Best Home Improvement Contractors

Basement Troubleshooting Guide

Written by Cynthia on 01 July 2009

Basement Waterproofing

Have a wet basement or a crawl space?

This interactive guide is the ultimate basement and crawl space troubleshooting tool.

It will help you understand the vast majority of basement and crawl space problems, and show you ways to solve it.

A must for any homeowner facing a basement or crawlspace problems it allows them to make informed decisions considering their waterproofing needs.

Energy Efficiency Through Nature

Written by Francine on 30 June 2009

On a hot summer day, the cool shade of a tree is the perfect place to get away from the sun’s strong rays. You may notice that areas full of thick, lush trees tend to feel much cooler than open, sun-parched land. Planting trees in your yard is a great way to shade your home from the elements, as well as lower your energy bills when it comes to using air conditioning.

This Bob Vila article explains the ins and outs of tree landscaping. They write that carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a household’s energy consumption for heating and cooling. The U.S. Department of Energy also reported that the proper placement of just three trees will save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually! A well-planned landscape can reduce an unshaded home’s summer air-conditioning costs by 15% to 50%. Trees help during the winter, too, by acting as windbreaks to protect your house from bitter, low-wind chill breezes.

This is also great for the environment. Bob Vila writes, “Trees and vegetation control erosion, protect water supplies, provide food, create habitat for wildlife, and clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.”

Planting trees is a relatively affordable and easy way to gain long-term protection of your house. Not only do trees provide privacy, but they can save you some money on your energy bills!

Painting: An affordable and easy improvement

Written by Francine on 30 June 2009

Quality painting contractors have the knowledge and skills to make any house look bright and new. If you think your home is bland and you want a colorful change, a new paint job is the perfect thing to do! It’s affordable, easy, and offers many options.

Painting is a quick and budget-friendly home improvement

Painting is a good way to spruce up a room without breaking your budget or taking up too much time. When it comes to painting, there’s nearly an endless array of types, colors, styles and techniques to use. There are paint types that work best for certain rooms in your home, and a professional painting contractor can help you figure out what options will work best for you.

Specialists will be able to tell you exactly which types of paint and painting techniques are right for your bathroom, bedroom, living room, kitchen or any other room in the house. Professionals know that rooms like bathrooms or kitchens typically get moisture buildup, so a mildew-resistant satin or semigloss paint is the best choice and makes walls easy to clean.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Painters can take care of the steps needed to prepare walls for painting. They can take on large or small, interior and exterior paint jobs, as well as helping you with color selection and using environmentally friendly coatings.

They also know certain painting techniques to add some style and sophistication to your walls. Whether you’d like to have a brightly colored accent wall in your living room or a checkerboard print in your kitchen, there’s a paint color or technique you help you do it. Get creative!

Siding: A good choice for your house

Written by Francine on 30 June 2009

Siding is a very popular product to install on homes. There are many different kinds of siding to use but they’re all easy to maintain. The clean, just-painted look of good siding can make any home look newer, and you won’t have to scrape and sand wood. Premium vinyl siding won’t rot, warp, peel or ever need to be painted, either.

Expert siding contractors have the knowledge and skills to make your home look like new! Let them increase the value of your house with the curb appeal and easy maintenance of siding.

Common types of siding include vinyl, wood, various composites and stucco. Each of these requires specific preparation of the area between the siding and your house’s exterior sheathing, which is best left to the experts. Good siding contractors are highly trained professionals with knowledge of the proper installation techniques.

It’s been reported that over two billion square feet of vinyl siding is produced each year in the United States. Siding can give a home a natural woodgrain look, but you won’t have to paint it. It will continue to look bright and beautiful for many years to come. You can purchase siding in neutral white and beige colors, but more colors beginning to be manufactured now.

Wind can cause siding to rattle, and the sun and heat can cause vinyl siding to grow or expand so the siding must be secured properly by a professional. Contractors can also use vinyl siding to replace aluminum siding or cover up old wood siding already on your house.

Do-It-Yourself Sump Pumps: An expensive pain in the neck

Written by Francine on 27 May 2009

So you want to install a sump pump yourself? Fantastic! You’ll be saving a lot of money! At least, for the first month or two! But before you decide to take this route, consider the chore you’re about to take on.

Selecting the Best Sump Pump
Before you install your sump pump, you’ll need to decide if you want a cast iron sump pump or a plastic one. Balance out whether or not the money saved on a plastic pump is worth the risk of a flooded basement. A variety of sump pumps are available, and whether you decide on a submersible, water-powered, floor sucker, or stand/pedestal sump pump for your basement and which brand name you choose will decide whether or not your basement may flood in the future.

Sump Pump Options
No sump pump is an island. There are numerous options that can make or break the sump pump installation. The size of the sump pump must fit the job- a pump that’s too large or too small (and is overwhelmed) for the work is going to fail to keep the basement dry. When sump pumps are too large, they remove water faster than it fills the sump pit, causing them to turn on and off repeatedly and shortening their life. Additionally, your sump pump pit must be large enough for the pump or it will short cycle, or run continuously, which can also potentially shorten its life. Other sump pump installation questions include the following:

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