Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Rebates Until March 31, 2014!

Posted by Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements

LiveSmart BC Offers Rebates for Energy-Efficient Home Upgrades.

Participants have until March 31, 2014 to complete their upgrades and a post retrofit evaluation with a Certified Energy Advisor.

LiveSmart BC Efficiency Incentive Program

Up to $4,000 in rebates available for insulation, air sealing upgrades and regional bonus offers.
Complete energy-saving improvements with House Smart Home Improvements. We can help you book and complete a post-retrofit assessment with a Certified Energy Advisor by March 31, 2014.
The energy advisor will confirm the upgrades were safely installed and will help the homeowner apply for LiveSmart BC rebates.
The post-retrofit assessment also gives the recipient’s home a final EnerGuide® rating, which is a standard measure of a home’s energy efficiency.

Fortis BC Commitment to You:

Fortis BC is committed to helping customers conserve energy and get the most out of their energy dollar by providing financial incentives and energy saving tips for natural gas and electricity.

Since it was founded in 1989, Fortis BC’s Power Sense program has helped Southern Interior electricity customers save more than 445 gigawatt hours.

That’s enough electricity to power 35,000 homes for a year.

House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or furnaces and heat pumps, or to install insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades, give us a call. We do it the job right. 604-585-2020

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Windows and Doors Vancouver BC - Just Another Satisfied Customer

Posted by Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements

Smart Home Reviews - November 2013

I have never had such a polite and respectful crew in my home ever. They worked at a fast and steady pace finishing the job sooner than I ever expected. I am so pleased with my new windows and could feel the difference in the interior warmth immediately. When we can finally afford to lay new flooring we will be as toasty warm as we could ever want to be.

I must admit, I had to “suck up” the hurt feelings over the polite refusal of my fresh home baking. This was a first time in my life from any construction crew . HA HA! It is good to know you have such health conscience people working for you. They were an inspiration to me. It was awesome to have a female – the only other female crew that did work for us were a two woman crew who installed carpet at one of our other homes. It would be nice to see your female worker that was here go into schools and let young girls know how great it is to choose a trade – a welder, no less.

Thanks again and I have been referring your company to friends and co-workers steadily since Tuesday.

- Pam & Ed Vandeyck

Monday, November 25, 2013

Saving Power and Money over the Holidays - Reduce Your Green-House Gas Emissions

Posted by Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements

Use Energy-Efficient Christmas Lights

For many of us, Christmas lights on our trees, around our mantels and even in our gardens are essential seasonal decorations. They create such a cozy, atmospheric glow that it's tempting to turn them on indoors during the day, as well as at night. This helps to contribute to the fact that we currently consume much more energy at home over Christmas, which in turn has an impact on the environment and climate change. So it's worth switching to LED tree lights, as well as using energy-efficient light bulbs in your home. If you leave a set of conventional Christmas tree lights on in your home for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas, you'll produce enough carbon dioxide, one of the main greenhouse gases, to inflate 64 party balloons. Outdoor lights tend to use even more energy, since they are usually high-wattage and, therefore, less energy-efficient. However, it's easy to save energy and still enjoy a wonderful light display.

LED Lights

Light-emitting diode, or LED, Christmas tree lights emit a bright, vibrant light that uses 80 percent less energy than conventional tree lights. They are also longer-lasting and stay cooler than traditional bulbs because they don't have a filament. The brilliance of their color makes LED lights suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Solar-powered lights are also a good choice, as even on a wintry day they can soak up enough sun to illuminate an indoor or outdoor Christmas tree without the need for an electricity supply.

Energy-Saving Light Bulbs

Like LED lights, energy-saving bulbs use around a quarter of the electricity of standard bulbs and last up to 12 times longer. Advances in technology mean that these bulbs are now sold in a range of fittings, shapes and sizes. Look for government and industry-approved energy-saving logos to find the most energy-efficient products when you shop.

Energy Facts

A household with an extravagant Christmas light display will spend enough money to heat and power an average house for six weeks, and produce 882 pounds of carbon dioxide - more than enough to fill two double-decker buses.

