Solar Panel Roof Challenges

February 29, 2012 By 34 Comments

When it comes to green roofing solar panels have become increasingly popular. Now spanning the roof tops of urban high rises and large corporate buildings, solar panels are changing the way Americans live and work. While there is much to be gained through the use of solar panels, there are also some challenges that these panels face.

Weather Related Woes
It is a well known fact that solar panels generate electricity from the sun’s rays, so it can’t be of much surprise to find out that solar panels have a difficult time working properly in poor sunlight or storms. This isn’t to say that winter weather itself or the occasionally cloudy day are bad for solar panels, just that certain weather conditions can challenge the effectiveness of solar panels.

While most people jump to the assumption that solar panels cannot be used in certain climates, the truth is that there are few places on earth that a solar panel would be obsolete. Obviously the amount of solar power generated in the 18 hours of darkness that cover certain areas in the winter may not produce as much electricity as a home in sunny Florida, but they can still benefit from the use of solar panels.

There is really only one winter weather culprit to the use of solar panels: snow. Snow covered solar panels are not going to be able to absorb the sun’s rays and generate electricity. However, this doesn’t exclude snowy climates from their use either. Snow is easily swept away from solar panels, just like snow is shoveled off a driveway in winter months. Although it may take a little extra maintenance, having solar panels installed on a snow covered home can still benefit the home by generating electricity and reducing the need for traditional heat sources in cold months.

Roof Rocket provides valuable information and resources for those looking for high quality roofers. Their mission is to provide accurate and reliable information so you can make an informed decision about your roof repair.

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Insulation Installation. Whats the Point?

February 27, 2012 By 33 Comments

Making sure you home is properly insulated is important not only to you family’s comfort but also to your electric bill as well. Have you ever driven by a home where the roofs are covered in snow?  If you look closely, you will see spots where the snow has melted away while in other spots, the snow remains.  This is a good indicator that you home is desperate need of an energy efficiency expert to see how your home stacks up in retaining its heat or cooling.

Where Do I Need It?

Most homes need to be well insulated in the attic, walls, floors, basement, and crawl spaces.  Attic insulation wears over time and this is your best starting point when assessing your homes energy efficiency.

How Much Do I Need?

This would depend on where you live in the country.  There are different zones that recommend different “R-values.”  Check the US Department of Energy’s website to see what zone your home falls within.  The higher the R-values, the more insulation your home will require.

What is Insulation?

Insulation has 4 common forms; batts, rolls, loose-fill, and rigid foam board. Batts are usually fiberglass and found in between the studs in your homes.  Rolls are also fiberglass and can be found in your attic or in your floor boards.  Loose-fill (what most of us think about when thinking about insulation) is found in your attic or walls and is blown into these spaces.  Loose-fill is also treated with fire retardant chemicals since it’s the most susceptible to open spaces. Finally, rigid foam board is usually found in basements and foundations.  This material is light weight, but also provides some structural support for your home.

Should I insulate?

The answer is probably yes.  If your home was built before 1980 you have a great chance of being under insulated.  R values are constantly changing as with our weather patterns. Choosing to hire a contractor to add or replace your insulation provides great benefits: improved electric bill, less heat/cool air loss, and a more comfortable living space.

Because fiber glass is hard to deal with, it is best to hire a professional insulation company to assess your needs.  Hiring a professional ensures that you insulate your home to the proper level, with even coverage, and give you less of a headache than if you were to try and manage this task by yourself.

Qualified insulation contractors can be found all across our network including; Dallas Houston, San Antonio, San Diego, Chicago, Charlotte Miami, New York City and more!

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Energy Efficient Home Upgrades

February 24, 2012 By 45 Comments

Making your home more energy efficient is good not only for the environment, but it will also lower your utility bills and might increase the value of your home. The first step to better energy efficiency is to do a home energy audit to make sure that your home in properly insulated and sealed. After that, there are a few equipment upgrades you can do that will make your house significantly more green.

High Efficiency HVAC Equipment
If you have an older, single stage furnace, an upgrade will save you money and make your house more comfortable. These types of furnaces are either ‘on’ or ‘off’ ; the furnace will run until your house reaches the desired temperature, then it will turn off, leading to a lot of temperature variation. A two speed or multispeed furnace has a high and low setting; it will burn less fuel when you only need a little heat and then switch to the higher setting when necessary. You will have more even heating and lower fuel consumption with a high efficiency furnace installed in your home.
If you have a heat pump, replacing it with a newer model is also a good way to save money. Newer heat pumps are very efficient, some producing as much as three times more heat energy than the electrical energy needed to run them. Heat pumps made today also use R-410A refrigerant, which is much better for the environment that the R-22 refrigerant used in older systems.

