Common Signs You May Be a Pack Rat

Saying goodbye is never easy. If you’re a pack rat, then saying goodbye to personal items is even more difficult. The term pack rat describes someone who saves unnecessary objects. Not sure if you’re a pack rat? Explore some of the common signs you may be a pack rat below.  

You Never Donate or Throw Away Clothing

If you struggle to throw away older clothing that doesn’t fit or isn’t fashionable anymore, this is a common sign you may be a pack rat. Clothing is a tell-tale indicator of pack rat behavior because most pack rats hold onto clothing they no longer wear. Most pack rats associate positive memories with clothing and cannot depart with it as a result.

Common Clothing Pack Rats Hold Onto

• Childhood clothing

• High school team or club apparel

• Clothing that no longer fits

• Clothing with rips, tears, and stains

You Hold Onto Appliances That Do Not Work

Another common sign of a pack rat is holding onto electronics or appliances that no longer function. If you know someone with a collection of DVD players, VCRs, CD players, and other older devices, then they are most likely a classic pack rat.

Pack Rats vs. Collectors: What’s the Difference?

While many people collect retro appliances and items, the difference between a collector and a pack rat is that pack rats do not use or display these items. Instead, pack rats hold onto these items even though they’re broken and take up storage space.

You Need Extra Storage Space

Needing extra storage space isn’t always a sure sign that you may be a pack rat. Depending on the size of your residence, many people utilize storage lots as a functional solution to keep items they cannot fit inside their homes. However, if you are constantly searching for more storage space or need additional lots over time, there’s a higher likelihood that you are a pack rat.

You Refuse To Call a Junk Removal Service  

When you’re a pack rat, your items are treasures with personal memories attached to them. Even when these objects begin to take up too much space or affect your productivity, pack rats will often refuse to downsize on their artifacts.

Services such as on-demand junk removal companies are available to simplify this process, but most pack rats will struggle to donate or throw away their items.

When you associate a piece of clothing or appliance with a happy memory, it’s challenging to part with that item. Although it’s comfortable holding onto old treasures, your house can become cluttered with unusable items over time. If you think you have the qualities of a classic pack rat, consider calling a removal service to help downsize your storage.

4 Plumbing Tips Every Homeowner Should Remember

Plumbing issues are hectic and expensive. Resolve any problem by preventing it from happening in the first place. The way to do this is to follow a few, important tips. Here are four recommendations for every homeowner who operates a plumbing system.

Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing

Frozen pipes cause a lot of damage when they unfreeze or burst. The expanding and contracting of pipes may cause cracks to form, which cause leaks to appear throughout the house. Some leaks form behind walls and cannot be detected for a long time all while causing significant damage to the home. The most effective way to prevent pipes from freezing is to apply insulation. Right before freezing temperatures hit, place insulating materials over the pipes. Otherwise, place heaters near the pipes and keep them on overnight when the temperatures will hit freezing levels.

Avoid Using Liquid Drain Cleaners

Liquid drain cleaners contain harsh, acidic chemicals that could disintegrate weak pipes. The chemicals could easily end up in the wrong place and contaminate healthy soil or nearby water systems. Alternatives to use for unclogging drains are drain snakes, augers, and hydro jetting machines. In addition, a liquid drain cleaner is not guaranteed to remove the clog completely. It may dissolve part of the clog but leave the remaining parts lodged in the pipe. Hydro jetting is considered to be more effective.

Avoid Over Clogging the Drains

Avoid overfilling the drains in your bathroom and kitchen. The garbage disposal is designed to grind and dispose of food waste, but it has limitations like every other household appliance. It's possible to oversaturate this device, resulting in clogs that need to be cleared out manually. Over time, the disposal may break down and stop working altogether.

Locate the Main Water Shutoff Valve

Learn where your home's main water shutoff valve is located. A leaky pipe or gushing toilet could flood an entire room in minutes. Know how to turn off the main water supply to prevent a flood and ensuing water damage. If you don't turn off the valve immediately, by the time you call an emergency plumber, the bathroom will be several inches deep in water. The cleanup costs will exceed the plumbing repair.

Most homeowners are concerned with saving money, but they never consider the importance of maintaining their plumbing systems. In some homes, plumbing repairs add up to a few hundred dollars a year. There are certain steps that homeowners can take to prevent costly plumbing problems from occurring.

Senior Downsizing: The Complete Guide To Moving From A Home To A Retirement Community

Deciding to downsize to a retirement community can be an exciting time, but it can also be uncertain. You are used to living a certain way. How will you adjust? 

Retirement is a beautiful phase in a person’s life. You finally get to enjoy freedom, escape the 9-5 workday, and do whatever you want to do! If you’re in the process of downsizing, here is your complete guide to moving from home to a retirement community and everything you should expect during the process.

Know When It’s The Right Time

Moving out of the home you’re accustomed to living in can be intense; that’s why you should wait to move until the time is right.

Most seniors decide to move to a retirement community when they need a little extra assistance throughout the day. While it may seem like a better option to stay in your home until you cannot carry out daily functions on your own, moving to a retirement community can provide the activity and relationships you need to extend your quality of life.

Find the right place

If you know it’s time to make a move to a senior community; it’s time to find the right one. Senior communities do not have to be a drag. On the contrary, most of them come with a lot of exciting amenities!

Research senior community locations in your area and scout the one that looks like the best fit. Do you want a pool to swim in or a fitness center that offers classes? Spa rooms or golf greens? Most senior communities offer a wide range of amenities that can occupy your time and make it feel like you’re permanently living on vacation.

After you narrow down a few senior communities, make sure to visit the locations that interest you the most to become acquainted with the new area soon.

Think of the valuables

It may be confusing to know what to do with your valuables when you’re moving to a senior community, so we have some tips to help you clean out your home.

