Protect Your Investment: Consider climate when building a new deck

If summer has taken a toll on your deck and you plan to replace it this fall or next spring, wouldn't it be nice to have a crystal ball to predict how long the deck will last, whether its color or grain will fade in the sun, or whether mildew stains will appear on shade-covered parts?

To get a glimpse into how well the almost two dozen different decking materials we recently tested might do after a year in different conditions, we left samples of each in Florida (warm, humid climate) and in Arizona (warm, arid climate); as a reference, we also kept a sample of each indoors in our labs.

(From left to right, the columns in the photographs here show the decking after one year stored in our lab; in Florida; and in Arizona. The five rows from top to bottom show the decking unwashed; washed with water and a brush; washed with OxiClean and a brush; washed with Behr wood cleaner; and cleaned with a pressure washer.)

Our testing indicates that rain and humidity foster the greatest mildew growth on composite decking materials. ChoiceDek (shown above), Monarch Exotics, Fiberon Tropics, Rhino Deck Vision Solid, and Trex Brasilia and Accents in particular showed mildew growth after a year in Florida. Symmatrix, Tamko EverGrain, and TimberTech stood out as the most resistant to mildew. Still, if you're concerned about mildew, consider using a deck stain formulated for composite decking. Also check whether the manufacturer claims its product is mildew resistant.

When it comes to wood, unless you apply a finish to preserve a wood deck—we recommend you treat a newly installed deck within a month of installation—it could turn an off color after a year or less. (Our wood decks turned gray in Florida, brown in Arizona.)

Color change in untreated decking isn't confined to wood. Trex Accents and Rhino Deck Vision Solid underwent the most dramatic color shift among composites. The plastic decking, including Deck Lok, Eon Classic, and Bear Boards, and the aluminum LockDry (shown right) we tested experienced little color change, and nearly all did an excellent job resisting mildew.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: For more details, visit our Decks & Deck Stains product page. And use our Outdoor-Living Guide to get the most out of your yard and deck, patio, or porch.

Q&A: Should I have my home tested before I put it on the market?

Should we test our older home for radon, mold, and lead before trying to sell it? Would this help us stand out in a tough market?

We spoke with three regional vice presidents of the National Association of Realtors—each with more than three decades of experience selling homes in up and down markets.

"Buyers want to get their own tests, and they tend not to believe the seller's tests," says Mary Davis, a real-estate agent in River Edge, New Jersey. John Veneris, a real-estate agent in Downers Grove, Illinois, adds that home buyers should "wait until the general inspection to resolve any problems."

Robert Bailey, a real-estate agent in Santa Cruz, California, suggests that before homeowners put their house on the market, they get an idea of what problems exist by doing a general and pest-control inspection, along with a visual inspection for such problems as mold. (Keep in mind that mold-testing kits proved generally ineffective in Consumer Reports testing. Lead and radon kits fared better although quality varied in some cases very widely between brands.)

But time and money invested in home repairs and regular maintenance can pay off when it's time to sell. Water damage and cracks in the foundation won't go away and could be a deal breaker. A general professional home inspection is not required, but recommended as part of the selling process. And a property condition disclosure form is required in 44 states and the District of Columbia, according to NAR spokesman Walter Molony.

Buyers should be aware that Alaska, Arkansas, Kansas, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming do not require this form, but federal law mandates that any seller of a house built before 1978 must disclose if lead paint was used as an interior or exterior finish.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Find out why staging your home might help close the deal and how to get the most for your house in a soft market.

Protect Your Investment: Refrigerators

The average refrigerator lasts 14 years or longer—plenty of time to forget the spoilage and mess that can happen if it simply stops working. While you have few DIY options if it starts acting up, these routine maintenance tips can maximize its life and minimize repair-related down time:

Keep refrigerator and freezer gaskets clean to keep cold air in. That and holding open the doors as little as possible—especially with a houseful of kids—can also take a big bite our of your utility bills, since refrigerators compete with dishwashers as the biggest energy hogs in the kitchen (and both of them vie with plasma TVs for the title of top energy user in the entire house).

