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Should B.C. adopt an electoral system that reflects seats based on
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When people encounter seemingly complex problems, many will quickly find
ways to savour the status quo or, shoot the messenger. What about first
identifyin...
Monday, February 15, 2010
Custom Homes Kelwona
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250-809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Okanagan Custom Homes Kelowna BC
Our primary focus at Okanagan Custom Homes is to ensure that each and every customer has the most pleasant home building experience possible.
At Okanagan Custom Homes we are committed to working with you every step of the way to ensure that we build you the custom home of your dreams.
We specialize in Custom Homes, Built GreenTM, Custom Finishing’s, Design and Renovations.
Personal attention to detail is the trademark of this company. The highest standards are achieved by the team members and pride is taken to present the client with outstanding results.
As a General Contractor, and a Licensed Residential Green Builder it’s our belief that every client has a unique set of goals and expectations for their project. We provide the necessary attention, in order to achieve those goals.
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250-809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
At Okanagan Custom Homes we are committed to working with you every step of the way to ensure that we build you the custom home of your dreams.
We specialize in Custom Homes, Built GreenTM, Custom Finishing’s, Design and Renovations.
Personal attention to detail is the trademark of this company. The highest standards are achieved by the team members and pride is taken to present the client with outstanding results.
As a General Contractor, and a Licensed Residential Green Builder it’s our belief that every client has a unique set of goals and expectations for their project. We provide the necessary attention, in order to achieve those goals.
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250-809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Helpful hints for insulation in Kelowna
INSULATION
Insulation is the biggest way to reduce the energy use and environmental impact of your home. As an added bonus, improving the insulation of your home will lower the energy bills! So stop throwing your money away, and follow these tips for green insulation.
Quick tips to insulate your home:
Wrap your boiler
Wrap your water boiler in an insulating blanket. The better the insulating material, the more energy you’ll save. Cork and wool are good natural materials that can be used as insulators.
Seal leaks
The tighter the seals in your home, the less energy you’ll need to keep it warm. Identify and seal air links around chimneys, window frames, and openings for plumbing and electrics.
Close the curtains
Keep the curtains closed at night and make sure you don't just heat the space between the curtains and the window. You can install a radiator shelf to deflect heat past the curtains into the room. Bigger projects to insulate your home
Attic Insulation
Attics should have approximately 150mm of insulation, but older homes usually don’t. For example, in the home we just purchased built in 1955, we found only 25mm of insulation, which means heat (and money) have been pouring out of our roof for decades! In many houses over 15 years old, you will find that the depth of existing insulation is quite small as old insulation settles over time and becomes much less effective. If your home is older, adding additional insulation is one of the best Green projects you can do! Insulating your attic is a relatively easy project, especially if you use a natural insulation product that doesn’t require as much protective clothing.
Wall Insulation
The best time to add insulation to walls is when you’re making other renovations.
for the full article click here
Terry Laurin
http://www.tlces.com/
250-215-8020
“Helping you become Energy Efficient”
Insulation is the biggest way to reduce the energy use and environmental impact of your home. As an added bonus, improving the insulation of your home will lower the energy bills! So stop throwing your money away, and follow these tips for green insulation.
Quick tips to insulate your home:
Wrap your boiler
Wrap your water boiler in an insulating blanket. The better the insulating material, the more energy you’ll save. Cork and wool are good natural materials that can be used as insulators.
Seal leaks
The tighter the seals in your home, the less energy you’ll need to keep it warm. Identify and seal air links around chimneys, window frames, and openings for plumbing and electrics.
Close the curtains
Keep the curtains closed at night and make sure you don't just heat the space between the curtains and the window. You can install a radiator shelf to deflect heat past the curtains into the room. Bigger projects to insulate your home
Attic Insulation
Attics should have approximately 150mm of insulation, but older homes usually don’t. For example, in the home we just purchased built in 1955, we found only 25mm of insulation, which means heat (and money) have been pouring out of our roof for decades! In many houses over 15 years old, you will find that the depth of existing insulation is quite small as old insulation settles over time and becomes much less effective. If your home is older, adding additional insulation is one of the best Green projects you can do! Insulating your attic is a relatively easy project, especially if you use a natural insulation product that doesn’t require as much protective clothing.
