ABC Blog
Austin

Featured Posts

What’s New in the World of Smart Appliances?

. Posted by in • Austin

Perpetual connectivity is coming soon to your home

Is your home as tech-savvy as the 4% of American households currently using smart appliances? If you’re still only thinking about connecting the entire house to the Internet, don’t worry; 70% of homeowners are also in the planning stages. Here’s a taste of what you can expect when the wave of the future hits your home.

Smart Refrigerators

Gone are the days when having an ice maker in the refrigerator door was a novelty. Today’s smart refrigerators are able to keep track of the food you store inside and find recipes on the Internet that use those ingredients. Some, like the models from Samsung, can even interact with social media, much to the delight of Internet foodies.

Intuitive Washers

When you just can’t get the stubborn stains out of your clothes, a smart washer can connect to its manufacturer and download instructions for a specific cycle to … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Is a Water Leak Driving Up Your Monthly Bill?

. Posted by in • Austin

Tracking down stubborn leaks to save water and money

Hidden leaks around the house or in exterior infrastructure can sap your water supply and jack up your bills. If you suspect a leak, follow these steps to figure out where all that water is going and how to stop it.

Look at the Meter

Your water meter should have a leak detector that moves to indicate unwanted water usage. You can check this or read the meter, wait about an hour without using any water, then read it again. A change could indicate the presence of a leak.

Should you find a problem, shut off the water to your home from the main valve and go have another look at the leak indicator. An exterior leak will cause it to continue to move while no movement suggests a leak inside the house.

Check the Usual Suspects

Faucets and toilets are the most obvious sources of indoor … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

The Battle Against Termites…and Their Farts

. Posted by in • Austin

Termites are best known for their big appetites, but munching on your floorboards isn’t the only thing they do well. From familiar household dwellers to exotic colonies living in giant tropical mounds, different termites all around the world share the same embarrassing secret. Thanks to their insatiable taste for cellulose, the building block of plant life, termites can’t stop passing gas—a habit that may be polluting our planet.

The Link Between Termite Gas and Global Warming

We can’t smell termite gas, so what’s the big deal? At the heart of the issue is methane, the toxic compound termites release as part of their normal digestive functions. Odorless and colorless, methane belongs to a group of dangerous greenhouses gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change and eventually causing irreversible environmental damage. On their own, termites don’t emit enough methane to cause a whole lot of harm, but as a global … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Shower Water Not Hot Enough During Winter? Here’s What To Do

. Posted by in • Austin
Shower Water Not Hot Enough

Have you ever hopped in the shower on a winter day, only to be greeted by a jet of freezing cold water? Several different factors could explain why your water heater might be having trouble maintaining a consistent temperature during colder weather.

Should You Turn Up Your Water Heater During Winter?

If it starts taking longer for your shower water to warm up, your first instinct might be to turn up the temperature to your hot water heater. Before you take that step, you may want to consider other solutions, and whether the problem with your hot water isn’t linked to the weather outside.

Why Water Temperature Drops

Just as summer weather makes it harder to get cool water in the shower, colder weather means lower temperatures in the air and underground. These conditions chill the water entering your water heater, causing the unit to have to work harder to reach the right temperature. … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Which Pests are Most Active in the Winter?

. Posted by in • Austin

Dealing with Rodents and Bugs During the Cold Season

Although Austin never gets as cold during the winter as areas in the upper half of the U.S., there’s a winter cool down that can make many bugs and other pests seem to disappear. However, homeowners need to be aware of the fact that there are still a large quantity of pests that will be looking to gain access to the indoors throughout the fall and winter months. Fortunately, you can easily deal with this problem by utilizing the services of a professional pest control company.

What Type of Pests Are Most Common During Austin Winters?

Rodents of all types will be on the lookout for a safe, warm haven where they can pass the winter months without being exposed to the elements. Unfortunately, this haven is generally your home, and the amount of damage that can be caused within your walls and to … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

How to Keep Your Lawn Beautiful This Winter

. Posted by in • Austin

Winterize your outdoor space to ensure a healthy lawn in the spring

Autumn has a way of becoming winter in the blink of an eye. Before your lawn gets overtaken by frost or disappears under an unexpected layer of snow, it needs special attention. Try these tips to get your grass ready for the cold.

