In this article we have listed seven of the best home energy saving tips and how to save money and keep your home energy efficient this winter. As winter approaches it’s important to implement these efficient energy saving tips for your home. You may be dreading the increased energy bills that come along with the need for heat. The good news is that you can follow a few simple tips to keep your house warm and save energy at the same time!

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners contractors and custom home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional home energy saving plans for clients and colleagues.

CAD Pro lets you share your energy efficient home plans and ideas with contractors, clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export them to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, PDF, or PowerPoint® with a single click.

Home Energy Saving Tips for Anyone

Seven Best Home Energy Savings Tips

• Turn your home into an airtight space

You spend a lot of time, money and energy warming up your home. Don’t let that effort go to waste. Cone of the most important home energy saving tips is to create a tight outside barrier to prevent warm air from slipping outside. Replace or seal drafty windows and doors. And don’t overlook air leaks from utility cut-throughs (you’ll find these gaps around pipes, chimneys and recessed lights). A clear plastic sheet taped tightly to your window frames can stop air from escaping. Schedule an inspection with an insulation pro. They’ll make sure worn-out insulation isn’t causing leaks. Check your ducts to make sure you don’t have holes. Even a small hole can seriously impact your bills.

• Maintain your HVAC equipment

Your HVAC maintenance is a critical part of our efficient energy saving tips. Before the cold months begin, hire an HVAC service to inspect, clean and maintain your system. Their work makes a big difference tuning up your system for peak performance, and they can catch small problems before they become big problems that leave your family shivering.

IMPORTANT: Check and replace your HVAC filters once per month. A dirty filter makes your system work harder (and use more energy) to generate the same amount of heat. You’re throwing money in the trash if you don’t keep your filters clean.

Energy Audit a Great Efficient Energy Saving Tips

• Perform an energy audit

You’ll learn more than you could ever imagine about your home’s energy usage from a professional audit. The auditor will use a variety of tests for home energy saving tips, including a blower door and possibly infrared imaging. These tests identify air leaks, humidity levels and efficiency. The auditor will offer recommendations to clear up air loss. They can cost as much as several hundred dollars. But the savings in energy over time will more than recoup the cost.

• Use a programmable thermostat

A programmable thermostat can keep you warm and lower bills at the same time. And thanks to the programmable features, you don’t have to tweak the settings several times a day. Set your thermostat to roll back about 10 degrees when you’re asleep or out of the house. During the day, set the thermostat as low as is comfortable.

• Save water heater energy usage

Most water heaters are automatically set to 140 degrees. Lower it to about 120 or 125 degrees, which will still be comfortable enough for use. This reduces the amount of fuel needed and drops your gas bill and it’s one of the easiest of our efficient energy saving tips. Insulate the first 3 to 6 feet of pipes coming out of the heater. If you have a tank-style heater, wrap it in an insulation blanket. You can purchase one at a big-box store such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.

• Fireplace inspection

A roaring fire creates comfort and warmth, but don’t overlook how a fireplace might leak out air. A working fireplace creates a straight path to the outdoors. You’ll be sending both warm air and dollars up the chimney if you don’t take care of that air path as part of your home energy saving tips. Keep your damper closed any time you’re not burning a fire. Check the seal on the flue damper to make it as tight as possible. Caulk around the hearth to prevent air loss.

Home Energy Saving Tips Basics

• Make some basic changes

Some of the most effective methods to warm up your house are also the simplest for efficient energy saving tips. For example, open your blinds in the morning to let in both light and heat during winter. Close them at night to prevent a chill from cold windows. Switch your ceiling fan so it runs clockwise at a low speed. The toggle should be on the side of the fan body. Since warm air rises, this gently pushes heat down back into the living space.

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CAD Pro Home Design Software
Cad Pro’s custom home design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more. CAD Pro is used by NHBA builders and contractors.

Energy efficient home design is growing in popularity in the U.S and other countries. Building and designing affordable energy efficient home plans or zero-energy home plans involves 12 integrated steps that utilize commonly available building materials and equipment along with easy-to-learn building strategies. By following these steps, you can build a new home that is cost comparable to a conventional home plan.

No experience needed with Cad Pro’s award-winning and popular home design software. Discover why millions of do-it-yourself homeowners and professionals use Cad Pro when designing their energy efficient home plans. Cad Pro is developed by professional builders and home designers, so you can enjoy the same type of tools they use every day for home design, interior design, and outdoor living designs.

Share your energy efficient home plans with contractors, clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export them to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, PDF, or PowerPoint® with a single click.

