Energy Retrofit of Older Home Will Pay Off In Lots of Ways

At House Exam Inspection and Consulting, we’ve been helping folks learn how to save money on utility bills for nearly four years now, through our association with Home Energy TuneUp. We’ve helped dozens of families save on their energy usage, by giving them fully itemized reports on the energy-related upgrades and repairs they could make in their homes, how much they could realistically expect to pay for each upgrade, and how long it would take to re-pay the expenses based on energy savings. We’ve had good feedback from these Clients, and we are expanding this service to include full-service energy audits and thermographic diagnostics over the next few months. So stay stay in touch with our website. You might even consider linking to the RSS feed in the upper right corner of this webpage, so that you keep up with the new services.

Now for the big news: We are pleased to report that we (Victor and Carolyn Sedinger) are going to put the program to use in a personal way. We are beginning the retrofit process on our own 1948 bungalow on the west side of Fort Worth. We bought this home while it was a duplex, and rented out the one-bedroom side for the first several years. But as we approach retirement in a few years, we thought it would be nice to turn it into a nicely upgraded single-family home. We have drawn up the plans for the conversion. We have received the quotes from sub-contractors. We have secured the funding, and we will be starting the work on or about January 18, 2010.

Over the next few weeks we’ll give you the basic findings from our own Home Energy TuneUp Report, as well as the RESNET Home Energy Diagnostic Survey. We will use both of these reports, so that the results can be compared and we will have a measurable way to determine the similarities and differences in the programs. We will be able to document the before and after results of the house in relation to air leakage, weatherization, and other variables for energy efficiency.

So, join in and let’s make it a dialogue. We would love to hear from you about your own energy-related questions. Ask us anything energy related. If we don’t know, we will find out for you. And share your ideas and suggestions for helping others save money on their energy costs.

Fort Worth Energy Inspection Shows Where Dollars Are Wasted

It is always pleasing to us when we find things that can almost immediately help people save money on utility bills. It also never ceases to amaze us when people will go for a long time without investigating the reason for high utility bills. At House Exam Inspection and Consulting, we are all about trying to help people save money. That is why we offer our version of a home energy audit — the Home Energy TuneuP Inspection.

As you can see from the photo above, the air handler plenum (the silver colored box) had come loose from this attic central air unit. In other words, the unit was heating and cooling the attic. The owner had no idea how long the equipment had been in this condition, but said he had been “noticing higher bills for several months.” It’s not hard to see why heating and air conditioning was so costly in his house, but since this system was for upstairs service and the kids were away at college, it just went unnoticed for a long time.

With a Home Energy TuneuP Inspection from House Exam Inspeciton and Consulting, we take inventory of all the energy-related systems and components in the house, we take note of their age and condition. Then we upload the information into the database and generate a personalized Report giving you a detailed list of recommended improvements which will save you moeny, prioritized by estimated cost and estimated return on your investment. Some of the items will be free or inexpensive to implement. Those items that will be more costly will be listed along with an idea of the energy savings you can expect, and how long it will take to recoup the investment with increased utility savings.

A Sample Report will be made available to you at no cost, if you desire. We can give you a quote for pricing, and we can schedule an inspection for you at your convenience. Contact us: energy@houseexamdfw.com and ask for more information on the Home Energy TuneuP Inspection service, or call now (817) 797-2461, and schedule an inspection.

Give your family the Gift of Saving beginning in 2010. Call or email ASAP.

Home Energy TuneUp Offers Energy Savings, Tax Savings, Greater Comfort

RIGHT NOW is the time to improve the energy features of your home. Right now through 2010, you can recover a great deal of your investment by:
• lowering your energy bills; and
• saving up to $1,500 on your tax bill.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allows tax credits for energy efficiency improvements. Homeowners may claim up to 30% of the costs of all home-energy-related equipment purchased during the aggregate two-year period of 2009 and 2010, up to $1,500 total.

Tax credits for installations made in 2006 and 2007 are still limited to the previous law’s $500 provision. Purchases made in 2008 are not eligible for this tax credit. But, the legislation certainly makes new improvements more affordable. We’ve included a partial list of eligible improvements for your consideration. And, in a moment, we’ll tell you how a Home Energy TuneUp Inspection by House Exam can help you decide which improvements will save you the most in utility costs and give you the greatest comfort in your home.

