With so many recent initiatives aimed at combating climate change, energy prices have obviously taken a hit. To compensate for this change, though, many architects and builders have begun using Daylighting to a great degree in construction.

“Daylighting,” or “daylight harvesting,” has been growing in popularity recently because it uses natural sunlight to its advantage. A number of automated systems are able to measure free natural sunlight and figure out how it should use controlled lighting in relation to that. Then, a system will automatically dim or brighten the lighting so that only artificial light which is needed is used. From an architect’s standpoint, it’s an important thing that the most beneficial entry points of daylight are decided on before construction. North-facing windows are great because they will definitely reduce unwanted glare. A designer, in turn, would decide on a quality lighting control system for dimming indoor light fixtures. There are a lot of systems out there, so deciding on a single one has a lot to do with finding a balance between natural lighting availability and extra electric lighting needs.

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By Chris Bacavis

Technorati Tags: green building

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Last year I put in a patio underneath my elevated deck using concrete pavers. The patio overlooks the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in central New Hampshire and makes a great outdoor living space for getting out of the sun and reading a book or surfing the net.

The particular concrete pavers I used came in 3 or 4 shapes and had a slightly washed out look, which was the look I was aiming for.

To install a patio using concrete pavers, we had to initially remove the existing dirt and replace it with several inches of sand. We then compacted the sand and then began the process of laying out the concrete pavers.

The concrete pavers were installed such that we went back and back filled in the required cut pieces of concrete pavers. After completing the installation of concrete pavers, we then swept in more sand to fill in the gaps and create a rigid patio surface.

Once the concrete paver patio was complete we backfilled around it with topsoil, planted some grass seed, and began enjoying our new outdoor living space.

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By Mark J. Donovan

One way that you can save energy and reduce your home heating bills during the winter is to use a room or whole house humidifier. Ideally the relative humidity level within the home should be between 30 and 50% for maximum comfort. During the winter months, however, besides being cold the air is typically very dry. When the air is extremely dry within the home it can feel even colder. Consequently there is a natural tendency to raise the thermostat setting. Raising the temperature in the home, however, exacerbates the problem as it helps to make the air even drier.

A room or whole house humidifier can resolve this problem by increasing the humidity levels in the home, so that the thermostat can be set to a lower setting and yet you still feel warm. An example of this situation is during the summer months, when the air temperature may be only 75 degrees but the humidity level is above 65%. You feel hot, even though the temperature is only mildly warm. Conversely if the temperature is 75 degrees and the air is extremely dry you may feel that the air is actually cool and crisp feeling.

If the humidifier is set too high during the winter months, you may begin to notice water droplets on your windows. If this occurs, then you need to lower the humidifier moisture output.

So save on energy and reduce this year’s winter home heating bills with a humidifier. You’ll save money as well as feel more comfortable.

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By Mark J. Donovan

Due to the fact that it rained shortly after I put a coat of deck sealer on my deck back two years ago, I have found myself sanding my deck to restore its look and to prepare it for a deck stain. If I can offer one word of advice, it is to make sure there is no rain in the forecast for at least 24 hours before applying a deck sealer. My deck remained tacky for months and the sealer began to peel as soon as it finally dried.

I used an orbital floor sander on the main body of the deck to remove the old deck sealer, however I have had no choice but to use a small palm sander on the deck edges. Though it is working it is a slow process.

I am using the same 36 grit sandpaper that I did on the main body of the deck. As a matter of fact, I am using the same pieces of sandpaper. I have simply cut small wedges out of them to fit the palm sander. The palm sander has a surface area of about 4”x4”.

With a little luck I will wrap up the deck sanding today and will stain it when there is a 24 hour window of dry weather. Unfortunately, in the northeast lately dry weather is as rare as a blue moon. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

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I had been around a couple of buddy’s homes when they had services come in and replace some of the existing casement windows, bay windows and several of the small bathroom windows. The installers worked so fast and smoothly, that I figured it must really be easy to do.

Why should I pay a premium to have somebody that could care less about my home come in, cut out the old windows, mess up my place, and install new ones? I should be able to at least do that much myself.

Well, replacing a small non opening window in a bathroom is absolutely nothing like replacing a giant set of patio doors, let me tell you. I made several mistakes, that I’ll relate so you, hopefully, won’t repeat.

One, don’t think you can replace something as big as a sliding glass door by yourself. If it was delivered to your house, did you notice there were two people unloading it? Hint! Clue!

Two, realize that it takes more than two eyeballs to see everything that needs lined up, shimmed, adjusted, and what not. Unless you have a genetic malady like 3 eyes, I’d suggest you get the help of a professional. Beside, they’re usually insured for breakage.

Don’t ask!

Technorati Tags: casement windows, patio doors, replacement windows

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After you’ve lived in your home for awhile, you find things around the house that you’d like to improve. In fact, sometimes you’re ready to start home improvements as soon as you move into a new place because there are things about it that you’d like to be different from the get-go. Unfortunately, many people find that they can’t make their home improvements when they want to because it’s not cheap to make changes to a home.

Here are some ideas for financing home improvements:

• Refinancing your mortgage. Sometimes you can get a good deal on refinancing to get the cash that you need for your home.
• Part-time employment. If you have specific projects in mind for the home then you can create a budget which shows you how much extra money you need to earn to make those improvements. Use a temporary job or do some consulting to earn this extra income.
• Do-it-yourself. It’s a lot less expensive to do home improvements yourself than to pay someone else to do them. This could allow you to be able to afford the improvements without seeking out extra money.

You want to live in a home that’s designed in a way that maximizes your comfort. Since everyone’s styles are different, this will almost always require making changes to any home that you purchase. Budget well and make wise decisions about where to get this money and you should be able to improve the home in the way that you want.

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