Get Rid of the Leaves

The carpet of accumulated leaves covering your grass deprives it of light, which can result in an unhealthy, brown lawn come spring. Though it can be a tedious job, breaking out the rake and cleaning up allows the grass to breathe. Using the mower to turn debris into mulch is another option, but this won’t break up thatch the way raking can.

Feed Your Grass Right

Frost is the determining factor as to whether you should fertilize your lawn before winter. If you have warm-season grass and anticipate that it will freeze over during winter, … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Cooler Weather Won’t Deter Termites

. Posted by in , • Austin

Why wintertime doesn’t mean you’re safe from infestations

Winter may bring cooler temperatures to the Austin area, but that’s not enough to stop termite activity. Even in the chilliest months of the year, your home may be vulnerable to damage from these pests.

Termites in Winter?

Climates where winter is on the warmer side are more likely to see termite activity throughout the year. Termites don’t hibernate, so if it gets too cold outside, they’re likely to seek shelter indoors. Subterranean termites simply burrow deeper under the ground. Drywood termites live inside anything made of wood including support beams, walls and furniture. If you already have either type of termite in or around your home, the extent of the infestation won’t diminish come winter. That means you have to be on the lookout for signs that suggest you’re cohabitating with wood-eating pests.

Wintertime Termite Damage

The only common sign of termites you probably won’t see … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Beautiful Blooms That Defy Texas Winters

. Posted by in • Austin

Four Garden Favorites That Don’t Mind the Cold

If you have a USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map handy, you’ll see that Austin enjoys a comfortable spot in Zone 8b. Our mild climate is a joy to area gardeners, and local green thumbs especially love these four favorites that always help bust the winter blues.

1. Prized Pansies – They’re not the biggest blossoms on the block, but these pretty flowers are tough enough to survive snow and sleet. Their distinctive five-leaf blooms come in a rainbow of hues, and the monkey-faced variety sports contrasting dark areas on each petal. Pansies are happiest with at least six hours of sunlight each day, so give them a bright spot to soak up the rays, and enjoy their color all winter long.

2. Winter Jasmine – While some gardeners consider these willowy vines old-fashioned, there’s nothing wrong with an heirloom bush that bursts into bloom in … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Inside the Bug-Busting World of Integrated Pest Management

. Posted by in • Austin

Preventative Austin Area Pest Control Service

Many people are concerned about the damage that pests can cause to their property, and they’re also worried about the environmental impact of unnecessary pest control products. Luckily, ABC Home & Commercial Services provides an effective preventative program known as integrated pest management (IPM). Taking this approach enables us to reduce pest control product usage without compromising the effectiveness of dealing with an infestation of unwelcome pests in your home.

What is Integrated Pest Management?

IPM is an innovative preventative method that involves an analysis of the bugs on your property to determine which of them present an actual threat. After all, there are some pests that are necessary for the ecosystem, and it’s also possible to experience a small quantity of certain species without developing an actual issue. Therefore, our trained technicians will carefully assess your specific situation, and they’ll also factor in the time of … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed

Easy Ways to Ward Off Rodents

. Posted by in • Austin

Kick mice and rats to the curb with these handy household tips

Nobody wants to share their home with rats and mice. They get into food, leave droppings everywhere, and can carry potentially dangerous diseases. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to keep rodents from deciding that your house is an ideal place to live.

Keep Them Out

Grab a pencil and take a walk around the outside of your house. Whenever you find a hole or gap, stop and measure it with the pencil. If the pencil fits, so will a rodent. After identifying all potential entry points, break out the weather stripping, caulking, insulation, and anything else you need to seal up those holes. Be as thorough as possible since even the smallest gap can be an open doorway for a mouse or rat.

Ditch the Rodent Buffet

If you could go to a delicious buffet any time and eat … Read Full Post »

Comments Closed