When the weather turns frigid (which we’ve already experienced this season), there is a risk that your pipes can freeze and burst. This can lead to thousands of dollars of damage, as well as inconvenience. Pipes most at risk are those in unheated spaces like basements, crawlspaces, attics, and garages, and those exposed to exterior […]
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- Categories: Safety Tips
- Date: October 1, 2021
Last month we mentioned that more than 400,000 people die from lead poisoning a year in the United States. It can also cause serious health problems, especially in children and older adults. We also discussed several sources of lead poisoning, including lead paint, lead dust, soil and food. This month we will look at sources […]
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- Categories: Safety Tips
- Date: August 26, 2021
More than 400,000 people die from lead poisoning a year in the United States. Lead poisoning can also cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure, respiratory problems, depression, reduced sperm count, and miscarriages and stillbirth. Young children are especially vulnerable, and childhood lead poisoning can stunt their physical and mental development. Children exposed […]
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- Categories: Plumbing, Safety Tips
- Date: July 16, 2021
It’s one of a homeowner’s worst nightmares – a water spot on the ceiling. Or, worse, water leaking from the ceiling. Either issue can cause drywall and structural damage, mold growth, and damage to your possessions if the leak becomes major. While your immediate inclination may be to call your friendly neighborhood plumber, there may […]
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- Categories: Electrical, Safety Tips
- Date: June 16, 2021
A loose electrical outlet can be a real nuisance, causing plugs to fall out of the socket, which leaves your devices uncharged. For some homeowners in Chicago’s North Shore or Chicago’s Northwest suburbs, their first instinct would be to call an electrician for repairs. However, some DIY-savvy residents are up for the task themselves. Ravinia […]
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More than 400,000 people a year die from exposure to lead, and even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems ranging from high blood pressure to respiratory problems to depression and even to reduced sperm count and miscarriage or still birth. Children and older adults are specifically at high risk. Children younger than […]
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You protect your car from salt and damaging hail. You likely don’t leave that expensive bike in winter snows. But we frequently expose our most precious possessions, our family, to the discomfort, debilitating effects, or even life-threatening impact of poor indoor air quality (IAQ). How can IAQ impact the health of your loved ones, and […]
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You love working in your yard, sprucing up your home’s curb appeal. But the pollens and freshly cut grass make your allergy symptoms unbearable. Oddly, retreating to the house you find little relief. Perhaps your indoor air quality (IAQ) needs improvement as well; like the effects of the seasonal outdoor air, your indoor air can […]
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“Now where did I put the extra fuses?” If you have an older home, you likely have a fuse box rather than a circuit breaker panel monitoring electrical overloads in your house. But there are issues other than your home’s age to prompt switching from fuses to circuit breakers this year. Here are some of […]
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With the exception of good wine, few things improve with age. How old is your breaker box? Unfortunately, your box does not improve with age, and an old breaker box can cause some serious problems; from failure to perform as anticipated, to serious electrical fires. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported electrical malfunctions and […]
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