Lowering Your Home’s Humidity Can Drastically Lower Your Air Conditioning Cost

I was watching television this morning as our local weather experts shared that we are again having a triple-digit week.  In fact, today, is supposed to be a record breaker in the Permian Basin as we break our record of 103 degrees today!

What’s funny is that humidity in our area is also high…something extremely unusual for the dry West Texas weather.

This blog is designed to present actionable tid-bits that makes your life better, saves you money, brighten your day and delivers valuable info.

When we’re talking “triple digit” weather, I know that lowering your air conditioning cost has to be somewhere on your mind.

The muggy summer heat can make air conditioning a very welcome treat but you could get burned once you see your next electric bill. Living comfortably inside an air conditioned house has its own downside – an increased monthly electrical consumption. You can decrease your air conditioner’s work load – as well as your monthly power bill – by lowering the humidity level in your home which your air conditioner would otherwise do.

The air conditioner’s two-way cooling process

An air conditioning unit delivers comfortably cool air in your home through two processes:

• By lowering the air temperature

• By taking out humidity from the air inside your home. Cold air cannot tolerate high humidity levels, unlike warm air.

Humidity of 30 to 50% level in the air makes it feel more refreshing. During the hot summer months, the air inside your house can carry humidity level of 80% or higher. This causes you to feel uncomfortably hot and sticky. On the other hand, bringing down the humidity level produces cooler air.

Decrease the humidity inside your home

There are several small ways you can bring down the humidity level inside your home. Added up, they can dramatically cut the cost of your electric bill. Here are some cool steps you can use.

• Always keep your doors and windows shut, especially on sweltering hot weather. Keep going in and out of the room at a minimum because humidity comes every time a door is opened.

• Install exhaust fans in “moist” areas of your house like the bathroom, laundry room and kitchen. They will blow humid air outside your home and thus free the air conditioner from doing the job.

• See to it that your clothes dryer vent is directed towards the outside so that any moisture coming from the dryer doesn’t raise the humidity level inside.

• Check all the plumbing inside your house for any drips or leaks. If you find them, repair them at once. Water from the leaks eventually evaporates and can increase the moisture level inside.

• Go outside and check if any water from outdoor is making its way in through your walls. Also ensure that drainpipes and downspouts are directing water away from your house.

• Cook according to the weather you’re having. On hot days, don’t raise the temperature inside your house further by boiling water in the kitchen.

• Take your houseplants out during the summer to decrease the humidity in your home. Plants give off moisture through their leaves and inside your house.

Get a dehumidifier

Home dehumidifiers are sold for just $100 to $300 and perform a terrific job of removing moisture from the air inside. A small dehumidifier can take 10 quarts of water from the air everyday while a bigger model can extract over 25 quarts in a day.

An energy-saving dehumidifier with an Energy Star seal consumes way less electricity than an air conditioning unit.

Lowering the level of humidity inside your home is no assurance that you won’t need to use your air conditioner again. If you do turn it on, there’s still one thing you can be sure of. Lower the level of humidity inside your house and your electrical bills will follow suit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Benedict_Yossarian

Preparing Your Home for a Vacation

You have probably spent a great deal of time planning your vacation. You have researched hotels, you found the best price on airfare, you arranged a rental car and you might have even planned out an itinerary. There is one important detail that you have probably forgotten. Have you planned for the security of your home while you are gone. Empty houses are a magnet for thieves. If you would like to make sure that everything is still in your home when you get back, there are some steps that should be taken.

Make Your Home Look Lived In

The most important thing that you can do to keep your home safe is to make it look like you never left. Don’t leave obvious signs that you are on vacation. Have a friend or a neighbor come by and pick up newspapers, mail and door flyers. Also leave some lights on inside your home. Nothing says this house is empty than a house with no lights on. You can buy timers relatively cheaply these days. Buy a couple of timers and program lights , TVs’ and radios to come on at usual times. Avoid leaving answering machine messages saying that you are on vacation. Also check your voice mail occasionally to keep your mail box from filling up. It wouldn’t be hard for a burglar to do a reverse search on your address and get your phone number. Lastly, if you plan on being gone for a long period arrange for someone to cut your lawn.

Make Your Home Physically Secure

Make a thorough security sweep of your home. Check all windows, door locks and deadbolts. Do not assume that a criminal could not enter that third story window. If you keep spare keys outside of your home, do not leave them in obvious locations. Keys located under flower pots, under door mats or even in cheap artificial rocks are not secure. Also be sure that you call your alarm company if you have one. Tell them you will be on vacation and give them a contact number for a friend or neighbor.

