Usually there are two types of roof leaks: small ones and big ones. Either way it is important to address them. We were already on a few roofs today investigating leaks. Here are some tips for minimizing damages:

1. Use an old bucket or trash can to capture water. Save water in larger trash cans for watering of plants.

Bucket saves the day!

Once the sun comes up take a deep breath, access the damage…for the most part the building materials are not very expensive to replace (drywall, baseboards, insulation, “roof paper”, plywood). Roofers throughout the valley will be very busy for a month or so…in the mean time be sure to use tape on the walls to mark where the water leaks occurred…they are hard to find after a few days.

Home Repairs and Remodeling is at your service. Just fill out a “Request for Service” located in the upper left hand corner of our website and we will call you within same working day. If you have any questions please post comments and we will answer and post as promptly as we can…others will benefit from the answers to your questions.

Special Promo Flyer

August Newsletter 2009
November Newsletter 2009

Young married couple in Tempe already had the bamboo flooring, and now they wanted to finish off their kitchen with Fireclay (re-cycled tile high in post consumer material) tile for their back splash. We were eager to please! No job is too big or small for Home Repairs and Remodeling!

Here are some Before, During, After photos:

Before Green Back Splash

During:

During Green Tile back splash project

After

Green Remodeling with Green Tile!

View March 2009 Newsletter

Set the budget and stick to it (not as easy as it sounds…ask elected group of men and women inside the beltway in DC). Whether you do it yourself or select a contractor to do it…the budget is the budget. Positive things happen when one follows the budget. Here are the byproducts of setting a budget: proper planning, creativity, resourcefulness, and efficiency.

And remember Rome was not built in a day, neither is your home going to be as Green/Sustainable as possible in one month.

There are 6 categories that the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council) uses in its rating system…just think SWEMI
1. Sustainable Site
2. Water Efficiency
3. Energy and Atmosphere
4. Materials and Resources
5. Indoor Environmental Quality
6. Innovation and Design

When new buildings go up or new homes are built and the owners want them to be officially LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified, then guess what, the owner must meet certain requirements in each of the above categories. But as a homeowner you may tackle each category at your own pace…so it takes you 1-3 years to go through all the categories…you are being fiscally responsible with the environment…and keeping more dollars in your pocket…nothing wrong with that! With all this new info, let’s get to the nuts and bolts (that would be recycled nuts and bolts!!!!)

Tip #1 Planning phase: Decide which of the following categories you want to address first:
1. Sustainable Site: How your home is situated on your property, how to manage stormwater (just like it sounds…rains from storms), the landscaping being used, the grading on your property.

2. Water Efficiency: how much water you are conserving (low flow fixtures, tankless water heaters), recycling water (aka Graywater), collecting water. Good resources are http://envirolet.com and http://watersavertech.com

3. Energy and Atmosphere: conserving energy (heating system, cooling system, appliances, lighting, electronics), solar and wind power. Good resource is http://irecusa.org

4. Material and Resources: Recycling paper, cardboard, glass, plastics and metals. The fun stuff…what is the end product going to look like (bamboo and cork flooring, recycled paper countertops, Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, natural insulation, fire clay tiles, recycled glass tiles, ceramic tile, low to zero VOCs {Volatile Organic Compounds} paint, natural fiber carpets)…where you buy your materials (think local) makes a difference in saving energy, plus it gives a nice boost to local economy! Also re-using materials from demolition (i.e. if we were to demo wall, we could re-use 2×4 studs to frame maybe another portion of the remodel project). Good resources:
http://vetrazzo.com
http://enviroglassproducts.com
http://glasstile.com
http://kireiusa.com
http://ecotimber.com
http://bondedlogic.com

5. Indoor Environmental Quality: If you choose certain materials from #4 you automatically improve the air quality indoors. By using 0 VOC paint, and installing HEPA filters in your HVAC return system, and changing out furnace filters 1x per month you can save up to 10% of your heating costs plus remove allergens from home and improve air quality. Think of techniques to create natural ventilation (will address when we cover these item more in depth).

6. Innovation and Design: this category if more geared to getting a project LEED Certified. The purpose of this post is to give homeowners valuable tips as they contemplate going green.

Please check back with us at http://homerepairsandremodeling.com/blog over the next 7 days as we break down each category in separate postings to give Free Green Remodeling Tips that homeowners can do themselves (for the most part), and most importantly keeping it within a budget!

Please visit us at http://homerepairsandremodeling.com and visit the Request Service page…or email javier@homerepairsandremodeling.com or call Javier Zuluaga, Director of Sales and Marketing at 602-686-8354.