Like many industries, plumbing is extremely complex and continues to become more so with ongoing technological innovations. This article contains some useful information to help you get more acquainted with the trade, including key terms, DIY tips and answers to frequently asked questions.

Key Terms

Aerator: A device added to the open end of a faucet that mixes air with water to create a more even flow. Inexpensive to install, faucet aerators can help conserve water without diminishing water pressure.

Fittings: Fittings usually refer to faucets, shower valves and tub fillers, although they may also refer to piping coupling such as elbow and tee fittings.

GPM: Gallons per minute (GPM) is the rate of water flow from faucets and shower heads. Read more

While ticks can be found all year-round, they’re most prevalent in the warm summer months. Since ridding a home of a tick infestation can be a long and arduous process, it’s best to take proactive measures to protect yourself and your family. Consider the following tips:

Create a tick-free landscape
The first step to keeping ticks out of your home is to keep them out of your yard, which is why it’s important to maintain well-trimmed foliage. To provide additional security for outdoor play and leisure spaces, create a buffer zone of gravel or wood chips to maintain a separation from forested areas. Read more

If you hate getting phone calls from telemarketers, you’ve probably done what I’ve done: signed up for the Do Not Call list, which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created in 2003. So, why are we still getting illegal robocalls?

While the Do Not Call registry has reduced the number of unwanted calls from legitimate companies, according to EndRoboCalls.org, the FTC received more than 3 million complaints from annoyed consumers in 2014. (EndRoboCalls.org is an advocacy arm of Consumers Union and Consumer Reports magazine.) Read more

I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in Richmond, Virginia a few weeks ago for our son’s wedding. Everywhere we went, we encountered warm hospitality. For example, one morning in the hotel, as I left my room and walked toward the elevator, I heard the maid down the hall call out, “Have a nice day, y’all!” I turned around to see to whom she was speaking…and realized she was talking to me! I heard that phrase again and again during our stay.

People of all ages held open doors for each other and offered unsolicited help with directions. The waiters and bartenders spent extra time explaining local foods and menu recommendations. Read more

Parents, get ready, for they are coming.

Remember last September? Just after Labor Day, you sent them off with new lunchboxes, pointy pencils and extra-long pants. The classrooms unto which they were delivered smelled of fresh paint. They cried a little, and so did you. You went home to an empty house and drank a well-deserved, oddly uninterrupted cup of coffee.

Well, parents…eight PTA meetings, seven slumber parties, four music recitals and one soccer tournament later, your precious bundles of joy are coming back. Read more

This article originally appeared on the blog of Sungevity, a Diamond Certified company.

Guest post by Leslye Penticoff

In April, California’s Governor Jerry Brown imposed mandatory restrictions on the state’s water use for the first time in history. The announcement coincides with the end of another disappointing winter season for local skiers, who looked on enviously as snowfall set records in New England. The evidence is clear: the drought in California is serious, and it’s getting worse. So, why is solar energy making us hopeful? Because solar energy requires little to no water to generate electricity, Read more

Owning a home requires a fair amount of maintenance to keep things looking and functioning optimally. While some maintenance tasks are best handled by professionals, there are plenty of others you can perform yourself, even if you’ve never done them before. To highlight a few of these, we asked four Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to share their home maintenance how-tos.

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