50% Off Installation: Summer Savings Are Here! Book Your FREE Estimate Today – Don’t Miss Out!

Program A Warm, Energy Efficient Home with Smart Thermostats

A person applies spray foam insulation from a can to fill a gap between a door frame and the exterior wall of an energy efficient home with yellow siding, next to an outdoor wall lantern.

You may have heard about smart thermostats, but do you know about the Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat? To learn more about how you can achieve an effortlessly warm, energy efficient home AND win a free Honeywell Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat… read on! We usually turn the heat up in the morning and down when we leave […]

Turn Your Radiator Into Its own Heating Zone (And Stop the Radiator Racket!)

A cozy, energy efficient living room with large windows, beige curtains, a light gray sofa with green patterned pillows, a glass coffee table, an armchair, and a stylish horse figurine on the windowsill.

Turn Your Radiator Into Its own Heating Zone (And Stop the Radiator Racket!) If you’re like us, a constant reminder of an old house is when you hear the heater whistle. Yep, it’s winter. I recently read in This Old House that the banging sound you hear is the sound of steam entering and colliding […]

Got Water? Tips for Drying Out A Wet Basement

A man in jeans stands knee-deep in water indoors, holding a red level. Signs of water damage are clear as a toy shark fin, rubber duck, and sandal float by, all set against a brick wall background.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I came home from work last night, I had 2” of water in my basement even with the sump pump going full swing.  A wet basement causes more damage than you think it might as it’s a haven for mold and can ruin carpeting, drywall, and […]

Is Your Chimney Properly Flashed??

Attic view shows a chimney with labeled arrows indicating rotted wood, leaking water, and new damp stains—clear signs of a roof leak caused by faulty chimney flashing found during a chimney inspection.

Sending You Warm Holiday Wishes…from my attic! What’s Lurking In Your Attic? I don’t know about you, but we store all of our holiday décor in our attic. Oh what a fun place to travel. It’s cold and a big mess up there. If you are making a trip up to the attic, you may […]

The #1 Way To Stay Warm & Save Money – Weatherstripping

A diagram showing weatherstripping—an adhesive-backed foam sealing strip—being applied to a door jamb, with labels for the door, jamb, and door stop. This helps you stay warm and save money by preventing drafts.

Ding Ding Ding…..Weatherstripping!  How do you replace it you ask?  Follow along to learn how to replace it and start stop those added air leaks. It’s time to check your doors and windows for worn-out weatherstripping. If it’s damaged, cold air is sneaking in. To stop those air leaks, install new weatherstripping right away. Once […]

One of The Biggest Air Leaks You Don’t Know About

A close-up view of old, rusted pipes and plumbing inside a wooden wall, showing signs of water damage, corrosion, and possible mold growth—potential indicators of air leaks that may impact your homes efficiency.

Hidden Energy Leak in Your Bathroom? Here’s How to Fix It There is a gap in your home that you may not know about and it is inviting cold air inside and wasting energy.  It’s a giant energy waster in your home.  It’s equivalent to leaving your window open a few inches all day.  Have […]

Window Energy Efficiency Ratings Made Easy

A view through a window shows a quiet suburban street, green lawns, and houses. A white plastic window lock is attached to the frame, helping to improve window energy efficiency while securing the home.

Fall Is Here: Time to Rethink Home Energy Efficiency Tomorrow marks the first day of fall and with winter suddenly on the horizon (shiver!) people are getting closer than ever to turning the thermostat on for the first time (insert sad face for those of us who love summer). As the inevitable chill in the […]

10 Tips For Choosing the Right Contractor

A woman in jeans and a blue shirt sits on a wooden plank at a construction site, smiling at the camera. Wearing a tool belt, she poses proudly before a building with blue insulation panels—part of her project that earned Alside’s Award of Excellence.

10 Tips: As a former teacher of the deaf, I have based my business principals on educating consumers about making the right decisions for their home and their home improvement projects. Follow these 10 tips to choose a contractor who won’t take advantage of you. This will help ensure you get quality work with affordable, […]

Home Renovation Facts & Figures Checklist

A small model house sits atop a scattered pile of U.S. dollar bills, symbolizing real estate investment, home renovation facts, or the cost of buying a home.

Learn from Tina Gleisner, industry leader and home improvement expert, and Stephanie Vanderbilt, community leader in homeowner renovations. Together, they share key facts every homeowner should know about exterior home renovations and smart maintenance practices. In this helpful guide, you’ll discover how to recognize when to repair versus when to replace exterior home products. Additionally, […]

Top 5 Exterior Home Improvement Checklist

A charming two-story house with beige siding showcases recent exterior home improvement, featuring a large porch and steep roof among tall trees, surrounded by manicured lawns, colorful flower beds, and brick planters on a sunny day.

NS Mag Blog Stephanie will now be blogging for NorthShore Magazine and you can find great home tips here under Home Design. Click here to read about Top 5 Exterior Home Improvement Checklist. Spring is here! And it’s great time to spruce up your exteriors. There are a few action items that will increase your […]