Create a room with personality

Do you have anything personal or quirky in your living room, bedroom or bathroom? Have you continued to marvel at what is possible in a magazine that you’ve thumbed through, but when it comes to redecorating your living room or bedroom, you stop in your tracks? What’s the block? It may have to do with your uncertainty about whether you are a minimalist, or love fancy ornate ornamentals everywhere you turn, or a combination that doesn’t necessarily fall into one category, but maybe creates a restrained tension between luxury and simplicity.  Or maybe the idea of melding budget-friendly with ‘wow’ factor seems impossible so you might as well leave it alone.

Stop giving yourself all the reasons not to start living in the home you want. Do begin to design each room to share something about the people who live there. One of my favorite interior designers that I recommend invented the term cozifications. Her name is Deborah Needleman, currently the editor of WSJ Magazine. Find a designer that teaches you something.

Sometimes the answer lies in hiring an interior decorator that can walk through the steps with you to see what kind of space you’re hoping to create, but that might depend on where you are in developing your style. Other times, you might want to learn as you go.

One of my favorite books comes from Needleman, “Domino: The Book of Decorating,” cowritten with Domino editors Sara Ruffin Costello and Dara Caponigro. This timeless book teaches you to use a step by step approach to figuring out how to answer the question “Is this me” as you flip through magazines and consider your lifestyle. It suggests using “the domino effect”—finding a key element, maybe furniture, maybe a painting, for a space and working the rest of the room from that element. It’s a great kick starter.

While you might be searching for ways to define decorating a room as representative of your personality and lifestyle, remember there are decorators out there who are quite aware that budget friendly options are important to consider. Take for example, interior designer Sondra Phillips, who is using technology to provide a lower-cost alternative to quality interior design services. “After living through the economic effects of 9-11 and the housing crash, I realized that interior design is a luxury that many cannot afford and that the do-it-yourself movement is an undeniable reality’” she admits.   So, she began marketing Interior Design Schemes as a concept that allows do-it-yourselfers to access and buy predesigned color and design schemes.[1]

There are lots of ways to implement great interior design to your liking. So what are you waiting for? 

---

[1] http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2013/04/skp_design_of_kalamazoo_melds.html

Primer to green labels on carpets

When you decide to remodel your home, you face many considerations. For instance, how do you gauge which green labels to trust to ensure an optimally safe home—maintaining the highest quality indoor air and supporting the least wasteful companies. Here’s a primer focused on carpeting.

Why is there a green label for carpets? The simplest reason is that carpets, carpet pads and carpet adhesives that are considered eco-friendly need to help reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and emissions and contribute to a decrease in landfill waste as companies commit to use recycled content. Many homebuyers want to replace old carpeting and replace it with low VOC carpets.

What’s so bad about VOCs? When did attention on the practices of carpeting companies begin?

That new carpet smell that you may have smelled at some point is a VOC called 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH) and is a byproduct of a latex binder used to secure fibers to the backing.

In the 1990s, carpet manufacturers in an attempt to respond to panic about the toxicity of carpets, lowered the 4-PCH levels in latex. This also led, in 1992, to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) launching its Green Label program to test carpets, cushions and adhesives to identify products that meet stringent criteria for low chemical emissions of VOCs.

The EPA states that VOC emissions from new carpet typically fall to very low levels within 48 to 72 hours after installation when well ventilated. Since people spend most of their time indoors, the quality of indoor air is very critical. Given that VOCs easily enter the air, short term exposure to high levels of VOCs can cause headaches, light-headedness, drowsiness, dizziness, eye and respiratory irritation, and nausea. Therefore, governmental health services and doctors have recommended minimizing exposure to these chemical when possible.

What label should you trust and what do they analyze for in their carpets?

CRI’s Green Label (GL) and Green Label Plus (GLP) indoor air quality testing and certification programs are trustworthy and are recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the United States’ Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Additionally, GLP carpets are accepted by the American Lung Associations Health House program.[1]

CPI provides a list of the chemicals that the GLP independent testing program measures when testing carpet products, adhesive products and cushions.[2][3]  

They also provide the criteria they use.[4]

An icon with “CRI” inside a small green house will verify that the carpet passed CRI’s low emissions standards.

Additionally, to determine whether a product contains VOCs, be sure to check out the National Institute of Health's (NIH) website for information on a specific indoor household product.[5]

---

[1] http://www.healthhouse.org/consumer/build.cfm

[2] http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/carpet-and-adhesive.cfm

[3] http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/cushion.cfm

[4] http://www.carpet-health.org/pdf/GreenLabelRequirements.pdf

[5] http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/products.htm

A bathtub remodel maybe?

Here are two bathtub scenes. Which one suits you better?

1. Does your brother keep himself clean? Oh, yes. He takes a bath every month whether he needs one or not.

2. After a simple bath, Joan feels her muscles relax, her mind calms down, her body feels moisturized and detoxified and she feels like her circulation is stimulated. Every other day she enjoys a beautiful soak.

If you’re like the brother in #1, you might just look at a bathtub as a practical fixture in your bathroom. If you’re like Joan in #2, the look and feel of your bathroom matters since it’s a place where you decompress.

Now, walk into your bathroom. Are you staring at an ugly pine sink structure and wondering how uninviting your bathtub has become? You’re running through the motions at home and anytime you think you should do something relaxing, it involves staying at a nice bed and breakfast or hotel. You realize that functionality has taken over, and you never intended that. Initially, your bathtub was going to match the universal symbol of relaxation and your sink area would look like you were washing your face above a pond. Once upon a time, you pictured a soft habitat to embrace daily cleaning rituals that showed imagination. So, how do you return to that possibility and make your bathroom feel like a mini daily spa?

Don’t just start ripping your bathroom apart! Planning ahead is the best way to stay in your budget and give yourself the proper amount of time to consider how you can remodel or renovate your bathtub and sink fixtures. 

Begin by answering a few basic questions:

When you look at home design magazines, blogs and articles, what catches your eye? Make sure you spend a little time doing this, so that your design style and objective for that bathroom emerge. While reviewing different designs, ask yourself:

·        What inspires you?

·        What type of bathtub?

Consider choosing the right bathtub material.[1]

Here are some pros and cons on various bathtub materials.[2]

  

·        What’s my budget? Don’t forget to build a budget.  The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) provides an online worksheet that makes building a budget easier.[3] Create a wish list and see how best you can make your dream bathroom a reality. Maybe you don’t need to buy everything brand new either.

·        Do I need to buy everything new? Consider repurposing ideas various furniture pieces for a unique look that inspires.[4][5]   

“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.”

- Henry David Thoreau

---

[1] http://www.bhg.com/bathroom/shower-bath/choosing-the-right-bathtub/

[2] http://www.inman.com/2012/02/17/pros-and-cons-9-bathtub-materials/

[3] http://www.nari.org/homeowners/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=5

[4] http://www.salvagedgrace.com/tag/repurposed-sink/

[5] http://www.houzz.com/photos/bathroom/repurposed-furniture-

Have a passion for a cozy fire?

You look at your living room and you think a fireplace would look better than the crammed bookshelf does. You’re mostly reading on your tablet lately and those books would be better off in the hands of someone who actually reads them, rather than as dust collectors.

Scratching your head, you’re not sure whether you should go the traditional route and add a chimney for a gas or wood fireplace or consider vent-free fireplaces? One place to start is to contact the National Fireplace Institute, a certification agency that is responsible for establishing meaningful credentials for professionals involved in planning and installing residential hearth appliances and venting systems.[1]

Installing a fireplace requires proper installation and maintenance, so that you don’t experience air leaks and all the safety guidelines are followed.  A mistake can prove very costly and can lead to an unintended disaster.

Gain a little know-how about combustion and various fuels used in a fireplace or a freestanding stove in order to consider the best fit for the room that you are considering. It’s also good to understand their emissions. I found this article does a good job describing the mechanics of a fireplace and explaining combustion in emissions in various vent and vent-free fireplaces.[2]  To get a better understanding of the various types of fuels, NFI provides a concise and comprehensive fact sheet.[3] Additionally, they provide several fact sheets that I recommend looking at before contacting a credential professional.[4] Why? I think it’s very important to be an informed consumer to increase your understanding of all the types of products you will need to consider to make the best decision. You should also know what things may go bad if there is incomplete combustion and compare the effects of each of the combustion appliances on your indoor air quality and lungs.

