Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

COOPERSBURG, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Did you know that lighting accounts for almost 15%* of the average homeowner's monthly electric bill? And that if every home in the US installed two dimmers in place of two standard light switches, the potential annual savings could be $1.2 billion in electricity and close to 25 billion pounds of CO2? Thats the equivalent of taking more than one million cars off the road.

With a variety of products ranging from dimmers, to sensors, to automated shades and thermostats, Lutron Electronics makes it easy for homeowners to save energy throughout their homes, whether you want to update one room or an entire home.

This Earth Day, its time to keep that promise that youll live a more energy-efficient lifestyle. Here are some tips from Lutron on how to start saving energy in your home:

Dimmers

Installing dimmers is one of the easiest green home improvements you can make and it enhances ambiance and creates a mood for romance. The average homeowner can install one in 15 minutes or less.

Every time you dim the lights you save energy. Dimming incandescent and halogen bulbs by 25%, for example, saves about 20% energyand bulbs last longer, too. Dim more and youll save even more.

Lutron dimmers work with all types of light sources, from incandescents and halogens, to dimmable compact fluorescents (CFLs) and dimmable LEDs. In addition, Lutron has dimmers that automatically save 15% energy over a standard switch.

In fact, the new C.L dimmer (for use with dimmable CFLs, dimmable LEDs, incandescents and halogens) can save up to $30 in energy savings, per dimmer, per year for incandescent and halogen bulbs, and up to $50** in energy savings, per dimmer, per year, when the C.L dimmer is used with a dimmable CFL.

Occupancy/vacancy sensors

View original post here:
Lutron Offers Tips for Saving Energy at Home on Earth Day and Every Day

1. Monitor the thermostat - keeping the thermostat turned down in the winter by as little as two degrees and up two degrees in the summer can result in significant savings on utility bills.

2. Increase comfort with insulation - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates a homeowner can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs by sealing and insulating around the home.

3. Use green household cleaners - shop for non-toxic, environmentally safe and biodegradable cleaning products. Another option is a homemade cleaners, such as white vinegar a common household item used for cleaning grease, mildew, stains and more.

4. Plant shade trees and shrubs around the house - A great way to cool homes in the summer and add to landscaping. A tree not only looks good it blocks some infrared radiation that heats up houses during the warm summer months. One tree can also offset tons of carbon over its lifetime.

5. Keep the refrigerator isolated - A refrigerator works to keep its contents cool so putting it next to a vent, stove or dishwasher - which all give off heat - make it work even harder. Placing it in an isolated location saves money while saving the refrigerator from exerting unnecessary energy.

6. Use compact florescent bulbs - They use about 66 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last about 10 times longer.

7. Upgrade the roof - Solar reflective roofing shingles feature advanced colored granules that reflect the suns rays and can reduce a roof temperature by as much as 20 percent in the summer. Ultimately, this keeps your air conditioner from working overtime in warm weather.

8. Unplug unused energy addicts - electronics, including TVs, DVD players, computers, video game consoles, and cell phone chargers continue to use electricity in the off setting. In the average household, this can account for up to 1,000-kilowatt hours of electricity annually - enough to power an entire home for two months. Avoid unnecessary energy waste by unplugging electronics that are not being used or use a smart power strip that automatically stops the electricity when an item is turned off.

9. Replace older electronics and appliances - installing products that are ENERGY STAR certified can go a long way in reducing energy usage. Certified products include lighting, fans, washers, dryers, roofing, computers and more.

10. Put rainwater to good use - collect rainwater for use in gardens and on lawns instead of using potable water from a drinking water utility. Local hardware stores often carry barrels specifically for rainwater collection that can be connected to a down spout from the roof of a home and come equipped with a detachable hose for easy use.

Here is the original post:
Tips to green your home

SANDRA GUY sguy@suntimes.com April 20, 2012 5:48PM

Updated: April 21, 2012 2:15AM

Energy efficiency is out-performing glacially slow bank lending and home buying to provide jobs and more livable rental housing in South and West Side neighborhoods, as Chicagos Energy Savers program is proving.

