Guest Post by Kim Hibbs
With much of the country experiencing a break from winter’s deep chill, you may think the worst of winter is behind us.
That’s probably not the case.
Long range forecasts indicate February could be as cold and snow as early January. That means there’s still time to winter proof your home.
Here are some simple do-it-yourself (DIY) projects that can really make a difference.
- Locate air leaks using a lit incense stick around electrical outlets, recessed can lights, between floor joists, windows, doors and any penetration coming into the home. Use caulk, foam, foam gaskets or plastic plugs to block the leaks.
- Adhere fiberglass batt insulation or foam board to your attic hatch.
- Add insulation to your attic. R30 minimum, R38 recommended for the St. Louis area.
- Seal heating/cooling duct connections with mastic or metal backed tape.
- Change worn door sweeps on exterior doors.
- Add storm doors.
- Install Energy Star rated programmable thermostats.
- Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket and water lines in foam insulation.
- Make sure your fireplace flue or dampers are tightly shut and install tempered glass doors.
- Operate ceiling fans in reverse direction to move warm air down from the ceiling.
- Install CFL bulbs in the most used light fixtures in your home.
- When buying new appliances, look for Energy Star label.
Building certified green homes in the St. Louis area, these practices have become second nature to our crews.
However, you don’t have to be a pro, anyone can tackle these DIY projects that can help you save money on your utility bills and improve the comfort of your home.
Kim Hibbs of Hibbs Homes builds custom green and energy star rated homes in the St. Louis area. He writes a blog, It’s The Custom, covering green tips, home building and St. Louis.
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When I bought my first home, I was on a tight budget. I found a great fixer upper in Rock Hill and proceeded to spend the next few years going from one project to another. When I was ready to upgrade to a bigger home, I knew that I wanted a home that wouldn’t need as much work.
Almost Move-In Ready
I was lucky. I found a house that gave me just about everything I wanted. The house was renovated 5 years earlier, so most of the big projects were finished. No house is perfect, so I did end up redoing two bathrooms as soon as I moved in. Later I added a backyard patio, landscaping, and finished the basement.
One of the reasons I was excited about the house was because the kitchen was already renovated. My last house had 1950s cabinets and appliances that I never got around to replacing (though I did have the avocado green oven painted black!). My new house had walls removed so that the kitchen opens up to the adjacent living and dining areas, maple cabinets, tons of counter space and new appliances.
The only thing that it was missing was decent lighting. The prior owners chose a center light that isn’t bright enough for the space and the lighting over the island was hung off-center.
Three years later and I still haven’t gotten around to fixing the lighting.
CSN Lighting to the Rescue
I was really excited when I was contacted by CSN Lighting about featuring a story on my blog that could show how lighting could transform a space. They offered to provide me with some lights for my kitchen so that I could show you the difference that it really makes.
After a long struggle, I decided to start with undercabinet lighting. Eventually I will replace the ugly center light with a canned light, and have pendants installed over the island, but the most immediate need was to get better task lighting in the kitchen. Undercabinet lighting will definitely solve that problem.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be getting my new lights installed. When I do, I’ll follow up this post with some pictures that show the difference undercabinet lighting can make.
If your kitchen lighting can use some improvement, take a look at the tips below from CSN Lighting to help you transform your kitchen.
Renovating Your Kitchen with Lighting
Whether you’re looking to make a major improvement to your kitchen or are looking to find a way to optimize your existing space, lighting is one feature that is guaranteed to please your needs. Incorporating this type of update in your home not only will enhance the look and feel of your kitchen but it will also help you in your culinary routine while you’re preparing a family dinner or entertaining guests. Lighting certainly sets the tone in any room which is why it’s important to familiarize ourselves with the latest and greatest fixtures in the market today.
One section of our kitchen that is often overlooked is the cabinetry that holds an assortment of cookware, bakeware, and various cooking ingredients needed on a daily basis. While we’re cooking, there is a lot of time dedicated to tracking down a cooking utensil or appliance and this can be attributed to poor lighting. Many items get pushed to the back of the pantry, making it impossible to find something when we really need it. A great way to keep tabs on all of our kitchen appliances and accessories is by installing undercabinet lighting either with a plug-in puck lighting system that is easy to set up in an existing cabinet or with a hard wired lighting system that can be installed within your kitchen walls.
Once you’ve taken care of the dark corners of your kitchen, it’s time to hone in on the most popular space used for prep work and cooking: the kitchen island. While recessed lighting installed above this area works nicely, the addition of pendant lighting is sure to turn your space into a stunning space. With the variety of pendant lighting styles that range in any design from traditional and modern to rustic and casual, you’re sure to find the perfect light fixture that will accommodate your home’s existing style while illuminating your cooking space. Add a set of pendants that include three to five fixtures depending on the size of the lamp shade and the length of your kitchen’s island countertop in order to fit nicely within the area and provide enough lighting during your cooking routine.
As mentioned earlier, recessed lighting is a great option to consider for your kitchen island but can also be used in a number of different areas when you’re looking to add a simple, clean lighting design. Many homeowners prefer this type of task lighting as one switch can control a small portion of the kitchen, which therefore cuts down on the energy of having to use one large light source to illuminate the entire room. Depending on where you are preparing your next meal, you’ll be able to control the perfect amount of light and energy you need with recessed lighting at the flick of a switch.
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