September 3rd, 2010
If you’ve read our recent blogs and have decided to install insulation in your attic, you now have a new decision to make: what kind of insulation should you choose. Bat insulation is sold in sheets at hardware stores and can be installed by homeowners. Blown insulation is sprayed into your attic to create a consistent blanket and requires a professional.
You can make an argument for both methods. As this article shows, neither option is consistently cheaper than the other although bat insulates slightly better than blown. Those who prefer to DIY projects, will obviously choose bat insulation. However, it is time consuming, potentially frustrating, and requires you wear protective clothing and accessories.
If you want the comfort and savings without the hassle, then blown insulation is probably a better option. Contact us and we can help you with the installation process.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, attic insulation, bat insulation, blown in insulation, blown insulation, DIY insulation, insulation installation, sheet insulation
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August 25th, 2010
In our last post, we talked about the benefits that attic insulation offers in the summer. Although insulation helps keep hot air from entering the house through the attic, there’s no getting around that it can trap in heat that enters through other areas of the home. One solution that will still let you get the benefits of attic insulation while mitigating the drawbacks is an attic fan.
Sometimes called “whole-house fans,” attic fans are large fans installed in the ceiling that separates the top floor of your home from your attic. They’re like giant versions of the exhaust fans in your bathroom and draw all the hot air out of your home into your attic where it can ventilate to the outside. At the same time, the attic fan brings air in through open windows, and if you’ve ever been next to a window when an attic fan is running, you know it can create quite a nice breeze blowing through a home.
Some homeowners are able to avoid running their air conditionings in the summer thanks to attic fans. They leave their homes closed up while at work during the heat of the day so the inside temperature doesn’t rise as much as it does outside. Then when they get home, they’ll open the windows and turn on the attic fan. The house cools down in no time and remains comfortable all night.
Attic fans don’t cost nearly as much to run as your AC so you cut down on your energy cost and make your home more energy efficient. If you’d like to learn more about how an attic fan can benefit you and about how their installation, check out this article from the Weather Channel or contact us and we’ll get you set up.
Tags: air conditioning alternatives, Allied Remodeling, attic fan installation, attic fans, attic insulation, energy efficient cooling, summer cooling, whole house fan installation, whole house fans
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August 18th, 2010
It may seem crazy to talk about attic insulation in the middle of a hot summer, but we have good reason. We all know that insulating your attic can increase your comfort while reducing your heating costs, but, as this article points out, it can also be beneficial in the summer.
Insulation works by slowing the passage of warm air through it. We mostly focus on its usefulness in keeping warm air inside during the winter. However, the same principle applies in the summer when insulation can keep warm air out of the house.
As a result, the insulation can help keep your home’s internal temperature down in the summer, which means your cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard. So insulation can then keep your cooling costs down the same as it does for your heating costs in the winter.
Because of the low demand for insulation in the summer, now’s a great time to get it installed. Contact us and we can get feeling cooler and paying less before you know it.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, attic insulation, attics, cutting cooling costs, energy costs, heating/cooling systems, home insulation, reduce air conditiong, summer cooling
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August 16th, 2010
At the bottom of our home page, you may have noticed the logo for the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI). This professional organization is very useful for companies like Allied Remodeling but can also provide assistance to you, the homeowner, in conducting a successful remodeling project. Here are a few of the things that can help you:
- A budgeting tool to determine how much you can spend on remodelting.
- A list of frequently asked questions about remodeling projects.
- Links to remodeling articles that can assist you in your projects.
- Guides to selecting a contractor who can perform quality work.
This last section is very important. There are many disreputable remodeling companies out there, so to help sort out the good from the bad, NARI provides questions you should ask potential contractors, questions you should ask their references, and warning signs you can use to recognize contractors to steer clear of.
Finally, NARI provides a directory of member contractors where you’ll find Allied Remodeling. By viewing the criteria for membership, you can be assured that choosing a NARI contractor is your best bet for honest, quality work. Feel free to contact us, and ask the questions the NARI suggests. We’re confident you’ll like the answers.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, checking remodeler references, choosing a remolder, questions to ask remodelers, remodeling, remodeling contractors
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August 6th, 2010
While we normally don’t get into financial advice in this blog, a number of factors are converging right now to create a great environment to take on a remodeling project in your home. We think you should know about these factors.
