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Pool Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Pool Clean

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A pool is a great asset to add to any home, and can be a great way to cool off after a warm day. However, if it is not properly maintained, it can become dirty and undesirable to take a dip in. Fortunately, there are simple interventions that you can implement in order to maintain its cleanliness. Here are some useful tips that you can use in order t keep your pool clean.

Clean Lint Pot on Front of Pool Pump

This is something that should be done as needed, but it is recommended to clean the lint pot located towards the front of the pool pump at least once every couple of weeks. In order to do this, turn off the pump and release the pressure on the system. 

As an alternative, you could clean out the debris catcher or the leaf basket. To expedite this process, it is recommended to get a debris removal system or a leaf trapper. In addition, you should also get a 2-speed pump if you have yet to upgrade. Having the proper pool supplies is important in consistently maintaining cleanliness. 

Check the Water Levels

The water levels of your pool are also important in order to maintain pool cleanliness. The water needs to be at the center level of the pool tile for optimal performance and cleanliness. The pump can run dry if the water levels are too low, and if it is too high, the skimmer will not work properly. This is especially important since the skimmer door is what keeps debris inside. 

Clean the Pool Filters

This is also something that should be done on a regular basis. However, depending on the condition of the pool and how it has been maintained, cleaning it every 4-6 months should suffice. Over time, especially after events such as big storms, can cause debris, garbage and other foreign materials to form in the pool. This can make it significantly harder to clean over time. 

Dirty filters should ideally be soaked in a solution comprising of 10% muriatic acid or trisodium phosphate. You will need a rubber trash can, eye protection and gloves. You can always add acid to water, but never add water to acid, lest you run the risk of increasing the concentration of the acid. It’s recommended to use sturdy gloves made of nitrile for this job since you'll be handling chemicals. Nitrile is a component that is frequently utilized in manufacturing, warehouses, labs, clinics, food processing, electronics, and other settings where chemicals are used. They protect your hand from contaminant infiltration, wounds, and abrasions.

Check The Chlorine Generator

If you have a salt system style of pool, then you should place checking the chlorine generator as one of your priorities in maintaining cleanliness of a pool. The chemistry of the pool can become drastically altered if this step is overlooked.

Your pool requires the proper chemistry balance to function optimally and maintain cleanliness. Keep this clean and make sure debris do not get near it. While they can be costly, it will enhance your pool experience and make cleaning less of a hassle. 

partnered post • cc-licensed photo by Robert Wallace


Preparing Your Yard for Winter

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Brown — sometimes that’s all you see after an especially cold, long winter. Your yard is one of the parts of your home that can be a place of refuge and rest, so having to bring it back to life after every winter season may not be your idea of fun. Fortunately, you can protect and preserve your yard by preparing for the cold winter with some simple steps. 

Mow Your Lawn

It is important to keep mowing your lawn until the ground freezes. If your lawn is too short, you run the risk of roots dying and seeing dead patches when summer rolls around. If your lawn is too long, you run the risk of fungus damage. Also, make sure you wear the right gardening shoes. For example, warm safety boots, so you can work comfortably in cold winter temperatures

Drain Water

Pools, ponds, and other water features around your lawn should be drained of any water. In order to make sure that the features are properly drained, it’s important to hire specialists to check as the water features could end up being destroyed from freezing in the water lines. Sprinkler winterization can also be done by some companies to keep your sprinklers safe through those long winters. Draining water also goes for small containers or other areas with water, as you do not want to provide breeding grounds for mosquitos. 

Fertilize

Adding fertilizer during the fall can help your lawn survive the long winter when it won’t receive any nutrients. Choosing winterized fertilizer can help your lawns grow thicker roots and help it survive through the winter. 

Aerate

As it gets colder, your grass will focus more on growing its roots instead of the blades. It will greatly benefit your soil if you aerate the ground to promote the growth of these roots. When you aerate your lawn, there is better water drainage and it also gives your grass more oxygen. Adding new seeds in thinner areas is also a good idea as you will want to compensate for the winter months and have your lawn green in the spring.

Decrease Watering

When it gets closer to winter, it’s best to water your lawn less as your lawn will not need as much water as it gets colder. However, it’s important that you do not stop watering until the ground freezes as your lawn is using the water supply to get nutrients from the soil. Your lawn will need all the time it can get to prepare for winter. 

Leaves

Whether you like it or not, you will have to do something about those leaves piling up in your yard. If you already have, good on you! Leaves on the lawn will smother the grass and you will end up with dirt instead of grass come springtime.  Luckily, you have options when it comes to dealing with the leaves. Mulching the leaves can be the easiest, as you simply must cut the leaves into smaller pieces with a lawnmower. Raking is the default option and is best when the leaves really pile up. If the leaves pile up too thick, it’s best just to grab a rake and get to work.

With these steps, your lawn will be green by spring despite all the snow and you’ll have a sanctuary to rest, relax, and admire. 

