Author: Platinum Team

Your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make. Each year, as seasons change and we put away our swimsuits and pull out our sweaters, we need to do some basic maintenance to prepare our homes for cooler temperatures. By following these basic tips you can rest assured your home is in tip top shape for the fall.
The first thing you will want to do to prepare your home for fall is do a quick survey of the exterior of your home and yard. Check for any obvious damage that may need to be repaired before it is too cold to do so. If you home has gutters or downspouts you will want to clear any debris such as leaves or dirt and also do a quick check of your roof to make sure everything looks good.
Next, you will want to move inside to prepare for fall. Now is a great time to replace filters in your air conditioning unit as it will keep your home more energy efficient. Now is also the time to drain your water heater and check to make sure there is no rust or sediment buildup. Flush out the water heater so that it will work properly all winter long. After checking upon your water heater you will want to check your home for any leaks or cracks. During the winter you want to keep warm air in and cold air out but there are cracks your home may not be doing this. Finding and promptly fixing any leaks by applying caulk or weather stripping will help your home to be more energy efficient. The cost of heating a home during fall and winter can be expensive so it is very important to ensure your home is as energy efficient as possible.
It is a time to do all the little maintenance things that so often go forgotten as well. Before entering the holiday season when home fires go up exponentially, it is a great idea to test and change batteries in your smoke detector. Speaking of fire now is the time to prepare your fireplace for the cooler months. You may consider hiring a professional chimney sweep or, at a minimum, make sure any old ashes have been discarded and start stocking up on firewood. These basic home maintenance tips can help you prepare your home for fall, improve energy efficiency and make your home a more enjoyable space to live. It is important to stay ahead of the game, with home maintenance so that you can avoid costly repairs later on. One other way to prepare your home and protect yourself and your wallet is to have a home warranty. A home warranty will give you peace of mind that you are protected at all times.

It is the American dream to own a home and very exciting when you are finally able to. It is one of the biggest investments you will ever make so it is very important to take good care of it. It takes a lot to budget for the monthly expenses of owning a home but what happens when an unexpected repairs arises? What if something major breaks and a repair will cost thousands? It can be very stressful when unexpected expenses arise but with a home warranty that stress can be relieved. There are three reasons why everyone should have a home warranty.
The first reason every home owner should have a home warranty is to protect their investment. When you purchase a new home it is a big transition and with any big investment, it takes maintenance. Depending on the age of your home and the age of the existing systems in the home, necessary repairs may arise and they need to be dealt with promptly to ensure no further damage is done to the home and that the new home remains in working order. With a home warranty, when necessary repair arises, you simply need to call your home warranty provider and they will handle the rest. You wont have to worry if the repair is being done by someone trustworthy or trained, a home warranty company hires trained professional repairmen and they will make sure your home is properly repaired and your investment protected.
The second reason that a homeowner should have a home warranty is that it will save on out of pocket expenses. With a home warranty you will simply need to pay the service call fee. If your hot water heater breaks in the middle of winter you will not have to spend hundreds of dollars for a hot shower. The home warranty will protect your wallet from any unwanted surprises.
The third reason for a home warranty is that it will give the home owner peace of mind. You just never know when something may break or a problem may arise. If you own an old home you may be looking around wondering what the next ticking time bomb may be. With a home warranty you do not have to lose sleep worrying what may break or if something will cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to repair. With a home warranty your investment is protected and your wallet can rest easy. If or when you do choose to sell your home having a home warranty is also a great incentive for potential buyers as they will desire to maintain their homes and have peace of mind. These three reasons help show a home warranty is right for every home owner who takes pride in their home and wants to maintain their investment.

