Most of the items on this checklist can easily be preformed by most homeowners. However, some should be performed by a professional. We have provided links to resources when necessary.

• Check your furnace filter and replace if necessary.
• Clean your furnace filter if you have a cleanable filter.
• Vacuum any accumulated dust from furnace coils and fans.
  

  Programmable Thermostats: This accessory to your home heating and air conditioning system can save you big money. Click on image to play video.

• Set or install a programmable thermostat and reduce your home heating by 10-15 degrees during the day and at night while sleeping. Save up to 10% a year in energy costs but you may want an extra blanket for your bed.
• Turn the thermostat down to 55 degrees if you leave your house for extended periods of time.
• Operate your ceiling fan in a clockwise direction to push the warm air toward the floor in the winter.
• Save more energy by turning off ceiling fans when not in the room.
• When replacing appliances such as furnaces look for those approved through ENERGY STAR.
• Keep the area around your furnace free from obstructions for maximum efficiency.
• Remove any obstructions around heat registers and air ducts.
• Check your storm windows to ensure they are in their correct positions.
• Replace your windows with ENERGY STAR rated windows if they are old. A list of window styles that meet these standards are listed here. A window representative with knowledge of energy savings can help you calculate the return on investment.
• Remove window air conditioners and seal.
• Use and close heavy drapes on the East, West, and North sides of the house. Open the drapes to collect heat during sunny days on the south side of the house.
• Check for air leakage around your entry doors. Seal or replace with ENERGY STAR rated doors.
• Practice zone heating by sealing off areas of the home that are seasonal or seldom used. Shut off the heat vents in these closed areas.
• Close the fireplace damper when not in use.
• Seal the seams on ductwork and add a layer of 6-inch insulation around the ductwork.
• Check to make sure your attic has an insulating value of at least R49*. An energy savings specialist here can help you determine your level of insulation.
• Look around home exterior wall entries and seal any areas around such locations as water spigots, utility cables or electrical wiring.
• Clean gutters or install clog-free gutters to reduce the effects due to wood rotting, wall insulation water saturation, and ice damming. Get more advice on gutter protection systems.
• Review your home for any drafts entering from below through a crawl space or basement. Insulate and seal where needed.
• Be aware there is insulated siding available to reduce heat loss through exterior walls.
• Insulate your water pipes on the hot water side.
• Install a blanket around your water heater. Some newer energy efficient models may not require extra insulation as they may have it added internally. Check your manual for proper instructions or consult a professional.

* According to the ENERGY STAR site established by the federal government most of Ohio is in Zone 5 with the exception of the area along the Ohio River which is in Zone 4. Zone 5 attic insulation levels should be between R49 and R60.

The Improveit! Gutter Shutter system is offered with a lifetime warranty

Maintaining a clean gutter can be time consuming and dangerous. According to the National Safety Council, Accident Facts, U.S. Edition, falls are the number one cause of accidental death and disabling injuries at home every year. Cleaning gutters is a chore that is time-consuming, and avoiding it can lead to these issues for homeowners:

• High Maintenance
• Vegetation Growth
• Dangerous Gutter Cleaning
• Unsightly Gutters and Screens
• Mosquitoes and Unwelcome Guests
• Loss of Leisure Time
• Water in the Basement
• Landscape Erosion
• Ice Damming

But, help is out there and some systems including the Gutter Shutter system from Improveit! Home Remodeling has a lifetime guarantee.  That way you can spend more time watching Buckeye football than cleaning gutters on Saturdays, every year.

An example of a High-performance vinyl window

For the purposes of this discussion the frame is actually made of the sash and frame, which together comprise 10-30% of the total window area. The sash is the moveable section that contains the pane or panes of glass. As in the sliding sections of a  double-hung window, one sash is in front of the other and locks into place for security. The sash on a double-hung window may also tilt in for easy cleaning. The frame and sash are typically made of the same material so we will refer to them together as the frame.

There are a few different materials to construct the frame. The material will determine its strength, lasting beauty, and thermal dynamics. The four most popular materials for home replacement windows are aluminum, wood, vinyl and fiberglass. Steel is usually reserved for commercial buildings.

Thermal performance for an aluminum frame is poor, at best. Aluminum is a good conductor of heat. Wood performs better in preventing heat loss. However, wood is less durable but can be wrapped on the exterior with vinyl or aluminum to help preserve the wood from rotting and warping. Fiberglass windows have good thermal properties but are costly so only account for about one percent of the home window market.

