Over here at the Robinson/Price-Robinson abode, there has been a standoff concerning the new water heater we need so badly. Ours is likely 20 years old and not very efficient. Our gas bill would go down immensely if we replaced that beast.
But the choices are many. Do we get a new and efficient gas-powered tank model? Or a tankless gas-fired model?
Or, if we are planning to install solar power when the prices of photovoltaic systems are expected to drop by 2010, shouldn't we install either an electric-powered tank model or an electric-powered tankless model? (See a comparison of lifecycle costs.)
Trouble is, with the latter two choices, we need about $1,000 worth of electrical work done to give them the 220 volts of power they require.
I'm the one who wants the electric, tankless, on-demand system. And Bill wants the gas-powered tank system. Thus, a standoff.
But I think we might be getting closer to doing it Bill's way, and that's always so much easier all the way around. Spouses, can you relate?
Part of my thinking about the tankless system is that most of the cool green builders I respect are big, big proponents of the tankless systems. And that means a lot to me.
But I was recently contacted by Wes Harding, a green-leaning builder in Long Beach (Lic. No. 895042) who believes that new, super-efficient tank systems are actually the better way to go.
Wes provided a link to an article about a scientific analysis of all systems, but, he noted: "The only problem I see with the article is efficiency is measured in gas or electricity consumed, not the amount of water used."
Here's a chart from the analysis:
In terms of both water and energy savings, Wes is sold on tank water heaters for these reasons:
1. God forbid, but if we are ever in a major earthquake or disaster, where do we get our water supply from if we have converted to tankless? With a tank system, the water in the tank can be used in an emergency. 2. Water is wasted in a tankless system because it has to be heated through a coil before it reaches the point of use. 3. Tankless systems operate on the volume of water. If you set your faucet to a trickle, the heater won't kick in. This allows for "slugs" or cold spurts between the hot-water delivery as well as more water consumed. 4. A limited number of fixtures can be used at one time. 5. More electrical energy is consumed as the amount of water increases because of the energy it takes to provide water pressure.
Units: About 11,000 Distributor: Backyard Leisure LLC, of Pittsburg, Kansas Hazard: Hangers holding the chains for the gliders can break, causing a child to fall and suffer injuries. Incidents/injuries: Backyard Leisure has received 114 reports of glider hangers breaking, including three reports of minor injuries to children. Injuries included abrasions and a child being hit in the head by a chain that detached from a hanger. (See photos of more recalled sets.)
Units: About 7,500 Importer: Progress Lighting, of Greenville, South Carolina Hazard: A cable that supports the light fixture from the ceiling can fail, causing the fixture to fall. Incidents/injuries: Progress Lighting has received five reports of fixtures falling, including a report of an incident in which two consumers suffered bruises.
Units: About 5,100 Importer: Crate and Barrel, of Northbrook, Illinois Hazard: The large rugs fail to meet federal standards for flammability and could ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. The small rugs fail to meet federal labeling requirements. Small rugs are not required to meet the federal flammability standard; however, they are required to be permanently labeled with the following statement: “FLAMMABLE (FAILS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE STANDARD FF 2-70): SHOULD NOT BE USED NEAR SOURCES OF IGNITION.” Incidents/injuries: None reported.
I don't really know why I've become so obsessed with recalled home-related goods. Some kind of personality disorder? A perverse interest in the wrongdoings of others? It's baffling.
But here's another example of something gone wrong in the manufacturing process. These log swings, made in China, are missing just one nail. But that nail holds the back of the swing to the seat. And without that nail, the back of the swing could fall away and cause someone sitting on it to come crashing down.
So far, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has gotten reports of six swings coming apart and three people getting hurt.
If you have one of these, pack it up and take it back where you got it. They sold for $150 at various stores nationwide from February through May 2008.
The moral of the story: We can't rely on workers in a factory in China to make us safe. It's probably a good idea to look at everything we buy in case anything obvious is missing, like a nail or a screw or stability or balance.
Each year, the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC) holds a competition for the coolest building products. This year, 125 products were entered into the contest and were voted on by 679 home-building professionals.
