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.

One of the first rooms that a buyer may see when entering a home is the dining room – so it’s especially important when selling your home to make that first impression a good one. Even if your dining room is located elsewhere following these suggestions will help to "showcase" it.

First, make sure that your dining room looks like a dining room and not an office or a playroom. Then you are ready for the basics of home staging: declutter, depersonalize, clean, brighten and make minor repairs. Finally, there are some specific things you can do to enhance the appearance of your dining room.

Declutter. When staging think, "less is more." Eliminate clutter by removing and packing up any accessories or items that are not chosen to keep for a decorative accent.

Depersonalize. Remove any personal photos and replace if needed with an accessory or artwork that adds a decorative touch. A mirror is also an acceptable replacement in a dining room. Remember that you want buyers to be able to picture themselves living in your house and not feel like they are just visiting someone else’s home. Also, be sure to remove any valuables you might have on display.

Cleaning your Dining Room. When cleaning the dining room, be sure to clean the windows and dust / wipe off the light fixtures and polish the furniture, if needed. Clean the floors and any rugs. Get rid of dead plants.

Brighten your Dining Room. The freshly cleaned light fixtures will help brighten the dining room. Make sure that all the lights work and that all of the light bulbs function. Use the highest wattage bulbs allowed for the light fixture. A dimmer switch is a good idea also. On occasion, "mood lighting" may be more effective than a bright room. If you have heavy window treatments blocking your dining room windows, then draw them back or replace them with something else to allow more natural light to filter into the room. If the room still seems dark, then consider putting an extra lamp on a buffet table.

Make Minor Repairs. Check to make sure that all the switch plates and outlet covers match and that none of them are broken. Replace them if necessary. Also check the trim around the doorways. Repair any nicks and consider repainting. If your wallpaper is dated, then it is be a good idea to remove it and paint the walls with a neutral color.

Setting the Stage. Complete the staging of your dining room by making the room feel more spacious, creating the illusion of higher ceilings and setting up the dining room table. Make your dining room feel more spacious by minimizing the amount and size of the furniture in the room. Unless the room is large you should only have a dining room table (with the leaf removed) and four to six chairs on top of a rug along with just one other piece of furniture (china cabinet / side board / buffet). The room should also have a chandelier or other light fixture, with the dining table centered underneath. If you know you absolutely want to take your existing chandelier with you, then take it down now and replace it with something else; otherwise, it can be excluded from the listing agreement (sometimes can become part of the negotiations for sale of home). Create the illusion of higher ceilings by removing any plants or accessories from the tops of china cabinets. The more wall space there is between the furniture and the ceiling, the higher the ceilings look. When setting up the dining room table, use a table runner or place mats. Designers recommended grouping in threes. Fresh flowers and a couple of candles can make a nice centerpiece.

Whatever the size of your home or whether a formal dining room or not, adding a fresh look to your dining room is sure to make a good impression with buyers! In today’s real estate market, a home in good condition and that "shows well’ adds value for Long Island homeowners.

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.