Home Cost Cutting Tips
Home ownership is not inexpensive; from basic utilities to routine maintenance, emergency repairs and more, sometimes you just shake your head in wonder. But that doesn’t mean you have to just sit back and take it. Not when there are several ways to cut your monthly maintenance costs. Here are some good places to start. Programmable Thermostat – Stop heating (or cooling) your home when you’re not there. With a programmable thermostat, your house can be warm and toasty or cool and comfortable by the time you come home, without using all the energy all day long. Attic Fans [...]
How to Make Appliances Last Longer
Large or small, top-of-the-line or budget-friendly, all household appliances undergo wear and tear. The longer they run, the more susceptible they become to repair and replacement. At the same time, there are certain bad habits that tend to speed up the process…habits you’ll want to avoid. Here are a few good examples: Don’t flush your garbage disposal with hot water. Hot water melts fat and grease which can then reform and clog your drain line. Instead, flush the disposal with cold water for up to 30 seconds. It’s also a good idea to keep FOG (fats, oil and grease) [...]
Household Items that Expire
While it may seem like some expiration dates are arbitrary at best, it’s widely acknowledged that the food industry does a pretty good job determining the shelf life of perishable items. But trying to figure out how long other household items are good for can sometimes be a head-scratching experience. You might be surprised to learn that the everyday items listed below even have limited effective lifespans. And, if you’re not careful, you could be putting yourself and your loved one’s in harm’s way. Fire Extinguishers – While they can last anywhere from 5-15 years, they do need to be [...]
How to Help Your Kids Sleep Better
There’s nothing like a good night’s sleep…waking up feeling rested, rejuvenated, and ready to tackle the day. And yet did you know that most children don’t get the proper amount of quality sleep they need to perform at their best? Even small amounts of missed sleep can produce what some experts call a “sleep debt”, resulting in chronically overtired children. That can lead to irritability, hyperactivity, behavioral issues, and poor performance in school. While most parents don’t intentionally deprive their children of sleep, long work hours, after-school activities, and other lifestyle factors can cause bedtimes to be pushed back, naps [...]
How to Improve Home Security
While U.S. crime statistics are trending downward, there remains an ever-present risk of home burglary, even in neighborhoods with few if any reported incidents. Here are several eye-opening statistics to help underscore the problem: Home break-ins occur once every 13 seconds About 30 percent of all burglaries originate through an open or unlocked window or door Homes without security systems are up to 300% more likely to be broken into Once a thief enters your home, they are most likely to head to the master bedroom first The average theft results in a combined loss of about $2,250 in goods [...]
Burton Sponsors Exhibit at the Omaha Children’s Museum
Behind every great team, you’ll find a strong rally cry, a motivating catch phrase, or a single mission statement. It’s one simple line that unites a team together behind one goal – one purpose. When it’s used, the whole team becomes focused on the mission and works together to make magic happen, to achieve success. “Cowabunga” ~TMNT “When your plumbing’s hurting, just call Burton!” ~Burton AC, Heating and Plumbing “Engage the Imagination and create excitement about learning!” ~Omaha’s Children’s Museum Three separate rally cries from three very different teams – who are joining forces to bring one [...]
Summer Pet Safety Tips
You think you have a hard time coping with the summer heat and humidity? Just ask your pets how they feel about it. And, if they could talk, you would get an earful. The fact is, summer can be a very difficult time for your pets; a time that requires extra caution and prevention on your part. Here are some helpful tips to point you in the right direction: Keep up with their vaccinations to prevent ill effects from coming in contact with other outdoor animals. Walk your dog in the early morning or evening when it’s cooler. Mid-day sun [...]
How to Add Curb Appeal
Remember when you first set out to enter the workforce and someone you relied on reminded you of the following: You never get a second chance to make a first impression? Well, that same advice applies to much more than how you present yourself at a job interview. Take, for example, how your home is perceived once you put it on the market. There’s no getting around it: they may not even step inside if the exterior is sufficiently unappealing. So, in a world where even the smallest of details matter, take heed of these few tips on how to [...]
How to Remove Static Electricity
Come on, admit it. When you were a kid, you sometimes tried to nail yourself, a sibling, or one of your parents by causing a static electric shock, right? But sooner or later that habit got broken either from one too many “time outs” or just because it started to really hurt. Today, like always, people find static electricity to be a major annoyance. But it’s not just the physical impact to consider. Static electricity also can damage sensitive electronics. At Burton, we can help reduce static electrical shocks in your home with a whole-house humidifier. As the name suggests, [...]
How to Make Every Day Green Laundry Day
Do you ever look at your utility bills, shake your head, and wonder what you’re doing wrong? Or, perhaps, what else could you do to help save a few dollars here and there? One great way to cut back on energy and water is to change your laundry-day habits. Not necessarily once and for all, but if you mix in some of the following suggestions into your routine, you’re bound to reap the savings. String a clothes line. Take advantage of the nice weather and hang your clothes out to dry. They’ll smell better and you’ll conserve a handsome amount [...]
How to Make Your Bathroom Feel Bigger
Do you have a cramped, small, hard-to-move-around-in bathroom? If so, chances are you’ve learned to live with feeling overly crowded, even when it’s a crowd of one – especially once it hits home that enlarging your bathroom probably means losing your linen closet or shrinking an adjacent room. What’s the practical and affordable answer? Of course: finding creative ways to make your bathroom simply FEEL bigger than it really is. We have a few workable ideas to share with you, but this is far an exhaustive list: Keep everything the same or approximate tone/color/value Don’t mix dark walls with a [...]
5 Natural Cures for Insomnia
If you dread bedtime because you’re reasonably sure a good night’s sleep in not in store for you, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. If it makes you feel any better, about 33% of the US population has at least mild insomnia, and many of them struggle to find the magic wand that will break the spell. Here are several natural cures for insomnia that have helped others. We hope at least one of them leads to the kind of uninterrupted sleep you need for your improved physical and psychological well-being. Change Your Diet That’s right, your [...]