If you are a homeowner, then you probably understand that there is plenty of home maintenance for you to attend to all year long. There are certain items that need to be taken care of as the seasons change—especially as you move into summer or start toward winter. In fact, taking care of some of your winterization needs in the late summer can help you prepare some of your home appliances for fall and winter. 3 simple projects that can help you out include checking and replacing filters, draining your hot water heater, and inspecting the hose to your dryer.
If you have an appliance with a filter, that filter needs to be changed regularly. This is especially true for items like an air-conditioning unit or any other vents in your house that have filters in them. These filters ought to be changed as the seasons change. When you prepare to turn the cool air on, then you need to change your filters. When you prepare to turn the cool air off for the season, you need to change your filters. A simple inspection should tell you all that you need to know. These filters get dirty over any season, and dirty filters will not filter the air as well as it should. You should also consider getting your air system cleaned by a professional one or two times a year, as that is an important part of home maintenance.
Draining your hot water heater is a great way that you can not only take care of the heater for the fall and winter, but it actually helps to keep the heater in good shape and last longer. Over time, sediment collects inside the heater. As the sediment builds up, the heater can become less efficient. Take the time at the end of summer to drain the heater and get out that sediment. If your water heater happens to be tankless, you might not need to worry about this part of your home maintenance.
Whenever it is that you purchased your dryer, you probably wanted it to last as long as possible. Some people think that dryers can take care of themselves, but there are home maintenance steps you can take to keep your dryer in good shape. While preparing for the fall season, check your dryer’s laundry hose for lint buildup. You’ll want to detach the hose from the dryer and vacuum out the lint. Lint buildup can becomes a serious fire hazard if left unattended. When you are finished, reattach the hose and you are ready to dry your clothes for the fall and winter!
There are a lot of different home maintenance projects that demand your time throughout the year. Although these are not the only 3 things that you can do to prepare your home for fall, changing your filters, draining your hot water heater, and inspecting your dryer hose are great ways to help take care of your home appliances. Naturally, you will want to add other chores to your list, such as putting outdoor hoses away and inspecting your gutters. Just don’t forget that your actual appliances inside the home need just as much love and care as the exterior. Put these 3 things on your fall to-do list, and hopefully your appliances will be sitting pretty for yet another season.

Purchasing your very first front load washer and dryer can be very exciting. Despite what some people think, maintaining these appliances is actually very simple. You can even add to your peace of mind by making sure the washer and dryer are covered under your home warranty. If you are worried about maintaining your washer and dryer properly, here are some tips for front loads.

Run a clean cycle at least once a month with bleach for your washer. Many washers have a specific tub rinse or tub clean cycle that you can select for this. If not, you may just want to run a hot cycle with bleach. This helps prevent the mold and mildew smell and buildup you might have heard about. Remember to also clean the rubber seals around the door and around the washer drum, as mildew can build up there as well.

Leave the washer door open to let the inside dry completely after you use the washer. You should do this whenever you are done using the washer, whether you ran a clean cycle through or have finished regular laundry. Don’t just close the door when the inside is still wet. If you are concerned about this, you might make sure that your home warranty covers your washer and dryer for mold and mildew repair or replacement.

Wash the detergent drawer of the washer once a week. If you have hard water, you will see buildup in the drawer. You should be able to pull the drawer out and wash it in soapy water. Clean it thoroughly to help prevent buildup and stains.

Drain the pump filter of the washer regularly. This may help with the water flow and backup in your washer. Just pop open the door, pull out the hose, and drain it into a bucket. You will notice the water is dirty. It can be advisable to do this every couple of weeks.
Wipe down the dryer drum at least once a month. It can be useful to do this when you run the clean cycle on your washer. Just take a rag and wipe down the drum to help get off any lint or dust on the inside. Also take the time to wipe around the door.

Check for lint buildup under the lint trap in the dryer. Despite what you may think, your lint trap will not capture all of the lint. You might need to find a thin, flat attachment for your vacuum and suck up the excess lint. Excessive lint can become a fire hazard. Be sure to check your home warranty to make sure you are doing everything you need to in order to keep it valid.

Your home warranty might cover a lot, but you still want to make sure you do everything you can to take care of your appliances. Make sure to check the hose of your dryer at the turn of the season. Detach the hose, vacuum out the lint inside, and reattach it when finished. Lint can be a fire hazard, so doing this will help keep your home and dryer safer.

Taking care of your front load washer and dryer is actually fairly simple. You’ll want to get into good maintenance habits as your home warranty might not cover every single issue that pops up with your appliances. Make sure you understand your warranty coverage and take the time to take care of your washer and dryer. You’ll be happy that you did.