Check for simple solutions before calling a pro. The owner's manual typically includes a troubleshooting section. If the manual covers multiple models, be sure to mark which is yours, along with the serial number, while paperwork from the purchase is still handy—often a challenge later. Also be sure to save that paperwork as long as you own the fridge.

Serial numbers can be found on the inside walls of the refrigerator or freezer compartments, attached to the cabinet door jambs, or behind the kick plate at the bottom of the unit.

Protect your warranty by calling the right person. If you need help and the fridge is still under warranty, be sure to contact a manufacturer-authorized repair service. Otherwise, work done within the warranty may not be covered. Have model and serial numbers ready when you call, and get receipts for all work performed.

A specific serial number can also help you determine the age of your fridge. One Illinois-based energy consultacy has created this Refrigerator Dating Page that lets you input your brand, serial and model number to learn its exact age.

See the "How we test refrigerators" video above to get more insight into your icebox's innards. Even more model-specific expertise and empathy is available in one of the 141 topic threads in the Refrigerators section of our of our Appliances Forum.  Many manufacturer Web sites also often host forums with advice on specific models.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: Subscribers can see our complete advice recycling products that are beyond hope. Should you need to shop for a new refrigerator, start here.

Protect Your Investment: Lawn mower/tractor

Whether your mower, lawn tractor, or zero-turn-radius riding mower is new or old, some midseason maintenance can keep it cutting cleanly and reliably for years to come. Otherwise, you may face the same situation of one Keith Walendowski of Milwaukee, who shot his Lawn-Boy mower because it wouldn't start. (In all fairness, here is one opinion that insists the mower got what was coming to it.)

I asked Peter Sawchuk, our lead tester of outdoor power equipment, about the best ways to extend the life of a lawn mower or tractor, including zero-turn-radius mowers. They're a smarter, cheaper, and safer alternative to going postal in your backyard:

Clean the deck regularly. Make it part of your mowing routine to wash out the underside of the deck with a hose after each mowing. Clipping buildup reduces mulching performance and corrodes the metal over time, particularly when those clippings include fertilizer. Do it immediately after mowing, before clippings dry and harden.

Many tractors and zero-turn-radius mowers come with washout ports that accept a hose. Some models also accept retrofit ports. (Among walk-behind mowers, newer Toros are among the models that include washout ports.) If you have to wash out a riding mower manually, get a set of automotive ramps and simply drive the front of the tractor onto the ramps for easier access beneath.

An extra tip: After washing the underside of the deck, consider spraying it with an organic-based, non-toxic lubricant to help keep clippings from sticking next time around.

Keep blades sharp. Especially during the hotter, dryer part of the season, sharpen the blade(s) or have it done. Optimally, you'll do it at the start of the season and monthly thereafter—more often if you do lots of heavy cutting. Dull blades damage the grass as they cut, leaving unsightly brown-tipped grass in their wake. You'll also pay more in gas, since dull blades make your mower work harder and longer. Buying spare blades means your lawn won't overgrow while you get the first sharpened.

Check the oil. Walk-behind mower engines typically give out after 150 to 200 hours of use—or about eight to 10 years. But you can easily cut that lifespan if you let the oil level on four-stroke engines get too low on the dipstick or don't change the oil as often as the manufacturer recommends. Each time you mow, check the oil before you begin, and add more when the level drop to halfway point or lower. But filling above the "full" mark can also shorten engine life by causing the oil to foam and fail to lubricate critical parts.

Check the tires. For a tractors or riding mower, midseason is also the time of year to check tire pressure. As with car tires, those on mowers gradually lose air even without an actual leak, making the machine harder to steer and damaging the tires if air pressure gets too low. A rear tire that's low can also affect traction, making it easier to tear grass or slide on inclines.

