Show Notes: Home Hacks to Relax – On the House
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Show Notes: Home Hacks to Relax

By on February 12, 2019
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Home. The place you come to end your day, so it should be a place to relax and unwind.

Unfortunately, life has a way of wearing away the hard work you put in on the weekend to clean, and by Monday it’s just as bad if not worse.

If that’s not your life, you’ve got it good! But for those who need a little hack that will help them stay relaxed all week, read on!

Ready to Relax?

It’s easy to relax when you know everything is in its place, and you’re ready for whatever comes your way. So prepare your house to be relaxation station with these home hacks!

 

CAMP Fire Update

 Scott Michaels joined us from KPAY to discuss Paradise, California’s progress in recovery and the importance of understanding the worth of your property. Get a forensic architect to take a look at your property to verify that your insurance company is fairly assessing your property.

For more information check out KPAYs website here.

 

5 Life-Altering Hacks for Cleaning Under Your Bed

There are plenty of cleaning woes to deal with throughout our homes. And those ever-present cleaning frustrations may not have easy solutions, but luckily, there’s one exasperating area that we can actually clean: underneath our beds. As adults, there are no longer monsters under there — instead, there are legions of dust bunnies, which is just as scary.

But no need to worry. If you can’t seem to figure out how to get to the far reaches under your bed (and you’d prefer not to break a sweat trying to move it), here are five ways to clean that final frontier also known as the space beneath your bed.

Use a duster with a long handle.

With all of the handy products that are out there, it’s literally never been easier to clean those pesky spots underneath your bed. For instance, to tackle annoying under-the-bed dust, look no further than a duster with an extendable handle — Swiffer makes some great ones. These dusting wonders have microfibers that will reach every square inch under your bed, and they work especially well if you have hardwood floors. Remember to get a duster with a handle that’s long enough to accommodate the size of your bed.

Finally put your vacuum’s attachments to work.

Pretty much all vacuums come with a set of tools that can make us scratch our heads, but they actually do serve a practical purpose. You can use an extension wand to get those small, tough-to-reach places, or a mattress attachment can clean the bottom, top, and sides of your mattress. If you can’t seem to track down your attachments, you can always flatten your vacuum and push it underneath the bed.

Invest in a robot vacuum.

Vacuuming can be a bit of a workout, so if you’d prefer a sweat-free alternative when cleaning underneath your bed, consider buying an iRobot from Roomba or a similar company. From carpet to hard flooring, you can choose the robot vacuum that makes the most sense for your space. Set it up, charge it, and let your handy little friend make the area under your bed pristine.

Blow those dust bunnies away.

OK, so this may sound kind of funny, but as it turns out, a blow dryer (or small fan) is a quick and nearly painless way to make all of those dust bunnies go whoosh! in a hurry. Watch them shift from every crevice — just be sure to arm yourself with a duster, broom, or vacuum to clean up all of the dust once it escapes from underneath your bed.

Get creative with duct tape.

Although the brush-end of a broom can be helpful when cleaning under a bed, the handle can be equally, if not more, effective when you try this hack. Simply wrap the handle in duct tape and roll it or push it back and forth underneath the bed as if you’re using a giant lint roller. If the area is really dusty, it may take some fresh tape and a few passes to make it spotless

 

Roofing Tips: Drip Edges are Essential

So why do so few residential shingle roof installations lack metal drip edges? For one reason, the metal edging is the first item to get omitted from a bid whenever a price is given to install a shingle roof, whether on a new roofing project or a reroof. Unless the specifications or the scope of work expressly calls it out, this item will be omitted in both the submittals and the installation. Even if a drip edge is called for, are such particulars as the type of metal, the gauge, and the dimensions ever given? Or is a thin aluminum drip strip from the local home center adequate?

One “old timer” actually tried to justify the absence of drip edge material on a project by saying that he had been putting on shingles for almost 15 years and did not think the drip edge was necessary-whether it was called for or not. His mindset was that if you extend the shingles far enough over the edge of the deck into the gutters, you shouldn’t need any edge metal.

 Learn more about the Most Critical Drip Edge Location, installing drip edge, roof overhangs, and how water under the shingles is damaging here.

 

7 Window Treatments That can Lower Your Energy Bills – Summer and Winter

Whether it’s a pair of drapes hung to frame a pleasant view or a cheery striped awning floating above a picture window, homeowners often dress up their windows for beauty rather than function. But with the right materials and proper placement, these decorations might actually help lower your monthly energy bills.

The impact can be significant. According to the United States Department of Energy(DOE), something as simple as a set of medium-colored drapes backed with white plastic reduces solar heat gain by as much as 33 percent.

From shades to blinds to drapes to awnings to roof overhangs ad mesh window screens, find out more about those energy saving window treatments here!

10-Minute House Repair and Home Maintenance Tips

Lube a Sticking Vinyl Window or Door 

When vinyl windows and doors don’t operate smoothly, it’s usually because gunk has built up in the channels. But sometimes even clean windows and doors can bind. Try spraying dry PTFE spray lubricant on the contact points and wiping it off with a rag. Don’t use oil lubricants; they can attract dirt, and some can damage the vinyl.

 

Keep Cabinet Doors Closed 

Here’s a 10-minute fix for a cabinet door that won’t stay closed. Just install a magnetic door catch. Roller-style ones also work, but it’s easier to line up a magnetic catch with the strike.

 

Reinforce a Drawer Front 

Here’s a quick fix for a drawer front that’s pulling off. Cut a couple of lengths of quarter-round the same height as the drawer sides. Hold them in place while you drill a couple of holes through the sides and front of the drawer box. Dab some polyurethane glue (wood glue doesn’t stick well to finished surfaces) on the pieces of quarter-round before screwing them into place. Here’s how to fix sticky wooden drawers.

 

Fix Sticking Wooden Drawers

Make stuck drawers open smoothly again with a little paraffin or special nylon tape that lubricates those rubbing, sticky surfaces. It’s a 5-minute fix.

 

Thanks

Special thank you to:

Scott Michaels of KPAY

 

Website: www.kpay.com

CAMP Fire services: http://kpay.com/pages/paradise-camp-fire-relief

 

Mentioned Links:

 

Thank you to our Technical Support:

  • Danny Bringer – Chief Engineer
  • Carol Carey – Executive Producer
  • Sam Reed – Associate Producer

 

A very special thank you to all of our callers! We live to answer your questions, so keep them coming!

# relax #relaxing #homerepairs #diy #energysaving #roofinglife # roofing #windowtreatments #homemaintenance #dripedges #dustbunny #underthebed # woodendrawers #stickywindow #campfire #paradisefire @am1290kpay #forensicarchitecture

Thank you for hacking relaxing and tuning in! And check in next week for more cool tips!

“Home Hacks to Relax” Show Notes for On The House with the Carey Brothers aired February 16th, 2019.

Missed our live show? Don’t worry! Because we have a podcast of the show. It’s the same thing we aired on the radio, but ready for you whenever you are! Check it out here.

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