“We use CAD Pro for designing floor plans, communicating with contractors, submitting building permits and customer presentations.” – B. Stevens, Home Designer, Phoenix, AZ   ★★★★★

Design and Build Energy Efficient Home Plans

12 Integrated Energy Efficient Home Design Tips

1. Smart Energy Efficient Home Design

Cost-effective zero net energy homes begin with smart design. Designers and architects, as well as builders, should be familiar with all the steps involved in building a net zero home and should design the home so that builders and subcontractors can implement these steps as cost-effectively as possible. There are several design parameters to which builders should ask designers to pay special attention. Detailed communication between the builder and designer will ensure that these critical details don’t fall through the cracks.

2. Energy Modeling for Energy Efficient Home Design

During the design phase, the home’s energy use should be estimated using energy modeling software to ensure that the goal of net zero energy can be achieved while keeping costs down. Based on the results, design choices can be made or modified to balance building performance and construction cost of your zero-energy home plans.

3. Super-Seal Your Energy Efficient Home Plans

Super-sealing the building envelope is the single most cost-effective measure builders can take to improve the energy efficiency of a zero-energy home. Several proven, air-sealing approaches are available. Choose an approach that matches your climate, skills and budget.

4. Super-Insulate Your Zero-Energy Home Plans

After making the house airtight, super insulating the energy efficient home plans may be the second most cost-effective strategy for creating zero-energy home plans. Energy modeling, as mentioned in step 2, above, can help you optimize the insulation levels for the ceiling, walls and floors. Select framing strategies that make it easier to insulate the homes exterior and minimize thermal bridging.

5. Heat Water Efficiently

Water heating is often the largest energy expense in any zero-energy home plans after heating and cooling. So, it’s important for designers and builders to select and locate efficient hot water heating technology, along with other measures, to minimize hot water use. An excellent choice for any energy efficient home design are the new tankless water heaters with solar panel technology.

6. Highly Insulated Windows and Doors

Windows and doors are like big energy holes in a well-insulated, airtight home design and are the third most cost-effective strategy for making good energy efficient home plans. Control window and door heat loss and gain by selecting appropriate window and door products, carefully locating them, and optimizing their size and orientation.

7. Solar Tempering for Energy Efficient Home Design

Using the sun for heating through south facing windows during the winter lowers heating costs. Shading those same windows in summer lowers cooling costs. Solar tempering aims to optimize this passive use of the sun’s heat, without incurring the added cost of thermal mass needed to achieve maximum passive solar heating.

8. Create an Energy Efficient, Fresh Air Supply

Since zero-energy home plans are so airtight, a continuous source of fresh filtered air and moisture control are critical to its success. This need for ventilation has a silver lining: zero-energy homes are healthier and more comfortable than standard homes. Highly energy efficient ventilation systems, known as heat recovery ventilation (HRV) systems or energy recovery ventilation (ERV) systems expel stale air while recovering its heat and returning that same heat to the home with fresh air.

9. Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling System

Highly-efficient, cost-effective, heating and cooling systems are essential to meeting the net zero energy goal. One good choice is an air source ductless heat pump, also called a mini-split heat pump. These systems are highly efficient and don’t have the shortcomings of central, forced-air systems or the high costs of thermal heat pumps. These are excellent choices for energy efficient home design.

10. Install Energy Efficient Lighting

Minimizing energy use for lighting, while optimizing light for residents, is an important feature of zero energy homes. LED lights are the perfect match for these tasks. They are more energy efficient than CFLs, last many years longer, and contain no mercury. In addition, they can meet a variety of lighting needs from very bright white light to soft, warm light. Selecting the right LED lights for the task, locating lights strategically, and utilizing natural light as effectively as possible can drastically reduce a home’s energy use.

11. Energy Efficient Appliances and Electronics

In your typical zero-energy home plans just over 40% of the home’s energy use is accounted for by heating, cooling and hot water, while appliances and plug loads may account for up to 60% of the load. Thus, selecting energy efficient appliances and managing “phantom” plug loads for electronics is essential. “Phantom” loads are hard to find and continue to draw energy unseen, day and night whether the devices are being used or not. Several homes that were modeled and built to zero energy standards have ended up not meeting zero energy requirements in practice because of the unanticipated energy waste caused by “phantom” plug loads on electronics.

12. Use the Sun for Renewable Energy

Grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) panels currently provide the most cost-effective form of renewable energy for a zero-energy home plans. They can power all the energy needs of a home including lighting, heating and cooling systems, appliances and hot water. However, they are the most expensive component of a zero-energy home and strategies for reducing or mitigating those costs are important to consider.

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CAD Pro is one of the most building design software programs on the market and is used by NHBA companies and contractors.

CAD Pro is the #1 source for building design and computer drafting software.

