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Why Weatherize Your Home?
Sep 12th
Why Weatherize Your Home?
For those of us who live in colder climates, you might just assume we do what we can to keep our homes warm and use our energy wisely during the winter months. Yes, you would assume.
Many do go the extra mile to seal their homes by installing their storm windows, replacing weather stripping on doors, insulating their walls, blowing extra insulation into their attics, installing programmable thermostats and a hundred other energy saving projects.
At the same time, many people do little or nothing at all. Whether they lack the time, don’t have the skills, are only renting the home or have funding issues, it’s hard to say. The result is that many homes, especially older homes within cities, have little or no work done to conserve energy.
So, this article is not for those who already weatherize their homes for winter, but for those who don’t. It’s my desire to find a way to motivate you to save energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and yes, save you money. That’s tight, I’m going to attempt to twist your arm in an effort to help you save money.
Let’s look again at the possibilities or situations why a home might not be properly weatherized.
LACK OF TIME TO WEATHERIZE
I can understand this excuse, but I will not validate it. Assuming you have some skill and some idea of how to weatherize, saying you have no time is more of an attempt to say you are either lazy or have simply chosen you don’t want to do that specific type of work.
There are many types of work that we might not enjoy doing and if you just can’t find the time to weatherize your home, then get somebody to do it for you. Yes, there are thousands of businesses out there that are waiting for you to call. They are eager to perform a wonderful job weatherizing your home.
So, while being busy, take just one moment and do a search online or in your local yellow pages and call a business that performs home weatherization and then your task is done. You will have gotten that monkey off your back and you’ll feel good that you have done something to conserve energy…plus you will save money.
LACK OF SKILL
Your stance is that you want to weatherize your home, but you are not sure how to get that long yellow thing out of the tape measurer or you are confused about what a 6-in-1 screwdriver is or how to use it. I can sympathize with you and for all those who know you, but that is still no excuse for not taking any action to seal your home.
Nobody was born with knowledge, but we were all born with drive. Many of us have suppressed this drive over time and ended up learning very little in life, but the cool thing is that this is simply a choice and not really an affliction. What this means is that you do have it in you to learn new things. You really do. Say it quietly to yourself at first. “I can learn new things”. Now say it out loud, “I can learn new things.”
No matter what your past has taught you and no matter what your friends and relatives say, you can always do better if your truly choose to do so. Choose to do better and choose to set aside any fear of what you have to learn in order to weatherize your home and simply choose that you will learn what you must learn so that you can weatherize your home.
It can be a brave new world for you. It can be the beginning of a new world of confidence. Just choose to try, and when it gets tough or a little hairy, push through and try a little harder.
To get you started, I have two references for you with respect to learning about weatherization work:
Insulate and Weatherize – by Bruce Harley
This is a well written book that will show you many helpful things and will open a world of ideas for how to weatherize your home.
Weatherize America ( http://www.weatherizeamerica.com )
This online weatherization business program is not just for businesses who want to perform weatherization work, but for anyone who wants to learn how to inspect their home and then follow up and perform the necessary weatherization repairs.
TENANTS OF HOMES AND APARTMENTS
If you are determined to not put one cent of your money into the home or apartment you rent, that is your right, but if you are also the one paying for the heat, it’s time to change your mind about what you think you are losing by weatherizing the space you pay to heat.
If you pay for the heat, you are the primary one who wins by any improvement you make to weatherize the home. Sure, some of the things you do might be permanent and will work towards increasing the value of the home, but it would help if you could set aside those thoughts for a moment and think about what is best for you. What will help you? Don’t let it matter if it helps anyone else as well. Just focus on the thought of what will help you.
Will it help you if weather stripping on the doors is replaced? Will it help you if the single pane unused windows in the basement are permanently sealed off? Will it help you if the basement were better insulated where it is mostly above ground level? Will it help if cracks in the walls were caulked to stop air from blowing in? Will it help you if your drier vent was replaced with a drier vent seal? Will it help you if your water heater or boiler were wrapped with insulation?
All those questions pertain to improvements that may very well be permanent and would be helping the landlord to some degree, but to an even greater degree, they would be helping you, so just do them. If you choose to not do them in order to spite the landlord, his house has not changed and he loses nothing, but your heat is flowing out of the home , so you lose.
As a tenant most of my life, the first thing I did in almost every home I moved into was to rewire it to some degree (rooms are not functional with just two receptacles) and I would insulate and seal it well. The bottom line is that I was going to live there and I wanted to be comfortable, and yes, the landlords home was improved and yes, the people who lived there after me were able to benefit by what I did, but who cares? I benefited for the whole time I lived there and I saved more money than what any improvements ever cost, plus I increased the comfort level of the home while I lived there.
If you are a tenant, everyone wins when you weatherize, but you win first, so set aside any reservations you might have and do yourself a favor and weatherize the space you are living in. You will waste less fuel, decrease your carbon footprint and will save money.
NO MONEY
I understand not having money, but you do have money, it’s just that there does not seem to be enough to ‘waste’ on improvements when so many other needs or desires already stand in line for your precious dollars.
