Most people don’t know how easy it is to make their homes run on less energy, and here at InterNACHI, we want to change that.

Drastic reductions in heating, cooling and electricity costs can be accomplished through very simple changes, most of which homeowners can do themselves. Of course, for homeowners who want to take advantage of the most up-to-date knowledge and systems in home energy efficiency, InterNACHI energy auditors can perform in-depth testing to find the best energy solutions for your particular home.

Why make your home more energy efficient? Here are a few good reasons:

• Federal, state, utility and local jurisdictions’ financial incentives, such as tax breaks, are very advantageous for homeowners in most parts of the U.S.
• It saves money. It costs less to power a home that has been converted to be more energy-efficient.
• It increases the comfort level indoors.
• It reduces our impact on climate change. Many scientists now believe that excessive energy consumption contributes significantly to global warming.
• It reduces pollution. Conventional power production introduces pollutants that find their way into the air, soil and water supplies.

1. Find better ways to heat and cool your house. 

As much as half of the energy used in homes goes toward heating and cooling. The following are a few ways that energy bills can be reduced through adjustments to the heating and cooling systems:

• Install a ceiling fan. Ceiling fans can be used in place of air conditioners, which require a large amount of energy.
• Periodically replace air filters in air conditioners and heaters.
• Set thermostats to an appropriate temperature. Specifically, they should be turned down at night and when no one is home. In most homes, about 2% of the heating bill will be saved for each degree that the thermostat is lowered for at least eight hours each day. Turning down the thermostat from 75° F to 70° F, for example, saves about 10% on heating costs.
• Install a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat saves money by allowing heating and cooling appliances to be automatically turned down during times that no one is home and at night. Programmable thermostats contain no mercury and, in some climate zones, can save up to $150 per year in energy costs.
• Install a wood stove or a pellet stove. These are more efficient sources of heat than furnaces.
• At night, curtains drawn over windows will better insulate the room.

2. Install a tankless water heater.

Demand-type water heaters (tankless or instantaneous) provide hot water only as it is needed. They don’t produce the standby energy losses associated with traditional storage water heaters, which will save on energy costs. Tankless water heaters heat water directly without the use of a storage tank. When a hot water tap is turned on, cold water travels through a pipe into the unit. A gas burner or an electric element heats the water. As a result, demand water heaters deliver a constant supply of hot water. You don’t need to wait for a storage tank to fill up with enough hot water.

3. Replace incandescent lights.

The average household dedicates 11% of its energy budget to lighting. Traditional incandescent lights convert approximately only 10% of the energy they consume into light, while the rest becomes heat. The use of new lighting technologies, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), can reduce the energy use required by lighting by 50% to 75%. Advances in lighting controls offer further energy savings by reducing the amount of time that lights are on but not being used. Here are some facts about CFLs and LEDs:

• CFLs use 75% less energy and last about 10 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs.
• LEDs last even longer than CFLs and consume less energy.
• LEDs have no moving parts and, unlike CFLs, they contain no mercury.

4. Seal and insulate your home.

Sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to make a home more comfortable and energy-efficient, and you can do it yourself. A tightly sealed home can improve comfort and indoor air quality while reducing utility bills. An InterNACHI energy auditor can assess  leakage in the building envelope and recommend fixes that will dramatically increase comfort and energy savings.

The following are some common places where leakage may occur:

• electrical receptacles/outlets;
• mail slots;
• around pipes and wires;
• wall- or window-mounted air conditioners;
• attic hatches;
• fireplace dampers;
• inadequate weatherstripping around doors;
• baseboards;
• window frames; and
• switch plates.

