Weatherproofing your Home

Lock Out Winter – Keep Your Door Shut to Cold and Wind

Are your doors inviting in the winter winds and wasting your energy and money? Here’s a simple way to find out.

Stand outside the closed door on a dark night and shine a flashlight all around the edges of the door. Inside is your assistant and wherever he/she can see any light seeping in, that’s where the cold winter wind can enter.

Keeping the wind out is a breeze. One easy-to-install option is door sets, such as those made by Frost King. Door sets can be nailed around the sides and top of exterior doors. They not only stop the draft, but they also cushion the door to prevent slamming. Door sets are especially good for older homes since they can compensate for warped jambs or sagging doors. Sets come in a variety of materials, colors and finishes.

Drafts can also be reduced by applying self-sticking weather-strip tapes of foam or rubber, or by nailing on strips and gaskets made of felt, vinyl, rubber or metal.

Don’t Let the Cold Sneak In – Here’s the Bottom Line on Sealing Doors

Don’t overlook insulation problems that are at floor level. The area under your doors can be a major problem spot. Use the Special Delivery Test on every door–even those in unheated areas such as basements, garages, attics or storerooms.

Take a sheet of stiff paper and if you can slide it under your doorway you’re inviting cold air, rain, dirt and insects to come right in.

To remedy this, install a new door threshold which seals the opening and even improves the door’s appearance. Frost King has many easy-to-install thresholds available in different styles, colors and finishes. Instructions and all the necessary screws are included.

Or get a door bottom which is even easier to install and seals the openings at the bottom of the door. Bottoms are either screwed, nailed or stuck into place. All are adjustable to compensate for uneven doors or floors.

Saving Energy Isn’t a Pipe Dream – Insulate Those Least Thought About Areas

It’s time to make some home improvements that will keep you cozy this winter and help slash your energy bills. Insulating some rarely thought of areas can have surprisingly satisfying results.

Consider insulating pipes, ducts and water heaters for maximum efficiency and minimum energy loss. It’s easily done.

For example, Frost King’s tubular foam pipe insulation is pre-slit to slip onto copper or iron pipes of various diameters. On hot pipes, it cuts wasteful heat loss. On cold pipes, it stops sweating and helps prevent freezing.

Frost King also has fiberglass, fiberglass/foil or self-adhesive plastic foam/foil insulation for hot and cold pipes and ducts. And pick up a vinyl-backed fiberglass water heater blanket that saves energy as it makes your water heater more efficient.

Garage doors are another major source of energy loss. Frost King has heavy-duty kits that seal and cushion the bottom of the garage door and kits that seal out drafts from all around it.

Don’t Blow Your Money on Energy Bills – Use a Kleenex to Help Seal Drafts

Take the Tell Tale Tissue Test and let an ordinary facial tissue help you avoid household drafts.

Make a low-tech “draft detector” by taping or clipping one end of a tissue to the bottom of a wire hanger. Hold the hanger by the hook and take this “instrument” to windows, air conditioning units, electric outlets and switches–if the tissue flutters, air is entering and you better fix it.

The easiest and most popular draft solution is self-sticking weatherstrip tape. These tapes are available in four forms: open cell foam, which is a highly compressive foam for indoor use that can seal vary narrow openings; closed cell foam, a versatile waterproof product that’s a little firmer high-density sponge foam; a very firm foam that can also be used on car trunks or boat hatch covers EPDM rubber; a premium weatherstrip that won’t harden or crack, even at 40 degrees below zero.

Door sweeps and door bottoms are easy to install and provide protection from drafts and weather on ill-fitted doors. Door sweeps and door bottoms, also called door shoes, are used as a means of blocking wind and weather along the bottom edge of a door that fits improperly in its frame due to house settling, or when a door is too short for its frame.

Door sweeps are installed on one side of a door to keep out cold drafts. Door sweeps should be installed on the inside bottom edge of doors that swing into the house, and on the outside bottom edge of doors that swing outward.

Hold the sweep against the door, matching it flush with the bottom of the closed door frame. Screw one end of the sweep into the door, but leave the screw a little loose to allow for adjustment. Move the sweep up or down as needed and screw the second side into the door. Open the door completely to be sure the sweep clears the floor for the entire swing of the door. Check to see that the sweep closes securely in the frame. Tighten the screws and screw the sweep into the middle of the door bottom for added security.
Door bottoms or doors shoes are installed in much the same way as door sweeps, except door bottoms straddle the door’s bottom edge completely. Open the door and slide the door bottom onto the door from the open end. Adjust the door bottom and screw it into both sides of the door on one end, leaving the screws loose for adjustment. Complete the adjustment, check for obstruction, and screw the door bottom on securely at the other end and in the middle (or wherever the door bottom has pre-drilled holes).

When adjusting door sweeps and door bottoms, expect that they may not sit level on the bottom of the door. To achieve a good seal and adequate weatherproofing, door sweeps and door bottoms may need to slope downward (particularly in older homes where frames are no longer level).

For additional weatherproofing, apply weather-stripping or spring-metal strips along the sides and top of doors for a more weather-resistant seal.

Weatherproofing with stripping and door bottoms saves energy and money by not allowing precious heat to escape through drafty door frames and increasing the demand on heating systems. Additionally, weatherproofing doors and windows saves energy during warmer months by more effectively conserving the air-conditioned air. Weatherproofing a home makes it a more comfortable, efficient place in which to live.

Read more: http://www.doityourself.com/stry/doorsweeps#ixzz125KWnCxc

Useful Smartphone applications for everyone

There are thousands of technology tools available for smartphones and it can be a daunting task to decipher which ones actually save us time and add value to our lives and which ones are just cool with no added value.  I attended a technology seminar today that introduced a few applications that can save us time and are also easy to use.  One such application is found at www.vlingo.com. This allows the user to direct their smart phone by voice commands. You can search the web, send text and email message, call contacts and update your facebook and twitter. So I downloaded the app and, WOW…it works! I actually dictated a text message, sent and email and made a call…all hands free. we’ve come a long way Baby!

