Useful Gadgets for Your Home

To contact us Click HERE
I spend a lot of time in home improvement stores because I want to know what the market prices are for things like granite counter tops, wood floors and new stainless steal appliances. But I also like finding new tools and gadgets there. My father was a Pilot and an Air Route Traffic Controller and he was also very good with power tools. I learned home construction and building from my father while I was still in high school. I also inherited his love for tools and gadgets while I was growing up. I can lose an afternoon in the local home improvement stores. Could I live without the toys? Yes, but what fun would that be?!

Today I dropped into my local home store and noticed two gadgets that you may want to have around your new home. Not just for fun. They serve a robust purpose and if you like gadgets--you will love these inexpensive devices. (Manufactures: if you would like for me to write a review of your specific product--give me a call. Let's Talk).

The first gadget is a "Power Usage Meter". These devices let you plug electronics, computers, TV's, or other devices through the meter to determine just how much electricity they are consuming. Depending on the device's features, you may be able to program your actual energy costs and determine exactly how much it is costing you to keep your phone battery charger plugged up to the wall 7 x 24. There are also "whole house" versions of these gadgets that can read certain digital power meters that are starting to show up on homes in the Greater Austin area. These gadgets cost more money, but allow you to read and monitor whole house power consumption and give you real-time energy consumption costs. Very cool technology.




The second gadget may take you a little more effort to get your head around, but this is also a very helpful tool to have around the house. In fact, when you had your home inspected at the time of purchase (you did have it inspected--right?), the inspector probably used one of these gadgets to tell you something about the condition of the house.  

A Moisture Meter is a device that tells you the moisture content in a piece of wood, window seal, door jam, flooring or any place in your home where water may have penetrated into the house. In Austin, we get a fair amount of rain, so windows and doors require ongoing maintenance to insure that water does not make its way into the house (slowly and gradually). This eventual water penetration does not usually occur like a flood, but like a air coming into your house--you don't see it, but it is happening. The moisture meter let's you test the water content around window seals and doors to make sure water is not coming in and destroying the wood around these entry points in the home. Like I said, it is a little harder to get your head around this one, but this little device is a lot cheaper than an annual house call from an inspector and having your handyman caulk around windows is a lot cheaper than replacing window seals and door jams. Prevention is always cheaper than repair.

Check out these devices and check back here to see if I actually review any specific manufacturer's devices.  Yes, Manufacturers, I will review your home gadgets. If you have a device or home product that you want me to review by name--give me a call. Let's Talk.

Tim Thornton, Realtor ®, Austin, Texas.