The holidays are a joyous time with family and friends. But all those extra guests can put a strain on your home’s plumbing system.

To avoid an emergency call to a plumber this holiday season, follow these Angie’s List tips:

In the kitchen: Big holiday meals require a busy kitchen.

• Avoid pouring fats and cooking oils down your drain. Liquid fats can solidify in the pipes and create clogs.
• Do not put hard to grind waste into the garbage disposal. The disposer has a hard time grinding items such as potato skins, poultry skins, and carrots.
• Use your garbage disposal properly. Run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after to flush waste down the main line and turn on the disposer before adding food debris.

In the bathroom: Holiday guests also mean extra showers and a lot of toilet flushes.

• Provide a trash bin so the toilet isn’t used as a garbage can.
• Spread out showers throughout the day. Wait about 10 minutes between showers rather than taking one right after another.
• Turn up the water heater slightly to retain hot water. To avoid scalding, do not exceed 125°F.

The H1N1 symptoms are virtually the same as other seasonal-flu symptoms such as high fever, cough, a sore throat, and muscle aches.

So when should you contact your doctor? Angie’s List asked highly-rated physicians that question.

• Who’s at risk? People under 25 years old and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to swine flu complications. Any pregnant woman with flu-like symptoms should call their doctor immediately. Infants with high temperatures and children and young adults with underlying health issues, or who take medication that comprises their immune system, also should be seen by their doctor.
• Don’t ignore symptoms: Anyone who has flu-like symptoms and becomes severely dehydrated, experiences difficulty breathing or coughs up blood must see a doctor immediately. If you have a fever for more than four days and it subsides then comes back, call your physician.
• Stay home: If you aren’t in the high-risk population or don’t experience the severe symptoms mentioned above, it’s best to stay home and avoid spreading the virus. Stay in bed and get plenty of rest and fluids.

An attractive fence can enhance your property, but Angie's List says there are a couple of things to consider before you get started.

• Determine your needs: Before you set out in search of the perfect fence, decide what your goals are. Do you just want to keep your animals and loved ones in? Or, are you also looking for some privacy? With so many options out there, it is important to establish some objectives; otherwise, the task of selecting a fence can be daunting.
• Check the neighborhood: Before installing the fence, check to make sure your neighborhood doesn’t have any provisions against a particular type of fence. It is also important to consider how the fence you choose will contribute to or hinder the resale value of your home.
• Do your research: Each type of fence has its advantages and disadvantages when it comes to cost, maintenance, and functionality. Although a wood fence may be beautiful now, without proper maintenance it will look worn in a few years. Consider all of your options and get estimates from at least three companies before you make a final decision.
• Select which fencing material is right for you:
  •  Wrought Iron: These fences are durable and available in a variety of colors, but they are the most expensive fencing option available.
  • Aluminum: Aluminum is growing in popularity as an economical alternative to wrought iron. It can stand up to harsh weather and requires very little maintenance.
  • Wood: Wood fences can be expensive but are great for privacy. If your children play outside, you may want to consider this fence to keep them safe, but be careful if you have small pets, as they may be able to escape under the fence where it meets the ground. Wood requires routine maintenance but can endure harsh weather and last for many years.
  • Vinyl (PVC): Initially more expensive than wood, vinyl fences require very little maintenance and are not susceptible to termites and other pests. However, the color choices are limited and mold growth may become a problem over time.
  • Chain Link: Chain Link is an economical option, but some neighborhoods may have regulations against chain link fencing, so be sure to do your research before you make an expensive mistake. Once you choose chain link fencing, there are a myriad of options to consider – height, color, finish coating, and the size of the holes.
• Know your limits: Remember, good fences make good neighbors. Although the fence company is responsible for laying the fence on your property, make sure you have an understanding of where the property line is and if you have concerns while the fence is going up, raise them before the installation is complete. If you’re not certain of where your property line is, have a survey done. In one of our favorite Angie’s List fencing reports, a member raves about their new fence, but says they hope the neighbors like it too because they fenced in three feet of the their yard on accident!
• Be a good neighbor: While it's not legally required, it's a good idea to discuss any fence building plans with your neighbors before beginning to build.
• Ask the company important questions during the estimate: During the time of the estimate, ask the company who is responsible for pulling the permits and checking utility lines. What kind of warranty do they offer?
• There isn’t a “season” for fencing: Fencing can be done year-round. In fact, winter is a great time to schedule your fence installation because companies may not be as busy. Ask the company about their timeline. Depending on the time of year, it could take weeks before they get to you.
• Paint before installation: If you decide to paint your fence, the paint job will last a long time if you paint all pieces of wood after they are cut to length but before they are installed. Painted fences may need to be touched up every year or two.
• Keep up on maintenance: Your fence will lose its appeal if you don’t maintain it. Check your fence every few months for splintering, peeling, mold, breakage and insects. Be careful with the weed whacker near the fence. Over time, that causes splintering and scratches which breaks the seal and encourages damage.

