Make summer great.

    Hi everybody.  Use My Guy here again with some more tips and tricks to stay cool and save money during the summer.  Lets start by discussing what we don't like about summer.
  First off, the heat in Arizona is unbearable from mid April to October.
  Second are the utility bills.  When it's 110-120 degrees out your A/C unit is going to be running non-stop for about 5 months.  This means that for 5 months your electricity bill will be almost double what it is in the winter.  Happily this does not have to be the case.
  Thirdly mosquitoes and flies are not only annoying they also carry diseases and bacteria that would otherwise not be a problem.
     So the unbearable heat.  There are many ways to combat the heat in your back and front yard and in your house.

• Install sun screens or shades over your windows.
• Install a roll-up screen on your back porch.
• Install a patio fan
• Install a misting system

   Exterior rolling window sun screens are easy to install and many start as low as 40.00 a window for material.  These are screens that keep out the sun only when you want them to and they will significantly reduce your utility bill.  Rolling patio screens will also help keep your house cool while also making your patio a much more pleasant space for you and your pets.  Combine a screen with a patio fan and misting system and you won't even know its summer.

    Now lets talk about utility bills.  The famously high summer electric bills are the bane of every Arizonian.  The best way to reduce your utility bill is by adding an attic fan.  The reason for this is that when you have an attic, hot air gets trapped between the top of the roof and your ceiling.  With no airflow there is no way to keep fresh air moving through your attic and it just continues to accumulate heat.  Add a fan and some vents to the top of your attic and it will cool the attic and reduce how hard your A/C unit will have to work. Also running a fan costs pennies compared to running your A/C system non-stop.
    I won't pull any punches here. Installing an attic fan is a hassle, it's time consuming and most people do not have the tools to install it properly.  How-ever it is an excellent long term investment that will reduce your bills and increase the value of your home.

    Bugs bugging you? Here are some ways to keep down on the bugs around your home.

• Check your backyard for low spots where your sprinkler water could accumulate.
• Make sure all of your sprinklers are functioning properly and not leaking when they are not in use.
• If you have outside pets change their water every day and use smaller water  bowls.
• Install a bug zapping system or light citronella candles.  You can also find citronella plants at your local hardware store.
• Hang bird feeders and Hummingbird feeders.

    The reason it is important to check for low spots is, if there are low spots and water accumulates there on a regular basis it will become a hot-spot for mosquitoes and other unfavorable pests to breed.  This is why it is important to ensure that all of your sprinklers are working properly.  A leaky sprinkler head combined with low spots in your yard is a recipe for a mosquito breeding ground.  This is also the reason for using smaller watering bowls for your pets and changing the water daily.
    There are many different forms of fly control for your backyard, including zappers, sticky tape, and the smelly bags we all love so much.  If you're like me you don't like the unsightly hanging tape and the stinky bags are just gross.
    Citronella candles work great but they put off an oily heavy smoke that scares away bugs and party guests alike.  Bug zappers are  great because they are effective, inexpensive(high quality ones start as low as 75.00) and they do not stink up the area they are being used in.  Zappers are easy to install with most just needing to be plugged in.
    My favorite method of bug control would be to hang bird feeders with a variety of seeds and feeds to bring in a variety of birds.  Birds are great for eating flies and mosquitoes and the feeders add beauty and style to your yard.  Not to mention the beauty and ambience of having a backyard full of birds.

    These are all fixes that are easy to do if you have the tools and the know how.  If like many people out there you do not have the time or skill-set to do these jobs then look around for a local handyman.  Handymen are a great way to save money and time because a good handyman can come in and do the job from start to finish.  From electrical to plumbing and masonry a good handyman can do it all.  It is  very important to vet your handyman because many are well meaning albeit untalented individuals with no insurance and no references.  Handymen like these give you about a 50% chance of getting a good job that is completely finished.  In the end they wind up costing you more than a licensed contractor because you will have to find another person to come and fix the mess of the first person.
     If you want a handyman that is not only BBB A+ rated but has also won the Angies List Super service award for 2015 then contact Use My Guy Services.  We have been in business for 5 years, we have dozens of 5 star reviews on Yelp and Google + and our technicians have over 40 years of combined experience in the field from construction to electric and plumbing. Call us today at (602)316-9187 or to check us out online click here.  Our friendly and reliable staff look forward to hearing from you.

Handyman--Tips on misting systems

 Summer in Arizona is right around the corner and that means that it is time for backyard BBQs, running through the sprinklers and 115 through 120 degree weather.  One of the best ways to cool your backyard is with a misting system.  Misting systems on average cool the surrounding area by up to twenty degrees.  This can make a substantial difference to the comfort level of your patio.  Not only are misting systems great for cooling your house and backyard, they are a fantastic way to keep your furry friends such as horses or outside dogs and cats.  When it is 115 degrees outside water tends to evaporate quickly and animals can become dehydrated which leads to heat exhaustion or in a worst case scenario heat stroke.  Veterinarian bills are expensive not to mention the discomfort and pain of your best friend.  

To minimize the chances of this happening install a misting system combined with a good outdoor fan and see just how happy you can make the animals in your yard.  This will save you money and increase the value of your property if you have a quality system installed.
If you would love to install a quality misting system that will bring comfort to you and your family but don't have the time or the know how to install one then call a local handyman to do it for you.
When looking for a handyman it is important to choose carefully.  Many handyman are fly by the night operators that will come in do a shoddy job and then disappear leaving you stranded if something breaks.  It is important to choose some one that has been in business for an extended amount of time and has reviews on Yelp or Angie's List.  If they are BBB accredited then even better.  It is very rare for a handyman service to be accredited with the BBB because most of them do not get good reviews but when you do find one it can make a world of difference to the quality of the work done.   If you are lucky enough to be in the valley during summertime then give your local, BBB A+ and Angie's list super service award winning handyman Use My Guy Services a call at (602)316-9187.  One of our friendly associates will be glad to take your call and set up an appointment to enrich your home.  Or click here to check out our website for a list of services offered.  Don't wait, your home will thank you.