Save Our Nature Coast

• Find out what appliances are costing you the most. For instance, a refrigerator can be the culprit in using up to 20% of your home’s energy. Turn the fridge down a little to cut costs there. Also, replace older appliances with new energy efficient models.
• Don’t run appliances when unnecessary. It may be tempting to do up the last little load of laundry or run the dishwasher half-full but waiting until the dryer or dishwasher is fully loaded helps cut energy and costs.
• Replace old light-bulbs with energy efficient bulbs. They can cut energy use by up to 75%!
• Using a programmed thermostat greatly reduces energy use. During the winter, program the thermostat to turn down during the night and back up in the morning. If you are at work 8 hours a day, program your heat or AC to turn off while you are gone. Having it turn back on an hour or so before you get back home gives it plenty of time to cool off or warm up.
• Skip energy-eating appliances. If you really want to save energy, skip the convenience of dishwashers and dryers and opt for hand washing dishes and hanging clothes lines. It is harder work but the choice is yours. It really is a great way to reduce energy use!
• Shut it off; don’t leave your computer on and running all day if you won’t be using it. Be conscious about shutting off lights when you leave a room or leave the house.

• Make sure you have properly functioning hvac Austin texas can get super hot in the summer. Call for an Austin air conditioning repair man and have everything checked out. Clogged filters or other mal-functions can add to energy use and cost.
• Have a well-insulated home. If you have an older home or don’t feel like your home has proper insulation, get that fixed. It may seem pricey at the time but having a well-insulated home will help you along your energy saving pursuit!
• In winter, open the blinds and let the sunshine in whenever possible. Skylights can be a great way to add warmth to a home without having to crank up the heat. During summer months, keep the blinds closed and use energy efficient window treatments if possible. Blocking the sun from shining through the windows will keep the house cooler and the thermostat under control as well.

Like many households across America, my kitchen is the heart of my home. It’s where all the important decisions are made and where we share family meals. At the end of a long day, it’s the one area where we meet and come together as a family before having dinner. It can also get quite chaotic with all the foot traffic and constant activity.

If you don’t organize your kitchen properly, it can impact other rooms and the dynamic of your family. You might not think that it makes a difference if your kitchen is messy or clean, but it definitely makes a difference on a subconscious level. And in a purely visual sense, it just looks bad if you don’t maintain it properly.

Even when I’m busy, I make an effort to organize my kitchen as best as I can. Recently I was finding myself overwhelmed with everything I had to keep in check. There were just too many appliances, pots and pans, and containers taking up space. And when you add kids running around all over the place into the equation, you can imagine how hectic things were. I decided to reorganize my kitchen to make things more efficient, and that involved a lot of tips and tricks I’ve never used before.

If you take a careful look at your kitchen, there should be many areas where you can reorganize for increased efficiency. And remember, cleaning your kitchen doesn’t necessarily mean throwing items away. A better way to go about it is to compartmentalize and store different areas in more convenience locations.

For example, I’ve always had a problem with pots and pans in my kitchen cupboards taking too much space. I recently invested in an overhead hook that solved my problem instantly. A lot of people don’t take advantage of space under their cupboards or on the side of the wall to keep things handy and in plain sight.

You can also save a lot of time, space, and the money by finding appliances that do more than one job. For example, an infrared oven can effectively replace your microwave, your toaster, and your deep fryer. And if you have something big and clunky like a food processor, why not just use a knife instead?

And for common household items like ice cream makers, try to find models that can do more than one job. If you get something that can make gelato, sorbet, and frozen yogurt, it saves you the trouble of cluttering your kitchen with four different appliances.

When you’re looking to reorganize things, come up with a plan that you map out on a piece of paper. It can be too overwhelming if you don’t have a general plan to start off with. And make it a family affair while involving your kids and spouse so that everyone can contribute.

Remember, healthy kitchen means a healthy family and everyone should play a role in making that happen.

With the medical marijuana growing industry becoming more and more competitive, it is hard for growers to know exactly what is best for their crops.  Using LED Grow Lights for Medical Cannabis has slowly become the norm, and for good reason.  Indoor grow lights are more efficient and effective than traditional lights, and the technology for LEDs is still advancing.   While there are several things to consider when searching for the right LEDs to grow medical cannabis, some of the most important are beam angles, light spectrum coverage, and wattage.

