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The world we live in is rapidly becoming increasingly aware of the impact of our daily activities on the environment. Each day, more and more people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint and make our planet a better, healthier place.

When it comes to the strategies for achieving that goal, improving the energy efficiency of your Fort Collins home is at the very top. In doing so you’re not only helping the environment but, also, significantly boosting your home budget!

In this article, we’ll go over 4 simple and affordable ways to up the eco-friendliness of your home, whereas in the next one, we’ll focus on more expensive and much more effective upgrades that give substantial long-term gains. 

Energy-efficient lighting

By far the easiest and most budget-friendly way to reduce your carbon footprint is to switch to energy-efficient lighting. LED light bulbs are the best option in this regard. Not only do they use up to 80% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs but they also last up to 25 times longer.

This means that you’ll have to replace them far less often, thus reducing the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill. Plus, LED lights emit less heat than their standard counterparts, so you won’t have to run your air conditioning as much during the warm summer evenings.

Programmable thermostat

Installing a programmable thermostat is one of the most effective ways to reduce your energy consumption. This small (and quite cheap!) upgrade allows you to set the temperature of your home according to your schedule, ensuring that you’re not wasting energy when you’re away. 

For example, you can program the thermostat to lower the temperature at night, when you’re at work, or away for your daily hike at Riverband Ponds. The best thing is that this upgrade alone can help you save up to 10% on your energy bills. Not too shabby!

Low-Flow Showerheads

The last ones in the line of super-cheap, yet excellent upgrades are low-flow showerheads and for two reasons:

• Up to 50% reduction in water consumption. Low-flow showerheads are designed to use less than 2.5 gallons per minute. Compared to the traditional showerheads that can use up to 5 gallons per minute, that is a significant improvement.
• Improved efficacy of your water heater. Since you’ll be using much less hot water, your water heater won’t have to work as hard, which directly translates into lower energy consumption.

In other words, low-flow showerheads deliver the best of both worlds in a single package and at a cost that is next to negligible. Definitely a must-have!

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a bit more expensive, but still affordable and effective upgrades that allow you to improve the air circulation in your home and reduce your reliance on heating and cooling systems:

• During hot summer months, ceiling fans can create a cool breeze that will keep you cozy without the need to crank up the cooling to 11;
• During the winter, you can reverse the direction of the blades to push warm air down from the ceiling, which can reduce the need for heating.

In addition to their energy-saving benefits, ceiling fans can also add to the aesthetics of every room, which is only a big plus.

Which company can help me improve the energy efficiency of my home in Fort Collins?

Handyman Connection of Fort Collins is your go-to choice, whether you want to upgrade your home to reap those juicy benefits of lowered utility bills, or simply wish to avoid common mistakes that reduce its energy efficacy.

Our team of experienced professionals can help you identify critical areas of your home and provide you with cost-effective solutions to help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint. Get in touch with us today and let us take your property to the next level of eco-friendliness and profitability.

As our world becomes more and more conscious of the effects of global warming and climate change, we are continuously seeking ways to reduce our carbon footprint. One way to do this is by upgrading our homes in Fort Collins and improving their energy efficiency.

Aside from helping the planet (which is beneficial for everyone), the best thing about switching to eco-friendly solutions is that you can save significant amounts of money on utility bills.

Whereas in the previous article we discussed some budget-friendly options to make your home more energy efficient, in this one we’ll focus on upgrades that are more expensive but offer significantly better ROI, especially in the long run.

Sealing air leaks around doors and windows

Air leaks can cause a significant loss of heat in the winter and cool air in the summer, leading to higher energy bills. Therefore, sealing them off should be at the very top of your priority list, especially because it is a relatively easy and affordable task.

For the most part, getting rid of the air leaks entails using weather stripping or caulking to seal any gaps around your windows and doors, both of which you can find at every hardware store. Additionally, you can use draft stoppers to block any gaps under doors which are also quite cheap and widely available.

Upgrading to Energy-Efficient Windows and Doors

Standard windows and doors hardly boast admirable energy efficiency which hurts the comfort level of your home, as well as your wallet. As such, switching them out for more sustainable counterparts could prove incredibly beneficial.

Energy-efficient windows and doors are designed to reduce heat transfer and prevent air leakage. They are typically made with multiple panes of glass, low-emissivity coatings, and insulated frames.

Additionally, many energy-efficient windows and doors come with a label from Energy Star, indicating that they meet specific energy efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Granted, replacing all the doors and windows in your home is a significant investment. However, seeing how much you can save with it in the long run, it is definitely worth considering.

