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Water Efficient Green Homes

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By Daniele Loffreda
Experts are sounding the alarm that potable water will soon become as precious a commodity as oil. While world population continues to grow ever faster, freshwater resources remain constant - only 1% of the world's water is fit for human use. In the U.S., 36 states anticipate local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013. If we all started using water more efficiently, we can help preserve water supplies for future generations and save money on our water and sewage bills. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, homes use more than half of publicly supplied water in the United States. An average American family of four can consume nearly 400 gallons of water per day and spends up to $500 per year on water and sewage bills. The biggest uses of water in a home are: Toilets (27% of total water usage)
  • The average person flushes the toilet about five times per day. Low-flow toilets (less than 1.3 gallons per flush) and dual-flush toilets can save more than 2.000 gallons per year.
  • Note that early model and 'builder grade' 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) low-flow toilets have a reputation for not flushing completely and/or require you to keep a plunger handy.
  • Choose models that score high on key measurement criteria such as plug resistance, completeness of flush (at least 500 grams based on MaP testing), noise levels, how well the bowl rinses and length of time to refill.
  • Many plumbers recommend G-Max and Pressure Assisted low- flow units. However, the sudden action and noise of Pressure Assisted units can startle children-not very helpful when trying to potty train!
  • Dual flush (1.6gpf for solids, 0.8 gpf for liquids) are common in many parts of the world, and are gaining popularity in the U.S.
Clothes Washers (22% of total water usage)
  • The average home washes 7 loads of laundry per week.
  • ENERGY STAR label units consume about 20 gallons of water per load, compared with 40 gallons for standard models.
  • Front loading (horizontal axis) washers use half as much water as conventional (vertical axis) units. Washing full loads rather than partial loads saves up to 3,400 gallons per year.
Showers (17% of total water usage)
  • The average person showers about 5 minutes each day.
  • Low-flow showerheads can help conserve water by reducing water flow.
  • The water flow rates of low-flow showerheads range between 0.5 gallons per minute to 2 gallons per minute.
  • They range in price from $3 to more than $80.
  • You get what you pay for; low-priced models will need to be replaced in a couple of years, as water pressure erodes the drop holes.
  • Aerating-type low-flow units mix water with air, creating a misty spray that can permeate the entire bathroom-not good in humid climates where added moisture can lead to mold, mildew and other problems.
  • Early model aerating units are commonly viewed as not providing enough water for a good shower.
  • Laminar-type units form individual streams of water, and receive high marks for providing adequate water flow while minimizing waste.
  • Opt for a high quality laminar unit with large size droplet holes.
  • CAUTION: Installing low-flow shower heads can increase back pressure in water supply lines. This can cause a leak in the pipe, and can cause the bathtub faucet to leak large amounts of water while your low-flow shower head is running. Make sure that the diverter valve (the valve that shuts off flow to the bathtub faucet when the shower is running) is in good working condition.
Faucets (16% of total water usage)
  • The average person uses faucets for about 8 minutes each day.
  • Sink faucet aerators conserve water by reducing the rate of water flow.
  • Use sink faucet aerators on fixtures located closest to the water heater. The further the distance from the water heater, the longer you'll have to run the tap to get hot water - and actually waste more water than you would without using an aerator!
  • Faucet aerators are the most cost-effective when water delivery pressure is high.
  • Their water flow rates range from 0.375 gallons per minute to 2.5 gallons per minute.
  • They range in price from $1.50 to $25.
Dishwashers (5% of total water usage)
  • The average home uses the dishwasher 5 times per week.
  • An ENERGY STAR label dishwasher uses about 40% less water than conventional models.
Similar to the highly successful ENERGY STAR program to help consumers choose energy efficient products, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently launched the WaterSense program. The WaterSense program establishes water-efficiency standards for appliances, and issues a label to help buyers choose high quality, water efficient products. Visit the WaterSense website at www.epa.gov/watersense/index.htm. By making smart choices in how we consume water today, we will be able to ensure a steady supply of potable water for our great-grandchildren.
[caption id="attachment_588" align="alignnone" width="350" caption="Rushing Water"]Rushing Water[/caption]
About The Author
Daniele Loffreda, LEED AP, BPA, MBA, Principal, The Green Home Team. We help people make their home a 'brighter' shade of green. Whether you want to design and certify a new green home, make green renovations, improve your home's performance, or buy and sell a green home, we can help. Visit our website at http://www.thegreenhometeam.com for more information on greener home choices.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
 

