Environmental Construction Products

Trends in sustainable and environmentally friendly construction continue to inch towards the mainstream, with new products being introduced almost daily that are more cost effective and efficient than ever. Here are some products and trends in environmental construction:

Walls

Use of alternative building materials, including reclaimed woods, recycled metals and non toxic materials are making homes more green from the inside out. Even insulation is becoming more green, with wider usage of a mixture of recycled cotton and denim materials instead of toxic and dangerous to install traditional insulation.

Flooring

There's a wide range of environmentally friendly flooring options. From concrete to stones, recycled metals, recycled tiles, recycled glass, reclaimed woods, sustainable woods, bamboo, cork and even more environmentally friendly linoleums.

Paints and Finishes

There is now a large amount of paints and stains available for your interiors, including walls, floors, bathrooms, staircases and all your surfaces. These new products are either non-toxic or use much less toxic chemicals, making the eco-friendly choice also the most healthy choice for environmentally sensitive people. In addition, these less toxic paints and finishes are much easier to dispose of.

Carpeting

Traditional new carpeting uses a lot of chemicals to produce. In addition, the installation of new carpeting will typically fill the indoor air in your home with what are called "VOC's" or volatile organic compounds. These compounds include chemical carcinogens like benzenes and even formaldehyde. That new carpet smell is actually a cocktail of chemicals you are breathing. These chemicals can take several years to dissipate from your indoor air. By using eco-friendly carpeting, you are eliminating or severely decreasing the amount of chemicals you are bringing into your home. Also, the materials used in eco-friendly carpeting are typically recycled or sustainable. Most carpets need padding and these too can be loaded with chemicals. Instead, homeowners can choose new environmentally friendly carpet padding that is made from recycled cotton.

Cabinetry and Countertops

Even kitchen and bathroom cabinetry and countertops can be eco-friendly. New cabinet options include cabinets made from completely sustainable woods using non-toxic finishes. For countertops, new non-toxic composite materials including quartz and recycled glass chips are available. Even the glue used to adhere the cabinets to the countertop can be an eco-friendly water based glue product.

Whether you are building a new home, remodeling or simply performing some upgrades, you won't want to ignore the many eco-friendly options.

Lydia Quinn writes for Brandon Safety Lights, a leading provider of solar barricade lights, barricade light accessories and traffic safety supplies. Visit us at: http://www.brandonsafetylights.com

Home Foundation - Hidden Foundation Problems That Could Cost You Thousands in Your Next Home

Homes are built on a number of different support systems; the standard well known types on footings are slab, crawlspace, and basements. There are others that deal with particular soils conditions such as piers, grade beams, driven piles and engineered post tension slabs.

1. Your problems with a slab foundation are pretty straight forward. Slab foundations are built in one variation as one pour of concrete including the footing, walls, and floor system. The tendency of single pour solid concrete slabs is to crack because the concrete cures at different rates based on the thickness or mass. The floor system is normally 4" thick and cures at one rate, the walls and footing maybe 12" thick and 30" deep will cure at a different rate this can cause cracks in the floor system. These cracks will cause an opening to the soil below which is the big problem. The crack will cause moisture to wick into your carpet, the crack may split the hardwood floors, crack your ceramic tiles, and stain the vinyl tiles or sheet flooring.

Slab foundations are also built on footing with block or brick walls and floor system. The chance of cracking is less likely to occur with this system. The footing is poured separately cures, the foundation walls are erected and the floor system is poured and cures. The chance of cracking is lessened because of three separate stages of work. The cracks can occur but are at a minimum as compared a single pour system.

2. Crawlspace problems are cause by the poorly finished or unfinished areas below the first floor decking. The dirt floor of a crawlspace can be covered with different materials according to local and state building codes. Some required a concrete slab over a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier others require only 100% coverage of a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier. Both can cause serious moisture problems because of the unfinished walls and unconditioned area of the crawlspace. The unconditioned (no heat or air conditioning) space can cause mold, mildew in the crawlspace and moisture to wick up into the home through the wood joist and deck floor system. This is causes odors in carpet, cupping or warping hardwoods, wet ceramic tiles, and stains in vinyl floor backing.

Worst yet is that in some cases the heating system and the water heater are located in the damp wet crawlspace causing corrosion on the pipes, fittings, valves, and any metal parts in the crawlspace over time it will be a huge problem for any future homeowner. The better builders today are providing a completely conditioned crawlspace where the dirt floor is sealed the walls are sealed and insulated which keeps out the moisture and allows your mechanical systems to operate properly for years. What did your builder do or what are the plans for your new home?

