Here in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, we don’t often suffer the extreme weather conditions experienced elsewhere in the United States. However, we do see our share of hot and cold weather, and unlike the rest of the country, our homes typically aren’t built to ward off either. Few homes in the Bay Area have central air conditioning, so when hot weather strikes, there isn’t much we can do but sweat it out.

One reliable way to beat the heat is to invest in home improvement measures that lower heat gain and increase energy efficiency. Some measures are more costly and intensive than others, but all of them can make your home more comfortable during hot weather.  Read more

The California State Licensing Board (CSLB) wants consumers to know that all home improvement contracts are required to contain certain language. If you aren’t aware of this prerequisite, the CSLB’s website has plenty of information that will get you acquainted with the elements of a proper contract. In addition, you can prevent stress and conflict during a construction project by tactfully requesting that your contract contain the following three elements:

A payment schedule with a task-by-task breakdown. The easier it is for you to read and understand your contract, the better. If the payment schedule is broken down by “percentage of job completed,” ask for a task-by-task breakdown instead so you can verify the work that has actually been done. Read more

I’ll admit, I like being greeted at the front door. For me, the home environment is the hug that wraps me in a warm embrace on a rainy day or the kiss of cold that greets me at the door when it’s over 100 degrees outside. That’s my kind of “welcome home.”

Unfortunately, my home is insulated to 1970 building code standards, so I’d be surprised if it even had insulation in the attic (I’m afraid of the attic, so I’m not going to check). My home’s exterior walls aren’t insulated and the windows are single-pane, aluminum-framed, and leaking air in all the wrong directions. There’s a fireplace but it doesn’t warm the air in front of it. Read more

In California, anyone offering home improvement services must be licensed if the project will entail at least $500 worth of work from start to finish. The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) issues contractor licenses, enforces contracting laws and resolves disputes related to contractors working in California. Here are some quick facts: Read more

“As members of the Tree Care Industry Association, we strive to…improve the quality of life through increasing our knowledge and skills in the management of trees, shrubs, and other landscape plants entrusted to our care.” – From the Tree Care Industry Association’s Arborist Pledge

If you’re planning to care for your trees this summer, it’s a good idea to get to know the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA). Most people recognize the ways trees make our lives better. Not only are they beautiful, they also improve our air, offer a home to wildlife and stabilize the soil. But the urban and suburban trees growing in our yards need proper care to thrive, Read more

It’s no surprise that the attic is one of the most neglected areas of the home. Being out of sight, it’s understandably out of most homeowners’ minds. What may come as a surprise, however, is the extent to which conditions in the attic can impact a home’s comfort, energy efficiency and air quality. To gain further insight, we’ve asked five Diamond Certified Expert Contributors to talk about three important aspects of the attic: insulation, cleaning and ventilation. Read more

Back in 2011, Chris Bjorklund, the Savvy Consumer, wrote the original version of this article. Kitchens have changed since then, but the sentiment is timeless: for those of us who live in the Bay Area, there simply isn’t room for space wasters in the kitchen. With that, read on to learn how to replace those space wasters with space savers.

Out: Kitchen desks

In her original post, Chris mentioned that the only family member to ever use her kitchen desk was the dog. Even in 2011, laptops and cellular devices were making traditional desks obsolete. Read more