Monthly Homeowner Newsletter

January Home Hints

January is a good time to inspect furniture, cabinets and vanities for loose knobs, pulls and hinges. Tighten or repair as necessary. Tighten screws on drawers, doors, and furniture. Lubricate squeaky door hinges with lightweight machine oil. Free sticky doors by trimming edges or shimming hinges with thin pieces of cardboard. Check the house and make a list of minor household repairs needed. Make a list of broken electrical face plates, missing pulls or knobs, locks that need lubrication, and spots that need caulking around sinks and tubs. Go to the home improvement store and buy everything you need to make all of your repairs at once.

10 Mistakes People Make with Heat

Want a little straight talk on saving money and energy? Don't believe all you have heard about ways to improve efficiency and lower heating costs. Steve Graham, Networx, says, "Even with a constant flow of information about energy efficiency, homeowners make major heating mistakes that end in higher electric bills and larger environmental footprints." Here are 10 of those errors, with the cause and effect of each decision.

Back to top

Floor Care Made Easy

After all the holiday traffic your hardwood floors and carpets may be looking a little worse for the wear. Maintaining good hardwood floor care is not an easy task, but with these doityourself.com tips, you will be able to remove stains, polish, and keep your hardwood floor looking new. The site also has a good carpet cleaning article to help you clean, remove stains and extend the life of your carpets.

Back to top

January Fireplace Safety

Keep your family safe with these fireplace safety tips. Build the right size fire, and baby proof the fireplace. Heed safety concerns when cleaning a fireplace and chimney. Learn about fireplace inspection and proper disposal of fireplace ashes. Not sure if you need a chimney sweep to come out to your house? Or, concerned about getting your home dirty? And, what is the difference between having your chimney inspected and having it swept? Chimney Safety Institute of America offers two short online tutorials that walk you through the basics on chimney sweeping and inspections.

Back to top

NEWS 

A recent article by Barbara Hill in Realty Times says, "While credit remains tight as we move forward into 2011, top economists expect that if the job market revives this year, and interest rates rise only moderately, the housing market could experience a boost."  Read the full article here.

Back to top

Fast Facts

• One out of 20 people have an extra rib.

• Istanbul, Turkey is the only city in the world located on two continents. 

• A one-third pound stalk of broccoli contains more vitamin C than 204 apples.

• The word "moose" comes from the native Algonquian Indian word meaning "twig eater."

• Apples are part of the rose family.

Back to top

---

Created by Grail Media, LLC
For information visit www.homehintsenews.com