Improving the Insulation in Attics and Walls

Insulation is an absolutely critical element for maintaining an energy-efficient home. It works by slowing down the transfer of heat between the inside and outside of your home. However, if your insulation is old, inadequate, or poorly installed, it may not be doing its job effectively.

You can make your home more element-resistant by:

• Adding more insulation. This can be a viable option if the existing insulation isn’t too damaged. Also, do note that newer materials aren’t backward-compatible, so if your old insulation is too old, you might have to replace it altogether.
• Replacing the old insulation with the new one. This is definitely the better option of the two, as new materials provide significant R-rating improvement over the old ones and can last for a long time.

Upgrading to Energy-Efficient Appliances

Household appliances are the biggest energy consumers in your home. From stoves and microwaves to water heaters and washing machines, everything eats up energy and ramps up the bills. What’s more, the older the appliances, the more inefficient and wasteful they are.

This means that weeding them out slowly (or all at once, according to your capabilities), is a must if you wish for a sustainable home. Fortunately, today, you are all but spoiled for choice.

Similarly to doors and windows, many modern appliances come with Energy Star labels, indicating that they meet specific guidelines set by the EPA. When shopping for new gadgets and devices, look for ones with the Energy Star label and compare the energy usage of different models so you can find ones that best fit your needs and budget.

Which company in Fort Collins can reliably improve the energy efficiency of my home?

Handyman Connection of Fort Collins is a collective of highly trained professionals whose singular goal is to make your home a better place to live in. Whether you wish to make your home a paragon of sustainability and eco-friendliness or give it a few tweaks to optimize its energy usage, we have the knowledge and solutions that will fit your needs and budget. Reach out to us today or swing by our headquarters while on your way to Prairie Dog Meadow for a comprehensive home improvement plan that will benefit you for years to come.

The process of organizing your home can be quite enjoyable. Whether you’re looking for innovative storage ideas for practical reasons or decorative purposes, shelving can provide a wide assortment of possibilities. Whichever style you choose – be it a charming freestanding unit or sleek floating wall shelves – it’s a sophisticated and practical addition to any home. 

Keep on reading because the following article offers some tips on how to get the extra storage space you’ve always needed in your Loveland residence. However, if you want to be sure the shelves fit perfectly in any room, make sure you hire professional shelving installation services!

What are some contemporary shelving ideas to consider?

There is a rapid change in interior décor trends every year. Whether you’re drawn to charming cottage-style wood shelving or minimalist pieces, today there are shelves for every room of your home – living room, kitchen space, home office, even for your playroom or media room. 

Open-wall shelves

An open shelving system is mostly used to add style and visual interest to a room. Apart from this, it often serves as a space-saving solution. In case you don’t mind regular maintenance, open shelving will be the perfect choice for you.

In 2023, open-wall storage units are expected to gain in popularity due to their ability to create a sense of spaciousness and their relatively low cost. You probably understand how important this is when you’re on a mission to bring order back to your home.

Invisible bookshelves

There’s no magic to it, but these shelves appear almost invisible from certain angles. However, they do require matching wall colors – and voila! The items on the shelves seem to float, adding a magical touch to the room.

Furthermore, they clear any room of clutter, giving it a more open feel. Keep in mind that books and small indoor plants work well on the invisible wall shelf. On the other hand, they’re not the best place to keep your delicate or bulky objects.

Fishbone shelves

The popularity of this elegant and trendy wall shelf will likely grow in 2023 due to several factors. The fishbone shelving system is ideal for storing books because of its simple yet attractive organization. Moreover, their appearance can be altered by rotating them at different angles.  

Please note that you can match the color of the shelves with the surrounding wall to create a floating effect. 

Floating shelves

Compared to traditional cabinets, these shelves offer just as much storage space, while remaining completely open and accessible. As a result, any room will appear larger since wall space will be occupied instead of counter, table, or nightstand space. Thanks to their versatility, they can add a touch of formality to your space as well as make it more casual.

Built-in bookshelves

In addition to providing practical storage space, built-in bookshelves also add a homey feel to any room. Depending on the design, they range from pantry shelves and office cabinets to reading benches with shelves surrounding them. Often, they help with space issues and give a home a more luxurious feel.

Where in Loveland can I book expert shelving installation services?

If you need a skilled and experienced team to install your shelving professionally and avoid some of the common shelving mistakes, Handyman Connection of Fort Collins has you covered. Whether you need expert advice on how to prepare your home for an installation or need help mounting your new shelf, you can count on our technicians for prompt and professional service.

