Month: June 2025

When planning a home renovation, energy efficiency isn’t always top of mind — especially when choosing finishes like cabinetry, flooring, or fixtures. But if your remodel includes replacing doors, you have a major opportunity to improve comfort, lower energy bills, and reduce your environmental footprint.

Modern door technology has come a long way in terms of performance and insulation. Whether you’re updating interior spaces or giving your home’s exterior a facelift, choosing energy-efficient doors during renovation can deliver lasting value.

How Doors Affect Energy Use

Doors are more than entry points — they’re part of your home’s thermal envelope. Older or poorly sealed doors can be a major source of heat loss in the winter and cool air loss in the summer. Drafts, gaps, and low-quality materials all contribute to:

• Higher heating and cooling costs

• Inconsistent indoor temperatures

• Cold spots near doorways

• Added strain on HVAC systems
  

By upgrading to newer, well-insulated doors, you can create a more airtight home that stays comfortable year-round.

Features to Look for in Energy-Efficient Doors

If energy savings are part of your renovation goals, keep an eye out for doors with:

• Solid cores or insulated materials (like polyurethane foam)

• Weatherstripping to block air leakage

• Low-emissivity (Low-E) glass in doors with windows

• Tight-fitting frames and thresholds

• Energy Star® certification
  

These features help maintain indoor temperature while reducing reliance on heating and cooling systems.

Best Times to Upgrade Your Doors During Renovation

Door replacement fits seamlessly into many types of remodeling projects, including:

• Kitchen remodels: match interior doors with cabinetry finishes

• Basement finishing: add energy-efficient exterior doors to walkouts

• Open-concept renovations: upgrade sliding or French doors to better-insulated options

• Siding or entryway upgrades: replace old front doors for improved curb appeal and performance
  

Coordinating door installation with your renovation timeline can prevent rework and reduce labor costs.

Additional Tips for Energy-Smart Renovations

• Add a storm door for an extra layer of insulation

• Use door sweeps to block drafts at the base

• Seal gaps with caulk or expanding foam

• Pair door upgrades with new windows for maximum efficiency gains
  

If you’re investing in a home renovation, don’t miss the chance to make your space more energy-efficient. Replacing outdated doors with modern, high-performance models is a small change that can lead to big savings — and greater year-round comfort.

A smarter home starts with smarter upgrades — and your doors are the perfect place to begin.

Older homes come with charm, history, and character — but they can also come with hidden pest problems. From wood-destroying insects to rodents and moisture-loving bugs, years of wear and tear often create the perfect environment for infestations. If you’re planning a renovation, especially in a house built decades ago, it’s essential to understand the pest risks that may be lurking behind the walls.

Why Older Homes Attract Pests

Over time, homes settle, materials degrade, and tiny gaps or cracks form in foundations, siding, and roofing. This natural aging process, combined with outdated construction methods and materials, creates countless entry points for pests. In some cases, the infestation began years earlier and went unnoticed — only to be revealed once renovation begins.

Top Pest Issues in Older Homes

Here are the most common pest problems contractors and homeowners encounter during remodeling projects:

1. Termites

These silent destroyers thrive in damp, dark environments and can go undetected for years. By the time visible damage is discovered, the structural integrity of beams, flooring, and subfloors may already be compromised.

2. Rodents

Older homes often have gaps around vents, pipes, crawlspaces, or under foundations that allow mice or rats easy access. Rodents can chew through wires, nest in insulation, and leave behind health hazards.

3. Carpenter Ants

Like termites, carpenter ants tunnel through wood — but they don’t eat it. Instead, they create hollowed-out galleries that weaken framing. They’re especially common in moist areas like bathrooms or under leaky windows.

4. Cockroaches

Cracks in walls, outdated plumbing, and hidden water sources make older homes ideal for roach infestations. Remodeling kitchens, basements, or bathrooms often reveals nests behind cabinets or appliances.

5. Silverfish and Other Moisture Pests

Basements and attics in older homes can harbor silverfish, centipedes, and other insects that prefer damp, undisturbed areas.

Renovation Red Flags: What to Watch For

During a remodel, keep an eye out for:

• Sawdust-like material near baseboards or wood trim (may indicate termites)
• Chewed wiring, insulation, or nesting materials
• Droppings or foul odors in enclosed spaces
• Soft or hollow-sounding wood in beams or flooring
• Dead insects clustered in corners or light fixtures

If you or your contractor notice any of these signs, it’s time to pause and address the issue before moving forward.

The Right Sequence: Pest Inspection Before Construction

Don’t wait until demolition reveals the damage — it’s much more cost-effective and safer to schedule a professional pest inspection before the first swing of the hammer. Treating pests early can:

• Prevent costly rework
• Reduce delays in your renovation timeline
• Protect the health of your household
• Preserve new materials from contamination or damage
  

A Smarter Renovation Starts With Prevention

Older homes can be beautifully transformed, but they require a thoughtful approach — one that includes pest prevention as part of the renovation strategy. Whether you’re remodeling a bathroom, finishing a basement, or upgrading an entire floor, don’t forget to assess the condition behind the walls before you start building over them.

A well-planned remodel doesn’t just improve your home’s function and aesthetics — it also ensures your space is safe, healthy, and pest-free.

Planning a major home renovation is exciting — new layouts, updated finishes, better energy efficiency. But if your roof is outdated or showing signs of wear, it’s worth tackling that upgrade before you start any remodeling. In fact, getting a new roof first might be the smartest move you can make.

Here’s why your roof should come before the renovation dust even begins to fly.

1. A Solid Roof Protects Your Investment

Remodeling projects often include new drywall, paint, flooring, cabinetry, or even reconfiguring entire spaces. If your roof is old or compromised, any hidden leaks or future storm damage could destroy those improvements in an instant.

Getting a new roof first ensures your renovation investment is protected from the top down — especially if you’re redoing ceilings, insulation, or lighting.

2. It Improves Energy Efficiency Across the Board

Many homeowners use remodeling as a chance to improve insulation, install energy-efficient windows, or redesign HVAC layouts. But none of those efforts will pay off if your roof is leaking air or moisture.

A newly installed, properly ventilated roof helps maintain indoor comfort and reduces your energy bills — making the rest of your home upgrades more effective.

3. It Helps Prevent Construction Delays

If you remodel first and discover a roofing issue mid-project, the result can be expensive delays and damage. Ceiling leaks or structural problems discovered after the fact can stall work, increase labor costs, and cause materials to be re-ordered or replaced.

Scheduling a roof inspection — and replacing if needed — before remodeling starts gives your project a cleaner timeline and fewer surprises.

4. It Gives Your Exterior a Cohesive Look

If you’re improving your home’s curb appeal with new siding, windows, or trim, a worn-out or mismatched roof can make the upgrades feel incomplete. A fresh roof sets the tone for the entire exterior design — whether you’re going modern, rustic, or traditional.

Plus, today’s roofing materials come in a variety of colors and textures that can elevate the look of your renovation.

5. It Adds Immediate Value to the Home

A new roof is one of the top resale upgrades for homeowners, and paired with interior renovations, it sends a clear message: this home is well cared for and move-in ready.

Whether you’re renovating for yourself or prepping to sell in the next few years, a strong roof adds both protection and real market value.

While it’s tempting to dive straight into interior renovations, overlooking the condition of your roof can lead to future problems and costly repairs. By upgrading your roof before you remodel, you create a safer, more efficient, and more valuable foundation for the improvements to come.