Prepare To Be Robbed

No matter how many precautions you take, you could still be robbed. Prepare for the worst by making an inventory of all of your valuables. It will be a big help when you need to settle up with your insurance company. If you have a camcorder or can borrow one, take a video inventory. Store the tape in a safe place such as a safe deposit box. If you have large valuables, etch your drivers license number into them. It will make them much easier to identify if they wind up at a local pawn shop.

Nobody expects to be a victim of crime, but it does happen. By taking a little time to protect your home you can greatly reduce your chances of being a victim or make it easier to recover from a burglary.

For more security information, visit the Locksmith Directory Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_C

Choosing the Right Repair Provider

The winds of West Texas continue to blow and it seems that the what came in “like a lion” is still here. With recent hail storms and a flurry of bad weather, we also have seen not only storm clouds “swoop in” but also the many repair providers “swoop in” for business in our area.

Some have “swooped in” for the kill and are gouging the heck out of local people asking stinky things like “let me see what insurance will cover and THEN we’ll provide you what our estimate of what the repair will be”. Or, one of the most common comments has been, “what’s your deductible? Well, we want you to pay that to a check to us first because we know the repair will be over that. Youll just have to duke the rest our with your insurance company”. It’s sad for everyone involved when these opportunistic price gougers descend upon your city.

How do you prevent all this?

First, get with your insurance agent and ask them the best steps to handle this. If they won’t see you or are too busy or just keep sending you to the national claims department, then it’s time to go insurance agent shopping.

In speaking with our insurance agent, they recommended that for roofing issues it’s best to seek a roofer out and get an estimate from them first – before connecting with an adjuster. Why? Because any home report is a “ding” against your insurance record. On the auto side, by all means (according to our agent) report each and every incident but for homes seek the advice of a roofer you know, like and trust. Which probably leaves out all the ones connecting with you from outside the area (hint: where’s the phone call coming from on your caller ID).

Shop local. Because local still has to face you in the school parking lot, at church, at the grocery store, at the baseball game and at community events, they are more likely to “shoot straight” with you than anyone else.

Spring Planting!

Plant

• Cool-season vegetables early in the month: beets, carrots, Swiss chard, collards, lettuces, radish, spinach, mustard, turnips.
• Flower plants:  alyssum, calendula, candytuft, cosmos, marigold, nasturtium, petunia, phlox, pinks, salvia, stock (dwarf), sweet pea, verbena.
• Warm-season annual color plants (marigolds, zinnias, impatiens and others) 2 to 3 weeks after last killing freeze.  More tropical types (pentas, tropical hibiscus, moss rose, lantanas, caladiums and others) should be planted one month after last freeze.
• Color into containers for several-week head start on growing season.  Use lightweight, highly organic potting soil.  Move into protection on cold nights.
• Finish transplanting summer and fall flowering perennials very early in month before new growth emerges.
• Bulbs: agapanthus, amaryllis (in containers), allium, alstroemeria, daylily, society garlic, tulip, rain lily, liriope, monkey grass.
• Roses.  Buy quality, top-grade plants and avoid those that have been indoors.  They will not be acclimated to outdoor conditions. See additional information and pictures for Earthkind Roses at westtexasgardening.org.
• Fruit trees, grapes, pecans, blackberries and other fruit plants.  Our County Extension office has a list of the best varieties to plant for West Texas.  Call 489-4071.
• Onion transplants:  February 20 – March 5.
• Dig and divide summer and fall-flowering perennials such as liriope, daylily, Shasta daisies, mallows, cannas, gloriosa daisies, purple coneflowers, perennial salvias, mums and fall asters before new spring growth begins.
• In heavily shaded parts of the landscape where grass is difficult to maintain, choose one of the well-adapted groundcover plants such as English or Algerian ivy, Asian jasmine, vinca, prostrate juniper or mondograss.
• Don’t plant caladiums yet, wait until the soil temperature reaches at least 70º F.

