How to make your fireplace more energy efficient

Gathering around the fireplace while the snow howls outside, telling stories and drinking hot cocoa — what could be better in the winter? Unfortunately, your fireplace serves not only as a source of heat and family togetherness, but also as a major source of energy loss. Don't worry, though — you can increase the energy efficiency of your fireplace with these simple tips:

  • Install a chimney damper/flue sealer. Warm air rises, so if you have a fireplace with an open chimney, you'll likely lose much of the heat you want to stay in your house to the outdoors. To keep it indoors, install a top-sealing chimney damper or flue sealer at the opening of the chimney. This should form an airtight seal that will keep your hard-earned heat inside the house.
  • Install a fireback. A fireback is a metal plate placed at the back of a fireplace to protect the wall and radiate heat back into the room. Installing firebacks will help you use the heat from your fireplace more efficiently to heat your home.
  • Install a fireplace heating system. Another way to more efficiently use the heat from your fire is to install an air circulation heating system that pulls cool air into the fireplace from the room, then blows it back out warm. 
  • Upgrade to a gas fireplace. A wood fireplace may have more old-fashioned charm, but a gas fireplace is easier to clean and maintain, plus it releases less potentially dangerous soot into the air of your home and creates more radiant heat that can be used in place of other heat sources.

For more advice on how to improve the energy efficiency of your home, contact Alban Inspections for a personalized home energy audit today. 

What every homeowner should know about lead paint

Lead paint in homes presents a serious health hazard, especially for children. It can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties and physical symptoms like sluggishness, vomiting and hair loss. To protect your family from the dangers of lead paint ingestion, here are some things you should keep in mind:

  • The older your house is, the more likely it is to have lead paint. Lead paint was banned from use in the U.S. in 1978, but if your house was built before then, there may be some lead paint remaining in your home. Don't assume that just because you test the surface for lead and it comes back negative, that there is no lead paint present — it may be buried under several other layers of paint that have accumulated over the years.
  • When renovating, hire an EPA Lead-Safe Certified contractor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Lead-Safe Certification is given to contractors who have proven that they are capable of mitigating dangers from lead paint during renovation work on homes built before 1978. If you decide to work with an uncertified contractor, they may not take the job seriously enough. An informal Angie's List study found that 11 percent of contractors gave homeowners bad advice on lead safety.
  • Lead paint is not just an inner-city problem. The media has focused a lot on the effects of lead poisoning on inner-city children living in dilapidated housing stock, but many homes outside the city also contain lead paint. The EPA estimates that about 40 percent of homes nationwide remain at risk for dangerous levels of lead paint.

To have your home tested for lead paint, schedule an appointment with Alban Inspections today. Our certified inspectors will give you all the information you need to protect your family from lead poisoning. 

Federal agents seize $38,000 worth of children’s toys with lead paint at Savannah port

Lead paint in toys is often thought of as a danger of the past, with the government ban on lead paint in toys in 1977 having effectively kept lead-containing toys off the market for decades. However, with the practice of importing toys comes the risk that they will not be up to government standards. This was the case in Savannah, Georgia, on Jan. 27, when federal customs agents seized $38,000 worth of playground toys determined to contain a dangerous level of lead paint.

The cargo had been delayed in the dock since October 28, 2014, when it had arrived from East Asia carrying 1,320 Wel-Bilt "Little Digger" playground toys. The digging toys were intended for use on playgrounds and in sandboxes and were modeled after a miniature backhoe. Initial field tests by the Consumer Product Safety Commission revealed illegally high levels of lead paint on some of the toys. 

After lab samples confirmed the dangerously high lead levels, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers were deployed to the port to seize the merchandise under the provisions of the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, which allows customs to prevent potentially harmful and toxic substances from entering the country. 

Lisa Beth Brown, CBP Port Director for the port of Savannah, said in a statement, "The seizure of these extremely dangerous imported toys illustrates how the tremendous teamwork and cooperation between the Consumer Product Safety Commission and U.S. Customs and Border Protection protects the American public from potentially serious health and safety issues."

If you think your home may be contaminated with lead paint, contact Alban Inspections for lead testing today. Our certified home inspectors will help you identify lead paint in the home and determine strategies for removing it.

