I’ll be working on renovating this site over the next few days so if things look wierd, you know why. Big changes are coming…very big. It’s T minus 4 months until our big move to Texas. And that, my friends is when this party’s gettin’ started!

See you after the renovation,

JR

As I sat there eating my Whopper with cheese I slowly scanned the near empty room – left to right. Stopping at those memory-filled spots that pulled at my emotions – the bay window, the toy closet, the entry way, and even the spot on the floor where my newborn daughter often played. I couldn’t shake the images and I remember telling myself, “Man, I’ve gotta get outta here.” I felt both empty and sad. Five years in a home can seem like an eternity when you begin flipping through the accumulated stories that make up the lives of everyone under that single roof. The start of an unforgettable marriage, the birth of two beautiful children, Christmas Eve in front of the fire, parties with friends, the yearly neighborhood garage sale, walks to the nearby park, sipping wine in the sun room on a warm summer’s night, and countless other memories. Amidst all those events, this home became our refuge at the end of the day. The place where I knew every creak in the floor, every crack in the ceiling and every odd noise that came from the basement. It’s where I sweated, bled, cursed, and cheered through endless renovation projects. It was the place I was passionate about yet also occasionally despised. Mostly because I knew that the reality of our situation was that this home would never reach its full potential. Even with all the time and effort we invested (not to mention cash), there was still so much left to do…too much. And we knew we had to let go. Though there was a great deal to love about our home we knew our “forever” home was someplace else and would have something completely different to offer. Then there was also the fact that our little ones were getting older, and the time once spent on home improvement had now shifted to parental duties – bathtime, storytelling, bike rides and picnics in the park. Over the course of five years our priorities had changed, so rather than linger about we set things in motion by putting our house on the market. After eight short days we had an offer. Negotiations and the rest of the process took the better part of three weeks, but just like that, it was done.

A good friend of mine who owns an old farmhouse that dates back to the late 1800s told me once of his belief that every old home has a soul and that it’s the job of the owner to find and restore it. I think we did that and more with our first home. And I’d like to think the emptiness and loss I felt walking through our home for the last time was shared by something within those surrounding walls and roof overhead that sheltered us over the years.

And with that I tossed the remains of my burger back into the bag – my appetite long gone. I suppose digesting an event such as this could take some time. So until then…

I love you, home. I really do.

It’s important to understand the essential components of a rain harvesting system so you’ll know how the system works as a whole, the parts you need to purchase, and how to maintain it.

The diagram to the left, from the Australian Company, Rain Harvesting, marks each of the components found in a water collection system.

Let me break it down for you and go over each piece of the system. Those components I consider self-explanatory will not include a description:

1. Roof or water collection surface
2. Gutters
3. Gutter screens – keeps out the big debris like leaves and other junk that falls from the trees.
4. Rain head – otherwise known as the downspout filter, this component’s main purpose is prevent the gutters from blocking and flooding, but it also adds another level of water filtration. The Leaf Beater is a self-cleaning model that can be purchased for $50 at Rain Harvest Systems.
5. First flush diverter – I already covered this item in part 1 of this series, but basically it collects the initial water that runs off the roof, keeping your water free of contamination. The First Flush Downspout Diverter sells for $50 at Rain Harvest Systems.
6. Inlet filter or basket strainer – provides an additional level of filtration just before the rainwater enters the tank (sample basket strainer pictured to the right).
7. Cistern or collection tank – I covered these in some detail in part 2 of this series.
8. Overflow outlet – pretty self-explanatory, if the tank fills entirely the excess water is diverted out of the tank and into the ground.
9. Auto-fill / Automatic Top-up Mechanism – this device ensures that your cistern never runs dry. When your water demand exceeds your tanks supply the auto-fill mechanism taps into a water well or the municipal system to keep your toilets flushing, laundry going and plants fed. Think of it as an emergency backup.
10. Pressure tank or on-demand pump – this is necessary if gravity alone won’t provide enough pressure to get your water to the various areas in your home where you need it. In a pressure tank system, a pump draws the water from the collection tank, pressurizes it and stores it in the pressure tank until the water is needed. With an on-demand pump there is no need to have a pressure tank since the pump is activated in response to a demand. I should also note that the pump could be located inside the tank as well.
11. Water filter – for a potable water collection system, according to the Texas Rainwater Harvesting Manual, “the most popular disinfection array in Texas is two in-line sediment filters – the 5-micron fiber cartridge filter followed by the 3-micron activated charcoal cartridge filter – followed by ultraviolet light.” The 5-micron filter removes suspended particles and dust while the 3-micron filter traps microscopic particles and removes any odors. For non-potable purposes (irrigation, laundry, and toilets) a 15-micron triple action filter would do the trick. The triple action filter removes odors, colors and fine sediments from the water.
12. Water level indicator – this can be in the form of a dipstick (floating pole that indicates water level), float or the $100 ultrasonic Rain Alert that has a digital readout notifying you when the water level reaches various levels.

