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• April 26, 2008 - Efficient & Earth Friendly

Ever since the 1992 Energy Policy Act banned sales of 1.6-gallon toilets that used 3 to 5 gallons per flush, homeowners have been searching for an effective low-flow toilet. It’s been an elusive hunt. Double-flushing (wasting even more water) to fully clear a bowl seemed the only solution.

Over the years, wider pipe openings and pressure-assisted pumps slowly improved performance. Today we have a new generation of high-efficiency toilets that use less than a gallon of water.

To help consumers find these water misers, in 2007, the Environmental Protection Agency began giving a new seal of approval to low-flow toilets. Look for the WaterSense label, awarded to any toilet that uses 20 percent less water than the standard 1.6-gallon models. "The label lets consumers know with certainty that they’re choosing products that use significantly less water without worry whether those products will perform well," says Rob Zimmerman of Kohler Co.

(kohler.com). Eight Kohler products join the FloWise toilet (1.28-gallon) by American Standard (americanstandard-us.com) as WaterSense worthy.
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• April 25, 2008 - Great Outdoors

3 beautiful innovations in patio furniture

These materials look classic, but each has a new twist that makes it better than ever.

All-weather wicker.

No longer do you have to scramble to move your outdoor furniture indoors when clouds turn dark; this synthetic bamboo look-alike can brave rain or shine. Since the material is dyed, the furniture won’t peel or flake like painted natural wicker. See porchesandyards.com/wicker for many options.

Cast aluminum.

At first glance, it’s everything you want out of cast iron: strength, durability, elegance. But cast aluminum is also lightweight and will never rust. Visit patioandhomefurniture.com/aluminum-furniture for ideas.

E

nviroWood. Outdoor furniture’s version of the electric car, this material looks like wood, feels like wood and saves the world one step at a time. Made of 100-percent recycled plastic, EnviroWood has all the perks of wood without the maintenance. Visit seasidecasual.com for products.
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• January 27, 2008 - Remodel That Kitchen!

How many times have you thought about remodeling your kitchen but talked yourself out of it because it just seemed like a lot of work? This may come as a surprise, but remodeling your kitchen brings great rewards.  Rewards to the tune of 80-100% return on your investment!

It can seem overwhelming to remodel your kitchen.  There seem to be so many things to consider that it can paralyze you from doing anything at all.  But for your basic kitchen remodel there are really only five major items to consider.

Your Appliances Set the Stage

The first item to consider is your appliances.  The look of your appliances really sets the stage for how the rest of the kitchen should look.

Are you after an ultra-modern stainless steel feel for your kitchen?  Or are you more of a homey white appliance kind of family?  Perhaps you like the flare of jet black appliances.

Give this a little thought and then get online or visit your favorite appliance store to see what's currently available.

Selecting The Cabinets

Once you've gotten your appliances and know the general feel you're going for, it's time to select the cabinets.  If you're looking for ultra-modern, consider stainless steel cabinets.  Glass doors can really give a modern edge to your kitchen as well.

If you're after a more homey kitchen, then solid wood cabinets with a rich wood finish will do the trick.  For the edgier black appliances, look to flat faced doors with sharp edges and less country flare.

Now For The Counter Tops

Selecting the right material for your countertops is of vital importance to your newly remodeled kitchen.  The color, texture and look of the counters make a real statement in the kitchen.

But even more important than that, the counters are the real work space of the kitchen and must be able to withstand what your family is going to put them through.

Granite is a popular countertop material because it's very durable and has a great finish for almost any kitchen design.

Faucets and Sinks

While the faucets and sinks make up a relatively small portion of the kitchen space, they can really make a difference to the look and feel of your new kitchen.

For a classy kitchen, rounded hardware with edges full of flare and a brass finish often do the trick.  Again, ultra-modern design calls for stainless steel sinks and bold streamlined faucets.  The homey look can be achieved with porcelain sinks and tall, rounded faucets.

Spending a little extra money on those faucets can really add class to the whole remodel.  Going cheap on the faucets and hardware can dull down even the most expensive cabinets and countertops.

Finally, The Floors

Finally, be careful not to overlook the flooring you're going to put into your newly remodeled kitchen.  As with faucets, going cheap in this department will really lessen the look and feel of the entire kitchen.

