Are You Ready for Smarter Home Security?

As smart devices become more common, it’s no surprise to find homeowners who have opted to upgrade to smart thermostats or replace some of their lights with smart LED bulbs. While gadgets like these and virtual assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home are great ways to make the home a bit smarter, these are not the only ways. There are a variety of sensors and smart devices that can make your daily life more convenient, including several smart security devices that can help keep you and your home safe and secure.

Smart Home Security

Traditionally, there were two ways that you could improve your home security. You could buy and install static items like deadbolts or reinforced door jams that that made it harder for someone to enter the home, or you could install an externally monitored security system that you typically paid a monthly or yearly fee for. With the rise in smart home devices, though, there is now a third option. A number of security-focused smart devices are available which not only work together to improve the overall security of your home, but also send alerts about suspicious activity around your house. While some smart home security devices are still linked to external monitoring, many of them provide you with pretty solid security without the need for ongoing subscription fees.

Cameras and Motion Detection

One of the more popular options for smart home security comes in the form of smart cameras and other smart monitors that you can install around the home. These cameras typically provide HD-quality video, and many feature tracking to follow potential invaders as they move, so you can get a clearer view of what’s going on in your house. To save power, these can be combined with motion detectors which allow the cameras to turn on only when someone or something is moving. Many of the motion detectors are advanced enough that you won’t have to worry about pets or things blowing in the wind setting them off, either. Once the camera is recording, you’ll receive an alert so you can view the video in real time and take action as needed.

Intrusion Sensors

Motion detectors aren’t the only smart sensors that can improve your home security. Smart locks, door sensors, and window sensors can tell you remotely whether your doors and windows are locked, unlocked, open, or closed. In many cases you can even trigger the locks remotely to lock a door that you might have forgotten when leaving the house. Should a window or door be forced open or broken, the sensors can alert you, and also send a notice to other security components you have in your home, such as cameras or an alarm panel.

Smart Doorbells

Another popular home security add-on is the smart doorbell. These doorbells typically contain a camera, alerting you when someone approaches your door, and also feature intercoms so that you can talk to visitors without having to actually open the door to greet them. Video clips are typically saved for easy access, and because of the eyes-front view of the doorbell they can be great tools for identifying package thieves and other people who shouldn’t be approaching your porch.

Total Security Systems

While you can buy a number of individual components to build your own home security setup, smart security systems are an option as well. Not only do these systems provide you with multiple smart devices that convey the benefits we’ve already discussed, but they also tie them together with a central alarm panel that typically provides monitoring and the ability to call the police if needed.

Fireplaces Add Some Snap, Crackle, and Pop!

When the weather outside is frightful, a fire can be so delightful. That’s what the song says, anyway. But loads of homeowners tend to agree with the sentiment, so surely they can’t all be wrong. Adding a fireplace to your home can seem like a big undertaking, but there are several options for homeowners looking to add a little snap, crackle, and pop to their living spaces.

Fireplaces: Beyond the Chimney

Long, long ago, there was only one way to have a fire indoors: you had to have a brick chimney to contain the flames and keep everybody safe. However, that was back then; today there are lots of options for adding fireplaces to your home without having to also add a new chimney or repair an old one that’s no longer in use. This is great news, especially if you really want a fireplace for ambiance, rather than to be used as a primary heating or cooking source.

While wood burning masonry fireplaces have a sort of rustic, nostalgic appeal, today’s modern ventless options are far easier to install, require a lot less maintenance, and are often extremely fuel efficient should you choose to use them to help fight back winter’s chill.

Chimney-Free Fireplace Options

If you have an existing chimney that’s in great shape, there are lots of options for units that can be installed into that space. For many homeowners, however, it’s not that simple, because either their home never had an open chimney, or the one they do have is in poor shape. This is where chimney-free fireplace options really shine. They can be placed pretty much anywhere you want to put them since there’s no flue required.

When you go shopping, consider options like:

• Ventless gas. Ventless gas fireplaces have been in use for awhile now. Unlike some gas units, the ventless gas units don’t require any kind of vent, so they can be installed on an inside wall, between rooms, or in other tricky spots. Although they don’t need a vent, it is recommended that you put them in larger rooms. You can often use a ventless gas fireplace when the power is out, making them a great emergency backup in a house that’s otherwise heated with electricity.
• Electric. If you really like the look of a fireplace, but don’t want to deal with cleaning or maintaining anything, an electric fireplace is a great option. These aren’t your grandmother’s electric fireplaces! Most units have beautiful LED-based simulated fire and blowers that can put out a lot of heat. When in heating mode, they work a lot like large space heaters. But like an electric space heater, they need almost no care to keep running year after year. Many units can also have the LED turned on independently of the heating element for cool-to-the-touch flames all year round.
• Ethanol. Looking for real fire without having to hook up gas lines? Ethanol may be the solution you’re seeking. Instead of piping in gas or tying into the electrical, an ethanol fireplace will produce a real flame with bottled alcohol-based fuel that you simply pour into the burner and light. They come in a huge range of sizes and designs, suitable for many indoor applications. You’ll get some heat from these, but not anything substantial. They’re similar to gel fireplaces, which have been losing popularity to ethanol fireplaces for years, but unlike gel fireplaces they use a liquid fuel instead of a gel-based one.
• Water Vapor. If you only want the look of fire, but no actual fire to deal with, a water vapor fireplace can give you one of the most realistic experiences without limitations. These fireplaces can be incredibly large and long, limited largely by your imagination. They don’t produce any heat, since water vapor is used to reflect special lights that create the illusion of a flame. All you need is electricity and tap water to set the mood.

