(BPT) – Spring cleaning is a seasonal tradition. You’ve been setting house projects aside all winter, and now’s the perfect time to make sure the warm weather season starts with a cleaner, happier home. So open the windows, turn on your favorite song, …
(BPT) – Spring brings warmer weather and longer days. Many of us feel re-energized, ready to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. For homeowners, spring is a great time to think about areas of the home ripe for home improvement. Looking around the perimeter of your home as well as the inside with a critical eye can typically help homeowners identify several areas requiring attention that may have gone unnoticed during winter.
Here are three ways homeowners can get their home ready for spring while helping to improve indoor comfort, increase the energy efficiency and add value to their home.
Schedule equipment maintenance
Seasonal use of your home’s furnace and air conditioner also means they require seasonal maintenance. It’s recommended to schedule a HVAC tune-up with your local utility provider. Not only will maintenance help optimize the performance of HVAC equipment during the season, but it will also contribute to their durability for the long term. Also consider checking the air filters and replacing them as required. The U.S. Department of Energy notes by simply changing your HVAC filter, efficiency of your HVAC equipment can improve 5-15 percent. These small measures can have a significant impact on how your home performs.
Check your roof for any ice dam damage
If you live in an area where snow and icicles are common sights during the winter months, you may want to consider assessing your roof for any roof damage caused by ice dams. Ice dams form as the result of a poorly insulated attic or roof. Expensive, warm air escapes through the roof to cause any snow that has accumulated to melt. As the melted snow runs off the roof, it begins to refreeze as it nears the colder temperatures of the eaves. Ice dams can place a large amount of structural stress on your eaves trough. The excess weight can eventually drive the eaves trough to detach from the house.
Having a professional check your roof for any damage will help identify problem areas and allow you to address them early. It may also be a good time to work on reducing your home’s air loss via the attic or roof by replacing your existing insulation with an insulation and air barrier material such as spray foam insulation.
Check your basement for water damage
Assess whether your basement has experienced any water damage near windows due to melting snow. Water damage can lead to a range of problems, including the potential for mold growth and mildew. Consider replacing your basement’s insulation with closed-cell spray foam insulation like that available from Icynene. Closed-cell spray foam insulation is recognized by FEMA as a flood-resistant material, making it an ideal solution to help maintain comfort in often-overlooked basements as well as reduce the risk of water damage.
Spray foam insulation provides both insulating value and air sealing in one step to help create a comfortable living space while limiting air loss and potential mold growth. Spray foam insulation, which is growing quickly in popularity among homeowners, is a high-performance material that delivers year-round energy efficiency benefits. Plus, spray foam can be used in a variety of areas in the home, such as basements, attics and walls. Spray foam insulation performs for the life of the property, ensuring homeowners can enjoy comfortable indoor temperatures all year round without overrunning their heating and cooling equipment. The foam insulation material limits air loss through the attics, prevents potential water damage in areas such as basements and helps create a comfortable living space.
Homeowners interested in understanding more about the performance and energy-efficiency advantages can download Icynene’s comprehensive home insulation mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. More information about Icynene spray foam insulation can be found at Icynene.com.
(BPT) – Spring brings warmer weather and longer days. Many of us feel re-energized, ready to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. For homeowners, spring is a great time to think about areas of the home ripe for home improvement. Looking around the perimeter of your home as well as the inside with a critical eye can typically help homeowners identify several areas requiring attention that may have gone unnoticed during winter.
Here are three ways homeowners can get their home ready for spring while helping to improve indoor comfort, increase the energy efficiency and add value to their home.
Schedule equipment maintenance
Seasonal use of your home’s furnace and air conditioner also means they require seasonal maintenance. It’s recommended to schedule a HVAC tune-up with your local utility provider. Not only will maintenance help optimize the performance of HVAC equipment during the season, but it will also contribute to their durability for the long term. Also consider checking the air filters and replacing them as required. The U.S. Department of Energy notes by simply changing your HVAC filter, efficiency of your HVAC equipment can improve 5-15 percent. These small measures can have a significant impact on how your home performs.