Give us a call or request a free estimate today for your home, no matter if you live near Carter Lake or elsewhere in the area!

You won’t find a more versatile storage solution for your home than shelving. In addition to adding visual contrast, they can also help you organize your home and save some space all at once. 

However, if you want to speed up the installation process and make sure to hang your shelves safely, steer clear of these common shelving installation mistakes. In case you’re not sure how to do it, make sure you turn to reliable experts in Loveland for help!

What mistakes should I avoid making when installing new shelves?

Keep these mistakes in mind if you plan on adding shelves soon:

Wrong material choice 

Choosing the right shelving unit material for your home requires some consideration. The first thing you should keep in mind is that the type of material they’re made of will determine how much weight they have. It will further affect how easily you’ll be able to mount them on the wall. For example, installing wooden shelves requires longer screws due to the weight of the material, while thin metal shelves may be easier to handle because they weigh less.

Using the wrong tools 

As we all know, you can’t drill a hole in a concrete wall with your hands. And it’s not a good idea to search for something halfway through the installation since you’ll only delay the process and possibly waste your efforts.

For this reason, be certain to prepare the necessary tools way in advance:

• A measuring tape
• A standard level
• Drywall anchors 
• Screws & a screwdriver 
• Shelf brackets 
• A hammer 
• A drill 

Unsuitable location for a shelf

Once everything is ready, decide where your shelf should go. In fact, this step is more crucial than you might think, since homeowners often misplace them without realizing that they are soon in danger of falling off. 

Because of this, you’ll also want to consider the type of items you plan to place on it. Your answers will determine whether you need to use drywall anchors or wall studs.

Skimping on screws & brackets

The most common mistake homeowners make is to skip using all the screws they receive with their shelf, and only use a few of them. As a result of this decision, your shelves will probably crash at some point in the future. The manufacturer provides a specific number of screws and brackets for a reason, so please ensure you apply them correctly.

Not checking the wall

There may be cables and wires hidden behind your walls, so don’t just drill into them randomly. Drilling holes wherever you want may also compromise the structure of your home, so it’s best to inspect the wall first and see if anything else will be affected.

To drill safely, you can use a stud finder to help you avoid cables and other wires during this process. Alternatively, examine the location of light switches and outlets. Typically, they have horizontal or vertical wires, so keep your distance from them.

Where can I find shelving installation experts in Loveland and the area? 

Looking for some ideas for modern shelves? Or perhaps you want to prepare your home for the new shelving you just bought but don’t know how? No worries, you’re not alone. Handyman Connection of Fort Collins has a team of knowledgeable and devoted technicians up for any challenge.

No matter the issue and scope of the project, we’re ready to handle it and take it off your shoulders completely. Our services range from plumbing to painting your house in Loveland and the region. Simply reach out to us or request a free quote, and enjoy all the benefits of expert shelving installation!

Those awesome new shelves have finally arrived. At long last, you can sort that clutter that you’ve been tripping over for the past few months and make your home cozier and more functional. Now, all you have to do is find professional shelving installers and give them a call.

But wait! Before you jump and google “shelving installation near me”, there are a few things you can do to make the work much smoother for both you and them. Let’s see what those are.

How do I prepare to install new shelves?

When installing new shelving, the name of the game is “efficiency and safety”. You want the work to be as risk-free and swift as possible, without sacrificing the quality in the process. Fortunately, that can be easily accomplished with only a few steps.

Plan ahead

Shelving is more than just extra storage. Granted, this is its primary purpose, but you can make it more. Those shelves are something you’ll see every day. As such, they should enhance the space both functionally and aesthetically. Therefore, rushing the decision of which one to get or where to put it is one of the greatest mistakes you can make with new shelves. 

Instead, consider how it will fit in your general environment. Will the aesthetic fit? Will you be able to put your entire book collection there, without it breaking apart? If there was a shelf there already, can you reuse the existing holes, or will you need to drill new ones? If so, can your drywall handle it or will you have to monkey around to find a different solution?

These are all valid questions, and it will do you good to ask yourself them. It will save you a lot of time, energy, money, and nerves, especially in the long run.

Consider contemporary shelving solutions

In recent years, minimalistic designs are all the rage. No surprise there, really. They’re functional, open up the space, look awesome, and can fit well with virtually any decor. Of course, shelving is no exception. And, to make the deal sweeter, they are quite affordable.

