As a home inspector in Atlanta I look for things that will bring value to you as the home owners in Atlanta Georgia.  I receive so many questions about homes being energy efficient that I thought I would share the following article with you.

Warm your home for the holidays with energy-efficient products

(ARA) – Fall colors, cooler weather and crackling fires mean the holidays are right around the corner. As consumers prepare themselves and their homes for colder temperatures, many will seek out energy-efficient products. By making smart decisions, you can be sensible, yet stylish, when the cold weather, family and friends arrive for the holidays.

The first place to start: your windows and doors. Replacing old, drafty windows and doors with fashionable, more energy-efficient ones can help you save energy and lower your utility bills year-round. If you’re an American homeowner, it could even help you save at tax time if you purchase and install before Dec. 31.

Long-term energy savings
“Today’s budget-conscious consumers demand energy-saving products,” says Kathy Krafka Harkema, energy efficiency expert at Pella Windows and Doors. “To help stretch your paycheck and add to the comfort of your home, replace items with more energy-efficient options that help provide long-term savings and a short-term defense against rising energy rates.”

The Energy Star program, created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, helps consumers identify energy-efficient products. In 2009, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $17 billion on energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 30 million vehicles, according to the EPA.

Improve your energy efficiency
To help improve your home’s energy efficiency, consider these tips:

* During cold weather, keep window treatments on southern-facing windows open during the day to capture the sun’s heat. Close them at night to help keep heat inside your home. During warmer months, close the blinds, shades or curtains during the heat of the day to reflect the sun’s heat away from your home’s interior.

* Choose double- or triple-pane windows with low-emissivity (low-e) coatings to improve energy efficiency and reduce heating and cooling costs, especially from northern-facing windows.

* Keep window treatments closed when the sun is shining in from east- and west-facing windows to help reduce the heat buildup from solar heat in your home.

Regardless of the type or style of windows and doors you choose, it’s essential that they are installed properly for best performance in sealing out air and moisture.

Short-term style solutions
Pella is teaming up with Lowe’s to make it easy for homeowners to jumpstart their next energy-saving home improvement project. Find a daily energy-saving tip this fall at www.lowes.com/pella and view the variety of energy-saving products.

“Energy-efficient windows and doors are smart and beautiful,” says Shelli Locklear, Pella Corporation national accounts segment marketing manager. “With our Designer Series 750 products, you can create the stylish, breathtaking views you always wanted in your home.”

Pella Designer Series 750 windows and patio doors feature between-the-glass blinds, fabric shades and removable grilles with exclusive snap-in technology that make them easy to change. And, since the blinds are between-the-glass, they don’t accumulate dust, dirt or certain indoor airborne allergens.

Your Lowe’s millwork associate can help you choose the windows or doors that are right for you. Qualifying energy-efficient windows and doors may be eligible for up to $1,500 in U.S. energy tax credits when installed by Dec. 31.

Also for more energy efficiency we now provide Infrared technology where we can locate missing insulation, air penetration, moisture intrusion, and we can use our thermal camera to do an infrared scan of your homes duct work to see if you have a major source of heat loss there also.  Give us a call at 404-788-2581 to find out more information about infrared technology and Southern Infrared Services.

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http://www.ihihomeinspections.com Home Inspector in Atlanta, David Lelak, discovered a panel box that could be a safety/fire hazard – Federal Pacific electrical panel with red-handled breakers – in 1980 the certification was pulled for these products, due to malfunctions that were linked to several house fires. The Atlanta home inspector encourages homeowners to check their panel boxes and if they find this type, go to Google for more information.

Thanks for watching our videos, please take time to comment below, or go to our YouTube account and rate and comment.  Also feel free to embed our videos on your site.

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I’m all the time reading on ARA for great tips and ideas.  When I read the article below I thought it might be useful to others out there.  I really like the information about the drapes, we installed these in our bedroom at the beginning of summer to help keep the afternoon heat out and they really worked and helped cut down our cooling expenses.  This year I am purchasing 6 more for the office.  I found only one problem with them, they make the room really dark so it makes me want to take a nap way to often.  Hope you enjoy the following article.

