What To Know Before You Begin Home ... - Energy Efficiency

When outsourcing your home improvement project to a contractor, the reputation of the contractor is more valuable than the discounts offered. Any contractor who vastly underbids a job and has a bad reputation is not the best choice. Once the job is completed, you will find that it needs to be repaired. You can also have a dangerous situation on top of bad job. Therefore, choose a reliable contractor with plenty of references and no known past issues.

Install low-energy compact fluorescent light bulbs in place of old-style incandescent ones. These bulbs reduce your cost in electricity bills, and they are environmentally friendly; they also have a longer lifespan than the traditional light bulbs, and they are higher in lumens per watt. So replace standard light bulls with energy efficient ones.

Theft can be a big issue when it comes to doing home improvements, as building supplies are a hot commodity and easy for people to steal and re-sell. You should be sure to secure them when they are not being used. If the home is secure ? all doors and windows in place and lockable ? supplies can be stored inside. If your home is not secure enough, consider a storage container or unit that can be locked.

If you live in a supportive community, think about putting some money together and investing in a community toolbox. This means that you can all share the large, expensive tools instead of buying 10 of each. You can even trade tips with your neighbor.

Use a small box with compartments to have an assortment of different fasteners on hand. When it?s time do some random project, like hang a picture or fix a broken table leg, you will have what you need on hand, rather than having to go to a hardware store to pick up tools.

Putting padding on sharp ends of furniture will help prevent any accidents that your children may have. You can do this with either corner protectors or foam tape. One of the things that you need to do when taking on a home improvement project is to fasten down loose wiring when working, to make sure your children are safe from a potential strangling hazard.

Taking the time to cover surfaces that you want to protect from paint or fallout from demolition is an important step that is definitely worth the effort. Protecting surfaces from scratches, dents and splatters will save you time and money in the long run. In order to save yourself additional cleanup and replacement time and costs, remember to put a cover over your floors, fixtures, walls, appliances, furniture and anything that you need to protect.

Any plumbing and wiring issues should be addressed first when doing any home improvement projects. These types of repairs usually require access inside your walls, so it makes sense to do them before you have other work done. Furthermore, walls that are exposed during renovations are more easily accessible for wiring and plumbing projects.

When you are working outside in the heat, sometimes time slips away. Staying hydrated while working in the heat is very important. Don?t skip breaks when you?re performing manual labor; you need both water and brief rests from the work.

We hope that these strategies have helped you in realizing the potential that home improvement can bring. Tackling home improvement projects can make you feel proud about where you live. Not only will you save money, but you will have hours worth of enjoyment working with your hands to improve your home.

Richie Vee, the site?s editor, is the Chief Engineer of one of the largest Platinum LEED buildings in NYC. His extensive engineering experience helps guide consumers through home improvement projects for the average homeowner. Using home solar energy and roofing repair ideas to save them money.

Source: http://www.energyefficiencyconservation.com/what-to-know-before-you-begin-home-improvement-project/