Home improvement

When you turn on an electric or gas burner, a good deal of the heat does not go to the pan, but into the air. If you open the oven door, the heat rushes out of the oven and into the air and the oven has to reheat. When you turn off an electric burner, even though the the power is off, heat is still given off and is considered to be wasted. So by strict definition of “energy efficiency” one of the most used appliances in your home just doesn’t measure up.

Even though cooktops and ranges do not earn the Energy Star rating under today’s standards, there are some products that are more efficient than others.

I am in the market for a new kitchen stove and began the research to find the most energy efficient product that fit into my budget. With the tax credits available for Energy Star appliances, I asked if there were any Energy Star rated stoves (ranges if you will). The answer is, no. Why? Very simply, because energy efficiency is measured on how much energy it takes to perform a particular function compared to how much energy is lost or wasted by that same process.

Solar Powered

There are some small solar powered stoves and hybrid solar (solar with electric backup) for those days when the sun doesn’t shine on the market today. Most of the specifications indicate a minimal temperature range and have very limited capacity. The largest capacity I found measured 21.25 inches square by 7.78 inches deep. If you are looking to experiment with solar cooking, there are any number of plans on the internet to build your own solar stove using materials found around your home. However, the solar solution may not be the most practical for a busy family. For now, being somewhat of a pragmatist, I’ve focused my search and the following article on the more practical options for today’s busy family.

Induction/Electromagnetic

The new induction cooktops and ranges are the most efficient on the market tody. Induction cooking surface, when turned on and a metal pan is on the cooking element, produce an electrical current in the cooktop which creates a magnetic field that causes the pan to heat and cook your food. It’s like magic. Even if the burner is turned on, when the pan is not touching the surface, you could lay your hand on the element. It’s instant on and off. I’ve actually done this and was quite amazed. There is no heat loss when you remove the pan, which makes the induction cooktop more efficient than other cooking surfaces. The pans must have flat bottoms and be made of metal or the electromagnetic heating process won’t work.

Most major appliance manufacturers offer an induction cooktop (no oven). If you are trying to replace an all-in-one cooktop and oven, there are several manufactures: Samsung, Kenmore, Viking, GE, and Diva. The oven component is typically electric with a convection option. Like most new technologies, the induction cooking appliances are still expensive. However, over the past year, prices have dropped.

Natural Gas or Propane vs Electric

If an expensive cooktop or range is not in your plan, there are other options. Based on current natural gas prices, natural gas, is still slightly cheaper to operate than an electric cooktop.. So, if you’re investigating appliances based on cost of operation, you’ll want to investigate average prices of electricity vs natural gas in your area. (Be aware that the proposed energy legislation will affect the cost of any fossil based fuel and prices will go up for both natural gas and electricity. How much they will rise is not yet known.) Overall, the savings of gas over electric has historically been minimal and amounts to less than $50 a year in savings. If you are a cook that prefers gas, there are many options from which to choose. Many of the most popular brands are carried by Lowes, Home Depot and Sears.

Energy Efficient Ranges and Cooktops – Which to Buy – Induction, Gas, or Electric

The most energy efficient cooking solution would be an induction cook top with an electric/convection oven, followed by a gas cooktop with an electric/convection oven. Convection ovens are a little more expensive than an electric or gas only oven, but they require less cooking time, so you are using less energy and reducing your time in the kitchen. For the busy family, less time is a real plus. All in one gas or electric units are the cheapest solution, but not the most energy efficient. The differences in operating costs depend greatly on the utility prices in your area. However, the cost difference, based on the national average of gas vs electricity, is only a few cents, with natural gas being the cheaper.

Price Comparison

So, if you’re in the market for a new range or cooktop and your primary objective is saving energy, go for an induction cooktop with an electric/convection oven. For that system, budget between $1700 for a fully featured system and $9500 for a whiz bang designer, professional grade system.

