A resource for those seeking information on organizing and transforming spaces.

Design Ben Soreff Design Ben Soreff

Out of the Dark Ages: Updating the Lighting in Your Old House

Updating your lighting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to give your home a new look. Inside and out, your home's lighting adds warmth and ambiance, and it also adds to the safety of your property.

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Updating your lighting is one of the fastest and easiest ways to give your home a new look. Inside and out, your home's lighting adds warmth and ambiance, and it also adds to the safety of your property.

Get New Lamps

You won't need an electrician to add a stylish, new table and desk lamps to your home. Industrial-inspired bare bulb clusters, sophisticated sculptural designs, and eye-popping shade colors are just a few of the current lighting trends. The right lamps can create a bold statement or invoke a subtle ambiance.

Switch to LEDs

You also won't need an electrician to change your bulbs to energy-efficient LED bulbs. You can even find vintage-inspired LED filament bulbs that look fabulous in an industrial or steampunk lamp. According to the US Department of Energy, LED bulbs can last 25 times longer and use 75 percent less energy, compared to incandescent bulbs.

Install New Types of Lighting

However, you will need a professional electrician to install recessed, track, chandelier, or pendant lighting. This is because this type of lighting requires accessing, or adding, wiring through the ceiling. You might be able to replace a ceiling lighting fixture yourself, but if you are adding something new, trust the job to a professional.

Add Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is also important, not only for security but also to create a beautiful night time atmosphere. Consider adding solar lights outdoors. They not only save money on your electric bill, but they are also easy to install yourself. You can place solar lights along a pathway, spotlight a wall, or flood a patio with light.

Solar string lights are an especially pretty way to light up a patio or deck. Some have retro-inspired naked bulbs while others can change colors.

However, if you are serious about a security lighting system, you'll want to have it professionally hard-wired into the grid. Alternatively, you can choose a more robust solar system that includes panels and a battery bank. This is because low-cost, garden variety solar lights may not perform well during the winter, since the energy they get from the sun is lower. Also, the small, internal batteries typically won't last through the entire night.

If your home is older, you may want to have an electrician come check your home’s wiring before you make any changes to your home’s lighting. Because today’s consumers typically have a higher reliance on electrical needs than in decades past, your home’s electrical system may not be able to support new additions. If this is the case, your whole home may need to be rewired to prevent future outages and fire hazards.

Whether indoors or out, your lighting creates both an inviting atmosphere as well as adding safety. The right choice can also save you money on your monthly electric bill. Robust security lighting can also add value to your property. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, now is the time to update the lighting in your old house.

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Home Ideas Ben Soreff Home Ideas Ben Soreff

Avoiding Health Hazards When Renovating Your Home

Your home should feel like the safest place in the world. It should bring you peace, make you comfortable, and it should be the place you look forward to coming back to at the end of the day. A lot of people will choose to decorate, renovate, and even remodel their home in order to achieve that cozy feeling. Deciding to renovate your home is exciting but it can seem like an extremely daunting task. Things like dangerous building materials and substances may come up during the renovation process and could pose a serious threat to your health. You’re even more likely to run into potential hazards if you’re in an older home. Federal and local codes, as well as building technology, are constantly changing to improve the health and safety of residents. Making sure your home is up to date is not only an aesthetic choice, but it is a matter of health.

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Your home should feel like the safest place in the world. It should bring you peace, make you comfortable, and it should be the place you look forward to coming back to at the end of the day. A lot of people will choose to decorate, renovate, and even remodel their home in order to achieve that cozy feeling. Deciding to renovate your home is exciting but it can seem like an extremely daunting task. Things like dangerous building materials and substances may come up during the renovation process and could pose a serious threat to your health. You’re even more likely to run into potential hazards if you’re in an older home. Federal and local codes, as well as building technology, are constantly changing to improve the health and safety of residents. Making sure your home is up to date is not only an aesthetic choice, but it is a matter of health.

