FALL FIX-UP GUIDE
Is your money going up the chimney?
Tips on how to make your fireplace more efficient
(StatePoint) Nothing beats gathering around the fire in winter. Unfortunately, a wood-burning fireplace could be a major source of energy loss in your home, sending your utility bills sky high.
However, you don’t need to sacrifice the fire to improve your home’s energy efficiency and reduce your heating bills; in fact, it’s possible to convert your wood fireplace into an efficient heat source with the following tips.
Steve Herder – Shutterstock
FIREPLACE — A gas fireplace insert generates more radiant heat and is cleaner to maintain than a traditional masonry style wood-burning fireplace, which can be a leading source of indoor air loss.
Upgrade your fireplace
Consider a gas fireplace insert. They generate more radiant heat and are cleaner to maintain than traditional masonry style wood-burning fireplaces, which are a leading source of indoor air loss.
“Traditional wood fireplaces add a lot of charm to a home, but they are inefficient – even when they aren’t in use,” says Andy Tesch, brand director of Heat & Glo, the leading manufacturer of innovative gas fireplaces, stoves and inserts. “A gas fireplace insert is a great alternative to maintain the ambiance a fire creates while enhancing efficiency.”
A gas fireplace insert is cleaner, too, creating no ash, soot, or smoke. Models like the Escape from Heat & Glo use energy-saving FireBrick technology to increase efficiency and are low maintenance, turning on and off with the flip of a switch. Learn more about the benefits of a gas fireplace insert at heatnglo.com/insertawareness.
If you can’t part with the aroma, crackle and act of building a real fire, consider pellet and EPA-certified wood inserts, which can be an easy, clean and efficient alternative as well.
Best practices
If making the upgrade to an insert is not possible, a few simple steps can drastically improve the energy efficiency of your fireplace. Number one, when the fireplace is not in use, close the chimney damper. You’ll prevent warm air and your money from going up and out the chimney. A flue sealer is an affordable, inflatable stopper that fits below the damper to further seal off the chimney and is a worthwhile purchase.
Proper maintenance can also go far to improve your fireplace’s efficiency. Have it inspected, maintained and cleaned annually. Even if you love DIY, you may want to hire a contractor to ensure the job is done safely and thoroughly.
Considering adding doors or a cover to the front of your fireplace to help reduce the draft and improve the look. There are many styles available to enhance your interior design.
This winter, bring together both traditional charm and modern energy efficiency. A few upgrades and habits will allow you to enjoy your fireplace all winter long, while keeping heating bills low.
Back-to-school a perfect time to paint
Now that school bells are once again ringing, it’s a great time to ring in the fall home painting season, according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute.
“With kids out of the house, interior painting is several grades easier, and with proper planning, you can ace the job in record time,” says Zimmer, who offers some tips for mom and dad painters with school-age children:
Start by finishing your “homework” early, she advises. Pick up color cards at your local paint store, plan out your color scheme, and purchase paint and sundries ahead of time, not on the day you want to paint. Also, favor top quality 100 percent acrylic latex paint in a glossier finish to get a painted surface that is more “kid-proof”, i.e. easier to clean.
The night before painting, slide furniture away from the walls and cover it. Wipe down the surfaces you’ll be painting, and patch any nicks or holes in the walls. Remove switch-plates and outlet covers. Then apply painter’s tape as necessary to protect the ceiling, woodwork, and anything else you want to keep free of paint.
“With shopping and prep work completed beforehand, you’ll be able to plunge right into your painting as soon as the morning school bus leaves,” says Zimmer.
Begin your painting by doing the largest wall first. When you finish that, you’ll have an immediate sense of accomplishment and confidence that you can complete the job before the kids return.
Use an angled trim brush to “cut in” the edges of the wall — applying a 3-inch strip of paint where the wall meets the ceiling, and adjacent to doors, windows and molding. Then use a roller to cover the wall in 3-foot by 3-foot sections, working from one side of the wall to the other. Roll out the paint in a “W” pattern, then fill in the pattern and move on to the next section.
Repeat the process on the second-largest wall, and proceed from one wall to the next until you finish the room. If you must stop painting to pick up the kids, or for any other reason, don’t stop mid-wall or you may be left with a visible line in your paint color.
If you are also painting the trim, the best practice is to wait until the next day. However, if you started your project early enough and the walls are completely dry, you can move right on to that phase of the job.
Starting with the first wall you painted (where the paint is driest), apply painter’s tape to the wall right next to the trim. Taping off the woodwork in this way will not only speed your painting, it will also give the room a neater finished appearance.
Using a 2-inch angled brush, work from top to bottom, painting crown moldings and chair rails (if any) first. Same thing with doors and windows —paint from the top down, so you can smooth out drips as you go. Paint the baseboards last. Then allow all the trim to dry overnight before removing the tape.
Once the tape is gone, stand back and admire your handiwork. And thank your lucky stars that school is back in session: It makes things a lot easier when it comes to home painting!
For more information, visit the Paint Quality Institute blog at blog.paintquality.com.
What to look for in a new roof
(StatePoint) Between strong winds, heavy rains, and threats like fire and natural disaster, simply having a roof over one’s head is not always enough.
When choosing a strong roof designed to protect your home and its occupants, here are some things to consider:
Impact resistance
Whether you live in an area prone to direct or indirect threats of tornadoes or hurricanes, or you simply live in a region that experiences strong storms, take note: flying debris associated with severe weather can become dangerous in high winds. Damage from airborne tree branches and flying loose items can be devastating to a roof not equipped for impact. Having a synthetic roof that has achieved the highest ratings on impact resistance tests can help protect your property.
“Even if your roof has stood up to strong weather conditions in the past, it’s important to make sure it’s still in shape before the next round of bad weather hits,” says Mark Hansen, vice president of sales and marketing for DaVinci Roofscapes, which makes high-performing polymer roofing products that have achieved the highest grades possible on multiple industry tests.
Examine the roof yourself or have a professional roofer assess for damage you may not be able to see from the ground. They can make repairs or recommend a new roof replacement.
Durability
No matter where you live, it’s important that roof tiles can handle wear and tear. Ideally, roof tiles should resist curling, fading, cracking, mold, algae, fungus and insects. Roofing products that come with a strong warranty can offer you peace of mind.
Fire prevention
Real wood shake roofs can be extremely combustible and serve as kindling for wildfires. If you live in an area with even a remote possibility of wildfires, consider investing in a roof that resists flame spread. While no roof will resist a “ground up” fire that engulfs the entire home, polymer roofing tiles that are installed with proper underlayments can help protect a home from wind-driven embers that can ignite the roof.
Other considerations
Protecting your home and family should be your number-one consideration. Luckily, durable synthetic roofing options abound that offer the authentic look of real wood or slate beauty, as well as environmental sustainability. For the benefits of an eco-friendly roof, it’s a good idea to seek out products that are completely recyclable and meet standards set by organizations like the Cool Roof Rating Council and the U.S. Green Building Council.
For a complete free guide on upgrading roofing to protect a home long-term, visit ThisOldHouse.netline.com.
For an important, lasting home project, evaluate your roof and consider making an upgrade that will protect your house from everyday wear and tear, as well as the worst case scenario.
Photo courtesy of PRYMCA
NEW DOOR — Newport Glass installed a new door at the Piscataquis Regional YMCA to make more usable space for the licensed child care.
Photo courtesy of PRYMCA
FIXING UP THE PRYMCA — Piscataquis Regional YMCA Child Care Coordinator Kelly Hutchinson and Rod Executive Director Rod Willey repaint the childcare room at the facility in Dover-Foxcroft.