Consider a new mower if your old one is tired. As with appliances and most products we test, it typically makes sense to replace rather than repair if the fix costs more than 50 percent of what you'll pay for a comparable new model. A timely benefit to newer gas mowers and tractors: They tend to run more efficiently and use less gas. If you're considering an electric mower for a smaller property, check with your local government for trade-in programs (like this recent one in Chicago) that let you swap a gas-powered mower for a less-polluting new battery-powered one.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: We tested more than 70 mowers and tractors (including zero-turn-radius mowers) in time for the early mowing season, but you can still find models in stores if you need to shop now. Here's advice on mower types, mowing safety, emissions, and robotic mowers. View Ratings of push and self-propelled mowers and tractors and our repair-or-replace charts (available to subscribers).

Protect Your Investment: Maintain your air conditioner

Air conditioners can be energy gluttons, but if you keep your air-conditioning in tiptop shape, you can decrease how much energy your cooling system uses this summer and maximize its efficiency. Consider that a dirty, clogged filter reduces airflow, can lead to operational problems like coil freeze-up, and in general makes your system work harder.

Best of all, the work is easy and won’t cause you to break a sweat.

Installation steps
• Vacuum any debris from the indoor and outdoor coils with an upholstery-brush attachment before you install your room air conditioner. Take care not to damage or deform the soft fins.
• Seal the perimeter of the installed unit with new weatherstripping, if needed.

Monthly jobs during cooling season
• Take out the filter and vacuum off debris. Wash it in warm, soapy water. Rinse the filter let it dry completely, then reinstall. If the filter is very dirty or your usage increases significantly, clean the filter more often.
• If dirt and debris have bypassed the filter, you will need to remove the front panel and vacuum dust and debris from the coils.
• Replace a deteriorated filter.

Tips for a central-air unit
• Call in your service contractor if you haven’t already. The pro should change all filters; clean and flush the coils, drain pan, and drainage system; and vacuum the blower compartments. Additionally, the service contractor should ensure that the system is properly charged with refrigerant, that there are no leaks, and that all mechanical components are working properly. Our experts also recommend that you:
• Clean or replace the filters monthly or as needed. Also clean the grilles.
• Clear debris and dirt from the outdoor condenser coils. And keep vegetation at least two feet away from the unit.
• Check if there’s a blockage in the pipe that drains condensed water from the indoor unit.

At the end of the cooling season, follow the expert advice in this Q&A from the Home & Garden blog.— Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Read our latest report on air conditioners, including Ratings of dozens of models (available to subscribers). Also find out how to use less air conditioning this summer and read our review of ceiling fans. And use our Home Improvement Guide interactive to take a room-by-room tour of the top-rated appliances and most cost-effective improvements you can make to your home.

Protect Your Investment: Decks

If you own a deck, the arrival of summer means your deck will start seeing a lot more traffic and activity, especially since 2008 appears to be the year of the staycation. A few simple moves will protect your deck from the crush of footfalls and prevent any deck-related accidents from dampening the festivities. (The North American Deck and Railing Association has designated May as Deck Safety Month.)

Check the Structure
Look for water stains inside your home where the deck ties to the house. Ongoing water leakage can lead to wood decay, weakening the deck structure and the house. For decks that are supported by the home’s structure on one side, be sure that the ledger board is properly attached with bolts (not nails) sufficient to support the load.

If you have any doubt about the structural integrity of the deck, especially if it’s a second-story or higher structure, call in a pro to investigate. The NADRA Web site includes a national directory of certified deck builders. Better yet, most municipalities have stepped up their enforcement of proper deck-construction techniques, so check with your local building department. As my colleague, Ed Perratore, reminds in this recent post, it’s important to clean debris from under the deck as well.

Clean the Surface
Rid your deck of moss and mold. If it’s a light build-up, a hose, a stiff-bristled brush, and a household cleaner and/or mild bleach solution may do the trick. But pressure washers are more effective against heavy gunk, provided you use them safely. If you see wood damage, like raised fibers, increase the distance between the spray nozzle and the decking.