Because hot air rises, air leaks are most likely to occur in the attic. Homeowners can perform a variety of repairs and maintenance to their attics that save them money on cooling and heating, such as:

• Plug the large holes. Locations in the attic where leakage is most likely to be the greatest are where walls meet the attic floor, behind and under attic knee walls, and in dropped-ceiling areas.
• Seal the small holes. You can easily do this by looking for areas where the insulation is darkened. Darkened insulation is a result of dusty interior air being filtered by insulation before leaking through small holes in the building envelope. In cold weather, you may see frosty areas in the insulation caused by warm, moist air condensing and then freezing as it hits the cold attic air. In warmer weather, you’ll find water staining in these same areas. Use expanding foam or caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires. Cover the areas with insulation after the caulk is dry.
• Seal up the attic access panel with weatherstripping. You can cut a piece of fiberglass or rigid foamboard insulation in the same size as the attic hatch and glue it to the back of the attic access panel. If you have pull-down attic stairs or an attic door, these should be sealed in a similar manner.

5. Install efficient showerheads and toilets.

The following systems can be installed to conserve water usage in homes:

• low-flow showerheads. They are available in different flow rates, and some have a pause button which shuts off the water while the bather lathers up;
• low-flow toilets. Toilets consume 30% to 40% of the total water used in homes, making them the biggest water users. Replacing an older 3.5-gallon toilet with a modern, low-flow 1.6-gallon toilet can reduce usage an average of 2 gallons-per-flush (GPF), saving 12,000 gallons of water per year. Low-flow toilets usually have “1.6 GPF” marked on the bowl behind the seat or inside the tank;
• vacuum-assist toilets. This type of toilet has a vacuum chamber that uses a siphon action to suck air from the trap beneath the bowl, allowing it to quickly fill with water to clear waste. Vacuum-assist toilets are relatively quiet; and
• dual-flush toilets. Dual-flush toilets have been used in Europe and Australia for years and are now gaining in popularity in the U.S. Dual-flush toilets let you choose between a 1-gallon (or less) flush for liquid waste, and a 1.6-gallon flush for solid waste. Dual-flush 1.6-GPF toilets reduce water consumption by an additional 30%.

6. Use appliances and electronics responsibly.

Appliances and electronics account for about 20% of household energy bills in a typical U.S. home. The following are tips that will reduce the required energy of electronics and appliances:

• Refrigerators and freezers should not be located near the stove, dishwasher or heat vents, or exposed to direct sunlight. Exposure to warm areas will force them to use more energy to remain cool.
• Computers should be shut off when not in use. If unattended computers must be left on, their monitors should be shut off. According to some studies, computers account for approximately 3% of all energy consumption in the United States.
• Use efficient ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and electronics. These devices, approved by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, include TVs, home theater systems, DVD players, CD players, receivers, speakers, and more. According to the EPA, if just 10% of homes used energy-efficient appliances, it would reduce carbon emissions by the equivalent of 1.7 million acres of trees.
• Chargers, such as those used for laptops and cell phones, consume energy when they are plugged in. When they are not connected to electronics, chargers should be unplugged.
• Laptop computers consume considerably less electricity than desktop computers.

7. Install daylighting as an alternative to electrical lighting.

Daylighting is the practice of using natural light to illuminate the home’s interior. It can be achieved using the following approaches:

• skylights. It’s important that they be double-pane or they may not be cost-effective. Flashing skylights correctly is key to avoiding leaks;
• light shelves. Light shelves are passive devices designed to bounce light deep into a building. They may be interior or exterior. Light shelves can introduce light into a space up to 2½ times the distance from the floor to the top of the window, and advanced light shelves may introduce four times that amount;
• clerestory windows.  Clerestory windows are short, wide windows set high on the wall. Protected from the summer sun by the roof overhang, they allow winter sun to shine through for natural lighting and warmth; and
• light tubes.  Light tubes use a special lens designed to amplify low-level light and reduce light intensity from the midday sun. Sunlight is channeled through a tube coated with a highly reflective material, and then enters the living space through a diffuser designed to distribute light evenly.

8. Insulate windows and doors.

About one-third of the home’s total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors. The following are ways to reduce energy lost through windows and doors:

• Seal all window edges and cracks with rope caulk. This is the cheapest and simplest option.
• Windows can be weatherstripped with a special lining that is inserted between the window and the frame. For doors, apply weatherstripping around the whole perimeter to ensure a tight seal when they’re closed. Install quality door sweeps on the bottom of the doors, if they aren’t already in place.
• Install storm windows at windows with only single panes. A removable glass frame can be installed over an existing window.
• If existing windows have rotted or damaged wood, cracked glass, missing putty, poorly fitting sashes, or locks that don’t work, they should be repaired or replaced.

