Florida Homebuilder Centerline Homes | Real Estate Blog

Start off Right, Select the Right Plant For Your Location!

• Make a note of the type of soil, sunlight exposure and water conditions of the planting site before you shop. Choose plants that thrive under the conditions you noted.  Almost any plant will survive in your landscape if you plant it in the right place.
• Limit the number of plants that need a lot of water or care.
• Keep only as much grass as you directly use for recreation and other purposes. Plant beds and mulched areas use less water than grass.
• Remove invasive exotic plants so they don't steal water and nutrition from Florida-friendly plants.

Watering

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Here are 13 Tips that will reduce the energy and maintenance costs of your home over the long haul.

1. Check the insulation in your attic. If you purchased an older home with an unfinished attic take a look around up there. You should see at least six inches of insulation everywhere and more if you live in the northern parts of the US. If there’s inadequate insulation or the insulation you have appears damaged then install new insulation.
2. Air-seal your home. Look for any places where air may be leaking directly into or out of your home.
3. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater to 120 degrees.  This is the optimum temperature for your hot water heater. Most people do not utilize water that’s hotter than that, and thus energy used to keep the water that hot isn’t effective.
4. Toss a water heater blanket over that hot water heater. While most modern hot water heaters are well-insulated, some are insulated better than others and many older heaters aren’t insulated well at all. An investment in a blanket for your water heater will slowly and gradually save you money on your heating bill over time by keeping the heat in the water instead of letting it out.
5. Wrap exposed water pipes with insulation. Exposed hot water pipes lose heat as they move water from your heater to your faucet. Insulating them makes a two to four degree difference in the temperature of the water and also allows hot water to reach your faucet faster. Check the pipes into and out of your hot water heater first, as the first three feet out of the heater (and the last few feet of inlet water) are key. Use good quality pipe insulation for the job.

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1. Sweep wood floors regularly with a soft, fine bristle broom.
2. Vacuum once or twice a week to remove dirt and sand. Use a soft brush attachment to minimize scratching.
3. Since water is one of a wood floors worst enemies, remove spills ASAP with soft towels or a wet/dry vacuum, then dry thoroughly.
4. Use a very dry damp mop when mopping polyurethaned wood floors, since excess water can seep into seams and ruin a wood floor.
5. Use carpet runners (with non-skid pads) over wood floors in high traffic areas.

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You can design a landscape that not only conserves energy but also water. Here is a brief overview of some water-conserving landscaping strategies.

Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is a systematic method of promoting water conservation in landscaped areas. It's based on seven principles:

1. Planning and design:  Provides direction and guidance, mapping your water and energy conservation strategies, both of which will be dependent upon your regional climate and microclimate.
2. Selecting and zoning plants appropriately: Bases your plant selections and locations on those that will flourish in your regional climate and microclimate.

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Drywall corners are among the most vulnerable areas when it comes to getting banged and dented by traffic through a house. Under the joint compound that covers and finishes the corner is a length of lightweight metal or plastic called corner bead.  Corner bead can have either a right-angle or curved profile depending on the finish of the drywall. The objective when fixing the dented or damaged area is to straighten out this piece of corner bead and re-cover it with drywall compound.

Here’s how to fix the drywall:

1. Use a utility knife to cut away any loose drywall or drywall compound from around the damaged area.
2. Reshape the dented corner bead. To sculpt flattened or bent areas, gently pound a bolt or an upside-down nailset with a hammer.
3. Tack down the loose corner bead with drywall nails.
4. Using a putty knife, remove any loose existing joint compound.
5. Using a drywall knife, fill one side of the corner and draw it out so that it’s smooth. Allow the compound to dry.
6. Fill the corner’s other side and allow to dry.
7. Gently sand with fine sandpaper wrapped around a block or use a drywall sanding sponge.

You may need to repeat with a second or third coat of drywall compound if necessary and sand again.