Home security is a huge issue and the market for security cameras reflects that interest. Many homeowners have turned to trail cams as security cameras. In many instances, these game cameras work as well as much more expensive security cameras. One challenge is how to hide a trail cam for home security.

If there were a battle between a bed bug vs. tick, there would be no true winner.  With either of these in your life, you would be the sore loser. They both have unique qualities but prove to be more of pests than helpful, even in the bug world.

Buying a new home is a big deal and an even bigger investment. If you are in the process of, or if you have recently purchased a new home, you are well aware. You were probably quite surprised at all that was involved too. Who would have guessed there were so many moving parts (pun intended) involved in buying a new home?

Not all households are connected to a main sewer system that handles and treats all their wastewater. In the absence of that convenient service, households turn to using their own septic systems instead. Aerobic septic systems are among the options available and they cover the needs of numerous homeowners.

A properly functioning AC unit is a must in sweltering hot summers. It’s easy to panic if you notice your air conditioner isn’t working correctly. One common problem is an AC unit with a fan that is not spinning and that is hot.

Cleaning your gutters regularly of twigs, leaves and other seasonal debris is a stinky, miserable, and messy task that almost nobody looks forward to doing. Thankfully, you can reduce this headache by installing gutter guards. Implementing gutter guards into your rain gutter system is a great way to avoid having to clean your gutters on a regular basis.

A common problem many homeowners deal with during the onset of winter is the prevalence of dry air. Similar to excessively humid air, dry air can cause significant discomfort and trigger certain health conditions. To combat the onset of dry air, homeowners have enlisted the help of whole house humidifiers.

For the uninitiated, knowing the difference between propane and natural gas may be confusing. There are different units that can use different types of gas and mixing the two needs to be understood before implementation.

While going through the process of building your home, you’ll eventually have to consider how the ducts will be designed. You cannot overlook the ductwork because doing so will affect the type of comfort you’re able to experience at home. However, when it comes to determining an HVAC duct sizing rule of thumb, you need to avoid generalizations.

Many people live in a dry climate (hello, desert) or experience dry seasons (I’m looking at you, winter). To mitigate the effects of this dry air, many people often use humidifiers in their homes. Instead of having one for each room that requires daily refilling, what if you had one for the whole house?

A magnificent fire pit flame requires two things: enough gas and the proper rigid piping to deliver it. The size of the hard pipe is sometimes overlooked, and the resulting flame might be underwhelming. So, what size of a gas line do you need for the fire pit?

When your landlord informs you he or she will be getting an appraisal you rent there are many ways to feel. You may be nervous that your landlord is selling the home you live in. Next you may wonder if one or more strangers will be entering your home, and if you have to let them in. 

Cat ownership is something that I really, truly enjoy. Eventually, I’ll probably get a cat of my own in my apartment. So far, I haven’t. This isn’t just because it’s a studio apartment, either. It’s because I worry about my landlords finding out and penalizing me for it. This brings us to the question today. Can a landlord tell if you have a cat?

We live in a technological world with seemingly endless amounts of cloud storage. In turn, it has become almost impossible to lose important documents and treasured photos. But some documents and personal items exist in real life, not in the cloud, and they must be kept safe. This is where a fireproof safe comes into play. Every home should have a fireproof safe to keep valuable possessions safe. But what items should you keep in a fireproof safe?

The reset button on your furnace is a quick method to solve any short-term issues. But if your furnace keeps shutting off and requiring resets, this is a sign of deeper problems. Given that this is a fairly common problem in oil furnaces, we will be focusing primarily on solutions for those.

When people start talking about plumbing, it’s easy to feel like you’re hearing a bunch of gibberish. Flange? Macerating toilet? Yeah, it’s a lot to take in at first, especially when you’re just dipping your toes into the water. (Sorry, had to add a pun!) Wet vent plumbing is one of the lesser-known terms that’s just starting to catch on in parts of the country, but what exactly is it?

Heating makes up almost 30% of utility costs, so wanting to close vents that bring in cold air is normal. These vents are fresh air intakes for your furnace. Before you decide to block them, learn more about furnace fresh air intakes and how to fix common problems.

When it is working properly, your furnace is capable of making your home comfortable in even the coldest of temperatures. The process requires several components coming together at once to produce warm air that blows throughout your home.

House hunting very well could be one of the most exciting yet stressful times of your life. You’re making a huge decision, spending a lot of money, and in many cases, you’re taking a lot on faith. This sliver of uncertainty is why it’s so important to look for red flags when buying a home.

