Continental Philosophy for Home Improvement in the Great Plains

Although the "continental United States" usually refers to the 48 coterminous states, a more accurate use of the current misnomer might be those states which have a continental climatic, particularly the Great Plains states from Minnesota and the Dakotas down through Oklahoma and Arkansas. ServiceMagic—industry leader for online resources connecting homeowners to home improvement contractor—reveals telling numbers from the last three years for home improvements across the country. Of course, the continental climate is also home to the American heartland, where broadband culture is dampened and DIY pluck is elevated. Thus, home improvements that find even marginally higher rates can be significant in continental areas, and ServiceMagic has no trouble identifying the projects that speak to this region?.

"First Philosophy:" Heating and Cooling
The phrase "first philosophy" refers to the foundations of thinking and wisdom, and in the continental region of the U.S. this notion undoubtedly refers to heating and cooling. Typically, the further you move away from the moderating influences of the oceans, the winters will get colder and the summers hotter. As such, the continental climate sees higher demand for both heating and cooling service. Of course, latitude matters as well: It's not surprising, for example, that Minneapolis has a higher rate of central heating repair and installation or that Dallas has a higher rate for central air conditioning service, but the extreme seasonal swings in temperature for continental climates will also tend to yield a greater prevalence in the combination of heating and cooling needs.

Cities across the heartland tend to see heating and cooling projects outpace the national average by 5-10 percent, but Minnesota and Kansas City show particularly strong numbers for this combination. For heating and cooling system installation, Minneapolis saw 1 project request for every 3,861 people, almost double the national rate of 1 request for every 6,087 people. For heating and cooling repair services, Kansas City sees 1 request for every 4,224 people, 21 percent higher than the national average of 1 request for every 5,114.

American Capitalism: Greater Need Doesn't Always Mean Greener Solutions
You might think that with the greater need for heating and cooling loads that this area of the country would also be at the forefront of green heating and cooling technologies. Ironically, almost the exact opposite is true because most homeowners are naturally less concerned with energy or fossil fuel consumption as they are the price of that energy. The same region that has the greatest combined need for heating and cooling also has the lowest energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.* Thus, the market for state-of-the-art heating and cooling, like geothermal systems, tends to be higher in the Midwest and New England where heating costs, in particular, motivate homeowners to look at alternative energy technologies.

* Cost of Electricity by State http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html Cost of Natural Gas by State http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/ng/ng_pri_sum_a_EPG0_PRS_DMcf_a.htm

American Pragmatism: Storm Doors and Windows
The northern continental region as defined by central Missouri and Kansas up through Minnesota more neatly matches the characteristics of the continental climate with greater swings between annual and daily temperatures. The southern continental region—from the Texas panhandle, Oklahoma, and parts of southern Kansas through Arkansas and western Tennessee—is more acutely defined as Tornado Alley, although it still displays larger swings in temperature. As such, it's no surprise that these regions see the most elevated levels of storm door and storm window installations of anywhere in the country.

Pop culture leads many to believe these storms are concentrated in Kansas and Oklahoma, but the data from ServiceMagic shows that while storm door and storm window installation is higher across the heartland, the highest demand actually occurs in Little Rock and Memphis. Little Rock leads the way for the installation of storm windows with 1 request for every 47,600 residents or twice the national rate. Memphis does even better with storm door installation at 1 request for every 37,663 residents or roughly 3.5 times the national rate.

Stick to the Basics for Continental Home Improvements
Flashy homes and luxury remodels rarely appeal to the residents or property values of the heartland, as Remodeling Magazine's shows that every single remodeling project is below the national average in terms of resale value. Rather than gut your bathroom, you might want to focus on major basic, exterior features. The same elements that place higher demands on heating, cooling, and storm protection can easily wreak havoc on your roofing. Indeed, over the last years, ServiceMagic has seen several cities in the heartland outpace the national average for asphalt roof repair and installation, and metal roofing installation. Whether you need to guard against heavy snow-pack in Minneapolis, thermal shock in Kansas City, or tornado winds in Tulsa, no homeowner throughout the continental region should neglect their roofing maintenance and inspection.

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