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Sprucing Up Your Space: Garage Sale Tips

As the weather gets warmer, and spring cleaning is underway, many people turn to selling household items they no longer find useful at garage sales. Spring garage sales can be a great way to find items to decorate your home and stay within your budget. Read more to find out how to make the most out of your  outings and what information you need to know to feel confident in your garage sale hunt. Armed with these tips, you’ll be sure to stretch your dollar further and make your home uniquely yours.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Perhaps the most important tip to garage sale hunting is to plan ahead! You may be on the lookout for a new coffee table on a budget and think you don’t need anything else, only to wind up bringing home mismatched tchotchkes, paintings, dishes and no table. Not only is it a good idea to take an inventory of the things you already have so you know what you need, what you need more of and what you don’t need, it’s a good idea to have a grasp on your personal interior decorating style so that you’re not making purchases you will later regret. Remember, if an item is only one dollar but it is something you do not need or can’t find a place for—it’s a waste of money.

Measure areas where you might want to add furniture or art work. You don’t want to spend money on a great find only to bring it home only and discover it is too big for the intended space or worse, won’t fit through the door or hallway.

Be sure to inspect the items you are interested in closely. Don’t overlook pieces that may only need a little cosmetic work, but make sure that each piece works (check electronics to make sure they are still in functioning order) and doesn’t need any costly repairs.

Plan Your Route

Planning ahead doesn’t just include knowing what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. It’s also important to do some online research and plan your sale hunting route. Several websites like Garage Sales Tracker, Yard Sale Search, and Craigslist are great places to find out where garage sales are being held in your neighborhood and at what times. Some listings will even tell you what items will be for sale so you won’t waste precious hunting time driving to a yard sale that isn’t offering what you are looking for. Local newspapers, apps like Nextdoor, and coffee shop bulletin boards are other good bets to find sales in your area.

Don’t Forget About You

Planning your trip involves making sure you’ve covered all your personal needs while you are out for the day as well. Make sure you bring a tote bag, backpack or small boxes to hold your small finds whether you are walking around or to store properly in your car. Pack a water bottle, tissues for any spring allergy or bathroom emergencies, hand sanitizer and baby wipes. Items stored in garages or sheds for a long period of time can be covered in dust, grime or cobwebs. Baby wipes are useful in wiping clean your newfound treasures before packing them into your car or bringing them into your house. Lastly, don’t forget to bring a snack so you don’t accidentally make a purchase (or miss a great find) due to low blood sugar. And always bring a tape measure.

Enjoy the Experience

Go into the experience with an open and creative mind! Instead of looking at something for what it is, try to picture it for what it could be. You can paint pretty much anything and you can always turn kitchen tables into coffee tables or plates into wall art. Use your imagination and you can turn someone else’s trash into the statement piece that brings your whole house together.

However you choose to make your home your own, Ned Stevens is here to help you keep it looking and functioning at its best. You take care of decorating the inside and our team of professionals will make sure the outside is protected with proper gutter and deck care. Call us today to set up an appointment!

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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How To Get Your Dream Deck

With summer just around the corner, we start to dream of weekends spent at the pool, afternoons working in the garden, and long evenings grilling dinner with the family on the deck. Start making your dreams a reality by designing your perfect deck! Get inspired to turn your backyard into a garden escape by reading below for ideal deck tips whether you want to build a deck from scratch or are just looking for innovative deck decorating tips.

Create The Deck of Your Dreams

Decks are traditionally built out of wood, composite wood material or vinyl. Decks can be attached to a house or freestanding and are often built to take advantage of a view or to build a peaceful or inviting outdoor space. When maintained properly, decks made of wood (or composite wood material) offer beauty and inviting warmth unlike any other space in your home.

Not all decks must be attached to the home. Creating an island deck is an easy way to have a maintenance-free deck and peaceful getaway that can go anywhere in your yard. This deck, built with composite decking and hidden fasteners, is a great way to set up a nice spot for a table and chairs under some trees or surrounded by your beautiful garden.

You can achieve this same kind of oasis-like space in your backyard with a raised deck as well. Similar in concept, raised platforms allow for container gardens strategically around the deck so that you can relax and enjoy company surrounded by beautiful flora, while not completely enveloped by it. Adding a water feature that runs alongside your deck makes a great oasis addition by softening the noise of a busy street or creating a calming background sound.