If natural gas or propane is available in your area, the next best combo would be a gas cook top and an electric/convection oven. Prices vary considerably, ranging from under $1000 for a basic model to the mid-range of $1700 -$2500 for a full featured stainless steel unit. If you have even a higher budget, there are some magnificent options for the person who really enjoys cooking ranging in price between $3000 and $20,000.

If the electric option is all you have, don’t despair. Remember that the differences in energy consumption and energy cost between the gas or electric options are not that significant. By going the extra step and purchasing an electric cook top with an electric/convection oven, you will be reducing oven cooking time and, thus, energy consumption. Any reduction in energy consumption is a positive and will produce some cost savings. Prices for these units vary from $1500 to $2000 for fully featured stainless steel units. These are available from most appliance manufacturers. If your budget is less than $1500, check out prices on the internet. There are good deals to be found on this type of stove. If I’m still talking above your budget, “all electric” or “all gas” ranges vary in price from $258 to $1500. Keep in mind that the very low end products will not typically be self-cleaning, nor will they have the insulation to keep the heat inside the oven when cooking, nor will the temperature control of the oven be very precise.

While cooking units are not energy efficient according to the standards set by Energy Star. Since there are not significant differences in energy cost among the options, it boils down to budget, cooking style, and availability of natural gas/propane. I’ve given you some things to think about when purchasing that new stove and, hopefully, you found them useful.

By: Ashford Langley

Reflective sheet insulation is a kind of insulation that can be set up very easily with the returning part up, over the current garret and fasten it. One must leave a little space in between the base and the filling panels. One more way of setting it up is attaching close to the roofing of the top story but remember to leave sufficient gap between the garret roof and the filling panels. You can do this by fixing the radiant fence panel to support beneath the roof.

The cost of this reflective sheet insulation is not at all high when compared to other insulation materials. Nowadays the price of reflective sheet insulation is about $0.10 to $0.30 a square foot. The price actually differs according to the radiant fence insulation that you select. Moreover the difference in prices is also due to diver kind of installation process. The expense of setting up these sheets on the roofing is much higher than the garret installation. In case you buy the sheets in masses then you may get them at a cut price.

If you are attempting reflective sheet insulation yourself then here are few important suggestions that you must not forget. When setting up near the roofing you must keep enough air distance between the fence and roofing. Make sure that after setting up, the garret can breathe i.e. the steam mounting for the home must find an escape through the fence filling. For that purpose pierced fence insulation panels must be utilized.

When you have set up the reflective sheet insulation perfectly, you will soon find out reduction in the expenses that are accrued by your air conditioner and heaters. Hence you must select the reflective sheet insulation in order to reduce your expenses and also secure the precious energy as well.

By: Nazima Golamaully

There are many people out there who get frustrated when it comes to moving to a new house. Some people are ready with the money or budget to buy a new house, but some other people are just not ready with the budget to buy a new house but, at the same time, do not want to rent an apartment because they have kids and pets to stay with them. The solution to that problem is to buy one of the manufactured homes for sale. Building a new house on an empty land can cost a lot of money for the materials, architect, workers, and also buying the land itself. Meanwhile, buying a manufactured home is much lower costing because there is no need to buy the materials individually or hire the workers to build the house. Buying a manufactured home is not the same as buying a house that already stands on the ground.

Basically, manufactured homes are homes or houses that are built in the factory that specializes in building factory-made houses. Therefore, there is no need for the house buyers to hire workers. Buying one of these houses is cheaper than building a new house or can be cheaper than buying a standing house because the factory builds the houses massively instead of one by one –that is why the cost can be cut by much. These manufactured homes are also more flexible in a way that the buyer can choose a land that they want and the house will be delivered to the land to stand on it. People can also see the manufactured homes floor plans. That way they can understand the houses better. Most manufactured homes come fully furnished so it is certainly more convenient especially for people who want to move in without carrying any furniture from their old house.