Water Saving Plumbing Fixtures and Appliances
While many people overlook it, water saving is just as important as energy saving. Installing low-flow toilets and shower heads can significantly reduce how much water your family uses. New, ENERGY STAR rated dishwaters and washing machines will also use less water and less electricity. An added benefit of all of these upgrades is that you will not only use less water, but you will also use less hot water. Since hot water heating can be a significant part of your utility bills, these improvements will save you money and help the environment.

Tankless Heaters
Water heating can account for up to 25 percent of the energy consumed in your home, so getting a more efficient water heater makes a lot of sense. Tankless water heaters provide hot water only when it is needed, and since it doesn’t need a tank that means no standby energy loss. However, since they heat water when it is needed, they have can’t keep up if you use a lot of hot water at once (such as running the dishwasher, clothes washer, and the shower at the same time). Water saving fixtures and appliances can help, but make sure to get a model that can handle the water demands of your house.

Any of these upgrades will make you house more comfortable and reduce your carbon footprint. While some of them are a definite investment, the savings they bring and the value they add to your house make them more than worthwhile.

Pat is writer for the HVAC and Plumbing industry, including Toronto heating and air conditioning contractor, Advantage Airtech Ltd. Visit their blog for more HVAC and home improvement tips.

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Out with the Popcorn Ceilings, In with the New Ceilings

February 22, 2012 By 2 Comments
Popcorn ceilings…we’ve all lived under them unless you were born before the 1950’s. It was originally invented and introduced to reduce noise in a room, but it had many other advantages as well. It cost less than painting, and was fairly easy to accomplish, especially to hide poor workmanship on the ceiling. Unfortunately, they are hard to clean, easily damaged, and some contain asbestos, which can cause serious health problems, such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

 

I bought a house some years ago, and all of the bedrooms had popcorn ceilings. I wanted to save some money, so I decided to research it and think about doing it myself. I am no handyman but this is what I discovered I would need: a fan, a small putty knife, a larger putty knife, a garden sprayer, rags, cleaning products, plastic for the floors, effective breathing equipment, complete body coverage, and perhaps a friend to help out. Before I did anything, I need to find out if my popcorn ceiling contains asbestos. Not all spray-on popcorn ceilings contain asbestos, but to be sure, I thought about taking a sample of the popcorn ceiling, and sending it to a lab for analysis. This sounded like too much work, so I just assumed it does to be safe.

 

Through my research, I found that first I needed to wet the ceiling. There are some options for doing so, I personally found a garden sprayer to be the easiest. Lucky for me, I already had one in my backyard and sprayed the entire ceiling, and let the water soak for about 10 minutes. 10 minutes is significant because it could possibly damage the wallboards. I thoroughly scraped the popcorn ceiling off the wall, and let it fall onto the plastic sheets I aligned along the floor. After the removal, I thoroughly wipe down the entire ceiling where smeared asbestos could still remain. It was at this point I looked to my ceiling and could go no further. I followed the directions step by step, but was still concerned that I had not done the job that the Do It Yourself website had described.

 

Removal of popcorn ceilings can be very difficult to do alone or even with someone. I ended up hiring a professional to come out and do it, not only because it was a hard task, but for my safety. After my research I realized asbestos was probably too high of a risk for me to be messing with anyways. Do yourself a favor, and do the research. Either be extremely careful when doing this, or hire a professional. All I know is I am happy with my new, modern, and not to mention completely safe ceilings!
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Helping you Find the Best Local Contractors

February 20, 2012 By 104 Comments

Get A Free QuoteSo you are working on your house DYI style (Do It Yourself for those not privy to Home Improvement terms) and you realize you are now way over your head and you need to find a Local Contractor and need one quick so where do you turn? To the “old” yellow book? Now a days not likely. Most people turn to search engines and probably Google if you are in the 80% of people who search with Google.

Now you are on Google and you type in what you are looking for… local contractors, heater repair, how to save my marriage because I blew the fuse box trying to do my own electrical work or whatever your home improvement project is. There are so many contractors to wade through and how do you know what company is good and what company is not? Well ABC company says they are the best so they are the best right? Oh yea thats right and in my spare time I fly around with a red cape and save people from evil villians! Companies will do ANYTHING to get you to spend YOUR hard earned money with them

Ok so here comes my plug… hey don’t get mad and click away… you clicked on this post remember? So gut it up and hear how we can help you find the best Local Contractors in your area. Wouldn’t it be nice to submit a form telling a Local Contractor what your project is and then have 2-3 companies calling you competing for your business? Now that is what I am talking about! You can get 3 FREE quotes from Local Contractors in your area with a few clicks of your mouse and sit back and pick the best company that fits your particular projects needs. Go to TenList.com and pick your category and submit the form for your 3 FREE project quotes today… its fast, easy and most importantly FREE!

