KH Home Solutions Home Improvement Blog

Summer Sizzling Special

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 03:23:00 +0000

Replace your inefficient, difficult to operate, high maintenance windows with State of the Art, energy efficient Gorell Windows from K&H Home Solutions. K&H can GET IT DONE starting at only $69.00 per month. Act now to get the best deal of the season!!!

Boulder Home and Garden Fair; May 14

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:46:00 +0000

The 4th Annual Boulder Home & Garden Fair will be held on May 14 this year (rain date, May 21). Held at the Twenty Ninth Street Retail District from 10 am to 4 pm, the Spring Boulder Home & Garden Fair offers your family an extensive array of ideas and innovation to improve your living environment. Door Prizes, Live Entertainment, Children’s Gardening Workshops, Food Vendors, and more! K&H Home Solutions will exhibit it's full line of products to help you reduce your carbon footprint and save on your utility usage. Windows, Siding and Insulation starting $69/month*! Visit us at the Boulder H&G Fair or call to make an appointment for a free in home design consultation.
*WAC, minimums and restrictions apply

Southern Wyoming Home & Garden Show May 13 to 15

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Thu, 12 May 2011 03:22:00 +0000

K&H Home Solutions will be one of the premier exhibiters at the Southern Wyoming Home & Garden Show. http://www.biztradeshows.com/trade-events/wyoming-homegarden-show.html
Stop in to see our revolutionary, state of the art Gorell Window line. Value priced with a standard Lifetime 50 year warranty. In addition you can see our lines of vinyl, steel and James Hardie Siding. You can get a house full of windows or totally re-side your home for payments starting at $69/month (wac some restrictions apply).

Are Some Insulations "Greener" Than Others?

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 22:40:00 +0000

- courtesy of Applegate Insulation -

"Cellulose insulation should be a preferred insulation material for environmentally concerned builders and designers." --Environmental Bldg. News

Insulation is inherently green because it increases the energy efficiency of homes and buildings. But are some insulations "greener" than others? It's worth a look, especially with the strong interest in environmental responsibility.

Performance

Studies have shown that home insulation currently saves 10.41 quadrillion1 BTU's per year! However, if one type of insulation is more effective than another, it can help save even more energy (and money). Studies at universities, national laboratories, private research facilities and hundreds of homes and buildings have shown that cellulose is from 20% to 50% more effective than fiberglass.2 Therefore, using the most conservative number of 20%, if cellulose were used in homes instead of fiberglass, there would be an additional savings of 2.1 quadrillion BTU's per year - the equivalent of a 51-day supply of gasoline for the entire U.S.3

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Recycled Content

Insulation can be an excellent, high quality end use for materials that would otherwise be dumped into landfills. Cellulose and fiberglass insulation have recycled contents varying from 0% to 85%. Cellulose contains from 75% to 85% post-consumer recycled newsprint.4 Fiberglass products contain from 0% to 35% pre-consumer recycled glass.5

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Manufacturing Energy

The amount of energy consumed to manufacture a product is known as its "embodied energy". Every building product from shingles to concrete is made using energy. Some products can be manufactured using little energy. Others require a great deal.

Cellulose insulation is manufactured in fairly small plants which pass recycled newsprint through a series of fiberizers. This equipment is powered by relatively small electric motors.

Fiberglass is manufactured in monstrous blast ovens which consume vast amounts of natural gas to melt sand and chemical additives into glass. The necessary equipment is enormous in size, complexity, and in its appetite for energy.

Manufacturing fiberglass for a home consumes six times more energy than manufacturing cellulose to insulate the same home to the same R-value.6
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Emissions

Standing outside a cellulose plant, one can hear humming motors but there are no smoke plumes and no odors because there are virtually zero emissions.

Manufacturing fiberglass generates glass dust and huge quantities of carbon dioxide from natural gas fired blast furnaces (manufacturing fiberglass insulation for just one home generates over 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide!7). Fiberglass plants also generate enormous amounts of other chemicals used in its manufacture (formaldehyde, urea, polyvinyl acetate, chlorides, etc.).

Conclusion
Some insulations are definitely greener than others. There are tremendous differences between cellulose and fiberglass. Even individual homeowners can make a significant environmental impact by choosing the most environmentally responsible, highest performance insulation for just one home.
Sources
1   North American Insulation Mfrs. Assoc. (NAIMA); "Fast Facts About Fiber Glass".
2   University of Colorado, Oak Ridge National Labs.
3   NAIMA.
4,   5 Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
6,   7 Environmental Building News, University of British Columbia School of Architecture.

