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 From what I could tell at the International Builders Show earlier this month, GE's research and development department has been working overtime. The new products introduced at the show number in the dozens. Here are a few to take note of:
• Smart frontload washer and dryer: With these latest editions to the smart appliance repertoire available to us, it looks like my home's IQ may soon surpass my own. This duo from GE, which will be available this summer, actually communicates with each other (and probably better than my husband and I do). The washer tells the dryer how much water is left in the load and the dryer features a "reverse tumble" action, again probably far superior than anything we humans can do. And that pedestal the washer sits on? That's where you pour up to six months of detergent and fabric softener so the washer can dispense just the right amount for the load. Estimated retail prices: $1,299 for the washer, $1,099 for the dryer.
• Tankless water heater: While the concept of heating water when you need it, rather than storing it in a tank, has been around for years, some of the popular brand names, such as Rinnai or Takagi, are not familiar to many consumers. This summer though, you'll be able to buy a GE tankless water heater, which the company says will save you up to 25% on your water heating costs. You'll have your choice of models for inside or outside. See more on tankless water heaters.
• Refrigerator with two-drawer bottom freezer: According to GE, the popularity of bottom freezers grew 330% from 2000 to 2007. And here's another twist to the story: a bottom freezer with two drawers, a smaller top drawer for everyday needs (like pizza snacks for the kids or frozen wheat grass for vegans) and a larger bottom drawer to store items like that leftover Thanksgiving turkey meat you're still wondering what to do with. It's available in a 25-cubic-foot or 21-cubic-foot counter-depth capacity with stainless steel finish. The estimated retail prices are between $2,299 and $2,999.
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Each year, Qualified Remodeler magazine (which I occasionally write for) compiles a list of the largest 500 remodeling companies in the country based on volume of work done. You can see the 2007 list here.
I have culled the 10 biggest remodeling companies in Southern California from the magazine's most recent list. The number preceding the listing indicates where the company falls, size-wise, in the national market:
6. Har-Bro, Inc., Signal Hill, volume: $55,000,000
18. Galkos Construction, Huntington Beach, volume; $33,489,924
20. Windor, Inc., Anaheim, volume: $30,689,340
21. American Vision Windows, Inc., Simi Valley, volume: $30,500,000
24. The Kitchen Connection, Los Angeles, volume: $27,501,253
31. Home Improvement King, North Hills, volume: $21,600,800
53. Jemstar Builders, Inc., Orange, volume: $16,825,000
65. Renaissance Doors & Windows, Fullerton; volume: $13,800,000
66. Allen Associates, Santa Barbara, volume: $13,735,133
67. American Home Craft, Inc., San Diego, volume: $13,700,000
See the whole list
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 Prudential real estate agent David Kean had a heck of time figuring out how to decorate a 35-foot-long wall in his Downtown Los Angeles loft.
He finally finished his DIY masterpiece and wants to know what we think about it.
As you can see in the before photo, the wall before lacked pizzazz. And that's a problem because the rest of the place is very pizzazz-y. Take a peek here.
To begin, he used a Pratt & Lambert metallic paint as a background. If you're planning on such an application yourself, David reports that it is "a pain" to apply and that you should count on three or four coats for good coverage.
Then, he applied the stenciled accents (with stencils he got from Royal Design Studio) with an acrylic burnt umber paint.
To give the larger stenciled items a 3-D look (see photo on bottom left), he moved the stencil up and to the left 1/8 inch and troweled on a layer of gray Venetian Plaster. David learned his stenciling technique here.
My take: I suspect this wall looks better in person than in a photo. But if this was my wall, I'd be tempted to tighten up the design by doubling or tripling the number of stenciled items on the wall. But while it took me all of four seconds to type out my suggestion, it would take hours or days to execute. I'd like hear your suggestions, as well.
Rate more remodels • Feeling brave? Submit your own project
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 I do some writing for a Better Homes & Gardens magazine and when I present my editor with a great remodel in a galley kitchen she tells me they can't use galley kitchens because they are too difficult to photograph.
And I'm like, well most people have galley kitchens. And she's like, we still can't feature them.
So it was with some delight that I came across this galley kitchen remodel in the San Francisco Chronicle. It was executed by interior designer Brian Dittmar in his own Bay Area home.
The challenge with most of our kitchens, mine included, is that we can't make them bigger, so we have to use the space we have. Here's what I think makes this project so appealing:
• The new cabinets at the end. Moving the refrigerator from the rear of the kitchen to the front (see it on the left side?) allowed room for those cabinets on the rear wall, which now makes this a U-shaped kitchen.
• Lighting above the upper cabinets. This draws your eye up toward the ceiling and gives the sense of a much larger space.
• Wraparound counter. By continuing the counter around the corner in a cool curved shape, the designer created a small eating area where none existed before.
I saw this done on a smaller level in a Los Angeles condo. Click here and look on the right side of the photo to see a little wraparound counter with two stools.
• Light-colored cabinets. Even if you love dark woods, they can feel stifling in a smaller room. The light cabinets really open up the space.
Yes, it's still a small kitchen, but the new version is quite handsome. It does look a little narrow, though, probably because of the camera angle. Hmm, I wonder if that editor is right and galley kitchens really are difficult to photograph.
What do you think? Does this kitchen work for you? Why or why not?
Read the whole story • See more kitchen remodels
(Photos: Brian Dittmar, San Francisco Chronicle)
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 Here's a dilemma that pits tree hugger against tree hugger:
What happens when one home's trees block another home's solar panels?
This problem is not new, but with increased interest in rooftop solar panels, the consequences are more than aesthetics or sunny days versus shady days. Now we're talking about a homeowner's ability to generate electricity or heat water.
This conflict has played out in the courts in Sunnyvale, Calif., according to an Associated Press article, where one homeowner asked prosecutors to file charges because his neighbor's towering redwoods blocked sunlight to his solar panels. Naturally, the tree people resisted.
But after more than six years of legal wrangling, the article noted, a judge recently ordered the neighbors to cut down two of their eight redwoods, citing a state law that protects a homeowner's right to sunlight.
The Solar Shade Control Act was put into place some 30 years ago, when fewer homeowners had solar systems. (Remember Jimmy Carter's heyday of solar hope?)
That law says that homeowners must keep their trees or shrubs from shading more than 10% of a neighbor's solar panels during the times of the day when the sun is strongest, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sun-blocking trees already in place when the panels are installed are exempt, but new growth is subject to the law.
What do you think? Is this a good law?
Listen to a podcast of the story on public radio station KQED.
(Photo: istockphoto.com)
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FEBRUARY
8-10: Home Remodeling & Decorating Show, Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa
8-10: Desert Spring Home & Garden Show, Fantasy Springs Special Events Center, Indio
10: Rose Bowl Flea Market, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
22-24: Home Remodeling & Decorating Show, L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles
22-24: Inland Empire Home & Garden Show, National Orange Show Events Center, San Bernardino
24: Meet the Designers Burbank Kitchen Tour, luncheon and designers panel followed by self-guided tour, hosted by the Burbank Temple Emanu El Sisterhood
29-March 1: San Diego Spring Home & Garden Show, Del Mar Fairgrounds
Weekly: The Home Depot in-store clinics: February clinics: Energy Efficient Doors and Windows, Tiling Floors and Walls, Fixing a Leaking Toilet, Installing a Bathroom Faucet. Do-it-Herself Workshop: The Smarter, Warmer Eco-Friendly Bathroom. Check for local days and times.
MARCH
1: Green Design for Your Home, class, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., $145, UC Riverside Extension
9: Rose Bowl Flea Market, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
14: The 4 Women of Prefab, panel and book signing, 1:15 p.m., CA Boom Design Show, Barker Hanger, Santa Monica Airport
14: Pacific Palisades Home Tour, led by designers, in conjunction with CA Boom Design Show
14-16: CA Boom Design Show, Barker Hanger, Santa Monica Airport
14-16: Ventura Home & Garden Show, Seaside Park, Ventura County Fairgrounds, Ventura
15: West Los Angeles Home Tour, led by designers, in conjunction with CA Boom Design Show
15: Staging Your Home to Sell, class, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $60, UC Riverside Extension
16: Santa Monica and Venice Home Tour, led by designers, in conjunction with CA Boom Design Show
Weekly: The Home Depot in-store clinics: March clinics: Tiling Floors and Walls, Prepare Your Lawn for Spring, Installing a Retaining Wall, Installing Faucets and Sinks. Check for local days and times.