Here are the 2008 cool-product winners in the green building category:
1. Rinnai LS Series tankless water heater
Rinnai’s LS Series tankless water heaters, the company says, save 30% to 50% in energy over traditional tank-style units, and offer installation flexibility and low emissions. Read more
2. Eagle Solar Roof (pictured above)
This is a solar-power system that integrates with Eagle's concrete roof tile. Read more
3. Cree LED Lighting Solutions LR6 light bulb
This bulb has a 20-year life span, the manufacturer says, or 50,000 hours under normal use. The LR6 is comfortable to the touch and so could reduce the burden and cost of the air conditioning system. The LR6 uses 85% less energy than a conventional incandescent and less than half that of a comparable fluorescent, the company says. And unlike any fluorescent, the LR6 contains no mercury. Read more
4. Akeena Solar’s Andalay solar panels
These solar panels have a modern, sleek design and feature a built-in rack, allowing panels to lie flat on rooftops and blend into the home’s architectural elements. Each panel is fit with electrical wiring, eliminating the errors that occur with complicated electrical grounding during the installation process, the company says, and the panels have a Lego-like snap-in-place process. Read more
5. GE Profile SmartDispense front-load washer and dryer
Using as little as 10 gallons of water for a small load, the company says, the Energy Star-qualified washer can save more than 5,800 gallons of water per year compared with a typical top-load washer. The new H2ITION technology automatically senses the load and adds just the right amount of water to each load. The washer's SmartDispense pedestals store and automatically dispense detergent and fabric softener based on each load's size, soil level, water hardness and fabric or cycle type. Read more
If you want to stretch your design vocabulary, you might consider attending the Dwell on Design conference this week at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Put on by the San Francisco-based Dwell magazine folks, the seminar descriptions include sentences like this:
"Not all designers set out to achieve the Platonic ideal in a concept for a chair, but few would argue that the promise of synonymy with a beloved design object does not motivate their process."
Go ahead. Look up "Platonic ideal" and "synonymy." I did, and I learned a lot.
You can also see a panel on prefabs that includes prefab guru Michelle Kauffmann. See her speak about her own delicious home:
Interview with Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti Los Angeles LEEDs the way? Nature meets the metropolis L.A. grows up: dealing with density The face of gardens in a densifying city Design developers The inventive spirit Single-family dwellings: green within reason (R)evolution in light, form and materials
Immortality through product Evolving modes of practice Home and away: lessons from the leisure zone Systems building and prefab Sustainable interiors
Plus, the exhibition floor, with 200 exhibitors and a "neighborhood" of prefab homes, is open Thursday through Sunday, and you can get in on the weekend for $50 at the door (though the full conference costs $349, or $149 for students). There are also home tours Saturday and Sunday, but Saturday's tour of Westside single-family homes is sold out. Sunday's tour, of private downtown homes (cost: $85), still has space.
Perhaps the 348,000 visitors to the recent Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, a showcase of new domestic furnishings, are way more arty than me.
I say this because the wacky way this new kitchen is displayed, with green food-looking stuff strewn all over, does not appeal to me at all.
Rather, I have a powerful urge to get in there, haul that green garbage to the compost pile, close the drawers and doors, get those two countertop ovens off the counter, and then see what we've got. It's probably not a bad-looking kitchen.
Locally, the Wallpaper Bin in Northridge and other shops have been waiting for this moment. You can find amazing books of wallpaper swatches at any paint store.
While the rest of us have gotten involved with trends like sponging and glazing and faux finishes, the wallpaper people have patiently tooled along, designing and manufacturing a plethora of wallpapers. And now, we may turn our eyes in that delightful direction and wonder: Where has wallpaper been all our lives?
Here are some other recent articles that talk about this new happening:
However, not everyone appreciates the beauty of this re-emerging decor trend. Paris Hilton was reportedly banned for life from the Hyatt Hotel in Moscow for signing her name in black marker on some very expensive wallpaper. On the other hand, maybe she was just in the discovery stage of designing her very own line of wallpaper.
Attic and foundation vents are a contradiction of sorts. The vents are necessary to allow free movement of air, which helps prevent mold inside. On the other hand, these vents can also allow in burning embers during a wildfire. Thus, the requirement that wire mesh be installed over the vents.
But here is the dilemma: The smaller the mesh on the vent cover (quarter-inch mesh is required by many building codes), the better the protection from embers. But the smaller the mesh, the worse for air flow and greater the tendency to get clogged.
And even the quarter-inch mesh does not prevent some firebrands (chunks of burning wood) from burning through the mesh.