Finally, I should point out that many cities, counties and/or states offer rebates, property tax reductions or sales tax exemptions for purchasing or installing rain harvesting equipment. So do some homework before diving in. Fortunately for me, the state of Texas has several types of offers in and around the Austin area that I’ll be looking into. I’m sure there are other details to consider when installing a rainwater collection system, but this three part series covers enough of the basics to get you headed in the right direction.

Part two of the rainwater harvesting series brings us to water storage tank materials. The first question I had was what are the most common materials and does it make a difference which material I choose? What I found is that the two most common tanks materials to choose from are corrugated steel or polyethylene (plastic). There are other options out there (cement, stainless steel, and other varieties of metal), but they’re not as common. Based on my findings, here is my conclusion: go with plastic unless you plan to collect truly massive amounts of water, in which case a metal storage container might be a better fit.

Plastic tanks have these things going for them:

• Light weight (low shipping cost)
• Easy to move and install
• Come in a wider variety of sizes and shapes
• Won’t rust over time
• Inexpensive

There – that was easy enough. Now on to the next hurdle.

Next you have to figure out what size tank to get. Now obviously this is going to depend on whether you plan to use your tank for potable water, non-potable water or irrigation only. This water consumption calculator will allow you to pick and choose what water use you want to account for and since I plan to use the collected rainwater for non-potable water only, I left out shower and bath, faucet and dishwashing water. The rest (irrigation, toilet and laundry) added up to 24,820 gallons per year or 98 gallons per day. And on a side note, by owning a high efficiency washing machine we’re able to save roughly 5,000 gallons of water per year!

Now given that my hypothetical home in Texas would only be able to collect 19,737 gallons of rainwater per year (according to the calculations in part 1 of this series), I wouldn’t be able to harvest enough rain to cover my daily non-potable water use. Basically, I’d need a bigger roof. So let’s say for the sake of argument that my roof was a bit larger and it could collect enough water to cover my daily water use of 98 gallons.

With that number in hand we can work the rest of the equation, though for “most days without rain” I’ll be using a hypothetical 21 days:

Most Days without Rain  X  Average Daily Water Use  = Storage Volume Required on Day One of a Dry Spell

21 days x 98 gal./day = 2,058 gallons

So in order to last three weeks with no rain using only harvested water for all non-potable purposes, I would need to have 2,058 gallons on hand before the dry spell hit. Based on these results, personally, I would purchase a 2,500 gallon poly/plastic tank that would cost anywhere between $800-$1300. This size tank can be purchased online at places like plastic-mart.com or watertanks.com. Keep in mind these calculations only serve as guidelines. Reality is that the dry spell could come at a time when your tank is only half full so take these equations with a grain of salt.

Check out how simple it looks to install this 9,000 gallon dry system:
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And that concludes part two of this series. I think I’ll spread this out to include a third part that covers the other important components of a rainwater collection system and any other points to consider before deciding whether to have one installed or install one on your own. I’ll drop some more knowledge tomorrow, so stay tuned.

After reading the rainwater harvesting blog entry on Montpillard.com, I got to thinking about the topic again in a much larger capacity than my two previous articles on the subject. I started thinking that a rainbarrel sounds pretty wussy-like. I mean, if you’re going to collect rain, collect some RAIN – use it for non-potable purposes such as toilet flushing, washing clothes, and garden/lawn irrigation. And seeing as how we intend on moving to Texas in about a year, harvesting rain will be of even greater importance to us since the amount of rainfall throughout the year in those parts can be pretty slim.

