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Dryer Fires – Is Yours Ready To Ignite
In recent years there has been many rumours about dryers catching on fire. Should we be concerned? Yes of course. We should take seriously anything that may put our family at risk.
Was the problem the dryer? Rarely. After investigating it is...
Electrical Savings System
Once a month there's an electric bill coming in the mail with your name on it. For the next week, it's telling the kids to shut the lights off when you're done, And most of the time, you turn them off yourself. Right? Meanwhile downstairs...
Inspecting a Home
Inspecting a House Before you buy any house, take the time to thoroughly inspect the structure and mechanical systems. Costly repairs can often be avoided or at least anticipated by a preliminary inspection before a purchase offer is signed. If...
Installing a Brick or Paver Walkway
The key to installing a Brick or Paver Walkway is to first properly prepare the area where the bricks/pavers are to be installed. The area should be dug out at least a foot down, removing all topsoil and clay soil. Once the area has been dug down,...
So you've made an offer on a home. What's next?
You’ve finally found the home of your dreams, 3 bedrooms, attached garage, great neighborhood. You fix sights on the freshly painted walls, new carpeting, beautiful cabinet and a huge back yard. What are you forgetting? Everything else! Don’t...
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In Praise of Rays
(ARA) - Dark and confining may be fine for a cave, but it isn’t what most people want in their homes. Today’s homeowners want well-lit, personal spaces throughout the house, and more continuity with the outside world.
Windows and doors are central design elements of every home, bringing in sunshine and natural light, and providing fresh air and views that transform enclosed areas into comfortable, inviting living spaces. Increasing natural light in the home to supplement or replace electrical lights, is becoming more important to homeowners as they consider new homes or look to remodel their current one.
“The sun warms our souls. It makes us happy to be alive. On a sunny day, especially after a winter of gray skies, your first instinct when you step outside is to raise your face to the sun and smile,” said Joan McCloskey, an editor with Better Homes and Gardens magazine. “That same feeling happens in a sunny room with broad expanses of glass that beckon in the buttery yellow light. The sun makes colors seem more intense, not muted. Properly placed and right-sized windows can do a lot for the look, feel and personality of a home. The sun creeps into corners and makes a room feel bigger, airier, and fresh.”
Technology Makes it Possible
Today’s windows and doors are better engineered than those made in the 1970s -- a time when more than 20 million American homes were built. Advanced materials and design now make it possible for windows to be larger, stronger and more energy efficient. In addition, today’s manufacturing technologies allow homeowners to select windows and doors in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles.
Advancements in glass technology also have contributed to the growth of window design in the home. Newer, low emissivity (Low-E) coatings significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, and help manage the effects of ultraviolet light -- which can be a cause of fabric fading.
Get Out the Compass
Achieving maximum natural lighting and energy efficiency depend in part on climate, where the windows are placed in the home, the home’s architecture and the landscaping surrounding it.
For example, south-exposure windows provide large amounts of direct lighting throughout most of the day, while north-exposure windows, by comparison, provide shaded, even lighting. Windows placed on the east and west sides of the home allow for lots of light, along with even, shaded light, at respective times.
Nat King Cole, En Espanol
From the 1940s through the mid-'60s, Cole was one of America's most beloved and familiar singers. But his fans might not be as well aware of the crooner's Latin American tours -- or with the three Spanish-language records he released in the 1950s. Now, some Spanish-speaking musicians have created an album paying tribute to Cole's Latin hits.
Photo: Paul Sikivie And Aaron Diehl
A Blog Supreme is on vacation. Until we return, we are periodically leaving you with some shots from The NPR Jazz Photography Pool on Flickr. Here, Ed Newman writes about capturing some up-and-coming musicians on film recently.
Photo: Paolo Fresu
<em>A Blog Supreme</em> is on vacation. Until we return, we are periodically leaving you with some shots from The NPR Jazz Photography Pool on Flickr. Here, Vicenzo Cosenza writes about capturing the great Italian trumpeter on film recently.
First Listen: The Bad Plus, 'Never Stop'
It may be one of the leading names in jazz, but The Bad Plus probably wouldn't mind if you called it a weirdo instrumental rock band. Hear the decade-old trio's latest album, the all-original <em>Never Stop</em>, in its entirety until its release on Sept. 14.
In addition to simply letting in more light, windows can help shape the sun’s rays into dramatic patterns and layers through the use of grilles, art glass and shaped windows. Rooms with multiple exposures can benefit from direct and indirect lighting that can create a feeling of warmth and spaciousness.
“Think of windows as part of the total wall plan, not only in terms of the pattern they will create on the exterior side of the wall, but how light will come into the room. Light will bounce off the ceiling when windows are placed high in the wall, adding to the positive effects of the indirect lighting,” said Fred Foster, an architect with Andersen Windows, Inc. “Lighting areas directly and indirectly with natural light causes less glare, which will result in a more pleasing quality of light in the home. Natural light sources give objects and materials in interior spaces a more natural, truer color.”
Skylights are a perfect example of how to add a different lighting source in the home. Installed in the roof, skylights can be optimally positioned to bring light to areas in a unique way, often complementing light from existing windows and doors -- perfect for bathrooms and kitchens. Skylights are also a great solution for lighting rooms where privacy may be an issue, where there may be a less than desirable view, or where there is no outside wall such as in a hallway.
According to experts at Andersen Windows, homeowners can increase natural light in their home in three ways:
* Adding windows, skylights or patio doors to their home
* Replacing old windows with new ones placed in optimal locations
* Replacing windows and doors with larger ones or window/door combinations
Healthful Benefits
In addition to lighting a house, natural light has many potential health benefits. Sunshine and daylight may affect people psychologically and physiologically, and living in dark, poorly lit homes may lead to mood changes, depression and conditions such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
For more information on the virtually limitless sizes, styles and combinations of Andersen windows and doors that can help increase natural lighting in your home, visit www.andersenwindows.com or call (800) 426-4261, reference 3019.
Courtesy of ARA Content
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
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