A sinkhole can make lakes disappear and turn waterfront homes into literal money pits. Sinkholes are just one of the things that can make lakes vanish -- sometimes right before your eyes. Disappearing lakes are also caused by droughts, raging nearby rivers, landslides, and other issues relating to earth science. … [Read more...]
Storm Shelters & Safe Rooms: What To Expect In Terms Of Construction And Cost
One of the coolest products that was being shown at the Fall Atlanta Home Show was a safe room. Safe rooms seem to be getting more press these days because of advances in their design and also because the weather here in the U.S. has been quite severe in recent years. The safe room we saw at the show is manufactured by Safe Space Storm Shelters. It was one of only 2 products in that category at the Atlanta Home Show -- which was surprising. This is a market segment that is growing in … [Read more...]
Keyless Door Locks: Which Type Of Keyless Door Lock Is Best?
Is it time for you to replace your door locks on your home? There are some great keyless locks on the market that are technically advanced at reasonable costs, depending on the features you require. Let's explore the 3 most popular ones... 3 Types Of Keyless Door Locks … [Read more...]
How To Build Safe Rooms: Here’s What You Need To Know If You’re Thinking Of Building A Safe Room
Severe weather has been on the rise and it made me think about what options a homeowner has regarding safe rooms, a.k.a. storm shelters. As you are probably aware, it's not necessarily the wind that will harm you. It's the debris that the wind picks up and hurls perilously through the air that you have to watch out for. That's why it's a smart move to build a safe room either during the construction of your new home or have one built into your existing home -- especially if you live in … [Read more...]
Fix Loose Wall Receptacles By Using Electrical Outlet Spacers
Once again, I found myself in the middle of another home remodeling project when a small problem arose and I learned something new in the process. This time the solution to the problem was cheap and simple: electrical outlet spacers. I ran into this unforeseen problem while installing new beadboard wainscoting in our kitchen and breakfast room. The electrical outlets were recessed after I installed the wainscoting and I wasn't able to install the faceplate properly. It's a seemingly … [Read more...]
Facts You Should Know About Home Lightning Protection (After I Talked To An Installer)
Everyone knows how devastating a lightning strike can be. Protecting your home from a powerful lightning strike could save your life, the lives of your family members, your home, its contents and electrical components that keep it up and running. How do you prevent a lightning strike on your home? The answer is..."you can't prevent a lightning strike." But you can certainly nullify or minimize the damaging effects of a lightning strike by having a lightning protection system … [Read more...]
Basement Egress Window Wells: What You Need To Know
Basement egress window wells are the latest features that we saw in some very attractive homes in Brown's Park near downtown Marietta, GA. It seems to be rare to find new homes these days built with fully enclosed basements -- with stairs from inside of the house being the only way to enter/exit the basement. Basement egress window wells are, by far, the most boring feature of these homes but a necessity, nonetheless. I'll be posting separate articles about the other great features … [Read more...]