The colder months ahead can really take their toll on your vehicle. But a few simple preventative measures taken now will keep your car both working and looking good during the long, harsh winter.

Angie’s List tips to prepare your car for the season:

1. Check your tires: Make sure the hot pavement you were driving on all summer long didn’t wear the tread down on your tires. If it did, stopping on wet roads may cause you to hydroplane. To check the tread, insert a penny in a couple of spots on each tire. If you see the entire top of Lincoln’s head, it’s time to replace the tires.
2. Test your battery: Have a qualified tech check the condition of your battery. The summer’s hot weather takes a toll on car batteries, but your battery may not fail until the cold weather hit.
3. Protect your cooling system: Check your antifreeze to make sure your car is ready to move into winter. If coolant is constantly low, you may have a leak.
4. Wipers and fluid: Replace worn wiper blades and keep plenty of washer fluid on hand to fight road salt and other grime.
5. Four-wheel drive ready? If you have four-wheel drive, check the status of your system to be sure it’s working correctly.
6. Equip your car with an emergency kit: Include flares, boots, gloves, ice scraper, shovel, flashlight, high-energy snacks and a blanket.
7. Keep it clean: During the winter, wash your car every 10 days to remove mud, salt, and other debris. They can all damage your car’s finish.
8. Follow your owner’s manual recommendations: Failure to follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule could lead to breakdowns, poor fuel economy, and a higher cost of ownership in the long run. Having a certified professional inspect your car according to these schedules will help catch problems before they get you stuck or escalate into larger repairs. Build a relationship with a shop or mechanic.

Whether you need a leg on a chair fixed, or a hutch refinished, you can give your old furniture a fresh new look. Wood can be made to look as good as new and fabric can be re-upholstered.

Angie’s List tips for hiring a furniture repair and refinishing company:

1. Look at the work you need done: If repair will cost more than half the cost of the new furniture piece, then it may be better to replace. Also consider the length of time you expect that repair to add to the life of the furniture. Keep in mind, just because furniture is old, doesn’t mean it should be refinished. For example, stripping an antique can actually hurt the value.
2. DIY or hire help? Just because you have the ability and tools to repair or refinish a piece of furniture doesn’t mean you should. Many things can go wrong restoring wood furniture. You must use the right technique and identify the wood type. It’s worth investing in the services of a professional for items with significant material or sentimental value.
3. Do your research: Hire a professional who is trained to work on a wide array of problems from repairing a damaged finish to replacing missing parts to complete rebuilding of most complex objects. Ask for before and after photos of their work or even stop by the shop to take a look at pieces they are working on.
4. Think about the costs: Cost will depend upon the type of furniture, the extent of damage, the materials required and the amount of time it will take to complete the task.
5. Start small: Take a small piece of furniture that you’re not emotionally tied to, to find out what the company’s work looks like to make sure it meets your expectations. Don’t start with a family heirloom as the guinea pig.

Angie's List furniture care tips:

1. Good, quality wood should last 15-20 years or more, and upholstered furniture generally last 10-15 years – but if you lay on your couch every night it’s going to wear faster.
2. Dust your wood furniture regularly and vacuum/clean your upholstered furniture regularly – stains can add to the wear and tear of fibers.
3. Protect your furniture from excessive exposure to sunlight, heat, cold or damp conditions. Use window curtains to shield light and a humidifier/de-humidifier.
4. One of the most common ways people damage their furniture is through careless moving. Pieces of furniture should never be dragged across the floor – but lifted with care. When lifting, support the structure where it’s the strongest.

