Tackle These 6 Projects Before the 4th of July Weekend

Keeping Your Home Festive

In most parts of the country, summer is the hottest and most humid time of the year. But summer also brings some of the most fun! There are so many holidays to celebrate, not the least of which is the 4th of July, which is a time many people love to show off their home by hosting parties.

If this describes you, you will want to be sure to tackle these 6 home improvement projects before the 4th of July arrives.

Project #1: Freshen up your lawn and garden

Nothing says "festive" like fresh blooming summer flowers. If you've been neglecting your lawn and garden areas, now is a great time to find your motivation and get to work.

Pay special attention to these tasks:

- Give your lawn a good mow and edge (but not too short or your grass may dehydrate).
- Weed, clean debris and re-mulch the flower beds.
- Plant new flowers to fill in any gaps left from the winter's chill.
- Give the bushes/trees a good pruning.

Project #2: Update your lighting inside and out

If you have been putting off changing out your old incandescent light bulbs for new energy efficient lighting, now is a great time to tackle this project.

Pay special attention to the lighting in visitor areas such as your front walk and your driveway. Adding solar-power lighting can boost visibility without increasing costs.

Here are the most commonly selected types of energy efficient lighting for homes today:

- CFL (compact fluorescent lighting) - These bulbs make a great replacement for any traditional fluorescent bulbs you may be using.
- LED (light emitting diode) - These bulbs are the most popular choice to replace traditional incandescent bulbs because they can save up to 70 percent on energy use and they last much longer than other bulb types.
- Halogen incandescent - These bulbs can be used with dimmers for light fixtures that offer that option.

Project #3: Check your faucets inside and out

Leaky faucets and hoses can cost you more money in the summer than at any other time of year, especially when you factor in watering your grass and maintaining a pool or water feature.

One of the easiest ways to test and see if you have a leak is to read your water meter, shut off the main water valve, wait for an hour or two, turn the water valve back on and read the meter again. If the two numbers do not match, there is a good chance you have a leak somewhere.

Project #4: Convert to hardwoods - or brighten the ones you have

Hardwoods are definitely "in" for home decor today. Not only are hardwoods easier to clean and less prone to collecting dust mites and allergens, but hardwoods are so versatile and gorgeous to boot.

If you have never rolled back the carpeting in your home, you might be surprised to discover you actually have hardwoods underneath. In this case, some freshening up may be all they need. If you want to add hardwood, you have a wonderful array of options today.

Here are some of the best options for converting carpeting to hardwoods:

- Sustainable woods like hemp or bamboo - Easy to maintain, very durable and helps the environment.
- Solid natural hardwoods - Hands-down the longest lasting and (to many) the most beautiful choice.
- Engineered hardwoods - This alternative to solid hardwoods (hard wood over a layer of plywood) can be installed over just about any surface with a minimum of effort and expense.
- Laminate - Laminate flooring is a fabulous choice for areas that get high foot traffic.
- Cork - Cork is great as a hardwood alternative that offers great sound-proofing plus a comfortable walking surface.

Project #5: Clean your deck

In many parts of the country, an outside deck can take quite a beating in the coldest and hottest months of the year. This can cause the wood to crack or sag and can cause that once new-finish to look drab and dull.

Cleaning your deck is an easy 4-step process:

- First, make any necessary repairs to ensure your deck is safe and structurally sound.
- Next, give the deck a thorough cleaning and allow it to dry fully.
- Once your deck is dry, you can re-stain it with the color of your choice.
- Add or repair the railing.

Project #6: Update your windows or window dressings

For many families, summer is a time when cooling costs skyrocket. Often the cause can be traced back not to a thermostat-lowering family member but to energy inefficient windows or window dressings.

Consider replacing any windows that bear the brunt of mid-day direct sun with energy-efficient, noise-reducing windows. For all other windows, summer is a great time to change out old or faded window dressings in favor of heat-repelling, cool-retaining blinds, shades or draperies.

Here are some helpful tips to select the right window dressings:

- Choose lighter colors for draperies and shades that naturally repel the heat.
- Add window film (mirrored is best for UV and heat repelling properties) on any windows that face to the east and west to keep the heat out during early morning and late afternoon.
- If the heat gets very intense where you live, outdoor awnings on windows that face south and west can give you some extra relief as well.
- Install energy efficient double-pane Low-E windows that naturally repel the heat and keep the cool inside.