You see them advertise on the TV every day, orange aprons fluttering down the aisles at Home Depot, “You can do it! We can help!?”, the warm voice of Gene Hackman telling you “Lowes, let’s build something together”. These big names spend big bucks to convince you that if you want to improve your home you need to do it up big time at their big name, big box, home improvement chain stores.

Whew, that’s a mouthful and in a lot of ways very true too. Except for vinyl fencing. Oh, they sell vinyl fencing and their prices seem to meet the big box standards but everything is not always as it seems.

One of the first questions clients always ask me is, “How do you compare to them?” or “Why was our fence more expensive then theirs?” (If it was more). I found the best way to respond was by simply telling the truth. Sometimes our prices were more and sometimes they were less but one thing was certain. We always delivered a higher quality product.

I have nothing against them and have even advised certain people that the H. I. C.S. might better suit their unique needs. For example, I had a guy who was flipping a property and needed the cheapest fence he could buy. He wasn’t concerned with how long the fence would last, he just wanted to sell the property. I suggested, Home Depot.

The key to big box store shopping is to know, what you are getting for the price you are paying. I highly urge you to go and look at their fencing first hand. Feel it, touch it, push it and you will see that it gives quite a bit. The panels are thinner and are generally hollow with no internal ribbing and reinforcement.

They also utilize a bracket system which is an inferior way to assemble vinyl fencing and requires external hardware which distract from the clean lines of vinyl. Their fencing usually comes pre-assembled.

Oh, I hear you out there, “Isn’t that more convenient?”

Yes, assembled sections do provide more convenience but always remember that lower quality residential grade vinyl fencing normally comes assembled, as fence panels, while prime quality commercial grade vinyl fencing always comes unassembled.

Why? To be able to ship your order more securely so you receive it, complete and undamaged. It also allows you the opportunity to personally attend to each stage of construction, insuring the lifetime strength and durability of your fencing investment.

Keep in mind that the slide and pop assembly of commercial vinyl sections are very similar to “legos”, making them relatively easy to assemble. I, personally, am not a very handy man and I can tell you, from experience, they are not hard to put together.

One last thing to realize when evaluating prices between the H.I.C.S. and a vinyl fence dealer. The H.I.C.S. ‘s panel pricing, generally, does not include the costs of posts and caps. This is very misleading.

They get you in on the appearance of a lower price, which is usually for the fence panel only. Then they add in these costly but essential items at the time of sale. Right when you have reached that point when you are ready to buy.

Odds are, you usually carry on with the sale and find out the hard way that the posts and caps are where these stores make their money. Which is why they sell their fencing in six foot panels (rather then eight) as this means more posts and caps. You will of course, need posts and caps to assemble a vinyl fence. So when you’re pricing various options, you’ll need to add these costs into the total.

Wow! That great chain store price wasn’t so fabulous after all, was it?

Think about it. If you are going to make a lifetime investment in vinyl fencing for your beloved home. The rule of thumb is that, quality always trumps economy. In the long run you’ll end up paying less for a whole lot more.

Copyright 2008 David Spangenburg & Michael Goldman

By: David Spangenburg

A home is a huge purchase. It costs a lot of money and it can take a lot of time to get your home when it is being built for you. When you are going through home construction, there are several things to consider. You want to make sure that the home construction process with your custom home builder is quick and with as few difficulties and headaches as possible.

The first thing to consider is who is going to build your home. You want to make sure you find a home builder who can build the home to the style you want at the price that you can afford. You need a home builder who knows what they are doing and one who is not going to take the money and run. Once you have found a contractor and researched them on the internet and through the Better Business Bureau, you can move on to the next step.