Giving a Fresh Look to Your Kitchen and Bathroom

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Author: Gary Nealon
The typical kitchen or bathroom has basic components that can be adjusted or altered to make these rooms really stand out. Plenty of "do it your-self" magazines, home improvement books or television shows give new and innovative ideas to boost house appeal. With the proper motivation and a few insider trade secrets, you too can have a kitchen or bath with some style. With the popularity of the home improvement shows many people are now looking at their own house to see what can be done to make it more appealing and more valuable. There are plenty of books, magazines and countless websites that can provide guidance, but having the ability to stay in your budget and looking for the best products (in terms of quality and value) are two important things that will give you satisfaction with your new project. Combining these things should give your house a few rooms that stand out from the normal. When buying or selling a house a few points stand out in the buyers mind. Curb appeal is always a big factor. What does it feel like when you approach the house and how does it look form the out side. This topic is for another day and we will assume that you have already been working on that project as well. The next part of the house a buyer or a visitor usually notes is the kitchen. The majority of household life is spent in this room and because of this, people tend to look at the kitchen as a selling point. Adding value to it is a smart way to improve equity in your house.
Luxury Kitchen - Richardson Homes - Utah Luxury
The first items people usually see in a kitchen are the kitchen cabinets. This is because the cabinets are at eye level and they are most dominant object in the room. You're walking into the kitchen and it is naturally in your site line, so you notice this part first. It is easy to find new cabinets, but it is now easy to find new cabinets at a better price. Thanks to online shopping, the best way to buy cabinets is two-fold. First look for RTA style cabinets (ready to assemble) and second, buy kitchen cabinets online, even with shipping, these cabinets are about 30% less then retail. Next, a new paint job is a low cost, dramatic improvement to the color and feel of your kitchen. At this point if your still in your budget, a new floor is easy to install and will clean up the remainder of the kitchen. (These days flooring has become easier to install, look into a do it your self explanation and you will be fine). Finally the other important room is the bathroom. If you're going to give a good impression, it can start the same way as the kitchen. A new paint job will go a long way; new flooring (tile if possible) and some new fixtures (vanities, light bars, medicine cabinets) will brighten up this part of the house. Flooring and paint have become less expensive, so this part should be easy. Again, buying online for bathroom vanities can easily save you hundreds of dollars. Also, remember things like RTA products will save you money because you are assembling the product your self. Taking these ideas and making it work for your house is the first step to giving you kitchen or bath some flare and also you should be able to stay in a budget if you do some smart shopping.
Master Bath Vanity | Brookwood Homes | The Hamptons | © UtahLuxury.com
About the Author:
Find out where the experts go to get all of their kitchen cabinets and accessories. Learn how to save thousand on kitchen cabinet s by buying them where contractors and builders shop.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
 

Interior Painting Ideas

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By Jamie Campbell
It may surprise most homeowners that to give your house a makeover, all you need is just a new coat of paint. Simple, yes, but the doing can be quite tough. It's a labor intensive work and you may need to brainstorm a little for some interior painting ideas. However, it's best to consider the reasons why you are doing this. Interior painting can take many days to complete and it requires a lot of energy to complete the whole job. Painting itself is exhausting work and if you don't have enough reasons to do the work, your interior painting ideas may fall apart and the painting halts midway. So why are you doing this? Is it: a. Your neighbor is doing it b. Your walls are dirty c. Your children have painted the walls with crayons d. Your spouse cannot sleep at night because it's the wrong color e. You cannot stand the color because it reminds you of your ex When you get the reasons right, it will be easier to see everything through and you will become more creative and you may develop insights to giving your home a new makeover. You may think about patterns on the walls, or use sponges to leave decorative marks on the wall, or create patterns with stencils and stamps.
Pink Girls Bedroom | Upland Homes | UtahLuxury.com
When you are running through your interior painting ideas, you may want to think about the choice of colors. Choose your colors to suit the walls and all the rooms and its intended function for the rooms. Select colors that will match the furniture and electrical fixtures and appliances in the room. As a general guide, lighter colors tend to promote space and awareness, which are good for kids room or the new born; and darker colors will make a room seem a little smaller but it can also make it a little cozy, like a movie projector room. Different colors can psychologically affect the mood of people, especially in the home. Here are few tips when it comes to selecting color: Red Red walls will increase a room energy level. You will never see red walls in a prison for that reason. Red can be considered for your bedroom ideas to increase activities at night, but don't paint the elderly person's room red. Red has been shown to raise blood pressure, speed respiration and heart rate Yellow Yellow is good for kitchen walls and bathrooms, it is uplifting and creates a feeling of sunshine. In living rooms, yellow can feel expansive and invigorating. Yellow is believed to stimulate the nerves and purify the body. Green Green is a relaxing and peaceful color. That's why people go to gardens to relax and seek calmness. Green can be painted in almost any room in the house. In a kitchen, a sage or medium green cools things down. In a family room or living room, green encourages unwinding and also promotes comfort and togetherness. It is believed to relieve stress by helping people relax.
Fun Kids Play Room | Split Rock | UtahLuxury.com

