Home Renovation Ideas – Great Ideas, Endless Possibilities

Americans generate 250 million tons of trash every year, of which only 83 tons – about 1/3 – gets recycled or composted. The rest goes into landfills, which are essentially giant factories that convert garbage into toxic materials and green house gases. Water leaching through the detritus picks up industrial chemicals and heavy metals, all too often depositing those poisons in nearby groundwater supplies. Meanwhile anaerobic bacteria convert organic matter into methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide.

When confronted with this reality, a number of organizations, both private and municipal, have attempted to live by a zero-waste philosophy, pushing to reduce the amount of trash they send to a landfill to nearly zero by reusing what they can and recycling the remainder. Ideally landfills would eventually become things of the past.

Unilever’s Lipton Tea plant in Suffolk VA, for example, now sends 92% less waste to landfills than it did in 2007. The plant now recycles 70% of its waste and composts 22% more. Many other companies, including Apple, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox and Walmart plan to sharply curtail their waste streams or eliminate them entirely.

These eco-minded companies are acting in their own self-interest: achieving zero waste by using fewer resources in the first way is a way to cut costs. The Lipton plant eliminated straps from shipping palets, replaced disposable wipes with reusable rags and gave every employee a lunch tin with metal utensils. Every year the plant saves more than 8 million gallons of water, 5 gigawatt-hours of electricity and, not least, tens of thousands of dollars.

Dozens of cities have also signed on to the zero-waste goal, using incentives instead of technology to get there. San Francisco instituted a “pay as you throw” program that charges residents based on volume of household trash they throw out. It is also one of the first cities in the United States to implement a curbside composting program in addition to recycling. The measures have already allowed San Francisco to divert 72% of its waste, rolling back the clock on the amount of trash it sends to land fills to rates not seen since 1980.

All reroofing jobs require a decision about whether or not to rip up the old finish roofing down to the deck below. Doing this increases the cost of the job, whether you are doing roof repair of roof installation, but it needs to be done in the following circumstances:

1)      When 2 or more layers are already there.

Most codes require you to take up roofing if two or more layers already cover the decking. The reasons are that the combined weight of the three layers may be too great for decking and that you may not be able to fasten the new roof securely through the previous layers. However, there are serviceable roofs of three layers, particularly if the third is metal roofing layer. If you are in doubt about adding a third layer, consult a home inspector.

2)      When any part of the roof deck is bad.

A sagging or springy feeling when you walk on the roof indicates a decaying deck. When deterioration is detected, professional roofing contractors usually tear off the finish roofing in at least that area of the roof so that they can properly do roof inspection, inspect and repair the deck.

3)      When a building inspector requires a whole new roof.

Sometimes, but not usually, local code officials will require you to remove the old layers if you are planning to put down a new one. In fact, some building inspection departments are very fussy about old decks and even rafters being brought up to modern code standards. Sometimes they have good reason, and sometimes they are too cautious.

There are 200-year old rafters in New England, undersized by modern code standards, that have withstood exceptional snow loads and other tests of time. If your local department requires an upgrade, but you think your roof is solid and no roof replacement is needed, try to persuade roof officials of that. Mainly the codes do not apply retroactively to old construction, but they do rightly call for roofs that can stand up to the expected snow and wind loads.

Those are the three conditions for removing old finish roofing. Generally if you have one single layer, you can cover it.

If you are removing old roof shingles, there is a technique that can make the work go faster: use a long-handled spade-type shovel. Its slight angle at the end makes it a good lever-action nail-puller, and it keeps your face high above the dust.  CAUTION: wear a respirator. Many old roofing shingles contain asbestos. As an added precaution, wash your work clothes – separately from other clothing – immediately after removing the roofing.

Another trick is to rent a small, open-top auto trailer that can be manually pulled around the house. Set it against the house wall below where you are working and throw shingles into it, moving it around the house as you go. Doing this saves hours of nasty cleanup and can also be used during other roof repair projects.

Q&A

I’d like to clear the air in more than one room in my house. So what is better: home air purifier or room air filters? Should I buy numerous air filters or invest in whole house air purifier?

In general, room air purifiers appear to be more effective – at least according to in-depth reviews of air filters conducted by the Consumers Union. The reason? Built-in forced-air heating and cooling systems work only when the air is being blown, and indoor pollutants can build up during seasons when the system isn’t used as frequently. Portable, single-room units allow you to continuously filter the air in your home, regardless of whether the heating or cooling systems are on. When choosing a room air filter avoid purchasing any ozone-producing models.