Painting is one of the easiest and most impressive ways to revive a tired interior space. But understanding interior painting cost is harder than you think, it can be downright frustrating. This breakdown of cost factors will clarify pricing and help you plan the perfect interior paint project.

Interior Painting Cost and Materials

Interior Painting Cost and Paints

The cost of paint varies depending on type – flat, semi-gloss, gloss, matte, satin, etc. – and brand. These choices will have a direct impact on your interior painting cost. One gallon of name-brand interior paint will usually cover up to 400 square feet, the size of a small room. Some brand names, such as Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams, can cost between $30 and $60+ per gallon. And while purchasing higher-quality paint may consume more of your budget, it can help prevent premature aging and fading, which means less repainting later.

Please keep in mind that most paint companies make a good interior paint, but they also can sell a crappy paint. Some paints hide better; some paints perform better; some paints touch up better.

Interior Painting Cost and Preparation

Paint is important, but it’s the prep work that makes a quality interior paint job possible. Putting paint on the walls is the easy part but good preparation is what matters in the long run. Thorough prep will keep your paint looking great for years and years. It’s worth every dime and will actually save on the interior painting cost.

And what is needed to do a good prep job? Time, and lots of it. Completing such tasks as masking, taping, sanding and repairing drywall takes up the bulk of any interior paint project, often requiring more than double the time required to do the actual painting.

Labor for Interior Painting Cost

Labor costs typically fall around $400 to $800 for an average-sized room (10×12 feet), not including the cost of the paint itself or finish work like trim, closets or ceilings. You can expect these prices to change if you have a large or oddly shaped space. Painting tall or hard-to-reach surfaces will require additional time and setup.

DIY vs. Hiring a Pro

According to the Angie’s List Pricing Guide, most homeowners spend between $836 and $2,360 to have their home interiors professionally painted, and up to $4,000 on the higher end. You can do it yourself for just the cost of materials, of course — particularly if you’re a skilled and experienced painter. But most homeowners find it’s worth the interior painting cost to hire a professional.

A quality interior paint pro knows the importance of good, thorough prep, saving you from making pricey mistakes that increase overall costs and often necessitate a total repaint later on. What’s more, hiring a pro will save you the time you’d spend doing the job yourself. On larger projects, this can easily add up to several weeks.

When you do hire a pro, be sure to ask plenty of questions, and know exactly what you’re getting before making a commitment. And remember that while it may be tempting to go with the lowest bidder, it’s best to carefully consider your interior painting cost options.

Going with the cheapest bid is a common problem with interior painting cost. They don’t understand what goes into doing a project the right way and they think they are comparing apples to apples; in reality, it’s apples to bananas. And in the end the you the homeowner is unhappy with the results of cheaper bid.

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FREE Professional Floor Plans and Interior Painting Cost

Quickly view and print professionally designed floor plans. CAD Pro includes some of the most popular floor plans built. Simply open any of the many CAD Pro floor plans and quickly modify any aspect to meet your specific floor plan requirements.

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Communicate your floor plans ideas more effectively. CAD Pro is the only software that allows you to add these interactive web features.

• Record your ideas and incorporate voice instructions into your floor plans.
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• Add pop-up photos and transform floor plans into designs you can visualize.

Cad Pro is also great for creating commercial floor plans, building floor plans, facility plans, construction details, restaurant drawings and much more.

FREE Home Improvement Projects & Plans
Add immediate value and comfort to your home with CAD Pro’s home improvement projects and plans. Valued at over $10,000, each project plan is a CAD Pro drawing, enabling you to print them as they are or quickly modify them to meet your specific needs. All plans include several views and a complete materials list. Project Plans include; Garages, Outdoor Kitchens, Shade Arbors, Decks, Tree Houses and Lake House Plans.

Cad Pro is your best floor plan software solution on the market.

CAD Pro is used by NAHB contractors and companies.

CAD Pro offers this list of best home flooring advise when making your next flooring installation decisions. When choosing flooring, it’s imperative to think about several things: the room the flooring is going in, the type of foot traffic, wear and tear it will receive, the décor of the room and your budget. With so many things to factor in, it’s nice to know the pros and cons of each type of flooring.

Best Home Flooring Choices

Carpet – Best Home Flooring Advise

Pros

• Energy saver: Carpet can act like another layer of insulation and help keep cold or warm drafts from seeping through the floor.
• Feels great: It goes without saying that carpet is always going to be the softest of any type of flooring.
• Sound: Carpet helps to reduce sound and noises from one floor to the next and for this we’ve added carpet as one of the best home flooring advise choices.
• Durability: Manufacturers have advanced the wear, tear and durability of carpet for it to last longer with proper care.

