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

Finding The Right Choice for Your Replacement Windows

You have choices when it comes to replacement windows for your home, but what do the choices really mean for you? If you’re concerned about energy efficiency, the choices available in windows mean a great deal to your comfort and savings in your energy bill.

Sir Home Improvements features Sunrise windows for our window replacement projects in southwest Michigan because energy efficiency is a priority in the home improvements we do for our customers. But let’s take a closer look at why we use Sunrise.

Benefits Differ in Frame Material

The first choice you have, and the choice that may seem most obvious, are the type of window frames available for replacement windows. Each type of frame can offer benefits.
Aluminum window frames are strong despite their light weight, and don’t require much maintenance. It may even be the perfect window for homeowners who don’t live in the cold climate. But this is the upper Midwest. Come January, aluminum window frames conduct cold from the outside into your home, driving up your heating bill.

Wood-frame windows are a favorite choice among many homeowners because of their look, and they certainly offer more insulation that aluminum windows. Yet wood must be treated or painted to prevent the frames from rotting or warping, or simply begin looking old. You need to keep the frame properly painted or stained to ward off insects from burrowing into the wood.

PVC windows can offer the best energy efficiency if they are filled with a polyurethane insulating foam to prevent heat and cooling loss, such as the windows provided by Sunrise. The ability to custom paint the exterior of your windows and the wide range of designer options available can bring a quality look to your home while adding comfort and energy savings.

Protection Value of Low-E Glass

Low-Emissive or Low-E glass is coated with a thin, invisible layer of metal particles or metallic oxide to minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that passes through the window. Ultraviolet light can cause interior furniture fabrics and wall coverings to fade. By also reflecting infrared light, or heat energy, replacement windows with Low-E glass will keep the heat inside your home in winter, and keep the heat outside during summer, important considerations for the weather extremes we have here in Michigan.

Multiple Panes Improve Insulation

It’s pretty common these days to see windows with two panes of glass for better insulation properties. Some Energy Star qualified windows now include three panes to add even more energy efficiency. The use of gas such as argon or krypton between the panes improves thermal insulation even further, yet both gases are inert, non toxic, clear and odorless.

Sunrise manufactures its windows with a 90 percent argon or krypton gas fill.

Proper Spacers Vital

Spaces keep the glass panes in a window a proper distance apart to insulate pane edges and reduce heat transfer. Many materials are used for spacers, from stainless steel to aluminum to foam. The metal spacers provide needed durability to handle the flex of the glass as it heats and cools throughout the day. Sunrise uses stainless-steel spacers with moisture-absorbing desiccant beads inside to give the windows longer life.

At Sir Home Improvements, we compared the many options available for replacement windows in the marketplace, and decided Sunrise windows offered the best option for our customers. If you’re thinking of replacing your home’s windows, give us a call to learn more about Sunrise and why it may be the best option for you.

Areas we serve: Kalamazoo MI, Battle Creek MI, Grand Rapids MI, Lansing MI

Sir Home Once Again a Top Provider in Energy Home Improvement

Representatives from Consumers Energy, this region’s sponsor for Home Performance with Energy Star,
presented the 2014 Century Award to Sir Home Improvements in July. Shown above are Rebecca Filbey of
Consumers Energy; Dawn Marsden, Quality Control manager, and Jessica Diekema, Marketing Manager for Sir
Home Improvements; and Gregg Mott and Rob Busby, also of Consumers Energy.

