The Best Reasons to Make Home Improvements

It’s no secret that home improvement projects can be expensive. Depending on the type of project and the size of the job, it can take a long time for a homeowners to save up the money they need to be able to have the work done. So, how do you know when a project is really worth all the money and all the energy it takes to have the work done?

It Would Make Your Home More Functional

Ideally, your home was built and designed to make it easy to live your day-to-day life. However, many homeowners have areas in their homes that simply aren’t very functional. Whether it’s an awkwardly-placed sink or an aisle that isn’t wide enough for cupboard doors to fully open, these are things the sorts of things that make everyday life more difficult than it needs to be. Fixing those sorts of problems will make your life much easier and when the time comes for you to sell your home, you’ll have an easier time finding a buyer because these sorts of problems no longer exist in your home.

It Would Improve Your Energy Efficiency

Improvements made with the intention of making your home more efficient are absolutely worth pursuing. Anything that will make your home more energy efficient, like adding insulation, getting vinyl replacement windows, or new exterior doors, will benefit your home and lifestyle in many ways. Not only will you be doing something good for the environment, you’ll also be able to see a reduction in your energy bills. Plus, your home will become a lot more comfortable. No more having to spend winters wrapping yourself up in blankets when you’re trying to spend time at home!

It Would Add Value to Your Home

Regardless if you’re planning to sell your home soon or want to stay put for a while longer, looking for ways to add value to your home isn’t a bad idea. Nobody ever buys a home with the intention of letting it depreciate in value over time. Buying a home is the most significant purchase the average person makes during their lifetime, so why not make the most of it?

It Would Make You Happy

Not all home improvement projects have a high average return on investment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t do them. If you’re planning to stay in your home for a long time, you should be comfortable and happy there. So if there’s something you’ve always dreamed of having in your home, like adding a swimming pool or a master suite, the fact that it would bring you years of happiness and enjoyment is still worth something.

Spotting the Signs of Roof Damage

Roofs really go through a lot. There is never any point in time where they’re protected from the elements. After years of being exposed to things like drastic temperature changes, ice, snow, hail, tree limbs, and high winds, even the most well-made roof can sustain some damage. This is why routinely inspecting your roof for signs of damage is one of the most important things you can do to keep your home in good shape. If signs of roof damage go unnoticed and unrepaired, it can lead to very costly water damage. Well-made roofs can last for as long as 20-25 years, but that can ultimately vary. Here are the signs you need to watch out for so you can keep your roof in good shape for as long as possible.

A great way to start your inspection is by taking a look at the condition of your shingles. To do this, you’ll either need to get a ladder so you can get a closer look or get a good pair of binoculars. Missing shingles are definitely something you’ll want to address right away since it means the underlying structure of your roof is being exposed to the elements. A few missing shingles can also pose a risk to your remaining shingles since they aren’t as well protected anymore.

Be sure to look for other types of shingle damage like cracks, tears, and curled edges. Cracked and curled shingles are very strong indicators of roof damage. Depending on the extent of the damage, you may be able to just repair part of your roof or you may need to have the whole roof replaced.

Bald shingles are also a bad sign. If you look at your roof’s shingles and see spots where the granules have worn off or see a lot of granules in your gutters or on the ground around your home, it’s a sign your roof needs attention. The granules on roofing shingles help protect them from sun damage, so if those have worn off, your shingles are much more susceptible to damage caused by the sun.

While you’re outside, take a look at the condition of your home’s fascia, which is the board that runs underneath your roofline and supports your gutters. Since the fascia helps shield the roof from water damage, signs of damage here mean your roof is at risk for even greater damage. Look for things like cracks and discoloration.

In some cases, signs of roofing damage can be seen from inside your home, too. Things like dark spots on ceilings or peeling paint on walls can all indicate there may be a leak in the roof. If you have an attic, take a look in there for signs of water damage.

Ideally, you should be inspecting your roof for signs of damage twice a year. If you’ve recently been through something like a severe storm or a stretch of exceptionally harsh weather, it’s always a good idea to inspect your roof again to make sure it hasn’t been damaged.

Does Your Home Have Enough Insulation?

The last thing anyone wants during the cold winter months is to constantly be freezing in their own home. Always having the furnace running on a high temperature can get expensive, but you might not want to always be wearing bulky sweaters when you’re just spending time at home, either. There are many different steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient, like sealing drafts, replacing your exterior doors, or getting vinyl replacement windows, but if you’ve done those things and you’re still not comfortable and your energy bills are still too high, you may want to look into having more insulation added to your home.

It’s estimated that about two-thirds of American homes don’t have enough insulation. Many homes built prior to 1970 were originally built with little to no insulation and while homes built after 1970 do have insulation, there may be room for improvement. Building requirements for insulation has continued to evolve over time and while your home may have been built to the appropriate standards at the time, it might be considered under-insulated by today’s standards.

In many cases, homes built after 1970 have pretty well insulated walls, but lack insulation in the attic. Because of this, a common sign of inadequate insulation is ice dams forming on the roof. If you think you could benefit from more insulation, Energystar.gov says taking a simple look in your attic could give you your answer. If you look in your attic and are able to easily see the flooring joists because the insulation is either level with or below the joists, adding more insulation is definitely something you should look into. Also check that the insulation is evenly distributed throughout the entire attic. It’s not unheard of for attics to have thicker insulation in certain areas.

If you seem to have plenty of attic insulation or live in an older home, hiring someone to come out and give your home an energy audit may be very worthwhile. When you hire a professional to give your home an energy audit, they’ll use things like infrared cameras, other thermal imaging tools, and door blowers, to identify exactly where drafts and heat loss are occurring. They will also be able to get an idea of what the insulation is like in your walls. If you have a home built before 1970, there’s a good chance you don’t have very much wall insulation. There’s also a chance that your insulation wasn’t properly installed in the first place and has since fallen down. Some types of insulation can also settle over time, making parts of your walls under-insulated.

