Holiday Safety Tips

The holidays are a festive time of year, but all those decorations can present safety hazards. With travel and entertaining, it’s easy to become distracted. Here are some tips to keep your home and family safe.

      

Holiday Lighting

• When purchasing holiday decorations look for ones made with flame-resistant, flame-retardant and non-combustible materials. 

• Keep open flames away from decorations and other combustible materials. 

• Keep your Christmas tree away from the fireplace.

• Inspect your lights for loose or broken bulbs and replace damaged ones prior to stringing them up.

• Keep kids and pets away from light strings, battery-operated decor as well as fragile ornaments — broken glass can present a number of issues, from cuts to pets swallowing shards. 

• Check to make sure your outdoor lights are meant for exterior use.

• Before hanging lights outdoors, check labels to be sure they have been certified for outdoor use.  

• Make sure all Christmas tree lights are off and candles are completed extinguished before heading to bed.

Holiday Cooking

• Keep a close eye on your stove and oven to avoid stovetop or grease fires. 

• If there are young children, try to keep pots toward the back of the stovetop, and make sure handles aren’t easily accessible. 

• Store matches and alcohol in areas not accessible to kids. 

Christmas Tree Safety

• If buying a live tree, get as fresh a tree as possible and cut the trunk to help with watering. 

• Make sure the tree does not block exits/doorways and is not near a heat source.

• Water the tree every day, paying special attention to the first few days, when water absorption is highest.

Energy Efficiency

A few weeks back, we gave you some ideas on how to prepare your home for winter. Today, we will shed some light on how to step up your energy savings even more, and make the most of your home prep efforts. 

While a professional energy audit may be the most thorough (you can find information on selecting a professional via the the U.S. Department of Energy), homeowners themselves can perform an energy assessment.

• Locate and seal air leaks. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that this along can amount to a potential savings of anywhere from 5% to 30% annually, not to mention the comfort addressing drafts brings to your home. Leaks can be found wherever there are natural gaps, from doorways to areas along baseboards or electrical outlets. Remember to inspect the exterior of your home for gaps or cracks in the foundation, siding and windows.
• Check insulation. Your home — especially if it is an older one — may not have the proper level of insulation, resulting in heat loss. Check the attic for openings in pipes or ductwork. Inspect your basement, especially the crawl space or door to the exterior. Remember that for greater efficiency, your water heater, hot water pipes and furnace ducts can all be insulated.
• Updating systems and appliances. While replacing an older HCAV unit would certainly help your home’s efficiency, it may not be realistic for the budget. But even replacing light bulbs with energy efficient incandescents or LEDs can help, since lighting account for approximately 10 percent of your electricity bill. Inspect your appliances and consider unplugging certain ones when not in use or changing the setting to lower energy use.

Kruse Home Improvement has diagnostic capabilities such as thermal imaging to detect problem areas when we approach a project or renovation. This ability is especially useful on projects such as door and window replacements as well as additions to ensure that the work addresses any regions that are potentially problematic.

Fall 2014 KHI Newsletter

Check out the latest KHI newsletter for some insight into a recent renovation, as well as some great fall/winter home prepping tips!

KHI Fall 2014 Newsletter

Your Fall Checklist

Interior Checklist

1. Change your HVAC filter.
2. Test your Smoke Detector. Daylight Saving ends Sunday, November 2 this year – the perfect way to remember when to check your detectors and turn back clocks
3. Seal cracks and gaps with caulk or weather strips. Many areas of your home can be susceptible. Check the following:
   • Door and window frames. 
   • Gaps around electrical outlets, phone lines, and outdoor faucets.
   • At corners formed by siding.
   • Openings around drain pipes in bathrooms and kitchens. 
    

Grounds Checklist

1. Clear out gutters to ensure proper drainage
2. Properly store lawnmower by draining the gas tank or running it empty.
3. Clean and store tools 
4. Prepare plants for frost by covering when necessary.
5. Trim back tree limbs and prune shrubs and hedges to prepare for better spring growth.
6. Survey grounds for any trees that may need professional attention; sick or leaning tress can present a safety issue. 

 

Fun Facts

28 days until Thanksgiving

56 days until Christmas

Easy Fall Prep

Over the past week, warmer temperatures had it feeling more like summer than autumn. Nonetheless, it is fall and the chilly nights are here, soon to be followed by cooler days. Early fall is the prime time to do some housekeeping to ensure an organized and equipped home.

Clean up and clear out

Seasonal tools take up valuable space in garages and sheds. Take inventory of what you no longer need, or what you can swap out. Make rakes and leaf blowers accessible and put the planters away for the spring. Make use of shelving units to organize your space.

Lawn and garden

Prepping your lawn and garden might not be instantly gratifying, but you’ll thank yourself in the spring. Plus, the cooler weather means less sweat! Rake out old plants and seed bare spots in the grass. Adding a winter fertilizer will help guard against the cold. Top is off with pruning and mulching for the fall and planting bulbs for the spring.

Clear the way

Inspect your walkways to ensure proper drainage and even footing. Any dips will mean mud and pooling water in the fall and icy patches in the winter. With shorter days, consider adding some lighting to entrances – it can add to curb appeal and safety.

Is your fireplace ready for fall?

Although the weather may not have turned cool enough for a fire, it's the perfect time of year to schedule a chimney inspection. Having a certified inspection performed annually in combination with regular cleanings ensures your family and home stays safe and warm.

Here are some tips to keep in mind as we approach the heating season:

• Close the damper in the flue when the fireplace isn't being used.
• Keep fireplace enclosed with a metal screen and the surrounding area free of flammable materials.
• Use glass doors properly: leave them open while fire is burning and closed once the fire is out.
• Burn seasoned firewood only: damp wood encourages buildup, while paper, cardboard, etc., presents a danger.
• Make sure each floor of your home has a functioning smoke detector.
• Protect your home's exterior by keeping wood stacked away from the siding and the roof free of debris.
• Never leave a fire unattended.

Get many more fire safety tips from the U.S. Fire Administration's website.

How to Finance Home Improvements

Planning a home renovation or improvement project is exciting; developing a vision, discussing options with the contractor – the possibilities can seem endless. However, depending on the scope of the project, figuring out how to finance the venture may present more of a challenge. Just as each project is unique, there exist many options for the homeowner.

Cash vs. Credit 

If you’re financially able, cash can often be your best option. You are simply paying for the project, without the hassle of applications or the added expense of interest charges. Depending on the extent of the project and the price tag, though, saving may not be enough. If you intend to use credit, shop around and look for low interest rates or, even better, zero percent interest for a certain period of time. Take care to inquire about the rate after the promotional period to avoid heavy finance charges.

 

Home Equity

If you are considering one particular project, using your home as collateral is a viable option. While you do pay closing costs, any interest you pay is considered tax-deductible. Both the amount borrowed and the interest rate is fixed. Rates are often lower than a credit card and are paid off over a longer period, typically 10-20 years. Refinancing with your lender and using the cash toward the project is another option.

Government Loans

Although not as commonly utilized, there is government assistance for making home improvements to properties that are in need of rehabilitation. 

Title I

This loan is subsidized by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  According to the HUD site,”Loans on single family homes may be used for alterations, repairs and for site improvements. Loans on multifamily structures may be used only for building alteration and repairs,” meaning property repairs do not qualify. The maximum term for a single family home is $25,000 for no more than 20 years.

 

203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage 

 

The 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage allows home buyers to build home improvements of up to $35,000 into their mortgage. Repairs may have been pointed out by a home inspector, or the homeowner may want to improve property values by remodeling the home.

Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)