In New England, we tend to worry much more about staying warm in the winter than cool in the summer. But with the recent climate shifts that have been happening around the globe, maybe it's time to consider staying cool in the summer as well. But how do you keep your home cool without a high utility bill to show for it? Here are some tips on what to look for to stay cool for less and improving your home's overall energy efficiency.

Insulate to Stay Cool?

Insulation can be a confusing topic, because we typically associate it with cold outdoor temperatures. But what insulation actually does is create a buffer zone between your home's interior and exterior. That means it protects you from extreme temperatures whether it's hot or cold outside, but we tend to notice it more in the winter because of the greater temperature variation. Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to improving your home's insulation:

• Foil-backed sheet foam will reflect heat into your home if you have it between the studs and your interior walls, while placing it on the exterior of your home, underneath your siding, will cause it to reflect heat away from your home.
• Make sure you seal it up. If you're putting in an air conditioner, you're going to want to insulate any ductwork. If you're going with a window unit, you'll want to make sure you use good weatherstripping and possibly some sheet foam to provide a good seal. If your home is drafty, you're going to be spending a lot more money on your utilities than you would by spending a few dollars to seal it up better.
• It's always good to add insulation. Many homes built in the past were built to minimum specifications, not to the best energy efficiency available. If you have standard 2x4 walls and are considering changing out your siding, put in a good inch or two of sheet foam to greatly improve your home's R-value and lower your utility bills.

Getting a Great AC Unit and Keeping Cool for Less

If it's been getting hot enough that you're considering getting an air conditioner, there are a few things to keep in mind that will help you keep your cool while saving money and improving your home's interior comfort. Some may seem like common sense, while others are simply happy side effects of having a good-quality air conditioner in your home:

• Try to purchase a unit that has the highest possible efficiency you can afford. Generally referred to as the SEER rating, you'll want a unit with the highest numeric value. This will directly save you money on operating the AC unit.
• Have allergies? Look for a unit that has a HEPA filter as an option to improve your indoor air quality, then make sure to change or clean your system's filter on a regular basis. When a filter gets dirty, it allows pet dander, mold, mildew, dust and pollen to build up in your home.
• Bigger is not better. You want a system that is sized to your home, because it will cause wear and tear on the unit if it's too large and must cycle on and off frequently to maintain the temperature.
• Window, freestanding or central? If you have one or two rooms on a south or west facing wall that tend to get hot while the rest of your home remains comfortable, a window unit may be the best option. If you only want to cool the room you're in at the moment, a portable unit is a great way to go. But if you think you'll need whole-house cooling, it's much better, and more efficient, to go with a central air system.

By keeping these simple tips and techniques in mind, you can quickly improve your home's energy efficiency for winter or summer. A good place to start is by downloading our insulation product guide below; this guide will help you discover products that will regulate your homes temperature regardless of season.

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Hilti

Hilti is well known for its high quality. It manufactures both direct fasteners as well as anchor fasteners, but tends to be more multi-purpose or general that some fastener brands. If you need extreme data and documentation, Hilti supplies some of the best in the business, with over 600 pages of information on their fasteners alone.

ITW

When it comes to fastening sheathing, foam board, roofing or hanging items on drywall, ITW provides an excellent assortment of plastic-based fasteners to prevent wind shear damage to large, thin, lightweight materials. Much like Star Sales, they don't provide a lot of technical information, but if you need these types of fasteners to get the job done, you probably already know a great deal about them and how they're used.

Scorpion

Scorpion is another company that provides fasteners for a few specific needs, specifically drywall, decking and acoustical products. With a range of products developed over the past 40 years, they offer an exceptional selection of fasteners for virtually any fastening task within the industries they serve. They feature an assortment of Phillips, square and star drive heads, which can make them much easier to drive without stripping.

Ramset

When you need to get a job done quickly, Ramset provides exceptional options with its powder and gas tool options. Recent additions to their line include insulation, concrete and hollow block fasteners, while their other fasteners include angle clips, ceiling clips, collated fasteners and their line of single shot fasteners to help keep the job siteámoving along efficiently. The powder-actuated fasteners work well for high-strength material when you need to drive a great number of fasteners in a day.

