November 2017 – Page 2 – Home Improvement Guides Free
 

Month: November 2017

How Solar Panels Spare You Cash

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You hear about things like solar panels all the time on television and the radio, but have you ever REALLY thought about utilizing solar panels at home? The average man (or lady) hears about something cool like solar panels and thinks “I want I might do that at home, but there’s no means”, or “That ‘d be excellent if I can manage it!”. There are people worldwide that now make use of renewable energy sources, such as solar panels or wind turbines, to save cash on electrical costs or totally eliminate them.

So, why solar items? Exactly what are they, and exactly how can they help improve your green home energy?

In these kits, they’ll deliver you the quantity of solar panels you need for the size of your roof as well as the mounts to mount them on the roof and all the wiring needed to wire all the panels together and down to your electrical box. I’ve been informed a lot of states, like California, currently have grants right now to advertise green energy solutions for citizens of the state. You could get up to half of your solar panel system paid for just for deciding to go green!

If being cost efficient is necessary to you, then you’re aiming to want to check out developing your own solar panels in your home. To some, this could appear overwhelming and you may fret since of your lack of experience in such a field, but I’m right here to let you understand those shouldn’t be issues of yours. Many people who do build their very own have little to no experience in doing this, they simply have access to important videos to reveal them the process. There are a few real excellent companies out there that have instructional videos for developing solar panels and they are WELL worth the cost. You’ll be able to see the whole process, from start to complete, over the shoulder of someone well trained in the area. Each action is discussed in terrific information and it’s easy to stay on par with. Simply make sure you purchase the right video clip set, there are some out there that aren’t worth the cash due to lack of detail in the video clips.

Air collector output may be made use of to dehumidify a house. This kind of natural dehumidifier could assist enhance the air quality in your space if you or anybody in your family suffers allergies or other respiratory issues.

It takes not even more than 5 years for the panels to return your investments. Thinking about the numerous benefits of the solar panels, this serves as an excellent investment. Conserving expenses when utilizing this energy depends on a many factors, amongst them the amount of sunlight which the panels obtain when they are at the peak of their feature. The expense additionally counts on the solar panel capacity. A 2nd hand panels will cost you less contrasted to a brand-new one however, its performance will absolutely be lesser.

You may blanch at the cost of installment, but in the long run you’ll discover it’s a great bargain. Solar products require little to no upkeep and over time you could see less nos on your utility costs.

Stable modern technology: Unlike numerous more recent replenishable energy choices out there, solar power panels have actually been around for years. Solar technology is stable and so are the costs.

If you mean to install a solar water heating unit in your house then it is crucial to understand more about the costs of the solar water heating units. You can as well pick to make use of a homemade solar water heating unit and save yourself some cash as it is much more affordable!

Renewable energy is one of the most beneficial choice energy sources utilized for power generation. Though domestically they could not create a large amount of power, still to some extent, they can be rather useful for home tasks. Experts are doing more research towards improving the efficiency of domestic solar panels as well as making them more economical.

Benefits Of Metal Roofing Installation Over Traditional Options

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When homeowners start noticing leaks, missing tiles, and other signs of excessive wear or tear on their roof, they may want to consider metal roofing installation as their next home improvement project. There are many little known benefits of this type of roofing compared to traditional options that make it attractive for all types of properties. Consider these facts when it’s time to repair your roof:

1) They come with impressive warranties. Some manufacturers give transferable warranties for up to 40 years after metal roofing installation. Workmanship and pricing guarantees are also available in some areas.

2) The materials come in just about every color and style available. No matter what style your home is, from Cape Cod to Victorian to Contemporary, you’ll be able to find an option that fits perfectly. Colors include traditional dark blues, greens, and black, plus there are a whole variety of other options. Likewise, there are shingles, shakes, panels, and tiles to choose from, just like with traditional materials.

3) They last for an impressively long amount of time. Industry experts boast that when you choose metal roofing installation it will be the last time you’ll ever have to have the roof on your home replaced. Testing shows that they last a minimum of 125 years, which is especially remarkable when you consider that it’s not uncommon for traditional shingles to need replacement within 10 years.