Only 10 percent of the electricity used to light an ordinary light bulb is turned into light. The other 90 percent is wasted as heat.

If every household only used energy-efficient bulbs, enough energy could be saved to close several power plants.

One energy-efficient light bulb will save up to $14 and around 88 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. And because it lasts up to 12 times longer, it could save around $120 before it needs replacing. These savings take into account the higher cost of energy-saving light bulbs.

Recycle all energy-efficient light bulbs safely, as they contain small amounts of mercury: Wear gloves to pick up a bulb, put it in a plastic bag and recycle it at a local recycling facility.

This from DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited
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Thursday, October 17, 2013

HALLOWEEN SAFETY REMINDER

Protect Yourself AND Your Trick-or-Treaters Around Your Home ~

Keep candles and jack o' lanterns away from landings and doorsteps, where costumes could brush against the flame. Make sure candles are away from curtains, decorations and other items that could ignite. Do not leave burning candles unattended.

Or as an option, put little tea lights in the luminaries so there is no worry about the trick or treaters catching their costumes on fire as they walk up the steps. You can buy some of those little battery-operated flameless tealights at the Home Depot or Walmart.

If you use a real candle, practice extreme caution. Make sure children are watched at all times when candles are lit. When lighting candles inside Jack-o-lanterns, use long fireplace-style matches or a utility lighter. Be sure to place lit pumpkins well away from anything that can burn and far enough out of the way of trick-or-treaters, doorsteps, walkways and yards.

Many people enjoy transforming their homes into eerie scenes. Be sure to keep the path leading up to your door free of obstacles for the little ones, especially those with masks who might have trouble seeing in dim light. This reminder from House Smart Home Improvements.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

How to draft proof your home:

Posted by: Sound Marketing
via the House Smart Home Improvements Website

It’s good to start at the bottom of the house and work your way up.
Remove any old, damaged caulk or weatherstripping before you begin.
Caulk around baseboards, sump pump lids, openings in the attic and between an uninsulated attic or basement and the living areas of the house. Seal the top of foundations for added efficiency.
Use a smoking incense stick to find leaks or run your hand over windowsills, doors and walls to feel for cold drafts.
Doors get warped by use and weather, leaving gaps between the door and frame. If your exterior doors are drafty, caulk between the door frame and the wall and add weatherstripping along the top and edge of the door. For added protection, you can also put weatherstripping along the vertical doorstop to press against the face of the door when closed.
Install a door sweep on the bottom edge of your door, or attach weatherstripping along the bottom of the door or on the threshold. Weatherstripping attached to the door itself needs to be extra durable.
Use weatherstripping and caulking to seal around windows.
Joints shift over time and with changes in moisture and temperature, leaving gaps and cracks. Use caulking to seal the spaces between interior joints, around non-opening windows and spaces around water pipes and vents. Choose a caulking that is appropriate to the task. Refer to the Buyer’s Guide for information on selecting a product.
You can purchase gaskets that fit behind the cover plates of electrical outlets and lighting fixtures to reduce leakage. Caulk the edges of these gaskets.
Child safety plugs fitted into infrequently used electrical outlets can help reduce heat loss into exterior walls.
Hang interior window coverings to help regulate temperature. See our Shade Your Windows tip to learn more.
Cover single-paned or inefficient windows with plastic in the winter.
It is possible to over seal your house, leaving it prone to mold or carbon monoxide issues. While it is unlikely to do so with weather stripping and a caulking gun, keep in mind that controlled air circulation is essential for a healthy and comfortable home. Have an electrician install a dehumidistat in your bathroom. These devices can be set to automatically turn on the fan when moisture levels get high. See our Upgrade Your Ventilation tip for more information.
If you are ready to upgrade your heating further, look to Tune-up Your Existing Heating System and Adding and Upgrading Insulation.
Call House Smart Home Improvements today about having one of our professionals draft-proof your home for you!

