Sean Quinn - The Brothers Bloom

The Ins and Outs of Home Security

Keeping your home secure is a constant thought for most homeowners. Whether you are dealing with increasing crime or violent weather systems in your local area, home security is an ongoing project that millions of homeowners must struggle to keep up with.

Home security fits within these two broad categories of human threat and maintenance requirements, and it’s often helpful to keep these in mind when approaching any home repairs or upgrades in order to maintain the highest standard quality of your home. This will provide increased peace of mind for you and your family for years to come — which is an invaluable thing for any homeowner.

Secure your home against the threat of break-ins.

If you live in Arizona, for example, home security in Tucson is a great place to start. The first component of a home security system is to protect against malicious intent. Homeowners in Arizona are using modern technology in keeping their property safe. These include motion sensors and lighting to ward off potenetial intruders and security cameras with specialized night-vision lenses. Another highly-regarded tactic is the use of the security system sign.

Security systems are often woefully underprepared for the breach of the home’s perimeter by burglars or other intruders. Response times by fire and police officials can often be too little too late, and there can often be alarming issues with the “chain of custody” when it comes to the installation of a home security system that is managed by a larger security firm.

Many homeowners are opting to conduct their own security installations instead and for good reason. DIY solutions are often far more reasonably priced and they typically work better in solving the problems that you are facing. Home security cameras can often be wired in an afternoon and don’t require access by third-party technicians that you cannot possibly hope to vet yourself before allowing access to sensitive areas of the home.

Indeed many homeowners even find that mock cameras and the planting of a simple ADT or Brinks sign in their home — without the actual protection services offered by either company or one of their competitors — is enough to deter all but the worst crime.

The truth is this sliver of criminal activity happens at random and will persist regardless of a community’s dedication to security measures. Preventing the mainstream criminal activity is the goal, and can be accomplished with your standard homeowner-led installations in most cases.

Protecting your home from the elements is a tough job as well.

Criminal activity is not the only game in town when it comes to threats to your property and livelihood. Natural disasters, particularly violent rain or snowstorms, and even hurricanes, tornadoes, or fires can wreak havoc on a home and its residents. Homeowners will need to combine a three-pronged method in order to defeat these threats to their peace of mind and comfort.

The first element of this strategy is financial planning. Homeowners all across the country know that trouble can present itself suddenly and without any prior warning. Most often, this happens during a storm or other weather event, but an air conditioning unit or window can simply fail without a major event taking place. Building repair work into your budget every month is the best way to prepare for an issue that threatens your home’s comfort. Most months, this savings pool will remain untouched, but when a disaster does strike your home you will be prepared for the emergency and will not have to dip into credit card availability or borrow from friends or family in order to put your life back on track.

Similarly, planning for storage is an important aspect of homeownership. In the event of a major threat to your community, keeping storage space available for your most precious belongings is the only way to ensure their continued protection while your home remains under threat.

If you live in Texas, searching online for “Houston storage prices” will yield you information on locations, pricing, and inclusions at dozens of local storage facilities. Each space offers a different combination of services; but for most, a climate-controlled facility that operates 24-hour access will offer the greatest mixture of security and access that brings moisture and humidity protection to bear with its climate-controlled offering. These types of facilities are perfect for storing important documents, pictures, memorabilia, and your more expensive garments like coats and scarves.

Utilizing self-storage is a great way to stave off the need to buy new clothing or search for ways to replace those antique prints of family members that were hanging on the walls. Family heirlooms are a devastating loss, but without an outlet that you trust for clothing like jeans, shoes, and stylish jackets, you will be stuck paying back credit card debt for all new purchases along with any repair costs that your family finds itself saddled with. Make sure you take secure storage seriously when planning for the worst.

Finally, your home requires regular maintenance in order to protect it from all but the worst that Mother Nature can throw your way. Keeping up with your home’s repair work and maintenance requirements is simple if you stay ahead of the curve. This means having your AC unit checked every year, climbing up on the roof to clear your gutters of the debris that builds up, as well as checking on your windows, foundation, and walls for cracks or other signs of damage. Maintaining a home and protecting it against the elements doesn’t have to be hard work, just something that must become a habit.

