• Ask the Contractor: Can I get some advice on replacing my metal basement windows? http://bit.ly/bl64Fg #basementWindows #
• Adding a Flowerbed to Your Yard: DIY or Hire a Contractor? -- http://bit.ly/dmsV8X #
• Ask the Contractor: How much does it cost to build a garage apartment? http://bit.ly/cGgWNQ #
• Ask the Contractor: Drop-in and Undermount Sinks http://bit.ly/coTjKK #
• Ask the Contractor: Problem With Attic Ventilation http://bit.ly/9Ta9Xa #
• Ask the Contractor: Sunroom Skylight Leaks http://bit.ly/96Jfo2 #
• Ask the Contractor: Looking at Kitchen Cabinet Warranties http://bit.ly/dgell5 #cabinets #
• Ask the Contractor: Replacing Chicago Kitchen Cabinet Drawers http://bit.ly/drfL9P #cabinets #
• Ask the Contractor: Painting Kitchen Floors in Oakland http://bit.ly/bJ9EMs #kitchenFloors #
• Ask the Contractor: Basement Waterproofing with Polyurethane http://bit.ly/coVrt3 #basements #
• Updating my must-read home improvement blog list - any suggstions on what you love to read? #
• @lylahl your harvest sounds amazing. I am still waiting on my garden to ripen. in reply to lylahl #
• After trying to work on my own home, I think I'll need to consider writing a blog post on lead paint containment. Any tips? Such a pain! #

I don't know which is worse in the town where I live--three months of hundred-degree heat or my energy bill! Believe me, I take to heart most of the recommendations I find from other home improvement bloggers. And if your AC bills are catastrophic during the hottest months of the year, you might try what I have done by following the recommendations of the writers at The Daily Green.

For one, I swap out my air filter every other month, come rain or shine. It's a small investment, but I have allergies to pollen and runaway energy bills. It's the simplest, cheapest, effective part of my home AC maintenance.

The Daily Green also suggests that we surrender the thermostat to slightly higher temperatures than we think we need during the sweltering months. I raise the thermostat when I know I'll be away for more than an hour. Then, I take a cool shower when I get home to give the AC time to lower the house temperature.

Close the vents in rooms you rarely use in the summer and if you have a bedroom window AC unit, try just cooling that room at night and let the rest of the house do what it will with the windows open. A ceiling fan over the bed can also lower your body temperature so you can sleep.

And, The Daily Green says, if you can, buy yourself an ENERGYSTAR central air system, it can carve 14% off your energy use, or an ENERGYSTAR window unit that can spare you at least 10%.

More About ENERGYSTAR Air Conditioning

The federal government's ENERGYSTAR website says that you're spending 30% more on air conditioning bills if your unit is over a decade old. That's a lot when you consider the average American homeowner spends $1,000 annually on cooling.

The feds recommend shopping for AC equipment that provides efficient performance levels established by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI). The key rating is the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) performance standard of 210/240.

By the way, tax credits are still available up to 30% of the purchase price (up to $1,500) if you buy a new air conditioner or system before December 31, 2010. The unit does not have to replace an existing unit in order for you to qualify for the credit. Speak with your HVAC contractor before choosing a model.

Most everyone at one time has had to put a rolled-up towel at the bottom of a leaky window or drafty door. In fact, draft snakes--decorated, stuffed lengths of fabric--were used to keep out cold air as far back as the Great Depression. Some people simply stuffed old dress ties or belts and pushed them up against the windowsill.

Look online and you can find an assortment of decorative draft snakes with bright colors and button eyes. The Daily Green offers directions for making a draft snake from fabric, kitty litter, and sand.

But isn't this a temporary fix for a more troubling problem? Leaky doors and windows lose your precious heat in the winter and cool interior air in the summer. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that you can reduce as much as 30 percent of your energy use simply by closing up drafty doors and windows with weatherstripping or by swapping them out for energy efficient replacements.

Detecting Air Leaks at Home

Now, before the return of winter, you can check your home for drafts. Good Housekeeping recommends that you check your air conditioning ducts. If cool air is venting out of them with the AC turned off, you have a leaky system. Or, with your windows closed, hold a stick of incense by the sill and sash. If the smoke trails into your home, you've got some sealing to do. Check your doors the same way.