An NFRC Label with Performance Ratings

The ENERGY STAR website rates windows with a U-factor number, the lower the number the more effective the window is in preventing heat loss. If you want to know the R-value insulation comparison simply divide 1 by the U-factor so a U-factor value of 0.25 has an equivalent 4 R-value. Window manufacturers have their windows certified with a U-factor by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) . The entire window is certified for other factors as shown in the sample label at right. To qualify as an ENERGY STAR window in Ohio the U-factor should be equal to, or less than 0.30. Tax credits and local rebates typically require an ENERGY STAR rating.

These are reasons that vinyl is a popular material for frame construction. A high-performance vinyl frame with foam core insulation with heat fusion welding can achieve ENERGY STAR certification. Add an I-beam reinforcement and high quality vinyl and the window will keep its beauty and strength for many years. Vinyl can be manufactured in a variety of colors so you can coordinate the color of the window to the house, and not have to worry about the color of the house to the window.

Included above is a cutaway of a high-performance window with a quality frame. This particular window has a vinyl polymatrix formulation with high-impact modifiers and titanium dioxide. The result is a window with added strength and longer-lasting beauty. A low-quality vinyl is typical among low-priced windows. You can find a variety of these advertised in your local newspapers.

For more information on windows visit the Improveit! Home Remodeling website. These windows are manufactured in Ohio for the Ohio climate. Click on the links below for Part I and Part II of this series on high energy efficient replacement windows.

Part I: A Good Window Spacer Can Save on Energy Costs
Part II: Efficient Window Glass and the Air Between
Part III: The Window Frame Can Save Energy Too

The properties of different glass and gas will determine its efficiency. The biggest battle to insulate your home will be won or lost through the glass because 80% of heat loss is due to conduction and radiation.

Conduction is the transfer of thermal energy. Argon filled windows reduces conductivity by its properties. Argon is more prevalent than carbon-dioxide, naturally occurring as a very small percentage in nature, behind Nitrogen and Oxygen which comprises 71% and 29% respectively of the gases we breath daily. Argon is separated out by distilling liquid air. It is plentiful, inexpensive and inert so is the most widely used gas in manufacturing windows.

Thermal radiation begins at a heat source, the sun, and is transmitted in all directions until it reaches the glass of a window. The emissive value of the material will determine the amount of thermal radiation is absorbed. The closer to a value of one from zero will determine its emissive value. Unglazed glass has an emissive value of .95, meaning that it absorbs most of the radiant energy and has a reflection property of .05. The reflection property is opposite of the emissive. Manufacturers of window glass reduce the emission properties in the glass by a coating or coatings to create Low Emissive glass, or Low-E glass.

Low-E glass reflects more of the infrared light so the heat on the inside is reflected back into the home in winter and reflected away from the home in summer. Infrared is not visible to the eye and what is allowed to pass through is the visible light so you may not even be aware there is low-E glass present. It works very efficiently and saves on energy costs.

The chart below represents different glass comparisons from single-pane to double pane glass with a Low-E coating and argon gas. As in the first article when we compared the temperature at the edge of the glass, we now compare the temperatures in the middle of the glass window. You can see the differences in temperatures when tested at 0 degrees on one side of the glass and 70 degrees on the other.

The temperature of the center of glass inside when it’s 0 degrees outside and 70 degrees inside

Read the other articles in this series:
Part I: A Good Window Spacer Can Save on Energy Costs
Part II: Efficient Window Glass and the Air Between
Part III: The Window Frame Can Save Energy Too

Have you thought about the spacer that is used to separate the glass? With an average of 25 days in Ohio at below freezing*, keeping the argon gas sealed in the glass is an important part of the window. Finding a window that does not conduct heat while sealing is important too.

You may have even made your decision to replace your old double-pane windows because it has aluminum spacers that were popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Good for you, you are ahead of the game because aluminum is a great conductor of heat, and therefore heat loss.

The temperature at the edge of the glass is an important factor when determining a good spacer. You are trying to avoid any chill at the edge, which can cause condensation on those cold Ohio days. After all, the average wind chill from December to February is minus 15 degrees*.