When It Pays to Upgrade Your Thermostat

Your thermostat plays an important role in keeping your home comfortable throughout the year. After all, the thermostat is the central hub for controlling the temperature you want to keep your home at regardless of whether it’s hot or cold outside. Unfortunately, the thermostat that you have now might not be doing as good of a job as you think, which could be costing you money. If you want to get the most out of your heating and cooling and save some money in the long term, it may be time to upgrade your thermostat to a model that’s a little bit smarter.

What Are Smart Thermostats?

Smart thermostats are programmable thermostats that give you a greater amount of control over your home environment. These thermostats can automatically adjust the temperature at different times during the day, ensuring that you aren’t spending extra money heating or cooling your home while everyone is at work, at school, or in bed asleep. This can result in significant energy cost savings over time.

Thermostats and Sensors

One thing that makes many smart thermostats even better is the ability to pair them with various sensors around your home. Some thermostats can be combined with motion sensors to automatically adjust the temperature when they don’t detect any movement for a specified period of time. This allows for more dynamic control over your heating and cooling, meaning that you don’t have to specifically program in every time that the temperature should go up or down. They can also be connected to smart home hubs and virtual assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant so that you can add temperature changes to the routines you’ve set up.

Smarter Heating and Cooling

Many smart thermostats offer the ability to add additional temperature sensors throughout your home, giving the device a better view of what the entire home environment is like as opposed to just the temperature near the thermostat. In many cases you can even set up different zone tolerances using these sensors, specifying which areas need to be kept at certain temperatures and which areas can have a bit more variance. This allows the smart thermostat to better decide when to turn on the heat or the air, making your entire home more comfortable in the process.

Maintenance Monitoring

HVAC repairs can be expensive, and regular maintenance is recommended as a way to catch potential problems before they have a chance to become major issues. A smart thermostat can help with this. Many smart thermostat models include maintenance monitors that not only keep track of how long it’s been since your last maintenance inspection but can also identify other potential problems. Some even track little things that you can do yourself like changing air filters regularly to keep your system in top shape.

Is It Time to Upgrade?

There have been a number of studies done on cost savings with smart thermostats and they all offer up the same general results: Upgrading to a smart thermostat can have a notable impact on your energy costs over the course of the year. There’s obviously an up-front cost to them, especially if you add sensors or additional temperature nodes, but they will pay for themselves in savings over time. Keep an eye on your energy costs and maintenance bills to get an idea of what you’re paying every year with your current thermostat, then consider whether upgrading to a smart thermostat might help you to get those costs under control.

2021’s Colors of the Year Unveiled!

Everything has its season, and for paint, winter is that time. Year after year, paint companies release their chosen Color(s) of the Year, which are meant to be reflections on trends that are coming to interior design near you. If you’ve been considering repainting a bedroom or your whole house, knowing what’s in can help you narrow down the impressively huge list of paint options available.

Bold Tones Are Where It’s At

2021 continues the trend that’s been taking us far from the subdued hues that have been so popular in the past. Instead of neutral palettes, homeowners are going big or going home. That doesn’t mean the paint scheme in every house has to be glam, but it does mean that it’s ok to put a little personality out there. Pops of color are glorious when done properly and no longer the sale killer they may have once been. But it’s not exactly a revisit to the 1950s. Color should be used more strategically to create a big impact, highlight features in your home, and influence the atmosphere in living, dining, and sleeping spaces.

Drumroll Please….

Most of the major paint companies have announced their colors for this year, though a few are still waiting for 2021 to roll around. Of those that have made it official, you’ll notice a big trend in color themes. Blues, pinks, and grays rule the day, though they’re not your grandma’s retro flavors.

Pantone: Ultimate Gray and Illuminating
One of the top names in color has come up with one of the top color combos for 2021. It’s a whole mood, really, and sums up 2020 pretty well. Ultimate Gray is a light neutral gray color that would be at home in almost any space. Illuminating, however, is a bright, determined yellow that should be used in small doses. As Pantone’s executive director, Leatrice Eiseman, wrote in a press release about the decision, “The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude.” It’s also way eye-catching.

