When you live in a location that is quite humid, you need to be aware of some common issues that might need to be addressed all year long. Making sure that you and your family are healthy can be linked with your management of the humid conditions impacting your home. Things like mold can make your home unlivable, and you need to be sure that these issues do not impact you.

What Are Some Risks Associated With Humid Environments

1.       Mold Can Affect Your Home if You Live in a Humid Environment

This is the biggest concern that might impact your home if you live in a humid place. Mold can make its way into all kinds of spaces in your home, from the walls to the flooring, to the window and door frames. Mold can be very bad for your health, and some kinds of molds can be so hard to eradicate that you might have to replace your flooring and wall materials in order to get the mold out of your home.

Things like black mold have been associated with everything from respiratory issues to death. You want to avoid mold at all costs, which means that you need to know what to look for to catch possible mold issues before they progress too far.

2.       Humid Air Might Lead to an Unpleasant Environment in Your House

Humidity in the air can lead to an oppressive environment in your home, and it can make things like towels, furniture, and bedding feel sticky and wet. Humidity inside the home can also lead to issues with controlling the temperature in the home. When the air is too humid, it can make it hard to get rid of excess heat, and it can also make it tough to keep your home warm.

Humidity in the air can be good to a point, but when it is too much, your home can feel pretty sticky and yucky every day.

3.       Humidity Can Damage Your Home’s Surfaces and Materials

Humidity can damage all kinds of surfaces in your home. You might have to deal with peeling paint, dry rot, and issues with the siding and the insulation in your home when you live in a humid climate. Keeping the right amount of humidity present inside your home and making sure that the surfaces on its exterior are watertight can help manage these possible issues with ease.

However, if the humidity inside your home goes unchecked, you could have trouble with paint, wall surfaces, and support structures in short order.

What Can I Do to Manage Humidity Better And Take Care of a Home?

If you live in a humid climate, you will not be able to change the environment around your home, but you can manage some of the impact of the humid environment on a daily basis.

·         Dehumidifiers Can Have a Significant Impact on Humidity Levels in Your House

Dehumidifiers can make a huge impact on the humidity inside your home. These kinds of solutions can help to absorb and remove the humidity from the environment in your home. This keeps surfaces from absorbing moisture, and it helps to prevent bad smells and issues with mold.

Dehumidifiers can be machines that draw moisture from the air, or they can be containers of substances that wick the moisture up from the air. There are various ways to keep the humidity under control within your home, and dehumidifiers are one of the most effective ways of controlling the potential for unhealthy living conditions and damage to the interior of your home.

·         Improve Drainage Around Your Home to Manage humidity

You can help to manage the humidity in and around your home by making sure that your drainage is excellent. Allowing standing water near your home or in your yard can make the moisture in the air exponentially greater than if these issues are not present. When there is standing water on your property, the foundation of your home could be at risk, and moisture could leach up the walls.

When the drainage around your home is not working right, your home can be undermined just because of the added moisture in the air and surrounding the foundation of your home. It is very unwise to ignore drainage issues for too long because they will eventually cause major damage to your home.

·         Use the Fans in Your Home to Decrease Humidity Impacts

When you wash clothes, take a shower or a bath, or work in the kitchen, you need to make sure that you use the fans that were installed in your home to remove humidity and moisture from the air. If you do not use these fans, you will allow moisture to remain in the room for hours. This can lead to peeling paint, mold on or in the walls, and foul-smelling air.

Using the fans in your home makes a huge impact on the amount of moisture in the air. This is a simple step that you can take to make sure that your home is not undermined by moisture.

·         Change Your Home’s Roof Material If you live in a Humid Environment

If you live in a humid location, it is wise to make the switch to a metal roof. This can help to prevent moisture from getting into the walls and issues with the roof that can make your home unstable and unsafe to live in. You might not be able to afford to do this right away, but it can be a beneficial change that can help to keep your home safe and undamaged for years to come.

·         You May Lower Humidity in Your Home by Treating Mold Yourself

If you see mold in your home, you can treat it if it is not too advanced. You will need to remove the source of the leak or the moisture, and then you can scrub the mold off surfaces. Use diluted bleach water to treat the surfaces that had mold on them so that you can be sure that these surfaces will not get moldy again. There are also mold cleaners that you can buy and mix to spray on your walls. This can be the easiest way to treat mold compared to making your own solution.

What if the Mold Situation in a Home is Very Serious Because of Humidity?

If the mold situation in your home has gotten very bad or if there is black mold in the walls, you will need to have a professional company come in and resolve and treat the issue. This can be very expensive, but it is your only option when your home has become contaminated at this level. This is one of the worst positions to find yourself in, and you should make sure to avoid this outcome at all costs.

Black mold can cause very serious health issues and even death. You do not want to allow this kind of contamination in your home to take place for any reason. Making sure to take care of the humidity in your home can prevent this issue from rearing its ugly head.

Maintaining a Healthy and Mold-Free Home in a Humid Environment Can be Easy

If you live in a humid environment, you need to be sure that you take care of the humidity in your home. This is a key aspect of making sure that your home is healthy and that you do not have to deal with structural issues and damage related to moisture in your home. Keeping your home moisture-free is essential if you want to make sure that you and your family are safe and secure for years to come.

As housing costs go up and the attention of the world is focused on sustainability, you might have realized that you could become part of the solution by using eco-friendly materials on your homestead. There are a variety of benefits to making this choice, from cost savings to reduced carbon emissions and energy savings. Choosing the right eco-friendly materials is easier than you might think since these are not exotic items that you have to get from places far away.

Eco-friendly materials do not harm the environment and can be easily disposed of when they are no longer in use. The use of eco-friendly materials is becoming increasingly common even in mainstream construction processes, so it has never been easier to get access to these quality materials for your homestead.

If you are ready to learn some more about the eco-friendly materials that you need to use on your homestead, you need to keep reading!

5 Great Eco-Friendly Materials to Use on Your Homestead

1.       Cobb is Eco-Friendly for Your Homestead

This is a product that has been in use to make homes for more than 10,000 years. Cob is a mixture of subsoil, fibrous organic material, and water. You can also include lime in the mix if you wish to change the color of the final product. Most people use a straw for the fiber component of their cob these days.

It is simple to build walls or an entire building from this material, and you will love that it is so energy efficient as well. Cob homes require very little energy to heat due to the natural insulation that is conferred by the material.

2.       Sheep Wool is a Great Choice to Use in Your Environmental Friendly Home

It has become increasingly popular to use sheep’s wool as insulation or to make fiber products like sweaters and blankets. You will get amazing results from insulating buildings with wool since this natural fiber traps air so effectively. This is an easy-to-source material in most areas of the country and very simple to work with when you need to insulate or protect items.

Sheep wool is no longer as popular in the textile industry as it once was because of the way that the product can smell when it gets wet and the time that is needed to card it and create fabric from it. However, in raw form, it makes a great building material.

3.       Use Reclaimed Wood For Your Eco-friendly Home

Reclaimed wood is not just a style choice these days. Reusing wood from buildings that have been torn down or installing doors and other wood items in your home that are already assembled can make a big difference in the sustainability of your homestead. Why throw out something that still works?

If you have wood leftover from another project, from the removal of an old structure, or from a remodel that you have done, make sure that you use as much of this wood product as possible in your building efforts. It costs a lot in energy and waste to create entirely new products made of wood, and you will be reducing your energy footprint by using reclaimed wood whenever possible.

4.       Cork is Eco-Friendly and a Great Choice for Your Homestead

Cork is a great choice for flooring and wall framing, and it is highly renewable and eco-friendly. This is a material that is resistant to moisture, and cork harvesting has been shown to help fight global warming as well. Many people actually donate their corks from wine bottles to this effort, and you can easily make your own cork walls on your homestead if you wish.

This is also a product that is readily sourced if you want to be able to just add it to your homestead in prefabricated sheets of material. Cork is a great insulator and one that can deliver big results for sound deadening, style, and sustainability.

5.       Recycled Steel is Great for Environmentally Friendly Home

Sometimes you will have to work with manufactured products that originally did require a fair amount of energy use to create. Recycled steel is your best option if you need to access a material that is this strong and durable without wanting to impact the environment negatively.

Steel is actually one of the most recycled products in the US, and choosing to buy recycled steel is a great way to encourage and support this necessary recycling effort. Steel that has been recycled is readily available nearly everywhere, and you will be doing your part to help the environment and sustainability by selecting this product over regular steel.

How Can I Make My Home More Eco-Friendly?

Making your home more eco-friendly involves the use of the materials listed above, but there are some other ways that you can give back to the earth on a daily basis while also maintaining your home.

 Add Solar in Your Home To Make it More Eco-Friendly

You should consider adding solar panels to your home if you want to use renewable power for your daily needs and also sell power back to the grid when possible. Solar energy has become more affordable to access than ever, and you will find that installing solar panels can easily generate enough power to maintain your household each month.

Compost Can Help to Make Home Eco-Friendly

Composting is an easy way to reuse food and other organic wastes that might otherwise have to be sent to the dump. Compost can help you to grow beautiful flowers and maintain a garden as well, so the benefits are two-fold. Using a compost bin to store your compost is easy, and you will be so glad that all of these wastes can be used for something else rather than simply heading to the landfill.

Use LED Lighting in Your Homestead to Make it Eco-Friendly

While you are not likely to convert to candles for your lighting in your homestead, you can choose LED lighting to help cut down on power usage and to get access to lighting that will last far longer than incandescent bulbs. You will get as much as 50,000 hours out of most LED lighting, and the quality of the light is far superior to that offered by more traditional bulb styles.

Living in an Eco-Friendly Home is Easier Than you Might Have Thought

If you have been trying to figure out how to save the environment every day, you need to consider using these building materials in your homestead and following the tips and tricks that have been listed in this guide. It is easier than you might think to convert your home to an energy-sustaining homestead. Changing the way that you utilize energy is just one step in creating a sustainable lifestyle, and you can use this guide to take care of this important step toward eco-friendly living.

If you are tired of high heating bills and feeling cold in your own home, you might need some help coming up with some inexpensive ways to keep your home warm in the winter. There are many small ways that you can make your home warmer even during the tough and cold months of the year. You can take advantage of these tips and tricks that will make sure that your home is warm no matter what the weather outside is like.

These are not huge changes like remodeling your home or replacing your roof or installing a fireplace. These are changes that anyone can make and you can pick and choose from this list to find the items that will work best for your needs to keep your home warm and comfortable in every season of the year. Being cold indoors is not an option and these tips will help you to stay comfortable and cozy in even the coldest weather.

If you are ready to learn more about how to keep your home warm in the winter, you need to read on!

Inexpensive Ways to Keep Your Home Warm in Winter

1. Programmable Thermostat

While many people view these devices as being a lot of trouble for not much in the way of results, you should not let this kind of device intimidate you. Programmable thermostats are very easy to use and you will get a lot of great cost-savings on your heating and cooling bills as well as a superior comfort sensing device that will keep your home comfortable and warm even during the toughest cold weather.

These devices are easy to install and they can be set up to run on any set program that you want to have maintained by the system without your intervention. You can set different programs as well, meaning that you can have one program that is used when you will be away from home for an extended period of time and another that will be used when you are home and are trying to enjoy the comfort of your living spaces.

You can pick which temperatures and what times you want the heat to switch on and off when you use one of these devices. This means that you can set the home to cooler when you are away at work and warmers as you are heading home. Being able to count on a warm and cozy house to greet you when you come back from work or an all-day adventure can be a really nice way to make sure that your home feels welcoming and snug.

2. Close the Flu to Keep Your Home Warm in the Winter

If you do not use your fireplace or you are not using it more than once in a while for fun, you should make sure that you have the flu closed. If there is no fire going in the fireplace, you can close the flu without any worries about safety. You will save a lot of money when you close the flu because cold air will not be blowing down into your house through the chimney.

A large fire can heat a huge space, but when you do not have a fire in the fireplace, you should not allow air to flow through the chimney and bring with it cold. This is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save lots of money each month but many people with fireplaces are not even aware that they can close their flu like this to prevent cold air from blowing down the chimney!

If you do want to have fires every night, you can use this heat to make your home quite warm, but the cost of wood products can climb quite high in some areas. If you want to maximize the heat that your fire creates, you can get glass fireplace doors for your fireplace. This will make it possible to close the cold air that could come through the flu out and you will also get the benefit of increased heat from the fire that will not threaten materials and human limbs that are near it.

3. Use Ceiling Fans

Most people think of ceiling fans as a tool that keeps the air moving when it is hot out. This is often the time that you will notice their help the most, but when you are trying to heat your home effectively, ceiling fans can be used to bring heated air down from the ceiling area to circulate through the house. Some people say that the air is cooled by them circulating it, but that is not a common problem.

Fans can help move the air that you have paid to heat, which is trapped at the ceiling, down to the lower parts of the room so that it can move around and keep you and your family warm. You should always run your fans at the lowest settings so that the air is being moved, not disrupted speedily. Some fans also have a reverse function that can help to move the air rather than cool it.

Installing ceiling fans can be a very simple project in most cases, or you can even use regular fans to help move the air around the room when you are heating your house with central air or with a fireplace.

4. Keep Furniture Away From Vents

If you have floor heat and you are blocking the vents, you will be wasting money heating your home. Air that is trapped in the corner of the room behind a tall chair or under a large couch, cannot move through your living spaces and heat them. You should make sure that your forced-air system is not being prevented from doing its job each day.

You do not have to move all the furniture that is placed in locations that might be blocking your floor heat, but you should make sure that not every single vent is blocked by something. Sometimes you cannot avoid blocking a few vents, but blocking all of them will lead to a house that feels cold and is not pleasantly cozy no matter how much you heat it.

5. Block Drafts to Save Money on Winter Heating Costs

If you can feel cold air coming in under the doors of your living room or into your bedroom, you can prevent this cold air from getting into the space by investing in door bolsters. These clever devices will block the drafts that are coming in under doorways and can trap heat into a unique space with ease. They are very simple to install and will take care of those pesky drafts in a snap.

If you have drafts of cold air coming in through old windows in your rooms, you should add a set of heavy drapes. You can pull these drapes shut at night, or even during particularly cold weather, to prevent the cold air from leaking in around them. You will be trapping warm air inside the room and keeping it from escaping as well.

Blocking drafts can make a big difference in your ability to heat your home efficiently and door bolsters are a very simple way to accomplish this goal.

6. Keep Doors Closed

While it might not seem like closing off parts of your home that are not being used will help with your heating bill, you will find that closing doors can help direct heat into specific areas. You will often find that heating your home is much easier if you close the doors to bedrooms or other spaces that you do not use frequently. 

You will keep the heat that you are generating in the areas that you are actually using and you will not waste money heating rooms that you are not going to be spending time in.

Closing doors can help in the summer as well when you are cooling your home. Any space that you are not using should be closed off from the central part of your home if you want to save some money on heating and cooling each year. You will not be using these spaces after all, and if you do decide to use them, you just need to open the door to warm or cool the room again.

7. Use Window Seals for a Low-Cost Way to Keep Your Home Warm in the Winter

If you think that your old windows are the source of a lot of drafty cold air, you can actually make your windows less inefficient. You can buy plastic film window seals that come in easy-to-use kits and install them on your windows. These films will help create a draft-proof space behind each window.

If you think you can feel your windows rattling or you think that the drafts of air are coming in around the frames, you can caulk the frames or replace them. Windows can be the biggest source of cold airflow in the winter, especially in older homes. 

Making sure that your windows are not competing against your efforts to heat your home is not an expensive process and you will get great results for making the effort to fix this issue.

8. Change the Furnace Filter

Your furnace filter should be changed as often as recommended by the manufacturer, which is usually at least two times a year. If you live in an area that experiences lots of dust, smog, or has wildfires each year, you should change it more often. You will want to make sure that the filter that you choose is right for your furnace and that it is capturing irritants and contaminants from the air as well as protecting your furnace from these invading substances.

If you have noticed that you are replacing filters more often than you should be, your furnace might need to be serviced. Sometimes there are things going on with your furnace that can make it less effective at heating your home and having a pro come and look at it can help take care of this challenge to your efforts to heat your home as well.

