Energy Efficient Home Designs

Thanks in large part to escalating energy costs, people are taking energy-efficient home design more seriously than ever. Whether you're starting from scratch or renovating an older home, there are many elements you can include to make a house more efficient. Below are just a few ideas to consider if you're interested in embracing the green home design mindset.

Reflective & Insulated Roofs

Considering how much it costs to heat or cool a home, optimizing heat retention and dissipation is a no-brainer. How you choose to roof your home makes a big difference. For hotter climates, highly reflective roofing material can significantly reduce AC-related energy consumption. In colder areas, using structural insulated panels is a wise choice.

Earth-Sheltered Construction

If you've ever been in a true wine cellar, you know how effective they can be at maintaining a constant temperature. Earth-sheltered homes, such as those built into the side of a hill are easier to heat or cool, which saves a lot of money in the long run. Furthermore, insulated foundations save energy while lowering construction costs.

Advanced House Framing

Otherwise known as optimum value engineering, advanced house framing is an energy-efficient design approach that's been gathering steam in recent years. Basically, it reduces the cost of labor and materials by up to $1,000 during the construction of a home. More importantly, it can reduce heating costs by up to 5% by improving overall home R-values.

Passive Heating & Cooling

One of the best ways to make a home more energy-efficient is to employ passive heating and cooling techniques. Installing Low-E Energy Star windows will improve the effectiveness of passive solar heating in the winter. You can also do things like elongating roof overhangs to improve shading and positioning large windows on the south side of the building.

Use Layout-Specific Materials

Almost any type of home can be highly energy-efficient with a little planning. The whole-house systems approach to residential design stresses looking at the big picture. For instance, using adobe walls in desert environments can keep a home cool during the day, and warm at night. Likewise, certain ornamental shrubs and trees can help to combat the heat island effect in built-up urban areas.


The design strategies covered above are a great start if you're serious about energy efficiency. However, there's far more that can be done to reduce home energy consumption such as the installation of tankless water heaters, and smart energy-monitoring devices or even London doors. If you stretch your brain a little, you'll be sure to come up with many more novel ideas in short order.

This article was brought to you by Brooke Chaplan of Northern Comfort. 

How Interior Design Was Started

Believe or not interior decorating is a relatively new idea.  It has only been around for a few thousand years.

Mankind has just gotten the hang of mixing and matching home decor quite recently and it looks like we are still perfecting things from the looks of most people's home.

Take a look at this really neat graphic about The History of Interior Design.

Source: Terrysfabrics.com

What Are Roman Shades

Roman shades are a type of window covering that can add style to any home and enhance any decor. Like other types of shades, roman shades work by filtering light, allowing the homeowner to select the amount of visibility from the outside to provide just the right amount of privacy.

The Benefits

Another benefit of roman shades is that they work to keep the home insulated, from the cold in the winter and from the heat of the sun in the summer. They are very cost-effective and can quickly upgrade the entire appearance of a room without having to invest a lot of time and money into installation.

Adjustments can be made to allow in more or less light by using a simple cord system. Roman shades will typically be made of fabric and panels that stack together when they are opened, yet provide consistent coverage when they are closed. A mounting system is used to install them in a window for secure, easy use.

The fabric used in the panels of roman shades works similarly to draperies by allowing in filtered light, yet they are much more functional than curtains and are much easier to use.  

 
Design Varieties

Depending upon the style or decor of the room, roman shades can be purchased in a number of different varieties. Homeowners or designers can choose from pleated balloon, hobbled, flat, tacked or unstructured styles in a wide variety of colors, however the most common colors seen in roman shades include reds, blues, greens and blacks.

In addition to solid colors, roman shades can also be made in a variety of prints and patterns. Custom-made shades can also be created for a more specific and unique look.
  
Easy Installation

Very similar to other horizontal or vertical blind systems, installation of roman shades is simple and straight-forward. Mounting can either be done on the inside of the window, the outside or directly on the ceiling.

Drilling, mounting and hanging the mount and head rail require measuring and leveling for accuracy. To test, just pull the cord to easily raise or lower your new shades.  

 
A Popular Choice

While not as common as other types of window treatments, use of roman shades is becoming very popular with today's homeowners, due in large part to their ability to work with just about any type of decor. Roman shades are a great way to add a stylish, yet functional, touch to your home.

Source: BlindsUpdate.com

Wood Blinds vs Faux Wood Blinds

When considering options for window treatments, blinds are often a great idea.  It doesn’t take long for consumers to realize that they can choose between wood blinds and other blinds that are made of some type of faux wood.  While both approaches do offer some benefits, it is helpful to identify the differences.  Doing so will make it easier to identify the solution that is right for your needs.

The Choice of  Materials

The most obvious difference between wood and faux wood blinds is the materials used to create the slats. Wooden slats are composed of high quality natural wood that is contoured especially for the purpose.  For people who like the idea of staining the original wood and incorporating that look into the general appearance of the room, this is the only real option.

Faux wood blinds may be made from PVC and possibly other types of materials.  Generally, the slats are permeated with some type of color that cannot be removed.  If you want blinds that will not require painting in order to blend in with your color scheme, this option will be more to your liking.

Maintenance and Upkeep

Wood blinds are constructed to stand up to a lot of wear and tear.  With a minimum amount of maintenance, they can easily last for a decade or two.  This is especially true with wood slats that are stained rather than painted.  Periodically taking the time to stain and seal the slats will keep them looking great.

Faux wood blinds are not quite as durable, but do offer the benefit of being extremely easy to keep clean.  Since the color is embedded in the material, all you really have to do is dust and occasionally clean the slats.  As long as the blinds are used correctly, they are capable of retaining their appearance for several years.

Cost

Without a doubt, wood blinds will cost more than faux wood blinds.  This is because the wood is a stronger product that is intended to last for a longer period of time.  By contrast, the materials used in faux wood blinds are much less expensive, meaning the manufacturer has a lower investment in each set of blinds produced.  This in turn makes it easier to sell the blinds at lower rates and still make a decent profit.

When it comes to determining which type of blinds are right for your home, no one can make that decision but you.  Weigh all the pros and cons associated with each type and determine which option will work for your window treatments and your budget.     

How To Clean Window Blinds

Window blinds require monthly cleaning just like other parts of the house. Over time they accumulate dust particles just like a coffee table or television stand does. Thankfully, they are not hard to clean at all. In approximately fifteen minutes you can safely and easily clean all of the blinds in your house without generating a sweat. Here is how you can do it.

Tools 
  

1. An old cotton sock
2. White vinegar 
3. Water

Instructions

Get a bowl or Tupperware and put some white vinegar into it. Dilute up to half of it with some water. Take the old sock and put it on your hand.  Dip the tip of your hand, with the sock on it, in the vinegar. Run your hands along the slats of the blinds.  Make sure you do not press too hard.  Just a little pressure is fine.

Repeat the process for each slat until you have gotten them all. After half a blind dip the tip of your hand back into the vinegar to re-moisten it.

Some people have recommended using a dry cloth or duster to clean your windows. The problem I have with this method is that the dust is scattered into the air and ends up settling on the window again.  When you use a wet sock the dust adheres to it.

Vinegar is safe for most surfaces and will not damage wood, metal or plastic. Additional, do not to soak your soak in the solution. Get your sock damp but make sure you do not over saturate your sock. Just a dab is fine.So this once a month and you should be fine unless you live in a particularly really dusty area.