8 DIY Projects

Labor Day looms large for homeowners. The end of summer signals that many of us will soon be immersed with an accelerated work schedule plus soccer practices, homework and other realities of back-to-school season. (Or maybe it’s football-filled Sundays that most cut into your handyman time in the fall.) But there’s still time to tackle a wide variety of remodeling projects. And while your goal may simply be to freshen the appearance of your home, you also want to know that your hard work will increase your home’s value.

Here are eight home improvements you can finish by Labor Day that will pay you back. Each costs less than $1,000 and should require less than a day’s work. Take a look.

Replace Sinks and Faucets

 

Estimated Price: $400 (sink), $150 (faucet) 

For home buyers, “the kitchen is king,” says Paul Cardis, chief executive of Avid Ratings, which conducts an annual survey of more than 20,000 first-time home buyers to determine design preferences. “For those looking to spruce up their house, the kitchen is the place.” 

You can replace a kitchen sink and faucet yourself in a matter of hours. Be sure to seek out low-flow faucet aerators that can reduce water usage by 30%. (Energy-efficient features, specifically, are a “must have” or are “really wanted” by 88% of home buyers these days.) You can expect to recoup 70% to 80% of the cost of kitchen-remodeling work when you sell your home. 

Add a Backsplash

 

Estimated Price: $14 per 12-by-12-inch tile 

The easiest way to add pizazz to your kitchen is with a new backsplash. You can go from country to modern in a snap with a variety of options for finishes and colors. To save money, time and frustration, consider the peel-and-stick tile options now available. “They’re aesthetically pleasing and will do the job if that’s all you can afford,” says Fredda Weisbard, a real estate agent at Coldwell Banker in Boca Raton, Fla. “It’s an inexpensive Band-Aid for updating your kitchen.” The messier grout-and-tile approach will add $50 to $100 more in related supply costs but will appeal more to prospective buyers. 

Install Vanity Cabinets & Toilets

 

Estimated Price: $200 (vanity), $250 (toilet) 

Even relatively minor updates to your bathroom can produce a return on investment of 172%, according to HomeGain.com’s 2009 Prepare-to-Sell survey of 1,000 real estate agents nationwide. Because toilets fit neatly over existing plumbing, they’re surprisingly easy to install. Look for modern water-saving models that will both save on your water bills and appeal to energy-conscious buyers when it’s time to sell. If you’re feeling creative, save hundreds of dollars by using an old dresser as the foundation for a new vanity. Simply cut out room on the top to hold a basin sink and to connect pipes. 

Paint a Room

 

Estimated Price: $30 per paint can 

It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to immediately transform any room in your house. Keep in mind that lighter shades generally make a room feel larger; neutral shades will appeal most to potential buyers. “Buyers won’t be able to look past [bold] colors and see the rest of your home,” says Weisbard. 

You’ll earn a 250% return on your investment in freshly painted interior walls, according to HomeGain.com’s survey. Just be sure to test colors — Home Depot sells 8-ounce sample cans of paint for $3 — before buying the full batch of paint needed for the room. Limit costly mistakes and spills by splurging on drop cloths and painter’s tape. 

Install Crown Molding

 

Estimated Price: $5 per linear foot 

Crown molding in your home compared with none in a similar home in your neighborhood could make a difference when it’s time to sell. “You may not get the money back, but it’s a feature that most buyers appreciate when looking for a home,” says Weisbard. “It’s a wow-factor feature. It stays in buyers’ minds.” 

Fair warning: Installing crown molding might be the trickiest task on our list. There’s a lot of geometry involved — along with a nail gun and a miter saw. Follow the “measure thrice, cut once” rule to limit waste. 

Get Organized

 

Estimated Price: $20-$500 

Improvements to a home’s functional space can be just as valuable as ones that make a home look better. Potential buyers like to assess space and storage area for their belongings when evaluating new houses. 

Focus your efforts on the garage, basement and closets, where you can declutter easily with clear storage bins or new shelving. 

Replace the Front Door

 

Estimated Price:$150-$500 or more 

As the first thing prospective buyers will see upon entering your home, a new front door will more than recoup your investment. Expect a fat 129% ROI on a steel door, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2009–10 “Cost vs. Value Report.” (Note that fiberglass models, which can cost three times as much, recoup only 65% of their cost.) 

Bonus: Buy a qualifying energy-efficient door and reap a tax credit of 30% of your cost (up to a maximum of $1,500 in 2009 and 2010 combined). 

Landscaping

 

Estimated Price: $300-$400 

Before your visitors (and prospective buyers) even get to the door, they’ll see the front yard. It’s a critical first impression that can change the way they view the entire house. “If the outside of your home isn’t appealing, then what does that say about the inside?” Weisbard says. 

You needn’t spend more than $300 to $400 in basic landscaping projects to produce $1,500 to $2,000 in added home value, according to HomeGain.com’s Prepare-to-Sell survey. Ninety-four percent of real estate agents who participated in the survey recommend landscaping work to sellers before they list their homes. 

Go for plants — whether they line your walkway or the front of your house — that add color and complement your house, suggests Bruce Butterfield, market-research director of the National Gardening Association. “People react to color emotionally.” Perennials will require less maintenance year to year, and hydrangeas in particular — Butterfield recommends the “Endless Summer” variety — will give you several months of blooms each year. You can pick them up for about $50 each, compared with $150 or more for a new tree, which will take much longer to mature.

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