It’s efficiency that drives the design of kitchens by Robert Hidey Architects in Irvine, Calif. And it’s not the size of the kitchen that matters most; it’s meeting the needs of each family and maximizing floor space that determines customer satisfaction.
As homes become smaller, the needs of the typical family remain the same, requiring those who design kitchens to be creative, says Scott Rivers, RA, CGP, studio director, Robert Hidey and Associates. One of those needs is storage, so Rivers and the team at RHA use every bit of space they can find.
“We’ve tucked storage space under stairs, in corners of cabinets, and have been pretty creative at using finding space to store things,” Rivers says. “We’ve even created hidden storage such as a small pantry with a door that opens to a more expansive pantry behind it. Unused ceiling space can also be turned into a storage area.”
Most of the kitchens designed by RHA feature islands because of their versatility. As families use the kitchen for eating, studying, holding meetings and generally as a gathering place, an island serves many purposes, Rivers adds, such as a place to eat, store things, prepare food and do homework. “The kitchen is now the hub of the home so we make sure it’s accessible and adjacent to all other living spaces,” he says.
More Than Kitchens
RHA is a full-service architecture firm built on home design, with an emphasis on and respect for traditional styles both in aesthetics and detail. Love for traditional style is meshed with contemporary layout including open floor plans and multiuse spaces. “We also pride ourselves in creating luxurious accommodations for the master suite, great amenities such as wine storage, and what we call the super laundry room. We also focus on ensuring ample storage space especially as it relates to entry points. We’re bringing back mud rooms because we find them quite useful where kids are coming in through the garage. This way they have their launch point in the house, and then we like to provide one more formal launch point in addition to the mud room,” Rivers explains.
Not a full-fledged design/build firm in the traditional sense, RHA does not perform construction, but it will get involved in planning. “So in the sense that we are involved in construction from the early stages of planning and throughout completion, we practice design/build,” Rivers says. “Formal education for architects trains you to work with the building contractor, and be involved right from the beginning from site planning through construction documents and cost analysis. Supervision of the project during construction is also part of the deal.”
Benefits of being so involved in a project is the attention to followthrough and not forcing contractors to try and interpret what a designer meant with a particular design element. “In the execution of those details, we want to be present and involved. Oftentimes we become the interior designer, or even the landscape architect. And through the design/build approach, when the contractor is onboard earlier in the process and dealing with a tight budget and level of cost, it’s important to be involved in early,” Rivers says.
“When we take on a project our approach is personalized, so we assign a team leader who remains a constant throughout the project. It adds to the success, having that continuity,” he adds.
Leadership continuity also keeps clients happy, which can be challenging when their design ideas differ from what RHA believes makes the most sense. “There’s a way to work through that. You as the designer have a responsibility to know how your client’s family lives and functions, and, for example, prepares food in the kitchen. Some clients insist on a galley kitchen but we try to show them the benefit of an island kitchen. We work through it together, being a resource for them as architects should be. At the least, make sure your clients are making educated decisions,” Rivers explains.
Courtesy: http://rdbmagazine.com/print/Residential-Design-and-Build/Need-Driven-Kitchen-Design/1$4012 For the best concepts in kitchen remodeling and workmanship of the highest quality, homeowners need look no further than Mediterraneo Design and Build of Menlo Park, CA. The company can be contact on (650) 368-1361 or by email. Details of the work they do may be seen on their website www.mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Installing a Green Roof Interlocking pre-grown panels add little dead load to the roof -by Bruce Zaretsky
Last fall, I was in a client’s second-floor office hashing out the details of an ongoing landscaping project when I noticed a door to the outside. I asked where it led. “Nowhere, really,” my client said. After checking for myself, I understood what she meant. The door opened onto an unattractive deck that — despite a great view of Lake Ontario — was clearly unused. An EPDM membrane covered the floor, and I could imagine how hot that black surface got in the summertime.
I suggested adding a roof garden. Though my client knew about the environmental benefits of green roofs, she was surprised to learn about the lightweight planting system my company had recently been trained to install. While these vegetative panels from Green Living Technologies (800/631-8001, agreenroof.com) are primarily used for commercial construction, they’re reasonably priced and easy to work with, and they make green roofs feasible even for small residential projects, where aesthetics are more important than LEED points. The maker coordinates distribution with regional growers and uses trained, certified contractors for installation.
A Modular Approach
GLT’s modular panels — an alternative to the more common complex layered green-roof systems (see sidebar) — combine a thin growing medium with a root stabilizer and water reservoir. Designed so that they interlock, the 39-by-39-inch (or 10.72-square-foot) panels are about an inch thick before planting and 3 inches thick when they’re vegetated. Each can retain approximately 8 gallons of water, but even when they’re installed on the roof and fully saturated, they weigh only about 15 pounds per square foot.
The panels we used on this project are designed for roofs with pitches up to 4/12. GLT also makes panels for roof pitches between 5/12 and 12/12 and has a bracket system that can be used to adapt the panels for pitches up to 90 degrees. In addition, the company offers self-contained trays for flat roofs. We preferred to use panels for this project, because they can be cut on site to fit irregular shapes. Our plan was to mix preplanted panels with site-built ipe deck sections to transform the 10-foot by 20-foot deck into an attractive living space.
