Beginners Guide to RV Trailers for First-Time RV Buyers

Beginners Guide to RV Trailers for First-Time RV Buyers

There’s nothing quite like the freedom that comes with owning an RV trailer. Beautiful mountain vistas, mesmerizing oceans, and exciting adventures are easily at your disposal when you can haul your accommodations behind your vehicle. An RV trailer is defined as a trailer that is outfitted with living quarters and is hauled behind a tow vehicle using a hitch. This is in comparison to a motorhome, which does not need to be towed because the RV, itself, is drivable.  

Types of RV Trailers

There are many different types of RV trailers to fit the needs of a wide variety of travelers:

even 

  •  Pop-up trailers – These look similar to a box and are only a few feet tall when being towed. At the campsite, the owner raises the “lid” by turning a crank or pressing an automatic crank button. Then, beds slide out on either side. The slide-out beds and middle living area are protected from the elements by canvas walls and clear, vinyl, zippered windows. The central part of the pop-up camper might be big enough for a small kitchen, table, and bench seats.
  • Truck campers – This kind of camper is the one exception to the “towed” part of the RV trailer definition. A truck camper doesn’t need to be towed because it sits in a truck bed and does not have wheels. Usually, the bed area extends over the cab of the truck.
  •  Hybrid trailers – This kind of trailer is a cross between a pop-up camper and a travel trailer. They mostly have rigid exterior walls in addition to slide-outs with canvas walls.
  • Travel trailers – These are what most people think about when they hear “RV trailer.”  They widely vary in size and often feature hard-wall slide-outs. Most of the time, they are big enough to have a full (albeit small) bathroom.
  • Fifth-wheel trailers – Fifth-wheel trailers are larger than most travel trailers. Instead of connecting to a bumper hitch, they attach to a large hitch that must be installed in the bed of your truck. Some 5th wheels are suitable for winter living with RV Skirting.
  • Sport-utility trailers – They come equipped with living space on the front end, as well as a garage and ramp on the back end. People who travel with motocross bikes, ATVs, or other sports-utility vehicles often use them because they can simply roll their “toys” into the back of the trailer and camp simultaneously. 
Travel Trailer with 4 x 4 Van Tow Vehicle

Image by Gavin Seim from Pixabay

Benefits of Owning an RV Trailer

It’s not hard to see the numerous benefits of having your own hotel-on-wheels. Traveling with an RV trailer gives you more control over your vacation. Headaches over canceled flights and questioning the cleanliness of highly-used hotel mattresses will be no more. Additionally, you can forgo expensive restaurants by making your own food in your RV kitchen.

RV Trailer vs. MotorHome

When comparing a motorhome to an RV trailer, there are many reasons why people often opt for the latter. It’s all about flexibility when you’re traveling. Will you want to leave the state park or KOA and explore after making yourself at home? In a motorhome situation, you would have to pack everything up and take your home with you while you adventure beyond the front gates.

On the other hand, if you own an RV trailer, all you would have to do is unhitch your truck or SUV, and bam! You would be free to drive wherever you want, leaving your accommodations at the campground. Backcountry dirt roads or tight parking lots wouldn’t be an issue for you.

Here’s one more factor to consider: most motorhomes are not equipped with crash-tested car seat hookups in the passenger area. Therefore, if you have young children, your truck or SUV would be a safer place for them to ride.

Which RV Trailer is Right for You

Image by Siggy Nowak from Pixabay

Which RV Trailer is Right for You?

When you’ve been wishing for too long and are finally ready to purchase your own RV trailer, it’s vital to consider the following factors.

What Size Do I Need?

Of course, you’ll need to think about the number of people who will be using the RV trailer regularly. But it’s more than just looking at the number of people that can sleep in any given trailer. Sure, you might be able to fit seven occupants into a 23-foot-long trailer, but you might like more elbow room than that would allow for your seven-person family.

What kind of storage space will you need in your RV trailer? This depends on how many days you plan on spending away from home. Consider how much food and clothes you plan to bring, and ensure your trailer comes with all the cabinets and shelves you will need.

