Understanding some of the terminology of professional contractors can be a huge help in facilitating your home remodeling project. It can also ensure that you have good communication with your contractor and get the finished product you want. Some examples include: a bid, which is a proposal to do a certain amount of work for […]
A Zen Minimalist Bathroom
A couple in Cleveland transformed their Southwestern style home by recruiting architect Ryan Duebber, who remodeled the bathroom into an eloquent Zen retreat for two. The design relied upon a combination of natural materials and a simplified color scheme. Textural contrasts, such as the inclusion of river rocks along side smooth limestone tile, add to […]
Housing Passes One Million Mark
There is good news for housing construction. Housing starts passed the one million mark in March by adding 1.036 million homes, a 7 percent increase from the February level of 968,000. The increase can be attributed to a 31 percent rise in apartment building which added 417,000 units, the highest since January of 2006. Housing […]
Removing Rust Stains in the Bathroom
Rust stains can appear on toilets, sinks, and tubs as a result of well water or rusty pipes. Unfortunately, regular toilet bowl cleaners will not solve the problem. One solution for toilet rust is to use a Shaw’s Pad, which requires some elbow grease but is safe for a septic system. A pumice stick can […]
Can a Huge House still be Energy Efficient?
Florida based contractor Marc Rutenberg Homes set out to prove that a 4,552 square foot house could still be completely energy efficient. While the average net-zero project is around 1,500 square feet, this home demonstrates that luxury does not need to be sacrificed when designing a green dwelling. In fact, the home is so efficient […]
New Homes Fill Demand for 2-1/2 Baths
In today’s home market, approximately one-third of home buyers want a home with two full bathrooms. Coincidentally, approximately one-third of existing and new homes have the required two full baths. More than half of home buyers, however, are looking for a home with two and a half or three full baths. Very few existing homes […]
Pools In The Future
In a 1972 edition of the magazine Pool News, industry professionals attempted to predict what the future of residential swimming pools would look like. Many thought that there would be a move towards automation, virtually eliminating the need for constant maintenance. Others speculated that there would be vast improvements in heating systems and chlorination techniques, […]
Don’t Burn Down Your House: Preventing Clothes Dryer Fires
When lint builds up in your dryer and its vents, the dryer becomes less efficient. It takes longer for your clothes to dry and your energy bill goes up. While saving money is always good motivation to get something done, the main reason to clean the lint out of your dryer vents is the risk […]
Dealing with Ventilation Requirements
Many residential green certification programs require that a home or apartment meet the ASHRAE 62.2 ventilation standard. The easiest way to accomplish this is by installing a continuous bathroom fan for an exhaust-only set up, but this is discouraged in humid areas. A supply-only system relies upon an intake duct into the HVAC return plenum, […]
5 Tech Innovations We’ll See in Green Homes of the Future
Homes of the future will feature green innovations that will be even more energy efficient than our current homes. Taking a look at the top innovations, we see that homes in the future will be self-reliant and will store the energy needed to power them. Appliances will use so much less energy that they’ll make […]