Stepwise Guide To Close Your Pool For Winter

One of the biggest mistake pool owners make is not paying enough attention to preparing their pool for winter. It results in irreparable damage to the pool and excess pool maintenance work in the next summer.

To avoid it, I have prepared a stepwise guide for you to close the pool for winter. Follow the guide to understand the basics of winterization of the pool, even if you’re hiring a pool service for the task.

1. Clean your pool

Begin by removing all the leaves, insects, and debris from the pool by using a pool vacuum or a net. Then clean the tiles thoroughly. Many people skip the tile cleaning part and leave it for summer. But if you do it while closing the pool, you’ll need lesser scrubbing and effort in summer.

There’s a more serious reason for cleaning out the pool at this time. It prevents algae and hence, you’re less likely to deal with algae issues in summer.

2. Ensure the pool chemistry is balanced

The second step helps to reduce the corrosion of the pool during the time of non-use. You’ll need a water test kit for that. Adjust the pH, calcium level and alkalinity of the pool. The total alkalinity must be between 80-120 ppm (Figure recommended by a qualified pool service company). pH range should lie between 7.4-7.6.

Next, you need chlorination. The purpose of this step is to remove any bacteria present in the pool water. You can also use winterization kits easily available in stores. The kits contain algaecides along with chlorine to prevent bacteria and algae growth in the pool. You must follow the manufacturer’s directions while using such packages.

For chlorination, please don’t use any tablets. They may cause damage to the pool equipment. In fact, you shouldn’t even use the winterization kit directly into the pool. You should first pour the substances in the bucket and then add to the pool. Some manufacturers even require you to run the pool filter during the process. It’s all necessary to prevent damage to your pool.

ALSO READ: A Quick Guide To Pool Service And Maintenance in Winter

3. Prevent pool damage due to freezing

As we’re already talking about how certain things can damage your pool in the winter, let me warn you of the most severe damage thread to your pool –FREEZING.

The force of frozen water is enough to damage the pool’s base and the entire equipment. At the same time, an empty pool is an even bigger risk. The soil below the pool contains water and when this water freezes, it puts a lot of pressure on the pool’s base from below. Your pool ought to have water during the winter season to tackle the pressure created by the frozen water in the soil.

To prevent the damage, pool water level must be below the skimmer mouth. Also, you should consider adding antifreeze chemicals to your pool.

You need to be careful of the water in the pipes. It should be removed.

4. Drain the pump

The pump should have no water inside it. You should disconnect the pump (and the filter as well) and then drain all the water out of it. Turn it upside down and also remove the drain plugs. Both of these steps will ensure all the water from the pump is thoroughly removed. You can run it for 1-2 seconds to expel any water that’s left behind. Store it safely afterward.

5. Clean the filter

Next step is to clean the filter. Using a filter cleaner for this purpose is a very good idea. What technique you use to clean the filter depends on the type of filter you have. For example, a sand filter can be cleaned by backwashing. If you don’t know what kind of filter you have, call a pool service to help you out. Don’t try to clean it if you don’t know the ins and outs of pool filter cleaning.

6. Cover the pool

Now, we’re done with cleaning the essential components of the pool and taking antifreeze measures. It’s time to cover the pool. If you already have a cover, check for signs of damage. If it’s ripped from several places, get a new one.

The winter cover is thicker than the summer cover as it needs strength to hold the weight of snow or ice. It also prevents pets or people from falling into the pool.

Grab a cover, spread it over the pool (always keep the black side down) and then tie it well around the perimeter. Remember to use a strong wire while doing it as you need the cover to hold still during heavy winds.

There you go! Your pool's ready to face the winter weather. Having a pool is a huge investment, and you do not want it to get ruined due to negligence. Don’t try to cut costs or skip any steps to save some time. If you don’t know how to do it perfectly, call a pool service.

Was this post helpful to you? If yes, comment below.

From Same Day Pros Blogs: Stepwise Guide To Close Your Pool For Winter

A Lazy Person's Guide To Maximize The Furnace Efficiency

How often do you think about your car’s energy efficiency? Every time my car runs out of fuel, and I go to the gas station, I think of the last time I got it refueled. I think of how much distance I must have driven. I reflect on my expenses, and if the mileage goes more down, I immediately get my car serviced. We all do it. Don’t we? In fact, an average middle-class family buys a car not by design or cutting edge technology it offers but on the basis of what mileage it offers.

When we measure the efficiency of our car so carefully, what happens to us while measuring the effectiveness of our furnace? Do we stop caring about the money? Or do we give in to the fact that we can’t possibly do anything about it? Well, you can.

Here’s how you can make your furnace energy efficient.

1. Know about AFUE ratings of your furnace

Start thinking about the energy efficiency of your furnace right before the purchase. Don’t worry if you’re past that phase; I have great tips for you as well. But if you’re too sick of frequent furnace repair and want to replace your furnace, you must know about the annual fuel utilization efficiency of a furnace.