9. Cook smart.

An enormous amount of energy is wasted while cooking. The following recommendations and statistics illustrate less wasteful ways of cooking:

• Convection ovens are more efficient that conventional ovens. They use fans to force hot air to circulate more evenly, thereby allowing food to be cooked at a lower temperature. Convection ovens use approximately 20% less electricity than conventional ovens.
• Microwave ovens consume approximately 80% less energy than conventional ovens.
• Pans should be placed on the matching size heating element or flame.
• Using lids on pots and pans will heat food more quickly than cooking in uncovered pots and pans.
• Pressure cookers reduce cooking time dramatically.
• When using conventional ovens, food should be placed on the top rack. The top rack is hotter and will cook food faster.

10. Change the way you do laundry.

• Do not use the medium setting on your washer. Wait until you have a full load of clothes, as the medium setting saves less than half of the water and energy used for a full load.
• Avoid using high-temperature settings when clothes are not very soiled. Water that is 140° F uses far more energy than 103° F for the warm-water setting, but 140° F isn’t that much more effective for getting clothes clean.
• Clean the lint trap every time before you use the dryer. Not only is excess lint a fire hazard, but it will prolong the amount of time required for your clothes to dry.
• If possible, air-dry your clothes on lines and racks.
• Spin-dry or wring clothes out before putting them into a dryer.

Refinancing your home is a great way to either lower your interest rate and save long-term, or obtain funds to do repairs or remodels using the equity you’ve earned on your home. It’s a great time to do it – when the real estate market is booming, and it always makes sense to keep your home in tip-top shape maintenance wise, as well as updated with modern appliances, flooring and fresh paint. Or perhaps you need a big-ticket repair, like air conditioning or foundation. Maybe you’re considering listing your home – and you want it to look nice. And of course, even if you plan to stay for a while longer – nobody wants a home that looks (and feels) dilapidated.

So do you need a property inspection when refinancing a mortgage?

Often, the process and services of a home inspection and a home appraisal are confused:  what we do, at Grissom Inspections — is property inspections, and we do not assign any value to the property. Our main job, as professional property and real estate inspectors, is to help sellers and buyers understand the condition of their home and property, exposure needed repairs and code violations or issues that might be costly later. It’s about knowing what you are getting into – fully, with regard to home and property ownership. When refinancing an FHA or conventional home mortgage, a lender may require an appraisal and the same inspections as it does for financing a new home purchase. However, a “home inspection,” similar to the inspection you obtained when you bought your home, is never required.

Could a property inspection be done without buying, selling or refinancing?

Yes – in fact, we’d think that the savvy home owner would invest in a knowledgeable property inspection service from time to time as a preventative measure to stay on top of the less fun more expensive part of home-ownership. In act, we have tons of clients – commercial owners and individuals who own real estate (rental properties, and similar) that do this often to make sure they are ahead of exorbitant repair costs (due to something going on too long) and other costly ‘smaller situations’ that turn into larger ones because it was not reported or noticed by a tenant.

Whatever your need for a home inspector in Dallas, or Plano and surrounding areas – it’s important to know exactly what you are getting and what to expect during a home inspection. You can rely on Grissom Inspections. Friendly, highly reviewed professionals.

Ants are among the most prevalent pests in households, restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, and virtually all buildings where food and water can be found. While mostly harmless to humans, ants (especially carpenter ants) can cause considerable building damage.  Inspectors can expand their knowledge base by being able to identify some of the telltale signs of ant infestation.

Distinguishing Ants from Termites

Winged ants are often mistaken for winged termites, which also leave their nests to mate. These insects can be distinguished from one another by three main characteristics:

• The ant’s body is constricted, giving it the appearance of having a thin waist, while the termite’s body is not constricted.
• The ant’s hind wings are smaller than its front wings, while the termite’s front and hind wings are about the same size. Wings might not always be present, however, as both species eventually lose them.
• Winged female and worker ants have elbowed antennae, while the termite’s antennae are not elbowed.

