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.

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!."

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

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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!."

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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."

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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!"

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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

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All-Tex at Construction Expo

March 25, 2009 – Houston, TX

All-Tex Exterior’s Commercial Construction Division at Houston’s Construction Expo

Construction Expo is the “Premier Show of the Year for the Building and Construction Industry”. This event’s agenda is jam packed with exciting industry specific seminars and an exhibitor floor showcasing the largest and the best construction industry experts, both Local and National.
“All-Tex Exteriors is proud to participate in Construction Expo and is excited to showcase our Commercial Construction Division”, says Travis Jenkins, President and CEO of All-Tex Exteriors. “Our Commercial Construction Division specializes in Proactive Loss Claim Management. Clients benefit in several ways by contracting with All-Tex Commercial Construction before and after catastrophic events. Our service is a real time saver for property managers and owners and our comprehensive practices and methodology facilitate a lower total cost of ownership by taking the stress and tedious claims process off your local managements plate and transferring the entire process of inspection, mitigation, documentation, claims adjuster facilitation, and complete recovery of the property to experts on the All-Tex Team”.

Construction Expo runs April 8-9, 2009 at The Reliant Center, 1 Reliant Park, Houston, TX. Visit www.constructionexpo.com for more information on the event. Visit All-Tex in booth 308 or visit www.alltexexteriors.com/commercial for more information on All-Tex Exteriors, Commercial Construction Division.

Houston Replacement Windows with Tilt**

What does it mean when Replacement Windows have a Tilt in Feature?

Replacement Windows for your home in either Single Hung or Double Hung designs can have a tilt feature designed in to them. This feature is one of the best inventions ever when it comes to cleaning your windows.

Imagine cleaning your windows from the inside, while keeping the screens on! Even upstairs!!

Simply open the window up about a third of the way, flip the latches and tilt the top of the window towards you. If you have Single Hung windows you will be tilting just the lower sash in. This allows you enough of a reach to clean the top sash too but, you'll probably still have to remove the screen. On Double Hung tilt in windows, you can clean both window sashes without removing the screens!

Visit All-Tex Exteriors to see all your options for Replacement Windows in the Houston, Austin and San Antonio Areas.

Houston Energy Savings!

Conserve Energy - Save Money!

Hardie Siding

Hardie Siding on your Houston area home can save you money! Your home may be leaking energy. Air that you paid dearly to cool could be escaping right out through the walls.

• Tearing off old siding will reveal the problems so we can fix them.


• New vapor barrier, like Tyvek or GreenGuard, with new James Hardie Siding can seal those leaks.


• HardiSoffit panels with venting help your attic breathe! They help your roof ridge vents work more efficiently.


• New HardiTrim around your windows and doors will help seal the leaks too!

Cool your house, Not the Neighborhood! Seal up those Leaks!

Replacement Windows and Doors

Old inefficient windows and doors were poorly designed and are costing you about 25% of your energy bill! Single pane glass and aluminum frames with no thermal break are very poor insulators!
Dual Pane Replacement Windows have several benefits:

• New Windows have 2 panes of Double Strength Glass to insulate your home.


• Low-E coatings help prevent over 75% of the solar heat gain.


• Vinyl Frames or Aluminum Frames with a thermal break prevent heat transfer


• Dual pane windows with Argon Gas help keep heat in during the winter.

When your home's leaks are properly sealed, you spend less money heating and cooling your home. Even your air conditioner will last longer providing even more Return on Your Investment.

When All-Tex does the job for you, you know that your satisfaction is our number one priority. Visit our website to request an appointment before the cooling season gets underway.

Hardie Siding is Your Best Value!

Year after year, Hardie Siding comes out on top as the #1 best Return on Investment for your home.

It beats out kitchens, baths and an upstairs room addition!

Consider this from James Hardie's website:

"There are many other projects you can tackle, but only residing with fiber cement gives you the best return on your investment 4 years in a row.

• Residing with fiber cement gives a 31% better return than adding a bathroom and costs $61k less to complete


• Minor kitchen remodel gives you a 10% less return on investment than residing with fiber cement


• Adding a second story addition nets you 23% less return on investment than fiber cement residing

Remodeling magazine is the industry's leading home improvement magazine. Since 1988, Remodeling magazine's Cost vs. Value Report has compared construction costs for common remodeling projects with the value they add to a home at resale in the current real estate market. The results— upscale siding projects using fiber-cement return the highest value at resale."

Here is a link to the Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value 2008-2009 Report.

Nobody knows more about Hardie Siding in the Houston, Austin and San Antonio Residing Market than All-Tex Exteriors.

Vinyl and Wood Siding are Flame Broiled! Hardie - Unscathed!

If you are considering replacing your siding on your home, You need to watch this video.

• Vinyl Siding is extremely unsafe in a fire. It immediately melts away exposing the studs to the flames. Your entire home will be engulfed in flames in just minutes.


• Wood catches fire and the fire spreads easily.


• Hardie Siding is Fire Resistant! It passes the test virtually unscathed!

Are you Ready for Spring Yet?

Spring is in the Air! Do it right this year- Be ready early!

Now is the time to start getting your yard prepared so that you can get maximum enjoyment out of your space. What is your main concern for your back yard?

• Need Shade? - Add a Pergola!


• Need Rain Cover? - Add a Covered Patio!


• "Got Bugs?" - Add a screened enclosure!


• Need more livable space? - A sunroom will do the trick!

Call us at 888-869-1890 or visit the All-Tex Exteriors website and request an appointment with one of our Home Exterior Experts. At no charge to you, we will come out and assess the problem, work with you on the ideal solution and present an estimate on the spot.

Not in our service area (Houston, Austin, San Antonio), visit us at Pergola-Patio.com and see if we can assist you with a DIY Pergola Kit.