northwest-nest

[northwest-nest]

There are things in life

There are things in life you know you should do.

For example, I should be going into the crawl space under my house twice a year. I know it is important. I should be checking to make sure it is dry and that I don't have any unexpected house guests.   And that is only the tip of the home maintenance iceberg. I attend several inspections every month. I am shocked how many repairs "pop" up that could have been resolved had the homeowner known early on - and now that it has festered, the repair is going to cost hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars! ...and still I don't go into my crawl space. Thank goodness for my friend at Sound To Summit Inspection. I talked to the founder at Sound To Summit, Jeb Brewer, recently. Sound To Summit offers an annual "peace of mind" inspection. Genius! Now I don't have to go in the crawl space. Plus I get a report about my entire home. (Imagine handing a future buyer a complete maintenance history of your home. THAT is a great negotiating tool! It would be like giving them a history of every oil change and tune up.)  

Here is what Jeb has to say about staying current with how your home is functioning:  A lot can go wrong with a house - what once worked fine can wear out over time and break.  Just like spending $50 every 3 months to have someone change the oil in your car, your home requires regular inspection.  Not too many people want to crawl through an attic or under the house in a dirty crawl space but these are the locations where some of the costliest damage can occur.   A couple great examples would be caulking on your roof disintegrating and causing a water to enter your attic or a slow leak in a water line that eventually fills your crawl space with 18” of water.  Both can occur and more frequently than you would suspect and can cost thousands of dollars to repair water and mold damage.

So what is a Peace of Mind Inspection? With a Peace of Mind Annual Inspection, I crawl through the attic and crawlspace and look for signs of water damage, I walk the exterior of the home and look for signs of rot and conditions that promote rot, I’m concerned about your family’s safety and health inside your home.  I am at your home to serve you.  I am not affiliated with plumbers, electricians, or any other contractors and am not trying to sell other services.  I have nothing to gain. I asked Jeb if he would offer friends of NW Nest (that's you) a special price.  He said, "Sure!"  So for $200 Jeb will do a whole house Peace of Mind Inspection, provide you a report, and you can catch the 'little things' before they aren't so little.  All of Sound to Summits information is accessible at www.soundtosummit.com or give him a call - [phone]. I hope you are staying dry this spring!  And if you are planning to buy or sell your home, find a handyman or ask a question about a refresh/remodel, NW Nest is here to help. If it matters to you, it matters to us.

#inspection #waterdamage #homerepair #realestate

[northwest-nest]

...but I thought I would have to change everything?

When you encounter people who are operating in their genius, it makes you go “wow”.  Every now and again you come across folks who are elegantly painting the canvas of life with their unique paintbrush.  Cue the entrance of local design genius Tonya Williams.

Tonya is founder and head-creative at Signature Style Design.  I have met several interior designers over the years and I can confidently say Tonya is different.  Why?  It is all in the method of the creative process that Tonya employs.  The method that Tonya uses to ensure that you receive the perfect room starts with curiosity.  She is honestly curious about YOU - what is special about you that in turn will make the room special?

I had the privileged to ask a few questions about Signature Style Designs.  Here is what I discovered:

What is the right way to place my furniture?

The blunt and honest answer is…there isn’t a right way to place your furniture. I know that goes against what you’ve been told, but believe me when I say it’s okay to break the rules. Each room layout is unique depending on the lifestyle, traffic flow, and “feel” of the room that the client wants to achieve. Of course there are some basic and key applications to remember such as functionality, a focal point and scale; but ultimately every client has different desires and style. In addition, there is more than just one way to arrange the same room. That’s where my service of space planning would be beneficial for those struggling with furniture placement and room flow. During a consultation it’s always helpful to discuss what works and what doesn’t, as well as who uses that space and how.

How do I find my personal style?

Just like your individual signature is unique, so is your personal design style. Whether you call it Mid Century, Pottery Barn, or Farmhouse, don’t let a label define your style. Be open to the possibility of a unique conversation or statement piece that sets your style apart from others. It’s all about overall mood and feel. That is always the goal I want to achieve for my clients.

How will I know when I find my personal style?

