Ever Heard of Universal Design? Find Out All About it Here!

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

When designing a home it’s important to think about resell factor. Even if you aren’t planning on selling your home for a very long time it’s an important thing to think about. In order to help you out with the concept of universal design we found this article that we hope will help!

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From the article:

Universal Design is about creating an attractive, stylish space that everyone, regardless of age, size, or ability, can live in or visit. A home with Universal Design makes it easier for residents to live in, and for guests to visit now and in the future, even as everybody’s needs and abilities change.

The parts of a home that work well for everyone are Universal Design features. Incorporating them into your home in the pre-construction stage often adds little cost and is usually much cheaper than remodeling a house with traditional design features.
Having Universal Design features and products in a home makes good sense and can be so attractive that no one notices them ??? except for how easy they are to use.

Essential Universal Design features include:

No-step entry: At least one step-free entrance into your home ??? either through the front, back, or garage door???lets everyone, even those who use a wheelchair, enter the home easily and safely.

Single-floor living: Having a bedroom, kitchen, full bathroom with plenty of maneuvering room, and an entertainment area on the same floor makes life convenient for all families.

Wide doorways and hallways: With your home’s doorways at least 36 inches wide, you can easily move large pieces of furniture or appliances through your home. Similarly, hallways that are 42 inches wide and free of hazards or steps let everyone and everything move in, out, and around easily.

Reachable controls and switches: Anyone ??? even a person in a wheelchair ??? can reach light switches that are from 42-48 inches above the floor, thermostats no higher than 48 inches off the floor, and electrical outlets 18-24 inches off the floor.

Easy-to-use handles and switches: Lever-style door handles and faucets, and rocker light switches, make opening doors, turning on water, and lighting a room easier for people of every age and ability.

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Interested in a smart thermostat? Then checkout this article about smart thermostat that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.aarp.org/home-garden/home-improvement/info-09-2009/what_is_universal_design.html

Looking for Ways to Lower Your Home Energy Costs? Checkout These Ideas!

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Saving money is something that everyone is interested in. Especially when they can find a way to save money on something they have to have, like energy. In order to help you out we found this article with 30 different ideas to lower your home energy costs. We hope it works!

From the article:

With utility bills always on the rise, it’s always useful to reduce your home’s energy consumption.

Here are 30 smart and easy ways to lower your energy costs.

No-Cost Fixes

In winter, open drapes, blinds, or shades on south-facing windows and let the sun warm your rooms. Close window coverings at sundown to help insulate. Clean windows maximize solar gain.

In summer, close drapes, blinds, or shades on east- and west-facing windows. Once the sun sets, open the windows to let the cooler night air in, but remember to close and lock ground floor windows before retiring for the night.

Use heat-generating appliances (washers, dryers, or ovens) during the morning or evening when it???s cooler. This reduces the load on your air conditioner in the summer and helps heat the house in the winter.

Low- and Higher-Cost Fixes

Install weather stripping or caulk around doors and windows, and place foam gaskets behind outlet plate covers on exterior walls. If there is a gap at the bottom of the door, install a door sweep or door shoe gasket.

Replace incandescent lightbulbs, especially in high-use areas, with Energy Star?? compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). While they cost more, compact fluorescent bulbs use much less energy than incandescent bulbs and last a lot longer and are better for the environment.

Install white shades or blinds on windows to reflect heat away from the house if you live in a warm climate. If there isn???t enough roof overhang to shield windows from direct sun, consider installing awnings over west and southfacing windows. They will not only block solar heat, but will also protect furnishings from UV damage.

Ask your utility company to do an energy audit. The cost for an audit varies but some companies offer free audits for low income households.

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Interested in a smart thermostat? Then checkout this article about smart thermostat that could be of interest to you.
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Have Questions About Homeowner’s Insurance? Get Them Answered Here!

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

After purchasing a home and getting homeowners insurance it can be difficult to know what exactly the insurance covers and what it doesn’t. In order to help you out we found this article with 11 things you didn’t know about homeowner’s insurance. We hope it helps answer your questions!

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From the article:

Think you know everything about your home insurance policy? Is that because you understand the difference between dwelling coverage and personal liability protection? Because you know that floods aren???t covered by standard home insurance?

Think again. You might know more than most, but you probably don???t know everything about your policy ??? unless you???ve read the fine print and committed it to memory. And who???s got time for that? However you don???t want to find yourself stuck without coverage you thought you had. Here are some lesser known coverage nuances you likely weren???t aware of.

