Bursting pipes, constant leaks, cloudy water, and other recurring problems in your home may warrant a need for plumbing repairs or replacements. If your plumber cannot identify a single source of the problem, it means your whole system is compromised, and a full re-pipe is required.
Winter is just around the corner. As the weather starts to change and temperatures continue to drop, it’s time to think about how you can protect your home from the harsh winter weather while keeping your family comfortable. Below, we’ve put together some simple and affordable home improvement project ideas to help you prepare your home for the winter months ahead while saving money throughout the year.
Winter Home Improvement Projects
It’s time to get your home ready for the winter. Here are just a few affordable home improvement projects that you can do to maintain home comfort while saving on energy costs:
Seal any air leaks or openings.
For less than $100, you can work to seal the openings and air leaks around your home, especially around doors, windows, and electrical outlets. This helps keep the cold winter air front entering your home and also prevents the heat from escaping. This simple home improvement project can help you save a significant amount of money on energy costs while improving your home comfort. All it takes is some caulk, weather stripping, and waterproof sealant to get started.
Insulate your attic.
Another way to improve your home comfort while cutting down on energy costs is insulating your attic space. Though this may seem like a daunting task at first, it is one that homeowners can complete on their own without the help of a contractor. It can also be completed for less than $500, while providing a significant return on investment by helping lower energy costs over time. The best time to make sure that your insulation is effective is just before winter when temperatures start to drop significantly.
Install a programmable thermostat.
Programmable thermostats help you improve efficiency when heating and cooling your home. With a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the temperature of your home on a schedule. This helps you avoid paying to heat your home when no one is there as you can set the thermostat to a cooler temperature to conserve energy. It also helps ensure that your home is at a comfortable temperature during the times when you and your family are home. Overall, this device saves you the hassle of adjusting your thermostat every time you leave and return home, but it can also help you save money while keeping your home comfortable throughout the winter time.
Winter HVAC Maintenance
While you’re preparing your home for the winter, don’t forget about your HVAC system. Most homeowners use their heater more often in the winter, which can cause wear and tear to the parts. If you are noticing issues with your heater or you just want a yearly tune-up, call the HVAC experts at Countryside. With decades of experiencing serving homeowners in the St. Croix Falls area and beyond, we know just want it takes to keep your Wisconsin home comfortable year-round.
Call now to schedule a service appointment: (800) 542-4243.
Now that summer’s here, everyone wants to spend time outdoors. This is the right time to prepare your outdoor space for more activity, especially if you’re planning to invite people over. Get your creative juices flowing and your tools ready for these easy outdoor home projects you can finish in one day:
Imagine all those starry nights curled up in cushions and munching on popcorn with the whole family while enjoying the cool nighttime breeze. Setting up an outdoor theater is easy if you already have a projector. You just need a surface to bounce the images off. A piece of thick white cloth will do just fine. Secure it in place using a thick rope tied to nearby trees or hanging from an outside wall.
Outdoor dining instantly makes any lunch or dinner more appealing, especially to guests. To weatherproof this outdoor area, or to have some shade when you’re dining in the daytime, secure two pieces of rope positioned parallel to each other. Make sure their distance covers the area of your outdoor dining area. Then, use thick curtain systems so that you can roll them up when not in use. You can also use shower curtains if you’re preparing for the rain. The good thing about this system is you just have to undo one end of the ropes to slide off the curtains and replace them with new ones.
You don’t need to pay top dollar for outdoor lighting in fun colors–just repurpose those mason jars you’ve bought by the dozens because they were trending. Paint them different shades, fill them up with fairy lights or battery-powered LED lights, and position them in certain areas in your garden.
What better way to spend time outdoors than by playing your favorite games? With a few pieces of wood, you can make a giant Jenga set that will give you hours of fun. If you have a bigger outdoor space, why not paint tiles alternating colors of black and white, and create giant chess pieces?
Those leftover cinder blocks don’t have to be stashed away in a corner or hidden in the tool shed because they ruin the look of your outdoor space. A simple coat of paint can transform them into colorful planters. Arrange them any way you like and combine colors to add charm to your mini garden.
Say goodbye to a boring backyard. It’s time to amp up your backyard’s aesthetic by coloring random cement tiles. The splash of color makes your home look like it’s been carefully designed by a landscape artist. It’s even better if you spray-paint pebbles lining the driveway with glow in the dark paint, so there is a glowing path to guide you as you walk at night.
Who says an afternoon spent outside won’t result in something magical? With a few hours to spare, you can start an outdoor improvement project that can give your space an instant style upgrade. No one has to know how much–or how little–time you spent on these projects.
One outdoor project that’s less fun is to maintain or replace your outdoor HVAC unit. Save time and stress by leaving that one for the Wisconsin HVAC pros at Countryside Plumbing & Heating, Inc. You can also save money by taking advantage of our air conditioner offers. Contact us today to ensure that the offer is still valid.
No matter what season it is, if the temperature outside your home is different than the temperature inside your home then there is a chance that temperatures and weather conditions outside can impact your home environment. The most effective way to prevent damage to your home, maintain your indoor environment, and stop wasting energy on heating and cooling is to work on weatherproofing your home. Below are some of the top tips out there for weatherproofing like a pro.
If you fancy yourself a handy man (or woman) and you’re looking for ways to improve your skills then you might enjoy these weatherproofing tips that we’ve put together from the experts:
If you find that your doors are a bit drafty, it may be time to replace your weather stripping. Choose vinyl or rubber stripping and fasten it to the sides and top of the door, using staples or nails every 6 inches. If you find that the draft is coming from the bottom of the door where the door meets the threshold, you can apply a sweep to the bottom of the door to stop the draft.
Windows are another common area where homeowners may notice a draft or start to see water leak in when it rains. Sealing your windows is simple using caulk around your windows. You may also want to consider installing storm windows, which can help add an extra layer of protection against the cold air of winter.
Installing adequate insulation is an important part of not only keeping your home comfortable but preventing energy loss which can drive up your heating and cooling costs throughout the year. Every area of your home can be insulated, but the attic and basement areas are two of the most important places to insulate as this is where much of your energy loss may come from.
Many homeowners tend to forget about their air ducts unless they experience an airflow issue. However, poorly insulated air ducts not only affect your home temperature, but they can cost you a significant amount when it comes to wasted energy. Seal your ducts using mastic and butyl or another heat-approved tape. You can wrap your ducts with duct insulation, which can be purchased at your local home improvement store.
Weatherproofing your home not only helps you prevent damage from the elements, but it can also help you improve your indoor air quality. If you still don’t see improvement in the quality of your home air after taking these weatherproofing measures, it may be time to call in the experts.
Countryside Plumbing and Heating provides indoor air quality services to help New Richmond homeowners improve the quality of their indoor air so that they can breathe easier and provide a healthier home environment for their families. Call us today to find out more about how we can improve your IAQ: (800) 542-4243.