3 ways to create an energy-efficient kitchen

If you're planning a kitchen remodel, you're probably thinking about ways to make your kitchen more attractive and easier to cook in, but have you taken energy efficiency into consideration? With the largest number of appliances of any room, you have perhaps the greatest chance at energy savings in your kitchen. Keep these things in mind when designing your kitchen for maximum energy efficiency:

  • Check on your oven's efficiency. Although stoves and ovens are not rated by the EPA, you should still make an effort to know how much energy your particular model will use. In general, gas models are the most efficient, followed by electric convection ovens.
  • Upgrade your fridge and freezer. The older your refrigerator and freezer are, the less energy efficient they are likely to be. Upgrade to modern ENERGY STAR certified appliances, guaranteed to meet the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy's set of strict efficiency standards, to save more than 20 percent of the energy your refrigerator would otherwise be using.
  • Use water-saving devices. Touch-free faucets are becoming more popular in homes these days, as they allow for the automatic, immediate shutoff of water after you withdraw your hands, rather than having to wait for you to remember to turn the water off. Other popular devices are faucet aerators, which can bring water savings of up to 50 percent, and toggles that allow you to switch between fast and slow flows of water so that you can quickly fill pots with water when needed and keep the flow low at other times.

To determine which parts of your home could use an energy upgrade, schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspections today. 

5 energy efficiency terms you should know

When you're trying to follow the latest energy efficiency news, sometimes the dense terminology used in industry publications can set you back in your understanding. However, don't assume that a term has a complicated, difficult definition just because it seems long and technical. Here are some of the more commonly used terms you might find in energy efficiency news:

  • Cooperative electric utility: A cooperative utility is owned jointly by all of its customers, placing responsibility for the business on the collective. These organizations are usually tax-exempt and are now becoming more popular with the rise of solar cooperatives due to the dropping cost of home solar panels.
  • Demand response program: A demand response program is an initiative by a utility company where customers are asked to cut their energy use during a certain time of day in exchange for a discount on their bills later.
  • Fossil fuels: This term is thrown around a lot, often haphazardly, without proper definition. Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas, and are formed by the compression of biological material deep underground over time. Fossil fuel burning is responsible for a large proportion of carbon emissions and are often blamed for bringing about global warming.
  • Geothermal energy: This is energy extracted from hot water or steam buried in the earth, and can be used to heat homes or to generate electric power.
  • Thermal boundary: A wall, roof, ceiling, door or window that separates an area of the home being heated from the outside or an unheated space. In order to achieve the greatest energy efficiency when heating your home, your thermal boundaries should be as impermeable as possible.

To schedule a home energy audit in the Washington D.C. area, contact Alban Inspections today. 

6 things every homeowner should know about radon

Radon gas can be deadly if it accumulates in the home past a certain level. Here are some key things that everyone should know about this dangerous gas:

  • What it is: Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can be hazardous to humans at high levels. At lower levels, it's present in many everyday things you interact with often, from soil to air to water. 
  • How it can get into your home: Basically any place that gas or water can enter your home, radon can enter as well. The gas tends to seep in through the soil in crawl spaces, foundation cracks, pipes and drains. 
  • How common it is: About 15 percent of homes nationwide have elevated levels of the dangerous gas, including homes in regions of the country that are generally considered to be at lower risk for radon gas.
  • The symptoms: There are none. That is, until radon begins actually harming your health, you may not be aware that anything is happening. This is because it doesn't cause the headaches and lightheadedness that can come with other kinds of gas in your home. Eventually, through extended exposure, radon causes lung cancer. It is actually responsible for more lung cancer deaths than any cause other than smoking in the U.S.
  • How to test for it: Hire a radon testing professional to use a 48-hour radon test kit or an electronic continuous radon monitor to check your house for any sign of radon gas.
  • What to do if your home has elevated radon levels: Get in contact with a professional radon mitigation company immediately. Trying to deal with the gas yourself will only be counterproductive.

To protect your and your family's health and schedule a home test for radon, contact Alban Inspections today. 

Poll finds energy efficiency is Americans’ top housing concern

If you have ever thought that the movement toward more energy-efficient home designs and appliances could be hindered by lack of public interest, you may want to think again, according to a recent Demand Institute poll. The pollsters surveyed over 10,000 households nationwide and found that, though safety, affordability and privacy were all top concerns, energy efficiency beat them all out for the title of Americans' top housing concern.

Specifically, the survey focused on unmet needs, meaning that energy efficiency was the topic on which there was the greatest gap between what people said they valued and what they actually had in their home. According to the poll, 71 percent of households felt that energy efficiency was of high importance, but only 35 percent said that their home was currently energy efficient. 

