Here's a convincing argument for chlorine-free pools: Children who spent more than 100 hours swimming in chlorinated pools are up to six times at risk of having asthma and allergies as other teens. "There is little doubt that pool chlorine is an important factor implicated in the epidemic of allergic diseases affecting the westernized world," said head researcher Alfred Bernard. According to Bernard, chlorine in swimming pools affects children's respiratory health more than secondhand smoke.
The study surveyed 814 teens ages 13 to 18 before arriving at the surprising (to this writer) conclusion. Researchers speculate toxic chemicals in the water and hovering in the air promote respiratory allergies. No coincidence that the most cases of asthma are in the countries with the most swimming pools. Learn more about switching to a self-cleaning chlorine-free pool.
According to data from the CPSC, 300 children younger than 5 drown in pools and spas each year while close to 3,000 suffer pool-related injuries requiring a trip to the emergency room; 80% of the fatalities occurred in a residential setting. The CPSC has launched a new Web site, PoolSafety.gov, that serves as a source for information about drowning prevention. In short, homeowners should have a fence around their pool with self-closing, self-latching gates to prevent unsupervised access. Be safe this summer.
Builder Online recently reported that roughly one-third of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 are moving back in with their parents or their in-laws or are reverting back to a lifestyle with roommates due to ripple effects from the recession.
Based on a recent AARP report that Builder Online cited, 15 percent of people surveyed expressed a degree of likelihood that they'd move in with, or accommodate another, family member or friend. Out of those surveyed, the largest percent (about one-third) said that it would be due to a loss of income. About one-fifth said it was due to a change in job status, and most notably, about 8 percent of those surveyed said it was due to home foreclosure.
While these statistics underscore the recession's direct impact of people's home accommodation decisions, one-third said that they felt "somewhat comfortable" with that kind of a living arrangement while another third expressed that they would "not be comfortable at all" living with additional family members or friends.
Builder says that AARP expects the demand for universal design features like ground floor bedrooms and walk-in showers to increase in order to accommodate multi-generational, flexible living arrangements.
Read "Adding an In-Law Suite" to find out more about combining intergenerational households. Watch this video to see the addition of an in-law suite.
Even the President of the United States is having his mother-in-law move in with him. The folks from the Bob Vila show documented what we thought was a pretty awesome mother-in-law addition. But we have no idea what will happen when the East Wing of the White House is occupied by the President's mother-in-law. Will she be given the Lincoln bedroom? Or will the U.S. taxpayers put an addition on the White House so Marian Robinson can have her privacy and the Obamas can have a little peace?
I've written about the growing popularity of chlorine-free swimming pools before. Now, TheDailyGreen.com has a photo collection of 23 breathtaking natural swimming pools to inspire you to join the movement. Natural pools, if maintained properly, use almost no chemicals and behave more as mini-ecosystems. They require less maintenance and don't cost significantly more than conventional pools to install.
There is a new trend in home remodeling. Instead of blueprints for a new home or a large addition, designers are beginning to see plans for transforming little-used space. This cost and time-efficient method is one of the best ways to improve your home. For example, you can sacrifice part of an adjacent dining room that is rarely used in order to remodel your kitchen. Also, space under stairs can be turned into office space, a laundry room, etc. Storage shelves high in children’s rooms are a good idea, too. The most popular examples of transforming space are when basements or attics are turned into living spaces. Utilizing the space you already own is definitely a great way to remodel.
A vexing problem with the foreclosure wave sweeping the nation is abandoned swimming pools are becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which can carry deadly diseases. Now many towns in foreclosure epicenters such as Florida, Arizona and California are turning to a novel solution—stocking the pools with fish known as "mosquito fish" that eat the larvae. The fish can eat up to 500 larvae a month and save the town the expense of repeated spraying of toxic pesticides. The solution is not without its critics. The fish breed are known to harass the California red-legged frog, a threatened species, so towns should be wary not to transfer the fish from swimming pools to local ponds. But many applaud the application of an environmentally sound solution.
