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The Home IDEA
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Make your home a smarthome this year!
New, smart products are hitting the market every day. For homeowners savvy enough to incorporate this new technology into their homes, they’ll not only be more connected, but they’ll likely see more offers rolling in when it comes time to sell.
(BPT) - The spring home-buying season is just around the corner and that means people are busy making improvements to get their homes ready to sell. These days, home upgrades are increasingly focused on one key feature: connectivity. In 2019, buyers want smart homes they can easily control from anywhere. From smart HVAC and sprinkler systems to connected garage door openers, it’s all about creating convenience and comfort.
Security gets connected Security systems are nothing new, but the technology used to arm those systems is changing rapidly. More and more home security companies now offer fully connected systems that allow users to protect and monitor their homes from any smart device. Whether it’s a live video feed, the ability to lock and unlock doors remotely or just checking that all sensors are working properly, integrated security systems offer peace of mind. Having the infrastructure in place can be a selling point for buyers who want to make sure their new home is as safe as possible, given they’ll only have to set up the monitoring subscription upon move-in. Updated garages add value According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2019 Cost vs. Value survey, a garage door replacement is the number one home improvement project in terms of return on investment. But these days, more homeowners are taking it a step further and installing new technology to make the garage more user friendly. For example, the SilentMax Connect garage door opener from The Genie Company comes with Aladdin Connect technology built-in to improve convenience and functionality. Not only is the opener super quiet — ideal for attached garages — but the connectivity features allow you to check whether your garage door is open or closed, grant individual access with virtual keys, instantly know when someone is operating your garage door (authorized or not), and provide a log of when each opener was used — all from your phone or smart device. Thanks to this technology, you can open the garage door remotely for delivery people, a housekeeper or for your child coming home from school. Considering your garage is one of the most accessed points in your home, this functionality is a great security feature and proves that garages offer more than just storage space. With the right connectivity tools and features, they can provide convenience that will be attractive to future owners. Save energy, increase comfort As home improvement trends go, increased connectivity is rivaled only by the desire for more energy-efficient homes. Smart thermostats accomplish both these aims and can increase the value of your home in the process. Smart thermostats let you easily control the temperature in your home from any connected device. You can set a daily schedule for your heater, adjust the temperature in individual rooms or let the system program itself based on your usage history. For energy-conscious buyers, this kind of technology provides a way of living that’s as aspirational as it is attainable. Lighting the way Smart lighting has turned from a novelty to a practical tool as products have gotten more advanced. Programmable lighting allows you to schedule when your lights will come on, turn on and off lights remotely or change the lighting to improve aesthetics. With a smart lighting system, you’ll never have to get out of bed to turn the lights off downstairs, and you can always come home to a fully lit house, boosting your sense of security. With these kinds of applications, your home’s lighting can go from a ‘given’ to a must-have, attracting buyers like a moth to a flame. New, smart products are hitting the market every day. For homeowners savvy enough to incorporate this new technology into their homes, they’ll not only be more connected, but they’ll likely see more offers rolling in when it comes time to sell.
