• Did you know your vehicles belts and hoses are worn out after 3 to 4 years of working hard for you in extreme conditions? Knowing the age of your cars coolant hoses and belts is important. Even if they look good, it does not mean they are. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/repair/

• Your cars cooling system should be tested and flushed each year before the start of summer because your automotives coolant gets old and is picking up many contaminants that will damage your system. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/auto-ac-repair/

•  Don’t forget those windshield wipers that are now cooked onto your windshield, it’s time to replace them; the monsoons are coming to Arizona soon. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/auto-glass-windshields/

The Phoenix, ToFixIt car repair experts are always harping about checking your vehicles tires and air pressure, the cars fluid levels and changing the oil, but they are so important we just feel we have to mention it one more time. These warm Phoenix, days beckon us to outdoor excursions and road trips, but anyone who has been broken down on a hot desert highway knows that taking a few precautions and being prepared is never something that you will regret. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/auto-tires/

And don’t forget about you and your passengers.

1. Carry extra water for yourself, passengers and your vehicle.
2. Take along some snacks, non melting types.
3. Know your road service coverage and how to use it. If you are not familiar with the program call your location you frequent before you hit the road.
4. If you have a cell phone, keep it charged, ready, and with you while driving in case of an emergency.
5. Keep something reflective, like a windshield screen (for example) in your vehicle. If your car breaks down or get lost in the desert, it can be used to flag down other motorists. If large enough, it will also help to keep the sun off you.
6. Keep an umbrella in your vehicle. You may not ever need it for rain, but it is a great source of shade in the desert.
7. Purchase an emergency roadside kit and first aid kit.  They are usually inexpensive, but can be very valuable if needed. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/safety-products-home-auto/
8. Carry a set of auto jumper cables with you. 
9. Most importantly, let someone know where you are going and approximately what time you should arrive. If you are traveling in a remote area, also let someone know the route you plan to take.

  Find an honest, reliable and reasonable automotive shop near your home today. Or call ToFixIt (602) 863-4948. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/autoprogram/   

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Your refrigerator, freezer and icemaker are working real hard. Help them out or they could be hardly working. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/plumbing/

1. Vacuum the coils to increase airflow and keep internal heat down.
2. Change the freezer, icemakers and water filters to reduce bacteria growth and assure the purest, best tasting water and ice in your home.
3. Keep baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb odors.
4. Check the door seals/gaskets on your freezer and refrigerator doors. If the gaskets are ripped or damaged, they need to be replaced, according to the repair experts.
5. Your kitchen disposer can use the old baking soda from your refrigerator to flush out odors. Use ice to clear out any deposits in the disposal.

Your air conditioner/heat pump also needs the filters replaced every month but more often during the monsoons.

The A/C ToFixIt, Phoenix experts state,” that’ll keep some of that monsoon dust out of the house.” http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/air-conditioning/

If you turn off your air conditioner unit, do not turn it back on right away. Wait at least 10 minutes to allow the air conditioner refrigerant gas pressure in the system to equalize. This extends your air conditioners compressor’s lifespan. In the event of a power outage, you really should turn the air conditioner off to avoid this scenario.

Your washer and dryer can benefit from your attention, as well.

The appliance repair experts suggest that you can prevent strange odors in your clothes washer and dryer by running vinegar in your washer once a week. This is almost critical in the newer washer machines. The Phoenix, washer and dryer experts recommend that you stay on top of the lint in your dryer and the vent. Not only will the dryer perform more efficiently, but it may prevent potential fires caused by lint buildup in your home dryer. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/dryer-vent-cleaning-repair/

Your kitchen dishwasher would also like some of that vinegar weekly. 

The dishwasher and appliance repair expert recommend vinegar. It helps to clear out hard water deposits on the spray arms and it will smell better, too. Don’t forget to clean your dishwasher filters. If your dishes are not getting clean enough, you have some options: If the kids are home, save on energy costs and give them something to do, make them hand wash the dishes.    