When deciding what size you need, consider where you plan to take your RV trailer. Do you want to drive on narrow, steep roads and sleep in the middle of the Rocky Mountains? In that case, a smaller pop-up camper might be more suitable than a large-and-in-charge fifth-wheel trailer.

What is My Vehicle Capable of Towing

Image by Mike Goad from Pixabay

What is My Vehicle Capable of Towing?

Deciding on an RV trailer type and size will only be relevant if your truck or SUV is capable of towing it. Check your vehicle manufacturer’s specifications for your tow rating. You’ll add the weight of the trailer to the weight of passengers and cargo to come up with a total towing weight.

Everything that goes into your vehicle and trailer, including gas, water, suitcases, mountain bikes, etc., must be calculated into the total towing weight. And just to be safe, make sure your vehicle’s tow rating is well above what you calculate the total weight to be.

What Amenities Do I Need?

RV trailers can come with an endless number of add-ons and amenities, so what are your priorities? Do you need a bathtub for your toddler? Private sleeping quarters? A full kitchen? As you look at different brands and models, your “must-have” features might change.

For example, you might start by looking for a four-bed travel trailer for your four-person family, but come to find out that two of the beds need to be converted from the kitchen table and bench seats. Knowing this, you may consider upgrading to a six-person trailer with two bunk beds. Converting the table and sofa into beds every night during your vacation really cuts into family fun time, so it’s no wonder why you would change your mind. This is just one instance of how priorities can change when looking at different amenities.

How Much Can I Afford to Spend on an RV Trailer and How Will I Pay for it

Image by Steve Adcock from Pixabay

How Much Can I Afford to Spend on an RV Trailer, and How Will I Pay for it?

The answer to this question might impact the number of amenities that can fit on your priority list. Consider how you’re going to pay for your new trailer. Are you going to pay cash or get an RV or personal loan? If you need to get a loan, how much can you afford to spend monthly to pay it back? Here are the differences between different types of RV loans and personal loans:

  • RV loan from a bank – Almost any bank can provide you with an RV loan just like they would a car loan (but they are not the same). You might do this before visiting the RV dealer to determine your budget ahead of time. Your lender may or may not require your RV to be inspected before they will approve the loan, which could cost a couple of hundred dollars.
  • RV loan from a dealer – After choosing your perfect RV trailer, the dealer will likely present you with many financing options. Sometimes, going through the dealer for RV financing can give you a certain amount of negotiating power on the asking price.
  • Personal loan – A personal loan might be the right decision if you need to borrow less than $10,000. After obtaining a lump sum payment from the lender, you can show up at the dealership with cash in-hand.
How to Maintain Your RV Trailer

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How to Maintain Your RV Trailer

The best things in life require regular care and attention, and an RV trailer is no different. Proper maintenance will help your recreational investment to keep going strong after decades of use.

Regular Inspections and Tune-Ups

Depending on your state, you might be required to have your RV trailer inspected yearly, just like your regular vehicle. Most states require inspections for trailers that are over a specified weight.

Whether or not yearly inspections are required for you, you should regularly have an RV mechanic check your tires, brakes, and other mechanical components for any problems. You could avoid a major accident by doing so.

Don’t Replace Your Old Windows with Low-E Glass – Use Shade Screens

Don’t Replace Your Old Windows with Low-E Glass – Use Shade Screens

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Imagine losing $1000 from your income every single year.

For most American households, that’s roughly how much it will cost to heat and cool their home for the year.

That adds up, especially when every dollar counts.

It’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to save on energy costs.

Typically, windows are the worst energy culprits on any given house.

Heat gain and heat loss through windows account for between 25%-30% of a home’s energy use for heating and cooling.

If a window has failing seals, it will perform even worse.

Even the type of the window frame can affect energy performance.

If the window frame is made from a material that is a poor insulator, such as aluminum, it can create what’s known as a thermal bridge and conduct heat from inside the house to outside. 

One inefficient window can lose as much heat as 10 to 20 times what an insulated wall would lose.

Even if your window is new and well sealed, it could still be the cause for a lot of energy use in your home.

Solar energy is still able to pass through glass, so even an insulated window can heat up a room quickly if it gets a lot of sun.

In the dead heat of summer, having even just one window or skylight that gets a lot of sun exposure can mean the AC is running all day just to cool the room off.

