October, 2009 |

Archive for October, 2009

Oct 28 2009

Profile Image of Curtis Cadenhead

Energy Efficient Cooking in your New Home

When you built your new home, chances are you spent time researching the most energy efficient kitchen appliances before making your final choice, then you will want to visit PittsburghApplianceRepairs.com to make sure you have a backup plan in case any of your appliances get damged.

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While selecting the most earth-friendly appliances from https://americasappliancerepair.com/ is a huge step in the right direction when it comes to green living, there is still more you can do in the kitchen. If you’re a utensil maniac like me, you ought to never miss whisks in your arsenal of cooking tools. A whisk isn’t only useful within the baking process; you’ll use it in several cooking situations. Cooking whisks are available different shapes and sizes and every type is meant to functions in several situations. You’ll make dressing , topping and even pan sauce if you employ the right ones. you would possibly even consider buying differing types of best whisk for baking and cooking to make sure a convenient cooking experience. You can also take a look at “green” suggestions and see which ones you can incorporate into your kitchen and cooking routine.If you have a family, you know how tedious it can be scrubbing used dishes with hand. Many people do not opt for dishwashers because they have small kitchens and feel that they do not have the space to install one. However, this is not true. You can easily get compact dishwashers that are small and can fit even on the countertop. Technology has advanced quite a bit. No longer do you have to purchase a 24-inch dishwasher and fix it under the counter. You can go for the 18-inch model, or even a countertop model. If you do not want this, you can go for a portable dishwasher that is available in 24-inch and 18-inch sizes. These compact dishwasher under 500 are excellent for kitchens that are small and have limited space. However, it goes without saying that these dishwashers can be slightly expensive, but spending an amount of $500 is worth the time and effort you save when it comes to washing the dishes.

·         If you have bright, sunny kitchen windows, pull back the curtains and prepare meals by natural light whenever possible. Only flip the switch on when necessary, but make sure to turn it off when you leave the room.

·         Unplug small appliances such as the toaster and coffee maker when not in use.

·         Consider no-waste baking. Buy a reusable, nonstick silicone baking mat to save on use of aluminum foil and parchment paper.

·         Avoid opening the oven while it is in use. Each time the oven door is opened, the temperature can drop as much as 25-50 degrees requiring more energy to warm it back up.

·         Place a lid on the pot when brining water to a boil to prevent heat and energy from escaping. Leaving the lid off extends cooking time and adds heat and moisture to the air making your air conditioner work harder throughout the summer months.

·         Make an effort to match pots and pans to the same size burner or heating element and center it on the flame or element to prevent heat from escaping.

·         Choose the right size pot or pan for the job. It takes more energy to heat a large pot or pan, so choose smaller ones when appropriate to save energy.

·         Whenever possible, use the same pot or pan for multiple foods.

·         Make smart decisions about running the dishwasher. Dishwashers are designed to get the dishes clean no matter how dirty they are or what was baked in them. There is no need to pre-rinse. Save the water instead. Also, only run the dishwasher when it is full, conserving water and energy. Skipping the drying cycle is a plus saving even more energy and keeping the kitchen cool.

·         Take advantage of the freezer. A full freezer uses less energy to cool than an empty one. Stock your freezer buying large quantities of meats and vegetables when they are on sale (saving you cash) and freeze them for future use (saving you a trip to the grocery store later.)

 

There are many other things you can do to make earth-friendly and energy efficient choices in the kitchen. Beginning with these tips will get you started down the right path.

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Oct 21 2009

Profile Image of Curtis Cadenhead

Stylish Garage Doors add Personality to your New Home

Filed under The Garage

Garage DoorsIf you are building a new house, chances are you’ve thought about every detail from siding and brick to carpeting and light fixtures making sure that all the elements of your new home reflect your personal tastes and lifestyle. But, have you thought about how the perfect style residential garage door will complement your home and lend further curb appeal? Just like window shutters and porch columns, garage doors add character to your home and contribute to the overall exterior appearance. So take some time to consider what type of garage door(s) will complement your home best. If your garage door gets broken or have any issue like it gets jammed or stuck, don`t ignore. You can contact the garage door repair Houston at any time. Thеѕе dооrѕ are gеnеrаllу the best garage doors fоr mоѕt applications.