The Energy Savers website run by the Department of Energy recommends that you hire a professional to conduct a blower door test as part of a comprehensive energy audit. The blower door fan is mounted into an exterior door frame and sucks the air out of your home. Then the professional auditor can track where air seeps in through windows, cracks, and unsealed openings. Be sure to check mail chutes, vents, fans, clothes dryer vents, cable, Internet, or telephone lines where they pass through your walls.

Close your door or window on a single sheet of paper. If the paper pulls out without resistance, you've probably got a leak. Don't be surprised to find you can still profit by using weatherstripping in the summer. Insulating products include mylar, felt, vinyl, rubber, and closed cell foam.

Having an energy efficient home for now is an option. But in the future, more and more new homes will meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines.

• Ask the Contractor: Are RTF Laminates Good Enough? http://bit.ly/bGJQQD #
• Ask the Contractor: Kitchen Backsplash http://bit.ly/aDkMcD #
• Summertime Is the Perfect Time for Exterior Painting -- http://bit.ly/cplTsx #
• Ask the Contractor: How to Level a Stone Patio http://bit.ly/cDjS5w #stonePatio #
• Ask the Contractor: Thermofoil Kitchen Cabinets http://bit.ly/b9gCDO #kitchenCabinets #
• 5 Important Reminders When Fixing Damaged Roof Shingles - Home Remodeling Ideas at ReliableRemodeler.com -- http://bit.ly/bLBXyJ #
• Ask the Contractor: Costs for Venetian Plaster Kitchen Painting http://bit.ly/bA8l04 #
• Ask the Contractor: Warranties on Solid Surface Counters http://bit.ly/aq4R9r #countertops #
• When choosing a new door, when you have a classic old home, should you choose traditional wood or energy saving fiberglass? #
• @GreenBayDecking Thanks for the #FF in reply to GreenBayDecking #
• #FF @alure_home @pdxLocksmith @builddirect #
• @pdxLocksmith I agree, I am traditionalist, and nothing, in terms of look and feel compares to a wood door. But what about my energy bill!! in reply to pdxLocksmith #
• @r_efrain_ayala @LeahThayer @crambob: This is a beautiful TreeHouse hotel too, plus it's stateside: http://bit.ly/bcybco in reply to r_efrain_ayala #
• Ask the Contractor: Floors and Home Additions http://bit.ly/ct1neu #

I have friends nearby who added a small, inexpensive greenhouse to jump-start their summer garden. The experiment went so well that they've built a larger greenhouse to house a winter garden. Temporary or permanent greenhouses, depending on your water or electrical needs, can be expensive and exotic, or simple and easy on the pocket. You may want to build a small greenhouse without any electricity supply to see if you're truly into growing.

Just for Starters

Florida Gardener has a straight-forward scheme for building a raised-bed, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) greenhouse that you cover with a UV-resistant greenhouse plastic skin to generate sufficient heat from the sun. It's probably not the best solution for a winter greenhouse in northern states.

You tack down bent steel rebar beams into wooden 2" by 12" bed frames and protect the interior with gopher wire. Then you connect the PVC tubes to firm up the structure.

Complete your installation by adding the plastic skin and seal against any air leaks, leaving only room for doors and vents.

You can find detailed instructions and materials lists for another version of a PVC "hoophouse" that raises daytime temperatures up to 10 degrees without electricity at the Westside Gardner site from Washington State.

Greenhouse Plans for Those Who Think Big

If you need more features and a larger greenhouse, you can build your own or call in a gardening contractor to help with planning and construction. Perhaps you're planning on installing electrical or misting systems. You can find pre-made kits that you can customize to your specific needs.

Before you start, you should have an idea of the right soils for your climate that match up well with the kinds of flowers, vegetables, or fruit you hope to raise. Cool climates require borders to protect your soils and seedlings from freezing. Unless you plan on raising mushrooms, be sure to avoid wood that rots and can provide an excellent host for spores.

For a permanent greenhouse, even the best quality plastic skins have but a three-year lifespan. So you might consider fiberglass, glass, acrylic, or polycarbonate coverings that come with the right glazing to prevent harmful solar rays.

Self-watering drip lines may be the best way to go if you don't plan on having a daily routine of gardening chores. Getting the most out of your greenhouse, however, requires your diligence in prepping soils, starting seeds, fertilizing, and weeding.