With these six projects, you can reinvigorate your home space and find new enthusiasm to host the most festive 4th of July party yet!

If you are in the East Lansing, MI area, contact Meridian Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical by phone at (517)-339-63000.

Get Rid of Your Garbage Disposal's Funky Odor

Garbage Disposal Got the Smells? Get Rid of Funky Odor with These Five, Star Tips!

Did you walk into your kitchen this morning to discover something is not quite right in the air? Do you have the lingering suspicion that your garbage disposal may be the culprit? Are you wondering if there is anything you can do to correct the problem – short of calling in an expert plumber?

If you want to take control of the odors caused by your garbage disposal, follow our quick guide of five, star tips for using home remedies to freshen up your disposal. These quick tips are easy to master and to deploy – and many of the materials involved, you already have in your kitchen. Ready for your kitchen to smell like flowers once again? Follow our guide below:

Tip #1: Baby It’s Cold Down There

When your garbage disposal begins to smell, it’s often because fibers and solids of your ground food have become lodged and dried on the inner parts of your disposal. Short of taking the disposal out and carefully cleaning and scraping the blades and other parts, give this quick tip a try:

Fill your disposal with as may ice cubes as you can. Let them sit in your disposal for about five minutes. Essentially, you are freezing the food particles that are stuck inside your disposal.

Your next step is to run cool water on top of the ice cubes, and immediately begin to grind the ice. It’s imperative that you always flush water down your disposal every time you turn it on because the liquid flowing helps with moving food particles down the disposal and into the connected pipes. Once the food particles are frozen, they naturally fall off and are ground more precisely in the disposal.

Tip #2: Hot Water Flush

Follow up the ice-grinding with a hot water flush. This clears the drain and removes any lingering debris that may be caught in the blades. Flushing hot water down your drain is also something that you can try as a first step.

Similar to how the ice freezes food particles and allows them to naturally fall into the disposal, hot water acts similarly by loosening pesky food debris and allowing it to move into the disposal grinding area more easily.

As these food particles fall away and are ground up, the odors that were created by their lingering presence are also melted away. You can test whether these two natural home remedies worked by opening the windows, leaving your kitchen and returning after about 20 minutes to give the air a good smell.

Tip #3: Baking Soda Isn’t Just for Baking

If you love your kitchen, you probably love when it smells fresh – and so, you are likely to have a box of baking soda in your refrigerator. And for your own sake, you might want to save a bit for your garbage disposal as well!

Use about a cup of baking soda to dump into your disposal and wash it down with about an equal amount of household vinegar – white or apple cider will do. Allow the mixture to sit for about 10 minutes. You’ll know it’s working as it begins to bubble, and then wash it all down again with some hot water. This is a natural way to clean the disposal and to release odors.

Tip #4: Get Your Orange On

If the odors still are lingering in your disposal, chop up a citrus fruit, such as an orange, lime or lemon. This is an easy way to naturally deodorize your disposal. The trick is to avoid creating more clogging problems in your drain. To do this, make sure you slice the fruit (keeping the peel on is okay) into small bits and dropping them one-by-one into the disposal for grinding.

Remember to keep the water running as you grind the fruits in the disposal, as this helps the peel and fiber of the fruit from getting stuck on the blades. The peel can act as a natural abrasion against the blades, cleaning remaining food particles that might have dried on the blades. The citrus juice acts as a natural deodorizer and cleaner for your disposal and your kitchen sink as well.

Tip #5: Stop Before You Grind

You can avoid a lot of clogging and odor problems in your drain by knowing what you should and should not stuff into it. It’s good to memorize the kinds of foods and items that you should never put down your drain. You can remember them with this helpful acronym: "NEFO". It’s a funny way to remember: “No Expandable, Fibrous, Oily” foods. Certain fruits, vegetables, and starches expand – items like rice, potatoes, pasta and legumes.

Avoid all of these in your disposal. In addition, don’t grind fibrous foods – like onion skins, celery, and carrots. Stringy produce gets caught in the blades of your disposal. Last but not least, avoid all oils. When grease collects in your disposal, it not only begins to smell and potentially corrode your disposal, but it solidifies and clogs it.