Call (602) 863-4948 or visit the website at: http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/home/   to learn more tips or schedule an appointment.

The post Keep appliances in peak condition appeared first on ToFixIt! Blog.

 The question is, how much can the homeowner afford and what will be the return on their investment. A growing number of Phoenix, homeowners are finding a less expensive alternative; they are opting to refinish their bathtubs, tile surrounds, vanity tops and even floors to update the look of their bathrooms. You can change colors, repair damaged surfaces, or even chips and create a new look without costly and messy removal and replacement of a brand new bathroom tub. The process works equally well on porcelain, fiberglass, acrylic, laminate and cultured marble surfaces and can save a homeowner up to 75% over the cost of replacement.

Adding value is especially important if the homeowner is looking to sell. In a buyer’s market, it is critical that the home “show well” immediately. Nothing will send a prospective buyer out the door more than a yellow bathtub with black tile accents, or an orange or green Formica countertop. However, the homeowner can project the right image without investing more than they can get in return with quality surface refinishing. For example, a homeowner is more likely to get a better return on their investment after spending $1,200 to $1,500 to refinish their kitchen countertop, than spending $10,000 to $15,000 on a solid surface replacement. It can cost $2,500 to $3,000 to replace a yellow bathtub, but only $450 – $550 to change the color and have it look like new.

The experts offer advice for homeowners looking for an affordable bathroom and kitchen remodeling solutions.

• Establish a budget; look at magazines and visit home improvement stores for ideas and the newest trends for bathtubs, showers and bathroom or kitchen countertops. • Consider how much time you want to devote to the project.

 • Traditional removal and replacement remodeling almost always takes more time than you anticipate.

 • Another advantage of surface refinishing is that you will know exactly when the project will start and end.

• Traditional removal and replacement of a bathtub and tile surround can take two months or more depending on the scope of the project.

 With surface refinishing, a bathtub can be refinished in the color of your choice, and the tile surround in a Natural Accents™ stone finish for typically under $1,200. Add a vanity top and a sink and the total cost adds up to only about $1,700. Instead of taking a week or two, this process will take two days or less.

The Phoenix ToFixIt bathtub and shower repair and finishing expert company states, “countertops are the new wow factor for homeowners,” people want the multicolor look and the features of stone. These options can provide both at a tremendous cost savings with Natural Accents.” Natural Accents™ works equally well on laminate, tile, Corian™ and cultured marble surfaces. It’s a custom look in which the homeowner can choose flat, satin or even a semi-gloss finish. They can have it smooth or with a slight texture.

A Natural Accents™ countertop is a very affordable way to create a kitchen makeover without breaking the bank. A Natural Accents refinished vanity, looks like it is granite. It looks that good.

 Homeowners have embraced the concept of creating an upgraded look for their kitchens and bathrooms, while saving them money on the removal and replacement of bathroom fixtures, vanity tops and kitchen counters. To learn more or schedule your appointment to get a new update look in your bathroom or kitchen at a fraction of the normal remodel project, contact ToFixIt at (602) 863-4948 to find the bathtub, shower repair company in your area or visit the website at: http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/bathtub-shower-repair-refinish/

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 These carpet repairs can be the aftermath of pet damage, a bleach spot, a burn mark, a pet or human stain, food stain, rust stain or anything that requires a patch. This may often require you to contact the experts. They have perfected the technique of repairing using permanent sections. The carpet repair experts strategically section out the damaged carpet and patch in a new piece of matching carpet so it looks like it belongs. If you do not have any new carpet remnants they can take a piece from an inconspicuous place, in your home, such as the back of a closet. The expert carpet repair company trucks will often be stocked with a supply of extra types of carpet remnants, in some of the most common weights and thicknesses. Many will often even have carpet padding on hand just in case. They utilize the matching carpet, to patch the damaged, ripped, stained, rippled, snagged, burned or unraveled area and can use the truck stock carpet remnants, to patch the closet or inconspicuous area that the patch was removed to replace the damaged area. Your carpet repair specialist utilize seaming tape, a seaming iron and latex the edges to perform miniature carpet surgeries on a daily basis. Occasionally, carpet re-stretching is necessary if the damage is at doorways or a threshold that meets tile, wood or laminate flooring. This is not a problem for the expert technicians. The professional should be prepared to do this type of repair.

