Category Archives: Home / Energy

By Christine Graf
The COVID-19 pandemic is causing businesses and homeowners to become increasingly concerned about indoor air quality and the spread of airborne infectious diseases. This concern is having a direct impact on the global HVAC industry.
Many Capital Region companies experienced a significant slowdown in business at the beginning of the pandemic. Some, including Superior Co-Op HVAC of Cambridge, closed during this period. According to owner Gerald Davis, his company was closed for two months but experienced a surge in business after they reopened. He hired an additional employee and added a truck to his fleet to keep up with demand.
“When the governor closed down March 23, we closed up,” said Davis. “I laid everybody off because I didn’t know what was going to happen. In May, we were able to open back up and the floodgates opened up on us.”

By Susan Elise Campbell
Interior design generally follows style trends, the dominant one today being: Form really does follow function as people repurpose and refurbish their homes for office spaces, schoolwork stations and staycations.
Julie Maleski Putzel, founder of JMP Interiors in Clifton Park, said residential clients are using every square foot to create areas or zones they never needed before the pandemic.
“We are shifting the way we live in spaces, move through them and function in them,” said Putzel.
Her forté is “clean and understated but impactful design,” she said. “It’s a refined approach about contrasts, playing with opposites and blending styles that one ordinarily wouldn’t think of but somehow work.”

By Jamie Wallace
Chimneys are like septic systems. No one thinks about them until there’s a problem.
They are especially ignored in second homes and rental properties. A chimney can be a dangerous thing to forget, one that can cost you the loss of property and/or life. There are some simple steps you can take to drastically reduce your chances of ever becoming a statistic.
Step 1: Have your chimney inspected every year, even if you hardly use it. Chimneys change like children grow. Water, settling, and time will continue to alter the flue system.
Having your chimney inspected annually, and swept when needed, is the requirement given by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 211, Standards Codes for Chimneys, Fireplaces, Vents, and Solid Fuel-Burning Appliances.

By Susan E. Campbell

Curtis Lumber Co.’s Ballston Spa location will unveil a new bathroom design center this month.

A ribbon cutting is scheduled for Thursday Sept. 12,  and there will be a weekend of special events, including tours of the new showroom and the opportunity for “spectacular savings,” according to Elmer Manzer, facility coordinator for the store at 885 Route 67.

A 34-year employee at Curtis, Manzer has seen the rise in popularity of the showroom concept, especially over the last two decades.

“The design centers have been growing for nearly 20 years,” he said. “There is a massive project center that is like a year-round home show, featuring ideas for patios, lighting, kitchen cabinets and counters, a one-car garage and many other aspects of home building and renovation.”

By Lee Evans

Running a household or a small business can be expensive. However, many people don’t consider the choice and control they have over their energy expenses.

Now the emerging green economy combined with high connectivity has given birth to a bold new era of energy saving options for everyone. What follows is a list of essential, straightforward items that both homeowners and businesses can check off to trigger the type of cost reduction they’ve always wanted in terms of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

In general, the three main steps you can use to unlock the maximum amount of energy savings for your home or small business: Reduce, electrify and replace.