Winter DIY projects for Keller homeowners

The leaves have changed, temperatures are dropping and pumpkin spice treats abound, which means winter is coming. Now is the time to winterize your Keller home, which can mean up to a 10% savings on your energy bills, according to Energy Star.

Help your home fight the cold, without breaking the bank, by tackling these four DIY-friendly preventative projects.

Seal windows and doors. Check for small cracks and gaps between window frames and doors. These are the spots that allow water, insects and cold air to creep inside. Do this yourself by holding a lit candle or incense stick near the potential leak; if the flame or smoke dances around then you know you have a leak. Protect your home and keep it warm by replacing worn exterior caulk with an exterior grade sealant.

Check your furnace filter. Did you know the dirtier your furnace filters are, the harder your furnace has to work? In most homes, filters should be changed monthly throughout the heating season. You should also have your furnace serviced periodically to make sure it is working properly. Not only will regularly changing the filters in your central air and heating system give your wallet a break, but it can also significantly improve your furnace’s efficiency and longevity.

Defend against pests. Avoid issues with mice and other pests trying to stay warm this season by sealing up gaps and cracks inside your garage, attic, basement and under sinks or around pipe and electrical cutouts. Specially treated to block mice, birds, bats and tree squirrels, as well as ants, roaches, spiders, and bees, the foam also works to seal and insulate to help save on energy costs.

Protect your pipes. Pipes can burst and cost a fortune to replace. Locate pipes in the home that pass through unheated areas, like crawlspaces or basements, and insulate them with foam rubber sleeves. Just cut the sleeve to fit the length of the pipe, wrap it around and secure with duct tape. In extreme cases, put heating tape on first to ensure that the pipe does not freeze. Also, be sure to locate your home’s water shut-off valve just in case a pipe does burst. Better safe than sorry.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

How Keller homeowners can maximize autumn for pets

Autumn is a great time to get out of your Keller home and enjoy the outdoors in the company of your favorite four-legged friend. The temperatures have cooled down and the fall colors are starting to appear, yet it’s not too cold to enjoy a brisk walk or even a leisurely stroll together. It’s also a fun time to enjoy holidays and treats with your pet — as long as you know what’s healthy for them, and what’s not.

Here are some dos and don’ts for enjoying the changing season with your furry best friend this fall:

DO enjoy long walks or hikes with your dog. Like humans, dogs need exercise, and they don’t usually get enough of a workout just hanging out in your backyard. Whether you opt for a fast-paced walk or jog, or a longer, more relaxed walk around a park, chances are you will enjoy it almost as much as your dog does. And it’s good for both of you! Stop to play a game like fetch with your pooch once in a while, especially if you’re starting to feel worn out but your dog still has pep. You’ll both come back home relaxed and happy.

DON’T let your dog off the leash unless it’s permitted, such as at your local dog park. Even then, know your dog and his or her behavior, and let that be your guide — if you have difficulty controlling your pet around other dogs or unfamiliar humans, a leash will also help keep your pet safe from harm.

DO let your dog frolic in your piles of leaves as you’re cleaning up the yard this fall. While it may take you longer to complete your task, your dog will have a ton of fun — especially small-prey hunting dogs that like to burrow, such as terriers.

DO check your dog thoroughly for ticks after spending any time outdoors, and do this just outside the front door, to avoid bringing any pests inside your home. You can get advice on tick removal and prevention from your veterinarian.

DO let your dog enjoy occasional treats that are made especially for dogs. Some are created to celebrate the season, like Beggin’ Strips With Real Pumpkin. Real meat is the first ingredient, and they are also made using real bacon, with no artificial flavors or colors. Your dog will enjoy the flavor of real pumpkin, just like you do.

DON’T let your dog eat table scraps, no matter what holiday you're celebrating. Many holiday favorites, from chocolate, grapes, and raisins to ingredients like onions, can be hazardous to a dog’s health. Another very harmful ingredient for dogs is xylitol, an artificial sweetener found in things like gum, mints, and candy. Even a small amount of xylitol can be very hazardous to dogs.

DO consider making or buying an outdoor dog house for your four-legged pal, if you don't already have one. While dogs still enjoy spending time outdoors year-round, it's a good idea to provide some shelter from rain, cold and wind as the season heads toward winter. The internet and your local home improvement store are great resources for DIY dog house building plans and materials. This is also a great project to involve the kids.

