Our blogs feature all things home remodeling, design and build with wide-flung interpretation. Here we cover design concepts for kitchens, bathrooms, and home additions. We also cover green building, building science and building materials. In the wider-flung reaches we cover urban design, the psychology of happiness and celebrations of those things. We are also happy to take and answer your questions.
Check out the recent articles written about us:
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 6)
During the blistering summers, we thank our lucky stars that air conditioning has become a staple in our homes. However, as air circulates through a home it can bring along unwanted passengers – namely infectious respiratory diseases, dust, and fungi. But you can take measures to reduce and even prevent the spread of bacteria and small particles through your A/C system.
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 5)
Our earth contains a lot of water, but only a small percentage of it is freshwater used for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. By being aware of how you can keep this water free of pollutants, you can take steps to improve your family’s health and the health of everyone and everything in your community.
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 4)
No one likes pests in their home, and rightly so. Our homes, after all, are our sanctuaries. But it’s important to be aware that the sprays we buy to kill fleas, ants, flies, and other insect pests, can also be potentially harmful to us. But, careful use of these products can rid your home of annoying pests without side effects to your family’s health.Volatile Organic Compounds found in household products can also be harmful if inhaled in high doses. By doing a little research before replacing carpet or repainting, you and your contractor can select products with low VOC levels.
Creating a Happy, Healthy Home Environment (Part3)
Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas produced when fuels, such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, and charcoal, are burned. Carbon Monoxide is also extremely toxic in high doses. Radon is another harmful gas that originates from the breakdown of uranium. This gas seeps into soil, rock, and water sources and can enter your home through cracks and openings in your foundation. Find out what you can do to prevent hazardous exposure to both these gases for a healthy home.
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 2)
Remodeled home in Bryan / College Station, by Stearns
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part1)
Since many of us are inside for the majority of the day, it’s important to be aware of pollutants from household items. After identifying sources of pollutants, you can eliminate or reduce their presence to improve the air quality of your home. This is a reason that you and your contractor should be in the know about the types of materials and emissions in products such as carpet or paint whenever you have changes made to your home.
Your Roof Will Be Better If It’s Green!
A whole new meaning to green building!
Rethinking Wall Systems
One of the most important elements in Building Science as it relates to energy conservation is the building envelope. This roughly means the floor, walls and ceiling. The envelope is the interface between conditioned and non-conditioned space. Read more about the innovation we are working on.
Fellow Green Builder
I had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Spadone today. Paul has a green building company very much Like Stearns Design Build but the poor guy is stuck in southern California. He recently completed an award winning LEED Project.
Hot Weather Air Conditioning Efficiency
Our temperatures have already been in the upper 90's in the Brazos Valley. Make sure that your AC is running well. We recommend these three steps:1. Change your air filters every month. 2. Have your AC equipment checked and serviced in the spring. 3. Check your ducts for leaks. This is a huge source of energy loss in most homes. Unfortunately this is not part of most new home inspections.
And, of course, if you are building a custom home or remodeling an existing home, there is a great deal that you can do to insure efficiency.
Spring Repairs
The best investment in the value of your home is repairs. Repairs includes things like painting, replacing rotten wood and fixing broken hardware. Spring is the best time to do these repairs. So here is a nudge encouraging you to get those "honey-dos" done. And, of course, we are available to help. We do honey dos.
Lighting
Did you know that If every American household replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR light, we would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars.
Spray foam Insulation
There are those who will swear that spray foam insulation is the panacea for energy efficiency in home construction. Most of these people want to sell you spray foam insulation. We use spray foam insulation in most of our custom homes and in some remodeling projects. We think that it is a very effective product in the right application, even though it has some significant negative issues.
Is Bamboo Flooring Really Green?
Bamboo flooring epitomizes “green washing.” That is, selling something as green that is only made to appear green on the surface. Though there may be products that are less green and still sold as green, bamboo has become the vanguard of green projects.