It’s a measure of how much heat a furnace produces for a given amount of fuel. For example, a furnace with 70% AFUE converts 70% of the fuel into heat that gets circulated through air ducts. The remaining 30% is lost in the conversion process. For a layman like you or me, that 30% is the amount of fuel it wastes. Hey! That’s the extra amount of gas/electricity bill you pay every month you use your furnace.

As I mentioned, if you already own a furnace that was installed years ago, the point is of no relevance to you. But if you’re buying a new furnace or bought one in the recent years, you can easily find out about the AFUE ratings. It’s mandatory for any furnace manufacturer to disclose the ratings on the product and also, have at least 80% AFUE ratings.

The higher number you can achieve, the better it is. Of course, the product cost will increase with higher AFUE ratings, but you can easily cover up the cost in a few years. For example, if you buy a furnace with very high AFUE ratings like 95-98%, you can save about $100 per year. Do the math and see how much you will save during the lifetime of your furnace (which is usually 10-15 years).

You will never know what exactly you spend as furnace running cost, but you can always save some bucks by being smarter. Now, if you already have a furnace and want to make it an energy efficient furnace, read the following.

2. Stop the air leaks

Do you know that about 20% of the heat produced by your furnace gets wasted due to leaks? A minor crack in your ductwork is enough to make your furnace work harder and utilize more fuel and increase your energy bill.

You need to fix such problems in the ductwork. In fact, dirty ducts are also a cause of reduced energy efficiency of your HVAC system. Go for air duct cleaning and also hire a professional to inspect the ducts for any kinds of cracks or leaks. I know it’s highly unlikely for a homeowner to have such an inspection just like that. We’re all plain lazy (and it is good). But if your energy bill has suddenly increased as compared to previous few years, you better act.

Working on your home’s insulation is also a task I’ll recommend. It will help you in both – winter and summer season.  There are cracks in doors and windows that cause heat loss (or loss of cold air in summer). Fix it.

3. Adapt to less warm environment

Here’s a task that’s truly for the lazy people. Do nothing. Just keep your thermostat two degrees lower than you usually do. Truthfully, two degrees low temperature wouldn’t make much difference. You won’t freeze in your house or shiver or even feel cold with that slight change. But on the other hand, your heating system will have to work lesser than usual. It’s a great start to saving some money on the heating bills. Try it!

4. Clean the furnace

I won't recommend that you do it yourself, but anyhow, you need regular furnace repair and maintenance. If not everything, just change the filter. It truly does the work it literally means. It filters the air in your house and traps all the dust particles. If you have a dog, you’ll be surprised to see half of its fur on your filter (not exactly but still) after as less as two weeks. You can also call furnace repair service for the tune-up.

Let’s keep this post as a manual for lazy people to improve the energy efficiency of their furnace. Just four steps to follow and you can save as much as $100 per year. Does that sound good?

From Same Day Pros Blogs: A Lazy Person's Guide To Maximize The Furnace Efficiency

How To Put Together Your Home For Cold Weather?

Even though spring cleaning takes all the attention of responsible homeowners, home cleaning in fall is equally important. Just like spring cleaning, you need to do it to prepare your house for the upcoming weather. The intensity of fall cleaning is lower than the spring cleaning, but its importance shouldn’t be judge through its intensity. 

Here are some things you must include in your fall home cleaning checklist. Go through these and maybe print these to avoid forgetting these.

What to clean throughout your house?

Before you tackle every room or section of your house individually, you should fix the major things you need to do throughout your house. Those are:

1. Clean the windows. Due to the dusty weather in summer, windows must be filthy and even if you don’t want professional window cleaning, you should just clean those with regular cleaning solutions and products.
2. Once you clean the windows, ensure that all the window treatments are also cleaned. What I like to believe is that you enjoy the beauty of the cold weather from inside. No one loves the winter while standing in the teeth-shattering cold. Right?
3. Replace the drapes with heavier ones. I am not sure if you do that, but a lot of people change their drapes according to the weather. In summer, lighter and thinner shades are better, and they keep your home cool. But in winter, heavier curtains helps to keep your house warmer (if you don’t forget to pull off the shades during daytime).
4. After these three tasks, you should start working on electrical fixtures. There are mainly three things you need to clean - fans, bulbs & other light fixtures, and covers of the electrical fixtures. Go through your entire house and clean every single fan. Then work on cleaning the lamps, lanterns or whatever kind of lighting you have. It’s very light and quick-to-do task as if you do the regular home cleaning, all you need to is take the dust off these things. They will come clean right away.
5. Now is the time to work on the doors. Dust all of them. Clean the dirt from the top of the doors and don’t forget to clean the door knobs. You should, in fact, desensitize them if possible. You’ll be amazed by the amount of dust that gets trapped on the door knobs. Do you the famous actress Cameron Diaz uses her elbows to open the doors instead of touching door knobs? 
6. If your home is very new, you may not feel the need of doing this task but if you have been living in your current home for a few years, start oiling the door hinges to keep them in a good smooth working state.
7. Last but not the least, declutter your house. It’s important to maintain the appeal of your home as well as to retain the peace of your mind. Tuck away all the summer related stuff. Don’t forget to store it properly if you intend to use it in the next season. 