Securing your home against the threats in your local area starts with the obvious solutions in home security systems. But this is not where your strategy for protecting your family, belongings, and livelihood should end. You must evaluate all the possible traumas that could come to your home and the belongings that it protects in order to shield yourself against the wide variety of issues that could cause trouble in your locality.

What to Do if You Don’t Have Running Water

With winter fast approaching, and those temperatures dipping into the land of the freezing, it’s a highly advisable move to prepare for a worst-case scenario where your home doesn’t have running water. The last thing you want to do is wake up one morning with a winter wonderland outside and the newfound revelation that the water inside is taking its own winter vacation. With no running water, you’ll be shocked at how fast those dirty plates and pans will stack up, as everyone in your home begins to smell a whole new kind of ripe. It can create quite a stressful scenario if you’re meeting the development completely unprepared. Let’s take a look at some surefire ways you can smoothly navigate a scenario where the water in your home simply won’t run. You’ll actually have peace of mind by the end of this.

Stock up heavily on that water.

It’d be nothing short of a miracle if you could just melt some of that snow that’s resulted in your home’s water supply freezing. Alas, you’re not so lucky. Instead, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve stocked up on enough water so that each member of your household can have at least a gallon of water a day, over a few day’s time. You can easily accomplish this by using a helpful home water delivery service. They’ll get you set up with just the kind of water stockpile that’ll have your mind resting easy the next time a snowstorm, or freezing temperatures, decides to put your home’s water supply on hold.

Make sure you have a large stockpot.

Having a large stockpot on hand is an instrumental part of successfully navigating a situation where you don’t have running water. With a large enough stockpot, and some bottled water handy, you’ll be able to wash your hair and clean those dishes so that the whole house doesn’t devolve into a stinky mess. Nobody wants to only use cold water. That’s uncomfortable for most, and it can wear down the spirit quickly.

Keep a supply of frozen meals handy.

This move plays right into you trying to eliminate the number of dishes you’re going through. The fewer dirty dishes, the less water you’ll have to use. It never hurts to err on the side of a dishes-free dinner where all you’ll have to worry about is throwing away the boxes and empty containers you used when you got your feast mode on.

Get to know the neighbors before a storm arrives.

For all you know, you’ve got a handy plumber that lives a few doors down from you in your apartment, or maybe your home is located conveniently close to a helpful and efficient plumbing service like Plumber Lubbock. The point here is that sometimes you’ve simply got to bring in the professionals to get the job done. Maybe your lack of running water isn’t completely related to the freezing temperatures. Maybe there’s something going on in those pipes that only a Lubbock plumber can resolve.

Your next plumbing problem doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out affair. There’s no shame in getting help when you’re in over your head.

Reuse your clothing.

This one might seem like common sense, but in the middle of a gnarly winter storm, we can all fall prey to irrational behavior and blinding panic. You want to make sure that you’re reusing all the clothing that you can. Clothing like jeans can last you for at least a few outings. It might not be an ideal setup, and some of those pants/shirts might get a little riper than normal, but it’s better than running out of clothing altogether.

Running water is something people often take for granted, and it can be devastating when it’s no longer available. With some good sense and winter preparations, though, you’ll be set to make it through until the water comes back.

How I Spent my Stimulus Check

I wish I were writing a different article for you today. I wish I could tell you I spent my stimulus check on the ultimate government-sponsored “treat yo’ self” extravaganza. I wish that earlier this year I had spent a week relaxing at a spa and online shopping with nary a care in the world. Alas, here I am, in the same financial state that I was in before March 2020 with the added bonus of having new shingles on my roof. I’m jumping for joy over here!

Roof Replacement

Getting your roof re-done may not sound fun, or maybe, just maybe, it could be your next quarantine hobby. I’m not talking about the actual act of replacing your roof, because you should probably leave that to a professional roofing contractor unless you like leaks — in which case, I guess it can be a DIY job. When it rains, you could hang plants underneath the cracks in your ceiling. It actually might be good for propagation; I digress.

There is so much that goes into the decision of how you want your home to look. It should represent you, it should resist all of the most extreme weather conditions in your area. Perhaps you have to adhere to the appearance standards of a neighborhood housing association, or you want to blend in with the rest of the homes on your block. Or perhaps blending in is the quickest way to a dystopian future for us all.

