Do You Have Your Own Solar Heating Systems?

February 8th, 2010

Hot water for home use is a luxury that most of can take for granted. When it comes down to it, conventional hot water heaters are one of your homes most unnecessary strains on fossil fuels and your pocket book. Solar heating systems have made it possible for any individual to eliminate the high financial and environmental expenses tied to traditional hot water heat. You may ask yourself exactly how sun rays can efficiently heat your water, year round.

Most solar collectors work by using the sun’s rays to heat up either water, or an antifreeze/propylene glycol mixture and circulate these fluids under your solar panels glass surface. Solar collectors are extremely sensitive, and even under low light conditions, the sun’s rays are still collected and stored. After the water is heated and circulated, the hot water is pumped into a water container where it heats up your domestic water in a process called “conduction”

Most solar heating systems (under reasonably sunny conditions) can fulfill in excess of 70% of an average households hot water needs. If you want to make a greater impact on your homes heating costs, and curb even greener house gas emissions, you can always add more solar panels, or upgrade the quality of your existing solar cells. People with solar heating systems can take charge of their carbon footprint, and their financial future at the same time! You could hire professionals to install prefabricated solar cells, or you could buy your own DIY kit. The better kits include all the materials, tools and information needed to fully understand just how simple and rewarding making your future “green” can be. You can purchase everything you need for just over $100.00 and have the additional satisfaction of knowing that you built your own cells. Anyone can say they will do it. Now you can say you already have!

You can purchase everything you need for just over $100.00 and have the additional satisfaction of knowing that you built your own cells. Anyone can say they will do it. Now you can say you already have!

Really, anybody can make solar heating systems; it quite easy to make, all guided in step-by-step guideline and video instruction.

Tags:
Posted in Energy Efficient | No Comments »

Tips for Staying on Budget When Decorating

February 8th, 2010

When decorating your home, working with a budget can sometimes present trouble, especially if it’s a small one. Although decorating budgets can be difficult to stick to, you need to realize that they’re necessary. As a homeowner, you should never go into debt decorating your home. By making sure to set a budget and by following these simple tips to stick with it, you can have a wonderfully decorated home that won’t end up costing you an arm and a leg.

Make the Decorating Budget Firm
It doesn’t make sense to set a decorating budget, only to forget about it when you start shopping. Keep in mind that you are setting a budget for a reason. It’s not necessary to do all your decorating at once. It might be better to do some of the decorating now, and then once you save some more money, revisit the room to add more items later. It’s best to stick to your budget firmly, no matter what comes up.

You Will Have to Give a Little to Get a Little
Sticking to a firm budget requires you to be flexible and willing to compromise in some areas. You’ll have to go the cheaper route for certain less crucial items, if you want any more expensive pieces that you just have to have. For instance, you might have to spend less on the window treatments or picture frames if you’ve fallen in love with a coffee table or lamp that takes up a third or so of your budget.

Don’t Worry What Other People May Think
It’s so easy to get caught up in what other people will think and say. After all, if the figurine you find is perfect for your décor, does it really matter if you found it at the local discount store? It’s not likely anyone’s going to know what you paid for items in your home unless you tell them. You need to keep in mind that not everything in your room needs to be of the highest quality. So if something is inexpensive but you like it and it fits your budget, then don’t worry about what others may or may not say—go ahead and buy it. It’s funny, but sometimes the least expensive item in the room will garner the most positive attention.

Invest in Quality for the Big Items in the Room
When you plan out your budget, it’s best to allocate the majority of your money toward the larger items like a wood bed in a master bedroom or a dining room table, thus making sure that you can afford quality that will last. You might need to put more money into things like wood furniture, flooring, and artwork, rather than window treatments or other décor. Investing in quality for the larger items guarantees that they will last longer and look better. In the end, you might have a high end sofa with inexpensive decorative pillows on it, but as long as you have kept to your final budget, then that will be just fine.

