Turn Your Home Into an Eco-Friendly Zone

Whether your aim is to save the rain forest or you just want to trim down that energy bill, one thing is the same for both goals: results don't come in just one day. Turning your home into an environmental savvy zone requires time, patience, and readjustment in small (but important!) daily habits.  To reduce energy waste and promote a green living space - not to mention chiseling down that electric bill - take heed of the tips provided below.

If You're Not Using It, It Shouldn't Be On Many common household gadgets are energy vampires. Cut down on unnecessary output by unplugging devices after they’re charged; laptops, desktops, and smartphones are huge here. Switch off radios, light fixtures, TVs, video game consoles, and cooking equipment when there’s no one around to use them. This sounds like common sense but it’s an unfortunate habit for many of us.

Waste Bin Convenience Everyone, for the most part, has experienced this situation. You finish a soda or canned beverage, but there’s no recycling container in sight—just the regular trash bin. You want to recycle, but aren’t exactly on board with wandering around with a sticky, empty can for an unsaid amount of minutes until you find the proper place to stash it. While at home, this scenario can be easily solved by implementing separate recycling bins for plastic, cardboard, and glass materials of all sizes (within means).

Windows: Are They Sealed? If your window seals are worn and letting air slip in and out of your home, action should be taken promptly. Either seal the gap yourself or contact Wallside Windows to speak with a professional and get your windows back up to speed.Solving air leakages from window complications can do wonders to insulate your home and conserve both heat and air conditioning.

Choice of Light Bulb Model Opt for CFL or LED light bulb models to light your homes. As it’s now known, incandescent bulbs are both less efficient and eco-friendly than the alternative styles mentioned above.

Plants Though their impact is subtle, incorporating plants into a living space is a hugely underrated way to circulate inside quarters with pure, natural air. Find a plant that complements your interior design and can generate an ample amount of fresh air.

Harness the Sun with Solar Power Investing in solar panel technology can, in the long haul, take a serious chunk out of your energy bill. As far as being eco-friendly goes, substituting gas or electric energy for sun power can make an immense difference by doing away with externalities such as carbon emissions, smog, and acid rain.

Energy-Efficient Windows Give your windows an inspection. Judging by their age and the frequency of repairs they've required as of late, it may be time for new replacement windows. Get a free estimate from Wallside Windows to learn about how they use heating spacers and e-glass in their window's designs for optimal insulation.

Reducing Window Fog: How It’s Done

Whatever style of home windows you have, fog is bound to accumulate around them. Here's what you need to know about why fog so commonly accumulates on windows and what you can do to lessen the frequency of it.

What Produces Fog When warm and cool air mix, it creates condensation (fog). Indoor activities—such as cooking or showering—are producers of ordinary fog creation due to the condensation from the warm water they use. Although fog is normal, there are circumstances when it can be a serious detriment to your home—especially when build up becomes excessive and recurring. Another common instance of fog is when the seasons change—a swift clash of dissimilar temperatures.

Symptoms of Dangerous Fog Buildup The presence of home fog can usually be attributed to gaps or cracks in window frame, broken weatherstripping, or shoddy window seals. These allow intrusive airflow that, when mixed with the home’s air,  becomes condensation. For example, when warm summer air enters a cool, air-conditioned living space and mixes with the cool air generated throughout the interior, it creates fog. When the windows contain a significant amount of fog, it’s a sign other areas of the house may bear moisture buildup; check the ceilings, walls, and attic as these are main points this humidity collects.

Why It Should be Taken Care of Immediately Health hazards such as moisture and mildew are known to accompany the presence of fog, so it's imperative you take care of any noticeably high collections of condensation or humidity as soon as possible. Also, with enough moisture build up, your home's infrastructure can suffer adverse effects to areas such as its roof and furniture.

Ways to Defog Home Windows: As mentioned above, there are a number of culprits that could point to your home's fog accumulation. Look below for some of the most effective methods:

1. As discussed above, windows are your primary defense against moisture-packed air from infiltrating your home; check for air leakages, gaps, or poor sealing and take appropriate action to repair them.

2. To reduce humidity, use a dehumidifier in rooms with noticeably high instances of condensation.

3. Install double-pane replacement windows, which are supreme insulators against cold weather and moisture alike.

4. Ventilate humidity-concentrated areas with fans.

5. In general, do less activities that use hot water in order to mitigate humidity.

New Homeowners: Watch out For These Surprise Expenses

  As most first-time homeowners know, the bills have a knack for surprising us from time to time. We’ve put together a list of some of the most common perpetrators of monthly fees that seem to come out of nowhere.

Air Conditioning & Heating Other common culprits of a surprisingly high energy bill include using excessive air conditioning or heating. If you get into a habit of accidentally leaving them on while away from home, consider investing in a programmable thermostat; these allow you to wirelessly control your home’s temperature from your phone and calculate the most efficient use of energy.

Electronics Make a list of the electronics that you use on a daily basis. Think about which ones you leave running while not in use. For example, turning off the television and lights before heading out to the grocery store is a great energy-saving habit to get into. Save cash by curbing the use of your home’s major energy-sucking appliances, such as:

• Computers
• Cell phones
• Coffee pot
• Lights
• Fans
• Video games

Faulty Windows First and foremost, the cornerstone to an energy-efficient home is well-insulated windows. If you experience recurring drafts, have to conduct excessive window maintenance, and your home’s energy bill is higher than usual, you may want to consider installing replacement windows. If gone unnoticed, faulty windows could lead to a serious home damage and avoidable preventable energy expenses. Avoid these by scanning your home windows at least twice a year to look for any of these issues.  If you have any questions concerning repairs or are interested in new replacement windows, contact Wallside Windows for expert assistance.