Now it’s time to tackle each of the rooms one by one. Let’s begin!

In the kitchen

1. Clean the refrigerator: I have already talked about how you can maintain a refrigerator to make it last longer. Cleaning the fridge is a must for that. It also helps to maintain a healthy atmosphere inside that ‘box’ where the majority of your food items are stored. Deep clean your refrigerator in Fall. Take out all the products, wipe off the shelves and then use baking powder to remove all the scents of food items. Clean the fridge from the backside as well. The coils at the back should be free of dust.
2. Clean the oven: It’s the holiday season, and you must be doing a lot of baking and cooking in the oven in next few months. Make it properly clean before that season begins. 

Don’t forget to clean the kitchen cabinets. It’s not necessary as you must have done that during spring as well. But if you have the time, go ahead!

In the Bathroom

1. Clean the tiles: I believe that if you wipe off the bathroom tiles just after you finish taking a bath, you’ll never need to clean the tiles again. But let’s be real. We are too busy to do that. And that’s precisely why you need to clean the tiles now.
2. Clean the shower curtain: Another bathroom cleaning task we don’t do daily is cleaning the shower curtain. You should either clean or replace it in the Fall.

In the Bedroom

If you’ve more than one bedrooms in your home, go ahead and perform these tasks for each of those.

1. Begin by cleaning all the blankets; pillow covers cushion covers and bedsheets. 
2. You should also wash the pillows as they trap a lot of dust and can cause skin problems and migraines.
3. A lot of people have mattresses that have sides supposed to be used for a certain weather. If you have one of those mattresses, flip the sides.
4. Change your wardrobe. Pull out your summer clothing, store it well and put back the fall and winter dresses in there.

Let me include the one thing you need to do in the laundry room. As we’re talking about the clothes and wardrobe, I thought it would be appropriate just to mention the point here - clean the dryer vents and remove any lint if it’s there. Lint can ultimately ignite a huge fire in your house. Google the facts if you don’t believe me. Don’t let it happen.

You should also not forget to check out some fall maintenance tasks that involve appliances like your HVAC system. 

Outdoor home cleaning

1. Begin with proper gutter cleaning. Dirty gutters get clogged and ultimately, lead to burst pipes. You certainly don’t want that to happen.
2. Close your pool. 
3. Clean all the patio furniture and ensure it isn’t placed in an area where it will get covered with snow. It’s always better to store it in the garage or basement for more protection. If it’s not possible, just change the position of the furniture to save it from damage as much as possible.
4. Empty all the garden hoses. It’s crucial to be careful with that as water that stays in the hoses can lead to frozen or burst pipes.
5. Clean the driveway. 

These are the fall home cleaning tasks that you need to perform. There are other maintenance tasks that I have mentioned in my previous post. You might want to check it as well for additional information. I hope you enjoyed reading the post and found some useful information through it. 

From Same Day Pros Blogs: How To Put Together Your Home For Cold Weather?

8 Fall Home Maintenance Tasks You Are Most Likely To Forget

It’s a reality that not all of us are clean freaks. While there are people who cringe at a little bit of clutter, there are people who wouldn’t mind living in an entirely messy house. But hey! Once in a while, everyone should deep clean their house. Most of the deep cleaning should happen in spring but if you happen to read it during fall and if you’re in the right mood, you must know about the essential home maintenance and repair tasks for fall.

What are these must-do fall home maintenance and repair tasks?

Before you begin reading the post, you should take a look at my previous post on top fall home maintenance tasks. It’s a list of major home repair tasks that you might need to do. But today, I am going to cover those little things that we often miss. They’re equally important and hence they deserved a particular blog post for them.

1. Clean the refrigerator

Begin with the appliance that serves you 24/7. Your refrigerator is always there to serve you during those hunger pangs you get in the middle of the night or when you’re pre-prepare your meals for the week. It does need a bit of cleaning.

I also mentioned in one of my blog posts about appliance repair that homeowners that stuff their refrigerator full aren’t doing any good for themselves. You need to stock up on stuff but keep the size of your refrigerator in your mind. Piling things over one another isn’t good. I am done with the basic tips on how to use a refrigerator.

Here’s what you need to do: Take out all the items from the fridge and wipe it clean. Keep a bowl full of baking powder in the refrigerator for a few hours to make it smell good (or get rid of the bad odor that exists in your refrigerator). Once you finish that, turn the refrigerator and dust off the coils on the back. It’s crucial as dirty coils make your appliance work harder, thereby reducing its efficiency and increasing the wear and tear.