Check your roof for any ice dam damage
If you live in an area where snow and icicles are common sights during the winter months, you may want to consider assessing your roof for any roof damage caused by ice dams. Ice dams form as the result of a poorly insulated attic or roof. Expensive, warm air escapes through the roof to cause any snow that has accumulated to melt. As the melted snow runs off the roof, it begins to refreeze as it nears the colder temperatures of the eaves. Ice dams can place a large amount of structural stress on your eaves trough. The excess weight can eventually drive the eaves trough to detach from the house.
Having a professional check your roof for any damage will help identify problem areas and allow you to address them early. It may also be a good time to work on reducing your home’s air loss via the attic or roof by replacing your existing insulation with an insulation and air barrier material such as spray foam insulation.
Check your basement for water damage
Assess whether your basement has experienced any water damage near windows due to melting snow. Water damage can lead to a range of problems, including the potential for mold growth and mildew. Consider replacing your basement’s insulation with closed-cell spray foam insulation like that available from Icynene. Closed-cell spray foam insulation is recognized by FEMA as a flood-resistant material, making it an ideal solution to help maintain comfort in often-overlooked basements as well as reduce the risk of water damage.
Spray foam insulation provides both insulating value and air sealing in one step to help create a comfortable living space while limiting air loss and potential mold growth. Spray foam insulation, which is growing quickly in popularity among homeowners, is a high-performance material that delivers year-round energy efficiency benefits. Plus, spray foam can be used in a variety of areas in the home, such as basements, attics and walls. Spray foam insulation performs for the life of the property, ensuring homeowners can enjoy comfortable indoor temperatures all year round without overrunning their heating and cooling equipment. The foam insulation material limits air loss through the attics, prevents potential water damage in areas such as basements and helps create a comfortable living space.
Homeowners interested in understanding more about the performance and energy-efficiency advantages can download Icynene’s comprehensive home insulation mobile app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. More information about Icynene spray foam insulation can be found at Icynene.com.
(BPT) – The key to reducing your home’s energy bills could literally be at your fingertips, hanging on the wall of your home. Multiple studies have shown the connection between lower energy bills and thermostat settings. In fact, reducing thermostat settings just seven to 10 degrees for eight hours per day can reduce heating and cooling use by 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Smarter thermostats, greater efficiency
With smart home automation, homeowners can use a home comfort system to actively manage their comfort and energy usage. This greater ability to match the system performance to individual lifestyles puts the homeowner in a position of power when it comes to managing their energy usage. And in terms of home comfort, that control typically starts with the thermostat.
Thermostats often serve as the touchpoint that integrates with the larger system to provide the simplest, most user-friendly interface for the homeowner. So, it’s important for homeowners to understand the different types of thermostats available to them and how they can improve comfort and efficiency:
* A conventional thermostat lets the homeowner adjust the temperature using a traditional dial or control panel.
* Smart thermostats monitor user behavior and dynamically adjust system performance for consistent comfort and maximized efficiency.
* Connected thermostats bridge the gap between the two, offering remote operation, but still rely on the user for direction.
Smart thermostats, like Champion’s Momentum Hx Touch-screen Thermostat, manage automation by communicating wirelessly with home heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to maximize efficiency. Smart thermostats learn better than humans, and can automatically adjust temperature programming to match your lifestyle while maximizing efficiency and savings. As part of a complete system, the Wi-Fi-enabled Momentum thermostat allows users to monitor and control systems remotely with an app from any internet-enabled mobile device, and can even notify homeowners of developing problems.
Looking beyond the thermostat
The number of connected households that have smart thermostats more than doubled in the past two years, according to market research firm Parks Associates. With 36 percent of broadband-using households interested in a system that manages and monitors their home energy use, Parks Associates predict that half of all American homes will be smart homes by 2020.
Energy consumption starts with the overall heating and cooling equipment; thermostat watts are just a small portion of energy consumption. Purchasing home automation products designed and manufactured to work with the homeowner’s specific comfort system is the best way to maximize performance and energy savings. And, homeowners should start with buying energy-efficient equipment.
“It’s important to remember that “smart” isn’t just the thermostat – it’s an overall connected system,” said Jedidiah Bentz, director, Advanced Systems, Controls & Technology, Johnson Controls. “A complete home comfort system goes beyond the thermostat to offer energy saving benefits.”