3. Basement problems can be the same as crawlspaces with the unconditioned areas except the basement is deeper in the ground, closer to any water level or water table which can be a more serious problem. Basements have always had the reputation for being damp and smelly they still can be if the builder is not using modern waterproofing materials and designs. The possibility of floor system cracks exists in basement homes. Using proper water proofing techniques and exterior grading basements have become very desirable. The walk-out condition where the rear wall is actually open to ground level (the lot sloping down from front to rear) has offered some excellent opportunities for homeowners to add usable heated square footage to the home and become a much better alternate to the finished bonus room on the third floor.

Your choice of foundation system is governed more by the site and soil conditions. Most builders would rather build what pleases you at a profitable cost than to chance losing a sale. Some home builders you may find are stuck or set in their building techniques and may not offer you choices that are evidently available or possible.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your FREE access to 2 recent articles "9 Tips For You to Make Real Money in College Rental Properties " and "9 Steps to Save Big Dollars For Your Student With In-State Tuition" at https://www.collegetowneproperties.com/Free_Helpful_Articles.html

Bill "The College Rental Investment Guy" is a leading expert on College Rental Investment Properties and Off-Campus Housing.

Create Your Dream House

How Annual Rainfall Affects Basement Waterproofing

With recent advances in materials and construction technology, basement waterproofing techniques are quickly gaining popularity. When it comes to new residential construction, basement waterproofing techniques such as the installation of footer drains or french drains is a given if a home is being built in a wet area of the country. If you own an older home, however, the technology used when your residence was constructed might not currently protect you from all flooding and water damage problems. And depending on the area of the country where you live and its annual rainfall, your basement could be an unexpected disaster waiting to happen.

Annual rainfall affects basement waterproofing for the simple fact that the more saturated the ground is with water, the more stresses that are present on your home's foundations. There's really no effective way to make a cinder block wall completely waterproof, since moisture can slowly push through the material's porous surface and into your home over the decades. Believe it or not, cinder blocks have a lot in common with a sponge, and effectively soak up water in the ground around them. Higher rainfall means more moisture in the ground, and in that kind of environment, your basement walls will inevitably suffer damage if you don't the proper drain waterproofing in place.

Properly waterproofing your basement to protect against saturated ground means installing footer drains that draw the groundwater away from your home and deposit it elsewhere. Footer drains are plastic pipes with small holes in them that allow water to enter and flow away from your home. The best basement waterproofing procedure calls for installing footer drains all around your home, then securing them with the proper back fill methods. As the years progress, you may need to occasionally clean the drains if they become obstructed with dirt or other refuse, but with a proper clean out installation this is a very simple procedure. Properly installed footer drains, however, rarely need to have major service performed on them.

Fewer homes in dry western regions of the country need complete basement waterproofing procedures that include footer drains, and the reason why is pretty obvious: they have less precipitation, and fewer flooding problems. Living in greener areas of the country or near large bodies of water can make for beautiful views, but the increase in groundwater saturation levels is an unfortunate side effect. Keeping your basement properly waterproofed doesn't have to be a huge burden, though, as long as you a diligent in performing annual maintenance and proactive in heading off any potential problems.

Lorain County Sewer and Drain makes Cuyahoga County basement waterproofing easy and affordable. Visit our site today to learn more about basement waterproofing.

A Carpenters Story

Home Foundation - Hidden Foundation Problems That Could Cost You Thousands in Your Next Home

Homes are built on a number of different support systems; the standard well known types on footings are slab, crawlspace, and basements. There are others that deal with particular soils conditions such as piers, grade beams, driven piles and engineered post tension slabs.

1. Your problems with a slab foundation are pretty straight forward. Slab foundations are built in one variation as one pour of concrete including the footing, walls, and floor system. The tendency of single pour solid concrete slabs is to crack because the concrete cures at different rates based on the thickness or mass. The floor system is normally 4" thick and cures at one rate, the walls and footing maybe 12" thick and 30" deep will cure at a different rate this can cause cracks in the floor system. These cracks will cause an opening to the soil below which is the big problem. The crack will cause moisture to wick into your carpet, the crack may split the hardwood floors, crack your ceramic tiles, and stain the vinyl tiles or sheet flooring.