Therefore, if you’re still searching for that perfect piece to go with the rest of your furniture, consider the latest shelving solutions. You may be surprised at how good a value you can get without compromising the overall looks of the room.

Clear the area 

Now we arrive at the biggest concern: safety. Whether you’re hiring someone to do the job or you’re preparing to DIY install the shelf like a pro, you’ll need a lot of space. The last thing you want is to trip over stuff while holding a drill, screwdriver, or shelf itself. Or to trip over stuff in general.

To boost safety (yours or workers’), be sure to clear the area where the new shelving job will take place. You don’t have to clear the entire room. Just make sure there’s enough space to maneuver and to put tools and materials so they are within reach, but not in the way.

Is there a reliable company for shelving installation near me?

You’ll find Handyman Connection, Fort Collins’s’ #1 home maintenance service provider, whether you live near Carter Lake or elsewhere in the area. Whether you need to mount shelves or that heavy painting on your wall, a new fire detector, or a lustrous new chandelier on the ceiling, we have the tools, expertise, and dedication to make it happen swiftly and safely. Reach out to us today and we’ll make your home improvement project effortless.

If you’ve lived in one place for a while, it is only normal to accumulate lots and lots of stuff. However, the problems start when you run out of space to store all those goodies. Before long, there will be all sorts of items and boxes on the horizontal plane of your space. 

The logical solution? Go vertical! Shelves are an amazing way to keep your home neat and tidy and have all your stuff within reach. It’s just that you need to install them first. Here’s some useful advice that will teach you how to install your new shelves like you’re a shelving installation services pro from Loveland.

How do I install my shelves like a pro?

Before we start, it is important to note that this won’t be a step-by-step guide on shelving installation. You can easily find all those instructions in an installation manual. Rather, we’ll give you some advice that will make your work easier and safer.

With that out of the way, the two key factors to installing shelving without hassle are:

• Mindful preparation, and;
• Careful execution. 

If you thought that the former is more important than the latter, you’re exactly right! Execution simply means following the instructions, since modern shelving systems are super easy to assemble. Therefore, let’s dive into the preparation part.

A bit of planning goes a long way

Yes, detailed planning takes a lot of time. However, it saves much more in the long run. So don’t just buy shelving and get down to business. Instead, consider your exact needs and the overall aesthetics of your surroundings. After all, the point of installing shelves isn’t just to get more space but to make that space pleasing as well.

Location, location, location!

Now that you know what you want and where you want it, it is time to do a test run. For this, you’ll need:

• A measuring tape;
• A leveling tool;
• Painter’s tape. 

When you’ve got your tools ready, it’s time to make your shelves fit perfectly on your wall. 

Cut a piece of painter’s tape to the length of the shelf. Then, use the level to make it well, level, and trace the line with the painter’s tape.

Doing this will give you a pretty good idea of how your shelves will fit. And since they’re not in place yet, you can remove the tape and repeat the process until you hit that sweet spot. 

Extra tip: If possible, attach your shelves’ brackets to the studs inside the wall. You’ll need a stud finder tool for this, but the shelving will be much more stable.

Prepare the premises

The last point of the order is to prepare your home for shelving. Fortunately, this is the easiest part of the job. The logic to follow here is:

• Make room: Move all the stuff and furniture out of your way. You’ll be doing a lot of back-and-forths and the last thing you need is to trip every time you move.
• Designate a tool space: Efficiency is the name of the game here. With all the tools within reach, you’ll save a lot of time (and even more nerves) when installing shelves.

Doing this ensures you can install your new shelves swiftly and, more importantly, safely. 

Make shelving installation super-safe and mistake-free

Shelving installation is not an impossible task. Still, there are some nuances that can cause you trouble, aside from being messy and time-consuming. Therefore, if you’re at all uncertain about your skills or if you want to avoid common mistakes when installing shelves, don’t risk it.

Hire pros to do the job for you, and rest easy. Not only they’ll do a fine job, but they’ll also leave your weekend free for that fishing trip to Gateway Pond you’ve been planning for a while.

Which shelving installation services in Loveland should I go for?

If you need a skilled and experienced team to install your shelving or repair anything in your home, Handyman Connection of Fort Collins is the right choice. Our technicians are trained to assist you with any home improvement project or to take it off of your hands and mind entirely, no matter if you live near Big Thompson Parks or in the region. From plumbing to repainting your house, you can rely on us to do a quality job and do it efficiently. Give us a call or request a free estimate today, and you’ll have a masterful handymen team at your disposal.