As winter is approaching and temperatures are falling below minus, therefore it is important to keep your home warm. Sometimes the dropping temperatures are brutal in most parts of the world. Many countries also experience deep snow of several feet.

For this purpose, it is very crucial to have an excellent heating system in your house and should function properly. You need to have HVAC maintenance in place before the frigid winter knocks on your door.

So, prepare your heat system at the earliest by having proper maintenance in place.

HVAC filter replacement

The thumb rule says it is ideal to replace your HVAC once every year for its smooth functioning.  In autumn or fall, the HVAC filter collects an enormous amount of allergens, dust, dander, and dirt of all kinds. So, at the end of the season, congestion occurs and your filter cannot filter the air as before. You need to breathe clean air so it is very important to check the filter and if it’s an older one, then buy a new one. To buy a new one, then you can get that easily at your local hardware store.

Ready the Vents/Registers

Most heater maintenance companies would suggest you clean the air vents and registers thoroughly before you put them in use. It will clear out the extra air that might get in the way when you switch it on for use. You also need to see whether any other elements are preventing natural airflow from your vents and registers. When you are calling your HVAC maintenance operator, discuss these points about cleaning the air vents. This would ensure smooth airflow from the vents.

Getting rid of objects

If you want to cut down the chances of a fire from your HVAC, then it is important to get rid of any nearby objects from it.  So, before switching it on, you need to remove these items from the heater so it won’t catch fire. This may include objects like boxes, small furniture, or containers.

Put on covers for your condenser

If you own a conventional HVAC unit, then you need to put covers on your condenser. You are preventing the accumulation of snow to form ice and reducing the chances of getting it damaged? Besides this, you are avoiding the damages caused by the tree branches, dust, and debris. But it is not advisable to cover up your HVAC unit if it is a heat pump.

Arrange maintenance program for your heater

Ideally, it is the perfect option to fix a maintenance program for your heaters before every winter season with your HVAC company. The HVAC maintenance professionals are the best person to guide you in making small repairs if needed. This ensures that you will continue to enjoy yourself with your family while the outside temperatures are still going down.

If your home has a basement, you should understand that you can have challenges with basement flooding at any time. Therefore, you should be concerned about basement waterproofing and other means of preventing basement flooring from damaging your home.

To prevent basement flooding, it is vital to know what causes the basement to flood. Given this, here are some of the major causes of basement flooding.

• A poorly installed drainage system

The drainage system makes sure that water doesn’t get into your home but rather moves away from it. As important as a drainage system is to your house, its poor installation can cause basement flooding. Therefore, if you are experiencing basement flooding, a poorly installed drainage system may be the culprit.

• Faulty hot water tank, pipes, or sump pump

Pipes, sump pumps, and hot water tanks are all essential parts of every house when they are in good condition. However, when they are broken or damaged, they can send water to your basement; thus, causing flooding. So, every homeowner should hire professionals to check their sump pumps, hot tanks, and pipes regularly to prevent any sort of basement flooding.

• Poor basement sealing

During home construction, it is crucial to seal the basement tiles and foundation. However, if it is done improperly, the basement may be flooded later. Besides, the basement sealing can deteriorate after a long period. If this is the case, your basement will be likely flooded after rainstorms as lots of water will get into it.

• Gutter debris

Gutters are usually installed to direct water away from your house. Unfortunately, seed pods, twigs, leaves, and other kinds of debris can clog the gutters. When this happens, water will be going back to your home and the basement will be flooded.

• Overland flooding

Overland flooding refers to a condition in which rapid snowmelt or heavy rain forces surface water to accumulate around your home. Depending on the proximity of the area of the accumulated water to your basement, the water may seep into your basement. In some cases of heavy rainfalls, water may enter your home via below-grade entrances as well as low-lying windows and doors. All these challenges can flood your basement.

• Sewer backup

If your home is connected to a sanitary sewer lateral, sewer backup can cause basement flooding. The flooding usually occurs when the sewers are full or the sanitary laterals are blocked by a wide range of items.

