A home with good thermal insulation can save up to 30% of energy, which has direct effects both in the electric bill and in the CO2 emissions to the environment. What precautions should we take to improve the thermal performance of our home? Here are some tips:

The thermal insulation of a dwelling is the capacity that it has to retain heat (in winter) or cold (in summer), which we basically generate through heating and/or cooling systems. No matter how much we invest in a good air conditioner or a good heating system, it will do little good if the house is not well insulated.

But not only because of energy saving or environmental awareness, but also because, in less than a year – as of January 1, 2013 – the Royal Decree of Energy Efficiency of Existing Buildings announced that it will require all homes that are bought, sold or rented in Spain have a certificate that guarantees their energy performance.

In this way, the homes will have a distinctive efficiency similar to that already have the appliances, which will also affect the sale or rental price of the same. In fact, housing will be classified by a series of letters, ranging from ‘A’ (maximum efficiency) to ‘G’ (lowest energy efficiency).

Let’s see what are some aspects you can take into account to improve, without major investments, the thermal insulation of our home:

In a home, heat loss occurs through windows, doors, floors, walls and ceilings. In the case of windows and doors to the outside, it is very important to check that there are no leaks of energy and, if they do, take the appropriate measures. In floors, walls or ceilings it’s essential to have good installation with effective products and high thermal resistance. If the house is older, there is a wide variety of materials that allow thermal insulation of a wall, a floor or a roof to be reinforced.

The windows are one of the weaknesses of the house. To minimize their leaks of heat or cold it is advisable that they have double pains and, if possible, an air chamber. It will also improve their thermal insulation capacity if they have a quality carpentry (PVC, for example) which prevents the formation of thermal bridges, as well as having a specific glass to reduce heat losses.

In summer it is highly recommended to use awnings and blinds to minimize overheating your house.

In winter, however, we must take full advantage of the sunlight and let it in through the windows by leaving curtains open.

Finally, it is essential to ventilate the house well in the morning and at night. Ten minutes is enough to renew the air of a room.

If your roof has water damage, you will need to remove the drywall and let the inside of the roof dry out. If not, mold may grow inside your ceiling. Correct the initial cause of the leak to avoid future damage. If you are not sure where the leak is, ask a professional roofer or plumber to inspect your home. If you notice mold development anywhere in your home, hire a professional mold-removal contractor to get rid of it immediately.

Instructions

1. Push gently over the area to determine the magnitude of water damage. You have to remove and place sections of plasterboard that are soft or severely arched.
2. Use a knife to mark a line around the entire damaged area.
3. Break apart the area within the score lines with a hammer and remove all damaged plaster.
4. Reach inside the hole to find the wooden posts closest to the edges of the hole. Use the knife and hammer to remove the plaster up to the wooden posts, leaving a square or rectangular hole in the ceiling.
5. Remove some gypsum (drywall) panels in the middle along the uprights on each side of the hole (leaving half of the exposed beam showing to allow for installing screws to secure the new piece of gypsum).
6. Set fans and dehumidifiers up to dry the interior ceiling area. If the outside air is dry, open the windows and doors to let fresh air in. Depending on the magnitude of the water damage, it could take several days for everything to dry completely. The goal is to avoid the development of mold after closing to the ceiling. Do not proceed until the interior of the roof is dry.
7. Cut a new piece of plaster to fit the hole. Use drywall screws and a drill to attach to wood. Install screws every four to six inches along the outer edges of the hole where the wooden crossbars are. This will strengthen the connection between the existing roof and the new part.
8. For normal ceiling, use a 6-inch gypsum knife to compound on each joint. Place a section of drywall tape over the composite and wipe it flat. Fill in all heads from the screws. Wait for the joint compound to dry completely (usually 24 hours). Use a 12-inch gypsum knife to apply a second layer of compound over the entire area, this time leaving a thick, soft layer. Allow to dry and then sand the area with 150 grit sandpaper.

Prime and paint as normal. If you notice rusty or yellowish water stains showing through the composite joint, use a special concealed primer (available from hardware stores). Ask the staff or check the label to verify the primer is specifically designed to conceal water stains.

Several everyday situations can make your carpet become a smelly mess. Pets, children and even adults can leave unpleasant odors trapped in the fibers of a carpet. These odors can last for weeks and resist normal carpet cleaners. There are several ways to freshen smelly carpets using nontoxic and common household products.

Vinegar

Natural and cheap, vinegar does not mask odors, it removes them. Pour undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle. Start at one end of the carpet, and spray the bottle while moving forward and backward. Continue in this manner while moving across the carpet until you have saturated the fibers. As the vinegar dries, it eliminates the odors that are trapped.