If you’re in the market for a new pressure washer and have easy access to electricity near your intended uses, get an electric model instead of a gas-fueled one. Electric models are quieter and easier to transport and store than a gas-powered model (Ratings of pressure washers are available to subscribers.)

Treat the Decking
Check the decking for popped nails and cracked or checked wood. You can bang nails back in but you’ll need to replace boards that are badly splintered or severely rotted. If the finish is worn away or peeling, these are two good signs that the surface is ready for a new protective topcoat. We test opaque, semitransparent, and clear deck treatments. Opaque treatments hold up the longest but the paintlike film of this finish can crack and peel making refinishing more of a chore. This film also hides the natural wood grain. Clear treatments reveal the grain but typically need to be reapplied annually. Semitransparent treatments are a middle-of-the-road solution. For more information on deck treatments, visit our Decks & Deck Stains page.

Secure the Railings
Start by giving banisters a good strong bump to make sure they’re securely fastened to the structure. Then check that all the dimensions are up to code. Railings must be 36 inches high and rails must be no more than 4 inches apart to keep small children and pets from slipping through.

Photo courtesy of the North American Deck and Railing Association

Rebates and tax credits can lower appliance costs

While you might have back-burnered your plans for a kitchen remodel or a new laundry room, you can’t ignore an ailing dishwasher, a struggling refrigerator, or a washed-up clothes washer.

Fixing these appliances could be an option—see our repair-or-replace-it guide (available to subscribers)—but when you decide to replace appliances, consider more-energy-efficient models. This is one way to spend your federal economic-stimulus payment. And, as unlikely as it might seem, you can also turn to your utility company and the state and local government for some financial relief.

As of mid-May, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, maintained by North Carolina State University’s Solar Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, lists 732 utility rebate and loan programs for consumers who buy energy-efficient appliances or other home systems. (The DSIRE's map is shown.) The site also includes details on 35 state rebate and loan programs and 13 personal-income-tax-credit or tax-holiday plans.

You’ll also fund information on rebate and tax-credit programs from utilities, states, and partners at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Partner Activities search; if you don’t see a program listed for your area, look on your utility bill for more information or contact your state taxation office.

These programs can offset the short-term acquisition and long-term operating costs of new appliances. Here’s how to take advantage of these opportunities:

Plug into utility companies’ rebates. Contact the efficiency program at your utility company, which might offer rebates on appliance purchases. Depending on the  offering, you might need to buy either an Energy Star–qualified appliance or one that meets higher efficiency levels, such as a Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) tier. For example, a CEE Tier 1 dishwasher must have an Energy Factor (the number of loads that can be washed per kilowatt-hour) of 0.65 and can't use more than 339 kWh per year, while a Tier 2 model must have an Energy Factor of 0.68 and use no more than 325 kWh annually.

 

In California, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District is offering a $25 rebate on a Tier 1 dishwasher and $75 on a Tier 2 model, provided you’re using an electric water heater in your home. In Oregon, the Columbia River Public Utility District ups the ante to a $100 rebate for a Tier 2 clothes washer that uses water from an electric heater, and $50 for one with water heated by gas, oil, or propane.

Brian Lips, a policy analyst at the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State, notes that even if they don’t offer a rebate, many utilities will offer free pickup of an old refrigerator, saving you the disposal fee. 

Q&A: Any tips for getting my propane-gas grill ready for outdoor-cooking season?

I haven’t used my gas grill since last fall—it’s been sitting covered on my deck. How can I be sure it’s in shape to cook this summer?

Memorial Day is just a few weeks away, and this unofficial start of summer also signals the kickoff of outdoor-cooking season. Before you start searing steaks, grilling vegetables, or flipping burgers, you need to make sure your gas grill is in shape. Remember, a clean, well-maintained grill will improve the flavor of all the food you cook and help prevent grease fires and other accidents.

Follow the steps in “Help Your Grill Cook Better, Longer” and you should be all set to fire up your grill—safely—this spring and summer.

Essential information: Before you buy a grill, read our June 2008 gas-grills report and visit our gas-grills product page. Be sure to try our delicious, easy-to-prepare dishes—with expert advice for cooking the perfect steak—and use chef-restaurateur Bobby Flay’s recipes.