Rust-Oleum: Satin Paprika
Do you dream of the desert southwest? Or maybe you already live there and want to bring a bit more pop indoors? Satin Paprika may be the answer. This coral red, spicy earth tone is the anchor for three distinct color palettes that Rust-Oleum has developed for 2021. It’s gorgeous in a variety of spaces, works with many different colors, and, frankly, it brings to mind the red stone that’s so common in the desert. Your succulents will feel right at home.

Glidden: Aqua Fiesta
Glidden zigged this year when a lot of the other paint brands zagged, and named Aqua Fiesta its Accent Color of the Year. It’s a bold, but not overly bright, aqua color that goes great with both light neutral browns and grays, allowing it to dress up all kinds of spaces. You might feel like taking an island vacation or dream of mermaids after painting this one on, though.

Benjamin Moore: Aegean Teal
Benjamin Moore was also feeling a bit blue when choosing 2021’s color of the year, but more blue than green, which resulted in a gorgeous dark robin egg-esque color. The gray undertones make it a great accompaniment to the popular gray neutrals, and the more strict blue gives it a bit of a grown-up feel. It’s a super calming color in any room and will even pair well with yellows.

HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams: Passionate
Blue isn’t everybody’s thing, and clearly HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams agrees. It chose Passionate for its 2021 Color of the Year. This is a deep carnation, but not quite red, sort of color that looks awesome with earth tones and tans. It’s the kind of color that you may have never expected to like, let alone paint in your home, until you see it in action. Accent it with other bold tones and your humdrum room will absolutely be transformed.

Sherwin-Williams: Urbane Bronze
Looking for deep, rich color that won’t leave anyone guessing about your intention for your space? Urbane Bronze is a color that will define a space without regrets. It’s a warm gray-brown that goes well with a range of flooring and lighting, but stands up on its own without the need for a lot of fanfare. You might not want to use this on every wall, as it may have a way of making your space feel a bit small, but your accent walls and accent pieces will absolutely thank you.

Valspar: Hues of the Year
Valspar couldn’t pick just one, so instead went with a whole range of colors for the year. It chose 12 muted colors; these are colors that could be considered “barely there,” just a hint of bold for a room that isn’t ready to go all in. These subtle choices range from misty blue to a warm apricot, with buttercream, green, beige, and gray also on the menu. Use this palette together to create a wholly harmonious space.

 

Should You DIY Your Holiday Lighting?

A good holiday light display can be awe-inspiring, leaving neighbors talking and prompting people from all over town to drive by just to see it. Unfortunately, some of these displays can be difficult to install, and may even require some technical know-how if you want the display to sync to music or have multiple parts working together. There are services that can help with this, putting in the work to set up your lights, regardless of whether you want a modest display or something that would make Clark Griswold green with envy. Are they right for you, though? Here are a few things to consider.

Display Complexity

One thing that can influence your decision of whether to DIY your holiday lighting is the complexity of the display you want to create. There might not be much of a need for you to hire someone if you are doing basic decorations or have all the equipment you need to get your lights in place. If you want a large elaborate display, or don’t already have everything that you need to reach and mount lights everywhere you want them, you might be better off hiring someone to get the decorations done.

Available Free Time

Putting up lights around the holidays can take a lot of time, especially for larger displays. This is why a lot of people make decorating into a weekend project when there’s more time available to put into it. Between work, family time, and other responsibilities, though, you may not have large blocks of time available to put into your decorations. This can lead to holiday decorating being stretched out across days or even weeks of small bursts of activity, so if you’re in that situation you might consider paying to have it done instead.

Necessary Equipment

Hanging lights might seem like a simple task, but it becomes a lot harder if you don’t have the necessary equipment on hand. While you can get light mounting hooks and other supplies pretty cheaply, you’re looking at bigger expenses if you find that you need to buy a ladder or other equipment just to get to the areas where you want the lights to go. If you don’t already have everything you need, hiring someone who does may be the cheaper and easier option.

Technical Configuration

Some lighting displays are really impressive, using computers and other specialized hardware to sync multiple display pieces, and in some cases even operate projectors or broadcast music that can be picked up on the FM band. If you’re not very technologically savvy, setting up a display like this might be more of a job than you can realistically handle alone. Bringing in someone with experience setting up these more technology-driven displays can save you some serious time. It may save you money as well, as they’ll make sure that you don’t buy anything that you don’t actually need to get your display working.

Other Services

When trying to decide whether you can do your decorating yourself or if you need to bring someone else in, consider whether there’s anything else that you need help doing. Some holiday decorating services offer assistance with multiple parts of decorating, including setting up trees or displays inside the house. Some may even offer custom decorations or consulting services to make sure that everything ties together and matches the existing themes of your home. These are all things that you can typically do yourself, of course. Still, if you have a certain look in mind, it’s worth remembering that you may be able to get some help bringing it to life this holiday season.