Buying a new home or your first home is a very exciting thing. If it’s your first time, you might quickly find that there is a lot more to home buying than you originally thought. You can take care a lot of the early work—like loan pre-approval and looking into a home warranty—on your own. For most other things, you should be able to turn to your real estate agent for help. Here are 5 tips to get you started toward buying a new home.
1. Start by making 2 lists for your new home: a list of needs and a list of wants. Needs should come first. For instance, if a home warranty is important to you, then make sure that is included with your home. If you must have at least 3 bedrooms and a big yard, put that on your list. If you want a big yard, but don’t necessarily need one, put that on your wants. Prioritize needs versus wants.
2. Get loan pre-approval. You might be able to do this before you find an agent to work with. Loan pre-approval will help you know how much money you are able to borrow to purchase a home. Essentially, this is like getting your home buying budget established. You will likely want to find a home that falls within the limits of your loan. Shop around for loans to make sure that you get the best interest rates. You don’t necessarily need to go with the first loan that you are approved for, so be choosy when you can.
3. Find a good real estate agent. You want someone who will listen to you and try to find exactly what you want in your home. Your agent needs to have good communication and should basically go to bat for you to make sure the home buying process is as stress-free as possible. You should be able to ask your agent any questions, such as what makes a good counter-offer or who you should hire for an inspection. Make sure you are comfortable with the agent that you choose.
4. Get an inspection before you buy. Even with a good home warranty in place, some things might not be covered even if you didn’t know about it before you purchased the home. Hire a professional inspector to look over the home thoroughly so that there are no expensive surprise repairs that need to be done after you close the sale.
5. A home warranty can save you a lot of money if there are certain issues that arise with the home. These issues might be anywhere from structural to electric. It may or may not include the appliances in the home depending on the warranty. It is probably a good idea to consider getting the warranty with your home as you never know what issues may pop up later.
Buying a home is a very exciting adventure, even though there is a lot of work and waiting that goes along with it. If you are looking to buy a home, try following the tips listed above to get started. It will hopefully help things to go smoother. Don’t forget to ask your real estate agent about the home warranty. As with purchasing anything, a warranty could come in handy when the buying process is finally finished. Happy house hunting!

One universal struggle that homeowners seem to have is how to keep the home cool in the summertime. This can be a huge task, especially if you live in an area where you regularly see triple-digit temperatures in the summer months. How do you keep your home cool without driving up your bills? A little bit of home maintenance may be able to help you out. While not all options will be totally free, you still might be able to save some money by choosing to go with portable AC, whole house fans, insulating your attic, keeping sunlight out, and checking the seals of your home.

Portable AC is just how it sounds: it’s an AC device that you can move around your home. It usually fits inside of a window and helps to keep the hot air out and the cool air in. The nice thing about portable AC is that there are not nearly as many filters that you need to change, and when the hot season is over you can just box it up and put it away until you need it next summer. It also shouldn’t drive your utility bills up ridiculously high.

Whole house fans are another inexpensive way to get the air moving in your home and hopefully keep it cool. Many fans are usually put up inside of an attic to help the air move around the home better. These fans don’t usually require a lot of home maintenance other than the occasional cleaning. You can have as many fans in your house as you want, and they should be cheaper than a traditional central air system.

If you are in the mood to do a little bit of home maintenance, insulating your attic is a great way to protect against the heat. Extra insulation will work to keep the cool air inside and the hot air outside. This can help the air inside your home remain cooler for longer without the assistance of fans and AC. It can also help keep the heat in during the colder months.

One basic thing to get in the habit of is to actually keep as much sunlight as possible out of your house. Sunlight that streams into the house only helps to heat it up. Keep the sunlight out by closing the shades and curtains if it’s going to be shining through a particular window. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to keep that extra heat out.

If your home seems to be hot no matter what you do, you might need to do some home maintenance on the seals of your home. Seals around the windows and doors of your home can actually leak cool air out or hot air in. If you are unsure about the seals of your home, you might want to have a professional look at them. Making sure the seals of your home are in proper shape is a great way to help make sure your home stays cool in the summer.

