Home Improvement During the Holidays

Holidays Are Right Around The Corner

It’s November, which means that somewhere, Mariah Carey and Josh Groban are coming out of hibernation and dusting off those pipes for Christmas albums. It also means it’s time to get planning for the holiday season. When we think of the holidays, we automatically think about lists. There is a list for everything. Gift lists, grocery lists, holiday party lists, holiday card lists, and family get-together “to-do” lists.

So, after we cross everything off everyone else’s list, there is rarely time left over for our home’s to-do list. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Finding time during your holiday break to make some improvements is possible- you just have to pick the right projects.

Here are a few projects that can be done quickly and on your own, before or after the holiday season craziness.

Holiday Home Improvement To-Do List

Install a smart thermostat

Smart thermostats reduce your energy costs, learn your behaviors, and allow you easy access to adjust things when you’re not at home. If you have an older thermostat that you need to manually change, consider upgrading to a smart one.

Most smart thermostats can be installed in about an hour and also come with an application you can download directly to your cell phone.

Install a backsplash

This home improvement project can take as little as a day to complete, but depending on the size of the area you plan to tile, it could take a bit longer. If you’re looking for a project that will impress your holiday season guests, installing a new backsplash is tough to beat.

A new backsplash will give your kitchen the facelift it might need. And with a bit of pre-planning, the time it takes to install this new tile is minimal.

Fresh bathroom caulk

The holidays are here and chances are, you will have guests arriving and possibly staying in your home. Yes, you will give your house a top to bottom cleaning, but not everything will look as you want it. The bathroom is the most important room to clean, but there comes a time when that bathroom tile will only get so clean.

Scrub and scrub until you’re blue in the face, that old grout or caulk is damaged goods. And while a total re-grouting job could be a bigger chore than you want to take on during the holiday season, a simple task of applying some fresh caulk could accomplish your objectives.

Install an energy-efficient appliance

Need a new washer and dryer? How does a new dishwasher sound? While you might not have made it out on Black Friday, there are plenty of great deals on appliances these days and it might be a great opportunity to make your home more efficient.

New appliances never seem to be necessary until your old one quits on you, but if you are looking to make your home more efficient, the holidays are a great time to take advantage of some great prices. Plus, now that you have a few days off, maybe you can install it yourself!

Clean out your closets

Tis’ the season for giving, and once you clean out a closet or two, you’ll have plenty to give. A great holiday chore is to tackle your home’s closets. It may seem like a daunting task, but one that can be done in an afternoon, if you put your mind to it.

Plus, you can take all of your unwanted clothes to the thrift store and possibly make few bucks or give it all away to a shelter or those in need. Either way, you will not regret making more room in your closet.

If your holiday home to-do list includes more exterior work, then feel free to contact us at LeafGuard of Cincinnati, and we will work with you to get those items checked off.

Home Improvement Tasks to Tackle This Fall

The Ultimate Fall Home Maintenance Checklist – Top 4 Steps Every Homeowner Should Take this Fall in Ohio and Northern Kentucky

It’s important to take a few steps to stave off any home breakdowns. Fall is the time to check off any last-minute home improvement tasks and we are here to make it as easy as possible for you with our handy list of home maintenance chores.

1. Replace, Repair or Clean Siding

After a long summer, fall home maintenance is essential, especially since siding can become dirty or mildewed. Fall is a great time to use a pressure washer to clean it up and inspect for more serious problems. If your siding has seen better days (think missing, bent, or cracked pieces), consider replacing it.

2. Repair Window Seals to Prevent Drafts

All double or triple-pane windows should have a tight seal around their perimeter that separates the individual panes of glass and traps inert gas between them, providing a break between the temperatures inside and outside your home. If you notice that your windows are frequently foggy, that’s likely a sign of a failed seal.

3. Air Filter Change & Furnace Tune-Up

One of the most frequently asked questions from homeowners is, “How often should you change your air filter?” This one really should be a maintenance task you do every month. Dirty air filters can lead to higher energy bills and irreparably damage your HVAC system.

4. Inspect The Roof & Gutters

It’s generally fine to wait until most of the leaves have fallen in autumn to clean out the gutters and downspouts, but giving these areas a quick visual inspection now is a good idea. Pull out any sticks or other debris blocking the gutters, and make note of any worn-out seals around vent pipes and chimneys.