Slab foundations are also built on footing with block or brick walls and floor system. The chance of cracking is less likely to occur with this system. The footing is poured separately cures, the foundation walls are erected and the floor system is poured and cures. The chance of cracking is lessened because of three separate stages of work. The cracks can occur but are at a minimum as compared a single pour system.

2. Crawlspace problems are cause by the poorly finished or unfinished areas below the first floor decking. The dirt floor of a crawlspace can be covered with different materials according to local and state building codes. Some required a concrete slab over a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier others require only 100% coverage of a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier. Both can cause serious moisture problems because of the unfinished walls and unconditioned area of the crawlspace. The unconditioned (no heat or air conditioning) space can cause mold, mildew in the crawlspace and moisture to wick up into the home through the wood joist and deck floor system. This is causes odors in carpet, cupping or warping hardwoods, wet ceramic tiles, and stains in vinyl floor backing.

Worst yet is that in some cases the heating system and the water heater are located in the damp wet crawlspace causing corrosion on the pipes, fittings, valves, and any metal parts in the crawlspace over time it will be a huge problem for any future homeowner. The better builders today are providing a completely conditioned crawlspace where the dirt floor is sealed the walls are sealed and insulated which keeps out the moisture and allows your mechanical systems to operate properly for years. What did your builder do or what are the plans for your new home?

3. Basement problems can be the same as crawlspaces with the unconditioned areas except the basement is deeper in the ground, closer to any water level or water table which can be a more serious problem. Basements have always had the reputation for being damp and smelly they still can be if the builder is not using modern waterproofing materials and designs. The possibility of floor system cracks exists in basement homes. Using proper water proofing techniques and exterior grading basements have become very desirable. The walk-out condition where the rear wall is actually open to ground level (the lot sloping down from front to rear) has offered some excellent opportunities for homeowners to add usable heated square footage to the home and become a much better alternate to the finished bonus room on the third floor.

Your choice of foundation system is governed more by the site and soil conditions. Most builders would rather build what pleases you at a profitable cost than to chance losing a sale. Some home builders you may find are stuck or set in their building techniques and may not offer you choices that are evidently available or possible.

And now I would like to invite you to claim your FREE access to 2 recent articles "9 Tips For You to Make Real Money in College Rental Properties " and "9 Steps to Save Big Dollars For Your Student With In-State Tuition" at https://www.collegetowneproperties.com/Free_Helpful_Articles.html

Bill "The College Rental Investment Guy" is a leading expert on College Rental Investment Properties and Off-Campus Housing.

Carpentry Articles

How Annual Rainfall Affects Basement Waterproofing

With recent advances in materials and construction technology, basement waterproofing techniques are quickly gaining popularity. When it comes to new residential construction, basement waterproofing techniques such as the installation of footer drains or french drains is a given if a home is being built in a wet area of the country. If you own an older home, however, the technology used when your residence was constructed might not currently protect you from all flooding and water damage problems. And depending on the area of the country where you live and its annual rainfall, your basement could be an unexpected disaster waiting to happen.

Annual rainfall affects basement waterproofing for the simple fact that the more saturated the ground is with water, the more stresses that are present on your home's foundations. There's really no effective way to make a cinder block wall completely waterproof, since moisture can slowly push through the material's porous surface and into your home over the decades. Believe it or not, cinder blocks have a lot in common with a sponge, and effectively soak up water in the ground around them. Higher rainfall means more moisture in the ground, and in that kind of environment, your basement walls will inevitably suffer damage if you don't the proper drain waterproofing in place.

Properly waterproofing your basement to protect against saturated ground means installing footer drains that draw the groundwater away from your home and deposit it elsewhere. Footer drains are plastic pipes with small holes in them that allow water to enter and flow away from your home. The best basement waterproofing procedure calls for installing footer drains all around your home, then securing them with the proper back fill methods. As the years progress, you may need to occasionally clean the drains if they become obstructed with dirt or other refuse, but with a proper clean out installation this is a very simple procedure. Properly installed footer drains, however, rarely need to have major service performed on them.

Fewer homes in dry western regions of the country need complete basement waterproofing procedures that include footer drains, and the reason why is pretty obvious: they have less precipitation, and fewer flooding problems. Living in greener areas of the country or near large bodies of water can make for beautiful views, but the increase in groundwater saturation levels is an unfortunate side effect. Keeping your basement properly waterproofed doesn't have to be a huge burden, though, as long as you a diligent in performing annual maintenance and proactive in heading off any potential problems.