 Do you know that they can often repair Berber carpet?

 • Berber carpet is a looped pile carpet that is often used for its durability. In the mill, Berber carpet is woven using a single strand of carpet fiber or yarn as opposed to cut pile carpet that is woven using individual tufts of yarn. Because of the way Berber carpet is made, one snag can cause it to unravel like a sweater, exposing row upon row of bare carpet, that is unsightly as well as a danger in a home or in a commercial space.

 • Modern vacuum cleaners, pet claws, shoes such as heels can easily cause snags in your Berber carpet causing damage to your beautiful carpet.

• Berber carpet repairs require real technical expertise and creativity. They either have to surgically weave in new carpet fiber loops for a few rows or if the damage is severe, they can section out the damaged carpet and replace it with a matching section provided by the home owner.

• If your Berber carpet is patterned, even more technical skill and expertise is required ensuring the replacement is fully integrated with the carpet pattern, so that the repair is unnoticeable. Many homes in the valley require carpet stretching services.

Customers are bothered by carpet that has unsightly and dangerous bumps, creases and ripples in their carpet. Carpets seem to have a life of their own. One day they are fresh and new and then a year or so later they seem loose and lifeless. What happened? Is this normal in the life of your carpet?

 There are three main reasons carpet can become loose and develop ripples;

1. The first and most common reason you may need your carpet re-stretch is the result of poor or improper installation. Correct carpet installation involves power stretching of carpet, pulling it drum-tight from wall to wall. The Phoenix, experts use a power stretcher to do this. Many carpet installers rely solely on a knee kicker. But, knee kickers alone are not designed to stretch the carpet, only to set the carpet on the tack strip. So the carpet appears to be well-stretched, but as you walk across it, play on it, move furniture around and otherwise “live” on it, the beautiful carpet quickly gets rippled and looks loose.

2. Another reason the experts may have to power-stretch carpet is because the tack-strips start coming loose. This happens on occasion. They can re-set the tack strips and then power-stretch the carpet back to drum-tight which is the industry standard.

3. The third reason for carpet ripples is owner error and this common mistake. Vacationers and valley snowbirds leave their air conditioners turned off or above ninety degrees for extended periods of time or seasons. In the heat of an Arizona summer, this is a death sentence for your wall-to-wall carpet. The heat builds up inside of your home similar to a parked car with all the windows up. This essentially relaxes your carpet making it wrinkle and ripple. Carpet has latex backing, so it is extremely sensitive to heat. The Phoenix carpet repair specialists recommend leaving your air conditioner set at eighty-five degrees or lower.

Contact the ToFixIt carpet repair experts, carpet repair experts to learn more great tips and schedule your repairs today. Visit the website at: http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/carpet-repair/ or call 602-863-4948.

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To help you prepare for a bathroom remodel, consider these five tips before starting your project.

Have everything on site, or on hold locally.  The most important aspect of a remodel is starting and finishing on schedule.  Some materials such as bathroom cabinets and special order items can take weeks to arrive and if that is not considered prior to starting the project, your bathroom can sit idle and unusable while you wait for those materials.  Some items such as granite slab bathroom counter tops are too large to house on site, so the next best approach is to have them on hold at a local supply house.  By ensuring that the material is local, minimizes delivery time, thus keeping your bathroom redesign project on time and moving smoothly.