5 Steps to Take When Winterizing Your Home

Key Steps to Winterize Your Home

Winterizing your home properly can ensure that your interior temperature stays comfortable during the cold winter months while maximizing energy efficiency. The most common causes of energy loss during the winter are air leaks and insufficient insulation. Here are a few key steps that we recommend to winterize your home.

Inspect Home for Roof Damage

Look for damaged, loose, or missing shingles that may cause leaks as well as shingles that are curling, lifting or buckling. Make note of any worn-out seals around vent pipes and chimneys as well. You may want to consider having your roof inspected by a professional. This will allow roofing contractors to provide their expert opinion and point of view based on any current damage to the roof components on or in your home.

Address Any Needed Gutter Cleaning & Fix Your Downspouts

Now that the temperature has started to drop, you want to make sure to clean out your rain gutters and downspouts. Now is the time to pull out any sticks or other debris blocking them to allow water to run freely from your roof to your gutters and away from your home. If you’re not a fan of climbing ladders or heights, our team can provide quality

Seal Any Air Leaks and Drafts

If there are cracks, joints, leaky ducts, or other openings in your home that allow warm air to leak out and cold air to seep in, your heating system will be forced to work overtime.

Improve Your Home’s Insulation

Heat can escape easily through a poorly insulated attic as it rises to the upper levels of your home. By upgrading your attic insulation, you can keep your space comfortable and warm. In addition, you need to make sure your attic is well ventilated to prevent ice dams. Proper ventilation will keep the underside of your roof closer to the outside temperature to prevent snow on the roof from melting and freezing at the eaves.

Home Winterization Made Simple

From inspecting roof damage to cleaning your gutters and more, being proactive is a vital aspect of home winterization. As a preventative measure, winterizing a home protects it against damage caused by cold temperatures. If you have any questions regarding how roofing and gutters impacts home winterization contact us today, we’ll happily schedule a complimentary inspection at your residence and offer up recommendations if needed.

Are You Comfortable In Your Home?

Home Comfort

Why is home comfort so important? The obvious answer is, “because I want to be cozy in my home”. That is a great reason and the number one reason for most people, but the main purpose of your home is to shelter you from the elements, and living in Ohio, our homes experience a range of weather. Sure there are some beautiful, “perfect” days – but not many.

In the Midwest, we deal with summer temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit and then below 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. It will rain, snow, and the wind will blow. It can be very low humidity outside or more often, very high humidity. All of these conditions mean we are not comfortable outside, to say the least, and we look to our home to protect ourselves. When you bought your home, you probably didn’t realize some rooms wouldn’t be comfortable all year-’round.

Battling Home Comfort

If your family lives in a home with cold floors/rooms that are too cold and drafty to use in the winter seasons, rooms that are too hot to be comfortable in during the summer months, or uneven temperatures room to room, you will wind up confining yourself to the rooms that are most comfortable and only using part of your home. When you think about it, that is a big waste.

So we battle the outside elements and temperature by running out of heating and air conditioning systems. But here’s the real question – how MUCH heating or air conditioning do we need to be comfortable?

It could be twice as much or half as much depending on how well your house “performs”. When you run your heating or air conditioning enough to make some rooms comfortable, are other rooms still uncomfortable?

Make the Most of Your Patio Space

It’s February. It’s cold. It’s dark. You’ve been stuck inside for months. You’re not alone; February is when everyone is counting down the days until the weather warms up, and we can all spend time outdoors. But don’t let cabin fever get you down! Winter time is the perfect time to rethink your patio space. Make a plan for a revamped patio and feel confident that you’ll satisfy your sunshine cravings as soon as the weather allows.

Assess Your Patio Use
Okay, first thing first: what you do typically use your patio for? Are you grilling? Entertaining? Relaxing? Gardening? Unless you have a giant patio, it’s really important to think about how you like to spend your time before you draw up plans. Patios likely can’t service every outdoor need you have, but they definitely can service your most important outdoor need.

Chill Space
Maybe you’re not really into grilling, or you have your grill located somewhere else besides your patio. You’re the kind of person who wants to swap out patio grill space for patio chill space. A few things to consider when you are designing your patio layout is if you want your patio chill space to be for solitary relaxation purposes, for entertaining, or both. Patio furniture with cushions, reclining chairs, hammock, and end tables will all be patio items you’ll want to check out. Another major necessity if your patio is in direct sunlight: a huge umbrella or possibly a pergola.

