June is the start of the hurricane season, so it is a good idea to make sure that your home and your family are prepared. Making sure that you are safe no matter what nature has in store will give you a good peace of mind. If you prepare now, you’ll be in better shape before a hurricane is predicted in your area, which means you won’t have to run to the store at the last minute and fight for the last case of water or pack of batteries. Being prepared for hurricane season starts with creating an emergency kit. … Continue reading →

In some parts of the country, heat waves can come on suddenly. The fact that our bodies have not yet become acclimated to the higher temperatures means that sudden heat waves in the spring and early summer can pose an even higher risk than normal of death or serious illness. This is especially true when the heat wave also comes with high humidity. We are experiencing such a heat wave right now here in Pennsylvania. The temperatures are up in the 90s, and the humidity is so high, it seems as thought you could be able to ring out a … Continue reading →

According to a recent survey sponsored by a home generator manufacturer (of course), almost half of all Americans are in jeopardy because they live in an area with extreme winter weather yet do not have a secondary heat source. A secondary heat source is important in the event that you lose your primary hear source, such as when the power goes out. Many non-electric heat sources, such as an oil furnace, still rely on some electricity to run. You don’t want to be caught without heat, especially if your household includes the very young or the elderly. Beside loss of … Continue reading →

Winter is definitely underway, which means that you need to be prepared for frost, both for your family and for your home. Even if the cold weather has hit your area, you can still be proactive. It is never to late to be prepared. Prepare Your Pipes Frozen pipes are not good thing. If you have ever experienced a burst pipe, you know what I mean. There is water flooding everywhere causing damage to your home, and the fix and cleanup are often expensive. To prepare against a burst pipe, make sure that you know where your water shut off … Continue reading →

There are many programs out there that can help you if you need energy assistance. Some of these programs are state or local government funded, some are privately funded, and some are funded by energy companies. If you need energy assistance this winter, you’ll want to apply to one or several of these programs, depending on where you live and what your situation happens to be. Many other families may also be applying. In order to up your chances of being selected for energy assistance, you will need to be prepared with the information that will need to go on … Continue reading →

Saturday just proved to me how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected. By now I’m sure you have either heard about it or experienced it yourself, but some parts of the east coast got snow, in October, a rarity. We are talking decades measuring the last time that this happened, and it fact, previous snows were only dustings. This time, we got actual build-a-snowman kind of snow. It also happened that we had our church’s annual trunk or treat scheduled. We were prepared to move things indoors, despite the snow and the Nor’easter, until we found out … Continue reading →

Protecting your home against wind damage, and the areas where wind can enter your home is probably the most important thing that you can do to reduce damage to your home and property in the case of a hurricane or other weather phenomena with high winds. Securing or retrofitting your home is easiest done when you are already planning a renovation. This way, both your time and your cost will be lessened. There are several areas of your home that you can reinforce: Roof, Shutters, Straps, Doors and Windows, and Garage Doors. These are not listed in priority. All areas … Continue reading →

As long as I live, I will never forget that feeling of helplessness when Hurricane Hugo hit home. Living in Charleston, SC, it was rare that we ever had to worry about tropical storms, let alone hurricanes. However, the day had arrived and we did have to worry. The weatherman predicted strong winds, heavy rain and high surges. It was going to be bad… real bad. How bad? We never expected it to be as bad as it was. I remember walking outside the next morning thinking it looked like a bomb had landed on my street. People were walking … Continue reading →