2. Work on your driveway

Fall is merely a preparation time for people who live in areas that receive proper winter. They know snowfall is going to happen, and they prepare themselves. If you reside in such an area, you need to get the tools out of the garage and start fixing the driveway. Make sure you have some fencing around the driveway so that you will know where to shovel when it’s covered with snow. It will also prevent you from running the shovel over your lawn.

3. Store the gardening tools

Now that we’re talking about the lawn and outdoor stuff let’s finish these outdoor fall maintenance and repair tasks first. You need to pack up your gardening tools and store them well. Be very careful about the mower. If you have an automatic mower, you’ll be careful naturally. It’s expensive, and it can easily get damaged. Make sure you follow all the proper methods to put away the equipment and keep it safe from rust all through the fall and winter season. Also, read more about the lawn care tasks you need to do in Fall.

4. Plant for the spring

Fall is a right time to plant the bulbs that’ll flower in the spring. Having a lawn with only grass is a very uneconomical decision. It not only costs you more to maintain such a yard but also wastes a lot of resources, especially water. It’s always good to have some plants and flowers around. Plant those spring bulbs.

Another thing you should do is clean all the flower pots you have inside or outside your house. They get dirty too, and while you do the re-planting, you should take care of that as well.

5. Caring for the outdoor plumbing

A slight fail to perform the step can result in frozen or burst pipes in the coming season. You need to shut off the water valves and ensure that the water hoses are fully drained. It’ll prevent them from freezing and save you from possible plumbing disasters. If you have a sprinkler system installed, don’t forget to take care of them as well.

6. Put your patio furniture away

Well, it’s entirely your choice. I suggest if you live in an area that receives excessive snowfall, you should store your furniture inside the garage or keep it in the basement. But if you want to keep it outside, think of what you can do for its protection. Can you cover it or maybe move it to a different location where it’ll be less hit with the weather?

7.  Cover the AC unit

You won’t be using your air conditioner anymore, and once you stop using it, you should cover the outdoor unit. You can get the covers from the market, and it’s better to cover the unit as a cover will save it from excessive dirt and debris. If you don’t do that, you might face serious issues with your AC unit in the summer. Why take such a risk?

8. Seal the windows and doors

How about you go around your house and check every door and window? Look for any cracks or holes that may make your HVAC system work harder. You can also consider sealing these for the winter to trap the heat inside your home for a longer time.

Apart from these eight, you should go for gutter cleaning, carpet cleaning, furnace maintenance, and dryer vent cleaning. You may also go for plumbing maintenance, exterior painting, and roof repair if required. Oh! Don’t forget to close your pool.

I understand these are a lot of tasks, but if you start working on these right away and tackle each of this one by one, you will be able to finish them off quick. Take some help from your family members, divide these tasks and spend your weekends on doing whatever you can. Anything that’s left can be outsourced to on-demand pros. What do you think?

From Same Day Pros Blogs: 8 Fall Home Maintenance Tasks You Are Most Likely To Forget

The Only Drain Cleaning Tips You Need In Your Life

It’s a horrible experience. You enter your bathroom for some me-time and then sit on the toilet seat indulging in some serious conversation with yourself. Once you’re done, you press the flush button, and nothing happens. You slightly panic but put a bucket full of water in the flush and instead of it running down the drains, it fills up the toilet bowl. It’s gross and worrisome.

Clogged drains are the most common household issues. While your mom might have figured out how to prevent clogged drains, you may still face the problem more often than you want. To get out of it or to avoid it for a long time, I have compiled a list of drain cleaning tips. Read it if you wish to know how to avoid clogged drains and how to unclog a drain.

How to prevent clogged drains?

1. Discipline

Clogged drains don’t happen due to wear and tear. That happens because you dispose of things in your drains that you shouldn’t. For example, that leftover oil after you prepare fried chicken at home shouldn’t go in the pipes. The grease or oil gets stuck in the drains and begins the gradual process of blocking the pipes. Cotton balls, stray hair, wet wipes, sanitary napkins and dental floss are the most common things that cause a clog in your bathroom’s pipes.

The point is how you would know which items to dispose of and which not? In the bathroom, you should flush only tissue paper and excreta. I wouldn’t recommend that you put anything else. I am not a plumber but hey! There are many products which have ‘flushable’ on the label, but it is often put without any verification. Why take the risk? In the kitchen, ensure you’re not throwing away any oil or greasy products in the sink. I agree that it isn’t entirely possible to watch out for what you throw in the kitchen’s sink but try your best. And liquid materials are still fine but never try to pass off solid materials in the drain.

If you manage to take care of your drains, you wouldn’t need any drain cleaning tips ever.

2. Watch out for clogs

Now that you have decided that want to keep reading the drain cleaning tips, here’s another essential tip to avoid clogged drains: look for minor clogs. If you see slowed down water drainage, you need to act right then. Don’t wait for the drains to get completely clogged before you act. Minor clogs can be fixed quickly, and you wouldn’t need to spend a lot of money in the process. But if you let the clog turn into a significant blockage, you’re just inviting extra expenditure and hassles.

