Can You Have Your AC as the Main Source in the Winter

 

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Making sure your home is warm at this time of year, especially with the current looming Covid state, is priority number one. There’s a number of options on the market, but if HVAC is your choice then there are some things you should know about maintaining your unit to ensure it provides a steady service during the cold months.

I wanted to use my AC unit this winter as my main heating source so I talked to experts at the Allied Experts to learn more about what I need to do to ensure I am covered 24/7 without any major or unexpected malfunction.

Check Your Air Vents

It’s not only the clear way for air to flow that matters, but also the quality of that air. If you want to ensure you have both, and more importantly if you want your AC to perform well and not spend more energy than needed, then this simple cleaning method will bring great results. When you clean your home you should remember to check your air vents.

This way you will enable an unobstructed flow of air inside your living space and be one step closer to fully relying on your AC. Not only that, the quality of air is maybe even more important because you want to reduce the risk of any illness at these difficult times.

Don’t Forget About Air Filters

Air filter Is probably a part of your HVAC that requires the most attention. You should remember to clean it at least twice a year and replace it maybe once a year, depending on the use. This is important for a number of reasons. Yet again, the quality of the air you breathe plays a major role here, but also you want your AC to provide desired heat without pushing itself to work harder which can happen if air filters are clogged and preventing proper airflow. Ignoring this problem that can be quickly resolved is not an option.

Is The Thermostat Working?

A malfunctioning thermostat on HVAC is not the biggest deal, but it might still cause trouble and hinder the overall performance. If you have any doubts that it is showing a wrong temperature you should recalibrate it, change batteries, or if you are using an old mechanical thermostat, this is the perfect time to replace it with a new, digital one. By doing so you’d enable a much more user-friendly experience that allows you to manipulate temperatures in your home even when you are away.

Check the Insulation

No matter how expensive an AC unit you own is and how well you maintain it, you should not expect stellar performance if the living space is not insulated properly. No amount of energy spent can compensate for cracks in your walls or windows that are going to suck out most of the heat. This issue is not directly connected to your AC, but to ensure a warm home you need to double-check everything is insulated properly before putting the blame on your unit which might be in perfect condition.

Outdoors Unit

Many people neglect that other part and take it for granted, but the outdoors unit also needs some love especially during the cold months when you plan to put it to heavy use. What you need to do is prepare it for winter to prevent pipes from bursting. Ice can form inside and prevent fans from rotating properly. The best course of action here is to call a professional to prepare your outdoor unit before you can safely use it for the remainder of winter.

Professional Help

If you don’t feel comfortable performing any of these tasks you should schedule a visit from a pro to help. Since every AC unit needs regular maintenance, you can also arrange for someone to come over before the start of every season you plan to put the HVAC to use. This way you will secure the best performance.
 

Building Up or Out With Room Additions

 

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If your home has become too small for you, you basically have two broad options. You can either sell your home and buy a bigger one that suits your needs, or you can add a room or rooms that you are missing.

Seeing how buying and selling a house just because of its size is a bit inconvenient, we discussed room additions with professionals from https://larsadditions.com/ about room additions. Specifically, what is the best way to build the extra rooms – whether to build an additional story to your home, or expanding the size of the ground floor.

You Can Also Go Down

One of the first things that we learned is that a surprising number of people choose neither of the typical options, and choose to adapt or even expand their basement into a living space that they lack.

Even though that might be a suitable idea for some, it is largely not the best idea. If you are looking for a room which will only be used periodically, like a personal gym or a home cinema, adapting the basement is a realistic option.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more permanent room, like a bedroom or living space, most contractors will tell you that it’s better to build above ground. In some cases, expanding the basement is not an option, usually due to the type of foundation or the high water table in your area.

Building Your Home Up

The most common and preferred direction to expand your home is certainly up. Seeing how it doesn’t require the expansion of the area that your house takes up on your property, it is ideal for those whose properties do not allow easy expansion to the sides.

There is another important advantage to building up – the cost. When you’re building a second story to your house, what you are basically doing is adding the wooden frames and the walls. The roof can remain the same if you have a skilled contractor, and the foundation doesn’t have to change.

There are some structural changes you need to make to your home, like adding indoor stairs and reinforcing the support walls, but those are minor issues. One thing you do need to be careful about is the zoning regulations, specifically about the maximum height of your home.

Partial Second Floor Additions

If your budget is constrained, or you don’t require a doubling of the square footage of your home, there is another option – building a partial second floor.

Typically, people build additional rooms over garages or just one wing of the house. This way, you can have the additional space, but still manage to live in the house during the building
process.

