A familiar story with older homes is that the original windows let in drafts and allow a large transfer of air. This problem will cost you some money in both the summer and winter, where you will spend that extra money on keeping your house cool and warm because of the air transfer. When it rains, do you find that your windows leak? If so, this can be more then just an annoying problem, the water can seep into your walls creating and structure. The trapped moisture could lead to molds and air pollutants.

You might think it is time for new windows, but that is not necessarily the case. Storm windows have been around for years and you might even have them in your basement. These can easily slide into place, covering your beautiful old stained glass or lead windows without having to replace them and damage your home’s curb appeal. Storm windows will cut all your air transfers and leaks at the same time. All this at a fraction of the cost of having your windows replaced! It is keeping your money in your pocket.

The usual aluminum triple track, which gets its name because it holds two glass sashes and the screen which slides up and down on two separate tracks, will not win any beauty contests. However, it will play a preservation role which will protect valued windows from the elements.

One of the common mistakes people make is caulking a storm window’s bottom edge and along the windowsill. This tends to trap water, which leaks in or pools on the inside area between your windows. You will want to give that water an opportunity to escape before it damage can occur.

Chris Paulsen
cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com

Painting Like the Pros: Interior

If you proceed logically through the steps below, soon you will be painting like the pros. Be sure to read the instructions on the paint can label for information specific to the product you are using. Your retailer also has a product manual with complete specifications.

Start out the easy way
Always start with the ceiling. Follow with the walls, then the windows, trim and doors.

Begin brushing
Dip bristles one third of their length into the paint and tap gently against the inside edge of can or pail to release excess. Try not to drag the brush across edge of can. Holding the brush near the ferrule, use light strokes with slight pressure from your fingertips. This helps eliminate lap marks. Always use a quality brush designed for the type of paint you are using.

Rolling
Work paint into the roller by moving it back and forth in the deep end of the tray. Make sure it is distributed evenly and remove excess by rolling lightly across ridges at shallow end of tray. Work the roller in slow, smooth strokes to prevent bubbles or spattering.

Ceiling
Begin by brushing a hand-wide strip around the perimeter of the room where the walls meet the ceiling. Then roll paint in one-metre strips across the shortest width of the ceiling. Avoid lapping by maintaining a wet edge. Here is how: when reapplying a loaded roller to a surface, first place it on an unpainted area of the strip. Then work backwards into the strip of wet paint. This will eliminate the risk of seeing lines where one strip ends and the next begins.

Wall to wall
Work in approximately one metre segments from the top down. When using a roller, lay initial paint on in a broad M pattern starting at the bottom of the letter. Then even out by rolling lightly with horizontal strokes followed by vertical strokes.

Windows
Open slightly at top and bottom and paint inner sash. Finish with frame and sill.

Doors
Paint frame first, then top and side edges. On panelled doors, paint mouldings and panels starting at the top and working across and down sequentially. Finish by painting areas surrounding panels from the top down. Treat flush doors the same as walls.

Trim
Gloss and semi-gloss paints require less brush pressure than flat paints. Complete small areas at a time, brush with even strokes. Never try to touch up a spot that has begun to set. A plastic shield for the floor or wall is handy when painting trim. Remember, if you are not sure how to paint a particular area, your Benjamin Moore Retailer would be more than happy to answer your questions.

**Courtesy of Benjamin Moore Paints – www.benjaminmoore.ca

Congratulations! You have decided to purchase a home, or are thinking about buying one. With this choice, you’re joining the ranks of hundreds of families who realize that home ownership offers a number of benefits, including building equity, saving for the future, and creating an environment for your family. When you own your home, your hard-earned dollars contribute to your mortgage, not a landlord’s. The equity you earn is yours. Over time, your home will increase in value.

In this Home Buyer’s Guide, you will find the information you need to make a wise buying decision. We will take you through the planning process step-by-step, to help you determine which home is right for you. You will find a host of informative articles on mortgages, viewing homes, the offer, closing details and moving.

Pre-shopping
Before you start shopping for your home, why not give some thought to your lifestyle, the features you need and want, affordability, and the neighborhoods you prefer. With the information you will come closer to finding your perfect home – sooner!