It can sometimes be tempting to throw your budget away and spend more than you can afford. Unfortunately, when you do that, then every time you walk into your redecorated home or room, you are going to have negative thoughts about that debt. In the end, negative thought might lead to you not being able to enjoy being in the space. If that becomes the case, then what was the point of spending all that money? Sticking to the budget will not only save you money, it will bring you peace of mind as well.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Interior Decorating & Design | No Comments »

Wind Generator Plans – How to Decide If it is Right For You

February 7th, 2010

If you are considering converting your house or business over to Wind Power, either to supply 100% of your energy needs, or just to supplement your existing power supply in order to reduce your total energy costs, one of the first things you should do is invest in a set of Wind Generator Plans, which will detail all the points that you will need to take into account before deciding if it is a feasible proposition for your particular situation.

With the continual increase in the cost of the fuels required to generate electricity, together with the ever growing need for us all to cut down on our usage of fossil fuels to help reduce the effects of global warming, now is the perfect time for you to start considering other methods for powering your home.

One of the main points to think about is the area in which you live. Obviously a windmill will require wind, therefore the wind speeds in your area need to be looked at. Ideally you will be looking for an average wind speed of 12 mph. Details of where to go to research this item would be included in your wind generator plans. Should you establish that you do not live in a suitable area for wind power, you could consider homemade solar cells as an alternative.

You will need to establish exactly how much power your home is using now. It may be worth taking this opportunity of looking at your appliances and see if there are alternatives available that take less power, such as low power light bulbs and energy efficient fridges and freezers. This will reduce your overall power needs which will, in turn, cut down on the costs of building your own generating plant.

Power generated from wind turbines will need some form of storage facility, especially if you are intending to be self sufficient in your energy needs. This is not so much of a problem if you are only intending using your home built system to supplement your main power supply, as you can always revert back to this should there not be sufficient wind available. The method of storing the unused energy is by the use of an array of batteries, which can be designed to store as little or as much power as you need, dependent on your individual requirements. How to calculate the power that you will need and the amount of storage you will require will be included within your wind generator plans.

For further information on what is required and if it’s the right choice for you, why not get yourself some wind generator plans now. To find out how easy it is to get started on this project check out http://wind-generator-plans.net/.

Tags:
Posted in Energy Efficient | No Comments »

Homemade Solar Electric Panels – What’s the Cost?

February 6th, 2010

If you wonder what’s the actual cost of a homemade solar panel, keep reading! The cost of commercial solar panels have an average return of the investment of ten years. So in about five to ten years you should be able to recover your initial investment due to lower electricity bills.

This figure will vary greatly depending on:

  • The quantity of power you consume
  • The location of the solar electric panels on your roof
  • The amount of sun exposure you have

Also different states around the country offer different incentive programs and rebates for the purchase and installation of solar panels. You may call your local building department to inquiry about their programs. It may well save you thousands of dollars.

The amount of solar panels you may need is actually not depending on the size of the building (as it may seem at first) but on the electricity you consume. Therefore the first step would be to get your last electricity bills (up to a year to have a better calculation), add the total kilowatt hours from the utility bills (kWh) and divide it by 1930.

This formula will give you a quite approximate size in kilowatts of the photovoltaic panels you will actually need. Commercial systems cost from %5,000 to $9,000 per kilowatt installed (before any rebate)

For example: if your utility bill tells you are using 12,500 kWh per year and your cost is $1,800/year:

12,500 / 1,930 = 6.47 kW. That means you will need a system able to generate 6.47kW

And that system would cost you: 6.47 kW * $7,000/kW = $45,290 (taking an average installation value of $7,000)

With a 30% rebate your bill would be reduced by $13,588 and you would have to come with $31,703 (out of pocket). If you then factor tax credits you would have to end up paying around $16,000

And since your yearly cost is $1,800 you will have paid for your installation in ($16,000 / $1,800 = 8.8 years)

You should take also into account the physical space needed to install the system:

To generate 1kW you may need a bit less than 100 square feet of solar panels, So for 6.47kW you may need around 600 square feet of roof space. But if you can’t afford a commercial solar electric panel installation you may look to other valuable alternatives like DIY photovoltaic panels.

