Ceiling fans are good choices since air ventilation helps keep homes clean and allergon free, but a lot of the older fans out there are dated and drab. If you’re looking for a fan that matches your decor or expresses your personality, you may want to take a look at Fanimation, Inc. They have a number of styles such as the single-bladed “Enigma” which moves air just as efficiently as its multi-bladed siblings.
Window blinds can be a hassle–it seems like the cord is always getting tangled or even if they work well, they gather dust. Pella’s “between-the-glass” window blinds offer a solution to both those problems and can work with either windows or patio doors. The blinds actually go between the inside and outside panes of glass. There’s no cord, rather you simply press a button to raise or lower the blinds.
Heating and air conditioning may be standard in most new houses, but today’s technology is changing the way we control the climates within our homes. For example, the Carrier WeatherMaker Infinity gas furnace has an easy to program control panel inside the house that can automatically turn on the heat at preset times of the day (i.e. the heat comes on 15 minutes before you get up to get ready for work, then turns off after you’ve left for work). The heating and air conditioning components can work independently from room to room as well, providing different temperatures in different “zones” of the house. You might want the living room at 72 degrees but keep rarely used rooms at 68. This is no problem for the Infinity which can handle 8 different zones. The control panel is easy to use, having a similar look and feel to today’s hand-held technology such as mp3 players. You can get updates on all the zones in the house as well as the outside temperature. All of this automation not only makes your home more comfortable but it saves energy, too.
Related:
Central Air Conditioner Reviews
Infinity Control Thermostat
Home Heating Systems
Everyone likes the look of hardwood floors, but there are other benefits to installing them as well. Even with frequent steam cleanings, carpets hold in animal danders, mildew, mites, pollens, and dust. If you have any trouble with asthma or allergies, your house may be the number one culprit for keeping you down. Hardwood floors are also easier to clean than carpets.
Helpful sites that delve deeper into the benefits of hardwood floors:
Why Hardwoods?
The Seattle Floor site has a FAQ that addresses the benefits of hardwood floors and answers other floor questions.
The Winter 2005 issue of Home Appliance has a section on fighting asthma and allergies that can be triggered (or worsened) by air stuffed with invisible pollens, mold spores, animal danders, and the like. Here is a summary of the article’s suggestions for improving the air quality in your home:
