How to Keep Your Family Comfortable this Holiday Season

Proper home comfort is important all year long, but especially during the holidays when family gets together to celebrate the season. The last thing you want to worry about among all the festivities is whether or not everyone is comfy and happy. This list of helpful home comfort tips will help ensure that your whole family can sit back and relax during the holidays.

Home Comfort for the Holidays

Don’t risk feeling uncomfortable this year at home. Check out these smart tips to keep you and your loved ones comfortable this holiday season.

Keep Family Comfortable Holiday Season

Improve Indoor Air Quality for Even Better Home Comfort

We at Schmitt Heating can help you improve your home’s indoor air quality with our exceptional Carrier brand products. Indoor Air Quality matters and improving the quality for your home’s air will help ensure that your family feels comfortable all season long. Give us a call to learn more: (415) 522-0966.

Space Saving Ideas for Your Home

If your home doesn’t seem to have enough room to store things, you may need to rethink how you use your space. Even in tiny homes with no closets, there are several smart ways you can sneak in storage. Take a look at our list of handy space saving tips for your home.

Make Those False Drawers Useful

Those false drawers that are there to hide where real drawers aren’t possible can actually become pretty handy storage areas with a little creativity. Detach the fronts of these false drawers and attach small cubbies to hold all sorts of great things. In the kitchen you could store sponges, utensils, or small cleaning supplies; and, in the bathroom you could stash anything from cosmetics or soaps to small accessories.

Utilize Inside the Cupboard Doors

The insides of your kitchen and bathroom cupboard doors are also a great place to sneak in storage. Add small hooks and magnetic strips to the insides of these doors to hold small items that take up drawer space, such as measuring spoons and cups, ladles and spatulas, and so much more.

Embrace Even the Smallest of Spaces

When your home offers just a little space, it’s smart to take advantage of every single centimeter. Consider extra small roll-out shelving for areas in between the washer and dryer, next to the refrigerator, snug up next to toilet and any other areas you can find to incorporate a slim slide-out shelf. There are even cool couch arm tables that you can purchase for those who want a coffee table, but just don’t have the space!

Shower Curtain Storage Center

Many times, due to the average size of these rooms, the bathroom can be a tricky space to store things. If you’re super strapped for space, consider adding a pocketed shower curtain to your bathroom. These ingenious accessories can add storage space for common items like shampoo, soap, razors and more. Mind the weight limit on your curtain rod, though, so you don’t make your entire storage center collapse!

Under the Bed

This no longer has to be the space where you don’t want to shove all your stuff (think shortcuts to cleaning your room as a kid); instead, embrace the space and use it to your advantage. Purchase shallow and wide storage tubs, and use this area to store seasonal clothing, extra bedding, or anything else that makes sense. Do this for each bedroom in your home to really add a lot of storage space in an area where only dust typically collects.

Save Energy Too!

If you’re interesting in saving energy just as much as saving space, then check out our informative page on energy efficiency for your home. And, don’t forget to schedule a yearly maintenance check for your HVAC system which will prevent any serious damage to your system and ensure it runs efficiently all year long. We at Schmitt have been serving the Bay Area with exceptional service in residential and commercial HVAC solutions for over 100 years. We’d love to help you find the best way to save energy in your home. Call us today with any questions at (415) 522-0966

Use These Resources for Better Weatherproofing

Weatherproofing is an important part of protecting your home from the elements and preparing it to withstand whatever conditions may be ahead – be it inclement weather or just an extremely hot summer. Cracks and gaps around your doors and windows can allow warm or cool air to escape. This not only makes it harder for you to get comfortable, but it can also waste energy, which drives your monthly utility bills through the roof.

The key to ensuring that your home is efficient and comfortable is adequate weatherproofing. San Francisco homeowners can use the resources below to improve their weatherproofing and, ultimately, their home comfort.

Top Weatherproofing Resources

Not sure where you should start your weatherproofing project? Use the resources below to get the information and tools you need to weatherproof your home successfully:

Tips from The Home Depot

Not only is The Home Depot your go-to place for buying home improvement supplies, but they also provide a wealth of information and how-to tutorials on different home improvement projects, including weatherproofing. In Weatherproofing Your Windows, the site guides you through the weatherproofing process with a step-by-step guide as well as a list of tools that you will need. For information on weatherproofing different kinds of windows, check out this guide which offers you tips for weatherproofing depending on what type of windows you have.

If you want to weatherproof your entry door, they’ve got a guide for that too, complete with a list of tools that you will need to get the job done. Once you’ve looked through the guide, all you need to do is head to the store to pick up the supplies you need. If you still have questions or need advice on weatherproofing, you can ask the store associates as many are familiar with the weatherproofing details and can help you find everything you need.

Lowe’s Weather Stripping Tips

If you’re more of a Lowe’s fan, you’re in luck! This home improvement store also provides helpful guides for weatherproofing your San Francisco home. Use Weather Strip Your Doors to learn all you need to know about how to seal your doors properly. This guide includes a list of materials as well as a simple guide with 5 steps to weather stripping your doors.

Your doors are not the only place where cool or warm air can escape. Lowe’s has also created a short and simple guide to Weather Stripping Your Windows. This guide discusses the importance of weatherizing your home, and gives a list of tools that you will need to tackle your window weather stripping for double-hung windows and casement windows. With instructions laid out in a few easy steps, you’ll be on your way to adequate weatherproofing in no time!

Does your HVAC system need a spring cleaning? Schmitt Heating & Air Conditioning is here to help with all of your San Francisco air conditioning and heating needs. Call us today to schedule an HVAC repair or maintenance visit: (415) 522-0966.

Schmitt’s Top Winter Resources for Homeowners

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… although some homeowners don’t always feel that way. It can be difficult to get comfortable in the winter, not to mention many homeowners find their energy bills are going through the roof while they try to stay warm in the cooler weather. Meanwhile, many homeowners are trying to protect their homes from the damage that winter weather can cause.

Though winter may be a tough time of the year for homeowners, it doesn’t have to feel like a burden. Below, we have put together some of our top winter resources for homeowners. You can use these articles to better protect yourself against cold temperatures and inclement weather and you may even save a little money in the process.

How to Stay Comfortable in Winter

If you’re trying to stay comfortable this winter, then you may want to read through some of these winter resources for homeowners from Schmitt:

How Can I Reduce My Energy Costs in the Winter?

It seems like winter is the season for high energy usage. Whether it’s because you are turning up the heat, hanging out at home more often, or just taking part in all of the festivities that this time of year brings, one thing is for sure – everyone could use a few tips for saving energy and decreasing utility costs during the winter. Check out this article for some helpful tips on how you can work to decrease your energy costs during the winter.

Carbon Monoxide: The Facts

It is important to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly in some cases. Monitoring for CO in your home is especially important during the winter months when you tend to use your heater or furnace more often. In this article, we explain the basics of carbon monoxide and how it impacts your health as well as discuss the importance of carbon monoxide alarms, which may very well save your life someday.

Understanding the Importance of Changing Your Air Filter

Changing or cleaning your air filter on a regular basis may seem like IAQ 101, but some homeowners don’t realize just how much their clogged or dirty air filter can impact both their indoor air quality and the efficiency of their heating and cooling equipment. If you find yourself using your heat often during the winter, it’s important to check your furnace filter regularly and change when necessary. Share this article with someone you know who hasn’t changed their air filter in months!

If you enjoyed these winter home resources from Schmitt then you may enjoy our HVAC blog, which we update monthly with articles on HVAC, home improvement, home comfort, and much more. If you want to stay up-to-date with the latest in home comfort, don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. We love interacting with our fans and posting informative articles and special promotions year-round.

The Importance of Home Comfort for Everyone in Your Family

 

Home is much more than just a shelter, it is also a place where we can feel secure and comfortable. We spend so much time in our homes that home comfort becomes more than just a luxury, but a necessity. Your indoor environment is an important part of creating a comfortable home environment for everyone in your family. Maintaining optimal temperatures and indoor air quality allows you to provide a home environment that is not only comfortable but also healthy.

Why Home Comfort is Essential

There are 3 basic factors that contribute to home comfort – temperature control, humidity, and air quality. Temperature regulation is not only important for comfort. It can also impact health. Living in conditions that are too cold or too warm can cause health issues for those with weakened immune systems, such as newborns, infants, and elderly individuals.

Humidity can also impact both comfort and health. When your home environment is too dry, it may make it difficult to breathe and cause health issues such as dry skin. When humidity levels are too high, this increases moisture levels, which can also cause breathing difficulties. Large amounts of moisture can invite mold and mildew into the home, which causes a variety of health issues including serious respiratory problems.

Indoor air quality is also an important factor that impacts home comfort. Pollutants, allergens, and other contaminants from the outdoors enter your home as people leave and return. These pollutants can impact respiratory health, triggering asthma symptoms and asthma attacks. In extreme circumstances, this may even cause allergies or asthma in those who have not experienced it before.

Tips for Maintaining Home Comfort

There is no magic recipe for ideal home comfort. Comfort levels depend on personal preferences. However, there are some general elements that need to be monitored to keep your home environment safe and healthy. Here are some tips for helping maintain a comfortable home environment for you and your family:

  • Make sure that your home temperatures are kept at a comfortable and healthy level. Using a programmable or smart thermostat can help you maintain temperatures throughout the year.
  • Monitor humidity levels within your home. Research shows that the best humidity levels for health and safety are between 40-60%. If you find that humidity levels fall below or rise above this humidity level, consider implementing HVAC add-ons like dehumidifiers or humidifiers.
  • Take measures to reduce pollutants and improve indoor air quality. One of the best ways to do this is by changing or replacing your air filters regularly so that they can continue to keep allergens and pollutants from dispersing in your home. It is also vital to keep your home clean, especially carpets, curtains, and furniture which can trap pollutants.

Maintaining a comfortable home environment is vital to keeping your family healthy and happy. If you need advice on how to maintain home comfort or improve indoor air quality, contact us today.