Home Improvement

Painting can be a fun, quick way to refresh any room in your home, making it more appealing to potential buyers. While you can call in professional painters, painting your home’s interior walls can also be a fun DIY project to tackle over a weekend. (And hey, if it doesnt turn out great, the pro’s are just a call away!) If you are a beginner this can be a daunting task! This guide to painting rooms is helpful for new and veteran homeowners alike who want to learn the ins and outs of customizing their home, whether it's for themselves or to stage their home to sell.

Pests are not only a nuisance to homeowners but a real threat to both the residents who live there and the actual physical structure of the property. They can carry diseases that make people ill or damage the interior components of the home by building their own residences inside the walls or under the floorboards. To lessen or eliminate the damage they cause, keep the following in mind.

Check the Barriers

Holes in the home aren't always easy to spot because they can exist in some of the least likely of places. However, tears in a screen or gaps in the doors or windows are clear invitations for bugs or rodents to make their way inside.

Start Cleaning

Crumbs are magnets for pests and the longer they stay out, the more likely it is a hungry critter will find them. Trash needs to contained, counters need to be washed, and floors need to be swept regularly. It has nothing to do with making the home spotless and everything to do with foregoing an expensive exterminator.

Walk the Perimeter

Standing water is where mosquitos like to reproduce, so it's pivotal to find the sources on the property where it can form. Look to the gutters, tires, and appliance units for the most likely sources and then start sopping up the problem.

Perform Outdoor Maintenance

Firewood needs to be...

Building in extra insulation, or replacing old home insulation, is an excellent way to save energy and money on heating or cooling. In fact, improving home insulation is one of the most efficient ways to increase home value. These tips help homeowners understand how to decide if they need more insulation, and which kind might be best.

When Does a Home Need More Insulation?

There are a couple of ways homeowners can determine that they need more insulation. The first involves an analysis of the home's heating and cooling, and the second concerns the actual condition and thickness of the existing insulation. Homeowners may already have some sense that their insulation is not up to par. Certain rooms feel uncomfortably hot or cold, and using the HVAC system does not seem to make a difference. Using an infrared thermometer may be an easy way to identify certain thermal irregularities in the walls.

For a more complicated and thorough inspection, homeowners can get into their home's insulation and see if it meets local standards. The attic insulation is a good place to start. Every type of insulation has a different level of protection, known as R-value. Homeowners can find the R-value that is needed for new construction in their area, and determine if they have enough insulation to suit. If they do not, they should consider adding more.

How Does R-Value Work?

All insulation is measured in what is called...

Green technology is really the way of the future, and construction is slowly coming around to adopt new techniques and reduce the carbon footprint of their creations. While the developments have certainly not been seen across the board, it helps if home buyers understand the new choices on the market and the future predictions of what's to come. Here are five new developments that are worth noting for home buyers who value efficiency, innovation, and progress.

Green Heating

Most people think of green heating as solar power but geothermal heating has also made quite a splash as well. Those who may not have the access to the sun can rely on underground pipes that draw air from the Earth's 60° F core (a temperature that remains stable all-year round.) Considering geothermal heating is 500% more efficient than traditional heating, there are plenty of opportunities for a construction crew to save both a homeowner's wallet and the planet at the same time. Solar panels have also been steadily increasing in popularity and efficiency as well. The more competition on the market, the better the quality of the products and the lower the costs. In fact, California believes in solar panels so much that they're requiring all new homes built to have it (starting in 2020.)

Green Cooling...

There are many types of siding. Siding can already be on an existing home, added to a home or old siding can be replaced. There are plenty of reasons why some homeowners may want to replace home siding, including potentially making a home more attractive to potential buyers. Homeowners may also consider repairing or replacing damaged or older siding. Newer siding options are often of a higher quality, look better and may help protect a homes value.

Understand more about home siding and when it might be time to replace the siding on a home.

Why Repair or Replace Siding?

A good power washing may be enough to make siding that is only a few years old look like new. However, homeowners may have siding panels or shingles that have cracks or may have loosened over time. Different types of siding may be less resistant to high winds, and damaged siding that goes without being repaired cannot protect a home properly. This can allow moisture and insects into a home, making for additional problems for homeowners.

When only a few shingles are loose or damaged and tabs remain, it may be possible to inexpensively replace those shingles. When the initial home siding is at the end of its life cycle, it may be more cost effective to replace the siding altogether, rather than repair a serious issue and then replace the siding on a home in a year or so.

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Some ...

Living in a single family home is generally considered to be safe. However, there are dangers everywhere, including in normal residences. Fortunately, there are many things that homeowners can do to make their home safer. Improving safety around the house starts with identifying hazards. These common hazards can be found in any home, whether you live in Barefoot Resort or elsewhere.

Electrical Problems

Wires that have a short, arcing electricity and overloaded electrical boxes can all cause electrical fires. Being able to identify the signs of electrical problems is important. Some of the common symptoms of electrical problems include:

• Hissing and popping noises at the electrical box.
• Soot around electrical outlets.
• Flickering lights.
• Inability to run appliances and electrical lights at the same time.
• Lights dim when electrical appliances turn on.

Homeowners who notice these problems can fix the issue by contacting a licensed, reputable electrician to diagnose the problem and make repairs as needed.

Rotten Decking and Exterior Stairs

Decking and exterior wooden stairs are susceptible to rot if they're not properly maintained. Individual boards that have rot can break when people walk on them. A deck or stair case that has enough damage can even collapse.

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There are a few things no homeowner ever wants to find in their home. Pests are one, and mold is another. Whereas insects and rodents usually leave behind tell-tale signs of their presence, mold can be more difficult to identify, especially for those who don’t know what they’re looking for. Here are some of the different ways Pawley's Island homeowners can look for mold in their home to keep themselves and everyone in the home safer.

Mold Can Affect Health of People In the Home

Many people suffer from seasonal allergies, especially in the spring and summer. To someone who doesn’t know any better, mold having an affect on the people living in the home can be written off as just seasonal allergies. Common symptoms of sensitivity to mold include:

• Congestion
• Coughing and sneezing
• Sore throat
• Eye irritation (especially dry or watering eyes)
• Skin irritation
• Headaches

If a homeowner is experiencing these symptoms outside of normal allergy seasons, it can be a sign of a mold outbreak in the home. If the mold is left untreated, prolonged exposure to it can lead to the development of deadly diseases and conditions. These include asthma, cancer, liver and kidney failure, neurotoxicity, birth defects, and more.

Smelling Out Mold Before It Becomes...