The medical community didn’t officially recognize it until 2013. That year, the American Psychological Association finally included hoarding on its updated list of mental disorders. If the condition affects someone you care about, dealing with it can be very difficult. When you’re unsure about how to help a hoarder, where do you start? A hoarder’s […]
When you face water damage at the house, there’s so much to do. You have to identify the problem, make repairs and start the recovery process. After several days of hard work, you’re done. You heave a big sigh of relief. That’s when it hits you. You’re wondering out loud, “I’ve done all this cleaning, […]
It doesn’t set off alarms. You can’t hear it or see it. Left undetected, it can cause serious damage to sheetrock and even affect floors and ceilings. A slow water leak hidden inside the walls of your home creates a damp environment that breeds mold and rots wood. As well as you stay ahead of […]
You’ve been looking at houses for months, and you’ve finally found one. Everything about it is perfect, and you can picture yourself living there. Things are clipping along – the loan is approved, the seller is happy, and you have a closing date set. All of a sudden, though, your water damage inspection comes back, […]
Have you ever considered what you and your family would do if your neighborhood was flooded? If you’re living in a flood zone, you probably understand the vagaries of flooding after heavy rainstorms, sustained rain events or snow thaw in spring. Flooding causes untold misery for property owners and millions in property damage not to mention loss […]
Are you wondering how to prepare your home for heavy rain? If so, you’re not alone. Lots of people live in climates where the Spring season (starting in about March) brings heavy storms that can last for weeks or months at a time. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to learn how to prepare […]
It’s so cold outside. You find yourself looking up and wondering if the attic needs better protection from this winter weather. It’s been awhile since that upstairs under the roof got an upgrade. You’re ready to make some improvements, but you want to make sure you’re choosing the best attic insulation. How do you decide […]
You wake up and head for the kitchen. The house is still chilly from last night’s hard freeze. You’re ready to make some coffee, but one turn of the faucet handle snaps you wide awake. You don’t have any water, and you know why: Some time during the night, the pipes froze. If you wait […]
The crawl space isn’t really inviting. You don’t go down there very often. Still, the whole house smells musty, and you’ve looked everywhere else. You grab a flashlight and take a peek. Right away, you can see the source of that unpleasant odor. It’s there in the crawl space. You know how to deal with the […]
We all remember the Super Bowl blizzard of 2015. As bad as it was, it only ranked fifth in our modern history of record-setting snow storms. The winter blast dumped more than 19 inches of the white stuff across Chicago and knocked out power to more than 15,000 homes and businesses. Are you ready for the […]