The next thing to consider is your budget. You are only going to have so much money to spend on your home and the last thing you want is to find out the house is going to cost more than you thought it would. When that happens, work stops and your home sits unfinished until you come up with the cash needed. This is why you need to take your budget and find a home that costs about 80 percent of your budget. So, if you have a budget of $600,000, then your home should cost about $480,000 to build. That leaves you $120,000 extra to deal with any cost overruns or changes to the building plans. When you talk with your contractor you should ensure that they stick to the estimate they give you and will talk to you about any extra charges that come up so you are not caught off guard by cost overruns.

The next thing to consider is where you are building for two reasons. Is it where you want to live and if you are thinking of selling, will you get back more than what you paid for the home? Location is important so do your research to find out if it is where you want to live. You should also consider the location and various zoning and permit laws that may be in place in the area.

When you do your research and know what to consider with a new home construction project, you can ensure that everything goes as planned and you are in your new home as quick as possible.

By: Eric Willey

Finally there is an adaptor that slides right in to your trailer hitch and transforms that normal receiver hitch into a super hitch. Introducing the Hitchet. Hand made in the good old USA the Hitchet works with any standard 2 inch receiver and with standard locking pins.

Tailgating
So how can this truck accessory help you? Well if you’re a tailgater you’ll be in the shade or out of the rain in just seconds with any standard size patio or beach umbrella. There is also a smaller bracket for golf umbrellas.

You are still able to open and close the tailgate when using a Hitchet on a pickup truck or suv. It works great for ATV, Side by Sides and Golf Carts.

BBQ Grillin
Do you have a hard time finding someplace to set up your BBQ grill? Well not after you get your Hitchet with the BBQ bracket attachment. Now its just a matter of seconds before you’re set up and ready to start cookin!

The generic BBQ pit bracket allows you to mount many different types of BBQ pits that are available at The Home Depot, Loews, or your local home improvement store. This bracket is pre-drilled, and comes with the mounting hardware that installs in minutes. Once the bracket has been mounted to your pit, you can handle burgers, dogs and steaks anyplace, anytime. This is the perfect tailgating accessory.

Hunters
For you hunter’s there is no longer a need to find the perfect tree with the perfect limbs to be able to dress out your kill. There’s a mobile game hoist attachment that comes with a six foot center section and a second Hitchet, with the pull of a pin it disassembles and stores easily. This unit comes complete with winch, cable, pins, it’s ready to use as an attachment on your existing Hitchet. The additional Hitchet that comes with this unit could even be used on another vehicle or for the fishing attachment.

Contractors
Life is not all fun and leisure and for those of us that have to work out of our trucks life just got better with a Hitchet. Now you have the means to mount and use different tools easily. Each bracket can be used for multiple applications and you can switch between applications in seconds! Use the Small 8″ x 8″ steel plate brackets to mount smaller items like a vise. Use the large 16″ x 24″ steel plate brackets to mount bigger items like a chop saw.

You can drill and bolt or weld attachments to the bracket and they are ready to be used with any standard class 3, 4, or 5 receiver hitch using Hitchet.

By: Ivan W Smith

One of the most important questions to ask when hiring a contractor to do work on your home is, “Are you properly and adequately insured?” Unfortunately, homeowners rarely pose this inquiry to prospective contractors, and it can prove to be a costly error.

Before a contractor sets foot on your property, you need to be sure that he has three different types of insurance.The first type of insurance is General Liability, which protects you if your property or your neighbor’s property is damaged. It also covers personal injury to your family and friends while the work is being done. It is important to be sure that the person you select has enough insurance. With the price of today’s homes and the cost of personal injury claims, $500,000 is the minimum level you should seek. However, $1,000,000 of General Liability insurance is a much more desirable amount of coverage.

The second necessary insurance is vehicle insurance. Your contractor should have this in the event that one of their trucks damages your property or a neighbor’s property while at your home. This insurance also covers any personal injuries caused by a contractor’s vehicle.

The aforementioned insurances protect you and your property. But, what happens if someone working on your home gets injured while they are on your property? By law, they must be covered by Workman’s Compensation insurance. Unfortunately, many contractors have employees who work “under the table” and are not insured. If one of these uninsured workers gets hurt, they can sue you, as the homeowner, for compensation.