The Demand Institute, a nonprofit think tank that monitors consumer demand, attributes the strong consumer interest in energy efficiency and energy-efficient devices to the increasing cost of home utilities. 

"Utilities are a significant and regular part of households' budgets, and spending on utilities has risen more quickly than overall consumer spending – 56 percent vs. 38 percent growth since 2000," Louise Keely, president of the Demand Institute, said in a statement.

The institute's report, entitled "The Housing Satisfaction Gap: What People Want, but Don't Have," is part of a larger project focusing on the future of housing and community demand that was carried out over a period of 18 months and surveyed over 10,000 consumers in 2,200 American cities and towns.

To make a step toward improving your home's energy efficiency, contact Alban Inspections for an energy audit today.  

4 options for financing renovations

If you've realized there is a problem in your home after a home inspection, you are probably looking into renovations to fix the problem and improve the overall value of your home. Many large renovations come with an intimidating price tag, but don't let that turn you off from the possibility of remodeling your home. Instead, consider some of these options for financing your plans:

  • Home equity loans. This type of loan or line of credit allows you to use the value of your home as collateral. Of course, you should only take out a home equity loan if you are positive you will be able to repay it on time, as being late or delinquent with payments can put your ownership of the home in jeopardy.
  • Personal loans. If you are unable to get a renovation loan and don't want to tie your home's equity to a loan, you can take out a personal loan from any financial institution to cover costs. However, this is one of the less cost-effective methods of financing due to higher rates and interest.
  • Renovation loans. Loan products like the FHA 203(k) and Fannie Mae HomeStyle loans are targeted specifically at homeowners planning repairs and renovations. Take advantage of your lender's network of affiliated contractors for the best deals.
  • Saving. As the old saying goes, a penny saved is a penny earned, and this is true in the sense that saving up enough money to fund your entire renovation up front will keep you from having to pay more in interest later. However, keep in mind that prices for materials and services may increase as time goes by, keeping you from getting the most bang for your buck.

To schedule a home inspection in the Washington, D.C. area, contact Alban Inspections today. 

Invest in solar power instead of stocks, study says

According to a new report from the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center, the smartest investment you can make this year won't be found in the stock market. The study found that in 46 out of 50 major cities in the U.S., investing in a five kilowatt solar energy system for your home can bring better financial returns than investing in a stock market index fund.

Home solar power has long been seen as the domain of wealthy and especially eco-conscious homeowners, but dropping solar prices and increasing public interest in renewable energy have made solar power a viable option for many middle-class homeowners as well.

"This study proves once again that solar makes great financial sense for a large number of Americans," Rhone Resch, President and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), said in a statement.

As this blog has reported in the past, the solar energy market has been booming recently, leading to lower prices and greater savings for homeowners. The solar market has grown by 50 percent or more in each of the past three years. The price per watt of solar energy had fallen to $3.92 by the middle of 2014, a 41 percent decline since 2010. Homeowners can also thank successful government incentive programs, such as the Solar Investment Tax Credit (SITC), and the increasing competition between solar providers for the increased affordability and profitability of home solar energy systems.

To schedule an energy audit and find out where you can make energy efficiency improvements to your home, contact Alban Inspections today. Our certified home inspectors will tailor their recommendations to your specific home and financial situation.

A new solar power system is installed every 2.5 minutes in the U.S.

What have you been doing for the past two and a half minutes? According to a recent study, within that short period of time, a new solar power system was probably added to a home or business in the U.S. After a long stretch of uninterrupted growth in the solar industry in this country, the rate of installation of new systems has now reached an unprecedented high.

According to a new report from solar experts GTM Research, the solar industry installed an average of one new solar PV system every 2.5 minutes in 2014 as a result of investments totaling over $15 billion. In 2013, the installation rate of one system every 4 minutes was notable enough for President Obama to mention it in his State of the Union address; now the rate is twice as high.

The number of new installations this past year was more than four times what it was four years ago in 2011, when only 50,000 new systems were installed. The new systems comprised about 200,000 residential installations and about 10,000 for commercial use. 

2015 and 2016 are expected to bring even greater growth to the renewable energy industry in this country. If the solar industry's current rate of growth continues, there will be 900,000 new solar power systems installed in 2015, and 1 million in 2016. By then, the rate of installation will have jumped to one system every one minute.

In the time that you've spent reading this article, another solar power system has probably been connected somewhere in the U.S. For advice on how to take advantage of energy efficiency upgrades in your own home, contact Alban Inspections today.