If you’ve never visited the DIY, home renovation blog Young House Love, you’re in for a treat. John and Sherry, bloggers extraordinaire, are renovating their home step-by-step, giving their readers a detailed look into the process. Every day they have some new clever project to write about. (And the way they tell stories gets addictive, quick).

The blog has a ton of posts on home lighting, some technical, some crazy and fun. Today, I thought I’d share with you my 3 favorite DIY lighting projects from Young House Love:

Snow and ice are major concerns for homeowners throughout much of North America, and that usually means pulling out the snow shovel a few times each winter. Shoveling snow can be strenuous and uncomfortable work, but it's the only way to get those sidewalks and driveways clear -- or is it?

If you're familiar with radiant floor heating -- an HVAC solution that uses heated coils to warm a home from the floor up -- that same technology has applications outside the home, as well. Specifically, it's a great way to melt ice and snow off of walking and driving surfaces without having to grab a shovel or even venture outside.

Hard on the Pocketbook

Of course, there's a pretty big catch: the price. The equipment and installation can add a significant amount to any home building or remodeling project, especially if the surfaces you want to heat are far from the nearest power source. And that's just for the heating elements -- there's still the matter of removing the old surfaces and pouring new ones. All together, it can cost well into the tens of thousands of dollars to install radiant heating under the driveway and walkways of an average home.

For this reason, radiant heating is usually only a feature in new construction -- with a plan to install the equipment right from the outset, it's possible to shave thousands of dollars off the installation cost.

There's also the cost to operate the equipment, which can run several hundred dollars per winter for homes in especially snowy, icy climates. But for homeowners who dread shoveling every year, that could be a small price to pay.

Going Another Route

If you're not ready to drop thousands of dollars just to cut shoveling out of your life, there are several less pricey ways to keep surfaces clear and safe.

Heat mats. If you like the concept of using radiant heating outdoors but don't like the price tag, you might find a suitable compromise in heat mats. Available in a wide range of sizes, all-weather mats can be placed on your walkways and powered through extension cords to melt snow and ice as it falls. You'll still need to put them out before the winter weather arrives and stow them away after the storm, but it will at least spare you some shoveling.

Rock salt. It's cheap, it's easy to use and it's available at most hardware stores. It's also incredibly effective for melting ice. But it's not without its downsides -- rock salt can be corrosive to metal and even concrete, so you might expect some damage to your vehicles and surfaces over the course of many winters. It can also harm vegetation, pets and indoor surfaces like carpet if it's tracked inside. So if you use salt, use it with care.

Shovel early and often. You'll spend more time outdoors, but if you start shoveling in the middle of a storm, you may be able to prevent ice accumulation. You'll also make it a little easier on your back by shoveling lighter shovelfuls. It's not the ideal solution, but it beats slipping on a slick surface.

Thinking of installing a radiant heated driveway or walkway? Reach out to your local electrician to take the first steps, or just ask for more smart ways you can stay comfortable and safe throughout winter storm season.

Next to your mortgage payment, you can expect to that your utility bills will be one of the largest regular expenses that you incur as a homeowner. You are probably like many other homeowners and interested in trying to save money on your monthly bills. Whether your Plymouth home is powered completely by electricity or it uses a combination of electricity and gas, there are ways that you can easily reduce your utility bills. 

Utilize a Ceiling Fan

These days, there are a number of different decorative ceiling fan models that run the gamut from the extravagant to the simplistic. Many people use their ceiling fan to make a room more dramatic and attention-getting. There is, however, a more practical reason for choosing a ceiling fan. They can help you save money on your utility bills. 

Know Your Ceiling Fan 

All ceiling fans are not created equal. Unless your ceiling fan is fairly new, you should consider having it replaced with a more recent model. As the technology become more refined, the manufacturers of ceiling fans are continuously integrating new features into their models. Not only do these advances make the ceiling fans more efficient, they are also very convenient as well. For example, many of the models available today come with a remote as standard equipment. This allows you to adjust your ceiling fan without ever leaving the comfortable of your chair. 

Have Ceiling Fans Installed

If your home does not have a ceiling fan -- or if some rooms are lacking one -- you should consider having one or more installed. You might wonder if the expense of having a ceiling fan installed -- or updating an aging model -- is worth the money. You will recover the costs of both the installation as well as the ceiling fans themselves in lowered utility bills as well as an increase in your comfort level. 

Using Ceiling Fans to Your Advantage

During the summer months, you want your ceiling fan to push the air down. For this reason, you need to make sure that the blades are rotating counter clockwise. In the cooler months, toggle the switch so that the fan blades reverse their direction and move clockwise. During the summer months, keep the ceiling fan on high while the winter time calls for using a lower speed.