By Paul Bianchina
Inman News™
No one likes wasting money, especially in these tough economic times. So it certainly makes sense -- dollars and cents -- to make a small investment of time and supplies to close up those heat-wasting air leaks around your home. It'll pay back big dividends in reduced energy bills and a warmer, more comfortable house this winter. So let's look at some of the areas where those drafts may be lurking, and see how to take care of them.
1. Doors and windows: This should be an obvious one. If you can see gaps between your siding and your windows or exterior doors, close them up with a bead of clear or paintable acrylic latex caulk. Larger gaps can be filled with foam backer rod before applying the caulking.
2. Exterior penetrations: Some of these areas are going to be obvious, while some may take a little bit of searching. Some examples of exterior penetrations where air can leak into the house include exterior faucets, dryer vents, exterior electrical outlets, exterior light fixtures, holes that have been drilled for phone and TV cables, conduit penetrations, exit points for plumbing drains, and penetrations for air conditioning lines. Closing these penetrations may require a variety of different techniques, including caulk, expanding spray foam, or, in the case of electrical boxes and fixtures, specific gaskets that are designed to fit the boxes.
3. Exhaust-vent covers: Dryer vents, range hood vents, bath fan vents, and other interior ventilation equipment typically terminate outside the house in a plastic or metal cover that has one or more louvers on it. The louvers are designed to be in the closed position whenever the fan is not in use, so that outside air doesn't leak in. Check all of these louvers to be sure they're closing completely, with no air leaks. If they aren't, you can adjust the spring tension to hold them closed more tightly; add foam weatherstripping tape for a more air-tight seal; or replace the entire vent cap with a new one.
4. Gaps around interior vents and recessed lights: Inside your home, heated air can be leaking out around that same ventilation equipment, where vent pipes pass through the walls or ceiling, or where vent covers meet wall and ceiling surfaces. Recessed light fixtures can also be real air-leakers. Around the vent pipes and recessed light cans, seal any gaps with caulking. For the vent covers and recessed light covers, remove the covers, then adjust the springs and/or add foam weatherstripping tape to create a tight seal between the cover and the ceiling.
5. Heat-duct penetrations: Gaps around heating-duct cans where they pass through the floor or wall allow cold air to enter from the crawl space, while gaps around ceiling-duct cans allow heated air to escape into the attic. To close those drafts, first remove the register, then use a combination of caulking and/or metallic duct sealant tape to close any gaps between the sheet metal cans and the floor, wall or ceiling surface.
6. Fireplaces and woodstoves: Lots of gaps can occur around these appliances. With a conventional fireplace, keep the damper closed except when burning a fire to prevent heated air from escaping up the chimney. Consider investing in a set of air-tight doors, which close off the air leaks and also make your fires more efficient. Look for gaps around woodstove and gas fireplace flue pipes, and air leaks around masonry chimneys. Use a metal collar if necessary around flue pipe penetrations, and seal gaps with heat-resistant sealant specially formulated for this application.
7. Attic and crawl space hatches: These can be real air losers if they're not weatherstripped, so take care of that with some foam tape. Make sure the hatches are insulated as well.
8. Interior doors to unheated spaces: If you have any interior doors that lead to unheated spaces, including basements, garages or attics, be sure the doors are weatherstripped to prevent air leakage. If possible, replace older, hollow-core doors with solid-core or, better yet, insulated metal doors.
9. Sill plates and penetrations: This one's not as easy to deal with, but it's well worth the effort to try to do whatever you can with it. Air can leak both into and out of the house through gaps where the sill plate meets the foundation or the siding, and around plumbing and wiring penetrations drilled through wall plates in various areas. If you have a gap between your siding and the bottom of your exterior wall, especially in older homes where the use of sill sealers was not a common practice, consider closing up this big air gap with a bead of caulking or expanding foam. In the basement, crawl space and attic, if you can access any of the pipes and wires that pass through the wall plates, seal the penetrations with expanding foam.
Remodeling and repair questions? Email Paul at paulbianchina@inman.com. All product reviews are based on the author's actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers
Showing posts with label city living team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label city living team. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tying the Knot? Good Ways Couples Can Save For a Down Payment on Their 1st Home!
by Phoebe Chongchua
Saving money for a down payment on a home has always been a challenge and a lesson in financial discipline but today it’s, perhaps, more difficult than ever.
