Jarret TT Camp

Archive for December, 2009

Modular homes are built in sections in a factory setting, indoors, where they are never subjected to adverse weather conditions. The sections move through the factory, with the company’s quality control department checking them after every step. Finished modules are covered for protection, then transported to your home site. They are placed on a pre-made foundation, joined, and completed by your local builder.

How long does it take to build a modular home?

That depends on your design and the manufacturer, but some modular homes can be built in the factory in as little as 1-2 weeks. And since modulars are built indoors, there’s never a weather delay. It usually takes another 2-4 weeks for your local builder to complete the home once it’s delivered to the building site.

They sound like mobile homes. Are they the same thing?

Mobile homes, now called manufactured homes, are built to conform to the same federal code, no matter where they will be delivered. That code is called the HUD code.

A modular home conforms to the building codes that are required at the specific location it will be delivered to, and in many cases construction exceeds the required codes.

Do something good for your family, your pocketbook, and the environment. Make your home a little greener. A few simple changes in your house can go a long way to combat both high energy bills and global warming. To be green, you’ve got to be efficient.

1. Use CFLs

Replace your incandescent light bulbs (the cheap ones you probably got at the grocery store) with ENERGY STAR® qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). By replacing even your five most frequently used light bulbs, you’ll save $100 per year. Find out exactly how much you can save (pdf). If every family in the U.S.A. did this, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by one trillion pounds–there are 12 zeros in a trillion! More on energy-efficient lighting.

2. Program Your Thermostats

Save 10% on your heating and cooling costs just by setting your thermostat back when you’re not home and while you’re sleeping. Program your thermostat to 78 degrees F or higher in the summer and 62 degrees F or lower in the winter. If you tell it to return to your preferred temperature before you return home, you won’t ever know the temperature changed, until you look at the reduction in your energy bills. Select ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats.

So you’re on the market for a new bed. Here are some commonsense tips to make you a happy owner of the bed that’s bound to give you sweet dreams. (wink, wink)

First, you’ll want a bed that’s big enough for you, or for two, if you are buying with your significant other. But how big is big? Only one way to find out: Lie on the prospective bed with arms stretched on your sides. Now that will give you an idea on how much space you require (plus your partner’s). Of course you need to consider your height,too. The idea is you need as much space to be comfy as you sleep without falling off or waking your partner up. And, yeah, you need to make sure it fits in your bedroom.

Next, is the firmness or softness of the bed. This isn’t the same for everybody. For one, people with back problems tend to choose firm matresses while almost everybody needs something between firm and soft. Again, to check if that bed is just right, you’ll need to lie on it for at least 10 minutes. Don’t be shy, you wouldn’t want to end up with a bed that’s less than comfy, right?

Wiring a ceiling fan can be challenging depending on the way your home is constructed and how your lighting circuits are configured. The control unit that allows you to vary speed and direction will require additional wires run between the switch position and the fan point, and you need to ensure you have some kind of secure mounting in the ceiling able to support the weight of a spinning motor. There are a few tips and tricks that will guide you through the process of installing your ceiling fan, with time and a little patience you can save yourself a few dollars in the cost of hiring an electrician.

Your new ceiling fan will require assembly and some pre-wiring before being attached to the ceiling and connected to power. Some fan kits include a light fixture and you may discover the bell housing that sits against the underside of your ceiling to cover theses connections will be fairly busy’ with numerous different wires connected within. Study and carefully follow the pre-wiring instructions and double check each connection when you are finished. Check the connections are secure by tugging on each wire and ensure there are no visible copper strands poking out from terminal positions. It is easier if you leave the fan blades off the unit at this assembly stage because they get in your way when time comes to attach the fan to your anchor point and connect house wiring.