There are a number of articles arguing the economic, environmental and social benefits of each of the types of vented and vent-free fireplaces you might want to read just to see the various perspectives on the choices you face. Experts talk and consumers share. Here are some excellent resources to look at.[5][6][7][8][9] There are bio ethanol, gel, electric and wood and gas fueled combustion appliances to consider. I think it’s a good idea to run some of these ideas by a NFI credential professional, not just published experts weighing in on the issue. It’s possible that new technologies exist that are worth exploring or, at least, worth a deeper and longer review.

The EPA also has a helpful program called BurnWise so that you can make an informed decision.[10]

Try to resist being too compulsive when considering all your options.

---

[1] http://nficertified.org/pages_consumers/consumers-1.cfm

[2] http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/heating-and-cooling/fireplace.htm

[3] http://static.hpba.org/fileadmin/factsheets/product/FS_HearthProductFuels.pdf

[4] http://www.hpba.org/product-information

[5] http://www.bobvila.com/articles/2051-gas-fireplaces-101/pages/1

[6] http://www.greenerideal.com/lifestyle/0630-bio-ethanol-fireplaces-should-you-buy-one/

[7] http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog-building-science-HERS-BPI/bid/48762/Bob-Vila-and-the-Vent-Free-Gas-Fireplace-A-Sorry-State-of-Affairs

[8] http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/fireplaces-chimneys/fireplace-additions/

[9] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/29/AR2006092900605.html

[10] http://www.epa.gov/burnwise/index.html

Could you Stand to Win an Energy Makeover Contest? Better off Trying!

Think about how many times you’ve heard about home energy makeover contests on the news. Quite a few times! Should you enter? Maybe you wonder about the benefits of an energy makeover, and how it benefits you.

Energy makeover contests are a win-win. The facts show that an Energy Makeover Contest in Colorado that focused on a whole-house approach to improving energy efficiency attracted 16,000 applicants in 2005. Articles in local newspapers often feature contest winners who garner thousands of dollars for energy-efficiency home makeovers, like this one[1] that featured Rich and Lisa Layman from Arlington, VA who had little wiggle room for improvements to their homes.  While the Laymans were always interested in being conscious of the environment, they were really excited that they won since their checkbook often interfered with bringing their home’s energy efficiency into the 21^st century. The competition received the support of a credit union in town which helps fund energy retrofits for homeowners. The ten thousand dollars the Laymans won will go a long way in making their home energy efficient for comfort and environmental reasons.

Enter them. Often times, they are sponsored by local energy alliance programs associated with local electricity providers. One way to find out what options you have in your area is to get online and using your preferred search engine type in “energy makeover” and your city or county of residence. Scroll through the options. In my search, I found out things that I would never have found existed! For instance, one resource is a central clearinghouse of information about energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy generation that focuses on helping property owners and tenants assess, improve and implement energy efficiency. It also helps locate contractors, find rebates, apply for financing and make a plan. No contest, yet.

However, another link exposed me to “Energy House Calls,” an Internet reality series produced by PG&E, California’s main electric company.[2]  The purpose of the series is to show customers how using a combination of the energy company’s energy management products and programs, they can have fun conserving energy and saving money. I almost want to get on the show to have the Energy House Calls crew come over, wouldn’t you?

Although I can’t seem to find a makeover contest as amazing as the ones in Colorado, Texas and Virginia, I did find some excellent websites that steer me in the right direction and consider my benefit. For example, I found an energy company that provides home energy audits before completing any energy updates to ensure the most cost effective strategy.

Now to get back to searching for contests!

---

[1] http://www.sungazette.net/arlington/news/contest-winners-garner-for-energy-efficient-home-makeover/article_181a2f96-2a72-11e2-83c1-001a4bcf887a.html

[2] http://www.energyhousecalls.com/

Notice any cracks developing in your property?

Steve Hodgson, chief executive of the Property Care Association (PCA), advises a householder contact their household insurer if cracks develop. He adds that the household insurer is likely to appoint a specialist structural surveyor to monitor the situation before any work is deemed necessary.

You wouldn’t be alone in worrying about disruption that occurs when there are structural problems to your home. Realtors often steer buyers away from homes with serious foundation problems, because most homeowners underestimate the impact and disruption of structural repairs. Repair time frames can be long and can lead to major disruptions. However, worrying about the disruption shouldn’t prevent you from negotiating with contractors about a realistic work schedule that doesn’t completely inconvenience you. Realtors say that houses with structural problems do not appraise well and therefore are difficult to finance. That can really disrupt future plans. Ideally, when you inspect your home, you list all structural damage or suggested repairs based on how important they are to maintain the structural integrity of your home and include a time frame for each repair.