Or combine these two ideas by building a deck with different levels. These different levels not only create nuance and aesthetic appeal, they can separate space on the deck making a small space seem larger. No tall deck or multiple stories necessary! Even a foot or two in height difference is all it takes. Enhance these differences even more by partitioning for privacy through the use of lighting or strategic gardening.

Boost Your Deck’s Appeal

If you already have a ground-level deck or patio and are looking for ways to make it more private, a vertical garden might be the project for you. Turn your small porch into a secluded party space by placing pocket gardens around the perimeter of your deck. Added bonus: by turning your living wall into an herb garden, you will have fresh, fragrant additions to your deck-grilled meals all summer long.

Looking for ways to make your patio or deck blend in more to your backyard or looking to add privacy? Adding perennials, shrubs or small trees around the edge of your deck can add a sense of charm and beauty to any backyard escape.

Add personality to your deck space by creating different designs on the deck flooring. Using different materials, colors of paint or even placing the boards themselves in an interesting pattern can help create space, partitioning or framing in an otherwise plain deck.

Whether you are dreaming of building your own deck or just decorating your existing one to make it the hangout spot you’ve always wanted, Ned Stevens has you covered. Our seasoned team of professionals can help keep your backyard oasis clean and protected year round through our personalized gutter service plans. Call today to schedule an appointment.

Get $50 Off Your First Diamond Plan!

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Flowers That Can Handle The Summer Heat

Part of planting a spectacular garden is figuring out what part of the garden gets the most sun and what part tends to stay in the shade. In the highest heat of the summer it’s important to know which plants can handle the heat and which can’t. Read on to learn about heat tolerant flowers that will fill your yard with show-stopping color and bloom.

Angelonia

Angelonia is a great flowering plant for your outdoor containers. It produces colorful spikes flowers in purple, pink, mauve, blue or white and can bloom all summer long. Angelonia is considered an annual, but if you live in a frost-free area they will come bloom another year. This flower grows best in full sun and well-drained soil. It also tolerates drought-like conditions and takes heat and humidity well. For these reasons, angelonia is perfect for beginning gardeners.

Begonias

Found in tropical and subtropical areas, this beautiful flowering plant produces asymmetrical, patterned and variegated foliage that does well in hot, humid weather. Begonias can be either grown indoors or outdoors, producing plants that differ in height from 6- to 12-inch houseplants to bushes reaching 5 feet tall or more. Begonias can begin to bloom in early summer and will continue to produce bright, colorful flowers until frost.

Cosmos

One of the best reasons to grow cosmos flowers in your garden is that they attract beneficial insects like bees and butterflies. Cosmos flowers, which resemble daisies with their evenly placed, open petals, provide easy access to nectar and pollen, attract lacewings, tachinid flies and hoverflies which feed on pest insects you don’t want in your garden. They thrive in hot conditions with little water and seem to do best in poor soils. The cosmos’ blooms can last for  many months and their petals are even edible!

Lantana

Bring tropical color into your garden with these heat-loving plants whose cluster of blooms come in many shades of pink, orange, red, yellow and white. Lantana thrives in full sun and should only be watered when the soil is dry. Lantana is drought tolerant and beloved by butterflies!

Portulaca

Portulaca, often called moss rose plants, are popular plants in the spring. Known for their drought tolerance, this low-growing annual flower can, depending on the variety, have semi-double to fully double flowers that resemble miniature roses. Portulaca have succulent leaves and come in colors as varied as yellow, orange, red, bright pink, cream and white. They hold up to strong winds and serve as ground cover, making them perfect for a small garden or a rock garden.

Canna Lilies

Canna Lily is a perennial plant that blooms tropical-like foliage with large, colorful flowers that look a bit like irises. Plant canna lilies in the spring to give them time to get established in your garden which will lead to beautifully intense blooms in the summer. Canna lilies are low maintenance and like plenty of heat and full sun. The canna lily’s flower color can vary from red to orange to yellow.

Impatiens SunPatiens

SunPatiens were developed specifically to thrive in the heat and direct sunlight. With blooms in coral, red, pink, orange, lilac, lavender or white depending on the variety, SunPatiens can be incorporated anywhere, but thrive particularly well as a bedding plant or in a container. If you are a hummingbird lover, this is the flower for you, as SunPatiens tend to be one of the birds’ favorites.

Gardening can be a labor of love, all of which can be damaged by strong summer storms. Call Ned Stevens today to make sure your gutters are working properly for the summer. Gutters not only protect your home, by diverting any rain runoff away from your lawn and garden, they protect your hard work too!

