Four Requirements to Ensure your Bath Fan Sucks – Part 2

August 8, 2011

Last week I began a two part series on what it takes to ensure the installed performance of bath fans. Poor installation, improper sizing and lack of protection during the construction process can strangle any bath fan regardless of how much you paid for it. Because of today’s tight construction, the removal of moisture generated [...]

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Four Requirements to Ensure Your Bathroom Fan Sucks – Part 1

August 1, 2011

In previous blogs I’ve talked about how important it is to keep moisture from penetrating the building enclosure. What many people don’t realize, however, is that it’s just as important to remove excess moisture from inside the house. Moisture is created by many sources in the home but one of the biggest moisture-generators, of course, [...]

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LED Technology: Beware Before you Buy

July 25, 2011

LEDs (also referred to as Solid State Lighting or SSL) are shaking the foundation of the lighting industry as we know it. Although this form of lighting is turning up everywhere, beware….inferior products are prevalent. The Bad News: All LED fixtures and bulbs are certainly not alike. Since only a few manufactures have cracked the [...]

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What Kills Crabgrass? Two Methods that Worked for Us

July 18, 2011

Green home certification points are provided for including a area-friendly landscape and water-efficient irrigation system in the construction or renovation of a green home. Upgrading our current homes to include these features is one way all of us can make a difference. With this in mind, my husband and I had a new green irrigation [...]

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Never Replace your St Augustine Turf Again!

July 10, 2011

After the multiple freezes we experienced here in central Florida this past winter, our yard, like everybody else’s, took quite a beating. Since about 22,000 square feet of our lot is turf, I don’t even want to know how much money we spent on sod, plugs and nutrients. Plus, we had way too much fun [...]

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Dual-Flush – The Toilet that Pays for Itself

July 4, 2011

Low-flow toilets (those that use 1.6 gallons per flush), have been standard in the United States since the Energy Policy Act of 1992. Although this was a great improvement over the previous 3.6 gallons per flush (gpf) fixtures, it’s estimated that, even at 1.6 gpf, as much as 20 percent of the household water we [...]

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Better Than Low-E Windows

June 6, 2011

Windows are an essential part of our homes, enhancing our spaces with nature light and providing a view to the outside. They also represent the most inefficient part of your home’s enclosure. According to Energy Star©, heat gain and loss through windows accounts for up to 50% of a home’s heating and cooling needs. Including windows [...]

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Preparing for Energy Star Version 3

May 31, 2011

The transition to the Energy Star program for new homes – Version 3 has begun. Are you ready? Did you know the builder, the HVAC contractor and the HERS rater all need to complete the Version 3 training before working on a Version 3 home? Here’s the scoop on this new program: WHAT: Energy Star [...]

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Irrigation – Hiring the Right Guy (Part 4)

May 16, 2011

This post will complete the list of 31 questions to help you interview and select a knowledgeable and capable installer. 21. Will you install a backflow prevention device? A backflow device prevents contaminated water from being drawn back into the water source, entering the drinking water. If your irrigation and drinking water are provided by the [...]

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Irrigation – Hiring the Right Guy (Part 3)

May 9, 2011

We’re continuing a list of questions to ask of potential irrigation installers. The goal of this interview process is not only to select the irrigation professional with the right skills for your job, but also to make sure everyone has the same set of expectations. 11. Do you offer a warranty on parts and labor [...]

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