Because of their thin profile and light weight, the panels can often be installed with no major modifications to the existing structure. Here, the deck was a slightly pitched porch roof above an entryway and was conventionally framed with pressure-treated lumber supported by 6x6 PT posts. Though ugly, the single-ply 45-mil EPDM membrane covering the 3/4-inch plywood was in good shape and showed no signs of leakage. After consulting with our engineer, we decided that the deck wouldn’t require additional reinforcement to support the new loads from the roof panels, but we did want to beef up the waterproofing layer.
First, we thoroughly cleaned the old membrane by sweeping and vacuuming it; then we laid down another 45-mil EPDM membrane on top of it. We lapped the edges up the walls, tucking them behind the existing synthetic stucco siding as best we could, and cut in around the existing 4x4 deck posts, then primed the edges and seams before sealing them with self-adhesive EPDM seam tape. Because the roof deck framing was enclosed by the porch ceiling underneath, we used the same basic waterproofing details we would have used for a deck above living space.
Next, to protect the EPDM against punctures but still allow for drainage, we laid down a heavy-duty landscape fabric — DeWitt 20-year weed barrier (800/888-9669, dewittcompany.com), the same 4.1-ounce fabric we use for landscaping projects on the ground
Wind uplift can be a problem on rooftop gardens. On larger projects, GeoEdge (800/356-9660, permaloc.com), an L-shaped aluminum edge restraint, is normally used to prevent uplift at the eaves and at the transitions between planting areas and hardscape or drainage areas. On this small deck, however, we finished the outside edge with 5/4 ipe deck boards laid on edge and fastened to the outer face of the deck posts. A slight gap between the ipe and the landscape fabric allows water to drain into the porch roof’s gutter.
Installing the Panels
We ordered panels planted with a mix of sedum and thyme and picked them up from a distributor on Long Island. Sedum is a prolific and hardy water-storing succulent; because it’s drought-tolerant, it’s often used instead of grass on green roofs. Creeping thyme is a low-growing herb that adds a little fragrance to the garden. (We hope eventually to work primarily with plant-in-place panels that we’ve seeded in our own small greenhouse, which will allow us to vary our plantings and control the delivery schedule.)
The dimpled HDPE membrane used for the base layer of these panels has considerable compressive strength (the same material is used as a drainage layer in road construction), so features like planters, paving, and decking can be placed directly on the panels after they’ve been installed. This is the typical approach on large roofs where planters and pavers occupy a small percentage of the surface area. On a small project like this one, where those features cover a large portion of the deck’s footprint, we saved material by first installing the ipe deck, stepping pads, and planters, then cutting the panels to fit using a cut-off saw with an abrasive blade.
Prevegetated panels are about 95 percent planted, with the eggcrate-like reservoir layer exposed along two of the edges. When the panels are installed, their edges overlap, which locks them together. It takes only a month or two before roots completely fill in the small gaps between panels. As the plantings mature, the seams disappear — though one of the advantages of this system is that individual panels (or the entire roof) can be removed if repairs to the waterproofing layer are ever required.
Green roofs are normally installed with automatic irrigation. But in our reasonably wet Upstate New York climate — and with the water-retention capabilities of the panels — we expect that the homeowner will be able to handle any supplemental watering with a garden hose. This spring we plan to connect rain-barrel collectors to the gutter system to help monitor how much water actually flows off the roof (some systems pump collected water back up to the roof when irrigation is needed).
Cost
We completed the project in October, relatively late in the area’s growing season, which gave the root system little time to establish itself before first frost. Still, we don’t anticipate having to do any reseeding this year. Total cost was $7,214, or about $35 per square foot, with materials accounting for about $5,000 of that total. The square-foot cost was high because of the scale of the project (200 square feet); costs for a more typical green roof project using this system are usually in the $10- to $20-per-square- foot range.
Courtesy: http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.storefront/4bd96433017df9c227170a32100a0662/UserTemplate/69?s=4bd96433017df9c227170a32100a0662&c=064e2287a5de4890278ee23a86bdbefc&p=1
Homeowners interested in knowing more about installing green roofs or any other types of remodeling may contact Mediterraneo Design and Build of Menlo Park, CA on (650) 368-1361 or by email info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com. The company website www.mediterraneodesignbuild.com provides more information on the company and a partial portfolio of the projects they have undertaken.
I suggested adding a roof garden. Though my client knew about the environmental benefits of green roofs, she was surprised to learn about the lightweight planting system my company had recently been trained to install. While these vegetative panels from Green Living Technologies (800/631-8001, agreenroof.com) are primarily used for commercial construction, they’re reasonably priced and easy to work with, and they make green roofs feasible even for small residential projects, where aesthetics are more important than LEED points. The maker coordinates distribution with regional growers and uses trained, certified contractors for installation.
A Modular Approach
GLT’s modular panels — an alternative to the more common complex layered green-roof systems (see sidebar) — combine a thin growing medium with a root stabilizer and water reservoir. Designed so that they interlock, the 39-by-39-inch (or 10.72-square-foot) panels are about an inch thick before planting and 3 inches thick when they’re vegetated. Each can retain approximately 8 gallons of water, but even when they’re installed on the roof and fully saturated, they weigh only about 15 pounds per square foot.
The panels we used on this project are designed for roofs with pitches up to 4/12. GLT also makes panels for roof pitches between 5/12 and 12/12 and has a bracket system that can be used to adapt the panels for pitches up to 90 degrees. In addition, the company offers self-contained trays for flat roofs. We preferred to use panels for this project, because they can be cut on site to fit irregular shapes. Our plan was to mix preplanted panels with site-built ipe deck sections to transform the 10-foot by 20-foot deck into an attractive living space.