So the first order of business is to do some calculations. I used the rainwater collection calculator at The Tank Depot to do the math for me. And found the annual rainfall of my area at Weatherbase. What I found is the following:

Living in Austin, Texas (annual rainfall of 32 inches) in a house with a footprint of 1100 sq. ft., that’s able to collect water from 90% of the footprint (the high percent is based on installing a “wet system” where the collection pipes are located underground allowing multiple downspouts from different gutters to be connected) there is the capability to collect 19736.6 gallons of rainwater from our roof per year. That amount will decrease a bit after accounting for first flush loss and evaporation loss from the roof surface. First flush is the initial water that comes off the roof and is collected in a water diverter. This water can contain some pretty nasty stuff like bird poo, bacteria from dead bugs, and concentrated tannic acid. The diagram below shows how the diverter works in keeping your water supply contamination free.
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The next step is to decide if you want a wet or dry system. A dry system is one where the water runs directly from the gutters into the tank. This means the tank needs to be fairly close to your home, which may not be ideal in every situation. The term “dry” is based on the fact that there is never any standing water in the pipes. So no stagnant water and no chance of mosquitos having babies all up in your system. The wet system, as I mentioned earlier, is one where the pipes from one or more gutters go underground and up into the tank. This type of setup is necessary when the tank is placed far away from the home. Because the pipes are underground, even when there is no rain there is still water in the pipes. Every opening in the underground pipes needs to have proper screens to keep out mosquitoes. And according to Rainwater Harvesting, an Australian company specializing in rainwater products, you can convert a wet system to a dry system by installing in-ground water diverters. I won’t go into detail on that process but I recommend you check out their article on what it takes to make the conversion.

Then you need to decide if you want your tank above or below ground. Above ground tanks are cheaper and faster to install but probably won’t add much aesthetically to your landscape unless you live out in the country and have a lot of space to place the tank far enough away from your home to not become an eyesore. Underground tanks on the other hand are hidden and take up very little space. Since we intend on owning some acreage at our new Texas home, an above ground tank will work fine for us. Excavation costs aren’t cheap and we’d rather apply those savings to other projects.

So that’s it for the first part of this series. Check back tomorrow when I’ll cover tank materials, tank sizes, and some of the important components that make up an efficient rainwater collection system.

I got wind of powerzoning a few months ago while I was searching for ways to heat and cool my old home more efficiently. The issue I and many other owners of older, two-story homes have is heating and cooling both floors of our homes equally. It’s particularly bad during the summer months when the AC never seems to adequately cool the upstairs and everyone is all sweaty and uncomfortable throughout the night.

Here’s a direct excerpt from the powerzoning site explaining how their system works:

“Our temperture balancing solution accelerates the air flow throughout the house and takes advantage of geothermally-controlled air. This is easily achieved by adapting a secondary return air system with absolutely no remodeling involved. We simply modify your existing furnace. Even high-efficiency furnaces! And can you believe it actually helps hvac problems in new construction homes?

We do this by routing additional ductwork to the blower cabinet of your existing furnace. Nearly all furnace manufacturers in this country recommend adding more than one penetration into this blower cabinet to improve air flow, yet more than 95% of homes do not have this done. Accelerated air flow achieve balanced temperatures is not a new concept, except when applied to home cooling and heating. It just hasn’t been done in the past.”

And here’s what my HVAC Engineer neighbor had to say:

“I agree with the principals behind how the system keeps the homes various floors at the same temperature. The system eliminates stratification by using a secondary fan system and ductwork in conjunction with your furnace/AC indoor fan. The powerzone will circulate the cooler basement air up to the upper floors even when the AC unit is off. Great idea if you can install the ducts in your home in an unobtrusive way.

I do take issue with their claim that their system can save you about 30% on you energy bill. Say you have a home that is hot (say 78deg F) upstairs when the thermostat on the first floor is maintaining 70deg F. Then you come along and add the powerzone system in your home. Now your first floor thermostat still reads 70 deg F but your second floor is also a comfortable 70 deg F too. You can’t expect to cool the second floor to the same temperature as the first without paying for the energy to do that cooling. I would actually expect your cooling energy costs to increase NOT decrease.”

There is a series of three videos below that explains the powerzoning process in detail and it’s the process laid out in these videos that seems to have triggered a number of comments on the HVAC-Talk forums where a number of HVAC professionals voiced their  skepticism about the powerzoning method. The discussion is a couple years old so it’s possible that the powerzoning method has changed since then but all the negative comments would definitely make me hesitant to purchase this product. Some of the comments from the HVAC forum discussion are below:

“We “the techs” had a long debate over powerzoning and we all concluded that it will not do it’s job but also cause safety problems. Do not trust miracle cures.”

“Conclusion: During the summer you could gain some cooling from a cool soil, largerly varied by the R-Value of your basement walls and floor; however, during the winter, your thermal losses would be much greater, offsetting any savings during the summer.