Builder Magazine recently declared that while it's difficult to predict, the future is already here. The magazine interviewed a wide range of construction experts, green and sustainable authorities, and Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) architects to take a wide look at where we're all headed.

According to Builder, there are predictable trends that we're all likely to see immediately, soon, and eventually. These include:

• Integrated housing systems, where insulation, paint, windows, doors, and flooring all work to curb HVAC costs.

• Modular homes that use structural insulated panels in floors and roofing to speed up construction time and improve protection against the elements.

• Increased solar with rooftops that include solar systems installed in a less extrusive, less expensive, more-integrated fashion.

• High R-value windows (R7+) that are standard, rather than sold and linked by tax incentives to convince consumers of their benefits.

• Energy monitoring, where homeowners receive dashboard reports and alerts on-the-fly so they can adjust their energy use.

• Materials from agricultural waste, where consumers can choose building materials such as flooring products and veneers that are made from the unused parts of common agricultural products like wheat.

• Internal water reprocessing that allows homeowners to save on precious water and high bills, eliminating septic systems and working with low-pressure faucets and showerheads required by law.

Many of these trends are pioneered in building by participants of the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH). The PATH concept house includes movable internal room partitions, wireless switches, tankless water heaters, weatherproofing barriers, a graywater reclamation system, soybean-based expanding foam insulation, quick-release plumbing fixtures, and a standing-seam steel roof with a 150-year lifespan.

In Washington, D.C., the Takoma Village demonstration development of 43 units include geothermal heating and cooling, fiber cement siding, solar domestic hot water systems, recycled content carpeting, low-toxicity wood preservatives, and energy saving horizontal axis clothes washers.

Will all these changes cost homeowners more than having traditional building components and energy sources? At first, they probably will. But as more and more innovative systems are required to match new building and green energy codes, prices are bound to come down.

More architects and designers will be using computerized "energy modeling" software that juggles energy needs with available components. That's pretty exciting. I'm sure many of you agree with me that sustainability begins at home.

Even the more scrupulous building contractors may be tempted to manipulate the details in hopes of a sweeter deal. That's the word out this week from Josh Garskof of Yahoo Finance. In his column, he quotes the enforcement head of the California Contractors State License Board, who tells consumers to keep transactions with their contractors on the straight and narrow.

The Yahoo article suggests that in the current struggling economy, some contractors try clever "fast and loose" tactics to get you to pay "boom-time" rates.

Considering that many a contractor has been forced to drop prices as much as 40 percent to compete for fewer home improvement jobs, don't give them enough rope to tie you to higher rates. Instead, Garskof writes, you should do all you can to resist contractors assertions that they don't have room to bargain. Moreover, don't fall for any ploy to have you pay money upfront for materials or to avoid getting permits to allow the contractor to work under the table.

Get Competitive Estimates

Remember, you should never have to pay for an estimate. And by getting more estimates and letting contractors know you're looking for the best deal, you can block their temptation to give you a high price. When interviewing contractors, ask for proof of insurance and bonding. Demand that they show you their state licenses and registration. And ask for references.

Before hiring a contractor, consider doing your homework and contact the Better Business Bureau to check for liens, judgments, and bankruptcies.

Be Wary of Scams

This is not to say that most contractors are shady. But it is to say that many homeowners are gullible. Scambusters suggests that you stay on the lookout for contractors who try to scare you by indicating that your home is in great jeopardy unless certain things are fixed immediately. If you're told that, be sure to get several more, independent inspections and bids.

Times may be rough for contractors--and homeowners, too--but you should be wary of door-to-door calls from builders who are hustling jobs. Insist on written estimates and, if you decide to do business, insist on a formal, written contract that stipulates all costs and terms.

Never, says Scambusters, agree to pay in cash for anything and never agree to pay "up-front" for work. Walk away from a contractor who says he has leftover materials from another job to use on your place. That may mean that someone else has been ripped off.

Be prepared!