Enjoy your pet during this festive season by sharing the best of the weather and appropriate treats with your dog. Make the most of the season so you'll both have great memories to last you through the colder days of winter ahead.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

How to winterize your Keller home

Winter weather is difficult to predict. Use these tips to help protect your Keller home from the costly damage winter storms can bring.

Take care of your roof

• Keep your gutters clear. This keeps ice from accumulating and backing up under the shingles.
• Trim trees year-round so branches don't fall on your house.
• Worn-out, missing or damaged siding and roof flashing can let water and ice into your home. Be vigilant and replace them.
• If your chimney is leaning or the mortar has seen better days, get it repaired.

Prevent ice dams

• Eliminate heat sources under the roof, such as lights and heaters in the attic, that can contribute to thawing.
• Keep the attic cool and ventilated to stop or slow the refreezing cycle.
• Consult a roofing professional to remove snow or standing water before an ice dam can form.
• Invest in a roof rake, a tool that allows you to stand on the ground and safely brush snow off the roof.
• Avoid trying to chip any ice dams off your roof, as you could damage the roof. Ask a roof specialist for help instead.
• Talk with your roof specialist about sealing the roof deck with a moisture barrier.

Prevent water damage

• Ventilate the attic and insulate the attic floor to stop warm air in the house from melting snow and ice on the roof.
• Wrap exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or 2 inches of Underwriters Laboratories (UL)-listed heat tape.
• Caulk cracks and holes in the home's outer walls and foundation. Holes left by cable installation can also leave pipes exposed.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to let warm air circulate around pipes.
• Trickle water from faucets connected to pipes that run through unheated or unprotected spaces.
• Locate the home's main water valve — typically in the basement or outside near the curb — so you can turn the water off quickly if a pipe does burst.
• If you leave the house unoccupied for an extended period, shut off the water and have a professional drain the system. Turn the heat down, but don't turn it off.

Clear surfaces where you walk or drive

• Keep walkways, steps, and driveways clear of snow and ice.
• Treat these areas with rock salt or de-icing products.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

5 ways Keller homeowners can safeguard packages

According to the National Retail Federation, 41.4 million people shopped exclusively online from Thanksgiving Day to Cyber Monday. As the holidays approach, online shopping will continue to grow in popularity, helping Keller homeowners spend more time celebrating the season and less time struggling through long disorganized lines, fighting massive crowds of frantic shoppers, and worrying about whether that must-have gift will still be on shelves at the mall.

While online shopping offers up a convenient way to purchase holiday gifts, many consumers are concerned about their delivered packages going missing. Ensuring your online holiday purchases are securely delivered can make your cyber shopping experience even more rewarding and stress-free. Here are five tips that will keep your packages safe and your holidays happy.

1. Give specific delivery instructions
Most delivery services allow customers to set instructions. Ask your mail carrier to knock or ring the doorbell so that you are immediately alerted when a package arrives at your door. If snow, rain or any other weather issue is a concern, consider requesting that your mail carrier drop off packages in an out-of-sight dry spot. Get creative with these drop-off locations and use other delivery points such as back porches, patios, and exterior basement stairs.

2. Sign up for delivery alerts
Major mail carriers and delivery services have systems for tracking packages. You can use tracking numbers to determine where an item is, and when it should be delivered. Check with your delivery provider to see if you can sign up for alerts via email or text message for when your package is shipped, out for delivery and delivered.

3. Team up with a neighbor
Work with a trustworthy neighbor to mutually look after each other’s packages. If a neighbor is home during an anticipated delivery, ask permission to have packages sent to their address or have them hold deliveries that come to your front door. Return the favor whenever possible, and bake a holiday treat or give a small thank-you gift to show your appreciation.

4. Request a signature
If you are ordering expensive items online, it is a smart idea to require a signature for delivery. By requesting a signature before a package is released, you can ensure that your online purchases are never left unattended. If you are not home at the time of delivery, the mail carrier will typically leave a note with options for rescheduling the delivery for a more convenient time or picking the package up in-person.

5. Get deliveries straight to your garage with Key by Amazon
Online retailers such as Amazon serve as a popular holiday shopping destination. This season you can get your Prime packages delivered safely and securely right in your garage with Key by Amazon in-garage delivery. To provide peace of mind that your holiday purchases won’t go missing or get damaged by weather, all you need is a myQ-connected garage door opener linked to the Key App to have packages delivered directly into your garage for no extra charge. myQ technology can be added to all leading brands of garage door openers in minutes.