Tips and Tricks for Persistent Drafts

Oh, baby, it’s cold outside… and inside, too, if you’re standing close to a drafty window, door, or mysterious source of outside air. Persistent drafts are funny things. They can be massive pains when the wind blows just right, and almost unnoticeable when it’s still, making it both difficult to locate the problem, and hard to keep front of mind as you go about the rest of your week. But if you’ve got a persistent draft, transient or not, this can be the year you solve it. You’ll also save yourself a bundle in home heating and cooling costs throughout the year, so bonus.

Locating a Persistent Draft

Generally, people think to look at windows and doors when a draft is noticed, but what happens when the window doesn’t seem leaky and the door seals tight? Try:

• Running your hand along the trim where it meets the wall. Sometimes windows aren’t properly weatherproofed when they’re installed, leaving the trim around the window unit to leak and leak and leak. Check that you’ve got a solid caulk bead all along your trim, even on the bottom of the window. An alarming number of air leaks result from skipping this step.
• Examining outlets. Did you know cold air can come in through outlets on your exterior walls? It sure can. Sometimes it’s easier to find these by taking the cover off (turn your breaker off first, please).
• Checking your chimney. If your damper isn’t closing properly, you may have a big time draft coming down through the chimney like Santa on Christmas Eve. It’s not always obvious when a chimney is leaking cold air unless you’re right below it, so make sure to check inside the fireplace.

If you can’t find a leak with your bare hands, try using a candle. Turn your ceiling fans and furnace off and run the candle slowly along ceilings, windows, doors, trimwork, outlets, fireplaces, and other potential sources of air loss. If you notice a flicker, mark the spot with a sticky note or other easily removable method. Go room by room, checking carefully in every possible spot.

Fixing Air Leaks

Once you know where your leaks are, the real work begins. It’s not just enough to know where the leak is; you need to know what to do about it. There are temporary fixes that will help eliminate drafts while you wait for a professional energy audit and weatherproofing, or you can try your hand at sealing common sources of air leaks.

Temporary solutions would include items like:

• Gaskets for your windows. Some types of gaskets are meant to fill gaps at the bottom of the window frame. These are often only effective if you close the window on top of them and lock it for the winter.
• Layers of window treatments. Windows are often a huge source of energy loss, so it would make sense that installing better window treatments can help slow the flow. This goes for both summer and winter. Install blinds hung on the inside of the window frame and an insulating curtain on the outside of it to slow those leaks coming from windows that have seen better days.
• Door draft stoppers. Also known as “door snakes,” door draft stoppers can help keep the cold air outside if your door sweeps aren’t up to par. Choose a door draft stopper that’s slightly longer than the door in question, so the whole bottom is covered and the trim is overlapped.

More permanent solutions include removing trim and installing gap-filling foam, replacing door sweeps, installing gaskets in electrical outlets and junction boxes, taping the gaps in light fixtures, caulking trim work, and repairing fireplace doors and dampers.

A Look at Smarter Smoke Detectors

Keeping your family and your home safe is an important responsibility. There are a number of devices that you can buy to help accomplish this, with some of the most common being smoke detectors. There are many options when it comes to choosing a smoke detector, including several “smart” smoke detector models. If you’ve wondered whether one of these smarter smoke detectors is right for you and your home, here’s a closer look at how they work.

Smart Home Protection

Like other “smart” devices, smart smoke detectors are able to connect to the local internet and can be controlled remotely by your phone or a central device hub. This allows you to customize their functionality and unlocks additional features that standard smoke detectors lack. In some cases, software updates can also add features or additional ways to customize the smoke detectors without having to remove or replace them.

Multiple Warning Types

One big advantage of smart smoke detectors is that you can receive warnings in different ways. In addition to the standard alarm noises that people are used to, many smart smoke detectors feature spoken warnings that are available in multiple languages to make sure that your family knows exactly what the danger is when the alarm goes off. Because smart smoke detectors typically connect to an app on your smartphone, you can also receive phone alerts when a smoke detector goes off so that you’ll know what is going on even if you aren’t at home.

Cooking with Smart Smoke Detectors

A lot of people disable the smoke detectors in their kitchen before pan-searing meat or cooking certain other items because of the smoke produced in the process. This can be dangerous, since it’s easy to forget to turn the smoke detector back on, leaving one of the most common areas for a fire to start left unprotected. Many smart smoke detectors feature cooking modes that you can enable from your phone, device hub, or on the detector itself, letting them know to ignore smoke that occurs now, and automatically reenabling protection afterward.

Smoke Detector Connectivity

Because of the way that smart devices interconnect, you can set up most smart smoke detectors to work with other devices in your home to provide even greater protection. One common use of this feature is to set up a routine with smart lights, so that if a smoke detector goes off, the lights are turned on. That ensures that everyone can see to get out of the house, even if it’s in the middle of the night. You may be able to add other devices to these routines as well, doing things like shutting off the HVAC system to avoid spreading smoke and fanning flames.

Are Smart Smoke Detectors Right for You?