Arranging a mortgage
Most people require a mortgage to purchase a home. This section explains the elements of a mortgage including type, terms, and how to qualify for one. In addition, choosing the right mortgage for your needs can help you retire this financial obligation sooner.

Viewing Homes
This section gives you some advice on making the most of your viewing experience. When you separate emotion from facts, and the condition of the house, you will be in a better position to purchase a home that meets both your needs, and your budget. You can also avoid any costly errors that could lead to future problems.

The Offer
This section explains the components of an offer and how it forms an essential part of your purchase.

Closing
Buying a home is a complicated process involving a buyer and seller, and lawyers for each of these parties. This section will explain the importance of a home inspection, title transfer, appraisal, and surveyor, to ensure you are legally protected.

The Move
While moving is inconvenient and disrupting there are some ways to make the move more manageable. You might even save some money in the process.

**Article and information courtesy of:

Justin Havre & Associates are a dedicated team of professionals with access to all of Calgary’s real estate opportunities. Be assured of a quality, comprehensive experience with these award winning realtors working for you.

Chris Paulsen
cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com

When you are dealing with limited finances, and still want to add a new look to your home, here are some easy home makeover solutions that can be done in an afternoon.

Foyer
If you have a small entranceway, and you want to brighten it up while adding some depth, a carefully selected mirror can do the trick. An inexpensive mirror can be found at a garage sale, and then touched up with some textured spray paint. The textured paint will cover minor flaws better than a smooth surface.

If like the look of natural wood, pick up an unframed square mirror for $12 – 15 at any home accessories store, a few pieces of wood doweling and a glue gun. At the hardware store, ask them to cut the wood to size for you to avoid added work at home.

Living Room
Changing your artwork can add a completely new perception to your home and cost little or nothing. Remember that anything can be art, so put that antique silver serving tray that your grandmother gave you to use. Hang it over you mantel with some well-chosen candleholders to frame it and a few suitable pictures that may explain the serving tray’s history.

If you have an abundance of books, and do not want to get rid of them, make your bookshelf part of your home makeover. Freshen the bookshelf with new paint or perhaps stencil a pattern around the edges to give it some new life. Your books can be placed both vertically and horizontally, and in between, add a few photos, baskets or collectibles. It makes your bookshelf something intriguing, instead of just a cluttered space in the corner of a room.

Bedroom
Headboards seem to be missing from many bedrooms. They are expensive and deemed unnecessary, often getting pushed to the end of the decorating list. A few easy solutions in lieu of the traditional headboard:

• Give the picture you removed from your mantel another purpose. You may have to update the frame to match your bedroom, but it does make an easy headboard. Pick up a few extra matching frames and make a theme for your room.

• If you have low ceilings, head to the fabric store and pick out some inexpensive patterned sheer fabric, a curtain rod, and two-way tape. Hang the curtain rod close the ceiling. Ensure your fabric is long enough to tuck in between the bed and wall. Two-way tape the curtain loop onto the fabric (simple, and no one will see it!) and you have a fresh new look that makes your bedroom larger.

With less than $100 and only one day, your foyer, living room and bedroom now have a great new feel, and your home has the appearance of a total home makeover.

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

Don’t Assume That All Contractors Are “Pretty Much The Same”

The most important part of shopping for a new indoor comfort system is to pick the right contractor. Choose the wrong one and you risk getting a new system that will not keep you comfortable and will not save you much, if anything, on you monthly utility bills.

In order to get the efficiency and comfort you deserve, you must find a contractor who will:

1. select the right size of equipment for your home
2. install the equipment properly
3. uncover and solve any pre-existing problems with your duct systems or house insulation.
4. ask you a lot of questions
5. NOT provide a quote before doing a diagnostic testing – a good contractor will mention this, a bad one won’t.
6. NOT force you to make a rush buying decision – steer clear of pushy sales people
7. explain everything and suggest several options available to you
8. NOT try to sell you a system over the phone

All contractors are certainly not the same. Sad to say, a small minority are downright dishonest. Both NBC’s Dateline and CBS’s 48 Hours recently aired hidden camera sting operations exposing fraudulent heating and cooling contractors. A number of these companies that they called out either bent the facts, or commited outright fraud on national television. The Better Business Bureau ranks heating and cooling as one of the highest complaint generating industries.