To learn more about Champion home comfort systems, visit www.championhomecomfort.com/smarthome or follow @Champion_HVAC on Twitter.
(BPT) – The key to reducing your home’s energy bills could literally be at your fingertips, hanging on the wall of your home. Multiple studies have shown the connection between lower energy bills and thermostat settings. In fact, reducing thermostat settings just seven to 10 degrees for eight hours per day can reduce heating and cooling use by 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Smarter thermostats, greater efficiency
With smart home automation, homeowners can use a home comfort system to actively manage their comfort and energy usage. This greater ability to match the system performance to individual lifestyles puts the homeowner in a position of power when it comes to managing their energy usage. And in terms of home comfort, that control typically starts with the thermostat.
Thermostats often serve as the touchpoint that integrates with the larger system to provide the simplest, most user-friendly interface for the homeowner. So, it’s important for homeowners to understand the different types of thermostats available to them and how they can improve comfort and efficiency:
* A conventional thermostat lets the homeowner adjust the temperature using a traditional dial or control panel.
* Smart thermostats monitor user behavior and dynamically adjust system performance for consistent comfort and maximized efficiency.
* Connected thermostats bridge the gap between the two, offering remote operation, but still rely on the user for direction.
Smart thermostats, like Champion’s Momentum Hx Touch-screen Thermostat, manage automation by communicating wirelessly with home heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to maximize efficiency. Smart thermostats learn better than humans, and can automatically adjust temperature programming to match your lifestyle while maximizing efficiency and savings. As part of a complete system, the Wi-Fi-enabled Momentum thermostat allows users to monitor and control systems remotely with an app from any internet-enabled mobile device, and can even notify homeowners of developing problems.
Looking beyond the thermostat
The number of connected households that have smart thermostats more than doubled in the past two years, according to market research firm Parks Associates. With 36 percent of broadband-using households interested in a system that manages and monitors their home energy use, Parks Associates predict that half of all American homes will be smart homes by 2020.
Energy consumption starts with the overall heating and cooling equipment; thermostat watts are just a small portion of energy consumption. Purchasing home automation products designed and manufactured to work with the homeowner’s specific comfort system is the best way to maximize performance and energy savings. And, homeowners should start with buying energy-efficient equipment.
“It’s important to remember that “smart” isn’t just the thermostat – it’s an overall connected system,” said Jedidiah Bentz, director, Advanced Systems, Controls & Technology, Johnson Controls. “A complete home comfort system goes beyond the thermostat to offer energy saving benefits.”
To learn more about Champion home comfort systems, visit www.championhomecomfort.com/smarthome or follow @Champion_HVAC on Twitter.
(BPT) – If grubs overtake your lawn this spring, will you know how to get rid of them? Do you have the time and skill to effectively patch those ugly bare spots that developed over the winter? A lush lawn and beautiful landscape are on virtually every …
(BPT) – If grubs overtake your lawn this spring, will you know how to get rid of them? Do you have the time and skill to effectively patch those ugly bare spots that developed over the winter? A lush lawn and beautiful landscape are on virtually every …
(BPT) – It’s a long-standing tradition performed at the workbench of American garages — passing garage logic to the next generation. From hammering that first nail to changing a car’s oil, the garage is a living laboratory where parents teach their kids life lessons, self-reliance and problem-solving skills. It can even be an incubator where the seeds of a future profession grow.
Today, instilling that larger vision requires a break from the small screen. Too often, smartphones and video games dominate the attention of kids, replacing time once craved from their parents. In 2016, National Public Radio reported preteens spend more than four hours per day in front of their screens, and teens spend seven, not including the time spent using these devices for or in school.
Replacing the tablet with a tool in kids’ hands requires parents to be creative and focused. Here are some easy ways to start and, in the process, create a sense of accomplishment and ownership kids won’t forget when it is their time to pay it forward.
