Hamilton Building Services

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that no one likes being cold in their own home. While there are more permanent measures you can take to weatherproof your home, like installing new windows or checking your attic’s insulation, sometimes you just need a quick and inexpensive fix. These winter hacks will help keep the cool air out and the warm air in your home where it belongs. Check out our favorite get-warm-quick solutions here .

Save up this summer by making some of these small, easy home improvements. Each project puts a little more change in your pocket to spend on something you deserve! Image via www.thisoldhouse.com Seal up any open crawl spaces where extra air can escape from your home. This will improve your heating and cooling costs year-round, keep unwanted moisture out, and it will also keep out any critters you are not expecting.       There are several different types of insulation you can use depending on what you want to insulate. Some of the types of insulation include: fiberglass (blanket or loose-fill), mineral wool (rock or slag), cellulose (recycled paper product), plastic fiber, natural fiber (cotton, hemp, straw, wool), polystyrene (plastic), polyisocyanurate (plastic), polyurethane (foam), and vermiculite and perlite. Image via energy.gov Insulate! Insulation is not only important for doors and windows. There are several other places to keep in mind when p...

When couples decide to build a new house, one of the big debates is often whether to build a single story or multiple story house. There are pros and cons with each design, and each family suits something different. Take a peek at what we think makes a single story house so fantastic! #1 Age accommodating - For older people or people who use walkers or wheelchairs, a single story home is the most viable option. Without the burden of stairs, mobility is easier, and everything you need to access is located on the same floor! With that in mind, home maintenance is often less of a burden because of the easy access. Just think, with a ladder you can access all areas of your house. #2 Increased energy efficiency is an appealing factor that single story homes offer. Because the floor plans generally have a larger open living space and bedrooms off to the sides, heat and cool air flow more freely through a single story home. Additionally, the floor plans are often a bit smaller, agai...

Having a pool to cool off and relax in is a luxury that is especially nice during these hot summer months. But, like most luxuries in life, time, energy, and money must be put into owning a pool. One of the costs associated with having a pool is the money it takes to heat a pool. If you are interested in swimming in your pool after the sun goes down or during cooler months, heating your pool is a viable option to consider. Check out some information about how solar hot water collectors can heat your pool. How does it work? Pool water gets pumped through a filter into a solar hot water collector. Solar hot water collectors are thin and generally mounted on a roof. Thin pipes of water then run through the collector. When the sun's rays hit the collector, they heat the running water inside. Image via US Department of Energy                               Solar pool heaters use the heat from the sun direct...

December through February usually tend to get a bit nippy, especially if you're in the northeastern part of the country. If you find yourself pinching pennies because of your heating bill, try out this helpful hint. Check how you're doing - most providers will supply their customers with some kind of comparison chart in their monthly bill. Often, if you pay your heating bill via online there is an option to view your heat use compared to the national average and compared to your surrounding neighbors. This should give you a decent gauge of where you stand with your energy consumption. Many providers even break it down for you what times of day you use more energy, or how it's being used. For instance, maybe your report tells you that you spend a lot of your bill on heating hot water. If this is the case, find ways to reduce this cost such as setting a timer on your shower time or doing a little less laundry and a little more bundling up. Image via www.concret...

With the cold honing in on us, staying warm becomes a thought we can't let go of. But how do you know the best way to heat your home? Should you use space heaters, or will they only jack up your electric bill more and defeat the purpose? We've done some research to find out more about space heaters and when they are a good fit for your home and your budget. Check out what we found! Image via www.consumerreports.org When does it work? 1. If you're supplementing some heat in a particularly cool or drafty space  2. When you're trying to keep your thermostat down and just want to section off a small area to be a few degrees warmer 3. If you're looking to heat a space for a small amount of time, just for comfort. For instance, some people use space heaters to heat an office cubicle.   When doesn't it work? 1. When you're trying to heat a large area 2. If you're using the space heater as your only source of heat. Space ...