You need to seek positive proof of all three of these insurances, especially Workman’s Compensation, before hiring a contractor to work on your home. This is extremely important for your protection since most homeowner’s insurance policies exclude covering damage or injury claims caused by contractors whom you authorize to be on your property. Why? Because you are responsible to be sure you’ve hired a reputable contractor who has insurance to cover accidents or negligence. If you hire an uninsured or underinsured contractor, and an injury or property damage occurs, you could be personally liable. Even worse, your own homeowner’s policy is unlikely to protect you.

By: Drew Barto

When most people think of home renovation projects, they imagine having to spend a significant portion of their savings in order to make the updates and improvements that they desire. For those Americans who are on tighter budgets, this often just does not seem worth it. There are so many other things that require spending money, from ever-increasing gas and electric bills to maintaining the family car, that making aesthetic improvements to the house does not seem to fall at the top of the priority list.

But with a little bit of effort and motivation, there are actually a number of ways in which you can spruce up your home without having to dip into your 401K or the kids´ college fund. If you are willing to put forth a little effort and learn a few new skills, you can do a lot of the home renovation you desire yourself. One of the easiest places to get started on a DIY kick is by taking on a painting project. This is the kind of home improvement that any able-bodied person can do, even those who barely managed to squeak by with Cs in their high school art classes. If you follow these simple instructions, you will be painting up a storm in no time. People will come to your house and wonder what exactly you did to make it look so fresh and stylish. Little will they know that all you did was spend some loose change on a couple of cans of paint and some brushes!

The first thing you need to do, naturally, is choose the room that you are going to re-paint. Just a hint: for first-time painters, rooms like the kitchen can be more difficult, because they have a lot of cabinets, counters, and appliances to paint around. This creates more room for error, and also makes it harder for you to cover all the surfaces to protect them from dripping paint. So for your first project, you probably want to choose a room like the dining room or a bedroom, which has less furniture against the wall, and that can be rearranged in order to make painting simpler. Once the room is chosen, measure the area of its walls by multiplying the width and height of each wall and adding the areas of the four individual walls (or however many your room has) together. This will be used to buy the correct amount of paint (more on this below).

Now choose a color. If you are overwhelmed, you can spend some time online reading home decoration tips. But do not sweat it, if you choose wrong, this is not like having to wait for the hair to grow back after impulsively shaving your head. It is pretty simple to repaint a room! Next, go to your local home improvement store, such as Loews, Sears, or Home Depot. Bring the surface area that you computed with you, and an employee can help you buy the right amount of paint. He or she can also help you find the brushes and the other equipment you will need. Now go home, cover the floor in newspaper and the edges of the walls with tape, and begin!

By: Alexander Fishback

It is hard to imagine television without a remote control. Channel surfing really wouldn’t be the same without them. Unfortunately, losing or breaking a remote before the demise of the television isn’t unlikely. It’s also probable, with the multitude of remotes lying around the average living room that an owner will decide to consolidate just for the sake of their sanity and get a remote that can control not only the television but other equipment as well.

Before television owners begin shopping for a new remote however they should consider how much they really want to spend. A very basic television remote can be had for around $12. On the other end of the spectrum, spending in the neighborhood of $1,000 is also possible.

Most television remote controls are IR/infrared, meaning that they communicate with a television via an LED which transmits an infrared signal. In order to function properly users must generally be within 30 feet and within line-of-sight of their television. These remotes won’t be able to transmit the necessary signal to the television through a wall or around a corner no matter what the distance although in many instances this is not a concern to the average user.

Some satellite TV receivers, stereo systems, and home theater components use RF/radio frequency remote controls which communicate with devices via radio waves. RF controls have a greater range than IR controls. RF can transmit up to 100 feet away and offers the added benefit of being able to transmit through walls. One way that an IR remote can be “boosted” to allow it a greater transmitting range is to get an “RF extender”. This does not change the fact that a person is using IR, it just gives them greater range.

