Extra! Extra! Free Energy! - Not For Sale

To whom that waste today, may be left wanting tomorrow! If you are one of those people that use energy, not abuse it, but use it wisely. It may be beneficial to have a peep at this.

Most people go through life looking but not seeing. I use to be like that and I must admit that I have missed quite a lot in my day. I would also like to think that I have mended my ways and that the things in life that matter are no longer passing me by.

Lots of things have come to the fore that previously went by unnoticed. This could be seen as my personal account if so wished. During these holidays I visited my parents in the North Cape (South Africa). The towns and communities are small compared to the metropolitan areas ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand.

The active town population where my parents live number approximate 250 (not including the visitors/truck drivers). Therefore it astounded me to find people utilizing all forms of foreign energies in such a small place. The inventions appear to be quite successful and some even state their personal reputation on their inventions.

Foreign energies in my world would constituted anything that is not petroleum or electricity (from the filling stations or power points in the home of course). I encountered solar energy devises. These included solar cells, solar heaters, solar water heaters (that replace Geysers), solar cooking (brand new for me) and a number of other ways to use the sun in manors not known in my world.

Wind energy seems to be in its infancy at this time according to the people in the know (wise old men in the village). The prototypes for generating electricity with ordinary equipment found on the farm and in automobiles. I must say that I think it seems promising.

Being myself I had to see if I could find more information relating to this topic. Low and behold, it had been documented! Should you find yourself (as I did) intrigued by this you may want to investigate some more on your own.

Have fun with this one.

Hennie Stander is a new author that have seen the other side of green renewable energy and would like to make the facts available to world.

Energy Saving Tips

Astonishingly, Americans generally spend $1600 or more a year on their utility bills. Not only is much of this wasted energy, but more carbon dioxide is emitted into the air from one home than two average cars. The following tips will help you save energy costs both at home and in the car.

*Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.

* Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.

* Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

* Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

* Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).

* Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

* Take short showers instead of baths.

* Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

* Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.

* Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Department of Energy.

Energy Auditing Tips:

* Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces.

* Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home.

* Check for open fireplace dampers.

* Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained. Check your owner's manual for the recommended maintenance.

* Study your family's lighting needs and use patterns, paying special attention to high-use areas such as the living room, kitchen, and outside lighting. Look for ways to use lighting controls - like occupancy sensors, dimmers, or timers - to reduce lighting energy use, and replace standard light bulbs and fixtures with compact or standard fluorescent lamps.

Insulation Tips

* Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation R-values for your home.

* Use higher density insulation, such as rigid foam boards, in cathedral ceilings and on exterior walls.

* Ventilation plays a large role in providing moisture control and reducing summer cooling bills. Attic vents can be installed along the entire ceiling cavity to help ensure proper airflow.

* Recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss, but you need to be careful how close you place insulation next to a fixture unless it is marked IC.

These tips, and more, are provided to you in a larger PDF file by the US Department of Energy.

David Tanguay is dedicated to providing research, reviews & helpful information to consumers and businesses. For more information related to Green Energy and Alternative Energy please visit http://greenenergyonline.org

Choosing Window Blinds - 12 Tips to Avoid Expensive Errors

Nowadays there are numerous designs of blinds suitable for almost every type of window. Here are some tips to help you select the most appropriate model for different domestic situations.

Windows with a beautiful view:

When you have a window with the view of a scenic landscape, seascape, pool, mountains, etc., you should consider a blind that pulls up as tightly as possible to minimise obstruction of the view. However, we often suggest that windows with a view are left unobstructed, perhaps only with a set of dress curtains to coordinate with the rest of the decor. Avoid bulky wooden venetian blinds.

Arched windows:

Arches can be a problem and are often treated as a rectangular aperture. To retain the arch you could consider pleated or honeycomb blinds which fan into a semi-circle.

French Windows (Doors):

French doors can be tricky because the blind or the controls can get blown around when the doors are open, or caught in the hinges as the doors are closed.
The key is to think of the door as a window, which happens to be in a door. It is usually best to use the same products as those already on windows in that room, for consistency of style. Wood Venetians work quite well because their weight flaps around less in a breeze. Roller blinds with a friction lock mechanism are good because they eliminate cords & chains.

