Furnace or Air Conditioner Problems:

Please check the following before calling your service provider. These are problems that homeowners tend to overlook and may not be covered by your warranty.

Step 1: Is your thermostat set to the correct function, i.e. heating or cooling?

Step 2: Has the power to the furnace been shut off?
(A) Appropriate breaker in the main electrical panel.
(B) Fuses in older homes.
(C) Power switch located close to furnace. Sometimes it looks like a light switch, which is normally located on the ceiling above your furnace.
(D) Ensure the furnace fan door is on properly. If it is not, there will be no power to the furnace and it will not operate.

Step 3: Is the filter(s) clean? A dirty filter will eventually cause service problems and drastically decrease efficiency of both the furnace and air conditioner.

Step 4: High Efficiency Gas Furnaces have a plastic vent pipe which projects through the outside wall, normally about 12″ above grade level. This can sometimes become plugged with ice and snow and can cause the furnace to shut down. Remove snow or ice carefully and your furnace should restart in a few minutes. (Some systems require to be reset).
If you cannot locate the problem by following these steps and require service, take note of the furnace model and serial number and please contact us.

Excessive Humidity or Dryness:

Excessive humidity or dryness in your home may cause some concerns.
Step 1:Make sure damper on humidifier system is open in winter and closed in summer.
Step 2:The water valve must be opened to provide water for humidifier.
Step 3:Humidifier pad or cell must be cleaned or replaced once or twice per heating season, depending upon local mineral levels in water supply.
Step 4:Make sure humidistat is turned ON and set according to table

Notes:
A.) Humidifier adjustment does not react immediately. It takes anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to stabilize.
B.) If excess condensate is found on windows it may be a result of the humidistat being set too high, it might also be an indication of improper ventilation of combustion gases.

Important: This section outlines tasks that homeowners can perform which may help identify some small, common problems. However, as when dealing with any fuel (combustible), electronics or machinery, you must proceed with caution and be aware that you are performing these tasks at your own risk.

**Article courtesy of Arpi’s Industries Ltd Inc - Arpi’s has been offering home comfort solutions for over 40 years and we are confident we can provide you with the healthy and comfortable indoor environment you are looking for.

A quality heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system integrated with the appropriate controls (your thermostat!) will provide a safe and healthy home. Today’s HVAC products offer high performance and energy efficiency that translates into lower operating costs and greater value for your dollar.

Please contact us, we look forward to learning how we can help you!

Maintenance and Care

Annual maintenance will improve the efficiency and prolong the life of your equipment, and is often required to maintain your manufacturer’s warranty. Your equipment should only be serviced by a qualified service technician.

Caution: Do not perform any maintenance without turning OFF the power to the equipment.

Gas Furnaces

1. Permanent or disposable air filters should be cleaned and changed every two months during the heating and cooling seasons.
Note: For new homes, it is advisable to wash permanent filters once per month for the first year.
2. Check unit operation annually. Do not wait until you need heating! Annual maintenance is required to maintain the warranty.

Air Conditioners

1. After turning the power to the unit off, rinse outdoor coil annually with garden hose to remove dust, grass cuttings, etc.
2. Check unit operation annually. Do not wait until you need cool air! Annual maintenance is recommended.
Notes:
A. It is recommended that the thermostat be set no lower than 21ºC (70ºF) for cooling. Below this temperature, ice could form on the indoor coil, possibly resulting in damage to the equipment.
B. If ice forms on the connectors going into the indoor coil or outdoor unit, turn equipment off and call for service immediately!
C. In cooling mode, do not lower temperature setting on the thermostat unless the outdoor unit has been off for five minutes. The breaker will probably trip or a fuse may blow if you turn it on too soon.

Humidifiers

1. Turn humidistat to OFF position, then turn water supply off, and close humidifier damper every spring.
2. Turn water supply on, then turn humidistat to ON position, and open humidifier damper every fall.
3. Empty water reservoir on drum type every spring.
Notes:
A. Only operates when the furnace fan is running, and the humidistat is calling for humidity.
B. Acceptable humidity levels vary dependent upon outside temperature but they usually range between 30% and 50%.
C. Place conditioning tablets in water reservoir to prevent bacteria buildup.

Electronic Air Cleaners

1. Gently clean the electronic air plates every two months. Use approved cleaner.
2. Clean pre-filters every two months
Caution: To avoid improper operation, be careful not to bend plates

Media Air Cleaners

1. Replace or clean filters every two months. Some systems require the filter to be replaced more often, depending on environmental conditions. Filters may need to be changed more frequently in newly constructed homes, homes under renovation, or homes where several pets live. Call us for filter media.

