Crawl spaces under your house give a number of benefits. They allow air to circulate under the floor to prevent moisture from building up underneath. When too much moisture is present on the floor joists, rot and mildew can form. In addition, crawl spaces provide access under the house to fix a multitude of other […]
Home Maintenance Tips
Late Fall- Snow Removal
When winter snowstorms arrive, home owners have several choices for snow removal. Each has pros and cons and will be most effective if you plan ahead. If you have a small area to clear, a snow shovel may be all you need. Not surprisingly, local home improvement stores tend to run out of these items […]
Fall – Winterize Your Home
Tips for Winterizing Your Central Oregon Home and Landscape Benefits Summary: Reduce winter heating costs. Avoid costly damage to outdoor faucets. Use the cold winter months to create a beautiful landscape this spring. Fall is the time to get your home ready for winter and a beautiful spring. Thereâs a great deal that can be […]
Winter – Ice Dam Solutions
Check Gutters and Downspouts After Major Snowfall. Benefits Summary: Protect your home from leaks and mildew. Protect your roof and shingles from water damage. Winter snowstorms are lovely to watch and make our homes feel cozy and warm but there are important tasks for homeowners to perform when the snowflakes begin to fall. Check your […]
Winter- Have Your Furnace Serviced, Improve Your Air Quality
Service Your Furnace and Check Heating Ducts Benefits Summary: Lower your energy costs. Deliver better air quality. Increase the life of your equipment. Furnace return ducts inhale airborne dust and suck it back into the blower. Add moisture to this mixture and youâve got a breeding ground for allergy inducing molds, mites, and bacteria. Without […]
Winter – Keep Your Granite Countertop Beautiful and Germ Free
Benefits Summary: Prevent the spreading of germs. Make your countertops easier to clean. Increase your homeâs value. Granite is a super tough stone that is formed from volcanic magma. A granite countertop is suitable for any home, because it provides the perfect balance between function and style. Granite is a beautiful natural stone that is highly […]
Late Winter to Early Spring – Prune Trees & Shrubs
Benefits Summary: Promote Plant Health. Encourage Flowering. Maintain Desired Shape or Form. Control Plant Size. Itâs best to prune trees and shrubs in the late-winter and early-spring. Watch for disease and look for insect, animal, or storm-damage. Remove any dead or dying branches. Flowering Trees and Shrubs:Â If the flowers bloom before the leaves, it […]
Getting Ready for Spring
Spring is only a short time away as people will be getting outside to rid themselves of the dreaded cabin fever. Yet before you set out on spring vacations and mini weekend trips, be sure your home is ready and in tiptop shape. Here are some projects to always consider when the weather warms up so you have […]
Spring – Cleaning – Refrigerator Exterior
Benefits Summary: Increase your refrigeratorâs efficiency. Save energy. Protect your family from germs and mold. Now that youâve got the inside of the refrigerator all clean, donât forget the outside. Cleaning the exterior of your refrigerator requires few special tools and little know-how, so set aside an hour or two and youâll have it done […]
Spring – Spring Clean Your FreezerâDefrost it!
Benefits Summary: Help your freezer run more efficiently. Lower your electric bill. When ice has built up to Âź of an inch, itâs time to defrost. Defrosting the freezer is not a difficult task, but be sure to set aside several hours to accomplish it completely. Itâs best to defrost a freezer that is empty […]
Early Spring – Extend the Life of Your Water Heater with Simple Maintenance
Benefits Summary: Extend the life of your water heater. Reduce energy costs. A little effort goes a long way toward extending the life of your water heater and unlike some home projects, these checks can be performed with nothing more than a bucket and a flathead screwdriver! TEST THE TPR (Temperature Pressure Release) VALVE: Shut […]
Spring – April Yard Clean Up
This week it is time to take care of a few yard maintenance activities. The mild spring has led to the grass growing a little earlier than normal. Place compost or well decomposed manure around perennial vegetables, such as asparagus and rhubarb. Cut back ornamental grasses to a few inches above the ground in early […]
Spring Time Yard Cleanup
The yard is in bloom, yet there is still so much to do to get it looking great throughout spring and into summer. Get outside and start spring cleaning the yard, as you’ll be happier that the task is completed now versus waiting until the last minute when the chores build up. If you tackle a […]
Spring – Best Way to Clean Out and Fertilize Flower Gardens and Beds
Spring is here and it is time to get in some gardening work, yet you haven’t touched your old flower beds in years. A mixture of old bulb flowers and weeds have been allowed to grow any old way they choose. Start with a fresh slate! Here are the best ways to clean out the old flower […]
Spring – Spring has Sprung, itâs Time to Examine the Sprinkler System
Benefits Summary: Efficient sprinkler systems save money by using less water. A lawn of lush green grass. Central Oregon normally has a cool and wet spring and watering isn’t usually needed until late Spring (late May – early June), however, every year can be different. As temperatures warm up and plants wake for new growth, […]
Spring – Maintain Your Air Conditioner
Here in Central Oregon, the warm days of summer are still a few months away, but if you have an Air Conditioner, now is the time to think about maintenance. If you maintain your Air Conditioner yourself, follow the tips below. If you use a professional, don’t wait until you need your AC in June […]
Spring – It’s Time to Feed Your Lawn
Benefits Summary: A lawn that is provided adequate, balanced nutrition in the spring will be healthy and green into the summer. Nature provides some essential elements for plant nutrition. Youâve spent hundreds of dollars creating beautiful landscaping around your home including a lawn. During the spring in Central Oregon, grass plants are waking up from […]
Spring – It’s Time to Dethatch, Aerate or Both!
