Taylor Global LLC

Cooling Your Home Naturally

shifuxu — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:44:29 +0000

Keeping cool indoors when it is hot outdoors is a problem. The sun beating down on our homes causes indoor temperatures to rise to uncomfortable levels. Air conditioning provides some relief. But the initial costs of installing an air conditioner and the electricity costs to run it can be high. In addition, conventional air conditioners use refrigerants made of chlorine compounds, suspected contributors to the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming.

But there are alternatives to air conditioning. This publication provides some common sense suggestions and low-cost retrofit options to help you “keep your cool”—and save electricity.

Staying Cool

An alternative way to maintain a cool house or reduce air-conditioning use is natural (or passive) cooling. Passive cooling uses nonmechanical methods to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature.

The most effective method to cool your home is to keep the heat from building up in the first place. The primary source of heat buildup (i.e., heat gain) is sunlight absorbed by your house through the roof, walls, and windows. Secondary sources are heat-generating appliances in the home and air leakage.

Specific methods to prevent heat gain include reflecting heat (i.e., sunlight) away from your house, blocking the heat, removing built-up heat, and reducing or eliminating heat-generating sources in your home.

Saving Energy

Using any or all of these strategies will help keep you cool. Even if you use air conditioning, many of these strategies, particularly reflecting heat and shading, will help reduce the energy costs of running an air conditioner.

However, adopting all of these strategies may not be enough. Sometimes you need to supplement natural cooling with mechanical devices. Fans and evaporative coolers can supplement your cooling strategies and cost less to install and run than air conditioners.

Ceiling fans make you feel cooler. Their effect is equivalent to lowering the air temperature by about 4° F (2° C). Evaporative coolers use about one-fourth the energy of conventional air conditioners but are effective only in dry climates.

Many utility companies offer rebates and other cost incentives when you purchase or install energy-saving products, such as insulation and energy-efficient lighting and appliances. Contact your local utility company to see what it offers in the way of incentives.

Composting

shifuxu — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:56:44 +0000

Composting To Save the Planet

by Alden Smith

When people think about composting, they think about gardeners with big compost bins and dirt under their fingernails. Although this may be true, composting can be a reward for every home owner. It is not only planet friendly, but the byproduct can benefit everything from house plants to large garden plots.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that yard trimmings and food residuals together constitute 23 percent of the U.S. waste stream. Studies show that home composting can divert 700 pounds of material per year from each household, so it is not that we have nothing to compost. Composting in the US has become a cottage industry, and bags of good compost can run as high as $100 per ton for high quality compost. This article will focus on how to compost in any scenario.

What is Composting?

Composting is defined as a process that takes organic wastes and turns them into a soil-improving additive or a medium to grow plants. It is a stable material, rich with humus that is dark brown or black and smells earthy and soil-like. Waste such as yard trimmings, food wastes, manures, and even newspaper is usually combined with bulking agents such as wood chips to provide the proper medium. The finished product is a soil rich in nutrients.

What Can’t be Composted?

There are a few things that cannot be composted. These are:

Black walnut tree leaves and branches. They may release agents harmful to plants.
Coal and charcoal ash. These also may contain harmful substances.
Dairy products, such as milk and egg yolks. They create odors and attract pests.
Diseased plant material. The disease may survive and be harmful to other plants.
Fats such as grease, lard, or oils. Again, these create odor problems and pest attraction.
Meats, scraps and fish bones. These create odor problems and the attraction of pests.
Pet waste. This can contain bacteria and parasites harmful to humans.
Yard trimmings that have been treated with pesticides.

How To Begin

Depending on location and your living situation, you can compost either indoors or out. Little is required – you already are throwing away the most important component! All composting requires three basic ingredients:

-Browns, which include things such as dead leaves or branches.
-Green materials – grass clippings, vegetable waste, coffee grounds and fruit scraps.
-Water is the third ingredient.

Ideally, you would have equal measures of greens and browns. Browns provide carbon to the process, while greens provide nitrogen. Water helps the process move along.

Building the Compost Pile

In the back yard, a chicken wire fence can be easily constructed to house a compost pile. You can also purchase bins made especially for composting. Place it in a dry, shady area of your backyard near a water source.

