Home Services

If you’re getting rid of your 50-gallon old-fashioned water heater and choosing to go with a tankless heater instead, congratulations! You’ll be saving a lot of space.

Galvanized pipes have many ways of telling you they need replacing. Perhaps they make weird noises, or maybe you notice decreased water pressure due to plaque buildup. You might even notice a slight discoloration in the water.

Once you sign a lease, you expect to be in your home for the entire term of the lease. But then, one day, you receive a notice from your landlord that the lease is being terminated early. Can your landlord terminate your lease early?

Plumbers grease is used in lubricating and protecting plumbing fixtures. Also referred to as faucet grease, since this is its most common application, it helps to lubricate O-rings and swivel points.

While all renters hope their rental agreements go off without a hitch, such is not how things pan out in all cases. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes a landlord can end up crossing important boundaries with their tenants. And when a boundary is crossed, a tenant must know how to hold their landlord accountable for the violation.

You come home after a hard day only to find some strange device hanging on your door. After a few minutes, you realize that it’s a lock box. Can your landlord put a lock box on your door for showings?

Every tenant should understand what their landlord is responsible for. Landlords are supposed to act quickly when it comes to their responsibilities as per the rental agreement that you signed. This applies to everything from plumbing problems to air conditioner failure. Many renters have asked themselves the question: should my landlord pay for pest control?

For many homeowners, there’s no worse indication of an unkept or filthy home than an infestation of pests – like ants. If you find ants inside your house, it’s highly likely that you also have them outside. Depending on the type of ant that you have, you may have to tackle nests or mounds to prevent them from getting inside. Though, for the majority of ant infestations, this isn’t a problem.

No matter what you use your basement for, an unpleasant septic smell makes you want to stay as far away as possible. Whether your basement is for storage, a workshop, or a bonus room, it becomes virtually useless if it smells like sewage.

The Internet has become an essential tool in modern society. Wifi is available in even the most remote locations. Our phones are usually able to access the internet when wifi cannot. Landlords are now including the internet in rental agreements more than ever. It may confuse you then, if you find your landlord decides to turn off your internet one day.

Your home is your sanctuary. If you have a yard then its natural beauty may be the pinnacle of your sanctuary. When you see strangers on your lawn this may cause alarm and confusion.  If your landlord comes into your yard without notice, you may feel similar feelings. Worse, you might even feel like you are being spied on by your landlord. You may also wonder if your landlord has the right to just show up on your property without your permission.

Your air conditioning system is one of the most appliances in your home. Having central air is much more convenient than using a window-mounted unit, too. Instead of keeping a single room cool, it keeps the entirety of your home cool and comfortable.

Practically every bathtub strainer was originally screwed into place. If you’ve used an antique tub, you’ll notice there weren’t any threads. This is because they plugged with a rubber stopper.

Many tenants worry about how much privacy they’re entitled to when renting a property. This is especially true now, in the digital age, since it’s so easy to take and post photos. One common concern is whether or not your landlord can take photos of you and the property without your consent.

In Florida, the state known for its marshy lands and wonderful beaches, bugs are prominent. There’s likely not a home in Florida that hasn’t dealt with an insect invasion. But there are some tiny black bugs in Florida homes no one talks about very much.

During your regular monthly maintenance on your HVAC system, you notice something strange. Water seems to be dripping from your furnace exhaust pipe. You immediately wonder what is happening, why it is happening, and what you should do if you notice your furnace exhaust pipe dripping water.

Ticks are easily the scariest arachnids besides spiders, and they can be quite harmful to humans and animals alike. The sight of a tick on your body is enough to make you think twice about going outside during spring and summer. Most homeowners would do anything to keep ticks off their property. So, does mowing the lawn kill ticks?

Modern-day plumbing is a wonderful benefit that many people around the world have become accustomed to. Access to clean and reliable drinking water is a beautiful privilege, mainly due to backflow prevention systems. Using various valves, like a check valve or a backflow preventer, can keep potentially contaminated water away from potable drinking water, keeping you and your family safe.

P-traps are an integral part of plumbing, particularly when it comes to showers. They can prevent sewer odors and wastewater from seeping out and into your home. They aren’t always an option, so what are the best shower P-trap alternatives?

Buying a new home is a monumental decision that involves many moving parts. The good news is that once all is said and done, you will have the keys to your future dreams placed in your hand. But there are many boxes to check between the day you close on your home and the day you move into it. One important step between these two moments is getting in touch with all your utility companies and making sure everything is set up when you move in.