Cons

• Maintenance: Regular vacuuming is needed (two days for high traffic areas) frequently. Spills need to be removed immediately to prevent staining and liquid to seep deep into fibers to cause mold and mildew. Carpets also need regular professional carpet cleaning to remove ground in dirt and grime.

Hardwood – Best Home Flooring Advise

Pros

• Value: An upgrade to hardwood flooringwill add a lot of value to your home.
• Durability: When hardwood floors are properly cared for, they will last a very long time. When the floors are worn down some, a little TLC can bring them back to their natural glory.
• Maintenance: Hardwood floors are easy to care for by sweeping or vacuuming them daily and wiping them with an approved wood cleaner.
• Variety: There are many different types of woods, stains and plank sizes. Hardwoods are one of the more popular best home flooring advise choices.

Cons

• Cost: Hardwood floors can be a substantial expense to have installed.
• Cold: They can be colder to the touch compared to other flooring options.
• Noise and not so pet-friendly: Every step that is taken on wood floors can be heard. Not to mention, furry friends can slip and slide because their padded feet can’t grip the shiny, smooth surface.

Laminate – Best Home Flooring Advise

Pros

• Installation: Many manufacturers make a “Click-Lock” design that makes it extremely easy to install. With laminate flooring, you should be able to use all the pieces in a box, unlike hardwood flooring products. Laminate is also one of the least expensive best home flooring advise choices.
• Cleanup: The protective layer on laminate helps protect it from something that would normally stain easily.
• Maintenance: Vacuum away loose dirt and debris and mop with a damp mop.

Cons

• Value: Laminate may look like hardwood but doesn’t have the same value.
• Feel: There are many negative ways people describe laminate flooring, “Loud, slippery, hard, etc.” Some laminate flooring can be very slippery, too.
• Maintenance: Laminate flooring is easily dented. Laminate flooring cannot be sanded or refinished. Areas with large scratches or gouges need to be replaced with new laminate flooring.

Luxury Vinyl Tile – Best Home Flooring Advise

Pros

• Design choices: There are many unique varieties of colors and designs, inspired by the colors and patterns found in nature. Tile can be grouted to make it look more like ceramic or stone.
• Quick installation: A typical installation can be completed in half the time it takes to complete a comparable ceramic tile installation.
• Durability: Luxury vinyl tile is highly durable and scratch-resistant, making it an excellent choice for heavy foot traffic areas.
• Feel: LVT is comparatively warmer to the touch than ceramic and other natural stones. It also absorbs sound and creates a more peaceful atmosphere.
• Maintenance: Regular sweeping, vacuuming and mopping can maintain this flooring for many years.

Cons

• Cost: Don’t think inexpensive vinyl flooring or “peel and stick” tiles. Luxury vinyl tile can cost as much as some standard hardwood or ceramic tile.
• Transitions: Manufacturers need to address transitions, as the only option right now is staining unfinished wood pieces to match.

Become an educated buyer when shopping for flooring and use these best home flooring advise tips when making your decisions. Don’t rely on big box stores and their associates to provide you with all the information you need. Many times, the products they sell are of lesser quality.

In order to become educated on quality flooring, it’s recommended you go to a reputable flooring showroom where all types (with many price points) are displayed. Associates at a “flooring only” store will be able to share their knowledge and help you choose the product that will suit your family, home, decor and lifestyle.

Design floor plans with professional results every time with the best floor plan designer on the market. Quickly create floor plans like a pro, Cad Pro is the leading source for designing for all types of floor plans. Creating and designing floor plans does not have to be difficult, Cad Pro provides quick placement of doors, windows, electrical outlets, switches, sinks and much more.

Share your floor plan designs with contractors, clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export them to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, PDF, or PowerPoint® with a single click.

“We use CAD Pro for designing floor plans, communicating with contractors, submitting building permits and customer presentations.”
B. Stevens, Home Designer, Phoenix, AZ   ★★★★★

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CAD Pro is used by NAHB contractors and companies.

Being a handy homeowner is never a bad thing but sometimes it’s much better to get the best DIY home projects advise from professionals. Spending your free time working on home repairs can mean missing out on important experiences with your family and friends — and possibly making pricey or dangerous mistakes. So, next time you’re thinking about taking on a DIY repair, consider leaving some of these DIY home projects to the pros.

CAD Pro’s professionals have put together our top three list of best DIY home projects advise list for you to review before starting your next DIY project. It’s as easy as one-two-three when working with CAD Pro’s affordable DIY home projects and plans! Quickly increase resale value of your home with these easy to do DIY home improvement projects.

