Momhood Moments – Home Improvement Blog and In Between Life

Five Reasons Why You need to Waterproof Your Basement

By admin on September 10, 2017

Your basement is not just an extra storage area but is instead an important part of the very foundation of your home. Therefore, waterproofing your basement can help you avoid having expensive structural problems that have to be repaired in the future. The following are some of the most important reasons why you should seriously consider waterproofing your basement.

1. Structural Problems

If there are any signs of acid damage, spalling or cracks then you may have a problem with your foundation. Spalling refers to the process when concrete begins to chip. It can be caused by water damage and may also be a sign that you have a severe waterproofing issue that may lead to problems with your foundation. There are professional companies such as A-Proseal.com that provide advice and basement waterproofing services that you can contact if you see any of these signs.

2. Acid Damage

Typically acid damage will appear as rust or brown color stains on your basement floors or wall. These stains are caused by water pushing through your concrete foundation. Acid damage make weaken a basement foundation over time. Foundation and basement waterproofing problems may decrease the value of your property by as much as 20%.

3. Increased Energy Costs

With waterproofing problems comes high humidity, and this can will cause your electricity bills to go up. To cool humid air takes more energy and therefore costs more.

4. Asthma and Allergy Issues

When there is a water problem in a basement, the water can end up evaporating and rising through the other parts of your house. This results in increased humidity inside your home, in addition to your basement. Dust mites thrive in environments with high humidity, and these pests are one of the main causes of asthma and allergy problems.

Increased moisture in the basement creases a perfect environment for mold to thrive as well. Mold is another major cause of many health issues, including skin irritation, eye irritation, wheezing, coughing and throat irritation. Therefore, protecting your family’s health is another major reason why you should seriously consider waterproofing your basement.

Having a damp or wet basement can lead to serious issues for your home and family. On the other hand, a properly waterproofed basement will help to protect your foundation, maintain or increase the value of your home, safeguard the health of your family and help to maintain a cost-effective and comfortable living environment.

Getting Your HVAC System Serviced

By admin on August 13, 2017

An HVAC system that functions perfectly is a necessity. Otherwise, you will be very uncomfortable, to say the least when the weather is extremely hot or cold. Therefore, it is essential that you must take the necessary steps to ensure that your HVAC system does not experience any extended downtime. The best way to go about doing this is to have your HVAC system checked out twice each year by an experienced technician who has received all of the proper training. Here are some of the main reasons why having your HVAC system regularly serviced is the smart thing to do.

1. The technician will be able to determine any problems before they get out of hand.

Problems that go undetected will eventually turn into much larger problems down the road. This is inevitable unless the problem gets fixed while it is still in the early stages. This is one of the main reasons why regular HVAC maintenance is so vitally important. A technician will carefully examine your HVAC system and easily detect anything that looks out of place. He will then fix any issues he finds before they become much more serious. These repairs will cost you a minimal amount of money. However, your repair bill will be much higher if small problems are allowed to grow and become much worse before something is done to fix them.

2. You will not be uncomfortable for long periods of time in the summer or winter.

The purpose of having an HVAC system is to make your home a more comfortable place to live. However, you will soon be freezing in the winter or burning up in the summer if your HVAC system is on the fritz. This can ruin your quality of life and make living in your home unbearable until the unit is fixed. Regular HVAC maintenance could have prevented this nightmare.

3. You will be able to save a significant sum of money.

Some people want to go the cheap route. They want to save money by not paying for a technician to look at their HVAC system on a regular basis. This mentality usually comes back to bite them later in the form of a large repair bill. Hiring a company that specializes in HVAC repair Chicago to inspect your system regularly will help you avoid the major repairs that can empty your wallet.

Reasons to Get a Chimney Inspection

By admin on

The chimney is a feature of most homes that are frequently used during the colder months of the year to heat the home and create a cozy setting. A chimney inspection is necessary to maintain the feature and increase its lifespan. Here are a few reasons to get a chimney inspection when you want to maintain the quality of your home.

Check for Cracks

Cracks that are present in the flue can easily lead to a house fire that can occur due to excess heat that can have contact with water. Drops of water from rain or melted snow will result in the flue deteriorating at a faster rate and can cause the chimney not to be covered properly. Your home can easily become exposed to embers and heat, which will lead to toxic fumes entering your home and causing carbon monoxide poisoning.

The inspector can also clean the chimney, which will reduce the risk of a fire that develops combustible materials that are not removed each year.

Look for Nests

Different types of animals and critters are prone to making nests when they’re looking for shelter at various times of the year. A chimney inspection DC is necessary to detect where nests are present and have them removed immediately to reduce the amount of damage that can be caused to your home due to the animals’ presence.

Lower the Cost of Repairs

Although chimneys can last longer than a century, other components can deteriorate over time at a faster rate. Forgetting to get the chimney inspected can increase the severity of the repairs that get neglected or go unnoticed. The flashing may not be inspected, which can cause water damage to the inside of the home once moisture gets into the building in wet weather conditions.

The chimney inspection may cost money to perform each year with a professional but will ultimately allow you to save more money because the repairs will cost less money than waiting too long to fix any issues that are present.

Although you may not use your chimney on a daily basis, it’s important to have it inspected each year to maintain its quality and ensure that it is safe to use. You can have peace of mind knowing that there are not any issues that are present and that it will continue to work well over time.