3. Pour hot water in the drains every week

While you get your hot water bath, you do your drains a favor. Hot water helps to keep the pipes clean. However, you’ll need it the most in the kitchen. Those greasy liquids that still go into your drain no matter how hard you try not to let them can be treated with hot water. If you pour boiling water, it’ll do the job. But don’t pour hot water in ceramic sinks and toilet bowls. Just a warning!

Drain cleaning tips to fix clogged drains

1. Go for fishing

Say you have a minor clog in your sink. What would you do? I suggest fishing. Take a metal cloth hanger, straighten it and then use it to pull the gunk and hair out of the drain. If the blockage is just near the drain opening, you’ll be able to remove it perfectly and viola! You just unclogged your drain. If not, keep reading.

2. Use the magic ingredients – vinegar and baking soda

Why do I call them magic ingredients? Because they’re multi-purpose products. You can use these in cooking and cleaning some things in your home including carpets and drains.  But unlike other home cleaning activities, you need to use vinegar and baking soda in a specific way to clean the drains. It’s the fizzing reaction that these two products cause that helps to remove the clogs. So, either you put baking soda in the drain and then pour vinegar over it or mix both of these and put the mixture in the drains very quickly.

3. Stock a bathroom and sink plunger

I got the tip from a local plumber. Most of the times the clog can be cleared with just a plunger and the technique to use it very simple. All you need is cover the drain opening with the plunger and press it back and forth steadily. Do it for 1-2 minutes. The motion that will be produced inside the drains will be enough to clear a clog.

4. Use soda as they’re excellent dissolving agents

The sub-heading said it all. Unlike many claims of rival juice brands, sodas work as good cleaning agents due to the presence of phosphoric acid in them. They’re not insecticides! They’re just good dissolving agents that can function better than usual drain cleaning chemicals. Try them!

When all that fails

I gave you four best ways to unclog a drain, but if these don’t work, I am sorry to say, but you’re in big trouble. You need to call a drain cleaning service and get the clog removed, lest you’re waiting for a more significant incident like a burst pipe or something. A useless bathroom or kitchen or a burst pipe is worst than spending a few bucks on drain cleaning. I think we all will agree to that. No?

There you have them! The best drain cleaning tips you can find on the internet (of course, it’s only me who currently believes the claim, but you will join the list once you try these out & realize their effectiveness). Do let me know if you have any questions regarding drain cleaning. I will help you in whatever way possible. 

From Same Day Pros Blogs: The Only Drain Cleaning Tips You Need In Your Life

6 Roof Repair Tips You Must Check

How much do you know about roofing problems? A minor leak or a major hit due to the storm, do you know how to approach such damages and not cause additional damage in the roof repair process? If not, you need to read this post on roof repair tips every homeowner should know. It has all the information – detecting leaks, preventing dry rot, maintaining safety and strengthening the roof structure through vital maintenance. Grab a cup of coffee and start reading. You might not need these roof repair tips today, but they’ll come handy when you need these in future.

1. How to maintain safety during leak or damage detection?

First and foremost, you would want to figure out if there’s any problem with the roof. It maybe the massive storm that could have blown away your roof or just dripping water, you would want to know for sure if you need roof repair near you.

Don’t try any quick-fixes for roof leaks

But to be able to do all this, you’ll need to take safety precautions. Yes, it’s pouring outside, and you want to stop that leak right now, but it’s not the best course of action. You must wait until the rain stops. Remember that there are no quick-fixes for roof leaks. So, rushing to find a leak just when it happens isn’t a very good idea. Beware of slippery surface – it can also be the leaves and try to avoid walking on those as much as possible.

Don’t work alone

You must always have a buddy who can hold the ladder while you climb or be there in case of any mishappenings.

Use the ladder properly

Pick a sturdy ladder and get a ladder stabilizer or ask your buddy to hold it while you climb. If you have placed the ladder on the lawn or in the dirt, dig big holes to put it safely. For deck or porch, put a wooden board beneath the ladder to prevent it from slipping.

Remember to climb the ladder one step at a time while facing the ladder. Also, if you’re using a metal ladder, keep it away from electrical lines.

Wear safety equipment

You’ll need a safety harness, soft sealed rubber shoes, safety glasses and a hardhat. It is possible that you feel it’s too much equipment to get, but if you’re going to climb the roof and work on it, you better get the equipment or pay for a roof repair service to inspect the area for you. They can click the pictures as a proof for you.

2. What are the necessary precautions?

Once you get on the roof using a proper ladder and safety equipment, you’re still under the risk of falling or getting a major injury. At the same time, you can cause more damage to your roof than before. 

You’re already aware of what safety equipment you require to climb the roof. In case, you decide to fix minor roof damage, and you have enough experience & information to do that, take these precautions while working.

Maintain a clean work area that’s free from distractions and power lines. Make sure you’re wearing the safety glasses while using the hammer. Be careful while hammering as improper use may make the nail fly and wallop you. It can also happen when you try to strike a steel hammer on another steel surface.