There are definite benefits to using smart smoke detectors in your home. If you don’t have Wi-Fi set up or don’t use any additional smart devices, though, you won’t be able to get the full benefits that some smart smoke detector models offer. The cost of the smoke detectors may also play a part in your decision, as most smart smoke detectors cost more than similar non-connected detectors. With that said, if you’ve been considering adding smart devices and home automation to your home and they fit your budget, then smart smoke detectors might be a good starting point to making your home a lot safer and smarter.

Keeping It Clean This Flue Season

Roasting chestnuts over an open fire is a delightful holiday season tradition, but unless your flue has been inspected and cleaned, it’s not a very good idea. After all, a far less popular holiday pastime is running out into a winter night in your pajamas because your flue caught on fire. Flue fires account for about 46,000 home fires yearly, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Although most homeowners made it out in time, the property damage that can result is often massive. Some flue fires will go undetected and may smoulder for a long time, while others will quickly burn a house to the ground. This is why it’s so important to keep your flue clean and in good repair, especially if you’re using a fireplace or other wood-burning heating sources.

Flue Checks You Can Do Yourself

There’s a lot involved in caring for a chimney, but there are some checks you can do yourself to ensure your flue is as healthy as possible. If you notice any defects, however, you really should call in a pro because proper chimney cleaning and repair is vital to the functioning of your fireplace or wood stove. If you want to check your fireplace before calling for help, try:

• Checking for creosote build-up. You can often see into the lower portion of your chimney or flue, provided the opening isn’t blocked by a wood stove insert. Shine a flashlight into the empty fireplace, up toward the ceiling, and take a look around. Creosote is tarry black stuff that clings to the walls and moving parts inside your chimney. It’s seriously combustible.
• Examining your cap. Your chimney cap is one of the most underappreciated parts of your home. No, really. It keeps animals out while still letting air in, and prevents rain and show from coming down the chimney (it’s rumored that Santa can still bypass a chimney cap, but no one really knows how). If you can safely access the chimney cap, take a look at it. Is it straight and square? Does the material holding it in place appear to be intact? Big black streaks may be signs that there’s been a small chimney fire in the upper chimney in the past.
• Inspecting the brickwork. It might sound like a small thing, but the brickwork on your chimney actually serves a really important purpose, and for it to do its job, it needs to be intact. And that’s not just the bricks, but also the material that is used to hold them together (the cream in your brickwork Oreo, if you will). If your brick faces have started to shear, or the bricks are loose, you definitely need to get this fixed right away. It’s a hazard to people below, as brick parts can fall and hit bystanders. Loose mortar is bricks waiting to fall down, so take it seriously as well.

What a Chimney Sweep Does

A chimney sweep is a flue professional who is well-versed in cleaning, maintaining, and optimizing your chimney. They’re really good at making sure it’s safe to start a fire in your fireplace, and can advise you on ways to improve your fireplace efficiency if you’re not getting the kinds of results you’d like. There are many, many options for modern fireplaces and retrofitting older fireplaces, so don’t hesitate to ask.

Most importantly, your chimney sweep will keep your chimney clean so that you don’t spend a lot of sleepless nights worrying about little chimney fires brewing in hidden parts of the flue. Using a combination of brushes and chemical treatments, they’ll remove all the highly combustible creosote. While they’re at it, they’ll also inspect your chimney, including the liner, brickwork, damper, and cap. It’s a lot of service, but many fireplaces only need to be inspected and cleaned yearly.

Get Fired Up! Checking Your Furnace for Winter

When the last of the brightly colored leaves cling tightly to otherwise bare trees, you know that winter is coming. It’s a sad state of affairs, but happens every year, just like clockwork. The sleet, the snow, the ice, the cold, it all comes in a cycle, and because of that, you need to be paying particular attention to your furnace this time of year. Even if it hasn’t yet started raining down frozen apocalypse upon your head where you live, being ready for the day you’ll have to kick the heat on is a good idea. After all, you don’t want to find out that your furnace isn’t working properly when there’s a foot of snow in the forecast.

Furnace Basics

There are a lot of different kinds of ways to heat a house, but this article is about furnaces in particular. A furnace is a complex piece of equipment that not only contains a heat source, but also a blower to distribute heat throughout a home using a duct system. It’s part of a larger HVAC system, which generally also includes an air conditioner or heat pump. They can be mounted in attics, crawlspaces, garages, basements, and even outdoors in the right situation.

You should already be performing basic maintenance on your HVAC system, no matter what season. This would include items like changing the furnace filter (or cleaning it if it’s an electrostatic one) and flushing the condensation line. Keep those up, even in the winter.

