by Robert Wright

There are many, many products, services and gadgets that can make the running and maintaining of your home easier. However, many of these are expensive, complicated, and may not live up to the billing.

The best “stuff” is usually comparatively inexpensive and easy to install when your home is being built or renovated.

Some of this stuff could also be the thought process that goes into your home’s design and/or selection of materials. It can also be the care taken during the installation.

If you install wood exterior trim, it is inexpensive to install and paint, but it can become an annual painting chore.  When this maintenance is neglected, then you have to replace it at a cost.

If a pre-painted metal and/or a “plastic” material is selected, it may be more expensive to supply and install, but you no longer have to paint it on a regular basis.  In addition, it will outlast the wood. This is why most homes today have metal soffits and fascia, PVC windows and door brick moulds.

Another example is your roof.  If you select a basic 25yr 3 tab asphalt shingle for your home it will work. However metal, stone, or composite roofing will last 2, 3 or more times longer than the asphalt roofing. In addition, these types will resist weather, vegetation, and wildlife damage to a greater degree. The metal and composite roofing will also be recyclable when replaced instead of being buried in a landfill site.

The heating and air conditioning equipment installed in your home can also make your life easier and less expensive. Many of the HVAC and HRV installations today are of the least expensive products and materials, and use the easiest installation method or route for the installer. This results in a home that has heat and a/c but is still uncomfortable due to drafts, cold and hot spots, and inaccessible maintenance points. With a little more thought, you can have equipment and an installation that will last longer, run cheaper, and make you more comfortable.

Today, many trades rely on caulking to keep your home warm and dry. The problem with caulking is that it will fail — there’s no if. The vast majority of leaks and drafts are a result of failed caulking. These failures are usually the result of an incorrect installation method or the incorrect caulking was used in the location. If the various parts of your home are assembled correctly, caulking isn’t actually necessary in most places that it is still being used in today. Besides, who wants to climb a ladder to caulk a gap at the window and brick joint on the second floor?

So where do these problems come from? Some of them come from the desire to keep the construction budget low when building. There are smarter places to save money than others; this should be discussed fully with your contractor.  Another one is the designer of the building.  Many, but not all designers are more concerned with the “look” of the project instead of what would perform better and suit the owner. The designer may also be unaware of some of the potential maintenance problems some selections can create. The contractor would know these issues, as he has had to deal with the warranty or repair issue in the past.

Only a couple of examples are discussed here, but most parts of your home will have similar trade offs and choices. You should understand the cause and affects of any decisions you make when building, renovating, or repairing your home. An added benefit of this process is that you are contributing to a greener environment, a greener wallet, and a smaller carbon footprint.

About the Author

Rob Wright has grown up around construction and in the mid 1990’s, Rob joined and took over Citadel Renovations in Ottawa. Rob has presented seminars at the local home shows on various renovations subjects and is a contributor to the Home Renovation Guide. Rob has been active in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders Association for many years and previously served as the Renovation Council Chair. For more information, visit CitadelRenovations.com.

Looking for a local contractor? Visit the Home Renovation Guide’s Complete Directory or Get a Free Quote.

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In the channels first hour-long show, a lucky family receives a complete home and life makeover.
We are looking for families with big personalities and unique stories, whose homes are negatively affecting their relationships with their family or whose family is negatively effecting the home!

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To be considered for the show, please email: homerulescasting@gmail.com, telling us why you think your family is in need of a home and  lifestyle makeover.

As the renovations are extensive, we can only consider homeowners with detached properties living within 50 miles of New York City.

The show will focus on families who have a unique living situation that is in some way affecting their homes and applicants must be have some type of conflict within the family they would like to change along with the house.

If you feel that you and your family fits the bill and live within 50 miles of New York City, email homerulescasting@gmail.com with your story and why you would be perfect for the show!

by Guest

A sunny personality. A dark comedy. A bright smile. Simple phrases, yet they show the huge influence light has, defining the world around us even through the words we choose.

It seems simple, but most people never realize that how much light they get affects their mood, emotions and productivity. Understanding the ways in which light affects people has major implications for designers and the lighting choices they make.

The end of the year brings shorter days to the northern hemisphere, which means less natural light from the sun. With less light, people experience changes to their moods, their emotions and even physical reactions like fatigue and lowered immunity to colds and diseases.

Depression, insomnia and fatigue may result from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – also called the “winter blues” – and is commonly treated with light therapy to increase exposure to bright and full-spectrum light, thereby curing the symptoms.

