As everyone is preparing for the new Digital TV broadcasting that is being mandated by the government to begin on February 19,2009, there are still many of you out there that are not sure what this all means. In this entry, I will try to make it a little easier to understand and also let you know if you even have to do anything as this change approaches.

Here is the deal. If you have an analog TV, you know the old style TV with a picture tube, this means that it has no means of picking up a digital signal. On February 17,2009, all over the air broadcast will switch to Digital transmission and you will no longer be able to pick up the TV stations on your analog TV. Please note that this only applies if you are using and indoor or outdoor antenna, including rabbit ears, to pick up your TV signals.

If you have Cable TV or Satellite, you will not have to do anything. Cable TV with or without the set top box will covert the Digital signals to analog before it gets to your analog TV, and you will still be able to get all the stations you always have.

With Satellite TV, as long as you have one of your Satellite provider’s set top boxes, you will not have to do anything either. You will still be able to get all the stations you always have as well. However if you have an analog TV that does not have a box, then you will loose the analog signal on that TV in February.

So what do you do if you don’t have a Cable or Satellite provider and are using any type of antenna to get your TV signal? You will need to have a Digital Converter Box. These little set top boxes cost between $40.00 and $80.00, but before you complain about having to buy one or more of these there are a few things you should know.

First of all the government is offer each household 2 free coupons worth $40.00 to use towards the purchase of these boxes. All you have to do is apply for the coupons at http://www.dtv2009.gov. Once you get your coupons you will take them directly to an approved store, really most any store, and redeem them and you will get a $40.00 discount on up to two boxes.

I have found that the average cost of these boxes is around $45.00 to $50.00, so this is a really good deal. However, there is one problem. All the coupons have been distributed that the government allotted so now you have to get on a waiting list. I highly recommend that you get on the list as soon as possible if you want to get these coupons.

This may all sound like a big hassle, but let me tell you about some other possitive points that should make up for any effort you have to make in getting ready for DTV. First of all you, once you get the box and hook it up to your analog TV, the digital broadcasting signal coming from the TV station will be converted back to an analog signal which will allow you to get a picture.

Not only that, you will also be able to get more stations they you did before, because many of the stations you normally watch will have sub stations that you can watch as well. Most of these boxes also have station guides built in where you can scroll though programming and see what is on all the stations as well as what will be on later.

Plus, one of the best things is that the picture quality, even on your old analog TV will improve. You won’t see grainy pictures because the digital signal is so much better then the analog signal. Of course, the better the antenna you have and the placement of the antenna will instrumental in getting you the best possible reception. If you already have a roof top, attic or indoor antenna, they should all work fine. However, an outdoor antenna will still work the best.

You can also pick up the signal if you have a Digital TV with a built in tuner or any A/V component that has one built in as well. If you have one of these, then you will not need the converter box.

In conclusion, it may seem like a big change for millions of people, and it may be a bit of a hassle having to buy DTV Converter boxes for all of you old analog TVs, but in the long run, like so many things that change, you will find that it may be one of the best and least expensive changes you have ever made.

This article approved by the Editor of LevelAdvice.com and Showroom411.com

For the best free Home Improvement Advice, go to Showroom411.com where you can Ask Rick the Contractor any home improvement question and get and an answer from a real building contractor for free.

Every year about this time people start thinking about their next home improvement project. Kitchen Remodeling is one of the most requested projects home owners ask for. It could be that their kitchen cabinets are getting old or are outdated or the kitchen cabinet doors and cabinet hardware needs replaced. Whatever it is, when it come to a kitchen remodel, it is the number one way to spruce us a home.

Existing Kitchen in Need of a Kitchen Remodel

Same Kitchen After Kitchen Remodel

It is true that people spend more time in the kitchen then in any other room in the house. From the floor coverings to the countertops and everything in between, there is so much to consider when you are thinking about doing a kitchen remodel.

The first thing that most people look at is their kitchen cabinets. Replacing cabinets in a kitchen can not only be an expensive choice, but also one that is difficult to make. There are so many different Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers, including KraftMaid, Aristokraft, Schrock, Merillat, Kemper and the list goes on and on.