So What Can Be Done?

The most common recommendation to make old windows more energy efficient is to replace them entirely with new, low-e windows.

Low-e windows are windows that have been treated with a film that reflects solar heat while still letting natural light pass through.

With less solar heat entering the home, the AC no longer has to work as hard to keep the house cool.

The less energy the AC uses, the more savings there are for the homeowner.

Is replacing old windows with new ones worth the cost?

There will be energy savings from replacing old windows with new, low-e glass windows but it comes with a substantial upfront cost.

The National Association of Realtors estimates the cost of replacing every window in a 2,450 square foot house to be around $19,000.

For a household trying to save money in energy bills, that’s a very large investment with a slow return.

What are some more cost effective alternatives to replacing an old window?

The most important thing to do with old windows is stop any exchange of air between the inside and outside of your house.

For drafty windows, using a product like rope caulk to seal up any holes can make a major improvement.

Plastic film insulation is another popular and effective solution for sealing up older windows.

Both options are inexpensive and simple enough for anyone to apply.

For windows that get a lot of sun exposure, a quick and easy way to make them more energy efficient is to mount exterior shade mesh on them (also called shade screen or solar screen/mesh/fabric).

There are a lot of different kinds of shade mesh available, but they all work by the same principle.

It’s a mesh fabric, and like low-e glass, it works by blocking solar heat and light, while still letting natural light through.

Unlike low-e glass, which is a film that’s been applied to the glass, solar mesh is installed on the exterior of the window.

Applying the shade screen to the outside of a window is key for it’s ability to keep a room cool.

If it’s applied to the inside of a window it will still work but not nearly as well.

If it’s mounted on the inside the screen will still provide shade from the sun, but the energy savings will be significantly less because the heat will be trapped inside the house.

If you are considering shade screens for your home and don’t know which one to choose, the easiest and best option is EZ Snap.

They sell do-it-yourself kits that let you mount and cut your mesh to your window, no matter it’s size or shape.

EZ Snap is also a fraction of the cost of what you would pay to buy and install new windows.

You save on the price of the product, and because you are able to install it yourself, you save on labor as well.

EZ Snap shade screen is also better at blocking solar heat than low-e glass.

The effectiveness of heat blocking applications for windows is measured by the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC).

The SHGC is the amount of solar radiation (heat) that transmits through a window.

It’s measured between 0 and 1, and the less solar heat that transmits through a window, the lower a window’s SHGC number is going to be.

There are a lot of low-e glass makes and models, but the range of SHGC for most of them from varies between 0.60 – 0.25. 

Shade mesh from EZ Snap has a SHGC of .18.

Something else to consider is that low-e windows are known to damage turf and siding.

In the right conditions, the solar heat that they reflect can focus into a hot spot creating a magnifying glass effect that melts anything in its path.

The problem is becoming so rampant with the rising popularity of low-e windows that one scientist is calling them, “the next asbestos.”

If you or your neighbor has a low-e window that is damaging property, EZ Snap is also the ideal solution.

Rather than replace the entire window, installing EZ Snap window shade over the problem window provides a fast and effective fix.

The solar heat is reflected off of the mesh before it ever reaches the window, preventing any chance of a hot spot forming.

The result is 100 percent effective and can be installed in as little as an afternoon.

An added benefit to an exterior shade product like EZ Snap is that it’s also removable. So, when the winter months come you can take it off and benefit from the natural heating you get with the sun.

It’s like getting free heat in the winter.

No matter which window option you choose to make your home more energy efficient, it’s important to do your research before making a final decision. 

You want to make sure that you are going to be getting the maximum return for your investment.

Replacing your windows might be worth the cost, or it might make more sense to invest in solutions that are able to make your existing windows more energy efficient.

 

Is Your Artificial Grass Melting? The Cause And The Solution

Is Your Artificial Grass Melting? The Cause And The Solution

Artificial Turf Melting: The Cause & The Solution

It’s becoming an increasingly common problem for many homeowners.

If you are finding streaks of your turf melted and discolored, the culprit is most likely a nearby window that has something called low-e glass in it.

Illustration of how low-e glass windows work.

