Birds are chirping in the morning, the grass is greening up, and there is a certain smell in the air that lets us know that we have finally turned the corner towards spring. It’s a wonderful time of year! With all of the good going around, it’s important to remember that with spring also comes potentially damaging storms and severe weather.

Post – Storm Clean Up

Picking up the pieces after severe storm hits is not always easy. Homes can be damaged, often requiring months of work to repair. Yards are often left with scattered tree limbs and other debris. There can be emotional trauma if a significant storm such as a tornado or flood has impacted your home and family. Frog Hauling can help to ease the burden of moving on and cleaning up after a damaging storm**.**

By delivering a cost-effective, convenient roll-off dumpster right to your home, we are providing a simple method of debris removal. Getting rid of damaged materials or debris is much less complicated with a central dumping spot located right in your driveway. When you have filled the dumpster and eliminated the storm debris from your home and yard, just call us and we will take the refuse away, helping leave your home without any trace of the storm that passed.

What To Do After Damaging Weather

There are a few tips that will help immediately following a storm during the cleanup process:

1. Take pictures of the damage to your home and surrounding property immediately. These pictures may be useful in a homeowner’s insurance claim that could follow.
2. Get rid of standing water in the home immediately, as this could potentially cause significant structural damage to your home. You can contact a restoration company that deals with flooding or attempt to do the job on your own if there is minimal water.
3. A dehumidifier and/or fan will be beneficial to circulate air after water has been removed. You do not want the air to be too moist, as this can encourage mold growth.
4. Check out the roof for signs of damage. You may want to hire a professional roofing contractor to inspect your roof following a storm, as damage is often not obvious on the first inspection by an untrained professional. Also, roof damage caused by a storm is often covered by homeowner’s insurance, so you will want to know if you have any immediately.
5. Enlist the help of friends and family to aid in the cleanup process. If a storm has caused significant damage to your home, chances are it is going to be a big job to clean it up. Having a brigade of helpers will make the job less daunting.

Storms happen. It is a fact of life, and chances are your home will be affected by severe weather at some point or another. If and when it does, Frog Hauling can help to speed up the cleanup process by providing an easily accessible disposal site for all of the debris that accumulates. We want to be there to lend a hand when you need it most!

After the next storm hits, call us first: (614) 258-FROG.

You may be surprised to know that at this very moment inside your home, there are likely hazardous materials that could harm your family, your pets, and the environment. “Not in my home,” you might say. However, taking a closer look you will probably discover the hidden dangers that lie within the walls of your home. If you see the words POISON, DANGER, WARNING, or CAUTION on any items in your home that is a good warning sign that they are hazardous and need special care when disposing of.

Common Household Hazardous Materials

If a product is flammable, toxic, corrosive, reactive, or explosive it is considered hazardous. Common examples of such products you likely have in our home include:

• Medicines
• Oil-based paint
• Electronics
• Spot remover
• Batteries
• Motor oil
• Drain cleaner
• Cleaning products
• Pool chemicals
• Furniture polish
• Gasoline
• Oven cleaner

It is clear to see that these are very common products found in most households at any given time. It is important to note that hazardous materials such as these need special precautions when it comes to disposal.

How Can I Properly Get Rid Of Hazardous Waste?

• If at all possible, use up the hazardous products completely.
• If this is not possible, consider donating unused products to local services such as homeless shelters, Habitat for Humanity, or even local schools (electronics for example).
• If the product cannot be used by another source or used up completely by you, then you must follow your area’s safe disposal procedures for such waste.

Luckily, Franklin County makes it very easy and affordable for residents to safely eliminate household hazardous waste. The Household Hazardous Waste Center located on E. 8th Avenue in Columbus will gladly accept residents’ hazardous household waste during their business hours (three days per week). There is no charge for disposal with the exception of water-based paint ($1 per can). The center accepts just about all hazardous household waste with the exception of asbestos, appliances, tires, and medical waste. They even offer mobile collections once per year to various locations throughout Columbus. Check out their website for full details and information: http://www.swaco.org/Residents/HouseholdHazardousWaste.aspx. Getting rid of these hazardous materials is just a short drive away!

Avoiding Hazardous Waste Altogether

There are some ways to avoid common household hazardous waste altogether:

1. Instead of drain cleaner, try boiling water, a plunger, or a drain snake.
2. Avoid oil-based paints by using latex paint instead.
3. Oven cleaners can be avoided by using a natural cleaner such as salt or ammonia.
4. Household cleaners can be replaced inexpensively with baking soda and a little elbow grease.
5. Eliminate air fresheners and instead just open windows or try baking soda.

Frog Hauling can provide easy, accessible, cost-effective garbage and junk removal for homes and businesses in the Columbus area. While we will not accept hazardous waste, you can have complete garbage removal by combining our services with those offered by the Household Hazardous Waste Center. Give us a call today to discover the benefits of a roll-off dumpster to help eliminate all things unwanted from your home: (614) 258-FROG.

