourself and if you get stuck, get help of local handyman. We have covered “Heating and Cooling” in this post. Have a look at the below checklist.

1. Check and clear primary & secondary condensate lines and pans

2. Inspect evaporator coil if accessible

3. Inspect condenser coil

4. Check system operating pressures (Freon levels)

5. Test temperature rise and drop of furnace, A/C and heat pump

6. Check belts and pulleys; adjust if necessary

7. Lubricate motors if oil ports are accessible

8. Inspect filter; replace if customer has a replacement filter

9. General inspection of wiring in the furnace and the A/C units

10. Check amp draw of evaporator motor

11. Check amp draw of condenser motor

12. Check amp draw of compressor

13. Inspect furnace chambers and burners

14. Check controls and safeties on furnace

15. Visual inspection of expose flue pipe

16. Check thermostat operation

17. Check crankcase heater operation for heat pumps

We hope this checklist covers all the necessary points related to Heating and Cooling. If we have missed out any point, do leave us a comment and we’ll add it up in the list. The second part of Home Maintenance 101 series will be featured in a few days meanwhile visit www.arsltd.co.uk for more information.

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The Most Luxurious Hotel Suites in the World

How do you define the term luxury? Well, luxury may be a buying a Lamborghini for some people or may be its wearing a Patek Philippe on their wrist but there are people who don’t mind spending $67,000 for a night. Have a look at this infographic and think what it’s like to be a rich person.

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<div style="clear:both"> <a href=" http://arsltd.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-most-luxurious-hotel-suites-in-world.html "><img align="center" src=" https://imageshostedhere.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/the-most-luxurious-hotel-suites-ig.jpg?w=700" title="The Most Luxurious Hotel Suites in the World" alt="INFOGRAPHIC The Most Luxurious Hotel Suites in the World " border="0" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div> Courtesy of: <a href=" http://www.arsltd.co.uk/ ">ARS Ltd</a></div>

Simple Tips to Protect Your Home This Winter

Some of us are just obsessed with the winter season. How much we love those dried look of the trees, the warm coziness of our blankets, those chilled nose tips and of course bold and vibrant colors of the season. Well as soon as fall sets in, we start making preparations in doing our best to keep ourselves warm. In our homes too we check whether the heaters and geysers are all working properly. So basically the advent of the winter calls for a lot of added preparations on our part.

After we have made all personal arrangements in keeping ourselves protected and fighting the cold wintery winds, it is time we shift our attention to our homes. Let us take a look at some of the important tips to guide you in taking proper care of your home in the winter season:

1.    Checking your heating system: call a technician to check or inspect your heating system or pump to detect problems if any in the system. You can also get aware of any carbon monoxide leakage in your system. However, you need to make these arrangements as quickly as possible to prevent seeing yourself as the last person of the long queue. A technician who is a certified professional must be preferred.

2.    Reverse your fan’s blades: if there is reverse switch in your ceiling fan then you can make use of it to turn it clockwise after having turned on your heat. An updraft and downward force will be created into the heated air from the ceiling. This is a great way to save energy.

3.    Get rid of ice dams: act against ice dams formed in your house at your earliest. These can cause the melt water to flow back to your house. With the help of a weatherization contractor you can fix those leaks in your attic that support those ice dams.

4.    Take a look at the gutters: if your gutters are full of detritus water then they can damage your roofing and wooden trims and a lot more places. You also must look for fascia boards and damaged gutters and repair them.

5.    Keep the water away: downspouts need to be added with extensions so that the water runs a few good feet away from your foundation.


6.    Check out your sump pump: pour water slowly into your sump pit to check whether the pump turns on or not. This needs to be done in regular intervals and more so after a dry season or before the rainy season.

7.    Run a chimney sweep:  before you put the Yule log in fire, ensure that your fireplace or your chimney and vents are in the best condition. This will not just help prevent chimney fire but will also put an end to carbon monoxide entering your home.

8.    Disconnect the exterior faucets: in the winter season, un-drained water in the pipes can become frozen and as the ice expands, the pipes will burst. You can begin by disconnecting the garden hoses and draining out the remaining water from the faucets.