It???s electric
When it comes to problems caused by electricity ??? or lack of it ??? coverage varies according to the situation. Two potential issues:

Lightning. Your house is covered if it???s struck by lightning, even if the item struck is your air conditioning unit. You will, however, still have to pay your deductible. (This is true for nearly all the situations in which you???re covered.)

Losses caused by power failure. If lightning strikes a transformer in your neighborhood and knocks out power for several hours, you???re not covered for items ruined in your refrigerator or standalone freezer. However you could purchase extra coverage for this.

The friendly skies
When it comes to aircraft, your coverage protection can be up in air. Check out these scenarios:

An airplane crashes into your house. If you???re at home when this happens, you???ve probably got other concerns. But yes, you are covered for damage to your home should an airplane crash into it.

Damage to an aircraft kept on your property. If that plane is yours, is on the ground and gets damaged through vandalism, fire, a tree falling on it or any other reason, a standard homeowners policy typically won???t help with the repairs.

A satellite crashes into your house. Every few weeks, you hear about long-dead satellites or other pieces of space debris falling victim to gravity and crashing to the ground. And if one hits your house? Yes, you typically are covered. And manmade objects aren???t the only items covered. Standard home insurance also usually covers harm to your home done by meteors.

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Ever considered doing a home inventory? Then checkout this article about doing a home inventory that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.zillow.com/blog/11-facts-about-homeowners-policy-153338/

Looking to Get a Mortgage? Follow These Tips to Get the Best Mortgage Possible!

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Buying a house is stressful. Finding the right house is just one part of the equation. Getting financing to be able to afford it is another part of the equation. In order to help you get the best mortgage possible we found this article with 7 tips. We hope it helps make your dream home a reality!

From the article:

As the real estate market begins to perk up, many people find themselves in a good position to start looking for a home. Even though interest rates continue to hover at the lower end of the spectrum, shopping for a mortgage is still a tricky process, especially if you???re doing it for the first time. But don???t fret. These seven steps will help you navigate the treacherous waters of mortgage shopping, and they???ll save you time and money in the process.

1. Have your credit report ready
Lenders use your credit score as one of the major factors in determining if you will get approved for a loan, as well as what kind of interest rates you qualify for. That is why it???s important to review your report at least once a year to make sure everything is in order. If there are any errors that affect your credit score, you could be missing out on a few points here and there that will make a huge difference when you walk into a loan office. Interest rates could skyrocket, or you could even be denied a loan if your score is lacking.

If you can, try to get a credit report at least six months prior to applying for a loan. You will have time to review it and get in touch with a credit agency if you find any errors. You also can use this time to start sprucing your score up a bit by avoiding big purchases that put your finances in jeopardy and not opening up any more lines of credit.

2. Work on improving your debt-to-income ratio
Your debt-to-income ratio is the amount of money you make versus how much you owe. Lenders also take this into consideration when you apply for a loan, so it might be a good idea to try to reduce your debt or increase your income. Make bigger payments on credit card debt to boost your ratio, or pay off any outstanding loans you may have. You will be a more desirable candidate, and you might save some money in the long run.

3. Plan for a big down payment
A big down payment saves you lot of money. Save up for the biggest down payment you can afford so you can take advantage of bigger loans, smaller interest rates, and more attractive closing fees. It also helps lenders determine your property???s loan-to-value ratio. Most loan programs usually require a down payment that falls somewhere between 5 percent to 20 percent. In some cases, if you can???t afford a 20 percent down payment, your lender might require you to pay for mortgage insurance because they???re increasing their loss risk by loaning you more money.

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Looking to make some easy upgrades around your home? Then checkout this article about easy home upgrades that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.zillow.com/blog/7-tips-to-get-the-best-mortgage-153939/

Looking for Fun Backyard Ideas for Your Family? Check These Out!

Posted on August 4, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

With kids it’s difficult to know how to design your outside space to meet your kids’ needs as well as your own. For some fun ideas we found this article with elements to include. We hope you find something your whole family will love!

From the article:

Summer is around the corner???and if you have a case of cabin fever as bad as mine, then you just can???t wait for the sunny days to come. There???s just something special about being able to walk out into the sunshine without a care in the world and enjoy your very own slice of nature in the form of a backyard.

I know that not everyone who reads Remodelaholic has an enormous backyard???and some of you might not have any yard at all. But even if all you have to enjoy nature outside your doorstep is a small balcony, there are ways you can make that space fun for young and old alike. I???ve collected a bunch of ideas here for making your backyard FUN. And guess what? Most of them don???t include a pool installation! I???m a firm believer that yards can be enjoyed DIY style, so many of these ideas could be completed without hiring a professional???or modified to fit in small spaces. I???ve started this list with things that make backyards fun for kids, but if kids don???t visit your yard, feel free to scroll further down the list for ideas that are geared a little more towards adults.