You will know when you find your personal style when it evokes an emotion. It may be comfort, tranquility, coziness or energizing. Most clients know what they like or don’t like; but they need someone to help guide them to achieve the style that triggers the emotion they’re looking for. Sometimes that means looking through current design photos. Other times it’s looking through one’s own wardrobe to find favorite color palettes. Your home should reflect you as a person. Together we will discover what your personal style looks like.

How do I know I need help?

If you’re questioning if you need help, most likely you do. Sometime, it’s just a matter of needing to rearrange existing furniture and accessories to give the client the cohesive feel they want. Often times I am hired to do a single room but, after completing that, the client decides to progress further and do other rooms in their home. I’m a full service designer that can facilitate both large and small projects. During a consultation, we can discuss your project to see what works best for you. Here’s a link to my website:  www.SignatureStyleDesign.com

Top secret! For NW Nest Friends, Signature Style Design is offering an amazing special.  Visit www.nw-nest.com/blog to see this amazing deal!

#realestate #interiordesign #snohomish #seattle #washington #beforeandafter

[northwest-nest]

A Winter Warm Up

We didn’t know.  Seems crazy, but we had no idea.

Our furnace and AC were working.  We were consistent about having our furnace serviced annually.  At each time of service, the service technician would find "something", which was always different from the last technician.  (I don't think there was malice.  I think they, too, didn't know.)

Then Darrick came to look at our furnace.  Low and behold, we were missing an entire part that is required to make the heat pump work.  Darrick diagnosed the problem and fixed it in one short visit.  Now, our heat pump does its job, and our furnace does its job.  (And our propane bill has dropped. Dramatically.)

The moral of the story is that HVAC is complicated.  In fact, so complicated, that technicians are often overwhelmed too.  Darrick Philp has started a new business consulting with HVAC companies to improve them.  He is helping improve the industry - starting in the Puget Sound! 

Darrick’s expertise left me wondering why do builders put furnaces in the ceiling and how does a heat pump work.  So I had to ask Darrick Philp, founder of Refined Consulting Group to give us the scoop.

Q and A with Darrick Philp:

Tell me a little bit about you.  (How long have you been doing this line of work? How did you get started? Why do you enjoy it?) I have been in the Heating and Air Conditioning business for over 20 years in all capacities. In my early 20’s I was hired by a local company as a service technician. I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many great people every day. It is hard to have a bad day when everyone you meet is happy to see you and pretty thrilled you are able to fix their problem and provide options to improve their health, comfort, safety, and system reliability. I have been a field trainer for new technicians desiring a career in the Heating and Air Conditioning industry. I eventually moved into management roles and business training roles that allowed me the opportunity to coach and educate companies nationally. It is my greatest passion to see homeowners receive great service from companies they can trust, and service based companies succeed in providing high level service to their clients based on industry best practices.

What is the most common mistake you see homeowners making?  (The list of things you see regularly when you arrive at someone's home.) It is easy for most homeowners to enjoy the heating and cooling produced by their comfort equipment and forget that it is there and requires maintenance to continue to perform without breakdowns. Regular service and maintenance of your heating and cooling equipment will ensure a much longer life. A homeowner will also enjoy significant savings on their gas and electric bill from a well-maintained system. Clean burners, clean filters, lubricated motors, clean fans, and sealed combustion and exhaust systems are just a few of the maintenance items that significantly increase the safety, efficiency, comfort and reliability of the system. Homeowners will also receive invaluable information and advice based on their specific system and home from a trained professional. Advice on topics such as; what filtration is best, how to balance airflow throughout your home, what is the benefit of a programmable thermostat, are their better control options, or what system types are most efficient.

What is a heat pump? How is it different from Air Conditioning/Furnace? Is there anything a home owner needs to do to maintain it? When considering the most efficient heating methods, heat pumps inevitably become part of the conversation. A heat pump is very similar to an air conditioner with one added option. While an air conditioner moves hot air from inside your home to the outside in the summer, a heat pump has the added capability of extracting “heat” from the outside, and “pumping” it into your home in the winter. Because a heat pump is moving heat from one place to another, and not necessarily creating heat, like a furnace may by burning fuel, it is a very efficient way to heat your home. In most cases, depending on the cost of electricity in your area, it is much more efficient than natural gas and propane options, and always more efficient than a standard electric air handler. Annual service is still required by the manufacturer, just like a furnace. Keeping the coils clean, lubricating motors, checking and balancing refrigerant levels, and clearing condensate drains are some of the maintenance items performed by a service company to keep your system operating at its best.

