I heard something very interesting on the radio today.   Several experts were being interviewed about sustainable cities.  It turns out that cities consume about 75% of all energy that is generated.  However, cities have the most opportunity to conserve and reuse energy because of the density of buildings and population.  Homes that share walls like apartments and condominiums save energy.  These types of homes are much more likely to be found in cities rather than suburbs or small towns.  City dwellers are also much more likely to walk and use public transportation.

We still have a long way to go.  Automobiles only use 20% of the fuel that is put into the tank.  Much of the energy is burned up and driven off into the environment. Many   European cities have advanced recycling and composting programs that help to pay for the changes toward more sustainable living.

It is possible to convert our current American mind set to provide a sustainable future for the next generation of Americans.  As sustainability becomes more popular or even fashionable, Americans will embrace sustainable lifestyles.

I recently ran across a new type of house; a house in a kit. These types of homes can be bought and constructed right on your property as a standard size or with add-ons. While you may think they are cheaper than a site built home, that is not necessarily the case. The ones I have seen range from a 320 square foot cabin, which has the ability to accommodate kitchen and bathrooms but that will cost you more than the 32K base price, to the 3100 square foot with five bedrooms, three full baths. Of course it’s also $800K.

While these homes won’t replace the on site structure in every way they do have some real nice features that would work very well in secluded areas since they come in pieces that are fit together on-site. The draw back to them is the cost since the cost is for the structure only and doesn’t include transporting it to the location or the cost of getting the foundation, plumbing and other utilities laid and ready. I have an idea that as time goes by and more and more people look at these houses as an option the prices will come down. It’s like anything else, the first experimenters tend to pay more and the rest of us will benefit down the line.

It is amazing to me how many products I have used throughout the years on faith that they were made with good materials and were safe only to find out later that there are potential hazards that no one talked about or even knew about at the time. It’s good to know that these things are slowly coming to the forefront and into the public eye. As we become aware of these types of things we feel it is in our and your best interest to share.

One such piece of information has to do with kitchen cabinets; many contain “added urea formaldehyde” that is classified as a human carcinogen. This means “sufficient evidence of a cause and effect relationship between exposure to the material and cancer in humans. Such determination requires evidence from epidemiologic (demographic and statistical), clinical, and/or tissue/cell studies involving humans who were exposed to the substance in question.” I don’t know about you but I would like to know if my kitchen cabinets have this potential risk or not! You can go to greencabinetsource.org to find cabinets that are formaldehyde free.

I have turned over a new leaf and will never look at prefab housing again like I have in the past.  The old picture of a run down mobile home has been replaced with a sleek, fun, do-it-yourself home with all the newest of amenities and energy efficient appliances that can be built almost anywhere and quicker than one built on site.  These are not cracker jack boxes but sleekly designed homes that will make you sit up and pay attention.

There are a couple of websites where you can get some great information on the manufactures, news and resources when it comes to prefab homes.  You can go to www.prefabs.com or www.fabprefab.com and check out what they have to say about this growing industry.  You will need to be careful as several companies have gone out of business with the downturn of the housing market but there are still plenty to choose from that are doing business. When dealing with any building company, caution is always recommended and you want to do your due diligence before money is ever exchanged.

Every do-it-yourselfer knows that there are some things you have to do before you ever start a project.  As much as you know that to be true, let’s face it, there are times we just dive in.  However, if you want to build a shed, that is not the type of project that you can always dive in and get away with the results.  With that said, here are seven questions that will need to be answered before building a storage building or shed.

• Find out from your local building or planning department if you need a permit?
• What is your purpose for the new storage shed?
• How big should it be? Think in terms of how big it should be, not how big it could be. 
• Where should I place my storage unit?
• What type of foundation is best for the location and use of the new shed?
• What style and materials should I use to build it?
• How much will it cost or how much can I afford to spend?

Once you have the answers nailed down, then dive in and have a great time building your new storage building.

You may be working from home and need a private area in which to do your job. As an alternative to adding on to the house or constructing or renovating a separate building like a shed or barn, remodeling the garage into an office may be the answer.

Removing and closing up the garage door opening is probably the hardest part of this remodel.  However, once the large opening has been closed, you can begin to create a office-like atmosphere inside by adding wall studs that will be covered with dry wall.  You can also do some different things with the concrete floors like staining or stamping.

Make sure to add electrical, telephone and internet outlets and any necessary light fixtures at this point, BEFORE the drywall goes up. After the drywall is up and finished the walls can now be painted, floor coverings installed if you don’t like the concrete work and any necessary trim. Once all the remodeling work is finished, hook up your phones and computers, move in your furniture and other equipment, hang some pictures on your beautiful new walls and you’re ready for business.