changescapeweb, Author at Sandra Meranda

October 4, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

The Pros and Cons of Air Duct Cleaning

How do you know if you need to have your air ducts cleaned? You may be attracted to advertisements promoting duct cleaning, but before you hire someone to do the dirty work, consider the pros and cons. Here’s some valuable information on air duct cleaning from HouseMaster:

According to the (NADCA), National Air Duct Cleaners Association, a professional association based in Washington, D.C., air duct cleaning is a buyer-beware service. Some companies promoting duct cleaning may be either bait and switch operations or companies that do inferior jobs with unprofessional equipment.

Any professional cleaner would question a company that would employ only shop-vac sized machines with a single 2-inch hose. To do a good job, powerful machines mounted in specially equipped vehicles with varying types of hoses and attachments will be needed in most cases to adequately reach all duct areas.

But even if the technician is prepared, the above information begs the question: “Is air duct cleaning really worthwhile?” You can check some of your own ducts with a mirror and a flashlight. Unscrew several of your wall or floor vents and, using your mirror, look into the ducts.

If there aren’t any large deposits of dust, dirt or mold, or if no one in your home suffers allergies or asthma, having air ducts cleaned is probably unnecessary, according to advice provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Also, just because you have dirty return grilles doesn’t mean you have dirty ducts. It’s normal for dust-laden air to be pulled through the grates leaving telltale black streaks that can often be easily vacuumed or cleaned at the return.

The NADCA notes that ducts are more likely to need cleaning under the following circumstances:

The home has been remodeled.
Water has damaged the home.
There are four-leg pets.
Someone smokes.
Your carpeting is old.

According to industry experts, in cases where there are truly dirty ducts in a 2,000-square foot house, duct cleaners may fill three grocery sacks with dirt and debris. Expect to pay $250-500 for a typical home’s duct cleaning by a qualified professional. Larger homes with a more extensive duct system will cost proportionately more.

If duct cleaning is done improperly, or needlessly, the outcome can do more harm than good. Disturbing a basically intact and inert dust layer and then not removing the residue creates air borne contaminants that might not otherwise have been a problem. Homeowners should seek the advice and information on the pros and cons of duct cleaning before hiring a contractor.

The EPA advises that a professional cleaning should include:

Opening duct access points to allow the entire system to be inspected and cleaned.
Use of only high-efficiency particle (HEPA) air vacuuming equipment.
Protection of the carpeting and household furnishings during cleaning.
Use of well-controlled brushing equipment with powerful vacuums to dislodge dust and other particles.
Taking care to protect ductwork including sealing and re-insulating any access holes.

For more information on duct cleaning visit the EPA website: www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html

Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue.

If you are thinking about buying and selling a home in St. Charles, working with a Real Estate expert can help you make your home a safe and clean home. Sandra Meranda specializes in the St. Charles and St. Louis county home markets. Contact me for help with finding or selling your home.

September 16, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Rising home prices lift homeowners out from underwater

iStock_000017671796XSmall-300x300 This summer has been busy. This was the busiest Summer season we have had in 5 years! It is still the prime time of year for buying and selling real estate. There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering around 3.5% !! The home sale numbers have been increasing every month since June 2011. Now home values are starting to rise nationwide and also in St. Charles.

Rising home values helped 1.3 million homeowners get out from “underwater” in the first half of the year, and a 5% increase would give 2 million equity in their homes.

“Surging home prices this spring and summer, lower levels of inventory, and declining REO sale shares are all contributing to the nascent housing recovery and declining negative equity,” CoreLogic Chief Economist Mark Fleming said in a statement.

For more details you can read the entire article Rising home prices lift 1.3 million out from underwater

If you are thinking about buying and selling a home in St. Charles, working with a Real Estate expert than knows the St. Charles market can really help you. Sandra Meranda specializes in the St. Charles and St. Louis county home markets. Contact me for help with finding or selling your home.

September 6, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

10 Lessons to Learn as the Housing Market Recovers

The busy Summer season is here! This is the busiest Summer season we have had in 5 years! It is the prime time of year for buying and selling real estate. There are large numbers of homes at below-market prices & the Interest rates are hovering below around 3.5% !! The home sale numbers have been increasing every month since June 2011. Call me for details today!

10 Lessons to Learn as the Housing Market Recovers – by Ron Phipps, 2012 Immediate Past President, National Association of Realtors® (NAR)

Headlines abound: The Housing Bust is over… In June, a survey of economists concluded that housing has hit bottom. Realtors®, homeowners and renters, Americans, and citizens of the world all are sighing with collective relief. The economy and housing values both have cycles. It has been more than eighty years since the difference between the top and the bottom was so great.

As Realtors®, we are relieved that we are at the bottom, but we are realistic with the changes in the market and our work. In the not too distant past, the overwhelming majority of our work was prior to sales agreement, now it can be after. In that same time, most transactions closed. The”fallout rate” was nonexistent. Most sobering is what is now required to get to closing and how many things can derail a transaction for a “willing, ready, and able” buyer.