Building Materials

One of the largest health hazards that you will potentially find within your home can be found in the building materials used in the house. Depending on when certain aspects of the house were built, or the products that the builder decided on, you might come across illness-inducing materials like asbestos. Asbestos refers to a group of minerals used to fortify certain products. Be cautious of your potential exposure to asbestos while working with things like insulation, popcorn ceilings, drywall, and more. This is especially common if you’re working on a home built prior to 1979. Inhaling asbestos fibers can put you at risk for a devastating cancer known as mesothelioma. 

Lead is another common material that you might come across while working on your home. Used for its anti-corrosion and preservation properties, lead is often found in things like old paint, pipes, glass or crystal, and even soil. Though it was banned for use in paint in the U.S. in 1978, it is estimated that millions of homes still contain lead based paint. If you are living in an older home with its original paint, you’ll want to assess your risk of exposure to lead before deciding on your renovation priorities. Paint isn’t the only culprit. Older plumbing systems and windows can also put your family at risk for lead exposure. 

When it comes to identifying materials that may contain asbestos or lead, it is best to consult a professional. They’ll be able to perform the necessary tests and advise you how to best go about removing the toxic substances. While it might be an added expense, it’ll be necessary to figure into your renovation budget so you can keep you and your family safe for however long you’re in your home.

Electrical

Potential home health hazards are not only limited to toxic materials. You need to be cautious about the possibility of electrocution, and take the precautions necessary to avoid it. Being aware of what is a true electrical risk will help you stay attentive as you work around your home. Any open or frayed wires that you notice should be dealt with immediately and you should avoid touching them. Make sure your family knows of their location as well so they can steer clear. If you're working with a contractor, they should be able to acknowledge and avoid shock risks. If you’re renovating yourself you should be practicing electrical safety.

Another important area to check are the outlet connections. If they are loose or are not properly grounded, using the outlets can put you at risk of being shocked. They should also not be hot to the touch, or produce sparks. In terms of electrical appliances, they should be kept away from any major source of water. Products like hair dryers, irons, toaster ovens, and other home appliances should never be used in and around the bath, shower, or sink. This rule is less often thought of for your outdoor appliances. Keep things like string lights, radios, and electric lawn equipment away from swimming pools, ponds, or areas where water tends to collect.

Plumbing

Plumbing issues are typically thought of as a threat because of the possibility of property damage, but they can also have an impact on your health. If you’re checking out your plumbing systems, whether it be under the sinks, in the basement, or elsewhere, keep an eye out for leaks and corroded areas that could potentially turn into something serious. Plumbing issues can turn into health hazards in a few ways. One of the risks to your health comes from the extreme temperatures that your plumbing can produce, if you live in an area that gets very hot or very cold. Frozen pipes and over-heated water can both cause burns to the skin and result in serious injury. You may want to avoid working on your pipes until the weather is more mild. 

Water sources or constantly damp areas in your home become a risk to your health specifically when the water saturates and stagnates in an area. Stagnant water can easily start to develop bacteria, and can even become a breeding ground for insects. Touching this water or potentially getting it in your eyes could cause an infection or rash. Similar risks are involved if you come into contact with waste water from your sewage or septic systems. Constantly damp areas, usually in a bathroom or basement, can end up growing mold. Mold is something you should be able to identify yourself, either by sight or smell. Exposure to mold can be dangerous to you and your family, especially for those with allergies or asthma. Inhaling mold spores can trigger coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and can exacerbate asthma. 

Once you’ve decided to renovate your home, it is tempting to just get started. Renovating is a fun process where you get to be creative, spend time with your family and friends, and make your space your own. Plus, it's a great way to add value to your home. However, you need to make sure your home will be a safe place to live before you get  started on all of the aesthetic changes. Coming across any of these hazards, while frustrating, will be beneficial to change in the long run and renovating can turn into an enjoyable experience for all.

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Home Ideas Ben Soreff Home Ideas Ben Soreff

4 Effective Ways to Safely Store Valuables in Your Home

Finding a place to hide your valuables can be a challenge. Discover a few ways to safely store valuables in your home and ensure you never lose them.