4) They can blend in or stand out. One of the things that is so great about this option for your home is that it can make a real statement and add tremendous visual appeal to the property. With all the colors and styles available, it can make your home look completely different than any other in the neighborhood, allowing you and your family to express your individuality in a unique and fun way. However, those who are just looking for solid performance without attracting any attention can choose a more subdued style and color that will blend in effortlessly

5) They are environmentally friendly. Their high level of energy efficiency has earned them the Energy Star Rating. Furthermore, certain styles are manufactured from as much as 96% recycled material. Green minded homeowners should be sure to check with the seller to ensure they choose a brand that boasts a high percentage of recycled content.

6) They increase home value. According to some reports, nearly 70% of the cost of metal roofing installation can be added on to a property’s value. It’s also a selling point for potential buyers since they know that they won’t have to worry about replacement any time soon, if ever, during their ownership of the home.

Hardiplank Siding Is Great, But How Can You Find The Right Contractors

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So you bought a home that has wood siding on it? Or maybe you have vinyl or hardiplank siding on it already and it’s damaged/needs to be replaced. You may have thought about purchasing a new home made of brick, or stone. Then you realize this is going to be 4 times more expensive than your current mortgage. Then you’re back to fixing your current siding. Don’t make the siding job to your home more complicated than it has to be. Sure, an all brick home can be appealing, but sometimes you need to work with what you have.

Hardiplank siding is the best alternative to buying a brick home.

Hardiplank siding is so durable and tough that you actually will never have to paint your home again. It does not decay or rot. Your home will look like new for years to come with hardiplank siding protecting your home’s structure. Have you ever watched those videos where a roof, or side of a home is ripped apart by a storm and blown several miles down the road? If you said yes, you did not watch a hardiplank siding home withstand the storm. This siding is so tough that it will not crumble in above average situations such as high winds.

I have yet to see a hardiplank siding job that a homeowner is unhappy about. You can tell the difference almost instantly. Hardiplank doesn’t only make your home more appealing, but protects your family inside. No leaks, no cracks.

So if hardiplank is something you are thinking about doing, there are some simple ground rules you need to follow to make sure you do not get ripped off. There are some mean hardiplank installers out there trying to feed on the uneducated homeowners. They promise the best, install a decent product, and charge you a premium price. With that being said, the best thing you can do to protect yourself, is educate yourself about hardiplank siding. Knowledge is power, and it couldn’t be more true in situations such as these.

Before you even call any hardiplank siding contractors, I suggest you surf the web for as much information about hardiplank siding as possible. This is where many homeowners fall short. They simply make an appointment to have a sales representative teach them. Sales representatives are not the people you want teaching you about hardiplank siding. You want someone who isn’t going to force you to buy something. This is where the internet comes into play. Use the search engines to find out what the best hardiplank siding is, what the worst is, what you should expect to pay, what color options you have, and what makes hardiplank siding so special. After you have learned enough that you feel comfortable enough to teach someone else, then you can begin calling contractors to schedule free estimates.

Ask the hard questions. The meetings with these hardiplank siding contractors will become more and more fun as each one comes and goes and you realize who is full of it and who isn’t. Make sure to take notes from each visit to review your best offers later. When it is all said and done, you should be completely satisfied with the hardiplank siding contractor you chose to work on your home.

For more money saving tips and tricks when doing home improvement projects to your house, keep in touch with our articles on here.

How to Lower Air Conditioning Costs

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Many people mistakenly think expensive air conditioning bills are simply a part of life. Summers can be quite long and uncomfortable, and there’s nothing like the feeling of a cool home. For those who live in warmer climates, it can require a good deal of energy to keep a property comfortable. However, there are many simple home improvement projects property owners can complete to get the most out of their HVAC equipment.

It all starts with proper maintenance. Your air conditioning equipment is a big investment, and you’ll need to make sure any routine maintenance needs are addressed. Instead of waiting until your AC malfunctions, have a dependable HVAC inspector look at your appliances to make sure everything is in good shape. Wear and tear is normal on air conditioning systems, but most small issues can be fixed with relative ease. If you haven’t had your AC inspected in some time, schedule an appointment. A contractor can see to it that your appliance is running at an optimal level.

Your air conditioning equipment will only perform at a high level if your property is well insulated. Heat tends to travel to cooler areas, and it’s important to insulate your house to keep stuffy outdoor temperatures from leaking inside. If you have an older property, you could probably benefit from new insulation. Today’s insulation products offer superior performance and can be the difference between a reasonable or expensive cooling bill. You’ll want to insulate walls, crawl spaces, and the attic, and a contractor can help you determine the type of insulation best suited for your property.

