Author: admin

Extreme Weather Can Affect the Air in Your Home

Extreme weather events can negatively impact indoor air quality, which may lead to serious health consequences. With weather events such as heat waves, storms and floods increasing in recent years, air quality should be on every homeowner’s radar. Higher Temperatures Bring Air Quality Problems Intense heat waves can make it miserable to be outdoors, but it can also create problems for those who stay indoors. Heat may trigger various events that threaten indoor air quality. Heat increases the production of pollen, which gets into the air both indoors and outdoors. A good air filter should remove most of the pollen from your indoor air, but a significant increase in the overall amount of pollen will increase the amount that makes it through the filter and into your home. Rising temperatures, and the associated rise in energy costs, inspire many homeowners to improve their weatherization. However, the nature of weatherization—limiting the movement of air between indoors and outdoors—can worsen air quality problems. Super efficient and weather-tight homes rely entirely on mechanical systems for fresh air, and any problems in those systems can send indoor air quality plummeting. Air Quality Threats From Storms and Flooding Violent storms that cause brownouts or blackouts

Read More »

8 Easy Ways to Boost Your Home’s Value

There are a number of ways you can increase the value of your home without spending a fortune. The items on this list are not difficult, and most of them can be completed for a few hundred dollars or less. The exterior of your home gets dirty and grimy over the winter, and can even attract mold. To make it look clean and bright, have it professionally power washed by a licensed contractor. Once the work is done, your home will look much more attractive. An easy way to add value to your home is to update its exterior. Painting the front door a bright color, updating its hardware and replacing outdated an outdated light fixture can go a long way toward increasing the value of your home. Clear out any weeds and trim shrubs and trees on your front lawn. Plant some bright flowers near the front door. You can add flower beds, hang plants, or place attractive pots or flower boxes, depending on your preference and the style of your home. Steel entry doors are not only stylish, but they also help to keep you, your family and possessions safe and secure. Change out the existing door for

Read More »

Indoor Air Quality a Rising Concern For Home Buyers

Many potential home buyers are actively looking to relocate in the spring and summer months, and this makes the warmer months of the year a very busy time for the real estate market. If you have decided to buy an existing home or build your dream home, indoor air quality is something that should be a priority. There are ways you can ensure that your future home is healthy and safe for all the members of your family by dealing with these concerns before you make a buying decision. Indoor Air Concerns for New Home Buyers When you decide to purchase a new home, you give yourself the best opportunity to ensure that your indoor air quality is healthy. During the past 10 years, home builders have noted that consumers have been asking for “green” building materials more often. They want to buy homes built with flooring, cabinet materials and other products that are environmentally sustainable and free from dangerous chemicals. Bamboo is a popular choice for flooring, and it is an example of an environmentally friendly building product. Reclaimed oak, which is usually found locally, is another one, and is a better choice than traditional oak for flooring when

Read More »

The benefits of going ductless

If there’s one thing people hate it’s a large utility bill. That shock of a large payment just to maintain a comfortable temperature in the home is something that has frustrated people since central air became used. Depending on the home and the setup of the HVAC system, the traditional forced-air system with its mazes of ductwork, might not be the best option. Central Air Disadvantages The drawbacks of a forced-air system aren’t limited to just a large bill. As any homeowner with central air knows, not all parts of the house will receive the same level of cooling and passive heat loss/gain from the environment. Uneven heating and cooling has led to numerous fights over control of the thermostat. You house will lose and gain heat naturally. And that heat loss doesn’t happen homogenously across the entire home, either. Rooms that share a wall with the outside sun-facing walls will naturally gain heat faster and the rooms that don’t receive sun will lose heat faster in winter. To change the temperature in one room requires you to adjust the thermostat and cool the entire house for that single room. It’s not a terribly efficient way of doing things. Speaking

Read More »

Home Energy Efficiency Tips to Help You Save Money

Chances are, if you want to save money, you are doing everything you know how to do. Do you know how to save money on your electric bill? In the paragraphs below, we are going to give you some energy efficiency ideas that can go a long way.Here’s our home energy efficiency tips … Check the Energy-Efficiency Ratio Before You Buy an Air Conditioning Unit Before you go out and by an air conditioning unit, check to see what its energy-efficiency ratio is. You can find out the energy efficiency ratio by taking the unit’s cooling capacity and dividing it by the energy requirement. If it comes out with an EER of 10 or more, that is great, while 6 or 7 is fair.Go for the Smallest Air Unit Possible So many people are under the impression that bigger is better. Don’t go out and buy the biggest system out there — go for the smallest one that will meet your needs. Energy Efficiency Tip for Doing Laundry When doing laundry, wash full loads. By doing this, you will be using the machine less and saving energy. Energy Saving Tip for Your Refrigerator When it comes to saving money on

Read More »