In an energy-conscious world, Sir Home Improvements has worked to be a leader in Michigan and the Midwest for improving the energy efficiency of homes in our region. So we feel we must express our gratitude to the federal Home Performance with Energy Star program for receiving its Century Club Award. The award is presented to contractors who employ a “whole-house approach to improve the energy performance of more than 100 homes in the past year.”
The 2014 award, which we received this summer, is the fourth consecutive year we’ve earned the honor. Yet the award is not just a pat on the back for installing new energy-efficient windows in a home, or adding more insulation in a homeowner’s attic. It requires a commitment on our part to have a specially trained staff conduct a comprehensive examination and testing of your entire home to find ways to improve energy efficiency throughout the structure and in your heating and cooling system.
The program recognizes that energy savings from fixing one problem, such as replacing an old furnace with a new, energy-efficient model, can be undercut by other problems left unsolved. Energy Star, a program created by the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, developed the Home Performance standards for participating contractors to take a holistic approach to improving energy throughout your home.
Only three contractors in Michigan received the Home Performance with Energy Star Century Award for 2014, and Sir Home is the sole recipient of the award in the western part of the state.
Sir Home works with this region’s Home Performance sponsor, Consumers Energy, to qualify for the program. Qualifications include training to meet standards set by the national Building Performance Institute required for certification by the Home Performance with Energy Star program.
Our BPI Certified Energy Consultant will conduct an initial audit to identify existing problems and recommend solutions for your home. This is not just an eyeball assessment. We use special diagnostic equipment including a blower door test, infrared camera imaging, combustion safety testing and carbon monoxide sampling to identify areas of energy loss and uncover any air quality issues.
Some of the measures we recommend can be low cost, and all our recommendations can be cost effective in the long run through through savings in energy use. To help with the initial costs of improvements, Sir Home can inform you of rebates offered by Consumers Energy that can provide up to $3,500 toward the cost of eligible measures. We can also help you investigate a Michigan Saves Home Energy Loan ranging from $1,000 to $30,000 to use for energy related improvements.
Sir Home Improvements acquired the expertise for providing a whole-house approach for energy improvement of your home because it only makes sense for your comfort, your budget, and our environment. Learn more about our efforts at the Home Energy Efficiency section of our website, or give us a call at 800-748-0002 to schedule your home energy audit.

Home Performance with Energy Star
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hpwes_for_homeowners

Sir Home Once Again a Top Provider in Energy Home Improvement is a post from: http://www.sirhome.com

Come Meet Us at Home Depot!

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” (Helen Keller)

If you think about this in business terms it sheds the light on the importance of multiple aspects, or companies, coming together to create the best opportunity and best efficiency of their product to their customers. In this case SIR Home and Home Depot have came together to create a partnership to create a better service than they could produce individually. This relationship is vital to the successful profit and clientele each company has achieved. It is important for you to understand that the staff here at SIR Home Improvements feels strongly that our products and designers are at the top in quality and efficiency and with that we would only partner with someone who we felt could hold up to those same standards.

I, as a SIR Home lead generator have been a first hand witness to the trust that customers have in Home Depot, and with that I find it very rewarding that we are able to contribute to that trust by adding our products and ideas to produce the costumer’s dream project. A great way both companies have displayed each other’s products to create these dream projects is by not only setting up display boards and promoting the others logo, like the one at the bottom, but also by promoting the product to the customer as the need comes upon to the employee. For example, I spoke with a Home Depot employee, Wayne, who specializes in the hardware department. When I asked Wayne what he thought was positive when it came to the relationship between SIR Home and Home Depot he responded by saying that he had multiple customers approach him with questions about patio covering. He told me he never had a true answer other than to suggest calling the Home Depot number. He said that when SIR home began the partnership it was so helpful for him to answer questions and route customers to the SIR call center, in which he said was extremely easy to contact. I couldn’t be more excited to hear this, but I had to ask Wayne if there were any real benefits for Home Depot in the partnership. The best answer I could have possibly imagined came out of his mouth. He said “ It makes me happy when I see a customer smile because I could give them answers to contribute to the steps toward their dream project.” I hope that situations like this begin to make you understand how heavily important this relationship has become to the success of both companies. Not only does it bring reward in profit, but also in the piece of mind of making a customer satisfied and wanting to come back.

 

Everyone always says a little competition is healthy and this holds true for this partnership. Although the two companies may have a “relationship” the competition that they bring upon each other forces each company to strive to be better in price, quality, and customer service. Yes, they work together to bring upon new ideas and designs and ensure the customer they are there to help no matter which company the product comes from, but they are also there to make themselves better, which in the end benefits the customer.

 

My point to all of this is to really give you a look into the experience each company brings upon each other. Ultimately this partnership is not only benefiting the company, but most of all the customers. The SIR Home and Home Depot employees are able to come together to do whatever is possible to make our customers happy and satisfied. It is to our benefit that they walk out of the store with a product that best fits them. To further this partnership I encourage all of the readers to stop by the Coldwater Home Depot Store on Saturday July 11, 2015. Home Depot is hosting their home show in which all of their vendors, including SIR, will be available to also show off their products. (Details at bottom) This is a great way to get involved in this partnership yourself. Come out and support the SIR Home booth and finish your shopping by taking a walk around the rest of the store to find the finishing touches for your dream project. See you there!