Beam angles refer not to the angle at which you place the light, but to the amount of space the light covers.  For example, the 60 degree angle light can cover the space inside a 60 degree angle.  LED growing lights typically come in 60, 90, and 120 degrees.  For marijuana, which is an extremely light sensitive plant, the 60 or 90 degree lights are probably the best because, while they cover less space, they are more intense and can penetrate through the foliage to the stalks of the plants.  A more intense light leads to a better-flowering plant with denser buds.

Light spectrum involves a lot of scientific terminology, but basically it refers to the specific color wavelengths a specific plant needs to grow effectively.  In a nutshell, cannabis needs two wavelengths of red and two wavelengths of blue for its full cycle.  Some LED manufacturers want you to buy two separate lights: blue for vegetation of your plant and red for the all-important flowering, but it is better to buy one light that covers both colors so your plant has a more balanced growing period.  Avoid full spectrumÂÂÂ LEDs; they are not only unnecessary, but wasteful and inefficient as well.

You would think wattage is self-explanatory, but this is not necessarily the case.  While a 3W LED can supposedly be more powerful and intense than a 1W LED, when you start putting the lights together the higher wattage LEDs require more energy to power.  Therefore, a 90W growing light that uses thirty 3W LEDs uses more energy to power than the same light using ninety 1W LEDs.  In the end, while the higher wattage may sound better, the lower watt LED lights are brighter and more intense because more energy can be used for putting out light than for powering the high watt LEDs.

This is only a brief explanation of a very complicated process, but it should help beginners in the medical cannabis world.  So good luck and happy growing!

Many consumers have long been aware of the availability of home design software.  In fact, a large number of these same individuals have been using these products to devise feasible and aesthetically pleasing residential layouts on their own. 

Many of these home design products, however, include landscaping design resources only as an afterthought, making it difficult for even the most diligent users to draft truly finished residential looks before they start meting out their budgets and purchasing design supplies. 

The good news is that now the market is seeing a proliferation of landscaping apps that allow homeowners to get a realistic view of how their properties will look once the exterior of the home has been decorated with greenery and other outdoor features and amenities.  A good Landscape Design Software Guide review would also be of help in making a decision as to which program to buy.

Photo Designs

One of the most basic forms of this kind of application is based upon photo-design, in which people can use real photos of their homes to plan out their landscaping features.  The photos are simply scanned in and then realistic landscaping features can be applied. 

One of the benefits of this form of software is that it can be exceedingly easy to use.  It also provides people with the benefit of seeing their actual homes in the design scheme, allowing for a more realistic depiction of what the property will look like once the plans have been implemented.

3D Designs

Landscaping software that allows for images that are three-dimensional in nature can certainly be more fun to navigate than more basic forms of  photo-based programs.  The three-dimensional images that many software options create can be far more detailed than the two-dimensional photograph, however, the computer generated pictures of the user’s property will likely be a bit less realistic than the actual photograph. 

These programs are additonally more malleable than more basic, photo-based design programs.  For users with greater technical skill, fully learning how to use all of the features of this program will allow for a much more comprehensive planning process and the implementation of more complex design ideas.

All of the different options in any form of software will possess differing levels of efficacy as they relate to specific tasks and design goals.  There are several important features that all consumers should look for when selecting a program for their residential landscaping and price is not the foremost among these. 

The ease of use, the amount of support that software providers offer their clients and the performance ratings of the programs themselves will all be vital considerations to make.  Some of the less expensive options in garden planning apps are worthy purchases simply because they are easy to use, fun to use and can help the design process to flow much more smoothly. 

Those who will be investing more in order to obtain greater levels of functionality, should ultimately take the time to read different product descriptions and reviews before selecting any one program for any specific task.

The home is one place where you can relax after a long day at work. You want to make your home as comfortable as possible for your family and for yourself. There are many home improvement ideas you can implement that can greatly improve not just the aesthetic value of your home but also the comfort level it provides. You can make home improvements yourself as long as you have the needed tools and equipment or you can also hire professionals to do the job.

The kitchen would be a good place to start if you want to make improvements to your home. Changing the cabinets and countertops would be a good idea. For instance, you can have granite countertops for your kitchen for that elegant look. Granite countertops do not only make your kitchen look classy but can also add value to your home. These countertops however, can be expensive. There are less expensive alternatives for granite countertops. Granite tiles for instance, are becoming more popular in homes these days. They were originally used for flooring but can also be used for countertops. If you want to stick with slab granite countertops that are more expensive, you can save money by choosing colors that are less popular but make sure that the color you choose also matches well with your kitchen décor.