Loans
Although there is some progress being made in the economy, the stock market continues to fluctuate. This continues to steer investments toward bonds, which help lower interest rates. The recent crisis in Europe brought a flood of money into our bond market which dropped many of our interest rates to historic lows. With Europe starting to recover, that money could be on it’s way out and rates on their way up. This may be the best time to get a low-interest home equity loan to fix up your house.
Tax credits
A $1,500 tax credit for installing energy-efficient windows, doors, roofs, water heaters and more has been available for a while now as part of the President’s stimulus package. But that may not be true for much longer. To qualify, you must have these items installed by December 31. In addition, some states and localities offer rebates and credits for purchasing energy-efficient appliances and systems.
Housing prices
No, we can’t tell you when they’re going to go back up or how fast. But we can tell you that replacing your windows, roof, or siding will improve your home’s selling price no matter what. If your plan is to ride it out in your current home, why not make improvements now so you’re ready when the market rebounds and enjoy your updated home in the meantime.
If you’d like to explore your remodeling options to figure out what’s best for your home, contact us and we’ll be happy to help you out and discuss how you can save money in the process.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, energy efficient, energy tax credits, home equity loans, home improvement, remodeling, remodeling project, replacement windows, roof replacement, siding replacement
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July 28th, 2010
We’ve had some wild weather in the Mid-Atlantic during the past couple weeks. While summer storms usually bring relief from heat waves, they can damage your home, particularly your roof, in a number of different ways. We’ll try to give you some tips on avoiding this damage.
Lightning
Although more people worry about the damage that power surges caused by lightning can do to electronic devices, this article shows that it can also cause damage to the shingles on your roof and bricks in your chimney. To avoid such damage, the article advocates a lightening protection system for your home that goes beyond the traditional lightening rod to a series of terminals on top of your home to offer lightening a quick, safe way to the ground that spares your home.
Hail
Some of the more violent storms bring hail with them, which can also damage your shingles. Unfortunately, there’s no way to guarantee hail won’t harm your roof, although there are grades of roofing material that are more “hail-resistent” than others. If your see granules from broken shingles in the runoff from your downspouts or damage to your downspouts or siding following a storm, you may have sustained hail damage. A leak following a storm is another indication. If you encounter any of these, have your roof inspected as quickly as you can.
Wind
The high winds of storms can damage your roof directly by blowing off shingles or indirectly by blowing trees or limbs onto the roof. Either way, it’s a massive headache. You can reduce the threats from blown trees by removing dead trees or limbs above your roof. As for the direct threat high winds pose, a periodic inspection to ensure your roof’s fasteners are in place is the best policy.
At Allied Remodeling, we’d like to help you in any way we can if you should sustain roof damage during a storm. We’ll try to steer you in the direction of a trusted inspector, and if you need repair work done, we’ll be there to do the job. Contact us to learn more.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, hail damage, lightening damage, lightening protection system, roof damage, roof inspection, roof repair, roof replacement, shingle damage, storm damage, storms, wind damage
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July 23rd, 2010
There are a lot of ads these days about energy-efficient windows and how they can help you reduce your energy costs while keeping you more comfortable in your home. It’s easy enough to understand that keeping heat out in the summer and in during the winter reduces your need to use your heating and A.C system while keeping life bearable for you and your family. It’s less clear how exactly energy-efficient windows accomplish their task. Here’s a quick explanation taken from the Efficient Windows Collaborative.
Layer up
You know that adding layers of clothing helps keep you warm in the winter by trapping heat in and keeping cold out. Energy-efficient windows employ the same principle. By using glazes, layers of nontoxic, heavier-than-air gas, and coatings of nearly invisible metal oxide, energy-efficient windows prevent more heat from moving through them than conventional windows.
Frame up
There’s more to energy efficient windows than just glass. The sash and frame make up 10 to 30 percent of a window’s surface. If you have a metal frame and sash and felt it during a cold snap, you may have noticed that it’s ice cold. This is heat transfer happening. Energy-efficient windows use specially treated materials such as vinyl, fiberglass, plastic, and wood to reduce this heat transfer.
Space out
Windows have long used spacers to keep multiple panes and glazings apart. Traditionally, aluminum is used for spacers, but aluminum is great for transferring heat. Efficient windows either coat the aluminum with insulating material or use a different material altogether to reduce the conduction of heat.