What is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: How To Prevent It

Carbon monoxide poisoning may happen if CO from sources such as water heater, or heating system, or other similar gas, oil, or fuel burning appliances build up in an enclosed area. If proper ventilation is not attached to these systems, this can result in build-up of CO above safety levels in an enclosed or semi-enclosed space. Breathing the air in such a space with an over-concentration of CO may lead to CO poisoning in people and animals living in that space. The common symptoms of CO poisoning include nausea, chest pain, sleeplessness, weakness, dizziness, etc. The problem is that the same symptoms may result from many other underlying conditions, so if a CO built-up in a space is not detected, the symptoms may aggravate and may lead to serious illnesses. It may also lead to death in extreme cases. In fact, each year four-hundred deaths are reported in US which are caused by unintentional CO poisoning. What is carbon monoxide poisoning? The poisoning occurs mainly because our red blood corpuscles have a tendency to attract carbon monoxide quicker than they do oxygen. This means that CO can quickly replace oxygen in our blood, and this will prevent proper oxygen circulation

Read More »

The truth about diy hvac hacks

DIY hacks are all the rage, especially for homeowners; however, when it comes to HVAC systems, you may want to forgo the challenge for a few important reasons. Not only is HVAC repair best left to technicians who have had extensive training to become qualified and/or certified, but they also have to keep up with current HVAC technology through mandatory ongoing training. If that’s not reason enough for you to avoid testing the HVAC repair waters yourself, read on. Reason #1: You Need the Right Tools. First, and this may be the most logical reason not to DIY HVAC repair: you need the right tools to do the job and those tools are expensive. Both HVAC diagnosis and repair require very specific types of tools and gauges that you most likely don’t just have lying around your home. And, if you were to go out and purchase tools for the job, it would end up costing you more money than simply hiring an experienced HVAC professional to do it for you. Reason #2: HVAC is Complicated. Even if you do have all the tools to accomplish a given HVAC repair task, HVAC systems are far more complicated than one might initially

Read More »

3 Tips for Making a 2017 Home Repair and Maintenance Budget

The new year is just around the corner, so why not make it your best yet? There is a good chance that you have already started thinking about your New Year’s resolutions and which personal goals you would like to start working on. But have you thought about what projects you’d like to take on around your home in 2017? Regular maintenance is an important part of maintaining a safe and comfortable home environment. The key to making home improvement projects successful is planning ahead. This includes both knowing what needs to be done, but also considering how you will pay for it. By the end of this article, you’ll have a better idea of how to make a 2017 home improvement budget. How to Make a 2017 Home Improvement Budget Here are just a few tips for preparing a home improvement budget for the new year: Set aside time and money for maintenance. It’s important to plan ahead for the new year so that you can set aside an adequate amount of money and time to complete your home improvement projects. There are many basic maintenance tasks that you can complete yourself to save money such as landscaping, painting,

Read More »

Does Insulation Really Help Keep Your Home Cool?

Many homeowners living in warm climates spend more money than they would like on air conditioning. Poor indoor insulation causes energy to be wasted, which pushes these costs even higher. MightyServ provides affordable insulation to maintain a cool indoor temperature when the weather is hot. The secret to successful insulation is heat flow resistance. Measured by R-value (or thermal resistance), we install the most suitable insulation for your particular property. Save Energy by Sealing Duct Work Numerous homes have inadequate airflow and leaky ductwork. This will cause rooms to be uncomfortably humid, irrespective of your thermostat settings. Our engineers might suggest sealing the ductwork in your home with metal tape, spray on sealant, or mastic. This balances the duct system and facilitates maximum airflow to every room. In addition, performing ductwork insulation in crawlspaces, basements and attics can help keep your home cool and comfortable. Regulate the Temperature by Insulating Your Attic We offer both sprayed in and blown in attic insulation. There are many benefits to blown in attic insulation, such as the use of cellulose — which is an eco friendly material. This procedure keeps your property’s structure intact, and is non invasive. At the same time, it

Read More »

When do i need to have my air ducts cleaned?

Whether you rely on your air ducts every day or turn your heating and air system off intermittently, ductwork will need occasional cleaning. Air filters do not always reduce the risk of mold. If you notice any signs of allergens or your service technician recommends a cleaning, consider professional services. Signs Your Air Ducts Need Cleaning Here are some of the most common signs you need to invest in air duct cleaning services: You’ve Just Moved In During your new home inspection, ask an HVAC professional to inspect the air ducts for allergens, debris, and mold. If the previous homeowner had not cleaned the ducts in the last few years, invest in professional cleaning before you move. Consider professional cleaning after new construction and major renovation work, too. You Notice Mold in the Vents or Ducts Smelling or seeing mold inside your AC system is a red flag. Always ask a service technician to show you where he or she claims to see mold. Then, invest in professional services to ensure the removal/treatment of all mold. Homeowners may also want to consider prevention measures. You’ve Had Problems with Insects or Rodents Mice, cockroaches, and other vermin offer a new set of health

Read More »
Archives

MightyBucks Program