There are plenty of books and eBooks around that can help you in this task. Just take the time to analyze your best option and go for it!

If you would like to learn more about solar electric panels or photovoltaic solar panels just visit my site.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Energy Efficient | No Comments »

How to Build Solar Panels – Can You Really Build Your Own DIY Solar Panels? Maybe is Not That Easy

February 5th, 2010

Learning how to build solar panels is not easy, but it certainly is possible. If you do not have a lot of electric knowledge or skill it will not be easy at first, but as you move forward you will feel more comfortable with the process.

DIY solar panels can help you save a lot of money off of your monthly electric bill and they just take a while to build. Learning how to build solar panels is difficult for people who have no experience and the actual building process is no that easy. But with the right step by step set of instructions, you should be able to put together your DIY solar system successfully.

Solar panels can generally be built for less than $100 as long as you know where to get good deals on the parts you will need. You also need several different tools such as players, screwdrivers and a DC meter. These tools are fairly basic and can be bought at generally any hardware store.

Keep in mind that you are working with electricity. Make sure that your instructions are sufficiently detailed and reliable, and more importantly, make sure you understand them as well as the process from the beginning. You cannot build a solar panel based off of any article you find on the internet, or you will struggle greatly.

This is not to discourage you from building your own solar powered panel, but rather to make sure that you are ready to build it. Learning how to build solar panels is not simple, but not impossible as long as you have a good set of instructions and the willingness and abilities to follow through.

Points to consider before you start building a solar energy panel:

Materials: Make sure you have absolutely all the materials and tools you will need. Don’t start thinking you will get the rest of the stuff you need as you go. Get everything now.

Planning: Plan ahead of time how many panels you will need and where you will place each one. Many times you will only need a few panels or even one to start making some savings.

Safety: Take all precautions necessary to avoid dangerous exposure to electrical components. Make sure you have a safe place where you will place your batteries away from children. Make sure they will be secured.

Training: Watch a full video on how the panels are built from scratch from start to finish, even before you start. And try to plan your project for a sunny day, so you can do your testing correctly as you go.

If you do not prepare properly and do not fully understand how to build solar panels you will waste a good deal of time and money. Preparation and information are key to building a solar panel that can help save you money.

You will not be able to learn how to build solar panels based off of some free articles or videos you saw on the internet, because the process is much more complex, especially if you have no experience working with electrical equipment.

Do not take this project lightly, get ready first and make sure you have everything you need and you should be able to build a solar system and save yourself money off of your electric bill.

Creating a ‘SOLAR-PANEL’ System or a Wind Generator could be a very satisfying and rewarding project; however, it is very important that you use a sound and reliable step by step set of instructions designed specifically for this purpose. SUPPORT along the process is a must.

If you really wish to succeed at building a Renewable Energy System, you must visit DIY Solar Panels. To go to the Website CLICK HERE: Make Solar Panels.

Tags: ,
Posted in DIY | No Comments »

Tips to Use Home Staging on the Exterior of Your Home

February 4th, 2010

While many believe that home staging is something you do on the inside of your house, it can also be used in other areas as well.

Curb appeal is the way to describe how your house appears to potential buyers from the outside, which is always the first impression your home makes. Increasing your curb appeal may be the only chance you get to convince potential buyers to consider purchasing your home.

Let’s take a look at a few other ways to create the necessary curb appeal you need in order to entice buyers take a second look at your home.

Attempting to sell your home with an unpleasant or neglected outside image will cause many problems. Buyers who see that the exterior of a home has not been taken care of will assume that the interior is just as bad.

You should always attend to all of the details that you would notice if it were you purchasing a new home. Areas such as the lawn, flower beds, trees, windows, and items that are taking up space and causing clutter need to be dressed up and organized.

There are various areas of your house can create an unfavorable impression for potential buyers. An old and peeling layer of paint can cause buyers to believe that the house has not been taken care of. An inappropriate or wild color scheme can also cause buyers to skip right over your house.