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 3 areas to insulate that will save you money on energy bills Ending your suffering from high energy bills can be as easy as tackling a few, simple, do-it-yourself insulation projects. Key areas to insulate are your home’s attic, basement, crawl space and garage. Read on for tips on insulating these spaces to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort, while putting money back in your pocket.3 areas to insulate that will save you money on energy bills (BPT) - Do you cringe each month when your utility bills arrive? The annual energy cost for a typical single family home in the U.S. is more than $2,000, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If you can think of a thousand things you’d rather spend your hard-earned money on than electricity and natural gas, the solution to saving on energy costs is easier than you think. While you might assume the numerous electronic gadgets you own drive your high utility bills, the real cost culprits are your furnace and air conditioner. Space heating and cooling account for 42 percent of home energy costs — double what the typical home spends running its electronics and small appliances. What’s truly unfortunate is much of the money spent on heating and cooling homes is wasted, as heat leaks out of your home in winter and comes in during the summer. The reason? About 90 percent of U.S. homes are under-insulated, according to the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association. Ending your suffering from high energy bills can be as easy as tackling a few, simple, do-it-yourself insulation projects. Key areas to insulate are your home’s attic, basement, crawl space and garage. Read on for tips on insulating these spaces to improve your home’s energy efficiency and comfort, while putting money back in your pocket. 1. Attic As heat rises and many attics are un-insulated or poorly insulated, the attic is a good place to start for making your home more cozy and cost-effective. Insulating your attic is “a DIY project you can tackle in a weekend, and the savings you'll get add up every year," said Tom Silva, general contractor for the popular “This Old House” TV show. Many contractors and homeowners use loose-fill insulation or fiberglass batts in attics. Although these materials are easy to work with, it is difficult to ensure they do not leave gaps through which heat can escape. And, since they are designed to fit between the joists in the attic floor, they leave the joists un-insulated, which provides many places for heat to transfer from the home into the attic. An alternative that is also easy to work with, and that provides continuous insulation, is rigid foam panels. Among the rigid foams, expanded polystyrene (EPS) provides the highest insulating power per dollar. EPS panels are simple to cut to size, without creating mess, are recyclable and can be installed throughout your home. One of the EPS brands available at home improvement stores is Insulfoam R-Tech insulation. 2. Basement and crawl space In addition to insulating your attic, it’s important to make sure the bottom part of your home is energy-efficient. For most of the U.S. other than the hot Gulf Coast region, “it’s cost-effective and wise to install basement wall insulation,” wrote Martin Holladay on his “Musings of an Energy Nerd” blog. As in the attic, rigid foam insulation boards can readily be cut to size and installed on basement walls. While insulation can be applied to the inside or outside of a basement wall, for existing homes it is typically much easier to install it on the inside wall. This avoids having to move dirt away from the foundation and back-fill once the insulation is in place. While you’re insulating your basement, be sure to also insulate any crawlspaces, including both the walls and ceiling of these areas. 3. Garage door “Garage doors notoriously are un-insulated,” said David Stassi, field technical support manager at Insulfoam. “Fortunately, readily available DIY insulation kits allow homeowners to insulate their garage door in less than an hour, for less than $100.” Even a beginning DIYer can do the job, as you simply cut the insulation panels to size with a knife and straightedge, and flex the panels into place between the garage door’s horizontal rails. The panels remain firmly in place without messy glues or awkward tape. For step-by-step instructions on installing garage door insulation or EPS insulation in basements, crawl spaces and attics, visit the Insulfoam YouTube channel. With a few simple DIY insulation projects, you can save hundreds of dollars every year. Instead of spending too much on heating and cooling, you’ll have extra money for fun things like eating dinner out or taking a well-deserved vacation. KEYWORDS
Spring is a time of renewal and revitalization, but it’s hard to appreciate all the invigorating aspects of spring when your home still bears months of winter dust and dirt. Tackle your living space room-by-room for a spring clean that will leave you and your home refreshed and ready for a new season.
Make Spring Cleaning a Cinch
