In this video from his HouseSmarts TV series, home improvement expert Lou Manfredini shares a couple of great home innovations that you might find useful in your own house.

With visits to a couple of interesting product manufacturers, Lou shares details about how tankless water heaters work — even when demand for water is high — and about the impressive features offered by a new digital thermostat that does much more than control the temperature in your home.

Watch the video below, check out the HouseSmarts YouTube channel, and be sure to read all of Lou’s articles here on MLuxe for more tips and information.

Spring is a terrific time. Everything is new. But with spring can also come moisture and water issues, in particular if you have a basement. Controlling that moisture in your basement has a direct effect to the overall health of your home. If you have a crawlspace that is damp and smelly, you should be even more concerned with controlling those issues.

The first step is to ensure you do not have any water leaking into your basement. If you do, you should be contacting a qualified basement waterproofing company to address the situation. Sometimes the repair can be an epoxy injection into a crack, or if the water is more severe, a perimeter drain tile system and a sump pump. Most states require you to disclose any water issues in your home at the time of a sale, so this is one repair you have to do in order to attract potential buyers.

Now, even if the water is controlled, a basement and crawl can still have an odor. Electric dehumidifiers can help tremendously but need to be sized correctly. These units are rated by pints of moisture they can remove and also by the square footage of your space. There are also larger units that can be professionally installed that can bring in fresh air to combat moisture and help to control odor. These units work really well.

If you have a crawlspace with a dirt or even a concrete floor and you still have that musty smell, consider having it encapsulated. Basically this is a vinyl pool liner that covers the floor walls and even the ceiling of your crawl and then it’s vented from underneath. That way any moist air is vented out of the space and you have a very clean space to store items.

By taking some of these steps you will have a dryer, more healthy home.

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It might just be coincidence that Earth Month occurs at the same time most homeowners take on ambitious spring cleaning efforts. Regardless, spring cleaning provides the perfect impetus to think green and lessen your impact on the environment.  (Two birds with one stone, right?)

Before you start pitching a winter’s worth of buildup and wiping down every interior and exterior surface of your home, here are some simple steps to make your home greener:

• Go paperless. If you find the majority of your trash is coming through the mail, switch to online payment options. As for junk mail, options range from returning to sender or using one of several services to block unwanted direct mail marketing. An added bonus: Checking the mail will be much more pleasant.
• Can I donate this? That’s something to ask yourself before tossing any item. From clothes and furniture down to magazines and house supplies, you can donate to thrift stores, local shelters or place items on the free goods section on craigslist.com or freecycle.org.
• Chemical-free cleaning. Depending on the surface, you can generally go a long way by adding a few tablespoons of lemon juice to water. This is also better for the overall health of your home, especially if you have younger children or pets.
• Towels – cloth, not paper. Ever notice how paper towels disappear  in a hurry? For the price of a dozen rolls, you can purchase reusable rags that will last for years and show much more durability and versatility than standard paper towels. There’s no need to add even more trash to your cleaning process.
• Baking soda – the miracle agent. No matter the surface, baking soda can get the job done. Cleaning the shower? Make a paste of water and baking soda and dab with a sponge. Scrub the surfaces of the shower and rinse to complete. Mopping? Add a cup of baking soda to a warm bucket of water (and add lemon juice for scent) and mop away. You can even sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of garbage cans to reduce odor. Baking soda is nothing new, but this miraculous cleaning agent is often overshadowed by newer products that can be full of chemicals and toxins.

Let’s be honest – the best part of spring cleaning is wiping away the dingy film of winter and unveiling the brisk feel of spring. Nothing is more emblematic of this transition than window washing. Before you break out the toxic window cleaner and squeegee, let’s talk over a few pointers for squeaky clean, non-streaky windows.

Borrowing our tips from the pros, we’ve found a three-step approach that will polish windows to perfection.