Share your DIY Home Projects

CAD Pro allows you to share your DIY plans and projects with clients or contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

DIY Home Projects and Plans

#1 Best DIY Home Projects Advise – Electrical

Making mistakes in some DIY repairs can be annoying but making mistakes in an electrical project can be downright dangerous and very costly. “The immediate danger is to your personal safety: Make no mistake, 110 volts can be deadly. And improper wiring is a great way to damage your electronics or start a fire.

Repairing your home’s electrical systems is also tedious. Keeping track of connections, electrical loads and which components are connected where is not easy work and can result in errors. If you make a mistake, repairs can be very expensive and could require opening walls or ceilings to replace the damaged components, therefore making this our #1 best DIY home projects advise to follow.

This isn’t to say all electrical projects must be left to the pros. Replacing a burned-out lightbulb, shorted breaker or faulty thermostat is a simple job for any skill level.

#2 Best DIY Home Projects Advise – Structural Integrity

Load-bearing walls act as supports for your second story, attic and roof. That’s why this is a very important part of our best DIY home projects advise list. Making changes to these walls without taking the proper precautions can cause a collapse or seriously compromise the structural integrity of your home. If you’ve identified a load-bearing wall, you’re going to need the help of a structural engineer to make safe changes. It’s also important to support your home while making any structural changes. A contractor or engineer will know how to do this.

Structural changes are also time-consuming. Removing and replacing these components can take days, or sometimes even weeks and that doesn’t include cleanup or finish work. Hiring a pro for this will save you time, and it will also ensure the job is done right and up to current codes.

#3 Best DIY Home Projects Advise – Plumbing

Plumbing blunders won’t put your life in danger but fixing them can cost thousands of dollars in added expenses. Most important, they can make your home unlivable for days or even months making this our #3 best DIY home projects advise choice. Jobs like sump pump repairs, cracked sewer lines and sprinkler system installs can cause leaks and home flooding if done incorrectly. And larger plumbing projects may also affect municipal sewer systems. This means that a mistake won’t impact just your own home, but also the city’s property.

Plumbing is complex, dirty work that could take days or sometimes even weeks to finish, especially if you’re unsure what you’re doing. But not all plumbing is off limits for DIY projects. Replacing a faucet, snaking a minor clog and repairing a toilet are projects you can easily do yourself.

DIY or NOT
It’s not always easy to tell which jobs are safe to tackle and which aren’t. If you’re uncertain, CAD Pro recommends using the keep-it-super-simple (K.I.S.S.) method. Light plumbing, painting, basic drywall repairs, deck repairs and landscaping are all good projects for DIY-minded folks. But listen to that little voice inside your head and carefully review these top 3 best DIY home projects advise list before you start your DIY project. If you’re not sure about something, consult with a professional. Contractors are always happy to speak with homeowners about how to tackle a problem and help them find a solution.

Don’t forget! DIY mistakes can also affect the salability of your home. Occasionally, these DIY fixes will cause a prospective home buyer to pass on a property when they begin to wonder what else may be lurking around the corner.

FREE Affordable DIY Home Projects and Plans

Simply open any of the affordable do-it-yourself home projects, then customize them to fit your specific needs. Quickly print your plans or email them to your favorite contractor. This is one of the easiest ways to start any weekend project!

Ready to Print Affordable DIY Projects
Just print any of the CAD Pro do-it-yourself plans and you can be building in minutes! Plans include easy to follow instruction notes and accurate dimensions. Each one of the plans are professionally designed and will add immediate value to your home!

DIY Building Materials
CAD Pro allows you to quickly print the supplied building materials list and take it to your local home building supplies store… they’ll supply you with an up to the minute cost breakdown.

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A new startup is making a new smart home HVAC system. The system uses sensor-laden vents in homes that can track and adjust temperature, monitor air quality, and use predictive analytics to anticipate a homeowner’s temperature preferences.

The self-installed, app-controlled air vents are loaded with 11 sensors including infrared sensors to track temperature, air quality sensors, audio sensors to ensure the vent isn’t making an annoying wheezing sound, and humidity sensors to measure the moisture in a room.

You don’t need to be a professional when creating your smart home designs or blueprints. Cad Pro helps you create all types of smart home plans, add element outlets, light fixtures, alarms, doors, windows, and even furniture. Quickly align and arrange everything perfectly with the Smart Alignment Tools.

Alea Air Smart Home HVAC System

With this new smart home HVAC system the vents constantly monitor ambient air quality and temperature and store that information in a cloud database that’s able to determine the right temperature room-by-room based on information including weather forecasts, how many people are in a room, its size, and the time of day. All of this additional information allows a central air system to run more efficiently, the company claims.