Green Space
Calling all green thumbs! If you’ve maxed out your garden space, but you’re still wanting to tend to more plants, your patio is the perfect space for potted flower plants, herbs, and vegetables. Large, potted plants look great on steps, and raised garden boxes can be used on patios for planting vegetables. You can even DIY an herb garden from an old pallet, and you can hang it on your outer wall if you’re short on space. If you have patio stones, you can purposely leave space between stones to plant a decorative bush or flower plant. There are tons of ways that you can arrange flower pots on your patio, so make sure that you do your research on plant needs (direct or indirect sunlight, for example) and arrange accordingly.

When you’ve finished planning your patio project, turn your attention to another outdoor home element that may need some attention: your gutters. Never clean a gutter again with LeafGuard®’s maintenance-free gutters.

Christmas tree and presents in decorated living room

Interior Decorations for a Festive Christmas

Cookies, egg nog, and twinkly lights–’tis the season! The holidays are here, and that means it’s time to get into the holiday spirit. At LeafGuard® of Cincinnati, our specialty may be in exterior home necessities, like our maintenance-free gutters, but we’re embracing the holiday season by helping you gather some ideas for functional and pretty interior holiday decorations. Don’t be a Scrooge, get into the holiday spirit! Check out these great ideas to deck the halls!

Luminary Decorations

Christmastime is about lights–luminary decorations dominate this holiday. There is something magical about turning off the lights and basking in the glow of your Christmas tree. We want those holiday vibes to spread to the rest of your house–not just hanging around your living room. Here are ways to decorate the rest of your house with lights so you can feel that cozy feeling throughout your house.

Christmas Tree Lights

Don’t confine your Christmas tree lights to your tree. There are so many ways that you can use interior lights to decorate for Christmas. Lights can be combined with garland and wrapped through the spindles or railing on your staircase or draped over your mantle. You can hang them from the ceiling to outline a room or to accent a window. Lights diffuse that Christmas feeling throughout the home, and are an excellent decor option for this time of year.

Mason Jars

The Mason jar has really taken over the DIY craft scene in recent years. You can do pretty much anything with a Mason jar to have it serve as a cute and thematically appropriate luminary. Candles do a lot for the ambiance of any room. Why not spend time time DIY-ing some holiday Mason jar luminaries to brighten up your home for the holidays? You can set them on a side or coffee table, on your mantle, or you can line your staircase with them. A major bonus for using Mason jars to decorate is that they are pretty cheap. These Mason jar luminaries might look spendy, but we assure you that you can stay within your budget.

Food and Dining Centered Decorations

No holiday celebration is complete without food. If you are going to be hosting a holiday get-together, don’t forget that one of the best decorations you can have in your home is a well set table. Think about the centerpiece, the colors you use for napkins, and how you arrange your food. All of these considerations will not only wow any guests you have over, but it will really be the focus for your room.

Food Arrangements

There will be gobs of food at any holiday gathering, why not use food as a decoration? Here are some clever ways to use food as a holiday decoration. It’s guaranteed to be everyone’s favorite decoration you have in your home.

Don’t Paint the Walls in Your Home Without Reading This!

If you’ve ever spent time binge watching HGTV, you KNOW the one thing that’s an easy home fix is interior paint. It seems to be every real estate agent or interior decorator’s mantra: paint can be changed. Painting your home is one of the easier home projects you can take on as a homeowner. Yes, painting can be a hassle. Yes, painting can be expensive-ish. Yes, painting can take twice as long as you expected (it ALWAYS does–just get used to it). But painting your interior walls is the best way to change up a room, freshen up your look, and set the mood you want for your home. Here are some things to remember before you set out on your painting project.

Prep Your Room

The most difficult part of painting is prepping the room. This is the part that actually takes the most time. But it’s important. An appropriately prepped room affects the quality of your final product, and also makes your life-while-painting easier. Here are the basics:

Clear room

Move that furniture out. This is a sometimes overlooked step–just do it. You’ll be happy when you don’t have to worry about paint getting on your furniture, and it’ll make moving around your room easier.

Canvas drop cloth

Paint is going to drip. Get yourself a canvas drop cloth to protect your floors or carpet.

Outlets

Make sure you remove the outlet faceplate and tape over your outlets.

Plug any holes

Grab some spackle and plug up those holes. It drastically improves your final look.

Clean the wall

No matter what, walls accumulate dust and build up, and this can actually affect how well your paint sticks to the wall. Make sure you wipe down your walls prior to painting or priming.

Prime

Priming your walls might not be necessary, depending on the quality of paint you buy. However, there are circumstances in which you definitely want to prime your walls: if you plugged a lot of holes, if you’re painting over a dark color, or if you’re painting a drywall that’s never been painted before.

Don’t be Afraid of Color

Color has an incredible effect on your mood. Bring your room to life with a pop of bold color for bigger rooms with tall ceilings, or bright, vivid colors for smaller rooms.

The Finish Matters

One of the questions you’ll be asked when you purchase paint is “what finish would you like?” Here’s the skinny: higher gloss is easier to clean and more durable, but highlights imperfections on your wall; a flat finish hides imperfections, but is less durable and harder to clean. You’ll likely land somewhere in the middle with a satin or eggshell finish.

Purchase Samples

You know how we said to not be afraid of color? Well, be fearless but be smart. Purchase samples of different shades of color or different finishes and roll ‘em on your wall. See how you like the color and finish in the morning, afternoon, and evening light. This step is often skipped, but it is so important! Take the time to “try before you buy.” Even though you’re never married to a paint color, it is a major bummer to have to repaint.

Tape, Tape, Tape

Yup, taping is the worst part of painting. The absolute worst. But just do it. Tape over the trim and ceiling lines and you’ll have so much less touch-up work to do.

Brush Before You Roll

You’ll want to make sure to do the edges and corners, or anywhere the roller can’t reach, before you roll paint on. If you don’t, your edge and corner work will be visible and compromise the quality of your final product.

Painting is an easy fix that changes the look of the room and your mood while you’re in it. Another easy home fix that can change your mood? LeafGuard®’s maintenance-free gutters. Imagine how happy you’ll be when you no longer have to see “clean the gutters” on your Honey-Do” list.

Guest Houses So Nice They Won’t Want to Leave

It’s August: summer’s sweet last course on its menu. It’s time to relax and savor its last morsels by visiting with family and friends before the business of fall sets in. You’ve got decisions to make: do you travel or entertain guests at your home? Hmmmm, is it really a hard decision? Do you want to spend August packing up your all your family essentials and spending hours the road while your kids bicker? How about completely red-lining when your children become monsters due to a major routine disruption? Feel like fumbling for your phone in the middle of the night to use the bathroom? Nope, nope, nope. Better option: spend some time and make your guest room awesome. We’ll help you make your guest room so inviting, you’ll never have to endure the hassle of travel again if you don’t want to.

Guest Rooms

There’s a difference between an extra room and a guest room. Take care of a few considerate details, and your extra room will turn into a next level guest bedroom.

Post your wifi password

This is a simple thing that makes a huge difference for your guests. They can walk in, drop their bags, and save their data by connecting to your WiFi. In addition, they’ll feel like you’ve gone the extra mile by anticipating their needs.

Stock the closet with towels

You don’t want your guests to miss their morning shower because they weren’t sure where to find the towels. Keep your bathroom storage open and save your guests some guesswork by keeping guest linens in your guest bedroom.

Provide extra blankets and a fan

Keeping extra blankets is kind of a no brainer. We all know that some people run a little colder than others. But what about those poor people who sweat all night long? Set up an oscillating fan in the guest bedroom, and your warmer guests will thank you.

Stuff a cute glass jar with little toiletries

There is probably nothing worse than knowing you’ll be away from home for a while, digging in your bag, and realizing you forgot something essential. Take care of that for your guests by providing some small toiletries. Some ideas for your toiletry jar include toothbrush, toothpaste, contact case/solution, travel size shampoo/conditioner, and make up remover.

Think about your bedside manner

No matter how often guests have stayed at your house, they’re still away from their home and far from the muscle memory of their own floor plan. You should always have an easy-on light that’s very accessible from the bed. Also, do you have a TV in your guest bedroom? If you don’t, you might want to consider leaving a few magazines on the nightstands in case insomnia hits your guests.

What About a Guest House?