The Chicago-based program is enabling landlords to invest in building upgrades that cut energy bills an average of 30 percent a year.

The Energy Savers program focuses on the most cost-effective improvements such as insulation, air sealing and heating-system upgrades.

But some owners are leveraging the latest technologies to do more.

Eight buildings in the West Woodlawn and South Chicago neighborhoods feature solar-thermal panels, high-efficiency water heaters and the latest smart boiler-control systems.

On a sunny day, the solar panels satisfy the entire buildings demands for hot water by supplying about 12,000 British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy.

The water heaters kick in when the panels cannot handle the whole load.

The systems in three buildings use smart boiler controls that adjust in real time how long a hot-water boiler stays on.

More here:
Not heating the neighborhood

Above, Lewin combines modern and classical elements to give the room a bright and airy feel.Left, Lewin's Edison Orbs use incandescent light bulbs in place of crystals to create a "Victorian modern" feel. (Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

A restaurant kitchen is a place of frenzied motion, where food, fire, sharp knives and human bodies swirl in a dance of constant near-collision. There's no other room where surfaces and light are so essential to what goes on.

That's why designer Jen Lewin believed that to be successful, such surfaces have to embrace simplicity. To play only a supporting role. To recede, to become merely a canvas for food and faces.

And do it elegantly, durably, sustainably.

Those were artist Lewin's goals for The Kitchen Denver, the new outpost of The Kitchen Boulder and its subsidiary eateries, Upstairs and Next Door.

"You almost want to make a little safe haven for a restaurant," Lewin said. "In a home, a kitchen is the most

The Kitchen is opening a new location in downtown Denver at 16th Street and Wazee Street. On Thursday, March 8, 2012. Designer Jen Lewin was at the site which combines modern with classical elements. Details of a booth back. ( Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

The space on the 16th Street Mall was anything but open, inviting or simple when Lewin and her team began renovations. It had been a Cajun restaurant, with heavy velvet curtains and three separate dining rooms that wrapped the corner of 16th and Wazee streets.

So as in the group's other restaurants, the first step was to subtract anything fabric, anything fussy and open big windows onto the street scene outside.

Then came black floors. Black-stained oak, with a couple of coats of wax. When construction crews were coming in and out putting the final touches on the remodeling, the dust and scuffs made the floor look old and yet new.

Here is the original post:
Jen Lewin designs The Kitchen Denver to savor simplicity

I'm 39, self-employed and make $200,000 a year. I have no mortgage and have saved $1.2 million, 75% of which is in retirement accounts. I'd like to relax and live it up a bit, but I'm afraid that the good days might end.

My question: Can I finally drop $40,000 on a used BMW and $50,000 on a kitchen remodeling? Or should I put that $90,000 toward my two kids' future college expenses, which are roughly a decade way? -- B.A., Harrisburg, Penn.

Being prudent doesn't mean you must live as if the bottom is going to fall out of your finances at any moment.

Ideally, you want to achieve a balance between saving and spending that allows you to enjoy life today without pampering yourself so much that you shirk your responsibilities for the future. From what you've told me, I'd say you're a long way from overindulging.

Of course, the mere mention of a $40,000 BMW will have some people accusing you of conspicuous consumption and worse. And you could easily find a car with a lower price. Relative to income, though, you paying $40,000 is roughly the equivalent of someone with the median household income paying about ten grand for a car, an amount that wouldn't raise an eyebrow.

As for the kitchen upgrade, $50,000 is a considerable sum. But your budget is actually less than the nearly $58,000 "Remodeling" magazine's latest cost vs. value survey found was the average cost of a kitchen renovation. By the way, the magazine also estimates you would recoup almost 70% of that cost at resale.

Remodeling? How to get a better bid

Given all this, you don't need to worry that you would be acting irresponsibly by refurbishing your kitchen and buying a nice used car you've had your eye on.