There are washable and reusable furnace filters on the market if the cost of furnace filters is a challenge for your heating needs. You can use these for about five years if they are cared for correctly. They are very affordable and will save you a lot of money on buying filters annually.

9. Make Sure to Be Sparing With Hot Water

If you are thinking about ways to save money on your energy bill in the winter, it is easy to forget that it takes energy to heat your water as well as your home. It is tempting to forget the energy costs that are associated with heating water to a hot temperature. You can actually save a lot of money on the process of making your home warm and cozy in the winter by cutting back on how often you take long, hot showers.

Keeping your showers more efficient and making sure that you are not wasting hot water while getting ready to get into the shower can save a lot of money over the course of the year, not just in the winter. If you have an old hot water heating system, you will save even more money by making sure that you are sparing with your use of hot water.

For those who love baths, keep your hot baths to a minimum in the winter as well. It takes a lot of water to fill a bathtub and most people enjoy this treat at the maximum temperature that is offered by their hot water system. This is a big energy drain and leads to a much higher bill for energy use.

10. Make Sure to Prevent Rapid Cycling to Save Money on Winter Heating

Many people are not aware that there is a spike of power that is used to cycle your heating and cooling systems on and off. If your heat is cycling on and off frequently throughout the day, this can add a lot of cost to your energy bill each day. 

You can sometimes set your thermostat to prevent rapid cycling, or you can also change the way that you have programmed the day’s heating to prevent the heat from coming on repeatedly throughout the day.

You can also choose to set your ideal temperature a bit lower so that the heating system is not trying to keep the house at an unreasonable temperature all day by cycling on and off constantly. If you are living in an older home, this can be one of your best lines of defense against the wasted power that is needed to make the heat come on over and over throughout the day.

When you set the temperature lower in your home, use draft bolsters, drapes, and shut doors to trap the heat that you have created into the living space that you are using most. This can be the biggest help if the thermostat is located in one of these living spaces. 

When the thermostat thinks that the house is warm enough, it will not turn the heat on, so keeping the room that you are spending time in warmer by shutting it off from other rooms can help keep the thermostat happy with the temperature.

11. Add Blankets

If you are finding that you are comfortable when you are moving around your home in the winter, but cold when you sit down to watch a movie or read a book, you can fix this problem by adding some blankets to the back of the couch or chairs. These blankets can be used to cover you up and keep you warm while you are sitting down, making it easier to resist the urge to turn the heat up a degree or two.

You will find that sitting under blankets is really cozy anyway, and if you get large and fluffy ones, you will have the added benefit of soft comfort being added to the experience. Blankets can make any room much more comfortable to spend time in, so pick the kind of blankets that you know that you will enjoy cuddling under for your added warmth while you are at rest.

You can also make sure that you have winter bedding for the beds in your home. Flannel sheets and heavy top blankets can make the bed cozy, even in the colder hours of the night. You will not want to turn the heat up if you are cozy and snug under soft and warm bedding each night. Being able to sleep comfortably during the coldest months of the year is important and you can make this goal a reality with this easy change.

12. Add Rugs 

If you have hardwood floors in your home, you can trap heat into the rooms and living spaces with ease if you add rugs to the locations in question. Rugs make the floor feel less cold to your feet and they help to keep the warm air in the room that you are trying to keep cozy. This can be a big help in bedrooms with wood floors because your bare feet will not have to touch the cold flooring if you get up in the middle of the night.

Area rugs are not expensive and you can add them anywhere that you want to have some protection from the cold in the winter. This means that your living room and bedrooms are a great place to add some area rugs for comfort and for trapping heat into the space. You will love that you can impact the overall warmth of a living space so easily with this one simple change and adding area rugs can also let you change the style and colors of a living space with ease!

13. Use Your Home’s Fireplace as a Low-Cost Heating Solution

If you have a fireplace in your bedroom or living room, using it can make a big impact on the warmth of your home. You can actually turn your furnace down quite a bit and just use the heat from your fireplace to heat your home. Wood heat is very efficient and offers really pleasant and effective warmth at any time of the year. In some areas, wood can be really expensive, so this might not be practical if the price of wood makes it inefficient.

You might also have a gas fireplace, and these can provide excellent heat as well. You will pay less to run this kind of fireplace than you probably think, and heating the living space that has one with the fireplace can help cut down on your heating bills a lot. Be wary of the portable and plug-in kind of fireplace, as they are a lot like electric heaters. You might get a lot of heat out of one of these little devices, but you will spend a lot of money heating a large space with this kind of little fake fireplace.

Keeping Your Home Warm in the Winter Can Be Easy and Economical

Keeping your home warm in the winter is a snap if you are using the right tips and tricks. You will find that there is nothing difficult about employing any of these hacks to keep your home warm and comfortable this winter season, and you will be so happy that you are saving money on your electric bill each day that you use them. There is nothing better than a warm and cozy home, and it is even better if you have achieved this goal without breaking the bank.

Keeping your home warm doesn’t have to be hard if you are prepared each year for the cold weather to come. Invest in some affordable drapes, make sure to get some door bolsters, and consider having an expert out to make sure that your furnace is in good repair. Taking care of the comfort of you and your family in the coldest part of the year does not have to break the bank if you use these tips and tricks to your advantage.

We all want to breathe in clean, fresh air, especially in the workplace, which makes it extremely important to make sure the air quality in your building is up to par. This will not only play a key role in your employee’s health but their productivity in the office as well. If you want your staff to feel their best and work hard while on the clock, it will be essential to understand the impact that poor air quality can have on those who work for your company.

Although you cannot see them, your office could be filled with many different allergens or pollutants that can easily become trapped in unfiltered air, especially in an enclosed space such as an office building. To avoid this, it is important to prioritize your office’s indoor air quality, promoting the health and well-being of your employees.

Whether you have a small business or a large corporation, you should value your office’s air quality, considering the impact it can have on your employee’s health and your company. By understanding what air quality is, how to detect poor air quality levels, and learning about new ways to improve the air quality in your space – you can create a safe, healthy environment that will enhance your employee’s productivity and efficiency in the office.

What is Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air quality or IAQ refers to the air quality inside and around a building, relating to the health and well-being of building occupants. Poor indoor air quality is known to negatively affect the health and comfort of those who are breathing the air in.

Indoor air quality is a part of indoor environmental quality or IEQ too, which is essential to the physical and psychological aspects of life indoors.

To determine the indoor air quality, multiple air samples will need to be collected, human exposure to different pollutants will need to be monitored, and samples will need to be gathered from building surfaces. With these different collections and tests, professionals can determine if the air quality in an office building is good or not.

Indoor air pollution can be hazardous, especially if you are exposed for a long period, making it increasingly important to pay attention to the air quality in your building to make sure you and your employees are breathing in the freshest, cleanest air possible.

What Causes Poor Indoor Air Quality?

Indoor air quality pollution sources, in their many forms, will release gases or particles into the atmosphere, which is one of the primary causes of poor indoor air quality in office buildings. Another contributing factor is inadequate ventilation, which can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute the emissions from indoor sources or carry them out of the area. Plus, if there are higher temperatures or higher humidity levels in an indoor space, this can help to increase the concentration of some pollutants, making them worse than they already are on their own.

While there are many different pollutants that you may come into contact with, the impact of any single source will depend on how much of a given pollutant it emits and how hazardous the emissions are.

Sometimes factors such as how old the source is or if it has been properly maintained will be important.

When it comes to building materials, furnishings, or products like air fresheners, pollutants will be released more or less continuously, while smoking residue or pollutants from cleaning products can be released intermittently. Also, with unvented or malfunctioning appliances being improperly used, there can be high or potentially dangerous levels of pollutants emitted as a result.

This is important to keep in mind, to make sure you can recognize where pollutants come from and how they are emitted into the air in your office building. With this knowledge, it will be easier to detect an air quality problem and what exactly the pollutant source is.

Most Common Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality:

• Pollutants that come from cleaning supplies
• Carpet fumes from a newly installed carpet
• Paint and VOC’s from a freshly painted office space
• Mold or mildew caused by excessive moisture or humidity levels
• Poor ventilation systems
• Appliance-generated pollutants from a space heater or other combustion appliances
• Artificial fragrances from air fresheners or deodorizers
• Tobacco residue

How to Detect Indoor Air Quality Issues in Your Office?

