Cash for Caulkers, officially titled “HOMESTAR,” is designed to entice Americans to make energy efficient upgrades to their home. Just as Cash for Clunkers increased auto sales by offering tax rebates to Americans who exchanged their inefficient cars for more fuel-friendly models, the Cash for Caulkers program hopes to boost the demand for building products by offering point-of-sale tax rebates for energy efficient upgrades such as insulation. Cash for Caulkers also aims to create jobs through installation services, reduce household energy costs by hundreds of dollars a year, and reduce the nation’s dependency on oil.

Given the extended cold temperatures and the amount of snow that many regions of the United States have experienced this year, ice dams have been a very noticeable problem. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do once they start forming, short of realizing that expensive headaches are to come.

While catching up on my daily dose of news, I came across a rather interesting story out of Olympia, Washington.   After a local woman found out that her husband was leaving her, she allegedly tampered with his power tools, switching the positive and negative wires in an attempt to get back at him.

Remodeling is a huge investment - one of the biggest you will make after purchasing your home. Depending on your comfort level and general understanding of construction, hiring a contractor may be a necessity. It is important to know your limits. If you need to hire a contractor, then do so, but don’t just open a phonebook and call the first name you see.

Safety tends to be overlooked while working around the house.  I once tried to move a ladder while I was standing on top of it. Instead of climbing down and moving the ladder over a few feet, I attempted to save some time. As you can imagine, that idea did not turn out the way I had planned.

Homeowners spent an estimated $109.7 billion in 2009, which was down from $120.1 billion in 2008, according to the recent article, Home Improvement Spending: Looking Up.  Experts forecast that spending will bottom out early this year and will be on the rise again throughout 2010.

Remodeling your house?  Are the updates going to increase energy efficiency?  Tax rebates and credits are available through the federal government for home improvements that enhance the energy efficiency of your home.

Oxmoor House voluntarily recalled nearly 1,000,000 home improvement books purchased at home improvement stores and bookstores nationwide between January 1975 and December 2009.  The recall was prompted due to faulty wiring diagrams and technical instructions which could possibly lead to shock or fire hazards.

I recently read an article in the Columbus Dispatch from Rick Barret of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel titled “Americans losing their fix-it skills, poll shows”.  Americans are “tinkering” less and are not taking pride in building something.

Whether you are a do-it-yourself pro or beginner, wouldn’t it be nice to have a little help when estimating the quantity of material that is required for your project? Preventing over- and under-ordering material and eliminating additional trips to the home improvement store will save you both time and money. Below are a few helpful online calculators and estimators that we have found.

Home improvement is not glamorous.  The finished products usually are, but we all know it is never as easy as we think it is going to be.  Unforeseen problems always arise.  I guess that is what makes it so much fun, never knowing what you are about to get yourself into!  What should take two to three hours might take you all day, not including multiple trips to the home improvement store.