Home Energy Improvements Rewards Us All

As we get through another winter, many homeowners are thinking that maybe they waited one winter too long before upgrading their residential energy efficiency. If that describes you, don’t wait until you start thinking you waited one summer too long before giving us a call.

Sir Home Improvement is proud of our efforts to increase the energy efficiency of homes in Southwest Michigan. Those efforts have made us the recipient for four straight years of the federal Home Performance with Energy Star program’s Century Club Award in cooperation with Consumers Energy.

The program awards those service contractors who provide a “whole-house approach to improve the energy performance of more than 100 homes” in a year. These award are announced once a year, but home owners are awarded monthly when they receive their energy bills after contracting for this comprehensive approach to residential energy improvements.

We’ve looked at some of the data Consumers energy provided to us on the positive results of the program. Since 2011, Sir Home has performed 600 HPwES comprehensive energy improvements to homes in the region. The average Consumers Energy residential customer uses 93,000 cubic feet of natural gas in a year. Energy gas savings, however, after a home receives HPwES qualified energy improvements averaged 25,000 cubic feet of natural gas.
An average residential electric customer for Consumers energy uses 8.16 Megawatts-hours per year, but can save .38 MegaWatt-hour in the first year after an HPwES improvement project.

Yet those savings are not the only benefits that homeowners can realize when they contact Sir Home for comprehensive energy improvements. Since 2011, the total Consumers Energy HPwES rebates that we have generated for our customers total $362,000, or an average of $600 in rebates per home.

One more thing. Our comprehensive energy improvement projects aren’t just saving you money. They’re also improving our environment. Sir Home Improvements have saved 145 tons of CO2 emissions since 2011.
Improving the energy of your home helps make us all winners.

Home Energy Improvements Rewards Us All was first seen on SIR Home Improvements

Food Drives Help Local Families In Need

The bitter cold of winter always creates more challenges for those families trying to spread their sparse income around to cover too many needs. There are ways, however, that many of us can help.

Food is always a need that sometimes gets shortchanged, so Sir Home Improvement is sponsoring two food drives in January. The first is going on now through Sunday, Jan. 16, at Paw Paw Family Fare.

Our efforts to bring food to the needy continues next weekend at Vicksburg Family Fare, Jan. 23-30.
We have already donated more than 800 items to 12 food pantry baskets this year. We’ll be donating the food from the next two drives to Eleanor’s Food Pantry in Paw Paw. Donations should be of non-perishable food items.

If you wish to make a cash donation instead, go to the Eleanor’s Pantry website, eleanorspantry.org. Eleanor’s Pantry was formed by the combined efforts of 11 local churches, and is funded primarily by those churches, community service organizations and private donors. All staff are volunteers.

Yes, this is a pretty cold weekend to go out and make a special trip to donate, but you probably have to go to the store sometime. Besides, it’s colder on an empty stomach for our neighbors in need. Please help if you can.

Food Drives Help Local Families In Need was first seen on SIR Home Improvements

Come See Us at the Grand Rapids Home Design and Remodeling Show!

Thinking of Remodeling? Let’s Share Some Ideas at the Home Design and Remodeling Show!

As colder weather approaches, now’s a good time to sit around the kitchen table and start thinking up plans for that home improvement project you keep talking about, but maybe never quite got around to starting.

But before you sit down at that table to begin sketching out your ideas, you should head to the Michigan Home Design and Remodeling Show in Grand Rapids on the weekend of Nov. 7-8. Sir Home Improvements will be joining a number of other vendors to make it a one-stop marketplace for homeowners or those planning to build a new home who are looking for designers, builders and remodelers to help turn their dreams for your home into a reality.

Staff from Sir Home Improvements will be there to answer any questions your have about installing replacement windows, bathroom remodeling, adding a sunroom. or creating a patio. If your goal is for major energy savings, Sir Home is known for working to improve the energy efficiency of your home through projects such as installing replacement windows, roofing, and siding. These improvements can not only save you money on your energy bills, we can show you how to save even more through special rebates that are available to you. Sir Home has been providing residents of southwest Michigan and northern Indiana with top-quality products and remodeling advice since 1980, gaining during the decades a reputation as the most reliable and knowledgeable home remodeler in the region.

Stop by our booth at the Michigan Home and Design Show to share your ideas of the home projects you have in mind, and we’ll share our expertise to help you shape your ideas into an affordable and exciting design for an improved living space,

The Home and Design Show runs at The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids on Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. When you go, be sure to stop by the Sir Home Improvement booth so we can get to know each other and swap ideas.