When people think about mobile homes, they don’t ever really assume they’ll see them traveling or that they’ll be mobile. To a point, it’s easy to see why. It usually costs a lot of money to move a mobile home to another lot—especially since mobile home lots will ask you to pay for their right to move there.

Whether you’re buying or selling your home, a home inspection is a valuable asset. An inspection report gives you a heads-up on potential issues with the property and allows you to plan for upcoming repairs or replacements. But before you make any final decisions based on the inspection, there are a few things your home inspector needs you to know.

The furnace pressure switch, aka air switch, is a safety measure device found near the draft inducer motor. Its job is to ensure that the furnace only works when the venting air pressure is appropriate.

The other night, a friend of mine came back to his apartment from a night out, only to see that the toilet had flooded. There was brown stuff everywhere, and he was horrified. I mean, most of us would be, right? He called up his landlord and asked who was responsible for this. The answer might surprise you.

You may notice that your home has some unwanted guests in the winter. Small, clear, white bugs in the house will likely cause you some concern. You may be surprised to find out that these bugs are called wood mites.

Moving is stressful enough, so it can be intimidating if you face the challenge of packing up a cluttered house. It can be hard to figure out where to start, leading you not to start at all. But if you know how to pack a messy house to move, you’ll find that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Your plumbing pipes travel through your home, including behind your walls, above your ceiling, and under your floors. You’re literally surrounded by water and drain pipes at all times, no matter where you are in your house. As a result, you might notice the sound of water running nonstop but can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from.

You only get to live alone for the first time once, and it’s important to make the most of it. But moving into your own place can also feel a bit daunting. There is all the stuff you need to buy, and a home aesthetic to think about.

If you’ve heard much talk about furnaces and their specific components, you’ve likely come across the term “blower.” The blower, or blower motor, is one of the most essential components of your furnace.

Water heaters are fixtures that homeowners can’t live without. The days of bulky, cumbersome water heaters being the norm are long over, and now hybrid and tankless heaters have taken their place.

Whether you’ve already spotted some rodents in your home or you want to proactively deter them from getting into your house, you may find yourself searching the web for the best way to keep mice away. With so many solutions and methods to choose from, it’s important that you choose the option that is best for you and your individual situation. While Irish Spring soap is meant to be used to wash your body, many claim that it can repel mice, which brings us to the big question – “Does Irish Spring soap keep mice away?”

Garbage is a part of life. Even the most environmentally-conscious individuals produce garbage! It’s how one disposes of their garbage that’s important.

Your air conditioner is a real savior in the hottest months. One AC unit can turn a completely unbearable sunrise into a pleasant morning in bed under the covers. There is so much to be thankful for when it comes to having the modern convenience of temperature and humidity control. But sometimes air conditioners are very loud. In fact, an AC unit can get so loud, it is hard to concentrate on anything else. But how do you quiet a noisy air conditioner?

Your landlord should make every effort to provide you with a clean and safe home. However, some of the responsibility is yours. So, do you get charged for damaging the property? And how much can a landlord charge for a hole in the wall?

You need a permit to install a mini-split or replace one. The installation process of a mini-split is complex and requires working with wires, piping materials, and chemicals. Replacing a mini-split can be a dangerous job, but a professional can handle it safely.

Freezers are useful appliances that have been around for a long time, and you can find freezers in most homes and a lot of businesses. One can use a freezer to preserve leftovers and keep perishable foods frozen, and some freezers are so small that they can be integrated into refrigerators.

Nothing can make a home feel comfortable quite like a reliable HVAC system. Sometimes, that means that you need to upgrade to a new thermostat or add one. Can you have two thermostats and one AC unit?

When you are looking to buy your new home, it’s easy to just fall in love with a particular unit and feel like you have to have it. That’s a great feeling, but it can be deceptive. If you choose to buy a condo, then you probably are curious about what you should look for. In many cases, the documents will tell you what you should watch for.

Termite fumigation uses chemicals that penetrate walls to kill unreachable termites, so will termite fumigation kill rats in the walls too? The fumigation process is an effective option, but it can be disruptive to your everyday life as it is lethal for mammals. It requires you to make preparations inside your home and stay out of it for a certain amount of time.

Condos are a unique type of real estate. On one hand, it’s like an apartment that you can rent. On the other hand, you have to deal with condo associations, which almost can act like a landlord. They can cite you, they can make your life a nightmare…but can they actually go so far as to force a condo owner to sell?

You rely on your air conditioner to keep your home cool and comfortable when it’s hot and steamy outside. But what happens when your house is humid with the AC on, leading to excess moisture in the air? Isn’t your AC supposed to take care of that?