Benefits Summary: Grass plants require adequate irrigation to be healthy. Aeration and dethatching your lawn will enhance irrigation water infiltration. Youâve spent hundreds of dollars creating beautiful landscaping around your home including a lawn. Over time, your lawn produces thatch. Thatch is a tightly interwoven layer of living and dead tissue existing between the green […]
Late Spring – Deck Maintenance
Wood decks here in Central Oregon take a beating year round. During the winter, your deck is exposed to repeated cycles of snow and ice that melts and then freezes again. During the summer, your deck bakes in the warm dry climate and year round our beloved dogs can leave scratch marks on wood decks. […]
Late Spring – Schedule Window Cleaning
Benefits Summary: Keep windows crystal clear. Avoid the build up of hard minerals and oxidization. In Central Oregon, many of us pay a premium for a home with a view and then allow dust, pollen and dirt to build up and obscure the landscape! Regular window cleaning is the key to a clear view of […]
Late Spring – Mowing Tips
Benefits Summary: A lawn that is mowed on a regular interval will: Be more dense and healthy. Be more drought resistant. A lawn that is mowed at the appropriate height will: Be healthy. Be better able to resist stresses. Youâve spent hundreds of dollars creating beautiful landscaping around your home including a lawn. During the […]
Summer – Dryer Duct Cleaning, Reduce Fire Risk
Benefits Summary: Keep your appliance running at maximum efficiency (reduce energy bill). Prevent dangerous build up of heat and carbon monoxide. Prevent fires caused by elevated temperatures. The average family does five or six loads of laundry each week making your dryer one of the hardest working appliances in your home. Maintaining it is vital; […]
Summer – Get Help With Those Outdoor Projects With an Expert Contractor
Enjoy Your Summer by Hiring Experienced Contractors The lumber and paint sale down at your local home improvement store is just the right incentive you need to get those outdoor home projects started this summer. Yet, there are so many projects you would like to get done and only a few weekends when you will […]
Summer – Clean Out the BBQ for Summer Grilling
Cleaning out the Barbecue The best time to clean off a grill is when it is still warm right after you cooked a meal. If you forgot to do it before placing the grill into winter storage, you may have a tough time cleaning the old, stuck-on grime. If you have a gas grill, turn it […]
Summer – Save Energy, Save Money by Dousing Your Pilot Light!