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

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Save on A/C Costs With These Tips

Those of us that live in the South know that staying comfortable in the heat and humidity can make your electric bill skyrocket. But staying cool in the summer doesn’t have to equal shelling out lots of money and wasting electricity. Read on to learn some important tips to keep your air conditioning costs down all through the summer.

Windows Are Key

During the summer when air conditioning becomes a necessity, you may only think about your windows to make sure they are shut. But windows can be the key to saving money in the long term when it comes to air conditioning costs.

If your home has windows that haven’t been upgraded, installing new energy-efficient windows can dramatically help to keep your house cooler for less.

Making sure that your windows are properly sealed also helps. If your windows are insufficiently sealed they can leak air, making your air conditioning system work harder.

Sunbeams coming directly through the window can heat up a room as much as 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep heat and sun out of your rooms, especially rooms whose windows are east-facing in the morning and west-facing in the late afternoon, by using blackout curtains. These curtains made with white linings reflect the sun’s rays away from the room’s interior and can reduce solar heat gain by up to 33 percent.

Invest in Upgrades

While upgrades to the equipment in your home may mean more costs upfront, they will save you money in the long run. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat can easily decrease your air conditioning bill by up to 10 percent if you use it to set your A/C as high as you can comfortably go and program it to increase the temperature while you are not at home or asleep. Setting your thermostat to 78°F instead of 72°F  can save up to 18 percent of your summer air conditioning costs.

If you are able, upgrading your air conditioning unit might save you the most money. Modernizing your air conditioning unit can be an expensive immediate solution that can save you a ton of money in the long run. Since cooling your air in the summer can easily account for up to 50 percent of your summer energy bill, installing an energy efficient unit can lower this cost dramatically. Newer air conditioners can also increase the quality of the air inside your home while doing a better job of controlling your home’s humidity levels.

Circulate The Air

Using fans in your house to circulate air can make you feel six or seven degrees cooler due to the wind-chill effect. While fans do not actually cool the air, they do blow air around making easier for the sweat to evaporate from your skin. Since we eliminate body heat by sweating (even when it isn’t noticeable to you), the more evaporation, the cooler you feel. The great thing about fans is that since they don’t cool the room, you can turn them off as soon as you leave any area, saving you money on electricity. Portable fans can be an inexpensive way to keep your cooling costs down. Ceiling fans also help circulate cool air from your air conditioner which can allow you to raise your thermostat by as much as four degrees.

Enjoy the Outdoors

Another important way to keep your air conditioning costs down is to make sure that you don’t heat up the interior of your home during peak heat hours. This can be tough as temperatures typically reach their height in the afternoon when it is time to cook dinner. One of the best ways to keep costs down is to cook dinner using your microwave, serve dishes that don’t require heat, or make use of your deck or patio by grilling your dinner outdoors.

Spending warm summer nights grilling dinner and eating it out on your patio requires some maintenance and love. Luckily, Ned Stevens can help you with your summer preparation needs and deck care needs. Ned Stevens provides soft wash services that clean your deck so you can have amazing summer dinners with your family outside and help keep air conditioning costs down.

Get $25 Off Your First Gutter Cleaning!

This post first appeared on https://nedstevens.com

Why Your Gutters Need to Be Cleaned Regularly

Gutters are arguably one of the most important tools that a house can have to keep its integrity. Without them, water has nowhere to drain but down. Down the sides of the structure, seeping in where it can, and over time, just as the Colorado River wore away the Grand Canyon, water running down the side of a building can cause deterioration of siding, wood casings, and even cement where it causes…

Source

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Where to Find Pests in Your Home

From small bugs to rodents, different kinds of pests may find their way into your home. You may spot some of them at random times, but others may continue to enjoy the comforts of your home completely undetected. Needless to say, pest problems should be addressed as soon as possible. If you want to ensure your home is pest-free, Infinity Home Improvement — one of the top gutter guard companies — suggests looking into these areas.

Purses and Clothing

Purses and clothing that are in storage or seldom used can be an ideal home for pests, particularly bugs. Bedbugs, for example, can go from your bed or other infested spots to items like purses, suitcases, and sweaters. This effectively expands their territory, so you might want to ensure that any pieces of clothing or bags are properly stored and sealed.