Having a professional give your home an energy audit may cost a few hundred dollars, but being able to know exactly where your home is losing heat will help you figure out which improvements to make so you can save a considerable amount of money in the long run. Adding insulation can help reduce your energy bills by upwards of 30% and, if you’re thinking of selling your home, that extra insulation could make your home more appealing to a potential buyer.

Improving Your Bedroom to Get Better Sleep

It’s believed that we spend about a third of our lives sleeping, but getting a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy. Between the stress of everyday life and environmental factors of the room you sleep in, restful sleep can be remarkably difficult to get. Finding the right mattress plays an extremely important role in improving your quality of sleep, but there are plenty of other things you can do to make your bedroom more conducive to sleep.  

Block Out the Light

Nobody likes being woken up earlier than they need to be because the bright morning sun is shining in through a window. Blackout shades and curtains are an excellent window treatment choice for vinyl replacement windows placed in bedrooms since they’re more effective at blocking out sunlight than any other type of window treatment. They’re also a particularly important thing to have if you don’t work a job with 9-5 hours and need to sleep during the daytime.

In addition to controlling the amount of natural daylight your bedroom gets, it’s also important to evaluate the electrical lighting in your bedroom. Place individual lamps on each side of the bed so you’ll be able to see without disturbing your partner. You may also want to look into getting dimmable lights for your overhead lighting so that your room can have a nice, soft ambiance.

Get Rid of Clutter

Even if you aren’t awake to see it, clutter in your bedroom can make it more difficult to sleep well. Being around clutter can increase stress and anxiety, which aren’t going to help you get the restful sleep you need.

Remove Electronic Distractions

Although it might sound like a nice idea to lay in bed and watch an episode of your favorite TV show or catch up on your email before going to sleep, it’s best to keep electronics out of the bedroom all together. Electronic devices like TVs, smartphones, and electronic book readers give off a blue-tinged light that affects your body’s melatonin levels and can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

Believe it or not, even the color of your bedroom can make a difference in the quality of sleep you get. Ideally, walls in bedrooms should be painted a soothing, relaxing color like blue or green. Red and yellow are often considered energizing colors, so those aren’t colors you’ll want to use in a space that’s intended for resting and relaxing.

Improve Air Quality

Better breathing leads to better sleep. Even if you don’t have problems with allergies or asthma, improved air quality still help you get a good night’s sleep. Make sure you dust your bedroom regularly and vacuum frequently if you have carpeting. An air purifier with a HEPA filter will help keep dust and other allergens under control. Keeping a few houseplants in the bedroom is another excellent way to improve your air quality.

5 Great Home Improvement Projects to Do During the Winter

There are many reasons why homeowners often choose to start home improvement projects during the spring and summer. Some homeowners like to wait until they have their tax refunds before starting projects, while others just want to avoid as many weather-related delays as possible. In some cases, a person might need to accumulate vacation time at work so they can be at home to monitor the project. By the time fall and winter come around, many homeowners either feel like they can’t have certain projects done or they don’t want to start anything too close to the holidays. But there are quite a few home improvement projects you can absolutely do during the winter. In fact, there can be some big advantages to having those projects once the weather turns cold. Here are five projects that are ideal for the winter months.

Indoor Painting

The colder the weather gets, the more time you’ll probably be spending around the house. During a long, cold winter, it’s very easy for homeowners to start getting bored with their surroundings. If you need a little change of scenery, why not go to the hardware store and look for some new colors of paint? Winter is an excellent time of year to take care of those painting jobs you may have been putting off since you’ll probably prefer to be out enjoying the weather once spring comes around again. Painting is a relatively easy and inexpensive home improvement project to do, it helps keep you busy, and a new coat of paint can do a lot to brighten up your home during an otherwise dreary season.

Window Replacement

Thinking about having some windows in your home replaced? You don’t have to wait until spring or summer to have the job done. Since so many people choose to have their windows replaced during the warmer months of the year, many companies that install vinyl replacement windows offer excellent deals during the winter because they’re not so busy then. You’ll be able to get the windows you need at an excellent price and won’t have to deal with higher energy bills and drafty windows all winter long.

Home Additions

Planning to build an addition to your home? Winter is an excellent time of year to get the ball rolling on that. Additions to the lower level of a home that require digging and pouring a new foundation are actually ideal to start in winter because the frozen ground and drier air makes the job easier. The whole job might not be completed during the winter, but if workers are able to at least get the foundation down and the addition framed, they’ll be in a better position to keep working through the spring. As an added bonus, building supplies tend to be cheaper during this time of year since there is less demand for them.

Adding Insulation

Like replacing your windows, adding extra insulation to your home gives you the immediate benefits of making your home more comfortable and lowering your energy bills. It’s estimated that 90% of American homes are under insulated. So unless your home is a very recent build, the odds are good that your home could benefit from some added insulation.

Tree Maintenance

Believe it or not, many landscaping companies and companies that specialize in taking care of trees stay open during the winter. If you weren’t able to have your trees trimmed or removed during the summer or early fall, you’re definitely not out of luck. Some types of trees can actually only be trimmed during the winter and the fact that the leaves have fallen off the tree makes it easier for workers to see exactly what they’re dealing with. Since the ground is harder in the winter, it’s also easier for workers to get their equipment near the tree and their equipment will be less damaging to your yard since the ground isn’t soft anymore. The cost of having a professional take care of a tree for you will ultimately depend on the job, but many companies often do charge less during the off-season.