Save Energy & Money During the Warmer Months When your fireplace or furnace pilot light is lit, it is literally burning money since you pay for the gas burned by the light. It may be small, but over time it adds up. That same small pilot light heats up the space around it causing your air conditioner […]
Summer – Get the Right Pool for Your Backyard Size
Getting the perfect pool for your backyard takes time and thoughtful consideration. You want to have the right pool for the size of your backyard so you and all your guests can enjoy it! Figuring out your construction budget is the very first thing you should do, as it helps to narrow down your choices, but there […]
Summer–Central Oregonâs Painting Season
Benefits Summary: Helps protect wood/siding against the weather. Refresh the look of your home. Maintain home value. Is the color of your home dated? Do you find it ugly or just want a change? Have you noticed fading, peeling or cracking paint? Then itâs time to repaint. Few home maintenance tasks give you a bigger […]
Summer – Keep Your Garage Door Safe and Operating Smoothly
Benefits Summary: Keep your family safe. Improve the security of your home. Reduce energy consumption. Avoid costly repairs. The warm summer weather brings with it more outside activities like bike rides, lawn maintenance, gardening, boating and more. These additional activities often translate into more use of your garage door. Your garage door is often the […]
Summer – Properly Feed Your Garden
It’s so easy to think that plants grow from the water they drink and from the sunlight they absorb. If you are not a gardening professional, you may not even think about what food your garden needs to grow naturally and strong. Plants absorb different nutrients from the soil to grow. You will need to feed […]
Summer – How to Keep a Lawn Green in a Drought
We all want a perfectly lush and beautiful green lawn. However, in areas experiencing drought, this ideal can be difficult to achieve. However, it is not entirely impossible. With a little bit of close attention and flexibility in lawn aesthetics, maintaining a lawn during drought is doable. Consider a Clover Lawn If youâve ever seen a clover patch […]
Summer: Should I Fertilize the Yard?
Warm Season Grasses Warm season grasses love the summer heat. They grow more during the summer and then go dormant when the cooler weather of fall and winter arrive. These warm season grasses like Bermuda Grass or Buffalo Grass can be fertilized in the early summer so they can become lush and green. You can also […]
Summer – Driveway Sealing
Benefits Summary Extend the life of your existing driveway. Upgrade your homeâs curb appeal. Your driveway is easy to overlook when you are considering home-maintenance, but is as important as mowing the lawn, pruning trees, or painting the house. Regular maintenance by a certified professional will add years to the life of your asphalt driveway […]
Summer – Crank Up That Sprinkler System!
Benefits Summary: A lawn that is provided adequate irrigation early in the summer will be able to survive in the fall. Properly timed irrigation combined with sprinklers that are properly aimed will save time, money and water. Youâve spent hundreds of dollars creating beautiful landscaping around your home, including a lawn. During the summer in Central […]
Early Fall – Schedule Your Roof Repair During the Dry Season
Benefits Summary: Save on heating and cooling costs. Reduce allergens for your family. Now that the ice and snow have passed, take a good look at your roof. Regular maintenance will ensure that your twenty-five year roof will actually last that long! Roof professionals will check your roof and make a plan to clean and […]
Fall – Check Your Roof for Leaks Before the Winter Precipitation Comes!
Water-Test Roof and Flashing Benefits Summary: Ensure the integrity of your roof Avoid costly repairs Protect your home Your roof is exposed to driving rains, scorching sun, high winds, and punishing snow and ice. Fall is the perfect time to check for leaks in anticipation of the coming winter. Visible and physical examination is sometimes […]
Fall – It’s Time to Schedule Your Sprinkler Blow Out
Blow Out Sprinklers and Winterize Your Landscape Benefits Summary: Protect your sprinkler system by having it serviced by a professional. Fertilize and mulch landscape for the winter. Youâve spent hundreds of dollars creating beautiful landscaping around your home, including a sprinkler system. During the winter when water freezes in sprinkler pipes, it expands. Most pipes […]
Fall – Caulk Window Trim and Door Frames
Benefits Summary: Seal out Drafts. Make Trim Paint Look More Professional. Reduce Heating Costs. Caulking forms a flexible seal for cracks, gaps, or joints and stops leaks. This creates a more air-tight home and reduces heating costs. Caulking is not difficult and can be done simply by homeowners. Youâll need a caulking gun and paintable […]
Fall – Winterize Your Home
Remember those summer maintenance projects you told the spouse that you would get completed when Fall arrives? Well, Fall is here now. You can’t put off the work any longer as you won’t be able to do the tasks when the cooler Central Oregon weather moves in over the region. Here are some tips about […]
Winterizing Steps for Your Home
Whipping winds… freezing temperatures … snowstorms … winter is coming and so is the blustery weather than can signal trouble.  From pelting rains to ice storms, winter can take a toll on your home. Left unchecked, some of these problems can be costly.  Avoid the unnecessary expense (and headaches) of dealing with wintertime emergencies by planning ahead.  Winterize your home […]
Tips to Prepare Your Home for Winter
Winter has hit the Oregon region and you want to stay warm and toasty no matter what type of weather falls from the sky. Now is the time to get your home ready for the winter to avoid problems and costly repairs when the spring thaw arrives. Use the following 9 tips to get your […]