First, discuss with the community how much you are allowed to bring. Next, you need to go through your belongings and separate stuff into sentimental keepsakes and items you would like to give away. Finally, consider what you could sell for money and what you could donate with the things you are giving away.

Items you should consider keeping are valuables like pictures of family, gifts, clothes, and other items you will need to have with you in your community. Many of these communities will offer you your own space, including bedroom areas that are sequestered from others, keeping your private belongings safe and secure.

Look at the positives

Moving to a retirement community can be very exciting! When you are packing up to go to your new place, consider how the transformation will be brighter.

When you transition to a senior community, there is a lot of freedom you get to enjoy. There is no more housework and yard work for you to keep up with. You don’t have to worry about having so many responsibilities.

Senior communities offer a lot of assistance to retirees to help them enjoy this phase of their life. Seniors who transition to these communities can enjoy having their days planned out and establishing a vibrant social life with other community members.

When you get to your new home, it’s time to enjoy life! 

Explore Courtyard Gardens

Are you ready to make Courtyard Gardens your new home?

Courtyard Gardens is a perfect place for seniors to transition to! We promise to give our attendants a high-quality facility full of elegance relaxation with help from our courteous staff.

Our grounds have a lot to offer as we want to make each attendant feel at home. While our seniors are on our grounds, we have many classes to attend where residents can explore their interests and learn from professionals. A few classes we offer are art, literature, history, gardening, and more.

We bring life to our residents at Courtyard Gardens by including in-house theaters and other entertainment amenities to ensure many activities!

How Gray Slate Can Enhance the Outer Look of a House

Slate is a beautiful type of stone that is natural in its make. It may consist of a variety of different minerals and compositions, which will affect how it looks in terms of its colour. The purpose of the slate will also determine what size it will end up being. 

Slate tends to be more expensive than other materials that are used for roofing. The size and type of the material will also have an impact on its final price. Here, our focus will be on how gray slate can enhance the outer look of your house.

Design and Color Variation of Slate

The texture of the slate will determine its style. Mixed slate is very commonly used for roofing purposes. The random width style and the standard pattern style are the most common of all of the roofing patterns. 

Black and gray slates are most common for roofing. However, you can choose from a wide array of other color variations if you wish. Light gray, medium, and dark are just some of the color variations that you can choose from for your roofing needs.

Different types of slate may also be combined in order to create a unique look. For example, brick color, cold siding color, and cold stone slate may be combined in order to form roofing material to build homes. 

Features of Slate Roof

Slate is part of the homogeneous metaphoric family or genus. The lifespan of slate is quite remarkable, making it a superb choice for your roofing needs. In fact, properly maintained slate can last for over a century. There is also no additional paintwork to worry about when using slate.

Safe and durable, slate is considered a “forever roof” material. In most cases, the contractor will install the roof once, and then you will never have to worry about it again for as long as you live.

Usage of Gray Slate to Enhance the Outer Look

Those looking for a rustic and cozy feel should look no further than gray slate. Gray slate has the ability to add an air of history to any home. It can also help soften things up if needed. You can use it as your whole house color if you want.

It is considered a timeless color by many design experts. It can also be used as an accent if you wish. As well, if you are working with other shades of gray, then gray slate can be blended with the other shades if needed.

Easy, rustic, soft, and timeless, gray slate can add a touch of class to your home. Many homes that are built today have a cold and metallic design that can make a house feel more like a compound than a place for peace and tranquility.

You can make a real impact by using gray slate. It can help your house stand out among a deluge of derivatives. Increase the curb appeal of your home and increase its real estate value in order to maximize your return on investment.

Gray slate is very versatile, which is another reason to choose it for your home. It can be used for exterior walls as well as interior walls. Gray slate is also quite dark in color. It can absorb heat during the winter, which will help keep your rooms warm during the cold winter months.

You will also save more money on your heating bill thanks to the added insulation that gray slate provides. As mentioned, there are a myriad of different color variations to choose from as well, so you should be able to find a color that speaks to your needs and preferences.

Why Slate Roofing Has Benefits Over Other Roofing Materials

As we have previously mentioned, slate roofs are considered forever roofs. The durability and natural beauty that slate roofing provides is unrivalled. It is a very elegant roofing material that will greatly increase the value of your home in a few years.

It is also mold resistant, which is very important, as mold can make you and your loved ones very sick. Another benefit is that unlike other roofing materials, there are no maintenance costs to worry about. 

Slate is resistant to rain and the harsh winds. The roofer simply needs to install the slate roof properly and then call it a day. The water absorption capability of slate is also quite low, which will help prevent frost damage during the winter.

Why Slate Roofing Differs from Other Roofing Materials

Standard shingle roofs have a lower upfront cost than slate roofs. However, slate roofs should be seen as a long-term investment. While the initial cost may be higher, the overall value that slate roofing provides is unrivalled.

Slate tile has a very high value on the market. Your home will greatly appreciate in value after you have installed slate tile. Your home will also look better thanks to the touch of elegance that slate provides. As well, your home will be more durable thanks to slate, which will reduce the maintenance and repair costs that are incurred in the future.

What to Look for in a Roofer

If you are thinking of adding a slate roof to your home, then please have an open and candid conversation with a roofer in your area. Ensure that they are licensed and bonded for peace of mind. 

Check online reviews, or ask trusted friends, family, and coworkers if they can recommend a roofing company in the area. Slate is a beautiful, durable, and versatile material, but it also has to be installed properly in order to maximize its benefits.

Once the slate roof has been installed, you will need to ensure that it remains in the best condition possible going forward. Speak to your roofing company in order to obtain tips that can help your home maintain its rustic elegance for decades to come. Fortunately, slate roofs require minimal maintenance, and will usually last upwards of 100 years.