One of the best things you can do to increase the curb appeal of your house and make it appeal to buyers is simply applying a fresh coat of a neutral colored paint.

The little things that you never think or worry about when living in a house are also part of the curb appeal you can add to your house. Items such as hardware and mailboxes can change the look of your house. Even these seemingly small details become a very noticeable problem if these items do not blend well with the overall appearance of the rest of your house.

The landscape of your house should always be kept clean and simple and you should be sure to include items that will make the buyer take notice of your yard. If you have placed items in your yard that distract from the view of your house, you will want to be sure to remove them.

Home staging should also be done not only to enhance the appearance you are creating for the day, but the evening hours as well. To impress those buyers who choose to drive by after dark, you should install lighting that will illuminate the appearance of your house from the street. This gives the potential buyer the comfort of knowing that your house will be both beautiful and safe at all times.

TJ Lashley is a frequent contributor who especially enjoys writing on family, home, and topics about popular products. Be sure to stop by TJ’s latest website at http://www.garagedooropenerhub.com which is designed to provide information on clicker garage door opener choices and other choices and types today’s popular garage door openers.

Tags:
Posted in DIY | No Comments »

3 DIY Solar Projects to Reduce Your Electric Bills Today

February 3rd, 2010

Home solar power systems have become a great renewable energy alternative. Unlike fossil fuels, such as coal or oil, solar power is freely available and can provide sufficient electricity to people wherever the sun shines. So as long as the sun is shining, your home solar power system will be producing electricity for you and saving you money for many years.

If you have researched solar power in the past and decided to pass on installing solar because of the cost, then you should check into solar again. You will be surprised on what you will find this time. Federal government and many state and local agencies offer significant tax breaks to install solar power systems in your home. These incentives alone will reduce your initial investment and make the system more affordable.

Doing the project yourself with a solar home kit will cost you far less money than professionally installed systems. You can convert any type of home or business into one that creates electricity from solar energy.

For many do-it-yourself-ers, the world of solar energy is untapped because most people are unaware of what things are possible with solar energy. Let’s discuss three of these Solar Projects that a person who likes to do it yourself might consider tackling:

1. Solar Panels

Solar panels are a very popular project for people that like to do it themselves. Not only are they one of the most efficient ways to save on electricity, but also solar power is a reliable form of renewable energy that does not emit harmful by-product likes traditional energy production.

Solar cells, also referred to as photovoltaic cells (photo=light, voltaic=of or producing electricity), are grouped and connected together in a single frame called a panel. These panels are a great way to collect sunlight and convert it to energy that can be used for electricity.

Thanks to technology it is much easier to build your own solar panel. In addition there are several guides available to help you with this process. Be sure to do your research and choose a reputable DIY guide that clearly illustrates how to build your own solar panel.

2. Solar Water Heaters

Every household enjoys hot water but did you know that approximately 30% of all home energy costs are being spent on heating water? Whether you are doing dishes, washing clothes, taking a bath, or just washing your hands, when you turn on the water you expect hot water to be available. A lot of energy is required for a water heater to supply a household with hot water, which makes your monthly bill costly.

A solution to reduce your expenses related to keeping your water hot would be to install a Solar Water Heater. No special tools are needed and with a basic understanding of wiring and plumbing connections, you can do this project yourself.

A quality DIY manual that gives you each step by step process of how to build and install this system is needed.

3. Solar Air Heaters

Do you notice the cost to heat your home rising every winter? Since the sun provides heat all year round, let us explore how you can take advantage of it during the cold days of winter.

Using solar thermal technology, a solar air heater produces heat from the sun so your heating system does not have to operate as often during the day. Supplementing your existing heating system with solar air heating will dramatically reduce your heating costs by as much as 30%.

Many people have developed DIY guides that show various distinctive ways of building solar heaters, and although their materials and methods are different, the results are the same: a successful and fully-functional solar heater.

Adding solar energy alternatives into your home design is not a difficult process at all using DIY guides. Each of these projects can be completed separately. Give it a try. Chances are you might even find that you have fun!

