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Home Improvement Blog - On the Level is a home remodeling & repair blog to keep you informed on the products and trends that we see in the field.
After a five-hour stand-off, the Gingerbread Man finally emerged from his Gingerbread House and surrendered to authorities.
Photo by Halldor Utne |
...I'm the Gingerbread Man! But everyone knows where the Gingerbread Man hides out. That's right: his Gingerbread House.
Yes, folks, it's Gingerbread House-making Season. It's time to pre-heat those ovens, mix up some icing, and start building!
Like any good new home construction project, the building of a Gingerbread house must start with a floor plan. Check out this guide to building an abode fit for Sweet Street. You'll find floor plans, building tips and construction steps. We won't hold it against you when the hard hat is dusted off for this one.
For a little added inspiration, take a second to ingest this cute little Gingerbread Dreamhouse action figure sequence.
Got a Gingerbread House worth bragging about? Add it to our MyProjects section. Good luck!
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Dancing Like a Little Star
Photo By Greg Vazzana Our daughter likes to hang from this pole as much as she likes to dance with it. |
Ever wonder what it would take to have your own dance floor?
I created this "Dance Experience" in my daughter's room for just a few hundred dollars, including materials. Luckily we already had a hardwood floor and very solid walls. The ballet bar can hold me up and I weigh five times as much as my five year old so it should be pretty safe.
If you have the room you can create a small or large home dance studio. I found this great reference online if you do not have suitable floor. How to make a dance floor.
And for those of you want to add new hardwood floors to any room see this hardwood floor preparation guide.
We bought our ballet bar and mirror set at Pottery Barn Kids but you may find it for less at a local kids furniture store.
Now I just need to take dance lessons myself to become a professional ballroom dancing champion so I can be on Dancing With the Stars, too.
Wish me luck.
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Randy the Receptacle: TalkingPlug's less intelligent older brother. |
What do Smart Homes running off a Smart Energy Grid need to be complete? Why, Smart Plugs, of course!
The energy conservationists at Zerofootprint are adding IQ points to each outlet in the home with their new carbon emission-reducing socket supplements, called "TalkingPlugs™." Designed to fit right on top of an existing outlet, each TalkingPlug™ comes equipped with technology that enables control of a plugged-in appliance across a network as well as real-time measuring of energy consumption. You know how the "Stand-by" mode of every plugged in appliance or electronic device consumes electricity even when said device is turned off? The TalkingPlug™ can be programmed to cut power to the device during certain hours (sleepy time) to conserve electricity.
Widespread installation of TalkingPlugs™ across neighborhoods, municipalities and even the country will result in a sort of mesh network -- information gathered from each home can be sent to Zerofootprint and individual homes can check in to see how their energy usage compares to others.
The current $50/plug price is a little prohibitive. I want to conserve, but I also want to have enough money to actually pay the electricity bill (lower though it may be). I'm not sure if I'm sold on the name, either. I envision cartoonish plastic wall pods from some animated kids' movie fighting for the attention of the human characters. "Plug ME!" "No, plug ME!" Lower the price, change the name, and I'm as game as the next guy.
Would you buy a Talking Plug™?
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We have blogged about Star Trek it in the past. Twice in fact. Once for a complete Star Trek remodel and then again when the Star Trek apartment sold in 2007. I am a fan of the series and I plan on buying the Star Trek DVD, but this Star Trek themed apartment was a bit over the top.
You will not find my wife and I ever living in a Star Trek-themed abode, unless of course we are frozen until the 24th century. By then I'm sure everyone will be saying "Captain at the helm" when they sit down for breakfast at the kitchen island.
Still, I am eager to watch the DVD in my home theater. Nothing will beat the sound of an oncoming Klingon Bird of Prey zooming across 5.1 speakers.
Is your home theater up to the task?
If not check out this article on Home Theater Ideas and design your own. Hurry up, though. The DVD is ready to beam down.
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LEED rates buildings on a number of factors that reflect a home’s sustainability. The first LivingHomes was the first home to receive a LEED’s highest designation of Platinum. |
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to help identify and implement practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.
To qualify as LEED certified, homes must earn a minimum of 45 points in eight categories including: Innovative Design Process (ID), Location and Linkages (LL), Sustainable Sites (SS), Water Efficiency (WE), Energy and Atmosphere (EA), Materials and Resources (MR), Indoor Environmental Quality (IQ), and Awareness and Education (AE).