Fresh Air Ventilation Systems

1. Check intake and exhaust filters monthly. If required, vacuum the filters, or rinse under a water tap. Mild detergents may be used, but do not use solvent cleaners.
2. Check the core every six months for dirt accumulation. If required, slide the core carefully out of the case. Clean the core with water and mild detergents only. Do not use solvents or other cleaning agents; the water temperature must not exceed 65ºC (150ºF). Do not use a high-pressure hose, and be sure to replace the core carefully. It must be properly aligned with the service instructions facing outward and the arrow up.
3. The drain pans should be wiped clean with water and mild detergents. Avoid solvent-based cleaners!
4. Set dehumidification control to summer setting or winter setting dependent on applicable season.
5. Check outside hood to make sure it is free and clear of debris.

Thermostats

Conventional type: This type of thermostat does not require any maintenance. Note: If the room is dark, a small blue flash may be noticed when heating or air conditioning comes on. This is normal.
Programmable / Electronic types: Annual replacement of batteries is necessary for proper operation where applicable.
Notes
A. This type of thermostat normally maintains the temperature within half of 1ºC, unlike conventional thermostats, which may vary up to 3ºC. The furnace or air conditioner may cycle more rapidly, especially under low load conditions. This is a normal operating condition.
B. Programmable thermostats can conserve energy and save you money.
C. Do not set back your temperature more than 3ºC. A temperature difference of more than 3ºC will not provide any savings.
Downloads
1f80-261 Programmable Electronic Digital Thermostat installation and operation instructions Download (204KB, PDF)
1f90-371 Thermostat ManualDownload (320KB, PDF)

Continuous Fan Operation

Definite advantages can be obtained by providing continuous fan operation, particularly with the use of fresh air ventilation systems, energy efficient air cleaners and power humidifiers. Today’s new and efficient motors can save you hundreds of dollars while providing better indoor air quality.

Home Comfort Products

Call us for home comfort products: Arpi’s Industries in Calgary 1-403-236-2444

STAY WARM - ENERGY EFFICIENT GAS FURNACES
Natural gas furnaces are up to 96% fuel efficient. They can save you a bundle and are also environmentally friendly, reducing the global greenhouse effect. Two stage firing and variable speed blowers are energy-saving features available on certain models.

STAY COOL - ENERGY EFFICIENT AIR CONDITIONERS
Use less fuel with a high efficiency air conditioner. The lower the decibel ratings, the quieter the equipment operates to conform to noise pollution regulations. Warm weather dehumidification! Energy Efficient! Dependable! Environment Savings!

STAY COMFORTABLE - HUMIDIFIERS
Proper humidity greatly lessens the instance and severity of respiratory infections and can reduce excessive heating due to improved comfort levels. Cut down your energy consumption with environmentally friendly controls. The acceptable humidity range is between 30% to 50%.
Recommended Relative Humidity should be 35%
Sahara Desert 25%
Death Valley 23%
Average Heated Home 13 to 16%

BREATHE EASIER - ENERGY EFFICIENT AIR CLEANERS
Help to decrease the effects of allergies and reduce illness by removing airborne dust, dirt, pollen and allergens from the air you breathe. Your high efficiency air cleaner will control your indoor environment and will continue to assist your ventilation system in providing cleaner, healthier air quality.

BREATHE CLEAN - QUALITY FRESH AIR SYSTEMS
Using the latest technology, HEPA filters help rid your home of stale, stuffy air and polluting particles. A true HEPA filter is 99.97% efficient at 0.3 microns, and can trap dust, dander and smoke particles to clean the air you breathe. A HEPA filter can also help eliminate contaminants released by household chemicals, building materials, carpets and furniture. A quality fresh air system is essential for healthy air because today’s homes are built relatively air tight. They are also important for removing excessive humidity and preventing potentially damaging condensation.

STAY SAFE - CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
Guard against carbon monoxide (CO), a potentially hazardous chemical. Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless gas that is produced when any fuel is incompletely burned. A properly working CO detector can provide an early warning to you and your family before this potentially deadly gas builds up to a dangerous level. A CO detector is an inexpensive way to help insure your family’s safety and well being. CO detectors can be used as backup but not as replacement for proper use and maintenance of your fuel-burning appliances.

