Author: HIB Admin

Green Goes Simple: Conservation at Home By Emily Anderson for Green Goes Simple Winter is my favorite season, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy being cold. I appreciate a well-heated home — and I’m definitely not alone. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average American household spends more than $2,200 a year on energy …

As the temperature dips, homeowners start to realize just how well insulated their home is when bills arrive.  Sometimes it could be the temperature has fallen dramatically for an extended period, leaving your thermostat virtually merciless to take a break.  Although, in reality, a home’s ability to regulate temperatures better than others could be because one’s …

You work hard on your lawn and landscaping during the spring and summer. Now it’s fall, and time to get ready for winter. You know the drill – move houseplants indoors, make sure your plants are well-watered before the ground freezes, clean up the beds and remove annuals, cut back perennials, put down mulch. But when …

As winter approaches and the outdoor temperature drops, energy consumption is on the rise. Homeowners can implement these five tips to help reduce their home’s energy use and costs, yet maintain a warm and comfortable indoor environment, this winter. Energy audit If you want to reduce your home’s energy costs, a home energy assessment or audit …

Looking for ways to update your home without investing too much financially is a question that many homeowners ask themselves.  Making subtle updates to the core parts of your home, whether it’s replacing windows or adding newer shingles to your roof, is probably one of the best ways to counteract rising heating and cooling costs. One …

 Twinkling lights, fragrant wreaths and freshly baked cookies help set the stage, but holiday guests truly feel at home when you provide a warm, cozy environment. As you prepare yourself and your home for colder temperatures, look for energy-efficient products that offer energy savings blended with tasteful designs. By making smart decisions, you can be sensible, …

Welcoming friends and family into your home is one of the best ways to celebrate the season. One of the keys to making visitors feel right at home is to be a happy host. So, do yourself – and your guests – a favor and put a little effort into getting your home holiday houseguest perfect. …

Investing in an alarm system is a good option for added home security because it provides proven theft deterrence options as well as peace of mind. Taking the time to understand the types of security alarm systems available and exactly how they will improve your home security is important so you can purchase a system tailored …

– From baking cookies with loved ones to caroling through the neighborhood or celebrating with family and friends, fond memories of holiday traditions abound. Each year, scents, sights and sounds promote the season’s spirit – continuing long-standing traditions and creating new memories. Here are some ideas for stimulating your senses and evoking the warmth of the …

Choosing a garage door opener can be difficult because of the many options. In order to help, this article will break that decision down into the most important points and elaborate on them. 1. Safety By law, manufacturers must build openers so that they automatically reverse direction after striking something. Most openers take that a step …

Insulation for anyone’s home is obviously a must to help cut energy costs while providing residents with more relaxing living quarters.  It’s important for trapping outside air and regulating temperatures throughout the home. Having enough insulation put up, especially in unfinished areas of the home like attics or roofing, is important for you to decide.  And …

I can’t count the number of times my basement’s been under siege from water and bugs.  Let me tell you, it’s been anything but pleasant.  I’ve thought up–and come across tips online–a few clever ways over the years to fix this problem.  Think of it as home renovation and, more importantly, think of it as fun …

Just because it’s five o’clock doesn’t mean the workday is over. In fact, 84 percent of women and 67 percent of men, on average, do some sort of household activities, such as housework and cooking, every day. With so much time spent in the kitchen, there are certain tools that you just shouldn’t live without: especially …

What’s the greenest way to build? Using natural, renewable  resources? Using salvaged building materials? Or using the same stuff you’ve  always used, but which some corporate PR firm has managed to repackage as  “green”? These are all ways to profess greenness, some effective,  some merely gestural. But by far the greenest way to build is to …

We were asked to post an article about Grout Sensation on our blog, so we thought we’d go a step further and test this ourselves and write a review about it for our readers.  The company representative was very accommodating and our samples arrived in the mail in no time at all. Grout Sensation is sold as …

Many people use just one word to describe lavish, luxurious homes filled with the latest interior design trends: unattainable. These dream homes that appear on television programs and grace the pages of magazines are seen as projects that can only be executed by affluent homeowners who chase trends and change decor with every season. But, according …

The finish touches to a home make a huge difference, not only in its final appearance but also in its functionality. The door furniture or ironmongery is, at times, overlooked at the design phase which can be a costly mistake from the security point of view or result in a finished product that does not meet …

You turn the faucet off when brushing your teeth and installed low-flow toilets and showerheads – but your outdated irrigation system could be undermining your efforts to save water. The average American household uses 30 percent or more of its water outdoors in landscaping. Bigger users might be closer to 70 percent in some cases, according …

When your family comes home at the end of the day – from school, work, a play date or extracurricular activities – it’s very likely the first thing they do is dump whatever they’re carrying on the kitchen table or counter and grab a glass for a drink. The kitchen is also where you prepare meals, …

The mantra of the green earth movement – reduce, reuse, recycle – can easily be adapted in your kitchen. No need to redo your entire kitchen with bamboo floors, the newest energy efficient appliances, counters made of recycled paper and yogurt containers, and locally made antique cabinetry. In fact, the greenest option is to keep the …