It’s not just about efficiency, though. The grand promise of connected systems like the Alea Air is that they’ll get to know behaviors and preferences and adapt according to whoever’s in the room. Soon the too-hot, too-cold argument with your housemates may become virtually non-existent.

In September, the new smart home HVAC system starts at $379.

New Age Smart Home HVAC System

In the age of the smart home, no boring piece of household infrastructure goes untouched. The latest proof: a new “intelligent vent system” called Alea Air. The new smart home HVAC system is aiming to do smart thermostats one better by installing sensor-laden vents into homes that can track and adjust temperature, monitor air quality, and use predictive analytics to anticipate a homeowner’s temperature preferences.

Smart Home HVAC System Starter Kit

Alea is offering an early bird three-vent starter set for $379, with shipping slated for January 2019. The self-installed, app-controlled air vents are loaded with 11 sensors including infrared sensors to track temperature, air quality sensors, audio sensors to ensure the vent isn’t making an annoying wheezing sound, and humidity sensors to measure the moisture in a room.

The vents constantly monitor ambient air quality and temperature and store that information in a cloud database that’s able to determine the right temperature room-by-room based on information including weather forecasts, how many people are in a room, its size, and the time of day. All of this additional information allows a central air system to run more efficiently.

It’s not just about efficiency, though. The grand promise of connected systems like the Alea Air is that they’ll get to know behaviors and preferences and adapt according to whoever’s in the room. Soon the too-hot, too-cold argument with your housemates may become virtually non-existent.

Smart Home HVAC System Software

Custom smart home design software from CAD Pro has helped thousands of contractors and custom smart home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional designs for clients and colleagues.

Cad Pro’s smart home design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more with the enhanced Google smart home appliances.

Share your Smart Home Plans and Tips with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

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These top 5 smart home installation tips can offer homeowners peace of mind, convenience and efficiency, making it possible to automate systems and equipment ranging from home security to thermostats. With a smartphone acting as a control center, homeowners can remotely monitor video cameras, lock or unlock doors, turn on lights or automatically shut off the water to their home if a leak is detected.

You don’t need to be an architect when creating your smart home designs or blueprints. Cad Pro helps you create all types of smart home plans, add element outlets, light fixtures, alarms, doors, windows, and even furniture. Quickly align and arrange everything perfectly with the Smart Alignment Tools.

Top 5 Smart Home Installation Tips and Tricks

Recent Study of the Top 5 Smart Home Installation Tips

A recent study found that 69% of consumers will own a “smart” in-home device by 2019. As this technology gets integrated into more homes, the potential exists for a variety of home security vulnerabilities and concerns. With so many possibilities, there are several decisions to make. A careful consideration of these top 5 smart home installation tips will insure a smooth transition when installing your smart home technology.

1. Which Features Matter Most?
   Many consumers seek out specific solutions (e.g., remotely turning on lights), which can lead to a number of gadgets that do not communicate. Choosing them on an individual basis could leave a homeowner with a dozen different apps and ways to control their smart home.

While researching the top 5 smart home installation tips we found there are two general types of home automation options: service provider solutions, which may come with monthly fees, and individual smart products, such as smart TVs and thermostats. Individual devices can be connected by a smart home automation hub, but it is important to select a hub that supports all the devices that you wish to control.

2. Smart Sensors Protect the Home
   Smart home devices can help homeowners manage their risk by enabling remote monitoring, alerts and control of a home’s systems that, if they were to fail and go unnoticed, could result in costly consequences.

Manage Risk with these Top 5 Smart Home Installation Tips

• Smart thermostats can provide alerts if a home loses power or if the temperature in the home falls below or rises above a set threshold.
• Water sensors can detect unwanted water in the home, alerting the owner to potential leaks near washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and other areas.
• Smoke, heat and carbon monoxide detectors that can interface with a central hub or mobile apps are available. This provides remote monitoring and control capabilities beyond the classic alarm system.

3. Smart Security Systems

• Smart locks remotely control and monitor home entry.
• Smart light bulbs remotely control or program lights when you are away, in order to make a home appear occupied.
• Smart motion lights and exterior lighting allow for remote programming and monitoring.
• Connected security cameras monitor a home, while connected motion sensors can provide alerts.
• Smart doorbell alerts monitor activity at the front door and allows homeowners to remotely view and/or photograph visitors.
• Smart garage door delivers alerts when the door is left open and allows a homeowner to close it remotely.

4. Understand Privacy Policies
   Understanding privacy when implementing these top 5 smart home installation tips. With the Internet of Things monitoring, sharing and potentially selling consumer data, some smart coffee makers, dishwashers and thermostats now come with privacy policies. Without strong privacy laws, it is up to the consumer to read agreements for each individual device. It is important to be comfortable with how data from smart home devices are used and shared.