Lorain County Sewer and Drain makes Cuyahoga County basement waterproofing easy and affordable. Visit our site today to learn more about basement waterproofing.

Building Codes And Remodeling

Does My Home Insurance Cover Me For Flood Damages?

Flooding can happen at any moment and for any reason. Mother Nature can run her course and create flood conditions or a water main may break. At any rate, no matter how it happens, if you experience flooding within your home it is stressful, worrisome, and hard to deal with. At the same time, you have the question is flood damage covered by my home insurance?

The one thing you want to understand is that in most cases, flooding is not covered on general home insurance. You may see clauses that state water damage, but essentially, flooding by acts of God or manmade items are not covered. It is truly very important to understand your policy and discuss options with your insurance agent to be sure that you have the coverage you need.

Far too often, many people go through thinking they have what they need, regardless of the circumstances. However, as with many instances within the last few years, people find out, the hard way, that they in fact did not have coverage for flood damage. Most insurance companies offer flood coverage, in fact all of them offer it, however, it is an additional policy, an additional source of coverage that will increase your premium.

It is important to talk with your insurance agent and discuss flood coverage. You might think that you live in a relatively safe area, free of major flooding, however, you cannot control Mother Nature or events that happen outside of your home. Having your home fully protected is the only sure way to feel comfortable and have peace of mind if the event does occur.

Flooding causes all kinds of damage. You have to deal with contamination, mould, sanitation, water damage to property and content rotting, and so much more. While flooding itself can be hectic, if the work is not performed properly, it can cause a great deal of trouble for you in the future as well.

In other words, to really know if your home insurance covers this type of damage, you want to contact your insurance agent. Talk with him or her and ask them if flooding is included in your coverage. Unless you specifically asked for it and it is a part of your premium that you pay each month, it is highly likely that you are not covered.

If you are not covered, talk with your agent about coverage. Ask what is included, what is not, and how much it will add to your premium. Flood damage coverage is one of the many things you will need to fully protect your home and your belongings. It gives you added peace of mind, knowing that if a flood does occur, you are protected and have the means to cover the cost of repairs, drying, and replacement if need be.

Does your home insurance cover flood damage? Call your agent today and find out, if not, make sure you add it, just to be on the safe side.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For Loss Assessors and Domestic Flood Insurance claim services, he recommends Morgan Clark.

Got Attic Mold

Tips to Recover Carpet From Water Damage

Seeing your favorite carpet being damaged due to water is really frustrating. For years you would have been cleaning & maintaining the floor covering to keep the new looks. But one day due to any reason, it got ruined. How heart breaking it is? Lately, water has been the cause of damaging the floor covering. Especially when there is organic decay, deterioration of fiber, heavy soiling, mold growth, heavy soiling, stained, smelly and soggy runner it's a real big problem.

There are different types of remedies for overcoming the carpet water damage successfully. Here are few of them.

If your floor runner has been spoiled due to water that overflowed from the sink/ toilet, then it is wiser to discard it. If you think removing the carpet and replacing it is a big problem then you need to restore the rug from damage either yourself or by hiring a professional. Here are few tips to refurbish the carpet yourself.

* Remove all the furnishing over the damaged fitted covering over the floor. At times, fabric has the tendency to leave the stain and it would look weird, when the carpeting dries.
* Start extracting the excess of water.

* Once the carpet restoration professional comes, ask them to clean it using disinfectant.

* When the rug is cleaned ensure that no traffic is there on the carpet. This will help in keeping the backing of the floor covering intact and eliminate the chances of de-lamination.

* In addition to it, see that there is no tack strip and carpet padding. Try to elevate the rug and use the right equipment for drying the rug. One can use fans, or dehumidifiers to speed up the process.

Hope these tips will help in restoring the carpet completely. Still if you cannot smarten up your floor covering then take the help of a carpet restoration company. They will definitely look into the problem and do the needful. If you thing money is a problem and if you have the floor covering insured then you can claim the money. But don't expect that the rug manufacturer will pay you for the carpet damage. Usually it's a big no from their side. So take the necessary help from the right person at right time to overcome the carpet-refurbishing problem successfully.

Born and raised in New Delhi, India, Mohita completed her graduation in English Literature from Delhi University, India. She also holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Makhanlal Chaturvedi Rashtriya Patrakarita Vishwavidyalya, Bhopal. She is currently working as Content Writer.

How To Kill Black Mold