• Before you begin, a few things to consider:
  • Time window washing to cloudy days – bright sunlight causes the windows to dry too quickly, which may cause the dreaded streaks
  • Wash each window individually – streaks increase as you try to tackle more than one surface.
• Gather your supplies:
  • Two spray bottles (we caution against using buckets to mix or apply these solutions; you’ll spread the mess with each dip in a bucket.)
  • Organic dish detergent
  • Water
  • Vinegar (organic if you prefer)
  • Flour sack cloths (They can be purchased online and are reusable for years.)
• Prepare your solutions. Combine 32 ounces of water with four to five drops of organic dish detergent in a spray bottle. Also, prepare a mixture of three parts vinegar to one part water for the second spray bottle.
• Mist the window with this dish detergent mixture. This mixture breaks down the grease that has accumulated on the windows – very helpful for kitchen windows.
• Immediately follow this by spraying the vinegar mixture on the window. Vinegar is a solvent and it will break down the soap from the first step so you’re not leaving a soap residue. However, on its own, it won’t break down the grease.
• Buff the window dry using a flour sack cloth.
• Follow the same process for the outdoor side of ground-level windows.

It’s recommended to hire professional window washers for anything above the ground floor.

Or if you have Marvin’s Ultimate Casement, you’ll use the window’s wash-mode to clean the window exterior. The Ultimate Casement features hardware that allows the window’s exterior to rotate inward, letting you wash the outside of the window from inside the house.

We can all feel that winter’s back is about to be broken and a fresh spring full of new life and warmer temperatures is on its way.  Winter can really put a beating on a home, and once the weather breaks, taking a slow walk around your home with a pad and pencil can be a really good idea.

Most of us are so busy we tend to never look at our homes from a distance to actually see what is going on. In the spring, I would like you to do a 30-minute outdoor inspection of your home.

Start from across the street. Take a look at your home from your neighbor’s point of view. What is the condition of the roof, the siding, and the windows and doors on all four sides of your home? Inspect the ground where it meets your foundation: Is it pitched correctly? Is there new erosion that can lead to water pooling and potentially entering your home?

Pay attention to gutters and downspouts.  Do you see any separation or leaking at the joints of the gutters? Give your sidewalks, driveway, patio and deck a good once-over. Make sure everything is in good repair with no large cracks or separation of material. What about the outdoor lighting? Are all the pieces in place? Is there rust on fixtures or even burned out bulbs?

Now take a look at all the landscaping. How did the lawn survive? What about the trees and shrubs? A professional spring clean-up can really get things off to a good start.

Whether you want to try some of these repairs yourself or just want to have a better idea of what’s going on when you contractor, the 30 minutes you spend on the outside can give you new knowledge about your home and how to maintain it properly.

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If Groundhog’s Day lore holds true, spring is right around the corner.

On Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow for just the 15th time in the 115-year recorded history of Groundhog’s Day. An early spring would be nice, but we’re not hedging any bets on Phil’s prediction. Rodents make miserable meteorologists.

So, what’s the best way to cure the itch to get outside of the house? Try making some changes inside it:

Brighten up. February may seem early, but swap out dark towels, bed linens and blankets in favor of whites and pastels. Darker colors feel warmer during the winter months, but brighter colors can bring vibrance to your home.

Let the sunshine in. Keep drapes and shades open to allow sunlight to flood your home during the day. After sealing up windows for better insulation throughout the winter, it’s easy to let your home go dark for energy efficiency’s sake. However, the extra sunlight is worth a few dollars on your heating bill.

Go green. Get a jump on planting this year’s flower bed and start with potted plants. Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben of Associated Content advises bright spring plants like tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and roses which can be transplanted outdoors when the weather gets warmer.

We’re curious – what’s your secret to fighting off spring fever?

Everyone loves a clean house, but it can be so hard to achieve and maintain. Between work, family, friends, and social and volunteer activities, the last thing most people want to spend their precious free time doing is cleaning. But there’s nothing like the serenity of a perfectly clean house where everything is in its place.

Shelterpop offered up a list of cleaning tips for every room in the house. Here are our favorite tips of theirs for each room.

• Create an inbox in the entryway. This can serve as a repository for bills and other mail to take care of — no more mail strewn on the kitchen table! Don’t forget to recycle junk mail and toss unwanted credit card solicitations and the like in the shredder as soon as they arrive.
• Recycle all those magazines and newspapers in your living room. Unless you are a collector, you probably will never read old magazines. Clip or scan articles you find interesting and get rid of the rest.
• Pare down the “bag of bags” in the kitchen. Whether they are paper or plastic, trust us: there are more where they came from.
• Sleep stuff only in the bedroom. Shelterpop suggests removing “anything that doesn’t relate to your nocturnal life.” It’s a tall order, but really, what do you need in your bedroom? A bed, of course. Drawers and closets for storing clothes. A bedside table for a few  necessities. A chair or bench maybe. Keeping your bedroom clutter-free can only improve your sleeping.
• Streamline your products in the bathroom. Got through drawers and shelves and only keep the stuff that you use on a regular basis. Toss old or expired makeup, use up the lotion bottles that have just a tiny bit of lotion in them and ask your friends if they want that styling creme you bought at the salon a few months ago and only used once.

