Piping Hot Water!

Whether building a new home or replacing a worn out appliance, a staggering array of water heater technology is available for modern households. Water heater selection may seem like the dullest of tasks, but choose wisely and you can see tremendous energy savings. Because there are so many factors involved, including size, efficiency, fuel, and the expenses of both the equipment and energy source, some careful research will be helpful.

Water heaters are fall into two major categories: conventional storage (tanks) and demand type water heaters. Demand heaters, or tankless, lose some heat as the water circulates around the house. Storage tanks lose some heat at the tank, as well as during circulation. Since they use different energy sources for the heat, it is not a simple, straightforward determination that a lower amount of heat loss is better. Most homes use gas or electric for heating water, and a tankless water heater to replace a storage tank using the same energy source is simple and will be more efficient. The improved efficiency is more noticeable in households that use less hot water. This is simply because the water is not cooling off during storage if it is not held in the tank for long.

Solar water heaters in this region will have a storage tank and use an indirect method of heating the water; in warmer climates this may not be case since the water can be directly heated by the sun and circulate through the system. Because Maryland has temperatures below freezing, a heat conducting liquid is pumped through the solar collectors and into a heat transfer coil that heats the water. Since your solar heat is free, the loss of a portion in storage may make sense. Solar collection requires dedicated panels for heating this liquid, so the installation will be more complicated and expensive than simply replacing a gas or electric water heater tank.

Geothermal heat pump water heaters can be installed alongside a geothermal HVAC system if you are building a new home or replacing your heating and air-conditioning with one of these. Because the installation of a geothermal system is expensive, it is not likely to be a cost-effective choice if it is just a decision about the water heater, but as a pair these make great sense. These systems take heat from the ground during the winter or from the air during the summer and use it to heat the water.

Four Seasons on Your Deck or Patio

Now that it is the season to consider construction projects that may come to completion during the warmer months, this tends to be the time for homeowners to start dreaming of a new deck or patio. As you think about this while it is still chilly outside, it is exciting to consider how you will be using the outdoor space year-round. If you are not able to choose a project that includes masonry work with a large chimney as part of your back yard landscape feature, this is the season to get a chiminea, fire pit or fire table at a bargain price.

There are many table styles to choose from, including coffee table height, dining tables, and bar tables. The bar height tables obviously move the heat source up and away from the deck surface, which may be advantageous, and many of these will hold a propane tank concealed in the furniture design. Low fire pits and tables radiate heat in all directions, but smoke is also dispersed everywhere along with it if you are burning wood for your heat.

A chiminea or traditional fireplace will radiate heat forward and smoke up and away. Be cautious of the  hazards present when any of these are situated on or near wooden decking, with the danger from heat and stray embers.

Move free-standing heat features away from plants, trees, railings, walls and furniture. If the product is specified for use on a wood deck (check the manual to be sure), it should be placed on a pad of fire resistant tiles. Gas pits and tables are safer than wood burning ones, since they won't release hot embers to be carried away in the wind. With wood, be sure to use a fire screen. If you have one constructed or choose to make a basic fire pit yourself, it is also easy to make a spark arresting cover.

Energy Efficient Lighting

LEDs, or light emitting diodes, are currently the most efficient light bulb technology available. Compact fluorescent light, or CFL, bulbs are an efficiency improvement over incandescent lights as well, though not as efficient as LEDs. CFLs also contain a small amount of mercury is cause for concern for some people, especially if a bulb is broken and the mercury released.

The average American family spends one-fifth of their household energy expenses on lighting the home. This can be reduced by about 80% by switching from incandescent bulbs to more efficient LEDs (Forbes). This is not just better for the household budget, but also easier on the environment.

Many people have a bad impression of the color quality (also called temperature, though this doesn't have to do with heat to the touch) of the light that these new energy efficient bulbs produce. With LEDs you do have a choice in the matter, though.