Protect Your Investment: Don't be a bump key victim

A Google search of the term “bump keys” provides 50,200 results, a lot for a term many of you might not be aware of but a minute number in a world where “Britney Spears” generates 99,300,000 results and “Barack Obama" nets 29,600,000.

But that doesn't mean bump keys aren't big. Depending on whom you talk to, this illegal activity is on the rise. In a nutshell, a bump key (shown) allows a burglar to modify a key and use it, along with a “bumping” tool like a mallet or hammer, to open a lock.

What’s disturbing about the Google results for bump keys is that the search links you to video tutorials on how to pick locks and sites that sells bump-keys sets that, as one puts it, “Easily open doors and locks.”

Read “Unlocking the truth behind bump keys” to learn how to avoid break-ins at your home. And follow our advice below to prevent a break-in at your home.

Protect Your Investment: Wood Floors

Part of the beauty of wood floors is that they change over time, taking on character and patina. You might even appreciate the squeaks and creaks that sometimes develop—as long as they’re not too loud.

But you still need to manage the aging process of your floors. Severely worn wood floors don’t look good, and when you sell your home, prospective buyers won’t see the “character” of the floors so much as several thousand dollars they’ll have to spend having the surfaces refinished or replaced. Here’s how to keep your wood floors looking their best.

Daily Duty
Sweeping is essential to maintaining the integrity of the finish. Regularly sweep wood floors with a soft-bristle broom. If the floorboards have beveled edges that trap dirt and crumbs, use the bare-floor option on your vacuum instead of a broom. (In our tests, canister vacuums perform better than upright vacuums on wood floors. The trade-off is they can be heavier and pricier than uprights. For more advice on choosing a vacuum, read our latest report and use our expert shopping advice.)

Occasional Tasks
Clean your floors periodically with a wood-cleaning solution. (If you sweep or vacuum diligently, cleaning a few times a year might suffice.) Which cleaner you use will depend on the type of finish you have. To test, apply a few drops of water in an inconspicuous area, says inside a closet. If white spots appear within 10 minutes, the finish is wax. If no white spots show up, it's polyurethane. Another way to identify a polyurethane finish is to scratch the surface (again, in an out-of-the-way area) with a coin or other sharp object. If the finish does not flake, it’s polyurethane.

Clean floors with a polyurethane finish with a solution of 1 cup distilled white vinegar and 3 to 4 gallons of warm water. (Or use a waterborne cleaner designed specifically for urethane finishes, such as Bona.) Damp-mop the floor damp—don’t soak it: Dip a terry-cloth towel into the solution, wringing the towel of excess solution and covering a standard flathead mop with the towel to clean the floor.

Clean wax-finish floors with a solvent-based cleaner and liquid wax designed specifically for wood floors.

Regardless of the finish, never use products intended for vinyl or tile on wood floors, as they can dull the finish and make the floors slippery. Be careful when using a sponge mop; some have hard metal edges that can easily scratch floors.

Preventive Measures
• Place a doormat outside entrances to your home to keep people from tracking dirt and grit indoors.
• Better yet, instate a no-shoes policy, which will preserve the floors. If you can’t ban all footwear indoors, at least ask people to remove high-heel shoes; they can have an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch, enough to mottle the surface of a wood floor over time.
• Use plastic or felt protectors under furniture legs to prevent scratches. When rearranging furniture, always lift pieces instead of sliding them.
• If you have a wood floor in the kitchen, place a mat in front of the sink and range to prevent steady foot traffic from wearing bare spots into the finish.

Essential information: When you need to install new floors, read our latest report on solid-wood, engineered-wood, and plastic-laminate options.

Protect Your Investment: Stone Countertops

A quick scan of the real-estate listings will tell you the role stone countertops can play in marketing a home. “Beautiful luxury home with granite countertops,” read a recent listing in Maryland. “Updated kitchen with marble countertops,” related another from Seattle.