Building Out

In most cases, building out is the most expensive option. However, this option is preferred by families with small children and those with mobility issues like seniors. It also tends to be a quieter option as there is nobody on the top floor walking (or more likely running if it’s children).

This type of home additions also enables you to play around with different ceiling heights, skylights, and even half-levels, making your home more your own.

Sadly, the disadvantage of building your home out is the cost, as mentioned before. If you’re building out, you are not only expanding the walls, you’re also adding more foundation (which in turn requires digging, fill rock, and a lot of concrete), as well as more roof to cover the new parts of your house.

All of these things add up and compound with the actual cost of the room addition.

If you’re considering a room addition, your best move would be to consult an expert and have them lay out your options with the rough cost estimates and then decide which option suits your needs the most.

Five ways to look stylish with a Full Sleeve T-shirt for men

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A versatile piece of men’s fashion, T-shirts have become one of the most staple elements in every man’s closet. Full sleeve T-shirts are something which a lot of guys don’t own in their wardrobes. However, a Full-sleeve T-shirt is a fashion-forward addition to have in your wardrobe.

A smart-casual piece, full sleeve T-shirts are available in different shades, styles, and sizes to look nifty and relaxed.

How your T-shirt should fit

This easy-to-wear basic outfit can also be the most challenging item in your wardrobe when choosing the right size. That’s because if it’s too tight, it will cling to you and highlight the body parts you want to hide, and if it’s too loose, it will look like a nightshirt. Here are some features you need to focus on.

●    Arms – the shirt’s sleeves should be at the upper arm’s center between the shoulder and the elbow without the sleeves being too tight.
●    Torso – length of the T-shirt must fall below the beltline.
●    Shoulders – ensure that the seams of your Tee are in line with your shoulder line.
●    Stomach – the midsection can be difficult to tackle as you might find it easy to opt for a bigger size, especially if you don’t have a six-pack. At such time, if your T-shirt fits well except the middle, go a size up but choose a slim cut.

That said, here are five different ways to look stylish with full sleeves T-shirts.

1. Comfortable and smart

Men’s fashion is connected to smart casual, making the outfit transitional. For a sporty, stylish appearance, pair long-sleeved T-shirt with chinos. Choose a color block T-shirt or go with a single solid colored long T-shirt that is simple and comfortable but still gives you a cheerful personality.

2. Dare to Experiment

If you are willing to experiment with your whole look, then match your T-shirt with a printed, patterned, or graphic T-shirts. This will give off a complete “bad boy” vibe to your look.

Ideally, we recommend going for classic contrasting shades of grey and navy blue. Such colors are tried and tested to work wonders on men’s style. It emphasizes masculinity and is ideal for men who want to look sportive on a lazy day. Kick up your fashion quotient a notch by matching the T-shirt with ripped or faded skinny jeans. The key is to choose the right contrast.

3. Don’t overdress the look

Planning a casual date or attending a formal event? You certainly don’t want to appear overdressed. The best way is to go for a neutral look. On such occasions, it is better to go for a black long sleeve shirt with a criss-cross drawstring on the neck for an elegant look. Layer it with a plaid designed dinner jacket. It not only enhances your look but also adds a twist to the usual stagnant wardrobe.

4. Weekend wear

The weekend is for family and friends and a very much about “me” time. To look and feel your best, pair your T-shirt with blue and black shorts. You can also go for Raglan long sleeve shirts that are available online for men giving your wardrobe a whole new personality. Complete the look with a pair of white sneakers.

5. Holiday look

Are you looking forward to holiday? Choose an airport outfit that handles fashion and function with absolute ease. After all, it would be best if you had an outfit that is comfortable and easy when you are on the move.

At such times, go with the muted shades of the season. The polyester long-sleeve T-shirt with ripped sweatpants is best recommended for a comfortable airport look. Also, pair some great sneakers to add a neat vibe to your whole look. Choose from the collection of reds, green, blue, and other brighter colors.

Conclusion

Full sleeve T-shirts is undoubtedly one of the evergreen elements in men’s fashion. A timeless and versatile clothing piece, it serves as the building block for various dress codes. With numerous choices to choose from – style and color, it is vital to make an experiment to create your style and individuality. Pair them with chinos, trousers, desert boots, loafers, and much more – the options are limitless.

Improve Your Quality of Life by Hiring a House Cleaner

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This year has shown that we all need to take a step back and care more about ourselves and the people close to us. One of the ways to achieve that is to ensure that the environment we spend most of our time in, i.e. our home is clean and safe. This is achieved through constant cleaning which is a pretty daunting task even if you live alone in a small apartment.