Sodium bicarbonate (Baking Soda)

Used to clean and deodorize, sodium bicarbonate naturally eliminates pet odors, smoke and many other unpleasant odors from carpets. Cover the entire carpet with a thin layer of baking soda and wait several hours. If odors are strong, leave the baking soda overnight. Remove the powder with a vacuum cleaner. Repeat the process as often as needed to refresh carpets that smell bad.

Corn starch and herbs or spices

Instead of buying expensive carpet powders, create your own all-natural powder using common household items. Fill a plastic container with a lid with cornstarch. Add dried herbs or spices and mix with a spoon. Choose herbs and spices that are to your liking. Lavender, clove, cinnamon and rosemary are just some of the options available. Sprinkle the carpet with homemade dust and rub it between the fibers with a scrub brush. Wait a few hours and vacuum to remove dust from the carpet.

Borax and cornmeal

Borax is a versatile cleaning powder, when mixed with cornmeal, eliminates bad odors trapped in the carpet. You can find borax in the laundry sector in supermarkets. Pour 1 cup borax in a container and add 2 cups of cornmeal and mix with a spoon. Cover the carpet with this mixture and let stand for an hour before removing it with a vacuum cleaner.  Repeat the process as needed when the carpet begins to smell.

Considerations

Before removing odors from a carpet, pass the vacuum cleaner to remove lint, hair, dirt and other debris from the surface. Vacuum the carpet daily to keep it at its best and prolong its life. Use a sweeper equipped with a HEPA filter which helps reduce odors in the air during vacuuming.

If you do not want your garden to disappear at night, install good outdoor lighting. In many occasions the decoration and protection of the home, is focused on the interior. But what about the exterior?

Your garden should reflect your personality, decorate it to your liking and improve the security of your home.

A simple way for your gardens to become a cozy and safer place is to install outdoor lighting.  It is not only necessary to have good lighting in summer; in winter, when the nights are longer, and we find fog and bad weather, good lighting is more important than ever.

If you do not know how to go about picking out the right lighting, here are some ideas to improve the lighting of your garden:

1. Place lights along areas where there is traffic such as the road, main entrance and garage. In this way, you improve the security of your home by increasing the visibility of the entrances and exits. Besides illuminating these areas well, accidents can be avoided because there will not be a lack of light. For this you can use high power spotlights, such floor lights which can be purchased at any home improvement store.
2. Light up the elements of your garden: highlight those elements of your garden that you like. You can light up tall trees, like small shrubs, flowers, a small pond or fountain. Anything. The trick is to hide the light well and focus the elements correctly so that they truly illuminate what you want them to see, and do not create shadows that instead of illuminating, hide what you want to display. Play with the colors and spotlight combinations, make your garden be eye-catching at night.
3. Place lights in such a way to create a path: create a path of lights towards the entrance. This in addition to improving visibility at night, makes your garden look much more modern and cozy. For this you can opt for two options: recessed lights in the ground or pathway lights. We recommend this last type of lighting: it does not waste electricity, as most now come as solar powered, and although they do not give much light, it is enough to light the way.
4. Place torches or candle holders: this type of lighting is purely decorative. It is obviously for the good weather, and will give a very warm look to your garden. These can be placed within the garden if you’re hosting a party or as holiday decorations.

A drainage snake – also known as a drainage auger – is a tool used by plumbers to clear clogged drains. It consists of a handle, a flexible metal “snake” and a hole in the end to break the blockage. Breaking a nuisance with a drainage snake is something that most homeowners can do themselves, without having to hire a plumber. Drain snakes are available in every hardware store and are available in many shapes, lengths and materials.

Instructions

Shallow clogs

• Insert the snake into the drain.
• Push the snake deeper and deeper into the tube, turning the crank clockwise, adjusting to reposition the handle as you go. You can stop pressing when you get to the obstruction.
• Turn the snake clockwise to allow the auger into the obstruction.
• Pull the snake slightly backwards to break off parts of the blockage. Depending on the size of the obstruction, you have to do this several times to clean the drain.
• Run hot water through the drain to remove the jam from the rest of the pipe.

Clogs of deep

• Remove the trap under the drain with a socket wrench. Directly under the drain, you will notice a horizontal and vertical piece of pipe connecting pipe. This section is known as a trap and will have to be removed to snake the drain.
• Insert the snake from above into the horizontal piece of pipe under the sink. Force the snake downward when you reach the “T” in the pipe.
• Push the snake deeper and deeper into the tube, turning the crank clockwise, adjust to reposition the handle as you go. You can stop pressing when you get to the blockage.
• Pull the snake slightly backwards to break off parts of the obstruction. Depending on the size of the blockage, you’ll have to do this several times to clean the drain. You’ll know the drain is clear when you no longer feel a blockage in the pipe.
• Replace the trap and run hot water through the pipe to purge the remainder of the obstruction.

Tips & Warnings

• If these strategies do not work, you may need to call a plumber who will have access to more powerful tools to help get rid of the blockage.