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As the weather hints of warmth and the spring buds appear on trees, firewood may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But early spring is the ideal time to buy or gather your firewood for your fireplace or woodstove. Why? Here are 5 good reasons:

1. Firewood needs at least six months to season. If you want your firewood ready for the cool days of next fall, now’s the time to be getting it.

2. Insects living under the bark are dormant in early spring. When you store firewood now for use next fall or winter, any insects will likely die before you bring the firewood into your home. That’s a plus!

3. Prices for firewood are generally down in early spring, and the supplies are good. Buying now instead of waiting for cold weather to buy your firewood will save you money.

4. Fuel costs, especially the cost of heating oil, are rising. Many people will be turning to their fireplaces as a source of supplemental heat, especially when they see their fuel bills next winter. So next fall is expected not only to have the regular seasonal increase in firewood prices but also to see additional price increases due to unusually high demands. Buying your firewood now puts you ahead of those price increases that are forecast for firewood next fall.

5. Landowners whose property has been logged will welcome you if you ask permission to salvage firewood. Loggers leave behind about 50% of each tree, cluttering the landscape but providing you with free firewood. With a chain saw and a wood splitter, you can tailor your firewood to the dimensions of your fireplace. There’s considerably less competition for this free firewood in early spring than there is during the cooler seasons.

So go ahead and let your thoughts turn to springtime, but get a jump on next fall now, too. When the cool weather returns, you’ll be glad to have your seasoned firewood waiting for you.

Susan Penney appreciates simple ways to make our homes renewing spaces for our families. She invites you to visit http://www.FireplaceMall.com for fireplace accessories to serve your fire-less or your fire-filled fireplace.

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Conducting a home energy audit is a smart way to cut your utility bills. Many people forget, however, to look at fireplaces, attics and other less obvious spots.

Home Energy Audit - Fireplaces, Attics and More

The purpose of a home energy audit is to make your home more energy efficient. An energy efficient home is going to result in reduced utility bills now and for years to come. Depending on the size of your utility bill, auditing your home can save you thousands or tens of thousands of dollars over the years. While windows and doors are obvious energy waste locations, there are less obvious areas where you can lose a lot of heat.

Attics in a home are a great place to store you junkerr, valuable stuff. That attic, however, can be costing you big bucks. While most attics have insulation, they also have open-air vents to maintain circulation. Failing to circulate air in the attic can destroy roofing and the things in the attic.

Fortunately, the ceiling of your home has insulation to keep energy from escaping up through it into the attic. Still, most people defeat this insulation by failing to take a look at the entrance to the attic. If you have the proverbial “hole in the ceiling” entrance to the attic, how much heat or air conditioning is escaping through the gaps surrounding it into the attic and out the attic vents? Placing temporary seals around the edges of the entrance can immediately cut your heating or cooling costs by 25 percent.

Fireplaces offer a whole host of problems when it comes to regulating the temperature in a home. By definition, a fireplace is designed to move smoke out of a home by using the rising heat as a means of propulsion. The problem, of course, is when you aren’t using the fireplace, it still conducts the hot air out of your home.

The first step in dealing with a fireplace is to make sure the flue is closed when not being used. If you leave it open, you might as well turn off the heat in your home because the heat is going to come out of your vents, cross the room and blow up and out of the fireplace. Obviously, that is a utility bill nightmare.

Energy audits are a must if you hope to fight off rising energy costs. Fortunately, common sense steps can save you a ton of money.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com, a directory of solar energy companies. Visit us to read more articles on solar power and renewable energy.

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One of the most beautiful and practical ways to spruce up your home’s d

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