(ARA) – Just as many of us have taken on extra work to make ends meet in this economy, everything we buy now must serve a dual purpose as well. It makes sense to spend your hard-earned dollars on items that not only do the job intended for them, but that also save you money in a variety of ways.

Not sure how to make money-maximizing, dual-purpose purchases? Here are a few tips:

* Make decor decisions that not only upgrade your enjoyment of your home, but that improve its energy efficiency as well. For example, thermal drapes in decorator colors will add punch to your decor and will also help retain heat. An energy-efficient electric stove can create a warm ambiance and help save on energy bills as well. You’ll find desirable options at www.seventhavenue.com.

* Drop your gym membership, which likely costs you $50 a month, in favor of creating a home gym.

* Skip the spa for aromatherapy, hair removal and manicures or pedicures. You can do all those things at home – with a spa-like experience – by obtaining the right devices. An electrolysis pen does home hair removal quickly and easily – and without the cost and inconvenience of going to the spa.  A pair of Pedi Couture Sandals, available at www.seventhavenue.com, will sooth and relax your feet while gently separating the toes to make a self-pedicure simple.

When you find your dream home, make sure that you get a thorough home
inspection from the Atlanta home inspector, David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections,
he serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of
North Georgia. Call us today at 404-788-2581 for a thorough home
inspection.  We won’t let you buy the money pit.

We are proud to announce that we are now IASQ™ Certified Inspectors for the
Healthier Environment Living Program – Green Technology that helps with
Eliminating Harmful Germs, Bacteria and Viruses from your home and business!
Visit Healthier Programs corporate
site for more exciting information. Need HELP for your home immediately,
call us at 404-788-2581 today!

Need an easy way to hook up phone, cable and internet, here you go: FREE
Home Utility/Communication Connection Services where one call does it all,
Satellite, Internet, Cable TV, Home Security, and Phone.  Call 1-866-594-4871
and provide them with access code 1008126.  Call our Free Home Concierge
Services to save time, save money and simplify life!

You can also schedule
your own Georgia home inspection today online.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time!

Visit us here:

Our Website: http://www.ihihomeinspections.com

Facebook http://companies.to/atlantahomeinspector/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bonnielelak

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gahomeinspector

We love new friends and followers!

Services Provided:

Alpharetta Home
Inspections

Atlanta Home
Inspections

Canton Home
Inspections

Cumming Home
Inspections

Marietta Home
Inspections

Roswell Home
Inspections

Woodstock Home
Inspections

North Georgia Home
Inspections

Radon Gas Testing

Radon Inspections

Pool & Spa Inspections

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Atlanta home
inspector shares “Your own sanctuary” I loved the article below that I found
on ARA and with fall here it gives some great tips. I especially love the idea
about a fire pit to gather around!  My kids love hanging out by a fire and I
love smelling the leaves burn.

(ARA) – Your backyard is your sanctuary. But you want to make it even better
– perhaps with a patio where your family can congregate, enjoy outdoor
barbeques and entertain guests.

Here are some design tips to help turn your backyard into the oasis of your
dreams:

* Install a patio.
You yearn for a lovely patio area for picnic lunches
or to relax and read a book as you enjoy the sun. The cost of using natural
stone, however, is a negative, and so is the lack of creative colors and design
allowed by precast pavers. Another option is to use stamped concrete for your
patio base, which has unlimited patterns and colors and can be used in all
climates.

“Homeowners are interested in concrete patios because they blend the
connection between house and patio — indoors and outdoors,” says Jim Peterson
of ConcreteNetwork.com, which offers a wide variety of patio designs, provides
many useful concrete tips and comparisons and lists local contractors for your
area. “Decorative concrete can create the look of authentic stone, slate or
cobblestone, is more economical to install and adds value to the home.”

