Why You Should Enclose Your Home's Crawl Space

Most homes have either a crawl space or a basement. Crawlspaces have several advantages to basements. Crawlspaces elevate the home above the ground and are much less expensive than a basement. Crawlspaces also make space for duct work and plumbing to run and are easily accessible for contractors. Crawlspaces are great however, without taking proper precautions they can breed mold and mildew and allow moisture to compromise the structure of your home. Insulating a crawl space is in your best interest for many reasons. Here I have outlined the top reasons to insulate and seal your home's crawlspace.

Home Insulation Tips to Save You Money

High heating bills are something all of us have become accustom to. As the prices of heating gases and oil go up, homeowners pay more and more to keep their homes comfortable. Some of the price increases can be offset by increasing home insulation. Most homeowners can save 25% or more on home heating costs by making a few home improvements!

Older homes typically need a denver insulation upgrade much more frequently than newer builds. It is a mistake, though to assume that your newer home is as well-insulated as possible. Many homes built after 1980 have inferior insulation ratings because building codes are not up-to-date with DOE recommendations. Also, occasionally home-builders do try to save money on little things like insulation to lower build costs.

 

The following are simple and inexpensive steps you can take to lower your heating costs this winter:

5 Tips on How to Save Home Energy

By Orlando Racelis

In today's economy, every little thing you do that will lead to trimming off your expenses will go a long way. Check out the following 5 tips on how to save home energy to get you started on saving some money by cutting down on your bills. At the same time, you will also be doing your part in taking care of and preserving the environment.

1. Maintain your furnace properly. Keep it well lubricated, clean, and correctly adjusted. A well-maintained furnace will function much more efficiently and use lesser energy. This will significantly decrease the cost of operating it. Also, check your filter. You should clean it at least once every two months. If it is too dirty to clean, consider replacing it with a new one.

2. Get a programmable thermostat for your home. A programmable thermostat is very useful in helping you save home energy. You can save 2% of your home heating needs for each degree that you turn down your thermostat. With the use of a programmable thermostat, you can automatically lower your thermostat setting even when you are asleep at night or when there is nobody home.

3. Make the most out of your appliances. This goes especially for your washing machine and your dishwasher. As much as possible, always use these appliances with a full load. If you are looking for a new washing machine, choose a front loading model. This type of washing machine is much more efficient than other models. It actually decreases your laundry water consumption by up to 40% while decreasing your electricity consumption by up to 50%. Some dishwasher models on the other hand have an "energy saver" mode for air drying your items. If your dishwasher has this setting, use it.

Weatherstripping Your Doors

Doors are much easier to seal than windows as they have fewer moving parts.  To add weather stripping so it doesn't cause binding, it is best to even out the gaps around your door before starting.  If possible, shim the door hinges to create a uniform gap all the way around your door.

The weatherstripping you should use is the same used for windows. Plastic V-strips and spring bronze are great for the top and sides of the door.  You must use a different material for the bottom as you deal with heavy foot traffic.  There are special seals designed for door bottoms including door sweeps, door shoes and thresholds.

8 Tips to Decrease your Bills

Have you ever received a utility bill, opened it and gone "what the???" Don't worry, most of us have. Costs of utilities are on the increase, and we don't want you to pay more than you have to. So...listed below are a eight east to follow tips to help you reduce your utility bills.

Tip 1: Ask for a "actual" water reading: Often water companies do "estimates" rather than an "actual" reading. If you live in a large house, it is worth checking this as you may be paying for more water than you are actually using.

Tip 2: Cut back on your cable TV channels: Do you really need all those cable channels? Reduce your cable package to remove some of your less watched channels and you will save yourself around $20 a month.

Tip 3: Use Skype for your calls: Skype is cheap, and you can talk to friends or family all over the world. Encourage your friends to use Skype as well. We have known people who have done this and save around $30 a month on calls. We save about $20 a month.

Tip 4: Combine your phone, Internet and mobile phone packages. Phone and Internet Companies reward you for using more than one service. If you combine your services you will save around 10 percent on two of your packages.