Why are builders putting furnaces in the attic? Attic installations for heating equipment are becoming more popular these days. With builders desiring to create the most usable square footage in the home, moving the heating equipment out of sight makes way for a nice coat closet or powder room. Unfortunately, for most homeowners, this perpetuates the forgotten heating system problem. Access can be challenging for your service company, and there are added risks involved in moving around in an attic. A few things to remember if you are contemplating a home with a heating and cooling system in the attic are: ease of access, a solid platform and pathway to the unit from the access point, adequate lighting and electrical outlets near the unit, and remote filter placement so you as a homeowner aren’t forced to climb into your attic every 1-3 months to clean or replace your filters.

Is there anything a home owner needs to do to maintain electric heat? As heating systems go, electric air handlers are the least complex. It is still very important to keep them maintained. With the high consumption of electricity, they are prone to electrical shorts and burnt wiring that can lead to other, more serious problems. Fans accumulate dirt over time, and motors typically require lubrication. Unlike gas heat, an electric air handler can have many problems internally, and still produce heat. When a homeowner calls for no heat on an electric furnace, it is typically from a more catastrophic failure after multiple other failures have already occurred. For example; 1 of 4 electric heat strips can burn out, a sequencer (control device) can fail for one of the remaining 3 elements, and the wiring can overheat and burn off on a 3rd element. With mild weather the system will continue to operate in a very unsafe manner until either the blower motor fails, or the final element fails to function. Other than a longer run cycle, a homeowner may be unaware there are significant problems with their system. A regular maintenance can help avoid major problems, and help keep the equipment running at the lowest cost possible.

What maintenance should a home owner do to maintain their HVAC equipment? Between annual or semi-annual maintenance, homeowners can contribute significantly to the efficiency, comfort and extended life of their heating and cooling equipment. Airflow is the most important component to efficiency and longevity of the comfort system. Maintaining good airflow requires a clean filter, unrestricted ductwork, and open vents in the home. Most dust systems are designed for the output of the furnace. Restricting the airflow with dirty filters, closed vents, or crushed ductwork can cause the system to overheat regularly. Aside from a significant loss of efficiency, this puts tremendous strain on the heat exchanger and compressor, usually resulting in a premature, catastrophic failure. Keeping the outdoor unit (AC or Heat Pump) clear of plants and soil buildup will maintain high efficiency and reduce the chance of a failure due to corrosion. Rinsing the coil on the outdoor unit is also a good practice from time to time. This will ensure the hot or cool air is transferred well and the unit is able to produce the maximum amount of heating or cooling for which it is rated.

How do I know it is time to replace my HVAC equipment? As a rule of thumb, heating and cooling equipment has a typical useful life of between 12-15 years. While many factors can extend, or reduce the functional lifespan, catastrophic failure may not be the only reason you’ll want to consider an upgrade. It is not always cost effective to continue to operate an older unit beyond this rule. Federal, state and local efficiency codes require higher and higher efficiencies of heating and cooling equipment. Over a 15-year life, the efficiency gains of new systems will begin to exceed the operating costs and maintenance and repair of your older equipment. As we say in the industry, “you may be paying for a new system, you’re just not getting it.” Only you can decide when that time is right for your system upgrade to be made, but with some helpful advice from an honest and helpful service provider, you can make an informed decision and put the investment into the replacement at the right time. Your service provider can typically provide you with an analysis of your return on investment. There are also local and federal rebates that can help make the system more affordable. If financing is a consideration for you, some upgrades can offset some or all the monthly payment in energy savings alone. How great would it be to improve the comfort in your home, reduce your consumption of energy, with little to no additional impact on your monthly budget.

A special thank you to Darrick!  To reach Darrick and his team, call 855-2-REFINE or email [email protected].

#heatpump airconditioner heating realestate home homemaintenance hvac