If you want to check on the air quality in your office space, to ensure the health and well-being of your employees, there are a couple of different ways that you can go about detecting indoor air quality issues.

Do Air Quality Tests on Your Own

If you want to utilize a more cost-effective way to check on the air quality in your building, it is always a great option to conduct tests on your own with products that you can easily find in certain stores or online.

Invest in an Air Quality Monitor

To effectively detect and log the quality of air in your office space, it is recommended to invest in a reputable air quality monitor to keep in your building. These devices will usually check for allergens that you inhale, chemical pollutants, temperature, and humidity levels.

Check for Signs of Mold

In most cases, you should be able to detect mold by simply using your sense of smell. If you have been questioning a musty odor and cleaning does not remove the smell, this is might be a concern. You may consider hiring a professional to conduct a mold test to make sure everything is okay.

Utilize an Air Purifier

If you want to actively work on improving the air quality in your office, it may be time to invest in an air purifier. This will help to remove dust particles, mold spores, and other allergens efficiently.

Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Due to the colorless and odorless nature of carbon monoxide, it is helpful to install a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your office building. Just remember to change the batteries every six months, to ensure the detector will work properly year-round.

Change Air Filters Regularly

It is always a good idea to change your air filters regularly, to promote a healthy flow of air throughout your office space. This will help to collect allergens and other particles, allowing you to breathe easier especially if you are easily affected by allergies.

Look for Signs of Poor Air Quality in Your Workplace

While it may seem self-explanatory, it is always important to actively look for signs of poor air quality in the workplace. This can help you detect indoor air quality issues before they get out of hand so that you can take care of the problem before it begins affecting your employee’s health.

Increase in Allergy Symptoms

Oftentimes we attribute our allergies to changing seasons or bad weather, but irritants and pollutants in the air can also cause allergy-like symptoms in your employees too. Look for symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, headaches, or bloody noses in your employees, and get your air tested if you have noticed a rise in any of these symptoms.

Monitor Construction Around your Office Building

If there is construction going on in the area surrounding your office building, your employees could be exposed to dust particles, chemicals, or other pollutants that can collect in your HVAC system.

Seek Out Professional Help to Improve Office Air Quality

If you are concerned about the quality of air in your office space, it may be the right time to seek out professional help. Even if you think you have exhausted all solutions, it can be extremely helpful to enlist the help of a professional, to ensure the health, safety, and comfort of your employees.

Get an Air Quality Test Done

To protect your employees and anyone who spends time in your building, it may be in your best interest to get an air quality test done by a professional. This will help you better understand what the air quality levels are and what the pollutant source is, to help you begin taking the proper steps to improve the indoor air quality in your office.

Tips to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your Workplace

In an office building, there are so many people in such a small, confined space that it is easier for dust, dirt, and allergens to build up. If the indoor air quality is poor in your building, it can negatively impact your employees and their well-being. If you have heard them complaining about any symptoms on the job, it could be related to the air quality levels in the office.

To avoid this outcome and improve the indoor air quality in your office space, it is important to keep these things in mind to enhance the productivity, efficiency, and comfort of your employees.

Keep Air Vents Open and Unblocked

To make sure air is moving and flowing properly throughout your office space, every air vent in your building must be open and unblocked. If by chance a box or piece of furniture is blocking the vent, this could put your employees at risk due to less airflow.

Replace Air Filters Often

With dust and debris that can build up in air filters, it is easy for them to become clogged, making it impossible for air to filter through. Don’t forget that air filters should be replaced every 6 to 12 months, to ensure healthy airflow and air quality levels are maintained.

Pay Attention to Humidity Levels

For most buildings, a good humidity level is between 30 and 50 percent. By maintaining this certain level of humidity, you will be able to keep dust mites, mold, and mildew at bay. You could also invest in dehumidifiers or portable air conditioners to help control the humidity in your space too.

Inspect Air Ducts

If you think that your air ducts are contributing to the air quality in your building, it may be beneficial to call in the help of experts who can clean the ducts and make sure they are working properly.

Bring in Office Plants to Improve Air Quality

While new office plants can add a pop of color and an appealing aesthetic to your office, they can also be helpful by eliminating harmful toxins in the air and replacing them with new oxygen. This will enable your employees to breathe easier and feel better while on the clock.

Enjoy the Benefits of Fresh Air

If your office has windows, make sure to open them up and get fresh air into your building with ease. If the weather permits, having your windows open can help to improve airflow and circulate out any impurities.

Maintain a Clean Office Space

To promote a healthy work environment with good indoor air quality levels, it will be essential to maintain a clean office space. To make sure this does not get overlooked, it may be helpful to enlist the help of a cleaning professional to help vacuum, sanitize, dust, clear away clutter, and remove any trash. By scheduling routine cleaning, it will be easier to maintain your space and be sure that it is being kept up with.

Test the Air Quality

In most cases, it is logical to hire a professional with all the right tools to test the air quality in your office. With their knowledge and expertise, they will be able to inspect the area and see what the source of pollution is. They may even have some helpful tips and tricks for you to follow, making it easier to improve the air quality in your building.

Keep These Things in Mind When Managing an Office

• It can be helpful to maintain a good relationship with the building manager, to stay updated on any indoor environmental issues that may arise over time.
  
• When decorating your office space and placing different pieces of furniture, make sure you prioritize air circulation while keeping temperature control and your HVAC systems in mind so that they are not compromised.
  
• Develop an effective smoking policy for the members of your team, to avoid involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke or tobacco residue.
  
• Avoid products that can cause indoor air quality issues such as certain air fresheners, deodorizers, and cleaning products that you may use daily.
  
• Make sure to integrate any indoor air quality concerns into your budget and financial decisions, to make sure you are financially ready to improve the air quality in your building with these expenses already taken into consideration.
  
• If you are planning on remodeling or renovating in any way, it is important to make sure that your employee’s exposure to any allergens or pollutants will be at a minimum.
  
• Be sure that only necessary and proper pest control methods are being taken, to ensure these chemicals are not able to enter your office space.

Improving the Air Quality in Your Office

If you value the health, safety, comfort, and well-being of your employees, it is important to make sure the indoor air quality in your office is being maintained properly. This will not only help you keep your employees happy in a healthy environment, but it will allow them to be even more productive and efficient while at work.

To avoid the problems that occur with poor indoor air quality, it is critical to understand what air quality is, how it impacts our health, how to detect if there are any issues in your building, and what you can do to improve the air quality in your workspace.

With many varieties of pollutants out there, there has never been a better time to educate yourself and be more aware of what could be lingering around your employees every single day. By implementing new ways to detect any issues and being prepared to make sure air quality levels are at their best, you can ensure your employees will be able to do their best work.

By taking the proper steps to prevent poor air quality levels while improving the quality of air in your building, you will be able to put your employees first and create a safe, fruitful environment for your entire company.

There are three different types of insurance claims adjusters, and each has its own interest in mind. So it’s a good idea to figure out which type would suit you the best. The three types include staff, independent, and public.

The public adjuster is one that you personally hire that interacts with your insurance company. The benefit with public adjusters is that they are on your side and will work with you every step of the way to get you the claim payment that you deserve. The incentive for them to do so is that the more money you receive the more money they also receive. The caveat being they get a cut from the payment.

Staff and independent adjusters are similar in that they work directly with the insurance company. Staff adjusters are part of the company and can be considered your enemy in getting the maximum claim payment. Their interest aligns with the insurance company’s interests. 

The independent adjuster is a third-party that is hired by the insurance company. It can either be another insurance company or a hired public adjuster. The objective of the independent adjuster is to provide the most objective investigation aligning with neither side.

Minimize Time Before Recovery

You should contact a home insurance claims adjuster as soon as you can once the damage is done. Whether it be a public or staff adjuster. The sooner that there is an adjuster figuring out the damages and what that ultimately owes you, the sooner repairs or moving on can occur. But there is a difference between the adjusters and how long they might take.

If you’re contacting your insurance company directly then they will assign you one of their adjusters. Figuring out the damages can happen in person or on the phone, but if it is on the phone then it may be harder to get the money that you are entitled to. That is because nothing is being documented nor recorded aside from that phone call. And chances are they won’t be acting in your interest but of the insurance company’s.