Painting the interior of your home is a great home improvement project where you can easily spruce up your home for relatively little cost.

Angie’s List tips for interior painting:

1. Check for lead paint: If you have a home built before 1978, hire a qualified lead expert to check it out before you begin any work. Some older homes still have lead paint in the original layers.
2. Prep for paint: Paint preparation is the foundation for the entire job – if done correctly your paint will perform to its fullest potential. If done incorrectly, the best paint will crack, peel, or chip easily. Make any necessary repairs before you start your painting project. Dirty walls should be cleaned, especially near the stove and sink. Greasy deposits and soap scum can interfere with the paints adhesion.
3. Hiring a professional: The contract should include what will be done and what products used. This includes the type and amount of surface preparation, priming and the type of primer, and the brand of paint. Also include how many coats of paint will be included.
4. Ask about extra costs: Removing heavy furniture may not be included in the painter’s estimates. If you can’t do it, ask if there will be an extra charge. Also, having to paint crown molding, baseboards or walls/ceilings taller than the average of 8 feet can also add to costs.
5. Pick a paint color: Keep in mind the perceived space of the room. Dark colors tend to make a room look smaller, while light colors open up the space. Test drive your color by investing in a quart-sized (or smaller) can of paint in the color that you’re thinking of using before you buy a bigger (and more expensive) can. Paint a small portion of your wall and watch the color in different lights throughout the day so you don’t get stuck with a color that only looks how you want it to look in broad daylight. Stick with neutral colors if you’re planning to sell your home. You need to keep in mind that buyers need to be able to visualize their things in your home.
6. Choose a finish: If you have many imperfections on your walls, consider a flat paint, but keep in mind flat paint is harder to clean. An eggshell finish has slight shine/gloss and is also good for walls, but holds up better with cleaning. A general rule is the higher the sheen, the better it will stand up to washing and cleaning.

The fall season offers homeowners a final chance to prepare for the upcoming cold weather and even some of the easiest chores can save you big dollars on your energy bills.

Angie's List contacted its highly-rated service providers to put together a list of the most important fall chores for homeowners who don't want to get snowed in by Ol' Man Winter.

• Service your heating system: As much as 80 percent of emergency calls answered by heating specialists are the result of improper maintenance. Schedule an appointment soon so you can beat the rush and help avoid a breakdown in the middle of a freeze.
• Check and replace filters: Fall is also the perfect time to check your furnace filters and replace if necessary. Efficient operation distributes heat better and cuts your energy costs. Plus, it’s an inexpensive and easy task.
• Protect your pipes: Have you plumbing looked at and water lines insulated. Cleaning all lines can help remove clogs. Clogs cause back ups, which can freeze, then cause the weakening of pipes and bursting. Wrap your pipes with insulation designed for plumbing. In many situations, insulation will be all you need to protect your pipes.
• Drain water from your water heater: You can improve your water heater’s efficiency by 50 percent by draining sediment build up from the holding tank.
• Add insulation: This is one of the lowest-cost options for improving the energy efficiency of your home. The proper amount of insulation you should have depends on the climate you live in. Obviously, the colder the weather, the more you need. Look in your attic, if you see exposed two-by four’s, you are due for more insulation.
• Seal drafts: Caulk, seal and weather-strip where drafts are detected. Walk through your home with a lit stick of incense or a candle. Drafts will pull the smoke that direction, making it easier to determine where the cold air is seeping in.
• Schedule a chimney sweep: Creosote build-up can lead to a chimney fire.You should have your chimney inspected at least once a year; more often if you use it regularly.
• Check your gutters: Gutter blockage of dead leaves and other muck can cause serious water damage. If they are clogged, hire a professional for a cleaning. If they are not clogged, check again after the leaves have fallen.
• Rake up the leaves: Fallen leaves will deprive your grass of crucial sunlight during the fall months. Leaves can also accumulate and get wet, leading to mold growth and a breeding ground for pests.
• Vehicle inspection: Summer travel can take a toll on your car. Schedule a maintenance check with your mechanic so it will be in good working order to endure the long winter months. If you haven’t packed your trunk with an emergency kit, now is the time.
• Clean and store your outdoor furniture: This will help prevent rust and damage from freezing. If you store your outdoor furniture inside for the winter (which is recommended, if at all possible) allow for some airflow. Encasing the furniture tightly in plastic could lead to moisture damage.
• Properly discard or store paint, caulk or adhesives in a heated area to prevent them from freezing: Call your local hazardous material removal service for instructions on discarding products that could be toxic. Drain all gasoline containers, including lawn mowers and other gasoline-powered tools.
• Check your lighting: With dark days ahead, exterior lighting is very important. Check all your bulbs and consider using timers to turn lights on at dusk and off in the morning.