Wall Insulation
The best time to add insulation to walls is when you’re making other renovations.
for the full article click here
Terry Laurin
http://www.tlces.com/
250-215-8020
“Helping you become Energy Efficient”
For a review of your green custom home build call:
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250- 809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Ways to heat your water
Ways to heat your water by John Thomson
Water heating options
Where you live, as well as the life style you lead, the number of people in your household, and where you'll put the water heating system, you'll need to factor these realities in if you're going to purchase a new hot water system, or getting a back up system.
Having this basic information at hand, will ensure you'll get hot water every day of the year, when you want and however much you need - at the best cost possible. This will also help you decide, if you should stick to the traditional water heating system you've used or if you'll step out of the box and try an alternate water heating system.
Here's a short list of the different water heating systems, available today
Electric hot water tank
This system uses heating elements that are located at the topmost and bottom parts of your tank. Because they don't need vents, you can install or put them wherever you feel is the best location. For example in Canada many R-2000 energy saving homes have this water heating system. Induced draft gas hot water tanks
This heating system has a fan that's found at the top of the tank itself. What the fan does is to induce movement of the combustion gases to go through a sealed plastic pipe and then out the sidewall of the house. You'll find that a lot of these units use combustion and dilution air found inside the house. However, due to the combustion gas exhaust fan pressure; you won't have to worry about the backdrafting combustion gas spillage. You'll need to buy a condensing furnace that works well with this kind of heating system. Natural draft gas hot water tanks
These are inexpensive units, which come with a naturally aspirating burner and draft hood, which is connected to a vertical chimney vent. However, this particular equipment more prone is more subject to combustion gas spillage compared to the other models mentioned, here, so you'll need to make sure you have a furnace that works well with this equipment. Another factor you'll need to think about is, if you live in an highly energy efficient home. These homes experience a higher degree of air tightness, so it's not advisable to install a unit of this kind.
Direct vent gas hot water tanks
As stated a direct vent or sealed combustion water carries combustion air in from the outside, while venting the combustion gases out through a single concentric pipe. As there is no interconnection between the burner and house air, they are spillage resistant and work very well in the more closely sealed Homes.
Tankless water heater
You could purchase an instantaneous water heater or tankless water heater, which as its name indicates provides hot water, without the aid of storage tank. You can choose either a gas or electricity driven unit. In tankless water heaters, temperate water runs through a pipe into the unit, and then either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water.
Solar Units
Or you could try a solar powered heating water system. Solar heaters derive their power from the sun's energy, and channel the heat to water.
You can purchase a reliable solar heater and use this as your main source for heating water. Or you can decide to use this unit as the back up system. If so, then select a solar heater, which allows you to be the back up for either electric or gas water heater.
Take your time to do research on this system - find out the differences between the different water heating systems - so you can save on money, your time and resource. Not only that but the right water heater for your home will mean a lot of difference on whether you'll have hot water when you need it, in the amount, you want to use the water heater to produce.
About the Author
John Thomson is webmaster at http://www.heaters-heating.com where heating related information is a click away. Easily find patio heater and tankless water heater resources at http://www.heaters-heating.com/
For a review of your ustom home build call:
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250- 809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Water heating options
Where you live, as well as the life style you lead, the number of people in your household, and where you'll put the water heating system, you'll need to factor these realities in if you're going to purchase a new hot water system, or getting a back up system.
Having this basic information at hand, will ensure you'll get hot water every day of the year, when you want and however much you need - at the best cost possible. This will also help you decide, if you should stick to the traditional water heating system you've used or if you'll step out of the box and try an alternate water heating system.
Here's a short list of the different water heating systems, available today
Electric hot water tank
This system uses heating elements that are located at the topmost and bottom parts of your tank. Because they don't need vents, you can install or put them wherever you feel is the best location. For example in Canada many R-2000 energy saving homes have this water heating system. Induced draft gas hot water tanks
This heating system has a fan that's found at the top of the tank itself. What the fan does is to induce movement of the combustion gases to go through a sealed plastic pipe and then out the sidewall of the house. You'll find that a lot of these units use combustion and dilution air found inside the house. However, due to the combustion gas exhaust fan pressure; you won't have to worry about the backdrafting combustion gas spillage. You'll need to buy a condensing furnace that works well with this kind of heating system. Natural draft gas hot water tanks
These are inexpensive units, which come with a naturally aspirating burner and draft hood, which is connected to a vertical chimney vent. However, this particular equipment more prone is more subject to combustion gas spillage compared to the other models mentioned, here, so you'll need to make sure you have a furnace that works well with this equipment. Another factor you'll need to think about is, if you live in an highly energy efficient home. These homes experience a higher degree of air tightness, so it's not advisable to install a unit of this kind.
Direct vent gas hot water tanks
As stated a direct vent or sealed combustion water carries combustion air in from the outside, while venting the combustion gases out through a single concentric pipe. As there is no interconnection between the burner and house air, they are spillage resistant and work very well in the more closely sealed Homes.
Tankless water heater
You could purchase an instantaneous water heater or tankless water heater, which as its name indicates provides hot water, without the aid of storage tank. You can choose either a gas or electricity driven unit. In tankless water heaters, temperate water runs through a pipe into the unit, and then either a gas burner or an electric element heats the water.
Solar Units
Or you could try a solar powered heating water system. Solar heaters derive their power from the sun's energy, and channel the heat to water.
You can purchase a reliable solar heater and use this as your main source for heating water. Or you can decide to use this unit as the back up system. If so, then select a solar heater, which allows you to be the back up for either electric or gas water heater.
Take your time to do research on this system - find out the differences between the different water heating systems - so you can save on money, your time and resource. Not only that but the right water heater for your home will mean a lot of difference on whether you'll have hot water when you need it, in the amount, you want to use the water heater to produce.
About the Author
John Thomson is webmaster at http://www.heaters-heating.com where heating related information is a click away. Easily find patio heater and tankless water heater resources at http://www.heaters-heating.com/
For a review of your ustom home build call:
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250- 809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Custom Finishing’s Kelowna
Custom Finishing’s – At Okanagan Custom Homes we can be hired to put the final high quality finishing’s for your custom homes: We specialize in the following areas of service:
Window liners and Trim
Interior and exterior custom door installations
Crown moulding
Custom Stair cases and railings and ....
so much more..... a picture is worth a thousand words!!!
Book your appointment today: Call Joe Wackerbauer@ 250-809-9519
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250-809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Window liners and Trim
Interior and exterior custom door installations
Crown moulding
Custom Stair cases and railings and ....
so much more..... a picture is worth a thousand words!!!
Book your appointment today: Call Joe Wackerbauer@ 250-809-9519
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250-809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Introduction to Structural Insulated Panels and Green Homes
Structural Insulated Panel or SIP is the new buzz-word in building construction industry as 21st century "green" building material. SIPs can be used in the construction of exterior walls, floors and roofs of residential and commercial buildings offering advantages of low cost and energy conservation over traditional wooden frame construction. SIP addresses two major concerns while building "green" home - energy efficiency and diminishing natural resources.
The general characteristics of all SIPs are two exterior skins sandwiching a rigid foam plastic core made up of low cost expanded polystyrene material. The skins most generally used are oriented strand boards (OSB), plywood or gypsum board. The resulting sandwich panel is exceptionally solid, cost effective and energy conserving which can be used as load bearing walls, partitions and roof insulation.
When used as a load-bearing wall or roof insulation, the two skins act as lean columns constantly supported by the rigid core to resist buckling and compression. When bending is applied to the panel due to a live or a wind load, the skins take most of the compressive and tensile forces and the core offers resistance to shear. Skins and rigid core acts internally to provide exceptional strength to the structure.
The most important characteristic of Structural Insulated Panel which has led to rapid growth in its demand is excellent energy efficiency and improved thermal performance. Today, one of the major challenges for any home owner is to control increasing energy costs. SIPs are practically airtight panels due to the nature of material used and fabrication process. This results in less cooling during winters and less hitting in summer! Hence buildings made with SIP panels require less expensive cooling and heating systems than a normal building saving more energy and costs. A building constructed with SIPs takes less time than the one with wooden frame. This saves you labor and wastage at the job-site. Overall building a home with SIPs can save you energy, costs, time and labor too!
Design of Structural Insulated Panel requires good amount of structural drafting & design services.
About the Author
Richard Bose is certified structural engineer at OSD - a leading Structural Drafting firm based in India providing quality Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) design services to its offshore clients based in US, UK, Canada and Australia.
For a review of your green custom home build call:
Joe Wackerbauer
President
Okanagan Custom Homes
250- 809-9519
http://www.okanagancustomhomes.com/
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