5. Secure Your Network
   It is also important to secure devices to help protect against hackers and other intrusions.

• Safety and security features can vary widely by manufacturer and by individual product. Before buying, evaluate each smart device for potential safety and security issues.
• Devices that are hard-wired to the Internet rather than those that rely on a Wi-Fi connection tend to be more secure. If a device is linked through a wireless network, activate all security features to protect against interception of signals and make sure the device issues an alert if it loses the connection.
• Remember that passwords are the first line of defense and be sure to create a strong password for each smart device. Be aware that many devices ship with the same default passwords, or none at all.

Software for the Top 5 Smart Home Installation Tips

Custom home design software from CAD Pro has helped thousands of contractors and custom smart home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional designs for clients and colleagues.

Cad Pro’s smart home design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more with the enhanced Google smart home appliances.

Share your Smart Home Plans and Tips with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

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Decorating a small space can be difficult so we’ve put together these small space home design tips. There is limited floor or wall space to instill much personality or character and there is limited room for any large, bulky elements. While many re-modelers will never take on a job remodeling small spaces like tiny apartments or tiny homes.

CAD Pro would like to share these small space home design tips and ideas that can be applied in any home or office.

Small Space Home Design Tips and Tricks

Six Small Space Home Design Tips

#1 – Get Rid of Upper Kitchen Cabinets
By ditching upper kitchen cabinets, the whole room will feel bigger. You can always store overflow in a hutch in the next room over.

#2 – Paint Bookshelves Anything but White
Paint built-in bookshelves a warm gray to help them recede visually. This way, they won’t seem like such a bulky space-hog.

#3 – Streamline Your Finishes
This could mean opting for an all stainless-steel kitchen, rather than stainless appliances mixed in with wood cabinets, or even wood floors painted the same color as the walls.

#4 – If Possible, Build in Furniture
This is one of the more efficient small space home design tips. Built-in furniture can be the difference between a cramped small space and a thoughtful, pleasant one. Bookshelves, sofas, desks, shelves, and even radiator covers are worth considering.

#5 – Get Rid of Lower Stair Railings
Does the staircase really need a railing down by the ground floor? Nixing it might just be the thing to open up the room.

# 6 – Glass and Acrylic Furniture Are Basically Invisible
Okay, so not exactly, but glass and acrylic furniture is definitely a good idea in a small space because it all but blends into the walls.

Small Space Home Design Tips and Software

CAD Pro is computer-aided design software intended to assist anyone with their tiny home design process, which is required by today’s building codes and contractors.

Do it yourself easy tiny house floor plan software can save you a lot of money! Cad Pro’s easy to use drafting and design software allows you to quickly design your small space home design tips.

Visualize your Small Space Home Design Tips
Homeowners, Contractors and Architects use home design software like CAD Pro to visualize your tiny home before it’s built. Start designing your tiny house today with Cad Pro.

Free Plans & Symbols will give you a fast and efficient way to start your tiny house plans.

Small Space Home Design Tips and Presentations

CAD Pro works great with Microsoft Office which makes your next tiny home design presentation very simple and easy.

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Ever wish there were a way to get great results from your remodeling pro? Turns out, there is! Here’s how to be the kind of client remodeling pros will go out of their way to please.

Whether you’re remodeling for your own pleasure or with an eye to a future home sale, your home remodeling projects with big payoffs represent a significant investment. Careful planning and decision-making can help you reap the best return on that investment.

Cad Pro’s custom home remodeling projects and design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, floor plans, house plans, outdoor kitchen plans, and construction details, and much more.

Share your home remodeling plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Get Great Results from Your Remodeling Pro Every-Time

5 Ways to Get Great Results from Your Remodeling Pro

#1. Be realistic

TV shows and websites offer a wealth of content to inspire and inform your home remodeling projects. But not everything you find will be accurate or realistic. You can get the wrong impression about various aspects of the construction and remodeling process from what you see on TV. It really takes an expert in the field to provide the right advice or approach to any home remodeling problem.

Bottom line: Run your research by a pro before relying on it to make critical project decisions.

#2. Know what you want and what you’re getting into

Changing the scope or direction of your project mid-construction can cause delays and incur extra costs and will not get great results from your remodeling pro. It’ important to remember that every project grows and changes. But big changes happen when people haven’t considered everything they need or want to include in their project.

Bottom line: Proper planning and budgeting will keep your project on track.