Keep this guide handy as you take on those terrible odors in your kitchen. But also have confidence and peace of mind in knowing that you can solve the problem with just a few easy tips from the experts. These tips are all natural home remedies that will save you money and keep your garbage disposal in great shape for years to come.

Maintenance and education is everything in the world of plumbing -- and if you can master these skills now, you'll save yourself a great deal of headache as you manage your home. Best of all, you'll stop avoiding the kitchen and experience a freshness that should be the norm every day.

Have a clog that you can't fix on your own? Find out how the plumbing experts at The Meridan Company in East Lansing, Michigan can help you with your disposal needs by calling 517-339-6300.

Why Stick to One Service Provider?

You rely on the plumbing, cooling and heating systems in your home every day to keep your family safe and comfortable. Often, depending on the type of furnace and AC units, the heating and cooling systems may be connected to the home's plumbing, and dependent on it to operate.

Even if the systems aren't connected to each other, for both cost and convenience, it only makes sense to have one multi-service provider that can handle all your plumbing, cooling and heating maintenance and repair needs.

Service History

One critical reason to have one service provider for all your plumbing and HVAC needs is the trust you develop in the company over time. Another reason for having a single service provider is it will give the company the opportunity to develop a reliable picture of your home's heating, cooling and plumbing needs.

When a technician is familiar with your home’s system requirements, and knows about prior maintenance or repair issues, he will be able to locate and correct many of the cause of service issues faster and make better recommendations based on your system's service history. In addition to being able to make speedier repairs, being familiar with your home's systems will also allow your service provider to be better able to guide you if it becomes necessary to replace the part, or all, of your system.

Convenience of Having One Service Provider

Only having one service provider for all your plumbing, cooling and heating needs is unquestionably a tremendous comfort. Not only will it keep you from having to coordinate with more than one contractor, especially in an emergency situation, having just one service provider can save you time in other ways.

One key to keeping your plumbing and HVAC systems operating is getting professional help when you need it. Having to call the HVAC company and then the plumber, and then have the HVAC company come back can be a huge hassle, to say the least. Having multiple service providers also means having to vet each company thoroughly separately.

You will have to check to be sure each provider has a solid reputation in the community, checking with friends and neighbors and the Better Business Bureau. You will also need to confirm each company is licensed by state law and has the proper liability and workers compensation insurance. With just one multi-service provider you will only need to do your homework one time.

Efficiency to Work with One Company

No part of your home affects your comfort the way the heating, cooling and plumbing systems do. However, most homeowners nearly take all three systems for granted, until something stops working properly, such as your furnace going out in the middle of a blizzard or when there is suddenly no hot water when everyone is trying to get ready for work and school at the same time.

Even the best systems and appliances can break down if not properly maintained, but most mechanical failures can be prevented with some simple routine maintenance tasks. From cleaning the drain to fixing leaking ductwork and servicing the water heater, with just one service provider you can have confidence that all your heating, cooling, and plumbing systems are working smoothly with just one call.

Cost of Timely Professionals

Timely professional maintenance is one of the most important factors in heating, cooling and plumbing performance. Clogged filters, and dirty thermostats, and squeaky fan motors can both reduce cooling and heating efficiency by as much as 25 percent and lead to premature system failure. Depending on the type of system you used to heat and cool your home, regular service from a trained professional can substantially lower your annual utility costs while drastically prolonging the life of your systems.

When most people think about their plumbing system, they typically think of the pipes and fixtures that bring them the water. However, homeowners seldom stop to think about the appliances connected to the plumbing system that they rely on for so many of their daily needs, like the water heater and washing machine.

Much routine maintenance task that could end up costing you a lot in the way of both money and headaches if left undetected will often be caught by a service provider who handles both plumbing and HVAC services.

As an example, a tech that only provides HVAC service might not pay any attention to, or bother to mention, the leak coming from the washing machine hose in the cellar when he performs the annual service call on your furnace.

However, a multi-service provider could both spot and fix the problem on the spot, saving you from a bigger expense down the road, and the possibility of a flooded basement. As you can see, it only makes sense to hire just one company to service your both plumbing and HVAC systems.

If you are in need of a service provider who can handle your plumbing, cooling and heating needs, call us at Meridian Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical in the East Lansing, MI area at (517) 339-6300.