Be sure larger pieces to be composted are chopped or shredded. Place a 6-inch layer of brown materials on the bottom. Add a 3-inch layer of greens to the top, then some good topsoil or finished compost. Add a third layer of brown materials 3 inches deep. Lightly mix the two top layers. Add water until moist.

Turn your compost pile every week to distribute air and moisture. Move dry materials to the center. Your new compost pile will be ready in 1 to 4 months, but allow the pile to sit for an additional 2 weeks to cure.

Composting Indoors

A properly built indoor compost pile will be ready to use in 2 to 5 weeks. Special bins are available, but you can construct your own. Don’t worry about odor – if the pile is constructed properly, there will be none, and it will not attract pests or rodents.

A simple bin can be made by drilling 1/2″ holes in the bottom and sides of a tall plastic garbage can. Place this can within a larger garbage can that has bricks for the inner can to rest on, and that is surrounded with wood chips. Place insulation around the outer can to keep compost warm. Build your compost pile as listed above.

Composting should be a way of life for everyone. It is not difficult, and produces some of the finest potting material you can find. I compost in a downtown apartment. I do so indoors, and use a method of composting called vermicomposting. This simple process uses worms to digest the waste products. I have a large Rubbermaid tote filled with good topsoil, and it is inhabited by a colony of red worms. The worms eat my garbage, and this provides me with some of the best potting soil available in the form of the worms’ castings, the byproduct of feeding.

Follow these simple guidelines and make composting a reality in your daily routine. The planet will thank you for it.

Deck Maintenance

shifuxu — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:10:23 +0000

How to Clean Your Deck

Anyone who owns a deck knows that it is much more inviting when it is sparkling clean. Not only will cleaning your deck provide it with a fresh look, but also, it will help to maintain the integrity of the wood.

Periodically, throughout the year, you can perform weekly sweeping and removal of debris. At least once a year, you should give your deck a thorough cleaning, following some version of the steps presented below. Additionally, you should treat your deck or reseal the wood at least once a year.

Preparing to Clean the Deck

• Remove everything from the deck, including furniture. Begin by removing the smaller items first. Place the items in an area where they won’t be in anyone’s way.
• Remove potted plants from the exterior perimeter of the deck.
• Lightly cover any delicate or fragile plants in the ground near the deck to protect them from potential disturbance.
• Gather together the tools that you will be using including brooms, dustpans, trash bags, long handled scrubbing brush with stiff bristles, hose with sprayer, pressure washer, bucket, slender stick or tool, commercial deck cleaner, laundry detergent, liquid chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach cleaner, and deck preservative. You may not need all of these, so collect only the ones that you believe you will be using.

Cleaning the Deck

• Begin by removing any large debris by hand and place it in the trash bag.
• Sweep the debris on the deck into piles. Seep up the piles and place them into the trash bag.
• Remove any debris that is trapped in between the deck boards using the slender tool. Place the debris in the trash bag.
• Use the garden hose with a spraying attachment to spray the surface of the deck and rinse it clean. Use the highest or most powerful setting on the sprayer and direct it directly onto muddied or heavily soiled spots to remove as much of the dirt as possible. Begin at one end of the deck and continue until you have rinsed the entire thing. If you use a pressure washer to rinse the deck, leave a few feet in between the spray nozzle and the deck. If you hold the nozzle too closely to the deck, you will gouge the wood. Additionally, you should use the sprayer fan.
• Use the garden hose to spray in between the decking boards to clean away any remaining debris.
• Prepare a solution of sudsy water using the laundry detergent or read the instructions on the commercial cleaner.
• Apply whatever you are using for a cleaner to the deck. Use a long handled brush with stiff bristles or a push broom to scrub the deck. Begin at one end of the deck and work your way to the entire deck.
• Rinse the entire deck with the garden hose to remove the cleaning solution.
• For difficult areas to clean, you will need to take further steps. Areas that have some algae or mildew growth will need to be treated with a solution of one part bleach to four parts water. Be careful not to spill the bleach onto your clothing or any plants since it is harmful. Use plastic or garden gloves to protect your hands if you have delicate skin. The bleach solution may discolor the deck, so you can use an oxygen bleach cleaner to make the cleaning solution if you prefer. Pour the solution onto the area with the growth. If the growth appears fresh, then allow the solution to sit for only a moment or two.If on the other hand, the growth appears to have been there for a while, allow the bleach solution to sit for about fifteen minutes. Use the long handled brush with stiff bristles or the push broom to scrub the area. Rinse the area clean. Allow it to dry.
• If a stain remains on the deck after the first cleaning, then you will need to repeat the process. It is best to allow the area to dry completely before treating it again and to scrub the area for the fifteen minutes that the solution is on it.
• Thoroughly rinse the deck with the garden hose or pressure washer. Allow the deck to dry completely before sealing it. This may take as long as two or three full days.

