Green remodeling benefits and incentives

Many have heard the phrase “green remodeling” floating around the home improvement industry and are not sure exactly what it means. While it is true that “green remodeling” has to do with making your home more energy efficient, the idea covers more ground than that.

A green remodel is like a philosophy you can apply to your home. From weatherization to waste disposal to choosing recycled and reclaimed building materials, green remodeling can be practiced on several facets of your home. Green remodeling does not just mean making your home energy efficient, it also means making your home, and consequently your daily life, more environmentally responsible.

The United States Department of Energy reported that buildings use up 40 percent of all the energy consumed in America. According to the Department of Energy, a large-scale greening of homes can save more money, and reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions more than hybrid cars do.

Greening your home takes many forms, from installing new windows to purchasing Energy Star appliances. If you want to green your home, search out a green remodeling professional. What does that mean? Well, a green remodeling professional is one who takes sustainability into account at every stage of your remodel. A green remodeling pro is skilled at responsibly maximizing resources, both your own and mother nature’s.

A green professional knows that green remodeling is also a way of thinking, not simply a way of buying. For example, if you are thinking of replacing your kitchen cabinets, your green remodeling professional may suggest carefully removing your old cabinets and donating them to Habitat for Humanity for reclamation, rather than simply adding them to the waste stream.

Green remodeling professionals meet a lot of clients that are skeptical about the quality and value of greening a home. The truth is that most green homes do not look different from conventional homes. Most green remodeling elements, like improved air quality or increased energy efficiency, are part of the inner structure of a home. Furthermore, most recycled products, like floors and counter tops, look the same as their non-recycled equivalent.

These days, green remodeling is getting a lot more publicity than usual, and that is a good thing. There are many benefits to green remodeling, from the pride you can take in your beautiful new, environmentally responsible home to the direct savings in energy costs you will notice after your remodel is complete.

Since money talks, here are three tangible economic reasons why now is a better time than ever to invest in green remodeling your home.

1. The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, also referred to as the Stimulus bill, offers significant tax credits to homeowners that perform a green remodel. If you want to install, for example, a solar water heater or a new energy efficient HVAC, the stimulus bill qualifies you for a tax credit. This tax credit was approved in 2009 and has been extended all the way to the end of 2010. If you get some green remodeling done this year, the government will pay you to do it.

2. If you are thinking of selling your home, a green remodel will pump up the value of your home. Because of the potential long-term energy savings of a green home, homebuyers are willing to pay a lot more for homes that already have these improvements.

3. For those of you who just bought a home or are planning to live in your home for a long time, a green remodel is just as valuable, if not more so. A green remodel will improve the energy efficiency of your home. The investment you make in a green remodel will start coming back to you right away in lower monthly energy bills. Over the years, these savings will pay for your remodel, then start paying you.

Look into green remodeling. Find an informed green remodeling professional. Ask them questions and gather knowledge about energy and water conservation, renewable and recycled materials, and the potential for drastically improving the living quality in your home. All of these benefits, coupled with the economic breaks outlined above, make this the best time yet to green your home.

Year-Round Home Maintenance Guide

Home maintenance  is a necessary and year round process for prolonging the life of your home.  Regular
home maintenance  keeps a home clean, valuable and comfortable.  Home maintenance covers a wide array of concerns from pest control, to weatherstripping, to gutter cleaning and beyond.  Concientious preventative maintenance is more cost effective than repairing a problem that gets out of hand.  This brief guide breaks up
home maintenance into two general categories, interior and exterior.  You will find that many of these tasks you can take care of yourself.  For others, it is a good idea to call a local handyman.  A professional handyman will have the tools, time and experience to help you maximize the life of your home.  A good handyman can perform routine inspections in the spring and fall, while taking care of minor repairs year round.