APRIL
11-13: Home Remodeling & Decorating Show, Pasadena Conference Center, Pasadena
13: Rose Bowl Flea Market, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
18-20: Pomona Spring Home & Garden Show, Fairplex L.A. County Fairgrounds, Pomona
19: Fourth Annual Historic Home Tour featuring the Homes of Mission Hills' Historic District, San Diego
25-26: Alternative Building Materials & Design Expo, free admission, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
25-27: Home Remodeling & Decorating Show, L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles
27: Green Building Tours, hosted by the City of Santa Monica, in conjunction with the Alternative Building Materials & Design Expo
MAY
2-4: Home Remodeling & Decorating Show, Orange County Fairgrounds, Costa Mesa
3: 14th annual Venice Garden and Home Tour, Venice east of Lincoln Boulevard
3: Castles of Carlsbad Spring Home Tour, luncheon optional
3-4: Solar 2008, conference and expo, open-to-the public events include workshops, tours and exhibit hall, $5, Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego
11: Old Escondido Mothers Day Home Tour, five historic homes plus lemonade and cookies
11: Rose Bowl Flea Market, Rose Bowl, Pasadena
16-18: Riverside Home & Garden Show, Riverside Convention Center, Riverside
16-18: Spring Home & Garden Show, Saugus Speedway, Saugus
17: 16th annual Vintage Home Tour and Restoration Faire, Riverside
20-22: Green West Expo, L.A. Convention Center, Los Angeles
25: 13th annual Historic Highlands Home Tour, Pasadena
Plan your whole year
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 I've interviewed a dozen or so people who have installed tankless water heaters (which heat your water on demand rather than storing hot water in a tank) — and several contractors who have installed dozens more tankless water heaters — and the comments I've heard about the devices have been overwhelmingly positive.
And yet . . . as I peruse homeowner reviews of tankless water heater on the Internet (here and here), I see a different story. I see lots of pros, but also lots of cons.
Here are some positive comments:
Never run out of hot water, good for the environment, saves energy, takes up next to no space, earthquake safe, good for cottages, good for one-person households, good for spatially challenged areas.
And here are some negative comments:
Don't meet high water demands of North Americans, needs maintenance plan factored in, installation difficult, you won't notice any savings right away, plumbers are unfamiliar with them, sensitive to water pressure, turn on too much cold water (like flushing toilet or using clothes washer) and the heater shuts off.
What do you think? Do you have a tankless water heater? Any suggestions for those of us considering one?
Related posts:
Ask a Green Builder: Why is tankless water heater so noisy?
On-demand water heaters: A homeowner's experience
New on the market: Mini on-demand water heater
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 If you have an equity line of credit that you plan to use for home improvements, there is a chance the lender could cancel that line, according to an article in today's Washington Post.
With home values dropping, the article states, lenders are canceling equity lines of credit so that there is not more debt on the house than it's worth.
"Countrywide Financial, the nation's largest mortgage lender," the article says, "suspended the home equity lines of 122,000 customers last month after reviewing their property values and outstanding loan balances. The company, like others, has an internal automated appraisal system that tracks values."
Bank of America is beginning to do the same thing, a bank spokesperson said.
This naturally comes as a shock to people counting on their equity lines for such things as home improvements. Last year, according to a survey of lenders by BenchMark Consulting International, 29%of homeowners used their equity lines for home renovation.
So before you start tearing out your old kitchen with plans to refurbish it using an equity line, you should find out if that line will be available tomorrow.
The Times' Kathy Kristof reported on the trend earlier this month.
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Angie’s List, a consumer ratings service, collected nearly 300,000 reports in 2007 from members who graded service companies on overall experience, price, quality, responsiveness and punctuality.
Nationally, warranty companies attracted the greatest percentage of “F” grades out of more than 280 categories of service, while veterinarians had the greatest percentage of “A” grades.
But in Southern California, remodeling companies got the highest percentage of negative ratings, while air-duct cleaning companies got the best ratings. Here are the two lists for SoCal (Los Angeles and San Diego areas), in order:
Top 10 most-complained-about categories:
1. Remodeling, general
2. Appliance sales
3. Hardware and home improvement stores
4. Alarms
5. Housecleaning
6. Interior design and decorating
7. Flooring sales/installation/repair
8. Landscaping
Top 10 least-complained-about categories:
1. Air duct cleaning
2. Hair salons/barbers
3. Hauling
4. Veterinarians
5. Insulation
6. Locksmiths
7. Countertops
8. Window cleaning
See the national best and worst
How about you? What are your most and least favorite service providers?
Continue reading "Most-complained-about service providers" »
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From what I could tell at the International Builders Show earlier this month, GE's research and development department has been working overtime. The new products introduced at the show number in the dozens. Here are a few to take note of:
