Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Sometimes You Need Professional Installation

If you are remodeling your current home, working on updates at a rental property or need to quickly replace and install an appliance, you may have thought about handling the job on your own. There are plenty of jobs you can handle, but in most cases, unless you are licensed as an electrician or general contractor, it makes sense to hire a professional when it comes to installing major appliances.

Done Right Professional Appliance Installation
Some home improvement centers offer free installation if you purchase one of their in-store products, but you may only get base-level installation and setup. If you attempt to install appliances on your own, you may overlook measurements and proper disposal of old appliances. Additionally, you may accidentally damage the existing electrical wires when attempting to remove the old appliance. You can also cause damage to your floors if you are maneuvering a refrigerator or range out of your kitchen. With appliances like kitchen ranges and certain stoves, you have to worry about exhaust pipes and connectors when assembling and disassembling appliances.

If you are looking for oven installation in Washington DC, you may want to hire a professional to install your new appliance. Not only can a kitchen installation expert handle a variety of sizes, brands, and styles of appliances, but they will also work to make sure the installation is completely up to code and will dispose of your old units safely and efficiently. From running new gas lines to replacing connectors and hoses, licensed and insured installation companies take the hassle and guesswork out of replacing, maintaining and installing new kitchen appliances.

Many home remodeling companies and installation experts also carry a wide range of home appliances in their showroom. This offers customers a hassle-free, one-stop-shop way of purchasing the appliances and services needed for the job in one fell swoop.

While you can take on your home remodeling project on your own with the assistance of online videos and tutorials, there are some projects that will just go more smoothly when you hire a professional. It's worth it to save yourself a lot of time and frustration. Just be sure to check for credentials and references before signing a contract.

Feast Checklist


✔ Condo reserved
✔ Airplane tickets purchased
✔ Airport parking reserved
✔ Rental cars reserved
    Now, to figure out how to pack - when I'm used to being able to take whatever I want, since we usually take the minivan and the trailer. How am I supposed to get everything I need into one suitcase? Time to start watching helpful packing videos.

    I do always take way more than I really need...

    Feel free to share any packing tips you have! I do have some time to figure it out.

    Tuesday, July 17, 2018

    Air Conditioning is Important in Florida

    Air Conditioner Do OverDuring the winter months we're all pretty jealous of those who live in Florida. We've got freezing temperatures and snow-covered roads, and they've shirt sleeve and shorts weather. But come spring and summer, they're all suffering - unless they can live at the beach or spend all their time indoors in the air conditioning. Floridians rely on always having a properly working AC system in their homes, especially during the summer months.

    I have friends here in the Midwest who think properly working air conditioning is pretty important, too. Oftentimes they're talking about turning on the air conditioner or complaining that it quit - and I haven't even realized it was supposedly hot enough for air conditioning.  If your home has poor air circulation, or you have small children, elderly family members, or an expectant mom in your household, I know air conditioning can be very important at times.

    There are a few things you can do to have a proper AC in your home.

    Search Out AC System Companies

    If it's time for a new AC system, some repairs to your current system, or just some regular maintenance, search out AC system companies in your area. Look online and research companies to find one with a good history of making people happy in regards to their AC system. Read all those reviews. A great example would be Gulf Shore Cooling, which is among the best ac companies in fort myers. Besides installing and repairing AC systems, they also repair furnaces and other hardware in the home.

    Get A Good Warranty

    Whether you have a traditional air conditioner or central air, you should do your best to get a decent warranty with your AC system. Some of my friends had their air conditioner go out last week. After a bit of scrambling, they were able to get it fixed for just the cost of a service call, because it was still under warranty. That was a huge relief to them - in more ways than one!

    A properly working AC system is important, especially in Florida and on hot summer days everywhere.

    Hiring a Waste Disposal Company

    Do you need to rent a large dumpster for a large renovation project? Every year for Camp Outreach we rent one. The first year I went, I spent an afternoon working to fill it up with all the debris from the projects we worked on that week. This year, I just happened to be in the parking lot when the dumpster was delivered, so I got the process on video. If you've never seen this, it's quite interesting.



    You may not need an entire dumpster, but perhaps you need someone to come pick up an old appliance that you are throwing away. For either one of these situations, you could require the services of a waste disposal company. There are many companies that are in this line of work. However, it would be a mistake to simply hire the first one that you come across. Thoroughly check out each waste disposal company in your area before making a decision.

    Here are a few tips for hiring one of these companies:
    1. Reach out to some of the people you know who have done business with waste disposal companies in the past. These people will know more about hiring a waste disposal company than you do and can be an invaluable source of advice.
      Here is a list of questions to ask:
      • What was the name of the company they hired? 
      • What services did the company perform for them? 
      • Were they generally pleased with the quality of the company's service? 
      • Did the company charge a fair price for the amount of work they did? 
      • Would they hire the same company again in the future? 

  • The Better Business Bureau can be very helpful in situations like this. Go to the BBB site and look for companies that perform waste management Pasco County. The BBB should have a few waste disposal companies in your area profiled on their website. Read through everything they have posted about each company. You'll be able to learn about the history of the company and get some helpful information to determine if the company is good or if they should be avoided.
     
  • Talk to each company to find out what their specific price is going to be. Have a firm understanding of the price you will need to pay and exactly what the company is going to do for you before you agree to hire any waste disposal company. And get it in writing, so there won't be any surprises later. 

  • The more information you have, the more equipped you will be to choose the company that is best for your needs.

    Friday, July 13, 2018

    Getting Care At Home

    Judy (me) and MotherIf you've been on the fence about whether to use a caregiver in the home or to take your loved one to a nursing facility, here are a few good reasons to consider. In-home caregiver agencies can be very beneficial to the client.
    • There isn't any place like home for recovery after surgery, after an illness, or during your loved one's last years of life. An in-home caregiver makes it possible for clients to remain in familiar and comfortable surroundings instead of being in an environment where they don't know anyone.
       
    • The caregiver can keep the family together. Sometimes, family members might not be able to go to a nursing facility to visit a family member, but it's much easier to make visits to the person's home. There are sometimes restrictions as to who can visit residents in a nursing facility if there are illnesses, which you won't need to abide by if your family member remains at home. Clients can maintain the independence that they have when they stay in their home. They can watch television, take a shower or bath, and take part in the other daily activities that they are accustomed to but with the assistance of a caregiver who can ensure that the person is safe in the home.
       
    • Staying at home promotes faster healing than being in a nursing facility where you are unsure of your surroundings and might not receive the proper medical attention that you need at all times. Although it does cost money to hire a caregiver, it's not as expensive as using the services offered by a nursing facility, and your family member can keep any government assistance or social security payments instead of turning them over to the facility. Staying at home with a caregiver is often safer as the person knows where everything is located and will have the assistance of someone throughout the day to help with walking and other activities. 

    Thursday, July 12, 2018

    When You Really Need the Survey Link

    I went to the grocery store today. I've been putting it off as long as possible because I just got back from Camp Outreach on the 1st - and there is enough shopping leading up to and during Camp that I just don't want to do it again until I absolutely have to. But sometimes you just need food in the house, so I loaded digital coupons to my account, made my list, and went to my local Pay-Less grocery store. (Not that we actually didn't have food in the house; we just needed some of the basics like eggs and bread and lettuce. We could probably eat for several months, just maybe not exactly what we might want.)

    Sometimes my receipts include a link to fill out a survey. I don't always do them, and often they're a bit annoying, asking me why I didn't rate my visit as Highly Satisfactory. I guess they got tired of me saying that it was just an ordinary shopping trip - nothing to get all excited about but nothing to complain about either - because I haven't gotten a survey link in a while.

    Today I was really hoping for one. Though I wouldn't have rated them Highly Satisfactory today, either...

    I bought a 32 oz. carton of Simple Truth plain yogurt today. The sign said the yogurt was on sale 2/$5.00 or $2.50 each, and there was the additional digital coupon for 50¢ off, which I could have used 5 times in that transaction, but I only needed the one carton. When I checked my receipt after checkout, the yogurt had rung up for $5.79. I found the yogurt in the ad while waiting at the service desk, and wondered if perhaps I had grabbed the wrong type of yogurt - Greek as opposed to regular. When Alise (the young lady at the service desk) came to help me, I told her that I thought maybe I'd just grabbed the wrong kind, but she glanced at the ad, told me that it was the right yogurt, but I had to buy 2 of them to get the sale price.