4 Effective Ways to Safely Store Valuables in Your Home

We all own a few items that we would rather keep out of plain sight—important documents, family heirlooms, expensive jewelry. These possessions can be worth a great deal and pose the highest risk for theft or even weather damage. As such, you should know how to keep these objects organized and stash them away safely so that others can’t find them. Here are some of the best ways to safely store valuables in your home.

Purchase a Safe or Lockbox

One of the most straightforward methods to consider is to purchase a heavy-duty safe or lockbox. These products can keep thieves out by securely locking your possessions behind several layers of quality sheet metal. While it can be a bit expensive, a quality safe ensures that your items are always exactly where you want them to be and only accessible by you.

Utilize Attic Storage

You could also try hiding your precious objects up in your attic space. Attics are a great place to keep anything you aren’t regularly using. From holiday decorations to old clothing, you can tuck a lot of things safely away here. Attics make an effective storage solution because of their accessibility as well. Though many of us dread going up into the attic, fortunately, so do thieves. The harder it is to find the valuables in question, the less likely it is that a thief will attempt to steal them.

Lock Them in Your Storm Shelter

Another noteworthy way to safely store valuables in your home is to keep them in your emergency shelter. These sturdy structures are more than just a place to go during a storm. In fact, modern models have several advanced features—including ample storage space for emergency supplies. Important legal documents and valuables top the list of essentials to keep in this space. This way, you always know where they are if heavy weather should damage your house.

Get Creative With Compartments

For smaller objects that don’t need a larger storage container, you can try placing them in hidden compartments around the house. Steer clear of hiding spots that most people know about, like the key under your welcome mat or envelopes of cash in the back of a drawer. The more creative you get with your hiding places, the better off you’ll be at keeping these valuables inaccessible.

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Home Maintenance Ben Soreff Home Maintenance Ben Soreff

Important Home Updates to Finish Before Winter

Winter is fast approaching, and with it comes cold weather and snow. If you have any unfinished home projects like sealing up your windows or installing storm windows, now is the time to complete them! Here are some of the things that you can do in order to get ready for winter.

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Winter is fast approaching, and with it comes cold weather and snow. If you have any unfinished home projects like sealing up your windows or installing storm windows, now is the time to complete them! Here are some of the things that you can do in order to get ready for winter.

Add Insulation

Add insulation to the exterior walls and attic for better heat retention. The added insulation will help keep your home warm so that you aren't using as much energy on heating throughout the winter months. If you have not already done this, it is a good idea to do it before any cold weather sets in. Insulation is fairly inexpensive and easy to install, so it can even be a good DIY project.

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Install a programmable thermostat so that you can save energy by being able to lower your home's temperature while you are away or sleeping. This is especially important if you have older heating systems in your home. The main benefits of this update include increased comfort, reduced utility bills, and more consistent temperatures throughout the day and night. There are even smart thermostats that will adjust automatically depending on your family’s typical schedule.

Make Sure Your Roof Is in Good Shape

If you live in an area where it snows often, make sure that your roof is in good shape so that the snow and ice don't cause damage to your home. If there are any weak spots or leaks on the roof, now might be a good time to have them repaired by a professional before winter starts. Don't put this off—contact an independent roofing service to have them look at your roof and make sure it's ready to go for the winter months.

Consider New Energy-Efficient Windows

Before the winter comes, it is a good idea to replace old drafty windows with energy-efficient ones. This will help keep your home warmer so that you don't have to use as much heat during the winter months. Old and drafty windows can also lead to increased utility bills, which means extra money spent on heating throughout the year. If possible, it might be a good idea to replace all of your windows at once so that they are the same and don't stick, close improperly, or have gaps between them.

If you haven’t already done any of the above, it may be a good idea to do so before winter sets in. With these improvements, your home will stay warmer and more comfortable throughout the fall and winter months. You could also save on energy costs by making sure that your heating system is operating efficiently with things like added insulation or a programmable thermostat. This will ultimately make your experience this winter much more relaxing and enjoyable for the entire family.

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