ABC’s of Fine Design

Living green can sometimes make you stand out from the homes around you. You have a windmill on your roof or in your yard, you have a huge solar panel next to that roof windmill or you have other strange devices attached to your home that make you look space aged and very strange.

There is a way to fix part of this weird look and that is to use Solar shingles. These shingles fit right into your shingles on your roof. They can be blended with exsisting shingles or you can use them over the entire roof. The best part is that they look like regular shingles and blend in well, they work best with dark roofs, the picture shown here is with a light roof so you do see some contrast. The best part about these is they eventually will pay for themselves either by saveing you money on your electric bill or haveing the electric company pay you for any extra you put into their system. Check with your local company to see if they offer a program before you buy.

Going green is said to be hard and frusterating, but there have been so many advancments in the design of these green products that you may want to think about it again. Not only is going green good for the envirionment, but it’s good for your pocket book and your health.

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I learned a lot in my class this term. One thing I found interesting is that Air conditioners don’t actually cool your home like a refrigerator would cool, they just condition the air to a lower temperature. It’s complex and hard to explain but it was still very interesting.

After learning that I started to understand how they could make a Portable Air Conditioner that can be used anywhere. My mother just ordered one for her classroom as they get way to hot during the spring. They have no cross ventilation so she was able to get approval for one. That is a nice thing about these small conditioners you can use them anywhere. I am always thinking about working on homes in hot areas. A portable air conditioner would be a great way to keep things cool until you got the main one set up. The best part is you can then take it with you.

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If your tired of being inside all day it may be time to plan an outdoor remodel. Outdoor kitchens are a hot thing right now and they really come in handy for the outdoor lifestyle. Just think about it, you won’t have to be inside while everyone else is out enjoying the pool or the sunshine. You can be right out there with them cooking dinner or a lunch on the weekend.

A nice picture isn’t it? Outdoor kitchens do require some work and set up, but even a good do it yourselfer can handle setting one up. I usually recommend hiring someone to do this as it’s easer and they can really give you a nice set up. If you already have an interior designer you should talk to them to see if they do outdoor spaces, many do.

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With home theaters becoming more and more popular there has been an increased interest in furnishings and decor for those rooms. Things like home theater carpet and home theater seating are words that 10 years ago you only heard Hollywood elite saying. Now though everyone is into a home theater and I understand why.

Not only does it make entertaining your teens easier it’s also very easy to work from home and have people over for presentations. Think about it, usually a home theater is sound proof, has great seating and a large TV screen. what more do you need to do home presentations. So not only can a home theater add entertainment value to your home, but it could help you with business too.

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Right now with the riseing cost of energy and people looking to lower thier heating bills it is the perfect time to think about adding one or more fireplaces to your home. If you live in the north areas of the US or in Canada or Europe then you really want to start thinking about adding a fireplace if you dont’ already have one.

Fireplaces are nice because they can be an very inexpencive form of heat, if you install a wood burning fireplace you can use it when the electricity goes out and not have to worry about heating your home. From a design perspective fireplaces make a great focal point and are considered a luxury to have. So they really will compliment any design.

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Water heaters not only take up a lot of space, but they waste energy and money. It takes a lot of power to heat gallons of water and keep it heated. Now though you can get a tankless water heater that will heat your water instantly and save you money.

Tankless water heaters have been used in Europe for many many years. Why? Well they take up less space then our huge American type water heaters. In Europe they just don’t have room for a huge water heater. Now though Americans are starting to see that having instant hot water is much better and more energy efficient then our old water heaters, so check it out and set your self up to save some cash and make your home worth more.

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Right now there is a hold up in the design market. It is hard to find work and it’s hard to get jobs to do. What does this mean for the person looking for home improvement. Well you may be able to get some great deals. Look around and see who is offering what. Now is a good time to fix up the home you have. Stop using your home as a checking account for your vacations and start putting something into it that you will eventually get back.

Now this will only work if you can still afford your payments, don’t jump into an adjustable rate just because it’s cheep. Look for a fixed rate mortgage if you going to go that route. If you have the money to do the repairs without pulling out a loan make sure you will also have enough money to pay bills for a few months if something does happen. I don’t want to see any of you lose your home because I wrote you should fix it up.

If you have decided your going to fix things anyway here are a few things you may want to consider.

Kitchen and bathrooms if they are outdated
A new roof
Adding green design, such as geothermal heating or solar power.
Insulation

These are things that will either give you money back when you sell or they will save you money in the long run. Right now my mother is thinking of trying to get a loan to put up wind power and possibly geothermal heating. It’s something to think about.

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