DETAILS: Coldwater Home Depot
825 E. Chicago St. Coldwater, MI 49036
517-279-1336
July 11th 11:00-2:00

Come Meet Us at Home Depot! is a post from: http://www.sirhome.com

What Is the Cost Vs. Price For Replacement Windows?

Cost Vs Price: Do you know the difference?

“Price is something that we are only dealing with right now when we are in the home talking to people, cost is something that you’re going to recoup over the life of the project”-Frank Mumford: President and Owner of SIR Home Improvements.

It is very important to us, here at SIR Home improvements, that our customers understand the difference their remodel projects will make in their homes over the lifetime of the product. Price is what is paid when doing the project, but the cost will be seen later on down the road. Our products, along with our energy solution system, continue to cut energy bills and save money, and that is when the cost is revealed; or rather the savings! The Energy solution System, that we offer with every home improvement project from windows to roofing, is a complete seal of the home. This alone, typically cuts home owners energy bills by 20-50%. What we have found is that each project we do, whether it is replacing windows, or a roof, does save money in the long term, but what makes the largest difference is the Energy Solution System.

The windows that we use, Sunrise Restorations Line, are energy efficient because of a couple different factors. The installation, low-e technology, and the actual construction of the windows, make for an extremely energy efficient solution. From the premium, pure virgin uPVC frames, to the Low-E glass that reflects infrared light, keeps heat inside your home during the winter, and shields your home from the heat in the summer, our windows offer the most energy savings available through replacement windows. Greatly reducing the overall cost of the project.

A couple other factors that add to the home owners savings and reduce overall cost, are the multiple pane systems used, which are air or gas filled, and insulate much better than a single pane of glass. Our windows are Energy Star qualitied which means they are backed by the government as high quality, energy efficient products that offer savings on energy bills, without sacrificing performance.

Finally, the spacers used in our replacement windows, keep the glass panes the correct distance apart and insulate the pane edges which reduces heat transfer through the window. We use stainless-steel spacers with moisture-absorbing desiccant beads inside which have been tested under accelerated weather conditions and always outlast the competition.

One final factor that differentiates between “price” and “cost” is our guaranteed lifetime warranty. Not only do homeowners have peace of mind, knowing we will fix any issues that arise overtime, they can also be sure that they will save money by not having to replace our windows, or pay for services that they may have to otherwise. This all being said, it is obvious that the savings and cost of the windows, or any home improvement project we do, offsets the price paid at the beginning of the project.

What Is the Cost Vs. Price For Replacement Windows? is a post from: http://www.sirhome.com

Home Renovation for the New Year

Renovating Yourself and Your Home

Make noise, clink your champagne glasses, rejoice and be glad, for 2015 is here; the year which you are going to make major changes in your life. Remodeling your space is most certainly a massive change which you should consider adding to your list of New Year resolutions. A new space certainly means a new you, granting you the much needed acceleration that you need to make this year greater than the previous one.

Whether your plan is painting your living room or planting a garden, it is easier to accomplish all these once you display the will, effort, and style for a fresh start. The biggest scare mainly revolves around “who to hire” and “how many dollars to spend.” This is why it is important that you get to understand what you actually need and make sure you do stuff in an ideal fashion not forgetting to examine the company you wish to transact with. To avoid the worst from happening, here is a list of examples on home renovation for the New Year to help revive your space and restore your faith as far as achieving your goals is concerned.

Becoming “more green” is not only one of the most critical movements in the world today but the fact that you are going to cut your bills makes it the right move. Add some green elements both within and outside the house. Investing in insulated garage door, low-emittance double pane windows, or installing LED light bulbs to your home is a great way to display and feel the green. Having a taste of nature within the new look compound is an option that everyone should consider, take an example of a rock garden with soothing water; what a remarkable way to paint out a Zen atmosphere.

Color scheme is vital when remodeling your area. It is amazing what a few color combinations can do to plain space. Take note of the existing color scheme in items like furniture and come up with a working color scheme for your walls. You can have one side of the walls popping a fresh blush of your wooden or tiled floor, the other wall having a matching color to the seats, with the ceiling having a reflection shade of the doors, and so much more.

Home Renovation for the New Year is a post from: http://www.sirhome.com