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We love the charm, character, and quirks of old houses. How many new homes have true hardwood floors, built-in cabinets, and stained glass windows?  Of course, squeaky floorboards, dusty attics, and strange room shapes are additional parts of owning an older home. But what do you do if your house contains hidden dangers behind the charming features? Unfortunately, if you’re buying an older house, asbestos is sometimes part of the deal. This toxic mineral was once prevalent in attic insulation…

Lead. Radon. Asbestos. These words scare any homeowner since they indicate serious issues that could lead to expensive home renovation costs. Toxic asbestos is particularly common in homes built before 1980. Because this mineral is soft, heat-resistant, and relatively inexpensive, it was once a popular material for insulation—particularly in attics. Unfortunately, inhaled asbestos can lead to various long-term health problems including cancer. So, is asbestos in attics dangerous for your family? What does asbestos insulation look like in attics? While…

Picture this: you’re opening up your first utility bill of the summer, cold lemonade in hand. You’re proud of yourself for keeping the air conditioner on a reasonable temperature, and you feel relaxed as the bill slides out of the envelope.   But then you read the total—and it’s far more than you anticipated.  Keeping your home cool is difficult during the warmer months with outdoor air reaching high temperatures. It can be even more difficult if your attic space…

Your attic does more than providing storage space for your stuff. It’s also designed to protect your home from the elements: cold, heat, and humidity. But for your attic to do its job, you need proper attic insulation. The trick, of course, is doing it right. Insulation is a skilled trade, and it takes time and practice for a safe and effective insulation installation. Without expert help from an insulation contractor, it’s easy to make costly or even potentially hazardous…

Whether you’re a new homeowner jumping into house projects or you’ve been chipping away at your to-do list for years, you probably know there’s room for improvement in your home’s energy efficiency. Figuring out where your house is losing cooled or experiencing heat loss from your furnace and what to do about it can benefit your comfort, your budget, and the resale value of your home.  Sealing thermal leaks is an ideal place to begin.  In this short guide, we’ll…

Energy costs make up a huge percentage of most household budgets—and those costs only rise when temperatures plunge and furnaces start kicking on.  But you don’t have to sit back and watch your energy bill skyrocket. Preparing your attic space for cold air now is a great way to keep your heating costs down during those crisp winter months. Keep reading for handy tips and tricks for preparing your attic for whatever weather winter has in store, from the cold…

Every time you pass the attic entrance point, you’re reminded of its presence. You were so excited about the extra space when you bought your home but after all these months, it still sits empty, abandoned, waiting to be used. Or maybe it is being used, but just as a catchall dump for the things you don’t know what to do with.  Either way, it’s time to get your attic under control and make the most of the valuable space.…

Every homeowner knows that energy costs are a major expense each month. If you live in a cold climate, your heating costs are high, and if you live where it’s perpetually warm, you’re spending a small fortune on air conditioning. But this isn’t just “the way it is.” You can get your energy costs under control by upgrading your home’s insulation. The effectiveness of insulation is measured as the “R-value,” which is why this term is so important when adjusting…

When you’re ready to make an offer on a new home, the attic space is probably one of the last things on your mind. The same is true once you’ve moved in. A lot of people ignore their attics until there’s a reason to go up there—usually, at that point, it’s because something’s wrong. By then, an issue that may have been an easy fix has escalated into a much bigger, more expensive problem. Regularly performing an attic inspection can…

Imagine this: dollar bills are floating out of the top of your house as you read this. That’s basically what’s happening if you live in a home with an uninsulated attic space. You might as well flush a twenty down the toilet every time you use your heating or cooling system. If you’re tired of losing money, all it takes is a layer of proper attic insulation. Just like that, your energy bills will be lower, and your everyday temperatures…