Windows and doors often have poor insulating properties, and they can allow a great deal of heat to pass into your home. To prevent this, you’ll want to seal any gaps and consider investing in energy efficient materials. Double-paned glass is vastly superior to single-paned glass, and it also has superior noise dampening qualities. If you don’t want to perform such an extensive renovation, consider improving the caulking and sealing around doors and windows. Window coverings are also quite helpful and can prevent direct sunlight from entering and warming your property.

As you can see, your air conditioning equipment isn’t the only thing that affects your property’s energy efficiency. By completing some of these simple improvements, you’ll reduce energy costs and make your property more environmentally friendly. These types of upgrades can add dramatic value to your home or business, and you may even recoup what you spend today on lower energy bills from this point forward. If you’re still unhappy with your property’s efficiency, it may be time to upgrade your AC. By investing in your HVAC equipment, you’ll be able to stay cool regardless of the temperature outside.

Referral Marketing For Home Improvement Contractors

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Referral Marketing for Home Improvement Contractors
In these tough economic times, it is imperative that home improvement contractors implement a fully-functioning referral marketing strategy. If they dont, they are potentially losing thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars in sales and profits.

If designed and executed properly, this referral marketing system will help home improvement contractors:
Attract a steady flow of ready and willing customers for your most profitable services;
Give your business an UNFAIR ADVANTAGE by locking-out your competition from the best customers and the most profitable markets;
Build your image as THE authoritative home improvement expert in your area and command top-dollar for your services;
Enjoy the freedom to raise your prices year after year, while your competition has to discount to survive;
Generate a torrent of profitable referrals from existing and past customers through referral marketing;
Dramatically increase the VALUE and salability of your business;
Have your customers enthusiastically giving you permission to contact them for future business;
Have a 24 hour a day/7 day a week profit-producing referral marketing system that creates leads while you are sleeping, fishing, golfing, relaxing, and spending time with your family;
Dramatically reduce your workload so youll have plenty of time for yourself.
But with the demands on home improvement contractors to service their current clients while still hustling to find new ones, the referral marketing program that they institute has to be all-encompassing and not place more work in their already busy schedule. The last thing they need is a referral marketing program that includes a bunch of useless books and manuals they have to read, software they have to install, or huge home study courses that take months to complete.
Theres no doubt that the successful home improvement business is the one
that has the most effective systems for attracting, retaining and multiplying happy customers. Most home improvement companies are so obsessed with getting new customers that they completely ignore the gold mine of opportunities with their former and existing customers and never consider any type of referral marketing program. All this does is make the home improvement contractor rat race worse for those who participate… especially when the economy slows.

But, home improvement companies that know how to develop long-term relationships with their customers, have an active database of happy customers that they communicate with on a regular basis, and that can rely on their customers to feed their business (and their families and employees), day in and day out – year after year – even when the economy takes a dumpthose are the home improvement companies that are going to be successful through referral marketing.
Many home improvement contractors throw away thousands of dollars on ineffective advertising because theyre chasing that elusive new client. The truth is, their current client base if used properly through referral marketing can provide the instant sales and profit that they need. The value of a satisfied client is immeasurable when a properly designed and implemented referral marketing system is put in place.

Some Surefire Tips For Home Improvement Success

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Are you a beginner when it comes to home improvement? If you have no idea how to make home improvements, you’re not the only one. There is nothing strange about that, but there are things that can help. Read on for some great home improvement advice.

You can easily make your ceiling look higher. You can put a lengthy floor lamp in the room or install striped wall paper. When you do that to your rooms, there is an optical illusion your eyes must follow. The eyes will naturally focus on following all lines upward towards the ceiling, which will seem higher as a result.

Make sure to dust your home accessories at least once a week. If you live in a dusty home, you will be more likely to develop allergies later in life. Dusting gets rid of stray dust particles, as well as spiders, ants, and other living invaders.

To make a quick, easy improvement, go grab a gallon or two of paint. Adding some new paint to a home can give it a new appearance, which doesn’t really cost you a whole lot of money or time. A fresh paint job can boost the appeal of your house to potential homebuyers, in case you are thinking of selling.

Having the right lighting in a room can make a huge difference. Bright rooms are ideal to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Putting in an additional light fixture can really brighten up a room. Add some brightness to a darker space and you will feel better in the whole home.

Mounting a coat rack can be a pretty way to display and store your bracelets and necklaces. Because this design element will likely be near a door, use only inexpensive jewelry. Using creative displays to hang your jewelry can become a nice, decorative element and also protect your jewelry from tangles or breakage. Keep the few pieces of jewelry that you wear more often in front and close at hand.

Think about adding insulation to your home. Windows and doors should all be weather-stripped. You can cut costs when you prevent air from escaping and coming in your home. You will also end up saving quite a bit of money on your next energy bill.

Do not underestimate the amount of effort that your project will require. Sit down and make a list of everything you have to do. It is also smart to have a second opinion; you might have missed something in your initial assessment. You can save more money if you are clear about everything that needs doing.

If your new home is in a suburban area located next to undeveloped or thickly wooded land, consider investing in a tall wooden or chain-link fence around the perimeter of your backyard. This will keep animals out of your yard.

While it may seem complicated to do home improvement projects, it’s actually easy. Yes, it requires a certain degree of effort, but what doesn’t? Small jobs are out there, as well. Now that you know how, you’re ready to try.

Do’s And Don’ts Of Home Renovation Loans

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If you are considering a home renovation loan to finance your new home improvement project, then you need to go into the process as prepared as possible. These twenty tips will prove invaluable when shopping for and navigating through your home renovation loan.

1. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t rush through your planning phase in an effort to get to the actual renovation as quickly as possible. Many an owner before you has made this mistake only to run out of money with a half-improved home.

2. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do understand that the planning and financing phase is just as important as the actual rehab phase. The battle can be won or lost before the first nail is ever hammered.

3. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t rely on a cost estimator to put together your home improvement budget. They will not be accurate enough.

4. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do take the time you need to put a solid budget together, based on actual bids and quotes from local contractors and material providers. Make sure you based these bids and quotes on your actual blueprints.

5. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t shop for a home improvement loan based solely on the interest rate during the rehab. Short term, interest-only rehab rates will only create a minor variation to your overall costs, because they only apply for the few months that you will be renovating.

6. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do make sure your loan accrues interest based only on what you actually borrow during renovation. This way you can pad your budget going into the rehab without having to pay interest on it.

7. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t allow the seller of the house to force you into a purchase agreement that expires in one month. Your lot contract will expire before your loan closes and funds.

8. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do explain to the seller of the house that you are wrapping the purchase into your home improvement loan and need at least two months (or more) on the contract in order to finalize plans, complete a full budget and get the file through underwriting.

9. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t try to build the biggest house in the neighborhood. Your loan’s appraisal will most likely be inadequate to get the file through underwriting, because there won’t be any comparable properties in your neighborhood.

10. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do understand the appraisal process and requirements before you finalize your house plans and/or select your property. If you can’t get a solid appraisal, you can’t get a home improvement loan.

11. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t settle for a loan that has two closings – one for renovation and one for the modification to the permanent loan once you’re done building. This extra closing will cost you time, money, and headaches.

12. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do find a loan that has a single closing to cover the land purchase, renovation phase, and conversion to permanent financing. You may see the term single-close or one-time-closing.

13. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t try to secure financing with poor credit nowadays. It is hard to find any financing for poor credit borrowers right now, especially if you want to rehab a home.

14. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do make sure your credit score is at least above 620 with a few open, healthy accounts. For your best chances at financing, get your score above 700. Talk to your loan officer for credit restoration ideas if needed.

15. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t start building your new home without a plan for selling your current home.

16. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do consider listing your current home for sale right from the start. Your new home may not be ready for another six months, but that gives you plenty of time to consider offers and prepare for the sale of the current home.

17. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t start renovations until your loan has closed. Depending on the state and/or county in which you live, you may run into issues with title insurance. No title insurance means no financing.

18. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do speak to your loan officer and local title companies if you absolutely have to begin improvements prior to the loan closing date.

19. Home Renovation Loan Don’t:

Don’t hurt your credit score while you fix up your own house by running up credit cards or missing payments due to being strapped for cash.

20. Home Renovation Loan Do:

Do look for a loan that has features to keep your cash in your pocket: minimal down payment requirements, an interest reserve feature to limit mortgage payments while you build, a contingency to protect you from under-budgeting, etc. These types of features will prevent you from spending all of your own cash, which leads people to severely damage their credit scores while they build.