Regardless, if your roof is over 20 years old, it’s time. And if you live in northern Virginia near Springfield, look no further than this Springfield VA roofing company for lasting protection, improved energy efficiency, quality service, and the style your home deserves. Invest in a durable roof replacement if you’d like another decade to pass before even thinking about your roof again. It’s back-breaking work, requires a lot of skill, and is one of the most important features of your home — so it will be expensive. It may not have been glamorous to put some of my stimulus check toward a roof repair, but it needed to happen.

The reason this could be your next quarantine hobby is the sheer amount of thought that goes into large financial decisions like roof replacement. Even deciding which type of shingle is right for you can be a weeklong marathon project, full of late-night research sessions, PowerPoint presentations, and even a study group. So if you find yourself coming down with a case of the 2020 blues — symptoms include baking bread from scratch, scrolling deals of the day on Amazon, and twiddling your thumbs until they blister — consider taking on the huge home project that you’ve been putting off.

Backyard Design

Remember how I said I didn’t spend a week at the spa? Well, that’s kind of a lie. Because I installed one in my backyard. As I was looking around, I started to notice patches where the grass was thinner, places where the paint was chipping, and a ton of weeds in my garden. Instead of diving headfirst into nitpicky backyard chores, I decided to spend some time visualizing what I really wanted in my own private nature reserve.

I imagined having an outdoor kitchen with a grill, a fire pit, and a versatile breakfast-slash-cocktail nook. I imagined doing yoga next to a custom pool and cooling off under a waterfall. And when the weather started to get colder, I imagined hopping into a hot tub to relax with a glass of red wine under the stars.

In the era of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to have an outdoor living space you love. Carrying out a quick Google search of “swimming pool companies Tampa FL” will give you a list of the best backyard designers and pool contractors in the Tampa Bay area. If you live somewhere else, then consider google searching for contractors in your location. Whatever your needs are at this time, a professional service can handle pool design, pool remodeling, and new outdoor construction alike.

You may be thinking that it’s way out of your price range to hire a contractor to design your outdoor kitchen, but I beg you to remember that Ikea bookshelf you ordered at the beginning of quarantine. Remember how there was one extra screw at the end, and you couldn’t figure out where it was supposed to go? Now every time you look at that bookshelf, its potential danger looms over you as much as the weight of the books it holds. The bonus of hiring a professional is the guarantee that everything will be built properly. No wobbly outdoor structures for me, thank you very much!

Whatever your backyard needs are, look for a company with years of experience to make your backyard dreams come true. I promise that you’ll be able to find affordable prices, and you won’t need to hodge-podge DIY your way through.

Animal Control

I’m not the only one who sits outside and admires my new roof and outdoor living space. So do all sorts of little critters. When unwanted pests or rodents make their way into your living space, there is a possibility of property damage, disturbance of peace, and even health risks. When this happens, you need a quick and effective Animal Removal Service to save the day.

No animals were harmed in the writing of this article — or before it. The goal of an animal removal service is to return the animals to safety as much as it is to protect you and your home, so rest assured that animal removal services are safe for all involved. And that the little raccoons who were nesting under my porch are very happy in their new home at the park down the road.

Indoor Landscaping

With so much money spent on the outside of my home, I decided I should invest in my indoor space as well. Have you seen those Instagrammers who are really into plants? They call themselves plant moms and plant daddies? I thought, is that the name of a rap artist? I didn’t understand how you could possibly compare growing a plant to having an actual human child.

I get it now. First of all, you gotta go all out to be worthy of the title “plant parent.” While it’s generally good to start small and learn as you go, it’s also fun to get in way over your head and see what happens.

Each plant type requires a different amount of sun (low, medium, high) and a different type of exposure (direct or indirect). They also require varying amounts of water on certain days of the week. You don’t want to over-water. You don’t want to under-water. Also, you may have two plants of the same kind that seem to prefer different amounts of light or water. This is why it’s best to name your plants to keep track of who’s who. You can tell that your plant is happy because it literally perks up, the leaves thicken, and it reaches toward the sky.

Once you learn your plant’s personal preferences and name each individual, it’s pretty easy to see how this makes you a parent. Plant parenting isn’t necessarily an easy hobby, but it’s worth seeing your baby grow big and strong.

We all just want to be healthy and happy, right? So I used my stimulus check to nurture these things into my life. We’re all gonna come out of quarantine stronger than ever.