Let’s face it, no matter how large your home is, it always seems like we’re wishing for more space. More room for entertaining, more space for cooking, and an extra place for the kids to play. Unfortunately, adding an addition to your home isn’t always an option, but there is a more flexible and affordable option – adding a deck.

If you’ve thought about adding a deck before, but are curious about the full benefits you would enjoy with the addition, this post is for you.

Benefit #1: Adds to Your Curb Appeal

The difference between the appeal of a home with a deck and one without a deck is obvious. Homes with decks look much more inviting and aesthetically pleasing than homes without decks, and your family, friends, and neighbors will notice. There are dozens of design choices – including wood and synthetic decks, as well as a plethora of stain options – that will fully customize your deck to match the exterior of your home.

Benefit #2: Increases Your Home’s Value

For those looking for an affordable way to boost their home’s value, a deck is a viable option. All experts agree that homeowners that add decks will recoup around 70% of their investment, with some even stating that adding a deck can add the same value as adding more living space; after all, adding a deck does expand your living space. Of course, there are caveats to these statements. The deck needs to be professionally designed and built with quality materials that will last the new homeowners for years to come.

Benefit #3: Provides a Space for Outdoor Kitchens

While cleaning up a kitchen is always a chore, with so many of us eating at home more frequently during quarantine, it becomes almost impossible to keep up with it. With the addition of a deck to your home you can also create a space for an outdoor kitchen. It’s up to your discretion to decide if you want to add a simple grill, or a full refrigerator, sink, and grill combination. An outdoor kitchen will give you the opportunity to cook some of your messier dishes outside, and give your stove a well-needed break.

Benefit #4: Creates a Gathering Place

There is nothing better than having the entertaining space to invite family, friends, and neighbors over, and a deck creates the perfect space to do so. No matter if you add an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, patio furniture or a combination of the three, you can truly bring in the indoors outside with your deck addition. Whether you invite guests over for a barbecue, happy hour, or a s’mores night your deck will be the star of the event.

Now that you understand the benefits of adding a deck, are you ready to add one to your home? If so, look no further than a team of decking professionals. A professional can design and install the perfect deck for your backyard.

Plumbing is a system that is composed of pipes and other fixtures. This system is responsible for delivering and distributing potable, the technical term for ‘drinkable’, water to a house or place of business. Plumbing also makes sure that waterborne waste is removed. It is an essential part of any structure because it fulfills a function that is essential for the sustenance of life: access to water. 

Hire a licensed plumber for these plumbing problems

The numbers above clearly show how dangerous DIY repairs can become. When it comes to the plumbing problems below, skip the DIY and go straight to hiring a licensed plumber.

1. Drainage problems

Most every household has a plunger in the bathroom or laundry to deal with blocked drains. However, if the plunger isn’t fixing the problem, this can mean that the problem is already further down in your plumbing system. Call a licensed plumber immediately to get started on fixing it. Some of the issues that will also indicate the need for a plumber include:

• Your bathtub, the sink, or other fixtures are not draining normally too.
• Soapy water is coming up from the drains or even in the tub whenever you are washing your clothes.
• The water level rises inside the toilet when you use the tap.
• There is bubbling in the toilet when you use the tap.
• Water is coming out of your sink or bathtub whenever you flush the toilet.
• More than one sink is taking too slow to drain.
• If you notice that your water has a bad sewage smell, then call a licensed plumber immediately. 

2. A damp garden or lawn

A garden or lawn may be damp after a rain, this is normal. However, if an area in your lawn has not been drying out, then you might have a plumbing problem on your hands. This will most likely be due to a broken pipe, and you should not even attempt to fix it especially if it involves underground pipes. A trained and licensed plumber will be able to accurately detect the source of the problem and repair the damaged pipe.

3. Damp floors or other damp areas under your house

Burst pipes are not only found outdoors or in your garden, but they may also be under your floors. Don’t forget that water pipes are also located under your house and pipe bursts can happen anywhere. If the water pipes under your floors have burst, then this can become an indoor problem too.

If you notice that your floors have suddenly become damp, it’s likely that you have a broken pipe. Try and check for damp spots under your sink, too, to make sure that there’s not leaking pipe there. Make sure to call a professional plumber immediately in these kinds of situation. Avoiding a leaky pipe will just worsen the situation and may result in more money spent on home repairs.

4. Low water flow rate

Low water pressure is most commonly a result of sediment build-up in your water system.  A quick solution is to remove and then rinse your aerator. However, if this fix does not improve the water flow, then your problem goes beyond the aerator. The low water flow may be because of a fractured or a broken pipe.

The situation can get worse if the broken pipe is not visible. This is because it may damage the foundation of your house.  In this case, make sure you have a professional plumber in mind.

5. Leaking faucets

Sometimes, a leaking faucet can be a minor problem. When there is more than one leaking faucet, however, you might be dealing with a more serious problem. Multiple leaky faucets may be due to a water pressure problem. Contact your go-to plumber to identify the source of the problem and have it fixed immediately. Remember that one leaky faucet can already waste as much as 20,000 liters of water in one year.

6. Damaged water line

When water lines are installed in your house or your office, they are expected to a last for a long time. But they are not exempted from experiencing wear and tear in the long run. It’s best to have them inspected and repaired once in a while. Some indicators that your water line has a problem include:

• Water pressure dropping off over a span of a few months. This might mean that your water line has a lime scale build-up.
• The presence of leaks or chalky substance on the parts that are above the ground. Check for signs of corrosion too.