Low-e glass is glass that has been treated with a type of energy-efficient coating. The glass is coated with a microscopic, transparent metallic layer that reflects heat, but still allows light to pass through.

These windows are good at cutting down the amount of heat entering a house, which is why more and more homes are being built with them installed. However, they can also act like a giant magnifying glass.

Low-e windows are all double-paned, and when there is a difference in pressure between the outside air and the interior of the glass panes, the windows may slightly warp and bend. This can create a concave effect in the glass.

This concave effect, coupled with the reflective Low-E coating, can focus sunlight into a concentrated hot spot, just like you see with a magnifying glass.

The temperature of these hot spots can get so high that they destroy anything they touch.

It’s increasingly common for these Low-E windows to melt synthetic turf, vinyl siding and even cause natural grass to catch fire.

Fake grass will begin to melt at around 175 degrees Fahrenheit. We recently had a customer write to us to say that his turf was melting due to a Low-E window. He took a reading of the hot spot that was destroying his lawn and it was over 190 degrees.

If a large enough patch of turf has been melted, it will need to be replaced. Since artificial turf can cost anywhere from 5 – 25 dollars a square foot (not including labor), replacing damaged turf is a costly and time-consuming process.

Low E Window Reflection Melting Astro Turf

EZ Snap customer with a hot spot on his lawn that was over 190°F.

As more and more homes are getting Low-E windows installed, so are the number of people finding their turf being damaged. Even if you don’t have Low-E windows your lawn may still get scorched.

If you are seeing signs of damage to your turf and don’t have Low-E windows on your house, the cause may be one of your neighbor’s windows.

What can be done about Melting Turf?

First, know that if you take the time and money to replace your lawn but don’t address the cause, it’s just going to happen again.

A simple solution would be to put something up, such as a patio umbrella, to protect your turf. This would only be a temporary fix though because anything you put in the way of the hot spot will only get destroyed.

What needs to happen is for the sun’s rays to be blocked before they can hit the window and reflect back out. If the solar heat is cut down before it ever touches the glass, then there is nothing to reflect out and your lawn is safe.

Fortunately, EZ Snap Shade Screens are the ideal solution. They can be installed right over the problematic Low-E glass window quickly and easily and for a lot less than it would cost to replace the entire window.

Inside View Black EZ Snap Shade Screens

View from a window with EZ Snap Shade Screen.

EZ Snap Shade Screens are proven to stop up to 90% of the sun’s rays from reaching the glass. You get all of the cooling power of a Low-E window, but without the risk of creating hot spots.

They are easy to order and can be installed by someone with no previous experience.

One of the reasons why Low-E glass is so popular is that it blocks the heat while still allowing light to shine through. What’s great about EZ Snap is that it uses an optical grade mesh, meaning EZ Snap blocks the heat but not the view. The screens are also guaranteed to fit all window sizes and shapes.

To learn more about EZ Snap and its benefits, click here.

How to Install EZ Snap Shades on Sliding Patio Doors?

How to Install EZ Snap Shades on Sliding Patio Doors?

In some cases EZ Snap® fasteners stick out too far and the door won’t slide open without knocking them off.

Sliding Patio Door Shade Instructions…

First check to see how much clearance you have between the surface where you will be mounting the EZ Snap® Fasteners and the surface that will be sliding past the snaps. You’ll need 3/4” clearance between these surfaces.

This clearance needed for EZ Snap® Fasteners is the same, whether you are using the Stainless Screw or the 3M Adhesive Studs.

If you do not have 3/4” clearance, here are your options:

  1. Mount 3M Adhesive Studs directly on the patio door glass to gain more clearance.
  2. Use Velcro on the patio door glass to gain more clearance.
  3. Mount your 3M Adhesive Studs onto the existing bug screen frame for one of the windows and use the outermost panel to mount the other shade screen onto. This works well most of the time since the bug screen frame usually has lots of clearance from the sliding door.

Note that if you install EZ Snap® Shade Mesh over top of your bug screen, a moray pattern will appear. This does not affect the performance of the Shade Mesh, but will affect your view. Optionally, you may remove the bug screen from the frame to avoid this issue.

What Color Shade Mesh is the Most Popular?

What Color Shade Mesh is the Most Popular?