So we are cautiously engaging the new reality, but first we need to pause. If we do not learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. We do not want to repeat the last ten years. So what are the lessons we should learn? Here are 10 lessons that come to mind:

1. The economy cannot recover without housing.
2. Everyone needs shelter, but not everyone needs to own their shelter.
3. High homeownership rates are important but they must be sustainable.
4. Home prices go up and go DOWN.
5. The process of purchasing /financing a home is more complicated.
6. Sound underwriting of mortgages is critical.
7. Home equity should not be used for ordinary living expenses.
8. Financial reserves for family, companies, and countries are necessary.
9. Homeowners confidence in the economy is directly related the value of their own homes.
10. The economy is global.

What lessons did the last decade teach you? We would love to know what you learned from the last cycle.

What is important is that we remember what happened as we prepare to write the future. Most importantly, we should also have a sense of accomplishment that we endured these life lessons.

There are seasons in the weather: spring, summer, fall and winter. So there are in economic cycles. It is great to be at the thaw of winter and the budding of spring.

August 21, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Windows Can Affect Cooling Efficiency

If you are thinking about upgrading the windows in your home, consider options designed to help cut energy loss. Here’s some good information on what to consider when you are thinking about new windows for your home from HouseMasters:

If shopping for windows for your home, be sure to examine the energy performance numbers. Years ago window manufacturers used R-value, a measurement of a materials resistance to heat flow transfer, to rate windows. But this provided to be an ineffective way for homeowners to evaluate overall windows performance.

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), a nonprofit collaboration of window manufacturers, government agencies, and building trade associations, however, has developed a set of standardized rating procedures to help consumers compare and select windows. The NFRC labels use whole-window U-value (or U-factor), which is a measure of the amount of heat transfer through a window. U-value is the inverse of R-value, thus the lower the U-value the better the energy performance of the window. Always choose a window with a low U-value.

Other criteria, such as certified air leakage rate, solar heat gain coefficient, visible light transmittance, and warranty on the seal should also be taken into consideration when purchasing windows.

In addition to using double-pane, insulated glass units for low U-values, modern window technology also incorporates one or more of the following features in the more efficient, low U-value windows available:

Low-emissivity glass (low-e glass)
Heat-absorbing (tinted) glass
Reflective glass coatings
Gas-filled windows
Low-iron glass

Any one of these features can improve window efficiency; however, it is very common to now find combinations of these features in any particular new windows. Radiant heat gain is a very big factor in the summertime, especially in houses with large window surfaces facing south or west. Low-emissivity glass or any tinted or coated windows help reduce the radiant heating factor to not only keep occupants more comfortable but also to limit solar damage to furnishings.

If you are unable to or just don’t want to upgrade older windows, simply closing the blinds or curtains on the windows is an economical way to keep out the sunlight (and heat) during the day.

Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue.

If you are thinking about buying and selling a home in St. Charles, working with a Real Estate expert can help you make your home a cost-effective, energy efficient home. Sandra Meranda specializes in the St. Charles and St. Louis county home markets. Contact me for help with finding or selling your home.

August 7, 2012 by changescapeweb Leave a Comment

Fans Move The Air; Cool The Body

Here is another way to help stay cool in this brutal summer in St. Charles. Ceiling fans are more of a fashion statement than an effective way of cooling your house; however, the air they move can make you feel cooler. Here’s more on ceiling fans from HouseMaster:

Finding a ceiling fan to meet functional needs as well as match any interior decorating style is not a problem these days. Fans come in several sizes with blades made in just about any shape and/or material, sometimes making them the center of attention in a room and not just an accessory. And the style of lighting fixtures that can be added to the fans is equally varied. Prices are surprisingly low for a basic but quite adequate model to over $1,000 for decorator styles. Many now come with remote controls as well.

Aside from style, features to consider when selecting a fan include the size and height of the room. A basic 36-48 inch fan can fit in just about any room; if needed, a larger fan or multiple fans can be used. If the ceiling is high or slanted, as would be the case with a cathedral or vaulted ceiling, a special hanger and extension rod will be needed. Years ago, there were a lot of problems with the mounting components, actually allowing fans to fall. Now however, fans that have been tested and are listed as complying with certain manufacturing standards come with the necessary hardware. That leaves it up to the installer to make sure in is installed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

As far as the function of the fan, a properly installed unit with a good quality motor should be fairly quiet. Fan blade pitch is a consideration for air movement as well as fan noise. The more air moved the noisier it may be. Blade pitch varies from about 11 to 20 degrees. Most units are multi-speed; at high speed, a 15 pitch fan will move considerable amounts of air.

The airflow direction produced by the fan can be changed to accommodate personal preferences for both the heating and/or cooling season. Setting the fan to blow the air down in the summer will provide a strong cooling breeze; while setting it to draw air upwards will pull the cool air toward the ceiling and circulate it around the room for more mild air flow. In the winter, running the fan at low speed with the airflow directed downward is helpful in rooms with high ceilings, as the fan will push the hotter air that accumulates at the ceiling down to the occupied areas. Alternately, setting the fan to pull the warm room air upwards, causes it to wash over the colder outer wall surfaces, reducing the uncomfortable feeling caused by convection cooling on a cold winter day.

Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a professional if you have questions about a specific issue.

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