Plan for storage.  Whether it is in the bathroom shower or at the new vanity, storage in bathrooms always seems to be an issue. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/cabinets-bath/

 When it comes to your new shower, be sure to plan for tall and wide shampoo niches to house your beauty products.  Sometimes more than one niche is necessary.  Double sink vanities are almost always seen in master bathrooms, yet the additional sink is rarely ever used.  By omitting one of these bathroom sinks, you allow yourself more useable countertop space and the space under the sink that was once occupied by plumbing can now be used for storage.

Use accent tile to “tie” the room together.  Although they can be a little pricey, ceramic, granite, or marble bathroom accent tiles are necessary to really provide pizzazz to a bathroom remodel; however, the key is to use them in a manner that ties the whole bathroom together.  Having accent tiles as a ribbon around the shower is nice, but integrating them into the shower, shampoo niches and as part of the bathroom vanity backsplash makes the bathroom feel unified and complete.  On occasions, and in the right space, even highlighting accent tiles throughout the bathroom floor design can look stunning.

Delete the tub.  For years we have looked at the large Jacuzzi tub as the focal point of the bathroom, but with our fast-paced world, we never seem to find time to use them.  In the grand scheme of things, the bathroom tub becomes a space invader and one more thing to collect dust.  Imagine if that space was used to make the shower area or enclosure larger or provide an area to build a linen closet.  If you make the Snail or glass shower larger, the water supply lines from the bathroom tub can be used in the shower allowing for two shower heads, a hand shower, or perhaps a high tech body sprayer system.

Get three bids and check references.  Obtaining three bids for your bathroom, remodel or addition has been the stereotypical norm for years, but what does that really mean?  Are you getting three bids from a Phoenix expert professional, because you want to go with the lowest priced one?  If that is the reason, then you should be prepared for potential disaster.  A higher bid from a bathroom contractor does not always mean that the bidding contractor is trying to rip you off, but rather the higher bid may reflect quality, which in turn reflects experience.  Compare the content within the three bids rather than just the price.  The purpose of getting three bids should be used as a tool to measure the bidding contractor’s attention to detail and to see what materials are being used.  The lower bid from an expert, may be missing some pertinent details that will end up costing you greatly in the end by the way of addendums.  Additionally, the materials being suggested by one ToFixIt, Phoenix contractor may be of less quality than the materials being suggested by the other professional contractors.  As the old adage goes “you get what you pay for”.   If you really want to be confident in the contractor you hire, ask for references.  These references should be from past clients who have had similar sized projects and have been living with the completed work for at least a year.  But don’t stop there; ask to see completed pictures of bathroom countertops, vanities, sinks, faucets, tile, flooring, tubs, showers, lighting, mirrors, and bathroom fixtures to verify that the scope of work is comparable to yours.  When you are equipped with all of this information you should then be able to make an educated decision on which contractor to hire.

 A bathroom remodel should be a fun experience overall.  At times it can be trying, but hopefully the more knowledge that you have before starting the project, the less challenges you face during the process.  Remember to be prepared, be open minded, and do your homework, by contacting http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/bathroom-remodeling-services/

 before selecting a contractor…and upon completion, your bathroom project will have been a success!

The post Bathroom remodel sucess appeared first on ToFixIt! Blog.

• out-of-alignment hinges
• strike plates
•  thresholds
•  jambs
• worn weather stripping
•  house settling
•  loose or worn out lock sets
• broken or damaged frame

The professional handyman experts in Phoenix, place door repair in the same category as drywall repair because in most cases it is truly an art to get the job repaired correctly. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/home/
Did you know that many exterior, front or back door repairs are the result of break-ins or attempted robberies? However, the good news is, many times, it is an easy door repair. It simply calls for a repair of the door jamb, replacing the door trim and securing the door strike plate to make it stronger than when it was initially built. This means you don’t have to replace the entire interior or exterior door, door frame, but just the wood door trim.

