Inside Your Home

• Have your furnace system serviced to ensure it's working efficiently and not emitting carbon monoxide.
• Clean permanent furnace filters and replace paper or disposable filters.
• Replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• If you have a wood stove or fireplace, have your chimney swept thoroughly. It should be cleaned before the soot build up reaches one-fourth inch thickness inside the chimney flue.

Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. The potential benefit of attic radiant barriers is primarily in reducing air-conditioning cooling loads in warm or hot climates. Radiant barriers usually consist of a thin sheet or coating of a highly reflective material, usually aluminum, applied to one or both sides of a number of substrate materials.

When you're considering investing in rehabilitated residential property, you're making a smart choice. Real estate values have been climbing at the same time demand for homes has been increasing — an impressive combination.

Problems with heating and cooling systems can range anywhere from elevated operating costs due to an older, inefficient system to hazardous malfunctions. It is important to be familiar with your heating and cooling systems and to maintain them properly to avoid any dangerous conditions or costly repairs.

One of the most important things you can do to maintain the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems as well as the air quality in your home is to make sure that your ducts and filters are cleaned or replaced regularly. Duct cleaning takes the expertise of a professional.

Decks add form, texture and interest to your landscape. The most common deck design attaches the deck to the house, although freestanding decks can be quite dramatic. With the variety of materials available today, deck designs come in all forms and shapes. Decks add natural beauty, warmth and appeal to your home. Furthermore, a well-designed, properly built deck-one that is sturdy, long-lasting and beautiful-will add value to your property as well.

Lots of people do not take residential protection seriously until after something takes place. If only they had installed a home security alarm system prior to a break-in, quite possibly it could have been averted and losses diminished. One of the best ways to safeguard one’s residence and family is to buy a monitored home alarm system.

You had a home inspection and your inspector has provided you with a laundry list of things that need repair. What do I do with this report? Who's going to pay for the leaky roof, electrical problems, air conditioning servicing, and the rest? Take a breath... when most inspectors complete their inspection reports they usually contain several pages of items that you never even knew were in a home. Some of it is because building codes change continually and older homes may not have been built to the same standards.

Install these home energy-efficient measures:

• Replace and recycle your old refrigerator and purchase energy-efficient models. Units only 10 years can use twice as much as electricity as a newer models.

• Insulate ceilings to R-30 standards if your attic has less than R-19.

• Caulk windows, doors and anywhere air leaks in or out. Do not caulk around water heater and furnace exhaust pipes.

• Weatherstrip around windows and doors.

• Wrap heating and cooling ducts with duct wrap, or use mastic sealant.

• Install energy-saver showerheads.

Home theaters are steadily becoming a necessity in many homes, and sales of home theater systems are on the rise. For the best home theater experience, homeowners are opting to hire professionals to do the installation.

For all those who love to watch movies or listen to music in a high quality setting, a home theater is a great option. Because of several technological advancements home theaters have become more and more affordable. Still, there are a number of considerations when purchasing and installing a complete home theater system at your home.

All home owners will almost certainly agree there is always something about one's existing home that could be improved further. Psychologically speaking, this is the feeling most homeowners have almost all the time. Home improvement projects are quite expensive wherever you live is no exception. But hiring experienced professionals and there are plenty of them available, will save you both money and time.