2020 Fall Home Improvement by Bangor Daily News

2020 Fall Home Improvement

A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE BANGOR DAILY NEWS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

13 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOME MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT Ideas for every budget to reduce your bills and carbon footprint By Janelle Dianne Jundt

Reduce that pesky electric bill. Electricity bills can quickly add up in a home and there are many simple ways to alleviate some of these costs. Start by turning off anything that you aren’t using. Unplug computers, chargers, etc. when not in use. Try to use natural light as much as possible instead of turning on lights. You can turn off the heated dry setting on your dishwasher as it eats up a lot of energy. You can also make sure to only open the fridge or freezer as long as you need to. Use the grill in the summer instead of the stove and if you are using the stove only open it when you need to so you don’t let the heat out.

t has never been more important to take care of our planet and find ways to save money. As we try to navigate new normals, a struggling economy, and an uncertain climate, reducing our utility bills and carbon footprint can help bring a feeling of accomplishment and security in a difficult time. Here are a few ways to save energy in your home.

LOW TO NO COST IDEAS

Save money while doing your laundry. Laundry can be a huge energy expense and 90 percent of the energy your washer uses in a cycle is to heat water. If you run every load on the cold water cycle you can greatly reduce your energy expenditure. It’s also better for the longevity of your clothes because it maintains the colors and is better for removing stains.

When you use cold water you don’t need to sort your clothes as much since the colors won’t run. This can reduce the amount of loads you do. While you’re at it, air dry your clothes when the weather is right. This will give your dryer a break — and the smell of fresh linens hanging on a line is magical.

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FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

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contributor to your energy usage as they just weren’t made with those concerns in mind. While truly energy efficient appliances do have a higher price tag up front, they will last longer and save you money in the long run. Make sure to keep up with maintenance as this impacts their energy efficiency as well.

Lower your water bill and save our most precious resource. There are simple ways to save on water. Take shorter showers. Turn the water off in between when you are brushing your teeth or washing dishes. Fix leaky faucets or hoses so they aren’t leaking out money. Set up barrels under rain gutters so you can catch water to use in your garden. There are so many simple ways to save on water usage.

Replace those bulbs with LED lights. LED lights are far more efficient than the traditional light bulbs and these changes throughout your home will have a big impact on your electric bill. You can do this all at once or wait until you need to replace your bulbs so you aren’t wasting light bulbs that still work.

BIG TICKET ITEMS

Here are some projects that will require significant time and money but have a big impact. Save on heat costs. There are many ways to save on heating that cost little to no money. One very easy way is to lower your thermostat. If you can reduce it even by 5 degrees in the winter and up by that much in the summer you will see a difference in your heating and cooling costs. Put plastic on old windows so they aren’t letting that precious heat out. Close off sections of your house you aren’t using.

SMALL BUDGET CHANGES

If you have a little money to spend on improvements, here are some bigger ideas with bigger savings to match. Install low-flow shower heads and faucets. Typical shower heads release water at a rate of two gallons per minute. The average shower is seven minutes long — but we all know it can go longer. Installing low-flow shower heads and sink faucets can greatly reduce your water usage. Seal up windows and cracks. This is an inexpensive solution but it can be time consuming and difficult to find every nook and crack to fill. If you can do it, it will make a huge impact on the amount of heat you are losing in your home which makes it a worthwhile endeavor. This is especially true if you live in an older home. As houses age these little unwanted airways become more common and can greatly increase a heat bill.

Replace old appliances. You can replace all those old energy zapping appliances with Energy Star rated newer models. Older appliances can be a major

Install solar panels. You can have solar panels installed. There are many companies who will come and do a free quote on what this would cost for your home and let you know if your house is a good location for solar energy. This is a huge investment up front but if you plan to stay in your house for a long time it will pay you back in dividends and add a ton of value to your home. There are also often tax breaks and rebates available for those willing to make the investment in a healthier earth. Add heat pumps. Heat pumps can greatly reduce your oil usage and provide a much lower cost air conditioner in the summer. In the summer, heat pumps only add about 6 or 7 dollars to your electricity bill per month, and one unit can air condition multiple rooms in your home. On a personal note, my family saved $800 dollars this year alone by installing a heat pump without noticeable changes to our energy bill.