* Gather around the fire.
Bring your family together with a fire pit.
Whether you’re building a fire for cooking dinner, roasting marshmallows or to
keep warm on a chilly evening, it will become a gathering place for your family
and – if invited – friends and neighbors. Depending on your creativity and
building skills, you can make your fire pit an elaborate congregational area
with permanent benches and a decorative wood rack, or a simpler ring for cozy
family cookouts.

* Set up seats for relaxation.
Don’t forget the tables, chairs and
decorative planters to encourage people to relax in your backyard and enjoy your
sanctuary. You will need to decide if you want permanent, built-in tables and
chairs or benches on your patio or along strolling paths through your backyard
landscape, or if you want furniture you can rearrange and store during inclement
weather.

* Keep the hunger pains at bay.
Perhaps you are looking for more than
just relaxation; you want to fill your tummy as well. Outdoor barbeques are
becoming increasingly popular, complete with drink coolers and sinks. For an
outdoor countertop, look for a material that can withstand weather, yet still
have a warm, natural look that will work with the other materials you’re using
on your porch. Concrete countertops can be mixed with stains, pigments,
aggregates and epoxy coatings to give them the look, texture and feel of more
expensive quarried stones like marble, granite and limestone. Visit
www.ConcreteNetwork.com to learn more about how this material can work in your
backyard.

* Soothe the senses
Water features are popping up in backyards across the
country. Families enjoy them by relaxing near the sound of trickling water and
watching birds and other wildlife looking for a drink. Some homeowners install
small fountains surrounded by landscaping to provide the water ambiance, while
others take the route of building a full water garden.

Self-contained water features are easy to install in less than a day, while
kit ponds might take a weekend to set up. But the larger water features give you
more opportunities to be creative – for example installing a bridge, water
wheel, water falls or tiny streams.

Once you have your backyard sanctuary complete, you’ll have plenty of
opportunities to enjoy your investment while relaxing. For additional tips in
learning how to install a functional and appealing patio in your backyard, visit
www.concretepatio.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

When you find your dream home, make sure that you get a thorough home
inspection from the Atlanta home inspector, David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections,
he serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of
North Georgia. Call us today at 404-788-2581 for a thorough home
inspection.  We won’t let you buy the money pit.

We are proud to announce that we are now IASQ™ Certified Inspectors for the
Healthier Environment Living Program – Green Technology that helps with
Eliminating Harmful Germs, Bacteria and Viruses from your home and business!
Visit Healthier Programs corporate
site for more exciting information. Need HELP for your home immediately,
call us at 404-788-2581 today!

Need an easy way to hook up phone, cable and internet, here you go: FREE
Home Utility/Communication Connection Services where one call does it all,
Satellite, Internet, Cable TV, Home Security, and Phone.  Call 1-866-594-4871
and provide them with access code 1008126.  Call our Free Home Concierge
Services to save time, save money and simplify life!

You can also schedule
your own Georgia home inspection today online.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time!

Visit us here:

Our Website: http://www.ihihomeinspections.com

Facebook http://companies.to/atlantahomeinspector/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bonnielelak

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gahomeinspector

We love new friends and followers!

Services Provided:

Alpharetta Home
Inspections

Atlanta Home
Inspections

Canton Home
Inspections

Cumming Home
Inspections

Marietta Home
Inspections

Roswell Home
Inspections

Woodstock Home
Inspections

North Georgia Home
Inspections

Radon Gas Testing

Radon Inspections

Pool & Spa Inspections

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As an Atlanta home inspector, I often run across polybutylene piping in the older homes that I inspect.  I also hear horror stories of where this type of piping has busted and left the home owner all wet.  As I was surfing the web I ran across the following information and thought it did a great job explaining what polybutylene is and the reasons that it causes problems.  Now once you read the following information and find that you are in need of a great plumbing company, then go on over to my friends at Majestic Plumbing or call them at 404-798-1269, they will take great care of you!