While most people may not experience extreme depression with reduced lighting levels, they may still feel some effects. In earlier studies on light, results showed positive and negative moods were affected by the color of light, illuminance and color rendering index (CRI) levels. These results also varied depending on gender and age.

While natural sunlight is the best source of lighting, it is not always available in an interior space. Take into account how much natural light is in a room when selecting the color and intensity of lighting fixtures.

Adding bright lights or changing the color of bulb in a fixture could be an option to consider for a room’s lighting scheme. Building in the flexibility to change light levels with a dimmer switch is also a good idea for a space where natural sunlight amounts vary with the season.

While most lighting research has focused on how much light is visually seen, recent studies suggest that light may also impact non-visual processes such as physical performance and mental tasks.

For residential lighting, this could mean adding bright lights in rooms requiring alertness and mental sharpness, such as a kitchen or home office. For non-residential lighting, the effects of light levels must be considered for irregular work hours (such as second- and third-shift workers) as well as the effects bright lights have on long- and short-term memory.

Here are just a few findings from the latest lighting research:

• Men performed poorest on long-term memory tasks in the artificial ‘daylight’ white lighting; women performed better than men in the artificial ‘daylight’ white lighting.

• Use ‘warm’ white lighting in areas where individuals will be performing short-term recall and problem solving tasks.

• Be aware that people whose sleep/wake cycle has been interrupted (such as people working a swing-shift schedule) report being more alert for a longer time when exposed to high (3,190 lux) or mid (230 lux) light levels than people exposed to low (23 lux) light levels.

• Consider the potential effects of light levels on alertness and performance for people that work at irregular times (night shift, etc.).

Humans live on a natural rhythm of light and dark. Our bodies are attuned to the light, responding to sunlight as well as bright indoor lighting. Whether you see yourself as a morning person or a night owl, you and everyone around you will have a natural reaction to how much light is in the environment
SAD Light Therapy

Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder consists of a lamp that is specifically designed to simulate bright outdoor light. Sitting a few feet away from this light source for 15 to 20 minutes a day is said to change the chemicals in your brain to help treat some SAD symptoms. Be sure to check with your doctor prior to any treatment of SAD.

For more information on seasonal affective disorder and SAD therapy lamps please visit the Mayo Clinic website.

This article was provided by Bellacor, leaders in lighting and quality home décor. Bellacor offers SAD lights such as Rise and Shine SAD Deluxe Natural Alarm Clock Bedside Lamp and the HappyLight Deluxe Sunshine Supplement Light System as well as access to over 500,000 products from 700 manufacturers.

by Julia Ritzenthaler

The shopping public is a very fickle monster that retailers work hard to carefully understand and serve. What is popular one month will be out of vogue the next month. Popular styles will differ even in different parts of the country. Environmentally sustainable furniture is a fairly new concept to the buying public. Many people believe that it sounds like a good idea but they do not really know what sustainable furniture is. The key is to not take more from the environment then can be replenished naturally. This includes the materials that the furniture is made from to the toxic chemicals that are emitted from the manufacturing plant where the furniture is created.

One of the first rules of eco friendly furniture is to lessen your impact on the environment as much as possible. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is one of the best things to keep in mind. Do what ever you can to keep your pieces of furniture out of your local landfill. For instance, when you finally manage to replace your husband’s beat up arm chair, consider giving it to someone who will continue to love that monstrosity of a chair.

The definition of sustainable furniture includes using materials that have been recycled or re-purposed or are made from a renewable resource. These furnishings will also use materials and manufacturing processes that are safer for the environment. Transportation of goods also adds to the economic impact that furniture will have on the environment. Online retailers are also an interesting environmentally friendly shopping option. You don’t have to drive to get to and from the store and because there is no brick and mortar store, the retailer has a smaller environmental footprint. Plus they have the ability to bring you an amazing selection and ease of comparison shopping.

Eco furniture can also be made from reclaimed materials. These materials may include wood, iron and glass. Buildings that are no longer being used can be stripped of these materials and then re-purposed to make a chair for your living room. Wood that has been reclaimed has become extremely popular because of the unique markings that it will usually have.

No matter what direction you choose to go with your sustainable furniture choices, be sure to consider an environmentally friendly disposal option for your old items. Pass down to a family member or friend who is just starting out on their own, or consider donating to a women’s shelter or somewhere like Goodwill.

This article has been provided by Julia Ritzenthaler, owner and founder of several online boutique home furnishing stores including http://www.UniqueEcoFurniture.com/ visit or call 1-866-526-1843 for more information.