The point is that it could be quick but you might not get as much as you are entitled to. But, if you contact a public adjuster, the process may take longer. This is because the more money you get from the insurance company, the more money they get from the whole process. So they may take longer looking at damages or just communicating with your insurance company to get as much money as possible.

Get It Done In-Home

When contacting an insurance claims adjuster, it’s best if you get it in your home if you seek as much as you are entitled to. Staff adjusters are not on your side, they seek to minimize the payout from your insurance company. Therefore, it’s best that when contacting an adjuster, to get the inspection done in your home to point out the damages specifically.

The caveat as said before is that it will take longer, but if potentially making more money through entitlement is worth it to you, then you shouldn’t worry about the time. If you hire a public adjuster then the caveat there is that they need to be paid so there is a chance that you can get more in reparations from a staff adjuster since they are provided by the company.

Your Interest

A staff adjuster nor an independent adjuster is working in your interest. They seek to either make it as objective as possible or to minimize compensation that you would otherwise be entitled to. But if you contact a public adjuster, they will be on your side. And either make it objective or attempt to lean it in your direction.

If you want to play it as safe as possible then going with a public adjuster is the way to go. Chances are they will be more thorough in their investigation as well as more willing to look in harder to reach areas without being pointed out. This would be all to document all damages and how severe the damage was.

Maximize Claim Payment

With the investigation being through, chances are you’d get as much out of you claim payment as you possibly could. So the best and possibly easiest way to maximize the claim payment is by contacting a public adjuster. In addition to that, you also wouldn’t have to watch your words as much or at all as compared to when speaking to an independent or staff adjuster.

The side-objective of the staff adjuster is to minimize that claim payment, while they don’t want to rip you off which would give the company a bad image. They certainly don’t want to pay you more than what they deem they should. Therefore, it’s best to watch your words of what you say and also of what you don’t say. Any fault that falls on you could reduce the payment.

The objective of the independent adjuster is to neither help you or the insurance company. Since they are a third-party they will be as objective as possible. In doing so, you will be paid what you should rather than being ripped off or even being compensated more than needed. 

No matter which adjuster you get, may it be staff, independent, or public, they should keep records and record their observations. Everything should be written out as a form of evidence that will eventually help you. It’s even a good idea for you to record conversations so that adjusters will keep their promises or statements made.

Licensed In Your State

When contacting an adjuster, it’s important that you hire or receive one that is licensed within your state. Doing so ensures that they are familiar with local costs. If they aren’t familiar with the local costs then it could mean that you get less than what you ultimately should. No matter which adjuster you get, this is important.

Contacting an Adjuster

There are three different types of adjusters. The public adjuster has your own interest in mind but needs to be paid. The staff adjuster has their insurance company’s interest. And the independent adjuster works directly with the insurance company but has no connection with it and is therefore objective.

Ultimately which one you decide on, between public or staff, is dependent on how long you want the process to last and how much of the maximum payment you’re fine with receiving. If you’re working with a staff adjuster you might not get the full amount but the process may be easier or faster. But with the public adjuster, they will be fully on your side and you would be able to trust them.

If you are building a new house or you’ve been looking at your dated floors for too long, you’re going to start considering new flooring options. Walking into a flooring store lined with stacks of tile, hardwood, carpet or laminate can be overwhelming. It’s hard to know where to begin. 

Take a look around your house and get a sense of your style. Would hardwood look best or a nice plush carpet? Once you invest in new flooring, you aren’t going to want to pay to change your mind. You should begin to think about what color or pattern choices you like. 

You might even consider doing two different types of flooring. Perhaps, carpet in the bedroom but hardwood throughout the rest of your house. Either way, you should have an idea of what your best flooring options are before you even step foot in a store. 

The Five Most Popular Types of Flooring

You will want to make yourself aware of each type of flooring and whether you think it will work for your space. Flooring options have a wide range of pricing and style types. There is no need to feel overwhelmed if you inform yourself ahead of time. 

Hardwood Flooring

When many people want to upgrade their flooring, they immediately think of hardwood floors, but is it the right choice for you? Hardwood floors fall into two categories: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. 

Solid Hardwood For Your Floor

• Each individual piece of solid hardwood is made up of a single plank of solid wood. 
• If you notice scratches and blemishes over the years, it can easily be sanded down and refinished. You can even change colors over time. 
• The downside to solid hardwood is the tendency to warp in humid climates. It might not be the best flooring for your house on the beach.
• Think about the investment you are making. Your solid hardwood floors can last up to 100 years. It might seem pricey now, but it will be worth it down the road. 

Engineered Hardwood For Your Floor

• If you are eager for hardwood but not excited about the high price tag, engineered hardwood may be the way to go. It tends to be slightly cheaper than solid hardwood. 
• Engineered hardwood is more versatile than solid wood and would do well in laundry and bathrooms. 
• On the downside, the wood is thinner and can easily be damaged. It still has quite a life span, at around 20-40 years. 

Tile Flooring

• Tile is a low maintenance choice for your flooring needs. It’s easy to clean and helps prevent allergens from hanging around. 
• While tile is easy to clean, it’s not the most comfortable to walk on and it is easier to slip on. If you have anyone who is older living in the home, you may want to avoid tile. 
• Tile has a large range of pricing options so it’s likely you can find something in your budget. 
• Tile comes in various sizes and shapes which means you can really customize the look you are trying to achieve. It can make a real personal statement. 

Carpeting

• Carpet is often a safe bet when it comes to flooring. You always know what you are going to get with it. 
• Carpet can tend to get more expensive if it has a high density of pile. The plusher it feels on your bare feet, the more money it will cost you. 
• If you are carpeting a low-traffic area, don’t worry about spending a fortune on the carpet. You can usually get your basic needs for a great price. 
• If you do go with a lighter color shade for your carpet, expect to be vacuuming often. A white or cream color will show more dirt and grime. 

Laminate Flooring

• Laminate can give you the illusion of hardwood flooring without the hefty price tag. On average, it can be 50% less expensive than hardwood. 
• It is very durable and it is a wise choice if you have a house full of kids and pets. 
• Surprisingly, it may hold up better than your hardwood or carpet. The protective coating helps it stand up to the bumps and bruises it can get during the day. 
• Unfortunately, with laminate, you can not sand it down and refinish it like you can with your hardwood flooring. 

Vinyl Flooring

• Vinyl falls into a similar category to laminate. While durable, it cannot be refinished or repaired. 
• It will be your cheapest flooring option which makes it ideal for spaces that get a lot of wear. Consider it for your bathroom or laundry room. 
• Vinyl has great versatility. While it is firm, it isn’t as hard as tile and will provide comfort for bare feet. 
• Vinyl flooring has some longevity to it. If taken care of properly, it can last 10-20 years. 
• Consider these helpful tips if you are thinking of going in the direction of vinyl flooring. 

Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Flooring

Now you know what your flooring options are, let’s take some other factors into consideration. It’s important to think of your lifestyle and who will be walking on your new floor. 

What Room is The New Flooring Going In?

Narrowing down your choice of flooring options can be easier based on what room you are working on. Not all flooring is created equal and can serve different purposes throughout your house. Remember, you can always go with more than one type of flooring in your home. 

For the main living rooms of your home, you really can’t go wrong with any of the flooring choices. Family rooms and sitting areas should be a warm and inviting space. You can put a nice cherry hardwood in or even a neutral carpet color. 

If you are finishing off your basement, you might want to avoid hardwood. While not impossible, hardwood usually isn’t designed to go below grade level in a home. Instead, consider choosing a durable option like ceramic tile downstairs because it is not affected by moisture. 

If you are re-flooring the bedrooms in your house, you may want to consider carpet. You are likely barefoot in your bedroom and the carpet will feel better on your feet. If you are set on avoiding carpet altogether, you can always put down hard flooring and put an area rug on it for some comfort. 

Any rooms that tend to get messy, like the kitchen or bathroom, do well with laminate or tile. It makes for easy cleaning if there are any spills or accidents. The tile is less porous and won’t retain the messes as much. 

What is Your Flooring Budget? 

