At times, building codes can seem like a hassle that only create more work. But the truth is that these codes are put into place to keep us safe. Just like how a poorly formed foundation can cause massive damage to your home, cutting corners in electrical wiring could cost you your entire house. Whether you’ve purchased a new home, are trying to sell your existing home, or you just don’t know, its a good idea to bring your home up to the electrical code.

The best way to start bringing your home up to code is to target critical areas. These are places that see heavy electrical usage and potentially hazardous situations. Areas such as bathrooms and kitchen are very important to have up to standards. In the bathroom moisture can eat corrode wires and outlets which can cause electrocution. The kitchen also uses the largest, energy using appliances in your home. These outlets should be safe and grounded; if they are not, it can cause fatal injury.

In addition to these locations, there are several other places that should be targeted:

The best way to ensure that your home is up to code is to have a home inspection by a professional. With the long list of potential problems, only a professional can identify the work that needs to be completed. Especially when buying and selling a home, it is important to bring it up to code.

One of the biggest and best advancements to hit modern U.S. homes today is the advent of the home automation system. These systems allow you to have control over your house at your fingertips. There’s a combination of hardware, software, and appliance-based interfaces that goes into creating this system, and therefore it’s only natural that something can eventually go wrong.

Even the greatest technology can have bugs that will need to be worked out. If you have problems with your home automation system, the best thing you can do is give your professional electricians a call to help repair the damage and get you back in control. However it may also be helpful to understand what some of the most common issues are, and how we troubleshoot them.

Naturally, when you go to integrate home automation into your home, you are going to have some home systems—if not all—that are older and have been with the home for a awhile. Integrating these older electronic systems with the new one of your home automation system can be challenging, and it may take some time to understand where the integration problems exist.

This type of problem usually presents as a non-response from whatever device or appliance you are attempting to use, or limited functionality from that system. Your professional electrician will know how to repair these issues as they have experience with these types of issues.

Your home automation system is completely interconnected and connected to your home’s electrical system, and therefore depends heavily on the wiring of your electrical system. So if you experience any type of electrical short, poor wiring, or faulty wiring, then there can be a malfunction of your system. Your professional electrician will look at the electrical layout for your home automation system—which can be complex—to determine the exact cause of the problem.

Sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances your home automation system may suffer from physical damage. When that occurs, a professional will be able to carefully inspect the system and repair or replace the components that were damaged to obtain full functionality of your home automation system.

If you’ve never visited the DIY, home renovation blog Young House Love, you’re in for a treat. John and Sherry, bloggers extraordinaire, are renovating their home step-by-step, giving their readers a detailed look into the process. Every day they have some new clever project to write about. (And the way they tell stories gets addictive, quick).

The blog has a ton of posts on home lighting, some technical, some crazy and fun. Today, I thought I’d share with you my 3 favorite DIY lighting projects from Young House Love:

Once you have decided on using prefabs, the best approach starts with an honest assessment of available skills, facilities and tools. In addition, the contractor will have to decide on whether to carry out the prefab work in-house. Other options include a third party’s workshop.

If lacking in the required skills or other requirements, the contractor will have to either train or hire the right staff and acquire all the tools for implementing the project to completion. All these costs will affect profitability and should be considered.

Clear communication before and during the construction phase is essential for the success of prefabrication. The contractor should coordinate with building owner, suppliers, partners and contractors in other fields.  This ensures a smooth project flow. It should be simple to make adjustments as needed.

For the prefab process to succeed, the contractor should pay attention to the following:

Lights are one of the greatest things about the holidays. You’ll find them in trees, colorfully decorating home exteriors; you’ll even find them on vehicles. And honestly, we love it. Lighting is one of the keys to the spirit of the season and an integral part to this time of the year. But, as we’re all well aware, they aren’t exactly the easiest thing in the world on your energy bills.

Looking for ways to keep your holiday lighting costs at a minimum this year? With more than 25 years of experience and knowledge, we can give you a hand! Sit back, relax, and let the certified electricians at Hoffman Electrical show you some quick and simple ways to lower holiday lighting costs!