Water In many ways, we rely on water not only for survival, but also for the integrity of our home appliances. Unfortunately, when a water-dependent appliance occurs and it goes unnoticed, it can hike up the water bill a significant amount. Save water by keeping a tight eye out for leaks around the house, running toilets, and leaving the hose running; cut back on shower time and practice general water-conserving habits like switching the faucet off while brushing your teeth.

No AC, No Problem - Tips for Staying Cool Without Air Conditioning

The luxury of an air conditioning system—especially during the arid summer season—goes without saying. But when money's tight, you may have to ration AC usage for a few hours in order to save your hard-earned cash. Here's how to keep your house at a tolerable temperature without AC:

Keep ‘em Closed During the day, shut drapes, blinds, and curtains to keep out the beating rays of the afternoon sun. As night approaches, crack a bedroom window to promote ventilation and let a cool breeze in. Call or email Wallside Windows to speak with a professional if you're unsure about how to repair any window damage or considering installing new replacement windows.

Limit Heat-Generating Technology If possible, curb the use of technologies that require a significant amount of electricity to run and are known to emit a lot of energy. Lighting appliances and kitchen stoves are notorious for this; by cutting down on their use you hit two birds with one stone by saving money and reducing output from hefty generators of heat.

All About the H20 Consuming your body’s daily recommended water intake is essential for bodily functions with the AC on or not; however, this advice is extra vital to heed when it's a scorcher and your body’s fluid loss occurs at a higher rate than normal. Avoid dehydration not only by staying cool but also keeping a water bottle in close proximity to re-hydrate.

Install Energy Efficient Windows Windows with excellent insulation technology - such as e-glass, which Wallside Windows coats their windows with - are great long-term investments to block out heat.  Also, check your current windows for any air leakages or gaps that might need to be sealed as these could lead to precious losses in cold air.

Exercise During Morning or Night The hottest time of the day is between noon and 3:00 p.m. To avoid being thwarted with a tidal wave of heat, keep workouts to the early morning or after the sun has gone down.

Last Thoughts If you must run your AC at some point, opt to run it during the hottest part of the day (usually noon - 3:00 p.m.). Make sure to also follow the above tips when not running your AC so that the cool air generated is contained within the house.

Summer Maintenance Checklist

There's no better time than summer to finally tackle those household repairs you've been meaning to get around to. Things add up over the busy spring and winter seasons when the weather conditions prevent us from conducting proper upkeep - both indoor and outdoor. Get into the swing of summer by checking out our home fix-it list we’ve compiled for anyone with a home to utilize.

Clean the Gutters Leaves and dozens of other types of garbage have a tendency to sneak into gutters. After enough trash and residue gathers in your gutter, it can condense into a hefty pile that can either damage the gutters themselves due to the sheer weight of the trash or create a clog that can damage your home infrastructure because of water leakage. Best way to avoid this? Give those gutters a thorough check up and take care of the trash build up. To clean your gutters, use: a ladder, gloves, trowel (or other utensil to dig out residue), water bucket or any other modality to wash out leftover muck.

Tidy up Damaged Drywall Indents, smears, and holes commonly injure drywall. Analyze the walls for these damages and allocate the necessary repair equipment that will be needed to make repairs; a general roundup of gear you’ll most likely need is a putty knife, sandpaper, cloth, masking tape, spackle and gloves.

- Dirty walls: filth from hands and furniture collision marks add up over time. Use a classic combo of a cleaning solution, hot water, and rag (not too wet!) to restore your walls back to normal color.

- Small, nail-sized holes: fill with putty or toothpaste of a color similar to the wall's hue; smooth out with a putty knife

- Larger indents: for bigger damages from doorknobs or similar accidents, the easiest solution is a drywall repair patch kit.

Once and for All, Fix that Leaky Faucet The constant drip after drip of a leaky faucet is enough to drive anyone up the wall. Based off your expertise, decide to either handle the leak yourself or call a plumber. If you'd prefer to not shed roughly two hundred dollars, there's dozens of how-to guides across the web to give a try; we've saved you the trouble by providing an explanatory video below:

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Check for Drafts Energy bill seem unusually high lately? It may be due to air leakages from window damage. Give your home windows a checkup by looking for any issues with the sealing, gaps, or cracks. Problems with gaps and sealing can be resolved by caulk, but you may want to consider getting new replacement windows if they have sustained enough damage.

Pull Weeds Taking the time to remove weeds is a great excuse to get outside for the day and work on your home's curb appeal. Unfortunately, despite our efforts the previous year to eliminate them clean, a new flock of invasive dandelions seems to happily plant themselves within our lawns with the arrival of every season. Unearthing weeds depends on the plant species and length of root, so the technique you use will vary with each weed. Uproot these pesky invaders either by:

- Use your hands (with garden gloves) and tag at the root; employ a mini shovel to carve out the deeper ones.

- Repeatedly rake a heavily-afflicted area with a hoe

- Apply herbicide (make sure to follow instructions and warnings of the product you decide to use as there are health dangers depending on the solution)

To maintain your home’s value, it’s crucial to conduct regular home maintenance throughout all seasons of the year.  Make sure to give routine checkups on all appliances and infrastructure around the house to ensure a safe, high quality living environment. Contact Wallside Windows for any questions regarding the windows or to learn the benefits of window replacement.