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Posts Tagged ‘energy efficiency’

Green Remodeling Tips

by admin, 3:26 PM on December 2nd, 2011, Comments Off

Going Green is easy and cost-effective.  By choosing products carefully and including energy-savings goals in remodeling plans, we can help you dramatically improve the energy efficiency in your project.

Install an under-the-counter water purifier

Under-counter water purifiers have about 10 times the filtering capacity of a faucet-mounted version. A model with a top-quality activated carbon filter will remove heavy metals, bacteria, and pesticides. Expect to pay $150 to $200 for an activated charcoal purifier with a replaceable cartridge, which is peanuts compared with the total remodel and easy to do while the project is under way.

Install energy-efficient lighting

Fluorescent and compact fluorescent lamps use up to 75% less energy than comparable incandescent lamps. In fact, according to EnergyStar.gov, a single CFL bulb will save $30 to $40 during its expected lifespan of 10,000 hours. But make sure you keep task areas well lit: Consider efficient halogen and LED lighting sources anywhere you’re planning to chop veggies or measure ingredients.

Make recycling easy with built-in recycling bins

Most cabinet manufacturers offer options for lower cabinets that include pull-out recycling bins to keep contents organized and out of sight.

Install Low-Flow Showerheads and Toilets

Most older models waste large amounts of water. In fact, more than 30 percent of indoor residential water use is flushed down the porcelain throne.  A low-volume flush toilet uses only 1 gallon of water per flush instead of the 5 gallon flushes common in older toilets.

Also save water and money, and still have ample water pressure, with a low-flow showerhead, which can slash bathing-water consumption 50 to 70 percent. The devices are inexpensive and simple to install. Many styles and features are available, including flow-adjusting dials and a pause button.

Choose Windows and Doors Carefully

Up to 35% of your home’s heating or cooling can be lost through windows. This makes it essential that you increase the thermal performance of your windows. Placement of exterior windows and doors can be optimized to take advantage of natural light and heat and to open up airflow. Double-glazing will reduce heat loss in the cold of winter and louvered windows can catch a breeze in the heat of summer.

Ask our design team how we can help you save money and go green in your remodeling project.

Home Additions: Create Your Dream Home Without Moving

by admin, 3:38 PM on November 9th, 2011, Comments Off

A depressed housing market can make an addition to your current home a good investment, while you enjoy the benefits of new space.  The current low interest rates make home equity lines more affordable.  A home addition can be a perfect way to build your dream home, without moving.

Home additions can be expensive, but studies have shown that most, if not all, of the cost of a home addition can be recovered when you sell the home.  As remodeling projects go, additions provide good value for your investment.  Building an addition is also less expensive than purchasing a new home.  Closing costs on the sale of your current home and the purchase of a new home are just one of the costs you’ll encounter if you decide to move.

An addition can make your home uniquely yours.  The design process lets you put your creative stamp on your home.  Whether you want more family living space, a master bathroom suite or a home gym, the new addition allows you to put your creative juices to work.

Things to consider

1.              Think about resale value.

When you decide to move, your home should appeal to the widest possible audience.  The style of an addition should complement the rest of the home.  Too much uniqueness or conflict with the style of the rest of the home can limit the number of potential buyers.

2.            Manage heating and cooling costs.

It’s important that any addition include energy-saving measures to reduce the cost of keeping the new addition as cozy as the rest of the house.  We work with the latest technologies to ensure that heating and cooling costs are minimized.

3.            Make the most of the addition.

Sunrooms may be less expensive than other types of additions, but are not very practical in Minnesota.   A smarter addition would include a fully-insulated, heated family room that can be enjoyed all year long.

Contact our design team today to begin designing the perfect addition to your home.

Let The Sunshine In

by admin, 4:08 PM on August 24th, 2011, Comments Off

Allowing natural light to enter any room makes it lighter and brighter. It can make the room look and feel larger.  It can also save energy by reducing the need for artificial lighting.  Bringing natural light into a kitchen brings some challenges, though.  The placement and shape of many kitchens limit the number and size of windows you can install.  Color choice can be challenging as well.  But we have options that can bring lots of warm natural light into your kitchen easily and seamlessly.

Natural Light Sources

The first and most common way to bring natural light into a kitchen is with windows.  If you have an exterior door in your kitchen you can also use the door to bring in natural light.  By changing to a door made mostly of a glass panel, you will introduce a surprising amount of natural light.  Another way to introduce natural light into your kitchen is to look to the ceiling for opportunities.  Skylights can bring in a large amount of natural light.  In fact, some lighting experts say skylights provide as much as 30% more light than vertical windows.   Finally, you can introduce natural light into a kitchen with a “tube light.”  If, for example, a skylight will not work in your kitchen, or if the ceiling does not reach the roof, you can install a tube light that runs from the roof through the attic and into the kitchen.

Color Selections

The natural light a room receives makes a huge difference in the way color looks in any given space. It’s important to look at large paint color samples on a wall, not just the 2” x 2” swatches available in the rack at the paint store.  The same logic applies to flooring, furnishing and window treatments as well.

The orientation of a room can also have a dramatic impact on the way a color appears on the walls, countertops, cabinets and floors.  Northern light is often rather cold looking and in the winter can look especially harsh. You can soften this effect by choosing warm colors such as subtle reds, oranges or browns.  Southern light is welcomingly warm. Blues and greens work very well in rooms with a southern exposure and can be used to give the room a year round summery ambience, even in the depths of winter.  Light from the east provides a room with bright sunny mornings but rather muted mid-days and often very dim afternoons. In this kind of room a mixture of a warm and cool tones can help even out the imbalance.  Western light brings the sunshine streaming into a room in the afternoons and evenings.  Neutral shades are best in these kinds of rooms.

Natural light adds energy efficiency and warmth to any room.  Kitchen lighting presents some challenges, though.  Choosing the right types of natural light sources and colors for your kitchen can make a good design a fantastic living space.