What’s this project worth? It’s a make-or-break question facing every American homeowner weighing diving in on a home improvement project this summer. For there is arguably no greater evaluator of the success of a project than its return on investment. ROI is everything in home improvement. If your project won’t return the money and sweat […]
It’s finally spring in Iowa and construction season is in full swing. With the sweet sights and sounds of life returning to normal post the Coronavirus pandemic comes the very real threat of construction site fires. Like oil and water, red wine and white carpets, and Iowa and Michigan fans, surging spring temperatures and combustible […]
Foundation Definition: The load bearing element of a structure responsible for connecting it to the ground and transferring loads from rooftop to soils. A home’s foundation is much more than the ground we are raised on. It’s the difference between living in a house of cards and a house standing stronger than oak. A house’s […]
Green Mold. If your name’s not Oscar the Grouch or you are not a scientist doing important research on this gross subject, it’s most probably not your jam. Alas, as mold grows in different textures and colors, it offers many different forms of unwelcome moldy intrusions into your home. Mold threatens your home’s livability and […]
White Mold. It’s definitely no one’s favorite word in the English language. Just the term itself is scary, off-putting and uninviting, like moldy bread and black bananas. But what is white mold, and most importantly, is it dangerous to you and your family? White mold is an encompassing term that applies to many species of […]
Reader Advisory: Today we will be discussing a smelly, disgusting and costly subject, but, alas, it’s a grim matter no home owner can afford to ignore, or just plug their nose to. Sewer lines are the all-important channel that removes wastewater from your home. When sewer lines become blocked, the obstruction prevents wastewater from flowing […]
Without question, the most invisible, but very real environmental health threat winter cruelly throws our way each year is ice, ice baby. And a fall on ice is not nearly as ear worm catchy as the Vanilla Ice rap classic, it just cold, hard hurts. Trust us, folks, sitting laid up with a broken foot, […]
It’s one of the toughest birthday questions for any homeowner: what do you get your house for its birthday? That perfect new barbecue deck or kitchen remodel you’ve been dreaming about for it? Whatever you get your family’s most important investment for its next stationary trip around the sun, you want to make sure it […]
In the blink of a lazy eye, the Christmas carols stopped, the Christmas lights went dark and nobody was dreaming of a White Christmas anymore. It was as if Ebenezer Scrooge was suddenly hosting Christmas. Even the Grinch thought this was a rotten turn for the most festive time of the year. Nothing destroys the […]
You don’t need to be a meteorologist to know Iowa weather is often unpredictable. At times, it can feel like we all live in a snow globe filled with potentially hazardous weather, and Mother Nature is shaking the globe with everything she’s got. We’d like to please not take a hailstorm with a chance of […]