 

Overhead garage doors come in a fabulous array of sizes, styles and colors ensuring you’ll find the just the right one to give your home a stylish look. They are can be made from several different materials including fiberglass, steel, vinyl and wood and are available with or without windows. You’ll find a wide variety of styles to choose from such as estate, carriage and traditional style doors at most home improvement stores and some online retailers such as Precision Garage Doors St. Louis. With just the right garage door, your new home is sure to catch the attention of any passer-by. The mаjоrіtу оf families in the Unіtеd States uѕе the gаrаgе аѕ thе main entrance into thеіr hоmе, bеіng used multірlе tіmеѕ thrоughоut the dау, thоuѕаndѕ оf tіmеѕ per уеаr. Whеn kерt in gооd wоrkіng оrdеr, it саn provide ѕесurіtу and ѕtоrаgе at уоur соnvеnіеnсе. If уоu want tо maximize thе value of уоur home, уоu’ll fіnd gаrаgе doors аrе an easy аnd affordable mеthоd tо іnсrеаѕе уоur hоmе’ѕ curb арреаl. A good garage dооr wіll dіѕtіnguіѕh it frоm the rеѕt of the neighborhood. Fоr something еxtrа ѕресіаl, custom mаdе gаrаgе dооrѕ саn be designed tо уоur specifications.

This article brought to you by The HousePlanShop, LLC, the home of the best selling house plans from the best designers!

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Oct 15 2009

Profile Image of Curtis Cadenhead

Decorating Tips for Any Room

Filed under Home Decorating

House Plan 025H-0164Decorating all of the rooms in your new house can be a bit overwhelming. Should you start with a color scheme, a piece of artwork that you love or choose the home theatre lounge first? With so many different decorating styles, themes and personal tastes, there really is no specific flow when it comes to decorating an entire room from start to finish.

 

Decoration:- Christian walls contemporary Christian wall art provides the perfect spiritual ambience for decorating your home. Find giclee prints with your favorite scripture verse from the Bible. You’ll recognize quote from the books of Philippians, Proverbs 3:5-6, John 3:16, Romans, Matthew, Mark, Jeremiah 29:11 and many more to inspire you to walk closer to God. Don’t worry as we sell custom Christian wall art which is framed and options available in the NIV (New International Version), KJV (King James Version) or any version of God’s holy word. Finally we sell  art such as paintings to prints and pictures which are perfect gifts for men and women. My christian home décor is stunning and I have a large variety of Christian canvas print wall art which will make your job easy when decorating or deciding to decorate. Take a look around, I’m sure you’ll be happy with what you see. However, these decorating tips and ideas will help get you started.

 

·         If the room has a focal point such as a fireplace, flat screen TV or array of windows with a fantastic backyard view, start with the focal point. Determine the key pieces of furniture you will need and how you will arrange them to complement or take advantage of the focal point.

·         If the room does not have a focal point, you should start with the main furniture pieces you’ll need for the room. Consider each piece’s form and how you need it to function.

·         When picking out furniture, keep in mind that it will be a lot easier and less expensive to freshen up or update the room by swapping out accent pieces rather than buying all new furniture so you may want to choose furniture pieces that can mix and match with various styles.

·         Your furniture will set the style and mood of the room. The fabric, wood finishes and chrome/metal/glass accents will help you determine a color scheme, we recommend visiting a family furniture of America where you will have a big variety to choose from. 

·         If you have a particular accessory that you want to include in a room, the accessory may help determine what style of furniture you choose. A modern painting might lend itself to a black leather couch while an antique vase might lend itself to a pair of elegant armchairs with wooden legs. Maybe you have a brightly colored ceramic bowl that you’d like to display in the dining room. Look for a dining set that offers seat covers in a color that complements the bowl.

·         There is an endless supply of paint colors available to complement the fabric and wood finishes of your furniture, so think about your furniture style, colors and finishes when selecting paint.

·         There are no rules about what pieces of furniture should match in a room. This is truly personal preference. If you prefer your classic tulip table match the coffee table and sofa table that is your choice. If you like how a skirted couch looks with a club chair put them in the room together. Often mix matched furniture pieces make a room look lively and inviting.

House Plan 035H-0034·         Be aware of the size of your room and the size of the furniture you choose, visit the Furniture & Mattress Store to get all the details. If you have a big room or an open floor plan with plenty of walking space, an overstuffed sofa might fit in well. However, is you have a small room, stay away from the stuffed couches and chairs. Instead, try to include a smaller loveseat with a streamlined look that shows off your tastes.

·         Give a room character with windows treatments. If you want a rich, lush and elegant look, long heavy drapes will do the trick. For a light and airy feel, white or pastel color sheers will be just the right touch.

·         Incorporate lighting. How many lamps do you need? Do you need a floor lamp or table lamp? Will track lighting work? Consider recessed lighting or a spotlight to highlight the focal point of the room. Will a ceiling fan with lighting be practical and complement your decorating style?

·         Add accent pieces to the room. Incorporate various textures and patterns. Consider a woven rug and a wooden end table, floral print and solid throw pillows, wicker baskets, pillar candles resting on small round or square mirrors, silk or beaded lampshades, etc.

 

These helpful decorating hints will help get you started decorating your new home. But before you make any purchases, you may want to consult an interior designer or browse some decorating magazines and websites for more ideas.