Termites and ants both construct nests in moist wood, but ant nests are typically smoother and lack mud structures commonly found in termite nests. Also, termites actually subsist on wood, so the structural damage they leave it their wake is generally more severe than that caused by ants, which merely tunnel through wood.

Nests

Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but they prefer moist wood. Accordingly, nests are more likely to be found in wood dampened by water leaks, such as wood around bathtubs and sinks, poorly sealed windows and door frames, roof leaks and poorly flashed chimneys. Nests are especially common in moist, hollow spaces, such as the wall void behind a dishwasher and in a hollow deck column. As there will often be no external signs of damage, probing the wood with a screwdriver helps reveal the excavated “galleries.” Another technique for locating hidden nests is to tap along baseboards and other wood surfaces with the blunt end of a screwdriver while listening for the hollow sound of tunneled wood. If a nest is nearby, carpenter ants often will respond by making a rustling sound within the nest.

Inspection

The following clues are evidence that a building is host to an ant infestation:

• long trails of ants, perhaps numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Ants assemble in long trails along structural elements, such as wires and pipes, and frequently use them to enter and travel within a structure to their destination. Follow the trail to locate their nest or their entry point, such as an electrical outlet, or gap along a baseboard or around a water pipe;
• a few straggler ants. These are scouts in search of food and nesting sites. They, too, may be followed back to the nest to betray their family;
• holes or cracks in walls or foundations, especially where pipes enter the building, and around windows and doors. These can provide entry points for ants and other insects. Kitchens are other food storage and preparation areas are particular problem areas;
• frass deposits. Frass is the fine sawdust produced after galleries are carved out of the wood. If you suspect that a piece of woodwork hosts a gallery, you can tap on it with a screwdriver tip and see if any dust falls away;
• a distinctive rustling sound similar to the crinkling of cellophane. Ants are small, but nests are large enough to produce perceptible noise; and
• outside, inspect for nests in mulch and vegetation next to the foundation. Check under potted plants, patio blocks, stepping stones, in piles of rocks, lumber and firewood.

• Store food items that attract ants, such as sugar, syrup, honey, and pet food in closed containers. Wash them to remove residues from outer surfaces.
• Rinse out empty soft drink containers or remove them from the building.
• Thoroughly clean up grease and spills.
• Remove garbage from buildings daily and change liners frequently.
• Correct roof and plumbing leaks and other moisture problems that will attract ants.
• Eliminate wood-to-ground contact, such as where landscaping has pushed soil or mulch up against the wood siding of a home.
• Clip back tree limbs and vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house. Limbs and branches serve as bridges between tree limb nests and the structure.
• Seal cracks and openings in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.
• Stack firewood away from the foundation, and elevate it off the ground. Never store firewood in the garage or other areas of the home, as firewood is a major ant nesting area.

Buying or selling a home is a huge event in one’s life, but many things can be prevented with proper maintenance and care during your years of ownership. Buying a home can be more costly than need be if you don’t perform a proper property inspection and heed the information your inspector gives you. Selling a home can become expensive as well – if required to repair impromptu issues that arose from a revealing home inspection – right when you were trying to market your home to a potential buyer. Whether you are buying or selling, and whether your problems are structural, or just cosmetic – they can effect your pocketbook and subsequently – your satisfaction with the purchase or selling process or the excitement of moving your new home.

Certain things seem to surface over and over again when professional home inspectors are performing routine home inspections. Interestingly, they are the types of problems that can escalate and multiply quickly. So, staying on top of these areas can save you, or your buyer a lot of money and time, as well as prevent other related issues.

Electrical and Wiring

Electrical problems are a repeat offender on the list of problems found by a property inspector. Not only can electrical and wiring issues cause more electrical issues and short out appliances and larger systems in your home – they are a fire hazard. Make sure you always hire a professional.