Bay Window:

Most products will work in a bay, but care is needed in measuring and design. A bay will need between 3 and 5 individual blinds. Roman blinds need to allow space between each one to avoid contact and entanglement as they move up & down.
Skylights:

Consider using a highly efficient insulating honeycomb blind or a roller blind. These are available in different materials that can control the influx of heat and light. The honeycomb helps provide an extra degree of thermal insulation. Roller blinds fitting inside a skylight recess usually need to be compatible with the skylight; especially if it is an opening window. Blinds fitted outside the recess on a sloping ceiling need side rails or tension cords for support to prevent sagging.

All skylight blinds need a control mechanism such as a wand to activate them when you are standing below them.

Sliding Patio Doors:

Verticals are very popular for sliding doors, despite their diminishing popularity in general. They can be installed within the frame or over the glass, but don't necessarily choose a vertical if the other room products are something other than verticals. Consistency is important, too.

Very large windows:

Whenever a window covering is extremely large, its weight makes it difficult to raise and puts unnecessary tension on the strings (which may cause the strings to break). You may need to consider a special control option, or alternatively consider dividing them up into multiple blinds on a single headrail, or order multiple blinds and install them side-by-side.

Hard to reach windows:

Consider specifying extra long cords so you can open or close a product. Many blinds can be made with remote controlled motorised operation, though this is not cheap and you need to consider where to fit the mechanism.

Front of house windows:

It is common to want the front windows of your home to be as uniform as possible-just how consistent is up to you. What ever style of blinds you like, it should be possible to achieve this.

Windows with humidity:

All quality products should be water resistant. But high humidity or widely changing humidity can be a problem for wooden Venetian blinds, fabric Roman or laminated fabric roller blinds.

Harsh sun or bright outside light:

To eliminate glare on a TV or computer monitor, or to prevent a bright security light from beaming in to your bedroom, use blinds with no stitch holes. Blackout lining is also recommended. Honeycomb blinds provide superior insulation under harsh sunlight.

High activity areas:

If you have kids in your home, you should get the highest quality, sturdiest products. Also you should consider the safety aspect of pull cords and chains to avoid the risk of tripping or stangulation accidents.

Finally

There is a wide choice of blinds available, so much so that you might feel you are spoilt for choice. In that situation it is always prudent to seek advice from an interior designer. If you speak to a designer they will have the design freedom to suggest window dressings other than blinds, whereas if you speak to a specialist blind company be aware that they are out to sell blinds - indeed as many as possible!

Bronia Suszczenia is co-founder and Creative Director of Art from the Start Ltd a firm of interior designers in Yorkshire England. She has also recently established Fabric Gallery and Interiors a retailer of quality curtain fabric and designer wallpaper in York England

Going Green - Saving Your Business Time and Money

Not that long ago, the term "going green" conjured up thoughts of radical environmentalists going to extremes to save a forest in the name of "The Movement." Today, however, "going green" means so much more. As individual awareness has grown regarding how behavior affects greenhouse gas emissions or hurts local water supply; home recycling and home energy efficiency has grown from energy efficient light bulbs to entire energy efficiency home conversions.

As an extension of this personal environmental impact awareness, businesses are giving serious thought to how they can "go green" while continuing to make their businesses more efficient. Beyond in-office recycling and re-using coffee cups, companies are searching for solutions that provide the right combination of savings and benefits for both employer and employee, while enabling employers to give some intangible benefits to employees during tight economic times. One such solution is phone and web conferencing.

Phone and web conferencing by companies allows employees to hold virtual meetings from their own offices. It gives them instant access to co-workers, customers and clients without having to travel, thereby eliminating the environmental impact while lowering company costs. When you consider that a roundtrip flight from New York to Los Angeles emits 2.46 metric tons of CO2 -- the greenhouse gas that goes directly into the most sensitive portion of our atmosphere - you realize how much you can make a difference by simply introducing phone and web conferencing into your company culture. [1]

Phone and web conferencing also allows individuals to reduce personal stress and increase productivity by giving them the option to work from home on one or more days a week. Being able to meet virtually wherever they are located means they can still hold impromptu meetings or recurring ones with ease. Phone or web conferencing enables individuals to use their time more efficiently - scheduling and keeping other appointments becomes easier. Additionally, telecommuting using phone and web conferencing equates to cost savings on vehicle use -- less wear and tear on vehicles. The result of using phone and web conferencing is that employees strengthen the work-life balance and, ultimately, companies are able to hire and retain happier, more productive workers.