So I say go for it, on the condition that you do the following two things: first, continue to save for retirement via tax-advantaged plans for the self-employed or other retirement savings vehicles; second, set aside enough in a 529 plan or other college savings account over the next 10 years to pay for a decent chunk of your kids' education.

Considering that you're mortgage free, you should have plenty of disposable income for saving. You've also got a good head start on the retirement front, which should make it possible for you to save for retirement and education at the same time (although if push comes to shove, favor retirement first).

More here:
Saving vs. spending: When to splurge

The Amherst Industrial Development Agency approved more than $326,000 in tax breaks Friday for a$3 million office building that McGuire Development Co. plans to build on the site of the former Newman Center on Main Street.

McGuire plans to start construction next month on a 15,000-squarefoot office building, located on 1.5 acres at 6325 Main St., between the new YMCA and Erie Community Colleges Amherst campus.

Accounting firm Szymkowiak & Associates, which is currently in offices at 333 International Drive in Amherst, plans to move into the new

building, occupying just under half of its space, said James Dentinger, McGuires president. The other half of the building has not been leased yet.

Its a nice little project, Dentinger said. Were excited about it.

IDA officials noted that the project, even with the tax breaks, will result in a big increase in the tax revenue generated by the site, which had been tax-exempt when it was owned by the Diocese of Buffalo.

The parcel, which generated just $547 in tax revenue when it was owned by the diocese, is expected to yield nearly $158,000 in tax revenue during the seven years covered by the tax abatement.

It takes a site that was tax exempt and, even with the abatement, puts it back on the tax rolls, said James J. Allen, the agencys executive director.

Szymkowiak, which gets about 70 percent of its business from international clients, had considered relocating most or all of its operations to Mississippi, where one of its major clients has available space, IDA officials said.

The accounting firm, which has 18 full-time and two part-time employees, is expected to add three full-time jobs and one part-time job, the agency said.

See the original post here:
Tax breaks approved for new offices in Amherst

FHI 360, a global public health and economic development organization, is moving its headquarters to downtown Durhams American Tobacco Campus next year.

The nonprofit has signed a 15-year lease to occupy about 95,000 square feet in the 130,000-square-foot Diamond View III office building now under construction beyond the left field wall of the Durham Bulls Athletic park.

FHI occupies about the same amount of space at the Headquarters Park building at the intersection of Interstate 40 and N.C. 54 in Durham. FHI, previously known as Family Health International, will move about 400 employees into the building when its lease expires next year.

Diamond View III is expected to open sometime in mid-2013. It is named after the two office buildings that overlook the ballpark.

The deal with FHI is one of the largest leases signed in the Triangle in recent years and provides American Tobaccos owner, Capitol Broadcasting, with an anchor tenant for the new five-story building. The building will also include 15,000 square feet of retail. No other tenants have been announced.

American Tobacco, which charges some of the highest rents in the Triangle, has continued to perform remarkably well during the economic downtown. Less than 2 percent of the 850,000 square feet of office space Capitol owns in American Tobacco is now vacant.

FHIs lease rate is very competitive with what it is paying at Headquarters Park, said Ramona DuBose, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit. She said in addition to being drawn to the revitalized atmosphere in downtown Durham, the move also gives FHI access to more meeting and training space.

FHI, which celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, roughly doubled its size last year when it acquired the programs and assets of Washington-based AED, a nonprofit that had run afoul of the federal government.

At the time of the acquisition, FHI said the deal would bring its total work force to more than 4,500 employees worldwide. FHI, which operates in more than 60 countries, has been advancing beyond the health sector in recent years and now employs experts in a wide range of fields.

Follow this link:
Nonprofit FHI moving to American Tobacco in 2013

Decks and patios are ideal for spending time in the warmth and sunshine. Sometimes, though, the weather may not cooperate. Or you may want the comforts of indoor living while enjoying the great outdoors.

LEISURE LIVING, INC.

An all-season sunroom, like this design from Leisure Living, Inc., usually can be constructed right on top of an existing porch or deck.

Adding a sunroom or converting an existing space may be the perfect solution.