Weatherization - Where the Money Leaks

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:52:00 +0000

Weatherization or weatherproofing is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, particularly from sunlight, precipitation, and wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.

Weatherization is distinct from building insulation, although building insulation requires weatherization for proper functioning. Many types of insulation can be thought of as weatherization, because they block drafts or protect from cold winds. Whereas insulation primarily reduces conductive heat flow, weatherization primarily reduces convective heat flow.

In the United States, buildings use one third of all energy consumed and two thirds of all electricity. Due to the high-energy usage, they are a major source of the pollution that causes urban air quality problems and pollutants that contribute to climate change. Building energy usage accounts for 49 percent of sulfur dioxide emissions, 25 percent of nitrous oxide emissions, and 10 percent of particulate emissions.[1]
[1] Arizona State University, "Building Materials." 2006. Retrieved 2 March 2008.

Defend Against Rising Energy Prices

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:33:00 +0000

When Should You Buy A Triple-pane Replacement Window to get the Best Insulation Quality:

• If you plan to live in a home for over 5 years

• If you get very high heating bills

• If energy prices in your area can rise sharply

• If you want to lock in more savings for your future

• If you have drafty and old windows

Remember, if your windows are loose or leaky, then it’s time to change to triple pane replacement windows! K&H Home Solutions and Gorell Windows & Doors offer the perfect solution.

Fight High Heating Bills With Triple Pane Replacement Windows

Is heating your home eating into your savings? Take a look at your windows! Having old inefficient windows in your home is like throwing your money out of those windows, because old drafty windows won’t effectively prevent heated air from escaping your house and cold air leaking in.

The name of the game is triple pane replacement windows by Gorell Windows & Doors. Triple pane windows not only save you big money on your heating bills, but also reduce the heat gain during hot summer days. Moreover, triple pane windows covered with a special Low-E coating, can cut your heating bills by up to 40%. However, you will need to consult a professional window contractor and make sure your installation is professionally and properly done. Proper installation is as important as the window!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:42:00 +0000

As the year draws to a close, we have had a chance to look back at 2010 and appreciate the year we’ve had. There are many people that have contributed to making our 2010 great and we would like to thank each and every one of you.

First and foremost, our utmost thanks go to our past, present, and future clients who welcomed us into their homes and entrusted us with their home improvement projects.

We are eternally grateful for your trust and support.We also would like to thank everyone who has worked for K&H Home Solutions, and everyone who has helped us build the company into what it is today. We appreciate your loyalty and dedication.

Thanks again to everyone for a great 2010 and we’re looking forward to a great 2011 with all of you!

Happy holidays from our family to yours!

Colorado Energy Star Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 03:06:00 +0000

What a waste! A typical U.S. Family spends around $2,000 a year on home utility bills. A significant portion of that is wasted by substandard home energy performance. Even more shocking is that the fossil fuels used to generate the annual use of electricity for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two cars. This means you, the homeowner, have the ability, to reduce your energy demands and save utility dollars while reducing your carbon footprint, and making the air cleaner for all of us.

K&H Home Solutions, a 50-year leader as a window and exteriors contractor has begun to develop its insulation and weatherization expertise. Ted and Bernie Roland, owners of K&H are committed to helping homeowners create home environments that are the most comfortable and energy efficient possible. They just finished participation in the Colorado Energy Star Summit working with other professionals to develop effective business models and expertise that will bring home performance know-how to help consumers save money while improving their homes health, safety and inside home atmosphere.

When Should You Buy A Triple-pane Replacement Window With A Very Low U-factor?

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:45:00 +0000

• If you plan to live in a home for over 5 years

• If you get very high heating bills

• If energy prices in your area of residence can rise sharply

• If you want to make more savings for your future

• If you have drafty and old windows

Remember, if your windows are loose or leaky, then it’s time to change to triple pane replacement windows!

Fight High Heating Bills With Triple Pane Replacement Windows

Is heating your home eating into your savings? Take a look at your windows! Having old inefficient windows in your home is like throwing your money out of those windows, because old drafty windows won’t effectively prevent heated air from escaping your house and cold air leaking in.

The name of the game is triple pane replacement windows. Triple pane windows not only save you big money on your heating bills, but also reduce the heat gain during hot summer days. Moreover, triple pane windows covered with a special Low-E coating, can cut your heating bills by up to 40%. However, you will need to consult a professional window contractor and make sure your installation is professionally and properly done.

Happy Thanksgiving

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 03:47:00 +0000

We wish you and your families a very warm and fulfilling thanksgiving! We, K&H Home Solutions have touched so many families this past this year working in your homes. Thank you to our customers past and present for your business, our dedicated employees for delivering excellent customer service every day and our family and friends who are so near and dear to us.