 

Tips on interior painting: 1. Decide on how many walls you want to paint and in which order you want to paint. This not only helps you estimate the amount of paint you need, but also helps you plan where you want to store the furniture temporarily when you are painting. You must take into consideration the inconvenience the other occupants may experience. If your painting the kitchen, then all the cooking may have to stop. 2. Plan on protecting the floor and all furniture and electrical fixtures. It may be a good idea to use old newspaper to cover exposed items. Your roller may seem fun to use, but the all the splatter may not be so fun to clean up. 3. Clean the walls before you start painting. You don't want to paint over cob webs and insects crawling on the wall. Patch up holes and cracks to ensure smooth painting throughout. When you are actively searching for interior painting ideas, remember to include all the pointers mentioned above. Any do it yourself job can be satisfying and could save you a lot money.
About The Author
You can get more information on interior painting ideas and installing wood floor here.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
 

Lessons Learned From "HGTV's - The Stagers"

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I
was curious, as I'm sure the rest of you were when they announced this new program airing on HGTV on July 22nd, if it would be a true depiction of what the Staging life is like. I would have to say that it's probably the most realistic of the shows that are out there today, but still doesn't tell the whole story. Regardless, here are some things that I feel you could learn from the show.

1) Have a plan for your project. I'm actually a little shocked by the lack of planning and utter chaos that is depicted. Maybe it's just for TV drama to make it more interesting, but realistically, if that's how you are running your business, you NEED TO TAKE CONTROL immediately. My recommendation to you is a) always see the property beforehand, b) take before photos, c) map out plans for each room so that choosing inventory is more targeted and streamlined, and d) create a list of staging inventory needed. My Ultimate Staging Success Blueprint has all the tools to help you do just that. There is absolutely no reason why most projects should take more than a day. I would say 97% of the straight "staging" projects I've worked on was completed within 1 day. Anything that took more was because of the size of the project (5000+ sf home or multiple units) OR if there were delays on other related projects. When I first started my staging business, I was running back to the warehouse to pick up things we forgot or shopping at the last minute because we didn't have what we needed, and I'm not saying that you won't still have to do this occasionally, but you want to avoid these delays as much as you can and the best way to do that is to have a plan going into every single project.

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The Truth About Modern Bathroom Designs

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By Yamini Chowdhury
Modern bathroom designs are not a veritable mosaic of fabulous finishes and tantalizing textures. Nor are they about invitingly comfortable bathtubs, well-contoured, awe-inspiring fixtures, fine lines and beautiful curves. One can only describe them as a captivating experience, regardless of the owner. Every design establishes a dialogue with you instantly. Defined by unparalleled luxury and class, they can be adapted to suit your innate sense of style. No wonder, it?s considered churlish not to succumb to their bewitching charm. Sleek. Sophisticated. Sensational Hi quality, contemporary bathroom designs bring together traditional and modern elements on one platform. Its only here that sleek and stylish fittings and accessories flirt promiscuously with functional and beautiful tubs and showers. Needless to say, this love affair lasts a lifetime, sending your senses into a tizzy every time you set foot inside the bathroom. These designs are your only succor when you are trying to create a bathroom that?s as sensational and sophisticated as it is sensible. Strike The Right Notes Designing a bathroom, however, is not something that can be considered flippantly. Here?s what you need to consider so that you never hit a false note:
  • Style with substance: Fashion and function need not always be the Cane and Able of bathroom design. It?s perfectly possible to have sinks, Jacuzzis and tubs that strike the right balance between elegance and efficiency.
  • Reflection of your personality: Since the bathroom is an extremely personal space, it must reflect your signature style and class. From the vanity to the tiles on the floor, make sure your personal stamp all over the place.
  • Groundbreaking innovations: Apart from aesthetic appeal, the bathroom must score on the safety calculus as well. There is a dizzying array of non-skid materials making inroads into bathrooms. Similarly, tile counters and porcelain sinks are making way for stunning new creations like marble counters, glass tiles and stone sinks.
A Luxury Master Bath | UtahLuxury.com
So what rules the roost in your bathroom- evolution or revolution
About The Author
Learn exactly how to generate 100's or even 1000's of positively brilliant Bathroom Remodeling Ideas ... FAST! And here are some Dirt Cheap Home Improvement Ideas that could increase the value of your home by several $1000's ...
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
 
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