It’s hard to believe, but the holiday season will be here again before you know it. Is this the year you’ll host Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for your extended family? If so, now is a good time to start sprucing up your home.
There are many easy home repairs you can do in the fall. Once temperatures cool down a bit and it’s more comfortable to work outside, why not tackle that exterior home improvement you’ve been putting off for a while, like finally painting the shutters and front door a new color?
Another inexpensive home improvement project that will pay off right away is adding insulation to your attic. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, properly insulating and air sealing your attic will help reduce your energy bills significantly.
There are two ways you can go about it – by adding loose-fill or batt insulation. Loose-fill is preferred by many since it is usually less expensive to install and also offers better coverage.
Before installing any type of insulation in your attic, be sure to seal air leaks with caulk and weather stripping, and when the work gets under way, make sure insulation doesn’t block soffit vents and prevent good attic ventilation.
Don’t forget to also insulate and air seal the door leading to the attic access, as that’s often a place where warm air leaks into the home during the summer and cold air enters in the winter.
If you decide to hire someone to do the job, rather than doing it yourself, here are some recommendations from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), the largest and oldest construction trade association in the United States, on how to go about finding a good contractor for quality home maintenance:
* Verify the contractor’s licensing and insurance.
* Contact the Better Business Bureau to see if information on your candidate is available.
* Request references from current and/or past clients who have had work similar to yours done.