Many products have come on the market since the days of aluminum. One spacer material is steel. With a cross-sectional shape to the steel spacer conductivity was decreased, but not enough for Ohio weather. There are superior products on the market today that reduce heat conductivity, and backed by a manufacturing sealant to reduce the possibility of losing the gas between the panes.

One such product is called SolarGold, manufactured in Ohio for Ohio homes. The SolarGold spacer is 100% non-conductive, made from a high-density oxygenated silicon desiccant. It is 950 times less conductive than aluminum and 85 times less conductive than steel.

Temperature comparisons at Edge of the Glass Using Different Technologies. Temperature Test results based on 0° outside and 70° inside.

The SolarGold spacer has an impenetrable outer seal with a Mylar radiant vapor barrier sheathing that keeps moisture out and the argon gas in. The non-fail interior seal with UV-resistant acrylic adhesive is the same adhesive used on F14 fighter jets. The cushion-edge technology allows for flexes with expansion and contraction, yet has a memory to maintain its seal.

The attached chart offers a comparison between some of the modern popular spacers, starting with the aluminum spacer that is still prevalent in homes. The chart also displays the temperature at the edge of glass for a heat mirror and compares it to warm edge technology, which is a manufacturing process that shifts to a higher performance glazing in the window.

You can see how the spacer plays a major role in reducing condensation. This reduces moisture for a healthier home that is less prone to mold and mildew.

Part I: A Good Window Spacer Can Save on Energy Costs
Part II: Efficient Window Glass and the Air Between
Part III: The Window Frame Can Save Energy Too

* Source: Data for Columbus, Ohio. Years 1999-2003, from the National Climatic Data Center

Shirley and Paul Bordner of Pickerington were the 2010 grand prize winners in the Home Improvement Sweepstakes.

Shirley and Paul Bordner have been prior Improveit! Home Remodeling customers so they know the new windows they won as the 2010 grand prize in the $45,000 Improveit!sweepstakes will be attractive and save them money on their energy bills. The Pickerington couple won the grand prize and elected to have 12 windows replaced with energy efficient windows from Improveit!

The Bordners chose Windows for their Grand Prize

Improveit! holds an annual prize drawing with a total retail value of $45,000 for 53 Ohio winners, the grand prize is a home makeover with a choice of improvements from the specialties of Improveit!. Improveit! installs energy efficient replacement windows, insulated vinyl siding, and Owens Corning AttiCat attic insulation. These products are manufactured in Ohio for homes in Ohio, with technology that reflects the temperature changes required for the most efficiency. The company also specializes in quality bath and shower systems installed in one day and gutter protection systems.

Residents of Ohio can register for the annual grand and second-place prizes on the improveitusa.com website. There have been 374 prizes awarded since 2004.

Visitors to the Improveit! booth at the Ohio State Fair have entered the Grand Prize drawing and have also been eligible to win a low MPG scooter for inter-city travel. The scooter is given away as part of the effort by Improveit! to promote energy efficient products and its green initiatives.

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ABOUT IMPROVEIT! HOME REMODELING: Improveit! Home Remodeling of Ohio is a contractor & remodeler specializing in replacement windows, home insulation products, entry doors, gutter protection, 1-day bath and shower systems, and other home improvements. Improveit! is a nationally recognized home remodeling company well-regarded for setting a new standard of service excellence. The company is a recipient of Remodeling Magazine’s prestigious Big 50 award for excellence, Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500, and has won the Consumers’ Choice Award eight consecutive years with 14 separate awards. The year 2009 marked the 20th Anniversary of services to the communities of Ohio with over 30,000 jobs sold in residential homes. The company’s main websites are www.improveitusa.com, www.improveittogether.com, www.improveit2green.com, and www.improveitjobs.com. For more information contact Improveit! by email at info@improveitusa.com.

Amounts have been reduced for the tax credit but you can still save your hard-earned money by making improvements before December 31, 2011. A visit to the ENERGY STAR site will list all the improvements eligible, which includes insulation and windows.

In order to qualify, the improvements must be made to your principal residence and not an office, new construction or rental home. But you can receive the credits if you add an addition to your home, so the windows in that sunroom that you’ve always wanted may qualify for the tax credits.

You do not need to replace all the windows in your home so you can still save by remodeling one room of the house. However, the windows must qualify under the ENERGY STAR program, you receive a credit of 10% of the cost capped at $200 for windows.

