Smart Money-Saving Tips for Homeowners
December 9, 2015Home ownership comes with a lot of different expenses, some of which are completely unexpected, so I’ve always tried to make smart money-saving tips when it comes to home maintenance and home improvement. Today, I am sharing some of my favorite tips for homeowners who want to keep their budget in check but still upgrade their space. From using foam to insulate hot water pipes to installing Warmboard to heat the house, there are so many ways that homeowners can save money!
Smart Money-Saving Tips for Homeowners
1. Don’t let the heat escape! Wrap the hot water heater and hot water pipes with insulation to keep the heat contained.
2. Rather than buying mulch, use your grass clippings as mulch in the vegetable garden. This will keep the weeds in check and also help to retain soil moisture.
3. Use a rain barrel to collect rain water. When it’s time to water your flowers, you can use the water you collected and reduce your water usage!
4. Invest in perennials. An attractive curb appeal is important, but spending money on annuals that have to be replanted each year will cost more in the long run than investing in perennials that will automatically come back every year.
5. Seal small gaps around electrical outlets. You can buy foam gaskets from the home improvement store. They are very simple to install- simply affix the gasket over the box and replace the electrical plate.
6. Use a surge strip for electronics that are not in use continuously. When those appliances are not in use, turn the power off to immediately stop any power drain from these appliances.
7. Install a programmable thermostat. By selecting a set temperature for different times (during day time, during night time, during vacations, etc.), you will keep your heating/cooling bill at a reasonable level.
8. Let your clothes air dry. To reduce your electricity usage when doing laundry, skip the dryer occasionally and hang your clothes to dry on a drying rack.
9. If there are gaps underneath your doors, purchase weatherproofing products to seal those gaps and reduce heat loss.
10. Install Warmboard, which is an economical and effective method of radiant heating that has won various “Green Product of the Year” awards! Loved by builders and homeowners across the nation, Warmboard enables you to enjoy a warm home while substantially reducing your energy bills! As opposed to other radiant systems, Warmboards are capable of heating your home in mere minutes! How amazing is that?!
Invented in 1992 by Terry Alsberg, Warmboard has become one of the most popular radiant heating systems on the market today. Terry Alsberg created these efficient heating systems because he was dissatisfied with other existing radiant options and his kids were suffering from asthma. Applying his background in engineering physics to make his idea come to life, Mr. Alsberg worked out of his garage to develop the product.
Popular among homeowners and builders, Warmboard provides exceptional performance and significant energy savings. Here’s an interesting fact: there are over 27.5 million square feet of Warmboard installed throughout the world, from the Arctic to the Antarctic!
The way radiant heating works is actually really fascinating! Hot water is passed through tubes beneath the floor. The thick aluminum distributes heat across the surface of the floor. And thanks to the quick heat distribution, the system can operate at lower water temperatures, saving even more money! And there are many flooring options that are compatible with Warmboard. Whether you’re looking for Warmboard flooring or wall panels, there’s a product that will suit your needs!
Warmboard is well-received by so many in the home industry. Architects appreciate its eco-friendly benefits and elegant design. Builders appreciate its easy installation. Homeowners appreciate its level of comfort and energy savings. For more information on the Warmboard and how it can help heat your home, see this video below:
The Cousins, John and Anthony, of HGTV talk Warmboard from Warmboard, Inc. on Vimeo.
Two of some of their more popular projects include their work with the Work Program Architects and their work with Gerber-Berend Designs.
- In the case of Work Program Architects, Warmboard was used on an older commercial building. The wide open space of the building made heating the space a bit challenging, but Warmboard was effective at providing enough heat for the occupants. Even though a forced-air heating system was also installed as a back-up, it has never been needed! Warmboard, along with a large heavy-duty fan to destratify the air, has provided sufficient heat even during the cold Winters! Isn’t that amazing?!
