Archive for the ‘home’ Category
Conserving energy is on the forefront of everyone’s mind during these times of rising costs. One area you may think about is that building your own home gives you the opportunity to create an energy-efficient lifestyle right from the very beginning. There are three basic components you can focus on in your colonial home plans that will ensure your home will be more energy efficient no matter where you live. These components include using plenty of insulation, having proper exposure to the sun and the use of efficient heating and cooling systems.
No matter where you live, insulation is the most important way to keep warm and cool air from entering or escaping your home. The most common areas needing insulation are the exterior walls, basements, floors, cantilevered areas, walls and ceilings between heated and unheated areas. The types of insulation used are compared according to their R-values or the resistance to heat flow. The greater the R-value the more the insulation stops hot or cool air from leaking out. Figuring out which insulation should be used can be included in your Victorian home plans.
The most effective insulation materials known as foam insulation are polyurethane and polystyrene. They have the highest R-values yet are more costly. Mineral wool, a generic term including fiberglass, glass wool and rock wool, is the most widely used insulation type because it is versatile and fairly inexpensive. Another type of insulation, made out of wood fiber, is called “loose fill.” It is poured from bags or blown with special equipment into cavities that are not easily reachable. Its low cost is offset by a higher risk of fire, rot and insect infestation.
Since most heat escapes from a home through the openings created by doors and windows, insulating these areas is crucial. One way is to use double or triple-pane windows throughout the house.
Multi-pane windows allow just as much sun heat to enter, as do single-pane windows, but they tend to sharply reduce its outward flow. Double-pane windows can cut heat loss by 50 percent over single-pane windows. Triple-pane windows are slightly more effective and can cut heat loss by 65 percent, although they can be very costly and too heavy for some window frames.
In addition, caulking should be applied along window and door frames, as well as around pipes, vents and other perforations of your home’s outer shell. Long-life silicone or latex caulking works best.
Included in your large house plan should be outfitting your home with an energy-efficient heating and cooling system that will keep your family comfortable on the coldest and the hottest days. Products to look for may carry the EnergyStar logo and may end up saving money. Some electric and gas companies even offer rebates to homeowners with systems backed with this certification.
Another attractive way to heat your home is with the simple power of the sun. Think about the site and the home’s orientation in relationship to the sun. You should position your house so that most of the window glass faces south to take advantage of the sun’s heat in the winter. In addition, solar panels may added throughout your home to increase the use of this energy source all throughout the year.
Many homeowners feel qualified to prepare their home for sale. They like to decorate, they feel they have a good eye for design, and have watched thousands of episodes of “Designed to Sell” on HGTV. Unfortunately, their best decorating intentions may have actually decreased the marketability of their house. After sitting on the market for months without any offers, many of these do-it-yourself home stagers will turn to a professional for help. Here are a few tips the professional home stager is likely to tell them.
Remember that decorating a home and staging a home are two entirely different concepts. A well decorated home reflects the owners’ personal tastes and interests. It may feature very taste-specific design, such as floral patterned drapes for the woman who loves her rose gardens, or a hunting-motif den for the duck hunter in the family.
But when a property is being offered for sale, it needs to appeal to the widest possible range of potential buyers. For this reason, a properly staged home will not show the slightest hint of the current owners’ interests and predilections. All collections, family photos, and cherished bric-a-brac must be removed and carefully packed away to travel to the owners’ new home.
A well-staged home follows the rule of “less is more”. Just one or two pieces of furniture in each room will help the new buyers recognize the use of the room, but will still allow them the space to picture their own furnishings. Closets and storage areas should be pared down until they are less than half full. The same goes for the garage, where too many stored items will leave the buyers wondering whether or not they can fit their vehicle in the space. Above all, the buyers are paying for square footage, so do not cover up valuable square footage with stored junk.
Make sure to feature the special attributes of the home. Grab your digital camera, then stand in the doorway of each room and view it through your camera. Whatever you see is what the buyer will see. Is your beautiful fireplace blocked by a large sofa? Does your dining room look like a sea of chair backs, hiding the picture window that overlooks the lake? Chances are, your view of the family room is completely dominated by a large-screen television, or entertainment center. By removing large furniture items that dominate a room, you will help your buyer remember your house, instead of your stuff. And remember, it is the house you are trying to sell, not your furniture!
Make sure you pass the smell test. When living in a house, we become used to its natural odors, which may include offensive pet odor or even unpleasant laundry odors. Ask a trusted neighbor or family room to walk into your house and give you an honest opinion of its odor. Keep in mind that “if it smells, it cannot sell”. No amount of decorating can cover up litter box odors, so do yourself a favor and eliminate smelly problems before your buyer points them out.
Acid based concrete stains are becoming increasingly popular for coloring concrete surfaces. They chemically react with the cementitious material to produce permanent color with variegated or mottled appearance like that of marble. This results in a natural, elegant looking surface. Acid stains are available in 8-10 different colors, mainly brown, green, and reddish earth tones. The cost is normally $60-$70 per gallon which covers 300-400 square feet. A coat of clear concrete sealer when you are done brings out the colors and beauty of acid stains.
Water based concrete stains are an alternative to acid stains and are much more user friendly because they are much less toxic. These stains don’t chemically react with the concrete; they are absorbed in to the surface pores and act like a dye. The sizable advantage of water based stains is the wide array of colors available.
If you need to venture beyond the basic staining of concrete, think about using some scoring techniques to generate patterns on the surface. You can make your concrete look like a tile floor for example. It is up to your imagination. An angle grinder with a 4 inch grinding or cutting wheel is the ideal device for this. The important thing to recall when scoring is to draw the pattern on the concrete first and make sure you are satisfied with the way it looks because scoring is irreversible. Most people don’t own an angle grinder but you can rent three at any device rental shop.
Epoxy floor stones are the answer to problem floors. Epoxy stone flooring is easy to install with durability at its maximum. It is waterproof which is great, particularly for within basement areas. Its nonporous surface makes it superb for those clammy areas that need a sealant so that moisture won’t leak through. For outside locations, an Epoxy driveway is possible, due to its long – lasting wear in regard to weathering and diverse temperatures. Within or outside, Epoxy stone is the answer for a remarkable look and lasting wear. It is also stain resistant so oils, grease and other dangerous materials won’t damage its surface.
A stone entryway made from Epoxy Stone is an interlude to the warmth a home so has. From commercial to residential properties, Stone Epoxy is the sort of material that’s flexible. Since it is fire resistance, it’s got a safety feature that people welcome. Epoxy stone is a way to create fresh and new designs with mold resistance, as well as low maintenance upkeep. This, in itself, will trap an individual to use this sort of material. It also has color resistant features, which is another positive aspect. There are one or two disadvantages when installing an Epoxy floor ex. the long time that its installation takes and the chemicals that can be troublesome to individuals who have allergies to them. Other than these, the benefits completely outweigh the disadvantages. Epoxy Stone flooring can be used inside in places like hair salons, stores, garages, dog kennels, kitchens, bogs, as well as cellar areas.
On the other hand outside Epoxy stone uses may include decks, driveways, pool areas, dramatic gardens, and so on. Any surfaces, including concrete ones, can be resurfaced using Epoxy stone.