Boxes

Cardboard boxes, even the sealed ones, can be an ideal environment for insects that devour paper, fabric, and leather. Silverfish is a common example of this type of pest. They are slim and silver-colored insects that move fast and can squeeze through small cracks in containers. If you have many boxes used for storing personal items, ensure that they are in a secure place and try to check them from time to time.

Gutters

Being exposed to dirt, moisture and other outdoor creatures, your gutters can be a haven for pests too. Make your gutters less attractive to pests by cleaning them regularly. You might also want to install gutter guards so that you can minimize the amount of dirt that gets inside your gutter system.

Appliances and Fireplaces

Refrigerators, stoves and running motors provide bugs and rodents a warm place to stay. That said, you have to clean out the areas containing your appliances to prevent pests from being attracted to these spaces. You should also have your fireplace checked regularly. Schedule a chimney sweep once or twice a year.

Infinity Home Improvement is one of the top gutter guard companies in the area. We have been operating for two decades, and we have earned a reputation for excellent workmanship. Call us at (800) 824-3772 or fill out our contact form to request a free quote. We serve customers in Wyoming, Michigan.

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Send Your Gutter Runoff Underground with a French Drain

Controlling and directing all of your home’s rain gutter system runoff can be quite a challenge. Your installer must be meticulous in planning and constructing a system that completely surrounds the sloped portion of your roof. Then, he must route these gutters to their respective downspouts. But if the rainwater winds up pooling in a flowerbed, puddling on your lawn or splashing near your foundation, all of that painstaking effort will be wasted.

There is one solution that maybe you haven’t considered: sending the runoff underground.

How a French Drain Helps Control Runoff

An effective rain gutter system combined with an underground drainage system can guide water away from your foundation (where it can do substantial damage) and disperse it back into the soil gradually and easily. Say goodbye to pools, puddles and standing water.

The most common way to get runoff away from your lawn and underneath your yard is by constructing a French drain. A French drain is actually a network of pipes laid in trenches dug beneath the ground through which water runoff can flow. This structure can be attached to your downspouts and will work seamlessly with your existing gutters.

Building a French Drain

The first step in building a French drain is to map out where the trenches must be dug and where the pipe’s termination point will be (preferably an alley, curb or storm drain). These trenches should not cross any electrical, telephone, cable or plumbing lines. Also, the pipes must be placed so that the water runs downhill — away from your home. This may require re-sloping the ground in certain places.

When your yard is “shovel-ready,” your contractor will dig the trenches about eight to 12 inches deep and wide. He might have to take out more dirt in some areas in order to maintain a downhill slope. Then he will cover the bottom surfaces of the trenches with rocks, gravel or shells (and perhaps even some permeable landscape fabric).

Next, he will place lengths of rigid PVC pipe into the trenches. The pipe must be perforated on the bottom to allow the water to drain into the surrounding soil. He will connect your downspouts to the pipe ends so that the rainwater cannot leak as it passes from your gutters to the underground pipe. After all the pipe has been laid, he will cover it with another layer of gravel, shells or rocks before replacing the dirt.

Voila! Your runoff should now flow along your desired path: down the roof, over the gutter caps, into the gutters, through the downspout and into the underground pipe, where it will flow away from your house and out of sight. 

Contact Us for a Free Estimate

If you want a gutter protection system to save yourself from dealing with the unpleasant task of cleaning out your gutters, look to the Gutter Helmet® system. Give us a call at (800) 824-3772 with any questions and we can connect you with Gutter Helmet dealers near you.

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K-Style Vs. Half-Round Gutters: Which Is Better?

Gutter replacement can save you from so much trouble. But before you can begin the installation process, there are a number of things that you should consider. Gutter style, for instance, is one of the choices you have to make. In this category, you have K-style and half-round gutters. Learn more about the difference between these two gutter styles, as Gutter Helmet of Eastern Shore — a top-rated contractor in gutter guards reviews — shares more information below.

K-Style Gutters

K-style gutters usually go well with modern homes, particularly those with angled roofs. These gutters also have a look that’s similar to colonial style crown molding, which can add a finished and sophisticated appeal to the exterior of your home. K-style gutters are typically flat on one side, and they attach to the fascia more directly than half-round gutters do.

Half-Round Gutters

Half-round gutters are often ideal for homes with a rounded roofline or metal roofing. They are also a good choice for homes built before the 1950s. If you are in the process of restoring your historic home, half-round gutters can make the exterior look more historically accurate and beautiful. They can also be easier to clean, and they are less prone to corrosion and other gutter problems since they don’t have many nooks and crannies where debris could potentially build up.

