March 08, 2010

Arizona Appliance Rebate Program: How to get yours. Part I: Clothes Washer

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet The Arizona Department of Commerce’s Energy Office just announced the Arizona Appliance Rebate Program. Details are still sketchy, but I’ll give you a low-down on what you need to know in this week’s posts. There are three items that are eligible for this rebate: clothes washers, dishwashers and water heaters. The reason Arizona decided to give rebates on these three items and not others is because it feels that these three items address the usage of water as well as energy, which is a uniquely important aspect of living in the desert. To get this rebate, you need to…

Continue reading

March 04, 2010

Is Laminate Flooring Green?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Laminate flooring has a great deal going for it:  it can look good, it’s very easy to install, and it’s inexpensive.  It’s become a very popular floor for DIYers for those reasons.  But is it green?  The answer is:  it’s complicated.  Take a look at this video for the low-down on the green aspects of laminate flooring. laminate flooring video

Continue reading

March 01, 2010

3 Reasons Concrete Floors are Great in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet I think concrete floors are a really wonderful option for Phoenix homes.  In fact, many of the mid-century modern homes built here had concrete floors.  3 Palms, our 1963 duplex is one of those.  Underneath the peel-and-stick Vinyl Composite Tile that we removed, we discovered this beautiful integral-colored sepia concrete floor. Aesthetically, concrete floors are beautiful and they evoke a raw cool feel that’s appropriate for our hot desert climate.  Here are three reasons to consider concrete floors: They keep your house cool during the summer.  This passive cooling is invaluable for our Phoenix climate and is why it…

Continue reading

February 24, 2010

What’s so great about a Solatube?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet For a long time I didn’t know what a daylighting system really was. I thought ok, you have your windows and your skylights. But there is a third thing called a daylighting system and it is neither a window nor a skylight. A daylighting system is a device with highly-sophisticated technology that brings measured, glare-free, heat-reduced sunlight into your interior space. It’s actually a technology that’s been around since the 1960’s but is gaining traction again due to our renewed awareness of sustainability. Today I’d like to talk to you about one of my favorite daylighting devices for your…

Continue reading

February 23, 2010

Why Trex is Way Better than Wood, Especially for Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Wood warps, bulges, fades, peels, molds and eventually looks like hell here in Phoenix with our brutal summers. Plus it’s constantly expanding and contracting with the weather changes, causing all sorts of structural trouble. Here’s why Trex is way better than wood if you’re thinking of building an outdoor deck or a patio trellis: 1. Trex is made out of 95% recycled materials. It’s a composite material made from plastic shopping bags, reclaimed wood and sawdust. Trex hasn’t cut down a single tree during the entire lifetime of their business. Trex is an excellent example of “upcycling”, a word…

Continue reading

February 22, 2010

Why you need a Metal Roof if you live in Phoenix

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Metal roofs are one of my favorite roofs because aesthetically-speaking they are so beautiful.  But whether you agree with me or not about the beauty of a metal roof, there are a few other great qualities of a metal roof I’d like you to consider if you’re thinking of replacing your roof. The Heat-Island Effect We all know that we have a terrible problem with the Heat-Island effect here in Phoenix.  It occurs in cities with large areas of paved surfaces, including dark absorbent roofs that absorb heat during the day and emit it back into the atmosphere, making…

Continue reading

February 11, 2010

Replacing your Water Heater Isn’t The Sexiest Change You Can Make To Your Home, But It Is One Of The Smartest.

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Heating water accounts for up to 30 percent of the average home’s energy budget. So if you have an energy-hog of a water heater that you inherited with your 30-year-old home, you might want to consider replacing it.  Like most people, you’ll want to  wait until you have a problem with your water heater before thinking of replacing it but making a rushed decision on what system to buy is going to leave you short-changed. Since there are so many efficient options on the market now, it’s worth your time to consider each one carefully and see which would…

Continue reading

January 26, 2010

How to Get a Tax Credit for Remodeling Your Home

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Now that tax season is around the corner, here’s some information on what products are eligible for Tax credits under the ‘Stimulus Bill’ or The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Tax credits are available at 30% of the cost, up to $1,500 total, in 2009 & 2010 (ONLY for existing homes, NOT new construction, that are your “principal residence”) for: Windows and Doors (including Skylights) From June 1, 2009 – December 31, 2010 windows (and doors and skylights) must have a U-factor and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) less than or equal to 0.30. You do not…

Continue reading

December 16, 2009

Is it Really so Bad to be Inconvenienced by Nature?

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet We’ve had some rain in Phoenix in the past few days and one of the rainy days coincided with our laundry day.  As you know, we don’t own a dryer, nor did we provide one for our tenants at 3 Palms.  Instead, we’ve installed a retractable clothesline for us and our tenants which works just great 355 days out of the year. But last Sunday it rained, and to be fair, a couple of the days before Sunday had been cloudy and cold so it was hard to get the clothes dry.  This inconvenience prompted our tenants to ask…

Continue reading