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

Up the insulation. You can insulate or re-insulate areas of your home, specifically the attic, to avoid heat escaping up. If you notice certain rooms are quite drafty it may be an insulation issue. Have a professional help you decide the best ways to maximize your investment when insulating. Replace old windows. Do your research but windows now are made to last a very long time and be extremely effective in reducing those monthly energy costs. Old windows are one of the largest contributors to extra costs on your heating and cooling as all the work your heating system is doing is lost through cracks in the windows. Install a tankless water heater. The amount of energy used to keep a tank of water hot and ready for when you need it is far greater than a tankless system that just heats the water on demand. Changing out this system can save a lot of money in your heating costs. This is especially true if your oil furnace is your hot water heater. There are propane, gas, and electric options for tankless water heaters and they even have heat pump hot water heaters now. This is definitely worth researching, particularly if your family is using a lot of hot water on a daily basis.

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

PREVENTING ICE BUILD UP Avoid the headache of ice dams with these tips By Josh Deakin

inter time in Maine can be a beautiful time of year. The snow hangs on surrounding trees with such grace it at times appears to defy gravity itself. Unfortunately, winter also brings a variety of potential problems for homeowners. One particularly pesky and persistent problem that comes with cold weather is snow and ice build-up on roofs and ice dams. Ice dams are large mounds of ice that form along the edges and seams of your roof. If the air is cold, you won’t have any issues. But when the sun decides to shine, those chunks of ice melt and the water can work its way under your roof shingles and cause serious water damage to your ceilings and walls inside. Heavy ice dams can also damage and tear off gutters. Water can work its way several feet from the original site of the ice dam, and get under the shingles and under the eaves of the roof. The damage an ice dam can cause can be significant and result in quite the headache between dealing with your insurance company and trying to get the actual problem fixed.

Preventing an ice dam is an invaluable task. The idea behind it is simple in theory but more complex in practice. You have to keep your roof the same temperature as the eaves. This can be done by increasing your ventilation. Creating vents under the eaves of your roof to circulate the air under your whole roof is a good way to do this when paired with a ridge vent at the peak of the roof. A good rule of thumb for how many vents in your eaves is one square foot of ventilation for every 300 square feet of attic. Keep in mind that to maintain a cold temperature in the attic, you need to have any paths into the attic sealed. Use weatherstripped caps to seal up all attic hatches or fans that may offer an opportunity for heat to enter. Adding insulation can be an excellent way to ensure that heat stays in the proper area of the house and doesn’t flow into the attic region where heat’s not needed. Putting an extra layer of insulation on your attic floor helps hold the heat in the habitable parts of the house.

If you have recessed lighting in your home, consider using sealed can lights. The older style of lights can give off lots of heat and as a result cannot be insulated due to it being a fire hazard. The solution would be to instal sealed IC fixtures which can be insulated without fear of a fire. A chimney passing through an attic can also give off unwanted heat from the source below. You can prevent this heat from spreading by installing steel flashing between the chimney and the space in your attic. The steel should be held secure with fire-stop sealant. Please take note that canned insulation isn’t a fire safe alternative. Another important tip is to make sure your house’s various exhaust vents — from the kitchen and dryer for example — vent to the outside but never through the eaves of the roof. The exhaust from a dryer is very warm and can raise temperatures quickly. If it exhausts through the eaves, or soffit, it will most likely lead to melting ice dams.

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

Other preventative measures include products like adhesive ice and water barriers that can be applied when you put on a new roof. It’s a special type of sealant that will waterproof the area. Be diligent when raking the snow off of your roof after a heavy snowfall. By raking the snow off of your roof, you are withholding the opportunity for the snow to melt and create an ice dam on the roof. It’s very effective but re-

quires a lot of discipline. Depending on the height of your roof, some areas may be difficult to reach with a roof rake. A final option for preventing ice dams is installing heat cables on your roof. You’ve likely seen them before and possibly questioned what they were. If you mount heat cables in high risk spots on your roof, you can melt away any issues before they arise. Be sure to create a path for the water to travel or the melted water will re-

freeze in a gutter. Be sure to run some heat cable in a downspout to prevent this. Ice dams can be a large pain for a new homeowner who is unaware or otherwise uninformed of the dangers they possess. The damage that can be caused by one can be large and expensive. With winter fast approaching, it’s important to consider these potential challenges and take proper preventative measures.

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

TYPES OF HOME INSULATION AND WHERE TO INSTALL THEM Courtesy of Metro Creative

hen thinking about renovating their homes, homeowners may imagine changing wall colors, expanding room sizes or upgrading appliances and fixtures. However, unless people take inventory of the less glamorous components of the home, such as structure, plumbing, heating and cooling, and insulation, other improvements may be for naught. A home insulation project certainly doesn’t offer the wow factor of a kitchen remodel, but insulation serves a vital function in the house that helps keep people comfortable and reduces energy consumption. Insulation is typically placed in areas where air escapes, such as between the stud cavities inside the walls and in the attic, and serves to slow and reduce heat transfer. The U.S. Department of Energy says between 50 and 70 percent of the energy used in homes is for heating and cooling. By improving home insulation, homeowners can make their homes more comfortable, consistent and efficient. In fact, the ENERGY STAR program overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says homeowners stand to save an average of 15 percent on heating and cooling costs by adding proper insulation. To do so, homeowners can take a crash course in home insulation and find the products that fit their needs.

