In these tight economic times, it seems everybody is looking for a way to pinch pennies. One of the best places to begin is in the home. But the commitment to lower utility bills requires biting the bullet and opening the wallet.

There are many home improvements that will start you down that frugal road - insulation, radiant barrier foil, and replacing your incandescents with fluorescents. But a huge ROI is installing replacement windows.

There are a lot of variables to consider. It’s a balance between budget, aesthetics, and the geographic area you’re located in. Another consideration is what you need to install in order to order to qualify for an energy tax credit. It’s not enough to simply have Energy Star products like it is with refrigerators or dishwashers.

Where you live is as important. What will qualify in Wisconsin is not necessary the same as in Texas. What wacky, goofy, out-of-touch guys those legislators up in Washington are.

Then there’s the choice of filler in double-pane windows. The most common choices are air (poor), argon (better), and krypton (best, and not just because it freaks Superman out).

The prices for these three fillers go from low to high along with their efficiency. Krypton doesn’t cost more just to clean out your bank account; the gas itself is expensive. Many experts will tell you that the price isn’t justified as the payback time frame is so darned long.

Read more about fillers, pros and cons of the different types of frame materials, the U-factor, and how the solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) applies to your choice. Education is key before you talk to a salesman.

Other related articles:

• Save Money with Door and Window Weatherstripping
• A Certified Home Inspector can Improve Energy Efficiency
• Save Money with Solar Window Film

It’s true that it’s still cold out there, but summer will be here before you know it. So what’s the rationale for a home inspection just now? For one thing, those income tax refunds are just around the corner. If you want to find out what you need to do to conserve energy next summer and have time to do it, a certified home inspector will give you a great deal of relevant info.

For example, you might get recommendations on adding insulation, caulking windows, or installing radiant barrier foil. But a home inspector will also load you down with other info - structural integrity of the structure, condition of plumbing, foundation damage; things like that.

Note that there’s a difference between home inspectors and energy auditors. An energy auditor is more tightly focused on energy conservation, so the only aspects of the structure he or she is interested in is how it relates to your energy bill.

For example, he’ll do a blower door test. This will tell how “tight” the envelope of your home is. In general, the tighter it is, the more AC or heater air is escaping.

You should also ask for that a thermal or thermographic imaging be done. You’ve probably seen one of these on a weather report on TV. It’s a colored picture where the redder an area is, the hottest it is and bluer, cooler. This will indicate both leaks and the absence of insulation.

So basically, what you pay one of these pros is like Karma; you’ll get paid back in the long run.

Related Articles:

Save Money with Solar Window Film

Install Insulation to Save Energy

If you live in the southern US and haven’t addressed the issue of hurricane preparation, there’s still time. Until tomorrow at least.

One of the most important things you need to take care of is protecting your windows. Windows are the most vulnerable parts of the home, and once they are compromised in hurricane force winds, all bets are off.

Listening to the radio the other day I heard an ad for Armor Glass security window film. It’s not only rated for hurricanes, but bomb blasts as well. So if you have any Al Qaeda scumbags in your neighborhood, you might want to consider this.

Seriously though, I see 2 prime benefits to this product. First, they claim it’s cheaper than storm shutters. Second, once it’s on, it’s on. No more plywood chores when it’s bug-out or hunker-down time.

When you’ve got to run, you’ve got to run, and the fewer issues the better.

There are other things to do as well. It’s a good idea to stock up on canned goods. Not just basic stuff either; get things that you will enjoy eating. When Ike rolled through here, the shelves at Kroger and Walmart were plenty bare.

It took them more than a week to get the “good stuff” in. All but the basic canned goods took a while to be trucked in. Fresh eggs, milk, cheese, and sausage? Fugitaboutit!

Load up on those favorite snacks for the kiddies. They really need some sort of normalcy.

And don’t forget to stock up on ammo. I’m just sayin’…

The town I live in (small city) just went on water rationing. It’s one of those deals where you can only water the lawn, add water to the swimming pool, or wash the car on certain days. Otherwise, face a stiff fine.

Problem is, nobody knows about it because the city isn’t putting out any publicity. I wouldn’t have known except that my wife say it on the city web page when she was looking for 4th of July tea parties and other activities.

Anyway, the problem with extended dry weather is that concrete slab foundations don’t like it. I tend to say slab on grade, but the problem applies to pier and beam foundations as well.

The dry dirt shrinks and pulls away. The result is that it doesn’t support the slab correctly. This can cause cracks, home damage (doors, windows, roofs), and expensive foundation repairs.