Staying cool in the summer is something that many homeowners struggle with. Use these 5 tips along with regular home maintenance to keep your home cool while hopefully not driving up your utility bill. Hopefully, it just makes the summer that much more pleasant.

How to Prepare Your AC Unit for Fall
Getting your home and appliances ready for the fall and winter months takes a bit of preparation. When the air starts to turn cool, it’s time to get your AC unit ready to rest for a season. Air conditioning maintenance can be simple or a little more involved depending on the type of unit that you have. If you have any concerns about prepping your unit for fall, call on a professional for help. Here are some tips to help you out.
If you have a portable unit, all you need to do is detach it, clean it, and store it. It is that simple. Don’t forget to change any filters if your unit needs it.
For air conditioning maintenance of a centralized system, you will need to change out the filters and inspect the system to make sure it is still clean. Having a professional come in and clean your central system before fall should help to keep the air in your home cleaner and your family healthier throughout
the season. Your system should be cleaned twice a year. You should also change out your filters twice a year.
If your unit is located outdoors or is an HVAC unit, you might need to do a little more preparation. You will want to start by switching the unit off, which will help to keep it from accidentally kicking on if the temperature rises. You will then want to take a hose and wash off all of the debris and dirt that has
gathered on the unit over the spring and summer. Once you have finished washing it, let it completely dry.
The next step in your outdoor air conditioning maintenance is to take care of the pipes. You will want to cover exposed pipes with foam to keep them from freezing. Pipes that freeze may potentially crack or break, especially if there is water inside of them. You can keep foam pipe covers in place with duct tape.
Once the unit is clean and the pipes are covered with foam, you will want to cover the unit itself. You can purchase plastic or vinyl covers for your unit. You will want something that is waterproof and designed to cover an AC unit. You can keep the cover in place by wrapping bungee cords or ropes around it. Make sure whatever you use to wrap around the cover is also vinyl and waterproof. Wrapping cords around the cover will keep it from blowing away.
Although you may think that is the end of your air conditioning maintenance for the fall and winter, you will still want to check on the unit regularly to make sure that the cover is still in place. It also helps to brush off debris like sticks, pine cones, and even snow and water off of your unit.
Depending on the type of AC unit that you have, your fall air conditioning maintenance may be very simple or a little more involved. Follow the steps listed above to get your unit and home ready for the cooler months. If you have any apprehension about preparing your unit on your own, it doesn’t hurt to call in a professional to handle it for you. Either way, getting your unit ready for fall is an important part of taking care of your home. Make sure it is on your fall to-do list.

The first of the garage door maintenance tips is to check all the components of the door that actually move to ensure that they are still intact. Check to make sure they move correctly and that they are not bent, broken, or cracked. If you have moving parts that do not move correctly or that are broken, it could cause even more damage to other portions of the door.
The next tip to follow is to check the rails and axels to see if they are tightly secured into place. The hinges, rollers, and springs will also need to be checked to ensure proper installation, and could be oiled lightly with a generic household oil. If any moving parts sound like they are grinding or squealing as they move, be sure to put a little extra oil on those areas.
Another of the garage door maintenance tips that you can do on your own is to wipe down the door on a regular basis with a damp cloth and a gentle household detergent. This will keep the surface clean and free of dirt that could erode or eat away at the door. Some home owners apply car wax directly to the surface of the garage door so that it has added protection from dirt and moisture.
If your garage door is wooden, keep it properly painted at all times. If there is a crack or a gap in the wood, caulk it. Any time the paint is peeling, it provides a way for dirt or mold to get inside the wood and cause further damage. If it is not taken care of, it could result in the need for total garage door replacement, which might end up being a much larger cost than simply touching up paint spots or caulking a crack.
Every once in a while, check to be sure the weather sealant is still intact and in good shape. If it isn’t, water and other elements will be able to seep into the garage easier, possibly damaging anything you have stored inside. If your sealant is not in good condition, consider having it replaced.
As you can see, it could be simple to follow a few maintenance tips that will keep your garage door in top condition at all times. Whether you just moved into your home, or if you are just thinking that there might be more you can do for your existing garage door, following these tips and more could help your garage door to last a lot longer without the need for major repairs or replacement. If you have more questions or need more tips, contact a professional that installs or repairs garage doors.

