Keep Your Home Warm this Fall with These Tricks

While we are still enjoying summer temperatures here in Central Connecticut, the cooler weather has a funny way of sneaking up on us, which makes now a great time to start getting prepared for the change in seasons. Heating the house can get quite expensive in the autumn and winter, so I am going to tell you about few things you can do to keep your home comfortable without cranking up the thermostat.

Did you know that up to 25% of your home heating can be lost through old, drafty windows? If you put your hand up to your windows and can feel the air coming through, it’s time to have them replaced. You want to look for windows that meet or exceed the requirements set by ENERGY STAR®, the program set up by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers save on their energy bills while also helping the environment. According to product manufacturer Harvey, replacing old windows with ENERGY STAR® windows can save an average New England home up to $465 a year. If now isn’t the right time for you to replace your windows, you can still reduce the drafty air coming through them by replacing any worn weatherstripping, and or even installing clear plastic film as a temporary solution to get through the season.

If cold air is coming through your doors, it might be a good idea to take a look at the sweep and inspect it for any damage. A new sweep is inexpensive to install and can help you retain more heat in your home. If you’re looking for an even simpler way to stop drafts, you can use a door snake, which is a long piece of fabric filled with plastic beads. You can even make one yourself using a knee sock and dry rice.

If you don’t have proper insulation and ventilation in your home, most of your heat is probably going right through the roof, literally. In fact, The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that proper insulation can cut as much as 50 percent off your heating bill. Take advantage of a free inspection from a local contractor to see how your insulation stacks up to the R-Value that’s recommended by ENERGY STAR® for our area. An R-Value is the measure used to assess insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it, and in Connecticut, the recommended R-Value is R49 to R60 for an uninsulated home and R38 to R49 for an attic that already has three to four inches of insulation.

If you’re worried about losing heat through your attic but adding insulation isn’t possible for you right now, one easy fix is to build an insulated box to sit inside the attic and over the hatchway. Just measure the opening of the hatchway and purchase some rigid foam sheathing panels that are cut a few inches longer than the opening. Assemble a five-sided box using heavy-duty duct tape and place it inside the attic, covering the hatch opening.

What are your favorite ways to keep the house warm during the autumn and winter? I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message on Facebook at www.facebook.com/odonnellbros.

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

Jobs to Tick Off the List Before Fall

Now is a great time to get working on any home improvement jobs before the cooler weather sets in. Whether it’s taking preventative measures to make sure the ice and snow doesn’t do a number on your home or just routine repairs that you’be been putting off, these next few weeks will be the perfect time to give your house a spruce up.

Probably the most important home maintenance job for this time of year is to take a look at your gutters. Before we know it, tree debris will be falling and the leaves will be clogging up gutters and downspouts. If you’ve ever thought about installing gutter guards on your home, now is the time to do it. They will protect your gutters from the leaves and help you to avoid that cumbersome autumn clean-out.

One of my favorite ways to update a home is to install a new entry door. A lot of houses in our area still have wood doors, which are prime for serious heat leakage. Installing a new door made from fiberglass will help to retain warmth and give you a great, contemporary style. They even come in wood grain or solid color finishes to keep with the look and feel of your current exterior.

Now is also one of the best times to look at vinyl siding, which can dramatically improve the appearance of your home while reducing overall maintenance and upkeep. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one third of new homes in the U.S. are built with vinyl siding, and that number continues to rise every year. Why? Vinyl siding is durable, long lasting and comes in a variety of finishes to suit a homeowner's personal style. My favorite part is that it never has to be painted or stained, and there is no rotting or insect problems that can come with traditional wood cladding.

Finally, with winter on the way, it's time to take a look at your windows. When I visit a house, I will often use a thermal camera to see how much heat is being lost, and old wood sash windows are one of the main culprits. New vinyl windows are great in terms of energy efficiency and heat loss reduction, and at our house, we love the tilt in sashes for easy cleaning.

Being a homeowner requires a lot of maintenance, but the investment is worth it to keep you and your family comfortable all year round. It's also key to ensure you get the best possible price on your home if you ever decide to put it up for sale.

What is your favorite tip for giving your house a facelift? I'd love to hear from you. Happy Labor Day everyone!

Bob O’Donnell is the owner of O’Donnell Bros. Inc., a Bristol-based home improvement company established in 1975. To contact Bob for your remodeling needs, call O’Donnell Bros. Inc. at (860) 589-5155 or visit http://www.odonnellbros.com. Advice is for guidance only.

An Entry Door Buyer’s Guide – Tips from The Pro

A front door is one of the most defining features of a house. It welcomes people into your home and sets the stage for what to expect on the inside.  An entry door can really increase the curb appeal of your home, and it generally recoups between 80 and 95% of its cost in resale value. So if you’re thinking about an upgrade, here is what you should consider.

Entry doors are generally made of wood, fiberglass or steel, and each material has both positive and negative factors. To make the comparison simple, I am going to focus on three important factors: energy efficiency, maintenance, and price. 

Fiberglass is the newest kid on the block and it’s a favorite because of its flexibility. The material gets a tick for energy efficiency is generally a top performer for retaining heat and air conditioning, and reducing your carbon footprint. Fiberglass doors can also be made to look quite unique in terms of style, even mimicking wood or metal to ensure your personal aesthetic can be achieved. Fiberglass doors are also very sturdy and generally stand up to most kicks, bumps or denting. But it’s not all gold stars for fiberglass. Under extreme impact or weather conditions, fiberglass has been known to crack, and although it’s not common, it is something to consider. Also, these doors tend to be a bit more expensive than your average steel option, but less expensive than most wood models. 

Steel doors are a popular choice because they are relatively low cost and provide one of the strongest options available on the market. From a security perspective, a steel door is a reliable choice and it will stand up to most wear and tear with ease. Steel is also relatively easy in the maintenance category as it really only needs to be repaired when it's scratched or dented.  Conversely, weather can play a part in the lifetime of a steel door as they do have the potential to rust when hit with severe and persistent rain, snow and other wet weather conditions. Additionally, steel doors are huge heat conductors, to the point where we often don’t suggest pairing one with a storm door if it’s facing south as the heat that collects between the two doors has the ability to melt parts of the door or even shatter the glass.

Lastly, there are wood doors, which are probably the most aesthetically pleasing. In addition to looking beautiful, they also resist scratches and are very difficult to dent. Of course, with the good comes the bad, and with wood, the biggest negatives are its price and upkeep. Wood is easily the most expensive of the three options, and the material does need to be painted or stained every few years to ensure it still looks like new.

No matter which type of material you choose, you want to ensure you’re purchasing a door from a reputable manufacturer and that you have a rock solid warranty. Also, be sure to choose a professional, recommended contractor for the installation, as the fitting of the door can make all the difference in terms of performance. Most of the time, the air that flows through the home generally comes from the gaps and spaces between windows and doors, not the product itself. There’s no use spending good money on a new door and have a bad install impact its performance. Don’t forget, if you have a question, I’m here to help!