In Chicago, we know what it’s like to have cold winters. When the first sign of temperature drop occurs, we know it’s time to start packing up the outdoor furniture and getting the patio ready for winter – we typically won’t see that space for several months. However, many of us like to continue to […]
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Avoid Sewage Flooding During Winter
Floods are the leading cause of home damage, putting a sewage backup as a primary cause for flooding. While flooding is primarily associated with the Spring and Summer seasons, preventative measures in winter tend to go overlooked. However, heavy rainfall and snow during the winter can cause sewage line backup and other problems, leading to […]
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Supplies Necessary to Clean Up After a Flood
Flooding is something that many homeowners and commercial property managers will occasionally encounter. Once the water has stopped flowing and it’s time to start cleaning up the mess of excess, it’s human nature to want to hurry up and get your property back to normal as quickly as possible. However, it’s important to pause and […]
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Use the Downtime of Winter for Home Remodeling Projects
Most people don’t consider the winter months as the prime time to take on home remodeling projects. Winter tends to be for relaxing and putting together a list of home repairs for the springtime. While piles of snow and cold temperatures may seem like a great reason to hold off from home improvement projects, there […]
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5 Ways to Make Your Outdoor Patio Cozy for Winter
With summer behind us, most homes in Chicago start to close up their patios for the winter. With the world being different in 2020 and social distancing rules in place, having an outdoor space to gather with friends and family is important, even in the cold months. To get your patio ready for chilly nights […]
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How to Prevent Washing Machine Water Damage
Recently, a homeowner mentioned that she left her home with her washing machine running and returned 30 minutes later to find the machine still filling up with water. This issue turned out to be a broken water supply line which caused extensive water damage to her laundry room, not to mention the ceiling and wall […]
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Checklist for Apartment Tenants to Prevent Unit Fires
As the owner of an apartment building or a property manager, it is your job to ensure the safety of your tenants. While you cannot be physically present in the units of each apartment dweller every second of the day, laying down some apartment fire prevention guidelines. Doing so can prevent the break out of […]
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How to Handle Water Damage from Automatic Sprinkler Systems
If you are the owner of a commercial building, protecting your property from fire damage is a number one priority. An automatic sprinkler system is a great safeguard against fires. What happens to the standing water that’s leftover after the flames are extinguished? While a sprinkler system saves millions of dollars in tax deductions, code […]
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Fire Prevention Checklist for Common Areas of Your Apartment Building
Fire safety is important in every setting, but in an apartment building or condo complex, there are specific safety precautions to consider. Fire can spread quickly throughout the entire building, affecting the safety of all occupants. As the property owner or manager, it is up to you to establish fire safety rules early on to […]
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Fireplace Maintenance 101 – Keeping Your Home Safe from Mishaps
Most homeowners don’t give a thought to how their chimney and fireplace actually work. You know that lighting a fire can keep your home warm and your energy costs down, but understanding how the units work and how to keep them regularly maintained is a great way to keep things safe and stop accidents from […]
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