"Quarter-inch mesh cannot stop embers and flames during wildfires," said Stephen Quarles, a wood durability advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension. "This is an example of conflict in code preferences between building and fire officials. Smaller mesh screens would do a better job of keeping out fire and embers, but these same screens plug up more easily."
Brent Berkompas, a city of San Bernardino firefighter, has had many occasions to think about this issue, particularly when fighting big wildfires in 2003 and 2007 and watching homes burn from the inside out after embers got into the attic or crawl space. So he came up with a solution.
Berkompas' invention, Brandguard vents, are baffled vent covers, made of 26-gauge galvanized steel, that allow air to flow freely but block embers from passing through, he says.
Engineered right here in Southern California by BMW DesignworksUSA, the sleek Ecopod is a compact recycling center that makes crushing cans fun! Just drop one in the top, step on the lever, and c-r-u-n-c-h, it's all over.
The bottom holds the crushed cans while the top holds other recycling.
At Gaiam.com, the regular price is $348, while the sale price is $169.
Or you could use the good old stomp-it-with-your-foot-and-toss-it-in-a-bucket method of can recycling.
Maybe I don't get out enough, or maybe it's the altitude, but when I'm in an airplane and I pick up Sky Mall magazine, I get excited about home gadgets and stuff. Here's a taste, clockwise from above left:
Pet chair — Where I live, the other human on the premises (a.k.a. my husband) doesn't like the idea of the dog on the furniture. But if my dog had his own chair, well, now, that would be different. This chair has a hardwood frame and microfiber upholstery with cushion covers that remove for machine washing. Chair is 19 inches wide, 18 inches deep and 21 inches high. $169
Hardwood privacy screens — What appeals to me about these are the aluminum stakes that anchor them into the ground, which means you can move them at will. No posts set into concrete necessary. These could add a sense of boundary to a patio area, or shield the views of trash cans or other not-so-pretty sights. And if you find a better use, just move them. They are 44 inches high and 22 inches wide, and come in a set of four. $199.99
Peel-and-stick crown molding — Let me apologize right now to the great finish carpenters I know. This is an abomination! Yet it's a compelling idea. The website says, "When it's 8 feet above your head, who can tell if it's wood or not?" So I'm thinking the shorter you are, the better it looks. The kit includes 16 pre-mitered, 6-foot, 3 inch-long plastic molding pieces with self-adhesive backs and four outside corners, or enough for a room 16 feet, 10 inches square. Not for textured walls. $69.99
Brick hangers — These spring steel brick hangers allow you to hang almost anything on brick, up to 25 pounds, without drilling or hammering, and no damage to the brick or mortar. Teeth grip standard brick 2 1/8 inches to 2 1/2 inches tall, and 1/8-inch minimum mortar recess needed. Pack of four hangers in zinc or antique brass. $9.99
Pet crate end table — I'm not one to crate animals, but plenty of people I respect do so. And it doesn't have to be a big plastic contraption in the corner. This slat side end table is wood and wood composites with a chestnut finish, protective floor pads, floor tray, and a pivoting block that keeps pet confined. Crate is 22 inches wide, 36 deep and 27 1/4 inches tall. $229
Palm-frond fan blades — These create, the website states, a more uniform air flow throughout the room and evenly distribute air from the ends of the blades, rather than directly down, so there's no downdraft. Use them to distribute cooled or warmed air. To install, slide each frond onto an existing fan blade and tighten the thumbscrews. Made of wipe-clean resin. You get five blades, each 15 inches wide, 23 inches long, for fan blades up to 6 inches wide, in natural, burl, oak, ivory or sand. Set of five. $139
Kathy Price-Robinson has written about remodeling for 17 years, focusing both on the process of home improvement, as well as the product. She writes for both consumer and contractor magazines, and her award-winning series, Pardon Our Dust, has appeared in the print edition of the Real Estate section of The Times since 1997. This blog is a spin-off of that column. Kathy lives in a house with good bones and a lot of potential, and shares her life with one husband, one dog, two horses and three quite exceptional stepdaughters.
Over here at the Robinson/Price-Robinson abode, there has been a standoff concerning the new water heater we need so badly. Ours is likely 20 years old and not very efficient. Our gas bill would go down immensely if we replaced that beast.