Happy Thanksgiving, make the most of this day!

Your Friends at K&H Home Solutions,

Ted and Bernie Roland

KOSI 101 Radiothon for The Ronald McDonald House

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:24:00 +0000

K&H Home Solutions was one of the presenting sponsors for the KOSI 101’s annual “Light The House Radiothon” to raise money for The Ronald McDonald House.

Caring for a seriously ill child never takes a holiday. This year, with the money raised by the Radiothon The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver is able to light two houses and help to make every day spent far from home less stressful. For more than 30 years, The Ronald McDonald House have been providing families a "home away from home" while their children are receiving treatment at area hospitals.

Bernie Roland, owner of K&H Home Solutions expressed his thanks to KOSI 101 for providing K&H Home Solutions an opportunity to be a presenting sponsor of such a heartfelt cause. “These families face so many challenges year round, but you know it’s especially tough around the holidays when you know these families would rather be home. The Ronald McDonald House provides a home away from home, which is invaluable. We are delighted to be a sponsor of the KOSI 101 Radiothon, we can’t wait until next year”.

This holiday season you can help provide care, comfort and hope for a family. Your contribution enables families to be together and focus on the needs of their seriously ill child.

Let's light all the lights this holiday season at the Denver and Aurora Ronald McDonald Houses. Your donation will Light the Houses all year long and, if you choose, we will send a card acknowledging your gift. Light the Houses runs from November 16 through January 22, 2011.

http://www.lightthehouses.com/

THESE ARE THE FINAL DAYS TO GET UP TO $1,500 IN FEDERAL TAX CREDITS

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 02:22:00 +0000

Attention Homeowners:

Get the window and siding deal of the year.

The US Government is pulling the plug on the $1,500 energy tax credit on December 31st. But here’s the deal, only windows & siding installed by year’s end qualify. K&H Home Solutions Colorado’s most trusted home improvement company for over 50 years can guarantee installation if you order in the next few days.
Plus, K&H Home Solutions has teamed up with its suppliers to offer year end pricing on their revolutionary triple pane windows and siding which are designed to cut your energy bills up to 40%.

Let us show you the window and siding package that other companies only wish they had. Year end pricing, FREE government money and up to 40% energy savings.

These are the final days on our window and siding deal of the year

You Must Call Now!

303 421-7100 or go to http://www.khwindows.com/

Homeowner ALERT!!

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:44:00 +0000

These are the FINAL DAYS TO qualify for the $1,500 Energy Tax Credit towards your windows

Everyone is talking about how quick the summer flew by; kids are back in school and fall is around the corner. Also around the corner are the final days of the government’s $1,500 Energy Tax Credit. I’m sure you have heard that you have until December 31st to qualify. This means to take advantage of the $1,500 you must have your widows installed (“in service”) by December 31st.

Typical lead times for manufacturing custom windows and getting them installed is 4-8 weeks. Add a design change or manufacturing snafu and you might need an additional 2 to 4 weeks. Also, bear in mind that thanksgiving to Christmas many manufacturers are shut for a maintenance period. All of sudden you realize your “window” of opportunity to qualify for federal energy tax credits are here and now, the “Final Days”. The good news is September brings the best deals.

Homeowner’s can capitalize on Uncle Sam’s generous offer but you must hurry! The tax credit program is an incentive to invest in energy efficient home improvement products. If you’re thinking about replacement windows or doors this is your last chance to take advantage. Not only will you be saving $1,500 in tax credits, you can save up to 40% in energy usage with new energy efficient triple pane windows. Find out how to stretch your dollars by lowering your home energy usage with our Rocky Mountain Energy Savings Program. Home owners, don’t let the sun go down on your window of opportunity. Start researching today with a name you can trust, http://www.khwindows.com.your/ home will conserve energy, driving down your utility bill and it will feel toasty warm this fall and winter.

http://www.coloradoenergysavings.com/

Home Improvement Projects that Pay Back.

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Home Improvement projects to beef up value and to create comfort and enjoyment, has always been the homeowner’s strategy of choice during difficult economic times. With the added factors of energy costs and government stimulus, it is logical to add these considerations to this discussion. A helpful benchmark is Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report to determine how much of your home improvement investment you can expect to recoup.