Sandboat

Multi-level Playscape

Giant Outdoor Chess/Checkers

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Have a hard time balancing your work and life? Then checkout this article with work life balance that could be of interest to you.
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For all the ideas click here: http://www.remodelaholic.com/2013/04/beautiful-backyards-for-families/

Love Disney Attractions? Checkout These Ones That Weren’t Built!

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Disney can be a lot of fun for the entire family. For some families it’s all about planning their next trip. We found this great article with 12 different attractions that were proposed but not built. We hope you enjoy dreaming about experiencing them one day with us!

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From the article:

Walt Disney once said, ???It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.??? Well, my fine-mustachioed icon, it may have been fun, but sometimes it is simply impossible. The Disney theme parks had their fair share of true never-lands and rides???and here are 12 of them.

ISRAEL PAVILION (EPCOT)

In 1980, the State of Israel signed a deal to officially become part of Epcot. The proposed Israel Pavilion would have featured a menorah in the center of the courtyard, along with archaeological artifacts from The Jewish Museum in Tel Aviv. But due to possible security issues and boycotts, the Pavilion wasn???t built. Still, Israel was featured in an exhibit at the Millennium Pavilion from 1999 to 2001. It featured a simulator-movie ride called Journey to Jerusalem, a virtual tour of historic holy sites.

ATLANTIS EXPEDITION (DISNEYLAND)

Photo courtesy Imagineering Disney This premise was a reinvention of the Submarine Voyage ride. Patrons would use a mechanical arm that extended into the water, so they could get a chance to grab some doubloons and gems. It was based on the animated film Atlantis, but due to its failure at the box office, the ride never came to fruition. In its place now is Finding Nemo???s Submarine Voyage.

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ROLLER COASTER (DISNEY???S AMERICA)

Photo courtesy of The Neverland Files Due to be part of Disney’s America, a proposed theme park in Haymarket, Virginia, this roller coaster would have traveled through a turn-of-the-century steel mill. The high point of the ride would have been evading a vat of molten steel. Sadly, the park was never built, and neither was this coaster.

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Looking to travel this year? Then checkout this article with travel destinations that could be of interest to you.
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Checkout all the attractions here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/31873/12-proposed-disney-attractions-were-never-built

Loved Sesame Street as a Kid? It’s Not the Same Show Anymore!

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

When a show has been around as long as Sesame Street has you’d expect there to be some changes over the years as technology improves and to add new story lines. You don’t expect it to be so different though that the original episodes wouldn’t even be appropriate for children to watch today but that’s the case if you can believe it or not. We found this article with ten different classic scenes (videos included) that wouldn’t be aired today. We hope you find it educational and humorous!

From the article:

When the Children’s Television Workshop unleashed Sesame Street on the world in 1969, it sparked a revolution in television programming. For the first time, TV was supposed to educate children as well as entertain them ??? make learning fun, using techniques developed through years of rigorous research. Parents across the U.S. had a TV show they could feel safe letting their kids watch.

When you buy the first season on DVD or iTunes today, though, it comes with a warning:
These early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.

For parents today, especially those who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s, this is not your child’s Sesame Street. For one thing, Sesame Street has become pretty gentrified over the past 45 years ??? New York provides some examples. For another thing, “Prozacky Elmo didn’t exist,” says Virginia Heffernan in The New York Times Magazine, in a remembrance that both playfully mocks today’s heightened sensibilities and notes some real differences between the Sesame Street of yore and today’s more sanitized version.

“Oscar seems irredeemably miserable ??? hypersensitive, sarcastic, misanthropic,” Heffernan notes. “Bert, too, is described as grouchy; none of the characters, in fact, is especially sunshiney except maybe Ernie, who also seems slow.”

Sesame Street’s current producers also cite Cookie Monster’s dietary choices (including a pipe, after he smokes it for a while), the children shown riding bikes without a helmet and running through a construction site, and, in the opening scene of the very first episode, a young girl being shown around Sesame Street by a grown man, Gordon, who is not her father and is holding her hand.

It’s true that most of those things wouldn’t make it on children’s TV today. But those aren’t the only strange or even slightly disturbing early Sesame Street moments that wouldn’t pass muster with today’s sensibilities.

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Looking for ways to entertain your child without technology? Then checkout this article with technology free ideas for kids that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://theweek.com/article/index/254157/10-classic-sesame-street-moments-we-wouldnt-show-todays-kids

Looking to Avoid a House Fire? Avoid These Hidden Home Hazards!