While it would be nice to have no budget at all, reality tends to set in as you begin looking at price tags. Your budget is something you should consider before you begin selecting your flooring. You’re likely to find something in every flooring category that falls within your budget but you need to know how much you would like to spend. 

If you are going with two types of flooring, perhaps go higher end on one and a cheaper model on the other, especially for areas that don’t get a lot of foot action. If you are on a tight budget, consider putting in the flooring yourself. An option like clink and lock vinyl or laminate would be your easiest choices here. 

Pet Friendly Flooring Picks

If you have a furry little friend running around, you may not want carpet throughout if you don’t like scrubbing the occasional, or frequent, accident. Carpets also tend to show more dirt and stains than hardwood or tile. 

If you have dogs that run free in your home, you may not want them scratching up your brand new hardwood. Porcelain tile can be a good option in homes with pets because it can hold up to the test of your animals with its durability and resistance to staining. 

If you have the slightest bit of allergies, you may want to avoid carpet altogether. Pet dander and allergens love to creep into the tiny fibers of your carpet. It can prove difficult to fully clean it, no matter how many times your Roomba rides over it. 

Are Kids Running Around? Kid Friendly Flooring Options

If you have little ones running around and have been eyeing a bright white carpet, you may want to think again. Carpet has a pesky habit of collecting dirt and stains, some of which are difficult to get out. If your son plays on the football team, you aren’t going to walk him walking on your fresh carpet with his dirty cleats. 

If you’re set on carpet, you can try a darker gray color which can hide blemishes better than a lighter color. The color of your carpet can truly make all the difference in keeping it looking great long-term. 

Carpets are great if you have a crawler around, as it’s soft on their little knees. Carpets can also help reduce the noise in the house which comes in handy with sleeping babies. They absorb sound much better than any hard flooring. 

Color Choices For Your Flooring

You’ve decided what type of flooring you want but now you have to pick out the color. If you have a smaller space, going for a lighter, bright color will help it feel more open. Choosing a dark color will only make it feel tighter and closed in. 

If you think you’re going to resell your home in a few years, perhaps step back from anything too bold. While it might look fun today, it could prevent a future homebuyer from wanting to step foot on it. Grey is a great neutral color for carpets and tiles and can do well over time. 

Consider the color of your walls. You can always re-paint to better match your new flooring but do you really want to? If you aren’t interested in dragging out the paint cans, be sure to find flooring that will go with your already colored walls. 

DIY Flooring Options

If you are set on a more expensive flooring option but don’t want to pay the cost of labor, consider doing it yourself. Granted, there are some you should avoid doing yourself but you do have options. It will give you great pride knowing you did the work yourself. 

Peel and stick vinyl flooring is easy and quick to install and won’t put too much of a dent in your wallet. You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment and the tiles are easy to measure and trim. They come in a variety of colors and patterns to choose from. 

If you think you can’t install carpet, think again. Consider installing carpet tiles, which typically are cheaper than your standard rolled carpet. They are simple enough to put in and easy to switch out if you get a stain on them. 

Any type of flooring, like hardwood or tile, where you need to cut it down will prove more difficult without a contractor and the right equipment. But if you are on a tight budget and want to take a shot at a DIY project, you definitely have a few flooring types to choose from. 

Check Out Flooring Outlets For Options

If you’re adamant about high-quality floors and a good deal, check out home flooring outlets. You might find a discontinued item that fits your house and budget perfectly. Don’t hesitate to negotiate either. If you are buying flooring for a large space, you might be able to get a good deal out of it. 

Let the Creativity Begin

It’s no secret there are plenty of flooring options for you to choose from. If you can narrow down where in your house you will put it, it will help you decide what quality of the flooring you need. Remember, you don’t need the highest-end hardwood flooring in your laundry room. 

The process of picking out your flooring should be an enjoyable one. It’s a statement of who you are and what your home represents. So, sit back and enjoy gazing down at your new, beautiful floors and be proud of the flooring options you chose. 

In most places, recycling has become easier than ever. There are many districts that come and pick recycling up from your curb just like they do garbage. In every district, there is a center available to drop your recycling at. 

This easy access to recycling resources has made recycling more popular and widely spread than ever. However, that means that there is more confusion about what exactly can be recycled. Recycling and garbage look the exact same because they often are.

Knowing which items you use can be recycled will help you start to protect the planet in a small, easy way. Waste management plays a huge part in saving our planet as well. Once you learn how to identify recyclables it will become much easier to recycle and control your waste. Here are a few ways to tell if your garbage is recyclable or not. 

1. Check With Your Town

The first step to finding out what you can recycle is to look into what your townships recycling center allows. This will tell you the things you need to start putting aside as recycling and the things that can remain garbage. It can also help you locate the nearest recycling drop off to you.

Most counties will have one or two places you can drop off your recycling. It will tell you what types of recycling can be dropped off there and have designated bins for each type of recycling. This will help you know where to put all of your recycling and how it should be organized.

Your county also might pick recycling up from your curb the way they do garbage. If that is the case, you should be able to find what you are allowed to put in those county-owned bins and what needs to be thrown away. Checking with your town for recycling resources in your area is the best way to get started.

2. Plastic is Usually a Recyclable Garbage

Plastic is probably the most confusing recyclable because it is not always recyclable. Depending on the number on the plastic it might still need to be thrown away. Usually, plastic numbers one through seven are recyclable but that might change depending on your county. 

The number of your plastic will be stamped somewhere on the item inside a recycling symbol. If that number is one that your nearest center recycles then that piece of plastic should be recycled. If the number is not one accepted by your county then it should be thrown away or recycled in a county that accepts that number. 

You will likely find that most of the plastic, if not all of the plastic, that you use can be recycled. Putting numbers into your recycling that are not accepted will make the process of sorting through your recycling at the center much more difficult and time-consuming. It is important you comply with the recycling rules your county has put in place to make the recycling system run smoothly.

3. Aluminum, Tin, and Steel Are All Recyclable

Aluminum, tin, and steel are pretty much always recyclable. This includes soda cans, tin foil, and steel cans. Things like that, which are used every day, can be recycled and cut down on your footprint significantly. 

4. Food Can Be Composted

Food is recyclable through composting. It should never be put in your recycling bins. This includes the items that you are allowed to recycle. 

It is important you rinse off all of the items you are recycling before you recycle them. This keeps them clean and helps prevent the food rotting while your items wait to be recycled. You may choose to compost, but do not recycle food along with your recycling.

5. Paper Products Are Recyclable

Pretty much everything made from paper products is recyclable. This includes cartons, cardboard, newspapers, magazines, books, and loose paper. As long as the item is not covered in food it can be recycled and re-used.

It is best to recycle all of your paper products. This will significantly decrease the amount of waste you are putting into the world. The number of paper products you use will become apparent as soon as you begin recycling. 

6. When In Doubt, Throw it Out

One of the main rules you will hear about recycling is “when in doubt, throw it out”. This is a good rule of thumb for everyone who recycles. If you are not sure you are allowed to recycle it and you can’t find any information on it then it is best to throw that item away.

Many items that people are not sure about are products that are not recyclable. If you send a non-recyclable product to a recycling plant it runs the risk of slowing down the whole system. For instance, plastic bags are not recyclable and often jam up recycling machines that can cost thousands of dollars to repair.

If you are not sure it should be recycled then do not recycle it. This might produce one or two extra pieces of garbage, but it is much more likely that the item was not recyclable anyway. When in doubt, throw it out is the best way to go about recycling once you know the general products that can always be recycled.

7. Glass Is Also Usually Recyclable

Glass is recyclable. It is also being taken off most counties lists for products you can put in their recycling bins. Many counties will now have designated places you can take your glass to be recycled.

The reason for this is because it is expensive to recycle glass. There are different colors of glass that must be melted down to create a new product. This is a lengthy and expensive process that many places are not willing to undertake at this time.

This does not mean you should not recycle your glass. There is likely a place near you that will accept at least some types of glass. Do not throw away your glass unless you are sure there is no place that will take it or you are unwilling to go that far out of your way to recycle.

Recycle At Your Home

Recycling is not as confusing as it can first appear. Often the items that should be recycled are obvious and easy to remember. Once you learn to know the differences between recycling and trash you will be able to easily sort out all of the recycling you had been throwing away. 