A lot of folks really like the appearance of a log home, but once they find out about the maintenance that is required to own a log home, they are often deterred from ever owning one. Fortunately, the building industry has made great strides to advance siding options, and many log homes are now log sided both on the exterior and interior of the home. Such siding allows for less maintenance and is more for appearances and energy efficiency. Additionally, log siding can help with insulation and save on heating costs.

We are excited to share with you ThermaTru's Design a Door feature on their official website. If you visit ThermaTru's website here , you can design your own door to fit your custom needs. ThermaTru's Design a Door feature is user-friendly, and it gives you the opportunity to see what customizations would look like before you pay for the door. Customization abilities include: height, door configuration, style, glass styles, sidelights, and more! Best of all, you can save your progress as you go, so you can custom design a few doors, save them, and then come back later to review them. Image via www.thermatru.com

During the colder months, it is not unusual to watch heating bills skyrocket within a few days. If you are someone who can relate to this dilemma, follow the following tips & tricks to drop your heating bill up to 50%. Remember, though, that the more effort you put in to sealing off your house, the lower your bill will drop! Image via www.energy.gov 1. Use the sun's heat - If there's  a warm sun in the sky, let it in your house to help rise the temperature a bit. Having heavy, insulated curtains is a great start, but the sun's heat can really impact the temperature of your home if you utilize it at the right time of day.  2. Seal off cracks & crevices - Some people use plastic window insulation kits to seal off windows. This method is relatively cheap, and if done properly, it can save you a ton of money if you have poorly insulated or old windows. Quick tip: don't forget your chimney if it goes unused!  3. Add weatherstripping or caulking wh...

Cooler nights are ahead, and with that thought in mind, it's a good idea to start checking some items off your annual to-do list. Now that you've likely put away some of your summertime household items (and don't fret if you haven't yet), it's time to prepare for the winter weather. One way to do this is by sealing off areas of your home that allow cool air in and warm air out. By blocking and sealing off places like doors and windows, you can be saving over 50% of your heating bill. Aside from some of the more obvious places such as doors and windows, there are some other miscellaneous areas that are money eaters during the wintertime. Your beautiful and beloved chimney can be a HUGE source of wasted heat. Watch this video we found helpful and informative for those who are searching for the right tool to block heat from escaping through a chimney.

Vinyl vs. Wood Hamilton Building Service's standard windows are Encompass by Pella. Pella vinyl windows include the following features: Low maintenance  Easy to clean ENERGY STAR performance Multi-chambered frame reduces sound and improves thermal performance Pella's lifetime warranty Image via www.pella.com                 Hamilton Building Services also offers an upgrade package including Integrity wood windows. Integrity wood windows include the following features: Made with Ultrex pultruded fiberglass Ultrex is 8 times stronger than vinyl Attractive, natural appearance Energy efficient -  reduces heat loss and cut costs up to 34% in cold climates, and cuts cooling costs up to 38% in warm climates Integrity' s full  20 year warranty on glass seals and 10 years on manufacturing defects  Image via www.marvin.com For more information, please contact www.hamiltonbuildingservice...

Similar to a one story home, a two story has pros and cons; however, many of these positive and negative elements are very dependent on your own personal preferences. Age, family dynamic, income, location, and more need to be taken into account when making this kind of decision.To get your mind thinking in that direction, consider some of the benefits to owning a two story house versus a single story house. #1   Price  - Some of the most expensive elements of a home (foundation, rafters) can be averaged over a larger square footage on a smaller footprint, so the price per square foot on a two story home often goes down, making it a cheaper option in many cases. #2 Fuel efficiency  - Generally energy costs drop with a two story house. This is because less outdoor walls and roof areas are exposed to weather. Also, heat rises, so if you put bedrooms upstairs, you won't need to crank the heat as high in the winter. #3 Plumbing  - Two story homes are ...