Eligible Improvements
Owners of existing homes receive a tax credit worth 30% of the cost of upgrading the efficiency of their home. The following improvements are some of those eligible for the tax credit:
• Insulation materials and systems
• Exterior doors and windows (including skylights)
• Roofs (metal and asphalt)
• Electric heat pumps
• Central air conditioners
• Natural gas, propane or oil water heaters
• Natural gas, propane or oil furnace or hot water boilers
• Electric heat pump water heaters

Performance and quality standards for tax credit eligibility vary by technology. You should check out the Energy Star web site for detailed information on qualifying products.

What is a Tax Credit?
There is an important difference between a tax credit and a tax deduction. A tax credit is subtracted directly from the total tax liability. In other words, whatever tax you would have owed gets reduced directly by the specific amount of the tax credit. On the other hand, a tax deduction is subtracted from income before total tax liability is computed. Maybe you’ve heard the expression “tax bracket.” It simply reflects the percentage of cost of an expense that actually gets deducted from your income before taxes. Bottom line: a tax credit is much more advantageous to you at tax time than a deduction.

At House Exam, we are certified Inspectors for the Home Energy TuneuP program. With this “audit” we take a full inventory of all the energy related features within your home, upload the data and generate a Report which can give you a detailed list of energy-saving improvements you should consider. The Report will list recommended upgrades and improvements, give you fair-market estimates for the costs for each improvement, tell you how much each improvement will save you annually, and tell you how long it will take to PAY FOR the improvements with the projected energy saving.

The money you will save from just the free recommendations within the Report, will more than pay for the cost of the inspection. Call to schedule your Home Energy TuneuP Inspection, and start your energy savings this month.

Call (817) 797-2461

Latest Builder’s Warranty Surprise – A Wall Leak!

Last month we did a Builder’s Warrranty Inspection for a family in west Fort Worth. Initially, they were concerned about cracks in their brick and mortar, and in their drywall upstairs in the media room. Some of our Clients ask for a “Digital Elevation Survey” to provide a baseline “map” of their foundation. Our leveling equipment happened to be out of calibration on the day of the first visit. It was raining pretty heavily, so our Inspector (Victor) offered to tour the home, take a preliminary look around, and come back the following week, after the equipment could be calibrated properly.
Our Client showed Victor the drywall cracks, but Victor was more interested in an area where the drywall tape had been peeling and flaking off. Upon testing with the moisture meter, the spot was dry. They next went downstairs, below the same area, where an upper wall area, above the master tub, indicated a slightly elevated moisture reading. Victor began to instruct the homeowner how to take sample moisture readings for the next few days and make a chart. Meanwhile, the rain was becoming heavier outside.
He and Victor returned upstairs, where they were going to take baseline readings for their new chart. But, when they looked at the area again, there was a thin line of water running down the wall at the same spot. When Victor pressed the spot gently, two more rivulets of water began running down the wall. There was no need for additional moisture meter readings. Of all the luck, an evasive leak, which had been ongoing for at least weeks, appeared right in front of their eyes.
The Clients notified their Builder, who sent a repair person over to cut a hole in the drywall and find where the leak was coming from. The source of the rain water turned out to be a loose-fitting drain vent boot on the roof, which was allowing rain water to run down the PVC drain vent pipe behind the wall in this location. A hole was cut into the drywall at that location to allow the inside of the wall cavity to dry before repairing the drywall. All appears to be going well so far.
One question still remains: Will the Builder replace the water-damaged fiberglass insulation? Here’s the problem: When insulation becomes wet, it compacts, and its insulating efficiency is reduced. In addition, if water has become trapped behind the walls, will it develop mold? These are documented issues these Clients now have data to back up. In the future, if problems arise, the documentation exists for a historical record of issues, which were discovered before the Builder’s Warranty expired.

Let House Exam Inspection WORK FOR YOU!!
If you, or someone you know has lived in a New home for less than a year, please contact us to schedule a Builder’s Warranty Inspection before the warranty expires. REMEMBER! That warranty will be worth nothing in the 13th month!

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