Insulation qualifies for up to $500 at 10% of the cost. Owens Corning AttiCat blown-in insulation is good to add for energy savings and is included in the program for your tax reduction. Products that reduce air leaks in the home can also qualify, as long as they come with a Manufacturers Certification Statement. Visit the ENERGY STAR site for a list of these products.

As noted on their web site, not all ENERGY STAR qualified products qualify for a tax credit. ENERGY STAR distinguishes energy efficient products which will pay you back in lower energy bills within a reasonable amount of time.

Difference Between a Credit and AGI
A tax accountant will explain that a credit is different than a deduction in that the credit adjusts the amount that is owed the Federal Government when filing taxes while the deduction is a line item that reduces the Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI.

In many ways the credit is more beneficial because it does reduce your tax liability directly and is not computed in the figure for your taxes through the AGI.

There are some limitations to the amount of tax credits. This is a change from the original bill authorized by Congress in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that expired at the end of 2010. Any tax credits received in previous years will reduce the amount eligible under the new plan.

How to File
But the filing process remains the same for the new tax credit. You still need a receipt for the purchases with labor excluded, the Manufacturers Certification Statement, and IRS Form 5695 for the year that you are filing. The residential energy tax credit is claimed on line 52 of form 1040 for 2010 and 2011 filings. Keep the receipt and the statement in safekeeping but file Form 5695 with your taxes.

Improveit! customers can still download the manufacturer’s certification for windows, doors, and insulation from the website to file for current and previous tax credits. They are available on the home page of this website.

Sharon Mobley of Columbus is excited to show off her new windows. Her and her husband Eric selected new windows for both levels of their two-story home. "They even installed my old window air conditioner," she exclaimed.

Eric and Sharon Mobley registered prize entries at the Improveit! Home Remodeling locations throughout the year, but it was their online entry that was pulled to win the 2009 Home Makeover Contest.

The couple from Columbus won the grand prize and elected to have 10 windows replaced with energy efficient windows from Improveit! Sharon said replacing windows was on her to-do list, but finding a way to pay for them had the project on hold. They both agreed that improving the energy efficiency of the home is needed. The house was built in 1956 when the technology for stopping heat loss was insufficient compared to modern building codes.

Sharon Mobley admires the new front window. Winning the grand prize allowed her the opportunity to change from double hung windows to a sliding window.

The Mobleys at home with their pet and old front window.

She has been employed for 33 years as a tax agent for the state of Ohio. The couple has been married for five years, Eric works installing hardwood flooring in homes. They both claim they have never won anything of value contributing to the special day when they were announced as winners.

“I won a scratch-off once, a $30 winner,” said Eric after he was presented with the winning certificate. “The guy I was with won $500.”

Improveit! holds an annual prize drawing with a total retail value of $45,000 for 53 Ohio winners, the grand prize is a home makeover with a choice of improvements from the specialties of Improveit!. Improveit! installs energy efficient replacement windows, insulated vinyl siding, and Owens Corning AttiCat attic insulation. These products are manufactured in Ohio for homes in Ohio, with technology that reflects the temperature changes required for the most efficiency. The company also specializes in quality bath and shower systems installed in one day and gutter protection systems. Residents of Ohio can register on the improveitusa.com website for the annual grand and second-place prizes.

Visitors to the Improveit! booth at the Ohio State Fair have entered the Grand Prize drawing and have also been eligible to win a low MPG scooter for inter-city travel. The scooter is given away as part of the effort by Improveit! to promote energy efficient products and its green initiatives.

——————————————————————————–

ABOUT IMPROVEIT! HOME REMODELING: Improveit! Home Remodeling of Ohio is a contractor & remodeler specializing in replacement windows, home insulation products, entry doors, gutter protection, 1-day bath and shower systems, and other home improvements. Improveit! is a nationally recognized home remodeling company well-regarded for setting a new standard of service excellence. The company is a recipient of Remodeling Magazine’s prestigious Big 50 award for excellence, Qualified Remodeler’s Top 500, and has won the Consumers’ Choice Award eight consecutive years with 14 separate awards. The year 2009 marked the 20th Anniversary of services to the communities of Ohio with over 30,000 jobs sold in residential homes. The company’s main websites are www.improveitusa.com, www.improveittogether.com, www.improveit2green.com, and www.improveitjobs.com. For more information contact Improveit! by email at info@improveitusa.com.