Other factors – You would distribute moisture from the soil to the living space. During the summer this would be undesired. If you live in a region with high radon concentrations, you would blow radon through the home, increasing your risk in lung cancer, unless your basement was radon proofed.”

“I wonder how many heat exchangers and compressors have been killed by his recommendation to close all the vents in the house, except the ones in the problem areas?”

“If you suck basement air into the return plenum, you can severely depressurize the basement to the point you backdraft water heaters and furnaces or boilers. If you don’t provide warm supply air back into the basement, you severely imbalance the house. The high pressure upstairs may tend to drive moisture into the interstitial wall spaces. Meanwhile, the negative pressure in the basement is bringing foul basment air into the rest of the home.

If you cut a large opening into the return plenum, you risk losing the returns at the far end of the system. Therefore, you get air stagnation in the far corners of the house. Conditioned air is being pumped in with mainly passive returns. Not a good setup. The best systems employ balanced venting–period.”

I think I’ll get some more input from my neighbor. Check out the videos below and judge for yourself. I’d love to hear other’s comments.

I’ve contacted the folks at Powerzoning to get a comment so hopefully they’ll contribute to this discussion. I’d like to hear the other side of this story. I need more input before making a decision on this one. At this point I’ll reserve any opinion I have until I hear from all sides.

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Ahhh, the sound of gurgling water flowing ever so gently, you almost get caught up in a kind of dreamworld. If you want to add movement along with a tranquility and calmness to your garden that can only be found in the most secluded of areas,  add these 6 simple steps to your list of gardening ideas, and you will begin to see just how relaxing a water garden can be right outside your backdoor.

Step 1: Decide on a goal for your garden
What is most important to you? Do you enjoy the relaxing sound of the running water?  Do you desire to have something beautiful to look at every time you are at your kitchen window? Maybe you like unusual water plants or have an interest in keeping fish. Whatever you choose, think long and hard about why you want a water garden, make sure you write down your thoughts and ideas, and share them with anyone who might be helping you with your project. Making known on paper, the size, design, and location will help you better in your planning.

Step 2: Choose your location
You can put a water garden just about anywhere in your yard. If you host a lot of gatherings, you may want to place it close to your deck or patio for everyone to enjoy. My personal favorite is right in front of the kitchen window, so it can be seen  everytime you look outside. It is amazing how much of a stress reliever the simple sound of  flowing water can have on the human mind and body. Make sure that you don’t cast your garden out into the shadows of the trees. Bring it  into the open to be the focal point of your yard. You really want to be able to take advantage of the view all year long.  Remember, if you want to have an interesting array of water plants, make sure your garden is in full or part sun.   If you have any slopes on your property, take this into consideration that there will be pros and cons in placing a garden in this location. You may end up with fantastically dramatic waterfalls and add height to your garden, but you will also be consumed time-wise with the planning and building of it. It really depends on how much work you are willing to put into it. Wooded areas are nice and look like nature made it, but the cleaning up of any leaves may be a back-breaker. Semi-sunny or sunny locations tend to be the best, even though you will have to keep the algae under control. Try to keep your garden away from low-lying areas or anywhere that rainwater may accumulate. This can cause runoff to drag unwanted debris and possibly even chemicals into your pond which in turn makes for an unhealthy biological imbalance to your water.  Having an electrical and water source nearby can make it less costly to maintain and make your project easier.  If you have young children like I do, there is a safety issue that needs to be addressed.  Either wait to build a water garden until your children are older, or go for the “pond-less” alternative. These water features have one of two things, they are either filled completely with pebbles, or are topped with a strong gate, that has pebbles on top. This makes it safe for children.

Step 3: Plan it big baby!
If you go about planning for a bigger garden, that gives you the option of adding fish.  The larger the pond, the deeper you can make it and the more fish and plants it will hold. They will achieve an ecological balance quicker and much better than a small pond and they can be seen with ease from a further distance.  If you are not sure about having fish to begin with, but are considering them in the future, make sure your pond is 2 feet deep for at least half of the area, with some variances in depth in other areas and that it does not exceed 5 ft. in depth at the deepest point. Shallow water allows the plants to flourish and have a good place to grow, while the deeper parts give the fish a nice, cool place to hide from predators.