Major Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer Showroom411.com

Then there are the different styles of cabinets and kitchen cabinet doors. Plus the numerous cabinet finishes and cabinet hardware choices. Plus cabinet moldings, cabinet trim and cabinet accessories and all this is enough to make your head spin.

Then you add to this having the kitchen cabinets custom made or doing a complete kitchen cabinet reface with new cabinet facing and new cabinet doors and cabinet drawers and cabinet hardware.

So here are some things to take into consideration if you are trying to sort this all out.

1. First decide on how much money you want to spend on the kitchen remodel project
2. Consider that a kitchen cabinet reface will cost less then replacing your existing kitchen cabinets and will take less time to complete with less mess in your home.
3. Realize that if you do decide on a kitchen cabinet reface, you want the cabinet structure to be in good shape. If the shelves are flimsy and the structure of the cabinets is week, then you might be better off going with new kitchen cabinets.
4. You can choose a decent quality ready built cabinet line like Aristokraft Cabinets or KraftMaid Cabinets and add some of their upgrade features and still get a custom look at a reasonable price.
5. If you can afford Custom Built Cabinets, then you have a couple of options. Most higher end cabinet companies like Decora and or Wood-Mode for example, offer everything from all wood construction to upgrade features that will make your kitchen cabinets very unique. The other choice you have is to hire a custom cabinet shop or custom cabinet builder to custom build your kitchen cabinets to fit your kitchen perfectly. You will be able to get any type of feature available from one of these companies, but keep in mind that when ever you go custom, you will pay more and have the quality to match.
6. Finally, don’t forget about the other expenses that you will incur when changing your cabinets. You will most likely need new kitchen countertops and new kitchen cabinet hardware, plus you may need to replace your kitchen flooring with a new kitchen floor covering such as hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, a tile kitchen floor or vinyl flooring.

So, what it boils down to is  you need to figure out what your allowance is for the the kitchen remodel project and then choose the items that will fit into your budget, do your homework and in the end, no matter what your choice, you will end up with a brand new kitchen remodel that will make you proud.

For the best free Home Improvement Advice, go to Showroom411.com where you can Ask Rick the Contractor any home improvement question and get and an answer from a real building contractor for free.

Ask Rick a Kitchen Remodel Question

With home sales the lowest in twelve years, fixing up what you have is wise advice!

It’s is happening all over the United State and you can read about it all over the world. Existing homes are becoming more and more difficult to sell. Not only is the market saturated with homes, the economy is making it more difficult for people to buy. And, for those wanting to sell their homes, the price you want or even need to get for it may just not be a reality.

The Chicago Sun Times Reports:

Click on the logo above to read the entire article.

Year-to-date, Chicago sales were down 19.6 percent to 87,624 homes sold January through November 2007 compared to sales during the same period last year.

The Chicago median home sale price in November was $247,000, up 0.8 percent from November 2006. Statewide, the median sale price declined — to $193,000, down 3 percent from a year ago. The median is the price where half the homes sold for more, half sold for less.

Nationally, the inventory of unsold homes in November was 4.27 million homes. At the current sales pace it would take 10.3 months to exhaust that overhang.

From Guardian Unlimited:

Click on the logo above to read the entire article.

Wall Street economists had expected home resales to hold steady at October’s previously reported 4.97 million-unit pace. October sales were revised up to a 4.98 million unit rate, still a record low.

“Despite the good news in this report, we could just be in the eye of the storm, as a significant number of mortgages reset (to higher interest rates) early in 2008, (which) will likely increase delinquencies and foreclosures, driving prices lower and pushing buyers away,” said Benjamin Reitzes, an economist with BMO Capital Markets.

“This could get even worse before it gets better.”

Even The Australian News even reports of this issue.

Click on the logo above to read the entire article.

SALES of new homes in the US fell an unexpectedly sharp 9 per cent in November, while small gains reported for the previous two months were largely erased by downward revisions.The magnitude of the decline, reported by the Commerce Department, surprised economists.