Getting Ready for Winter

As for winter-specific tasks, your furnace should have a pre-launch check at least yearly. If you’re already using it for heating, it’s not too late, just remember to do this before you fire it up next year. Go through this list and hit all the items on it:

• Thermostat. Likely you use your thermostat year-round, but if you don’t, check that your furnace will come on and go off with the control on the wall. If your thermostat is very old, it might be a good idea to replace it with a programmable or smart thermostat to help you save more fuel or electricity this winter.
• Pilot light. Older gas or propane-powered furnaces often have a standing flame pilot light, which is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a fire in your house. All the time. Make sure the pilot light is actually lit if your furnace has one, otherwise you’re gonna be cold, and there’s also a chance gas is leaking in your home. If it’s a newer furnace, it likely has an electric ignitor, which will light the furnace automatically when it kicks on. If you’re not getting heat from a furnace with an electric ignitor, follow the instructions on your furnace to reset it; if that fails, try resetting the breaker.
• Detectors. Smoke and CO2 detectors should be checked regularly, but definitely before you fire up the furnace. They have test buttons on them for this purpose. If they don’t go off, check the batteries or connections if they’re hardwired. Any detectors that fail inspection should be replaced immediately.

These are all simple things you can do to get ready for furnace season. However, there are a few other tasks that you should call an expert in to check or maintain.

Get Started With Home Winterization

While the fall has been mild and even warm in many areas, it’s important to realize that winter is right around the corner. There’s no way to tell what the winter might hold, and even if you don’t see much in the way of snow and ice you can still run into some problems if your home isn’t ready for cold winter temperatures. To make sure that you’re as ready as possible for whatever the winter might have in store, here are some things to consider as you make your winterization plans.

Weatherproofing and Heat Loss

One big problem during the winter is heat loss, with doors and windows being some of the biggest culprits here. A few big aspects of weatherproofing to prevent heat loss involve things like installing weather strips on your doors and windows, caulking around windows where you can feel a draft, adding a door sweep to keep drafts from occurring under your door, and even installing a storm door if you don’t have one. Adding thermal plastic over windows and other exposed surfaces can help with this as well.

Leaks and Burst Pipes

Depending on where you live, leaky pipes and even pipes bursting after a freeze can be big problems during the winter. There are a few ways to prevent this, including disconnecting external hoses, installing covers over external faucets, and adding pipe insulation to the pipes under your home. Sealing or caulking cracks and other openings where pipes and conduits travel through walls can also help, as can installing heat cables on your pipes if freezing is a major concern.

Prepare for Heat

If you’re like most people, you’re going to need to heat your home during the winter. It’s best to do some maintenance and testing of your heating systems while it’s still warm so that you’re not left in the cold once winter hits in earnest. If you use a fireplace, have your chimney cleaned to remove creosote and blockages before you have to use it. Clean any external components of your heating system to remove leaves and other debris, then turn the heat on to make sure that it’s actually working properly. Don’t be alarmed if you smell a bit of dust burning off, but if the burning smell continues or the heat isn’t coming out of the vents very well then get some maintenance done on your system.

Check the Roof

Your roof and gutters should be checked toward the end of autumn, after the leaves have mostly stopped falling and before the temperatures drop too much. Look for signs of damaged or missing shingles, as well as any obvious dips, leaks, or weak spots in the roof. Clean your gutters thoroughly and make sure that they’re securely fastened to your home. You might consider installing snow or ice guards to prevent large amounts of snow becoming a falling hazard during the winter as well. In addition, take the time to check your attic and make sure that all the insulation is in good condition and that there’s sufficient ventilation to keep mold and other problems at bay.

Last-Minute Maintenance

While you’re not likely to use them much during the winter, be sure to take an afternoon to clean and maintain your mowers, trimmers, and any other power equipment before you stow it away for the winter. This also applies for any grills or other outdoor equipment you won’t be using again until spring. While you’re at it, do some maintenance and testing of equipment such as leaf blowers, snow blowers, and portable heaters that you might need to use over the winter to make sure that everything is in proper working order.

 

Why Do I Need Earnest Money?

When you’re shopping for a home, it can feel like you’re hemorrhaging money. You’ve got all sorts of things to pay for, from loan application fees to home inspections, so when the issue of earnest money comes up unexpectedly, it can be a “slam on the brakes” moment. Now that the days of low to no down payments are largely past and markets everywhere seem to be running thin on inventory, earnest money may well be the most important negotiating tool you’ve never heard of.

What Is Earnest Money?

When you make an offer on a home, part of that offer can include a little show of good faith on your part, in the form of cold, hard cash. Generally, one to three percent of the offer price is pretty normal for an earnest money deposit, but this can vary pretty widely based on market conditions. And the more you put up, the better. But what happens to that money?

Earnest money is literally just a show of faith. When you go to the closing table, it becomes part of your cash to close equation, which includes other line items like your down payment, your closing costs, and your prepaid items. It’s not a bribe or an extra fee to convince a seller to sell to you. It will simply be applied in full as a credit in your closing documents, reducing the amount of money you need to bring with you on the big day.