Sometimes this means mud jacking for smaller slabs. Bigger slabs might need piers and piles. Mucho dinero, my friends. The pro-active solution? Water the foundation regularly to prevent foundation repairs. Soaker hoses are the best way to do this evenly.

And the city did make a watering exclusion for drip watering systems…

Yes folks, it seems only yesterday that hurricane Ike was abusing us like a 2000 pound steer whuppin’ up on a rodeo cowboy. You can run, but you can’t hide. It’s still the tail end of May and already there’s a “disturbance” out in the Atlantic. Does this mean a hurricane?

Probably not this early, but it may become a tropical storm. And they can still kick some serious gluteus maximus. What does this tell us? Just that it’s time to get ready. Here are a few things to do this early in the hurricane season:

Get the plywood and hurricane clips for your windows now. Don’t be one of those folks standing in line at Home Depot at Landfall - 1 and counting down. Spend that time actually battening down the hatches. If you don’t want to cut and install it yourself at the last minute, call around now and lock in a commitment with a handyman. To find a reliable one, use Angie’s List where thousands of consumers share their ratings on the local contractors and service companies they hire.

Beef up the cupboard with canned goods and drinking water. My approach? Every time I go to the local Kroger’s grocery store, I pick up a few tins for my survivalist stash. Every now and then a case of bottled water. Have enough of each for a minimum of two weeks.

Stock up on ammo now. I’m not joking. I’m big on second amendment rights because looters are too. It doesn’t help to plead Obama platitudes to them while they’re shaking down your family. Ammo has been scarce lately, but I did score a thousand rounds of 9mm yesterday.

Need an emergency generator? Strictly speaking, no. But if you can afford one, this is the way to go.

Keep your vehicle gas tank topped off. Don’t wait; make it a practice to fill up when you get to 3/4 full. Not only will this help your fuel economy, it will keep you from sitting in line if your area gets emergency evacuation orders.

Buy a camp stove and plenty of fuel. During a power outage, a warm meal is a luxury.

Batteries, flashlights, and candles. This one needs no explanation.

You should already have the basic makings of an emergency first aid kit. If not, make it happen.

These are just a few of the things to take care of now. Forewarned is forearmed. ‘Nuff said.

When it comes to making the home energy efficient, windows are a huge issue. After all, although they let in the light, they let in the light. What I mean to say is that on the one hand, we don’t have to burn every light in the house during the day, and on the other hand, they also let in heat. So they beg for energy-savings steps.

The question is, does it make more sense to replace the existing contractor grade windows with double or triple glazed argon-filled Energy Star windows (whew, that’s a mouthful!), or compromise budget and efficiency and install solar window film?

The Home Envelope

First, a bit of an overview to put it all in perspective. How efficient the home is depends on the entire home envelope. I love radiant barrier foil in the attic. It is more effective (in the big picture) in a one-story house than a two-story house. Why? Because with one floor, the roof is a larger percentage of the total envelope.

Conversely, on a two story, windows comprise a bigger envelope percentage than they do on a one story (Two stories = twice as many windows). What I’m trying to say here is that all renovation projects that lower utility bills are important, but each home’s priorities are different.

Let’s get this out of the way first - do your radiant barrier as a first line of defense. And do this job yourself. Labor charges double the price of the project and only the cost of the material is eligible for the stimulus package energy tax credit.

Now, Focus on Energy-Efficient Windows

Alright, how much money do you have left? In the real world, this determines what to do about the windows. Energy Star replacement windows are optimal, but boy, are they proud of them at the check-out counter. If you can afford them, go for it. Don’t forget to upgrade your homeowners insurance policy.

This is likely not a DIY project for most folks.

On the other hand, solar window film is a great DIY job, considering that you have patience. And it makes less of a mess than complete window replacement. It’s available in several shades, and if you’re after privacy, there’s a mirrored finish available.

As a further compromise, your remodeling budget might justify replacement windows on the side of the house that takes the sun’s hammer most violently, and apply film on the more docile sides.

So in answer to, “Window replacement or window film?,” the answer, like many things in life is, “It depends.” Don’t you love it when I’m ambivalent?

Green building practices are getting more publicity all the time, but there’s more happening that meets the eye. It’s like it is sneaking on stage. Wanting to stay current on the topic, I set up a Google alert on the phrase about a month ago.

Every day now I get an email listing links to articles on green building. Folks, this trend is gathering steam. For example, C&L Refrigeration is now building LEED certified storage facilities. C&L has clients like Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, Golden State Foods and Miller Brewing Co.

Weyerhaeuser and Owens Corning are making inroads into sustainable residential building materials. I’m here to tell you that even this improved insulation still itches.

