Thursday, April 23, 2009

Federal Energy Tax Credit

Energy-Efficiency Home and Vehicle Tax Credits

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) extends, expands, and simplifies the federal income tax credits for homeowners who make energy efficiency home improvements. The law extends the consumer tax benefits for another year, through 2010; triples the total available tax credit from $500 to $1,500; and increases the tax credit to 30 percent of the cost of each qualified energy efficiency improvement. The law also removes the cap on geothermal heat pumps and solar water heaters through 2016.

Energy Efficiency Can Lower Your Federal Tax Bill as Well as Your Energy Bills


Above is a direct quote from the "Alliance to Save Energy" www.ase.org/content/article/detail/2654

There are many excellent resources available on this topic. All-Tex Exteriors (Houston, Austin and San Antonio) can help you by providing the correct products and advice so that you can collect your tax credit. Here are the details of what products we can help you with.

Windows and Doors
The Federal Government is offering the following for products put into service in 2009 and 2010:
  • Maximum one time credit of the lesser of 30% rebate or $1500

  • Does not include installation; product price only

  • Windows must meet minimum specs of a .30 U Factor AND .30 Solar Heat Gain Factor

  • Not all manufacturers qualify and not every Energy Star Window qualifies.

  • You must save the Manufacturers Certification AND the NFRC rating label.

Roofing
Roofing has the same one time credit but is more lenient because the products just have to Energy Star Rated and have a life expectancy of at least 5 years or a warranty of at least 2 years.

Resources
Please visit the following resource sites for more detail.
The Alliance for Saving Energy "ASE"
Energy Star
Efficient Windows Collaborative
The National Fenestration Rating Council

All-Tex Exteriors would like to be your partner and help you save energy and the environment.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Four Big Mistakes Home Owners Make When Repainting Their Home

Avoid These Common Home Owner Mistakes When Repainting Your Home!

  1. Trying to tackle this task yourself!

  2. Choosing inferior paint and preparation products.

  3. Improper and/or incomplete preparation.

  4. Choosing the wrong Contractor!


Most home owners should not try to tackle painting their own home. Exterior painting is a much bigger job than it appears from the ground. Qualified painters have long ladders and even scaffolding in some cases. Plus, renting all the sprayer, compressor, hoses and other equipment is a hassle that is not worth it.

Many home owners choose the wrong exterior paint or try to save money on cheap paint. Imaging having to do the job over again in a year (or less!) if the paint does not stick correctly or starts to peel, bubble and blister. Paint is available in many chemical and pigment combinations. All-Tex has, over many years of experience, chosen the best available paint on the market...Sherwin Williams Duration! In addition, the correct primer must be selected for the best adherence.

Due to the number of years of experience, All-Tex knows how important preparation is to a quality, long lasting paint job. There is a lot of elbow grease that goes in to scraping, sanding and prepping the surfaces. Imaging trying to prep a 3 story dormer with the wrong equipment. If you can't get up there eye level with the problem areas, there will be no way to prep it so it will protect the surface and keep moisture from getting into the nooks and crannies. Proper caulking with the right product is essential.

Often, home owners mistakenly select a painter on price alone. This is an important protective coating that will help prevent decay, moisture penetration and help retain the value of your property. A qualified contractor, like All-Tex, will have many years of experience, a great reputation in the market, references and a long warranty. You want the job done right the first time.

Call All-Tex or visit our website to arrange for a consultation!

All-Tex Customer Satisfaction

At All-Tex, we have been collecting quite a bit of praise over the past couple of months. Here are some of the comments left for us during the past 45 days:

Customer: Terri Mulhearn
City: Kingwood
Project: Exterior Painting
Comment: "Everything was great, every one was on time and professional. We love All-Tex, they have done all of our repairs for the past 21 years, we recommend All-Tex to everyone!."


Customer: Berta Morgan
City: Crosby
Project: Storm Damage Repairs
Comment: "All the workers were great, and I was very pleased with the end result. "


Customer: Danny Lam
City: Houston
Project: Storm Damage
Comment: "All tex is a very detailed company and takes care of everything from start to finish, everything is what I expected!."


Customer: Gary Shankle
City: Deer Park
Project: Roofing & Hardie Siding
Comment: "I had recently had my roof replaced by All-Tex, and siding replaced on our garage, I was very pleased with the workmanship and leadership the teams possesed."


Customer: Gregory Marino
City: Sugar Land
Project: Exterior Painting & Gutters
Comment: " The workers and staff were very nice and professional. I am very happy with the work that was completed, I have already referred people to All-Tex. If I was not satisfied I wouldn't have referred!"


Customer: Raymond
City: Detiveaux
Project: Hardie Siding
Comment: I had a great experience with All-Tex, everyone has carried themselves very professionally everything was top notch and he couldnt ask for more.


Customer: Jodie Gharbi
City: shreveport, la
Project: none yet, browsed through galleries for ideas...
Comment: beautiful pictures and looks like quality workmanship!


Customer: Robert Kaltenbacher
City: Spring, TX
Project: Exterior Paint
Comment: Crew was excellent. Did a great job in a timely manner. Also was very conscientious of my property. Office staff was also very helpful.


Customer: Kevin keith
City: Houston
Project: Painted exterior of my home
Comment: Very professional and did nice job.


Customer: Dorothy Ferguson
City: San Antonio
Project: HardiPlank siding and replaced all windows with energy efficient ones.
Comment: All-Tex completed my exterior "remodel" with true expertise and professionalism. The trim, siding and front of the house is perfect. How many people can say that about their remodeling experience? The energy efficient windows live up to everything that sold us on them. Our home is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. We can't believe what a difference the look of the new siding and the efficiency of the windows has changed our outlook on our home. Thanks All-Tex!


Customer: Mark Knobloch
City: Humble, TX
Project: Added back porch to house
Comment: The porch that All-Tex built on the back of our house matches the existing architecture perfectly, and the Project manager stayed on the job until every detail was completed to our satisfaction.


Customer: Lyndon Evans
City: The Woodlands, TX
Project: Patio Cover
Comment: All-Tex did an excellent job on our all-wood patio cover. The workmanship of all their personnel was good; the price was competitive; the quality of the materials was A1; and, they cleaned up the place every day. The Project supervisor made sure that we were totally satisfied with the finished job. After they left, I found one item that I wanted changed, and they were quick to send someone out to do the little alteration. If we need another addition, we'll certainly call All-Tex Exteriors.


Customer: John Kostrzewski
City: Friendswood
Project: Exterior Painting
Comment: Very professional and quick to take care of us. The representatives we spoke to were very helpful.


Customer: Haley Kaltenbacher
City: Spring, TX
Project: Exterior painting and stucco repair
Comment: We were very pleased with All Tex Exteriors - not only was the finished product beautiful, but the customer service was top-notch. Hurricane Ike blew in and changed our schedule big time but All Tex honored their timeline and reported to work as expected. They also took extra time to make sure all of our requests were satisfied and we couldn't be happier with the way our house looks now!


Customer: kimberly Porter
City: Houston
Project: Fixed hole in ceiling
Comment: Good quality work and professional people.