Based on earlier sales data, some had hoped that the housing market might be beginning to stabilise.

Joshua Shapiro, chief US economist at research firm MFR in New York, called the report “stunningly weak”.

Plummeting sales are causing a lengthening backlog of unsold homes even as housing starts shrink. At the current sales rate, it would take 9.3 months to sell off the backlog of houses – a level exceeded only twice since 1981. That suggests that prices will continue to fall well into next year.

Sales of new homes last month fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 647,000, down from a revised October rate of 711,000. New home sales last month were down 34.4 per cent from November 2006. That is the largest year-to-year decline since the 35.3 per cent decline in January 1991.

So, now that I have got you all depressed – Guess what? You don’t have to be! The reason is because, for many who decided to stay in their existing homes, now is the time to get all those updated and other projects completed in your home.

Here are my two reasons to do this now.

• While the housing market is down, take the time to get your house looking better then ever before. Not only will this give you a sense of accomplishment but it will also give you an edge if you ever do decide to sell your home.

• Fixing up your home to make it look like new and adding new cabinets in the kitchen and updating to the most modern and energy efficient appliances may help to make you realize just what a nice home you have and this can give you the desire to stay right where you are.

And, in a few weeks, Showroom411 is going to go live and you will have at your fingertips a great advantage.

• Learn how to do just about anything around your home yourself.
• Find cabinets, appliances and other items on your computer without having to go all over the place to look for things.
• Keep updated on the latest news and info. on remodeling your home, buying new products and so much more.
• Become a free member and join the Showroom411 community and enter the world of interactivity on the site.
• Choose items from our huge extensive directory and put them in your very own MyShowroom Project file.
• Imagine finding everything you need to make your new bath or kitchen project the best it could possibly be.

I know I have told you about this before and it has been a long time coming, but in just a few more weeks, it will be a reality.

Until then, here are a few website that you can check out to find things for the next project you want to tackle around the house.

Appliances: www.oneclickappliances.com

Cabinets: www.cabinetrydirect.com

Home Theater: www.htmarket.com

Home Security: www.homesecuritystore.com

Wood and Composite Decking: www.decksupplies.com

Vinyl Energy Star Windows: www.vinylwindowsdirect.com

Just imagine, you will soon be able to access hundreds of thousands of products, ideas and information all in one place.

For the best free Home Improvement Advice, go to Showroom411.com where you can Ask Rick the Contractor any home improvement question and get and an answer from a real building contractor for free.

Insulate Both The Cold Water and Hot Water Pipes and Save!

There are great reasons to spend a little bit on buying insulation for your water pipes. Actually, if you are anything like me, it is even better to install the insulation around your water pipes soon after you buy it rather they let it lay around collecting dust.

You can buy the insulation at Home Depot or Lowe’s or any plumbing supply center. Make sure you know the size of the water pipes so that you can get the appropriate fit.

Why insulate cold water pipes? Well, the main reason would be to prevent then from freezing if they are located in an unheated crawl space or in a garage or anywhere you suspect would be a potential problem spot.

But, what about the hot water pipes? The hot water pipes can loose a lot of heat as the water travels from your hot water tank to it’s final destination. By insulating these pipe, you keep the heat in, and this will result in the water getting to the shower, tub or sink sooner.

On the The U.S. Department of Energy’s website, there is a wealth of information that everyone could benefit by and I would recommend that you bookmark this site. Regarding water pipe insulation here are some great tips from the site.

“Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2ºF–4ºF hotter than uninsulated pipes can deliver, allowing for a lower water temperature setting. You also won’t have to wait as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead, which helps conserve water.

Insulate all accessible hot water pipes, especially within 3 feet of the water heater. It’s also a good idea to insulate the cold water inlet pipes for the first 3 feet.

