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Other Home Projects
What Are Your Best Eco-Friendly De-icing Options?
What’s the most eco-friendly way to deal with wintry ice on sidewalks, driveways, porches and steps? Most people stock up on bags of salty de-icer, and then start throwing handfuls of it around when snow starts falling, thinking “More is better.” There are two problems with this approach. First, many common de-icers are loaded with potent…
Siding
How to Maintain Fiber Cement Siding
There’s a reason you spent a little extra for fiber cement. After all, this high-quality material requires little input from you to keep it looking great and performing throughout the years. Of course, “low-maintenance” doesn’t mean “maintenance-free,” so you do need to perform some fiber cement siding maintenance now and then. The biggest thing is…
HVAC
Does My HVAC Need a Screen or Cover?
How often do you think about your HVAC system? If it’s working well, the answer is probably “rarely”—aside from the blissful moment you savor after entering your cool home on a scorching day. With the cooler months upon us, you’re getting close to shutting down your HVAC system for the winter, and you have plenty to…
HVAC
Easy Ways to Hide Your HVAC Unit and Increase Curb Appeal
During the brutal winters and scorching summers, you may find that your reliable HVAC system becomes your favorite feature of your home. That doesn’t mean that you love how it looks, though — in fact, it’s often quite an eyesore. If it’s not located behind your home, there are some easy ways to hide your HVAC…
Other Home Projects
What Should I Turn the Thermostat to During the Day?
What’s the ideal temperature to set your thermostat to during the day? Like many homeowners, you might often wonder about just how high or low you need to set your furnace or AC to run when you’re away from home. You probably already know that it wastes money to heat or cool your homes when…
Windows
Exterior Treatments to Shade Windows from the Sun
One way to use less energy and lower your utility bills is by minimizing the amount of hot sunlight that enters your home through your windows. Here are seven exterior window shades and other window treatment ideas to shade windows from the sun. 1. Awnings Awnings are probably the most common exterior window treatment to…
HVAC
Filters 101: HVAC Filtration Options
Many homeowners visit their local home improvement center to purchase a new HVAC filter and find a massive wall of filters in various sizes, types and efficiency ratings. Purchasing the right sized filter that meets your filtration requirements can be a daunting task — this post will explain the different HVAC filter options available as…
Windows
How to Reduce Heat Transfer From Windows
If you only worry about your windows during cold winter months, you’re wasting a lot of energy. That’s because windows can allow so much hot air to seep into your living space during the summer—and lose conditioned cool air as well — which makes your home uncomfortable and hikes your AC bill — yikes! But…