• Window Replacement

Historically, new home builders reduce the cost of their construction by utilizing inexpensive windows that are cheaply constructed and inefficient. Couple this with the fact that technology in the construction, materials and installation of windows has improved so dramatically in the last 10 years that even homes that were built with better windows find themselves with an opportunity to dramatically improve energy efficiency by utilizing today’s high tech window replacements. With the skyrocketing cost of energy, homeowners and home buyers are more aware of the benefits of high performance windows. This awareness leads to a high return of home improvement dollars invested from the increase value of your home. Coupled with energy savings, added comfort and enhanced security, the addition of the federal government’s $1,500 tax credit drives many homeowners to choose window replacement as the home improvement project choice.

• Siding Replacement (fiber-cement or foam-backed vinyl)

Economic hardships have created a keen awareness of how we are spending our home improvement dollars. Improvements that save time, maintenance repairs, at utility and curb appeal win head and shoulders over glitzy, bells and whistle luxury choices of boom times. Siding replacement can provide the single most visually impactful home improvement you can make. With the choices of siding materials, styles and colors a homeowner can totally change to look of their home. It’s an opportunity to become the distinctive home on the block, making your home the most saleable and adding tremendous value. Remodeling Magazine indicates that one can expect 80 to 87% ROI from the cost of this improvement. Maintenance is virtually no existent and you can say good-bye to paint and paint brushes. It is also an opportunity to take care of many hidden evils such as waterlogged prone wall systems and lack of wall insulation. This is one of the best opportunities to add value and tremendous energy efficiency to your home no matter its age.

Conclusion

Taking care of your siding and windows will provide tremendous energy savings while updating and beautifying your home to please you know and attract future buyers. If your bank account permits or your credit is good this is the time to work at improving your home’s exterior. Make sure that you work with a contractor that will help you make your dreams become a reality. An experience, established company will make sure that you have reasonable expectations and will help you avoid costly errors. They will make sure that your improvement will come in on budget.

$25,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes!

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:12:00 +0000

K&H Home Solutions’ new $25,000 Home Makeover Sweepstakes lets YOU decide what you want for your home! Replacement windows, siding, roofing, doors, gutter protection...you name it; we install it. You can even mix and match. Imagine updating your entire home! This isn’t a national contest. A lucky Denver area homeowner is guaranteed to win! Click here www.khwindows.com and fill out a form to enter. Good luck from your friends at K&H Home Solutions! K&H Home Solutions, Serving Colorado for over 50 Years!

Colorado Energy Savings Program - Up To 40% Energy Savings!

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:57:00 +0000

We want to demonstrate 40% reduction in energy usage by improving the thermal envelope around your home! Interested? Become a Test Home!
ColoradoEnergySavings.com (800) 424-4755

Sealing Air Leaks

Many air leaks and drafts are easy to find because they are easy to feel, like those around windows and doors. But holes hidden in attics and wall are also an energy drain. These leaks can make your home uncomfortable, waste energy, and cost you money.

A variety of products are used to address different types of air leaks:

· Weather-stripping Entry Doors with quality material to reduce and eliminate air leaks.

· Caulk, spray foam, and weather stripping for sealing smaller leaks;

· Plywood, rigid cardboard, rigid foam insulation for covering larger holes; and

· Sheet metal and high-temperature caulk to close gaps around chimneys and furnace flues.

Adding Insulation

Insulation helps keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Blown in Cellulose insulation provides one of the best values and most effective of the different insulation materials. When correctly installed, insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills, especially during the hottest and coldest times of the year.

R-value measures insulation performance, its ability to resist heat flow. Higher R-values mean more insulating power. Different R-values are recommended for walls, attics, basements and crawlspaces, depending on your area of the country. Because insulation works best when air is not moving through or around it, it is important to seal air leaks before installing insulation to ensure that you get the best performance.

High Performance Energy Star Qualified Windows

Windows are an important part of your home’s thermal envelope. Replacing inefficient leaky windows with energy efficient windows not only provides energy savings and increase home comfort they will also add value to your home. Our Elite Triple Pane windows are equipped with Low E coatings and filled with Argon and Krypton gas to provide the best barrier to heat transfer. The Insulated Glass will also reduce sun damage to your valuable possessions.

If your home qualifies for our Colorado Energy Savings Program we will pay you for 12 months to collect valuable data about your home heating energy usage. In addition we will guarantee 40% savings in your home heating energy consumption.

Why Use Lead Safe Work Practices and What Does It Mean to You

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:06:00 +0000

If your contractor is not telling you about lead paint or is not following the law regarding lead paint, you should find another contractor.

Health Hazard

The danger to the health of people and especially our children from ingesting lead has been a medical fact for decades! Lead paint was banned from use in consumer products in 1978. Historically lead was used as an additive to paint to improve its durability and drying time. We did not realize that ingesting or inhaling lead, in the form of paint chips or dust, could be harmful especially to young children. Prior to 1978 lead paint was in common use in houses and multi-family buildings. It is estimated that 35 percent of the housing in Colorado was built before 1978.

