From Drips to Drains: Essential Tips and Tricks for Plumbing Maintenance 

A well-functioning plumbing system is essential for a comfortable and functional home. Proper plumbing maintenance is crucial, from ensuring a steady supply of clean water to effectively removing wastewater. By following critical tips and tricks, you can prevent common plumbing issues, save money on repairs, and prolong the lifespan of your plumbing system.  

Plumbing Maintenance Tips from Princeton Plumbing Pros 

This article will provide practical advice and actionable tips for plumbing maintenance from Princeton plumbing pros

Detect and Repair Leaks Promptly 

Even the smallest drip can waste significant water over time and lead to higher water bills. Regularly check for any signs of leaks, such as water spots, dampness, or discoloration on walls, ceilings, or flooring.  

Don’t forget to inspect under sinks and around toilets. If you detect a leak, address it promptly. Replace worn-out washers, tighten loose connections, or call a professional plumber for more complex repairs. 

Keep Drains Clear and Clog-Free 

Clogged drains are a common plumbing problem that can disrupt your daily routine. To prevent clogs, avoid pouring grease, oil, or food scraps down the kitchen sink, and use a drain strainer to catch debris. 

Regularly remove hair from drains in the bathroom using a drain snake or a simple wire hanger. Also, be mindful of what you flush down the toilet. Avoid flushing non-flushable items like wipes, cotton balls, or feminine hygiene products. If a drain becomes clogged, use a plunger or a chemical drain cleaner. 

Maintain Your Water Heater 

A functioning water heater is essential for hot showers, clean dishes, and laundry. To maintain your water heater, regularly check the temperature and pressure relief valve to ensure it’s working correctly.  

Drain the water heater once a year to remove sediment buildup that can affect its efficiency. If you notice any leaks or decreased performance, contact a plumber for inspection and necessary repairs. 

Protect Your Pipes from Freezing 

In colder climates, frozen pipes can be a significant concern. When water freezes, it expands and can cause pipes to burst, leading to substantial water damage. To protect your pipes, insulate them in vulnerable areas such as basements, crawl spaces, and exterior walls.  

Disconnect and drain outdoor hoses before winter, and consider using pipe insulation sleeves for added protection. If freezing temperatures are expected, open cabinet doors to allow warm air to reach the pipes. 

Schedule Regular Sewer Line Inspections 

The sewer line is an integral part of your plumbing system that carries wastewater away from your home. Regular inspections can help detect potential issues before they become significant problems.  

Consider scheduling a professional sewer line inspection every few years or if you notice any signs of sewer line issues such as slow drains, gurgling sounds, or foul odors. During the inspection, a plumber can use a video camera to inspect the inside of the sewer line and identify any blockages, leaks, or tree root intrusions. 

Conclusion: Plumbing Maintenance Tips from Princeton Plumbing Pros 

Maintaining a well-functioning plumbing system is essential for a comfortable and worry-free home.  

With these essential tips and tricks, you’ll be equipped to handle everyday plumbing maintenance tasks and enjoy a properly functioning plumbing system for years. 

Read More

Fescue vs Bermuda Grass: Which Is Best for Your Lawn?

Your lawn serves more than just an aesthetic feature that you can add to your property. It can also provide you, the homeowner, a relaxing view despite the depressing environment that surrounds us every day with its rich green color.   

There are many ways to ensure that you have that appealing green lawn including landscaping or calling professionals like Delaware County tree care services to ask for some professional tips about how to make your lawn atypical from the rest.   

But of course, before you go to the advanced elements can provide, ensure that you have the best greens on your soil.   

Lawn, backyards, and garden would be dull with greens but here is the thing that you should know. There are kinds of greens you can plant in your garden including trees, plants, and grass. But when it comes to grass, you need to choose between the options provided.   

Although there are many kinds of grass that you can choose from, two of the most prominent include fescue and Bermuda grass. Here, we will share with you which is the best pick for your lawn by differentiating their features.   

What is Bermuda?  

This grass is fast-growing and is distinctive with its moderately thick leaves. Compared to the Fescue grass, Bermuda has coarser and thicker grass and is also considered to be more invasive as it can grow rapidly in a certain area within a very short amount of time and with minimal effort.   

On the flip side, there are lawn owners who complain about Bermuda. We mentioned that it can grow with minimal effort, and this is the very thing that makes it potentially invasive. When it takes hold of the area, it can grow so fast in a very messy way, while also posing a threat to your other greens like plants and trees. It is also not ideal when planted with other kinds of grass as it will dominate the other kind, for sure.   

Moreover, Bermuda is not tolerant to cold temperatures and may go dormant when too exposed. Luckily, it is very resilient even under extreme heat, thus tropical areas prefer Bermuda.   

What is Fescue?  

Besides Bermuda and other kinds of grass, Fescue is also very popular with home and lawn owners. It is characterized by thin leaves that resemble other turfgrass. When you choose Fescue, you need to expect a thinner and ultra-fine grass that will grow in your place compared when you choose Bermuda. When you have some places on your lawn that have no grass, some Fescue will surely treat it.   