Prune

• Finish all dormant-season pruning early this month before buds begin to swell.
• Shade trees, before new growth begins.  Remove dead, damaged and diseased branches, then crossing branches.  Make cuts just outside the branch collar, avoiding a flush cut.  Pruning sealant is not needed, except with oak species.
• Trim and reshape tropical plants as you bring them outdoors for the spring.
• Cutback old chrysanthemum plantings to encourage new growth. 
• A severe pruning now of overgrown beds of groundcovers will remove woody stems and induce new, compact growth from the base whereas later pruning will retard growth.
• Do not prune blooms on early-blooming plants like Indian Hawthorne, Texas mountain laurel, climbing roses, spirea, mock orange, forsythia, Carolina Jessamine, wisteria, coral honeysuckle, etc. Wait until after bloom is complete.
• On daffodils, Dutch iris and other low-chill bulbs, leave the foliage until it turns brown and then cut down.  The green leaves are replenishing the bulbs for next year’s blooms.

Fertilize

• All-nitrogen fertilizer to pecans on 30-day intervals March through May.
• Liquid fertilizer to newly planted flowers and vegetable transplants.
• Use complete water-soluble fertilizer for bougainvilleas growing in the greenhouse.  Bougainvilleas will bloom all winter if they are in a greenhouse or sunny room.  Keep watering and fertilizing.
• Houseplants once a month with diluted liquid houseplant fertilizer.

On the Lookout

• Use broadleafed weedkiller spray to eliminated dandelions, clover, dichondra, dollar weed and other non-grassy weeds.
• Fruit crops require protections from insects, diseases.  Follow “Homeowner Fruit and Nut Spray Schedule,” downloadable online from Texas A&M.
• Use bug baits or dust to eliminate snails, slugs, pillbugs if they are damaging your plants, such as pansies, calendulas and cool-season annuals.
• A wide variety of caterpillars may soon begin appearing throughout the garden.  Check tender foliage on such plants as petunias, kale, lettuce and cabbage.  Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt.) is a biological control that works well on most larvae (worms).
• Cankerworms strip foliage from trees, hang by slender threads from twigs.  Control with Bt. biological worm spray.
• Aphids may cause sticky honeydew drips from tender new foliage, also from tree branches.  New leaves may become puckered from their piercing and feeding.  Control with insecticidal soap, Neem oil spray or general-purpose organic or inorganic pesticides.
• Be careful not to get lawn herbicides too close to trees.  Weed-and-feed type fertilizers are notorious for killing young shade trees.

Odd Jobs

• Repot overgrown, root-bound pot plants.  Keep plants in light shade until reestablished.
• If you plant container-grown trees this month, be sure to make a 6 ft. circle around the tree for mulch which will keep the grass at bay.  Do not add organic material to the planting hole.  The tree needs to root in the soil in which it will live the rest of its life.
• March is a good month for aeration of the lawn.
• Tune up the lawnmower and be sure the blade is very sharp.  Dull blades tear the grass, sharp ones cut it.
• Check out the automatic lawn sprinkler system for leaks, broken pipes or heads or wasteful misting.

Information provided by Permian Basin Master Gardner’s

Fortify Your Home Against High Winds

The more you fortify your home to withstand perils the lower your rates will be. The following are necessary after taking precautions against fire and burglary depending on were you reside.

1. You will get better protection from wind damage with a storm shutter. This is particularly true for those who live in areas that are prone to high winds and storms.

2. Those who live in areas of high winds will make their home more secured if they use heavy roofing material. The heavier your roofing material, the less likely that it will be blown off.

3. If earthquake is a peril that your area is prone to then make sure you retrofit you home. Once you reduce the chances of your home being destroyed by an earthquake you reduce the losses an insurer could suffer. They’ll reward you with cheaper rates if you do this

4. Dry limbs on trees could easily cause a lot of liability issues. So make sure you cut off all dry or dead limbs on trees on your property.

5. It is also recommended that you do not have trees close to your structure. This is because tree branches over or close to structures could easily cause extensive damage if they fall off for any reason. Furthermore, having these over your roof could greatly reduce its lifespan depending on the material used. If you’re interested in other ways to make your home more disaster-proof, discuss with your agent.

Compare what implementing each would cost and by what factor it will bring down your rate. Implement those that are cost-effective and you will get lower rates. Also, get and compare quotes from different insurers now and after you implement these. You could save a lot now and a lot more afterwards by simply spending about 25 minutes to get and compare quotes from five or more quotes sites. Here are great pages for home insurance quotes…

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chimezirim_Chinecherem_Odimba

Now That Christmas Decor Is Put Away – We Can See The Walls Again

The tree has been placed in recycling.  We’ve shopped all the great New Year’s sales to get those tubs that we needed to store our decor away nice and neat!  Christmas cards are down along with the holly and the ivy.