This article brought to you by The HousePlanShop, LLC, the home of the best selling house plans from the best designers!

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Oct 08 2009

Profile Image of Curtis Cadenhead

Why Build a GREEN Home?

Green Home BuildingWhen it comes to building a new home, there are many benefits to gain by using green building methods. From choosing earth-friendly materials to following environmentally-friendly practices there are several things you and your builder can do to make your new home green. So why build GREEN? Green building and living is the way of the future. With every choice we make we have the option to protect our environment and planet or endanger them. Building a home makes a huge impact on the environment and landscape. Ornamental grasses are fairly popular and that they are extensively utilized in landscaping and designing home gardens and farms. Ornamental grasses and sedge’s happen to be quite versatile because they need the potential of adding more texture, color and movement to your garden. Ornamental grasses can adapt to most soils. They require less- maintenance which makes them ideal for any home garden. the simplest part is that you simply can use your imagination and plant them together with your perennials or other plants in order that they complement one another . they’re going to blend in well and provides an exquisite effect to your garden. You can grow ornamental grasses in your garden to feature a vertical presence. they are available in many sorts and may be bought from a nursery. a number of them are meant for dry conditions and a few of them thrive well in moist or wet conditions. you’ll choose the one that suits your landscape and makes it more appealing. Most of the grasses are often grown from seeds and that they produce tiny and colorful flowers during spring season. a number of them also can be propagated by division once they’re mature. Most of the these grasses are native and wild which makes them less vulnerable to pests and diseases. If they get their share of ample sunlight and nutrients from the soil, they’re going to thrive and increase the sweetness of your garden. Even the slightest breeze makes them move and sway which adds movement to the landscape. you’ll also attract birds, bees and butterflies to your garden by planting them. a number of the common ones that are utilized in home gardens are Pink crystals, Tender Pennisetum ruppelii , Lemongrass, Dwarf Cortaderia selloana , reed canary grass , Yorkshire fog , Bouteloua gracilis and Kentucky bluegrass .You can plant the decorative grasses within the spring season in order that they grow and develop a healthy rootage by the time winter arrives. they will even be planted in fall during August or September month. Provide enough moisture and fertilization in order that the plants grow well and become strong. Mulching is required during winter season to guard the plants from frost and cold so you’ll need to cover the bottom with mulch before winter approaches. Most of the decorative grasses can tolerate drought conditions once they’re adult and established so you’d not really need to worry tons about care and maintenance. Making responsible choices and decisions throughout the construction process helps protect the environment, our resources and our health. It is important that we do our part.

 Carbon Footprint

Making an effort to use green materials will help lesson your carbon footprint. (A carbon footprint in the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization or an event such as building a home.) Choosing local materials to install wooden greenhouses and finish your home will have less of an impact on the environment than selecting materials that must be shipped from far locations. Also, when clearing your lot, only clear the space that is necessary to build the home. Leave as many mature trees and as much shrubbery undisturbed as possible. This will leave the established ecosystem in place providing homes to resident animals and insects, allowing trees and greenery to produce oxygen and provide shade reducing your summer cooling bills.

 Protecting Resources

Plan to use sustainable materials when building your home such as bamboo flooring. Bamboo grows much more quickly than other timber allowing it to replenish itself in a fraction of the time it takes for hardwoods and exotic timber to reproduce. Choosing sustainable materials prevents exploitation of natural resources.

 Energy Efficiency

Using green or recycled materials can help increase the overall efficiency of your home and eliminate landfill wastes. Consider recycled paper or denim products to insulate your home. Choose countertops made of recycled glass instead of purchasing a granite countertop. Install high quality thermal windows cutting down on heating and cooling bills. Consider a geothermal heating and cooling system. Incorporate solar panels. Take advantage of your lot and position your home to make the best of natural lighting, but make sure you contact the right electrical contractor for those rooms that can’t have natural lighting so you are sure that you aren’t wasting more energy than necessary. Choose and install Energy Star rated appliances. All of these things help eliminate waste and reduce energy consumption (and your utility bills.) GreenbuildSA notes that the majority of houses in Adelaide will have solar panels by 2050

 Water-Use Reduction

Select and install water-conserving appliances and fixtures such as low-flow toilets and shower heads. Purchase a water-conserving washing machine and dishwasher. Not only will these choices help protect our water supply, but they will also reduce your water bill.

 Heath Benefits 

Choose green products to finish the interior of your home such as formaldehyde-free building materials and low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paints. These healthy alternatives help prevent respiratory problems that can arise when using traditional building materials.

 So, before you build your new home, talk with your builder about these green building practices and other things you can do to make earth-friendly choices throughout the construction process.

 For more information, check out these articles about green building.

This article brought to you by The HousePlanShop, LLC, the home of the best selling house plans from the best designers!

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