Because of their thin profile and light weight, the panels can often be installed with no major modifications to the existing structure. Here, the deck was a slightly pitched porch roof above an entryway and was conventionally framed with pressure-treated lumber supported by 6x6 PT posts. Though ugly, the single-ply 45-mil EPDM membrane covering the 3/4-inch plywood was in good shape and showed no signs of leakage. After consulting with our engineer, we decided that the deck wouldn’t require additional reinforcement to support the new loads from the roof panels, but we did want to beef up the waterproofing layer.
First, we thoroughly cleaned the old membrane by sweeping and vacuuming it; then we laid down another 45-mil EPDM membrane on top of it. We lapped the edges up the walls, tucking them behind the existing synthetic stucco siding as best we could, and cut in around the existing 4x4 deck posts, then primed the edges and seams before sealing them with self-adhesive EPDM seam tape. Because the roof deck framing was enclosed by the porch ceiling underneath, we used the same basic waterproofing details we would have used for a deck above living space.
Next, to protect the EPDM against punctures but still allow for drainage, we laid down a heavy-duty landscape fabric — DeWitt 20-year weed barrier (800/888-9669, dewittcompany.com), the same 4.1-ounce fabric we use for landscaping projects on the ground
Wind uplift can be a problem on rooftop gardens. On larger projects, GeoEdge (800/356-9660, permaloc.com), an L-shaped aluminum edge restraint, is normally used to prevent uplift at the eaves and at the transitions between planting areas and hardscape or drainage areas. On this small deck, however, we finished the outside edge with 5/4 ipe deck boards laid on edge and fastened to the outer face of the deck posts. A slight gap between the ipe and the landscape fabric allows water to drain into the porch roof’s gutter.
Installing the Panels
We ordered panels planted with a mix of sedum and thyme and picked them up from a distributor on Long Island. Sedum is a prolific and hardy water-storing succulent; because it’s drought-tolerant, it’s often used instead of grass on green roofs. Creeping thyme is a low-growing herb that adds a little fragrance to the garden. (We hope eventually to work primarily with plant-in-place panels that we’ve seeded in our own small greenhouse, which will allow us to vary our plantings and control the delivery schedule.)
The dimpled HDPE membrane used for the base layer of these panels has considerable compressive strength (the same material is used as a drainage layer in road construction), so features like planters, paving, and decking can be placed directly on the panels after they’ve been installed. This is the typical approach on large roofs where planters and pavers occupy a small percentage of the surface area. On a small project like this one, where those features cover a large portion of the deck’s footprint, we saved material by first installing the ipe deck, stepping pads, and planters, then cutting the panels to fit using a cut-off saw with an abrasive blade.
Prevegetated panels are about 95 percent planted, with the eggcrate-like reservoir layer exposed along two of the edges. When the panels are installed, their edges overlap, which locks them together. It takes only a month or two before roots completely fill in the small gaps between panels. As the plantings mature, the seams disappear — though one of the advantages of this system is that individual panels (or the entire roof) can be removed if repairs to the waterproofing layer are ever required.
Green roofs are normally installed with automatic irrigation. But in our reasonably wet Upstate New York climate — and with the water-retention capabilities of the panels — we expect that the homeowner will be able to handle any supplemental watering with a garden hose. This spring we plan to connect rain-barrel collectors to the gutter system to help monitor how much water actually flows off the roof (some systems pump collected water back up to the roof when irrigation is needed).
Cost
We completed the project in October, relatively late in the area’s growing season, which gave the root system little time to establish itself before first frost. Still, we don’t anticipate having to do any reseeding this year. Total cost was $7,214, or about $35 per square foot, with materials accounting for about $5,000 of that total. The square-foot cost was high because of the scale of the project (200 square feet); costs for a more typical green roof project using this system are usually in the $10- to $20-per-square- foot range.
Courtesy: http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.storefront/4bd96433017df9c227170a32100a0662/UserTemplate/69?s=4bd96433017df9c227170a32100a0662&c=064e2287a5de4890278ee23a86bdbefc&p=1
Homeowners interested in knowing more about installing green roofs or any other types of remodeling may contact Mediterraneo Design and Build of Menlo Park, CA on (650) 368-1361 or by email info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com. The company website www.mediterraneodesignbuild.com provides more information on the company and a partial portfolio of the projects they have undertaken.
Monday, May 10, 2010
10 Ways to Cut Utility Bills -By Martin Holladay
Here's a ten-step program that's guaranteed to reduce your utility costs.
The steps in the energy conservation pyramid are not set in stone; every house is different, and different climates may dictate different strategies, which will be determined as soon as you take the first step.
1. Get a home energy audit
Before beginning any energy retrofit work, have a home energy audit done to identify and prioritize problem areas.
A good home energy audit always includes a blower-door test. To be sure your auditor is well trained, choose one certified by RESNET or BPI.
The audit can cost as much as $600. Subsidies are available from some utilities and local governments, so check there first.
Why spend money on an energy audit?
• When considering energy retrofit work, most homeowners prioritize the wrong steps. An energy audit provides valuable information to counterbalance misleading advertising pitches for worthless products.
• Your audit is likely to reveal unseen defects in your home — for example, thermal bypasses (air leaks) through convoluted, hidden chases, or insulation gaps revealed by an infrared camera.