Black EZ Snap® Shade Mesh is the Most Popular Color

There are two main reasons why black shade mesh is most popular:

The human eye sees lighter colors easier than darker ones. Because of this, your eyes will see right through a black screen and see the brighter colors outside… very important, if you want to maintain the view from your windows after your window shades are installed.

If the exterior shade screens were white, your eyes would mostly see the white screens, making it very difficult to see through the screens.

The same reason that your TV screen is black… so you see the color pixels of the image and not the screen itself.

When viewing your shaded windows from the exterior, black sun shades generally just look better than lighter colored shades.

Let’s say, for example, that you have a tan colored house. If you put tan shade mesh over the windows, the windows blend completely into the color of the house. This makes it look like either your house does not have windows, or that they are covered with plywood. A black shade on the same tan colored house enhances the window.

Window Shade Colours

Black exterior sun shades look more natural from the outside and maintain your view from the inside, making black our most popular window shade colour.

Shade “Product of the Year”

EZ Snap® Quick & Easy

The patented EZ Snap® fasteners & our proprietary non-fray fabrics make it easy for you to “cut to size” and install right on site. Our “NO DRILL” 3M™ adhesive snap studs also mean no holes in your skylights, windows or RV with professional-looking results, every time.

  • No Experience Needed
  • No Special Tools Required
  • No Drill 3M™ Adhesive Studs
  • Non-Fray EZ Snap™ Solar Shading Mesh

How EZ Snap® Pricing Works

Combine Multiple Windows & Skylights to Save Money

Larger Shade Kits work well for projects that include multiple windows or skylights. Find the best kit using the EZ Snap® Kit Size Calculator.

The EZ Snap® Kit Size Calculator determines the best layout for your shades and then recommends the correct size Shade Kit for each project.

Remember to enter your email address to receive a customized layout diagram and snap counts for each skylight or window... very helpful for ordering correctly and planning your cuts before starting your installation.

Windows may be rotated for efficient nesting of multiple Shades. Find the most efficient layout easily with the EZ Snap® Kit Size Calculator.

Vinyl Siding Melting Solutions

Vinyl Siding Melting Solutions

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Repair Melted Siding for the Last Time.

How to fix Low-E window reflection from your neighbour’s house.

Is the vinyl siding on your house melting or warping?

A more common problem than homeowners realize. It is almost always caused by the sun reflecting off a nearby window onto your vinyl siding.

Vinyl siding melting from window reflection VIDEO

Ohio woman suing home builder after her house began ‘melting’.

Sun reflecting off of window glass and melting and warping vinyl siding VIDEO from NBC News…

New low e windows act like a magnifying glass, concentrating the sun’s energy onto a small area. Temperatures in these hot spots often exceed the melting temperature of vinyl siding, causes thousands of dollars in damage.

Typically, most vinyl siding products will start to melt and warp when they reach 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. On darker colored siding, temperatures have been recorded of nearly 220° F in the area where reflected light is hitting.

Is melted vinyl siding a new problem?

Melted siding from window reflection is a problem that has become more common in recent years. The main reason is the increasing number of Low-E or energy efficient windows that are being installed in new homes or renovated homes.

Low-E windows are designed to reflect more heat away from the glass by design.

That is why low e windows help cool your home. The problem is that reflected light off these windows is now more powerful than ever and it substantially increases the surface temperature of the objects it lands on, like vinyl siding or artificial turf.

Facts from vinylsiding.org:

Glass in double paned windows may on occasion slightly warp or deflect due to a difference in barometric pressure between the interior of the glass panes and the outside air pressure. This can create a concavity in the glass. Such a concavity is a normal response to pressure differences, does not affect the performance of the window, and does not constitute a defective window condition. However, the concavity may focus sunlight reflected from the window in a fashion similar to the effect seen when light passes through a magnifying glass. The heat generated by the focused reflected sunlight has proven sufficient to visibly damage and distort vinyl siding on nearby houses.

Any double paned window may cause this effect, but double paned low-e windows have a higher reflectivity quotient which can exacerbate the reflected light/vinyl distortion phenomenon…

A combination of contributing factors must be present before the effect occurs or causes damage to any nearby materials, including vinyl siding. The presence of the concavity in the double glass panes (resulting in the magnifying glass effect with a focused light beam) appears to be the primary cause of the heat generation, more so than the mere increased reflectivity of the low-e window.