Here is the article that I ran across.

Polybutylene is a form of plastic resin that was used extensively in the manufacture of water supply piping from 1978 until 1995. Due to the low cost of the material and ease of installation, polybutylene piping systems were viewed as “the pipe of the future” and were used as a substitute for traditional copper piping. It is most commonly found in the “Sun Belt” where residential construction was heavy through the 1980’s and early-to-mid 90’s, but it is also very common in the Mid Atlantic and Northwest Pacific states. These are typically gray or white in color with a dull finish. Most are shown with pipe attached. Figure (4) is a new fitting. The piping systems were used for underground water mains and as interior water distribution piping. Industry experts believe it was installed in at least 6 million homes, and some experts indicate it may have been used in as many as 10 million homes. Most probably, the piping was installed in about one in every four or five homes built during the years in which the pipe was manufactured. How to Tell If You Have Poly Exterior – Polybutylene underground water mains are usually blue, but may be gray or black (do not confuse black poly with polyethelene pipe). It is usually 1/2″ or 1″ in diameter, and it may be found entering your home through the basement wall or floor, concrete slab or coming up through your crawlspace; frequently it enters the home near the water heater. Your main shutoff valve is attached to the end of the water main. Also, you should check at the water meter that is located at the street, near the city water main. It is wise to check at both ends of the pipe because we have found cases where copper pipe enters the home, and poly pipe is at the water meter. Obviously, both pipes were used and connected somewhere underground. Interior – Polybutylene used inside your home can be found near the water heater, running across the ceiling in unfinished basements, and coming out of the walls to feed sinks and toilets. Warning: In some regions of the country plumbers used copper “stub outs” where the pipe exits a wall to feed a fixture, so seeing copper here does not mean that you do not have poly. See the photos below of polybutylene pipes and fittings. Will the Pipes Fail? While scientific evidence is scarce, it is believed that oxidants in the public water supplies, such as chlorine, react with the polybutylene piping and acetal fittings causing them to scale and flake and become brittle. Micro-fractures result, and the basic structural integrity of the system is reduced. Thus, the system becomes weak and may fail without warning causing damage to the building structure and personal property. It is believed that other factors may also contribute to the failure of polybutylene systems, such as improper installation, but it is virtually impossible to detect installation problems throughout an entire system. Throughout the 1980’s lawsuits were filed complaining of allegedly defective manufacturing and defective installation causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damages. Although the manufacturers have never admitted that poly is defective, they have agreed to fund the Class Action settlement with an initial and minimum amount of $950 million. You’ll have to contact the appropriate settlement claim company to find out if you qualify under this settlement. “A series of reports have suggested that increased use of choloramines accelerates corrosion and degradation of some metals and elastomers common to distribution plumbing and appurtenances. With regard to elastomers, the study showed that with few exceptions, solutions of chloramines (either monochloramine or dichloramine) produced greater material swelling, deeper and more dense surface cracking, a more rapid loss of elasticity, and greater loss of tensile strength than equivalent concentrations of free chlorine.” —-Steven Reiber, HDR Engineering, American Water Works Association Research Foundation

Now with all that said and done, when you find your dream home, make sure that you get a thorough home inspection from the Atlanta home inspector, David Lelak of IHI Home Inspections, he serves Canton, Alpharetta, Roswell, Cumming, Woodstock, Atlanta and all of North Georgia. Call us today at 404-788-2581 for a thorough home inspection.  We won’t let you buy the money pit.

We are proud to offer our new FREE Home Utility/Communication Connection Services where one call does it all, Satellite, Internet, Cable TV, Home Security, and Phone.  Call 1-866-594-4871 and provide them with access code 1008126.  Call our Free Home Concierge Services to save time, save money and simplify life!

You can also schedule your own Georgia home inspection today online.

We create Peace of Mind ONE Home Inspection at a time!