Use quality pipe insulation wrap, or neatly tape strips of fiberglass insulation around the pipes. Pipe sleeves made with polyethylene or neoprene foam are the most commonly used insulation. Match the pipe sleeve’s inside diameter to the pipe’s outside diameter for a snug fit. Place the pipe sleeve so the seam will be face down on the pipe. Tape, wire, or clamp (with a cable tie ) it every foot or two to secure it to the pipe. If you use tape, some recommend using acrylic tape instead of duct tape.

On gas water heaters, keep insulation at least 6 inches from the flue. If pipes are within 8 inches of the flue, your safest choice is to use fiberglass pipe-wrap (at least 1-inch thick) without a facing. You can use either wire or aluminum foil tape to secure it to the pipe.”

To find out more about this or other energy saving ideas and advice just click on the following link:

U.S. Department of Energy

It’s True. You Can Insulate A Home With Insulation Made From Cotton Denim Scraps.

And…The best part about it is It Doesn’t Itch!

We all know how good it feels to curl up on a sofa or chair an cover ourselves with a nice soft cotton blanket,  especially in the middle of a cold winter day.  Now the same cotton that is used to make denim jeans is being used to make cotton or denim insualtion.

Now think of the many advantages of using this type of insulation.

• The batts are made primarily from denim scraps.
• Cotton insualtion has a higher insulation value per inch than most fiberglass batts.
• It’s treated to resist fire. Class A rating (the best).
• Can be installed without wearing a respirator.
• It doesn’t itch…I repeat It Doesn’t Itch! 
• It contains no formaldehyde. (Much fiberglass insulation does.)
• It requires very little energy to manufacture.
• It is very effective at blocking noise.

Made primarily from blue-jeans scraps collected in factories, it comes in fluffy batts sized to fit snugly into the framing of standard walls and ceilings. This simple installation method makes cotton insulation more homeowner-friendly than cellulose loose-fill insulation, which must be installed with a blower machine.

One of the brands you can get is UltraTouch, which is made by Bonded Logic Inc. This company has been in the insulation business for more than 20 years. The cotton comes from cutting rooms at companies that make denim clothing. The fiber is 100 percent post-industrial waste, meaning it comes from factories, not from jeans people have worn.

For  fireproofing UltraTouch uses boric acid, which is obtained from minerals mined in deserts in California and elsewhere. Borates are very low-toxic to humans and other mammals, but they are very effective in adding fire resistance. They also deter chewing insects (including termites, carpenter ants and cockroaches) and various kinds of fungi.

How abour R-Value?  Well, originally you could only get the insualtion in R-13 and R-19 but now you can get it as high as R-30. It will fit between standard 16″ O.C. stud walls and 24″ O.C. celing trusses.

And here is another plus, if UltraTouch does become wet, the fibers should dry without problems. The boric acid will work to deter mildew.

Take it from me, I have installed thousands of feet of fiberglass insulation and have crawled around in attics of many of the remodeling jobs we did over the years, and the itch – the mess – and just breathing in the stuff is not a pleasant experience.

With the new cotton/denim insualtions such as UltraTouch – You will never have to go through an experience like that again.

From a cost standpoint, it will cost a little more then standard fiberglass insualtion, but if you factor in all the benifits and the energy savings that you will achieve by using this over fiberglass,  in the long run you will not only save money but you will help portect the inviornment as well.

To find out more about this amazing product just click on the following link: Bonded Logic

To find a dealer in your area click on the following link: UltraTouch Dealer

It’s Time To Change From Incandescent to Fluorescent Bulbs!

By now many of you have heard about the Compact Fluorescent light bulbs also know as CFL’s. Typically they look like the photo of the bulb above. But what you may not know is that they come in many different sizes and shapes, which make the usable just about anywhere in your home.

One of the problems a lot of people had with these bulbs when they first came out was putting a lamp shade over them that required the clamp type style. As you can see from the above picture, there are bulbs that actually have an outer glass casing with the spiral bulb inside that can be used in just about any lamp.

The great thing about these bulbs is that they really save energy! That means – You Save Money! They use 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs and they can last up to 10 times longer.