• At the end of your audit, you’ll receive a customized list of the most important energy retrofit steps for your house — a list that may differ from your assumptions (or even from the recommendations of the energy conservation pyramid).
• By identifying the most important retrofit tasks for your specific house, a good audit can save you hundreds of dollars that might have been wasted on inappropriate work.
2. Unplug and turn off
This step, though obvious, is often neglected: turn things off.
Inattention and laziness are responsible for a significant amount of energy waste; this step off can yield significant savings for a very small investment. To lower your electric bill:
• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Turn off appliances that aren’t being used.
• When not in use, unplug chargers for cell phones and similar battery-operated gadgets.
• Put televisions and other “instant on” appliances on a plug strip — and remember to turn off the plug strip when the appliance isn’t in use.
3. Use efficient light bulbs
The next step is very cost-effective: make sure your house is incandescent-free. Since most LED lamps are still less efficient than CFLs — and far more expensive — CFLs are still the best lamp for most fixtures.
For kitchens and basements, consider installing fixtures that use efficient linear fluorescent tubes (T5 or T8 tubes).
4. Seal air leaks
Air-sealing work is best done by an experienced home-performance contractor equipped with a blower door. Although this step usually costs hundreds of dollars, it will usually yield a quick payback in energy savings.
Air sealing work is not the same as caulking. Many homeowners have spent hours wandering around their house with a caulk gun — on the interior, filling cracks between window trim and plaster, or on the exterior, filling cracks between clapboards. Most of this caulking is a total waste of time. In fact, by trapping water, most exterior caulking does more harm than good.
Blower-door directed air sealing work is usually concentrated in a home’s basement (especially at the rim-joist area) and attic (where huge thermal bypasses are often hidden under a layer of fiberglass batts). Most air leaks are best addressed with two-component spray polyurethane foam.
5. Replace inefficient appliances
Once you’ve paid for blower-door-directed air sealing, it’s time to take a close look at your appliances. If some of your major appliances —your refrigerator, clothes washer, or dishwasher — are more than ten years old, you may want to replace them with more efficient models.
Don’t be tempted to buy a bigger refrigerator; small is good. Pay close attention to the yellow EnergyGuide labels — especially the annual kWh number — when you go appliance shopping.
6. Improve the insulation
Ideally, your home has plenty of insulation in the attic, above-grade walls, and basement walls. But if you’re insulation isn’t up to snuff, it’s well worth improving it.
In colder climates, it makes sense to install R-60 insulation in your attic — as long as the attic is accessible and roomy enough to accommodate the insulation depth.
If your stud bays are empty, they can be filled with dense-packed cellulose insulation installed through holes drilled from the exterior.
Basement walls can be insulated on the interior with rigid foam insulation or closed-cell spray polyurethane foam.
7. Replace an inefficient water heater
If the configuration of your home’s plumbing pipes permits, you should install a drainwater heat-recovery device — especially if members of your family prefer showers to baths.
If you have an old, inefficient water heater, you may wish to replace it. Options include:
• A high-efficiency gas-fired water heater;
• A high-efficiency electric resistance water heater;
• A heat-pump water heater;
• An instantaneous gas-fired water heater;
• An indirect water heater connected to a boiler;
• Any of the above, supplemented by a solar water heater.
Of all of the options listed in this section, the fastest payback will probably come from the drainwater heat-recovery device. Although a new water heater can lower your energy bills, you shouldn’t expect a fast payback on the investment.
8. Improve on space heating and cooling equipment
When inefficient heating or cooling equipment gets old enough to replace, be sure to invest in the most efficient available equipment. If you’re shopping for a new furnace, look for a high AFUE (in the 90s). If you are shopping for a new air conditioner, look for high SEER (14 or higher).
There’s an important reason why energy-efficiency experts recommend holding back on the purchase of new heating and cooling equipment until air sealing and insulation work is complete: envelope improvements may permit heating and cooling equipment to be downsized. If you replace your heating and cooling equipment before finishing necessary air-sealing work or insulation upgrades, you’ll waste money on oversized equipment.
9. Insulate or replace windows
We’ve now reached the top of the pyramid. Further measures will probably reduce your home’s energy consumption, but they are unlikely to be cost-effective. The reason these measures are at the top of the pyramid is that few homeowners want to spend more on retrofit work than they will ever see in savings.
In a heating climate, the installation of low-e storm windows is more cost-effective than installing new replacement windows.
If, for reasons unrelated to saving money, you insist on new windows, be sure to choose windows with low-e glazing. Glazing with a low U-factor is desirable in all climates. In climates with cold winters, south-facing windows should have a high solar heat-gain coefficient (SHGC); in climates where air-conditioning bills are high, windows should have a low SHGC.
10. Invest in wind or photovoltaic systems
At the top of the pyramid is the category of work least likely to provide a payback: the installation of a photovoltaic system or a wind turbine. There are many reasons you may want to have PV panels or a wind turbine, but saving money isn’t one of them.
Remember, it makes no sense to invest in an expensive PV system until after you have invested in all of the other measures listed on the pyramid.
No silver bullet
One of the Minnesota Power representatives who makes regular use of the conservation pyramid is Dean Talbott, a program manager for the utility.
“I handle a lot of customer calls, and lately I’ve seen a growing interest in renewable energy,” Talbott told me. “A lot of callers are looking for the silver bullet. I just got a call this week from a residential customer who’s spending $200 a month on electricity, and he told me he wants to install solar and wind. I told him he’d be better off to start with efficiency upgrades first.”