Call for Free Home Estimate:
House Smart Home Improvements
Phone: 604 581 1904 / Fax: 604 581 1985
info@housesmarthomeimprovements.com

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Preparing Your Home for Fall / Winter - House Smart Home Improvements Vancouver BC

Posted by Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements

Tackle the Outdoors to Save Energy

Cleaning Your Gutters

Clean: Taking a plastic bucket with you, climb a ladder and use gloves to remove debris so it doesn’t freeze and damage the gutter. (If you have someone to help, you can use a rope to raise and lower the bucket.) Consider getting gutter guards to use year-round to block out most gunk. We like mesh covers that allow water and some debris to pass through, rather than models that promise no debris, which tend to feature tiny holes that get plugged up. Try Amerimax Home Products White Vinyl Snap In Gutter Guard ($1.49; The Home Depot).

Check for moss: While you’re up there, glance around the gutters and roof for moss and algae. It grows at a glacial pace, but can do a lot of damage by keeping the roof below permanently wet and causing rot. If you see any, make a mixture of 5 parts water, 1 part bleach and a heaping tablespoon of trisodium phosphate (from a home improvement store), and spray it on the moss to kill it.

Chimneys

Seal: To prevent costly, damaging leaks to your brick, block or cement chimney, seal it every five years. A pro charges around $75 per hour, but if you’re comfortable on a ladder, apply clear acrylic water seal to all outside surfaces of the chimney, just like you’re painting. One to try: Thompson’s WaterSeal Multi-Surface Waterproofer.

Tackle the Indoors to Save Energy

Thermostats

Program thermostats: Set the thermostat to click on every time the daytime temperature drops below, say, 68°F (it’s cheaper to maintain a temperature than to turn a thermostat up and down). If your thermostats aren’t programmable, replace them: They’re easy to install and cost anywhere from $35 to $250—which you’ll make back in a month or two. By turning it up only when you’re home, you’ll save as much as 30 percent on your heating bill; setting the temperature at 68°F instead of 72°F can save 20 percent.

Replace filters: Change the filters in your furnace and, if you have one, forced-air system. (If you’re not sure where filters are or how to replace them, ask at your next heating inspection.) Dirty filters force the system to chug, wasting energy and costing you anywhere from 10 to 30 percent more.

Clear the path: Make sure that no furniture or objects are within 3 feet of space heaters or radiators. Even if that chair looks perfect near the heater, move it—it’s blocking the heat, and it’s a fire hazard besides.

Insulate: If you have a forced-air heating system, look for ducts running through unheated parts of the house, like the garage and attic. Measure those ducts and head to the store for precut insulation, which wraps right around them, keeping the hot air in the ducts (and in your home) toasty warm. About $1 per foot at The Home Depot can save you 10 percent on your bill.

Weatherization

Face it: You’re blowing hundreds of dollars on heat that immediately escapes to the outdoors. A mere $20 can eliminate most of that waste.

Caulk: And foam. Light a candle and move it around windows and doors; where it flickers, you’ve got a draft. (You can also test by dampening your hand.) Seal the gap with latex window caulk or foam sealant. You’ll still be able to open the window, and in the spring you can remove the caulk with a razor blade.
If you won’t be opening the window, caulk the sash (where both parts of the window meet in the middle). And don’t forget the attic! Plug door bottoms with stick-on weatherstripping from a hardware store ($5 to $10). Winter heating bill savings: $100 to $300.

Insulate water pipes: Starting at your hot water heater, look for uninsulated hot water pipes running along the walls or ceilings. (If they’re not labeled, you can usually place a hand near them and feel the heat.) Polystyrene insulation, which has a slit in the middle, slips right over the pipe. And once you insulate, the heat stays in the pipes longer, so the hot water heater doesn’t need to work as hard. 25¢ per foot at The Home Depot. Savings: $50.

Insulate the water heater: Your heater should have a “blanket”—they look like giant versions of the little insulator bags for travel coffee mugs. If it doesn’t, take a snapshot of your water heater, measure the length and diameter, and head to the store (blankets are $20 to $40). Exceedingly smart investment, since the blanket will keep heat in and your hot water heater won’t have to turn on as frequently. Winter heating bill savings: $100.