They also through off a much brighter light while keeping things cool because they throw off very little heat. That is a real plus if you want to use them in track lights or recessed can lights.

Think about this for a minute – If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

EnergyStar.gov has published a fact sheet that would be very helpful to read if you are thinking about changing to CFL’s in your home. Just click on the following link to view a PDF of the fact sheet.: CFL Fact Sheet

To find out more details about CFL lighting click on the following link.: EnergyStar.gov

You can purchase these bulbs at most hardware or discount stores as well as Home Depot or Lowes. I even saw them at Sam’s Club, so if you are a member you can buy them and save even more.

To purchase them online try any of these sites.

bulbs.com

buylighting.com

1000bulbs.com

Adjusting Balancing Dampers a Must!

I can’t tell you how many times over the years that I received a phone call from a client telling me at the start of summer that the air conditioning was not working properly.  The same thing would happen at the start of winter, but the problem was that the house was not heating evenly.

Sometimes there were problems with the actual heating equipment,  but more times then not, the balancing dampers in the heat runs needed adjusting.

Let me explain.  Take a look at the short section of heat run in the photo above.  Notice that inside the heat run there is an adjustable piece of round metal known as a balancing damper.  Also notice that there is an adjustable control that usually has a wing nut and or a short arm that is used to adjust the damper.

If most newer homes there will be a damper in each heat run,  and the heat runs go to various rooms in the house that ultimately connect to a heat register in the room.  In some older homes, you may not find these in some or all of the heat runs – However,  they can be installed by any heating contractor.

Because all the rooms in the house will heat differently depending on the length of the heat runs and how many turns there are,  these dampers can be adjusted to let an even amount of air flow to each room in the house,  and we call this balancing. Usually it takes a knowledgeable heating man to make these adjustments,  but if you are mechanically inclined,  you could do this yourself.

Another great thing about this dampers is that you can adjust certain rooms of the house to be a little warmer or cooler then other parts of the house.  In my case,  my dad who lives with us,  gets cold very easy and he needs his room to be warmer – So,  I close his dampers more in the summer so that he gets less of the cool air flowing in his direction, and then in the winter I open his up all the way so that he stays nice and toasty.

Aside from having a zoned heating/cooling system that automatically adjusts main dampers in the duct work which are controlled by separate room thermostats,  this is the best way to tackle the ”balancing act” between heat and cold.

To find out other ways to keep your heating system working efficiently and to save you money go to the following website.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/heating_cooling.html 

The Model Energy Code

Throughout the United States when it comes to building a new home, putting on an addition or renovating an existing home, there has been a Model Energy Code enforcement through the building departments of your city or county.

Every homeowner should be well aware of this code before they begin a building project. You can find out more about this by talking to your contractor or going to the Model Energy Code web site which will be listed below.

To put it simply, what this code enforces is that in your home, you have a certain percentage of insulated heated wall and ceiling space, as compared to the amount of exterior doors, windows, skylights, and other exterior glass – areas where you would usually get heat loss.

There is a formula which a building contractor or HVAC contractor can calculate using a special program which can be downloaded from the Model Energy Code web site. By making the calculations using this program which apply to your particular project, several things can be determined to make your home meet the code.

To help make your house meet the code, you may need to:

1. Increase the R–Value of the wall, ceiling or foundation insulation.

2. Reduce the number of exterior doors, windows, skylights or other glass.

3. Purchase windows or doors using Low-E glass and lower U-Factors or Values.

4. Install a 90% direct vent furnace which is very efficient.

When a building permit is applied for, the contractor or other person applying for the permit must present a completed MEC form along with the building plans.

I realize this probably sounds a little complicated, and somewhat intimidating, because you may feel that this is your home and you should be able to build it the way that you want. However, in the long run, this is truly in your best interest.

Having an energy efficient home can save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in energy costs over the space of time, you live in the home.

To find out more about the Model Energy Code, go to: http://www.energycodes.gov/

For a better understanding of Low-E glass and U-Factors or Values go to: http://www.efficientwindows.org/lowe.cfm