Getting Rid of Energy Vampires Around the House

Making your home more energy efficient is a multi-step process. You can do things like install vinyl replacement windows or add more insulation to reduce your heating and cooling bills, but you also need to look for ways to use electricity more efficiently. Getting in the habit of turning lights off when you leave the room and replacing old appliances with new Energy Star certified models are great ways to start, but sometimes, simply remembering to turn off electronics when you’re not using them isn’t enough to save energy.

We all have a lot of electronic devices in our homes, but a lot of people don’t realize they might be paying to power those devices when they aren’t actually being used. These sorts of devices, known as  “energy vampires,” use electricity simply by being plugged in or go into a low-power standby mode instead of fully being powered down. Even if an individual item doesn’t use much energy just by being plugged in, when you look around the house and count all the energy vampires you can find, the energy savings can really add up.

Phone chargers are by far one of the most common energy vampires people have in their homes. They get used so often that many people get in the habit of leaving them plugged in at all times. In fact, many homes have multiple chargers plugged in at any given time. Charging a phone doesn’t actually use much power, but keeping a charger plugged in all the time adds up, especially when you keep a few chargers plugged in.

Some of the biggest energy vampires include things like TVs, cable boxes/DVRs, DVD players, and video game systems. In some cases, TVs, DVD players, and video game systems don’t fully power down when they’re turned off. Instead, they enter a low-power standby mode so they can start up again more quickly. If something goes into a standby mode, check its settings to see if you can change it. You can also try keeping these sorts of things plugged into a power strip so you can easily turn off the power to all of them at once when they’re not being used. Cable boxes and DVRs aren’t as easy to simply unplug when they’re not in use since that will cause you to lose all your timers and settings. However, you might want to contact your cable provider to see if you can get a newer cable box/DVR since those are continually being improved to become more energy efficient.

Computers and accessories like printers can also be major energy vampires. If you’re used to leaving your computer on all the time, try to get in the habit of either shutting it down or putting it in sleep mode when you’re not using it. Energy.gov says that turning off a computer when you’re not using it can lower your energy bills by as much as $20. Power strips also work great in home office areas so you can turn off the power to you computer and all its accessories at once. One of the easiest ways to get rid of energy vampires is to just walk through your house and unplug anything that either doesn’t get used very often or doesn’t really need to be plugged in. Is your hair dryer still plugged in, even though you haven’t used it in a few days? Have a spare TV in a guest bedroom? Is the kitchen counter full of small appliances that only get used occasionally? Just unplug them all. You might be surprised by how many energy vampires might be lurking around the house.

Choosing the Right Front Door for Your Home

Whether you’re planning to stay in your home for years to come or you’re thinking of putting your home on the market, replacing your home’s front door is a great way to improve your home. Your front door is a very important part of your home. It’s one of the first things people see when they visit your home, so your front door is an opportunity to reflect your home’s style and personality. If you’re selling your home, replacing your entry door typically has a great return on investment, according to the 2016 Cost vs. Value report. But since your door is exposed to the elements, you need to find a type of door that’s both decorative and durable. And of course, you have to remember that your door doesn’t just impact the appearance of your home, it also makes a difference in your home’s security and energy efficiency.

If you’re in the market for a new front door, there are three main types of materials to choose from:

Wood

For a timeless and luxurious look, it’s hard to top wood doors. Wood doors look great with many different styles of decor and architecture, so you’ll have an easy time finding one that will look great on your home. Unfortunately, wood doors are also the most expensive type of entry door available. Wood doors can also warp or swell in humid conditions and require the most maintenance to stay in good shape. However, there are doors made with a wood veneer over an engineered-wood core which can help you save money and avoid the inconveniences and maintenance that comes with solid wood doors. If you’re interested in one of these types of doors, This Old House recommends looking for a door with a furniture-grade veneer at least 1/16th of an inch thick.

