Reduce Energy And Maintenance Costs With New Home Builders

These days, it seems that everyone is trying to lower the costs of powering and maintaining their homes - the rising costs of utilities and the introduction of the carbon tax have sent many people into a money saving frenzy. If you are looking to build your own home, there are actually a number of ways that new home builders can help you to reduce the energy and maintenance costs of your property, providing that you find one who knows what they're doing.

When you first meet with the builder whom you have picked to construct your home, make sure that you express to them early on in the process that you are looking for ways to reduce your energy and maintenance costs. This will ensure that the builder keeps this aim in mind, right from the depths of the planning stages all the way through to the completion of the house.

    Construction and Ducts - If your new home builder has ensured that all holes and cracks have been sealed (especially in your heating and cooling systems), then you will reduce the changes of drafts, moisture, dust, pollen and noise pollution from occurring. This is also highly effective in improving the quality of your home's air.

    Insulation - If your home has had insulation properly installed in its floors, walls and attic space, you will find this to be a very cost effective option. Because the insulation will encourage an even temperature throughout the house, it will lessen the need for air conditioners and heaters to be turned up.

    Products and Fixtures - If your builder has invested in and recommended products and fixtures that are energy star rated (such as compact fluorescent light globes, lighting fixtures, fans, appliances, and so on) you can greatly reduce the amount of money you are spending on electricity for your home.

    Windows - If your home has been fitted with energy efficient windows, you will find that they help to keep heat in during winter and out during summer. This is because they are fitted with two or more panes of glass and have been specially coated to prevent heat transfer. Again, this helps to lessen the need for air conditioning and heating.

If you have been thinking about ways that you can reduce your energy and maintenance costs, you should be thinking about contacting your new home builder and seeing how they can help. As you can see from the above list, there are a number of ways that they are able to not only reduce the energy consumption of your home, they will also be able to lower the need for maintenance well into the future.

Should We Fight Structural Erosion Damage Or Work With It?

There is an interesting old quote people often used to describe hardships, it is good advice, perhaps you've uttered these words; "go with the flow!" And yet as a society, and in some of the decisions that we make in our civilization, we don't necessarily do that do we? Let me give you an example if I might; we seem to be building barriers to keep out ocean waves, and stronger support structures to protect us from the environment, rather than using the flows - we try to fight them.

When we put bridges over water we build extremely strong and durable bases for the pillars that hold up the bridge. When we build dams, we do the same thing. When we build giant wind turbines we build extremely strong cylinder shaped structures to hold up the wind turbine blades hundreds of feet in the air. Nevertheless, the shapes that we use are not always the most efficient for the wind flows or water flows.

There was an interesting article in Terra Daily on November 14, 2012 titled; "Erosion has a point and an edge," by Staff Writers in New York NY which appeared not more than a couple of weeks after Hurricane-Super Storm Sandy hit the New Jersey shoreline and NYC.

The article showed how over time the tide or current would reshape objects. A cylinder object would be molded into triangular shaped forms. The research was done by Leif Ristroph, et. al., post-doctoral researchers at NYU's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and one of the study's co-authors where they used "submerged clay-shaped as balls or cylinders-into a 15-foot long water tunnel."

Well, knowing this information and the shapes that the relative wind or relative water flows are trying to create, perhaps we should beat them to the punch, and design those structures in a manner which works with nature rather than against it. What can we learn from all of this? Well, it seems currently we aren't learning enough, and we are probably causing ourselves headaches which are unneeded.

Consider if you will that the estimates are in the trillions of dollars of the work we need to do on our infrastructure. Report after report shows that our bridges, dams, and other infrastructure are decaying, and in many cases less than safe. Had we better designed these things in the past using the modeling we have now, and what we know, we may have saved ourselves hundreds of billions of dollars in maintenance and rebuilding costs.

Wouldn't it be nice to have that money now to help pay down some of this national debt, or allow our federal government to live within its means - and not just our federal government, but at the state, county, and city levels as well? What if everyone around the world was thinking here? Indeed, I hope I'm starting to make some sense. I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Choosing the Right Heavy Equipment for the Job

It may be a reality that you can do nothing in heavy jobs without the help of the different heavy equipment that are now in the market. The role that these pieces of equipment have particularly in a certain construction area is simply indispensable. But you do not have to be worried about anything especially in terms of the supply of the said equipment, as they are proliferating in the market and they are offered in different prices, brands and specifications. Thus, you will have headaches in choosing the one that will meet your job's needs.

Choosing the right heavy equipment for your needs will not torment you. This is because there are several tips that you may follow in choosing the said equipment. First, you should know what the job is all about. In so doing, you can have a hint on what heavy equipment to look for. If you are able to identify what particular heavy equipment you need, then it is time for you to look for it either in a distributor or from an online market. If there are several brands of it, then it is for you to choose the best one particularly in terms of functionality, durability and if there is any additional capability that a particular heavy equipment has.

Another thing that you should consider in choosing the right heavy equipment is the availability of replacement parts. This is to assure you that you will not have any problem in case something goes wrong with your chosen machine.