You can still perform many weatherization improvements, but high-tech options such as shrink-wrap window seals can be set aside for good old sheets of plastic and duct tape. In addition, you would be amazed at how much weatherizing could be performed with a few tubes of carefully placed caulking.
One trick I learned to create the perfect seal is what I call the ‘poor mans window seal’. Start by opening the window or door that does not seal well when shut. Apply a thick bead of caulking to the immoveable window or door area where the window or door would push against when closed. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the length of the caulking and then close the window or door tightly. Wait 12 to 24 hours and then open the window or door and remove the plastic swap and viola, you have a perfect fitting seal.
Overall, what I am trying to say is that even when the money is scarce, do as many little things as possible and be creative. The bottom line is that you will spend that money or more on fuel anyway.
One final option, and it varies dramatically from state to state, is to see if there is a local, county or state program to help you finance your home weatherization needs. Depending upon your income level, you might find you qualify for free or low cost weatherization work.
FOR EVERYONE ELSE
It pays to weatherize. There is no simpler way to say it. It pays to weatherize. So many people benefit when you choose to weatherize. First, there’s you, then there are those you might hire to help you, and then there’s the stores you buy the supplies from, and then there’s the global fuel demand which you just helped to lower, reducing prices for everyone in the world, and then finally there is the world that benefits.
Weatherizing is the gift that keeps on giving since many of the improvements you make will last for years, plus, many of the improvements you make to reduce your fuel costs, will also help reduce air conditioning costs during the summer. There is simply no down-side to weatherizing.
Weatherize your living space today and the whole world becomes a happier place.
David is the author of ‘The Rewards of Making Energy Efficient Choices’, and specializes in Heating and Air Conditioning and Electrical Wiring. Websites include: Weatherize America and Best Energy Saving Products
A clip of working in winter conditions on the North Sea
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Starting a Home Based Business Can Be Fun and Also Very Rewarding Experience
Sep 9th
Starting a Home Based Business Can Be Fun and Also Very Rewarding Experience
The need to make a lot of money helps to motivate many of us into starting a home based business. Not having to be a faceless person that is part of the grind of the daily rat race is another reason why it might pay to become a home entrepreneur. Before getting into the habit of making a living out of your home business venture it is of course necessary that you learn just what does it take to succeed in such a venture. Therefore, before starting a home based business you need to strategize in a way that ensures that you have a realistic chance of achieving your goal.
Don’t Fail To Plan Ahead
Most businesses, home based and otherwise, generally fail because the entrepreneurs failed to plan their activities in advance and so it is necessary that you learn how not to repeat those mistakes when starting a home based business. You need to understand how you too can succeed with your home business and the first question that you need a good answer to is ‘just why you want to start a home based business’.
Unless you know the reason behind why you should be starting a home based business you will not be able to build a strong foundation for the future and so you need to answer a few more questions to get things clarified. For example, are you starting a home based business to work the hours that suit you the best; or, is it to be your own boss and if so, why? Furthermore, is the home business your passport to increased earnings and finally, just how well prepared are you to start the business.
The most important issue that requires a solid answer before starting a home based business is how well prepared are you for your new business venture. This of course means that you must already be confident in your abilities to face and overcome the many challenges that you will need to face including having to handle multiple tasks at the same time. That in turn means being prepared to put up with the stresses and strains of starting a home based business; so, you must be in good physical and mental shape.
Next, you have to be sure that you are indeed well prepared and determined to put in as many hours as are required in order to succeed in your home business. What’s more, you should also have some outside support including from family members and from friends and you also need to be prepared to make sacrifices including accepting a lower standard of living till such time as your home business takes off and flourishes.
To succeed in your home business you need to possess experience as well as have the necessary skills and these are important issues that you need to address before starting a home based business. That in turn means ensuring that you already have the experience in your chosen business field and you also need to be a person that can take correct and effective decisions and in double quick time as well. You have to learn to absorb new things so that you can improve your existing skills and also learn new ones as you go along.
Before starting a home based business you must also be aware about your exact financial position so that before you get your home business going your pockets are stuffer with enough money to become a home business person. In addition, it is also necessary to have sufficient cash to operate your home business.
As long as you address these issues properly and earnestly starting a home based business can prove to be a fun experience and one that will help you get off on the right foot and then achieve your goals.
Rolf Joho is owner of Internet InfoMedia and writes on a variety of subjects. For more Home Based Business questions visit: Starting a Home Based Business
DEPAPEPE – START
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POWER OFF GRID: BENEFITS OF A POWER OFF GRID SYSTEM FOR YOUR HOME
Jul 5th
POWER OFF GRID: BENEFITS OF A POWER OFF GRID SYSTEM FOR YOUR HOME
POWER OFF GRID: BENEFITS OF A POWER OFF GRID SYSTEM FOR YOUR HOME
Power off grid systems are generally utilized in remote locations without the benefit of a utility grid. The power off grid system can also be used in an area where furbishing a power line to the local utility grid is prohibitively expensive, or in an area where blackouts and/or brownouts are frequent. With an off grid solar power system, you would be able to provide the energy necessary to light up a cabin, home or business.
