Maryland and D.C. Home Improvement and Home Inspection discussion and Repair Advice

The next few days can see temperatures over 100 degrees in Baltimore and Washington D.C. This causes a HUGE strain on your home, your pets, and yourself. Countless articles have been posted with the “best things to do in heat”. Each is with a smile and few plugs for a paid advertisers. Here are "Real World, you can do it now tips. The key is to keep your home at a "normal" temperature without having your AC work overtime. It is counter-intuitive but raising your thermostat slightly can make a big difference on extremely hot days. Whether you do this or not, the tips below can help no matter what. HOMEOWNER TIPS: 1. Close your blinds curtains (as discussed previously, here ). 2. Close the doors to unused rooms that face the sun (*note- we recommend against fully closing vents in those rooms as the area can get "too hot" and actually radiate adjoining areas). 3. Run Fans (typically, ceiling fans should run counter-clockwise). 4. Hang out in lower ...

Baltimore, MD: You've seen the ads on TV. By using that service the trusted home repair advisor who has made the "list" is only a click away. Your home improvement/ handyman fears are now diminished and the smiling (sometimes made up) personality is assuring your comfort. However, there is a glaring problem and it has to do with profits and the security of your personal information.  *The "Before We Start Disclaimer": Not every online home improvement company does what I am about to describe but, it is prevailant. It generates fast and easy income and even us at EFynch had once been heavily advised to participate. But in truth, it is simply sleazy (IMO)- we are not participating in this practice. Pay Per Lead is the horrible and deceptive practice that even the well-known brands in home improvement use. They collect your information (often without your knowledge) and then sell it to local contractors. Sometimes for a hefty fee and without your kno...

Baltimore, MD : We've all encountered it. You open Facebook or another social platform and see someone asking for a recommendation for a service. Typically a handyman, plumber,  etc (we will keep it to Home Improvement for this article). Over the next few hours your timeline will fill with the posting person's friends and neighbors posting then, passively arguing whose contractor is better. Want to start a real debate? Forget politics, ask for a plumber instead. See below: Recommendation #1: "Call Tom, his number is 410-555-5555" Recommendation #2: "Try Jim, his number is 443-555-5555, he did our work last year, he is great" Recommendation #3: "Hey, last year I used Frank, he did a great job. He was prompt, fair priced, honest, sincere, etc. etc. etc." Notice a pattern? The first person usually throws the minimum info out, then it progresses with more detail. *Side note- I once saw a women recommend her roofer with a 5 paragrap...