subject: Home improvement choices [print this page] Home improvement choices Home improvement choices
The ever- increasing cost of utilities as well as, the need to compensate for the deteriorating effects of human activities on the environment, has led to the demand of home improvement solutions; which can help save energy & cost. Solutions that can not only heighten the security quotient of the house but also increase its energy efficiency and help increase savings.
Fire proofing is one of the many home improvement solutions present in the market today that is employed to make the house fire-resistant. Fire proofing refers to the precautionary measures undertaken, like applying fire proofing or fire- resistant insulation that enhances the fire-resistance rating of the house. The materials that have been traditionally employed for the purpose of fire proofing involve gypsum, cementitious and fibrous plasters among others.
Firestop is another preventive measure, used to fill in the gaps or holes in the fire-resistant walls and areas. Firestop avoids fire from spreading from one area to another in case of a mishap and thus is very effective in containing it. Though, Firestop is capable of withstanding high magnitudes of temperature, however it can burn after certain upper limit is reached.
Weatherization is also an extensively employed home improvement solution that reduces the energy consumption of a household. It seals the gaps and crevices that lead to heat loss, to the outside, by preventing flow of heat by convection.
Insulation is a similar measure that restricts air flow between the outside environment and the house but it does so by preventing conductive heat loss. Insulating materials are therefore applied on floors, ceilings and other extremities of the house to reduce heat loss considerably leading to energy savings.
To encourage citizens to indulge in such environment friendly practices, the government of the United States of America, has come up with a novel and innovative policy under the name of 'Home star' or 'Cash for Caulkers', as its more commonly called. 'Home star' policy derives its name from the energy stars on the electrical appliances that are directly proportional to the energy efficiency of the product.
Citizens who wish to procure the benefits of the 'Home star' policy, first need to get the energy audit of their house done from a recognized authority. The audit will identify the faulty areas in the house leading to heat loss and thus will be able to bring to fore the spots that need to be taken care of and the home improvement measures that are needed to correct them. Under the 'Home star' policy, any and every household who follows this procedure would be eligible to claim half of the total home improvement costs from the government up to as much as $12,000.