**Article courtesy of Arpi’s Industries Ltd. - your Calgary Home Comfort, heating, cooling, air conditioning and furnace specialist.

There are several ways to improve your kitchen without having to incur a great deal of cost and using only a few basic skills.

When the kitchen becomes outdated and you find yourself tired of your flooring … ceilings … light fixtures … even cabinets, it’s relatively easy to repair, upgrade or replace these individually with less cost than an entire kitchen renovation.

First, search for pictures of other kitchens that you like to get inspired. To take a look at others’ projects or get some opinions on your own, the HomeRenovationGuide has an excellent PhotoShare site, where you can post pictures of your kitchen and see what people have to say.

Some ideas to consider are:
• Changing your cabinet handles or knobs, a small but very simple change that can modernize your kitchen. If you are not interest in painting your cabinets, then ensure that the holes line up to prevent having to drill new holes and fill the old ones.

• Lighting can create a new ambiance, using elements as simple as dimmers or purchasing all new fixtures. These are easily installed, and you can ask the lighting store specialist for helpful ideas to achieve the mood you desire.

• Paint the ceiling and the walls. Don’t be afraid to be bold with the wall colours if you have a lot of cabinets.

• You can paint your cabinets as well, even if they are melamine. Prime with a specialty primer first (this is very important for melamine, so do not cut costs here). After you have primed, add two coats of paint to the cabinets and varnish for durability.

• Flooring renovations are all the rage right now. With click laminate floors, or peel and stick tiles, you can give the illusion of hardwood or ceramic tiles at a fraction of the price.

Remember to take your time and do one thing at a time.

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Indoor Air Quality

In our newer homes or renovated older homes, indoor air quality is becoming more important all the time. Our houses are getting tighter with new windows, doors and insulation. In fact, our houses are having trouble breathing. Do not forget all the new things we are adding like large jetted tubs, dishwashers, steam showers and more. All these add to moisture problems and potential mold. On the other side, we add forced air furnaces to dry out our homes like the desert. With all of these great additions to our quality of life, we can add systems to control our indoor environment. Let’s look at treating the air first.

Ultra Violet Lights
The system I have in my home is the Sanuvox system. All our staff have this installed in their homes, because we know it works. This is a light installed in your existing forced air furnace and it treats the air as it comes into contact with the light. Check out all the technical information at www.sanuvox.com. You will be amazed how effective this is in controlling odours and bacteria. For those of you that need a little extra convincing, ask about the portable unit that we can lend out. Ideally this is best used in the bedroom of someone with allergies or a sensitivity to dust and mold, etc. We lend it out for a couple of days, you see how this makes a difference to your sleeping and breathing. Then we return and try to get it back! Generally we then schedule an installation date. A number of the doubters have bought the portable to use at work to combat the poor air in sealed office buildings.

Humidifiers

Now that we have the air cleaned up, let’s look at adding the proper amount of moisture to it. We generally install the Honeywell flow-through humidifier. These are the most cost-effective models and add ample moisture to an average home. For additional information, visit www.honeywell.ca and follow the links. If you need additional humidity and want to conserve water, look into the Desert Spring Humidifier. It has an auto-flush feature and is the most efficient unit on the market.

Air Filtration

The final part of the system is proper air filtration. In general, the filter supplied with your furnace is the bare minimum to stop large particles from entering the blower motor and causing damage to it. It does little for your comfort level. We often install a filter bank with a pre- and post-filter in the place most installers leave for an electronic air cleaner. This, combined with the other options, will give you indoor air of better quality than you will find almost anywhere outside of a computer clean room.

**Article courtesy of McKenzie Mechanical Inc. Heating, Cooling and Refrigeration located in Calgary, Alberta. McKenzie Mechanical is a Calgary based mechanical contractor. We service all major brands of heating, air conditioning, ventilation, light commercial refrigeration systems, indoor air quality equipment and on demand water heaters. Since we only install the best products available, this is not based on price alone but on manufacturer support, reliability and end user satisfaction.

In a hot market, there are more buyers than homes for sale. Prices rise, and the days a home is on the market may shorten to a week or even less. Some homes will sell before they are even registered in the local MLS. This can mean that some sellers are presented with multiple offers. How can you position your offer to be the one the seller accepts? The best way is to gain an understanding of how multiple offers work and how they benefit the seller. Multiple offers mean that the seller has their pick of offers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a disadvantage for you as a buyer. You just have to determine how badly you want that particular home. If you want to compete in a multiple offer situation, here is what you will need to know: there are two things that matter to the seller – price and terms.