The angle of the sun is also a factor. A low angle of sunlight (such as might occur in late fall, winter, or early spring) is more likely to produce the effect.

Other factors, such as proximity to the adjoining house, wind speed, air temperature, and the presence of buffering foliage are all said to have an impact on whether a damaging reflected sunlight effect does in fact occur.

Facts from The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors:

The intense reflection from low-E windows is reported to have caused other kinds of damage, as well, such as melted plastic trash bags and plastic garbage cans, melted plastic solar collectors, melted plastic parts of vehicles, and melted housewrap on new builds yet to be covered with siding.

Four house fires were confirmed to have been caused by such reflections, according to an investigation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In these cases, reflections from sunroom roof glass and skylights ignited nearby cedar shingles.

The hazard is not limited to property. One new high-rise hotel in Las Vegas reportedly gave off reflections hot enough to burn people using the hotel pool.

Windows with standard glass panes can cause similar damage in some situations, but this is rarely reported.

Top 3 Ways to Prevent Melted Vinyl Siding

The easiest and most effective way to stop reflecting sun rays from melting and warping your vinyl siding, is to block those rays.

There are a variety of ways to block reflections from windows. Depending on your situation, you most likely desire quick, easy and inexpensive options.  Here are three melted vinyl siding solutions:

1. EZ Snap™ Sunshade Mesh

Stops the Sun: Exterior window shades stop intense sun from passing through your windows and also stop reflection off the outside of the glass. You end up not only stopping the sun from melting the siding, but the exterior window shade also substantially cools the room with the window.

Easy & Quick Installation: A do-it-yourself exterior shade system like the EZ Snap exterior shades can be easily installed be someone with no previous experience.

Inexpensive: They are also very affordable, costing as little as $1.70 per square foot. If the offending window happens to be on your neighbour’s house, they are so affordable, you can offer to install the EZ Snap exterior shades for free for them. This saves them money on their air-conditioning bill and you instantly stop the sun from damaging your vinyl siding.

The solution to this problem is to stop the sun’s rays before they can hit the glass and reflect off of the glass surface. When you install the EZ Snap exterior shades on your windows, it is like planting an instant shade tree in front of the offending window.

EZ Snap stops up to 90% of the sun’s rays from reaching the glass. The remaining 10% that does get through is reflected back,  but must then pass through the EZ Snap mesh a second time. Again, reducing it a further 90%.

With 99% of the reflected light now eliminated, the problem of melted vinyl siding is also eliminated.

Added Sunshade Mesh Benefits:

  • Cools the interior of your home and surface of the glass.
  • Provides daytime privacy.
  • Reduces annoying glare inside and out.
  • Lowers your air conditioning bill.
  • Prevents birds from flying into the reflective glass surface.
  • Reduces the fading and damage caused by the suns U.V. rays.

2. Plant Trees

Although this is a natural and eco-friendly solution, planting trees and waiting for them to mature, obviously takes significant time and patience. Trees and other landscaping have potential to block reflection from windows, however, seasonal leaf loss and varying sun angles can result in poor results. There’s a good visual of different options around the 2 minute mark in this DIY video…

3. Replace Vinyl Siding with Hardy Plank

Like EZ Snap, replacing your vinyl siding with cement board product like Hardy Plank is a guaranteed fix. Unfortunately, replacing your siding is a time consuming and very expensive solution. A siding repair or re-install is also beyond the ability level of most do-it-yourselfers.

When replacing your vinyl siding with Hardy Board, in extreme cases, there’s still potential for the extreme heat to discolour or damage the painted surface of your new siding.

 Video Review on the EZ Snap Solution.

We recently had a customer installs vinyl siding for a living that had a melted siding problem of his own. He was so impressed with how quickly and easily the EZ Snap system solved his problem, that he did a video review of his project.

In our phone conversation with him, he says that he has seen this problem numerous times with his own siding customers. Now that he has a solution, he will be spreading the word with his customer base.  Check out his video review.