We have a real problem on our hands. The amount of waste the average American produces has more than doubled since the 1960s from around 2 pounds per person per day to over 4 pounds per person per day. That’s a lot of garbage in our homes! It’s time to make more room for fun in our homes and less room for trash.

There are many simple steps you can take today to help cut down on our household waste

• Take inventory of what your household is throwing away. Ask members of your family to track their waste for a few days and then set reasonable goals to cut down that amount.
• Create a compost pile for yard and food waste. Follow these easy steps if you are unfamiliar with this process: http://eartheasy.com/grow_compost.html.The compost can be used as a fertilizer for your soil or even for mulch.
• Repurpose things rather than throwing them away. For example, use an old toothbrush as a tool to clean grout. Also, use old t-shirts or rags for your household cleaning. These things may seem very simple but they go a long way to reduce the amount of household waste you produce.
• The biggest portion of our waste in this country comes from packaging, particularly plastic. Try to avoid items that contain excessive packaging or just buy things in bulk. A large box of cereal, for example, will produce much less volume of waste than several smaller boxes.
• Go reusable instead of disposable. Try rechargeable batteries to avoid having to throw away old batteries often. Go for a razor with a replaceable cartridge rather than a disposable razor that needs to be thrown out frequently. Avoid lots of paper waste from paper towels by using cleaning rags instead.
• Utilize a convenient, roll – off dumpster from Frog Hauling to conveniently get rid of large amounts of garbage and junk that is taking up too much space in your home.

Junk that Frog Hauling accepts:

• Household waste including glass, plastic, paper, and furniture
• Construction debris
• Yard waste
• Most electronic devices
• Heavy waste including concrete, bricks, and soil

Items Frog Hauling cannot accept:

• Paint, chemicals, solvents
• Asbestos
• Anything radioactive, volatile, highly flammable, or explosive
• Bio – medical waste or anything infectious

Take Back Control Today

Don’t let household waste take over your home and cut into the living space your family needs. A messy house full of junk is not inviting. By purging the junk and garbage that is crowding in around you, you will quickly become the envy of your neighbors, friends, and family and provide a warm, welcoming home for all to enjoy.

Frog Hauling is ready to provide the dumpster service you need to take control back of your home. Call us today at (614) 258 – 3764.

Selling Your Home Soon?

If so, you have undoubtedly spent sleepless nights wondering how to maximize the sale price of your home. Did I choose the right agent? Is this the best time of year to sell? Should I make minor improvements before I sell? These are all excellent and necessary questions to ask before putting your home on the market. There is also a technique often underutilized that can net big returns at closing: home staging.

What Is Home Staging?

Staging a home is essentially preparing your home to appeal to the highest number of buyers. This can be achieved through various means – from the simple removal of clutter, photos, and excess furniture up to contracting a staging company that will remove all of your belongings and replace with professionally chosen furniture and décor as props that will create a highly desirable setting for potential buyers to view your home, both in person and via online photos (where 90% of homebuyers start a search).

How Much Does It Cost?

Average costs for professional staging are approximately $1800, although the range is anywhere from $1000 to over $6000. Before the sticker shock sets in, know that homes that have been staged spend about 80% less time on the market than their unstaged competition and often receive multiple offers.

Why Have Your Home Staged?

• Even well-decorated houses can benefit from professional staging. Many buyers get fixated on the “stuff” that is inside a house instead of the actual house and its features. Home staging attempts to refocus buyers on the features of the home instead of just the contents.
• Today’s home buyers are much more educated than those of the past. At any given time you can find multiple home remodeling shows on television that instruct consumers on remodeling techniques, décor ideas, and quality of construction to expect. They are not willing to look past minor flaws that might stand out quite a bit if a home is not staged.
• Home staging typically results in a sale price that is 7-10% higher than those homes that are not staged. The investment does pay off.
• A vacant house will actually appear bigger with furniture.

Home Staging Too Expensive?

Try these DIY tips to maximize your sale price even if home staging is not in your budget:

1. Try a fresh coat of neutral paint.
2. Clean, clean, clean AND de-clutter.
3. Depersonalize the space by removing photos and mementos.
4. If it’s broken-fix it! Small fixes of broken handles, drawers, etc. can go a long way.
5. Light it up! Open blinds, curtains, and turn on all lights for showings.
6. Cheap fixes such as a new shower curtain or updated kitchen cabinet hardware can make a big difference.

We Can Help!

Frog Hauling can help the process of staging a home much easier. By having one of our roll-off containers delivered to your home, you instantly have access to a disposal site for all of the clutter, old furniture, and all things unwanted in your home. We will take care of disposing of all of it properly.

The result will be a much cleaner, clutter-free home that will either be ready for the updates you will make on your own or clear the way for a professional staging company to do their thing. Either way, you can expect a higher sale price as a result.

Contact us at (614) 258-3764. Together we can make your home the most desirable home on the block!