The experts recommend as a security measure, replacing the flimsy strike plate on your exterior doors with heavy duty strike plates. The new strike plates should be installed with three-inch screws into the studs for added strength. This can really slow down a burglar trying to kick in your exterior front door. The professional experts want to remind you to teach your children and practice what you preach, don’t open the door until you know who is at the door before you open it. There are different options that can be installed so that you can see who is at the door without opening it: a peep hole or side-light. Consider swapping out your deadbolt with a heavy duty lock and minimum 2-inch throw.

The ToFixIt handyman experts share that there are three general door problems:

• hard to open
• hard to close
• air leaks

 When your doors are hard to open, it generally means the hinges need adjusting. If you interior or exterior doors are hard to close, this can be the hinges, the door latch or even the wood door frame. It is important to check to see if you are losing your conditioned air.  These air leaks can cause your energy bills to increase. This issue can be resolved with something as easy as replacing that worn-out weather stripping, or by simply adjusting the threshold.  The house settling can cause these minor changes to occur but can be remedied with a just a few minor adjustments.

We hope you think of calling ToFixIt at 602-863-4948 or visit the website at: http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/handyman-services/ to contact your local handyman if trouble comes knocking on your door and you need a repair. Better yet, how about a new energy efficient door?  http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/doors-interior-exterior-energy-1st/

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Learn more tips and product information from the insulation experts, so that you can take advantage of the best insulations solution for your home.

• Have your home or office energy bills increased significantly when you compare them to the same time frame last year?
• Has your house air conditioner been running more than usual?
• Is the second floor of your home, hotter than the rest of your home?

1) Check your attic insulation in your house.  Did you know that one of the number one reasons for higher energy costs especially in the summertime is due to the  lack of proper insulation in your attic? As a rule of thumb, the Phoenix expert’s recommends that you should have at least 12 to 18 inches of insulation covering the duct work and plumbing pipes in your attic space.  In other words, if you can see the tops of the boards in your attic you should add more insulation.

2) Proper attic ventilation in the attic of your home, is also very important it helps the insulation do its job more effectively and keeps condensation from collecting in the winter time; it’s like an oven up in the attic area. If you crack the door open a little bit, it really can help cool it down. Turbines fans and attic vents are a great way to help achieve this air flow into your attic. There are also a variety of solar powered units that are very effective by using our great source of plentiful sunshine in Arizona.

3) The insualtion experts tell us, there is some great new energy saving products on the market right now. One of them is an amazing material called Heat Bloc 75 it’s a radiant spray applied directly to the underside of the roof deck of your home. This product can help stop up to 75% of the radiant heat from penetrating the attic air space, therefore keeping the air ducts cooler. This can often help increase the life of your air conditioning unit, by allowing it to work less, while cooling your home. This of course, can help reduce the amount of energy used during those hot,  Arizona sunny days. Many companies are offering summer specials on these products which also includes blown in insulation for your heating an dcooling needs.

4) Another great product that has grown in popularity is recycled insulation for your home. This product is green and non-itch. This has become a great alternative to the conventional blanket insulation that most of us are familiar with. This non-itch type of home insulation tends to be much more comfortable to work with when handling. And it is a great option. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/insulation-removal/

The ToFixIt! experts recommend that your insulation contractor, seals any air leaks prior to adding insulation, as well as, make roof and other necessary repairs. Don’t forget, if it is located in a conditioned part of the house, the experts recommend that insulation is added to air seal your attic access too. Old or missing insulation will cause high energy bills. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/insulation-sales-installation/

 Remember last summer?  Don’t put it off any longer! Start saving money year around by re-insulating your home today!

Visit ToFixIt to learn more tips form the experts for manyof your home, office, auto and even life’s needs at http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/

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Most of us just push the button and ignore anything else. Think of your garage door as an appliance. It may not look like one, but it is the largest operating appliance in your home! Learn more maintenance tips and recommendations from the experts.

Like any equipment, your garage door, opener, and other components have to be maintained. If you have a garage that faces south, you will want an insulated garage door to reduce the heat transfer into the garage. In the case of using the garage for a workshop or a game room, you may want a thermal insulated  garage door with a high R value and steel skinned on both the inside and outside for durability.