LED bulbs have been widely adopted in commercial spaces, for street lighting, and in office buildings. Until recently, they have been considerably more expensive than customers are used to paying for light bulbs. As technological advances have been made in production, the falling cost is making them a much more attractive option.

When selecting bulbs, they are now labeled in lumens. This accommodates the modern lighting technology's differences in efficiency, where we used to select our bulbs by wattage when everyone was using incandescent lights. A helpful chart is available to anchor the terminology to the familiar incandescent light intensity; a 60 watt incandescent bulb would be 800 lumens.

LED lighting also has some true wow factors. You can buy them in strips, which are simple to cut to the needed length. These are ideal for kitchen and bath lighting under cabinets and toe kicks, for stairways, and also can be used for artistic lighting effects. Even better, some of these lights will last 20 years.

The National Resources Defense Council has a great bulb buying guide that compares different technologies, their green factors and their costs.

Energy Star offers a helpful interactive light selection tool as well, in particular for choosing different bulbs for different functions and locations.

Basement Remodeling

One of the joys of a basement remodel is the opportunity to work on a space that is enclosed from the elements and not subject to the whims of the weather. These can be relatively economical projects that enhance the livable area of a home without the expenses incurred when you are increasing the footprint of a house, yet the possibilities for a basement space are unlimited.

Dreaming of a home movie theater? The basement offers a great, naturally dark space to take advantage of. Some recessed lighting and wall sconces on a dimmer switch can give it the full effect of a night out at the movies, with all the coziness of staying in. Plus you can furnish it with cushy seats and have warm blankets on hand to go with your popcorn.

Lilliputian playland? Especially if your ceiling heights are low, maybe this is the perfect opportunity to have some storage built for games and toys. Add in some child scaled furniture. This can age into a teen paradise as the kids grow older, too, with some video gaming chairs and a game system tucked away.

Lounge around? No, not (necessarily) the kind you do in a Snuggie, but a grown up room for sipping Scotch and listening to music or for tasting wine and cheese with your book club. A cozy, tucked away downstairs space can be a great spot to cultivate the perfect lounge ambiance. Add a sleek bar and wine storage for a luxurious space.

Guest suite? A small kitchenette and bedroom downstairs with a pull out sofa and built in entertainment cabinet can make your home a welcome place for guests. When friends and family aren't around, you can still enjoy the little hideaway for yourselves.

Truly the options go on and on: a multipurpose family room with a Murphy bed, a home office with built in desks and cabinets, a pool room with wood paneling, a craft room with a sewing table and storage cabinets for all the supplies. We would be delighted to help you see any of these dreams become a reality.

Lionel Lloyd of The Painted Finish

It is a great feeling when someone working on your home becomes a person you look forward to chatting with every day. Lionel Lloyd of The Painted Finish is just that kind of guy.
Lionel's house painting company evolved out of a business partnership with a friend. They started out together doing property management. Since the properties frequently needed painting as part of the regular maintenance, it was a natural transition for Lionel to step into this line of work in 1987. He has been doing it ever since. Sometimes his step-son Cameron steps in to assist him on the job, as needed.

Painting seems like an obvious choice for Lionel, given his decidedly artistic bent. His attention to detail and perfection on the job reflect his artistic priorities. Lionel was a finalist at the first FOTOWEEKDC in 2008, and was honored to meet some of the photographers he admires and respects. See his amazing photography work at Spiderpaw's Blog, where he displays some truly magical images.

Lionel revels in travel, history and culture. He has had some fantastic adventures visiting his wife's family. She is originally from the Outer Hebrides in Scotland, where they enjoy a great deal of peace and quiet at their family cottage, which is accessible via a not-insignificant ride in a small boat. On Lionel's most recent trip to visit them he logged 3,000 miles around the United Kingdom with his brother-in-law, seeing many of the sites important to the history of the U.K. He hopes to have the opportunity to visit France when they are visiting across the pond in the future.