• Ask the Contractor: Stamped Concrete Patio Gone Wrong http://bit.ly/a3LkDO #
• Ask the Contractor: Electrical Wiring Strategy for Our Patio http://bit.ly/9p193l #
• Average Cost of a Backyard Deck and ROI -- http://bit.ly/aEM57H #
• Ask the Contractor: Cost Estimate for Restaining Cedar Siding http://bit.ly/aYF8C0 #siding #
• Ask the Contractor: Cost of Repairing Kitchen Laminate Counters in New Jersey http://bit.ly/900O1T #
• Ask the Contractor: Adding an Air Condition Vent to a Room http://bit.ly/au0oad #
• Ask the Contractor: Can solar film on windows be removed? http://bit.ly/9UWtnm #
• Sell Your Home Quickly: Add a Deck or a Fence for Instant Impact -- http://bit.ly/bHcX80 #
• Ask the Contractor: Kitchen Cabinet Painting or Laminates? http://bit.ly/duepsI #kitchenCabinets #
• Four Important Considerations Before Your Kitchen Remodel Begins -- http://bit.ly/5hrz3W #
• Ask the Contractor: Crown Molding in Our Remodeled Kitchen http://bit.ly/dvieWn #
• Ask the Contractor: Sticky Water-Based Paint on Bathroom Cabinets http://bit.ly/d63rz9 #cabinets #
• Ask the Contractor: Adding Molding Around My Windows http://bit.ly/d5Z4np #
• Ask the Contractor: House Paint Is Peeling http://bit.ly/98yHDt #paintingSiding #
• Ask the Contractor: Electrical Load Calculators http://bit.ly/9tt991 #

When faced with a small kitchen, too many people settle. They stuff plates and cookware into tiny cabinets. They suck in their bellies when other family members try to squeeze past toward the sink or fridge. They dream of someday moving to a house with a spacious kitchen where they can once again prepare sumptuous meals for family and guests.

But you don't have to settle. Award-winning designer and author Susan Serra loves small kitchens. That's because she tells her clients about the many options for organizing a tiny kitchen space, combining utility with charm. Among her suggestions--raise cabinets up to the ceiling and down to the counter; buy small appliances; buy extra deep cabinets with roll-out shelving; hang knives on the wall and store utensils in bowls or crock pots already on the countertops.

Paint Your Small Kitchen to Open It Up

Using light color paint can open up a narrow space, and so can skylights and bay windows. Notice the use of spot lighting in the example photo here. White paint on cabinets and the countertops also help lighten the room. Serra recommends, where possible, to install the sink at an angle to create additional countertop space. Leaving the space over the stove and windows can remove the potential for additional storage and cabinets, but the sacrifice pays off in additional roominess.

Before your kitchen remodel begins, consider all the activities and potential uses you'll need. If it's too much to handle, why not spend a little on hiring a professional designer and get the sizing right the first time?

Designers consider the kinetic requirements for your chores. For example, do you know that it's a good idea to organize your routine kitchen utensils and supplies above your waist to minimize bending or having to drag over a step-stool?

Using glass doors on your cabinets also create openness. Flooring and floor coverings are essential to creating the right effect. Notice how the stripes on this kitchen rug run the length--rather than the width--of the narrow floor? Using the deepest sink available for a small kitchen also helps with prep and cleanup without compromising counter space.

Better Homes and Gardens suggests adding reflective surfaces (on your fridge and appliances) to magnify the space of the room. Above all else, make sure your plans are for a kitchen makeover you can afford.

• Ask the Contractor: How much will it cost to replace a shingle roof? http://bit.ly/bKej5I #
• Ask the Contractor: Mold Trouble in Our Detroit Rental http://bit.ly/aSDRa2 #
• Ask the Contractor: Tear-off and replace old roof or shingle over? http://bit.ly/deBSGX #roofing #
• Ask the Contractor: Leaking Back Door to Deck http://bit.ly/bcclYv #
• Is Your Home on the Market? A Painting Contractor and Lawncare Specialist Can Help You Sell -- http://bit.ly/axx5S4 #
• Ask the Contractor: What is involved in installing a skylight on a cathederal ceiling? http://bit.ly/adXcEK #
• Ask the Contractor: Calculating Square Footage for Home Additions http://bit.ly/aMs4hB #additionsEstimate #
• Ask the Contractor: Cost to Repair Walkway and Repair Porch Bricks http://bit.ly/cf2wut #
• Ask the Contractor: How Do Contractors Charge for Laminate Flooring? http://bit.ly/bApbzK #workingWithContractors #