Thursday, May 20, 2010

A Home Warranty Plan Gives You Peace of Mind

Buy a home recently? Congratulations! You've made an important step toward building a secure future for your family. The purchase of a home not only gives you the right to paint a wall the color you like, but you become eligible for various tax breaks and equity. That's why it's important, once the papers are signed and you have the keys in hand, to look into a solid home warranty plan to protect your home.

What is a Home Warranty?

When you buy electronics or a new car, you often receive or sign up for a warranty that guarantees some degree of assistance should something go wrong. Maybe a part is replaced, or the entire object depending on what you own.

A home warranty works along the same lines, only more items are covered. With such a plan, you get service protection that covers repairs on various household items, like your refrigerator and dishwasher, home air conditioning and heating, and plumbing. You might think at first home insurance is sufficient, but bear in mind that policies will cover property in the event of fire, flood, and other disasters, but won't take care of repair fees.

How a Home Warranty Works

Let's say your HVAC goes on the fritz. You call a technician to come out and fix it. If you don't have a warranty plan set, you'll have to cover the cost of parts and service. With a plan, however, you file a request with the company from which you bought your warranty and they handle the rest.

When you are ready to purchase a home warranty to protect your household appliances, do some Internet research. You'll find several handy websites with reviews of the best plans suited for your needs, whether you live in a two-story house or a high-rise condo. These plans are designed to bring you peace of mind as a homeowner and make living much easier.

Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on Newport News HVAC repair, Virginia Beach home remodeling, Virginia Beach auto repair, Virginia Beach roofing, and Virginia Beach plumbing.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

It's Patio Awning Season for Virginia Beach!

May in Virginia Beach is often scored by unpredictable weather. If you were here last year, you'll recall we had an especially wet spring, followed by a scorching summer. The old saying in Virginia Beach goes that if you don't like the weather, just wait...and it always helps to be prepared no matter where you are. Homeowners in Virginia Beach and Norfolk will especially do well by their families and guests to have that patio awning installed if it hasn't already been done. Patio awnings in Virginia Beach are practically a necessity, especially if you plan to entertain this summer and want to keep guests cool and comfortable.

The best thing about a retractable home awning is that they are simple to install and use. You have have a contractor attach a roof or wall mount awning where you have your patio or balcony or deck set-up, and a remote control powers the device. You can fully extend the shade on especially hot days, or leave it halfway to keep the sunlight from shining too brightly into your windows. If it's unseasonably cool, you leave it up. You have so many options with the awning, and hundreds of fabrics to choose from. Your house will look great and it adds value.

If you don't have your awning installed yet, don't wait for the weather to spoil your outdoor BBQ. Call Virginia Beach Awnings by  Windowizards today at 757-306-0500 for a free estimate on your next home improvement project.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Garage Door Maintenance - What Should Be Done Periodically

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Racheal_Ashley]Racheal Ashley
If you have garage doors you should know that regular maintenance should be performed on them periodically in order to ensure that they are working the way that they are supposed to and preventing any future garage door problems.

Now that you know you should be completing regular checks on your garage doors you may want to know exactly what you should do. Follow these simple steps and you will be good to go.

• Check the screws in the tracks. There may be times when the screws loosen. This causes the doors to have a difficult time opening and closing properly. This could also result in damage to the motor for the door if it is struggling to open and close the door.

• Wipe the tracks down with motor oil every so often to keep things running smoothly just like when they were new.

• Check the rollers. If they are broken then you may want to remove them and purchase new ones. This is not expensive and it does not take much time. If they are just tight then you will want to place some lubricant on them.

It is not difficult to perform regular maintenance this article proves that. You just need to remember to add it to your year round home maintenance check list. You might even want to write it down on a calendar every month or two so you do not forget. Make sure you right a list of the tools and supplies you will need to maintenance the door. You should also keep batteries on hand for your opener. Garage door openers/remotes use a verity of batteries; make sure you buy the correct one. So go ahead and get your garage door maintained.

Use these tips once you had finished looking for [http://www.newhomesdirectory.com/]new homes. There are many [http://www.newhomesdirectory.com/Dallas/]Dallas new homes available. So once you find your dream home use these tips to keep your home looking great.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Garage-Door-Maintenance---What-Should-Be-Done-Periodically&id=4273218] Garage Door Maintenance - What Should Be Done Periodically