McDonald Remodeling Blog

A lot of people have remarked to me that remodeling must be booming because new construction has all but shut down. Don’t I wish…..

Historically home equity was how much of remodeling was financed. It’s old news now, but home equity as we knew it has simply vanished. And, in spite of ads to the contrary many banks have simply stopped lending for anything related to real estate. The cruel irony is that now is the best time in years to have work done to your home.

So how does one finance a project? Good, old Uncle Sam may be a good place to start looking. First-time homebuyer tax credits got a lot of attention in the last year or so, but there are numerous other programs for those of us not in that position. A lot of money and/or tax credits have been made available for home improvements- primarily energy related improvements – but nonetheless real money to offset remodeling costs. In addition, many communities have developed loan programs to encourage current residents to improve their homes. Some of these loans never need to be repaid, or aren’t repaid until the home sells. And, many of these programs can piggy-back on one another so it’s possible to find thousands of dollars.

One of our close business relationships is with Kate Wilson at Fairway Independent Mortgage. Kate has done a phenomenal job of compiling all of the available funding mechanisms in the Twin City area. Visit www.katewilson.com to see what you can find. I’ll bet you’ll be surprised.

It’s that time of year where the weather really tests our homes. In older homes a fairly routine event is the buildup of ice at the edge of the roof. If it builds up enough, there’s a strong chance that water finds its way inside and shows up on the ceiling.

The common reaction to this phenomenon is that there is something wrong with the roof or the shingles, but in all likelihood the real culprit is the ceiling itself. How can this be? When warm air from inside the home is allowed to seep into the attic it will warm up the roof deck and melt the snow. The water runs down the roof like it’s supposed to, but when it reaches the overhang it re-freezes because that part of the roof deck is cold.

Eventually, the ice will build up enough to hold the water and force it to seep back underneath the shingles. Then it drips into the insulation and eventually to the ceiling below making a big mess.

So what’s the solution? Insulation such as fiberglass does little to stop moving air, so it’s critical to also “seal the lid”. Typical areas of leakage are recessed lights, speakers, electrical boxes, plumbing stacks, etc.  Sometimes these leaks are easy to find, but the sure way to find them is to have a blower door test performed.

In simple terms, this test pressurizes your home while infrared photos are taken to expose air movement around doors and windows and through the roof. It’s truly amazing how leaky most homes are. This simple test will go a long way toward determining how to make your home more energy efficient and durable.

The extreme temperature difference between inside and outside during the winter months is a real challenge for your home. The battle between temperatures is usually most apparent at the windows. Are the windows are bad if there is condensation or ice buildup?  Maybe – but maybe not. Remember this about air: it always seeks to equalize in temperature, humidity level and pressure. So, if the windows (or the wall system around the windows) are allowing air to move freely between inside and out, condensation will almost always occur where those 2 temperatures collide. So condensation and ice makes sense with old, leaky windows.

But what if the windows are fairly new and there is still condensation and/or ice buildup? Even though new windows are insulated, the typical R value is only 3 or 4 (vs. 19+ in new walls). So, on cold days the glass inside is still pretty chilly. Warm air containing too much moisture will cause condensation when it hits the glass. It’s not the window, it’s just physics. If this is occurring, chances are the humidity level in the home is too high for the temperature differential. Most experts agree that the ideal humidity level in a home is between 35% and 45%. Even at these levels you may see some minor condensation when it’s extremely cold outside. But it’s fairly common for the humidity levels to climb much higher than this because humidity is created in a number of ways: dishwashers, washing machines, aquariums, showers, baths, whirlpools, steam showers, etc. You may need to adjust your humidifier and make sure that exhaust fans are doing their jobs. Don’t be too quick to blame your windows – it may be something else altogether.

As we hit the frigid months in Minnesota you are probably talking about the cold.  Mostly likely not just the cold outside, but in your house too.  Those drafts creeping around the house that make you not want to leave the warmth of a blanket or the covers on your bed.  At some point you’ve probably compared heating bills with a neighbor or a co-worker and wished you had bragging rights with a minuscule bill.

Well the good news is that you could get rid of those drafts and lower those heating bills.  The best news is that over the long-term these solution help pay for themselves.  There are a few options for you to consider to keep cozy and warm for the next five months until we start thawing out.

The industry leading technologies like geo-thermal, wind, and solar are becoming popular option.  The question is, are they really worthwhile? It depends. Some technologies work better in Minnesota than others. Solar clearly works better in southern climates, but as technology improves it becomes more viable every day. Wind is great, but not totally reliable and while everyone likes cheap electricity most don’t like looking at towers. Geo-thermal gets lots of press and promotion. I love geo-thermal and would strongly consider it in my next home. However, if I were to put that same amount of money into the shell of the home geo-thermal system may no longer make sense.

In other words, the less energy a home consumes the less energy there is to save. That’s why I always recommend attacking the shell of an older home first. This includes air sealing, insulation, windows , siding, etc. Once the shell is performing the way it should, the mechanical needs will change dramatically. Then one can determine which mechanical systems make the most sense. No point in bringing a firetruck to put out a match.

As added incentive many of the these options have tax credits right now too.  If you’re starting to warm up to the idea of saving on you electrical and heating bills, getting some great tax credits, and enjoying your cozy home even more  send us an email or give us a call to discuss what might be right for your home.

A lot of people ask me if it’s a good time to remodel and if they do, will they get their money back.  At a time when real estate values are in flux, these are very legitimate questions.

At the risk of sounding like a politician, the answer is almost always “it depends”.  If someone is planning to sell in the relatively near future, I usually don’t recommend spending a lot of money on remodeling.

Paint and floor coverings – maybe, but I’d be careful beyond that. Fact is, you may do something a prospective buyer doesn’t like and isn’t willing to pay for. In today’s market buyers are very likely to make a low offer anyway so recouping remodeling dollars is challenging at best. [...]