Power off grid systems comprehensively alleviate a home’s dependency on utility electrical grids. Usually, the power off grid systems require a higher initial investment than grid-tie systems. The difference is because there is a greater demand on the power off grid system. A grid-tie system usually supplements a home’s energy demands, which reduces the amount of energy required from the utility grid. In contrast, a power off grid system is responsible for providing all power to the household appliances and tools.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT POWER OFF GRID SYSTEMS
When designing a power off grid system, it is best to take a holistic approach and envision the completed project from a “big picture” perspective. This strategy is even necessary when deciding something as simple as the type of light bulbs that will be utilized. Standard incandescent lighting is extremely energy inefficient, and as such, you may want to consider fluorescent or LED lighting instead.
Power off grid systems are usually bigger than most grid-tie systems. For the power off grid system to be fully independent, a system must have a greater array of energy-producing panels, which in turn requires more batteries to store the charge and more equipment to regulate the charge. However, even though the power off grid system requires a bigger initial investment, in the long run, a power off grid system may save you thousands in energy costs.
CLICK HERE TO BUILD SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS
Here are the main components to a power off grid system:
(1) Solar Array: A Solar Array is a group of solar panels which absorb solar energy and convert this to DC power. The number and type of solar panels will determine how much energy you can produce, as will your geographic location.
(2) PV Combiner Box: The PV Combiner Box usually includes GFCIs which protect your solar power system from equipment damage caused by power surges and short circuits. You can also shut down your solar power system at a moment’s notice, allowing for safe maintenance, repair, and inspection.
(3) Charge Controller: Your batteries will accept all electrical current running from the solar array, but overcharging can ruin them. Charge controllers ensure batteries don’t receive current when they’re charged to capacity, protecting your investment.
(4) DC Breaker Box: The DC Breaker Box includes a disconnect which will regulate the relationship between the battery bank and the inverter so it can be shut down at a moment’s notice to replace, repair, or inspect the batteries safely.
(5) Battery Bank: Batteries store the energy you collect through your array. Power off grid systems must collect enough energy to power your home or business until your batteries can be charged again.
(6) Inverter: Inverters take DC power and convert it to AC power. Most electrical systems (like that found in your home) run off of AC power.
(7) Back-up Generator: A back-up power supply is important to compensate for weather patterns which might otherwise disrupt your array’s collection.
CLICK HERE TO MAKE SOLAR POWER SYSTEMS
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Work for Stay at Home Moms
Apr 20th
Work for Stay at Home Moms
It is a fact that worthwhile work for stay at home moms is not so easy to find. When I was at home with my children, the only choices I had was babysitting other peoples toddlers or sewing. I chose the latter, which no-one really thought was worth paying for but they had to give me something. It was not very rewarding in any sense. Nowadays, however, there are some wonderful choices of work for stay at home moms if you look hard enough and I will tell you about one of them that I found and is working really well for me.
When I decided to get back into the workforce, I saw immediately that I needed some computer training. I took a three month course and found I really liked working on the computer. I had no idea at the time if I would find work for stay at home moms with the little bit of knowledge I had acquired but started searching for a way to earn money online without leaving home. Oh my, I found there were, and still are, so many scams and fraudulent companies out there that I began to doubt.
However, as I was searching for work for stay at home moms I had a great piece of luck and clicked on a Google ad that lead me to a DVD. This presentation explained to me that there was a company offering a program of internet marketing training. Their mandate is to teach everyone who is interested to sell anything to anyone anywhere in the world online. I discovered they are also building a whole community of people who stay connected by phone and internet to encourage and help each other out. I liked the sound of that. The more I discovered about the company, the more I realized that they are definitely catering to anyone who wants to design their own life and are teaching the skills needed to provide work for stay at home moms.
This seemed like the perfect fit for the category of work for stay at home moms and I got involved. Well, the training is certainly there! Thousands of hours of DVD trainings and recordings for every possible form of marketing on the internet are available once you get started. You can listen to online training in the form of new webinars and conference calls every day. This is perfect work for stay at home moms, as long as you have a computer, of course!
I discovered that the computer training I’d taken wasn’t even really necessary because most of the commands you need are ‘point and click’ with a mouse. Knowing how to type is an asset but even two finger typing will work – just slows you up a bit. As for work for stay at home moms, as long as you are open to learning new skills and able to access a computer, I can’t think of anything better to be doing. Oh yes, you actually make money as you follow the steps diligently!
If your kids are still young and you are determined to be home with them, work for stay at home moms is the answer. You don’t have to get a babysitter while you learn and work. If your children are grown and off having their own fun, meaningful work for stay at home moms is vital to add to the quality of your life.
Please http://www.yourextramoneysite.com”/?site=VLenaB to see what I’m doing. My name is Alma Newton and you can call me at 866-204-4244 if you would like to chat.