To be able to keep up with this demand you need to ensure you have enough time and energy every day to spend on cleaning. I wanted to know whether there’s some workaround, and luckily there is. Annapolis home cleaners opened up so many new possibilities for my free time when they explained how useful a professional made is.

Professional Quality

One of the perks of hiring an experienced maid is that you can rest assured that your home is not only going to look pretty but more importantly, it would become a safe and healthy place, especially now that you need to avoid as much risk as possible. Not many people would buy expensive equipment or cleaning agents to only use them occasionally with poor results.

It is more efficient to pay experts to do this for you while you can focus on the more important stuff. Expect a thorough, regular, and efficient job that is going to save you so much precious time. You can rest assured that all those difficult-to-reach corners of your home or stains you failed to get rid of are going to be dealt with. Your job is to sit back, relax, and let professionals do their best.

More Time for Hobbies

We all know how important it is to have free time as much as possible. You can acquire more time for yourself if you ask for help from others. If you can let someone else do a better job than you, why waste any more of your time? A maid can relieve you of this boring chore and open up new possibilities for you to enjoy the rest of your day.

You spend that time chatting with your friends, watch your favorite show, read a book, or just take a good old nap. The possibilities are endless, and I think it really is worth the money you invest because time is a resource we can never earn back, and why waste it on chores?

A Service Made for You

The most convenient thing about cleaning service is that you don’t have to adjust your everyday routine so that a maid can come. You decide when it best suits you, and if you want to completely avoid being present while your house is getting cleaned, you can go out for a walk. The best way to use this service to the fullest is to schedule regular visits ahead of time. This way you will ensure your home is always free of germs, bacteria, and dirt.

As you can see the pros are countless, the cons are almost nonexistent. There’s no point wasting time and effort doing something you don’t like. The logic is simple here, you want the best results, and to achieve that you pay for a professional service. This concerns not only cleaning but any other service you use. You don’t cut your own hair, sew your own clothes, or bake your own bread. I mean you can, but you usually don’t so there’s no valid reason why you shouldn’t hire a maid to care about the cleanliness of your home.

Proper Way to Dry a Home Damaged by Water Damage

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After house fires, water damage is perhaps the most destructive type of damage that can happen to your home. Whether it is from an external source, like from a storm or a river flooding, or from an internal source, like a slab leak, most people aren’t aware just how destructive and dangerous water can be.

And even once the water has been removed, the danger and damage aren’t resolved – there’s a long process of remediation ahead of you. We reached out to flood damage professionals at KIC Restoration to share their techniques and tips on how to properly dry out a water-damaged house.

Don’t Trust Your First Impression

Once the water itself has been dealt with in your home, it is time to properly dry out the walls and the floors. Even though it may appear at first that they are dry, that’s likely not the case – looks can be deceiving.

Don’t forget that both wood and drywall – the building blocks of most homes in the US are very porous and will absorb a lot of water. And even though that may not seem like a big problem at the moment, water is likely to cause a lot of problems down the line.

What Water Can Do to Wood and Drywall

The least you can expect from wood and drywall that absorbed a lot of water is to swell. However, once they swell, they are prone to doing a few more things – like warping out of shape and potentially damaging other things around them.

More importantly, though, water-damaged materials may not hold their structural integrity and may break. In the long run, mold can also become a problem, not only for the smell and appearance, but also because black mold is toxic.

What You Can Do to Dry Your Home More Effectively

Depending on the amount of damage and water, there are a few options for you. The simplest one is to open all the doors and windows to create a draft and remove the residual moisture naturally. This option, however, is only really recommended if the water damage was light and there’s not much humidity in the air.

In cases with more severe water damage, your water damage restoration company will have some specialized equipment to aid in this process. Industrial-scale air movers will help circulate the air, but the most important device is the dehumidifier, a device which can artificially change the temperature and the humidity of the air in order to remove excess water from materials and hard-to-reach places.

Naturally, these machines need to be monitored, as does the whole process. Sensitive humidity meters are used to gauge the amount of moisture in the air, as well as in some materials.

What You Need to Pay Attention to

The most important thing to keep track of when drying out the house is the secondary water damage to the floors and the walls. Secondary water damage includes swelling, warping, and mold growth on water-damaged items.

Floors, in particular, are susceptible to swelling, which is why water damage restoration companies pay extra attention to this part of the process.

It is important to check if the water sealing on your floors has been compromised. If that is the case, swelling may occur, which is likely to require replacement of parts of the floorboards, or even the whole floor.

The same problem may affect the walls, and especially the lower sections of the walls which had more contact with the water. Make sure that the company you choose to repair your water damage is skilled and experienced if you want the best service.