Steel

According to Consumer Reports, steel doors account for about half of the entry door market and it’s pretty easy to understand why. They’re pretty affordable and don’t require much maintenance. They may need to be repainted occasionally and if a steel door gets dented or scratched, it can be repaired. Since steel can rust, steel doors don’t typically hold up as long as wood or fiberglass doors, but they do offer great durability and security at an affordable price.

Fiberglass

As far as price goes, fiberglass doors fall somewhere between wood and steel doors. They’re very durable and are virtually maintenance free. Some styles of fiberglass doors even replicate the look of real wood, so they’re another option if you like the look of wood doors but can’t afford solid wood doors and want less maintenance. And while fiberglass doors feel lightweight, they’re very strong.

Which material you want your new door to be made out of is just one choice you’ll have to make. If you’re interested in making your home more energy efficient, you’ll want to look for a door with a low U-factor, solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC), and air leakage rating. As far as appearance goes, look for a door that suits the architectural style of your home and reflects your own personal style.

5 Important Things You Should Know About Home Warranties

If you just recently purchased a home, there’s a very good chance a home warranty was included as part of the deal. A home warranty probably sounds like a great idea in theory. After all, what homeowner likes getting surprised with expensive home repair bills? But many homeowners question whether or not home warranties really are worth it. If you’re debating whether or not to get a home warranty or whether to keep paying for one, here’s what you need to know about them.

Read Your Agreement Carefully

First of all, it’s important to understand exactly what your home warranty does and doesn’t cover. According to Angie’s List, home warranties are some of the lowest rated categories on their site and a big reason why that is is because a lot of people are unclear about what’s covered and what isn’t. There are a lot of things home warranties don’t cover, so make sure you pay very careful attention to your policy’s inclusions and exclusions.

The Difference Between a Home Warranty and Homeowners Insurance

A home warranty typically covers specific systems and features of a home, like certain appliances, plumbing and electrical systems, the water heater, and heating systems. You can also get a home warranty with extra coverage for things like a swimming pool, septic system, or a central vacuum. On the other hand, homeowners insurance covers the interior and exterior of your home if they’re damaged during something like a fire or a storm. Homeowners insurance also covers your personal belongings if they’re stolen and helps cover damages if someone is injured on your property.

A Home Warranty Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Free Repairs

The annual premium of a home warranty can easily set you back a few hundred dollars, with the exact cost varying depending on the level of coverage it offers. However, that’s not the only cost involved in having a home warranty. Even though home warranties are supposed to keep you from being blindsided by huge bills, that doesn’t mean you won’t have any out-of-pocket expenses. You have to pay a service fee anytime someone comes out to your home to fix something. Your service fee would be less than the full cost of the bill, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

The Pros and Cons of Service Calls

When something that’s covered by your home warranty breaks, you contact your warranty company and they make arrangements for someone to come out and fix it. This system has its advantages and disadvantages to it. On the plus side, you don’t have to spend the time finding someone on your own, which is great if you’ve got a busy schedule. However, this also means that you don’t have any say over which contractor comes out to your home. Many people who have had repair work done through their home warranty have said they weren’t happy with the contractor or the quality of work they did.

Maintenance Matters

If you have a home warranty, it’s extremely important to make sure you regularly maintain anything your warranty covers. If a warranty company feels like a service call could have been avoided with proper maintenance, there’s a good chance they’ll refuse to pay for it. Since home warranties are commonly offered when a person buys a home, be aware that there’s a chance that you might get stuck holding the bag because of a problem caused by the previous owner’s lack of maintenance. What counts as “proper maintenance” can also be highly debatable. And when you stay on top of maintenance, that means you might end up going a long time without having to use your warranty, which makes many people feel like they’re better off not dealing with a warranty and just putting that money into a savings account each year.

The Benefits of Turning Your Home Into a Smart Home

Over the past decade, smart technology has revolutionized the way we live our lives. Smartphones have made it possible for us to do anything from check email to plan vacations anytime and anywhere. Smart TVs give us the ability to access streaming services like Netflix and Hulu without having to buy any additional devices. Smart technology has been growing so quickly that there are now several ways you can turn your home into a “smart home.”