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5 Essential Moving Tips and Tricks For Your Family

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Today, it is not uncommon for the entire family to pull up stakes in one city and move to another state or country. The moving experience for every family can be vastly different based on the plan that they create and the parameters in the time that is available. In some cases, the family may only have a month or two to get everything thing done properly. However, they may have enough lead time that gives them six months or more to prepare for the move that needs to be made. In either case, here are some great easy tips that can help your move go very smoothly and on time.

1. Save money on moving by looking for moving boxes at your neighborhood's recycling drop-off point

Moving can be very expensive to the family’s budget. Even if the move is being funded by the company that you are moving to, you may need to cut corners wherever you can to reduce the amount that will be paid out. Thankfully, you can cut part of the cost by looking for alternatives to paying for every expense that is incurred. For instance, one of the first places that you can save is on the moving boxes. You can save money by checking with your local neighborhood recycling drop off point for free boxes. Boxes are often available that have been dropped off by neighbors and the number that is available can be what you need and much more.

2. Reuse original boxes for electronics and appliances

If you happen to run short on the number that you can obtain from these drop off centers, you can use other methods to gather the moving boxes that will be needed to. For instance, if you have boxes in the home that have been previously used for your old appliances, electronics, and other items that you no longer have in your possession, you can use these boxes to begin packing your possessions for the move. Talk to family members and friends about your move to see if they can help you obtain all of the boxes that will be required.

3. Hire a moving company to assist with making the move

To prepare for the move, you need to know who will be moving all of your possessions to the new location. When making the choice, you have more than one option that you can make your selection from. Based on the timing and how much you have to move, you may want to hire a moving company and let their movers do the work for you. You will not go wrong by choosing North American Van Lines for your moving needs. For instance, the moving company can benefit from having a new customer and you can benefit from the added help for the move that needs to be made. For instance, when the moving company's representatives arrive at your home, they will not only be prepared to box every item up but also to move every box into the moving van. Because of their expertise, they can get these jobs done quickly, safely, and without breaking your valuable possessions while in transit.

4. Make a checklist of things that need to be done before the move

As you make plans for the move, you need to make sure that you are creating a list of things that must be done before you drive your van from the old location to the new area that you will be residing in. This checklist will help you in planning each step of the way and will give you the details that are needed to ensure a smooth transition. For instance, the checklist that you document will help you determine which furniture you will take with you and what needs to be purchased to furnish the new home. This is a very important part of the move since you may want to save on the cost of moving all of the old furniture into your new residence.

5. Want to save additional money? Move mid-week

When you have the option to choose a specific date that you want to move, it is important that you take into account the high traffic times. The highest demand for a moving company is on the weekend, so you want to choose the middle of the week for your best option.

partnered post • cc-licensed photo by Nicholas Huk


4 People You Can Hire to Make Property Ownership A Lot Easier

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Owning property seems like it is a super simple way to make money. You have an apartment, charge rent, and watch your income increase. 

While property ownership can be a great source of income, it can also be a lot of hard work. There are enough needs of the apartment and tenant that can keep you busy like this is your full-time job. 

There are a number of people you can hire that will make this process easier for you and that will cause you to spend less time at the rental property.

Accountant

If you are strong with math and bookkeeping, this may seem like a waste of money. You should definitely put every effort you can into saving money by doing things yourself. 

If you have a lot of property, it may be worth it to hire an accountant to help you manage your finances. They know how to manage these situations and make sure you are financially in good shape. Plus they are a huge help once tax season comes around.

Marketing

Your rental property only does you good if someone is living in it and rent is coming in. In order to do that you will need to make sure people can find your rental property. 

Hiring someone to market your property can really help find tenants. 

If done well, you won’t ever have to have a month when you aren’t having rent paid on the living space. Marketing can be as simple as posting to a Facebook group of people looking for housing, but hiring a marketing professional team will help you find versatile ways to keep your property filled. They can use reliable rental websites to advertise your place and rooms you have available there.

Maintenance 

If you are good with tools, maintenance is an easy thing to do on your own. If you aren’t so handy or own a lot of property, it can difficult to do all the required upkeep.

Hiring a maintenance team can help ease your burden. They can quickly and effectively solve problems and keep your property looking and working great. Hiring professionals can cost more money but can be worth it because they can handle a higher volume of problems, as well as the harder ones.

Property Manager

Property managers are the superstars of the rental property world. They can do just about anything you ask to help your property run smoothly. 

They can work in the front office, take payments, maintain the property, handle evictions, and find new tenants. Many property management companies offer all these services and more.

They are your Ace. They can do it all, including all of the functions previously mentioned. 

Conclusion

Managing property can get to be a lot of work. You don’t have to overwhelm yourself though. By hiring good professionals to handle some of your tasks, you can cut down on your workload and still get quality results. If you own property, I would definitely recommend looking into property management professionals, they will make your life so much easier, and let you get back to your free time.

partnered post • cc-licensed photo by Étienne Beauregard-Riverin