When it comes to kitchen flooring, you have many different options, from Hardwood Flooring, ceramic to stone tiles. Your choice can make a lot of difference to the overall look of your kitchen.

Home improvement can be considered a great investment for your money. Other than increasing the level of comfort in your home, it can also increase the value of your home. If you have plans of selling your home in the future and moving to a new home, making some improvements to your home would be a great idea.

And if you want your investment to last for a long time, learn how to prevent pests from invading your home. After all, this also has something to do with your comfort at home. Imagine waking up to find rats and roaches in your room or running around your kitchen where you prepare your food. Just the thought of it can make you feel uncomfortable. Prevent termites also from destroying your furniture and the framework of your home. You can take preventive measures yourself or you can hire a pest control company if you are unsure what to do.

As important as fertilized soil is the need to plan the amount of sun and shade a garden will receive. A good garden design will take into account areas where a hammock can be strung or a table and chairs can be placed, where children play in a sandbox or where a rock garden or pond will require UV protection. Freestanding shade structures and gazebos may be lovely additions, but for anyone on a budget, those solutions may be too expensive. Here are 3 garden design ideas that incorporate affordable shade sails such as those discussed at outdoorpatiocovers.net.

1. a triangular shade sail, 11 feet 10 inches, can be strung over a backyard garden using two trees as supports. The sail will block up to 90% of the UV rays over a child’s sandbox, play area, flower garden, rock garden or pond that needs protection from direct sunlight.

2. a garden space that has no trees can be protected with a set of affordable shade sails by attaching two tips to the corners of a roof / wall and using a metal / wooden pole for the third. The pole can be incorporated into the garden design as a trellis for ivy, vines or a climbing rose bush.

3. a unique way to use affordable shade sails was showcased at the Chelsea Flower Show by a company called Henley Salt Design. The featured garden was untamed with a few purple chives around a seating area over which two shade sails were strung using a set of curved metal poles. Each was held taunt at the top, but one was placed so the lower part of the shade appeared to touch the ground. This created a privacy barrier on one side, while the second sail was stretched overhead for UV protection.

Upgrading or adding new light fixtures to your household will really improve the look and feel of your home and it can enhance the way you utilize your home. There are actually a number of developments in the realm of home lights, from design to energy-efficiency, so you might not appreciate what is out there if you haven’t checked lately.

Indoor Lighting
When you really want the new lighting to serve as an improvement within your home you’ll want to pay attention to your home décor so you can look for light fixtures and designs intended to blend with and add to the appearance. You also may want to consider how brand new lights could improve the use and appearance of particular rooms. If you have too little light in a specific area this is your opportunity to change that.

Consider functionality when adding indoor lights. You expect lights that have visual appeal, however they also have to do a specific job. LED step lights can provide light for your stairways for safety, feature lights can light artwork or pictures, T5 lights can help you grow herbs or vegetables in the house and task lights should allow you to read or perform additional jobs without having to strain your vision.

Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting can enhance the look and feel of your home but also improve safety and security. Using solar pathway lighting adds attractive borders and it can also improve safety on the walkways after dark. Post lighting can be used to light entry ways, driveways or perhaps a deck. Rope lights and string lights offer festive light outdoors plus they work well in a variety of ways that are useful and appealing.

The proper outdoor lighting can convert your yard into an enjoyable and easy to use area of your house. You will relish spending time outside on your patio on those nice evenings. Making use of lighting strategies will establish a nice feeling that will enhance the utilization of this space.

Don’t underestimate the power of good lighting to update the look and feel of your indoor or outdoor area. This is a pretty easy and inexpensive way to make some noteworthy updates.

Winter’s cold may be too much at times, which is why we dream of summer just to make it through. But summer can also bring oppressive heat and we need to be aware of ways to keep cool. Keeping ourselves cool during hot months is essential not only for our comfort, but for our health as well. Too much heat can cause serious conditions, like heat stroke or heat exhaustion. So, we should know how to cool off during summertime. Moreover, having air conditioning installation Richmond isn’t the only solution to your heat problems. There are a number of readily doable and affordable things that you can do to ward off summer’s occasional cruel heat.