Finding ways to include smart home technology around your house can make your lifestyle a lot easier to manage in many different ways, from improving home security to making your home more comfortable and more energy efficient. Are you always wondering whether or not you left something on at home? Now, smart technology can let you check on those sorts of things from anywhere in the world.

If you’re concerned about home security, using smart technology could do a lot to put your mind at ease. Instead of using old fashioned locks, smart locks can be opened using your smartphone or other keyfob. Exact features will vary depending on which smart lock you choose, but they can do things like allow you to let guests in remotely, keep track of visitors, or create virtual guest keys for guests. You can even get outdoor surveillance cameras which can send you updates and be monitored from your phone, tablet, or computer.

Heating and cooling costs often account for a large percentage of the average homeowner’s energy bills, but smart technology can help you keep those expenses under control. A lot of people were frustrated by older programmable thermostats, but smart thermostats are very easy to setup and use. You can turn your thermostat down from your phone once you get to work and turn it back up again before you start heading home at the end of the day. Some smart thermostats don’t even need to be programmed to adjust temperatures at set times of the day; they can adjust themselves automatically if they detect that nobody is at home.

Getting the lighting in your home just right can take a lot of trial and error, but if you were to use smart lights in your home, it would be much easier to make changes. Smart lighting systems can allow you to adjust brightness levels and even the color of your lights throughout the day, or even create a lighting schedule so it can automatically adjust itself.

These are just a few of the ways smart technology can make being a homeowner easier. Smart home technology is only going to be more common and can already also be used to do many other mundane things like make yard maintenance and cooking easier. And one of the nicest things about smart home technology is that isn’t an “all or nothing” sort of home improvement. You can add as many smart features as your budget allows or make sense for your lifestyle. Whether you add lots of features or just a few, you’ll always have the benefit of having less to worry about. If you’re planning to add some smart home technology, just make sure your router and internet plan are capable of keeping up with the new demands being placed on it.

The Facts About Storm Windows

Making sure the windows in your home are as energy efficient as possible is one of the best ways to keep your energy bills down and your home comfortable. Windows typically last for decades, but like all things in your home, they can become worn out after a certain amount of time. Even if the windows in your home have been very well maintained over the years, modern windows are designed to meet much higher standards for energy efficiency than they used to be. If you think the windows in your home are driving up your energy bills, you might be wondering if you need new vinyl replacement windows or if storm windows would help.

Storm windows are windows that are mounted either inside or outside the pane of an existing window. As the name suggests, storm windows can protect your windows from being damaged by the elements. But since storm windows create an extra layer on your windows, this helps provide extra insulation to keep your home warmer. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, low-E storm windows can reduce your annual heating and cooling costs by 12-33% over not using storm windows at all. If you live in a noisy area, storm windows can also help reduce outside noise.

One of the biggest reasons why people consider getting storm windows instead of replacing their windows is the cost. Storm windows are less expensive than replacing your windows, but whether or not you’re a good candidate for storm windows depends on the condition of your existing windows. While storm windows can help make the windows you currently have more energy efficient, there are many situations where replacing your windows is a better solution.

If your windows are old (at least 30 years old) or only have one pane, replacing your windows is a better investment in your home. New dual or triple pane vinyl replacement windows will do a much better job of improving your home’s energy efficiency than storm windows would. If you’re thinking of selling your home in the near future, replacing windows is more likely to yield a better return on investment than storm windows would since replacement windows are a long-term solution.

Replacing your windows is also a better option if there are other issues with your existing windows. Storm windows might be able to help minimize the impact of a larger problem with a window, but they won’t actually solve it. If you’re getting drafts because of a crack in the glass or because the window won’t shut all the way because your house has shifted and moved the track out of alignment, you’ll need to replace the window to actually solve the problem.