(Family Features) Spring is a time of renewal and revitalization, but it’s hard to appreciate all the invigorating aspects of spring when your home still bears months of winter dust and dirt. Tackle your living space room-by-room for a spring clean that will leave you and your home refreshed and ready for a new season. Living Areas Bedrooms Once all your cleaning is complete, take a few extra steps to make your home feel extra fresh and clean. On a warm day, throw open the windows to let the fresh breeze chase away stale winter air and add lightly scented candles throughout the house for a home that smells as inviting as it looks. Find more advice to make spring tasks simple at elivingtoday.com. Don’t Lose Your Natural Stone’s Luster It’s important to understand the shine on granite and other natural stone is not from applying a wax, but a natural shine that reflects a rigorous process. After being quarried from the earth’s surface, these stone blocks are taken to a factory for processing. The next step is a polishing line. It’s this factory finish that enhances the inherent characteristics of natural stone – the veins, swirls and crystals. From there the slabs are bundled and shipped to local stone manufacturers and installers to be cut to a homeowner’s specifications. Once installed, you can maintain that luxurious factory finish with these tips from the experts at Granite Gold. Clean often. Even miniscule particles could have a detrimental effect on your natural stone. However, it’s important to avoid common cleaners and abrasives as they can break down the protective seal and dull the natural finish, and result in expensive repairs. Also avoid using an abrasive scrubbing pad, which may leave unsightly scratches. Rely on scrubbing pads designed specifically for natural stone or look for “non-scratch” on the packaging. Seal frequently. Frequently sealing natural stone surfaces maintains maximum surface protection, penetrating stone surfaces to provide superior, long-lasting resistance to staining, etching and soil buildup. It’s easy to test when to reseal. Pour water (about 3 inches in diameter) on the surface and let it sit for 30 minutes. If the water beads, then the stone remains sealed. However, if a dark mark or ring is created by the water, it is time to reseal. Be sure to repair any etching or stains before the sealant is applied. Polish regularly. Polishing not only brings out the stone’s natural beauty, it reinforces the protective seal and provides ongoing protection against water spots and fingerprints. One time-saving but effective solution after sealing is Granite Gold Clean & Shine, which provides the cleaning power of the line’s Daily Cleaner and the luster from the Polish in one easy-to-use formula. You can find the products nationwide at Walmart, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond and Amazon; check the product locator at GraniteGold.com. Photos courtesy of Getty Images SOURCE:eLivingToday.com KEYWORDS
 (BPT) - The garage – it’s that space where you used to just store your car, lawn mower, power tools, bikes, bats and boxes of things you wore in the 90s. But to say a garage is only for storage is like saying a truck is only for hauling dressers and box springs. From game room to workshop, man cave to hangout — your garage has the potential to be anything you want it to be. So if you’re thinking of redecorating or remodeling your house, don’t spend all your time picking out kitchen tile and arguing over what type of counter looks best — step into your garage and let yourself dream big. With the right materials, some creativity and a little work, you can turn your garage into the star of the house. How? TV personality and award-winning interior designer Anitra Mecadon offers the following five ideas to get you excited about all the possibilities. Toughen up your walls No matter what you want to do with your garage, first make sure your walls can stand up to real life. There’s probably no space in the house more susceptible to scratches, scuffs and accidental holes than the garage — so pick your walls accordingly. Look for PURPLE Hi-Impact XP made by National Gypsum for extra wear and tear to resist everything from car doors opened too close to the wall to the hockey sticks swung a little too hard. This drywall is embedded with fiberglass mesh to make it impact and penetration resistant — and like all PURPLE drywall, it resists moisture, mold and mildew. Make your garage your hideaway Sometimes you need to get away from it all — especially from your “honey do” or project list — and the garage can be where you go, your hangout, an extension of yourself and a definite point of pride. Add a snack machine, fridge, swivel chair or two and big screen TV, and you and your friends will have it made. Lift it up Most people have a lot of stuff to store in the garage in addition to cars, tools and bikes. And let’s face it, the more available space you have, the more likely you’ll find stuff to fill it. That means you’ll need to get creative with storage. In addition to shelves and cabinets attached to the walls, another way to store your stuff is to use a raised lift system which retracts up into the top levels of your garage and comes down with a push of a button when you need something. Hang it up There are some things that just don’t belong in your house but are perfect for the garage. Just like restaurants that have walls crowded with collectibles such as old soda signs, sea anchors and license plates — garages can follow this same design concept and personalize a space even more. Walls also can serve as anchors for storage systems that hold your tools, bikes, boxes and equipment. And you can rest assured that high-performing drywall, like PURPLE Hi-Impact XP, will stand up to the wear and tear of hanging up and taking down your tools, rakes, bikes and more, day after day. Do more with your floor Today, garage floors can be anything you want — yellow, red, metallic, acid-washed or made out of heavy-duty vinyl or rubber. And whether you want the grey concrete vintage look of your childhood or something that reflects your more grown-up self, when it comes to garage floors, take a chance and get inventive, because your garage can be your personal and customized sanctuary. There’s a lot you can do with a modern garage, and no matter how you decide to personalize it, the best garage remodel starts at the studs. The right drywall is as important as the right wrench in the toolbox. To learn more, visit www.askforpurple.com
