How An Energy Audit Can Save You Big Bucks
We’ve talked about energy audits before here at C&H–they’re a great option if you want to gauge your home’s energy efficiency. Audits also provide an ideal starting point if you’re planning on making your abode more eco-friendly.
Energy audits focus on a few main areas, including air leaks, heating and cooling systems, insulation and lighting, to make sure each system is working properly without wasting resources.
Home Restoration or Home Renovation?
So you bought an older home, and you want to do some work on it. The first thing you need to decide is whether you are going to restore it or renovate it. Renovating is work done to redo the kitchen, for example, without regard to how the house looked when it was first built. Basically, you make the house yours and do not worry about what it originally looked like.
Restoration, however, is putting the house back, as much as possible, to the condition it was in when it was first built. This is usually done with homes from the early 20th century and older, homes built by an architect of note, or a unique home.
Even restoration, however, usually allows for modern kitchen appliances, heating and air conditioning, and indoor plumbing. The exception would be a house that was now a museum, or a building of note that was now a museum. Homes on the National Register of Historic Places have some significant restrictions on how they can be restored, and renovation is usually not allowed.
If you choose to restore your home, you must first do a little research to see how it looked when new. Looking at city permit files for old architectural drawings is a good place to start. However, zoning and permitting as we know it are not that old, so you may not find what you need there.
The library in your town is usually a good resource, especially if they have a local history section. The Chamber of Commerce may have some information, as may the local newspaper. Local newspapers may even have pictures, especially if there was ever an event of note inside the house.
Once you have some photographs or drawings of the original house interior and exterior, you need to decide how faithfully you intend to restore it. Old fixtures can be hard to find, but do turn up in estate sales or when old houses are torn down to make way for newer buildings. Reproductions of fixtures are easier to come by.
As for the wooden fixtures, such as baseboards and crown molding, those are easier still to find. Good Millwork can mill new wooden items for your building. Of course, it is easier if we have an architectural drawing, but we can replicate the items from a piece that still exists, a photograph, or a sketch of what it looked like. We have over 200 species of wood, too, so we can match the original wood.
Whether you are renovating your house or restoring it, Good Millwork can help. Give us a call today and get started!
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White Roofs Can Reduce Energy Costs
Painting building roofs white is a movement that’s slowly catching on in big cities. A light-colored roof reflects light, rather than absorbing it, a function that can significantly reduce energy costs. And when air conditioning use is decreased, the amount of carbon emissions released by the units falls, too.
White roofs are a trend that’s catching on for commercial use, especially in large metropolitan areas like New York City.
Focus on Pecky Cypress
Good Millwork: Deadhead Pecky Cypress Ceiling Paneling – 3, originally uploaded by Good Millwork.
Pecky cypress has a unique look and feel to it that no other wood can duplicate. Here it is being milled for a ceiling. Pecky cypress is wood that has been eaten through with insects. When the wood is cut, the holes form a dark pattern. This contrasts with the light wood.
Pecky cypress is rare. Finding it is pure luck, as it cannot be seen when looking at the outside of the wood. It is only upon slicing into the wood that it becomes obvious.
In this cabinet, note the dark spots on the doors. Those a
Irrisistable Independent
Couverture and The Garbstore on Kensington Park Road makes shopping pleasurable. Their visual merchandising is spot on and very inspirational- a nice change from the boring repetitiveness usually seen on the high street.
Italian Cuckoo Clock, £199
“We do not carry any clothing that has been bought up and sold out. All of our suppliers are like us. Figh
Living in the present
We’re always looking to the past for inspiration but what about the here and now? Modern home accessories can be very striking, with their clean lines, bold colours and futuristic shapes.
I do love the uncluttered look but it’s just something I could never achieve unless I had oodles of storage space!
Block acylic lampshades, £40.85 each
I think this mirror is a great idea- my boyfriend is forever leaving his razors lying around!
All products are available at My Living Space