The sellers want the highest price possible, and terms that best are best suited to them. Both of these areas leave room for negotiation. Just because a seller is entertaining multiple offers doesn’t mean you don’t have a chance, but there will be only one winner.

To be that winner you have to hit the right note with the seller where the other contracts don’t. Just to give you an idea of how important terms are to the seller, let’s look at a hypothetical situation. You offer a seller the highest price for their home, but you put in the contract a condition that you must sell your home first before you close on the seller’s home.

It may seem reasonable to you, but this a condition that all sellers do not like. When they have a choice, they will not accept this condition. Sellers do not want to wait to see if a buyer sells their home first, before they know they have made a firm sale and will generally accept an offer with a lower price to avoid such a condition. The seller’s desire is to accept terms which meet their own needs, so keep conditions to a minimum.

Ask your agent to find out from the seller’s agent what terms will be most favorably viewed by the seller. If you can’t get there first, get there the best way you know how. In a multiple offer situation, the seller is not under any obligation to negotiate with the first buyer who submits an offer. So, if your offer is not the first offer, don’t panic. Because the seller has the liberty of choosing the best offer to negotiate, your offer stands a chance of being noticed.

As you already have learned, the seller will accept the offer that best reflects their needs. They not only consider price, they also look at such things as the buyers financial situation, what the buyer wants included or excluded from the sale, and the possession date. That means room to negotiate for you.

Believe it or not, the highest price doesn’t always buy the home. Sellers have a number of needs aside from price; they want a quick closing, or a delayed possession, or they may wish to exclude items in the home, and so on. Any offer which puts any of these goals at risk will not be looked upon as favourably as others that come closer to what the seller wants. Sellers are very interested in the buyer’s financial capability of completing a purchase.

A seller who accepts an offer from an unqualified buyer is taking a substantial risk. Should the offer fall through because the buyer fails to qualify for financing, the home will lose valuable marketing exposure and momentum. In a hot market, many sellers won’t even entertain offers presented by unqualified buyers. (Hint: Get pre-approved for a loan. Not only will you know exactly what you can spend, you will demonstrate your seriousness to the seller.)

Your seller may have a special need that is more important to them than price. For example, your seller may have a need to sell quickly, but remain in the home for a period of time until school is out or until a transfer takes place. Your ability to negotiate on this point may be more important than coming up with the highest dollar amount. You can offer a short-term lease after closing or offer to delay possession to accommodate your seller.

You can do a number of things to get the seller’s attention, such as work with your agent to determine the seller’s “hot” buttons, and act accordingly within your budget and your own needs. Deadlines can be deadly. Don’t assume that the seller has to respond to your offer by your deadline. Deadlines are only important to the seller if they plan to accept your offer without any changes.

To make their acceptance of your offer valid, they must accept it within the time limit you specified. If they are not going to accept your offer as presented and are going to make changes to the offer to see if you will accept their changes (this is called a sign back), they do not have to sign your offer back to you within your time period. They will be making a new offer to you and they will then put their own time limit for acceptance on their offer to you. Do not falter in the negotiations. Do not assume that because your seller is negotiating with you that they can’t entertain other offers.

All it takes is for one party to make a change that the other party doesn’t accept and negotiations are over and another offer can be presented and accepted. The seller may be waiting to see your best offer before accepting another offer that may already be on the table. Multiple offers often allow sellers to improve upon the asking price or terms.

The seller’s agent may be instructed by the seller to ask the buyers to “submit improved offers” and may set another presentation time where the seller will either accept the best offer or decide to “work with” the best offer to see if they can make a deal. There are many variations of the offer game and there are no specific industry guidelines in how multiple offers are to handled, but rest assured that there are very specific industry rules that everyone has to be treated fairly.

Hot markets don’t stay hot forever. They may be hot for a while, but there always comes a time when they will cool, at least for a while. The home you are so anxious to get now may level off in value very shortly. Make sure that this is the home you want no matter what the market conditions say. The home’s history may be helpful here.

Ask your agent to provide you with the home’s history or a history of comparable homes in the area. If similar homes have been sold several times in the last few years, the history can tell you how much was gained or lost by the sellers involved and what current price levels are, or at least were. Also, look at the affordability of the home. Are the extra considerations you are offering to stay in the game really worth it? Do they price the home out of your range? Will you be able to afford the other costs associated with move-in such as furniture and updates? Know when to throw in the towel.