LEED certified homes save more energy, conserve more water, create less waste and are healthier for homeowners than non-LEED certified homes. These green homes offer homeowners health benefits, significantly reduce their utility bills and lessen their impact and dependence on the environment. While not every home will be built or retrofit to LEED certification standards, a number of smaller steps can be taken by homeowners and builders with the LEED standards in mind.
Federal stimulus packages create additional incentives for homeowners to incorporate energy-efficient products into their homes including a 30 percent tax credit (up to $1,500) on windows and doors, insulation, roofs (metal and asphalt), HVAC, water heaters (non-solar) and biomass stoves for those products purchased for existing homes from now until 2010. Tax credits for existing homes and new construction are available at 30 percent of the cost on geothermal heat pumps, solar panels, solar water heaters, small wind energy systems and fuel cells through 2016. With more than 1,800 exhibitors -- many of which boast LEED credits for homes -- and 100 educational sessions on sustainable building including a keynote opening by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, GreenBuild 2009 demonstrated the growing interest, importance and need for eco friendly building and design. Touting the theme, “green building on every street” and through its first-ever Green Job Fair, the conference and expo proved that going green has never been more mainstream.
What does this mean for homeowners? Not only will your homes be healthier for your family and the environment, but as more and more companies offer green products and services, more options and competitive pricing will emerge for homeowners looking to go green. For homeowners interested in more information on LEED, green building or to view a list of builders dedicated to sustainable homes, visit the USGBC Web site.
GreenBuild is an international conference and expo on bringing green living to Main Street. It is being covered for BobVila.com by the editors of EcoNewsNetwork.org, a blog that provides news, trends and commentary on ecological issues, challenges, products, processes, science and leisure.
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Get those food items piled high this year! |
Looking for a small way to give this holiday season? We have a great idea: Sears Hometown Stores has launched their Food Drive, which will run until the end of 2009. At each of the 950 stores located across the country, customers will have a chance to donate non-perishable canned and boxed foods and other needed items, like diapers, power towels and so on. Customers can drop donations off at donation boxes located at their nearby Sears Hometown Store.
Donations will be distributed to local shelters, food kitchens, after-programs, and similar organizations with an eye out for the needy.
This is the fourth year of the initiative; the past three years have seen over a half a million in food items collected and donated. It would be great to see folks step up and make contributions to their local Sears Hometown Store Food Drive and try to crack the million food item mark. In these recession years it's hard to question that need is as great as it has ever been.
Have you made a donation recently?
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Indoor air quality continues to remain a popular topic among today’s homeowners as it has been linked to a variety of health concerns and issues including asthma, respiratory ailments, cancer and even death. Poor indoor air quality stems from inadequate ventilation, high temperature and humidity, which can all cause indoor air pollution and damage to your home’s structure by a variety of volatile organic compounds and airborne pollutants including mold, radon, carbon monoxide and toxic chemicals.
The good news is that there are a host of companies responding to the need to improve our homes’ indoor air and reduce health issues attributed to these issues. These systems are a major step in the direction of protecting us from the air we breathe.
Below are three of our favorite companies offering innovative, eco friendly products that clean up the air you breathe:
1. Venmar
Venmar provides an array of products to improve your indoor air quality including attic ventilators, air exchangers, range hoods and whole house filtration and ventilation systems. Our favorite is the Venmar Air Exchanger that moves the polluted and humid air from inside your home to the outdoors and replaces it with fresh air throughout the day. Visit www.venmar.ca for more information.
2. Genteq
Genteq offers a whole house comfort system that improves your indoor air quality through a HEPA (high efficiency particulate arrestance) air cleaner that removes odors, smoke and microscopic airborne particles that can trigger allergies and asthma. The system also includes a humidifier that is attached to your ductwork, bringing your home to a comfortable humidity level. The Genteq comfort system further reduces your home energy costs as it uses the Evergreen high-efficiency motor that uses up to 74 percent fewer watts than a standard motor blower. Check out www.genteqcomfort.com for more information.
3. Dynamic Air Quality Solutions
Dynamic Air Cleaners are installed into the existing tracks of your heating and cooling systems and use electronic polarized-media technology, meaning the system captures even the smallest particles that pollute the air you breathe. Visit www.dynamicaqs.com for more information.
Improving your indoor air quality is an important step to safeguard the health of your family. Even better, many of today’s companies offer whole house filtration systems that allow you to breathe easy, go green and save money!
Stay tuned for more updates from GreenBuild 2009!
GreenBuild is an international conference and expo on bringing green living to Main Street. It is being covered for BobVila.com by the editors of EcoNewsNetwork.org, a blog that provides news, trends and commentary on ecological issues, challenges, products, processes, science and leisure.
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