There are garage doors to blend in with the homes architecture, whether it is Spanish, Tuscan, Modern, Contemporary or Western. Stamped steel raised panel and carriage designs, polystyrene and urethane insulated (up to R-17), composite overlay carriage doors, custom wood overlay, unique fiberglass faced doors, custom rustic designs, wrought iron, and contemporary glass aluminum doors are all available. Along with a large selection of glass top designs and decorative hardware that have become so popular in the garage door industry, anyone can customize new garage doors to meet their specific needs.

They are safer and have a much more aesthetic appeal. You choose the color and design that’s best to enhance your home, including the garage door.

By maintaining your garage door system, its lifespan will be extended for many years. It is important to pick the same date once a month, to inspect your garage door and operator system. It’s not only a maintenance issue, it’s a safety issue!

Look at the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and other door hardware for signs of wear. If you see potential problems, have a qualified company make repairs. Did you know that you can also opt for having a qualified, professional, Arizona company do your periodic maintenance and inspections?

1. The garage door experts in Phoenix recommend that you should not try to adjust the spring tension on your garage door.

• The garage door springs are under high tension and serious injury can occur.
• Along with the garage door springs, the garage cables, garage drums and the garage door bottom brackets which the cables attach to are under high tension and can cause serious injury. Only a qualified expert garage door company should maintain them.

2. Regularly lubricate the garage door rollers, springs and hinges on the garage door with a “garage door lube” specifically made for garage door and operator lubrication.

• Other types of lubrications can cause the tracts to be clog.
• Check to see if any screws or nuts have loosened on the garage door hinges and tighten as needed (Do not touch the bottom brackets which the cables are attached to or the spring system.).

3. Checking the balance of your garage door should be done at least once per year.

• First close the door; if you have a garage door opener, pull the release cord so the door can be operated by hand.
• Open the door slowly; it should lift easily and with little resistance. At about three to four feet off the floor the door should balance.
• If it doesn’t then it is out of adjustment. Have a qualified company make the adjustments.

4. The garage door opener should also have safety and maintenance checks preformed once per month.

• First check your operator owner’s manual for procedures from the manufacturer.
• Before starting, make sure there is a reversing feature on your operator, if not the unit should be replaced. All garage door openers manufactured after January 1, 1993 are required by federal law to have safety features to comply with U.L. 325 standards.

5. Remember garage door openers are not toys.

• Never walk or stand under a moving garage door.
• Don’t allow children to try to beat the door closing.
• Don’t let children play with the remote controls and make sure the wall push button is at least 60″ from the floor.
• Always have clear sight of the garage door when operating it.
• And teach children to keep their fingers out of the section joints, hinges and tracks.

6. Make sure the garage door is balanced as discussed in the prior paragraph.

• Operate the door one full cycle (open and close).
• Then fully open the garage door with the opener and lay a 2×4 flat on the ground in the center of the garage door opening (A roll of paper towels may also be used.).
• Now operate the opener to close the garage door. The door should reverse upon solid contact with the 2×4.
• If the garage door does not reverse, have a qualified company repair and or replace the operator.

7. You can check the down force of the operator by holding the bottom of the garage door as it closes and applying an upward force against it.

• If the garage door does not reverse with medium pressure, then the force may need adjusting.
• Check your owner’s manual for adjustment instructions.

Call to schedule your maintenance today with one of the local garage door experts in your area.

The post Maintain and extend the life of your garage door appeared first on ToFixIt! Blog.

