High-End Home Upgrades

(Family Features) For most people, the home is their family’s most significant asset. Upgrading is a smart approach to protecting and growing the value of that investment.

Home upgrades come in all shapes and sizes, from minor landscaping projects to large-scale security installations. When looking to make an impact, it’s smart to opt for high-end upgrades such as those that boost security or enhance the technologic features of your home.

These upgrades not only lend an upscale feel, but can bring families peace of mind while enhancing the ways to enjoy their home. 

Home security
Whether you’re aiming for a stronger sense of personal safety or extra protection for your valuable possessions, today’s security systems take home monitoring to a whole new level. Basic keypad alarms have been replaced by a host of features, such as silent alarms that allow authorities to catch a burglar in action; cameras that allow you to monitor the premises from inside the home or while you’re away using a connected device; motion detectors that simultaneously trigger exterior and interior lights while activating security cameras and more. There is no one solution for every home, but a home security expert can talk through your concerns and guide you to the system that best fits your needs.

Standby generators
When seasonal weather or other circumstances cause power outages, the impact on a home and family can range from inconvenient to unsafe. A standby generator system keeps a household humming even when the power is out – automatically. An important feature to look for is power management technology, which manages the power balancing act that is your home’s appliances.

For example, Briggs & Stratton Fortress standby generators are equipped with Symphony II Power Management, which lets homeowners prioritize what in their home they need powered by proactively monitoring and managing the home’s backup power needs, allowing for whole-house power with a more affordable generator. This power management system also uses remote power-switching modules that are installed directly to a home’s existing wiring, to help reduce installation costs.

Wireless automation
You may think of it as just a phone, but the tiny computer you carry every day packs the power to control an ever-growing segment of your home. Using an app on your smartphone, tablet or computer, you can control everything from your locks and lights to the temperature setting on your thermostat. What’s more, you can create settings that integrate multiple functions to set the perfect ambiance for whatever you have in mind. Planning on a movie night? Cue the movie setting, with dimmed lights, blinds lowered and the TV powered on. Hosting a party? Count on your custom entertaining setup, with lighting in all your guest-friendly rooms, lively music playing on your whole-home sound system and a lower temperature to keep things cool as the party heats up.

The options are nearly endless when it comes to elevating your home’s features. By combining practical functions and indulgent improvements, you can take your homeowner satisfaction to new heights.

For more information about standby generator systems and their features, visit powernow.com.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOURCE:
Briggs & Stratton

Plan Ahead for Power Outages

(Family Features) Summer storms are often accompanied by damaging hail, high winds, heavy rain and lightning that cause widespread power outages affecting homeowners' peace of mind, and their pocketbooks. Homeowners can prepare for possible power outages by establishing an emergency plan for their families.

"The coming of storm season often motivates homeowners to start thinking about how to keep the power on and avoid the costs and inconvenience associated with power outages," said Dan Roche with Briggs & Stratton.

Get ready for the chance of inclement weather ahead with these tools and resources:

First aid. Assemble a basic first aid kit with assorted sterile, compression and adhesive bandages, rolled gauze, adhesive tape, disinfectant, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, scissors and instant cold packs. Add pain relieving medications (including children's strength, if applicable) and a few days' worth of any regular medications you take.

Emergency kit. Include items such as a flashlight, battery-powered weather radio, bottled water, non-perishable snacks and personal hygiene items. Don't forget extra batteries that fit your devices and keep a portable cell phone charger on hand. The compact Rayovac Phone Charger, which is compatible with most USB-powered devices, holds enough power to recharge a mobile phone up to three times (depending on device) and holds its charge up to four months. Find more devices ideal for your emergency kit at rayovac.com.

Comfort items. What constitutes comfort likely varies depending on your family composition, but may include things like stuffed animals, soothing blankets or small toys for little ones and more practical items, including pillows and sleeping bags, for older family members. Remember that a storm may leave you huddled in a confined space or without power for an extended period, so diversions such as travel-size games and cards can help pass the time.

Backup power. Portable generators provide a solution during an emergency power outage to power essential items, such as refrigerators, sump pumps and lights. An option such as Briggs & Stratton's Storm Responder Portable Generator is equipped with a digital control panel that provides everything owners need to know, including the amount of power being used, total lifetime hours of the generator and maintenance reminders. Ideal for first-time buyers, the Storm Responder features step-by-step start-up, shutdown and storage instructions, as well as a safety guide printed directly on the unit. Be sure you have a transfer switch installed in your home so you are ready to safely restore the power to your home in the event of an outage. To learn more, visit briggsandstratton.com.

While portable generators can provide users with flexibility and comfort, homeowners and renters should only use portable generators outside in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Visit TakeYourGeneratorOutside.com to learn more about portable generator safety.

Information guide. In the aftermath of a storm, having emergency information at your fingertips is one less stress to fight. Compile contact information for family members, friends and close neighbors, along with your insurance agent. Also include any relevant medical contacts or information. Stash your guide along with your emergency and first aid kits so it will be within easy reach if you need it.

Seasonal weather can bring unpredictable dangers to your home and family, but assembling the right materials ahead of time will help ensure your family is well prepared to ride out the storm.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images (storm)

SOURCE:
Briggs & Stratton/Rayovac