8 Cost-Efficient Ways To Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly In 2017

Posted on February 10, 2017 by lanajhawkins

The 21^st century started years ago and one of the most important things it brought with it is ecological awareness. Today, houses are built to be eco-friendly and energy-efficient which is definitely a great thing. However, that doesn’t mean that we should bring down historic houses built with no intention of saving energy or any of the Earth’s resources. That means that we should use all of our knowledge about energy and water preservation and to apply it in greening up old houses without affecting their unique aesthetic. Here are some ways to do that.

Insulate

Houses built before the 1940s were rarely insulated. If they were, the materials originally used may have deteriorated over time, allowing the cold air to creep in. Fortunately, today there are plenty of eco-friendly and efficient insulating materials that can significantly reduce your utility bills. Before you even begin insulating them, you should seal the air gaps around the doors and windows. Also, don’t forget to insulate the attic and ducts.

Replace or Upgrade the Windows

There’s no point in preventing heat or the cool air from leaving the house by insulating the walls if it will eventually go out through the windows. When installing new windows you should check their energy ratings. Triple glazed windows are the best option, but double glazed ones are much more cost-efficient. If new windows would disturb the aesthetics of your old home, the combination of storm windows and good window treatments should do the trick.

Be Smart with the Lights

If your house still uses old incandescent light bulbs, consider replacing them, since they’re spending a huge amount of energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs can save a lot of energy, but if you’re in it for the long haul, you should install LED lights throughout the house.

Introduce Rugs

Have you ever stepped foot on the cold hardwood floor? It may look nice, but it feels freezing. Area rugs are a rather cheap way to prevent that awful feel, but also to save a couple of dollars when the energy bill comes. Besides, you’ll get an instant stylish punch.

Save Water

The way most people uses their bathrooms today speaks a lot about our disregard for Earth’s most precious resource – water. Almost 30 percent of the total water use in a household is flushed down the toilet and 10 percent is leaking from the pipes and faucets.

There are ways to decrease that consumption. The first step would be addressing the biggest problem – toilet. By installing a low-flow toilet you will cut down your water expenses, and the costs of buying a new toilet and hiring professional plumbers to install it will pay off in a couple of years. Unlike the toilet, installing a low-flow showerhead is in the DIY domain.

Get Energy-Efficient Appliances

You may think you’re saving money by keeping your old refrigerator and indefinitely delaying the purchase of a new one, but you’re not. Old appliances are not only using more electricity, they also require frequent fixes and replacing of some parts. Switching all the old devices for their new Energy Star rated counterparts is, eventually, much cheaper.

Install Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are a great investment since they’re reasonably priced and they can, in the long run, save a lot of money. If you think that ceiling fans are useful only in winter, you’re wrong. They can be very beneficial during the heating season when they spread the heat throughout the air and make your heating system more efficient.

Make Your Home Non-toxic

Toxic chemicals your house is filled with may not have a damaging effect on your wallet, but they are certainly harmful to your health. Paint colors that don’t contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds) will prevent toxins from entering your body while using homemade cleaning products (e.g. any kind of DIY product with apple cider vinegar or baking soda) will minimize the number of chemicals you are inhaling and save you money at the same time.

“Greening up” is much more than just a buzzword. It is a practice that will not only minimize your negative impact on the planet but also benefit your health and budget.

How To Perfectly Light Up Every Room In Your Home

Posted on February 10, 2017 by smithdiana

Good lighting is essential if you want to achieve a pleasant atmosphere in your home. Houses and apartments with plenty of natural light are in luck, because most days, they won’t have to worry about staying in dim lit rooms. However, those homes that are not as lucky, have to think about the right choice of lighting in every room, so they could read, eat, bathe, and do all the other activities easily.

Living Rooms

Living rooms are areas where people gather and interact for most of the time. This is why the room should be appropriately lit, providing a family with a good atmosphere to talk, read, watch TV or just rest. One of the best choices for the living room would be lights that bounce off the ceiling. Unlike recessed downlights, these will provide you with ambient illumination, and they’ll create the sense of brightness. You won’t have to worry about shadows or other inconveniences. Cove or valance lighting would fit a room’s architecture perfectly, so consider them a possible choice for your living room as well.

Kitchens

Being the place where you prepare food and do a lot of cleaning, kitchen requires proper and strong lighting. What’s more, families tend to spend equal amount of time gathering in the kitchen as they do in the living room, so the more windows you can install in the kitchen to get the natural light, the better. However, ceiling mounted or recessed fixture as well as under cabinet lighting will be a perfect solution for a kitchen. To avoid shadows from an overhead light, install under cabinet lighting to illuminate the countertops.

Dining Rooms

The focus of the dining room is the table, so the lighting fixture is usually placed just above the table. This way, it provides perfect illumination and ambiance. You could also consider dimmers, so you could get a more relaxed atmosphere when you want. A chandelier is a great choice for dining rooms, because it’s both elegant and illuminating. Wall sconces also look elegant, and they’ll provide sufficient lighting for dining and chatting with your family members and guests. What’s more, consider installing cove lighting on two opposing walls while having a dimmable chandelier above the table.

Bathrooms

Considering we spend time in the bathroom to take care of personal hygiene and viewing ourselves in the mirror, the room should have an adequate lighting and even more careful placement of them. Central ceiling mounted fixtures are the ones most often used, but they’ll only cast to many shadows and won’t be useful. Lighting both sides of the mirror would be the best alternative. Wall-mounted fixtures are perfect for small bathrooms. Wall sconces on each side of the mirror and one on an opposing side will flawlessly illuminate the room, minimizing the shadows. Installing lighting fixtures isn’t easy, so be sure to contact emergency electrician 24 hours whenever you need them; that way you won’t be at risk of electrocuting yourself.

Bedrooms

If you like reading in bed, you will definitely need proper lighting. Wall-mounted lighting fixtures are an excellent choice for this purpose. Install those with adjustable arms, and you’ll be able to direct them whichever way you need. Floor lamps, a pair of sconces on a wall mirror or architectural lighting can serve as the perfect ambient light. Furthermore, if you prefer floor and table lamps, over wall-mounted fixtures, feel free to opt for those, because they’ll also be suitable for a bedroom.

Proper lighting is of great importance for every room in the house. If the space isn’t well illuminated, it’ll affect not only your eyesight, but the whole atmosphere in the room. Therefore, be sure to choose proper lighting fixtures for every room, and avoid any inconveniences.

Cheap Wreath Form Idea

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

We all know the cost of wreath forms – they can be expensive. This idea is really cheap (just 1 dollar) from the dollar store using a laundry basket. You get two wreath forms out of this. Just cut the top and bottom off as shown in the picture. The bottom form needs to have the bottom piece cut out to leave you with just the outer rim. Decorate away and have fun.

Folding Card Table Playhouse

Posted on February 8, 2017 by Jeffrey Scott Thomas

Wow! My little three year old daughter would just love this. Right now she has a tunnel that collapses that she loves going through. She loves the idea of going under the table so this would make a great place for her to go in and play.

Unfortunately, I do not have the directions to make this – it is more an idea that I just wanted to pass along. If anyone has instructions or where this originally came from to give credit please let me know.

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