Dream home nightmares really do unfortunately exist and can potentially be devastating. For example, the Trehers in Harrisburg, PA bought their dream home in June 2010, but a few months later, after a few horrible repairs that were taxing, they discovered a serious crack that developed alongside an existing repair line in the ceiling of their living room.[1] The ceiling detached within a matter of days. Another example involves a Manitoba couple that bought a home that was going to be turned into a day foster home for disabled kids.[2] After the home passed four inspections, they got their license and they were left with the impression of mild to moderate upkeep. Unfortunately, a year later, problems began. Inspectors pronounced the house as structurally unsound. As structural engineer Phil Dorn put it, “If work is not done properly in terms of mechanical or electrical—it’s hidden behind the walls, it’s really hard to pick up. The onus is on the buyer.” Buyers beware.      

While some home inspectors don’t see foundation cracks necessarily as the harbinger of financial doom and others say some cracks are harmless, almost all home inspectors suggest that if a pencil can go into the crack up to the yellow paint on the pencil, that’s a wide crack and may cause major problems.[3]

PCA has produced a free guide that I find useful.[4] It covers the facts.  It points out various methods available to deal with various types of structural repairs. Since a major structural problem at home is often every homeowner’s worst nightmare, it’s important to attend to them sooner than later.[5]

---

[1] http://realestate.aol.com/blog/2012/11/08/buying-a-bad-home-what-to-know-in-case-you-buy-a-house-of-hor/

[2] http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/story/2013/06/04/mb-foster-parents-lose-home-inspections-winnipeg.html

[3] http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/june-2009/home-garden/5-home-repairs-you-shouldnt-ignore/overview/5-home-repairs-you-shouldnt-ignore-ov.htm

[4] http://property-care.org/pdfs/A_Guide_To_Structural_Repair_and_Maintenance.pdf

[5] http://www.todayshomeowner.com/foundation-problems/

Every Day Decisions Can be an Adventure

Owning a home may be a dream, but all the repair work and maintenance may seem overwhelming. First, it seems like you have to make sure that your dry wall is sturdy, but separating the forest from the trees, you wonder about the insulation, the pipes, the smoke alarms, the gutters, the roof, and windows. Secondly, preventative maintenance requires an emergency fund that maybe you’re able to stow away, or you figure you’ll have to get a home improvement loan when the time comes. 

What is your plan for keeping up on maintenance? Is someone in your home keeping mental notes, or do you keep a maintenance schedule on your computer to help you stay ahead of any big concerns?

Today’s technology is great for keeping up. One excellent website that helps you stay on schedule is brightnest.com.[1]  After answering a series of questions about your home, it points out ways to use the website. It helps you put together a maintenance schedule, and provides an online calendar and an iPhone app with tips and how-tos tailored to your preferences. It keeps a record of your completed tasks all in one place. The tips it provides are great and it provides an estimate of how long it would take to complete that task. For example, when considering what type of furnace filters you have, if you don’t know, Brightnest provides you the steps to find out and suggests the task will take 15 minutes. Good to know if you’ve got a lot of things to do this evening and don’t want to get consumed into a filter vortex! The best part? They’ll send you a reminder email!

What about those of you who can’t stand getting online for another reason when you get home? Here’s a printable household planner that you should print on post-consumer paper.[2]

Maybe coming up with the checklist for home maintenance and repair has given you a bad case of writer’s block. No worries. Check out Demesne.[3]  They provide checklists for every month.[4] Keep your home in tip top shape and you’ll feel organized—everything doesn’t snow ball!

Another option that I found is called Homespot designed to help you manage and maintain your home with specific insights.[5] You can have reminders attached to a calendar that you use on Google, iCal or Outlook. It’s a little less comprehensive than Brightnest.com but that might be exactly what you need depending on the type of organizing tool that works best for you. Homespot comes pre-populated with common household chores.

---

[1] https://brightnest.com/

[2] http://lifehacker.com/5431266/printable-household-planner-keeps-your-home-running-smoothly

[3] http://www.demesne.info/

[4] http://www.demesne.info/Home-Maintenance/

[5] https://www.homespothq.com/