#3. Provide a dedicated project prep area

Providing a dedicated space for your pro to keep tools and materials will keep your project running smoothly.  Your remodeling pros don’t want to set up and remove what they need every morning and evening, this saves them time. This will allow your pros to spend more hours in the day making progress on your home remodeling project. This is the best way to get great results from your remodeling pro.

Bottom line: Offer your pro a secure area to perform project prep and store tools and materials.

#4. Make decisions in a timely manner

Putting off decisions with hard deadlines will cause delays and even affect the scheduling of your contractor’s other projects. When homeowners don’t make a decision by a mutually agreed-upon deadline, it requires the pro to rework their schedule and push things back for other clients. It can also cause delays in the procurement of important materials and components.

Bottom line: You’re partly responsible for keeping your project on schedule.

#5. Be mindful of your presence

There’s nothing wrong with being a hands-on client, but your extended presence on the jobsite can distract workers and prolong their progress. Some homeowners like to observe. But their being there can end up delaying the results and will not get great results from your remodeling pro.

Bottom line: Do your best to stay involved without being intrusive. Maybe request a weekly walkthrough. This way, you’ll get to see the end result much sooner!

Get Great Results from Your Remodeling Pro with Software

Custom home remodeling design software from CAD Pro has helped thousands of contractors and custom home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional designs for clients and colleagues.

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With each new year comes a fresh set of the top 5 popular home interior design trends. And those topping the list this year are sure to inspire homeowners making updates big and small. Here’s a recap of the shows at Design and Construction Week along with what’s up and coming in home improvement. Here’s a look at some of the themes shaping today’s interior spaces, according to distinguished designers.

Cad Pro’s home design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other home design and remodeling software programs. CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, contractors, and interior designers. Cad Pro is great for creating custom remodeling home plans, floor plans, house plans, outdoor kitchen plans, deck plans and patio designs, and much more.

Beautiful Top 5 Popular Home Interior Design Trends

Top 5 Popular Home Interior Design Trends

#1 Nature-inspired spaces: The hustle and bustle of daily life has homeowners craving the harmony of nature. And what better way to fulfill that desire than by bringing the outside in? In a move toward nature-inspired spaces, homeowners are incorporating stone, white oak and wood-grain elements to create a visual connection to the outdoors. And they’re also embracing natural color palettes with warm whites and serene greens and blues. Scandinavian decor and furnishings are also topping the top 5 popular home interior design trends.

#2 Simplicity: Less is more this year, designers are embracing an uncluttered aesthetic that favors clean lines and craftsmanship and honors interest over things. Over-decorating is discouraged. Every detail from the kitchen countertop to the flower vase is meant to serve an authentic and functional purpose. Simplicity centers on creating a visually organized space. Thoughtful storage solutions will help you achieve the look.

#3 Style blending and personalization: Interior design is trending away from a one-style aesthetic, encouraging a mix of fashions new and old. Traditional meets contemporary, industrial meets organic, and rustic meets modern as designers tailor spaces to satisfy homeowners’ unique needs and tastes. This trend celebrates the purposeful mixing of styles, materials, patterns and textures to create a truly personalized home. Combining different metals and finishes is encouraged. Displaying items with sentimental value is celebrated. And the modern farmhouse look is a favorite of homeowners and designers alike making this one of the top 5 popular home interior design trends

#4 Bold colors: After years of embracing neutrals, homeowners are now looking to incorporate bolder colors to reflect their personalities and liven up their spaces. Paint manufacturers are on point: PPG Paints’ color of the year is a moody indigo called Black Flame; Benjamin Moore’s color of the year is a radiant red called Caliente; and the Pantone color of the year is a bold purple titled Ultra Violet.

#5 Livability: Smart home technology, clever storage and universal design elements are coming together to create a home that is as livable as it is beautiful. Motion-sensing faucets and lights facilitate safety and convenience. Lower kitchen cabinet drawers offer easy access to pots and pans. Designated storage cupboards keep microwaves and other small appliances at arm’s reach but out of plain view. And smart appliances and thermostats make everyday life a little easier all around. What’s more, floating vanities, open shelving and no-threshold showers are not only popular and attractive design elements, but they also make it easier for homeowners to continue living in their homes as they grow older.

Appliances on the Top 5 Popular Home Interior Design Trends

Appliance manufacturers are also following suit, offering boldly colored ovens, refrigerators and more in addition to the timeless stainless steel. Look for bold colors to complement muted hues and warm grays and whites, which are still very much in style. And consider colorful patterns in tile and wallpaper to add an extra bit of oomph.

Share the Top 5 Popular Home Interior Design Trends

CAD Pro lets you quickly share your home interior design ideas and floor plans with clients, contractors or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click. CAD Pro is used by homeowners, contractors and designers for all types of floor plans and home interior design ideas.

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