• Poorly installed or faulty downspouts

A downspout is another system for preventing water from getting into the foundation of your home. It should be installed at about 5 or 6 feet away from the basement of your property. However, if you install it too close to your house, it may cause basement flooding. Missing or broken downspouts can also lead to the same problem.

Having known what causes the basement to flood, you can deal with these issues by hiring a basement waterproofing contractor. This contractor will not only inspect your basement, but they will also provide the right solution to get rid of the basement flooding.

Roofs are the most important component in your home, and therefore, many homeowners get thrilled while installing a new roof. Asking a few vital questions to your roofer can solve your doubts and you can put your trust in the roofing company. Residential roofing and commercial roofing both are different as both the projects involve various factors like budget, support system, and so on. 

Though, it is exciting to perform through DIY, as it is becoming popular today. But DIY projects have their own set of advantages and disadvantages. Many homeowners and business houses feel that DIY culture is easy and it would help them to save money.  The best option is to consult the professionals of the industry. DIY roofing is not only dangerous but there are few intricacies that only the professionals can carry out.

However, hiring a professional roofing contractor would ensure that the job is carried out effectively and without any hook-ups. 

So, how would you ensure which roofing companies are the best option and which aren’t? There are a few questions that every homeowner and business house should ask the roofing contractors.

What should I look for when hiring a commercial roofing contractor?

Warranty Coverage

Installing commercial roofing requires a great deal of investment. Hence, warranty plays a vital role after the installation. Warranties include the price of materials and workmanship costs and even can cover both.

You need to figure out the type of warranty the roofing contractor is providing and whether or not they are offering any warranty on the roofing materials. You need to ask them specific questions about the life-span of these warranties. If you are installing new shingles, then they should provide you a coverage that runs at least 25 years.

Track record and Experience

The commercial roofing contractors that fail to offer high-quality service roofing solutions d not survive in the industry. However, the companies that provide top-notch solutions and survive all the hardships have a proven track record in satisfying their customers. You need to have proper clarification about their track record and ask them about their past experiences. This will give you insight and an idea of whether they are fitting your scheme of things. 

What are the best materials for my commercial needs?

The professional commercial roofing contractors would guide you about the different materials that are best for different climatic changes. The roofing contractor can ensure you in picking out the perfect materials that can meet your specifications and budget. They would also guide you in comparing different roofing materials throughout the selection process.

Millions of people suffer from vision loss every year. It may be due to aging, injury, or not following a healthy lifestyle. Your eyesight is one of the biggest assets you have and you should protect it by all means. Here are some ways to protect your eyesight.

Regular doctor’s visit

You should visit the optometrist regularly to check whether your eyesight is good or not. If you see things blurry or have frequent headaches then you must see your optometrist immediately. Not taking measures at an early stage may cause further damage to the eyes.

Quit smoking

Smoking is said to increase the speed of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). So, you should quit smoking right away if you want to protect your eyesight. If you don’t you will have poor vision at an early age which will get worse as you get older.

Lose weight

If you don’t control your weight then you will have a high chance of having diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. These health issues can lead to poor vision. So, if you can keep your weight in check, then you will be able to protect your vision. Exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet to stay healthy and fit.

Take supplements

Sometimes the vitamins and minerals that you get from food aren’t enough, so you have to rely on supplements. Consult your doctor to suggest some good supplements for your eyesight. Anti-oxidant vitamins and omega-3 supplements are good for protecting your eyesight.

Let your eyes rest

You should apply the 20-20-20 rule for resting your eyes. Whether you are looking at the screen, reading a book, or writing something after every 20 minutes look 20 feet away for 20 seconds; then resume whatever you were doing. This will give enough rest to your eyes and won’t cause any strain.

You should get your eyes examined by an optometrist every two years at least.  That way you can find out if your eyesight is good or not. A regular checkup can help to identify eye problems like glaucoma at an early stage and there won’t be any severe damage to the eye if you start your treatment early. Take glasses if necessary and eat healthily. If you have enough vitamin A and antioxidants in your body, there will be a minimum chance of having any eye disease. You will be able to protect your eyesight for many years.

The roofing is an important part of a house. Without it, living in the house will be an uncomfortable experience and the structure will be exposed to all sorts of hazards and damage. 