Check out Shelterpop to read the rest of their tips!

The cold winter months can be a great tool for finding all of the drafts that are working their way into your home. Eliminating those drafts are a great way to lower your energy bills and make your home more comfortable.

One of the best methods to stop drafts is a tube of caulk and a little time. Run a bead of caulking on the top edge of your base trim where it meets the wall and the bottom where it meets the floor. The same is true around door trim and window trim. Windows and doors of course are the areas of greatest loss, if replacing them is not in the cards right now then use additional weather stripping and window film to keep the drafts out. But know this: By investing and installing new windows and doors you will be more comfortable, lower the cost to heat and cool your home, and add value to your home, for sure.

Of course, I work with Marvin and am a big fan of their products. Their Infinity and Integrity windows and doors are made from Ultrex that is strong and maintenance-free. But I am a wood-window guy. Always have been, always will be. Wood adds the most value, and with an aluminum exterior they are virtually maintenance-free on the outside. Oh, and they look great, too. If you want more information, you can visit www.marvin.com.

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Every year, millions of Americans make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. For their effort, many go and buy a gym membership, only to find their dedication wanes by February.

But what if their gym was right at home?

Contributing architects at Houzz have compiled a list of tips for creating a great workout space in the home. The good news: You don’t need to start knocking out walls to add unsightly weightlifting machines. Here’s what you need to know:

Windows When You Can…
Gyms most commonly face treadmills and stationary bikes before a row of large windows or on an upper floor overlooking the rest of the gym. If you’re stuck working out inside, make sure you have a view outside to provide more stimuli and to take your mind of a difficult workout. Also, nothing beats natural light.

…Mirrors When You Can’t
A wall of mirrors will not only help you monitor technique, but it also creates the illusion your workout space is larger. Also, it’s a great way to see your progress!

Make It Work Out
Rather than creating a workout space despite your home, consider options that fit into your design without interruption. This indoor lap pool offers a world-class workout, but still appears to be a luxurious water element. Your workout space needn’t be a sore spot.

Once again, the New Year is here and we make all kinds of plans. This year I am going to lose weight, drink less coffee and be nicer to my dog. (These are examples, not my resolutions — I love my dog!)

But this year, I really think is the time to make improvements that have a long-term energy proposition for you. Below are some ideas on what and why:

Tankless water heaters. You have heard all about these and most likely read the pros and cons. I am a fan and believer in this appliance. You will have endless hot water, use little or no energy when the units are off, and will have a much longer life cycle and efficiency rating long term. Tank heaters last on average 7-10 years; tankless units last on average 20 years. Tank units can run out of hot water, tankless units will never run out. Tank units cost about $1,500 to install professionally, a tankless about $2,500-$3,500 depending on the size. While these units are more expensive upfront, the long term value for your home makes it a smart investment.

LED lighting for your home. This technology has improved leaps and bounds in the past five years. The longevity of the diode is well known on average 50,000 hours compared to a regular incandescent bulb of 2,000 hours. Under normal usage that’s about 30 years. The big improvement has been the light output and color temperature. There are residential LED bulbs that cost about $12-$15 that look like standard bulbs in shape and color. Try replacing the 6 most used bulbs in your home first to see if you like them, after that change out the whole house and bring down your monthly energy costs for lighting and never replace a burned-out bulb again.

Wind and solar power. This is another area that has improved greatly in the last 5 years. There are several manufacturers of wind turbines that can mount on your home and generate up to 20 percent of your homes energy. I have seen units that can be installed for as little as $8,000. A lot of money, yes, but many states offer up to a 50 percent tax credit on these. Solar panels can now be integrated into your roofing shingles. No more large panels. These shingles go right on your roof and can generate up to 50 percent of your homes energy needs. The best part of both of these systems is that, when your demand is low, you are actually providing energy back into the energy grid and in many parts of the country the utility companies have to pay you for the energy.