•  Energy efficiency seems to be high on every homeowner’s agenda these days. With the escalating costs of electricity and fuel there is no better time than now to take advantage of the many ENERGY STAR qualified roof products that are available. These roofs can be helpful by reflecting more of the sun’s rays. This can result in the lowering of the roof’s surface temperature by up to 100F. Thus decreasing the amount of heat that is being transferred into a residential or commercial building. The ENERGY STAR roofing shingles can help cut down on the energy needed to air condition or heat your home. Sometimes the difference can be 10 to 15 percent difference in temperature in your house or office building.  A new more efficient roof material can help extend the life of your air conditioning unit because it will run less often or for a shorter duration to help cool off your living or working environment. This is especially helpful if you live in the hot Arizona sun, where the average temperature from May through September is 94 to 104 degrees.

• Of course, like any home improvement project, it is important to do your homework and ask your roofing contractor to explain some of the factors that can affect your savings. Some of the things to keep in mind include the design of your home or office, what type and how much insulation was installed and the typical weather for your area. You also want to make sure that your roof adds to the curb appeal of your home or office space. They can make a dramatic difference thhttp://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/home/

These roof products bearing the ENERGY STAR label are simply based on their solar reflectance, without compromising product quality and performance. Many of these products qualify for tax credits and must be installed on your “principal residence” between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2013. Time is running out to take advantage of these tax credits, now might be the right time to learn more about these roofing materials. 

ENERGY STAR roofing products are not restricted to any particular type of roof product; however, the three most common types of roofs here in Phoenix are tile, shingle and of course flat roofs.

The following roof systems are included:

• Built-up/ Hot Asphalt roofs
• Roof tiles/ Concrete & Clay
• Polyurethane Foam systems
• Asphalt Shingles
• Roof Coatings

These “Cool Roofs” and Eco- Friendly roofing systems come in a large variety of colors and styles. For Low-slope or flat roofs, and particularly foam roofs, homeowners installing new white elastomeric coatings can also help extend the life of their existing roof in lieu of installing a whole new roofing system. Some of the ToFixIt certified experts http://trustcertified.com/

have used the local manufacturer Pro-Tech products for many years, which specializes in coatings thus earning the ENERGY STAR rating on many of their roofing and gutter products. 

 Shingle manufacturer Certainteed offers its “Solaris” product line of dimensional roof shingles that qualify. One manufacturer of concrete roofing tile, Eagle, offers 21 cool roof colors. Eagle also offers “solar tiles” that have replaced, in some cases, the traditional roof solar panels that have been in use for the past 20 years.

 Whatever your Eco-friendly roofing needs is the roofing professional experts can provide you with the industry’s best products and most advanced roofing products on the market today.

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Another trend we are seeing when performing home remodels is the choice to install tile in certain rooms of the house or even throughout the home.  Tile is a great addition to any Arizona home, helping to keep rooms cool during the hot summer and here lately, fall days.  Porcelain tile is a nice product to install and maintain due to its durability.  A rectified porcelain tile can be installed close together to allow for thinner grout joints.  And like other stone products, the size, color and movement variations of the pieces can add life to any room. http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/room-additions/

An ongoing trend is to give your home a “face lift”.

• interior and exterior, paint color change
• replacing flat paneled doors with six paneled doors
• updated doorknobs
•  replace your baseboards with a taller baseboard style can transform a simple room into an elegant oasis
•  accent the windows
•  changing or adding updated blinds
•  installation of draperies can completely change the look and feel of a room

 The nice thing about these “face lifts” is they can be done within your budget and don’t require a complete “tear down” of your home for a new updated look.

These are just some of the trends, we are seeing homeowners request across the Valley of the Sun.  Before hiring a professional remodeling contractor, make sure they take your lifestyle into consideration when making product suggestions. You are the boss, ask as many questions, that you need to understand the process and changes that will be done in your home, prior to the start of any remodeling project.  In the end, it is you, the homeowner, who will be living with the choices of materials and changes that  have been made to your home.  Learn and use the professional general contractor’s expertise, to help make the right decisions, ensuring that you are satisfied and love your remodeled home for years to come.  Call ToFixIt today to find your local expert general contractor at 602-863-4948 or visit the website at: http://www.tofixit.com/phoenix/index.php/general-contractor/

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