If you’re purchasing a new home or planning to refinance, then you’ll need to get a home appraisal. Your lender requires a home appraisal to ensure they aren’t lending you more money than the house is worth. You want the number to be accurate and not too low, so how do you prepare for a home appraisal?

The air filter plays an important role in your furnace. Aside from the fact that it is meant to catch the dirt and debris in the air, it can play an important role in the overall air quality of your home. Moreover, a dirty filter can cause a number of issues with your furnace.

As a homeowner, you want to ensure you can have a comfortable living environment. You also want to keep costs manageable since home ownership certainly doesn’t come cheap. One of the considerations when it comes to your future house is your utilities. And you might wonder if you should buy a home that uses heating oil. 

PVC pipes are an excellent choice whether you’re planning any kind of home DIY project or you’re a professional contractor looking to do a job well done within a budget. PVC is remarkably sturdy, yet it’s far cheaper than many alternatives, such as galvanized steel or copper.

In the winter months, your heating system is one of your home’s main energy users. Since your home’s heating system has such a huge impact on you and your family’s comfort, it’s important that you consider all of your options. While you may already be familiar with forced air or hydronic heating systems, hydro-air heating is a less common choice. However, they are slowly gaining popularity largely because of their flexibility and reliability.

You know that buying a home is likely the biggest purchase you’ll make in your lifetime. But the cost extends far beyond the purchase price of your new house. Before you jump into home ownership, understand the hidden costs to make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew.

Modern plumbing is as advanced as it has ever been, and that makes it hard to wrap your head around. The color of a particular pipe may simply seem cosmetic, but it signifies its purpose and certain properties. So, what is the difference between green and white sewer pipes?

Heat pumps offer an alternative to central heating or furnaces. They basically take the warm area from one area and move it over to another. They are more efficient than furnaces, which burn fuel to create that heat source.

Maybe your sofa is old and tattered or maybe you just don’t like the color anymore. Whatever the reason, if you’re wondering how to get rid of a couch, there are plenty of ways to do it.

Watching dirty washing machine water back up into your bathtub can be a confounding experience for some. It can be difficult to pinpoint the source of the problem if you are not experienced with drainage systems. As a result, it is common for people to think that the problem is more serious than it really is.

It is normal for a furnace or air conditioner to make noises, but it can be disconcerting. Banging sounds that come from your furnace are common, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a good thing. So, why is it that your furnace makes a banging noise when it shuts off?

The stigma, to us, seems as old as the creature. An “evil” bat is considered an ominous sight. A colony or “cauldron” flying over an old, haunted mansion at night is what we see when someone mentions bats.

Nearly 45 million American households are rented instead of owned. That’s a lot of people navigating apartment living! Just because you rent your place instead of owning it doesn’t mean you don’t want your rental to truly feel like home. 

Buying a house is one of the biggest decisions you can make in your adult life. There are various reasons why a married couple would buy a home under one name. Maybe one spouse has better credit, or perhaps it’s an investment property; either way, you need to understand the terms.

Most tenants are required to put the water bill in their name and pay it on a regular basis. But what if the water bill you received was astronomical, even though you haven’t been using more water than usual? Could it be because of a leak, and are you required to pay, even if it was beyond your control?

Pianos are a staple of many homeowner’s decorative tastes. Not only are they gorgeous and add class to the room they are in, but first and foremost, pianos are powerful instruments. Just like a car needs an oil change to keep running smooth, a piano needs regular tuning to stay sounding its best.

Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, a broken refrigerator can be a source of confusion and frustration in many cases. For tenants and landlords alike, it can be quite difficult to know when the landlord should replace a refrigerator when the need arises.

The heat exchanger in your furnace is a group of tubes and coils. These tubes and coils heat the air that then shoots out into your home or workplace. There are many reasons why your furnace heat exchanger can go bad, and if this happens you need to act quickly.

Relationships between landlords and tenants can often be complicated. Over time it is not uncommon for issues to arise and for disagreements to commence. When you and your landlord have a disagreement it is always a good idea to collect evidence. You should also keep track of all official correspondences. 

Did you know that taking showers and baths can be beneficial to your health? Enhanced blood flow, joint pain relief, and adequate sleep are just a few of the benefits. (Not to mention that they’re soothing!) It’s no surprise that many people enjoy a long, hot shower when they’re finishing up the day.

What is a landlord required to provide? What is the responsibility of the tenant to provide? These are common questions within the scope of the tenant-landlord relationship. These questions cover items like appliances, carpeting, and trash receptacles, among others. Then, there is the question of the windows, and questions such as does a landlord have to provide window coverings?