Exterior
Roofs, gutters, and downspouts.  Roofing needs to be inspected while the weather is nice.  Look for damaged or missing shingles, bubbles, blisters or areas where the gravel has eroded.  Tree branches that touch the roof need to be pruned back.  Gutters need to be cleaned and checked for leaks and blockage.  Look for spots that need re-securing due to rust or other erosion.  Check the seams of downspouts for any splits.  A downspout with a split is usually blocked with debris.  Inspect eaves, soffits and fascia, for peeling paint, rot or vermin damage.

Walls, foundation walls, and siding.  Check all walls for signs of the house settling.  Inspect stone walls and foundation walls for any brick and mortar deterioration.  With wooden walls, look for rot, damaged boards and areas of contact between wood and soil, which will accelerate deterioration.  For stucco, look for cracks and separating.  If any surfaces are painted, and the paint is blistering or bubbling, it can mean that moisture is seeping out of or into the house.  Examine the siding of the home for any loose or missing parts.  Trim back trees, vines, and other plant life.  Vines especially will work their way into the smallest gaps in siding and spread them open.

Doors, windows, porches and decks.  Replace any damaged window panes.  Check frames and window sills for deteriorated paint.  Repaint as needed.  Make sure the caulk and weatherstripping are intact and functional.  Clean out window wells.  All wooden parts of porches and decks need periodic inspection.  Make sure railings and steps are secure.  Look for rot or evidence of insect infestation.  Re-stain the wood as needed.

Outdoor wiring.  Make sure exterior outlets have proper covers and ground fault circuit interrupters.  Wires leading away from the house or out to buildings like the garage need to be inspected for any loose wiring or frays.

Interior

Walls, ceilings and doors.  Look in dead air corners and nooks for evidence of mildew or condensation.  Inspect for cracks or signs of water damage on interior finish.  This can be evidence of high humidity in the house, which leads to rot.  Look for bulges in ceilings and walls.  Examine door frames, looking for any that are out of square.  A door frame that becomes out of square within six months is considered fast movement in structural terms, and may indicate a larger structural problem.  Make careful notation of movement or changes to be able to compare it in the future.

Main electrical panel and indoor wiring.  This maintenance should be done by a qualified electrician at least once per year, for the safety of the home and the homeowner.  Check the main electrical panel for any signs of moisture penetration.  Test all breakers to make sure none have stuck.  Label the circuits.  Look for burnt wires.  Tighten fuses and aluminum wire connections.  Test the ground fault circuit interruptors.  For indoor wiring, replace any frayed or damaged wiring, including appliance cords and extension cords.  Tighten loose switches and electrical outlets.

Water heaters and plumbing.  Use the test lever on the water heater’s pressure relief valve to make sure that the valve is not stuck.  Depending on the region, sludge may gather at the bottom of the hot water tank.  Drain a small amount of water from the tank to make sure there is no sludge.  If there is, regular draining will be in order.  Grab a bucket if the hot water heater does not discharge near a drain.

HVAC systems.  This includes all heating and air conditioning in the home.  Check all filters monthly.  Clean or replace filters as needed.  Listen for noisy blowers and note them to a technician.  Lubricate circulation pumps and drain expansion tanks.  Whether an oil, gas, or electric system, have a technician inspect furnaces and boilers to make sure they are working properly and all connections are snug.  Examine exhaust pipes for corrosion or loose sections.  For cooling systems, recharge as necessary.  Check the condensate drain line for leaks during the cooling season.  Check the outdoor unit, to make sure it is level and running properly.  Listen for any fan noise that may indicate a failed bearing or poor alignment.  Inspect refrigerant lines for any problematic insulation.  Clean up debris and trim plants away from the outdoor unit.

Attics.  Inspect the attic once or twice a year.  Look for water stains, rot, mildew, or fungus.  These are clues the attic has high humidity.  Make sure insulation is dry and that attic vents are unobstructed.  Look for any bird nests or evidence of pests in the attic.  If so, call an exterminator.

This guide is meant to get a home owner started thinking proactively about preventative home maintenance.  Preventing problems is a lot cheaper fixing them.  Recruit a handyman and develop a yearly or twice-yearly maintenance inspection schedule.  The extended life and comfort of your home will be well worth the trouble of periodic home maintenance.

