Archives for 2019

Pests are the biggest enemies of homeowners and they can literally disrupt your life. They can cause disease and damage the property as well. Though you may think that the threat of infestation is confined to summer months, you are mistaken. Winter is an equally risky time from this perspective because overwintering pests can hide in your living space during these months, just to come back as a major infestation once the days get warmer. So you should keep an eye on overwintering pests and take steps to get rid of them at the earliest sign. Here are some common winter pests that you should look out for.

Termites

Termites are perhaps the biggest threat for homeowners because they can literally eat away the wood faster than you imagine. The worst part is that they can be as dangerous during the winter as in summer because they do not hibernate. Any signs of chew damage on the railings, wallpapers and wood products indicate that you could have these lurking enemies. Check the basement and attic as well because there are the areas that may be most infested.

Mice and rats

Rodents such as mice and rats are some other unwanted visitors that you may have visiting this winter. If you have them hiding in your living space this winter, you may probably see some indications. Their droppings may be visible in the nooks and corners behind the furniture or in the back of cabinets and drawers. You can even find chew marks on the cardboard food boxes in your kitchen.

Bed bugs

Since bed bugs travel from one place to another, they are most likely to come with you when you are back from a holiday during this time of the year. Most of the time, they make their way into your luggage from hotel rooms and settle down in your bedroom. Overlooking the earliest symptoms is the worst mistake you can make. Rather, you should be vigilant and get Residential Pest Control as early as you can. Look out for signs such as dried bloodstains on your sheets and black sticky fecal residue under the mattress and box springs.

Carpenter ants

Another common overwintering pest is carpenter ants, which are capable of surviving the harsh winters by burrowing their colonies deep below the frost line. They can even burrow one in the wall voids of your living space. Even worse, they may be burrowing through the wood in your home all winter. If you see piles of dust and exit holes here and there, you probably have a colony of carpenter ants in your living space.

Wasps

The stinging wasps that are commonly seen in summers may make their home inside the attic spaces in your home when the cold weather comes. The best way to detect their presence is by cleaning the attic crawl spaces regularly. If you find a wasp nest there, have it removed by a professional. Don’t even try doing it on your own because they will sting if you poke in their home.

Timely detection and clearing away of overwintering insects is the best thing to do if you don’t want to start the summer with an infestation. So you must be vigilant for these signs and act at once if you notice any of them.

In terms of where in the home to invest the largest portion of your decorating budget, I have always been a fan of spending big in the bedroom. Of course you want the home to look great in the communal spaces so that you can impress your neighbors , family and friends, but based on pure pragmatism you are going to spend far more hours in your bedroom than they will spend in your hallway and living room, which is why I’ll always go bigger in the master bedroom. There are some must-haves that you should focus on here which will help you to create the bedroom of your dreams.

The Main Event

The main centerpiece of your bedroom is the bed and I’d advise you to spend a lot of time researching and choosing the perfect bed, and spending as much as you can on getting it right. If you are designing a French provincial bedroom then investing in a glorious four poster bed is going to be the cherry on the cake and give you a room to be proud of. If you are opting for modern then floating beds look incredible, if you are going for a sanctuary style bedroom then a chunky sleigh bed can really set things off. This should be your first priority. 

As well as choosing the perfect bed frame, you also need to think about selecting the best mattress. Mattresses are overpriced but there are always options to save money here and get a great choice to match your bed. Remember, you need to test out a mattress to guarantee it does provide the right fit for you.

Lighting

The master bedroom has many uses, all of which call for different levels of lighting. You want a sombre feel as you read unwind to go to sleep, a bright light as you get up and start your day and perhaps even separate spotlights if you want to read a book before bed, but your partner does not. Explore lighting options such as dimmer switches for the main lights and always seek out smaller spotlights for each side of the bed.

End of Bed Seat

I must confess that I always looked at those chaise-longue style seats at the bottom of people’s beds and thought that it was a preposterous idea and something which

really wasn’t necessary. As we decorated our bedroom however my wife really had her heart set on it and given that I got the bed which I had been after, I compromised and we bought a long seat for the foot of the bed. I have been proved completely wrong with this and to be honest it is one of my favorite features in the room, behind the bed of course. I use this when I put my shoes on and take them off, to sit down and read, as a perfect place to sit and get my head together for the day ahead and I love the additional option which it gives us beyond sitting on the bed. With this we know use the bed to sleep, and the long chair to sit down and relax.

Get your bed sorted, make sure the lighting is beautiful and go get one of those seats which you can place at the foot of your bed, an absolute game changer!

It is one of those unfortunate and highly annoying moments that can happen, the summer days begin, night draws in, it’s hot and sticky so you reach for the AC, expect it is not blowing out the old air you so desperately need. There are many reasons why your AC is not cooling and whilst there is no good time to discover this, unless you happen to flick it on during winter, there are very often simple explanations to what is going on with your AC. Here are some things to check before you call the repair team from Air Conditioning Repair Denver CO in a panic.

Clogged Air Filter

When I lived on the Gold Coast we had an instance like this and I immediately hit Google and searched ‘repair air conditioning Gold Coast’ in the hope that someone would be around at 3am, they sadly weren’t. I took matters into my own hands and discovered that the air filter was thick with dust and grime. This was blocking the cold air coming out, so I simply changed the filter and everything was back up and running again.

Dirty Coils

The coils inside the AC unit are what helps to cool the air which it is taking in before it is pumped back out into the room. If however these coils get dirty or have debris stuck to them then they will not be able to efficiently cool the air. Check the condenser coils in your AC unit and if required give them a wipe clean and see if that helps to remedy the issue.

Faulty Thermostat

The thermostat has a sensor on it which detects the temperature in the room and then activates or switches off the cooling system. If however your thermostat is faulty it will not be able to detect he rise in temperature which is why the cold air may not be coming out.

Faulty Parts

Whilst there could be a quick fix to your AC woes, there is also the very real possibility that some of the parts in side the unit are faulty and need to be replaced. Generally parts will break down after a period of inactivity which is why you may find that on the first day of summer is the time when you realize that the AC unit isn’t doing its job. Everything has a shelf life including parts for an air conditioning unit.

Faulty Remote

Another personal experience of mine was that the AC unit wasn’t working, I checked the filters, the coils, the coolant and everything I could think of before giving up in a bad mood. I called out someone to take a look at I was most embarrassed to discover that the issue preventing me from cooling down was in fact the remote control, rather than the unit. This is a possibility so be sure to test out another control if you have it, or replace the one you have.

Don’t panic, check out these possible issues and you’ll be cool in no time.