If you have a guest house, you know already that your guests are going to be comfortable. They have their very own space to kick back and relax when you’re not all spending time together. In addition to the ideas listed above for a guest room, make your guest house a little more inviting with these extra ideas:

Help yourself area

One thing that’s great about a guest house is that you can take at least some pressure off of yourself by giving your guests the materials to be a little more self-sufficient. Leave out some snacks like granola bars, fruit, crackers, etc. Make sure you have any beverage essentials handy for them as well. Think morning coffee, bottled water, tea, etc.

Clothing extras

It’s possible that if you have a guest house that your guests will stay longer. Consider having an empty dresser to help them unpack. Conversely, place a laundry basket or hamper in your guest house so they can keep their dirty clothes separate from their clean ones.

Entertaining is a lot less of a hassle if you have some items prepared to really welcome your guests. If you’re looking for more hassle-free home items, check out LeafGuard maintenance free gutters.

Gardening - Equipment Flowerbed In Sunny Garden

Planning a Garden

The time for planning a garden is now. First off, you’ll need to choose a garden type and location, design the area, and purchase all the necessary supplies. Creating the perfect garden for your yard or patio takes time and planning, but the rewards are bountiful. Here are some questions you should ask before you begin planting your garden.

Where Will You Plant Your Garden?

If you’re planning a vegetable garden, a four-by-four-foot plot of land is a great starting point. If you find this is too restrictive this year, make plans for expansion the following year. To keep critters and pests out, install a small fence. Just be sure to put it in before you start planting because once coyotes and rabbits taste the finished product, they will be back for more. For flowers, sun and shade determinations are important. All flowers are different in terms of how much sun they should and shouldn’t get, so do your research.

In general, vegetables need full sun for eight hours a day. Flowers may need a mix of sun and shade. Over the course of a few days, take a look outside at the desired area to see how many hours of sun and shade it gets. This will help you make your decision.

What’s the Plan Season by Season?

You need a schedule as you move through the seasons so there are no bare spots at any time. Planting the right flowers in the order of their appearance is important because some flowers bloom one month and are gone the next. Plan accordingly so you always have a colorful collection. You will also need plenty of evergreen plants to balance it all out. If you want to grow tomatoes, don’t forget to plant smaller veggies nearby, as tomatoes take a long time to thrive.

What Supplies do You Need?

Take a look in your shed. If you don’t have the basics, go to the home improvement store for things like spades, garden forks, hose, hoe, gardening gloves, hand weeders and baskets. You’ll also need seeds or seedlings, depending on preference.

Planning a garden is hard yet rewarding work. The next step is to make sure your property includes a stellar drainage system. Schedule an appointment with us!

Spring Planting Tips

If you’re eager to get out there and start planting, you’re not alone. Now that April’s here, your garden plans are probably in full swing. Living in Cincinnati, you may wonder what’s best to plant and where. Here’s a look at some spring planting tips you can incorporate into your garden this year.

Which Plants to Choose

Cincinnati happens to be in the USDA Hardiness Zone 6, where low-growing plants that give you lots of ground cover as well as taller flowers for your beds are ideal. You may want to incorporate:

Virginia Bluebells
Black-eye Susans
Beebalm
Dense blazing star
Heart-lead foamflower

Site Selection

Choosing the site of your garden means you’ll have to assess where your yard gets full or nearly-full sunlight as well as shade throughout the day. Wherever you decide to plant, ensure you have an adequate water supply close by. Keep your garden away from trees and shrubs so they don’t compete for what they need: light, water, and nutrients.

Herbs

Looking to incorporate some fresh herbs into your window boxes outside the kitchen? This placement makes it easy to grab a sprig to add rich flavor to all your dishes. You should choose hardy herbs that can withstand minimum temps of -20F. Examples include:

Rosemary: This wind- and deer-resistant herb does well in full sun and any soil type, provided it gets plenty of water.
Creeping thyme: This is a fast-growing evergreen groundcover herb that prefers average well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade.
Chamomile: This herb is drought-tolerant and thrives in full or partial sun in sandy or well-drained soil that is not acidic.
Garden Sage: Best grown in full or partial sun with well-drained soil.

When you’re ready to give your property a once-over, give us a call at LeafGuard of Cincinnati. We’ll come out to inspect your gutter system and give you a quote on a new one if needed. It’s time you incorporated new seamless gutters for easy drainage and water flow with no clogs and no maintenance.