Now you know how to get the best contractors in your area we thought it would be appropriate to show you some contractors you might want to stay away from… enjoy!

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All You Need to Know About Corian Countertops

February 17, 2012 By 52 Comments

Corian countertops are becoming increasingly popular among many homeowners, but what exactly are the benefits and disadvantages of installing Corian in your home?  While you are doing your research to find our what countertop works best for you, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Corian countertops are made from a plastic resin. They can be pigmented to almost any color and can provide your kitchen with a number of different textures and finishes.  By far, the most popular  finishes are granite and marble. Further, because you are able to mix and match different colors and finishes, you are sure to be able to create a countertop that perfectly matches your kitchen and design taste.

Corian also gives you an easily cleanable surface. Because it is molded into a single sheet to provide a seamless installation, it allows you to create a watertight surface that keeps dirt and germs from finding a home in the crevasses that traditional countertops create.  This is by far the single greatest advantage of choosing Corian Countertops over any other kitchen surface.

But there are some disadvantages that you need to be aware of.  First, because it is made of plastic, it is not recommended to be used as a cutting surface.  It IS scratch resistant and heat resistant but if you are slicing into a watermelon with 100 lbs of force, you may run into some scratching issues. With proper care, you should be able to avoid having any blemishes or scratches to your kitchen countertop.

It is also recommended that you avoid setting hot pots or pans on the surface as this may create some blemishes on the plastic as well.  However, unlike stone, Corian countertops may be used outdoors and also carry a 10 year warranty to protect you and your countertops. While it is not as durable as stone countertops, they provide a nice cost saving over stone and provide you with a quality surface sure to meet your needs.

If you are looking to remodel you kitchen soon, it would be a good idea to get some quotes from various contractors and to see the difference a corian countertop can make to your kitchen!

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Take Home Security Seriously

February 15, 2012 By 39 Comments

This is a topic that really hits home with me due to the fact that I have 2 little ones at home. Their safety is our top priority and having the right home security system in place is crucial for their safety and our peace of mind as parents.

What type of home security system should you get and what type of company should you go with are 2 of the questions you should consider when purchasing your system. There are a few general systems you can typically choose from:

- Hardwired Home Security System… This system is great if you are building a new home because there is a lot of wiring involved and it is easier to install if your walls are exposed. Most homes have wired systems in place however your older homes typically do not. All of the window, door, glass break alarms are wired back to the central control panel and helps to eliminate false alarms.
- Wireless Home Security System… This system runs off batteries and it a lot easier to install. This can be a DIY system however we would recommend having a professional help with the installation. These systems have a frequency based designed compared to direct connect design of the hardwired systems.

There are also many components you can ad for added security such as glass break detectors, motion sensors, security cameras (for the extra cautious… this will help you identify those creepers coming around your house!), sirens and strobes and etc.

When I select a company for this kind of Home Improvement addition I believe it is best to go with a large reputable company. They are more then likely going to have the best services and monitoring. When we moved we decided to go with a “local” home security specialist and it took him nearly 6 hours to install our system and our house was already hard wired for it! Come to find out 8 months later we were NOT even being monitored by the security company. Talk about an eye opener! Now I am sure there are good local home security companies out there but I would rather know I am being set up right the first time and not find out the hard way.

We always try to add a little comedy in our posts when talking about Home Improvement however we want everyone reading this to take it seriously. It only takes one event to change your life so make sure you are well prepared for any intruder.

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Contractor Nightmare

February 13, 2012 By 260 Comments
Nobody likes getting ripped off, especially when thousands of dollars are at stake! The last thing anyone wants to worry about is not being able to trust their contractor. I am sure we have all heard horror stories about contractors that should be banished from the business, but this one is really heart breaking!

Her name is Jody. She and her husband had signed a contract with a builder in San Diego. Note, they signed a contract, meaning they couldn’t just get out of it if they changed their mind. Jody and her husband, Don, hired the contractor to build a third floor suite in their home, so that Jody’s sick mother that was in a nursing home could come live with them before she goes. If I were a contractor I would realize how important this job was. It wasn’t some little job that could be redone. It needed to be done and done right in a timely manner. The clock was ticking, and Jody wanted her mom home to spend time with her!