There may come a time when it is wise to simply give up and move on to another home. Some sellers, in multiple offer frenzy, will simply make unreasonable demands and some buyers will accept them. Some offers will go beyond what can be justified by recent sold comparable homes or local lender guidelines. Lenders have a ceiling (created by prices of recently sold comparable properties … the appraisal).

Lenders are required by law not to lend more that a certain percentage of an appraised value, depending on the type of loan and insurance paid. In no circumstance can a lender finance more than 100% of the appraised value of a property. You should throw in the towel when you feel that the price has gone too far above what an appraisal might suggest.

The best way to position yourself as the buyer whose offer is accepted is to work closely with an agent who can help you step by step; from getting pre-qualified for a loan, to helping you find homes in your pre-approved price range, to showing you current market value statistics, to helping you negotiate the home of your dreams.

*Article is courtesy of Prudential Plus Properties

The Home Buyers’ Plan allows first time homeowners to withdraw up to $20,000 per person from their RRSP to be used as the down payment for their home. If you and your spouse, common-law partner, or other individual, are purchasing the home together, each person can withdraw up to the $20,000 maximum from his/her RRSP.

Essentially, the benefits of purchasing a house with the money in your RRSP are the tax benefits. For example: if you and your spouse both have been contributing to your RRSP, you would have received tax refunds. After contributing to your RRSP, you have decided to purchase a home. This being a first home for both of you, you are able to apply for the Home Buyers’ Plan (HBP). The HBP defers the taxes on cashing in your RRSP over the next 15 years, which has a number of cost-effective advantages.

One benefit is that repayment is as low as $1,333.33 per person per year, of the maximum $20,000 per person withdrawn.
Note that you will not be able to reap the tax refund again for repayment amounts, however topping up your RRSPs with each repayment can increase your tax refund allowing you to use the money on renovating your home, like a new roof, deck or landscaping.

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Did you know that if you are purchasing a new home or a home that has had substantial renovations, you may qualify for a rebate on part of the GST you paid on the purchase price?

One of the following criteria must apply:

Purchase of a new, or substantially renovated house (including the land) from a builder.

Purchase a new or substantially renovated house, and you lease the land from the builder.

Purchase of a new mobile home, modular home, or floating home, from a builder or vendor.

ALL of the following must apply:

The home is a Single Unit Residential Complex or a Residential Condominium Unit.

At time of purchase, the house and land are purchased from the same builder, the fair market value of the house (building and land) is less than $450,000.

The house is used as a primary place of residence, for you or a relative.

You or your relative must be the first occupant, or you can sell your house and transfer ownership before it is occupied.

For more information visit the Canada Revenue Web Site at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Living with Squirrels

When spring arrives, it’s a common sight to see squirrels munching on nuts on lawns or busily transporting their booty to secret hiding places to last them the winter. With the colder weather, however, squirrels may also decide to move in with you rather than just clean the nuts off your lawn. Below we offer some information and tips on dealing with our furry little friends.

Squirrel Facts

Squirrels have been known to live up to 20 years in an urban setting and three to six years in the wild.
Squirrels breed twice a year; from late winter to early spring and then again in mid-summer to early fall.

Their gestation period lasts for 40-44 days and on average have a litter of two to five young.
Mother squirrels are very protective of their young and if threatened have been known to attack people and pets.

It is not uncommon for a mother squirrel to have several nests at once; this helps with the distribution of food for their young. Nests are normally found in the crowns of trees, high above the ground to protect the young from predators.

Some natural predators are hawks, foxes, weasels, minks, raccoons, skunks, snakes, owls, ravens, domestic cats and dogs.
Squirrels are active during the day and sleep at night. They do not hibernate over the winter.

The Eastern Grey Squirrel is the most common type found in Toronto. It can be identified as being black and brownish grey in colour. It has a long tail that provides the squirrel with exceptional balance.

Squirrels play a big role in tree propagation. They carry and bury nuts under the ground. Over winter they tunnel through the snow to retrieve their buried nuts. About 10-20% of buried nuts are lost under the ground. It is these lost nuts that will grow into the trees that beautify our natural landscape.A squirrel’s natural habitat is in hardwood or mixed forests where nuts (their food source) are found in abundance. They have adapted very well to city life due to the invention of bird feeders. Since we know that squirrels are naturally attracted to bird feeders, eliminating this food source should encourage the animals to move on.

