ABC’s of Fine Design

Have you heard about those cool duel flush toilets? The ones that only flush half a tank when you don’t need a full one. If you have and have looked into getting one you may find that they are pretty expensive. Most range from about $500 to $1000. That is a lot to spend on a toilet and it will probably take you some time to earn that investment back. If your building a home I say go ahead and spend the money if you would like to. If you are not, you do have another option.

The other option is the select a flush duel flush conversion kit. This device will allow you to make your existing toilet a duel flush for about $25. The system is easy to install and will start saving you money on your water bill quickly.  Some of the benefits of this system are:

* Lowers water and sewage bills
* Extends the life of higher water consumption toilets saving landfill space
* Reduces impact on municipal sewage treatment systems and saves energy
* Alleviates strained capacity on water treatment plants
* Reduces impact on septic systems

Taken from the select a flush website

Of course these are great reasons to buy this item for anyone, another good reason to buy this product is that it is made in the USA, in fact it’s made in Michigan. Another good thing about this product is that you can install it yourself, the hard part from what I hear is getting use to it.

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If you are looking to either save money on your bills this winter or are looking to help increase the value of your home you should really take a look at Tankless Water Heaters. These water heaters work just like a regular water heater except it only turns on when you need the water, this cuts down on energy use as the heater is not running all of the time trying to keep your water warm.

Tankless Water Heaters can save you up to 30% of your energy bill and they come in both electric and gas. You can choose which one you would like or what would work better for you. If your looking at getting one of these energy saving devices I would recommend you talk to someone who can figure out what size you need and if you should invest in more then one. My mother is looking into them and I would recommend she get a large one for most of the house and two small Tankless Water Heaters for her bathtub and the kitchen sink as they are on the other side of the house from the water heater. This also will save you money and time as the water will heat much faster. If your paying for that water you should see a savings there too.

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Many people right now are trying to find ways to save energy and still keep their homes warm and livable. I have a great new product for you to try called Radiant glass. This glass is made in Colorado by a company called Radiant Glass industries. The product is called Power*e Glass and it is very easy to use and install.

The glass uses a save low voltage current that would be the equivalent of running 2 light bulbs. The current heats the window and allows that heat into your home. Many people who have used it claim that there heaters hardly ever run after adding just a few of these windows. This is a great product for anyone who has a lot of windows in their home. I would recommend having a separate thermostat installed for any interior rooms that have no windows though. These windows will also help keep your home cool in the summer by blocking the heat from outside.

Besides helping with energy cost these windows also will stop condensation and fogging of windows. That way you will always have a clear view outside. This type of window would work well in a bathroom where you may use a shower or tub that could cause fogging and block a view.

Power*e windows can be made any way you would like. They work in most types of frames and can even be tinted. Check out this new unique product and see if if will work for you.

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There are many ways you can keep a design under budget, you can buy lumber that was once in another building, or even some of the fixtures or furniture. If you have a home office you can get used cisco or monitors that work just like the new stuff.

Just because it’s not new doesn’t mean that it’s not a good product. I have a friend of a friend who has started going into old homes and businesses and taking out things like moldings, doors and windows that are still in good shape. he then sells them to people for half the price it would cost them to buy new. He does make a good amount of money and it’s good for the environment as all of that stuff he takes out of these homes will not end up in a landfill when the building is torn down. So the next time your looking at some crown molding at your local home improvement store, check around first and see if you can get a good deal on used crown molding.

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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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I wanted to let all of you who read this blog know that I have another blog I write that has a feature called Going Green Monday. If  you are interested in checking it out click that link and it will take you to the going green archives.

 Yes I do green posting on this blog, I know but those going green post have more information on consumer goods that don’t deal directly with design. So if your interested in some of that information then my going green series is something you may be looking for.

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I am always on the lookout for new green design products. I found this wonderful roofing product while looking for alternative building materials for my class today. I had to share it with you as it’s really a cool product.

The product is called EcoStar and it’s a US based company that supplies sustainable tiles for your roof. The best part is that they also have a 50 year warranty. Check out there products page and take a look at what there different products look like. I have decided that I really want the house on the main product page, but thats not for this blog.  I love the look of wood shingles, they just stand out and complete the look of the home.

 Excerpt from website:

This site also has other types of tile, not just the wood looking kind. I loved there selection, I just wish they had one’s that looked like clay tiles. Those are my favorite and I want to use them on my own home if I can ever build it.

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