Fortunately, the great majority of contractors are honest. They work hard and mean well. They are ethical, at the leading edge technically and have business and customer service systems in place that ensure high levels of client satisfaction. Invest the time to identify a good contractor, it will be time well spent.

cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com

People who choose to have their heating ducts cleaned tend to do so because their children or other family members are suffering from breathing problems. Air and furnace ducts, when uncleaned, breed mold and mildew and lead to poor air quality. Furnace duct cleaning will also improve the efficiency of your furnace.

Duct cleaning requires not only of the ducts themselves, but of the entire furnace system: the blower, heat exchangers, cooling coils, and condensate pan. When these parts are clean, air flows efficiently through the entire system.

If you or someone in your household is experiencing health problems, and you suspect your furnace air ducts might be the problem, call a duct cleaning company. They can inspect your furnace ducts, and will most likely use robotic video equipment to show you how dirty the ducts actually are. If the video surveillance reveals mold anywhere in the duct system, it’s time to clean your furnace ducts.

Dust and mold can appear to be similar on a scan of the ducts. If the furnace cleaning professionals are unsure, touch a piece of tape to the inside of a furnace duct, and have a lab analyze it for you.

Methods of Cleaning Furnace Ducts

There are several ways to clean furnace ducts. One way is to use an extremely powerful vacuum, which remains in a truck outside. A long hose runs to the furnace area and attaches to the furnace ducts. From the rooms, mechanical brushes, air jet brushes or air snakes pull the dust loose within the furnace ducts.

Another way to clean furnace ducts is with a smaller vacuum unit located inside your house, in the vicinity of the furnace. This vacuum should contain a HEPA exhaust filter to ensure that the dust from the furnace ducts does not fill the air in the room.

A third way of cleaning furnace ducts is to run a rotating brush that is attached to a vacuum nozzle through the furnace ducts.

When selecting methods and services for your furnace duct cleaning, look for quality over cost. A poor quality furnace cleaning job can leave you worse off than before, as it can pull the dust off the furnace duct walls without sucking it all in.

Remember, furnace duct cleaning costs money, so before you sign a service contract, ensure that the company has given you sufficient visual evidence that furnace duct cleaning is necessary. Also, make sure your furnace duct cleaning provider can explain to you in detail how he/she will clean the entire system, not just the ducts. If one component of the system is left uncleaned, it may recontaminate the entire system, defeating the purpose of having put out the cash for the cleaning in the first place. Ask that your furnace duct cleaning provider give you a full duct-length visual inspection after the cleaning is complete, preferably with a camera inside the ducts.

cpaulsen@homerenovationguide.com

It usually happens that when you buy your first home, you were thinking about your current situation. A few short years later, you are feeling cramped and debating between renovating or moving. Most people like their area and do not want to move, but feel that renovating can be costly. In addition, they lack the liquid cash to do so, making selling and moving seem like the better option.

Another consideration is a renovation loan. This can be added to you mortgage payment in small amounts that will add up to less than the cost of purchasing a new home.

Since 1994, the cost of buying a home has increased 3.7% per year*. That is 48.1% over the past 13 years. Moreover, the savings from the real estate agent to sell your current home and purchase a new one can be $10,000 or more**.

Continue to add in your new moving costs of $ 2,000 – 5,000, depending on the distance*, and your renovation seems more and more affordable.

The instant savings of not moving and paying a real estate agent already have saved you over $12,000. Add that to the budget for a home makeover, and you can add in a new level, upgrade your kitchen, finish your basement, or create an en-suite so you have the added privacy you crave.

nrollins@homerenovationguide.com

*Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis
** Figures correct if current home sells for $200,000, and new home cost $245,000 at a commission rate of 2.25% (($200,000.00 x 2.25%) + ($245,000.00 x 2.25%))