A TV antenna tower provides an easy access to the attic. To prevent the habituation of squirrels, a metal shield should be installed over the direct access to the attic.

Any open vents or holes in a chimney or house roof should be repaired with an half inch mesh hardware cloth or sheet metal that exceeds at least 6 inches beyond the hole. Check the area for loose roof vents, rotten or loose soffits, loose shingles and have them repaired immediately. If not, you are inviting some unwanted guests!

Overhanging tree limbs should also be trimmed back. Squirrels are great climbers who can scale a brick wall with great ease. They have been known to nest on apartment balconies that are 20 storeys above the ground. If you see a squirrel on your balcony, check again in 24 hours. If it is still there, look at our checklist of preventive wildlife measures for humane methods to encourage the squirrel to leave.

Trapped in a chimney

If your chimney has holes or open vents, it is quite common for a squirrel to move in. Preventing these animals from moving in should be your priority. The following suggestions will assist you in removing squirrels and will discourage them from re-entering.

Trapped in a Damper
If the squirrel is above the damper, you can hang a half-inch thick rope down the chimney. The squirrel will usually climb the rope and leave the chimney.

Cover the stove or fireplace door with a barrier to keep the squirrel from escaping into your home until you are ready. Open the damper to give the animal access into the stove or fireplace. Close the damper once the squirrel has moved into the stove or fireplace to avoid it from trying to re-enter.

Prepare your home. The idea is to create an easy and attractive escape route for the squirrel. If possible, close off the room that the fireplace is in (i.e. close the doors to other rooms or hanging a sheet in open doorways to act as a barrier).

Remove all valuable or breakable items from the room. These could be knocked over or broken.
Turn off all lights in the room and draw any blinds that may provide light but not an escape route.

Open all windows and doors to provide an escape route for the squirrel.
Arm yourself with thick gloves and a thick towel or blanket. Open the fireplace door slowly so you don’t scare the animal. Sit back and if all goes as planned the squirrel should run toward the light coming from open windows or doors and escape.

If the animal takes a wrong turn and ends up running around the room, don’t panic! Try following it and directing it to the outdoors or capture it with a blanket if possible and quickly carry it outside in the blanket.

Note, it is better not to catch the squirrel in a net. The squirrel may get tangled in netting. Never grab a squirrel, even if you have gloves on. Squirrels can bite through any glove. Never corner a squirrel, it may become aggressive. Never light a fire while a squirrel is trapped in a stove or fireplace, you may injure or kill the animal leaving you with a smelly dead animal to remove.

Living in the attic

Having open holes and unsecured closures to an attic is an invitation for many wildlife species including squirrels. By following these easy tips you will become equipped with a knowledge and understanding of ways to prevent (as well as humanely remove) squirrels from entering your attic.

Home makeovers are becoming all the rage in the housing market. It is easy to see why this has become such a big hit. There are several different home makeover shows on television today making the process look so simple that many are trying it themselves.

Interestingly, we really only see the success stories on the home makeover or “quick flip” shows. It would be interesting to see some data on all of the homeowners that have watched these shows, become inspired and purchased their own home project, only to find out that they are not actually professionals and that “flipping a house” is more difficult than it appears.

There are so many factors involved in the remodeling of a home that are often overlooked by the common do-it-yourselfer. Our rule here at the Home Renovation Guide is to plan properly before you renovate. So before you go out there, buy a home and fix it up yourself , plan out all costs, talk to the professionals and work with them to help build your house properly.

Home buyers should also ask many questions prior to buying a house that has just had a makeover. What materials were used in this quick reno? Were corners cut to make sure there was enough profit in the project? Were the proper means put in place so that the renos completed are built to last? Are there warranties and receipts for the products used during the quick turnaround? What fixtures were put in place?

To find contractors in your area visit HomeRenovationGuide.com - The complete guide to home renovation

Heating and cooling are two of the most important components of home ownership. In fact, heating and cooling systems are major factors for those looking to purchase homes, and a critical part of living comfortably in a home.

You may frequently hear the term HVAC, which is used to describe home heating and cooling systems. The acronym stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, which are the three primary functions of a home system. They control air temperature and humidity, and maintain the quality of air in the home.

Central Systems
Heating and cooling systems may be classified as central or local. Central heating and cooling is the most standard method, and is defined by a system that produces warm or cool air in one central area and then distributes it throughout the home. There are many types of systems that work as central systems, from traditional split systems to packaged product systems.