Now, that all the Christmas decor is away we can see the walls again and we’re not sure we like what we see.  Whether you’re looking to buy, looking to sell, looking to invest or just want a fresh new look for 2009….you may have considered painting your home.  Here’s a few tips to consider.  You might not be selling your home this year but planning for it in the near future is never too early!  Do you have a child graduating this year?  Giving birth?  Some kiddos going from elementary to high school?  Whatever the life changing event, those are often the events that spur us to either upsize or downsize our home.  Looking forward the next few years…buying or selling a home may not be as far away as you think!

Should you paint?
There are many factors involved in marketing and selling your home. You can’t control most of them. The curb appeal of your home plays a big role in the sales process, and it’s one of the things you can have direct control over.  You’ll never get another chance to make a first impression of how your home looks from the street. If your home exterior needs new paint, potential buyers might not even get out of their car to come in and look.  Putting fresh paint on your home, both on the outside and the inside, is usually the one thing you can do that pays off the fastest.  You’ll get more buyers looking, and they’ll like what they see more, translating into a better chance for a quick offer at a higher price.

Try to stick with light, neutral colors. These seem to resonate best with buyers.  A fresh coat of light beige on interior walls will freshen up your home and make it more marketable.

Simply put, new paint is usually the most profitable improvement you can make when getting your home ready for sale.  So unless your paint is already in like new condition, you probably should paint.

Oh No – Christmas Decorations Are Still Out!

I found this great article on getting organized with your Christmas decor.  I know many of you JUST turned off your Christmas lights this past Tuesday at the end of “Three Kings Day”.  And, with the cold that’s predicted to come this weekend, maybe you’ll stay inside and get some organizing done of your interior Christmas decor.  If you do go outside, be sure to take a ladder and a helper to hold that ladder!  I want each and everyone of you to start out the year healthy and at your best!  Alright here come the great tips….

Okay, we all want to start the New Year fresh and on the right track, don’t we? Lose weight, exercise more, be more patient and so on. What about putting those Christmas ornaments and decorations away? I don’t know about you, but if I don’t allow enough time to do this, I end up tossing everything in boxes, regardless of category. At that point, I just want to get it done.

So let’s begin with our first resolution, shall we? We will put away our Christmas ornaments and decorations so we can find them easily next year. But next year seems so far away and we’ll get to those boxes before then and organize everything. So before we know it, we are putting everything in boxes, usually without labels, with the best of intentions to get it all organized before next Christmas.

We all know this isn’t going to happen. All we are doing is making next year’s decorating job more time consuming and much more difficult than it has to be.

To do it right, get yourself a few large boxes or large plastic storage bins with lids and some newspapers. Layer newspapers in the bottom of the box to cushion it. Take any heirloom or breakable ornaments from the tree and lie them on the paper without touching. Take more newspaper and make another layer and repeat the process. Label the box and you are done with the ornaments.

If you are save lights from year to year, here’s a great way to store them without having a tangle next year. Take those newspapers again and roll 5 or 6 pages up to form a tube. After carefully removing each string of lights from the tree, wrap each string around a tube, put the tubes in a box, label and you are finished with that chore.

For your artificial greenery around the house, first, get a box, (but you knew that, right?) roll up each piece or section, put it in a clear plastic bag and seal it with packing tape. You won’t need a lot of tape, just enough to label the bag. Repeat this until you have all the greenery packed away. Get more of those boxes, fill them with the wrapped greenery, label, and you guessed it, you’re done.

Now, if you have special dishes just for the holidays, cookie jars, candy dishes, etc., you will want to do the same thing. This time you want to be extra careful because most of these things will be breakable. Pretend you are moving, and wrap each item securely and pack it in a box with cushioning, filling any gaps with crumpled paper to keep everything safe until next Christmas.

Oh, did we forget about the tree? If it is an artificial tree, hopefully you have saved the box it came in when you bought it. If not, try to find a box it will fit in, pack it neatly in the box and label it. If you can’t locate a box, wrap it in plastic to protect it from dust. You can buy a large roll of painter’s plastic at any home improvement store for about $10 and you will have plenty left over for any future projects you may have.