Environmentally speaking, encouraging staff to use phone and web conferencing has many benefits. Already 12 million employees and another 16 million self-employed people work at home at least one day a month [1]. Collectively, these home-based workers now save the equivalent of 24% of Gulf oil imports and avoid producing 33 million metric tons greenhouse gases a year [1]. Also, according to a report released in April 2008 by the American Electronics Association, if every U.S. worker telecommuted 1.6 days per week, an estimated 1.35 billion gallons of gasoline could be conserved annually.

The positive results that phone and web conferencing contribute to the environment and make in an employee's life is something that any company can feel good about. What's more, shareholders, clients, employees and investors, will feel confident supporting a company that employs such forward thinking, cost efficient and eco-friendly policies.

[1]- American Electronics Association Report- April 2008

For more information on Phone Conferencing and Web Conferencing, visit http://www.webpresentnow.com

Asphalt Shingle Roofing - Poway Home Remodeling

Is it any wonder why almost 80% of homes in North America use asphalt shingles as the roofing material of choice. The prevalence of asphalt shingles has created a vast assortment of fittings and fixtures designed to work with them. Items such as a multitude of flashing configurations, edge products, and almost every skylight manufactured has an appropriate base configuration for a weatherproof connection with asphalt shingles. All of the material that you need for a proper installation, such as the shingles, tarpaper, nails, vent boots and chimney flashing are available at any home improvement retailer.

The primary attributes of asphalt tiles are:

• reasonably priced (economical),
• require very little maintenance,
• versatile,
• provide excellent protection on steep sloped roofs,
• are weather and sunlight resistant,
• easy to cut,
• can be nailed by hand or with powered nailers.

There are two different types of asphalt shingle base material construction - composition and fiberglass. Composition shingles use a base material termed organic felt, which is a blend of paper and wood fibers. Fiberglass, on the other hand, uses a base that is comprised of a fiberglass mat. In both cases, once the base material is produced it is soaked in an asphalt compound. In numbers sold, fiberglass leads the market. They are less expensive, weigh less because they are thinner, have a longer wear life and have a better fire rating than the composition base shingles.

Average cost of a shingle roof is $50 to $150 per square, installed. Removal of old shingles will cost between $30 and $50 per square.

Both types of asphalt shingles are manufactured with embedded mineral granules. Seeing the granules in your eaves trough (after the initial installation) is a sure sign that you need to repair or replace the shingles.

Where just a few years ago asphalt shingles were only available in simple tab configurations in blacks, grays and browns, the manufacturers have expanded their product lines to include a vast array of colors, profiles and with the use of laminate coatings have created as assortment of eye pleasing textures. Special chemicals are also being blended into the shingles to make them mold and algae resistant. Although these additional features do increase the price per square, asphalt shingles are still the most economical roofing material available.

Drawbacks:

The serviceable life of asphalt shingles is the lowest of all the roofing materials. Although they are available in numerous grades designated by the expected life, from 15 to 50 years they often need repair or replacement long before their supposed life has expired. The hotter the climate, the shorter the life of asphalt shingles. Many of the asphalt shingle problems that are encountered by homeowners are a direct result of two factors:

• poor initial installation
• damage due to sever weather

Poor installation usually occurs in the area of deck preparation, and not providing adequate flashing around items that are protruding through the roof such as vent pipes and chimneys. Other poor installation methods are not using the required amount of nails per shingle and nailing in the wrong area of the shingle. There are many fly-by-night roofing companies that will quote low prices, because they won't be around to stand behind the workmanship. Choose a roofing contractor carefully.

Roof Repairs:

You should inspect your shingled roof and all the flashing at least once a year and after any major storm such as a hurricane. Hurricane winds will remove entire shingles and lift others. Sun and rain can cause asphalt shingles to crack. You should also go into the attic and look up, any sign of daylight means that there is a hole. When inspecting the roof look for shingles that have lost the granule minerals - bald spots, cracked and/or curled.

If you have to make a roof repair, choose a warm day so that the shingles will be flexible and unlikely to crack when lifted. The roofing cements also spread easier in warmer temperatures.

You will know when you have a roofing problem when you see beige spots appearing on ceilings and walls close to the ceiling. Beige spots are a sign of water damage.