A Primer on Interior Painting

Most people are familiar with the old adage “a fresh coat of paint.” Painting anything imbues it with new life and vitality, from a car to a living room. Interior paint jobs are an indispensable and, let’s face it, messy part of home ownership. Painting must be approached with meticulous care and extensive preparation. If a paint job is not properly prepared and executed, the simplest error will become obvious and permanent, catching your eye for years to come. The best way to avoid such mistakes is to plan thoroughly and take your time with a paint job. This brief informational guide illustrates some of the basics of an interior paint job, from the shopping list to the clean up.

Flip through some catalogs and home improvement websites to choose a paint color that’s right for the room. Visit a hardware or paint store for some color samples and paint chips. Take the samples back home and compare them to your old color and your furniture. Choosing colors is a fun way to begin a painting project.

Once you’ve chosen a color, that means you are ready to begin shopping for your project. The painting trade is a highly developed industry, so you will discover that there is more painting equipment out there than a typical DIY buff ever needs to know about. To simplify things, use this basic shopping list to help you make your own.

Painting project shopping list
*Brushes and rollers
*Roller covers
*Paint trays and tray liners
*Drop cloths
*Clean up rags
*Painters tape
*Sandpaper
*Paint pail for brush work
*Paint removers
*Razors
*Paint can openers
*Ladders
*Furniture moving pads
*and of course paint

How much paint will you need?
Measure the square footage of the surfaces you will be painting. That means grab a tape measure and add the width plus the height of all the walls that will get a coat of paint. When buying the paint, read the labels or ask a professional how much square footage a particular gallon of a particular type of paint will cover.

What type of paint will you need?
The type of paint depends on the room. If you’re working on an interior paint job, the paint will need to give good coverage coupled with stain resistance. The paint should also be able to withstand occasional scrubbing so you can keep it clean for a long time. The two basic families of paint are latex paint and oil based paint. Most modern day oil based paints are actually made with synthetic resins called alkyds, that are less toxic than traditional oil base. Latex paints have excellent gloss retention and give the longest lasting finish. Latex paints are also quick to dry and very durable. Oil or Alkyd based paints are known for good adhesion and stain resistance. Oil or Alkyd based paints are great for trim in high traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms.

Flat, Satin, Semi-Gloss, or Gloss?
Both latex and oil paints come in a variety of finishes. Flat finish paint softens a room, smoothing the look of walls. Flat finish is not hard to clean with a damp sponge and is great for adult rooms like dining rooms, living rooms, and bedrooms. Satin finish has the benefits of a flat finish but because it has a slight gloss, it is even easier to clean. Satin finish is good for high traffic spots, like children’s bedrooms, family rooms, and hallways. Semi-gloss paint is best for areas that will be cleaned often, like kitchens and bathrooms. Gloss paint has a rich finish and is very durable. It is an ideal finish for trim and doors.

Be prepared!
Painting preparation is probably the most important part of a painting project. Remove all wall art, area rugs and furniture from the room to be painted. Then clean the room. You don’t want dust bunnies interfering with your fresh beautiful new paint. You must lay out drop cloths to cover the entire floor. You must scrape chipped and loose paint. You must clean the walls to be painted with a mildly abrasive cleaner like TSP to remove the dirt and prepare the surface to stick to a new coat of paint. Using painter’s tape, tape all edges and glass that you want to protect. If you are using a different color or gloss for the trim than you are for the walls, make sure to tape off all the trim before you begin. Make sure the room is ventilated. Open windows and doors. Have all of your tools, including painting clothes in the room to be painted. Once you finish preparation and begin acutally painting the walls, you want to avoid having to leave the room for something you forgot about.