If you already have a central filter installed in your air-handling system, there are a few measures you can take to maximize its effectiveness. start by replacing the existing filter in the air duct with a HEPA or pleated media filter. These are relatively inexpensive and easy to install. Then, remember to wash or replace the filter on a regular basis per the manufacturer’s instructions as a clogged filter can block airflow and actually worsen air conditions inside your home.

And finally, don’t forget that the ultimate solution for cleaner indoor air is source control. Regular cleaning and vacuuming, as well as avoidance of toxic household chemicals, paints and other products in your home, will reduce the number of pollutants you will need to filter out in the first place.

The average household spends close to 20% of its annual electricity bill on lighting. For every watt of energy consumed, only 10% is used to produce light – the rest 90% is released as heat in a house hold that uses traditional inefficient incandescent light bulbs. This results not only in a waste of power but also a fire and burn hazard because of the great amount of heat generated.

For this reason, compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL) are an increasingly popular choice in many households and commercial buildings. Essentially miniature versions of the large overhead fluorescent lights often found in office buildings and schools. Most fluorescent light bulbs last 8 to 12 times longer than traditional incandescents, at a quarter the cost per hour, which reduces energy bills and results in significant energy saving.

Benefits of Fluorescent Light Bulbs

If the word “fluorescent” makes you cringe, rest assured: today’s energy saving light bulbs are designed to emit a softer and more flattering light than their predecessors, and they no longer flicker or buzz.  Fluorescent light fixtures also produce 70% less heat than incandescents while illuminated, so heat waste is not an issue.

CFLs do come with a few caveats, however. First, they cost an average $5 to $15 per bulb, significantly more than the typical two-for-a-dollar incandescent bulbs. But given their extended life and the energy savings they provide, the investment quickly becomes worthwhile. (Look for the Energy Star label on the package to ensure you get what you pay for.)

Selecting Brightness

Second, selecting the appropriate brightness level can be tricky. Start by taking a close look at CFL and incandescent bulbs’ packaging side by side. A bulb’s energy use is denoted in watts, while its light output is measured in lumens. If you want the same brightness, look for the one with a lumen output comparable to that of the bulbs you normally use. Or just pick one that is about a quarter the wattage of the incandescent bulb you are replacing.

The EPA’s Energy Star offers the following equivalencies:

CFL (watts)              Incandescent (watts)

9-13                                         40

13-15                                       60

18-25                                      75

23-30                                     100

30-52                                     150

We use huge amounts of water, about 100 gallons per person per day. Experts say that most people believe they already doing their best to conserve, but here are a few ways to get well below our extravagant average:

• Fix any leaks you may have with the help of a plumber. Possibly the greatest water waste is a silent toilet leak. This easy plumbing fix can could save 240 gallons every day.
• Finding a toilet leak is simple. Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If it shows up in the bowl, there’s a leak.
• Install an aerator on your sink and reduce the flow by 50%. But the great thing is , it will seem like the flow is greater because air is mixed in with the water. An aerator is cheap and simply screws on to the end of your faucet.
• Save at least a gallon per flush by placing a weighted 1 quart bottle in your tank. Ten flushes a day could save 10 gallons. But be careful is doesn’t displace so much water that you have to flush twice. In this case you will actually end up using more water.
• Save 6 gallons by flushing only when necessary. Don’t use your toilet to dispose of things like tissues or cigarettes.
• Save 10 gallons per day by shaving 2 minutes off your shower time. Every minute you are in the shower, 5 gallons of water goes down the drain.
• Keep a plastic bucket in the shower to catch water and use it to slush the toilet. You will save 6 gallons every time you use it.
• Shave with a basin of water rather than a running stream, and you will increase your water savings by 3 gallons.
• Use a glass of water to brush your teeth. Then rinse your brush in the glass when you are through. You will save about 2 gallons of water.
• Save 15 gallons of water by running your dishwasher only when it is full. If you hand wash dishes in a dish pan rather than under running water, you will save about the same amount.

These easy ways to save water do not require major changes in your lifestyle. Maybe a call to your local plumbing company. All these tips add up to significant water savings,  And at today’s water prices, it is like saving liquid gold.