Archive for February, 2018

February 26th, 2018

5 Great Benefits Of Having LED Lighting Installed In Your Home

LED home lighting

Homeowners are always searching for ways to reduce their household expenses and LED Lighting might just be one of the best ways to save costs while running any home as efficiently as possible. Following are 5 great benefits of having LED Lighting installed in your home.

1. Long lifespan — it is a known fact that these lights have a way longer lifespan than any other lighting options. With a life expectancy of about 100,000 hours, LED lights will last for around 20 years, even when left on for a full eight hours per day!

2. Energy-efficient — compared to conventional bulbs, LED lights have an estimated efficiency rating of between 80% and 90%. This means that when switched on, 80% of a LED bulb is light, with just 20% being transformed into other forms of energy, such as heat.   A normal incandescent light, on the other hand, is just 20% efficient, with the other 80% of electricity being used for heat. In other words, if your electricity comes to $100 per month using normal lighting, only $20 of that cost is used to light a room, with the other $80 being spent on heating the bulbs! These figures are flipped with LED lighting and it is this energy efficiency that provides you with a reduced electricity bill every month.

3. Environmentally-friendly — being free from harmful, toxic chemicals such as mercury, 100% recyclable, as well as significantly reduced costs in the manufacture of LED Lighting, makes them the preferred choice for those who enjoy doing their part in looking after the environment.

4. Durability – manufactured with tough components make these lights incredibly durable and long-lasting. They are resistant to shock, vibrations, as well as other impacts. Since they can be used in any kind of weather conditions, they are excellent for use either inside or outside your home.

5. Compact in size — LED lighting is available in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and can be as small as 2 mm, making them the perfect option for lights situated in those hard-to-reach places in the home. These lights are also an uncomplicated solution to achieving lighting in any architectural features around the home.

February 26th, 2018

Why Hire An Experienced Home Inspector

It seems hard to imagine that there was a time when one bought houses without the benefit of a comprehensive home inspection, but the truth is that the stand-alone home inspection industry is a relatively new creation. It used to be that you were on your own, complete caveat emptor, and if you bought a house that had problems, then you were stuck with them.

The idea behind an official home inspection is that you have a trained professional look at your prospective purchase and offer up an informed opinion as to the condition of the property. While this works great in theory, the practical reality is that there are some pitfalls in the way that the system actually operates in the real world.

Look For An Experienced Home Inspector
Some home inspectors have never worked in the construction industry, and are only licensed because they took a training course and obtained a certification.   Paying a little more for experience can pay off big time.  Look for a home inspector or home inspection service with a proven history of ground-level experience in the things they are passing judgment on.

For some, a home inspection is simply a required box-checking exercise for approval on a mortgage application, and any inspector will do.  However, if you really what to know what potential issues you may run into in the future, or existing issued that require immediate attention, you need to hire an independent inspector with real-world building experience.  Certification and licenses are important of course, but an inspector with years of industry experience will notice things that are easily missed by someone without the experience.    It’s that trained eye that can spot issues that can cost hundreds or even thousands later on if not properly addressed.  They take the time to search high and low and to thoroughly inspect all of the major home systems and appliances.  Professional inspectors will usually provide a detailed report with color pictures showing that they found, and even in some cases their recommendations to remedy the issue.

If you are purchasing a new home, do a little due diligence on the home inspector,  – you’ll be glad you did.