If Bermuda can easily become dormant under cold temperature but is resilient to extreme heat, Fescue is the complete opposite. Yes, it is right. Fescue is less tolerant to an extremely hot environment and it may die if you plant it amidst hot weather. However, unlike Bermuda, it can withstand extremely cold temperatures and so it is one of the favorite grass picks among cold places. Of course, although it is less tolerant to cold, there are still places that plant Fescue.   

Read More

Which Drywall Repairs Should You Use?

Your drywall will naturally start wearing in due time. However, that does not imply that you need to live with unsolicited holes or marks in your walls. Listed below are some of the typical reasons of damage and the drywall repairs that can help your walls look as if it’s brand new.  Keep on reading to know more: 

Water damage 

If you can observe any signs of water damage in your drywall, don’t forget to reach out to the experts as soon as possible and get your walls checked.  

Cracks 

Drywall cracks should not be taken lightly. Regardless of how small a crack may look, never neglect it. Most of the time, cracks get even bigger and result in more extensive issues later on. Cracks in your drywall can be caused by changes in humidity, seasons, and temperature. Moreover, it may be a more severe problem as well, such as structural issues like framing deterioration or foundation settlement. Once you have identified the level and cause of severity, you can repair the crack using a joint compound or contact an expert of any drywall repair Washington DC as soon as you can observe such cracks. 

Nail hole damage 

One of the most typical drywall repairs that all homeowners experience would be nail hole damage. Regardless if you’ve recently transferred into a new house or you’re simply rearranging your decorations, such unappealing nail holes will keep on taking away from your area. To fix the nail hole damage in your drywall, all you have to do is to fill the holes, patch it, sand over the affected spot, and repaint. If there were holes, nobody can ever tell if you do that. Plus, expect your drywalls to look as good as new as well.  

Door handle damage 

Commonly, door holes in your drywall are due to your door handle that’s always slammed into the wall as you open it. Though this issue might seem to be simple to prevent, this usually happens in houses especially when kids are present. This kind of drywall damage is more extensive compared to concealing furniture marks and will have to be sanded, patched over, and repainted. Setting up a backplate where your door gets in contact with the drywall is one of the best means of preventing such occurrences in the future. Moreover, you can attach a cover for your door handle to give a softer impact when slammed into the drywall. 

Furniture marks 

Most of the time, furniture tends to leave marks or scuffs once pressed up against your drywall for a long time. Though such markings look unappealing and can be irritating, they are one of the drywall repairs that can be fixed easily. Oftentimes, such marks can be eliminated using a lightly dampened sponge. When the marks still look visible after the drywall is cleaned, new wallpaper or a fresh coat of paint can help conceal any lasting impressions. To prevent causing more harm to your wall, ensure to leave just a small space between your walls and furniture. 

Read More

How to Do Plaster Ceiling Repair

There’s some good news to older homes with plaster ceilings. Did you know that it can still be repaired? plaster ceilings can still recover from getting further damaged. Most of the old ceilings were effectively reconnected by adding adhesives between the plaster and lath, and here is where it deteriorates over time.  

While the repair technique used for plaster differs from new ones, it is still effective. The use of modern materials is what makes it work. They’re also easy to handle and cause minimal sound damage. The use of the right techniques and correct tools allow plaster ceilings to be maintained for many years to come. 

How to Repair Plaster Ceilings 

If your plaster ceiling is damaged, here are some of the steps that need to be done to have it repaired. It’s important that you hire the experts in plaster repair New Jersey because only the professionals can get things done the right way.  

1. Check the condition of the ceiling.  

To fix the problem, your ceiling has to be loosened first. So, you’ll immediately see if you have a leaky roof or if you need to do some structural changes to it. The first step is to decide how far you’re willing to repair the ceiling. Slowly move the surface and determine the quantity between the plaster and the lath. Luckily, doing that feels like moving a piece of puzzle that will slip back into its own unique place.  

2. Check for a possible reinstallation work. 

Reinstallation may not be an option unless the damage is extensive. If you find that the worst part of the ceiling requires a lot of effort to repair, then you might have to reconsider if you still want to use plater for that. There are other materials that can be used instead and they’re cheaper and easier to maintain.  

3. Locate the wood laths.  

In case repair is feasible, the next step is to find the wood laths. The holes that you drill for injection must be directly under the wood lath and not between them. That way, the adhesive sticks to something solid. You can see the lath position after removing the plaster or after digging a gap.   

4. Drill injection holes.  

It’s a challenge to make these holes because it is very important that you only drill through the injection surface. When connecting from the plaster side, you have to drill through the plaster completely, but stop before you reach the wood lath. 

5. Secure the plaster.  

Now that the adhesive is well in place, it’s time to push the plaster back into its original slot. Place it securely against the lath using forms. Doing so allows the adhesive to full bond into the surface area.  

6. Remove the forms.  

After a day, the plaster should have set and ready. It’s time to remove the forms. Some of the plastic will stick to the injected adhesive so be prepared for that. Simply scrape that off using a putty knife. Plaster repair is a process that not all of today’s contractors can do. Be sure to hire somebody who is experienced with the job. 

Read More

Recent Comments