Experts In Your Home Blog

Parents of toddlers often wish they had a dollar for every time they say, “No!” Then again, parents of youngsters, preteens and adolescents probably feel the same way. “No!” is an ageless word that comes part and parcel with parenthood.

Still, this curt, no-nonsense command comes in handy as a toddler is about to chomp on a plugged-in cell phone charger or a youngster with wet hands stands ready to plug in a toaster. As your child's best and most influential teacher, you have much to impart. And electrical safety should be part of your “syllabus.”

But how do you know which concepts to introduce at what age? And what about those concepts? What should they include? Allow Experts in Your Home to shed some light on the subject of electrical safety by beginning with some general tips that can help you every step of the way.

As builders and remodelers, Experts in Your Home has heard just about every contractor joke known to man – and woman. Some of the jokes are even funny.

For homeowners, the upshot is not always worth cracking a smile about. Consider the age-old, “When is the best time to undertake a home improvement project?” Answer: “When you don't have to be home to deal with it.”

The upshot here is that home improvement projects are disruptive and stressful. While it's true that many of them can be, it's equally true that an experienced company knows exactly how to minimize the disruptions and stress until a project is complete.

If you're new to the Chico area, then you know you have to put first things first.

You have to find a bank. You have to figure out where your favorite grocery stores are located. You should learn how to get to the nearest hospital and emergency clinic. And you probably should identify a mechanic who can change the oil in your car and perform repairs.

Daily life goes more smoothly when you're prepared to deal with life's expected and unexpected events, including heating repairs to your heating, ventilation and cooling system. Now that winter is approaching, learn why your neighbors have made Experts in Your Home the premier HVAC company in the Chico area.

This is one quandary you didn't quite expect as you began to research how to “light up” your home with outdoor lighting.

As you did expect, companies that sell home security systems and outdoor lighting swear that their products deter crime. Their argument seems logical: Burglars prefer to go unnoticed, so keep your home well-lit and stop them in their tracks. Many metropolitan police departments – including those in Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago – agree with this logic and urge homeowners to enact these and other home safety & security measures.

When time is running out and the projects keep adding up, many harried homeowners – and maybe you're one of them – have been heard to mutter, “I can't do everything!”

But many smart homeowners – and you're probably one of them – always seem to make time for tasks and projects that will make their home more secure.

If you do nothing else this weekend or next, put these 10 home security tasks and projects on your “to-do” list, courtesy of Experts in Your Home. If you're pressed for time, issue a call for “all hands on deck” and make it a family project. Either way, you'll breathe easier. You'll sleep easier. And you and your family will be safer, too:

If you don't suffer from allergies, you probably know someone who does.

This is because at least 20 percent of children and adults suffer from allergies and contend with symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing and nose-blowing. The triggers vary, but many allergy sufferers are especially sensitive to one or more allergens, including dust mites, animal dander, insect debris and mold spores.

Maybe you've noticed this phenomenon in your home: each new maintenance or home improvement task triggers a mad dash to your favorite home improvement store.

Need to plug some cracks around the windows? Better buy some caulk and a gun. Want to wrap that leaky pipe? Now you need duct tape. Want to hang pictures? Now you have to buy hooks and picture wire.

Some of these mad dashes cannot be avoided. No homeowner can be expected to have every tool within arm's reach, and many people build a tool collection over time. But if you're planning ahead and want to fortify your collection while you're at the store anyway, Experts in your Home recommends that you put these 20 must-have tools on your shopping list:

If you've visited the light bulb aisle at your home improvement store lately, you may have wondered, “When did shopping for light bulbs become so complicated?”

It used to be simple: grab an incandescent bulb, check the wattage and head toward the checkout. Now there are dozens of bulbs to choose from in many assorted shapes. And they feature terms you may not recognize or understand.

Many consumers still don't realize that assistance is right in front of them, on the light bulb packages. Experts in Your Home can shed light on the subject to make your home lighting decisions a little easier.

At the end of every summer, you can usually hear one of two cries emanating from parents and school-age children across America.

One cry resembles an anxiety-laden protest. The other cry sounds distinctly joyous and exuberant. You can decide which cry comes from which person.

It's back-to-school time in America, and for every well-meaning bystander who assures a harried parent that “life will settle down” now that the kids are back in school, an experienced parent knows better: The pace of daily life is more likely to accelerate because kids' busy schedules “rule the roost.”

You might be single, divorced, married to someone who'd rather not be bothered by home maintenance tasks or a newly minted Chico homeowner.

But you're a woman, and you're also thrifty. While you don't necessarily seek to become a “home Jedi master,” you'd settle for knowing how to capably address some common tasks that can save you a significant amount of money over the long term.