As mentioned above, the most important thing you need is a detailed guide that shows you step by step how to get the required parts and put them together to build your solar project. A well organized guide will help you reduce the amount of time you spend building it and the totally money spent on your project.

For more free information on using solar power to reduce your electric bills, visit http://www.buildgreenenergy.info/

Tags: ,
Posted in DIY | No Comments »

Drawer Pulls – They Are a Key Ingredient in Restoring an Old Dresser

January 31st, 2010

You have this old dresser that has been sitting in the corner of your garage collecting dust for years. You have one of two choices when it comes to what you can do with it. A, you can junk it or B, you could restore it and use it in one of the rooms throughout your home. If you decide to go the latter route, good choice and one key element that could make or break its new restored look is the drawer pulls that you purchase for it.

Believe it or not, drawer pulls actually carry a lot of decorative weight and if you put the wrong ones on a dresser or drawer, it could through off the whole look that you are trying to achieve. So, it is a must to get ones that match the style of things. Take your kitchen for example, maybe your theme in the kitchen is one that is more on the traditional side, simple yet very pleasing to the eye. In this kind of space then, you go with drawer pulls that have that same look and feel, to make the space cohesive. You wouldn’t go with some that is ornamental and in your face because it would clash with the traditional cabinetry, making everything look downright shabby.

Okay, so now that you understand the importance of drawer pulls, you can get to planning what kind of look you want your restored dresser to have. Like, maybe you want it to be more on the antique side, painted white with elegant floral accents. Or, maybe you want it to have a more modern feel to it, featuring a symmetrical look that is very clean and sleek.

Whatever you decide, remember to get drawer pulls that complement the new appearance of the dresser and there are actually a lot of options to choose from with this fixture, which makes doing that pretty easy. For example, with that antique styled dresser, a great option for it would be to get ones that are made from ceramic that are also painted white and you would probably be able to find ones that have the same type of floral theme. For the modern looking dresser, a great options would be ones that also have a sleek appearance and are crafted from stainless steel that feature a brushed finish.

The choices with drawer pulls don’t stop with just those two options either because they can also feature other styles while being crafted from other materials and having different finishes applied to them as well. One quick and easy way to check out the choices is by just going online and browsing the different sites and their products. When you find something you want, you can buy it too and what’s great is that it will be shipped right to you, so you don’t even have to leave your home to get what you want.

So, don’t junk that old dresser of yours and restore it instead. Use drawer pulls to finish off its look and place it in any room throughout your home for some more storage space.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of different niche online stores that offer customers not only products, but information relating to furnishing and decorating indoor and outdoor living spaces. Whether you want to redecorate your living room or create the ultimate outdoor environment perfect for entertaining, there is a lot of helpful advice to take advantage of to make it happen. Today, she shares her insight when investing in grand cabinet hardware and eye catching knobs. Invest in them today to enjoy them for a lifetime.

Tags:
Posted in Cabinets | No Comments »

Installing Kitchen Cabinets – To the Ceiling Or Leave a Space?

January 30th, 2010

Should you install kitchen cabinets right to the ceiling or leave a space? This is a common question that most homeowners struggle with. There is no right or wrong answer to the question, but there are some challenges and design features to consider

1) The height of your ceilings- ceiling height will not only have an impact on whether you will have enough room to leave a space above your cabinets, but it will also impact the size cabinets you can use. With 30″ wall cabinets, if you use the industry standard of 19 1/2″ between your base and wall cabinets, you will need a minimum of 84″ in height, and with 42″ cabinets you will need a minimum of 96″… if you planning on installing crown moulding or leaving a space, that will have an impact on the size of the cabinets that you can use and whether you will have to install them to the ceiling or leave a space

2) Contour of the ceiling- one of the biggest misconceptions is that your ceiling is completely level. Even in new construction the ceiling, just like the floor, will have some variances in height (the better the builder, the more accurate they will be). While it may not be obvious when just looking at your ceiling, trying to install cabinets right up the ceiling can reveal some significant high and low spots. Since your cabinets should always be level, regardless of the ceiling conditions, you will want to accurately note all of the high and low spots before deciding how you are going to install the kitchen cabinets. This is one of the reasons that most people leave some empty space above the cabinets or use crown moulding. The crown moulding can help hide all the imperfections in the ceiling.