Of all the window options out there, at Allied Remodeling, we’ve been most impressed with Vytex windows. They combine all of these features and are Energy Star rated. They will also qualify you for a $1,500 tax credit if you install them soon. Contact us to learn more about Vytex windows and how we can help you claim your credit.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, energy efficiency, energy efficient windows, energy savings home, Energy Star, home energy efficiency, Low e coatings, Vytex double casement windows, window installation, window replacement, windows
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July 16th, 2010
During the last two weeks, we looked at two popular siding options for your home. We first discussed wood, which most people believe is the best looking option but requires the most maintenance. Last week, we looked at aluminum, which eliminates a lot of the upkeep that wood requires but is more susceptible to damage. This week, we’d like to talk about a third, very popular option – vinyl siding.
The major advantage of vinyl siding is that it requires the least amount of maintenance. Unlike wood and aluminum, vinyl never needs to be repainted. According to this home improvement article, it helps to wash vinyl a couple times a year to keep it looking the best, but that’s the most you’ll have to do. The maintenance expenses for wood and aluminum can add up over time and make vinyl the most cost-effective option.
The biggest knock on vinyl is that it’s the least green option. However, advances in recycling capability are mitigating this problem somewhat. Other traditional complaints about vinyl have been limited color choice and vulnerability to high wind damage. On the siding page on Allied Remodeling‘s site, you’ll find many new vinyl products that address these concerns.
If you need help or advice while considering your siding options, we’re here to give you a hand. There are so many vinyl products available, it can be overwhelming, but we can guide you through it. Contact us to learn more.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, aluminum siding, siding, siding color options, siding installation, siding maintenance, siding repair, vinyl siding, wood siding
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July 6th, 2010
Last post, we looked at the good and bad of wood siding for your home. We concluded that it’s the most attractive and greenest siding material but that it is costly, requires the most maintenance, and can be susceptible to fire and insects. Let’s move on to see how aluminum siding stacks up.
Less maintenance but …
Unlike wood siding, aluminum siding doesn’t require repainting every other year, and you don’t have to worry about mold or fungi growing on it. However, you will have to repaint it occasionally and repaint it right using a special primer first.
Trading worries
Pests and fire are not the threats to aluminum that they are to wood. But hail, rocks, and baseballs are. The biggest knock, no pun intended, against aluminum is that it’s easily damaged, and clearly shows the signs of that damage.
Easy at first
Aluminum is relatively inexpensive, provides decent insulation, and is easily installed. But replacing damaged panels is difficult and – as we mentioned earlier – much more likely. Just finding replacement panels that match your pattern can be a chore.
We should also note that aluminum is not the only metal used for siding. Steel siding also exists but is not as popular due to its tendency to rust after a few years. To look at all your siding options, contact us, and we’ll steer you through the process.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, aluminum siding, metal siding, siding, siding damage, siding installation, siding insulation, siding maintenance, siding painting, siding repair, steel siding, wood siding
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July 1st, 2010
Because siding plays such a large role in defining the character and beauty of your home, when the time comes to replace it, you’ll put a lot of time into deciding what kind is right for you. When you begin the process, you’ll quickly find there are plenty of options out there that demand your attention. Although technology is always advancing in this area, there still three very popular basic choices for siding: wood, aluminum, and vinyl. Today, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of wood siding.
Beauty vs. maintenance
Perhaps the best testament to the popularity of wood siding is the amount of effort that’s gone into making other materials look like wood. When most people think of attractive siding, they think of wood. However, if you don’t have the time or interest in maintaining wood siding, it’s best to consider alternatives. Even with the best care, wood will eventually have to be replaced. If you don’t wash it about once a year and repaint or refinish it every couple years, as recommended in this article, you’ll be replacing it often, and it will detract from the beauty of your house in the meantime.
Greenness vs. durability
Wood is probably the greenest siding option according to this site. It’s a renewable resource, it absorbs polluting carbon dioxide, and is biodegradable if it hasn’t been treated. Of course solid wood siding is vulnerable to fire and insects such as termites. There are options to mitigate these factors, but they do so at the expense of wood’s eco-friendliness.
Cost
Maintenance costs make wood more expensive than other siding materials. It also doesn’t provide great insulation for your house, although there are certain more expensive wood siding products that insulate better.
Aside from solid wood, there are many composite options out there, and more are coming out every day. They’ll affect these pros and cons in different ways. If you’d like to know more about your siding options, we’ll be happy to walk you through them. Contact us to find out more.
Tags: Allied Remodeling, aluminum siding, eco-friendly, environmentally friendly, fire safety, green siding, insects, pros and cons of wood siding, siding, siding installation, termites, vinyl siding, wood siding, wood siding maintenance
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