Monthly Archives: September 2012

//September

How to Remodel Using Reclaimed Wood Flooring – Suit Any Style (Part 2 of 5)

Last week I talked about the benefits of using reclaimed wood flooring, and this week I’m going to share how reclaimed wood flooring can suit most any style.  The mere mention of reclaimed wood flooring conjures up images of old barns and weather beaten farmhouses.  But reclaimed wood floors aren’t just for homes with high nostalgia.  Depending on the type of wood, the milling and the finishing processes used, reclaimed wood flooring can suit any décor style:

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By |September 19th, 2012|Columns, Materials|0 Comments
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Reclaimed Panels from Old Russian Crates

This is a new product by Viridian Reclaimed Wood called Siberian Spruce.  It’s a mixture of pine and spruce from Russian shipping crates that have been milled into paneling, according to the company’s co-founder Joe Mitchoff.  Before Viridian found the wood, it was being discarded or burned, but Viridian came up with a way to re-use the pine and spruce as an input for this beautiful, new material.  The reclaimed wood is FSC-certified and may contribute toward several LEED credits for certified wood, reuse, recycled content, and regional materials.  Siberian Spruce is available in 5/8″ or 3/4″ thicknesses, with a face width of 3″, and in random lengths from 4′ – 8′+.

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By |September 19th, 2012|Materials, Recycled|5 Comments
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Not So Big Timber Frame Home in Oregon

This is an 800-square-foot home in the River Road area in north Eugene. It was designed by Nir Pearlson and built by Six Degrees Construction for owners Rob Handy and Julie Hulme, who were inspired by The Not So Big House and other books by Sarah Susanka, FAIA. It turns out the owners upsized their situation by deconstructing an existing 620-square foot house built several decades ago, according to The Register-Guard.

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By |September 18th, 2012|Conservation, Single Family|5 Comments
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IdeaPaint Makes a Clear Dry-Erase Surface

It’s been a few years since I last mentioned IdeaPaint.  The company now has black and clear versions of the popular product to go with the white.  Now the dry-erase surface can be any number of colors with CREATE – Clear.  IdeaPaint sells a kit that’ll cover 50 square feet for the price of $225, which includes the paint, a roller, and several other odds and ends.  The product works best on sealed, non-porous surfaces and is a low-VOC product that meets GREENGUARD Children & School requirements.

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By |September 18th, 2012|Modern design, Products|0 Comments
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LIFX is a WiFi-Enabled Smart LED Bulb

I’ve seen innovation in the smart LED space from the likes of Google and Insteon, but San Francisco-based LIFX Labs aims to reinvent the light bulb with a new, successfully-funded Kickstarter project called LIFX. The LED bulb is WiFi-enabled, energy-efficient, multi-colored, and controllable from an iPhone or Android. It will be available as Edison-type, bayonet cap, or downlight with everything necessary to work at home or in a business with a pledge from $69 on Kickstarter.

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By |September 17th, 2012|Energy Efficiency, Technology|0 Comments
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Home Living Roofs, Persistent Retardants, Energy Efficiency Scams, Energy for the World

8 Homes with Living Roofs.
Wind: a source of energy to power the world.
Why your toxic sofa is full of flame retardants.
Top-of-the-line windows are a waste of money.
Net-zero home could reduce utility bills to nothing.
Prefab design: an interview with Rocio Romero.
Edison-type LEDs, the light bulb of the future.
Caution: beware of energy-saving scams.
Sustainable, million-dollar homes.

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By |September 15th, 2012|Week in Review|0 Comments
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