Courtesy: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/12059/10-ways-to-cut-utility-bills/page/all
If you would like to know more about increasing the energy efficiency of your home, contact Mediterraneo Design and Build on phone number (650) 368-1361 or email info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
The steps in the energy conservation pyramid are not set in stone; every house is different, and different climates may dictate different strategies, which will be determined as soon as you take the first step.
1. Get a home energy audit
Before beginning any energy retrofit work, have a home energy audit done to identify and prioritize problem areas.
A good home energy audit always includes a blower-door test. To be sure your auditor is well trained, choose one certified by RESNET or BPI.
The audit can cost as much as $600. Subsidies are available from some utilities and local governments, so check there first.
Why spend money on an energy audit?
• When considering energy retrofit work, most homeowners prioritize the wrong steps. An energy audit provides valuable information to counterbalance misleading advertising pitches for worthless products.
• Your audit is likely to reveal unseen defects in your home — for example, thermal bypasses (air leaks) through convoluted, hidden chases, or insulation gaps revealed by an infrared camera.
• At the end of your audit, you’ll receive a customized list of the most important energy retrofit steps for your house — a list that may differ from your assumptions (or even from the recommendations of the energy conservation pyramid).
• By identifying the most important retrofit tasks for your specific house, a good audit can save you hundreds of dollars that might have been wasted on inappropriate work.
2. Unplug and turn off
This step, though obvious, is often neglected: turn things off.
Inattention and laziness are responsible for a significant amount of energy waste; this step off can yield significant savings for a very small investment. To lower your electric bill:
• Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Turn off appliances that aren’t being used.
• When not in use, unplug chargers for cell phones and similar battery-operated gadgets.
• Put televisions and other “instant on” appliances on a plug strip — and remember to turn off the plug strip when the appliance isn’t in use.
3. Use efficient light bulbs
The next step is very cost-effective: make sure your house is incandescent-free. Since most LED lamps are still less efficient than CFLs — and far more expensive — CFLs are still the best lamp for most fixtures.
For kitchens and basements, consider installing fixtures that use efficient linear fluorescent tubes (T5 or T8 tubes).
4. Seal air leaks
Air-sealing work is best done by an experienced home-performance contractor equipped with a blower door. Although this step usually costs hundreds of dollars, it will usually yield a quick payback in energy savings.
Air sealing work is not the same as caulking. Many homeowners have spent hours wandering around their house with a caulk gun — on the interior, filling cracks between window trim and plaster, or on the exterior, filling cracks between clapboards. Most of this caulking is a total waste of time. In fact, by trapping water, most exterior caulking does more harm than good.
Blower-door directed air sealing work is usually concentrated in a home’s basement (especially at the rim-joist area) and attic (where huge thermal bypasses are often hidden under a layer of fiberglass batts). Most air leaks are best addressed with two-component spray polyurethane foam.
5. Replace inefficient appliances
Once you’ve paid for blower-door-directed air sealing, it’s time to take a close look at your appliances. If some of your major appliances —your refrigerator, clothes washer, or dishwasher — are more than ten years old, you may want to replace them with more efficient models.
Don’t be tempted to buy a bigger refrigerator; small is good. Pay close attention to the yellow EnergyGuide labels — especially the annual kWh number — when you go appliance shopping.
6. Improve the insulation
Ideally, your home has plenty of insulation in the attic, above-grade walls, and basement walls. But if you’re insulation isn’t up to snuff, it’s well worth improving it.
In colder climates, it makes sense to install R-60 insulation in your attic — as long as the attic is accessible and roomy enough to accommodate the insulation depth.
If your stud bays are empty, they can be filled with dense-packed cellulose insulation installed through holes drilled from the exterior.
Basement walls can be insulated on the interior with rigid foam insulation or closed-cell spray polyurethane foam.
7. Replace an inefficient water heater
If the configuration of your home’s plumbing pipes permits, you should install a drainwater heat-recovery device — especially if members of your family prefer showers to baths.
If you have an old, inefficient water heater, you may wish to replace it. Options include:
• A high-efficiency gas-fired water heater;
• A high-efficiency electric resistance water heater;
• A heat-pump water heater;
• An instantaneous gas-fired water heater;
• An indirect water heater connected to a boiler;
• Any of the above, supplemented by a solar water heater.
Of all of the options listed in this section, the fastest payback will probably come from the drainwater heat-recovery device. Although a new water heater can lower your energy bills, you shouldn’t expect a fast payback on the investment.
8. Improve on space heating and cooling equipment
When inefficient heating or cooling equipment gets old enough to replace, be sure to invest in the most efficient available equipment. If you’re shopping for a new furnace, look for a high AFUE (in the 90s). If you are shopping for a new air conditioner, look for high SEER (14 or higher).
There’s an important reason why energy-efficiency experts recommend holding back on the purchase of new heating and cooling equipment until air sealing and insulation work is complete: envelope improvements may permit heating and cooling equipment to be downsized. If you replace your heating and cooling equipment before finishing necessary air-sealing work or insulation upgrades, you’ll waste money on oversized equipment.
9. Insulate or replace windows
We’ve now reached the top of the pyramid. Further measures will probably reduce your home’s energy consumption, but they are unlikely to be cost-effective. The reason these measures are at the top of the pyramid is that few homeowners want to spend more on retrofit work than they will ever see in savings.
