Categories Blog, Tips

Tips to Winterize Your Home

Winter

As another New England winter rolls in, there are many ways you can protect your home from damage. Our team works closely with homeowners to ensure their home is ready for whatever Mother Nature may deliver this year. Not sure where to start on your own home?

  • Get Your Gutters in Place & Clean: Take a look at your gutters. Are they facing towards your house? If so, you need to fix them so the water flows away, not towards the structure of your home. Also, make sure your gutters are free and clear of any leaves to avoid water build-up.
  • Make Sure Doors & Windows Are Weathertight: Make sure all windows and exterior doors are weather tight so there are no drafts; This will keep the wind, snow, and wet weather out.
  • Check for Window Sill Damage: Water damage to your window sill is caused by sitting moisture. If you have a rotten or moldy sill, it is important to replace it before further damage is done to the structure of your home.
  • Use Heated Cables: Ice dams can cause big headaches for homeowners and heated cables can help protect your house from them. Without these cables, the water that backs up behind the ice dams can leak into your home, causing damage to walls, ceilings and insulation.

Thanks for reading! Let us know if you need any help protecting your home this winter!

The McDonald Contracting Team

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Categories Blog, Recent Work

Charming Kitchen Remodel

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Our team loves sharing our finished work! The process of working closely with our clients throughout their home renovation project is an important one. Whether it be adding on an addition, remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, painting the garage or installing new windows, our team takes pride in ensuring every job is done with precision, detail and care.  Check out our latest finished project at a home in Norfolk, MA.

What we did:  The homeowners wanted to open up their kitchen to create a more inviting space. They also wanted to update the appearance, appliances and add more storage space.  Along with renovating the kitchen we also added on a mudroom and a small hallway office.

Before Photos: Big thanks to the homeowners for providing us with these photos –

After Photos:

 

Save

Save[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator el_width=”70″][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Are you looking to remodel a room in your house? Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a question or would like a quote.

Thanks,

The McDonald Contracting Team[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Categories Blog, Tips

3 Small Ways To Go Green in Your Home

According to Energy.gov,  homes and commercial buildings consume 40% of the energy used in the United States; the majority of which comes from fossil fuels! It’s time to make your home more energy efficient! Here are some simple ways to save energy without breaking the bank.

Energy Efficient Windows: Windows provide our homes with light and warmth, but they can also negatively impact a home’s energy efficiency. You can reduce energy costs by installing energy-efficient windows in your home. If your budget is tight, energy efficiency improvements to existing windows can also be a huge money-saver. Adding storm windows can reduce air leakage and improve comfort. Weatherstripping around your windows can reduce air leakage. Thick window treatments and coverings can reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

Energy Efficient Lighting: Electric lighting burns up to 25% of the average home energy budget.The electricity used over the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs 5 to 10 times the original purchase price of the bulb itself! Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) bulbs have revolutionized energy-efficient lighting.

– CFLs are a smaller version of a full-sized fluorescent bulb. They screw into standard lamp sockets and give off light that looks similar to the common incandescent bulbs.
– LEDs are small, very efficient solid bulbs! LED bulbs are grouped in clusters with diffuser lenses which have broadened the applications for LED use in the home. LED technology is advancing rapidly, with many new bulb styles available. They are typically more expensive than CFLs, but bring more value since they last longer.

Eco-Friendly Appliances:  An easy way to save money on your utility bill (and help the environment) is by installing energy efficient appliances.  Washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and air conditioners can all be purchased today as eco-friendly appliances, just look for appliances that have a Energy Star Rating.
– An appliance receives the Energy Star rating if it is significantly more energy efficient than the minimum government standards, as determined by standard testing procedures! The more energy efficient an appliance is, the less it costs to run!

Thanks for reading,
-The Team at McDonald Contracting | www.McDonaldContractingMA.com

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