- In the case of Gerber-Berend Designs, Warmboard was involved in heating a net zero home, which is a home that creates the same amount of energy that it consumes in a year. In this home, Warmboard was installed as wall panels to meet the high heating requirements of the space. And thanks to the versatility of Warmboard, it was possible to install drywall right over the Warmboard wall panels.
Hearing about all the wonderful benefits of Warmboard has made me think about incorporating it into my own home! My home office tends to be the coldest room in our house and our forced-air heating system just doesn’t seem to provide enough heat for the space. Plus, it’s really expensive to run the whole-house heating system when I am working in the office. So I am totally going to look into installing Warmboard for our office! I love how easy it is to install, the wide variety of flooring options compatible with it, and the cost savings associated with it!
If you’d like to learn more about how Warmboard can help you enjoy a more comfortable home in a very affordable way, readers of Engineer Mommy can get a free consultation with Warmboard! Just call 1-877-338-5493 for a free consultation when you mention this blog post!
Keep updated on the latest offers and news from Warmboard by following them on Twitter and Facebook. And if you’d like to see their Gallery of Warmboard products in action, you have to see all the gorgeous photos on their website Gallery.
Now, learn more about how Warmboard can help heat your home and tell me: which room(s) in your home can benefit from Warmboard’s efficient heating method?!
Ever wanted to learn Arabic online? Check out Arabic Road & learn Arabic on your own terms.
I would love to have radiant heating in my bathrooms. Warm floors during the winter would be so nice. These are all such great ways to save money on heating bills.
Warm floors in the bathrooms would be AMAZING!
I love the idea of the warmboard for some of our rooms. While the ground floor is old hardwood, the bedrooms are able to accommodate the installation process and the kids would love the added warmth during our cold winter months.
Yes my kids would also love the added warmth!
These are great tips. We follow all of these tips in our house. We have a 100 year old house so we have lots of drafty areas!
These are great tips for homeowners and I hope to be one in the next 2 years. I am still deciding if I want the do it yourself one or all done one.
I’ve heard great things about radiant heating, and I’d love to consider Warmboard for our next home. I would LOVE to have warm and toasty floors first thing in the morning 🙂
Imagine stepping out of the bath or shower onto nice, warm floors in the Winter! That would be so lovely!!
Warmboards sound like something we need in our home. We live in the country so electric bills are always high. Anything that can reduce costs is awesome!
Great tips. I have never heard of warm board but it sounds like something I need in my life.
The use of rain barrels here in California is HUGE! So many of us were able to water our plants during the drought from simply catching the water when it fell.
These are great money-saving tips. I should really stick to my budget and see how I can maximize every cent.
Collecting rain water can really reduce your water consumption. We often do this at home too. It also saves a lot by turning off electronic appliances or properly planning their usage.
These are great money saving tips for the homeowners. It is an awesome idea to use a rain barrel to collect rain for watering the plants. Hanging the laundry is a great way to save electric usage. Thanks for sharing the tips.
We put a programmable thermostat in shortly after we bought our home and what a difference it made! I was totally shocked!
I wanted warm boards when we built this home and somehow it fell off our design plan. I am kicking myself for dropping the ball on this. Great tips, I need to revisit the idea of installing them especially in our master half of the house, it is insanely chillier on that end.
I spent a ton of money on perennials in my last house. I’m totally bummed this house doesn’t have any. I need to fix that!
I love the convenience of perennials and being able to plant them just once and have them bloom again in future years, Liz!
These are definitely some Smart Money-Saving Tips for Homeowners! I love the idea of having a rain barrel to collect rain water! How genius <3
We do a few of these. The best one by far for us was the programmable wifi thermostat. It has saved us a lot of money.
These are all great tips! I have seen the rain barrels (they make some pretty ones at Lowe’s) but never thought to buy them for our house!
These are great tips! We’re already practicing some of these and I’m just glad I’ve learned a new thing on saving. Thank you for this!