Unfortunately, every home needs a security system. The more elaborate and the more expensive the better, depending upon what you want to protect. The best system has you hooked up to a central headquarters. The closer this center is to your home the less mix-ups will occur if the authorities are notified. Sometimes the wrong state or local police are notified and that can be dangerous.

Your system should connect not only a burglar alarm to your home but one to warn of fire if you are sleeping or away from home,and with a device to carry around for when you get a stroke or fall. For your personal comfort a monitor should show you all angles of the outside of the home, infra-red for night. Four cameras minimum would be required. An alarm should be loud within local ordinances to scare the criminals away before the authorities arrive.

They should be tested periodically and you should have the one that they use for cars to arm your system. A press of a button as opposed to standing by the keypad and tapping numbers. A motion detector system is superior to all others, unless you leave pets walking around the home. The system which goes off after a window is broken could be bypassed by you leaving a window or door open. Motion will always be detected.

A home security system is not at all expensive when your life and property are at stake. With the deteriorating economic conditions now we can expect more break-ins and brutal ones at that. When the economy starts to fall the violence taken out on the inhabitants of the home becomes more and more violent. Just breaking in will not suffice now, rape and destruction will accompany the looting of your goods. It is not worth it to take a chance and go without a home security system. Your only job is to hire the company that has more recommendations.

Related posts


Everyone has heard your home is your castle. I’m going to provide some ideas to save you cash when decorating your domestic domicile. My first rule is buy on sale. Scour Sunday ads for bargains. Price reductions coincide with big holidays, scratch and dent, broken set, and factory seconds sales. Outlet stores carry the same quality as the showrooms. Craft shops carry unique accessories.

Shoe string budgets can be remedied by using Craigslist (furniture), shopping gently used furniture stores, and rental stores that sell returned inventory. Check your local TV Internet classifieds. When you find that special piece, pull out drawers and test seating for comfort. Do you need small accessories? Multi family garage sales are a great place to find modular wall units, bookcases, pictures, vases and nicknacks.

The fun really starts with your design. Don’t decorate for anyone other than yourself. Rooms need to be textural. Slipcovers can update furniture. Today dark furniture finishes like espresso, coffee bean and black are in vogue. You can re-stain or paint your light furniture (read a “How To”). Darker upholstery shows fewer stains and dirt while lighter requires more care. Once you decide on your furniture, build your color scheme around those large items. Choose three harmonious textile (furniture and bedding) colors, one main and two accents. If you can, paint your walls sage, wheat, hot chocolate, toasted beige or cream. Neutral colors expand room size. Some people just love red, plum, ocher, and tangerine. Strong color should be on one accent wall only. Darker colors enclose a room. Group your pictures, use a jumbo framed print, and a silk or live tree for eye appeal. Drapes hanging from a fancy iron or wood rod anchor your window. Choose colors and patterns that compliment your decor. Home Depot and Lowell’s carry horizontal and vertical blinds. Patterned room size rugs are both textural and visual anchors. Lamps are accents, use them like art. Heavier parchment shades cast a softer glow. Toss in a few jewel toned pillows and your castle is done.

Related posts


Building a new home is an exciting process, but long-range planning is necessary to keep it in top condition. New homes need to be designed to avoid problems caused by mold, mildew and dry rot, and this post discusses how to avoid these problems.

Before thinking about building, know what causes mold and mildew – moisture. Spotless walls are never clean enough to avoid feeding mold because drywall is porous and easily absorbs airborne particles. Also due to this complication, there will never be a shortage of mold and mildew growths because these creatures reproduce with airborne spores which land on walls. The one factor that can be controlled when building a new home is the amount of moisture that can get into walls and other structures.

As a result, make sure to build on level, well-drained soil. Soils which hold moisture will hold it close to the foundation and lower crawl spaces, and soils which are prone to shrink-swell (such as clay) will eventually crack foundations and allow moisture to seep into the basement. Your architect should run soil analyses before designing your home.

Another important decision is to know the general humidity of the building area. Places with high humidity are naturally more inclined to allow moisture to condense on the building structure. If you will live in an area of high humidity, make sure to install an efficient air conditioning unit (removes humidity from cooled air) and also consider installing a dehumidifier in your basement and crawl spaces. This will ensure that the high humidity will not have a chance to condense and seep into building materials, thereby inhibiting the growth of mold.

As a final note, make sure that your roof will last for many years when designing your home. If it becomes leaky or damaged, fix it immediately to avoid moisture accumulation in the roof building materials due to precipitation. New homes normally have roofs with 25+ year warranties and must be absolutely leak-proof.

If you are able to keep moisture out of your home, you will prevent the problems caused by mold and mildew!

Related posts