When you’re considering renovating the floors in your home there are a lot of choices to make. With so many different flooring options available it can be hard to make up your mind. After all, each type of flooring has benefits! 

As you are narrowing down the choices it may be helpful to consider how you want your home to feel? Does your home want to be a cozy getaway from the hustle and bustle? Are you hoping to go for a feeling of timelessness? Whatever emotion you want your home to convey there is a flooring solution that will help you achieve that goal. 

Before you settle on one type of floor that you may regret, take a look below at these 5 best flooring options that work for family homes. You’re sure to find the perfect flooring option and you’ll soon have the floor, and the home you’ve always wanted. 

1. Carpeting Is a Great Family Home Option

Nothing suggests comfort like carpeting. If you want your living room or bedrooms to be extra cozy then it’s likely the best flooring option for you is to have carpeting. There are many benefits to adding carpeting to a room, including its insulative properties. Especially if you live in a colder climate wall to wall carpet can help but down on your energy expenses. 

The thicker the carpet pad you choose, the plusher your carpet will feel. Plus the thicker pad will act as insulation from drafts. The thick cushion of a carpet pad is also ideal for young children learning to walk and can also make sitting on the floor more pleasant. Carpeting is the perfect flooring option for a growing family’s home. 

It may be almost overwhelming to think about carpeting your home with so many options on the market, but once you figure out what kind of style of carpet you prefer, choosing your new carpet can be a lot of fun. There are two varieties of carpeting, cut-pile or looped. It’s a personal preference in style and design that you’ll need to choose between.

The best example of looped carpeting is Berber. Berber works extremely well for high traffic areas in a home but it won’t feel as plus as cut-pile carpeting like a Saxony carpet. It’s a great idea to take home small carpet samples to help you decide which you prefer, cut pile or loop. 

Another benefit to carpeting is that it can also help reduce echoing in a larger room, making it a particularly good flooring choice for rooms with high vaulted ceilings and the potential for sound to bounce around. Carpeting will help absorb sound waves, so the noise of televisions, children playing, and even the sound of people walking will be muted on a carpeted floor.

Most current carpet offerings on the market are treated to be stain-resistant, making carpeting the easy to care for flooring choice. Carpeting is easy to care for and will look nice for a long time. For a flooring option that offers both comfort and ease of upkeep then carpeting is definitely the best choice for your family and home. 

2. Hardwood Floors Are a Durable Family Home Option

There’s a reason that hardwood flooring is the gold standard of floors. For a traditional look and feel for your home, hardwood flooring is a great choice. Depending on the type of wood you choose you can make a statement of traditionalism or even a rustic feel. There are many other benefits to hardwood floors as well. 

Did you know that having a hardwood floor can affect the resale value of your home? For the flooring option that will give you the best return on investment, a hardwood floor is the way to go. Not only can hardwood floors when treated well age beautifully but with proper care, they can last for a long time! 

Hardwood floors can be damaged by prolonged contact with water. In order to avoid lasting damage to your floor be certain to wipe up spills and drips right away. While wood can be prone to scratches from furniture and even dog nails, hardwood floors are able to be refinished if need be! Using an area run in high traffic spots around your home can help protect your floors. 

There are so many possibilities with designing hardwood floors. With many wood varieties to choose from in varying hues ranging from dark to light, you can match your new hardwood floor to a favorite table or just pick your favorite. You can even mix the wood tones with careful consideration. 

So long as you also take into account the strength of the wood, some are harder and softer depending on the variety of tree. If you have small children and large pets you may prefer a stronger and more durable flooring material. A flooring expert can help you make the right decision for your family home. 

3. Tile Can Be a Great Easy Clean in a Family Home

One flooring material that is a great option is a tile floor. While tile may not be appropriate depending on your geographic location, if you live in an area that gets hot or humid you may not need or want carpeting in your living room. 

There are also many instances in which a tile floor is the best living room flooring choice for cleaning. If you live near the beach and you don’t want to vacuum sand constantly for instance. Tile floors are strong and easy to keep clean making them a great floor. Or if you have a hot tub off of your living room, you may also want to consider tile. 

Because tile is extremely versatile and available in many different sizes, styles and design options you’re bound to find something you like. Even after you’ve chosen your time you can change the look of your floor simply by laying the tiles in different patterns. Tile is great for expressing personality in a flooring option.

Did you know that tile is available in either ceramic or porcelain, and the only big difference between the two is that porcelain is made from more pure source materials? This makes porcelain more durable but it can also be more expensive so it is really up to you which tile is the best choice for your living room. 

Because tile is known to stay cool, it is a great flooring option for those who live in warmer climates. Since tile is impervious to water you won’t have to worry about spills or even those unfortunate puppy accidents. Whether you opt to floor your whole home in tile or just a few select rooms, tile can make any family’s home pop! 

4. Laminate Flooring in Your Home

It’s true that laminate floors sometimes get a bad reputation but if you love the look of hardwood floors at a lower price point, then it may be the exact right floor for your home. Laminate flooring is created by fusing together multiple layers to make the laminate strong overall. The top layer of laminate is a protective finish that will further help protect the floor from fading or staining. 

If you have a lot of pets, you may actually prefer laminate floors in their homes over hardwood flooring because they don’t want to worry about potential damage to their floors. Because laminate flooring is so strong it will not require resurfacing to look great. Especially if you have a large dog and small kids you may want to skip hardwood over laminate. 

For a low-cost and easy to care for floor in your living room or the kitchen consider a laminate floor. Many busy families also appreciate how easy it is to keep clean and your guests will be impressed by how great your floors look!

5. Vinyl Is Another Durable Flooring Option For Your Home.

Another hardwood floor alternative is vinyl flooring. Being able to withstand a lot of damage, spills, and fading, vinyl flooring is one of the most durable floors on the market. Vinyl flooring can also be quite cost-effective depending on your preferences for design. 

Vinyl requires very little in the way of upkeep. There isn’t any need to refinish your vinyl floors, simply keeping them clean is your only goal! And choosing a design that complements the rest of your home’s style. With many colors and designs to choose from you’re sure to find a vinyl floor that will make your home look great.

It may surprise you that some floors can be damaged if spills aren’t wiped up quickly but most vinyl floors are 100% waterproof so accidental spills aren’t a problem. Vinyl is also scratch and dent resistant you can be sure your floors will be able to withstand your active lifestyle or having toys be dropped all over it and they will look great for many years to come. 

Choose the Right Flooring Type For Your Families Needs 

As you begin thinking about the new floors for your home you have to decide which type of floor will work out for the best. These 5 options are excellent, and whichever choice that is right for your family and house is going to serve you well over the years. From cozy to convenience, there is a floor for you! 

Are you thinking about remodeling your home to prepare it to hit the market? Or do you just want to make some updates you can enjoy while adding value? Renovations have the potential to positively impact how much your home is worth. 

There are value-adding projects at every budget. It’s essential to make updates that are neutral to appeal to many tastes to get the most bang for your buck. Focus on making changes that you can enjoy, but will also attract potential home buyers. 

From removing walls to floor renovations, there are both big and small projects that can improve your home’s aesthetics. Making both visual and functional improvements can increase the potential market price of your property. Here are five ways to remodel your home and increase its value.

1. Create a Seamless Feel With Flooring To Increase Home Value

One of the biggest impacts you can make is a full floor remodel. Updating floors can change the entire look of your home. You can add value by using high-quality materials with a timeless look.

Flooring that isn’t consistent from room to room makes the flow of your space feel choppy and awkward. Create a seamless flow by choosing to use the same flooring throughout the whole floor, if not your entire home. The consistency will make your space feel much bigger and more finished. 

Look for flooring materials that stand the test of time both in looks and durability. A beautiful, neutral floor will increase both the value of your home and your enjoyment of the space. Tones of grey and brown are classic hues that will be relevant for years to come. 

Replacing floors is a significant investment, and you want to make sure they look beautiful well into the future. Durable materials like composite, bamboo and high-quality laminate can take a beating and still look great. Classic materials like tile and wood are also good long-lasting choices. Look for a material that has an impressive warranty term that’s transferrable for added value.

2. Give Your Space and Airy Feel

Bright and open floor plans are often more desirable to buyers. It makes a space feel grander and more modern. And it offers more decor options. 

