When preparing your house to sell, don’t overlook the importance of the Master Bedroom for today’s Buyer! Master bedrooms are retreats from the daily grind, so they should be relaxing, welcoming and comfortable – but also elegant. Create a sanctuary similar to a luxury hotel suite that appeals to both genders.

First, your master bedroom should look like a bedroom and not a space for work or exercise. Remove anything from the bedroom which does not have a sleeping or relaxing purpose, such as desks, computers and exercise equipment.

Declutter. Remember to think "less is more" when staging your master bedroom. Remove items on top of dressers and tables except for a few necessary items or a vase of fresh flowers. Declutter your closets and make them appear larger by only using 2/3 of the closet space and keeping everything off the floor.

Long Island homeowners should conduct home energy audits to find areas in their homes where they are losing money on energy costs.

Looking to cut energy costs? Maybe it’s time for an energy audit. Home energy audits assess where your house might be losing energy and provide recommendations on how to make it more energy efficient. Energy auditors inspect areas in your home to determine if heat is being lost through insufficient insulation, air leaks and inefficient heating and cooling systems.

Insufficient insulation in the ceiling and walls can create a large amount of heat loss. Over the years, the level of recommended insulation has changed, so your current insulation might be inadequate if you have an older home. An energy auditor will measure the depth and type of insulation you have in your attic as well as how well it covers the attic floor. They will also try to determine wall insulation levels.

INSULATION:     According to the U.S. Department of Energy, reducing air leaks can improve energy efficiency by 5 to 30 percent per year. Energy auditors locate sources of air infiltration, especially around doors and windows.

AIR LEAKS:    Heating and cooling equipment manufacturers usually recommend that their equipment be inspected annually to maintain its efficiency. Energy auditors will examine furnaces and air conditioner to ensure that they are well maintained and in good condition.

HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT:    You can conduct a simple version of a home energy audit yourself or contact professional energy auditor for a more thorough inspection. Contact your local utility company if you need help finding a professional energy auditor. Conducting a home energy audit every couple of years can help cut your energy costs.

On Long Island you can find out more about Energy Audits and find affiliated contractors at The Oil Heat Institute of LI at http://www.ohili.org and the LIPA web site at http://www.lipower.org. LIPA also has a free program called REAP to help manage electric usage for income-eligible homeowners.

Minimize freeze-thaw cycles to reduce ice dam formation.

With the drop in temperatures, Long Island is really in the "grip" of winter!

If you haven’t done so already, you should make sure that your gutters are free of leaves to prevent leaks and other water damage in your house.

Ice dams are the accumulation of ice at the roof edge. Ice dams are formed when heat build-up in the attic warms the roof and causes snow to melt, even when outside temperatures are still below freezing. Water from the melting snow runs down the roof underneath the snow and can not drain off of the roof. The water then refreezes when it reaches a colder part of the roof, such as the roof overhang or a gutter. As this melting-freezing cycle continues, the size of the dam can increase and water from additional melting snow can not drain properly. Instead of draining off the roof, the trapped water can back up into the shingles and can leak into the attic, causing structural damage to your home.

Keeping your gutters free of leaves and other debris will help melting snow to flow unobstructed. Using "roof rakes" to pull off snow from the roof while standing on the ground will also reduce the chances of ice dams from forming. While keeping your gutters clear and reducing the amount of snow on your roof can help, ultimately you need to evaluate your attic ventilation and attic floor insulation since it is the build up of attic heat that creates the ice dam problem. Proper attic ventilation (1 square foot of vent for every 150 feet of attic floor area) reduces the build up of warm air in the attic and proper insulation (R-30 or R-38 value, if in northern climates) reduces the amount of heat that escapes from your home into the attic.

Some signs of ice dam water leakage include ice forming inside roof overhangs, water leaking around window frames, ice along siding and water leaking around the vent pipe. Brown, discolored spots on a drywall ceiling can indicate a water leak. If you do have an ice dam problem, hire a professional roofing contractor to have the ice removed for your own safety and to prevent damage to your roof.

Long Island homeowners can avoid a future moisture problem when refinishing their basement by using paperless drywall.

Should you consider paperless drywall when remodeling? Traditional drywall has a gypsum core that is wrapped in paper. It has a smooth surface and soaks up finishing compounds helping them dry quicker. However, traditional drywall facilitates mold growth when it becomes wet since the paper absorbs and holds the moisture. Mold also feeds off of the paper facing.