In places like New York City and San Francisco, people who own condos often make a killing by renting it out. This is true for both short-term and long-term rentals. However, if you are in a condo, things always have to pass muster with the HOA. Can your condo board retain the right to reject a renter?

Bed bug sprays and pesticides make up a multi-million dollar industry. One name that’s been gaining a reputation among exterminators and homeowners is Harris Bed Bug Killer. This spray is considered to be one of the most potent home sprays in the industry. But, does it actually live up to its reputation?

Who wants to live in a filthy house with dirty floors? Most people don’t. But who’s responsibility is it to clean the carpets? Better yet, can landlords charge for carpet cleaning in a home that belongs to them? The answer may surprise you.

Your air conditioner, whether it is a small window unit or a large central unit, is a complicated piece of equipment. There are many components within it that, should they stop working, can derail the entire unit from working properly.

Coming home to find a notice on your door that you have 30 or 60 days to vacate is terrifying. The situation is even worse when you find out that your landlord is selling the property. So many questions go through your mind, and you suddenly feel like you’re about to be homeless. Can a landlord really break a lease to sell the property?

Bed bugs can be a pain. Once you have them, it can be very hard to get rid of them. Luckily there are pest management professionals who can help you clear the bed bugs out of your home. After the exterminators have treated the affected area, is it safe to sleep in your bed?

The rental market is beyond difficult right now. There are very few properties available, and rental prices are skyrocketing. As a renter, you need to act quickly when you find a rental that you can afford. One thing that throws a wrench in the process is a previous landlord who doesn’t respond to a reference request.

You may notice that the AC in your home is not cooling as well as you think it should. The filters are new, the evaporator coil is clean, and the blower fan is working as well as ever. Inspecting the condensing unit outside leads you to a question. Which way should the fan on the condensing unit spin?

Many homes use gas, such as natural gas, for stoves, water heaters, and more. If your home uses gas, you may wonder how to tee off an existing gas line. This guide will show you exactly how to do that!

When you discover that you have termites, you naturally are eager to get rid of them. There are several ways to get rid of termites, including drilling, but you want to ensure that you choose the best way. How do you decide when drilling is necessary for termite treatment?

As someone who has over 100 posters in their apartment, I understand the need to nail up a new painting to a wall. However, landlords don’t like seeing their walls look like Swiss cheese. That’s why most landlords have a policy of charging for nail holes or fining tenants for excessive holes. Ever wonder what those fees can be?

You’ve paid your rent on time every month, and you assumed that your landlord was paying the mortgage in turn. That is, until you received a notice from the bank that the house was being foreclosed! What are your rights in this situation, and can you sue your landlord for not paying the mortgage?

Imagine drifting off to sleep at night and hearing scurrying and scratching sounds. It’s undoubtedly unsettling, to say the least, when you know you have critters living within your walls. Understandably, you want to know how to get rid of rats in the walls and ceilings once and for all.

A water heater expansion tank is a safety feature that protects your water heater and pipes from extreme pressure. It works by accepting overflow water from the water tank anytime the pressure gets too high. An expansion tank is only mandatory in homes with closed-system water heaters, featuring pressure limiting valves or backflow preventers. Luckily, the cost to install a water heater expansion tank is not overly expensive.

Nothing is scarier than the sound of your security alarm going off at home. Your first instinct is to panic, call the police, and even investigate. It’s a relief when you realize it was a false alarm, but even that can be confusing. So you may ask, "why does my home security alarm keep going off?"

Without central air, homeowners across the world would be out of luck during the spring and summer. Proper central air maintenance is necessary for it to run properly, and that includes maintaining the filters. So, why does your central air have two filters?

Homeowners are rightfully worried about keeping their sewer systems in pristine shape, and that includes keeping an eye out for strange happenings. One of the more alarming occurrences that can happen to your sewage line is to see your cleanout cap pop off on its own accord.

You’ve spent a lot of money on your home’s HVAC system and smart thermostat. That makes it even more frustrating when for some reason, the furnace keeps turning on and off. One minute hot air is blasting from the vents, and the next it feels like you’re in a cryochamber. What is the explanation for this annoying situation, and what can you do to fix it?

Your furnace probably keeps turning on and off because of a dirty air filter or flame sensor. You may also have an electrical issue or a faulty thermostat. Check the air filter and clean or replace it as needed. Check and replace any blown fuses in the electrical panel. And if these don’t work, you may need to replace your thermostat.

Home inspections are serious business which makes it such an important event for people to attend. However, there are only a few parties who are expected to show. That being said, should the seller attend the home inspection?