Buy an Energy Star -certified fan. These models are more than 50% more energy efficient than conventional models. That’s money in your pocket every time you use it.

Turn it off when you leave the room. Remember how fans work? They don’t cool air, they cool people. So unless you’re in the room, you won’t get that wind chill effect and you’re wasting energy.

Make sure your install a CFL or LED lightbulb in the light fixture if your fan has one: incandescent lightbulbs add heat to a room, and CFLs and LEDs burn cooler and use about one-quarter of the energy.

An asbestos removal contractor can inspect products in your home to confirm whether or not they contain asbestos. If they find asbestos, and it’s intact and not deteriorating, you have the surface sealed so the fibers will not be released into the air. If the product containing asbestos is protected behind walls or otherwise isolated, you can just leave it alone. Removing asbestos is complex and costly, but it can be done. You’ll want an experienced pro who’ll take maximum safety precautions. The workers will be wearing full protective clothing and masks, and they’ll probably keep the affected area damp to keep dust and fibers from floating around. Their clothing has to be specially cleaned after every job, and they’ll have to take the hazardous waste with them and dispose of it properly. You’ll want to get out of the house while they do the removal. Asbestos dust shouldn’t be inhaled by anyone who’s not wearing protective safety gear.

Mold doesn’t just look bad, it’s bad for you and your home. Here’s why you need to prevent moisture problems around the house. You know those wooden studs that are keeping your biggest investment standing? Mold lives off the cellulose wood fiber in those studs. If you get moisture on those studs and a mold spore lands on it, the mold will spread. Mold spores are always in the air. If is eats away at the wood long enough, mold can actually weaken the studs and compromise the structure. Worse: exposure to mold can make you and your family sick. If you have it growing in your home, it releases spores into the air. When your breathe these spores in, you can end up with health issues. Mold can trigger anything from a runny nose, cough, hay-fever symptoms, and respiratory problems to aggravated allergies and asthma. People who are really young, really old, or in poor health are most at risk. Get the mold cleaned by a professional.

I teamed up with 3M to make the best furnace filter on the market : Filtrete air filters. These filters catch 99.9% of contaminants in the air– mold, bacteria, pet dander, dust mites, and other allergens– so you and your kids are not cleaning the air with your lungs. They also allow better air movement to help your furnace and ventilation work better. Can you change your filter too often? The answer is no. Too many people don’t even realize that your need to change or check the furnace filter. A rule of thumb is to change the filter at least every three months. If I were you, I ‘d change it once a month because I’d rather have the filter clean the air than have my family’s lungs doing the job.

Everyone’s probably heard of Energy Star:  a program that certifies energy-saving appliances, lighting, and other household devices. well, if you want to know you’re choosing fixtures that save water, look for a WaterSense sticker (epa.gov/waterSense). Faucets, showerheads, and toilets get to use this label if they meet WaterSense’s strict standards for efficiency and conservation. My first choice would be a high-efficiency 3-liter, one-button-flush toilet. Water-saving duel-flush toilets are also good as long as you use them properly (small button for small jobs, big button for big business).

If your windows are no blame for condensation– not a ventilation or moisture issue — there are some sure signs they need to be replaced: 1) Frost and condensation are a constant issue. 2) It’s noticeably colder in the area of the window. 3) You can see mold or decay around the windowsill or frame. 4) The windows are jamming. 5) Condensation or frosting is happening between windowpanes. That means the airtight seal is broken. If that’s the case, then your only solution is replacing the entire window.

If your home has had previous owners, you can often tell it they’ve done remodels involving structural walls by looking for these red flags : 1) Unusually large rooms for old houses. 2) Unusual seams on ceilings and floors. 3) Floors that slope in some rooms but not others. 4) Mismatched trim work on doors and baseboards. 5) Cracks in the plaster above windows or doors.