No one wants to deal with leaky pipes; it wastes water, makes a mess, and just looks bad. But, when you have connections that use fittings and threaded pipes, you can inevitably end up with leaks. Primarily, leaks occur because no one used the proper sealant (or no sealant) during installation or the sealant’s worn out.

When pests wreak havoc on your home, they can be irritating, expensive, and even harmful. If you suspect that you may have bed bugs, the first step is identifying what bed bug eggs look like. Bed bug eggs resemble the eggs of other bugs, so accurate identification is extremely important. 

When you start your house search, it’s only natural to hope your dream home will become a reality. If you find your dream property, then you want to do everything in your power to get the deal done. You may hit a few speed bumps in this process, especially if the seller is unwilling to negotiate on price.

In my years as a young adult, I have seen some situations where renters proved to be serious pigs. As someone who is kind of a neat freak, it makes sense to me that a landlord should require a professional cleaning once a year. I’ve even seen this in rental agreements. But, is asking you to get professional cleaning legal?

When you’re moving, every little detail counts. The packing needs to be done right, the budget has to be on point, and you also have to plan out the logistics. One of the lesser-noted parts of this process involves moving all your stuff into a truck. Most people don’t realize this, but movers are often paid by the hour. Knowing how long it’ll take a moving crew to load a truck, then, makes life a lot easier.

Reversing valves are some of the more important small parts of an HVAC system, especially if you run a heat pump during the winter. During the winter, reversing valves have a tendency of getting locked into place. This makes it very difficult for the valve to adequately do its job. If your valve gets stuck, don’t get frustrated. Get good at loosening it up instead.

A fabulous exterior can hide some interior issues, and this is one of the main reasons why home inspectors are in business these days. A home inspection is used to verify that a house is in good working order and not needing significant repairs.

Mice can be troublemakers and can prove to be a real headache if they are in your home. In dealing with them, you can find they are destructive, and no one likes them in their house. They constantly chew furniture, books, clothing, and electrical wiring, along with other household items. 

Your HVAC system is a complicated piece of equipment. When it is functioning properly, delivering warm or cold air throughout your home, you likely won’t even recognize it. But when issues creep up, it is hard to notice anything but.

You’ve probably come across the names SpacePak and Unico in your search for heating and cooling solutions. They are the leaders in high-velocity HVAC systems. These systems have a lower profile and require less space than your average air conditioning unit. Their supply tubing is more compact than traditional ducts, and they are often used in older homes that have space limitations.

Air conditioning, also referred to as cooling, is more intricate than heating. With heating, energy is used to create heat, whereas, air conditioning systems use energy to remove heat. While you may know how to turn on your air conditioning, do you know which type that you have? Although conventional air conditioning systems are what first comes to mind when you think of cooling, there are other alternatives that use less energy.

Taking a vacation is always an exciting endeavor, but it also can take a lot of planning. This is particularly true if you are a homeowner and are planning to leave your home vacant for an extended period of time.

Heating and cooling are two of the most vital aspects of a home. While it may seem like the obvious answer is to go with central, ductless heating and cooling, that isn’t necessarily an option for everyone.

The only thing worse than coming across a bug in your apartment is finding a mouse. When mice get into your apartment they bring with them harmful diseases and can, and will, chew through boxes to consume your food. Of course, the ideal outcome is to keep them out of your apartment in the first place, but one has already gotten in, you may be wondering: “How do mice get in upstairs apartments?”

Standing water can be a scary sight if you find it near your septic tank, especially it hasn’t rained recently. Septic tanks are necessary for many homeowners, but they can pose a health risk if something goes wrong and it overflows. So, why is there water around your septic tank?

Having someone spy on you is not only creepy, but it also interferes with the quiet enjoyment of your home. Spying is an invasion of your privacy, and you do have rights, even if that person happens to be your landlord.

Connecting to the main sewage line from your house is a convenient and modern way to handle wastewater. Not only is it convenient, but it requires very little maintenance to keep a secure connection from your house to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. To secure a strong connection, a common plumbing component called a sewer tap is used.

A blower motor that works in A/C mode and not heat mode is a perplexing problem. Diagnosing these kinds of problems can be a challenge for a homeowner. Before you call an expensive repair technician, there are some things you should check yourself.

Water heaters are essential in modern homes, and luckily, they are usually easy to rely on. However, they are made of several parts that work together, and just one malfunction can throw the whole system off. So, what should you do when your water heater thermal switch keeps tripping?

When you’re reading about gas meter issues, chances are that you’ve heard mention of a gas meter lock. However, you might not have actually seen a lock on your meter. If you’re like many people who are new to HVAC work, you’re probably wondering what the meter lock is, and how you should remove it. The scoop on this part of your meter reading might surprise you.