That’s partly because the down payment is more substantial than in the past few years when zero down could get you into your dream home.
The Washington Post recently reported on a unique, sign-of-the-times approach to saving for a down payment.
These days engaged couples are scrapping the traditional wedding list and opting for a non-traditional wedding registry that creates an opportunity for wedding guests to help collect cash for a down payment.
The National Association of Realtors reported for 2010 that 27 percent of first-time homebuyers used gift money from relatives and friends to make their down payment. Nearly 60 percent of homebuyers were married couples.
Deposit a Gift, a New York City company, has set up about 6,500 gift registries with 30 percent of them, split evenly, for down-payment funds and home-improvement funds, since it launched in 2009.
It seems no more “white elephant” gifts; people are asking for and getting what they really need–cash for their home.
The down-payment gift registry helps take the awkwardness out of guests simply giving money. Today, couples are uploading photos on blog sites and showing their dream home much like the old days when couples would ask for dinner china or fine stemware.
The down-payment fund touches many people in a very personal way. Some people have already lost their home to foreclosure; still others know the enormous struggle to make ends meet. Getting some financial help to
purchase a home is largely a universal need.
A quick search on the Internet can put you in touch with a number of wedding gift registries. You should research them carefully. Many include other helpful options such as connecting you with a directory or wedding vendors and even a rebate for using their select vendors.
Once the money starts rolling in, however, you have to understand how you can use it. The rules for using gift money depend on the type of loan you are getting. So be sure to ask a qualified expert for assistance.
Generally, a down payment will require that at least 5 percent of the money comes from your own savings, not gift money from the registry. There might be some exceptions, so check with the mortgage company.
Some mortgage companies, like SunTrust Mortgage, even have a bridal registry that works just like a down payment registry. In 1996, the Federal Housing Administration encouraged lenders to establish bridal registry accounts to accept money for savings toward a down payment from the couple’s relatives and friends. However, this never really caught on with lenders.
SunTrust Mortgage offers other programs for first-time buyers to help them save for a down payment. The Home Purchase Registry Account allows contributions from relatives and friends who do not have a financial interest in the transaction. Various other rules apply; be sure to go over the details with your agent and lender.
Published: October 28, 2011
Saving money for a down payment on a home has always been a challenge and a lesson in financial discipline but today it’s, perhaps, more difficult than ever.
That’s partly because the down payment is more substantial than in the past few years when zero down could get you into your dream home.
The Washington Post recently reported on a unique, sign-of-the-times approach to saving for a down payment.
These days engaged couples are scrapping the traditional wedding list and opting for a non-traditional wedding registry that creates an opportunity for wedding guests to help collect cash for a down payment.
The National Association of Realtors reported for 2010 that 27 percent of first-time homebuyers used gift money from relatives and friends to make their down payment. Nearly 60 percent of homebuyers were married couples.
Deposit a Gift, a New York City company, has set up about 6,500 gift registries with 30 percent of them, split evenly, for down-payment funds and home-improvement funds, since it launched in 2009.
It seems no more “white elephant” gifts; people are asking for and getting what they really need–cash for their home.
The down-payment gift registry helps take the awkwardness out of guests simply giving money. Today, couples are uploading photos on blog sites and showing their dream home much like the old days when couples would ask for dinner china or fine stemware.
The down-payment fund touches many people in a very personal way. Some people have already lost their home to foreclosure; still others know the enormous struggle to make ends meet. Getting some financial help to
purchase a home is largely a universal need.A quick search on the Internet can put you in touch with a number of wedding gift registries. You should research them carefully. Many include other helpful options such as connecting you with a directory or wedding vendors and even a rebate for using their select vendors.
Once the money starts rolling in, however, you have to understand how you can use it. The rules for using gift money depend on the type of loan you are getting. So be sure to ask a qualified expert for assistance.
Generally, a down payment will require that at least 5 percent of the money comes from your own savings, not gift money from the registry. There might be some exceptions, so check with the mortgage company.
Some mortgage companies, like SunTrust Mortgage, even have a bridal registry that works just like a down payment registry. In 1996, the Federal Housing Administration encouraged lenders to establish bridal registry accounts to accept money for savings toward a down payment from the couple’s relatives and friends. However, this never really caught on with lenders.