While grouted tile is not a necessity, if you go with linoleum be sure to find a quality pattern that isn't too busy.  You don't want people staring at the floor the entire time they're in the kitchen.  Hardwood floors (or great looking imitations) really add class as well.

Now, that wasn't so hard was it?  There are really only five things to consider for most kitchen remodels: appliances, cabinets, countertops, sinks and faucets and flooring.

Start with the appliances to set the stage and follow through in the rest of your selections.  Print out your selections from the web or clip them out of magazines and lay them out on a table to see how they look together.  Getting a bird's eye view in this way will really help you get the pieces that fit best together.

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• July 8, 2007 - Compact Fluorescent Lighting

An Efficient Alternative To The Incandescent Lamp
The old adage “you can pay now or you can pay later” is true when it comes to lighting. Incandescent lamps have dominated the residential lighting market for years and still do today.  Why? Because they are cheaper to purchase and until a few years ago provided an unmatched quality of light.

Advances in lighting technology with the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) have provided more efficient alternatives to the
incandescent lamp. After reviewing the following information you will be able to determine if CFL’s are for you!

Home Lighting Facts 

      • CFL’s use 70 – 75 percent less energy than their incandescent equivalents. When replacing a 100 watt incandescent lamp a 28 watt CFL is used.
      • CFL’s last approximately 7,000 – 15,000 hours, which is 7 to 20 times the life of an incandescent lamp (expected life
        approximately 750 hours).
      • CFL’s are most cost-effective when used at least 2 – 3 hours per day. 
      • Although CFL’s may appear different than the common incandescent, they fit most standard fixtures. The screw-in base is the same on both lamps. 
      • CFL’s are four times more efficient than the typical incandescent lamp which uses 90 percent of the energy to produce heat rather than light. 
      • The latest CFL’s have improved color rendition. The light is a warm tone that is almost identical to that of an incandescent lamp. Most people can’t tell the difference.
      • The adjacent table lists several standard incandescent lamps and the appropriate CFL that can replace them. 

Incandescent

Compact Fluorescent

20 -Watt

5 - Watt

40 - Watt

11 - Watt

60 - Watt

15 - Watt

75 - Watt

20 - Watt

90 - Watt

23 - Watt

100 - Watt

28 - Watt

 

The CFL will provide the same amount of light (or lumens) at a fraction of the electricity used.

The following illustration demonstrates the cost of using a CFL versus an equivalent incandescent lamp for 10,000 hours.

INCANDESCENT

COMPACT FLUORESCENT

75 - Watt

20 - Watt

Total Cost $69.21

Total Cost $23.79


Note: The price for the CFL is $7.00 with an expected life of 10,000 hours. An incandescent lamp is $.50 with an expected life of 750 hours. Electricity charge = 9.25 KWH.
If you operated the CFL in the above scenario for 4 hours a day the expected life of that lamp is 7 years, with a payback of 1.08 years when compared to an incandescent lamp.
Lighting cost can account for a significant portion of your electrical usage. If your intent is to become more efficient and lower your electric bill, install CFL’s. You can save money and energy with little if any inconvenience.

 
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• March 27, 2007 - BRIGHTEN YOUR HOME AND MOOD

Minimum hassle, maximum results

Within the neutral nooks and dark corners of your home, happiness is hiding. Try these techniques to give your home a fresh new face:

1)  Rethink accessories.  Color-infused vases, lamps, and photos pulled from storage or other rooms gain—and give—new perspective in fresh surroundings.

2)  Coat the ceiling. Painting it can open up a room (pale blue) or add a warm glow (toasty yellow).

3)  Add life. Fresh flowers, a blooming plant, or fruit in a beautiful bowl will add instant and affordable color.Lighten up. Open heavy drapes to welcome sunlight into your rooms.

4)  Change from yellowish tungsten lightbulbs to more-natural full-spectrum bulbs to better mimic sunlight when the clouds move in.

5)  Paint woodwork. Room colors will come alive when dark-stained woodwork is covered in a white or creamy hue. To make light walls pop even more, paint woodwork a shade or two darker than the wall color.

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Paul & Randy are the Homes2Know Team & this is our Blog. Our Blog is designed to be a resource for buyers, sellers, homeowners, and those relocating to the Phoenix area.

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