Here’s the one kicker. If you were to decide to back out of the contract with no real cause, the seller may be entitled to some or all of that earnest money. However, plenty of situations exist where you may not be able to close, but your earnest money will be refunded, such as:

• An unacceptable home inspection. This all has to be stipulated in your contract; there are no givens in a real estate transaction, but there are things that are pretty standard. Having an unacceptable home inspection, if the seller is not willing to make reasonable repairs, can be a cause for terminating the contract and getting your earnest money back.
• Your financing falls through. Again, you’ll need a financing clause or addendum to ensure you’re covered in this event, but because financing is so important to real estate transactions in general, they are pretty standard. If your financing falls through due to no fault of your own (you’ve been laid off, your bank closes, a co-borrower dies), you should generally be able to reclaim your earnest money. The specifics will be in your real estate sales contract, so pay close attention.
• The seller can’t close. There are a few rare situations where a seller can’t close the transaction. These are incredibly uncommon, but they do happen once in a while. For example, you might find out that the seller only believed they were the owners of the home. This can occur when a parent dies without a will, forcing the property into probate court even when it’s clear an only child will be the sole heir. And in the case that the seller can close, but chooses not to for whatever reason, you would also get your money back.

What Is an Earnest Money Note?

In some markets, you may have an additional option for earnest money, known as an earnest money promissory note. This is essentially an IOU that accompanies the offer. On the note, you’ll specify exactly when you’ll either turn the paper into actual cash or forfeit the offer entirely. Though these were once very common, they’re far less so today. If you choose to use an earnest money promissory note, be sure to describe in great detail why you’re not able to provide earnest money on the spot and how you will remedy this.

For example, if you have some stocks you were going to cash out for your down payment, but didn’t want to touch until you were really ready, you may need time to sell enough to cover the earnest money. In that case, specify this as the reason and say that you’ll initiate a sale on a certain day, then convert the note on that day. Make sure to leave yourself a little leeway, because if you fail to perform, you can suffer serious consequences.

Generally speaking, earnest money promissory notes can be considered a sign of a weak offer, but this varies from offer to offer and market to market and you should inquire before taking that leap.

Choosing Custom Windows

Custom windows can really add a lot of life and personality to your home. They can also be a great option if you struggle with getting enough natural light with your currently installed windows. Installing custom windows is kind of a big decision though, especially if you aren’t really sure what sort of windows you’d like. While your choice in large part depends on personal preference, there are a few other considerations that might help you decide as well. So if you’re considering custom windows, here are a few things to keep in mind that might make choosing a bit easier.

Existing Custom Windows

One thing that can really affect your choice of custom windows is whether your home already has custom windows. This doesn’t necessarily mean big bay windows or other notable customizations; in many cases, custom windows look similar to standard windows but are simply a non-standard size. If you want to upgrade these windows, you’ll obviously need to get custom windows to replace them, unless you opt to make changes to the wall that will allow standard windows to be used in the replacement. The same goes for more obvious custom windows such as bay windows; if you want to replace or update them, you’ll need to get custom windows as an update.

How Much Room Is Available?

Assuming that you aren’t simply updating existing custom windows, you’ll need to see if there’s enough room on the wall for the type of window that you want to install. This doesn’t mean just checking the available wall space; it’s possible that there could be conduits, cables, or other structures within the wall itself that would make it difficult for large custom windows to be installed. Bear in mind that this isn’t always obvious at first glance, which is why it’s important to talk to a contractor or other custom installer to get an idea about what is and isn’t possible in the space that you have.

Custom Panes vs. Custom Windows

Not all window updates require fully replacing the windows that you have. In some cases, you may be able to simply replace the existing glass with custom panes that change the look or function of your windows. This can add a unique style to your windows, replace older window glass with newer glass that provides better UV filtering, or make other changes while keeping the same frames and general overall look of your windows.

Home Styles

After going through some of the considerations above, you may also consider the overall style of your home to try and figure out what would look best. Some homes look nice with oversized windows or mullions that break up what would otherwise be a standard single pane. This is subject to personal style and preference, of course, and there may be considerations such as whether you have restrictions from a HOA that would prevent some window updates. Still, it’s an important consideration when thinking about custom windows, since your home’s style will affect how the windows look in the end.

The Cost of Custom Windows

As with anything custom, having custom windows installed will obviously cost a bit more than a standard window installation. The size, complexity, and materials involved in the custom window installation will play a big part in the cost. Obviously, just installing a non-standard window will cost less than a large bay or mullioned window, but it’s still going to cost you a bit more than an “off the shelf” standard-sized window. This cost will need to be considered as it will affect what sort of changes will fit into your budget.

What Is a Building Permit?

Chances are, you’ve at least heard of building permits even if you haven’t applied for one yourself. Going by their name alone, you can probably guess the general gist of what these permits are used for. You might be surprised to find out that a lot of homeowners don’t really know that much about building permits, especially when it comes to details such as when you need to apply for one. It can actually get kind of confusing at times, so here’s a rundown of the basics of building permits so you won’t be left scratching your head the next time you’re considering a new project around the house.