Consider opening up your space by removing a wall. Even eliminating a small wall can make a big difference in the feel of the room. Consult with a contractor to see what your options are. You can often still remove a load-bearing wall by adding structural support. 

Another option to open up your space is by adding natural light. Look for dark areas or expanses of walls where adding a window could make a big impact. Letting in outdoor light makes a space feel larger and completely change the mood. Not only does it impact the inside of the home, but it adds curb appeal and interest to the exterior as well. 

3. Update with Lighting To Increase Value

Lighting is a super cost-effective way to update and add value to your home. The right lighting can perfectly illuminate a space, making it feel bigger and more welcoming. And adding built-in light fixtures is an inexpensive way to make your home more custom. It can also make your home more energy-efficient.

Ceiling fixtures are a perfect way to draw the eye up and flood a room with light. Choose high-quality designs that are neutral and fit the space. Look for fixtures that brighten the room with a design that fits the function of the space. 

Adding dimmable recessed light to your kitchen, bathrooms, and living spaces can make a huge difference. They will give you the option to set a cozy mood or fully brighten the space. And having them installed seamlessly in the ceiling creates and timeless, polished look. Homebuyers love the idea of convenient lighting already built-in.  

By choosing energy-efficient lighting, you can add value to your home and make it more eco-friendly. Reduced energy costs are appealing to buyers. Consider adding smart light switches to create a full, updated smart lighting system.

4. Add Luxury to Your Bathroom To Increase It’s Selling Potential

One of the best places to add value to your home is the bathroom. Consider updating your existing bathroom or expanding it to create a larger space. Regardless of the size of your remodel, an updated bathroom is appealing to buyers.

Removing walls to make your bathroom more spacious may not be an option for your layout. But there are many ways to make your existing space more spa-like. Consider improvements that you would enjoy while keeping in mind the preferences of potential buyers in the future. 

Cosmetic changes like an updated vanity or light fixtures make a big difference in the feel of your space. A high-quality countertop can make your bathroom feel polished and luxurious. Keeping colors and materials clean and neutral will make the color scheme appealing long term. 

Functional changes are more investment. But they have the potential to make a significant impact. Consider upgrading a standard bathtub to a Jacuzzi or soaking tub. Or add a steam shower with a built-in seat. 

If you have the ability to expand the bathroom, you have the option to make more extensive changes. Think about adding a double sink or vanity for more flexibility. Or building a water closet to make the room more functional and private. 

5. Make Your Kitchen Beautiful and Functional To Increase Home Value

So much of your time is spent in the kitchen cooking and entertaining. And improving it happens to be the best way to add value to a house. The trick is balancing form and function. 

The flow of the kitchen is essential. Ease of movement makes the space more accommodating to food prep and socializing. Consider restructuring the layout of your kitchen. You want the path from work surfaces, sink, fridge, and cooking surfaces to feel natural.

Updating countertops and cabinets can be a huge transformation. Look for sturdy and neutral materials that are both durable and beautiful. A coordinating backsplash is a great upgrade that brings the look together. 

Appliances can be a huge investment, but also an impactful selling point. Consider upgrading appliances to make your kitchen more functional and appealing. Look for energy-efficient options for cost savings and to appeal to eco-minded buyers in the future.

A Great Looking Home Sells Well

You may plan to stay in your home for years to come or put in on the market in the spring. Renovations can be a smart investment either way. You’re increasing your equity in the property and setting yourself up to fetch a higher price when you sell. 

Once you decide the scope of your project, balance transforming it into something you love but will also be attractive to buyers. You want to enjoy your home but be proactive in making it marketable. And you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve increased the value while adding beauty to your home.

Commercial offices never seem to have a reputation for feeling inviting. Cubicles, white walls, and fluorescent lighting just don’t make things feel very warm. They’re built for function and most of the time companies are pretty happy to leave them that way. Unfortunately, having an office environment that doesn’t feel welcoming can be hard on employee morale.

Wanting to update your commercial office to make it feel more inviting isn’t a bad thing. It’s a great way to make employees feel more comfortable in the workplace and that can mean morale and production can improve. Trends in office design really have changed in recent years and refreshing how  your office looks is a very popular thing to do. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for used office furniture in Houston, or hoping to find some edgy minimalist looks for your office across the country there’s a design idea out there for you to try. If you’re looking for some design inspiration you’re in the right place. Here are five awesome office design ideas that will make your commercial office feel more inviting.

1. Area Rugs Will Make Your Office Seem More Inviting

Area rugs are inexpensive and easy to move around the office. They don’t require any major permanent changes and they can make a space feel warmer and more inviting almost instantly. You can bring color and intrigue into a room without having to do more than place a rug down. 

Area rugs will cover industrial carpeting and that can make a huge difference in how the whole office looks. They can also be used to define areas of the office. If you have a reception area, placing an area rug there with some couches for your guests to wait can help define where people should be expecting to spend time in reception. 

You can use the same idea to define break areas or meeting spaces. Area rugs are a low risk, high impact way to make an immediate change to how inviting your commercial office building will feel.

2. More Light Sources Will Help Make Your Office Feel Inviting

Another low risk high reward way to make your office more inviting is to bring in lighting that is more like home and less like an industrial building. Floor lamps, table lamps, or even installing hanging pendant style lighting can really warm up a space. 

Fluorescent lighting just isn’t a good look for any space and it does nothing to make anyone feel welcome in any environment. It can even cause headaches for some of your employees if they spend a lot of time in the office. 

You’ll probably still have to use at least some of the fluorescents in your office but you can really make a difference by bringing in lamps or other styles of lighting. Some offices even have chandeliers installed in break areas or reception spaces. It’s all up to you and how much you want to change permanently in your building.

Much like the area rugs, floor or table lamps won’t require permanent changes so you can make a big impact even if you do decide to skip installing new lighting fixtures for now. Your employees are likely to appreciate the more welcoming environment you create no matter which route you go with this one. 

3. Bring Nature Into Your Office To Minimize Standofishness

You can make your office feel a little less standoffish by bringing in elements of the outdoors. Whether you decide to do that by placing plants strategically around the office or by doing something more creative like installing a skylight or floor to ceiling windows is up to you. The benefits of bringing the outside into your workspace have even been studied. 

A Stanford University study found that walking outdoors on a treadmill vs walking indoors on one resulted in 81% of the participants having a higher increase in their creative thinking output after being outside. 

Another study by the University of Utah had similar results, showing that workers who had outdoor elements surrounding them were able to be more productive and solved more creative thinking puzzles than participants who were not around natural environments. 

These studies were both done to determine how bringing the outdoors into a work environment may improve creativity and production. As you can see, both have determined that elements of nature really do make a difference. Not only will your work place feel more inviting, your employees are likely to get more done during the day. It’s a win for everyone involved. 

4. Pops Of Color Are A Great Idea For Keeping Your Office As Inviting as Possible

You can add in pops of color on the walls or in your office furniture to make things more exciting. You don’t have to paint your entire office electric blue, but you can focus on accent walls in meeting rooms or break areas.

You can also source your local art community to see if anyone is interested in painting something like a mural in your office. If you have a very large blank wall sometimes a mural can make things feel a little less cold and sterile. 

Your employees are also likely to enjoy the idea of supporting your local community in a way that improves their work life as well. It doesn’t have to be anything that will be extremely distracting, but changing up the otherwise white walled atmosphere really can do a lot to make your office feel less drab.

5. A Grand Entryway Could Be The Way To Go

If you’re going to make permanent and expensive changes, an entryway that stuns and wows is the first think you should think about. If the first thing everyone sees in the morning is a grand entryway that has features that make them think “wow” no matter how many times they see it, it instantly puts them in a better mood.

Making an entryway that welcomes people into your building puts them in the mindset of getting ready to be productive and creative. It will help people distinguish work time from other things they have going on in their lives, and it will just make your office look better overall. If you’re going to go big with your office design change, this is the place to start.

Conclusion:

Updating your office’s design to make it more inviting can really change how your office operates. Your employees are likely to feel more at home, and more at ease. Stress levels could decrease and seeing more creative ideas come from your entire team would be well worth the time spent to do any changes or renovations. Give some of these tips a try and see what a difference they make for you.