Von Löwen Designs

Greening Your Kitchen Remodel

Lars — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:36:32 +0000

Today’s kitchens are often the most active and multipurpose rooms in the house and typically offer many opportunities when remodeling to select and implement sustainable choices - resulting in not only a more beautiful and usable space, but a much more healthy and eco-friendly indoor environment overall. From lighting and appliances to plumbing fixtures and interior finishes, the kitchen is packed with ways to … [visit site to read more]

Let There Be Light

Lars — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:00:51 +0000

As man and technology forge ahead with the removal from our natural habitat to create a near synthetic environment, artificial lighting could easily be argued as one of the most important developments in the modern world. Be it business or recreation, the use of artificial light allows us the luxury to work and play independent of day or night. Lighting and its applications are endless, with contemporary lighting design often providing a much desired aesthetic and artful feature both inside and outside of the home. With recent market trends and technological improvements homeowners can reap the rewards and substantially reduce the energy they use for lighting while actually increasing its quality, comfort, and convenience.

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Mindfulness – From Breath To Business To Design

Lars — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:56:23 +0000

Learning for pleasure, for its own sake, whether it is learning a foreign language, traveling, reading history or philosophy, or pursuing a hobby, is in short supply today. Many people find that just keeping up with their home lives and doing a minimum of reading about their field, or anything else for that matter, is more than they can handle; but you never can tell how your personal interest learning may one day connect with professional opportunities and your overall effectiveness.

The analogy of the explorer as the quintessential learner can be useful to keep in mind. As we mature from children into … [visit site to read more]

Dial-up Mentality - In a Broadband World

Lars — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:01:31 +0000

“An expert is a fellow who is afraid to learn anything new because then he wouldn’t be an expert anymore.” – Harry S. Truman

The typical narrowband expert is a specialist who delivers data and information, they know their skill-set and carefully and obsessively define where their proficiency begins and ends. Whereas the broadband expert, an authority as well, is someone who has a core expertise onto which they layer knowledge of related (and sometimes unrelated) fields. The result is a designer/advisor with … [visit site to read more]

Radon - Myths & Facts

Lars — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 07:51:37 +0000

MYTH: Scientists aren’t sure radon really is a problem.

FACT: Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all major health organizations (like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Lung Association and World Health Organization) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to … [visit site to read more]

National Radon Action Month - Part III

Lars — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:00:42 +0000

Radon and Home Sales.

More and more, home buyers and renters are asking about radon levels before they buy or rent a home. Because real estate sales happen quickly, there is often little time to deal with radon and other issues. The best thing to do is to test for radon now and save the results in case the buyer is interested in them. Fix a problem if it exists so it won’t complicate your home sale. If you are planning to move or are buying or selling a home, be sure to check out EPA’s ‘Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon,’ which addresses some common questions. You can also use the results of two short-term tests done side-by-side (four inches apart) to decide whether … [visit site to read more]

National Radon Action Month - Part II

Lars — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 02:45:57 +0000

Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. Elevated levels of radon gas have been found in homes in your state. Contact your state radon office for general information about radon in your area. While radon problems may be more common in some areas, any home may have a problem. The only way to know … [visit site to read more]

National Radon Action Month - Part I

Lars — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:35:06 +0000

Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium and radium in soils which can be found everywhere in the world. Uranium is present in rocks such as granite, shale, phosphate, and pitchblende. Uranium breaks down into radium, which then decays into radon.

Radon is in the soil and air everywhere in varying amounts. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and … [visit site to read more]

Greening Your HVAC – Part II

Lars — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:46:31 +0000

Install Effective Ductwork.

Poorly designed and installed ductwork lowers heating and cooling system efficiency and capacity, and can contribute to poor indoor air quality and comfort problems.

Consider having ducts tested for airflow and leakage before and after any new work on the HVAC system. The following six strategies will improve ductwork effectiveness:

· Install new ductwork within conditioned spaces

Install any new ductwork inside the insulated envelope of the home. The unit and the duct runs may be installed in closets, chases, and soffits purposefully designed to … [visit site to read more]

Greening Your HVAC – Part I

Lars — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 04:16:43 +0000

Pacific Gas and Electric Company suggests that if your heating system is more than 15 years old, you should consider upgrading it for increased comfort and energy savings. What makes a newer furnace more efficient? Some older furnaces have pilot lights that burn all the time, wasting energy, while new models have electronic ignition. Even more significant is the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE), which is a rating of how much energy the furnace turns into usable heat in you home. The higher the AFUE, the less … [visit site to read more]