How-To : Home Improvement

If you have looked into solar energy as a method for heating your home, panels are usually the first things that come up. There are, however, other unique methods.

The Solar Heating Aspect You Have Never Heard of Before

The power of the sun is immense. The energy in one day of sunlight is more than the world needs. The problem, of course, is how does one harness this power. Solar panels represent the obvious solution, but they have their downside. First, they can be expensive depending upon your energy needs. Second, they do not exactly blend in with the rest of your home.

Passive solar heating represents a panel free method of harnessing the inherent energy found in the sun for heating purposes. If you come out from a store and open the door of your car in the summer, you understand the concept of passive solar heating. A wide variety of material absorbs sunlight and radiates the energy back into the air in the form of heat. Passive solar heating for a home works the same way as the process which overheats your car in the parking lot.

Many people, however, cannot take maximum advantage of passive solar strategies. The primary problem is a home needs to be built with a particular orientation to the sun. This orientation allows the home to maximize the heat penetration throughout the year. A relatively small number of people actually build their own homes, so you can see we have an inherent problem. There is, however, one little trick that every home can use to take advantage of solar heating.

Certain materials have high thermal masses. This essentially means they absorb a high percentage of the energy in sunlight, but release it slowly. For practical purposes, this means they radiate heat well after the sun has gone down. You, my friend, can take advantage of this.

Dark gravel has a high thermal mass. It sucks up sunlight like a sponge and will radiate heat for hours after the sun goes down. Although you probably are not going to tear down your home to take advantage of passive solar strategies, you can get some of the benefits by using gravel in a strategic manner.

The idea is to place gravel on the ground below any windows on the ground floor of your home. During the summer, you landscape with plants that shade the gravel since you really don’t want extra heat at that time. When winter hits, however, the gravel should be exposed. It will suck up the energy of the sun all day and then radiate it vertically across the windows for a few hours after dark. This creates an island of heat and great reduces the release of heat from the interior of the home through the windows.

Obviously, this tricky gravel approach is not an end all solution for your heating problems. You should, however, be able to notice a difference in your heating bills of maybe five percent depending on your house design. Given the small amount of effort involved, that will equate to a nice savings over the years.

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com – a directory of solar energy companies.

[tags]solar, heating, energy, power, gravel, landscaping, windows, radiate, heat[/tags]

When it comes to plumbing manufacturers Crane Plumbing is one of the biggest in North America and they’ve got huge line of products that are manufactured.

There are more than 20 facilities throughout North America that are responsible for producing all the product lines and there are more than 3000 employees all with specialized training in the plumbing industry. So whether you are new to plumbing or an old pro they’ll be able to assist you.

Crane has been producing quality fixtures for more than 130 years. That’s an awfully long time! You’ll find their products in the home, in hospitals, apartments, schools, hotels, and commercial places. And even if you don’t see the Crane name chances are you’ve seen a Crane product because they market under a variety of brand names which include.
1. Crane Plumbing – Full line of fixtures and accessories
2. Universal Rundle – Full line of fixtures and accessories
3. Showerite – Full line of shower doors
4. Fiat Products – Specialty plumbing products
5. Sanymetal – Bathing compartments

Wait, there’s more. They have plenty of product categories to choose from too.
1. Vitreous China – toilets, lavatories, urinals, flushometer, marine fixtures, penal fixtures, hospital fixtures, counter top sinks, pedestal sinks.
2. Enamel Steel – lavatories, bath tubs, kitchen sinks.
3. Plastic Wall Surrounds – Tubs and showers.
4. Acrylic & Gel Coated Fiberglass – whirlpools, soaker tubs, steamsuites, showers, tubs, physically challenged bathing units.
5. Cultured Marble – lavatories and vanity tops.
6. Molded Stone – service basins, laundry tubs, shower floors.
7. Commander – commercial showers, change stalls.
8. Terrazzo – commercial shower floors.

If you don’t believe how common Crane is have a look at the stamp on your toilet, or checkout the lavatory in your parent’s home. You’ll find the Crane stamp on more than 50% of the fixtures you check.

The warranty is excellent. Another reason to buy Crane. Of course it varies depending on the product but they range from anywhere from 1 year to 10 years depending on the item and there may be a few that are even longer. And warranty claims are handled professionally and with as minimal of hassle as possible.

Crane is well known not only for the quality products but also for the good prices and terrific selection. It’s a great feeling to know you can hit one manufacturer and get everything you need without having to run all over the country.

It’s even better when you can grab your comfy desk chair, turn on your computer, and let your fingers go shopping. In no time you can find exactly what you want and there is no looking for parking, and no running around town burning up gas and time.

The most important thing before you start shopping is to know what it is you really need. It’s too easy to get caught up buying pieces that aren’t necessary. Make your list and then stick to it. If you are looking at bigger items it also pays to set a budget and then to price compare online.

Crane Plumbing is a name you can trust in your home renovations.

[tags]Crane Plumbing[/tags]

Asbestos! It’s a brawny fire-resistant touchable which was widely utilised in the time for fireproofing and detachment purposes. The difficulty with it is that is has these small, cheerful fibers which crapper easily be indrawn or swallowed by people. These bruising particles hit been proven to drive a sort of rattling earnest diseases which including asbestosis, (which is a habitual disease of the lungs that makes breathed extremely difficult), and cancers. So, it’s lowercase astonishment then ground folks are afraid when removing asbestos story tiles from senior buildings.

Vinyl story tiles include asbestos (vinyl, asbestos tile – VAT) and should be handled with extremity tending when existence removed. The prototypal conception is to secure the touchable is in non-friable state. Asbestos is thoughtful non-friable when the touchable CANNOT be low to detritus by assistance pressure. Non-friable asbestos crapper embellish loose should the tile(s) be dilapidated or smashed, which could stingy these bruising fibers haw be freed.

Removing these tiles is no cushy picnic. To move with, you module requirement to dress conserving equipment much as a inhalator and country glasses which module termination in harder breathed and poorer vision. The remotion of excise has to be finished in full pieces so as to ready the touchable in a non-friable state. This effectuation that it is not innocuous to grind, saw or learn to support removal.

In most states, asbestos staleness exclusive be distant by licensed asbestos abatement contractors who are full armored and knowledgeable in the innocuous remotion and effort of much materials. They module commonly become brachiate with impressible sheets to kibosh the particles from agitated freely. VAT’s are commonly wetted downbound too, so as to preclude some particles from decent airborne during the remotion process.

Safely removing asbestos story tiles is a earnest playing and they are commonly settled in revealing grounds containers and scarred understandably with phraseology kindred to “DANGER ASBESTOS-CONTAINING MATERIALS”

Once remotion has been accomplished, the stamped containers are transported by the commissioned businessperson to an EPA authorised landfill place where it gets buried. There are observance and administrative procedures needed to achievement the employ at hand, and the germane polity are presented with the pertinent documents for filing upon completion.

It is NOT advisable to endeavor the remotion of excise yourself and there are belike penalties if you essay to and intend institute out. Also, the squander creation needs to be willing of safely and cannot only be dumped with your topical trash.

For more careful aggregation and procedures regarding the innocuous remotion of asbestos products, see online or occurrence your topical polity for an up to fellow fact sheet.

[tags]Asbestos, Asbestos Abatement, Asbestos Floor Tiles, VAT, radical asbestos tile, asbestos products[/tags]