 (BPT) - With memories of winter fading fast, you might not be thinking about your home's insulation, but the warm months are the ideal time for some simple DIY insulation projects with huge paybacks. Proper insulation - from roof to foundation - helps keep your home cool in the summer (and warm and cozy in winter). In fact, 90 percent of U.S. homes are under-insulated, according to analysis by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA). Adding insulation to your home is an easy way to save yourself hundreds of dollars per year in both heating and cooling costs, while helping to make your home more comfortable year around. A trip to your local home improvement store to choose insulation can be overwhelming, though, given the dozens of options. Many homeowners will gravitate toward fiberglass insulation, as it is likely what they have in their homes and is familiar. Fiberglass insulation Advantages of fiberglass batts and rolls include they are relatively inexpensive and fit the stud and joist spacing in most homes. While fiberglass insulation installs quickly, it can be challenging for the average homeowner to get it done right. "It's very difficult to complete a fiberglass insulating job without leaving a few gaps in coverage, and even a small void can diminish a wall's overall [insulating value] by 50 percent," notes the Dr. Energy Saver company's website. Homeowners should consider that fiberglass batt insulation does not continuously cover spaces, but fits between studs. The insulation may also slump and lose its insulating value over time, creating more energy-wasting gaps. Rigid foam insulation Another DIY insulation option available at home improvement stores throughout the U.S. is rigid foam insulation. Of the several rigid foams available, expanded polystyrene (EPS) can be used throughout the home, including walls, floors, ceilings and foundation walls. "EPS panels are lightweight and easy to cut and handle," says Tom Savoy, technical director for Insulfoam. "EPS also installs easily over the home's framing, providing continuous, high-performance insulation in a way that's not possible with batts or rolls." Location, location, location When planning where to add insulation, Savoy explains that one area to pay attention to is "knee walls," which are short walls with attic space directly behind them. Such walls commonly lack insulation, but are a prime source for heat loss. "Although it can be difficult to access attic spaces behind knee walls, readily available "fanfold" EPS insulation fits through many attic access doors and hatches, and easily unfolds to cover up to 100 square feet," says Savoy. Garage doors also many times are un-insulated. To fix this common area of heat loss and heat gain, some EPS manufacturers offer garage door insulation kits designed to fit easily into the door's segments, allowing the job to be completed in less than one hour. For additional tips on where and how much to insulate, the U.S. Department of Energy provides information on adding insulation to an existing home.  (BPT) - Why do spring cleaning when you can do "spring keeping?" Organize all your gear in style while getting rid of the clutter at the same time.
To help kick off spring in a whole new way, Karl Champley, home improvement expert and the winner of Ellen's Design Challenge on HGTV with Ellen DeGeneres, helps you get organized in five easy steps. Garages across the country may be treated like the junk drawer of the house, but there's a reason you kept all that stuff in the first place. So, get smart about how you store your gear with a proper storage solution and Champley's five easy steps: Go in with a game plan. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the project, start small and develop a game plan to help make the most of your time. With Gladiator GarageWorks, you can begin your organization process with grab-and-go kits like the GearTrack Single Pack. This will let you to customize and add as your bigger game plan unfolds. When you start small and see how streamlined your garage begins to look, you'll begin to think bigger. Sort items as "keep it" vs. "kick it." Separate items in two piles and identify what you absolutely have to keep for seasonal use versus the items you store for personal reasons but don't often use. This "keep it or kick it" approach will cut your organizational time in half with you taking a hard look at the real use of items you're storing and to help you get rid of the non-essentials. Take advantage of wall space. Walls can be wasted space if you don't take advantage of them for storage. Items such as hooks, bins and baskets will help keep everything from rakes, bicycles and basketballs in their proper place. So, when you pull your car in, your kid's bike won't be in the way. Your garage will go from a cave of clutter to a place of pride with these easy fixes. Keep similar items together. This should go without saying, but if you keep similar items together, you'll avoid confusion in the future. There are storage kits like Gladiator GarageWorks' small item bins for screws and nails, or caddies for larger tools, all of which help save time and space in the long run. Get creative and have fun. You can use "spring keeping" season as an opportunity to have fun and really add some brightness to the garage. Storage solutions can add color and personality to often overlooked spaces in your home. The right custom storage tools allow everything from bicycles to soccer balls to fit perfectly in their given place. In addition to your garage looking like a Hollywood set, you've now made changes that will leave a lasting first impression on potential homebuyers. For more ways to organize your garage (and life), log onto www.gladiatorgarageworks.com. |
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