Block dormant fireplaces: Not using the fireplace? Block it off so warm air can’t escape. Though home stores sell expensive seals, you can simply take cardboard, purchase an expanding foam at any hardware store and seal it. Put a pretty fireplace screen in front of it and no one will see. Check that the foam sealant (usually $6 to $9 per canister) can be used with the material your fireplace is made of. When warm weather comes, follow the removal instructions to take off the sealant, leaving no marks. Try Dap Kwik Foam (12 oz, $6; at any hardware store).

Is it Time to Replace Your Windows?

There are probably sexier ways to spend your home improvement money -- on a shiny new bathroom or a glamorous kitchen remodel with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops, for example. But there are few things as rewarding as replacing your windows and front door, which can yield a variety of benefits, from lowered utility bills to better soundproofing and greater curb appeal.

There are obvious reasons to replace windows: the wooden frames are rotting or the glass is broken or fogged, transforming your charming historic home into an eyesore that sets neighbors’ tongues wagging. But there are other reasons for replacement that might not be as readily apparent -- or as galling to the neighbors.

For instance, single-pane glass windows, which are present in most homes built before the mid-1990s, are hugely energy inefficient and allow heating and cooling dollars to fly out the window and noise to cascade in. At House Smart Home Improvements serving Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, the majority of customers are switching from single pane to double pane glass to gain more energy efficiency in their homes.

House Smart Home Improvements provides ENERGY STAR® labelled windows. Energy Star windows can reduce condensation and outside noise, reduce heating costs, and increase comfort by regulating temperature in hot and cold seasons

Thanks to advances in technology, today’s ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors, and skylights offer greater savings than ever before. Replacing old windows with ENERGY STAR qualified windows lowers household energy bills by 7-15 percent. Lower energy consumption also reduces greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and shrinks a house’s carbon footprint.

ENERGY STAR® windows can reduce condensation and outside noise, reduce heating costs, protect from sun damage and fading, and increase comfort by regulating temperature in hot and cold seasons.

They are an excellent long-term investment in comfort and value for your family and your home. Call House Smart Home Improvements today to find out more. We offer free in-home consultations. 604-585-2020.

House Smart Home Improvements are experienced professionals with an A+ Rating with the Better Business Bureau. When it’s time to replace your windows, doors or furnaces and heat pumps, or to install insulation, and other energy-efficient home upgrades, give us a call. 604-585-2020

Monday, September 2, 2013

Increased Fireplace Rebate to $300

Posted by Sound Marketing on behalf of House Smart Home Improvements

This information from the www.fortisbc.com website.

Purchase an EnerChoice fireplace between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013 and you may qualify for a $300 rebate from FortisBC.

What is an EnerChoice fireplace?

All fireplaces sold in Canada have an EnerGuide™ label that tells you how energy efficient it is. There is no ENERGY STAR® rating for fireplaces, so in BC, manufacturers developed the EnerChoice designation to identify the most efficient models.
When shopping for a new fireplace, look for this logo. It means that the model is among the top 25 percentile of efficiency.
To qualify for EnerChoice status hearths must have minimum efficiency ratings of:

62.4% or higher for fireplaces
61% or higher for inserts
66% or higher for free-standing stoves

How to apply for a rebate

Review the terms & conditions.
Purchase an eligible EnerChoice fireplace and have it installed by a gas contractor registered with the BC Safety Authority (BCSA). You can find a list of retailers at enerchoice.org.
Complete the application form and include copies of the invoice showing details of all worked performed, including the date of installation, make and model.
Send us the completed application and invoice to:
EnerChoice Fireplace Program
FortisBC
P.O. Box 9090
Surrey, BC, V3T 5W4
If you qualify, we'll mail you a cheque for $300. Please allow a minimum of 90 days to process.

Deadlines

Fireplaces must be purchased between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013.
Applications must be postmarked no later than January 31, 2014.

Questions?

Call us toll-free at 1-800-663-8400 or email us at rebates@fortisbc.com

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