Category Archives: Uncategorized

50 Watersmart Plants for Landscapes

Posted on October 16, 2015 | Leave a comment

Looking for the perfect groundcover? Need to replace a shrub or tree?

The new Nifty 50 brochure has you covered. One of the region’s most popular WaterSmart plant guides, Nifty 50 has been updated and distributed to local water agencies and conservation gardens by the San Diego County Water Authority as part of the agency’s long-running efforts to promote water-use efficiency. It includes 50 plants selected because they are attractive, readily available in retail nurseries, non-invasive and easy to maintain. Highlighted plants typically last for years, fit the scale of residential landscapes and – once established – tolerate drought.

Fresh Ideas in Flooring

Posted on October 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

Where to start

You have more choices than ever in flooring for your home, and the choice of what to use should start with functionality. How much wear will it take? How will moisture impact it? How easy is it to maintain? How hard or soft is it underfoot? Trends change over time — remember carpeted master baths? — but it always comes down to what works best for your household.

As there are multiple options to meet different needs, resale is another factor to keep in mind. Where you live should factor into the flooring type you choose in order to get the best return on your flooring investment.

Going green

Many homeowners are interested in environmentally friendly flooring, and they have more options to choose from, too. Their reasons might be health-related, sustainability or both. “Green choices in flooring are readily available and are classified as either made from a renewable resource, made from recycled material, recyclable after use or a combination of these,” Ross explains.

Bamboo fits into the renewal category, notes Cole’s manager Fratt. It also repels moisture, which hardwood does not do, but there are some cautions: “There have been some companies found to purchase flooring products with higher amounts of formaldehyde in the product in order to save money. Coles is not one of those companies,” he emphasizes. “All of our products have passed all regulations by the California Air Resources Board. It’s good for consumers to know that if products are sold too cheaply, there must be a reason.”

Solar Panels Review – find the right panels for your home

Posted on October 12, 2015 | Leave a comment

If you’ve decided to make the move to solar, kudos to you! While the initial cash outlays can be high, solar energy can drastically reduce your electric bills, providing substantial savings over time. Solar panels can also increase the value of your home. A 2011 Berkeley National Laboratory study of 72,000 California houses sold between 2000 and 2009 showed that homes with solar power generally increased in value by about $17,000 more than homes without solar power. And finally, going solar will reduce your carbon footprint, giving you the satisfaction of knowing that with one home improvement, you’ve done a great deal to protect the environment. Solar panels need not detract from the aesthetic appearance of your home, either. If you choose wisely, they can blend in nicely.

Solar Panels for Homes: What to Look For

Electing to install rooftop solar panels presents some complex decisions for any homeowner because there are so many variables to evaluate – the angle of the roof, the sun’s trajectory over your home, local laws and HOA restrictions on home renovations, whether rebates or other financial incentives are available in a particular community, and much more. There are city, county and state rebates in a variety of places in the United States. Not every community offers such incentives, of course. However, a number of places will provide a tax rebate or other type of financial incentive to people who install solar panels.

read more: http://solar-panels-review.toptenreviews.com/