Energy-Saving Hacks for Your Home

Energy-Saving Hacks for Your Home

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These days, the number of energy-efficient products on the market is pretty impressive. But if your strategy for lowering your utility bills and going greener starts with buying sparkly new appliances, you’re neglecting several inexpensive, basic updates that make those fun new purchases perform even better. Home Improvement Leads offers a few straightforward solutions for homeowners who want to increase energy efficiency but don’t want to break the bank or undertake a major project.

Insulate and Seal

The number one bit of advice is far from glamorous but very effective: insulate. Nearly 50 percent of your heating can escape if your home is not properly insulated. You can keep turning up the thermostat in the winter or turning it down in the summer, but unless you block that heat transfer, your HVAC system will under perform.

Thankfully, this is totally appropriate for a DIY project. Add insulation in the attic and seal up holes in the heating ducts. Doors and windows are also huge culprits, so make sure you weatherstrip and fill up any cracks with sealant. Check along the floorboards and the space around fixtures for other gaps that need to be filled.

EZSnap Exterior Shades on Arched Window
Install Exterior Window Shades

Now that you have the basics out of the way, you can focus on more sophisticated approaches. Window coverings and shields can do a lot to keep the radiant heat out of your home while still providing ample daylight. EZ Snap Shading Mesh blocks up to 90 percent of the sun’s heat and UV rays that could cause your furnishings to fade. It also reduces the sun’s glare so that you can still get beautiful views of the outdoors—and as a bonus, the shades are easy to install!

Get a Programmable or Smart Thermostat

Adjusting your thermostat to only heat and cool your home when needed is an art. Some have mastered it, while others let opportunities to save energy slip by. It’s understandable—it’s inconvenient to come home to a house that’s too hot or cold. But instead of putting the burden on yourself and your family to save energy every day by adjusting the thermostat, install a programmable one. You can program it to switch to a more energy-saving temperature while you’re away, and to get comfortable again half an hour before you come home. Or go one step further and install a smart thermostat that will learn your routine, keep tabs on your energy use, and make your home more comfortable by precisely meeting your heating and cooling needs.

LED Light Bulbs Save Energy
Use LEDs Wherever They Make Sense

Traditional incandescent lights are pretty inefficient, but thankfully, recent technologies have provided us with better options like LEDs and CFLs. LEDs are the most expensive, but they also last the longest and use the least amount of energy. Because they last so long, it’s not a bad idea to replace some hard-to-reach light fixtures with LEDs so you’re changing inconveniently-located bulbs only once every few years. If you’re worried about the bright light of LEDs, rest assured that they’re now available in warmer colors comparable to traditional incandescents.

Adjust Your Habits

One of the best changes you can make doesn’t involve tools or a trip to the home improvement store. You can save energy just by reevaluating your everyday practices and setting new guidelines for your family’s energy use. Consider taking these measures to conserve:

  • Take shorter showers
  • Dry your clothes in the sun instead of in the dryer
  • Wash all of your clothes on cold—just make sure to get cold-water laundry detergent
  • Warm your home (responsibly) with a fire in the winter
  • Close the curtains when you leave on a hot day
  • Use ceiling fans instead of centralized cooling whenever possible
  • Eat more raw foods and use the oven less
  • Unplug (rather than just turn off) any unused appliances or electronics

If you like green—both on the earth and in your pocket—these simple changes will be perfect for your home and lifestyle.

New RV Skirting Website

New RV Skirting Website

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Boat Shades

Phone & Tablet Friendly.

EZ Snap is proud to announce the official launch of our new, fully responsive website showcasing RV Skirting & Exterior Window Shade Kits.

The new site has the latest in internet security, keeping you and your information safe when purchasing from our online store. The new web-site can be found at https://ezsnapdirect.com

New site features:

  • Fast-loading
  • Big photos & videos
  • Searchable
  • Secure shopping cart
  • Responsive and Mobile friendly

We are preparing as we roll into the busy Fall RV Skirting season, boosting up inventory of RV Skirting Material and our patented 3M Fasteners.

Orders are already rolling in from all over North America for our best-selling Diamond Weave fabric.

We would appreciate feedback on our new site design. If you are so inclined, have a look around and let us know what you think.