1. Evaluate your home’s “exterior envelope,” from the garage and roof structure to windows and doors. Exterior openings of the home play a crucial role in severe storms. If wind pressure penetrates the home, it can lead to catastrophic results. 2. Know your zone. Areas of the country subject to strong winds or hurricanes are categorized into four zones. The zone in which you live determines the types of windows and doors required to meet building codes. Zone 4 has the most stringent requirements and mandates exterior building products that can stand up to wind pressure and impacts. 3. Get tech savvy. Learn about new technology for building products that can help you avoid the hassle and pitfalls of boarding up windows and doors. There are new products available, like storm protection windows and patio doors that can withstand a 2x4 striking the window at 34 miles per hour. 4. Keep the yard clean. Remove objects that can become wind-borne hazards, and trim nearby trees that have broken or dead branches. Even a benign object like a lightweight lawn chair can turn into a dangerous missile during a severe storm. 5. Pack a fresh disaster kit. A first aid kit, flashlight, canned food and at least three gallons of drinking water per person are key, according to Red Cross guidelines. Don’t forget to include written directions on how to turn off your home’s water, gas and electric service, in case you’re told to do so. A professional will need to restart your service when all is clear. 6. Prepare a family evacuation plan. The Red Cross also advises that families decide where they are going to meet ahead of time if they are told to evacuate. 7. Understand the ratings. Homes in any of the wind-borne debris regions must also have windows and doors with specific design pressure (DP) ratings, which include both positive and negative numbers. The positive number corresponds to pressure created by wind blowing at a window and door. The negative number represents vacuum pressure on the inner side of the window or door.
In my grandmother’s day there was no talk of being “green.” They used pesticides like water and fertilizers that could make a stream eutrophic in four seconds flat (a bit of an exaggeration). However, they did do some things very well, such as sourcing locally. Without the interstate highway system and 747s jetting bananas from South American rain forests, they needed to produce food that was either longer lasting to survive a journey or grown locally to be eaten fresh. Every home on her block had a victory garden and they knew the butcher who cut the meat from a side of beef that days before was grazing the grass just outside of town. Just think of all the carbon they did not put into the atmosphere by sourcing locally. With today’s farming methods and a bit of elbow grease (it takes a green thumb, too, but that can be learned) we can all take a lesson from Grandma.
Speaking of “urban farming,” there is a family that produces 6,000 pounds of edible fruits, vegetables and flowers annually on a fifth of an acre. Granted, they live in Pasadena, Calif., so they have multiple growing seasons, but if you use them for inspiration you will be able to source locally some of your own food. And there is just something incredibly satisfying about cutting up and eating a tomato you grew in your own garden. So, start saving the planet by sourcing locally, namely your backyard and a local farm, because they just don’t let you raise cattle in your backyard in Chicago like they used to. Not only would this help the environment, it would also help reduce the global demand for food and by proxy reduce the price of ethanol (produced with corn) to fuel your car.
...That big businesses can think green, too. It takes more than saving the planet one home or office at a time; we must band together and demand change. Now even resort companies are stepping up to the plate and finally building to meet the demands of an educated consumer who cares about the planet. Starwood Vacation Ownership is building a 390 luxury villa resort in Maui that will be LEED certified. Hopefully, this is just the start of building more properties that utilize green building ideas.
Location, location, location: The number-one rule in real estate. This home is on a quiet street in a great area, with good schools and beautiful oaks.
The fact is people are buying and selling homes because the job market is good, loan rates are still reasonable for qualified buyers and people still want the satisfaction of owning instead of renting. Unlike oil prices, home buying and selling are almost completely a free market system of supply and demand; you will always find a buyer for the right price. But that’s where it gets tricky. Set your price too low and you will not get what your home's true value is. Set your price too high and no one will come to see it, much less make an offer.
According to the Association of Florida Realtor’s Terry Story of Coldwell Banker, here is a simple method for home sellers to see if their home is priced right: If buyers don’t perceive value, the home will get no showings. The price must come down substantially. If the price is in the ballpark, the home will get a few showings but no second looks. Sellers should lower the price. If the home is priced right it will get steady showings and repeat visitors. Expect an offer. Now that’s the crux in this market. Some homes have a steady stream of lookers and second lookers but no offers yet. The sellers have re-staged their houses with the Realtor to maximize the home’s features, lowered the price substantially from the initial asking price and are willing to make concessions to the buyer. They have even invested in an Orlando online house tour. Visit the home’s Web site and post some comments below to help sell this home.
Wow! Agent Orange, eat your heart out. This citrus oil-based herbicide defoliated this weed without dioxin.
Just because it’s organic doesn't make it less lethal. Ask anyone who’s eaten a nightshade plant (Atropa belladonna). Oh, wait, you can’t; they have been put to good use as organic fertilizer for daisies. The same holds true for weeds if you find what’s toxic/lethal (even clean water can be lethal if you use enough of it). Anyway, using organic herbicides can be better for the environment, especially if they break down easily after application but not too fast (DIE WEEDS, DIE). I found one called Nature’s Avenger Organic that uses natural citrus oil to strip a plant of its cuticle (waxy coating) and forces it into a state of dehydration. Hey, killing by lack of water; I have come full circle. In any case, it will kill just about any weed, including nightshade. And, as an added bonus, it smells citrus-y.
It seems everyone is concerned about the “greenness” of the products used in their homes, from the renewably sourced bamboo “wood” floors to the solar panels on the roof to the waste and refuse disposed of during construction. Not to mention the Energy Star appliances and the recycling done by the homeowner after construction. Although I am personally steamed by paying more for the gas in my car and the energy for my home, I am grateful this OPEC induced oil price rise has caused the greening of America. It has been brought up to the main stream media’s center stage even more than Al Gore’s documentary. It has caused us to rethink the products we use in our homes and makes us demand more energy efficient and environmentally friendly products. Before the rise in oil prices, we were concerned with global warming but our carbon footprints were increasing due to our rapid suburbanation and the increase in the size of homes in America. For example, even if your air conditioner is 50 percent more efficient, if your home is 100 percent larger you will use more overall energy, especially if you have to drive 50 miles each way to work in a large SUV. Lucky for us, in the past six months we have been reminded just how that carbon footprint is made: with fossil fuels. So thank you, oil exporting countries for helping us realize just how much the fossil fuel economy is really costing us.
Can your dad turn a beautiful piece of wood into a toothpick and dust? If he's going to do it anyway, make sure he’s got the right tools. The BobVila.com Dare to Dremel: Father’s Day Tool Kit Giveaway started a few days ago and runs through June 14, 2008. It is your opportunity to win a Dremel 300 Series Rotary Tool Kit with enough bits to make your head spin—but not as fast as this rotary tool. It is the perfect gift for a hobbyist or a pro. But why buy when you can win? Enter today and submit a new entry every day until the 14th to increase your chances.
