You probably know the importance of having a roof over your head, but another crucial consideration is what’s under your feet. Preferences vary when it comes to flooring, which is reflected in the vast array of products available. From the sleek sheen of hardwood to the natural coarseness of stone to the soft pile of carpet, there’s no shortage of options for consumers with sensitive soles. Along with distinctive aesthetic attributes, however, different flooring styles require different kinds of maintenance, which is why we’ve asked five Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to go over some flooring maintenance basics.

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It’s often said that a person’s home is their castle, but try telling that to a burglar—not to mention the fact that our modern edifices lack the thick stone walls, turrets and drawbridges that secured those specimens of medieval architecture from intrusion. That’s why ensuring security in modern homes takes a lot more than a pot of boiling oil…or, more pertinent, a standard front door deadbolt. Read on to learn a few essential aspects of home protection.

Get a lock on things. While any exterior door should have a lock, simply having one isn’t enough. The reality is that most standard locks do little to deter burglars, who are able to circumvent subpar hardware by lock-picking or simply kicking in the door. Read more

When planning to replace the window screens in their homes, most people don’t realize the full extent of their options. With the increasing specialization of the window covering industry, various products are now available to suit homeowners’ individual preferences. In the following tip sheet, James Hislop of Wesco Screen Company Inc. briefly lists some popular choices. Read more

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

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

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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