Part of the appeal of stone countertops is their permanence. But invincible they’re not, even with the protective sealer that many stone countertops receive before, during, or after installation. To maintain the appearance and value of your counters, follow this advice:

• Know your stone. Natural stone falls into two main categories, according to the Marble Institute of America. Siliceous stone is composed mainly of quartzlike particles, and includes materials like granite, slate, sandstone, and quartzite. Calcareous stone is composed mainly of calcium carbonate, and includes marble (shown), travertine, limestone, and onyx. These stones are more sensitive to acid than siliceous ones.

Being able to identify what material your stone countertop is made of will help you care for it properly. To determine the type, apply a drop of distilled white vinegar to a discrete corner of the counter. If it starts to fizzle, the stone is calcareous; if it doesn’t, the counter is siliceous. (If the counter has been polished or sealed, this test might prove inconclusive. )

• Avoid direct contact. Stone is very durable, but some materials, like limestone, are relatively soft and easy to slice, nick, and scratch, while others, like marble, get discolored more easily. That’s why it’s generally a good idea to use coasters under glasses, especially those containing alcohol or citrus juice; the acid from these liquids will etch or dull many stone surfaces. Also, avoid placing cookware you’ve just taken out off the oven or off the cooktop directly on your countertops; use trivets instead. And minimize scratching by putting dishes and flatware on place mats.

• Act quickly. Wipe up spills immediately with a wet towel or sponge, especially heavy-staining liquids like red wine. In our tests, stains that were allowed to dry overnight proved problematic for glossy and honed stones alike. If the mess is sticky or otherwise stubborn, use a dishwashing liquid and warm water. But avoid cleaning products that contain lemon, vinegar, or other acids, especially if your countertops are calcareous. Rinse the surface thoroughly after cleaning and dry with a soft cloth. Never use scouring powders or creams to clean spills—the abrasives can scratch the surface.

• Treat discolorations wisely. You can remove some surface discolorations with a mild detergent or an appropriate stone cleaner, available at hardware stores, home centers, and stone suppliers. You might need to treat deeper-set stains with a poultice, a pastelike material that you spread over a stain and leave there for over 24 hours. As the poultice dries, it wicks the stain up from the countertop.

• Reseal when appropriate. Even factory-applied sealers wear out eventually. If liquids are migrating into your stone surface, you might needs to reseal it. To test absorption, put a tablespoon of water right on the countertop; if the stone starts to darken after a couple of minutes, it is absorptive and would benefit from resealing.

Impregnator, or penetrating, sealers seep into the countertop, creating an invisible barrier beneath the surface. They are more common than topical sealers, which leave a visible film that might turn yellow under UV light. Penetrating sealers last for several years, whereas topical ones might need to be applied more frequently. Regardless of which sealer you use, make sure it’s approved for food-handling areas and if you’re applying it to kitchen countertops.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Before you decide on a new counter, read our guide to countertops and refer to the Ratings (available to subscribers), which evaluate materials by how well they resist stains, among other performance characteristics.

Photo courtesy of the Marble Institute of America

Protect Your Investment: Make your paint last

“At the end of a paint job, you’ll almost always have some leftover paint. Don’t dispose of it,” says Debbie Zimmer, director of communications and media relations at the Paint Quality Institute. Inevitably you’ll need to touch up a paint job, and you could have trouble matching the color at a later date if you don’t save the leftover paint.

