New Year’s Resolutions

I usually avoid making New Year’s resolutions. It’s not that I’m against the concept, it’s just that I spend a good part of the day trying to be better than I was the day before, so daily resolutions are more my speed.

Interestingly, many homeowners that we’ve spoken with recently are resolving to make small, medium and large modifications to their homes and habits in 2012. Here are a few of their ideas to consider in the coming year:

Stay Safe: By replacing smoke detectors, adding grab bars and better lighting and fixing the damage in your homes you’ll be protecting yourself and your family members.

Winterize Your Home: Now that cold weather has arrived, don’t put off winterizing your home. Seal up cracks and repair the weather stripping around your windows and doors and remember to cover outside faucets, bring in potted plants, and drip inside faucets when the temperatures go below freezing. It’s also a good time to add additional insulation to your attic, which can save you money on your heating and cooling bills.

Save Energy: Resolve to turn down your thermostat this winter when you’re at work or sleeping. Better yet, replace it with a programmable thermostat that will remember to adjust the temperatures for you. Also, install energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs to help reduce your carbon footprint while you save money.

Go Green: Make an effort to start recycling and properly dispose of old electronic equipment such as televisions, computers and cell phones. Take steps to save water and repair dripping faucets and fix running toilets. Also, consider installing low-flow showerheads and replacing old water guzzling toilets with new water saving or dual-flush models. When purchasing new appliances or electronic equipment, be sure they bear the federal Energy Star seal.

Maintain Your Home: Making a resolution to change the air filter on your central system every month or two will save energy and allow your system to run more efficiently. Draining your hot water tank once a year removes any sediment buildup. Cleaning your gutters regularly is another important home maintenance project that’s easy to overlook and avoid. Neglected gutters can lead to the rotting of eave boards as well as damage to basements and foundations.

Resolutions, whether daily, weekly, monthly or yearly can have a big impact on your home and your life.

We wish you happy holidays and a wonderful New Year. If you have any questions or comments, reach me today at (301) 946-2356 or dmerrick@mdbi.us.

David Merrick
Merrick Design and Build