Small Appliances Cook with small appliances. Cook with your toaster oven, electric skillet and slow cooker for specialized jobs, rather than the range. Small appliances use less energy. Use the microwave. Microwave ovens shorten cooking times, which saves energy. Clean or replace air filters. Replace filters on exhaust hoods,...
new home inspection
New Construction Inspections
Don’t assume your new home is perfect when your builder hands you the keys. In 1995, I bought a house and the builder went broke shortly after closing. I had built numerous houses in the past, but I did not inspect this house when it was being built, which...
Dealing with Mold After a Flood
Protect Yourself from Mold After natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods, excess moisture and standing water contribute to the growth of mold in homes and other buildings. When returning to a home that has been flooded, be aware that mold may be present and may be a...
Pre-sale Home Inspections, Agents
Agents are unaware of the marketing power of having their listings pre-inspected. If I were an agent, I would require all my listings to have a seller’s home inspection. That way, other agents with buyers would know ahead of time that my listings are not going to have surprises...
12 Easy Ways to Keep Your Basement Dry
You can avoid or solve most basement seepage problems by following these simple corrective steps, which are listed in order of priority. Keep gutters and downspouts clean and direct them away from the basement. Downspouts must be routed to a storm sewer or at least 6 feet away from...
Fireplace Facts
Purchasing a home with a fireplace or stove or adding one on to your existing home can provide tremendous benefit in heat efficiency as well as contribute to your home’s resale value. In fact, one of the top investments you can do to your home remodeling job is to...
Radon
The EPA and organizations nationwide dedicate January as National Radon Action Month to encourage the public to test their homes for radon and get radon problems fixed. Did you know? Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer for non smokers. Nearly 1 in 15 homes in the U.S....
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
Here’s a great energy saving tip: Simply by replacing one 60-Watt incandescent light bulb with one 13-Watt Compact Fluorescent light bulb (CFL) in your home, will not only would help you prevent a significant amount of toxins from pouring into our environment, but you will save money in the...
Thermostats
Turn down the heat at night or while you are away? A common misconception associated with thermostats is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the space back to a comfortable temperature after the thermostat has been turned down, resulting in little or no savings. This misconception...
Basement Seepage
It’s that time of the year again! Unfortunately, heavy spring rains bring water problems to many basements. Basement leaks not only make life miserable for a home owner, but they can weaken the foundation of your home. Basement walls should seal out a moderate amount of water, but few...