Star Sales

With over 85 years in the industry, Star Sales provides a great selection of general construction fasteners at a good price point. They don't provide the kind of information Hilti does, but does a good job of generally meeting construction needs with good quality fasteners for decking, drywall and wood, as well as producing fasteners that meet the requirements of other specialty manufacturers or tool companies, such as DeWalt and Ramset.

Grabber

Framing, sheathing, drywall and acoustical fasteners are the specialties that Grabber has built its name around. They've also spent a great deal of time developing fasteners to deal with specific problems in each of those industries, including their Scavanger drywall screw that spreads out the fastener's pressure further to prevent paper burrs, Vector point screws for faster fastening of metal framing, their Lox Drive system that prevents stripping and similar developments.

GEMCO

Gemco is another specialty fastening company, providing insulation fastening products that are designed specifically for that purpose. They provide a wide range of options for different types of foam board, blanket or batt insulation and fastening surfaces. From washer head nails and adhesives to weld pins and washers for sheet foam and lacing anchors and quilting pins for fiberglass and other soft blanket or batt insulation, Gemco has a product to meet virtually any need.

As you can see, there is actually a significant difference between these brands and how the fasteners will perform on the job. If you need more information about a particular brand of fasteners, please download our fasteners product guide below.

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We all enjoy summer days, but one thing that is never enjoyable is humidity. Most homes that have a basement also have a dehumidifier to help control the humidity in the air to help keep the clothes from stickingto your back. While they're a handy little tool to have, it can be quite annoying to have to go downstairs and empty the back of the dehumidifier multiple times a day, especially on particularly wet days. Luckily, there's a way that you can pipe up your dehumidifier so that it empties automatically, and it won't cost you an arm and a leg to rig up. Here's how:

You'll need:

• A drain for the water to run into (a sink, sump pump drain, HVAC drainage line, or condensate pump)
• Something level to elevate your dehumidifier from the drain (A shelf. box, skid, milk crate. Etc)
• A hose or a piece of PVC pipe
• A dehumidifier

*In order for the dehumidifier to drain properly, it'll have to be higher than the drain hole. You can place your dehumidifier on any elevated surface you'd like, just make sure that it's level and will hold the dehumidifier at least six inches off the ground.

Step 1:

Place your dehumidifier in an optimal position. Make sure that it's close enough to your drain hole for the hose to fit comfortably and not cause a tripping hazard.

Step 2:

Make sure the drain hole you're using is big enough for the hose to fit in.

Step 3:

If you've chosen to use PVC pipe instead of a hose, bend two 90 degree elbows in it: One to face the pipe toward the ground from the humidifier, and one at ground level to face the pipe to the drain (you'll need to use glue if you've choose this, so if you want to keep it simple just stick to the hose).

Step 4:

Attach your hose or pipe to the dehumidifier by screwing it into the hole in your dehumidifier. Some dehumidifiers even come with an adapter for you to attach the hose to.

Step 5:

See if the system works. If there isn't enough water in the back of your dehumidifier to test it, you can fill the tank with water from a sink.

Doing this will not only save you countless trips up and down the stairs, but you won't have to worry about your dehumidifier overflowing if you're away for any extended periods of time.

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This Spring, Buy Qualifying GAF Accessories and Get Unlimited Business Building Club Reward Bucks!

BUY GAF ACCESSORIES. GET REWARD BUCKS!

It?s easy. Just purchase qualifying GAF Accessories between April 15, 2015, and June 15, 2015. Redeem your Reward Bucks at GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com.

Go to GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com to view the qualifying accessories and their values in your area. Qualifying accessories and the number of Business Building Club Reward Bucks you can earn may vary by area.á

HOW TO GET YOUR REWARDS QUICKLY:

1. Purchase qualifying GAF accessories between April 15, 2015, and June 15, 2015.á

2. Log on to GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com using your email address and password that you created during registration. NOTE: Registration for the GAF Business Building Club is FREE, and you must be a member to participate in this promotion.á

3. Complete claim form and submit invoice(s) online.á

4. Redeem your Reward Bucks upon validation of claim by following instructions provided in the GAF Business Building Club Rewards Center. Allow up to 4?6 weeks from the time claim is received for validation. Allow 8?10 weeks from the time Reward Bucks are redeemed for shipment of merchandise.