Give a garage tool tour
Start with a tour of your tool collection, demonstrating the role each one plays. Chances are you acquired your tools over a lifetime or more, elevating their significance beyond the specific task for which they were initially forged. Some may even carry a special story — the $3 putty knife that saved a $200 damage deposit in your first apartment, or the pipe wrench that stopped a basement flood in your childhood home. Share the stories, and the glory.
Contract the kids for your next project
Projects with a variety of tasks provide opportunities for all skill levels to get involved. Just one example is maintaining a wood deck or fence. Youngsters can assist with sanding and painting, while teenagers can learn to clean fences with a Powerhorse Pressure Washer from Northern Tool + Equipment. Keep it interesting by introducing more sophisticated tools as they get older.
Keep it clean and safe
Help your children understand the importance of keeping tools and workspaces safe, clean and well maintained. Everything starts with protective gear — safety glasses, earphones, masks and gloves — appropriate for different jobs. Teach them the value of caring for your investments. Preventative maintenance, such as changing oil and checking filters, keeps equipment working better and longer, which ultimately saves money. When the project is done, stress the importance of returning everything to its place for an organized and safe shop.
Have fun
Most of all, make your garage a place kids want to be. Personalize your garage with conversation pieces, memorabilia from your local sports teams or other things that may not be welcomed inside the house. The ultimate goal is keeping kids interested and wanting to learn more ways to be helpful around the house. Assume the role of mentor, not a drill sergeant. Teach them what they need to know and how to succeed. Finally, when a job is done, make a point to celebrate with refreshments and sincere thanks. This fulfillment will keep them motivated and instill invaluable garage logic that will forever be part of their character.
(BPT) – It’s a long-standing tradition performed at the workbench of American garages — passing garage logic to the next generation. From hammering that first nail to changing a car’s oil, the garage is a living laboratory where parents teach their kids life lessons, self-reliance and problem-solving skills. It can even be an incubator where the seeds of a future profession grow.
Today, instilling that larger vision requires a break from the small screen. Too often, smartphones and video games dominate the attention of kids, replacing time once craved from their parents. In 2016, National Public Radio reported preteens spend more than four hours per day in front of their screens, and teens spend seven, not including the time spent using these devices for or in school.
Replacing the tablet with a tool in kids’ hands requires parents to be creative and focused. Here are some easy ways to start and, in the process, create a sense of accomplishment and ownership kids won’t forget when it is their time to pay it forward.
Give a garage tool tour
Start with a tour of your tool collection, demonstrating the role each one plays. Chances are you acquired your tools over a lifetime or more, elevating their significance beyond the specific task for which they were initially forged. Some may even carry a special story — the $3 putty knife that saved a $200 damage deposit in your first apartment, or the pipe wrench that stopped a basement flood in your childhood home. Share the stories, and the glory.
Contract the kids for your next project
Projects with a variety of tasks provide opportunities for all skill levels to get involved. Just one example is maintaining a wood deck or fence. Youngsters can assist with sanding and painting, while teenagers can learn to clean fences with a Powerhorse Pressure Washer from Northern Tool + Equipment. Keep it interesting by introducing more sophisticated tools as they get older.
Keep it clean and safe
Help your children understand the importance of keeping tools and workspaces safe, clean and well maintained. Everything starts with protective gear — safety glasses, earphones, masks and gloves — appropriate for different jobs. Teach them the value of caring for your investments. Preventative maintenance, such as changing oil and checking filters, keeps equipment working better and longer, which ultimately saves money. When the project is done, stress the importance of returning everything to its place for an organized and safe shop.
Have fun
Most of all, make your garage a place kids want to be. Personalize your garage with conversation pieces, memorabilia from your local sports teams or other things that may not be welcomed inside the house. The ultimate goal is keeping kids interested and wanting to learn more ways to be helpful around the house. Assume the role of mentor, not a drill sergeant. Teach them what they need to know and how to succeed. Finally, when a job is done, make a point to celebrate with refreshments and sincere thanks. This fulfillment will keep them motivated and instill invaluable garage logic that will forever be part of their character.
(BPT) – If you’re planning to tackle a home decorating project this year, here are the top trends you should consider:1. Marble wallpaper: A lot of the 2017 trends are about going back to classic styles, and it doesn’t get much more classic than marble…