Blanket batts and rolls Blanket batts and rolls typically are constructed with fiberglass, so proper safety gear, such as a mask and gloves, is needed when handling them. Installing this

type of insulation is relatively easy since the materials are designed to fit the standard width between studs, rafters and floor joists.

Loose fill Loose fill is usually made of fiberglass or cellulose (recycled paper fiber). It is blown or sprayed into place with pneumatic equipment, according to The Home Depot. Loose fill can be ideal for hard-to-reach areas in attics or inside wall cavities. It’s good for adding insulation to irregularly shaped areas. Since it requires special equipment, this is a job best left to professionals.

Sprayed foam Sprayed foam is just as the name implies, a foam made from polyurethane, polyisocyanurate, cementitious, or other materials that are applied by a spray container. DIYers who need only small applications can use canned products. Large quantities are pressure-sprayed by professionals.

Foam board/rigid foam panels Ideal for unfinished walls, such as basement or foundation walls, floors and ceilings, these are boards of polyurethane or polystyrene. Foam boards tend to reduce energy consumption more effectively than other types of insulation. Homeowners considering upgrading their insulation or amending existing insulation should do their homework on the type of insulation that will be most effective for their homes.

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

ITEMS TO GET YOU STARTED ON CREATING YOUR SMART HOME Courtesy of Metro Creative

echnology has changed the way people live in the 21st century. Once ubiquitous, land lines anchored to kitchen walls have now given way to smartphones that can be taken anywhere. Bulky television sets that required at least two people to move have been replaced with high-definition offerings so light and thin they can be mounted on living room walls. It’s no great surprise that technology also is changing the physical places we call home. Smart homes are a rapidly growing trend. In a typical smart home, devices such as the thermostat, television and even the refrigerator can be controlled remotely. Converting an existing home into a smart home can seem intimidating, especially for people who don’t consider themselves tech savvy. But today’s userfriendly technology makes it relatively easy for anyone to turn his or her home into a smarter one. Before you get started, recognize that there are certain must-have items to turn a home into a smart home.

Hub The hub refers to software or hardware that connects all of your devices and gets them to work together. Think of the various devices you have and then think of their manufacturers. Chances are you have devices manufactured by various companies, and enabling those to work together might seem impossible. A hub does that work for you. And because they can be connected to your smartphone, hubs also make it possible to control devices even while you’re away from home.

WiFi router Some people rent their routers from their internet/cable providers, while others buy their own routers. Regardless of which category you fall into, you’re going to need a good WiFi router to get your smart home up and running. Determine which type of WiFi your home currently has and then find a router that’s compatible with that WiFi. Request a list of routers that are compatible with your WiFi from your service provider, as not all routers will necessarily work with your internet connection. If possible, upgrade to the fastest WiFi your internet provider offers, as that will make your smart home that much more enjoyable and frustration-free.

Devices You won’t necessarily need to upgrade your devices to get a smart home. In fact, if you control or can control any device in your home with a smartphone, you are already on your way to having a smart home. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat that’s compatible with your smartphone might be a great idea if your current thermostat is old and not internetcompatible. With a programmable thermostat, you can control the temperature in your home remotely. That ensures the home is a comfortable temperature when you arrive home and allows you to turn off costly heating and cooling units when no one is home. Smart homes may seem futuristic. But chances are strong your home only needs some simple, inexpensive upgrades to join the smart home revolution.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY LOAN

Get your home ready for winter with a Bangor Federal Energy Efficiency Loan! Borrow up to $10,000 for 36 months, with a rate as low as 3.99% APR* to purchase a new roof, heating system, or any additional updates that can help your home become more energy efficient.

Apply Online at www.bangorfederal.com/energy! *APR = Annual Percentage Rate. 3.99% for 36 months = $29.60 per thousand, principal, and interest. The advertised rate may vary based on creditworthiness and terms of the loan. Your rate may be higher depending on your credit. Rate is subject to change without notice. The lowest rate offered is 3.99% for up to 36 months. Loan proceeds will be paid directly to contractor and/or vendor. Invoices for supplies and work completed must be provided. Must meet qualifications. Some restrictions may apply. Offer expires 12/31/2020. Federally Insured by NCUA.

FALL HOME IMPROVEMENT • Bangor Daily News Special Advertising Section • September 11, 2020

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