Come See Us at the Grand Rapids Home Design and Remodeling Show! was first seen on SIR Home Improvements

Home Improvements Soar as a Smart Choice During Recovery

The “Great Recession” of 2008 not only caused a major drop in home sales. It also reduced the number of home improvement projects being started in the United States.

As the economy has rebounded, so has the number of calls to Sir Home Improvement and other contractors to start home improvement projects. Not only does that mean more employment for workers in the building trades, it also means more choices for homeowners as our business is flourishing.

Before the recession, home improvement spending peaked in 2006 at $145 billion. The remodeling market then dropped 13 percent by 2008 and stayed at that level through 2009. It was a significant loss of business, but the remodeling market faired much better than new home construction, which dropped 60 percent during that same time frame, according to Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. And while new home construction still has a ways to go to reach pre-recession levels, home improvement projects are set to reach all-time-record spending levels in the U.S. In 2015.

This shouldn’t be a great surprise. Home improvement has always been a good investment. During the economic downturn, many people who might have planned to buy new houses instead decided to improve their existing homes for less cost and less risk. Many state and federal programs encouraged energy-efficient upgrades, resulting in savings for utility costs. Home improvement was an economical alternative that still improved a family’s lifestyle.

Most of the home improvements made during the low point of the recession centered on necessary repairs and upgrades. But with a strengthening economy, discretionary home improvements rose in this country by nearly $6 billion during 2011 to 2013. With home values also on the rise, home improvements you do now bring you a stronger return on your investment in the value of your home.

What it adds up to is home improvement can be a solid investment during bad times, and even a better investment when times are good. If you’re thinking whether it’s a good time to buy a new home, you may want to think carefully about your decision. There may not be an easy answer. Everyone’s situation is different. But you owe yourself the chance to look carefully at your current residence, then ask yourself this question: Do you want a new home, or do you want a better home?

Home Improvements Soar as a Smart Choice During Recovery was first seen on SIR Home Improvements

Look Up Now To Stop Roof Leaks

We’re still enjoying late fall weather, and the leaves have just barely started to turn. But there’s no denying it. Autumn will take hold, the leaves will fall, and the temperatures will begin dropping. And then there’s winter.

Before that happens, now is a good time to take a look at your roof to see if it’s ready for what lies ahead. There may be some simple steps you can take during good weather that can save you real headaches and money later on.

While the temperatures around here have been fairly moderate for late summer, we’ve had some heavy rains and stiff winds. Look for any loose or missing shingles and replace them. If your home has been hit by significant hail check the roof and gutters for dents, small tears and holes. Repairing any damage should be covered by your home insurance. The damage may look small, but it’s cheaper to take care of it now before small leaks expand under melting snow.

Even if your roof shingles appear intact, check the flashing around chimneys, vents and other roof projections. These prevent melting ice, snow and rain from finding a way into your home. If any of the flashing appears loose or the edges turned upward, get it repaired.
You already know that extra insulation in the attic can help keep your home warm in winter, but it can also help prevent ice dams from building up on your roof. Heat escaping through the roof will melt the lower layer of snow. The resulting water will flow to the outer edge of the roof where it can refreeze, especially if your gutters are clogged with leaves and debris. The ice dam that builds along your roof’s edge can cause water to back up beneath the lower edges of shingles and creating leaks into your home.

Adding extra insulation in the attic will reduce the amount of melting on your roof due to your home’s heat loss. Clearing the leaves and debris out of your gutters will hep prevent water and ice backing up along the roof edges to diminish the buildup of ice dams.

If you suspect that you need shingles replaced or other repairs to your roof, or if you discover a leak, then it’s time to contact a roofing professional to discover where your real problems are and how to solve them. As a Preferred Contractor for Owens Corning Roofing, Sir Home Improvement can help give you peace of mind by ensuring that your home will stay dry and warm through the coming winter.

If today’s a nice day at your home, it’s time to look up at your roof. If you don’t, come January you may be looking up at a leak in your ceiling.

Look Up Now To Stop Roof Leaks was first seen on SIR Home Improvements

Come See Us at the Allegan Fair!

Hurray! It’s fair time! For all of you fair goers, this is the most exciting and busy time of the year. Thankfully, there are tons of fun things going on to keep us all interested! I know all of you look forward to walking in and out of the barns and seeing all of those lovely booths! Exciting for you, you can find SIR Home Improvements right in the scheme of things.

For those who are new to our blogs, welcome! To get started I want to introduce you to SIR. SIR Home is a great option for you to consider in your next project to create your dream home. SIR creates a fun family-based environment to make you feel comfortable making the big decisions to start your renovating projects. We do everything from windows, to siding, roofing, bathrooms, and patio renovating.