Since the roof itself is an exterior structure, it’s exposed to wear and tear. However, regular maintenance can help enhance the durability of your roofing materials, prevent leaks and costly repairs or an unplanned, costly roof replacement.

Below are five simple maintenance tips to extend the life of your roof. 

Check Your Shingles for Damages

Inspect your roof shingles yearly especially after the harsh weather months. Perform a meticulous check for any damaged or missing shingles and/or roof sealant. Clean them and keep them free from dirt, algae, moss, fungal, and lichen growth that can weaken your roofing. If you find any damaged or missing shingle, you can replace it yourself or consult a professional roofing contractor.

Trim Overhanging Branches

Trees are good, but they can also wreak havoc on roofing structures if they go unchecked. Any tree branch hanging too close to or directly above your roof should be trimmed. Why? When leaves fall and collect on the roof, they rot and weaken your tiles. If this remains unchecked over time, it spells doom and damage to your entire roofing structure.

Clear Debris from Gutters

Clogged gutters are detrimental to roofing structures. They can cause drainage issues, and the water can damage the roof and the support beams. You can imagine the kind of problems that will cause: the expensive kind. Clean your gutters by removing all kinds of debris – twigs, sticks, leaves, bugs, etc. – twice per year in the late fall and early spring. 

Inspect for Corrosion/Rust

Roofing containing metallic parts should be checked regularly for corrosion/rust. If you observe rusting or corrosion on your roofing, you can use a wire brush to remove the rust or call a roofing specialist to fix this issue.

Check Your Chimney

Any cracked or missing mortar on or in your chimney needs to be replaced without delay. Since the mortar holds the chimney bricks in one piece, any damage to it should be fixed on the spot. Remember: should any brick fall out, it could cause serious damage to your roof that would be quite costly to fix. 

Finally, it’s good to have your roof installed properly, adequately insulated and well ventilated. This will prevent the buildup of moisture that can damage and hamper the longevity of your roof.

Roofing your commercial building involves lots of challenges that can take your time, money, and other resources. However, you can make things easier for yourself by choosing a good commercial roofing contractor that understands the rudiments of roofing your building.

Considering the importance of a good commercial roofing contractor to your building, here are the things you need to do to choose the right professional.

• Look for recommendations

To ensure that you put your commercial roofing needs in the hands of a trusted and reliable contractor, start your search by looking for recommendations. You can ask your family members, friends, or even colleagues about any good contractor they hired recently. Any recommended commercial roofing contractor can be easily trusted to do a good job.

• Make your search local

Without a doubt, there are lots of experienced and well-versed commercial roofing contractors in the country. However, many of them may not be within your reach due to their geographical locations. Therefore, you should localize your search. In other words, search for roofing contractors that are based in your city or even neighborhood. This applies whether you are searching for a contractor online or getting recommendations from a trusted person.

• Check the roofer’s license and permits

In most places, a roofer is required to have permits and licenses before roofing any commercial building. Therefore, you should not shy away from checking out the license and permits of every contractor before doing any business with them.

• Ask for references

Regardless of how you have come across a commercial roofing contractor, you shouldn’t judge their competence until you have checked their previous works. Therefore, ask for references to the previous works they did. A good and trustworthy contractor will give you references of people you can get in touch with to learn more about the quality of their services. After getting the references, don’t hesitate to ask the previous customers about their experience with the contractor.

• Check online testimonials and reviews

References from a contractor can be doctored to portray the contractor as being good. However, reviews and testimonials on independent review platforms can be difficult to manipulate. So, you should take the time to look up the online testimonials and reviews of the contractor to get a clear idea of the kind of services that they can deliver. Google reviews and BBB are just a few of the best platforms to get reviews from different customers.

• Choose a contractor that provides extended warranties

Roofing a commercial building can be quite expensive. Therefore, you should not take risks by hiring a contractor that does not provide extended warranties that can cover the replacement or repair of your roof for a long while. Generally, the extended warranty should be for about 20 to 25 years.

With the tips above, you should be able to make a good choice when selecting the right commercial roofing contractor for your building. Remember that you need to cooperate with the roofer to get the best results for the roofing project.