Rehab Tips

OHND offers tips to homeowners about the things they can do around the house to conserve electricity, improve safety, and resolve minor issues before they become major headaches for homeowners.

• Questions To Ask Your Home Improvement Contractor

Latest Tips

WINTERTIME TIPS

• Do-It-Yourself Home Leak Repair Guide

SUMMERTIME CHECKLIST

So it's summertime and you think the living is easy? Well, here is some advice from OHND's Rehabilitation Specialist on household work you may want to catch up on this summer:

• Service your air conditioner. You can also consider reducing your cooling costs by installing ceiling fans in sleeping rooms and high-use rooms, even if you already have central air conditioning.
  
• Now is the time to service your lawn mower by cleaning the fuel tank, changing oil, cleaning or replacing air filter.
  
• These summer months are also a good time to consider indoor painting and refinishing projects as windows can be opened for ventilation and to aid in drying process.
  
• Take advantage of the good weather to install door locks and dead bolts, particularly where doors are obscured from vision.

ANIMAL PEST CONTROL

With increased urbanization, many property owners will find their yards invaded this summer by deer, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and other furry "woodland" creatures and insects that have lost their habitats and found flowers, shrubs, vegetables, and trees an inviting banquet.

Wood or metal fences can be used to limit animal access to your yard, but so can plantings of thorny bushes: holly, Japanese barberry, or hawthorn for deer; pungent plantings like African marigolds for rabbits; and beer in jars buried to necks in soil to prevent an infestation of slugs.

You should ut back branches and tree limbs that provide squirrels and raccoons access to roofs and chimneys. Block, caulk or install metal screening on and around holes and openings at exhaust and dryer vents, pipes, cellar doors, foundations, or any other openings that might allow these furry creatures access to your home. A helpful piece of advice is to use steel wool under caulking to prevent mice from eating through caulking.

Secure garbage cans in upright position and secure lids with springs to prevent raccoons from "free lunching" and making a mess of your yard. Sprinkling cayenne pepper around the cans acts as a further repellant.

Finally, do not confront or handle any wild animal. Not only can they inflect vicious wounds, but may be rabid and carry disease ticks and lice vectors.