Maryland and D.C. Home Improvement and Home Inspection discussion and Repair Advice

Homeowner and Handyman Tips from EFynch.   Baltimore, MD:  The other day I heard from a homeowner who was approached by a door-to-door salesman "selling electricity". Although this sounds odd and I do not necessarily agree with the tactic, it is indeed possible and legitimate (or possibly legitimate). Maryland Energy is confusing at first but simple to explain.   Here is the short version (I am using a Baltimore home as the example). - BGE is your Distributor. They own and maintain the power lines, and handle the payments (sending you a bill, setting up service, etc.). They do not generate any electricity and are a regulated utility. You receive a bill from BGE then BGE distributes those funds to the various entities involved with getting the electricity to your home. Besides maintaining the power lines, they are like the bookkeeper.  - The Supplier of electricity is NOT BGE- The supplier is also known as the Generator . Historically the Generator had bee...

Beating the heat and saving money: Tips on reducing your home's energy consumption. Washington D.C.: Now that we are in the dog days of summer, you have to think about energy usage. Your AC can use the most energy of any appliance in your home. That sweet, satisfying, cool air that keeps your brow from collecting sweat is valuable and MUST be preserved. Here in Maryland and Washington D.C., we get a dozen or so days over 100 degrees. Regardless of temperature- every day is filled with swampy and muggy air that is swimmingly. . . gross! Below are a few quick tips on reducing your energy consumption and preserving the cold air. You can literally reduce your summer energy bills by 20% to 40% by following this information. Summer energy efficiency is often overlooked when compared to the winterization of your home. That is because cold can cause damage and as humans, we fear it. However, when thinking of the wear and tear to your home HVAC and the energy required to...

The Home Energy Saver We All Overlook: How Window Treatments can reduce your energy bids. Baltimore, MD- EFynch.com: Windows are one of the most overlooked energy monsters in your home. Although great advances have been made with increasing insulation value (yes, insulation is equally important for HOT as it is for COLD), the hot summer sun pummels your windows all day long. That heat literally turns anything it touches into a radiator which can cause your AC to run constantly as some indoor surfaces can top 130 degrees Fahrenheit! To battle this, a few years ago I spent time studying Passive Solar. The idea is you design your home to block out the summer sun but let it in during the winter (has to do with shutters and angles, besides the point). In this practice you use certain finishes in your home to capture the right heat .etc. etc.etc. . This is great but, it requires work and planning. If you are looking for changes that can have an effect right away- tomorrow- literally....

Now it's cold!- What is your home thinking?  Quick, no cost ways to winterize your home.  By: EFynch.com Well hello! Just like a thrown cup of cold water in the shower, the cold wind jolted me awake this morning while walking my dog at 5:30am. Winter has descended on Maryland with a fury and it seems like just last week you could stroll around Baltimore with a light jacket. If you haven't done so yet- you really need to make sure your home is winterized ASAP. We surveyed Pros and Seasoned Homeowners for this one. Below are the most common tips to do immediately which all are NO COST: Homeowner To Do List: 1. Winterize outdoor Faucets. ( 30 second video here ) 2. Inspect roof and gutters (look for water pooling, leaks, damage) from both the outside and from inside your attic. *even if you had them cleaned, try to give it a quick look. 3. Winterize outdoor equipment: (power equipment and HVAC)* 4. Test and/ or get repairs to snowblowers now (not in January).*...