There are many ways to make your heating system greener.  You can switch to fireplace inserts or heat pumps that offer increased efficiency and decreased pollution.  You can also simply contact your local furnace company for furnace repair or maintenance to make sure that the system you have is working as efficiently as possible.

Alternative Heating Options

Many homes have traditional fireplaces but few people still use these features to burn wood fires.  Fireplace inserts allow you to make use of your fireplace as an efficient heating source by essentially placing a stove into the fireplace opening.  You get to keep your fireplace as an architectural point of interest and you heat your home more effectively because no heat is lost around an open fire.  You can choose from a pellet (compressed wood pellets, often recycled from sawmills), a gas or a wood fireplace insert.  All of them burn at extremely high temperatures, which means that combustion is almost complete and little pollution or waste is produced.

Geothermal heat pumps are another excellent choice for heating your home.  Ground source heat pumps use the temperature of the earth to maintain the temperature of your home.  Installed underground, these devices use the warmth of the earth in winter, when the air temperature is colder than the ground temperature, to warm your home.  You can’t get much better than that for an environmentally responsible heating option. 

Heating System Maintenance

If you want to keep a traditional furnace-based heating system, you can still save money and energy by making sure it is in good repair.  No matter what type of furnace you have, your local furnace company can help you make sure that your furnace is functioning optimally.

Most furnace companies offer a full range of services including oil and gas furnace installation, service and cleaning.  In order to improve your energy consumption and decrease your heating bills, a company representative can help you decide if it will be better to get a new furnace or to fix the one you have.  A furnace installation expert can help you put in a new furnace if that is in your best interest.  If you just need to fix up an existing unit–or if you later need service on one you had installed-the same company can offer furnace repair services and advice.
 
When it comes to heating your home you don’t have to choose between being an eco-conscious consumer and being a frugal homeowner.  The same choices that will help the environment will help you as well.  Whether you put in a new wood or gas fireplace insert, a geothermal heat pump or repair or replace the heating system you have already, heating your home for less is not only possible, but easy too.

Waldo Smithens is a home improvement hobbyist and the Internet marketing manager for Prospect Genius, a provider of online local advertising. 

A leaky basement can be a nightmare: the pervasive damp can cause mold growth and musty smells, items stored down there can be ruined, and the foundation can even be damaged by persistent water! If you have moisture, drips, seepage, or other water related issues in your basement, you need to get it sealed and dried out fast, before major problems develop. A wet basement isn’t the end of the world, though: there are a number of solutions to get your basement dry, and keep it that way.

The first step to eliminating your basement moisture problem is identifying the source of the water. Once you have located where the water is entering the building, you can more accurately resolve the issue. The following basement drying strategies are grouped by the source of the water to help you easily connect the appropriate solution to your particular problem.

Drainage Problems

Exterior drainage issues can be a major source of water in your basement; if water is not properly diverted away from your foundation, it can frequently work its way inside. If you notice water flowing toward your house on rainy days, have blocked or malfunctioning gutters, or observe signs of erosion around your house, you likely have drainage problems. Some drainage issues are simple to resolve: if your gutters aren’t working, clean and repair them. Pay special attention to downspouts, and be sure that they are directing water away from your house, not toward it! Other drainage issues can be more difficult to resolve; if your gutters aren’t the source of your drainage issue, you’ll want to consult a professional basement waterproofing company. They will be able to identify problematic water patterns and correct them with exterior diversion methods, which frequently require grading and installing bubblers and other water redirection systems.

Basement Leaks

Water can also work its way into your basement through cracks or crevices in your foundation. This type of problem usually manifests itself as a visible break or fracture, a trickle of water, or a damp spot. Keep in mind that basement leaks can also be caused by a porous foundation: there doesn’t necessarily have to be a split for water to be seeping in. If you’ve located an actual crack, you can use one of several basement sealing compounds to fill it in. However, if you determine that water is leaking in through the walls of the basement itself, you’ll need to take more thorough measures. You have a number of options for waterproofing your basement: vinyl wall sheeting, epoxy wall/floor paint, and exterior membranes are among the most popular. If you’re uncomfortable tackling the job yourself, a waterproofing specialist can provide professional basement sealing results.

Flooding

Sometimes, no matter how good your yard drainage or how carefully your basement has been sealed, water gets in. Whether the result of a burst pipe, torrential rains, or a creek breaching its banks, floods happen. If you live in a flood-prone area, or just want to be prepared in case of disaster, you can mitigate the severity of basement floods. While most basement moisture issues are addressed after-the-fact, you’ll get the best results if you’re proactive with regard to basement floods. For small amounts of water, interior drain tiles will usually do the job: consider this method if you have a toilet that frequently overflows, or a washing machine that leaks. For larger volumes of water, you’ll need a sump pump. This small pump will make a huge difference in how fast water is drained from your basement, and since it kicks in as soon as the water arrives, a sump pump can make the difference between a little standing water and a whole lot of standing water. Contact your local foundation repair contractor to have a sump pump installed. If basement flooding is a frequent problem, you may also want to consider a battery-powered back up pump for power outages.

Make sure you address water problems in your basement promptly; instead of going away on their own, foundation moisture issues frequently snowball into moisture and mold crises. Take the time to identify and resolve the source of the moisture—you certainly won’t regret it. And if you’re not the DIY type, there are always basement waterproofing and foundation repair companies willing to help!