If you use equipment like a knife, make sure the blades are sharp. Also, understand that roof repair may require you to handle a lot of heavy material. Never lift anything using your back to prevent back injuries. Rather, use your legs.

3. How to detect a roof leak?

Fixing a leak isn’t as tough as finding one. It can cause major damage in the form of damaged ceiling and insulation, mold and rotted sheathings and framings. Even if it’s not causing you major discomfort, you should fix it right away (after waiting for proper weather conditions). There are three main ways to detect a roof leak.

1. If you have access to the attic, start looking for mold and discoloration with a flashlight. You will most likely find the problem with this method.

2. In case, you don’t have access to the attic or you’re unable to detect the leak with the first method, you’ll need to go to the roof and inspect it. Make sure you follow safety measures and precautions while doing that. Go to the roof and move the shingles to detect possible damage. Most of the times, leaks happen near the areas of penetration where vents or chimney is. Look at these regions.

3. If it’s still not visible, you’ll need to take a water pipeline and run the hose through the entire roof slowly. A helper would need to wait inside and look for water drops. When he checks this, he’ll be able to yell and tell you about the exact position of the leak.

You should be able to detect a roof leak with these three methods. If you fail or if you don’t want to do the tricky work involved in second and third point, you can ask a roofer to inspect your roof for possible leaks.

4. What’s the primary cause of roof leaks?

The leading cause of roof leaks is dirty gutters. Gutter cleaning is an essential activity, especially during fall, to ensure that your roof stays strong. We have written a very comprehensive guide on the importance of gutter cleaning. Do check it for additional reading on how clean gutters contribute to better roof health.

5. How to look for dry rot?

Dry rot is caused due to the fungus that apparently breeds due to moisture. Any areas on your roof that come in frequent contact with water stand a chance of getting affected by dry rot. Remember that it’s not the water that leads to this situation, it’s the moisture. Improper ventilation is the major cause of dry rot.

The fungus eats up the wood and causes structural damage to your roof resulting in sagging of the roof and cracking of the shingles. To detect it, you must look below the shingles and see if there’s any visible damage. In most affected areas, the wood will become soft and crack when you step on it. If you suspect major dry rot situation, don’t climb on the roof yourself. Have a roof repair company, equipped with proper knowledge, deal with this situation.

6. Inspect the roofing material

Damaged shingles present the most visible signs of roof damage. Loose shingles, missing shingles, and cracked shingles are itself a problem. Add to it the fact that these increase the chance of other issues like roof leaks, dry rot, and structural damage. The valleys of the roof are another spots that give away the visible signs of roof damage and also lead to more damage after getting affected themselves.

Remember that waiting for fixing roof issues is wise only if your roof is covered with snow or it’s pouring outside. You must get the issues fixed as soon as these conditions recede. Fall is a great time to have an annual inspection in case you suspect some roof damage.

I hope you found these roof repair tips helpful. In case, you have any more questions, feel free to ask below.

From Same Day Pros Blogs: 6 Roof Repair Tips You Must Check

The Best Carpet Cleaning Tips For Pet Urine

One of the leading reasons why people turn into cruel pet owners that abandon their pets is the excessive mess. You bring a puppy and the moment you let it on the floor, it pees on the carpet. You somehow manage to clean it and hope for it not to happen again. But it keeps happening until one day you get too sick of all these pet problems and decide to give away the pet. How cruel and irresponsible!

Do you know why the pets tend to relieve themselves at the same place (they wouldn’t know if it’s a carpet or their potty tray)? It’s because they associate their understanding with odors. If they relieved at one place, as long as that area wreaks the urine smell, they'd continue doing that.

To be able to train your pet better and save your precious carpets from becoming a pet urine spot, you need to follow proper cleaning techniques. Although the concept mentioned in the previous paragraph applies to any space in your house, carpets are the toughest to maintain. Here’s a resource for you with some preventative carpet cleaning tips for pet urine and how to clean if it has already happened.

Preventative carpet cleaning tips for pet urine

1. Remove any existing pet odors

Begin with a clean slate to get your pet out of this gross habit of peeing on the carpet (or even inside the home). You can find more on how to remove pet odors later in this post. Also, read our blog post on how to deal with pet accidents for additional reading.

2. Discourage your pet from peeing indoors

Just scold your pet when it relieves on the carpet. By using words like ‘no’ or an angry tone, you can deliver the message pretty well and try to treat/reward it for relieving outside. It’s basic pet training, and you should check out Caesar Milan’s videos on how you can train your pet better.

If your pet still continues to relieve itself indoors, it might be because of some disease. Take it to the vet and ask for a solution.

After the basic preventative carpet cleaning tips for pet urine, I have divided the post into two sections – removing new stains and removing old stains. The first section will inform you of everything you need to do if your pet pees on the carpet. The second part is related to the first point – beginning with the clean slate.