Do Stuff That’ll Cool You Down

You can do many things to make sure that you stay cool when it’s hot. For one, donning on less clothing is a sure way to keep cool. It will also be better to have on clothes made from breathable cloths, like cotton and silk. When it’s hot, you should also opt for light-colored garments and cool off by removing constrictive shoes, gloves or socks. Aside from the clothes you wear the things that you do can also help to cool you down. Have something cold, like cool drinks or icy treats, like ice creams and popsicles. Take a dip in your pool. If you don’t have one, go the nearest community pool. You may even get to enjoy your time with friends while you cool off. Visit places with air conditioning as well. Remember, you don’t have to turn on your AC just to enjoy a blast of cool air. You can enjoy and save more with visits to museums or malls. Ward off heat by going to the movies too.

Ventilate Your Area Properly

When an area is well-ventilated, it will be cooler. There are so many appliances that you can use to move air around. Fans are great and often more economical that air conditioners. You can use fans at night when air is much cooler. During very hot days, make use of air conditioners. But make sure that these are working efficiently. When air conditioners are dirty or clogged, this will affect their efficiency. Using inefficient appliances means that the energy used will not be optimized. So, if you notice something that may be quite off with your AC, get in touch with air conditioning repair Richmond right away. Another tip regarding the use of other home appliances, like washers and other machines, is to use these tools late in the afternoon or at night when it’s no longer hot. This is so that the heat that is produced by such devices will not contribute to the overall temperature inside your home.

These are just some ways to keep cool during summer. Remember that being cool isn’t just about comfort; it’s also about being healthy and keeping yourself away from a number of threatening conditions.

I bought an old drafty house. I love it. The creaks and groans sound like they came straight out of a horror movie. There was a lot of work that had to be done to it but I think that’s what finally sold me on buying it.

I got lucky and got to retire early. I finished fixing up my classic car already so time for a house. First on the list for this house was a new roof. After two weeks of trying I finally had to cheat and call in the professionals. Thank goodness I did. There was some rot up there that was not noticed and I might have killed myself.

Next was the paint job. This was easy for me to do. It’s what I did my whole life but now was the hard part; choosing the colors. There were too many options but I settled on a light pale blue and white trim. When it was all said and done I loved it.  It turned out to be a great color combination.

Then onto the window replacement I went. I should have thought about painting after I did the windows but as a rookie remodeler this was a mistake I had to learn from. Well the windows had to be custom made because I wanted them to lock where my window fans would keep them in place without an issue.

Thankfully, the interior did not need much work. I loved the hard wood floors and tore up most of the carpeting in the house. After doing some minor repairs on the floor I was down the home stretch. After painting the inside it was time to decorate, and hang up my stain glass windows.

After finishing this project now all I can think about is what I’m going to do next. Maybe it’s time to pick up gardening. Then I have a reason to build something else.

Here, birdie birdie!

I’m the delighted Grandpa of some wonderful young grandchildren. Few things bring me more joy than when they arrive for a visit, particularly in summertime. Though they’re still a little young to engage in outdoor activities like hiking or camping, they love to play their days away outside in our backyard.

Feeding the Birds

The girls often greet us with, “Can we feed the birdies?” Grandma always keeps a supply of bird-appropriate foods on hand, from sunflower seeds for smaller birds to peanuts for blue jays. I don’t know what the attraction is for the girls, but I’m glad to share this pastime with them all the same, as it gives us a fun, enriching activity to share.

Fending off Squirrels

We live in a heavily wooded area, and the squirrels, as they do, love to come visit and ultimately empty our feeders of wild bird seed. Naturally, the more the seed has cost, the more the squirrels seem to like it. They can tear through weeks’ worth of birdseed in mere hours. Eventually, we simply purchased and installed a squirrel proof bird feeder. It is a motorized feeder that activates in order to spin away squirrels who get too close to the feed. You can imagine the kids find it entertaining, watching our bird feeder thwart the squirrels’ poaching!

All Season Heated Bird Bath

I have long kept a bird bath set up, shaded by trees, but last autumn, my five-year-old grandchild asked me a question that gave me pause for thought. “Grandpa, when the water freezes in the winter, how do the birdies get water to drink?” It caught my by surprise to realize in all my years, I’d never considered the issue before. I took to the Internet for some research and quickly came across numerous websites selling bird baths that were heated. It did not take me long to settle on an all season heated bird bath  and now that it has been purchased and installed, my granddaughters find themselves watching the birdies all year long–and no longer worrying they’ll go thirsty. Out of the mouths of babes!