If a person’s goal is to consolidate their television remote with other AV remote controls then a universal remote should be considered. These remotes are capable of operating multiple devices, even those from various manufacturers. Very handy, but they will have to program in the command codes of each piece of equipment they want the device to control. Information on command codes is generally found in the owner’s manual for the equipment. To save time, a “learning” type of universal remote is an option. These remotes are able to read signals transmitted by other remotes and to then begin transmitting those same signals without the user having to program the command codes.

A common complaint about the average television remote is that it is hard to use in the dark. A back lit keyboard can be useful in this situation. Another issue can be the difficulty of using a remote because of the sheer number of buttons on the face of it. A couple of options can help to address this issue. Some television remote controls use “macro commands” which allow the user to perform a series of commands with the push of a single button. For instance, a macro command could be set up to turn on the television, the DVD player, initiate play, turn on the speakers, etc. by hitting a single button. Remotes with LCD screens can also cut down on the number of buttons by displaying a limited number of icons on the display versus having a button for every function.

Television remotes today even offer various methods of input aside from pushing buttons. Touch screens, joysticks, and even voice command controls are available; for a price. Touch screens can be color or grayscale; grayscale of course helps hold the cost down. Higher priced remotes offer two way communication which allows the remote to pick up and display information from the device that it operates. For instance, such a remote could display information about the programming on a particular television channel while viewing other shows.

Like all electronics for the home, television remote controls are beginning to multitask and understanding all of the features takes a bit of research. Buyers simply need to assess what functions are important to them and how much money they really want to spend.

By: Christine Peppler

If you have invested in having a grand home, then I am sure keeping it looking nice is important to you. That is why you should only consider the best when looking for contractors for new construction and upgrades to your home. For example, if you are considering finishing your basement, you are entering a world of opportunities and upgrades for your home. Here are some luxuries your newly finished basement could enjoy. All of these are aspects that will increase your property value and standard of living.

Every successful business man likes to talk about his job, car, family, home, boats, and so forth. They may go on about their pool or Jacuzzi tubs. It’s time for you to take the mic and time for your home to see some additions. When finishing a basement, you have an open canvas to work with since all your necessities are in the main part of the home. A popular investment among fancy homeowners is their own home movie theater. The basement is the perfect place to set up shop and a professional basement renovations company will have an array of options for your personal needs. They will be able to install proper lighting, molding, flooring, and more. They will give you custom options for building in shelves to store your movies and games along with track lighting for subtle light and uninterrupted movies. It is advised not to have them install any windows in your new movie theater. Save windows for other areas in the basements. Movie theaters should be dark with crisp views of the large screen.

While movie theater’s are quite the extravagant feature, there are more things that catch a homeowner’s eye for basement upgrades. This is your opportunity to escape from the kids and relax in a comforting environment. Let the kids let loose in the theater while you enjoy your own private bar or even wine cellar. Both upgrades are feasible and are sure to bring a new excitement to coming home or having guests over. Professional companies will have all the options you are looking for in your wine cellar such as built in wine racks and beautiful glass doors to walk into your private cellar. They will know exactly how to showcase your fine wine and in a classy and custom way. As far as for your bar (to sit and have your well deserved glass of wine), there are endless options for construction. You can have custom cabinets, full kitchen appliances, hand picked knobs and handles, and even things like custom shelving for your bottles and glasses. Special areas to hang your wine glasses from are always a nice extra touch.

When it comes to finishing your upscale basement, do not let any idea get in your way. If things like movie theaters, wine cellars, and bars are all easy upgrade options, then there are many more upgrades to follow. Start thinking about what extravagant feature you want in your basement and call the professionals today for your custom home basement additions.

By: Paul A Buchanan