Removing new stains due to pet urine

As soon as you notice that your pet has urinated on the carpet, grab a roll of paper towels and spread them over the affected area. Let the towels soak up the urine. If possible, place the paper towels on the backside of the carpet as well. Remove and replace until the liquid is completely soaked up by the towels.

Now, you need to work on cleaning the stain. If it’s a rug that’s suitable for machine wash, use standard liquid detergent and baking soda to clean the item. Be quick. Else, use the blotting technique to apply the mixture over the affected area. Do check out our spot removal guide for more information on how to remove stains.

Once you’re done with the first wash, check if there’s any existing odor. If it’s there, use vinegar to clean the item again. The smell should be gone. You can also try regular odor removal products available at pet supplies store. They work pretty well for odor removal.

Removing old carpet stains

Let me warn you! It’s going to be tough. Old stains mean they have settled deep down the carpet fibers, and it’s going to be extremely tough to get the odor completely out of your carpet. But you will have to do it to ensure that your pet doesn’t keep doing it.

The best way to do that is either rent an extractor or hire a professional carpet cleaning company for odor removal. An extractor works by forcing the water on the carpet fibers and then forcing the water out of these fibers. The overall action thoroughly rinses the fibers and gets the urine particles stuck inside them out. Then a pet odor neutralizer will remove the smell for once and forever. You can also use stain remover if the stain is visible.

Most of the times, urine stains stay invisible. The only way you can detect those is through smell or through your pet’s habit of peeing at the same place.

Make sure you don’t use any steam cleaner (it’ll further set the stain in the fibers) or chemicals. Most of the cleaning chemicals have ammonia, and that’s one of the strongest scents you’re trying to get rid of.

If the process of using an extractor or even a wet vacuum is cumbersome, hire a professional instead, though a real thorough research on Google and Youtube is often enough unless you have left the stains for months (They’re going to be nearly impossible to remove through DIY).

I hope you found these carpet cleaning tips for pet urine helpful. Remember the key is to work both ways – getting the odor out of the carpet and stopping your pet from doing it again. You cannot do one thing without the other. These have to be done simultaneously. In case, you still have some queries, feel free to ask below.

From Same Day Pros Blogs:  The Best Carpet Cleaning Tips For Pet Urine

Top 9 Bathroom Plumbing Trends for Fall 2016

Even though we spend a large part of our time at home in the bathroom, we often neglect it during a home renovation. However, the general inclination of people towards bathroom remodelling is increasing day by day. More and more people have started valuing that half an hour spent in the shower making life decisions (just kidding!). 

The plumbing trends for fall 2016 are actually inspired by what the majority of the people crave for. The inspiration definitely comes from what the younger generation would want in a perfect bathroom. Don’t you believe that? You certainly will once you finish reading these top bathroom plumbing trends for fall 2016. 

1. Focus on water efficiency 

America has seen the worst of draughts and floods this year. While we’re still working on restoring the lives of people affected by Louisiana floods, there’s a section of individuals who are striving to deliver water efficient plumbing fixtures. It’s because of the water shortage and unnecessary wastage of water through bathroom plumbing. 

Water efficient fixtures include toilets that utilize lesser water, taps with automatic turn-off feature and showers that preserve water through several innovative technologies. 

2. Maximum use of space 

Cabinets in the bathroom often stay cluttered, but we can’t make it through without these. Imagine if you didn’t have a single shelf or storage space in your bathroom! Please don’t get panicked with that thought. 

In fall 2016, the focus is on practical storage. We all have those bulky storage cabinets in our bathrooms, but the latest bathroom plumbing trends will change the entire storage space. 

Vertical shelves utilize the unused space in the bathroom and give you more storage in less space. 

Due to space crunch and match-stick sized homes, the idea of using the unused vertical space is entirely fantastic. 

But at the same time, open shelves are still being loved by many. They can be cleverly placed to use unused space, for example, a shelf that goes over the water tank of the toilet is totally awesome. You can use it for storing towels or even place some vases at the top to have a brilliant bathroom. 

3. Metallic fixtures 

Metallic bathroom accessories are still going great in the list of bathroom plumbing trends of Fall 2016. Has there ever been a list when these weren’t included? They just help you maintain that common bathroom feel you get. Both polished and rustic metals are greatly included in the latest bathroom remodelling designs. 

4. Stronger colors paired with classic white 

Instead of sticking to the light earthen tones; bathroom plumbing trends have a surprise this time. The use of stronger and darker colors like brown and teal is rising. But let’s be real. A bathroom with such dark colors will make you feel extremely uncomfortable just out of the shock of having something so new and unlikely. 

These intense colors are being combined with white color to tone down the overall appeal. It results in a perfect balanced look. 

5. Ease of use 

Human beings will never stop trying to make things easier for themselves. Laziness is the best quality we have ever discovered. Isn’t it? 

A lot of research and thought on how to make the ‘bathroom experience’ easier has resulted into concepts like floating vanities (their height can be adjusted very easily due to which they can be customized very well), curbless showers (they’re so easy to clean) and a super comfy combination of bathtub and shower room. I totally adore the idea of combining bath and shower room. 

