Get Ready for Spring Forward 2016!

Tomorrow, Sunday, March 13, 2016 is Spring Forward 2016! Don't forget to move your clocks an hour forward!

Photo Credit: gabhai via Compfight cc

Spring Safety Tips

The National Safety Council (NSC) offers a few things to check around your home to keep you and your home safe.

Photo: One of Kaplan Construction's projects in Long Beach, CA. For more photos of this home remodel, click here.

• Test your smoke alarms to make sure they work
• Test your carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they work
• Create a family emergency plan:
  • Prepare emergency kits
  • Have a communications plan
  • Create a getaway plan

For more information on these tips, you can visit the NSC blog here.

Hello, March! Your March To-Do List!

With Spring just a few weeks away, here is the To-Do list to prepare your home for Spring! Kiplinger.com offers some things to check in your home.

Photo: Kitchen Remodel in Belmont Shore, CA. You can find more photos of this remodel here.

1. Inspect your air conditioning unit
2. Install a programmable thermostat, if you don't have one already
3. Caulk the cracks on doors and windows
4. Clean out the gutters
5. Clean and check your roof for any leaks
6. Pressure wash your home
7. Clean your windows
8. Check your deck if it needs repairs
9. Have your chimney cleaned
10. Tune up your lawn mower

For more information on these items you can check kiplinger.com's blog here.

Contact Kaplan Construction at 562-495-0483 or via email for caulking and insulation work, heating and furnace replacement, and new window installation.

You can find a downloadable To-Do List here.

8 Tips to Keep Your Home Cool

This winter really is feeling like summer in Southern California. Want to stay cool and not use your air conditioning unit? Here are some tips from Huffington Post to keep your home cool without using your AC!

Photo: One of Kaplan Construction's projects, a home remodel in Laguna Beach, CA. For more photos on this home remodel, click here.

1. Keep your blinds close
2. Set your ceiling fans to rotate counter clockwise
3. Focus on the temperature in your body, not the house
4. Turn on your bathroom fans when you shower and your kitchen exhaust fan when cooking
5. Let the night air in
6. Ditch the incandescent lights
7. Start grilling
8. Consider long term improvements such as installing awnings or getting blinds for your windows

For more details on these tips and other tips, visit the Huffington Post's blog here.