Long story short, first one of the guys accidentally tore off a hot water heater exhaust on the roof which leaked carbon monoxide which gave Jody bad headaches and eventually she passed out while she was on the computer. Luckily, a man working on the house saw her and helped her. Second, they put a hole in the ceiling, and later tried to fix it only making it worse, because they didn’t do it right. Toxic mold started to grow, and it was just one thing after another and things weren’t getting done. Talk about a contractor nightmare! Eventually the contractor’s license was revoked. This really affects the industry, because it gives contractors a bad name! Not to mention all the customers have crazy anxiety about hiring anyone!

Sadly, when the house was finally finished Jody’s mother moved in and passed away one week later. If only Jody had a good trust worthy contractor she would have been able to spend more time with her mother before she passed on. To prevent this happening to you, make sure you find a verified and trusted contractor!

Source: People.com

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Innovations In Roofing Products

February 10, 2012 By 32 Comments

Over the years, roofing products have come a long way with their technology. From the traditional roof shingle to the modern solar panel, roof materials now come in many varieties and forms. Many of the new roof products have focused on developing ways to improve energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint, others have simply looked at new ways of performing old techniques. In any case, these new roof products have a lot to show for their efforts.

Recycled Shingles

Traditional asphalt shingles have made the largest leap in advancement in recent years. Once made from rubber or plastic and coated in toxic chemicals, many come in chemical-free and recycled varieties. These days asphalt shingles can be made from recycled rubber, plastic and paper products. Some of these shingles can even be recycled again to form new asphalt shingles after use, significantly reducing the amount of waste in local landfills.
Metal roofs have also boosted their options for choosing recycled materials. Homeowners can now choose to install a metal roof made from recycled aluminum, steel and copper. Even in years past, metal roofs have been a great source for recycling as old metal roofs can be turned into scrap metal after use.

Energy Efficient Roofing

Solar panels are the most notable type of energy efficient roof system. A single ten by ten foot panel can generate enough electricity to power the average American home for 24 hours. Homeowners can greatly benefit from a small solar cell that reduces their reliance on traditional energy sources. Not only are there big money savings in solar panels, but the environment gets a huge boost from the reduction in traditional energy consumption.
Other efforts are being aimed at creating a roof material coating that can boost energy efficiency and improve the local environment. Researchers around the world have been looking certain chemicals that can be used on roof products to absorb greenhouse gases and toxins commonly found in the ozone of urban areas. Further, white roof coatings and other sun reflectant materials are now quite common among large buildings that can reduce heat absorption and lower the temperature of the building.

Roof Rocket provides valuable information and resources for those looking for high quality roofers. Their mission is to provide accurate and reliable information so you can make an informed decision about your roof repair.

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Soundproofing 101

February 8, 2012 By 65 Comments

There are tons of reason to why you would want to sound proof an area. Perhaps you are in a band and would like to keep the noise level down to those around you. Maybe, you simple want crisp sound coming from you home theater system and want to reduce any bounce back that may be occurring. No matter your reason, there are many options available to you and you might not even know the differences.

What are my options?
There are several options available to you. By far, the most popular options are acoustic paneling and foam paneling. Acoustic paneling comes in many different colors, shapes and sizes. While it is typically on the top end of a price range, it will also give you the designer look you might be searching for. Several companies even provide custom printing that allows you to be yourself, and design the space of your dreams. If you are looking for other cheaper options but will provide similar results, foam panels may be right for you.

Foam panels are typically made from 2 separate materials. Melamine foam is a great option if you are planning on soundproofing for commercial use. Builders prefer this material over others because of its high flame resistant safety rating. Melamine provides great results in reducing echos and also absorbs low, middle and high range frequencies.

If your are looking for soundproofing solutions for you home, polyurethane foam will be your best bet. Polyurethane is a much more durable versus melamine but does provide a higher flame risk so be sure to take caution when using an open flame. This material is also tear resistant so perfect for high traffic areas or for areas that receive moderate abuse. Polyurethane, like melamine, absorbs low, middle and high range frequencies.

Problems sound proofing cannot fix

Soundproofing has some limitations.  It is almost impossible to stop all middle frequency tones from escaping a room.  While soundproofing does do a fantastic job at minimizing these “leaks”, it will not contain 100% of the sound produced.

Second, it is important that you use the right material for you particular needs and that the material is installed correctly.  In either case, the results that you are after will end up being money poorly spent.

It is important to note here that you should be careful using the “in home” soundproofing.  You might be better off hiring a soundproofing professional and resting easy knowing that the job will be done right, the first time.


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