This brief DIY guide to painting can not cover all of the details of the job. There are many types of brushes and rollers that were not discussed. Painting techniques include what order to paint in, from ceiling to floor, and how to use brushes and rollers to avoid spatter and runny application. This guide should serve as a starting point. As your painting project develops, seek out the help of painting and home improvement professionals for best results. Good luck!

Matthew Millsap is a home improvement expert. He believes in consumer education. If you need more information on general home improvement or painting in particular, please visit Building Company No. 7

Kitchen remodeling tips and ideas

A practical guide to kitchen remodeling from a home improvement expert.

Kitchen Remodeling is the single most dramatic improvement you can make to your home.  An old adage says, “The kitchen is half the home.”  Of all the human traffic in a home, at least half of that traffic is in the kitchen.  Give your kitchen attention worth its value to your family.

A skylight over the eating area will attract the household to gather and eat together.  Imagine the possibilities of a kitchen island with an overhead pot and pan rack. Many families find that remodeling their kitchen adds years of functionality to their beloved home.  Change that old electric stove to a gas stove.  Renew the pleasures of cooking over an open flame.

Your home is your biggest investment – so choosing the right kitchen remodeling company is an important decision. Read about different remodeling companies. Find an experienced company, with reliable products, service, and peace of mind.  With some vision and resources, you can give your kitchen a custom-designed look tailored to your needs.

Kitchen remodeling projects can range from surface changes, like kitchen cabinet resurfacing to tear out/replace kitchen remodeling, like a new gas range, breakfast nook and a skylight.  Since kitchen culture is so developed, you will find a large selection of changes available for your tired kitchen.  For example, there is a large variety of popular door and drawer styles, with coordinating hardware and a large selection of kitchen cabinet colors and wood grains. Countertops are available in a variety of material choices, from classic granite and marble, to more affordable laminates.

You might find many stages of a kitchen remodel are tasks you may be able to do yourself.  All the same, do not remodel your kitchen without the guidance of a professional.  You may find it relatively easy to replace your oven, for example. But you will be in over your head when it comes time to tile your floor or perform skilled trim carpentry.
There are various modifications that add use and dimension to your kitchen, from trash compactors to beautiful resilient stone tile floors.  So many kitchens are installed according to prefabricated specifications of  low cost design.  Why should kitchen design be left to tract housing architechts?  You know your kitchen best, and the things it needs.  With your vision and the help of a professional contractor, you can elevate your kitchen to a level of design that matches your kitchen’s intense level of use.

The first step of any kitchen remodeling is planning.  Gather information about your kitchen.  What modifications or renovations would you like to perform?  Are you making a few surface changes?  Or are you ready to tear out the kitchen and revitalize the space?  The depth of your project will determine the time and materials you will need.  All kitchen remodeling professionals have a list of available services.  Make a list of which of these services you think you would like to perform.

A sample list of kitchen remodeling services looks like this:
* Cabinet installation
* Countertops – corian, granite and marble
* Cabinet reconditioning and refacing
* Tile backsplash
* Cabinet hardware
* Design service
* Flooring – tile, marble, laminate and hardwood
* Finished trim carpentry
* Custom undermount sinks
* Custom kitchen lighting

Next, make a realistic budget projection.  How much do you want to spend on your kitchen remodel?  How will you finance? Most homeowners finance their home improvement projects with a home equity loan.  A home equity loan is a good choice for financing a kitchen remodeling project.  Mainly, because the project will increase the value of your home. It will reinforce your investment.

Finally, when your plan is made, find a talented and informative contractor.  Call around your city and get on the phone with a contractor that answers your questions and will come over to your home to give a free estimate.  With a bit of homework, you will discover a remodeling professional you feel good working with.  Hire the services of a licensed, bonded, and insured company.  Make sure the contractor you choose is a talented renovator and a good communicator, able to keep you informed.

After you’ve planned your kitchen remodel, budgeted your project, and found a reliable contractor, you will be ready to make your first cut.  Once the process is over, you’ll have a glorious new kitchen.  You can enjoy the satisfaction of renewing the heart of your home.  Good luck!