He has upcoming plans to do an essay of his in-laws' family history. He also hopes to do both portraiture and an essay on a friend's family, focusing on their Salvadoran heritage.

The photo above is from Lionel's recent fall photo collection. This shot is from the Cushwa Basin of the C&O Canal in Big Pool, MD. The Cushwa Brick graphic was a particularly interesting coincidence. Harmon Builders renovated a home in a previous project, matching the original Cushwa brick with new brick from the original manufacturer.

Should Lionel find his way to a painting project at your home, be sure to collect some of his fascinating tales. Don't forget to ask if he has any photographs to show you. You will be swept off your feet by the beautiful work Lionel can do, both with a camera and with a paintbrush on your walls. It is a true pleasure to have him on board any project with his friendly commitment to high-quality work.

Home Weather Station

Everybody loves to talk about the weather.  A subject that is both entertaining and practical. A basic home weather station can be relatively simple and inexpensive to put together, while also having loads of scientific value.

You will need a rain gauge. You can buy a simple graduated cylinder for measuring, or easily make your own with a ruler and a container. Of course, you must be mindful of a couple of things. The container should have straight sides, and nothing overhead or nearby that would shelter the guage from the rainfall from above or if it is coming down at an angle.

A weather vane is something that can be easily made or purchased. Mount it high on a roof top or up on a tall post, positioning it to avoid disrupted air flow from buildings and trees. A wind sock serves the same purpose, and it can be nice to have both--you can also make your own wind sock relatively easily.  If you are using these with children, the visual of the colorful windsock reinforces the accuracy of determining the wind direction. With a wind sock you will have a great visual. Use a compass with it for precision, which gives the children a chance to learn a great life skill with other applications, too.

An anemometer reads the wind speed. These look very cool and high-tech, and you can get one for $30-$50 range at the low end. The same rules apply about mounting it high and away from obstructions to the air flow.

Another instrument you will want that will not be a DIY choice, but is inexpensive to purchase is a hygrometer. These are only about $5 for a reliable tool that is used to measure the humidity in the air.

A barometer measures fluctuating atmospheric pressure. In actuality, you can easily make one of these as well for a fun family project, but you will want something more durable for regular use. Check out all the different types of barometers. Classic analog or glass barometers can be interesting decorative finds for inside the house. Modern ones are digital, of course, and run the gamut in pricing.

Assembling your own weather station should be fun, but if you want the easy way out, there are always fancy electronic ones that are ready to use and streamline the details.

Great Salvage Pieces

I like industrial and vintage looks. They often blend well with either modern or traditional aesthetics. Plus, this is an excellent way to reduce waste. When I need something affordable, I've started checking in with Chartreuse & Company in Buckeystown. They are usually open the third Friday, Saturday and Sunday each month, but do have special holiday functions. Here is a peek at the kind of amazing finds they have had there in the past (architectural items, furniture, and fun bric-a-brac).

I am constantly trying to improve the storage and shelving options to suit a modern family of four in a house built in 1927. We just finished the basement. It is currently a pretty blank canvas. It needs a utility sink and this was one of the first things to capture my attention. Complicating matters, the plumbing is in the main space that we plan to use like a game room. I thought I would like a bar aesthetic in the space, rather than looking at laundry room ides. I was so excited by what I found--I never even asked what the original function of this item was.

This will need to be converted to have a real, workable drain "set up"--it has just small spigots, but it has several things going for it. Number one, it looks cool. It will also hold beer and ice handily in half, while still having a functional sink in the other half. Best of all, this cover that I can remove to scrub something in the deep sink will also provide surface space when the waterworks are not in use. I'll have to get started on the search for some wall mount fixtures to work with this. There is no way there is anything this cool in all of Ikea! There is another popular architectural salvage place in Baltimore called Housewerks. I have never been to Lucketts, VA, but Chartreuse & Company is often compared to the much larger market there. I have much more to look forward to as I hunt for pieces to reuse and repurpose.