Showing posts with label delaware valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label delaware valley. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Outdoor Showers Gaining Popularity!
Hey...Who Needs a Bathroom Stall When You Can Take a Spritz in Your Own Backyard?More and more homeowners are embracing the outdoor shower as a fun and functional way to add value and interest to their homes. The new trend toward the outdoor shower leaves behind the feature’s roots in grungy campgrounds and rented summer cottages, though. Today’s outdoor showers are sleek, well-appointed extensions of the indoor bathroom...except they're located outside of your home.
So what’s driving this unusual fad toward the great outdoors?
“We spend so much time in cyber reality, in front of the TV or the computer, on the phone, in our cars, divorced from the natural world, that people really respond to something like an outdoor shower,” explains Ethan Fierro, a designer and author of The Outdoor Shower. “It allows you those 10 to 15 minutes to connect with nature.”
In fact, reclaiming outdoor spaces for traditionally indoor activities has been popular in home construction and renovation for some time.
“The outdoor shower is definitely part of the trend of people bringing the outdoors in, with people now building outdoor bathrooms and even outdoor kitchens,” says David Buchanan, a Boston-based architect.
Today’s outdoor showers aren’t just for those who live in warm climates, either.
“Clients who ask for outdoor showers aren’t usually deterred by a chill in the air,” says Elizabeth Demetriades, an architect in Lakeville, CT who has designed several outdoor showers for clients in the Northeast. “The showers are typically used until the onset of freezing weather mandates draining the pipes for winterization—and clients frequently push the envelope in this regard.”
Buchanan has noticed the same mentality in his clients.
“At a house we did in South Dartmouth, MA. Part of the appeal was that you could take a hot outdoor shower in chilly weather then crawl immediately into a warm bed,” he says.
While there’s definitely something appealing about the idea of an outdoor shower, there are certain considerations that must be taken into account before undertaking such a project.
Depending on building codes in your area and the design of your shower, you may be required to install an appropriate drainage system.
“When hot water—and by inference soap and shampoo—will be used, connection to a properly engineered septic or dry-well system is a must,” says Demetriades.
Be sure your architect and contractor have experience designing and building outdoor showers so you don’t run into any unforeseen environmental or plumbing issues.
Privacy is another consideration, but surprisingly it’s not as high a priority as you’d think.
“Many clients aren’t all that concerned with privacy, particularly in more rural areas where neighbors aren’t an issue,” explains Demetriades.
You should think hard about your home’s location before taking the proverbial plunge. Modesty may not be your number one concern if you live out in the woods, but if your house sits in the middle of a suburban development you could risk raising more than a few eyebrows at the next neighborhood block party.
Another important privacy concern: sightlines. If your neighbor’s kitchen window overlooks the spot where you want to install your outdoor shower, you should probably find a more suitable placement.
And let's not forget sound. If you sing in the shower, the whole neighborhood can hear your enitre repertoire...for better or worse! And an outdoor shower can never duplicate that great audio quality and echo you get in a traditional indoor shower.
Related Information from Horizon Services...
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Furnace Filters: Options and Maintenance
Here’s one of the most common heating problems we see at Horizon Services: people who never or rarely change their furnace filters. Far too many homeowners underestimate the importance of regular filter replacement. Others are under the erroneous impression that all furnace filters are the same; sorry, folks…but that’s not the case.Cold Hard Fact: Selecting the right filter for your furnace and replacing your filters according to a recommended maintenance schedule is the smartest thing you can do to keep your furnace working at peak efficiency, prevent furnace breakdowns and to guarantee that your furnace has a long and productive life.
Here are some important things you need to know about filters and your furnace:
Furnace filters work to remove dust and particles from the air that circulate around your home. When the filter is dirty or clogged with debris, the furnace has to work much harder to push warm air through the blower. This means higher energy costs and increased wear and tear on the furnace.
Clogged filters can also have a negative impact on the air quality inside your home. Dust and pollutants plugging your furnace’s filter are pushed out when air blows through it. This releases mold spores, pollen, dust mites, dander, bacteria and other invisible nasties into the air inside your home. You may notice increased sensitivity like burning, itchy eyes, coughing, sore throat, nasal congestion, sneezing or more acute allergic reactions.
What’s more, since many Americans spend the majority of their time indoors—some of us as much as 90 percent—most of the air we breathe is recycled. Sealing doors and windows may help reduce energy costs and restrict the release of harmful chemicals into the environment, but it also sentences us to a life of breathing the same air over and over. None of the trapped air gets out, no fresh air gets in.
A dirty furnace filter can actually help contribute to chronic conditions like asthma and allergies, as well as increase frequency of illnesses like bronchitis and the flu.
One of the best ways to maintain a healthy home is to replace your furnace filter regularly. Once a month, inspect your furnace’s filter for dirt and dust. If it looks dirty, replace it—no matter when you changed it last. More dust can accumulate at certain times of the year, like in winter when the furnace is most often used, so you may need to change the filter more frequently during these seasons.
As for types of filters, there are several options to choose from:
- Standard furnace filters are made from fiberglass threads, cloth or open cell foam in a cardboard frame. They can be purchased at most home improvement stores for less than $5. Standard filters remove as much as 10 percent of the large dust particles in the air and should be changed monthly.
- Reusable or washable filters are more durable and more effective in removing particles from the air. However, they do require regular cleaning and the trapped debris can be difficult to remove.
- Pleated disposable filters have a larger capture area thanks to their folded structure. The filtering material is usually quite dense and because the surface area is bigger, these kinds of filters are more effective than other kinds—removing up to 40 percent of pollutants. They can cost as much as $10 but only need to be replaced a few times a year.
- High efficiency pleated filters are the top of the line. They use electrostatic charges to remove debris from the air, capturing about 30 times more allergens and small particles than standard filters. They can cost upwards of $25 but are so highly regarded that they have received the endorsement of the American and Canadian Lung Associations.
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