OR, IF SUBMITTING BY POSTAL MAIL:

1. Log on to GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com. NOTE: Registration for the GAF Business Building Club is FREE, and you must be a member to participate in this promotion.

2. Download and fill out the claim form completely.

3. Include it and your invoice(s) in an envelope and send to: Corporate Rewards, Greeley Square Station, 4 East 27th Street, PO Box 20306, New York, NY 10001-9998. NOTE: Be sure to make copies of your invoice(s) and your claim form for your files.

4. Redeem your Reward Bucks upon validation of claim by following instructions provided in the GAF Business Building Club Rewards Center. Allow 8?10 weeks from the time claim is received for validation. Allow 8?10 weeks from the time Reward Bucks are redeemed for shipment of merchandise.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whether submitting online or by mail, submissions must be received by July 15, 2015, and invoices must be dated between April 15 and June 15, 2015.

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You can call it sulphate of lime, or even use the technical term of calcium sulphate dihydroxide.á Either way, you?re talking about gypsum. Gypsum is a mineral compound that's increasingly being used as a component in interior drywall boards, and with very good reason. Interior gypsum panels have a number of ideal uses, and they consistently outscore traditional drywall boards in all of them.

Standard Gypsum Panels

Gypsum panels come in a variety of different types to suit individual needs. Standard panels are typically the least expensive choice, and their features are found in all gypsum panels across the board. Features include:

• Resistance to mold, moisture and mildew
• Resistance to fire and heat
• Durable yet easy to cut without elaborate, heavy-duty tools
• Easy to install and finish
• GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified: Many gypsum panels carry GREENGUARD certification, which means they meet the strict chemical emissions limits required for indoor use. This can contribute to a healthier, safer air quality in the home or business.

Gypsum boards? resistance to moisture makes them particularly well-suited for bathrooms, kitchen sink areas and damp environments. Their ability to resist fire and heat help them serve as a buffer between a room?s interior and the structure?s wooden framework behind the walls. If you're used to working with traditional drywall, you'll find gypsum panels just as easy to cut, install and finish. You'll also be helping to maintain a healthier interior without the risk of the panels emitting high levels of harmful chemicals.

Specialized Gypsum Panels

Sometimes your clients may have specialized needs for specific areas of the home or business, which is where other types of gypsum panels come in. In addition to enjoying all the benefits of the standard panels, specialized panels come with an array of additional features.

Sound Control

Rooms which are either particularly noisy or need to be kept quiet can benefit from gypsum boards designed to control sound. Such boards can reduce the amount of noise that filters in and out of the room.

Residential uses can include bedrooms or nurseries to keep sound out. They also work well in game rooms or family rooms to keep noise from penetrating to other areas of the home. Using a sound control board on specific walls, such as one between a bedroom and the family room?s wall-mounted TV set, is another ideal option. Commercial applications for sound control boards can include yoga and meditation studios, broadcasting and recording studios, classrooms and areas used for band or choir practice.

Resistance to Heavy Abuse and Impact

Two more types of panels include those designed to withstand heavy abuse and others that stand up to high impacts. While the two types are similar, heavy impact boards have an additional layer of durability over panels designed for heavy abuse.

Heavy abuse panels feature a high-density gypsum core encased in abrasion-resistant paper. This gives them to power to stand up to scraping, scuffing, abrasions and slight indentations that may otherwise mar the standard board. Residential uses can include hallways, game rooms or children?s play areas. Commercial uses run the gamut from schools to hospitals, day-care centers to office corridors.

Heavy impact boards are for areas likely to be subjected to impact from hard objects. Even more durable than the high-abuse boards, heavy impact panels are designed to resist impact and penetration through the drywall. The garage is an ideal place for heavy impact boards, especially in areas where tools or gardening implements are stored. They also work well in weight rooms, kickboxing studios or other areas where potential impacts from hard objects may otherwise make a hole in standard drywall.

Outfitting a home or business with several different types of interior gypsum panels can ensure specific needs are met while keeping projects economical. Even the standard gypsum panels give you an edge over traditional drywall, helping to ensure high quality, performance and customer satisfaction rates.

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Sources:

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-gypsum.htm

http://nationalgypsum.com/resources/faqs/xp.htm#a3