Holiday shopping is already stressful. Give yourself the gift of peace by trying out some of these package delivery tips, and spend more time enjoying the moments that matter.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

5 fall fix-ups for your Keller home's outdoor space

After a long summer relaxing on your deck or patio, autumn is a great time to renovate your outdoor space — or build one from scratch. Here are some things Keller homeowners can do to prepare.

1. Get decked out. Fall is an ideal time to tackle a deck project, whether it be repairs, board replacement or a completely new build. In addition to offering more pleasant temperatures for working outside, fall and winter are typically slower times for contractors, meaning you won’t have to wait as long to get onto their schedules. Contractors may also be willing to offer off-season discounts on their services or materials, which tend to be cheaper after the spring and summer rush.

2. Think high and low. Research the best materials available for your budget and be sure to keep maintenance in mind. After all, the last thing you want is a deck that requires constant upkeep. Victoria suggests looking for materials that are both high performance and low maintenance.

3. Raise your railing game. Railing is one of the most visible elements of a deck and has a tremendous impact on a deck’s aesthetics and curb appeal. In recent years, the industry has seen an influx of statement-making railing styles inspired by contemporary architecture and commercial design. Give your outdoor space an instant facelift by replacing your old wood deck railing with sleek, sophisticated aluminum railing.

4. Hide and chic. Nothing dampens the enjoyment of an elegant al fresco gathering quite like the sight of unattractive trash bins or nosy neighbors. Providing function and design, the lattice is perfect for concealing storage areas or unsightly views and enhancing privacy. With styles ranging from romantic to deco, lattice panels also can be applied to structures such as arbors and trellises, or used as wainscoting or deck skirting.

5. Light it up. Outdoor lighting can easily be integrated into deck boards and stairs, as well as railing posts and caps. There are several DIY-friendly components that feature plug-and-play installation and energy-efficient LED bulbs that are dimmable and cool to the touch, making them safe for kids and furry friends.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

3 problems for Keller homeowners who fail to winterize

Fall is here, which means, like it or not, cold weather is just around the corner. While most of us would prefer not to think about turning on our heat just yet, this is actually the best time to check your heating to ensure everything is operating as it should.

Neglecting to winterize your Keller home and letting small issues pile up can have big repercussions. Ahead of the winter season, HomeServe, a leading provider of service plans, repair and installation services for the home, wants to make sure you're aware of three major things that may go wrong if you don’t winterize your house or neglect your heating system.

1. Your utility bills may skyrocket. Utility bills often jump up in the winter due to the increased hours of darkness and the cost to heat your home. But if your heater is on the fritz or your filters are clogged, you could be in for an even bigger surprise. Dirty filters cause your furnace to work harder, which leads to inefficiency and a shortened lifespan for your heating system. Replacing filters is often an easy task for homeowners. A yearly tune-up is an inexpensive way to help prevent a costly system breakdown in the coming months. Also, keep in mind that some warranties require annual tune-ups, so don’t let your warranty go invalid by skipping this year’s tune-up.

2. The threat of carbon monoxide is very real. Do you know how old your furnace is? Do you know how long it’s been since a professional checked it over? Carbon monoxide poses a health threat when the heating system flue, vent or chimney becomes blocked from debris or other material. During a heating system tune-up, a professional service technician can check to make sure all your vents are not blocked and are working properly. Drains and traps also need to be checked and combustion gases should be analyzed and compared to the specifications of your furnace or boiler to make sure everything is running safely. Installing a carbon monoxide detector in your home is another smart way to help with early detection.

3. Water pipes can burst. It’s not just your heating system that needs to be winterized. All too often it happens — we wake up to realize our pipes are frozen, or even worse, leaking. Before the cold sets in, make sure outside hoses are put away and water is turned off. Evaluate which pipes are at the greatest risk for freezing during cold weather. For example, if your water pipes come up from an uninsulated crawl space, or if they are in or close to an uninsulated outside wall or vent, they are more likely to freeze and burst in low temperatures. Inside pipes should be covered in insulation to keep pipes warmer longer. Pipe insulation is easy to apply and available at most hardware stores and home centers.

By having an annual tune-up in the fall, you can catch small issues now, instead of experiencing bigger problems in the dead of winter. A tune-up can also save energy, reduce heating costs and prevent a system breakdown in the coming months.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.