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

No one wants to think about a fire happening to them. In order to help you protect your family and your home we found this great article with helpful information on the hidden home hazards that can start a fire in your home. We hope it keeps you and your family safe!

From the article:

Most of us know not to leave burning candles unattended or overload our outlets, but firefighters still respond to about 370,000 home blazes every year, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Experts reveal surprising hazards and how to avoid unwittingly fanning the flames.

Wiring

???People don???t think of wiring as a danger, because it???s out of sight behind walls,??? says Lorraine Carli of the NFPA. But electrical fires have accounted for more than 50,000 home blazes a year, plus $1.5 billion in property damage. And seemingly innocuous acts, like driving screws into a wall to hang a mirror, can easily pierce wiring. One good fix: Replace circuit breakers with arc-fault circuit interrupters (found in hardware stores for about $30. These safeguards detect dangerous electrical arcs???abnormal sparks that signal bad insulation or loose connections???and stop them before they start a fire.

Vintage Appliances

That 1930s fan you found in your parents’ attic. The industrial light you snapped up for $10 at a yard sale. The vintage chrome coffeemaker from eBay. Old-???fashioned plug-ins look great and may still run, but they were made according to antiquated safety codes and may include frayed or damaged wires. Have them rewired, and, in general, stick with modern equipment that comes with a UL mark, signifying that Underwriters Laboratories has vouched for the item’s safety in actual use

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Looking for more information on house fire causes? Then checkout this article with prevent house fires that could be of interest to you.
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For all the hazards click here: http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20567755,00.html

Looking for Life Hacks to Make Parenting Easier? Try These!

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Jeremy Leake

Parenting is hard work. It’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for many, many, many years. As a parent we try almost anything we can to make it just a little easier. In order to help you we found this article with 35 different life hacks that we hope will help you be the best parent you can be, with just a little less stress!

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If you need Baton Rouge dryer vent cleaning services, then Dryer Vents Plus< is your #1 choice! Call Jeremy Leake today at 225-612-7752 to schedule your 100% Free, No Obligation Quote! ----------------- From the article:

Bathe your child in a laundry basket so that their toys don???t float away.

Repurpose a pool noodle to become a toddler-proof door stopper.

Keep your toddler from slamming doors, getting locked out, and from getting woken up by closing doors.

Fill a glove with pearled barley or beans, give a few pats with it, and then slip away stealthily into the night.

Just make sure you sew the glove shut so the filling doesn???t slip out and turn into a choking hazard.

Push your kid on a swing from afar using a string or rope.

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Want to avoid parenting pitfalls? Then checkout this article about parenting pitfalls to avoid that could be of interest to you.
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For all the life hacks click here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/36-little-hacks-that-will-make-parenting-so-much-easier

Putting Your House on the Market and Wondering if You Should Replace Lighting Fixtures? Find Out Here!

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Jeremy Leake

Putting your home on the market can be stressful. Not knowing what you should focus on around your home can almost be as stressful. If you’re wondering if you should replace the light fixtures in your home you should read this article originally published in the New York Times and then decide. Hope it helps!

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From the article:

Q. Should I replace my outdated ceiling light fixtures before listing my home for sale?

A. ???When preparing a new listing for marketing, one of the first things I look at is the light fixtures,??? said Rado Varchola, a senior vice president at Nest Seekers International real estate in Manhattan. ???In most cases, it could have a negative impact if the fixtures are dated.???

Ideally, ceiling-mounted fixtures should have a clean, streamlined look, Mr. Varchola said, so buyers do not focus on the wrong things. Dusty fixtures, track lighting and ceiling fans are all generally undesirable, he said, because they reflect choices from earlier decades.

In newly constructed apartment buildings, the main living spaces often do not have electrical wiring for ceiling fixtures.

???They usually only put them in the kitchens and the bathrooms,??? Mr. Varchola said, ???not the bedrooms and living rooms.???

Either way, he added, it???s not the best place to make a big design statement.

Ceiling fixtures can be an asset if you choose ones that are simple and unobtrusive, said Tori Golub, a New York interior designer.

???Ceiling fixtures are great for changing the atmosphere of your space,??? she said. ???But they should be sort of innocuous, blend in with the surroundings and not scream of any particular style.???

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Looking to improve the look of your home but don’t have a lot of time? Checkout this article with information on how to improve home on weekends for busy homeowners that could be of interest to you.
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Read the entire article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/03/garden/should-i-replace-outdated-ceiling-lighting-fixtures.html?ref=realestate&_r=1&