In contrast to traditional drywall, paperless drywall is covered with highly water-resistant fiberglass instead of paper and has a moisture- resistant gypsum core. The fiberglass facing minimizes mold growth since it doesn’t hold in moisture and it is not food for common molds. While it minimizes mold growth, paperless drywall is not necessarily mold-proof.

Paperless drywall looks like traditional drywall. It is also installed like traditional drywall, using drywall nails and screws. However, the fiberglass lining of the paperless drywall makes its texture rougher than that of traditional drywall. This difference can be seen and felt up close and can become more apparent under certain lighting conditions. Since the surface is rougher than traditional drywall, it is recommended that the surface of the paperless drywall be coated with a drywall-topping compound. This will prevent the appearance of extra smooth areas when finishing drywall seams. Another difference is that finishing compounds need a bit more time to dry since there is no paper in the drywall to soak up the water from the compounds.

While its texture is not as smooth as traditional drywall, its mold-resistant properties make paperless drywall a good option for areas in your home with high humidity such as bathrooms and basements.

Long Islanders need to know what losses their homeowner’s insurance actually covers.

Many weather forecasters warn that Long Island is due for a major hurricane. Whether that happens or not - the best way to be prepared is to know beforehand what is covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) reports that most people misunderstand their homeowner’s insurance, believing the policy covers losses that it actually does not. Such losses that are not covered by a standard policy include flood, earthquakes, termites or other infestations, mold, and sewer and water line breaks on the property. If you want coverage for flood or earthquake damage, you actually need to have a separate insurance policy for these natural hazards.

Another misconception is the amount of coverage for losses of jewelry, antiques, and valuable collections (e.g., stamps, coins). A standard policy usually provides only a limited amount of coverage for these items. Any additional coverage needs to be added to the standard policy. Also, personal property and equipment that is used for business is not covered by the homeowner’s insurance.

The NAIC survey also found that most people misunderstand the type of coverage they have, actual cash value or replacement cost. Actual cash value takes into account depreciation when determining coverage. So, the actual coverage is reduced since depreciation is deducted from the cost to repair or replace damage to the home and its contents. Replacement cost doesn’t take depreciation into account, so you would get the actual amount it would take to replace, rebuild or repair damages.

It is important to find out exactly what your policy covers and to keep it up to date. Contact your insurance company to find out about adding coverage if you make any major home improvements (anything more than $5,000) and as you acquire more expensive items (e.g., furniture, computers, televisions and other electronics). It’s also good to have an inventory of all personal property, including photographs or videos of each room, and to save receipts for major purchases in a safe place outside the home.

The NAIC also recommends adding an umbrella policy to your liability coverage if you have items that would increase the risk of injury of people on your property, such as a trampoline or pool. And, if you use your home for business, make sure you purchase a separate business insurance policy.

Rejunvenating Cedar Shakes on Long Island Homes

Many homes on Long Island have cedar shingle siding.  Wood shingles turn dark after several years and if they are not too worn or damaged, you can improve the appearance by cleaning and refinishing them.  Bill and Kevin Burnett from Inman News offer the following advice on how to
accomplish this. Note: As with any project you undertake, you may want to check with an expert first!

Cleaning your wood shingles with a pressure washer can dramatically improve their appearance. Clean with caution since the high-pressure stream of water could potentially blow the shingles off of the wall, if they are brittle and/or dry. So, use a wide spray pattern while keeping the washer nozzle at least a foot away from the wall. Try to only remove the dirt, limiting the amount of
wood you remove by going over the area gently with the pressure washer. It is advisable to practice first on a wall that isn’t so noticeable, maybe one on the back of the house.

Allow at least a week for the shingles to dry. Any shingles with severe cracks should then be replaced. Don’t worry about the replaced shingles looking too new. They’ll weather over time, creating a more homogenous appearance.

After the wood shingles have been cleaned and dried thoroughly and the damaged shingles replaced, you can finish with a clear wood preservative or even a semitransparent stain (by Duckback or Preservawood). Flood the surface of the shingles with at least two coats of preservative, using an airless sprayer or a garden sprayer to apply the wood preservative. The airless sprayer is more time efficient, but there is a strong possibility of drift. So if you use this sprayer, then warn your neighbors, make sure cars are out of the way, cover your windows and make sure it isn’t a windy day.

Finally, sit back and enjoy your renewed siding!