Reading: 4 minutes Your toilets flush, your shower is warm, and your faucet isn't dripping. So your plumbing system is all good, right? Not necessarily. Small leaks are hard to detect, and wear and tear on your pipes can lead to major projects down the line. After all, a minor leak may cost $1,000 or more to fix, but the average water damage claim ...

What do you do the moment you see water streaking down your walls? We talked to Don Joyner, Founder and President of Great Lakes Waterproofing, to learn immediate steps you need to take to save your home. After your pipes break   Find the main water valve, which is usually in your basement. It's most likely a round or oblong red handle. T...

Reading time: 4.5 minutes One of the most frightening noises in your bathroom is the sound of your toilet not filling properly. Depending upon your comfort level with diy projects, you might decide to call a plumber, but here at vipHomeLink , we believe you can fix this issue. First, we're going to tell you how to clean the valve, and if that ...

Reading time: 4 minutes  At vipHomeLink, we're all about celebrating our homes and the people within them. So in honor of New Homeowners Day (May 1st), we put together the top things new homeowners need to know when moving into their new abode. #1 – Smoke alarms have expiration dates ​   If your "new" home is an older dwelling, you most l...

Reading time: 4 minutes  During a pandemic, a clogged kitchen drain can mean washing dishes in the tub for a couple of weeks. An overflowing toilet can mean only one working bathroom in the house (causing a health hazard ), and what happens if a pipe breaks? Do you know where your main water shut-off valve is? Our team pulled the following adv...

Reading time: 2 minutes Spring is here, so it's time to get your home ready for the season of April showers, May flowers, and the start of summer heat. We've got 10 essential spring home maintenance tasks you must do before you kick back with some soda, pretzels, and beer. How do I prepare my house for spring? Clean your windows and ...

Reading time: 5 minutes It's that time of the winter again. Halfway between the holidays and spring, you want to take a mid-winter break, but what happens to your house while you're away? Cold temperatures, ice, and snow can have a devastating effect on a home without proper preparation. Jeff Hoffmann from Schaible's Plumbing & Heating Inc...

Baby, it's cold outside, and unfortunately, your kitchen sink is along an outside wall. After a few days of below-freezing temperatures, the cold water is no longer flowing through your faucet. What do you do? We spoke with Jeff Hoffmann from Schaible's Plumbing & Heating Inc . to find out how to save your pipes and prevent costly, life-disrupt...

Let's be honest. There's almost as many love songs about your home as your significant other. From the New Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen to country superstar Shaina Twain, people just love singing about where they hang their hat, but how much do they actually take care of it? This Valentine's Day, we have 14 ways that you can show love for y...

Properly constructed wells and private water supply systems do not need an excessive amount of maintenance, but the National Ground Water Association (NGWA) recommends that you schedule a well water check-up annually to ensure the safety of your water and to monitor for contaminants.  But what do you do if something just isn't right with ...

When the Polar Vortex attacks without mercy, à la  The Day After Tomorrow , a swift but harsh cold front can cause a drastic change in temperature and major problems for your home – icicles running down your walls, lumpy carpets, and mold, to name a few. If your home's pipes burst, you will need to take immediate steps to stop the leakage and ...

Reading time: 5 minutes ​Every new homeowner has at least one horror story. From collapsing floors to ants in the bed, these frights can keep you up at night, but many of these stories could have been prevented if the owners had known then what they know now . In the spirit of Halloween, here are some of the scariest homeowner stories we've heard a...