August 28, 2008

How to Prevent Clogged Gutters

Filed under: HomeImprovement — admin @ 1:22 am

If you have a home with gutters, you probably find yourself a couple of times a year climbing ladders and unclogging them. If there are trees in close proximity to the home, you may be unclogging gutters even more frequently.

I recently saw a simple, but very effective, product that can eliminate this tedious and sometimes dangerous homeowner chore. The product is called “Gutter Cap” and is manufactured and installed by a company with the same name: See Gutter Cap.

Gutter Cap is an aluminum cover that is actually installed on top of your home’s gutter and attaches to a hidden bracket assembly located under the bottom tier of your shingles.

Gutter Cap works under two basic principles: Water tension and capillary action. As water runs down the roof of your home and slides over the dome shaped aluminum Gutter Cap, the water adheres to the surface of the cap and roles into the gutter below. The leaf and pine needle debris however, do not adhere to the surface of the Gutter Cap dome and instead simply slide off and over the Gutter Cap and gutter to the ground below.

Gutter Cap can also be installed with heated wires to eliminate Ice Damns during the winter.

Gutter Cap installation requires a professional, as the Gutter Cap is formed on site to the specifics of your particular home and gutter situation.

Gutter Cap is reasonably priced and well worth the investment, if you value your time and do not like to regularly climb ladders.

Me_Donovan@comcast.net

http://www.homeadditionplus.com

http://www.homeaddition.blogspot.com

Over the past 20+ years Mr. Donovan has been involved with building homes and additions to homes. His projects have included: building a vacation home, building additions and garages on to existing homes, and finishing unfinished homes. Mr. Donovan’s formal education and profession have been as an Electrical Engineer and Marketing Manager.

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August 27, 2008

Patio Design - Add Awnings As A Colorful Finish For Your Patio Design

Filed under: HomeImprovement — admin @ 1:09 am

Patio design, planned with care and creativity, not only becomes a value-adding asset to your home, but expands your living and entertainment areas substantially. Elements such as awnings will complement any patio design, adding both color and protection against the powers of nature.

Your patio design will depend on the area you have available, the maintenance-level you prefer, and your lifestyle needs.

You may need some serious landscaping, and choose complicated water features. Or you may have only a limited space, and an even more limited budget. A patio doesn’t have to be oversized, in order to be functional. A competent landscaping designer will be able to present you with a patio design, perfect for your pocket and property.

You can draw on a wealth of ideas while planning your patio design. Magazines are an excellent source of inspiration. The idea is to make the patio an extension of your home. To achieve this ideal, the patio design has to blend in with the design of your living space. This includes the architecture, as well as the interior d

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August 26, 2008

A Guide To Ceiling Fans

Filed under: HomeImprovement — admin @ 1:01 am

Ceiling fans have been around well over a century and are becoming more popular than ever. You probably have one rotating right now; most homes these days have at least one. Part of the reason is the high cost of energy today compared with a few years ago. Not only does a ceiling fan help cut energy costs in the summer, it will help just as much in the winter if you live where the seasons change, by just turning the switch and rotating the fan blades in the opposite direction and most all fans have this feature built in. By moving the air upwards, the warm air circulates more evenly throughout the room. In the summertime, ceiling fans circulate the air in the room creating a slight wind chill effect, resulting in a temperature drop of about four degrees; it can sometimes feel cooler than that, again saving energy.

Almost all ceiling fans today come with three or more speeds and can be set to one that suits you the most at the time. While most fans will have an add-on light fixture, you will want to shop for the one that is best for your application. Although there are many good ceiling fans on the market and most will perform well, there are some cheaper ones that will not give the years of service as you might want and should be avoided if cost is not an issue. After all, installing a ceiling fan is not a job you will want to repeat in a year or two if not necessary.

Fans today come in a wide variety of styles, sizes and colors, you will be able to find a ceiling fan to fit any application or decor that you might have in mind, of course you may have to look a little longer for that special ceiling fan if you are going to install it on the patio or maybe in your gazebo, there are special fans just for that purpose.

Keep in mind the height of the room you will be installing your fan in, your installed height should never be lower than eight feet for obvious reasons. A spinning fan blade hitting you in the head is not something you want to experience. If you will be installing your own ceiling fan keep in mind the fan needs to mounted to a specially secured electrical box. Most fans will come with all the necessary hardware for installation and balancing weights that will allow you to balance the blades to eliminate any wobbling that may occur after installation. The fan light should also direct the light down from below the blades or up from above the motor to avoid any shadows on your ceiling as the fan blades spin.

There are several ceiling fan manufacturers that make great products; I will list a few for you here.

Hunter Douglas has been making ceiling fans since 1886,
Hampton Bay are high quality fans that will last many years,
Emerson has been making fans since 1895,
Casablanca fan company makes different models and are known for there tropical ceiling fans.
Harbor Breeze ceiling fans made exclusively by Lowe’s, are an excellent choice as well.
These are just a few, there are many more in just about any price range you’re looking for. All ceiling fans should come with installation instruction, and most are not that difficult to install. However, if you should have any doubt as to your ability be sure to hire a certified electrician.

For further information about ceiling fans and a special offer, visit http://ceilingfans.home-lawn-garden.com.

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