9.    Check out your irrigation system: by draining the sprinkler pipes and spigots you can prevent your lawn irrigation system from leaking and freezing.

10.    Caulk around your doors and windows: the gaps that exist between your sliding doors and window frames need to be caulked with preferably silicone caulk. This is the best for exterior use since it does not shrink

Therefore, follow these simple tips and get ready to welcome the winter season with open arms and doors!

What you need to know about Wall Cladding?

Wall Cladding covers a wide range of processes relating to adding protecting layering to building exteriors to prevent damage from weather and other elements. The process mostly requires a non-structural material that helps safeguard building frontages while adding beauty to the architecture. As such, wall cladding materials encompass a variety of building materials that have been processed to tolerate extreme external conditions (temperature, moisture, wind, etc) and protect the main surface from damage. While wall cladding is mostly related to external surfaces, in some cases, it is also used for internal strength and beautification.

Wall cladding brings about a stain resistant, even/smooth, and clean and gap free surfaces.

Need for wall cladding repair

Your home and office is one of your main defenses against natural elements, heat loss, moisture penetration and even disease control. As such, even a small leak can bring about dangerous health problems for anyone in the home. Even repairs can be costly when it relates to plumbing defects and wiring issues. Wall cladding is a proactive solution advised by all experienced builders and decorators. With time, any type of wall can be exposed to several harmful elements and in most cases; it would leave behind damages that affect the very reason for building a home/office. Wall cladding makes the exterior surface extremely durable and keeping the household clean and easy to maintain.

People go for several types of wall cladding repairs depending on their needs and budgets. The most common options are plastic wall cladding, metal wall cladding, varnish wall cladding and even wood wall cladding. However, composite materials are more popular among home owners. Cladding ensures that you would never have to rebuild/repair the original building blocks of your premises. Depending on the material used and the external environment, cladding repairs are quite a rare requisite. However, in case you need to repair cladding, it is also a cheaper and safer alternative.

Being a non-structural process, wall cladding never impacts the building’s integrity of stability. Mostly, it is a permanent process that facilitates waterproofing and insulation. Also called “facing”, many people also use wall cladding primarily for beautification of the outdoors and giving a unique look to the surface. Further, cladding is fairly easy to install but howsoever should be done by an expert. A proper cladding takes into account all gaps, corners and leaves no surface exposed to the outer environment.

Some maintenance tips

While wall cladding with themselves help keep the weather away, there are also open to damage, oxidation, deterioration, discoloration and fading. The damages often start with the aesthetics and if left unnoticed and unrepaired will go on to affect the wall itself. Cladding repair range from the extent of applying another extra layer/coat or stripping off the original cladding and installing a new one. Depending on how carefully and tactfully the cladding had been installed it takes time for the first surface blemished to appear. The later you take care of it, the more expensive it will become.

With the climate becoming more turbulent every year, it is highly recommended that people go for wall cladding their homes, offices and commercial premises. A building is made for a lifetime and only a little more expense can maintain you as you would have desired. Check out the several alternatives and opt for one if you haven’t already.

Amazing Buildings From Around The World

We have been lucky enough to get to see so many beautiful places in the world whether it’s man- made structures or natural wonders. There are some places that can be seen as many times. However, there are some buildings that make you think on their existence. If it sounds really bizarre to you, have a look at these amazing buildings.

The Crooked House

Location: Sopot, Poland

The Basket Building  

Location: New Jersey, United States

Kansas City Public Library

Location: Kansas City, Missouri

 

Wonderworks

Location: Pigeon Forge, TN, United States

Habitat 67

Location: Montreal, Canada

Hằng Nga Guesthouse

Location: Dalat City 67000,Lam Dong, Vietnam

Dancing House

Location: Prague, Czech Republic

Kettle House

Location: Texas, United States

Nakagin Capsule Tower

Location: Tokyo, Japan

The UFO House

Location: Sanjhih, Taiwan

House Attack

Location: Vienna, Austria

It’s Time to Renovate Your Home But How? #An Infographic

When it comes to renovating a house, hiring a contractor seems the most difficult work. Hiring the wrong contractor may ruin all your work and cause you financial loss as well. Choose the right contractor and make your life stress free. Here is the guide highlighting the steps you must follow while hiring the right contractor.