Maintenance:

Roofing cement is the equivalent of duct tape for roofs. It will repair most leaks, cracked or torn shingles, patch flashing around vent pipes and chimneys. You can also use the roofing cement to cover nail heads that have been exposed.

Shingles fade with age so any replacement shingles used will most likely be visually obvious. Shingle over damaged ridge shingles, by nailing down all the corners of the old shingle first - do not remove them.

If you have to replace an entire shingle, lift each of the tabs and pry the nails out of the shingle of the one that needs to be replaced. Remove the top corners of the replacement shingle and very carefully, without damaging the tarpaper, slip it under the existing shingles.

Use roofing nails (large head, galvanized) to fix the new shingle to the roof decking. Use roofing cement to cover the nail heads.

Planning and knowledge are the keys to any successful home improvement, remodel or landscaping project!

For additional information on roofing materials for your home or other renovation projects, including landscaping, visit Renovation Headquarters

Ideas For Living on a Budget

Do you have to live on a budget because you do not make a lot of money? Maybe you just want to be able to save so you want to know how to live on a budget. There are plenty of things you can do to save some money. Here are 4 ideas for living on a budget.

First, go to the grocery store with a list. It is proven that if you go to the grocery with a list you will be able to save up to 40% on your grocery bill. As long as you stick to the list you will only buy what you need and you will be able to avoid the impulse buys.

You can also clip coupons and buy things that are on special. Many grocery stores have a membership card that is free and you can save a lot of money buying things that are on sale with their card. Sometimes they have 10 for $10 sales and if it is on something that you use a lot of you might as well stock up and save money.

Second, you can save money by using energy saving light bulbs. These bulbs are great for the environment and are proven to help you cut your energy bill. You can save a few dollars each month by using the light bulbs. On top of that you will not have to pay for as many light bulbs because the energy saving bulbs last up to 10 times as long.

The last idea for living on a budget is to get rid of your ATM card and put your money in directly into your bank account. If you have a checking account get rid of your debit card and leave your check book at home.

This will allow you to put money in the bank and have very little access to it. By eliminating the access to your money you will not be as tempted to spend it on things you don't need.

You can use these ideas for living on a budget to help you save money. You should also stop eating out as much and watch how much money you spend on things like beer and wine. Going out eats up a lot of peoples budget and with a little discipline you can live on a budget without any money troubles.

Discover more about Ideas For Living On A Budget by visiting the follow website:

Ideas For Living On A Budget

Do You Really Need to Get Building Permits?

When you are planning a home renovation project probably no other words form in your mind with a BIG dollar sign next to them as much as those two simple little words: Building Codes.

Depending upon your project you might find yourself dealing with inspections for foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, roofing, heating and air conditioning. Each of these could include inspections during the planning, rough in work, different stages during the actual work and of course the final inspections.

The minutia of items that an inspection can be failed for are seemingly never ending. And failing an inspection can easily result in unexpected extra costs or missed deadlines. If something gets done ahead of the inspection an Inspector can even require that the work be torn out.

Yet you can't blame a homeowner for being a little susceptible to the contractor who says, We'll just save you some money and do it on the sly without any inspections. (Wink, Wink)

In actuality, if any contractor suggests by-passing the required inspections, he should be politely shown off your property and never invited back.

Painful as they are, inspections are required for a reason. It may not always be apparent, but inspections are designed to protect your property and family. DO NOT ever try to skip by inspections.

Even if you aren't reported by a neighbor, or the work isn't seen by an Inspector driving by, not doing projects up to the local building codes can bite you in the *** when you try to sell your home down the road.

A lot of the mortgage companies require an inspection of a house before they will write the loan. Any decent inspector is going to notice work that was not completed up to code as a way to save money. You could end up spending thousands of dollars to have work redone to pass an inspection.

In truth, the only person who really benefits from avoiding the building codes is the contractor. That way he can cut corners that you can't see or don't know about. He also won't have to be as skilled or knowledgeable as the contractor who can make sure that everything passes building code inspectors.

So, it may cost you a little more initially, but it will pay of big time in the long run and potentially keep a disastrous accident from happening.

Bob Current writes on a number of his interests including home renovation. Check out his website at http://www.homeimprovementtips.info for ideas and resources.