Of course, a heavy piece of equipment is usually big. But there are heavy pieces of equipment nowadays that are relatively small, but can do the same task. You should choose the said kind of heavy pieces of equipment, as they can occupy less space and you would not have any problem in operating them because of their size.

Generally, you will not have any problem in choosing the right equipment for your needs and wants. This is because there is a wide variety of heavy equipment available in the market today. You can choose a heavy piece of equipment with the brand, specification, and functionality of your own choice. Also, you can easily order your choice of heavy equipment, as they are now available in websites and other online automotive shops.

Finding the Perfect Builder for Your Project

Whether you're in search of a builder for the construction of a large project, a commercial building or even your own home; finding the perfect builder is really important.

They don't just need to be able to get the job done on time; but, they even need to be passionate about the job as only then they would give it their best and hence the end product would be perfect. Moreover, they should know the ins and outs of construction and the industry as a whole in order to get the job done using the best materials and at the same time at a good price.

Finding a perfect builder for your project:

There are plenty of builders who would be able to help you out in your project. But, here are a few tips to help you find the perfect builder for your project

Research the project

If at all you're planning on constructing something for your business you're going to need to do a thorough research about the location and hence find out what you need to build. You need to do this first as you would be able to pick a builder only when you know what needs to be done.

Check out their qualifications

First and foremost you're going to need a list of potential builders. Place ads online and in the local newspapers and take a look at the replies that you receive. Once you've got a list set up, you're going to need to go through their credentials.

Check out the other projects they've worked on and the quality of the construction. If at all you're happy with their work add them to a shortlist.

How do they charge you?

Well, price is always an issue and hence you need to find a buyer who's willing to perform the job based on your budget. Therefore, the next step would be to meet them individually and ask them to access the entire project and give you a rough estimate of the probable cost of the construction project.

The materials they use

Well, another important issue when it comes to construction projects would be the kind of materials that the construction company uses. Make sure that the products they used are good and reliable.

Take a look at the invoices and make sure that you aren't being duped. Very often there are cases wherein you're paying for a particular material and receiving something else.

Benefits of Green or Living Walls

Benefits of Green Walls

Benefits provided by green wall installations vary depending on their location and design, though most share common benefits. For simplicity those listed below have been grouped into environmental, human and building related aspects. Some cross-over does exist and often benefits are also categorised as Public and Private, i.e. those realised by only the building owners/tenants and others shared by the wider community.

Environmental

Air purification & dust suppression

One of the biggest environmental issues currently facing the UK is the level of pollution in our cities. Green walls have the potential to address some of the problems. During the day plants extract carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and many other toxins from the air during photosynthesis, resulting in significant reductions in CO2 levels in well vegetated urban areas. Large areas of greenery can also help to suppress dust particles; improving air quality around construction sites and busy highways. This can lead to a reduction in respiratory illness. There has been much focus in London recently on reducing PM10 particles to meet EU targets and avoid a substantial financial penalty.

Increased biodiversity

By using selected plants a green wall can considerably increase the number and variety of insects and birds in a given area, helping to return a more sustainable ecosystem in urban environments.

Reduced urban heat island effect

Urbanised areas have a higher average temperature than surrounding countryside. Increasing vegetation in city hot spots, or urban canyons, provides cooling of trapped air and reduces reflected heat. Tests have shown temperature differences of up to 17 degrees C between hard and vegetated surfaces in the same location.

Storm water mitigation & rainwater harvesting

Increasing the coverage of vegetation can reduce the amount of storm water management required for a building. This is especially useful in older urban areas where excess storm water is combined with wastewater systems. More advanced solutions can harvest excess rainwater for green wall irrigation, eliminating the need for a fresh water supply.

Building

Passive thermal performance

Coverage of vegetation over a building can dramatically reduce the need for additional cooling in summer. The vegetation also works as a blanket to reduce heat loss from a building in winter. These reductions lower the requirement for heating and air conditioning demands in a building. Studies have shown considerable energy savings.

Building protection

Green walls help reduce UV damage to surfaces and can protect a building from wind, weather and temperature fluctuations, prolonging the life of the structure. These factors could, in fact, offset maintenance costs of green walls. In addition, many green wall systems have solid back panels that maintain rigidity, waterproofing and security; these can be used as cladding on buildings in place of traditional materials, thus offsetting the capital cost of an installation.

Green credentials

Green walls are visual indicators of sustainable design and can be a means of qualifying for additional eco-credits for sustainability assessment schemes and may help with planning applications.

Human

Aesthetics

Vegetated surfaces are generally considered aesthetically pleasing; they can provide a visual impact and focus for onlookers or can be used to obscure unsightly structures and spaces.

Health and wellbeing

Plants and greenery can provide uplifting and calming effects on people whilst having a positive impact on stress-related illnesses. Studies have shown that simply having a view of greenery increases workplace productivity and patient recovery rates in hospitals.

Noise reduction

Planted surfaces have low noise reflectivity and high absorption properties. Ambient noise is attenuated by green wall systems, improving conditions for building occupants and pedestrians.

Food production

The introduction of vertical gardening techniques significantly increases available space for growing food in urban environments.

Behavioural improvements

Studies have shown a correlation between highly vegetated urban environments and a reduction of crime in the area, in particular reduced violent conduct.