The Environmental Protection Agency has important information to share with homeowners considering remodeling. Beginning in April, federal law will require contractors who work in homes (as well as childcare facilities or schools) built before 1978 to receive special training and certification for the removal of any surfaces covered with lead paint. Contractors will also have to follow stricter work practices to prevent lead contamination.

These regulations are being set up to more effectively prevent children from inhaling or swallowing toxic lead and to protect contractors from costly lawsuits. The risk of lead poisoning in children is still a health issue, although lead-based paint has been banned in this country since 1978.

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When I was young, my mother had a friend who was also our next door neighbor. As I recall, she was the only grown-up who let me call her by her first name, Esther. My sister and I played with her two children until we moved several blocks away. The ladies talked often on the phone, but we only visited with them every three months or so. Esther would invite us for dinner and after we ate, my mother would give her hair a “home permanent.”

These days, most women leave their coiffure to the professionals.  But the idea of neighbor helping neighbor is having a bit of a resurgence.

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Last week Lowe’s, the nationwide home improvement company, announced that it is now stocking and selling home solar panels in 21 of its California stores. Lowe’s plans to make the panels available across the country starting next year.

Akeena Solar, Inc. is the manufacturer of the panels. Their system was designed with the do-it-yourselfer in mind. CEO Barry Cinnamon said, “It’s really not a big deal. The most dangerous thing is learning about ladder safety.”  

Producing AC power, panels plug directly into a home’s circuit breaker. In daylight hours they perform like a large battery, distributing energy through the breaker to the home’s appliances. At night or on overcast days, homeowners would need to draw electrical energy from the grid.

Approval of installation is necessary from your municipal utility company. Each Lowe’s store provides an information station to assist homeowners with questions concerning their energy needs and about Akeena’s products.

The panels are priced at $893 each. Weighing in at 40 pounds per panel, the system is set up for installation of one panel at a time. Additional panels can be snapped on to the first, “kind of like Legos.”

To learn more about Akeena residential solar panels, visit their web site.

TALK BACK: Would you consider installing DYI solar panels on your home? Why or why not? Post your comments below.

Posted by Sharon Walker

During the past four years, the Shelton Group has conducted a national survey of homeowners regarding their top choices in making home improvements. This year’s survey revealed that Americans are more likely to make aesthetic home improvements over money-saving energy improvements.

Surveyed by phone, 504 consumers were asked, “Assuming you were suddenly given $10,000 to make home improvements, which two of the following would you choose?”

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Not all home improvements are created equal. Whether you have a need to sell your home now or are looking to make changes for a future sale, it’s important to know what home improvements will give you the best return on your investment.

Making a good first impression is a must.

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Universal Design. I confess the term is new to me, even though it appears my peer group - the Baby Boomers - may be one of the strongest advocates for its use.

What is it?

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“For the times they are a changing.” So sang Bob Dylan. And so it is that we’ve said goodbye to summer and hello to fall. Morning and evening temperatures are starting to prod us to have a sweater or jacket handy, and when our bare feet hit the vinyl flooring, we know it’s time to grab our slippers and turn on the heat.

Before heading to the thermostat, you should consider having an energy audit.

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If you’ve put off doing any home remodeling due to these uncertain economic times, your inaction could pay off in the near future. Just prior to the U.S. Congress taking its summer break, Georgia representatives Hank Johnson (D) and Nathan Deal (R) co-sponsored a bill that could boost productivity of the building products and home furnishings industries and save taxpayers a few bucks.

Home Improvements Revitalize the Economy (HIRE) Act of 2009 is designed to give tax credits and deductions for consumers and retailers on a variety of home furnishings - among them kitchen/bath cabinetry, household flooring and mattresses.

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama may have rekindled a few practices Americans could latch onto. Mrs. Obama and her fashionable sleeveless dresses, and the President with his loose-fitting blue jeans, may start some new trends. Another trend is having the President’s mother-in-law reside with them in their new home, the White House. We’re told by the first family that this is an arrangement everyone agrees is beneficial to all family members.

The Obamas, like many other Baby Boomers in America, are finding themselves faced with the prospect of having their in-laws live near or with them. Rather than relegating grandma and grandpa to the spare bedroom or finished basement, homeowners are turning to adding what’s termed as an “in-law apartment.”

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During this recession, everyone is looking for ways to save money by either lowering their costs or eliminating some expenditures. Home insurance is one of those expenses that doesn’t necessarily attract attention until it’s needed. Many homeowners have their yearly payments put into escrow and pay little mind to the actual premium cost. Others may receive annual billings and simply write a check, never giving the expense a second thought.

Insurance companies want their consumers to be proactive in keeping costs down by lowering risks. Some home improvements can lower premium costs for homeowners and reduce risks for your insurance company. The following suggestions represent a discount of anywhere between 5 to 20 percent off of your premium:

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