If summer is in full swing, it may be time to learn a few summer yard maintenance tips so that you can keep your yard in good shape for the coming months. Whether you have owned your home through a summer season, or if this is your first time as a yard care taker, it can get overwhelming to try and figure out what needs to be done. The good news is that there are a few simple things that you can do that will help your yard stay in good shape this summer.
The first summer yard maintenance tip to consider is to check for dead limbs on trees. It is important that you cut away any dead limbs so that they do not pose a danger to those who are in the yard, and so they do not make the area look unattractive. Many times, summer thunderstorms cause dead tree limbs to fall or blow around, which could cause some great damage to the rest of your property. Not only that, but if individuals were in the yard or near a window close to the tree with the dead limb, there could be some serious injuries that take place.
Another summer yard maintenance tip is to keep your bushes trimmed. If you have bushes or other plants that surround your AC condenser, they could disrupt the function of it. In addition, bushes that are near the house could cause corrosion if they are not trimmed properly. Bushes also attract bugs if they are allowed to grow out of control. Spiders often nest in bushes, as do termites. Other unwanted visitors, such as burglars, could lurk in bushes that are overgrown as well. By keeping your bushes neatly trimmed, you will notice bug infestations so that you can get rid of them, and you might even feel safer when you can see the area around each bush and know that no unwanted critters or people are in there.
Vines that come out of the ground and crawl up the house might make it look sweet and quaint, but they can be a hazard to the home. Because they are right next to the house, they trap moisture and begin to eat away at the bricks and mortar. Not only will this make your home look unsightly, but it will compromise the stability of the structure. In addition, with vines coming out of the ground and up the wall, bugs and insects feel invited to come out of the ground and up the wall as well, leading to infestations inside your home. Summer yard maintenance tips may suggest that you take an afternoon and cut all the vines off of your house. While you might be doing it as a structural move, it could lighten up the house quite a bit, making it more fun for summer.
As you can see, there are some easy things you can do in order to maintain your yard for summer and keep it looking nice. If you are looking for more summer yard maintenance tips, there are a lot of resources online that will help you to know what to do when you feel your yard needs a facelift.

In order to save some real money on your energy bills, you may want to consider following some tips that will help you to program the thermostat in a more cost effective way. Whether your home warranty will cover a new thermostat, or if you plan to just learn how to better manage your existing one, the following should help you to really save some money on your next utility bill.
The first thing you can do to properly program the thermostat to save you money is to turn it down. If you are going to be gone for a few hours, turn it down. If you will be gone for the weekend, turn it down. While you may want the home to be at a comfortable temperature when you get back, it doesn’t need to be at that same comfortable temperature while you are gone. Realize that you can heat it up or cool it off fairly quickly with a nice heating and AC system. If you’re not going to be there, it could save you quite a bit to keep it down until you get back and just wait a few minutes when you’re home to get it back to a comfortable temperature. If your unit does not get to a proper temperature in just a few minutes, you may want to look at your home warranty to see if a new unit is a possibility.
The second thing you can do with your thermostat to save money is to turn down the temperature at night during the winter and turn it up during the summer. By changing the temperature by just five or ten degrees, you can dramatically change your energy bill. When you wake up in the morning, set the thermostat back to where you want it to be, jump in the shower, and when you’re out, the house will feel perfect again.
The third thing you could do to save money with a thermostat is to look into purchasing a digital, programmable thermostat. Many of the programmable thermostats are covered by a home warranty and are easy and convenient to use. Some can be remotely accessed by your cell phone, and others by way of the internet. This way, if you accidentally leave the thermostat up and you head off to work, you can simply get online to turn it back down again. In addition to remote access, many programmable thermostats learn your schedule and will turn themselves up or down whether you are home or away.
Whether or not your home warranty covers a new thermostat and heating and AC unit, there are always steps you can take to reduce the energy bills you pay for your home. From turning down the temperature when you leave the house or while you are sleeping to installing a new unit with or without a home warranty, you could be noticing the savings on your very next utility bill. Whether you have been suffering the heat of summer or the chill or winter, take some extra time to look at your thermostat and find out what you can do to save a little money.