Visit us here:

Our Website: http://www.ihihomeinspections.com

Facebook http://companies.to/atlantahomeinspector/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/bonnielelak

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gahomeinspector

We love new friends and followers!

Services Provided:

Alpharetta Home Inspections

Atlanta Home Inspections

Canton Home Inspections

Cumming Home Inspections

Marietta Home Inspections

Roswell Home Inspections

Woodstock Home Inspections

North Georgia Home Inspections

Radon Gas Testing

Radon Inspections

Pool & Spa Inspections

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Most of the time home buyers start their conversation off on the phone with us like this “I’m buying a new home, how much does a home inspection cost?”

All to often I want to tell them that their first concern should not be about how much it cost, but about how much it can cost them if they end up hiring “Cheap Charlie.”  I know that there are several home inspectors out there lowering their prices to all most nothing, and while we have run specials and deals, I am proud to say that even when a deal was going on our average home inspection still took four to five hours.  We never make you stand around and wait at the house for your home inspection report.  We go over the major items with you and point them out if you haven’t attended the home inspection and then we upload the report later on.  This is after we have time to go over and make sure their are no errors.  Time is valuable and you don’t have time to be standing around waiting on the home inspection report.

But back to Cheap Charlie, here recently I have heard stories from real estate agents that tell me their client had a home inspector there and he was there for two hours and really didn’t find a lot.  Is this what you want, or do you want someone who is going to be thorough, giving you the ultimate negotiating power and keeping you from buying the money pit! Don’t assume that the home you are thinking of buying is in good condition.  Even new homes have issues, just ask me and I’ll be glad to tell you the different items I have found on brand new homes.

Your agent can recommend someone, but the choice is yours, “Cheap Charlie” or “Thorough David” you decide.  If you want a thorough North Georgia home inspection for a reasonable price call us today at 404-788-2581, you’ll be glad you did.

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Atlanta home inspector, David Lelak provides Atlanta home inspections and he often runs across some things that are quite humorous. During this Atlanta home inspection David runs across Bubba the plumber and his use of duck tape, you know the old saying if it can’t be fixed with duck tape it can’t be fixed. Well so often it can’t be fixed. lol This home inspection item will definately be written up on the home inspection report for the potential home buyers. 
So heres the video and if you want a thourough and quality home inspection give us a call at 404-788-2581.  There is a lot of people out there every day that don’t realize that they need a home inspection done on even the old homes let alone on the new ones.  Don’t let this be you. 

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Atlanta home inspector, David Lelak shares home maintenance tips and issues.  In the following video he talks about the need to have gutters cleaned and gutter guards installed on the gutters.  So often gutter gaurds could prevent you form having to dig up the entire drainage system that is attached to down spots. 

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The cost of a home inspection from a certified Georgia home inspector is very small when compared to the potential cost of troubles a simple home inspection might uncover.   I often find different items on almost every roof that I walk, most of the time it is not a big issue, but sometimes the entire roof may need replaced.  I also check in the attic, because one of the things that I have found is, if the roof has been leaking then you can have damage to the roof flooring, the insulation and the ceilings of the home.  I don’t know if you have checked the prices on a new roof or even roof repairs lately, but I just had mine replaced and it ran nearly $15,000. That’s a pretty big price to pay out simply because you didn’t get the house checked out. Before you agree to purchase your next home do yourself a great big favor and order a home inspection by a certified Atlanta home inspector. You will be glad you did in the long run.

 We also provide roof inspections for those who have just had roofing contractors come out and replace or repair their roof.  When we provide this service, we walk every area of the roof and the last roof inspection we provided we had over 60 pictures of items on a brand new roof. 

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As an Atlanta home inspector I try and get testimonials from my Atlanta home inspection clients.  I really like to do home inspections for the first time home buyer.  I not only go over different things that is wrong, but I enjoy going over the different items and maintenance issues that a new home owner will have.  I love taking the time to go over different questions that a new home owner has. 

Below is a testimonial from a first time home buyer, I hope you enjoy it.

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