Tips For Eco-Friendly Homes and Building

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Tips for eco-friendly Housing

Building in eco-friendly products into your home is becoming common and in fact some are becoming law for new buildings. Not only does it save the impact on the planet and the local environment but each household will save money over the long term that will more than pay for the eco changes. These eco-friendly tips involve insulation, solar power, water efficient taps, water tanks, dual flush toilets, and grey water systems.

Insulation

One of the easiest ways to make your home more eco-friendly is to add insulation. Insulation can be added to an existing home or built in during construction. Adding during construction is starting to become law and in fact for renovations over a particular size. Insulation is the most important factor in conserving energy for a house. It works by keeping the warmth in winter within the house and cold air out. In summer the cool air within and heat out making air conditioners more efficient or you do not need an air conditioner at all.

To apply insulation to your home there are three main areas. The most important of these is the roof insulation to block the summer heat and the winter cold or frost. Insulating the walls and floor make the house very energy efficient, however this is mainly done during building. Thus if you are building a home you can add all of the insulation you like while you build to help the energy efficiency of the building. This will lower your over all energy costs over many years. If you are insulating an existing home it is easy to insulate your ceiling attic space, however it can be fairly difficult to do because of a lack of access. Read more…

5 Tips for Building an Outdoor Tree-House

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When you think about building an outdoor tree house there are a number of things worth remembering.

It is vital to consider the location, support, design, and security of your tree-house. You need a definite idea of what the tree-house must be. Is it intended to be a fun place for kids to play in? A place where you can go to relax and spend time in nature? Building a tree-house is not much different to building any wooden structure except that instead of resting on a foundation a tree-house rests upon a platform and using playhouse plans for such a structure is a good idea.

Choosing the right tree location is very important to success. Strong, sturdy trees such as beech, chestnut, or oak are great options.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Your first priority is to select the tree and where about in the tree you intend to build the tree-house. This is when you need to contemplate the purpose of the tree-house. Ask yourself whether it is to be a playhouse for the kids. If so, you need to be sure that you do not build it too high up. Around 5 feet off the ground is ideal and to the kids it will seem higher anyway.
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Poultry House Construction – 5 Tips For Building Great Chicken Coops

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There are many people that would love to build their own chicken coops, but think they lack sufficient skills. However, the poultry house construction process is not as difficult as most people assume. A nice hen house can be built in a single weekend even if you are a total beginner; the only requirement being a good poultry house construction guide. Not only is it a lot easier than you might imagine, but building your own chicken coop can save you a lot of money too. The key to success is making sure that none of the required steps in the building process are skipped. Here are the five key steps for successful poultry house construction.

Choose the Right Location

Building your hen houses in areas with good drainage is perhaps the most important consideration. Poor soil drainage can result in muddy areas that will promote filthiness and disease. You should also make sure there is room for expansion if you should ever decide to raise an increased number of chickens in the future. Building a poultry house so that it faces south is also a good idea. This will allow more sunlight into the chicken shed which can help keep it clean and dry. Additionally, you want to situate your hen house in an area where there is available electricity for additional light if needed.

Keeping Chickens – Determine How Many Chickens You Want to Raise

Chickens require a minimum amount of space for optimum health and egg production. Providing too little space will cause them to produce fewer eggs and possibly resort to cannibalism which can result in them pecking each other to death. Ideally, you will provide them with at least 5 square feet per bird, but giving them more is a good idea. The more crowded they are the better chance you will have of experiencing unwanted problems. Once you decide on the number of birds wanted, find a good poultry house plan that will accommodate that number. Read more…