What Are Building Permits?

As the name implies, a building permit is a written permission granted by a municipality or other governing body that allows you to build something within the body’s jurisdiction. That’s a fancy way of saying that the city or other area you live in gave you permission to build within the city or county limits. This helps to ensure that the work you’re doing is safe and falls within the guidelines established by local building and construction codes. Since these codes can be different depending on the location where you live, building permits help to ensure that everything complies with all local regulations.

Applying for a Permit

In most areas, applying for a building permit is a pretty straightforward process. You fill out an application, prepare a site plan that details what you’ll be building, and schedule an appointment to have the plan approved. Once your permit is approved, you may need to schedule inspections of the works site as well to ensure that things are following the plan that was laid out in your application. Bear in mind that the specific process and any fees or other costs associated with the application process will vary depending on local zoning rules and other legal specifics of the area where you live.

Building Permit Changes

Once you have a building permit, you’re free to go ahead with your building project. What happens if your plans change during the building process, though? The answer depends on the nature of your change. Depending on the jurisdiction you’re in, you may be free to continue your project if the changes are relatively minor or still in the spirit of the original permit. If there are major deviations from what you specified in your original application, however, you’ll almost certainly need to either have your permit amended or apply for a new permit to cover the project as it now stands. Bear in mind that this depends heavily on the jurisdiction that issues the permit, so be sure to check and see how that affects your permit before making major changes to your project.

Do You Need a Permit?

One bit of good news is that not all construction projects require you to apply for a building permit. While this depends largely on the specifics of local building codes, you typically won’t need a building permit for small projects or projects that don’t make structural changes to your home. And you may not need one for some significant modifications, such as replacing plumbing or electrical wiring. As an example, you’re likely not going to need a building permit to paint your house or install a small fence around your backyard, though you may still need to clear those changes with your homeowner’s association if you’re in one. However, should you decide to add walls, convert your garage to a living room, or build a new exterior building, you could very well need a permit depending on where you live.

Dealing With Popcorn Ceilings

Popcorn is great with a movie or possibly for stringing around an old-fashioned Christmas tree, but it’s a little less universally loved when it’s applied to the ceiling as a texture. “Popcorn ceiling,” a type of texture that looks a lot more like cottage cheese than popcorn, was widely used in homes from the 1950s through the mid-1980s, regardless of architecture style.

A Warning About Popcorn Ceilings

Many popcorn ceiling treatments were manufactured using asbestos fiber, which was legal until the mid-1970s in most states. However, the asbestos-containing compound was still legal to sell until all stores were depleted, so if your home was built prior to the mid-1980s, there’s a significant chance your popcorn ceilings contain asbestos.

Just having asbestos bound up on your ceiling doesn’t pose a significant health risk by itself. The problem occurs when these ceiling materials are disturbed. Dust particles containing asbestos can be inhaled, which is really bad for your lungs. Because of this, it’s important to have an asbestos test on your ceiling materials if you’re considering cutting into or removing portions of it. It’s also vital that you invest in filtration respirators that will capture asbestos particles. And in some locations you may need a permit or licensed professionals to remove asbestos containing materials.

Your Popcorn Ceiling Options

Ceiling work can be a huge pain even under the best circumstances, but when you have to add in the risk that popcorn ceilings can represent, it gets even more troublesome. However, you have several different options for refreshing your popcorn ceilings without adding significant risk to your household. Consider:

• Simply repainting. Sure, popcorn ceilings are hard to clean and can really date your home, but for many houses, popcorn was the original ceiling texture. Regardless of how you may feel about it, it’s period appropriate. If it’s holding well to the ceiling and you’re not experiencing any issues (besides cosmetic ones), repainting your popcorn may be the best way to refresh it. It’s a cheap, simple solution for a ceiling that doesn’t need any patches or repairs.
• Encasing it in drywall. Choosing thin drywall that’s made for ceilings can give you a brand new ceiling to work with. Not only will this encase any asbestos between two layers of ceiling material, but you can also start fresh with very little mess, unlike scraping popcorn with all its hassle and risks. Fresh drywall can be used on popcorn ceilings that are less than perfect, even if they contain holes, but you’ll need to make sure the attachment surface is consistently level. This may require you to shim out missing bits of drywall.
• Installing a new ceiling system. Several lightweight ceiling systems exist that can be used to cover popcorn or other texture ceilings. They generally consist of tongue and groove segments that work with a rail system to create a seamless new ceiling with a pattern. Several popular choices include systems that mimic wood ceilings, tin ceilings, or even bead board.
• Removing the popcorn texture. You can often remove a popcorn ceiling by scraping the material off with a trowel. Depending on how it was applied, you’ll either do it while it’s dry or after it’s been wetted. If you do decide to remove it, be aware that it will create a substantial mess; you’ll need to remove everything from the room and protect the walls to avoid unnecessary mess and damage. It’s a very complicated process, and you’ll definitely need to wear proper respiratory protection.