Don’t you feel better? Just knowing that when it comes time for the holidays next year, you won’t have to search for anything. It will all be packed away and labeled neatly, just ready for you to open up and know exactly what’s in there. Merry Christmas 2009.

Now you have found out how really easy it is to get this job done, be sure to visit us at the following link to get all of our other great time saving ideas and decorating tips, as well. Come see us today at http://www.thebeautifulhome.net.Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_St._John

Merry Christmas and Be Safe!

I cannot believe that it’s already Christmas Eve!  How the year has flown and there is so much to be thankful for.

As you’re spending time being thankful-here are more helpful tips to keep you and YOURS safe.  Have a blessed Christmas holiday!

Safety Tips

Safeguard Your Home for the Holidays

he holidays are a time to turn your attention to family, friends and the celebrations of the season. Taking a few simple safety precautions will help things go just the way you planned.

• Carefully inspect decorations before use. Cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires and loose connections may pose fire or shock hazards.
• Position your tree at least three feet away from fireplaces, radiators and other heat sources. Make sure your tree isn’t blocking a doorway or exit route.
• Do not connect more than three miniature light strings together. Light strings with larger, screw-in bulbs should have no more than 50 bulbs connected.
• Turn off electrical lights, decorations and space heaters before leaving home or going to bed.
• Make sure all electrical products bear the UL Mark .

These tips were provided by Safety At Home.  They also have some great HOLIDAY FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding safety.

Click here to go straight to those questions!

For those of you traveling, be sure to get great HOLIDAY SAFETY TRAVEL TIPS from Southwest Airlines…

• Review the suggest airport arrival times
• Remember the 3-1-1 rule
• You will need ID (identification)
• More information on how to travel safely with kids by clicking here!
• If you’re traveling by car, be sure you’ve checked out your vehicle
• And look at the weather travel conditions for your route.

Keep Your Family Safe From Home and House Fires During The Holidays

Here at McCourt Real Estate– your well being is very important to us.  Today we share tips on some fire safety tips for you and your loved ones during this beautiful holiday season.  Our local CBS 7 station recently reported that the most fires happen in the months of December and January. Be aware.  And, do be prepared.  An ounce of prevention will ensure that the holidays are the blessing they are meant to be.

Here’s the article we would like to share with you….

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), over 1.5 million fires were reported in 2004, and there was an estimated $9.8 million in property loss due to fires. Even more alarming, there were close to 18,000 injuries and 3,900 deaths due to fires in 2004. The USFA states that, during that year, the death toll from fires was more than all natural disasters combined. Further, the agency claims that the actual numbers are higher, since many fires go unreported.

Fully 83 percent of all fire-related deaths and 80 percent of all injuries occurred in home fires. These numbers are all the more tragic since most home fires are fully preventable. The USFA offers these fire safety tips to protect your home and loved ones:

Home Fire Prevention

* Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, test them monthly, and change the batteries yearly. Smoke detectors can double your chance of survival during a home fire.

* Prevent electrical fires. Don’t overload extension cords, and keep cords away from rugs. Unplug and replace appliances that sputter or spark.

* Use alternate heaters wisely. Keep combustible materials away from portable heaters. Use fire screens in your fireplace and have it cleaned each year.

* Plan your escape. Develop and practice an escape plan from every room in your house.

* Teach your children. Children of all ages set over 100,000 house fires each year, but children under five are especially curious about matches. Teach them the dangers of fire.

* Never smoke in bed. Careless smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths.

Holiday Fire Prevention

* Select and care for your Christmas tree. Choose a Christmas tree that is fresh; if you bounce the trunk on the ground and needles fall off, it is not freshly cut. Once you put your tree up, keep it watered, and don’t leave it up for longer than two weeks. Once you take it down, don’t burn it in the fireplace; instead, take it to a recycling center or have a service come and pick it up.

* Maintain your holiday lights. Inspect your lights each year for frayed wires and wear. Check the wires; they shouldn’t be warm. Finally, don’t leave lights unattended.

* Decorate with care. Use only non-flammable or flame retardant decorations, and keep them away from heat sources. Don’t put wrapping paper in the fireplace, as it could trigger a chemical explosion. If you put up an artificial tree, ensure that it is flame retardant.

There are many products available on the market that can help with fireproofing and offer fire protection. From Christmas tree fire prevention products to fabric treatments that make textiles fire resistive, these products, together with good home fire safety practices, can save lives and property.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Home Improvement Website and Majon’s Home Improvement directory Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson