How to Avoid Dangerous Electrical Problems in Winter?

In winter, we pull up a lot of unused electrical appliances and hence, pose ourselves to a major risk of house fires. About 26000 fires every year happen due to electricity in the United States and all could be avoided if you pay a bit more attention. Learn how to do it through this post on avoiding electrical problems in Winter.

What to do in The Winter to Avoid Electrical Problems?

1. Electrical inspection

Not everyone requires an electrical inspection but if you just moved to a new place or your property is more than a decade old, chances are your house is at risk.

With so many appliances that have got added to your house in last ten years, the load electrical fixtures can handle at a time still stays the same. They’re usually overloaded and ultimately break down to cause short circuits or electrical fires.

Moreover, when it’s winter, we pull a couple of more appliances to beat the heat and end up putting more strain on the already overloaded system.

Even the wiring wears off with time, and through an electrical inspection, you can eradicate the risk of cross wiring. Know more about the benefits of an electrical inspection by a qualified electrician.

2. Possibly hazardous electrical devices in winter

Three main devices are mostly brought out in winter and significantly contribute to electrical house fires. Those are electrical blankets, space heaters, and fairy lights.

Electrical blankets get worn out over time, and if you don’t check them thoroughly, they can cause electrocution and fire. Those frayed edges indicate that you need replacement.

Space heaters are the portable heaters which people often use in addition to their standard HVAC system. It’s all good until you start using extension cords for such heaters or place them near inflammable things or somewhere near the curtains. Just don’t use such appliances near toddlers or leave these unattended. Also, plug them directly into the socket instead of using extension cords. If you feel you don’t have enough electrical fixtures to plug all the appliances, consider calling an electrician and adding a few more. That will be a safer and more permanent way.

Hundreds of electrical fires happen during the holiday season due to Christmas lights. These come really cheap, and at the same time, their quality is compromised. They are fantastic Christmas decoration items, but you need to use them with caution. Don’t use lights with broken wires and consider investing in high-quality ones.

Also Read: Common Electrical Problems That You Can Face in Summer

3. Add safety equipment to enhance electrical safety

These are not winter season specific but are extremely required. You need smoke alarms, surge detectors and properly functioning circuit breakers.

Circuit breakers mostly help you detect a fault in some of your appliances. When they malfunction, the circuit breaker trips to cut off the electricity and prevent serious damage to the device as well as your house’s electrical wiring.

Hardwired smoke alarms are a must especially if you don’t stay at home all the time. You can access the alarm system through your mobile device anywhere and always know about the safety of your house.

Surge detectors prevent electricity overload. They’re especially important to save your expensive laptops and mobile devices from damage.

4. Test run the backup generators

Most of us require backup generators in winter as there are higher chances of power outages due to snowfall. Instead of relying on the last minute to see if your backup generator is working or not, get it checked earlier during fall. Call an electrician to check it for you. In fact, it’s a good idea to hire a trained professional to look for an electrical issue if you suspect there’s one but aren’t able to figure out what exactly it is.

5. Make efforts to contain your electricity bills

Your HVAC system has to work really hard to keep the indoor temperature at an optimum level. It’s important for you to take measures to reduce the bill as much as possible. Proper insulation of your home will reduce the leaks and save you a lot of money on energy bills. Also, HVAC maintenance can help you increase the efficiency of the system and save some money.

6. Regular precautions

Last but not the least, some things you must remember about maintaining electrical safety is not touching electrical appliances and fixtures with wet hands. Make sure kids cannot reach the electrical fixtures. Those little fingers shouldn’t be able to reach the electrical switches, or it could be dangerous for them.

If you see a person experiencing electrical shock, don’t rush to pull them away. Rather, rush to turn off the electricity supply. The person who is under shock will be a conductor, and you won’t help if you touch him. You will get affected as well. So, the best things to do at such a moment is to cut off the power supply and then begin first aid.

If due to a snow storm, you have a power outage, switch off all the electrical appliances. The power surges that happen due to the sudden power supply can damage the electrical devices. It may come on and off and be damaging. So, let the electricity get stable, use a small CFL to test, and then switch on the appliances.

Also, if the power lines have broken due to the storm, try not to step out of your house until they have been cleared. Those might be live wires and can give you a fatal shock. Stay safe. Be careful.

These are pretty much all the tips I have for you to maintain electrical safety inside your home in winter. I hope these will help.

Article Source:  How to Avoid Dangerous Electrical Problems in Winter?

Shopping Guide: Best Tips For Buying New Blinds

Maybe you finally realized that it’s time to upgrade or you moved to a new placethe reason why you want to buy new blinds can be any. I totally love them as they save space and are a perfect fit for small apartments and condos. They serve the purpose very well, and if you choose wisely, they work as excellent home decor items. While I am saying it, I think I need to mention it specifically...

Why buy blinds?

With no intention to make blind sales, I can tell you that

1. Shades save space and are certainly better than curtains.
2. Blinds provide you proper privacy.
3. They can block the heat during the summer and keep your house cooler.
4. You can easily open these to let the heat in during winter.
5. They work as excellent home decor items.

How to buy good blinds?

There are so many sizes and types of blinds that it will certainly confuse you. But the core things that should matter to you while doing blind shopping are:

1. Your budget
2. Your requirements
3. Where do you want to place the blinds?

1. Budget: Budgeting is important as blinds can get costly. There are less expensive variants, but you should always set your budget first and then see which the ones you can afford are. There’s no point of thinking of buying a particular type of blind only to find out that it’s going to cost way over your budget.

2. Requirements: By requirements, I mean anything that may affect your decision of buying blinds. What’s the purpose of buying these? Is it to block heat or just for privacy? Do you want it to work as a home decor item that would enhance your house’s beauty?

It also gets affected by your cleaning habits. Any home decor piece you add in your house has to be cleaned, and it’s a bad idea if you buy something and not plan to clean it. It will decrease the product’s lifetime and make your house look shabby and unappealing. Some blinds have to be cleaned more than others.

For example, standard blinds made of wood or faux wood look amazing, but they need more cleaning than the fabric ones that are superb at concealing the dust and can be easily cleaned using a vacuum cleaner.

3. Placement and size: Your buying decision will also be affected by where you’re going to place the blinds. For example, wood blinds don’t work well in bathroom and kitchen. It’s due to the moisture and grease. They go bad quickly.

The size of the window you want to cover also matters. For example, if you have a wide window, vertical blinds look much better than horizontal ones. Horizontal blinds work better on vertical windows.

So, these are the core factors that affect blind sales and buying criteria. There are plenty of blind designs available each serving a different purpose. And it’s up to your convenience to decide what matters to you more and then move on to buy these.

I hope, with this post, you got a basic idea on how to buy blinds the right way. You can also check some of my tips on blind cleaning to get more ideas on what it takes to upkeep a particular type of blinds. The post also has mention of the top types of blinds and would be helpful for you in the blinds shopping.

If you have any questions, mention right away in the comments.

Article Source: Shopping Guide: Best Tips For Buying New Blinds

An Oriental carpet for your hallway

The high price of Oriental rugs over the synthetic model is justified by its undeniable qualities, including the hallway carpet.

Prestigious carpets
The corridor carpets provide an overview of the entire interior of a property. The oriental rug accentuate the luxury and elegance, with its hand-knotted patterns and refinement of its details. The materials used are top quality, which can alternate the wools and silks. True works of art, they retain the look nicely.

Regarding Persian carpets, they are the result of a long painstaking work of experienced artisans. Renowned for being one of the most sublime of the market, they are often made with silk and shine with very detailed and accurate drawings.

Practical benefits
The hallway carpet cleaning wool have many advantages, such as its strength and fire resistance and moisture. Natural pigments used for coloring and in that their raw material is a renewable resource, in the case of wool, preserve the environment.

Wool also has the advantage of retaining heat in the winter and give a touch of sweetness and an intimate style to the corridor. His character insulation also stifles footsteps, accentuating the quiet of the house.

The different patterns of oriental rugs also contribute to their undeniable charm. Artisans compete expertise to offer quality products, especially hand-made, with respect for traditions. These runners, often colorful, boost brightness and elegance of the place.

Tips for maximizing Deco
Some stores specialize in selling to Paris hallway carpet can have different dimensions. Generally, when they are installed, they should be spaced 23 to 30 cm from the wall of the corridor, and 45 to 60 cm less than its length. Customers can order customized, tailored to their needs, that is to say to measures of the corridor. Whatever their choice, they can obtain a unique work.

How To Clean Different Types of Blinds?

Do you always tend to skip blind cleaning? Most of us do it only when it becomes hard not to notice how dirty it is. Until then, we put it off until next day. It’s not your fault. It’s because people get confused on how to clean the blinds properly.

I love blinds as they help you save space and I have them all around my house. Working on them for years, I have discovered some great tips for blind cleaning. Keep reading to know more.

Guide to faux wood blind cleaning

1. Use a vacuum cleaner

If it’s just the dust that’s bothering you, you can quickly clean it off by using a vacuum cleaner. There’s a dusting attachment that comes with vacuum cleaners. It’s the one with a small nozzle. Grab it and start cleaning the blinds.

You need to clean each strip/slat one by one, first from the front side and then from the backside. It may sound repetitive, but that’s how you achieve a perfect finish.

2. How to remove grease from the blinds?

If you've blinds in the kitchen, you need this. The grease and stickiness apparently don't go away with a vacuum cleaner. For that, all you need is white vinegar. Mix it with equal portions of water and put it on each strip of the blinds one by one using a cloth. The grease will come off in seconds. Just like in the previous step, you need to do it first from the front and then from the backside to achieve a perfectly clean finish.

Guide to clean wood blinds

Refrain from using water for such kind of blind cleaning. The wood may soak up this water, and it’s common knowledge that water can damage wooden furniture. It'll do the same to your blinds. So, if you’re using it, use a little amount of water, it's still fine. But instead, grab a furniture polish from the local supplies store and spray on a cloth and wipe it on each of the slats.

Guide to fabric blind cleaning

1. Vacuum cleaner comes pretty handy

For fabric blinds, you can again use a vacuum with the dust brush attachment. The dust and dirt that gets accumulated in the material will come off very quickly.

2. Use a hair dryer to remove small objects stuck in the blinds

Sometimes, insects get trapped in the blinds and instead of trying to pick them out with your hands, you should use a blow dryer and blow out the insects from the fabric. It will work better and would not leave any bug remains on it.

3. How to treat stains?

Grab some soapy water, apply it on the affected area and rinse it off. Be very gentle. It'll take some time for the stain to come off but keep rubbing the area softly until it happens. You must ensure that you don’t make the blinds extremely wet. You just need to dampen the area and also let it dry.

Guide to clean aluminum blinds

The best way to do it is to take them off and then dip them in the soapy water for a while. Take them off, let them dry and then put them back. It’s an efficient and quick method for blind cleaning and also helps to take off the grease and oil.

Another way you can follow is the one I suggested for cleaning the faux-wood blinds using a vacuum cleaner. Both of these are effective methods, but it depends on your convenience and personal choice.

If you’re not able to clean these properly, especially when you have fabric blinds, you should consider calling a professional blind cleaning service. It’s a good option too. It’s crucial to do thorough blind cleaning at least once every two years or your blinds will be permanently dirty/damaged. Think about it and choose well. You have all the tips. What do you think of these? 

From Same Day Pros blogs: How To Clean Different Types of Blinds?

Easy Solutions To Common Carpet Issues in Winter

Winter isn’t an easy time for carpet owners. Carpets keep your house warm but `considering the aesthetic and monetary value that goes into them, it gets tough to maintain them during the time of snowfall, Christmas, and heavy footfall. All of these can permanently damage the carpets if you’re not careful. Here’s how you can avoid that.

Typical Carpet Cleaning Issues in Winter & Their Solutions

Snow and salt on the carpets

Most of the snow and salt apparently comes inside through shoes. How can you prevent it? There are two things you must do. 

1. Place a snow rug. You must have had a welcome mat outside your house, but just inside, you need to keep a snow rug. It’s made of stronger material than regular carpets and wouldn’t be ruined due to snow or salt.

2. Insist on leaving the shoes right there near the snow rug. Place a shoe rack and ask every family member to follow the rule. Try to talk your guests into doing the same thing. You can keep a pair of slippers there so that they always have something warm to wear.

I suggested both of these things even in one of my other posts about carpet cleaning because it is truly a wonderful ritual to follow for a cleaner home.

2. Salt stains

Let’s say it happened. The salt somehow got in, and now it’s on your carpet, and it will apparently leave a stain. There’s a quick DIY fix to prevent that.

Mix equal portions of vinegar and water and put it on the affected area. Don’t rub or press hard. Be gentle and blot the area until the stain comes off. Once the area is clear, use a dry white towel to dab the area again and soak up excess water. Let the area dry. (My secret tip: I use a blow dryer on heat settings during such situations in winter. It helps the carpet dry quickly and eradicates the chances of mold.)

3. Dirty snow stains

The process to remove dirty snow stains is pretty much same as that of salt stains. The only difference is in the DIY carpet cleaning solution you’ll use. It should be the soapy water that you need to apply to the affected area and then follow the procedure mentioned in the previous point.

Vacuuming your carpet after you remove such stains is also a very good idea to remove off any excess material from the carpet surface.

4. Christmas tree

First, it’s about getting the tree inside. If you drag it from outside, it may catch dirt and snow which will obviously be left on your carpet. Then it’s the possibility of the leaks from the stand you’ll use to keep the Christmas tree. Here are some solutions for that.

Wrap your tree in a plastic sheet before you start dragging it out of your truck and bring it in. In this way, you can remove dirt and snow quickly before you bring it in inside your front door. Have a separate safe, waterproof surface where you’ll keep the stand. The stand shouldn’t be in direct contact with your carpet, and you should avoid over watering. There will be no leaks that way and no problems caused by the Christmas tree.

5. Humidity

Humidity is the most harmful thing for your carpet. In winters, humidity is because of the snow that manages to enter your house. It melts, and the water ends up increasing the humidity levels inside your home. It triggers mildew growth and affects your carpet.

To prevent it, you should regulate the humidity levels inside your home through proper HVAC settings. If the heat inside your home will be optimum, you’ll never have to deal with this issue.

6. Dirty carpets

Due to heavy footfall, the carpets get filthy during winter. It would have still been okay to live with a dirty carpet. I mean, we could just ignore it until spring. But the problem is that dirty carpets live much lesser than the clean ones. The carpets in a home do not last more than 3-4 years unless they’re properly maintained.

Therefore, proper vacuuming and carpet cleaning is a great solution. You need to be regular and consistent. You must also read my guide to clean carpets. It’ll help you a lot.

7. Professional carpet cleaning

If for some reason, you didn’t go for it during the fall, you shouldn’t refrain from doing it now. First of all, stop thinking that it'll leave a wet carpet and cause mold issues. There are dry carpet cleaning techniques that do not pose such dangers. And then it depends on the company you choose. If they have the proper equipment to dry your carpet quickly, they can do it. A professional carpet cleaning company will always suggest you the best way, so find one and ask them what can be done about your dirty carpet.

How do you find these solutions to your carpet cleaning woes in winter? If you like them, comment below.

From Same Day Pros blogs:  Easy Solutions To Common Carpet Issues in Winter

Top 5 Reasons to Go For Bathtub Refinishing

Bathroom remodeling is one of the top fall home improvement tasks. Maybe it’s the 70’s design that’s bothering you or maybe it’s the shabbiness that gets you embarrassed in front of the guests; the reason could be anything.

Instead of replacing the bathtub, which is a very costly process as it involves not just buying a new tub but also spending a lot on plumbing and tile replacement, you should go for bathtub refinishing. Here are some excellent reasons to go for that.

How bathtub refinishing can help?

1. Provide a fresh look to your bathroom

It’s entirely true that there’s nothing better than a freshly remodeled bathroom. It’s clean, shiny and ecstatic. But it doesn’t always mean you need to put a dent in your pocket to achieve that fantastic finish. Bathtub refinishing and resurfacing of countertops, as well as fixtures, produces the same results in a much lesser cost. Your tub looks like new.

2. Expect big savings

The average cost of bathtub replacement lies between $2000-$5000. Yes, even when you have your eyes on the $300 bathtub, you will end up spending in thousands as the whole process involves removing the old bathtub, getting it out of the house, redoing the plumbing and tiles and then fixing the new tub in place.

On the other hand, the average cost of bathtub refinishing is $250-$450. It does get over $500 sometimes depending on the condition of your bathtub, but it’s almost always lesser than the cost of bathtub replacement.

Therefore, you save a lot of money through refinishing. Remember that actual savings don’t happen by avoiding the cost of the new bathtub, but it’s the money you save by avoiding demolition and hassles on plumbing, tile replacement and stuff like that.

3. Use your bath the next day

Bathtub refinishing is a quick process, and it doesn’t take more than 5-6 hours to finish the process in a usual case. You can use it the very next day. Obviously, there are exceptions, but that’s the general case. In the event of replacement, you cannot use the bathroom for about a week at least. As you can imagine, it’s highly inconvenient.

4. It lasts almost as long as a new bathtub

I am sure you’re worried about how long a refinished bathtub will last. In fact, most of the repair vs replacement decisions are guided by this thought and you’ll be glad to know that a refinished bathtub lasts almost as long as a new bathtub. The typical lifetime is 15-20 years. It’s the same for both new and refinished bathtub. For both of them, you need proper maintenance to hit that mark. There’s really no difference.

Moreover, bathtub refinishing can help you fix the minor issues like a crack and let your bathtub stay in the perfect condition as it was before you noticed that crack.

5. Do it on any surface

If you’re wondering whether bathtub refinishing will work on the material of your bathtub, the answer is yes. Unlike many refinishing activities, bathtub refinishing usually can be done on any kind of bathtub. It depends on the expertise of the service you hire and how they work.

Note that the above statement might not be true for you as it totally depends on what condition your bathtub is in and what company you hire. I would suggest you look for a good bathtub refinishing company and then ask them to check and give you an estimate. That will be the sure shot answer to this point of discussion.

Those are the top 5 reasons why you should go for bathtub refinishing. It’s beneficial and recommended. The only real reason why you shouldn’t go for it is when you’re getting your bathroom remodeled, and you want a completely new design of the bathtub. In that case, go for replacement.

Be careful about the company you choose. Good research is a must. Begin at our website samedaypros.com

From Same Day Pros Blogs: Top 5 Reasons to Go For Bathtub Refinishing

How To Get Your Car Ready For The Next Road Trip?

For some reason, I think road trips are a summer thing and being a rebel; I love to go on 1-2 days trips during weekends as soon as the fall begins. I have been on two trips this fall till now, and there are much more to come. Going on a road trip maybe a spontaneous thing where you just hit the road with everything unplanned, but it’ll be in your best interest to prepare your vehicle for such a trip.

Auto service companies have heard too many stories of how someone’s car broke down in the middle of an unknown road, and they had to get it working with whatever repair company they could find. It wouldn’t happen if you just visit your trusted auto service company and get your car serviced beforehand.

There are things that you need to check. What I prefer is just go to my preferred garage and tell them about my plan to go on a road trip. They prepare my vehicle exactly how I need it. Such an understanding comes as I have been a customer since years. But if you’re new to it (which will be the case if your last road trip had some serious glitches due to car troubles), you need to know about the following things.

Also Read: Finding the right auto service shop near you

How to get your vehicle ready for next road trip?

1. Check the engine oil: Every once in a while, you should check if the vehicle has enough engine oil. What most of us do is switch this ‘once in a while’ with ‘when your car breaks down.' It’s bad. It hardly takes a minute to check the engine oil. Then why do you keep putting it till next day? Do it preferably before a few days of your trip. 

2. Check the pressure in the tires: Tire pressure directly affects the mileage your vehicle gives. If your vehicle doesn’t have the proper tire pressure, expect to spend much more on gas than your initial estimate. What I mean to say is you need to ensure that the tire pressure is just enough and also, there’s a spare tire in your car in case there’s a flat tire during your trip. Don’t forget to carry the toolbox as well.

3. Check the battery: The above two tasks are easy and can be DIYed. I am unsure whether you can do this one very well or not. Your car may have started just fine in the morning but still, by evening, you find yourself in an auto repair garage due to a dead battery. I am sure it has happened to you at least once. There’s no sure shot way to see if your vehicle’s battery is going to die unless you employ a good auto repairer to check it.  

4. Check the brakes: You’ll be driving for a long time, and you must ensure the safety of the people driving with you and yourself. Although we all try not to think of dangerous situations, we must take necessary precautions to avoid them. Having brakes that work perfectly fine will put the vehicle under your complete control and keep you safer. 

5. Check the lights: Last but not the least, you should check if the lights are working – indicator lights, headlights, reverse lights. All of them should be working. You also need to clean the air filter of the vehicle for proper air flow.

That’s how you can get your car ready for the next road trip. Remember that spontaneity is right in deciding the place and activities for the road trips. It’s not right for the vehicle you’re going to use to travel, so much so that it can be fatal if your luck isn’t on your side that day. Please be careful and if you don’t know much about cars and auto repair, hire an auto service company to do the task for you.

Of course, hire a reliable company that does the job properly without fail. You can find such companies through Same Day Pros. Give it a try!

From Same Day Pros Blogs: How To Get Your Car Ready For The Next Road Trip?

6 Insanely Amazing Halloween Decoration Ideas

I don’t like mediocre usual things. Halloween decoration gets me pumped up but it takes a lot to please me with such decorations. Imagine the standards I would set for myself when it comes to Halloween decor! I have some crazy but classy ideas which I want to implement this year. It’s time to begin and hey! I won’t mind if you copy these.

1. Why make it so scary?

First of all, you don’t always have to focus on making it scary. Think about Scary Movie instead of The Conjuring! Didn’t you like the former one? It’s so fun to watch. Isn’t it? Who said you can’t have fun on a day like this? Who said it has to be scary? If no one did, why do you desperately try every year? On Halloween 2016, stop trying to be scary. Be funny instead!

2. Make the pumpkins pleasant

How can you do that?  While decorating your home pumpkins, use fresh home decor stuff like flowers. Yellow leaves and flowers work the best. It’s superb and you must try it. Make the pumpkin a centerpiece and surround it with flowers and lively decor stuff like that.

3. Get rid of the pumpkin color

Okay! I agree that while this year, I am in a mood of mixing horror with fun, you may still want the original scary stuff. Here’s how you can add a twist to your Halloween decoration while sticking to the theme you want. Paint the pumpkins white. Carve the eyes and mouth like usual but keep them white. It will be so good. You can also pile 3-4 pumpkins, cover it with a white cloth with spaces for eyes and mouth. Basically, you will turn the pumpkins into a ghost. Did you get the point? If not, comment below. I’ll explain.

4. Halloween decoration ideas for lazy people

If you’re as lazy as I am, you wouldn’t want to do anything but still want a perfect decor. Did you know you can hire a holiday decoration service for the task? If you want to DIY it, just get some pumpkins in different sizes and arrange them near your house’s entrance, doors and windows inside your home and boom! You have a brilliant home decor perfect for Halloween with literally no amount of work, if you choose to cut out the part where you spent hours choosing the right pumpkins.

5. Use pumpkin shaped lamps

I have written fair amount of posts on fall decor and one thing I haven’t missed in any of those is the lamps. They’re just so fall-like and perfect home decor items. Moreover, they give you great lighting for clicking amazing Instagram and Tumblr pictures. For Halloween, you should totally get some pumpkin lights or DIY them. For DIY pumpkin lights, just carve out the pumpkin like usual and place a light bulb in it. The wire will stay hidden at the back. Don’t worry! You can do it. Anybody with a little bit of common sense can do this DIY.

6. Use rustic stuff

I love the whole rustic home decor and it goes really well with Halloween decoration. Think about a wheel placed as a centrepiece near your TV. Reflect on some pumpkins kept beside it. Reflect on some ropes tied to the wheel. Think about some black creatures hanging from the wheel. Just let your imagination go wild, and you can do so much with old wooden stuff. Try it! You will love the results.

There you go! You have my ideas on Halloween decoration. It is how I am going to do it. Yours may be different, and I would totally love it. Just tell me what you’re planning for Halloween decor?

Article Source: 6 Insanely Amazing Halloween Decoration Ideas

How To Locate A Good Appliance Repair Service Near You

There must be a lot of appliance repair services near you but which one is the best? Every other service advertises aggressively and makes you think they’re the best. But are they truly are? If not, how can you recognize a good appliance repair service near you? To find answers to the question, keep reading.

There are these main things you have to remember: Licensing, authorization, and experience. We will discuss these in detail and then talk about the crucial way of conduct while looking for an appliance repair service.

1.  Licensing: “An unlicensed company will always offer services at a cheaper rate than a licensed one.” But it’s not only illegal (under some situations) but also risky to hire such companies. You hire such a person, and your appliance doesn’t get fixed, you’re stuck. You can’t claim a refund. Your money is gone, and your appliance is worse than it was before. Look for a license and insurance while hiring. Companies often flaunt their authorized status but if some company doesn’t, there’s something fishy about it. And just because a company is flaunting it, doesn’t mean you don’t need to recheck. Don’t believe advertisements until you have checked the proofs.

2. Authorization: It's a very good idea to get your appliance repaired from a factory authorized service. What difference does it make? Factory authorization is provided to people who are trained to fix a particular machine. It’s a proof of their expertise, and you must ask for it before you hire somebody.

3. Experience: It’s always risky to let a new repairman or service professional work on your problem. An experienced company with experienced repairers may charge a bit more due to their reputation and expertise, but they ensure the work is done in an amazing and error-free manner. It saves you money in the longer run.

There you go! You have the three most important factors that can help you pick a good appliance repair service near you. But wait! It’s not finished yet. Here are the things you should know before you are ready to hire.

Know these things before hiring an appliance repair service

1. Practice patience: I know how it feels when your refrigerator stops working. What about all those frozen foods, fruits, and vegetables that are lying in your fridge? All of them will go bad, and you just can’t bear it. But rushing appliance repair just to save some bucks on grocery isn’t worth it. If it’s fixed in a hurry and isn’t fixed correctly, it will stop working again. You will spend more money to get it repaired. And the cycle will continue. So, stay still. Take a deep breath and then move forward with patience. Give yourself some time to research on excellent appliance repair services. Ask around and compare the prices. Then hire!

2. Ask for recommendations: The best way to hire a service is to ask your neighbor. The second best way is to find pros on SameDayPros. I don’t like to indulge in self-appraisal but here’s the thing – you need to be able to have a list of good elite repair companies and then begin your research on which one is the best for you. You may have different criteria to select, and you need that kind of independence. Recommendations and reviews are of great benefit. 

3. Get multiple quotes: Don’t call one repair company and just settle on it. You won’t know if it’s giving you the best quote. You won’t know if it’s lying to you or overcharging you. You won’t know if their package is missing some important detail. You won’t know all this until you have interacted with more companies about the same issue. So, go ahead and talk to them. Get estimates or a quote. Then compare. Remember the aim isn’t to go for the lowest package. It is to go with the one that sounds reasonable and offers you maximum benefits.

Apart from these three, you can also ask for references from the company. They will happily share the list of their previous customers who have been satisfied with their service.

That’s how you find a good appliance repair service near you. You remember the three basic things you need to take care of, you look around, do your research, negotiate and then choose wisely by weighing all the pros and cons.

Do you have a question that was unanswered in this post? Ask away! Right now.

From Same Day Pros blogs: How To Locate A Good Appliance Repair Service Near You

Important FAQs Regarding Animal Removal

Those raccoons can damage your backyard. And I would have never written this post if it was just about raccoons. Wild animals on your property can be a threat to your life, especially when you have no idea on how to deal with them. Here are some questions and answers about animal removal that can help you stay more informed and safe.

1. Isn’t the city administration job to remove the animals?

It is usually not. It only takes care of issues related to pets like dogs and cats. Wildlife invasion requires different control measures. For example, it’s never just about raccoon removal. It’s about inspecting the damage it has done to your house, fixing the harm and sealing the holes to ensure it doesn’t come back. It’s a specialized field that requires professionals.

2. Can the pest control professional do the job?

Pest control companies specialize in insect removal. For animal removal, there are a different set of professionals who do not focus on killing the animal just to get rid of it. They remove the animal, ensure it doesn’t invade back and leave it in the wild or put it in an environment safe for its kind.

3. Can poisons help in animal removal?

They don’t. First of all, there’s no particular poison to kill wild animals. Add to it the fact that it is often illegal to kill wild animals. The only animals you can aim to kill with poisons is rats and mice. But does poison solve that problem?

Think about it. Where did these rats come from? If you use poison, is it sure that all of these rats will die? You can surely take care of the ones that are inside your home but what about the ones that are out? How can poison ensure they never come back? Then what happens when a rat eats the poison? What if it dies inside your house? A stinking dead rat in your attic is much worse than a rat that occasionally freaks you out. Isn’t it?

So, it’s clear that poison isn’t the answer as it’s not effective and it doesn’t prevent the issue from happening again. Due to these two major factors, you need an animal removal professional instead of some poisons or pest control service.

4. Can animal removal company treat pests?

NO. It is absurd just to assume that animals and pests are similar. A company may have two branches and offer both animal removal service and pest control service. But one cannot do the work of the other. Both the fields are different. They treat a different kind of organisms. There are various methods to address such issues. There are different objectives.

5. What about the traps used? Are they lethal?

Most of the times they’re. But it depends on your city’s rules regarding wildlife removal from residential areas as well as the convenience of the worker at a job. Sometimes, it’s just not possible to set-up the trap that could capture the animal alive. In such cases, you will have to decide what matters to you more – your convenience or love for animals.

6. Do you rehabilitate animals?

It has to be cleared to a lot of people that an animal removal service isn’t to be called if you see some wildlife animal in trouble or if you want them to have a better life. Such services exist to remove animals that are a nuisance for humans like rats, bats, raccoons, snakes, squirrels, etc. If the service professional is using a live-capture trap, you can ask him what he would do with the animal.

7. What types of animals can they remove?

All such common wildlife species are listed here. If one that’s bothering you isn’t on the list, call the animal removal service and ask if they can help you remove it. You can also find what else an animal removal service can do by following that link.

8. Can you come in contact with serious diseases because of wild animals?

All wildlife animals can cause illness. A fatal one of those is rabies. Mostly, it’s spread via dogs worldwide. In North America, it’s the bats. But don’t count out the raccoons, fox, and skunks. There are other diseases like rat bite fever, roundworm and many more names that sound too complicated to be mentioned here. Just try to maintain distance from wild animals and call an animal removal service if you come across one inside your property. Try your best to not get bitten.

These are the common questions related to animal removal. In case, I missed answering a question, feel free to comment down below and ask.

From Same Day Pros blogs: Important FAQs Regarding Animal Removal

How Can Air Duct Cleaning Improve Your Health?

Do you think smoking and vehicular air pollution are only dangerous air contaminants? Think again! Maybe it’s just that you have been warned about these two harmful things 'n' number of times, but there are equally damaging things that exist around you but don’t come to your notice. Indoor air pollution is one of those bad stuff.

How many advertisements about indoor air purifiers have you seen since a month? The trend is growing, and there’s a substantial reason behind that – the air inside your home can deteriorate your health. It can be more damaging than outside air as you spend a lot of your time inside your home. The bad air keeps circulating inside your house and makes you sick.

Know about indoor air pollutants

Let me tell you about the major ones- dust, mold spores, and bacteria. All of these create respiratory disorders and induce symptoms like a headache, nausea, skin irritations, fatigue and breathing issues. Those who are suffering from respiratory problems already may see a significant decline in their health. All of these can be caused by these three contaminants I mentioned.

Air Duct Cleaning: How one activity can make a difference?

Now that you know what a risk you’re at, you ought to do something about it. There are some precautionary measures to deal with this issue and one of the best, and most efficient ones are air duct cleaning. That’s what we’re going to discuss about today.

Air duct cleaning is a process of cleaning air ducts by putting a large, powerful vacuum to use. The vacuum sucks in the dust and whatever bad things linger in the air ducts. These bad things can be dust, fungus or even rodents. All of these multiply and circulate bad odors and airborne particles around your house.

What kind of difference will you experience?

Let’s say you're convinced on how air duct cleaning can improve your health and you get it done. How will it truly make a difference in your health and lifestyle?

1. Breathe easier: You’ll be able to breathe easily when you’re inside your home. The excessive contaminants that were regularly circulated inside your house 24/7 are now gone. You will have cleaner air that’s easy to breathe. A person with respiratory problems will feel a huge difference in his health after this.

2. Sleep better: One of the major reasons why indoor air pollution is getting world’s attention is it disrupts your sleep. Through scientific research, it’s evident that being able to breathe clean air is important while your body is resting and rejuvenating for the next day. It’s common knowledge that it’s advised not to sleep with your mouth on the pillow as it doesn’t let you breathe properly. Think about what you’re breathing. Doesn’t that sound important?

3. Get rid of frequent headaches: If you ever wondered why you’re always tired when you’re at home or you feel headaches, nausea or a migraine, it’s very much because of impure air. Air ducts contribute a lot to the contaminants. They accumulate dust and allergens over time and cause such issues. After proper air duct cleaning, such problems cease to exist.

4. Be more active: You’ll certainly start feeling happier and more productive at home when you breathe in clean air. Isn’t that what all air purifier manufacturers claim? Yes. It’s because fresh air brings such a change in your body. But the first answer to clean indoor air isn’t an air purifier. It’s removing the issues that are contaminating the indoor air, like dirty air ducts.

5. Less asthma and respiratory problems: Just like the minor symptoms like headaches, nausea, migraines, etc. are gone after air duct cleaning, such grave issues can also be avoided.

With all these good effects on your health, you will live longer and stay younger. It will keep you healthy.

What exactly do you need to do to avail all such benefits? Just regular air duct cleaning. I recommend you get the air ducts cleaned from a qualified professional at least once a year. Under special conditions like the bad odor, weird noises from the ducts and visible dust coming out of the air vents, you should go for it even if you’ve already got the annual cleaning done.

From Same Day Pros Blogs: How Can Air Duct Cleaning Improve Your Health?

Hurricane Matthew: How To Prepare The Survival Kit Quickly

While millions of people in America are preparing for the worst, you haven’t even made your survival kit. What are you doing? What are you waiting for? You don’t have time. You need to prepare a quick survival kit and try to be as safe as possible. Here’s what you need in the kit.

1. Food & water

The necessities of anyone in your family as well as your pets. Get at least a gallon of water for every member of your family. You must have a stock of 3-5 days when it comes to food and water. Pick canned food that you can store for a while. Don’t rule out the chances of a blackout. You must figure out a way to get the food ready while there’s no power.

2. Get the essential medicine

If anybody in your family suffers from a medical condition or require regular medication, make sure you have all their medicines in place. Don’t forget anything. Recheck all the medicines and also stock up medicine for minor health issues like a headache, stomach ache, and acidity.

3. Prepare an emergency evacuation kit

We don’t know how severe it'll be and what kind of damage it will do at your location. But stay prepared for the worst. You must have an emergency evacuation kit ready. Here’s what you need in that bag: medical supplies & equipment, important documents like your identity cards, insurance proofs and so on (hard copy or soft copy or both), personal care items (clothes, food, phones, chargers, power banks, water and some cash).

4. Check your house for leaks

If you have any leaks in your home, you need to find a temporary way to fix it. A small hole can become the cause of damage to your entire house. In 1992, during the Hurricane, Florida homes suffered maximum damage due to such issues like hurricane shutters not placed correctly and undetected leaks. Take care of both of these. Make sure the shutters are closed, or you’re prepared to do it in just a few minutes when the bad storm hits.

5. Stock up the cash

ATMs often run out of money during such situations, and you need to stock up enough cash to be able to buy basic amenities and have enough money to survive in case you have to evacuate. Make sure you’re able to keep these funds in a safe and dry place.

6. Prepare alternative measures when the power goes out

It always happens. And when it happens, think about whether you can have a generator to keep the basic electronics like light bulbs and refrigerator running. Instead of relying on a T.V., you should have a battery-powered radio to stay updated with the news.

7. Please don’t forget the pets

They need to be as safe as you’re. Even if you keep your pets outside, bring them in. It can be a terrible weather outside, and Fido will be pretty scared. Pets need you more than you think. They will be scared and would look up to their owner for safety. Please keep them safe. Stock their food just like you would do your own. Add a tag and your phone number to your pet’s collar to avoid losing him in case you need to evacuate.

That’s pretty much. Run! You need to put together the survival kit right now. If you know somebody who lives in an area that may be hit by Hurricane Matthew, please share it with them. 

From Same Day Pros Blogs: Hurricane Matthew: How To Prepare The Survival Kit Quickly

Types Of Hurricane Shutters And Why You Need Them NOW

With a major hurricane warning, it’s important that people in the coastal areas get geared up to face it. There’s a lot to do, and you must act quick. One of the primary reasons why properties get damaged due to hurricanes is missing hurricane shutters. In fact, Hurricane Andrew wreaked havoc in 1992 because the doors and windows failed the property owners.

If you don’t have such shutters installed already, you must call up a service that can do it immediately for you. You might not get the chance to impose this safety measure if you delay it anymore. 

Installation of hurricane shutters is a bit complicated than that. You’ll need to decide what kind of shutters you want. Here’s an account of types of Hurricane shutters and their advantages disadvantages. 

Types of Hurricane Shutters

1. Colonial shutters

Colonial hurricane shutters are two-piece shutters that have louvers for adequate ventilation. Each piece is placed beside a side of the window and provides protection to the windows during the hurricanes by folding up to cover the whole thing. The average cost of these shutters lies between $18-$35 per square foot. And it takes about 45 minutes to prepare your house for the storm with such kinds of shutters.

Advantages

These types of shutters get permanently fixed near your windows and hence, there’s no hassle of placing them at the windows just before the hurricane or storing them when not in use. These are decorative shutters and hence, enhance your house’s exterior while providing it necessary protection. 

Disadvantages

The installation time may increase a lot for some colonial shutters. It mostly depends on the design. You must have thought about why I only mentioned Windows. Here’s the drawback of colonial shutters – they’re only for windows. So, you have to combine these with some other kind of shutters for the doors. 

2. The Bahamas hurricane shutters

Bahamas shutters are one-piece, and unlike the colonial shutters, they are installed above the windows. They stay open and provide shade to the windows. During the storm, they have to be closed and affixed to the wall. It takes about 15 minutes to do that for a whole house. These are also louvered like colonial shutters. The average cost of installation of Bahamas hurricane shutters is just the same as that of colonial shutters.

Advantages

Like colonial shutters, these are affixed beside the window and hence, you don’t need any extra storage space for these. When they’re open, they provide shade. Only one person can get all of them storm-ready in about 15 minutes. 

Disadvantages

Again like colonial shutters, they can’t be used for doors due to their design limitations. They’ve attained a lot of bad reputation over the years. People consider them frail and not good enough to provide protection against major hurricanes. But newer designs offer more protection. While the open-design benefits are enjoyed by people, few complain that they block too much of the light.

3. Rolling hurricane shutters

The most famous of the lot, these shutters are affixed above the windows and are stored in an enclosed box placed there only. They can be rolled down either manually or automatically. As it’s pretty easy to put them in place just before the storm, they have minimum preparation time. The cost of installation is slightly higher than the Bahamas and Colonial shutters – about $30-$60 per square foot.

Advantages

These are easy to install and easy to prepare before the storm. They also offer extra protection against theft. 

Disadvantages

These can get expensive to install, and then you require a battery backup to operate the automatic push-up & down buttons in case of a blackout.

4. Storm panels

These are heavy aluminum shutters that cover the doors and windows and are affixed to them either through bolts or tracks. There are different types of storm panels, and you can make a choice depending on your convenience and budget. The average cost of installation lies $7-$9 per square foot. They’re not easy to install as they’re often heavy. 

Advantages

These are inexpensive and very strong. They work for both doors and windows and as the panels are layered over one another, they’re stronger than usual shutters. They can be easily removed and stored when not required.

Disadvantages

They’re really heavy, and it’s tough for a single person to handle these and get them storm-ready. Storage may also be an issue for some people, and then they have sharp edges. You have to be careful around them.

5.  Accordion hurricane panels

These are either one-piece or two-piece panels that can be installed beside doors as well as windows. They can be quickly prepared for the storm and cost around $16-$21 per square foot.

Advantages

As they’re permanently fixed, they don’t need to be removed and stored when not in use. Some variants have lock and key fittings and act as theft protectors. 

Disadvantages

These are bulky and not go along with the exterior of all kinds of houses. It’s often considered that they can easily break off as there are wheels to help it glide over the surface which aren't quite strong.

These are the five top types of hurricane shutters. There’s also hurricane glass which is a perfect option for under-construction houses. If you use that glass for your house, you won’t need any hurricane shutters. 

You’re lucky to have at least one of these in place to save you from the possible recent hurricane. If you don't have any of these and it’s extremely tough to get them installed immediately, you can opt for plywood as a cover. It will also need to be installed and mostly, doesn’t go by the building codes. But consider doing whatever possible to have that extra layer of protection for the doors and windows in your house. It’s crucial to save you from heavy damage due to the Hurricane. Stay safe!

From Same Day Pros Blogs: Types Of Hurricane Shutters And Why You Need Them NOW