Home Improvement

Home Improvement

Record-high lumber prices impact suppliers, new homes, DIY projects, jobs, business, real estate, coronavirus, economy

1 day ago ev3v4hn

“And prices will be higher next week than they were this week,” Alan Pippenger, president of the Requarth Co., a Dayton supplier, said Thursday.

The cost increases are due largely to an unexpected domino-effect triggered last spring by the COVID-19 pandemic, local officials said.

The hikes have led to some delays in single-family and multifamily residential developments. They also have caused shifts in business practices, including limiting customer purchases and buying truckloads of product without knowing the specific prices.

“We’re seeing precipitous increases in the cost of lumber on a nightly, weekly, monthly basis to the point where almost every construction contract that’s being written has contingencies associated with the price of lumber,” said John Morris, president of the Ohio Valley Associated Builders and Contractors.

The change in contract language started several months ago, said Morris, whose organization focuses on commercial construction and has about 32,000 members in Southwest Ohio

Home Improvement

Home Improvement the Top Reason for Personal Loans During Pandemic

5 days ago ev3v4hn

Nearly one-quarter of Americans have taken out a personal loan since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March 2020, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos for Forbes Advisor, with home improvement projects the leading reason why.

Approximately 25 percent of survey responders said they used their personal loans to fund home improvement projects. Forbes also said 70 percent of Americans tackled a home improvement project during the pandemic.

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After home improvement, the next most common responses were to pay medical bills (21 percent), debt consolidation (20 percent), financing a vehicle (20 percent) and auto repairs (20 percent). Note: Numbers do not total 100 percent as some surveyors may have answered multiple reasons.

Forbes noted that income levels and family size were factors in personal loan usage. Families with children were more likely to say they used their personal loan to

Home Improvement

Why Storm Windows Are a Smart Investment of Your Home Improvement Dollar

1 week ago ev3v4hn

Posted: April 11, 2021 9:45 am

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Spring is the natural time to feel motivated to tackle some home improvement projects. The warming temperatures and the promise of summer ahead make homeowners want to spruce up their digs. While installing storm windows may not be the most exciting home improvement project, there are numerous reasons why you should consider this upgrade.

Provides Crucial Insulation: A significant amount of air is lost through your windows. Why pay to heat and cool your home when it just filters out the windows? This only increases your energy bills and makes it more difficult to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. The addition of storm windows will boost the barrier between the inside of your home and the outdoors, helping you to keep your energy bills down in the process.

Upgrades Standard Home Windows: Adding storm windows is an easier and more cost-effective

Home Improvement

Last Man Standing Sets XL Series Finale

1 week ago ev3v4hn

The Conversation

Unequal treatment for college women’s basketball players has deep historical roots

Fight for equity in women’s college sports has been a decadeslong battle. Aaron J. Thornton/Getty ImagesWhen college women basketball players began to post photos and videos of how they got less food, less accurate COVID-19 testing and less exercise equipment in the NCAA March Madness Tournament bubbles than their male counterparts, a sense of collective outrage ensued. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, tweeted out: “This is outrageous – but it’s not just about the weight room. From their facilities, to their food, to giving them less reliable COVID tests, the women’s NCAA basketball teams are being shortchanged.” Sabrina Ionescu, the star Women’s National Basketball Association player with the New York Liberty, added: “Women’s @NCAA bubble weight room vs Men’s weight room… thought this was a joke. WTF is this?!? To all the women

Home Improvement

How to sign up for SpringFest 2021 freebie

2 weeks ago ev3v4hn

Spring has sprung at Lowe’s.

The home improvement chain’s SpringFest event officially starts Thursday and includes the springtime promotion of free Garden-to-Go project kits, which can be picked up curbside every Thursday in April.

Advance registration at Lowes.com is required to get the family-friendly themed kits and opens up a week prior to the giveaway. At midnight ET Thursday, registration opens for a Mystery Garden Pinata with mystery seed packets that will be handed out on April 15.

Consumers are advised to sign up early as kits are available while supplies last.

“A limited number of kits are available for each experience and this extremely popular event drove more traffic than we ever expected,” Lowe’s said in an April 1 tweet after registration for the first round of kits was full. “We’re taking steps to ensure a smoother registration experience throughout SpringFest.”

Save better, spend better: Money tips and

Home Improvement

How home renovations impact your homeowners insurance premiums

2 weeks ago ev3v4hn

With Americans’ savings rates up and stimulus cash on the way again, home renovations are soaring – but at what impact on homeowners’ insurance? (iStock)

U.S. homeowners are taking on home renovations during the pandemic, fortified by increased savings and an environment of low interest rates. According to a Bank of America survey, 70% of Americans decided to take on home improvement projects last year with more projects planned for 2021.

“With the pandemic, we have seen an increase in homeowners using our projects tracking features,” said John Bodrozic, co-founder of Home Zada, a homeownership data analysis platform. “The most common projects are kitchen and bathroom renovations which fall into a major home improvement. The next level of projects are more of flooring and painting projects which fall into minor level renovations.”

If you’re remodeling your home or plan to remodel, remember to consider the impact your home

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