In a heating climate, the installation of low-e storm windows is more cost-effective than installing new replacement windows.
If, for reasons unrelated to saving money, you insist on new windows, be sure to choose windows with low-e glazing. Glazing with a low U-factor is desirable in all climates. In climates with cold winters, south-facing windows should have a high solar heat-gain coefficient (SHGC); in climates where air-conditioning bills are high, windows should have a low SHGC.
10. Invest in wind or photovoltaic systems
At the top of the pyramid is the category of work least likely to provide a payback: the installation of a photovoltaic system or a wind turbine. There are many reasons you may want to have PV panels or a wind turbine, but saving money isn’t one of them.
Remember, it makes no sense to invest in an expensive PV system until after you have invested in all of the other measures listed on the pyramid.
No silver bullet
One of the Minnesota Power representatives who makes regular use of the conservation pyramid is Dean Talbott, a program manager for the utility.
“I handle a lot of customer calls, and lately I’ve seen a growing interest in renewable energy,” Talbott told me. “A lot of callers are looking for the silver bullet. I just got a call this week from a residential customer who’s spending $200 a month on electricity, and he told me he wants to install solar and wind. I told him he’d be better off to start with efficiency upgrades first.”
Courtesy: http://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/12059/10-ways-to-cut-utility-bills/page/all
If you would like to know more about increasing the energy efficiency of your home, contact Mediterraneo Design and Build on phone number (650) 368-1361 or email info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
The Advantages of Radiant Floor Heat
It’s hard enough to get out of a warm bed in the morning, but when you know your feet will hit a cold floor, it’s enough to make you pull the covers over your head. Make your first trip to the bathroom, or your morning coffee-making ritual in the kitchen, more pleasant by stepping onto a heated floor.
Radiant-heat flooring is fast becoming a standard in today’s kitchen and bath construction projects. Not only can it be more efficient than other heating methods, it provides a luxurious feature for homeowners. Plus, its hidden nature means kitchen and bath design doesn’t need to be compromised for comfort.
Check out the radiant heat flooring options—as well as wall applications—on the market.
Nuheat’s Custom-Mat Electric Floor Heat System
For rooms with angled or curved walls, Nuheat’s custom mats can provide optimal coverage. Send the room’s dimensions and specifications, and within a week Nuheat manufactures a custom mat designed to fit the space exactly, resulting in easy installation and no cold spots. Nuheat custom mats are 1/8 in. thick—sandwiching heating wire between durable, porous fabric—and run off a standard household circuit. The mats can be rolled out and installed under tile, stone, marble, slate, laminate and engineered wood floors. The mats can also be used in shower pans. The heating level can be controlled with a thermostat, such as the flush-mounted Harmony programmable thermostat, which can sit behind a double faceplate for a streamlined appearance. For more information, visit Nuheat.com.
Courtesy: www.kbbonline.com
Page reference: http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/content_display/news-and-features/features/e3i309cdb262cc7125e4630e1f08a6c360e
Radiant floor heating can greatly increase the comfort levels in your home, but it is best to have this work done by experts, if possible as part of a remodeling project. To know more about radiant floor heating options and installation or other home remodeling work, contact Mediterraneo Design and Build (MDB) of Menlo Park, CA. The phone number and email address are (650) 368-1361 and info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Radiant-heat flooring is fast becoming a standard in today’s kitchen and bath construction projects. Not only can it be more efficient than other heating methods, it provides a luxurious feature for homeowners. Plus, its hidden nature means kitchen and bath design doesn’t need to be compromised for comfort.
Check out the radiant heat flooring options—as well as wall applications—on the market.
Nuheat’s Custom-Mat Electric Floor Heat System
For rooms with angled or curved walls, Nuheat’s custom mats can provide optimal coverage. Send the room’s dimensions and specifications, and within a week Nuheat manufactures a custom mat designed to fit the space exactly, resulting in easy installation and no cold spots. Nuheat custom mats are 1/8 in. thick—sandwiching heating wire between durable, porous fabric—and run off a standard household circuit. The mats can be rolled out and installed under tile, stone, marble, slate, laminate and engineered wood floors. The mats can also be used in shower pans. The heating level can be controlled with a thermostat, such as the flush-mounted Harmony programmable thermostat, which can sit behind a double faceplate for a streamlined appearance. For more information, visit Nuheat.com.
Courtesy: www.kbbonline.com
Page reference: http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/content_display/news-and-features/features/e3i309cdb262cc7125e4630e1f08a6c360e
Radiant floor heating can greatly increase the comfort levels in your home, but it is best to have this work done by experts, if possible as part of a remodeling project. To know more about radiant floor heating options and installation or other home remodeling work, contact Mediterraneo Design and Build (MDB) of Menlo Park, CA. The phone number and email address are (650) 368-1361 and info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Kitchens With Multiple Work Zones
Since formal kitchen design research started in the early 1900s, we have constantly been analyzing what works and doesn’t work as each generation expands lifestyle issues, products and aesthetics around the most important room of a home. Ergonomics and efficiency in time/motion studies were the biggest parts of the early “work triangle” and subsequent placements of appliances, storage, traffic patterns and sinks. It was, however, all based on a one-person/primary cook kitchen. Now that we have multiple cooks, a double work triangle has emerged, and even more recently, labeled centers or zones for the activities associated with any kitchen today.
Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer Ellen Cheever, who has researched, authored, designed and taught in the industry for more than 30 years, recently made the distinction in space planning based on activity zones, not work centers as previously described. Her recent Pathways to Profits Seminar, sponsored by the National Kitchen and Bath Association and Kitchen & Bath Design News magazine, addressed the, “… phenomena as a change due to what families do in the kitchen as well as what they are eating at home.”
A myriad of non cooking activities such as watching TV, entertaining, homework and talking on the telephone have been a “but of course” staple for many families. Just as important, according to Cheever, is that shopping for pre-prepared gourmet takeout meals is more common than “from scratch” meals, impacting the activities we are trying to identify. Her major points are:
• Outdoor living is valued, impacting the grilling and outdoor kitchen rage.
• Multigenerational families are sharing the same space. Consumers want to stay in their homes (aging in place).
• Consumers want a kitchen within a “cooking room” to serve weekday warm-up meals in a smaller environment than needed for weekend gourmet feasts.
• Gathering spaces for personal interaction between cooks and non-cooks is valued.
• Appliances are broken up into smaller point-of-use pieces, along with special-purpose fixtures.
• Multiple cooking stations for shared cooking activities are valued.
As a designer who continues to deal with a lengthy interview process before attempting a space plan, I also have encountered the same activities that Ms. Cheever labeled as non cooking activities.
Communicating activities including the telephone, Internet, personal visiting and any type of correspondence demand more than just a desk or an Internet connection these days. I fondly call this the command center, but it’s more than just technology for cell phones and Wi-Fi. It’s the place where people can comfortably talk, share and maintain a master calendar.
Entertaining/educational activities seem to be growing in style (hanging-out bars instead of just eating-only bars). Video game activities for the family or any TV-based entertainment, and a children’s computer/homework area (to help control computer use) are on the top of many families’ lists.
Household management activities may have been just a desk in the past, but now include a family home office, security area, smart-home technology controls, multipurpose laundry/hobby area and a pet care/feeding center.
Pleasurable pastime activity spaces include those for gardening, flower arranging, a cookbook library, photography/scrapbooking or even wine cellar/tasting areas. One of my customers collected pinball machines and it was high on his list of inclusions.
Ms. Cheever has certainly covered the range of activities and thus helps us evaluate how to include them in our expanded kitchen spaces. For food assembly, however, the activities could help to explain five activity zones, up from the initial three zones when the work triangle was used solely:
1. The Consumable Zone — This space contains food items such as rice, cereal, canned goods, pasta, staples, drinks and refrigerated goods. It usually is in one main spot, but could be labeled as such in two areas.
2. The Non-consumable Zone — These items are the dishes, glasses, plastic containers, storage items, silverware and even cookbooks.
3. The Cleaning Zone — The sink, dish-washer(s), trash and recycling as well as cleaning supplies are found here.
4. The Preparation Zone — This is the most important area in the food-assembly process. Utensils, mixing bowls, small electrical items plus items such as spices and oils needed to prepare food are kept here.
5. The Cooking Zone — The appliance package for cooking, including microwave, cooktop/range and oven is the start, but this also includes all pots/pans, cooking utensils, baking sheets and some spices, oils, etc.
I suggest there also are other specialty zones which could incorporate Ms. Cheever’s stated activities. There’s an entertaining zone, which in older circles could have been called the bar. Under counter refrigerators, ice machines, wine chillers, along with countertop or built-in coffee machines and all the accompaniments suggest a self-serve or hostess-run area strictly for guests. Some have bar sinks, but most don’t.
Some designers I know now incorporate a plating zone when entertaining which allows the owners or caterers a space for serving plates, appetizers, larger quantity of drinks, serving platters, etc., when entertaining a group of guests.
Sometimes this is in a butler’s pantry and sometimes is an extension of the kitchen/breakfast nook areas.
Courtesy- www.rdbmagazine.com
If you are planning a kitchen remodel or would like to consult with experts about the options open to you, contact Mediterraneo Design and Build (MDB) of Menlo Park, CA. The phone number is (650) 368-1361 and the email address is info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com. More information about MDB is available on their website www.mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer Ellen Cheever, who has researched, authored, designed and taught in the industry for more than 30 years, recently made the distinction in space planning based on activity zones, not work centers as previously described. Her recent Pathways to Profits Seminar, sponsored by the National Kitchen and Bath Association and Kitchen & Bath Design News magazine, addressed the, “… phenomena as a change due to what families do in the kitchen as well as what they are eating at home.”
A myriad of non cooking activities such as watching TV, entertaining, homework and talking on the telephone have been a “but of course” staple for many families. Just as important, according to Cheever, is that shopping for pre-prepared gourmet takeout meals is more common than “from scratch” meals, impacting the activities we are trying to identify. Her major points are:
• Outdoor living is valued, impacting the grilling and outdoor kitchen rage.
• Multigenerational families are sharing the same space. Consumers want to stay in their homes (aging in place).
• Consumers want a kitchen within a “cooking room” to serve weekday warm-up meals in a smaller environment than needed for weekend gourmet feasts.
• Gathering spaces for personal interaction between cooks and non-cooks is valued.
• Appliances are broken up into smaller point-of-use pieces, along with special-purpose fixtures.
• Multiple cooking stations for shared cooking activities are valued.
As a designer who continues to deal with a lengthy interview process before attempting a space plan, I also have encountered the same activities that Ms. Cheever labeled as non cooking activities.