SunTrust Mortgage offers other programs for first-time buyers to help them save for a down payment. The Home Purchase Registry Account allows contributions from relatives and friends who do not have a financial interest in the transaction. Various other rules apply; be sure to go over the details with your agent and lender.
Published: October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
The Joys of Home Ownership!
Today's experts spout off the latest statistics about long-term wealth, home values, and interest rates, yet there's a much more sentimental side to homeownership. In fact, many home buyers are drawn to homeownership for these warm and fuzzy reasons.
Owning a home allows you to put down roots, both figuratively and literally. On one hand you become part of a neighborhood and community. When you rent, neighbors come and go as quickly as leases renew. Homeowners, however, tend to stay put longer.
What does this mean for you? You can develop, many times, lifelong relationships. This also means your home will see you through many of life's important milestones.
It makes sense. Many people enter the realm of homeownership as young couples looking to build a nest. They plan on starting their own family and need room to expand and grow. These family homes will see many firsts and will be the container of countless memories. Additionally, homeownership gives families more room to entertain and this means extended family will also share in building memories.
It's not just young families, though, that seek homeownership. Families with teenagers seek larger homes to room their growing brood. Retiring adults may wish to start a new phase and new memories, seeking out warmer climates or smaller, more manageable homes.
These little moments are what life is all about. Memories from Christmas mornings and summer vacations will fill minds for years to come.
On the other hand you literally can put down roots by planting trees and shrubs! Renters are rarely afforded the luxury of gardening. In fact, digging up the landlord's yard is frowned upon. As a homeowner you are able to create your own green oasis, including trees that will mature alongside your children and gardens that will feed your hungry pack.
There is a certain pride that comes with homeownership. This little piece of property and land is yours. There's no one that can evict you or take it away. This security allows people to form deep attachments to both the land and home.
This pride of ownership spurs many owners to make improvements and additions, both to keep the home in working order and to make it more comfortable and usable, which in turns improves neighborhood values and overall curb appeal.
Why do people buy? They may be initially motivated by changes in circumstance, such as a new job or a new family, but they buy based on emotional responses. People want a house that can become their home, where they'll fill it with good times and memories. Be sure to remember this sentimental side of homeownership the next time you read about stocks, bonds, and housing woes.
Published: October 11, 2011 by Carla Hill
Owning a home allows you to put down roots, both figuratively and literally. On one hand you become part of a neighborhood and community. When you rent, neighbors come and go as quickly as leases renew. Homeowners, however, tend to stay put longer.
What does this mean for you? You can develop, many times, lifelong relationships. This also means your home will see you through many of life's important milestones.
It makes sense. Many people enter the realm of homeownership as young couples looking to build a nest. They plan on starting their own family and need room to expand and grow. These family homes will see many firsts and will be the container of countless memories. Additionally, homeownership gives families more room to entertain and this means extended family will also share in building memories.
It's not just young families, though, that seek homeownership. Families with teenagers seek larger homes to room their growing brood. Retiring adults may wish to start a new phase and new memories, seeking out warmer climates or smaller, more manageable homes.
These little moments are what life is all about. Memories from Christmas mornings and summer vacations will fill minds for years to come.
On the other hand you literally can put down roots by planting trees and shrubs! Renters are rarely afforded the luxury of gardening. In fact, digging up the landlord's yard is frowned upon. As a homeowner you are able to create your own green oasis, including trees that will mature alongside your children and gardens that will feed your hungry pack.
There is a certain pride that comes with homeownership. This little piece of property and land is yours. There's no one that can evict you or take it away. This security allows people to form deep attachments to both the land and home.
This pride of ownership spurs many owners to make improvements and additions, both to keep the home in working order and to make it more comfortable and usable, which in turns improves neighborhood values and overall curb appeal.
Why do people buy? They may be initially motivated by changes in circumstance, such as a new job or a new family, but they buy based on emotional responses. People want a house that can become their home, where they'll fill it with good times and memories. Be sure to remember this sentimental side of homeownership the next time you read about stocks, bonds, and housing woes.
Published: October 11, 2011 by Carla Hill
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