Eric and Sharon Mobley of Columbus, Ohio, 2009 Grand Prize winners in the Improveit! Home Remodeling Home Makeover contest

You would be partly correct depending on your definition of the word “miracle”, lemon juice is organic and is a great combination solution to be clean with green. So are the other products listed above. Olive oil and lemon juice mixed two parts to one make a great way to spruce up some spruce. This age-old concoction is making a comeback as we get more conscious of our environment. You can also make a cleaning paste by sprinkling baking soda on a lemon cut in half. Use the cut lemon like you would a scouring pad. That is why the good people at SC Johnson promote Pledge® with lemon juice to make you think they can harness its power in an aerosol spray.

Think of lemon juice when you have these household chores:

• Use lemon juice to shine up some copper and brass.
• Lemon juice will help eliminate hard water deposits and soap scum.
• Take the peelings of a whole lemon (or orange) and run it through the garbage disposal to freshen up the drain.

White vinegar has similar cleaning properties, a good substitute for harsh chemical products:

• Eliminate mold, bacteria and germs with white distilled vinegar.
• Spray grout with full-strength vinegar and clean with an old tooth brush.
• Keep the full-strength vinegar in the shower to spray down the walls before each use so hard water droplets won’t stick around.
• Diluted vinegar will work great on ceramic tile or stone flooring as a cleaning agent.

Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, has so many uses in the home we sometimes forget it is used to help release carbon dioxide and make dough rise in baking breads. It’s not uncommon to see a box of baking soda in a refrigerator to ward off evil spirits. By evil spirits I mean anything that smells inappropriate in the refrigerator. A 16 ounce box is less than a dollar and odors can be eliminated in refrigerators if the box is changed every couple of months. Here are some good uses for it as a cleaner and freshener:

• It can be used as a scouring powder as a paste with water or on a half of lemon as described above.
• The same paste with water can be used to rub out black heel marks and remove counter-top stains.
• It works well to clean up grease over-spray on stoves and with a ¼ cup in the laundry will help remove grease from clothes.
• Eliminate odors on a dry carpet by spreading it over the affected area, letting it dry, then vacuuming to contain the odors in the machine’s bag. You may actually find that the vacuum cleaner smells a little fresher.

You can mix baking soda for other home projects. Pour ½ cup of baking soda, add ½ cup of salt, and follow with boiling water down a drain. Let it sit overnight and flush in the morning to clear clogs in your drain pipes. If your needs are more immediate, mix 1 cup of baking soda with 1 cup of hot vinegar and pour that concoction down your drain. After five minutes of foaming the drain can be flushed with hot water.

Club soda is on every fashionable mother-in-law’s list at weddings. The club soda can be used to clean stains on tuxedoes and wedding gowns. To make an even more favorable impression, the club soda can be used on the hardwood church floors to make it glisten. If more zeal is needed on the wedding day, tooth paste can be used as spackle in a pinch. It can also be used to scrub water spots from wood furniture and crayon marks from non-porous surfaces. No one else may notice, but the pastor might think enough of you to invite you back for every sermon.

Rebates start at $100 for refrigerators, dishwashers and gas water heaters but climbs to $250 for electric heat pump water heaters. An energy efficient clothes washer can return $150 in rebates.

Stores are stocking up on these appliances as the surge will hit soon after the doors open on Friday. Expect the sales to align with the rebates as each retailer will position themselves with the lowest price, plus the rebate.

You can take advantage of the rebate by starting the process at home. Go to www.ohioappliancerebate.com or call (888) 686-8896 for a reservation. Complete the process by purchasing within three days, sending in a receipt, and certifying that the old appliance has been recycled.

You can receive the rebate and still take advantage of the Federal Tax Credit of up to $1,500 for doors, windows, insulation and other energy saving home improvements. Check this website for products that qualify for the tax credit. Each state is responsible for their own rebate program, separate from the Federal Tax Credit program.

But don’t wait too long, the money is limited. There have been mixed responses in other states. Georgia, for instance, has offered rebates since February 18 and still has money remaining from its $6.5 million rebate budget but Kansas depleted its rebate funds much sooner than expected.

It is anticipated that in Ohio the rebates will cover approximately 89,335 appliance purchases. Participating local stores include Sears, hhgregg, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and other retailers.

* subject to change
Source: Ohio Department of Development