Because we feel that it is so important to let you know about our product, our team spends a lot of time in different Home Depot stores around southwest Michigan and Northern Indiana. Within the store we lead generate and speak with people just like you! Along with this we travel around the state and visit different expo shows, festivals and fairs.

Conveniently for you, Allegan Michigan is holding their yearly Allegan County Fair right now! Just like at the Home Depot you can find representatives from SIR Home walking around or at the set-up booths giving you all of the information needed for you to choose us to help you create you future home. Feel free to come find us and ask questions and take all of the brochures in the world. We travel around just to help you.

For those who won’t be able to make it to the fair this week, make sure to stop into your local Home Depot. The SIR representatives will be walking around the store in a black apron talking to all customers present. We are currently offering an awesome promotion to our Home Depot Customers. For anyone who sets an appointment with us gets a free in home estimate, 50 % off labor, and for those who set for a bathroom will receive a $500 gift card to go towards your project.

Remember, go and adventure the Allegan County Fair this week and check out the SIR Home booth. The free in home estimate and 50% off labor are also being granted to our fair customers. We really hope to see you there and join your future home project!

Come See Us at the Allegan Fair! was first seen on SIR Home Improvements

Consider Your Options in Bathroom Renovations

If you’re thinking of remodeling a bathroom, you face choices in the type of bathtub or shower you’ll want installed, and the materials you’ll use for the renovation.

Renovating a bathroom may see daunting, but the average return on investment if you eventually sell your home can be 73 cents on every dollar spent. Whether you earn that return or stay in your home and fully enjoy the longterm benefits of your new bathroom depend on the choices you make.

Materials: A Range of Cost and Effort

Your material choices come down to stone tile, acrylic or fiberglass for your tub or shower stall unit. What you decide can affect not only the cost of the project, but the amount of work needed to complete the project.

Some people simply love the look and feel of stone tile. For them, it’s a look of luxury, and if they have the budget for it, it’s the way to go. Luxury, of course, comes with a price. Not only is the stone itself expensive, it requires workers to break off the original tile, take out the tub to replace with a new tub, and strip the walls and part of the floor down to the studs before adding new walls and installing the tile. That work is costly and time consuming.

Tile also requires the homeowner to clean inside the grout lines. Eventually, water is going to seep inside the grout, making the tile susceptible to mildew and cracking over time.

Fiberglass comes in at the low end of the budget. Besides being the least expensive material, fiberglass inserts can be installed in a day, fitting over your existing tile and bathtub as one unit. If cost is your key consideration, Fiberglass may be your best option, especially if you’r looking for a short term solution. But fiberglass also shows its age. It’s prone to cracks from stress, and while it looks great when first installed, the surface of a fiberglass tub and or shower stall will become dull and lose it’s smooth feel.

Acrylic falls between the tile and fiberglass in cost, but offers some of the best features of both. Like fiberglass, acrylic liners are custom manufactured to fit over your old tub and installs quickly. Acrylic is also available in sheets of simulated stone tile that looks the same but is warmer to the touch than stone tile. Unlike either of those materials, however, acrylic is more durable and will hold its look and feel far longer. Acrylic is scratch resistant and it won’t crack under normal use. It’s simple to clean and is mildew resistant. Acrylic liners are the predominant material we sell at Sir Home Improvement because of their overall quality and value.

Tubs or Shower

Whether to install a tub or shower stall in a new bathroom in an addition or new home, or even when renovating an existing bathroom, is mostly a matter of personal choice. With the Baby-Boomer generation coming into their its years, however, showers are becoming a more popular option. It’s simply easier to get in and out of a shower stall when your legs aren’t quite as nimble as they used to be. It’s something to think about if your renovating or building a home for your retirement. A shower stall can make it easier for seniors to live in their own homes.

Yet shower stalls are often the first choice for any age group, and are available in many styles to fit the design of any home.

For therapeutic reasons, the walk-in bathtub is becoming a stronger focus in renovations. With walk-in tubs, a door on the side of the tub swings inward, and seals tight when closed. They normally come with a seat and water jets that can be directed to help with arthritic joins or for increased relaxation to aid against insomnia.

Talk to Us

Not sure what choice to make for your bathroom? Give us a call at Sir Home and we’ll go over the options with you to help you come up with an option that fits you budget, your home design and your lifestyle. Our goal is to provide you with comfort, elegant design and value for your new bathroom.

Consider Your Options in Bathroom Renovations was first seen on SIR Home Improvements