Introducing Roto-Rooter home products

For more than 80 years, the name Roto-Rooter has been synonymous with unclogged drains. Hands down, theirs is the most trusted name in the business and they got that way by doing great work.

Roto-Rooter now makes a line of products that'll keep your drains and septic systems flowing and trouble-free. After all, a drain system you don't have to think about is a good drain system.

The Roto-Rooter home product line consists of

• Gel Clog Remover
• Hair Clog Remover
• Septic Treatment
• Build Up Remover

The Gel Clog Remover is a product I use regularly. My partner and I live in an older home and we have an iron sewer main. Mercifully, no one uses iron waste pipes in older homes but for those of us in homes built before the arrival of PVC pipes, iron is a fact of life.

Iron degrades over time and that degradation results in a waste pipe with a rough surface on the inside. This rough surface acts as a magnet for anything that passes over it that's not strictly water. Hair, soap scum, grease and garbage disposal waste end up catching on the rough surface and before too long the amount of waste that can flow through the pipe starts getting reduced. We notice it when our second floor drains start to slow down.

Ordinarily, we use another brand of drain cleaner I won't mention but last week I treated the drains with Roto-Rooter Gel Clog remover. I followed the instructions to a T and within 15 minutes everything was flowing smoothly again. Amazing.

Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover has 25% more active ingredients than the product I had been using and equally importantly, it has the proper thickness and stickiness (a.k.a. viscosity) to attack the clog by penetrating it. Other products' formulations are too thin and they flow right through a clog or they're too thick and they rest on the surface. Roto-Rooter's increased amount of active ingredients combined with that winning viscosity mean that it works faster as well as working better.

Roto-Rooter products are safe to use on all pipes and septic systems and that's another important consideration I have to bear in mind whenever I have to deal with my old iron pipes. Iron waste lines need to be exposed to as little acid as possible to keep their integrity. Roto-Rooter's formula is sufficiently alkaline to do its job and to keep from damaging my pipes.

It's considered to be some kind of virtue to run vinegar down your sink drains these days but please stop doing that. Vinegar is an acid for starters, so pouring white vinegar down your drain is harming your metal pipes and fittings. But not only that, it doesn't actually do anything to keep your drains free-flowing. Vinegar is a diluted solution of water and acetic acid. By virtue of its chemistry, it can't cut grease or dissolve hair. You need to use something that actually works and I recommend Roto-Rooter Gel Clog Remover.

You can buy Roto-Rooter products at Lowe's, Walmart and many other places and right now, there's even a dollar off coupon on their website.

Get serious about keep your drains clear and your septic system healthy and stick with Roto-Rooter.

5 Helpful Renovation Tips That Will Increase Your Home's Value

There are many reasons why homes are renovated. Maybe you’re renovating it to boost its value. Maybe you’re thinking of renovating it to boost its practical aspect. Whichever your reason, choosing the right renovations is key.

Choose the right ones and the value of your home will increase. Choose the wrong ones and you risk pouring your hard-earned cash down the drain.

Below are 5 helpful renovation tips that will increase your home’s value:

1. Update your kitchen

Kitchen renovations can really add value to your home. They are what many real estate experts recommend for high returns on investment.

Here are helpful tips to increase the value of your kitchen:

• Make a kitchen rolling stand. A rolling stand will catch most buyer’s attention. 
• Opt for stainless steel countertops. 
• Add a splash of color with a new backsplash. 
• Change the paint. Paint works wonders. It’s also cost-effective. 

2. Boost your curb appeal

Your home’s curb appeal is the first thing buyers see when they drive up the property. When the curb appeal of your home is on point, it’ll welcome potential buyers in and show them that the rest of the home is just as good.

Here are some helpful tips to increase your home’s curb appeal:

• Clean and replace porch lights. You could do this for as little as $30. 
• Update house numbers. New numbers attract the eye. Go big and bold.
• Repaint the front door. The front door is your home’s focal point. Repainting it sets your home apart.
• Give the exterior windows a thorough clean. This job is easier than you think. 
• Primp the porch. Clean it up by getting rid of household clutter and adding some greenery or a pot of flowers.
• Pressure-wash the siding. A home and its walks, steps and decks shine bright after you’ve sluiced away the cobwebs, dead bugs and winter grit. 

3. Give your house a thorough clean 

A clean house speaks volumes about your personality. By making a clean house your priority, you accomplish these three things.

One, a clean house is healthier for you and your family. Two, you prevent dirt and junk to build up over time. And three, you are able to stay on top of maintenance issues, as you are able to spot potential problems before they become expensive ones.

Here are some helpful tips to keep your house clean:

• Clean your fridge door. Clear it off for a cleaner-looking kitchen in seconds. 
• Hide the hamper. Rooms look less clean when piles of dirty clothes are in sight. 
• Make your bed every morning. Not only does this make the entire house look cleaner, it also sets the tone for the rest of your day. 
• Fluff your pillows. This is the easiest, laziest trick in the book. Fluffing all the throw pillows in your living room will breathe new life into the place. 
• Empty all trashcans. This is a lightning-quick cheat to a cleaner-looking home. 
• Sweep and/or vacuum. Vacuuming is like a magic Band-Aid fix. 

4. Update your bathroom

Bathrooms come in a close second when it comes to the rate of return. A bathroom renovation not only increases the comfort level of your home, it can also substantially boost its resale value.

Here are some helpful tips to increase the value of your bathroom:

• Improve ventilation. Moisture is your bathroom’s greatest enemy.
• Boost its lighting. Sconce lighting at the vanity is recommended. 
• Replace your hardware. For example, update the showerheads, faucet handles and drawer pulls. 

5. Let the light in

When it comes to real estate, dark, cramped rooms are no good. Opening up the house to create more of a flow and enhance natural light is one thing that homeowners can do to increase the appeal of their property.

Here are some helpful tips to increase natural light:

• Clean your windows at least once a month.
• Choose lighter colors as often as you can. 
• When picking treatments, treat lightly.
• Place mirrors strategically.
• Clear the space around your windows.

Renovating can be an enjoyable and rewarding process. Use these five tips to add some value to your home.