3) Crown Moulding and Trim- As I mentioned before, it may be necessary to use crown or trim above your kitchen cabinets to help hide any variances. Even if your ceilings are level, it is quite common for people to use crown moulding or trim at the top of the cabinets to add some architectural detail to the kitchen. Depending on whether the crown moulding has to be attached to the top of the cabinets or to the face frame, it will have an impact on what level you can install your cabinets at.

4) The style of your kitchen cabinets- with European-style cabinets and some of the newer trends on the market, the kitchen cabinets have a full overlay door, which means there is little or no room between the door and the top of the cabinet. Because of this, it make it difficult to install the wall cabinets right up to the ceiling.

So before shopping for kitchen cabinets, it is important to consider the look that you are going for, the style of cabinets that you are going to buy, and the condition of the space you will be installing them in.

I have been able to save thousands of dollars on kitchen cabinets and now I am showing others how to do the same. Find out the source that contractors and builders use to supply kitchen cabinets for their projects. If you are interested in finding out my secrets, click on one of the links.

Tags:
Posted in Cabinets | No Comments »

Cabinet Hinges – No Cabinet Refurbishing Project is Complete Without Them

January 29th, 2010

Your kitchen cabinets, they could use a little updating. So, you’ve decided to refurbish them and go the whole nine yards. You take them apart, sand them down, stain them, wait for them to dry, and now it’s time to put them back up again. But wait one minute, did you buy new cabinet hinges for them?

If the answer was no, then what was the point of going through all that trouble to revamp their look in the first place? Like, what if the two looks don’t match, then where would you be? So, if you are going to take to refurbish your space, then you need to put the finishing touch on those newly styled cabinets of yours with new cabinet hinges. With all the choices, doing that is pretty easy.

That’s right, there are a lot of choices when it comes to lovely cabinet hinges and the reason being is because they are crafted out of all sorts of metals while being styled and finished in a number of eye-catching ways. For instance, you can get ones that have a bold modern style to them crafted from stainless steel that feature a brushed pewter finish. Or, you can get ones that are on the antique side of the style grid with a lovely ornamental appearance made from brass that are finished in an antique rubbed color. Another antique option is those made from wrought iron that is finished in a black color with detailed pointing ends.

Now, these aren’t the only material, finish, and style options when it comes to cabinet hinges because there are many others as well. Some of the other materials out there include bronze and regular steel while other finishes offered include oil rubbed and polished. You can also get ones that are made from porcelain or ceramic that has hand painted designs on them. A few of the other style choices include country, cottage, colonial, and traditional.

In addition to all the style choices, you can also get cabinet hinges of different types. There are those of the butterfly variety, some that are concealed, others that are semi-concealed, some that are known as piano options, and there are even butt options and many, many more. To check out the difference between them all, the thing to do is to hit the Internet to do your research. In a matter of minutes, you can find out exactly what ones you can get for your space without having to make a trip to the hardware store.

And, once you find which ones you want, the Internet is also a great place to get your shopping done as well. Just by the glide and click of the computer mouse you can purchase the cabinet hinges that you’re looking for in no time. And, they will be shipped right to your home. Now that is pretty convenient.

So, if you’re revamping the look of your kitchen cabinets, make sure that installing new cabinet hinges is on your list of things to do. Otherwise, if you don’t, things might look a little mismatched, ruining all of your hard work.

Author Jennifer Akre is an owner of a wide variety of online specialty shops like http://www.simplyhinges.com that offer both items and information on how you can easily furnish and decorate your space. Whether it’s your living, bedroom, or even your deck or patio, there are many tips you can use to make those spots both functional and beautiful. Today, she offers advice on how to create a fabulous living area by using hardworking door hinges for all your cabinets.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Cabinets | No Comments »

« Older Entries