7 'Projects with Payback' for Home Improvement Month

  MILLS RIVER, NC - 04/20/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

May is Home Improvement Month --- the ideal time to make upgrades to both the interior and exterior of your home.

"Owning a home means you have the ability to enhance your living space on a regular basis," says Allen Lyle, co-host of the Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford radio show. "Home Improvement Month is the ideal time to consider updating your roof, adding a deck or replacing a toilet. It's also a good time to evaluate the functionality of your home's doors and windows."

Lyle reminds people that improvements to the home are more than just a necessity --- they're an investment in the life and value of the home. "Don't think of it as splurging on a new garage door or privacy window," says Lyle. "Instead, know that every positive change you make to your home adds to its overall resale value."

In the 2016 Cost Versus Value Report issued by Remodeling magazine, 30 popular remodeling projects were evaluated. The study shows that, on an average, homeowners with mid-range priced homes can expect to recoup 91.5 percent of their investment when replacing a garage door. Other high return-on-investment projects around the house include a roof replacement (71.7 percent cost recoup expected) and adding a composite deck (64.4 percent cost recoup expected).

With these insights and motivation in mind, here are seven "projects with payback" you can consider tacking tackle during Home Improvement Month to enhance your living space:

Project #1 - Replace a garage door. This is probably the hardest working door in your home. You enter your house through it several times a day, so update it with a style that reflects your home's character. Consider a dependable American Tradition Series^TM steel garage door from Haas Door^® that combines elegant craftsmanship with durability. These carriage house style garage doors come in solid or woodgrain colors with unique overlay colors and details so you can personalize the door to your home.

Project #2 - Get a new roof. It protects your family and your home, so don't take your roof for granted. Evaluate it every year, and, if it's time for a replacement, consider a long-lasting, low-maintenance synthetic shake or slate roof from DaVinci Roofscapes^®. The realistic-looking shingles resist impact, fire and insect damage for peace-of-mind. Plus, having this sturdy roof overhead can often result in reduced homeowner insurance premiums each year!

Project #3 - Add a new deck. Ready to enjoy your outdoor living space in a new way? Add EverGrain^® Composite Decking from TAMKO^® and prepare to relax in style. Easy to install, this low-maintenance compression molded composite decking has a deep, lasting woodgrain look. Best of all, there's no need for painting or staining, and it comes in a variety of colors to complement your home exterior.

Project #4 - Upgrade to a designer privacy window. Tired of too-close neighbors looking into your home? Decorative privacy windows from Hy-Lite^® solve that problem. Replace existing windows in the bathroom and other rooms with eclectic Baroque, Mission, Prairie or Metro windows in the Home Designer Collection^TM to add style and privacy to your home.

Project #5 - Install a water-saving toilet. Low-flow toilets earning the WaterSense^® label are certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance. That means a 1.28 gallon per flush (Gpf) toilet, like a Summit 1.28, can potentially save a family of four 16,206 gallons of water each year compared to a 3.5 Gpf toilet. Calculate your savings at the Water Savings Calculator on the Mansfield Plumbing website to determine just how much water and money your family can save by investing in a WaterSense rated toilet with a powerful flushing system.

Project #6 - Replace rotted exterior trim. Can you poke your finger into rotting trim around your home? If so, it's time to replace those insect-infested boards with cellular PVC trim. Long-term maintenance hassles disappear when you invest in composite trim pieces like those from Ply Gem^®. The durable pieces don't absorb water like wood, so they won't rot or warp. And, because they're a cellular material, they tend to hold paint longer, giving you more time to enjoy your home rather than work on it.

Project #7 - Invest in a microbubbling tub. Turn your bath into an at-home spa treatment simply by adding a MicroDerm^TM Therapeutic Bath to your home. Millions of oxygen-rich microbubbles silently infuse the water, helping to soften the skin. The results are a tension-free experience that leaves you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. Mansfield Plumbing offers the MicroDerm experience in 25 different models ... with a size, style and color to enhance any home decor.