It’s beginning to get dark earlier and earlier; depending on the month, after the autumnal equinox (September 22nd), we’re losing between 1-2.5 minutes of daylight each day leading to the winter solstice just before Christmas. This means that letting the dog out each night is going to require more and more squinting, taking out the trash becomes perilous, and dealing with evening snows becomes even more annoying. We at Electrical Gurus recommend you consider investing in exterior house wiring and backyard illumination now, while the temperature is still relatively warm and it isn’t yet dark before dinnertime.

By investing in backyard lighting, you stand to gain a large measure of safety for your family and guests alike. Motion-sensing backyard lighting can save you a sprained ankle, a fall on the ice, or even just a stubbed toe as you navigate your backyard space throughout the winter months. Year round, however, motion sensing light increases the safety of your home as a whole, as it can help to ward off intruders and invasive critters, such as raccoons, from nearing your home. While you will likely get the most use out of your exterior lights during the winter months, they are a great thing to have year round.

Its nice to watch the snow falling just outside the windows, as your family enjoys hot chocolate inside. By having lights for your outdoor space, you make the spectacle even better. It doesn’t always snow in Des Moines, surprisingly, and warmer winter days aren’t uncommon; these warm winter days should be taken advantage of, which is hard to do if it is dark at 5pm. With easily accessible outdoor lighting, your family can enjoy outdoor living areas, you can dust off the grill for a winter burger, and open up possibilities for a nice fire on a brisk night.

Investing in pleasant-looking lighting is a great way to add value to your home, especially in winter months. Nothing takes a home from looking plain to extraordinary in the evening hours quicker than some well-placed lighting. Whether you utilize uplighting to illuminate trees or your home’s exterior or landscaping lights to illuminate the lawn, these lights provide utility and bring value to your home. Exterior lighting can take your home to the next level of visual appeal, but does require help from a skilled electrician to do well. Get in touch with us today to learn what it will take to get your home’s exterior looking great at all hours.

Regardless of what you’re looking to gain by lighting up your home’s exterior, be sure to call Electrical Gurus for help with your electrical installation. Our highly-qualified electricians are happy to offer their experience in helping Des Moines homeowners with with internal and exterior electrical services. If you partner with our expert electricians, adding some lighting to your home’s exterior can increase its safety, usability, and give you a large boost to curb appeal.

Get in touch with our Des Moines electricians today!

A hefty amount of our readers here on the MyLEDLightingGuide’s official blog consists of facility managers (along with contractors, government employees, and other decision makers). This post is made specifically for the facility managers and building owners out there to help keep you up to date and fresh on the latest news and opportunities for you and your buildings.

This list of 14 blogs will consist of some popular and most likely already heard of publications, along with a few lesser known places that you still may find extremely interesting. Picking a few from this list is definitely the first step to keeping up to date and staying ahead with your work.

There will be a brief description along with a URL for each blog / magazine listed, and it should give you a good idea or not if that facility management resource will benefit you more-so or not than others listed here. Now, let’s get started with this list…

2. Buildings.com

Another very popular publication which covers a lot of useful topics and products that any building decision maker should be aware of to create a more efficient and overall better workplace. They also have many courses and webinar on topics like life cycle costs, energy management, lighting, security, and more.

4. Maintenance World

As the name suggests, this blog leans on the side of maintenance based topics. Although, they often talk about topics that are important to any facility manager, such as cooling an industrial sized area. That is just a glimpse of the type of stuff this blog publishes, so reading more on what they offer may be important to seeing if this blog is worth your time or not!

6. FM World

FM World seems to put a lot of their attention on news, but all are topics that are probably very relevant to you and your tasks as a FM. They also (like many other of these blogs on this list) offer many different white papers which carry tons of valuable information in them. Along with professional interviews, webinars, and other pieces of content they are very well rounded in the variety of things that they offer.

8. The Built Environment

They don’t only talk about the environment and green buildings, but surprisingly they publish a lot about facility managers and how to become a better one in general. You can thank Michel Theriault for this great resource, as he is the brains behind it all. He also offers services such as consulting and training for FM staff, so if a budget allows and you want to become a better FM; that’s always an option!

10. Building Automation Monthly

Phil Zito is the creator and sole person behind Building Automation Monthly. He writes about and educates on the topics solely regarding building automation systems. No time for reading? Phil offers a Podcast which covers many different great topics as well. So, next time you are driving or taking a flight you might want to listen in to his podcast!

12. The fmguru blog

Although this blog doesn’t seem to be updated as often as many others on this list; their past and current posts are a good read. They are definitely insightful and thought provoking on the tasks and purposes of a facility manager.

14. i-FM.net

Like their headline says, “if you’re in FM, you need to be on i-FM.” They offer tons of content through news, interviews, top 50 list of great and relevant companies, and overall great resources.

Missed any that you think is worthy of being added? Be sure to comment them down below, this list is always being updated!

Final Words

There you have it, 14 (and growing) facility manager blogs, magazines, and resources that will hopefully make you an informed, up to date, and more educated facility manager overall. Our #1 tip for you is to pick two or three from this list that really peak your interest, and make it a ritual to check in on them often for the latest content that they offer.

Again, if we missed one that you think should be added; feel free to comment it down below for consideration!

Want more of our topics for facility managers? Here are some:

A smart thermostat is an upgrade from the standard controls of a heating and cooling system. These digital devices are programmable, adjusting the temperature up or down according to the time of day, but what really sets them apart is their wireless connectivity. You can control a smart thermostat remotely through the Internet with a smartphone, tablet or computer. Once your thermostat is installed, they’re easy to use, efficient and give you data that helps you save money.

It’s happened to nearly everyone. You come home and your heating or cooling system is running even though the house has been empty for hours. With a smart device controlling your furnace and air conditioner, you avoid this wasteful situation. Set your HVAC controls to mesh with your weekday and weekend routines. If you get up everyday at 6 a.m., program the thermostat to feel comfortable as you wake up. When you leave for work a couple of hours later, your furnace will adjust to the temperature of your choice.

Controlling your thermostat remotely with a smartphone is especially helpful if you have a change in schedule. If you come home early, adjust the heating or cooling system on route with a phone or tablet. Your home will progress to a comfortable temperature in time for your arrival. Abrupt changes in temperature waste energy, so resetting your thermostat remotely for a gradual change is economical.

Smart thermostats give you a lot of data in real time, allowing you to monitor energy use and approximate costs. Once you take a look at your habits, you might find ways to fine-tune them. Some thermostats also have apps that guide you to the most economical settings.