Structural & Natural

Foundation repairs, cracking sidewalks, tree roots, and water rot are all things that will naturally occur over time with any home.  The long term problem would be doors that don’t shut, rot and mold in the walls, cracks all around your home and more. Obviously this category is a post by itself, for another time – but you can see it can be costly to let these kinds of problems build up.

Air & Heat

As a professional home inspector in Texas – we can tell you – you gotta have air conditioning that works. It is not uncommon to have multiple air conditioning units running a home in August in North Texas.  Replacing multiple air conditioning units is extremely expensive. But it doesn’t have to be – with proper maintenance and regular, routine checks – you can keep your machinery in top shape and keep your home cool.

Of course there are several other things that make the list, but living in Plano, McKinney or Frisco – which is our main working area, these three things are some of the most prominent offenders on our list.

Read the full article on HGTV here

Spring is a great time to perform routine maintenance on your home – and not just because Texas summers are a bit so hot. Spring is s time when things are growing (as opposed to leaves falling) and it’s time to get excited for Summertime outdoor entertaining. Preventative maintenance on your home can save you big bucks later, and simple cleaning and updates can increase the value of your home.

Exterior Updates

The best time to remodel a pool or exterior space is Winter as weather permits into early Spring so that your showcase is ready in time for Summer. This would also include paving, walkways and asphalt work – when the temperatures are more ideal for setting. Pool and backyard living spaces are a great way to increase the value of your home.

Spring Cleaning

It’s a great time to clean your gutters, when you don’t have to worry about leaves falling and clogging them up again. It’s smart to clear out your gutters twice a year to prevent build up (and animal nests) that can cause damage to your gutter system.  It’s also a great time to get your chimney inspected and cleaned – while the chimney is not in use.

Fresh Paint

If you’re wanting to freshen up your home, do so – but don’t wait until August when it’s 100+ degrees outside. Be sure to watch the weather closely – and plan it during some days when you will be free of rain. Speaking of rain….

Of course, in Texas – Spring brings rain – so if you are cleaning gutters, or hanging about your chimney or painting your home – be extra careful using a ladder. Wet ladders are slippery and can be very dangerous.  So stay safe, stay cool – and get some things done this Spring!

As property inspection professionals – we perform regular real estate home inspections on homes every single day… and we see a ton of stuff. One thing that always stands out – is when a home has not been properly maintained.

Of course, not every family has a strong man to do all the heavy lifting that some maintenance requires, or a savvy lady who likes to ‘do everything’ on her own. Home maintenance is an general to-do for every household and we all do the best we can.

It helps to know about seasonal changes here in Texas and be prepared to stay on top of requirements regularly as seasons change.

Not only are you protecting your investment in your home, but you’ll save yourself money and time with utility bills and repairs.

We’ve outlined the top five Texas tips to preparing your home for the VERY cold winter months (should they occur in Texas!):

1. Tune up your heating and A/C system: hire a professional to come and change all the filters, and give your A/C and heating system a good once-over at least twice a year. Fall and Spring are great times before the extremes of super-hot or super-cold in Texas are reached.
2.  Check your roof: check your roof and hire a handyman to repair any loose shingles. This will help prevent costly leaks and help your energy bill, too.
3. Clean your gutters! Remove those leaves from the fall NOW to prevent clogged up gutters, leaks and ice dams from forming when and if the temps do drop.
4. Clean that chimney! If you have a fireplace – or any heating appliance burning gas, oil, wood or coal, you might need to contact a chimney sweep, or get a little dirty doing the job yourself. Making sure the chimney is clean will help prevent fires and prevent carbon monoxide from creeping into your home.
5. Store your mower and other lawn equipment: these machines need love in the wintertime too. Make sure they are routinely checked, started and stored with proper coolants and preventative measures to protect the engines and working parts.

There’s always Google, a handyman’s best friend – for amazing tips, and how-to videos to get things DONE. When it comes to your most important and valuable investment – you need to be sure that you have been on top of your game to keep your  home safe and in working order. Save yourself the headache of a repair or failure when you need something the most by staying ahead of the maintenance game.

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