Reliable Remodeler Blog » Home Maintenance

Remodeling projects in 2011 remained on a small scale

woodrow — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:10:30 +0000

Consumers are still skittish about spending on home remodeling in the economy, according to statistics from Remodeling Magazine. The magazine’s highly respected Cost vs Value Report comes out annually, ranking projects by return on investment and citing home remodeling trends. For 2011-2012, consumers earned the best values on attic bedroom conversions, minor kitchen remodeling, garage [...]

Remodeling projects in 2011 remained on a small scale is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Does your home meet miminum energy codes?

woodrow — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:24:55 +0000

Does your new or remodeled home meet the minimum energy codes for construction and design? If you’re like most consumers, Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) believes that you have no idea. Last fall, the nonprofit agency reported that energy bills in an average new home that doesn’t meet the minimums are consistently higher. In fact, they’re [...]

Does your home meet miminum energy codes? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Is it time for a garage-door tune up?

woodrow — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:15:13 +0000

Of all the doors or gates to your home, your garage door and opener probably experience the greatest amount of wear and tear during a year of ordinary use. Imagine how many times that door has opened in the last 365 days; how many round trips have you made to work, school or the local [...]

Is it time for a garage-door tune up? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

How secure is your home?

woodrow — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:15:01 +0000

It’s my nature to surf the world of online home improvement blogs. There’s great information out there, including home improvement ideas if you’re rebuilding or going green. But I’ve yet to see a blog give any bandwidth to a discussion about home safety and security. Are we just numb to the same old ideas of [...]

How secure is your home? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Wise budgeting for home remodeling

woodrow — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:26:31 +0000

If you’ve ever had to live in a home a while with only half of your remodeling project completed, I feel your pain. Planning ahead for overages when you’re budgeting can spare you the headache of working your life around open walls or unfinished woodwork. Sometimes it’s just a matter of neglecting to deal with [...]

Wise budgeting for home remodeling is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Nail gun safety for homeowner-remodelers

woodrow — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:15:32 +0000

The most-famous motto for all contractors and DIY handymen/women is “measure twice, cut once”. I’d prefer to move the phrase, “work safe, work smart” to the top of the slogan list. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cites 37,000 emergency room visits a year to treat catastrophic injuries caused by nail [...]

Nail gun safety for homeowner-remodelers is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements

woodrow — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:34:33 +0000

Now that 2011 has passed, many of the Federal tax credits offered by the government for new windows, insulation, doors, and other products for home energy efficiency remodeling have also drawn to an end. Even with these incentives gone, you should still consider evaluating energy efficient materials before making a purchase, or choose other green [...]

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Record utility costs may drive us to energy efficiecy

woodrow — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:22:53 +0000

A new study shows that the price of electricity provided to American homeowners has skyrocketed over the last five years. Energy price research conducted by the USA TODAY shows that we’ve endured the longest consistent stretch of utility bill increases since the 1970s. Today’s average bills represent a $300 annual increase in electric bills over [...]

Record utility costs may drive us to energy efficiecy is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Kitchen cabinet refacing is a cost-saving option

woodrow — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:20:50 +0000

Kitchen cabinet refacing has become a popular choice during these cash-strapped times. In as little as a weekend, you can completely transform your entire kitchen’s appearance. Compared to the time and expense of ordering and installing new cabinets, refacing may just be the most cost-effective remodeling scheme out there. The Do It Yourself Network reports [...]

Kitchen cabinet refacing is a cost-saving option is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Simple, routine vinyl siding maintenance

woodrow — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 02:15:06 +0000

One of the top selling points for vinyl siding is the ease of maintenance. But that doesn’t mean there’s “no maintenance” involved in extending the life of your product. Vinyl siding has come a long way since it caught on as a relatively inexpensive alternative to wood and stone. It’s more durable now and holds [...]

Simple, routine vinyl siding maintenance is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Going with the flow: look at energy efficient plumbing

woodrow — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 17:57:09 +0000

Low-flow plumbing fixtures can save you money in the long haul. The jury is still out whether you can quickly gain a return on your investment since water savings may only tally $100-$150 a year. But in the day when many of us are counting nickels and dimes on our water bills, everything that helps [...]

Going with the flow: look at energy efficient plumbing is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements

woodrow — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:11:06 +0000

Homeowners have until December 31 to buy materials and install energy efficient home improvements under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. Provisions of the bill, an extension of previous tax credits, mandate that you buy only ENERGY STAR-compliant biomass stoves, heat and air conditioning units, insulation, roofing, water heaters, [...]

Last chance for tax rebates on energy efficient home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Poor ROIs for these 2011 home improvements

woodrow — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 04:38:35 +0000

As each year draws to an end, pundits like to sermonize on the best returns on investment homeowners receive from remodeling. The latest analysis that caught my eye appeared at the personal finance pages on Yahoo last week where writer Dana Dratch identified the home improvement projects that delivered the worst ROI. Near the top of [...]

Poor ROIs for these 2011 home improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program and Remodeling

woodrow — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 19:11:19 +0000

The federal government has enacted changes to The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) that may assist about one million troubled homeowners to qualify for refinancing. The jury is out whether sparing so many homeowners from losing their homes to foreclosure will positively impact the economy, but for our purposes, I wonder whether the elimination of [...]

The Home Affordable Refinance Program and Remodeling is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Winterizing for everyone: Insulation tips

woodrow — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:10:22 +0000

Come winter, consumers and homeowners have questions about the kind of insulation that works best in their homes. Of course, the answer varies based on your location, existing insulation, how much space you have to insulate and whether the area to insulate is accessible (for hand installation) or inaccessible (requiring spray-on products). Before you even begin, [...]

Winterizing for everyone: Insulation tips is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.