Homeowner Information

“Renovate Right: Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools” a pamphlet published by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). In an attempt to educate the public and reduce the potential hazard of lead paint in older houses, the EPA requires that contractors inform their customers about lead paint by providing their customers with the EPA pamphlet before work begins on your home, unless your home was built after 1977.

Testing & Certified Renovators

As of April 22, 2010, for homes and multi-family buildings that were built before 1978 that are being remodeled in a fashion that impacts painted surfaces, the contractor must test on or more paint samples from each work area to check for lead paint. Testing must be performed by and EPA approved “Certified Renovator” and a reputable Contractor should have EPA approved Certified Renovators on staff or consulting.

Lead-safe Work Practices

Lead-safe work practices are mandatory if lead paint is found in the work area. A lead-safe work practice requires the use of specialized clothing, equipment, procedures and clearance testing to properly perform and finalize the work. Proper procedures will reduce the risk of dust arising from the disturbance of the lead paint. Only EPA registered Contractors are allowed to perform this work and only Certified Renovators with specially trained crews can perform lead safe work practices.

Cost

Testing adds expense and the use of lead-safe work practices will increase the time and costs incurred by contractors working to comply with regulations. You can expect the cost of these extra safety measures to be passed on to the homeowner in the form of an LSWP Fee (Lead Safe Work Practice Fee). Depending on the size and paint impact caused by the project these fees could add hundreds to thousands of dollars to the cost of your project. Project time frames will also be extended.

Exemptions & Exclusions

Currently exemptions and exclusions exist that provide cause for passing up the use of lead-safe work practices, even on a house built before 1978. A knowledgeable contractor should explain these exemptions and exclusions to you. With expert information you can determine if the savings of an exemption or exclusion would sacrifice safety. A Certified Renovator should give you copies of any exemption or exclusion forms used by a contractor, as well as copies of the results of any paint samples tested.

Contractor Integrity

If lead-safe work practices are used for a planned remodeling project, you should be given a certificate signed by the Certified Renovator showing that lead-safe work practices were properly performed. Additionally a qualified contractor will provide you with liability insurance certificates that document the contractor is insured to do lead paint testing and renovation work.

For other resources on lead, visit the following Web sites:

http://www.epa.gov/lead/ — EPA is playing a major role in addressing residential lead hazards, including deteriorating lead-based paint, lead contaminated dust and lead contaminated residential soil. This Web site provides information about lead and lead hazards and provides some simple steps to protect your family. It contains links to basic information, as well as more detailed information and documents on lead in the news, rules and regulations, education and outreach materials, training, and other lead links.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/lead/ — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control (OHHLHC) is unique among federal agencies dealing with lead- hazards, as it is staffed to bring lead health science to bear directly upon America’s housing. The site will direct you to resources on lead paint regulations, training, guidance/technical guidelines and compliance and enforcement.

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/index.html — The mission of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by: setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvements in workplace safety and health. OSHA has established the reduction of lead exposure as a high strategic priority. This site contains links to lead recognition, evaluation, compliance, and training resources.

http://www.cdc.gov/lead — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are committed to achieving improvements in people’s health. This site provides CDC’s compiled information on lead and includes materials and links for parents, health professionals, researchers, students and others interested in the topic of lead. The key resources include fact sheets, guidelines and recommendations and questions and answers.

Visit K&H At The Colorado Garden and Home Show!

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 19:48:00 +0000

Come visit K&H Home Solutions at the Colorado Garden and Home Show February 13-21 at the Colorado Convention Center. We're at booth # 313 and #904. Come and see all the latest product innovations for your spring projects!

K&H Is on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:56:00 +0000

Make sure to become a fan of K&H Home Solutions. We intend to use social media as a way to keep homeowners up to date on home improvement related topics, special events and other items of interest. Invite your friends!

Welcome To Our New Blog

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:52:00 +0000

Welcome to our new blog. As a part of our dedication to keeping Denver area homeowners abreast of the latest home improvement trends, we've put this together as part of our overall website upgrade.

We intend to periodically write articles here of interest to homeowners in the Denver area. Watch this space for articles about the tax credits that are available for making energy saving improvements to your home, new product introductions, as well as news about what is going on at K&H Home Solutions.

Make sure to look around our new and improved website and follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well. Tell us what you think!

K&H Blog Launches!

noreply@blogger.com (Bernie Roland) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:04:00 +0000

There will be lots of exciting posts to come!