The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Safety Sunday: Window Blinds & Cords – a simple how to

First a quick note & warning – some may consider the advice in here as something one should never do. Why, well because they are worried that having all the cords tied together could equate to a chocking / hanging hazard. From what I have seen, just a simple string that is long enough, is enough […]

Getting ready for 2016 – Energy Code Changes & Other Items of Note

Well it is official – The Illinois “CDB received a Certification of No Objection from JCAR at Tuesday’s meeting (Dec. 15th, 2015), meaning that our rules were accepted.  The effective date of the 2015 IECC (with amendments) as the Illinois Energy Conservation Code is January 1, 2016.” (Final 2015 Illinois Specific Amendments – these are the changes […]

Child / Pet Proofing your Home – Tips & Tricks

Believe it or not, Matthew just turned one & when he gets moving watch out. One of the more interesting aspects is looking at all the information out there on topics like kid proofing a home. We have two guest posts on this topic from 6 easy tips, to renovations. Needless to say some you find out […]

FAQ – Do I need storm doors or windows?

As the weather starts turning colder many start wondering – should I replace my windows, get a storm door, install storm windows, or??? Shoot I live in an area governed by an HOA and they won’t allow them, are there other options? For others, I replaced my windows last year & I still have condensation […]

Create your own kids growth wall ruler

Growing up you would generally see a wall or piece of trim where my friends parents were keeping track of their kids heights. The catch – hmm what happens when they sell the home or it is time to paint? For a generic piece of trim, no problem as it can be easily replaced – […]

Wacky Weds: On no they didn’t…

There aren’t to many things that will surprise me, but I also know I haven’t seen it all either – with that imagine my surprise as I pop my head into the attic and see this… Well now that is an interesting flue… Yep, believe it or not someone took an oil drum (in this […]

Wacky Weds: Cellulose Insulation part deux

What is it with newspapers & duct work… or in this case hydronic heating lines? No folks this does not qualify as proper insulation & does very little to help & even if it did, you really should insulate the whole line.

Wacky Weds – Foam Gun Oops

Ever wonder why they say if you are not going to use a can of foam for over 30 days you should remove it & clean the gun – well it isn’t because of the foam gun… In this case the seal inside the can would not seal all the way when it came off and […]

Pumpkin Pancakes & Keeping Apples Fresh Year Round

Fall is definitely in the air, as one can tell with all the Christmas stuff going up in the stores (shoot, I remember when it went up just a day or two before Thanksgiving). One of the nice things about this season besides the cooler weather is the apples are being harvested along with pumpkins, hay rides […]