Getting ready for pregnancy is an important step to a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

Angie’s List consulted with health care professionals for tips on what to expect before you’re expecting.

• Control your weight: Being overweight can predispose babies to problems such as diabetes.
• Start taking vitamins with at least 400mg of folic acid: These are important to a healthy pregnancy and baby and should be taken at least two months before conception to help prevent against birth defects.
• Talk with your doctor about getting off birth control: Physicians may ask you to have two normal cycles before tying to conceive. This helps track ovulation and accurately dates your pregnancy.
• See the dentist: Advanced gum disease can lead to pregnancy-related high blood pressure and possibly premature birth.
• Check your immunity to rubella, chickenpox and influenza: Rubella can cross the placenta and harm the unborn child.

Estate planning professionals estimate 70 percent of Americans don’t have a will or trust, but it’s important to have a plan for your possessions so your family isn’t strapped with the burden of figuring out what to do with all your stuff.

Whether you’re planning for yourself or someone else, Angie’s List consulted with the experts for these tips:

• Don’t wait: It’s always easier to go through everything when you or the benefactor is in good health.
• Make a list of your assets: Include date of purchase, cost, and where you want them to go when you die. The list may be used in a will and/or living trust. A will transfers your assets after death. A living trust provides lifetime and after-death property management. Take the information to an estate planning attorney for safekeeping.
• Talk with your family: Make sure your spouse, children, and grandchildren - if necessary - know where your important papers are located.
• Donate items now: In order to enjoy the benefits of the tax write-off. Plus, giving away things can be liberating. It there’s an item that hasn’t been used in the past year, set it free. Clearing out the clutter and excess around the house will alleviate a lot of stress for those going through your things after you're gone.
• Go through belongings and old photographs: Write the names of people on the back of each photo so everyone will know who’s who. Ask why a particular clock is important or what makes an old desk so special.
• Find out what heirs want: Don’t assume what’s invaluable to you (or the benefactor) will be a treasure for them.
• Funeral costs can quickly add up: When planning your funeral, understand what you want, write it down, tell your loved ones and make plans for payment.

For many homeowners who have outgrown their abodes in either size or design, their first instinct is to shop for a new home.  Angie’s List suggests another option that may actually be more affordable and better for the family in the long run: remodeling.

Six Questions to Help Decide Whether to Move or Improve:

1. Do you like your neighborhood? Consider the proximity of your job, schools, shopping areas and places of worship and how a new neighborhood will affect your ability to reach all those places.
2. How long do you plan to stay there? Consider a major remodeling job if you intend to stay in the home at least five to 10 years. There’s rarely short-term financial benefit from a major improvement project.
3. Do you have the largest and nicest home in the neighborhood? If so, your home is not likely to appreciate much more in value. But if you have two full baths and others in your neighborhood have three or four, adding a bath is a good investment that will pay off when you’re ready to move.
4. How’s that floor plan working out? New homes feature wide open spaces and trendy floor plans, but remodeling can improve the flow of older homes.
5. How does your garden grow? If you’ve put a lot of yourself into the landscaping around your home, you may have deeper roots than you first think. Consider what you can bring with you, or if you’re ready to start all over
6. What’s the true cost of moving vs. remodeling? Don’t make a quick decision based on what seems like a bargain. Evaluate the true financial and emotional costs, as well as the time involved for each option. Be sure you know if your new home will need repairs or improvements. Any new furniture or decor you buy for the new home should factor in, as well. The cost of your home renovations should not exceed 30 percent of the property’s value. You’ll likely be better off moving if you have to spend more than that.