Titebond glue has released a complete line-up of green adhesives.

I’ve spent some time adding insulation and radiant barrier foil in my attic lately. It’s really affected the time available for running workouts, dang it! Both products are Energy Star rated so not only will I save on utility bills, I’ll claim a tax credit at the end of the year. Hey, take it while you can, right?

And what an investment. A report from Henley Business School reveals that LEED certified buildings can reap a rental income of up to 31% more than non-certified properties and that the more highly rated the properties are, the greater the rent. Gotta love it. Well, if you’re the landlord.

But it stands to reason that if things like solar panels are used, the renter still makes out like a bandit with respect to energy bills.

I think my next energy reduction project will be to install solar window film, even though it won’t qualify for a tax credit. Aluminum frames aren’t covered. The IRS has some goofy rules. Just one more thing president Nobama should take care of. But won’t.

In most cases, wood trim, door and window casing (interior), and other types of molding are purely decorative - icing on the cake so to speak.

Seeing as how they are meant to add a decorative touch, they just don’t look right when they don’t conform where they’re being applied because of surface inconsistencies. In many cases, you can tweak it by bending wood trim. There are two common methods of doing this:

• Building a PVC steam chamber. You can do this in your own wood shop.
• Back-cutting the trim. You can do this in many different ways; using a coping saw or a compound miter saw are common.

A common time to tweak trim is when installing baseboard after installing your floor. Why? Interior partitions (drywall walls) are rarely perfectly straight and you usually don’t even notice it until you go to nail up the base; then it becomes glaringly obvious.

I like to use a variety of methods to cope (pun intended ;-)) with this. First, if the wall curves in at a stud, I’ll nail the base up but use a shim so I can still set the nail, but then pull the shim and caulk the gap. Not perfect, but it splits the difference between beautiful and butt-ugly.

Chances are nobody will notice the hack, but they certainly would notice if the baseboard swooped in. That would detract from your new floor project.

Contrariwise, if the wall swoops out at a stud, you have no choice but to nail tightly to that stud, but you can let it float a bit on either side, once again caulking the gap.

Another trick is to first nail up the base and then nail quarter round to it at the bottom. It gives it a three dimensional look that detracts the eye from irregularities.

Using methods like these are what sets the craftsman apart from the rough framer. Think out of the box. Improve your DIY home improvement projects.

Yes, the work continues. I’ve updated the Perpetual Remodeling Syndrome page. The previous time I showed some pictures of the vinyl baseboard I installed.

This time the focus is on the door trim and handle I used. Click on the picture on the left to see what the finished job looks. The color is just a bit off; the door and trim is actually gloss white.

The compact fluorescent bulbs did something odd to the way my digital camera picked up the color, I think.

The next mini-project I will post will be on what I’m doing to my kitchen lighting to make it about 60% more effective.

And then there’s installing laminate floors in the closets, making oak transition trim for the places where different floor tiles meet up, install closet shelving, build an entertainment center, yet more painting, actually finishing the walk-in pantry I started a loooong time ago…

You get the idea here, I think. That’s why I call it “perpetual”.

Be sure to check my RSS Feed periodically to follow my progress.

Homeowners insurance. Shoestrings. Toilet paper. What do these things have in common? We buy them and promptly forget about them. Until we need them, that is; and that’s when we find out if they are adequate.

Unlike toilet paper, you should update homeowners insurance coverage on an annual basis and/or after significant home improvements. In most cases, your insurance provider should be glad to help you figure out what the replacement price tag for your home is.

My insurance company is State Farm and they’re very helpful. In fact, they just sent me a letter on this topic which prompted this post.

This is what you have to consider: replacement; not what the state or county says the property is worth when they send you that inflated estimate of home value for tax purposes. It’s also not the same as market value, which is what you realistically could sell it for.

If you hire a building contractor to remodel a kitchen, obviously the replacement cost of your home will go up. But what if you make no improvements throughout the year? Most folks assume that the status quo remains static but they would be wrong!

Why, you ask demurely? Because material and labor costs rise.

Improvements Affecting Insurance Payouts

Just a sampling of home improvements to consider -

• Installing hardwood or laminate flooring
• Upgrading to energy-efficient krypton or Argon filled windows with a Low-e coating
• Bathroom or kitchen remodel
• Remodeling your basement
• Siding replacement with Hardiplank fiber cement siding
• Replace your central air conditioner with one with a higher SEER rating

There are more, of course, but this gives you an idea. The more money you pour into the homestead, the more reason you have to update your insurance policy.