The Raleigh Home Inspector Thinks You Won't Want To Miss The Southern Ideal Home Show

If you’re interested in just about anything that has to do with a home, and we do mean just about anything, you’ll want to make plans to attend one of the premier home-related shows in North Carolina. This extravaganza is being held Friday September 23 – Sunday September 25 at the Raleigh Fairgrounds.

As Home Inspectors (and we own homes, too) we are really looking forward to the events held in the Jim Graham Building where you can see and consider most things related to home improvement….whether that be windows or decks or spas or pools, there will be the Building and Home Improvement exhibits, there will surely be something of interest to you. There will be the the Living Green Pavilion where you can learn about all kinds of products and methods to contribute to a better environment and save a little money on the process. And there will the CARE Pavilion that will showcase products that will help you and your home get along better as you age.

In the Exposition Center, you’ll find the Kitchen and Bath exhibits and the Interiors Showplace…where you can find the things that you need to make your dream interior a reality with products that are not only gorgeous but are practical as well.

And of course, there’s the ever-popular Outdoor Living and Show Gardens where you’ll find all kinds of products and ideas to make the outside of your home just as attractive as the inside. And stop by Extensions Successful Gardener Learning Center to make that green thumb as green as it can be!

The Raleigh Home Inspector Recommends That You Attend The Southern Ideal Home Show

For General information visit the Southern Ideal Home Show website. For driving direction from wherever it is that you might be coming from, Click Here.

And….Have fun at the show!

And if you are in need of top-of-the-line, professional Home Inspection, whether you’re getting ready to buy a home or to sell one and get it ready to put on the market, then give us a call at 919.848.4833 and Schedule Your Home Inspection today.

If you need a “Quality” Home Inspection…a Quality Residential Inspections Home Inspection, then be sure to contact us and schedule today! You’ll Be Glad You Did!

Savings heat up with solar-powered water heaters

(ARA) – More homeowners are deciding solar power is the right thing to do – for the sake of the environment and their wallets. New technologies make it easier than ever to use the sun to heat water in our homes. And Congress is helping make going green a cash-smart move too, by extending the federal solar tax credit another eight years.

Thanks to the tax credit program, you can recoup 30 percent of the total installed cost of a solar water heating system. “It’s a great time to switch to solar power for your water heating needs,” says Jim Cika, a solar water heating expert with VELUX America. But before you buy a solar water heater, do your homework, he urges, learn about the technologies available and review just how solar-friendly your home can be.

“Homeowners need to factor in geographic location, orientation of the roof for solar collectors, costs and tax incentives and rebates that may be available to arrive at an economically sensible and environmentally-sensitive decision,” Cika says.

While a solar water heating system usually costs more to purchase and install than a conventional water heating system, it can reduce energy costs in the long run and is much kinder to the planet.

Cika says that the cost of an installed ENERGY STAR qualified system from his company will vary depending upon the volume of heated water required in a home. A packaged system consisting of one, two or three rooftop solar collector panels will usually be installed along with a 60, 80 or 120-gallon solar storage tank. An average installation is projected to cost $6,500 to $11,000, with some complex installations running as much as $12,000. Systems are available for gas, electric and boiler markets throughout the U.S., Cika says.

“On average,” he says, “if you install a solar water heater, your water heating bills should drop 50 to 80 percent — not an insignificant sum when you consider that the Department of Energy says that water heating can account for 14 to 25 percent of the energy consumed in our homes.”

According to Cika, in the construction of a new home, where the cost of the system is rolled into the mortgage, homeowners can save more on their monthly energy bills than the increase in their house payment. “Solar water heating provides a positive cash flow from the day of move in,” he says, “effectively giving an immediate payback.”

“In the case of an installation in an existing home in an area that has both federal and state rebates and incentives,” he says, “the payback can vary from three to seven years.”

Two primary solar technologies are available in the market right now: solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal. The photovoltaic process uses the sun to generate electricity and solar thermal uses the sun to heat water. Solar thermal often is the technology of choice for homeowners for a number of reasons. Kevin Hughes, a writer for GreenBuildingElements.com, who installed a solar thermal system in his San Francisco home, explains why.

“I prefer solar thermal, specifically solar hot water, a much older technology. It is much cheaper to install, much more efficient and has a much faster payback,” he says.

For homeowners considering an installation, the Internet offers a number of websites that can be helpful with an analysis and then with locating products and installers. Findsolar.com and nabcep.org list certified installers by state. Solar-rating.org lists certified solar equipment manufacturers and certified installers for VELUX units are listed at veluxusa.com.

Eere.energy.gov/consumer includes a link to a calculator for initial cost, annual operating costs and determining payback, as well as a consumer’s guide to solar thermal, while nrel.gov offers a consumer’s guide to photovoltaic. Federal and state tax credit information, by geographic area, is available at dsireusa.org.

Cika says that solar water heating represents a logical first step for homeowners who want to harness the power of the sun because it is relatively simple technology compared to generating electricity from the sun. “The technologies accomplish different objectives,” he says, “but they both will pay increasing dividends to homeowners who utilize them now and in the future.”

For more information on the benefits of solar water heating or natural light and ventilation through skylights, call (800) 283-2831 or visit veluxusa.com.

Courtesy ARAcontent

Call the Raleigh Home Inspector today at 919.848.4833 to schedule your Raleigh Home Inspection. And please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or……. leave us a comment below.

“Thank You for taking the time to do the home inspection. We were pleased with your service. The report was well organized with clear photos demonstrating your points. Most of all thank you for all the tips that were above and beyond the home inspection. There is really nothing we wold have liked to see happen differently.”

Amanda and James Layne

“Hi Gary!

Danielle Williams
Home Inspection Client
Cary, NC”

Raleigh Home Inspection Reveals Structural Failure

During a home inspection in Raleigh, NC this was discovered – this chimney has separated from the building because of a structural failure. The cost of repairs will be expensive.

A professional home inspection by Quality Residential Inspections revealed an expensive repair that many home buyers would not recognize.