Home Product Labels: Learning to Read Them


You read food labels & now it

We’re used to reading labels on boxes, cans and other packaging at the grocery store. If you’ve bought any home products with an Energy Star label recently, we hope you read the “energy smart” labels as there’s lots of important information to help you make more informed decisions.

When you’re buying a refrigerator, it costs a lot more than your food … and it’s going to be there in your home much longer than a box of cereal or can of soup. The bright yellow, Energy Star labels help you make long term (sometimes up to 20 or 30 year) decisions.... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

When You Visit Your Unfinished Attic


Attic stairs make it easier to store things in the attic

A few lucky homeowners have finished their attics but most of our attics are unfinished. We use our attics to store things we don’t use very often like holiday decorations, baby gear and furniture we’re not using. The space doesn’t cost anything so we carry stuff up there all the time, often forgetting what’s there.

That’s why we wanted to give you some tips on how to store things safely and how to label things so you can find things quickly and safely. We also want to encourage you to inspect your attic for signs of problems each time you... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Home with the Groundhog


Groundhogs like their homes and we home you like your house too

Weather patterns are changing and it’s hard to know how to prepare our homes for every possible emergency like the tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding and heat waves we had last year.

Today is weather related, but it’s a fun reminder of the changing seasons, so relax and smile as there’s nothing (yes nothing) you need to do. It’s simply February 2nd which means it is Groundhog Day!

According to folklore, we’re supposed to watch to see how the groundhog reacts when he comes out of his home … like his fancy front door?. When our local groundhog comes out of his home today,... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Windows: Repair, Replace, Other Choices?


Windows need inspection & repairs on an ongoing basis to keep them airtight

Do you have a favorite room in the house? Curious if you also like spending time there at a certain time of day, and if your choice is based on sunlight streaming into the room to brighten your day? Windows are really one of today’s modern treasures as they let us visually enjoy natural sunlight and views of the area around our homes, they’re our eyes to the world beyond!

When people talk about curb appeal, they start with the front door but consider your windows — they have great visual impact on the overall appearance of your house so you... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Making Our Homes More Airtight


Many types of insulation to pick from

As energy costs rise, there’s a lot more focus on making our homes more airtight to reduce energy consumption.You can save money when your heating and air conditioning systems run less. At the same time you’ll need to use mechanical ventilation similar to your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, to remove stale air and replace it with fresh air from outside.

You’re going to start hearing more about Indoor Air Quality or IAQ. The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineering (ASHRAE) is the organization identified most often with respect to air quality. The first term you’ll want to get... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Pick Your Perfect Storm Door


A storm door protects the door behind it

Storm doors are an important feature to add to your home. Today in fact, you will probably buy a combination storm and screen door which offers lots of advantages. Storm doors protect exterior doors from the weather, whether it’s sunlight, rain or debris during a storm. Storm doors also help save energy as they work like double pane windows, with the air between the doors reducing the loss of conditioned (heated or cooled) air.

Most of the storm doors you buy today come with screens so when the weather is nice, you can use the screen door to circulate fresh air... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Warm & Dry Bathrooms


Keep your bathroom warm and dry

Ever wonder what is was like a hundred years ago when homes didn’t have central heat or plumbing? These remain a luxury item for millions of people around the world while most Americans are able to take a nice, hot shower (or bath) every day.

Our bathrooms take good care of us, so we should take a few minutes to consider the care our bathrooms need from us. We make lots of short trips to the bathroom so this room gets more wear and tear than any other room in our house. Your bathroom has lots of moving parts – the... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Winter Home Maintenance Checklist


Winter arrives with or without snow and ice so it

Like bears who hibernate through the winter, we tend to spend more time inside our homes during the winter months. We hope you were diligent in preparing your home for winter with our earlier checklist as this month we’re focusing on things inside your house, things we often forget about with the hustle and bustle of day-to-day living.

We’ve created this table so you can focus on a few things each week or month. Safety is always a top priority and then you want to protect your home by minimizing any potential water (read wood rot) damage. Then it’s time to... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Happy Holidays to All


Wishing everyone a Merry, Merry Christmas

It’s that time of year when we get to relax and visit with family and friends. We wish everyone who’s visited us online and customer new and old, a wonderful holiday holiday season. Be safe, be merry and take some time to sit back and enjoy all that’s good in our lives … from our home to yours, Happy Holidays!

 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Picking Great Kitchen Flooring


Kitchen floors help pull a kitchen together & integrate with other rooms

Kitchen remodeling was one of Remodeling Magazine’s top 10 remodeling projects for this year. Flooring was one of the kitchen features included in the remodeling project so we decided to review the best types of flooring for a kitchen where people tend to stand on their feet more, and there’s a greater chance of water and food getting spilled on the floor.

This article not only introduces the 5 most popular types of kitchen flooring, it also identifies the things you want to consider when researching flooring products for your kitchen or any room in your house. We’ll probably need to... 

Read full story • Comments { 0 }