Follow this expert advice to properly store open cans of paint. Do the job right, and your paint could last for years:

1. Never store paint where it will be subjected to subfreezing cold or extreme heat (more 100°F). Although most paints are formulated to withstand several freeze/thaw cycles, these conditions can ruin coatings by causing them to solidify
2. Always store the paint in its original container, with the label intact. This will help you properly identify the color and type of paint when you use it again
3. If key information is concealed by paint drippings, write down the brand, manufacturer’s code, color, gloss level, and type of paint on a strip of masking tape and affix it to the side of the can before you put it away. It’s also a good idea to include detailed information on where you used the paint, especially when similar colors were used throughout the house.
4. Clean wet paint from the groove on the rim with paper towels.
5. Cover the can opening with plastic wrap to help keep the container airtight.
6. On a metal can, replace the lid by using strong pressure to press it down into the groove lines. Don’t use a hammer to seal the can—you could damage the rim. Instead, use a rubber mallet, but not with too much force. If you have a plastic can with a screw-on lid, follow the first two steps, then apply the lid. If the leftover paint is an alkyd, or oil-based, product, place a piece of waxed paper directly onto the paint before sealing the can to prevent a film from forming as the paint sits.

Essential information: Read our March 2008 report on interior paints, including the latest information on one-coat finishing and details on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint. And when the time comes to dispose of paint, find out the best ways to handle your old finishes.

Scam Alert: Avoid “dirty” duct cleaners

The scenario: You get a flyer in the mail from a company offering to clean the air ducts at your home for only $99. Intrigued by the low price, you contact the company and set up an appointment.

When the company arrives at your house, the rep tries to sell you on a bunch of other services, including carpet cleaning or mold remediation, to improve the air quality inside your home. If you don’t bite at these invoice-increasing items, he gives your ducts a cursory cleaning before moving on to the next mark somewhere in your area.

That lowball offer should have been a red flag to avoid that firm. A reputable company will charge $400 to $1,000 to clean the ducts in a typical 2,000-square-foot house, says the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA). A quality job should take two pros, who’ll use specialized tools, about 4 to 6 hours to complete.

Even more important to know is that there’s no proof that cleaning ducts prevents health problems, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Nor do studies conclusively show that dirty ducts increase levels of airborne particulates in a home. Still, there are times when you should get your ducts cleaned:
• Have the ductwork cleaned if it contains visible mold buildup or has debris coming out of supply registers, or if the ducts are infested with vermin. Check for problems by removing the registers and shining a flashlight into the ductwork.
• Consider having your ductwork professionally inspected if someone in your home is suffering from unexplained allergies or illness. Before you do that, however, a doctor should rule out other causes.

To find a reputable duct cleaner, get referrals from the company that services your furnace. You’ll also find NADCA member contractors in your area on the association’s Web site. Before you sign a contract, ask for evidence of contamination, including a lab report if mold is a concern. And be sure the company cleans the entire HVAC system, including the ducts, heat exchanger, and air handler.

After the work has been completed, insist on a thorough visual inspection—all components of the HVAC system should be free of visible dust and debris. A top-shelf pro might even use remote photography to show you the clean ducts.

Essential information: Read “Filtering the Claims” for information on air purifiers.

Protect Your Investment: Furnace

In this new weekly feature, we'll help you protect your investment by keeping your home—and all its many systems and components—in good condition. Stay tuned for future installments.

Should your gas furnace falters or fails this winter, you might be able to fix it yourself without the cost and hassle of hiring a pro:

• If your forced-air heating system is delivering a low airflow, check the air filter on the furnace. A clogged filter could cut airflow to a trickle. Change the filter with the proper size and type.

• If the furnace has stopped working altogether, ensure that a circuit breaker or fuse has not cut power to the heating system. Also verify that any emergency-power switches, which often have a red-colored wall plate, are switched on.

• Determine whether the thermostat is malfunctioning. If you have an electronic thermostat that runs on batteries, try changing them. Learn more about thermostats and how they can cut your heating bills by up to 20 percent.

• If those steps don't work, call a heating contractor. Even with the higher efficiency of most new furnaces, it's generally more cost-effective to repair a furnace than to replace it. However, if a key component, such as the heat exchanger or control module, fails, you're probably better off replacing the furnace, especially if the unit is more than about 15 years old—furnaces typically last an average of 15 to 18 years.

Essential information: Read “Heating: Stay Warm Without Getting Fleeced” for expert advice on lowering your heating bills this winter, and keep your heating system in tiptop shape. Finally, be sure your carbon-monoxide and smoke alarms are working properly.