Resealing the Deck

• Purchase a wood sealer for the deck. Be sure to look at all of your options. Some sealers may include a waterproofing agent or mildewcide that will offer your deck year round protection.
• Check the deck for signs of debris that may have gathered while it was drying.
• Remove any debris and dispose of it in the trash.
• Using a wood sealer that you have purchased, apply it to the deck according to the instructions on the label.

Final Steps

• Once you have allowed the wood sealer to dry according to the directions on the label, replace the furniture onto the deck along with any other items that you wish to keep there.

Time for Spring Cleaning!

shifuxu — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:38:34 +0000

Home Maintenance Checklist for Spring

Most homeowners know regular maintenance is a must. Anytime is the perfect time for routine maintenance checks on many areas of your home. But how do you decide what needs to be done, and in what priority?

The experts at ServiceMagic.com, a Web site that helps connect homeowners with prescreened contractors in their area, offer the following checklist to help you shape up your home:

Gutters and downspouts: Remove leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts. Reattach gutters that have pulled away from the house. Run a hose on the roof and check for proper drainage. If leaks exist, dry the area and use caulking or epoxy to seal the leak.
Siding: Clean siding with a pressure washer to keep mold from growing. Check all wood surfaces for weathering and paint failure. If wood is showing through, sand the immediate area and apply a primer coat before painting. If paint is peeling, scrape loose paint and sand smooth before painting.
Exterior caulking: Inspect caulking and replace if deteriorating. Scrape out all the eroding caulk and re-caulk the needed area.
Window sills, door sills, and thresholds: Fill cracks, caulk edges, repaint or replace if necessary.
Window and door screens: Clean screening and check for holes. Holes bigger than a quarter leave plenty of room for bugs to climb in. Patch holes or replace the screen. Save bad screen to patch holes next year. Tighten or repair any loose or damaged frames and repaint. Replace broken, worn, or missing hardware. Wind can ruin screens and frames that are allowed to flap and move, so make sure they are securely fastened. Tighten and lubricate door hinges and closers.
Drain waste and vent system: Flush out system.
Hot water heater: Lubricate circulating pump and motor.
Evaporative air conditioner: Clean unit, check belt tension and adjust if needed. Replace cracked or worn belt.
Heat pump: Lubricate blower motor.
Foundation: Check foundation walls, floors, concrete and masonry for cracking, heaving, or deterioration. If a significant number of bricks are losing their mortar, call a professional. If you can slide a nickel into a crack in your concrete floor, slab or foundation, call a professional immediately.
Roof: Inspect roof surface flashing, eaves and soffits. Check flashings around all surface projections and sidewalls.
Decks and porches: Check all decks, patios, porches, stairs and railings for loose members and deterioration. Open decks and wood fences need to be treated every four to six years, depending on how much exposure they get to sun and rain. If the stain doesn’t look like it should, or water has turned some of the wood a dark gray, hire a professional to treat your deck and fence.
Landscape: Cut back and trim all vegetation and overgrown bushes that are touching structures. Limbs and leaves can cut into your home’s paint, requiring that side of the house to be repainted. A little trimming can save a lot of money and time.
Sprinklers: Check lawn sprinkler system for leaky valves, exposed lines and improperly working sprinkler heads. If there is an area of your yard that collects too much water or doesn’t get enough, run the sprinklers to figure out the problem. If it’s not something you can fix yourself, call a professional before your lawn needs the water.