    Ummm, since when?

    I told her that No, it has never worked that way; I can buy any quantity and get the sale price - unless it's a special sale where it is specifically advertised that way. I went back to the department and took a picture of the shelf tag stating that the sale price was 2/$5.00 or $2.50 each.

    BUT...

    Alise still insisted that I had to buy 2 to get the sale price. I really only needed one, but I told her to go ahead and ring up two - better to pay $5.00 for 2 cartons than $5.79 for only 1 - and I would go back and grab the second one before leaving the store. I also told her I wanted to be sure I could use the second 50¢ coupon that I would have had taken off if I'd bought both together. So, she rang it up and gave me 79¢ cents back. When I questioned the amount - $5.00 for 2 cartons of yogurt minus $1.00 in coupons should equal $4.00. So, since I paid $5.29 - $5.79 minus 50¢ - for the original carton, the difference should have been $1.29 NOT 79¢. When I questioned it, she printed out the adjustment receipt - $5.29 credit, 2 cartons of yogurt at $2.50 each, minus a 50¢ coupon - equals 79¢. Which seems to work, but I actually lost 50¢ somewhere in there... 

    Now, perhaps the store has recently changed things so that we actually do have to buy things in the quantities advertised, but I haven't seen anything letting me know of this change. Alise said that she's worked at this store for over a year, AND she had asked a fellow employee, who also said that I should have had to buy 2 to get the sale price. What she couldn't tell me was WHEN this became effective. If the sales really do work this way now, I'd really like to know. Otherwise, somebody needs to let the employees know that just because something is advertised as 2/$5.00 (or 10/$10), doesn't mean we have to buy in those exact quantities - unless otherwise specified. There are some sales that work that way, but those are always clearly marked.

    Also, when I went to grab my 2nd carton of yogurt, I realized that YES, I had grabbed the wrong type - the Greek yogurt was in the wrong place right behind the sign. The Greek yogurt was on sale for $5.79. The regular yogurt was on sale for $2.50 per carton. So, I put the Greek yogurt in its place and pulled 2 of the regular, from the back of the case, since that is what I paid for.

    And I sent an email to Kroger customer service.

    Wednesday, July 11, 2018

    Clean Air at Home is Extremely Important

    3 Things to Know About Your Indoor Air Quality & How It Affects Your HealthIt is already hard enough to breathe just with all of the chemicals and pollution that are released into the atmosphere on a daily basis. Cigarette smoke, car exhaust, perfumes and colognes, you name it. For those of us who are sensitive to these things, it gets harder and harder to go out in public. Thankfully, it is still possible to have clean air at home - except when the neighbors decide to burn a big pile of brush or hire someone to spray chemicals on their yard when my windows are wide open. But maybe that's just me...

    And I really don't want to stay closed up inside my house all the time using the furnace in the winter and going straight to air conditioning in the summer, never letting any fresh air in. At least as long as there is fresh air to be found.

    At least inside the house, I have control over the air quality. I try to use natural products like vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide for cleaning, and I've started using essential oils and diffusers to freshen the air. I never could stand those 'air fresheners' in the aerosol can; they just tend to make things worse.

    One of the biggest challenges to clean air in the home can come from water damage and mold. Thankfully we don't have a problem with that, but haven't we all heard about people who have discovered mold in their homes and can no longer live in them? That has to be absolutely devastating. Water damage, whether it's caused by flooding from rains, a tornado going through your neighborhood, a plumbing leak, or something else, is something you want to take care of immediately so that it doesn't cause further problems.

    For something like that, I think it's best to hire the professionals and get it taken care of right the first time. You'll want to choose a company that has been in business a long time and handled every problem imaginable in this field.  Choose a fire damage restoration houston tx company that has the proper equipment to handle fire damage, water damage, and mold the right way.

    And when the neighbor is burning that brush? Close the windows and be thankful that at least the air inside the house is breathable.