Where to Start

Most added sunrooms are constructed on existing patios or decks, noted Mark Swanson, owner with his wife Linda of the sunroom company Leisure Living, Inc., Fairfield (leisurelivingnj.com),

"Folks have a deck built and then a few years later they realize, Hey, Id like to be out there more than just in summer," Swanson said.

The key to bringing the outdoors in, he said, is to maximize glass and screen, and minimize the solid area. This lets you better enjoy the beauty of nature while being protected from the elements.

Some customers start out by adding an awning or pergola to provide shade on their deck or patio, but end up enclosing the entire area, said Chris Canto, owner of Canto Corp. Construction, Maywood (cantoconstruction.com).

"You cant enjoy a deck if its raining or if it gets too hot or buggy, so we close it up," Canto said.

More:
Sunrooms provide months of pleasure

Morgan Bond Reporter

5:18 p.m. EDT, April 17, 2012

A man suffering from several medical conditions is in an unknown condition Tuesday after his lawnmower went over a retaining wall, and into a lake.

The incident happened just after noon on the corner of Willis and Rennells on Spring Lake in Fruitport Township. The man was unresponsive and had no pulse when first responds got to the scene.

Authorities have not released the man's name yet, but said he was an older gentlemen. When fire crews arrived they found him laying on a small stretch of beach at the bottom of a retaining wall.

The wall is about 7 feet tall and located on edge of his property. According to rescuers, the man drove the lawn mower over the wall and flipped it upside down. He was not pinned under the lawnmower, but was very close to it. Officials said the man suffered from some cardiac issues and was using a pacemaker. Police are still trying to find out if that played a factor in this accident.

He was in grave condition when he was transported. Efforts continued on the way to the hospital, we had fire personnel with the ambulance. At this point we are not certain of the status, Ken Doctor, Public Safety Officer, Fruitport Township said.

Besides his heart condition, the victim also suffered from diabetes. He was transported to Mercy Hospital in Muskegon. There is no word yet on his current condition.

See the original post here:
Man In Unknown Condition After Driving Lawn Mower Over Retaining Wall

STUART Waterfront homeowners would be allowed to install structures like wood decks and tiki huts in their backyards within 25 feet of a hardened shoreline under a proposal that received initial approval Tuesday from the Martin County Commission.

The proposed amendment to the Shoreline Protection Zone rules in the county growth plan still faces review by the state Department of Economic Opportunity and a second vote by the county commissioners.

One of the requirements of the proposed amendment would be for a property owner who places a pervious structure near the shoreline to show it doesn't send more polluted runoff into the waterway, said Clyde Dulin, a county planner.

Commissioners Ed Fielding and Sarah Heard, who dissented on the 3-2 vote, argued the initiative would reduce shoreline protections, harm water quality and set a bad precedent.

Fielding said the growth plan amendment seems to be a favor to Shaun Plymale, a Republican Party activist, who received a notice of code violation last year for allegedly building a wooden retaining wall too close to the shoreline in the backyard of his Lighthouse Point home.

"It's not that our rules are inappropriate, it's that our rules have been broken," Fielding said. "What we're trying to do now is try to justify the violation."

But Plymale argued the retaining wall reduced the flow of polluted runoff into a canal that leads to the St. Lucie River and hundreds of owners of older waterfront homes could do likewise.

"This is a problem in those neighborhoods ... because when those neighborhoods were designed, they were small lots and they were designed to drain into the river as fast as humanly possible and that's not good," Plymale said. "We need regulations like this that allow homeowners like me to take matters into our own hands and improve stormwater runoff. "

Commissioners Doug Smith and Patrick Hayes argued the initiative would allow waterfront homeowners to simultaneously improve their properties and reduce the amount of polluted runoff flowing into the county's waterways.

Many of the county's waterfront homes were built in the 1960s and 1970s before the adoption of the county's growth plan and its strict environmental regulations, Smith and Hayes said. The runoff from some waterfront properties drains straight into the waterways.

View original post here:
Martin County Commission set to allow structures in Shoreline Protection Zones