Nevertheless, take note that half-round gutters are generally more complex to install than K-style gutters. Half-round gutters require more brackets, and they may not fit flat along the edge of your roof.

Gutter Helmet of Eastern Shore is a locally owned and operated business that is highly rated in gutter guards reviews. We have been in business for more than 10 years, providing quality services to our customers. Call us at (800) 824-3772 or fill out our contact form to request a free quote. We serve customers in Salisbury, Maryland.

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Getting Ready for New Gutters: 4 Questions to Ask Before Buying

Whether you’re installing rain gutters on a new home or replacing your old gutters with ones that are more attractive and effective, you need to consider what’s best for you and your home before making a final decision. Here, Gutter Helmet shares a guide that discusses important questions to ask before buying new gutters.

How much rain does my area receive?

It’s important to know how much water your gutter system needs to be able to handle. You can determine this by finding out the average rainfall in your area and calculating the square footage of your roof. This will tell you the surface area the gutters will have to drain and, therefore, the volume of water they’ll be subjected to. The more water, the bigger the gutters and downspouts need to be. Gutters are available in widths of five, six and seven inches. Each inch adds to the cost, so do the math carefully.

Should I go with sectional or seamless gutters?

Gutter installation is performed using one of two specific methods. First of all, sectional gutters are put together and mounted in sections. Sectional gutters are inexpensive since you can buy the material and install them yourself. There is a trade-off, however: more sections mean more chances for leakage to occur and more points at which the gutters could break. Seamless gutters, on the other hand, are constructed of one continuous piece of material. This means they’re less likely to leak or break, but keep in mind they do need to be installed by a contractor with a specialized machine.

Which material should I use?

Once you decide which method you’ll be using, you can start looking at materials. Starting with the least expensive, these include plastic, vinyl, galvanized steel, aluminum, stainless steel and copper. Each material has its benefits and drawbacks. For example, while galvanized steel is cheap and strong, it will eventually rust. Copper, on the other hand, will never rust and is an eye-catching addition to your home’s exterior, but it’s also somewhat more expensive to install. In addition, vinyl won’t work in every environment because it becomes brittle in cold temperatures.

What are the local building codes?

Once you’ve chosen your preferred style and material, it’s important to become familiar with local and state building codes, which are very clear on what’s required for your gutters to pass inspection. Certain historical structures may require copper gutters, for instance. Always check to make sure that the gutters you choose meet all legal requirements.

Request a Free Estimate Today

The best thing you can do for your home is to choose the most durable gutter material you can afford, in the heaviest gauge possible. To learn more about the best gutter systems and Gutter Helmet’s exceptional gutter protection service, give Gutter Helmet a call at (800) 824-3772 or submit our online form.

The post Getting Ready for New Gutters: 4 Questions to Ask Before Buying appeared first on Gutter Helmet.

When to Choose Half-Round Gutters Over K-Style

Most houses in the U.S. have K-style gutters because the style is both efficient and attractive. While K-style gutters are popular, it doesn’t mean that they are ideal for your home. Many are discovering that half-round gutters are a better option. 

Why Are Half-Round Gutters Growing More Popular?

Homes built before the 1950s typically have more rounded features. Owners who want to revive the original look and design of the house with more modern features can benefit from half-round gutters. This type of gutters can help ensure that your landscaping and foundation are protected against water damage. 

Instead of having flat sides like K-style, half-round gutters appear like a tube that’s been cut in half. They feature a symmetrical U-shape that blends well with the rounded architecture of many historic homes and even newly built ones that are less angular. When installed in a modern home, half-round gutters can give the structure a more distinctive look. Some say that they even work more efficiently than K-style systems. 

What Are the Benefits of Half-Round Gutters?

Half-round gutters feature cleaner lines. This style works well with newer and luxury homes with more unique architecture. It also complements heavy textures, such as slate and tile. With its smooth shape, you don’t have to worry as much about corrosion because there are fewer places where water can get stuck. 

Moreover, half-round gutters are also very easy to maintain as debris can flow easily through them. Debris is less likely to get caught on the sides because these gutters have no rough edges. Keep in mind that clogged gutters can cause water to overflow to your exterior and back up to the roof, causing damage. 

For reliable gutter guard cleaning and installation services, choose Gutter Helmet® of Piedmont. Give us a call at (800) 824-3772, or fill out our contact form to get a free quote. We work with homeowners in Charlotte, NC. 

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