Communicating activities including the telephone, Internet, personal visiting and any type of correspondence demand more than just a desk or an Internet connection these days. I fondly call this the command center, but it’s more than just technology for cell phones and Wi-Fi. It’s the place where people can comfortably talk, share and maintain a master calendar.
Entertaining/educational activities seem to be growing in style (hanging-out bars instead of just eating-only bars). Video game activities for the family or any TV-based entertainment, and a children’s computer/homework area (to help control computer use) are on the top of many families’ lists.
Household management activities may have been just a desk in the past, but now include a family home office, security area, smart-home technology controls, multipurpose laundry/hobby area and a pet care/feeding center.
Pleasurable pastime activity spaces include those for gardening, flower arranging, a cookbook library, photography/scrapbooking or even wine cellar/tasting areas. One of my customers collected pinball machines and it was high on his list of inclusions.
Ms. Cheever has certainly covered the range of activities and thus helps us evaluate how to include them in our expanded kitchen spaces. For food assembly, however, the activities could help to explain five activity zones, up from the initial three zones when the work triangle was used solely:
1. The Consumable Zone — This space contains food items such as rice, cereal, canned goods, pasta, staples, drinks and refrigerated goods. It usually is in one main spot, but could be labeled as such in two areas.
2. The Non-consumable Zone — These items are the dishes, glasses, plastic containers, storage items, silverware and even cookbooks.
3. The Cleaning Zone — The sink, dish-washer(s), trash and recycling as well as cleaning supplies are found here.
4. The Preparation Zone — This is the most important area in the food-assembly process. Utensils, mixing bowls, small electrical items plus items such as spices and oils needed to prepare food are kept here.
5. The Cooking Zone — The appliance package for cooking, including microwave, cooktop/range and oven is the start, but this also includes all pots/pans, cooking utensils, baking sheets and some spices, oils, etc.
I suggest there also are other specialty zones which could incorporate Ms. Cheever’s stated activities. There’s an entertaining zone, which in older circles could have been called the bar. Under counter refrigerators, ice machines, wine chillers, along with countertop or built-in coffee machines and all the accompaniments suggest a self-serve or hostess-run area strictly for guests. Some have bar sinks, but most don’t.
Some designers I know now incorporate a plating zone when entertaining which allows the owners or caterers a space for serving plates, appetizers, larger quantity of drinks, serving platters, etc., when entertaining a group of guests.
Sometimes this is in a butler’s pantry and sometimes is an extension of the kitchen/breakfast nook areas.
Courtesy- www.rdbmagazine.com
If you are planning a kitchen remodel or would like to consult with experts about the options open to you, contact Mediterraneo Design and Build (MDB) of Menlo Park, CA. The phone number is (650) 368-1361 and the email address is info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com. More information about MDB is available on their website www.mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Building a Gazebo or Deck
As part of a home remodeling, many homeowners would like to add a deck or patio to their existing construction. This appears to be a relatively simple project for which generic designs and drawings are readily available, or many DIY enthusiasts decide to design it themselves. Unfortunately these projects often are very disappointing as there are more aspects to consider in such an undertaking. Soil types and design loads have a role to play, the importance of which is often overlooked. In areas with less than perfect soil, the lumber footing, bolt sizes and many other details in pre-packaged building plans will not work. Pre-packaged plans often do not provide adequate detail. To insure that your deck or gazebo is high quality at a competitive cost, it pays to hire the services of an expert.
All Skills Under One Roof
Mediterraneo Design and Build (MBD) is a Menlo Park, residential design and construction firm that undertakes projects requiring complete architectural and construction services. The firm employs experts in all building-related skills so there is no necessity to invite outside assistance unless required for very specialized projects. When building a gazebo or deck, or making other structural alterations as part of a home remodeling assignment, MDB takes all necessary precautions including soil analysis. MDB offers services for custom new houses and major remodeling and home additions in the Bay Area. MDB has a proven track record of projects that may be viewed on its website www.mediterraneodesignbuild.com. To contact MDB, please call (650) 368-1361 or email info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Are Your Windows Outdated?
Windows are not just for light and ventilation but are an expression of your home’s personality. At some point in time your windows might become outdated and require replacement. Replacing windows can be a bewildering task with an overwhelming selection of styles and designs offer. When looking at window replacements a homeowner should consider the design which must be in keeping with the existing style of the home, and they should be easy to maintain. The most popular styles are bay windows, single-hung, double-hung, bow, sliding, casement and garden windows.
Window styles can also be customized with specialty-shapes. One suggestion is to replace flat windows with bow or bay windows which create an illusion of space. The additional natural light that these windows provide adds to the texture and dimension of the house. These windows come in a range of styles, the most common being the angled bay window which angles outwards at a 30° to 45° angle. A 90° angle would make it a box bay which could be fitted with a glass roof to make it a garden window. Most bay windows allow for a window seat, as an added attraction. A window seat is a great place to sit and watch the world go by.
Specialist Advice
A remodeling specialist can offer suggestions on window replacements compatible with your existing structural style. One such company is Mediterraneo Design and Build (MDB), a Menlo Park, design and build company. They undertake all residential building projects including home remodeling. MDB is well staffed with specialist personnel which includes designers, builders and interior decorators. A homeowner gets the benefit of diverse expertise in one company. To contact MDB, please call (650) 368-1361 or email info@mediterraneodesignbuild.com.
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