Simple Home Maintenance Tips For Homeowners

If you want to keep costs down and ensure your home stays in prime shape for years, there are regular maintenance tasks you should always keep up with. Not only will they save you from many costly repairs, but they will also keep up the value of your home. If you’re not persuaded by these reasons, though, proper maintenance also saves many headaches to have a seamlessly functioning living space. These are the top home maintenance tips people find the most useful.

Keep Those Plants in Check

Make sure to have an outdoor extension cord handy for when you need to bring out the landscaping power tools. A heavy duty extension cord will make your life easier as you trim trees, bushes, and shrubs. It will make your house look nicer and also prevent other types of damage from overgrown plants. For instance, a tree that’s not properly trimmed could shed branches which damage your roof.

Relieve Your A/C Unit

Each month, replace the air filters in your house. Doing this will save you money on your energy bill and keep your A/C unit working well. If it has to work too hard because of old, clogged filters, you might need to replace it sooner.

Watch Out for Gunk Build-Up

Make sure to check your gutters after every fall season. Leaves and other debris can collect here, making it difficult for them to do what they’re intended to do — direct rain off your roof. With winter coming, you also want the melting snow to have somewhere to go.

Spare the Electrical System

Be careful when you power strips or an indoor extension cord. Overloading an outlet can cause major electrical damage. You could face an expensive repair if an electrician needs to repair wiring. Plus, improperly using outlets or cords can cause house fires or major bodily injuries.

How To Build A Shed

Don’t pay a monthly fee for a storage unit somewhere, build your own shed! While the initial cost might seem much more than renting storage space, the long-term savings are huge. You’ll be able to design it and build with materials that will suit your needs, and all your extra belongings will accessible at any time. These are some valuable tips for building a shed of your own.

Choose the right materials.

Some climates and conditions will call for different building supplies. For instance, if you’re planning on making a climate controlled shed, insulation and sturdier materials are necessary. Alternately, if you only need a “bare bones” structure to house your lawn mower, extra tools, and camping supplies, you can probably get away with basic sheet metal or thinner cuts of lumber. This also includes what type of heating, cooling, plumbing, or electrical you’ll want to include (if any). Perhaps this just means planning for some extra room under the door for flat extension cords to come through.

Build with the proper tools and devices.

If you aren’t sure what you’ll need for the project, talk with a knowledgeable employee at your local home improvement store. They’ll recommend the appropriate equipment, like flat extension cordsto maneuver the small space and correct saws to cut the wood. Don’t forget to consider how you’ll be using the shed so you can include the proper additions. For instance, some folks find that including hooks to hold flat extension cords out of the way are worth the extra steps to avoid hazardous loose cords later.

Protect your shed.

Finally, think about your climate. If you see lots of rain and snow throughout the year, it’s a great idea to protect the wood with a sealant to prevent wood rot. Similarly, the weather conditions will inform the roof design. Lots of rain and snow mean that a flat-top roof will end up vulnerable to the weight of snow in the winter. A cave-in isn’t ideal when all your possessions are inside.

How To Find The Best Heavy Duty Extension Cords?

For heavy duty appliances such as electric grills, electric ovens, electric saws, etc., heavy duty extension cords would be the most ideal. Note that not all appliances can use an extension cord. Also, not all outdoor extension cords are heavy duty. This is a common misunderstanding. Outdoor extensions are protected by plastic; rubber or Vinyl covers to prevent them from overheating due to harsh outdoor weather.

When choosing outdoor heavy duty extension cords, take note of those that are rated for chemicals, oils or extreme temperatures. These will give you extra assurance when in use. For indoor appliances, no need for such additional features.

Factors to Consider Before Buying Heavy Duty Extension Cords

Below are some distinguishing factors when finding extension cords.

Plug Type

Extension cords are either with three or two -prong plugs. However, some special application extension cords have specialty plugs and receptacles. The difference between the basic versions is that the third prong provides earthing: A path to the ground in an electrical circuit.

Earth wire reduces electrical fires and shock. Certainly, excess current gets to flow to the ground safely without passing through a human body. However, if the three slot outlets in the house are not properly grounded, the three plug extension will not add any protection.

Amperage, Cord Length & Gauge

Amperage, indicated as Amps, is the amount of current the extension cord can conduct safely. An excess of the stated amperage will lead to overheating and damage of the extension which may affect the appliance in use too. Each machine comes with indicated amperage. Matching this to the extension cord is highly advisable. Heavy Duty Extension Cords will have the highest amperage rating; typically between 16 – 20 Amps.

The cord length starts from 25 feet to 150 feet.

Gauge ranges from 10, 12, 14 and 16. 16 being light, 14 medium, 12 heavy and 10 extra heavy duty.

For example, a 12/3 cord implies a heavy gauge wire with three conductions inside.

The above features are most important when replacing an old extension cord.

Note; Two Common Abbreviations On an Extension

• S- A general use flexible extension.
• W- An outdoor use extension.

Heavy Duty Extension Cords

Heavy Duty Extension Cords