Most of the people prefer showers to tubs these days, and it’s totally amazing if you can get both of these strategically placed in your bathroom. 

6. Tiles 

Of course, how can we talk about bathroom plumbing trends for Fall 2016 and not discuss tiles? When I got my bathroom renovated, it seemed like the only thing that exists in the bathroom is the tiles. 

They get much attention. Don’t they? So, what kind of tiles are the best for upcoming years? Mediterranean tiles and 3-D tiles with stripes are the most trending tile designs for bathrooms. 

7. Technology & Entertainment 

Bathroom remodeling has put a lot of focus on achieving a perfect blend of technology and entertainment in this little room we have. How’s the idea of soaking yourself in a soothing bubble bath and watching your favorite show on Netflix? That’s the very idea we’re playing with at present. 

Wireless speakers, Bluetooth devices, docking stations and a big television screen – these are the trending options when it comes to ‘adding some technology in the bathroom’. 

8. Lighting 

Lamps, white lights, and fake fireplaces are being added in bathrooms these days. They just complete the cozy look. I mean, why would anyone need any other room in the house after having all these facilities in the bathroom itself? Moreover, a lot of you already sleep most of the nights in a week in the bathtub (I do sympathize with married men). Don’t you? 

9. Pet-friendly bathrooms 

That’s my favorite part. How costly it is to take your dog to the groomer? Well, it may be affordable at times but it’s just too much of work. Recently, a lady took her pet to the groomer and guess what did she forget – the pet! It truly is an intimidating task. Bathrooms, today, are being remodelled to have a special bathing station for your pooch. There are built-in litter trays to make a cat person’s life easier. 

What do you think about all these bathroom plumbing trends for 2016? Which one is your favourite?

From Same Day Pros Blogs: Top 9 Bathroom Plumbing Trends for Fall 2016

Top 8 Incredibly Cozy Fall Decor Ideas

Hola! It’s September, and if you still don’t feel fall-like, you need to change your home decor. How do you expect to feel the cozy vibe when you have all those cool summer-ish things splattered around your living room? Chuck those out and start working on the following fall decor ideas.

1. Pumpkin lights

I know it’s too early to start thinking about Halloween, but a nice set of lights that remind you of the most exciting thing in fall aren’t that bad. Are they? You need some new warm lights and it’s the cheapest way to get that warm and cozy glow without spending hundreds of dollars on warm toned lamps.

2. Use fall leaves

What do you have on those side tables in your bedroom? Remove the clutter and decorate the side table with some autumn leaves (Yes! I tried to sound British. Did you get it?). But wait! Putting those leaves on the side table aren’t interesting enough. Add a touch of class by adding a cool pumpkin shaped decor piece or some lavender or pine cone scented candles.

3. Add some fall colors into your home decor

Orange, white and gold – these are the three colors you need to play around with during this season. For orange, pumpkins have got your back, but you can also consider painting your walls with a combination of orange and gold. Add white furniture to have a perfect toned down but fall-like look. You can switch it up by having white and gold walls and dark colored furniture.

4. Add some cozy candles

If there’s only one thing you had to choose to add to your home decor to make it fall-like, get some candles. You can always pick your favorite scent, but I suggest you go for warm scents.

5. Get a huge autumn bouquet

On the center table in living room or on the dining table, you must declare that you’re embracing the fall season. How would you do that? Get a huge bouquet filled with flowers. You can go for multi-colored or single colors flowers. Choose dark shades. Purple, orange, and red should be the dominative colors in your home in fall.

6. Use clear vases and ropes in your home decor

Add in some vases in your kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom. They look very graceful, and if you opt for clear vases and add in some seasonal flowers, you will have a perfect cozy vibe in your entire house. What are you waiting for?

7. Hang some lanterns around your house

Lanterns are my favorite fall decor pieces. They just make the whole place an entirely different entity. Don’t get confused! If you’re fond of reading too many books and have read plenty of fall-themed books, you’ll understand what I meant. If not, then just try it, and you’ll know what lanterns do to your house.

8. Do some leaf art

If you’re into art, try incorporating those fall leaves into your art projects. Maybe some paintings or just wall decals with leaves – anything you do to change your home decor must reflect the fall theme. That’s pretty much what you need to do.

There you go! These are my top 8 ways to make your house feel fall-like. Feel free to add some DIY lighting, candles and vases to the decor and never forget the color theme you need to choose. Don’t try be different. I have seen way too many people trying to add in cool-toned colors in their homes in fall just to look different. But that comes at a price. You feel extremely uncomfortable and out of the place in your home. So, it’s better if you hide away those rebellious thoughts and start making your home cozy and beautiful.

What’s your favorite fall decor item? How do you plan to incorporate it into your home decor? 

From Same Day Pros Blogs:  Top 8 Incredibly Cozy Fall Decor Ideas