Step 4: Keep your water clean
Everyone who has ever looked into a pond has probably seen the slimy green gunk attached to the rocks and other things floating in the water. Well, like it or not, your water garden will not be ecologically balanced if it does not have this funky stuff. Your water will be clear to a point, but never expect it to be crystal clear. There are two kinds of bacteria, nitrosomona and nitrobacter, that must be present to transform the toxic ammonia that comes from fish excrement and decaying organic matter like fallen leaves, into wonderfully healthy nitrates. These nitrates act as a kind of fertilizer for all of your plants making them very happy, and thankful that you didn’t remove it.  Algae, however, is something that you will need to watch closely.  By about year three, your algae problems should resolve themselves.  So, during the first two and a half years, add enough surface-floating and deep water plants to cover around 50-70 percent of the water. Having this much covered means that algae will not grow very well in the shade.  Also, if you put in submerged plants, this will starve the algae of food.  Take notice that in the spring, you will always have more algae, just because your plants have not grown enough yet to provide adequate shade. Once summer hits, it will die back, and any other floaters can be removed periodically with a plastic garden rake. Just be patient and your garden will bring you much joy.  Another tip: check your pH levels, ammonia, and nitrite levels quarterly. Older water gardens should be tested twice a year in spring and fall.

Step 5: Ponder the thought of having fish (and I don’t mean for dinner)
Adding fish to a water garden can be a pleasant thought for some , but an uneasy thought for others. The biggest mistake that newbies make in having fish is they tend to get too many, too soon. More fish means more fish poo and that makes more toxins. You will want to limit the number of fish to about 1 for every 25-50 gallons of water in the beginning. Once your garden is established and the friendly bacteria has made its appearance, then you can add 1 fish to every 15 gallons of water.  Goldfish being one of the most common, are somewhat small, sociable, and can coexist with many different plants and other species of water friends.  You can get them in so many different colors, and their fins and tails accessorize them quite well. They can tolerate fairly cold temperatures and can live through winter in zones 6-10. They go dormant at the bottom of the pond and just chill in water temperatures between 36-50 degrees F. Give them a breathing hole  in the ice to provide oxygen to their little gills. The air passage also allows the gasses from the dying plants to escape freely. In zones any colder than 6, you will want to bring your fish in for the winter, which can become labor intensive and quite costly. For the Koi fanatic, unless you have a very large area to keep them, you might want to stay away from these guys. These ornamental carp grow up to 3 feet in length and can damage your water plants.

Step 6: Get the proper equipment
You will want to get together with an experienced water garden designer to decide what will fit your budget as well as your needs and desires. The type of equipment you will need is dependent upon three things, the size, how much work you are willing to put into maintaining it, and your purpose for having the garden. A pond that has no fish will probably not need any filtration system.  If you decide to add fish, you will then need to purchase a mechanical filter that traps all the debris, and you clean out yourself, by hand.  It is fun to have the fish, it is another thing to have to clean up after them. You will also need a biological filter. With this filter, the bacteria attaches itself to rocks, plants and any other surface, and as the water moves through, the filter cleans it. Prices and size will vary widely, depending on where you live. You might also want to research into different fountains and liners as well.  Overall, if you take your time in designing and planning, you will have a water garden that will give you many years of peaceful moments to remember.

I have also listed a few websites that go into detail about the  different categories of water plants so that you can research to pick which ones will satisfy your needs and wants while keeping you on a sensible budget. Happy gardening!

http://www.thepondoutlet.com/home/tpo/page_2743/water_plants.html

http://texaswaterlilies.com/

http://www.pondprofessorplants.com/

I’ve never seen anything like this, but now that I have I’ll never view nasty beige or black computer towers the same. Not that I ever truly appreciated the appearance of those beastly machines, but I’ll think even less of them now.

At Datamancer.net, Richard Nagy has put together some absolutely beautiful technological creations. He works in a style called Steam Punk, which involves converging modern technology with old world aesthetics. In essence he imagines what today’s technology would have looked like back in the mid to late 1800’s when steam power was the latest technology.

So in the example to the left, the antiquated typewriter is a fully functioning keyboard and that book on the desk is actually a flatbed scanner. That’s right – a scanner or as he’s so eloquently named it – the Opti-Transcripticon. His website has a brief behind the scenes look at the scanner mod.

Richard has also built a laptop that compliments his desktop creation perfectly. And the whole turn-the-key power button is ingenious. Reminds me of something you’d see in the movie Time Machine, based on the classic H.G. Well’s book by the same name.

So for those of you out there with an old home – there is another way. Your modern computer doesn’t need to clash with your old world interior design. Naturally, there’s a high cost for these detailed customizations, but when you’re dealing with fine art it’s usually worth it.

Wall Street Journal Video Highlighting Nagy’s Steam Punk Laptop:

This is part two of a four part series on getting your home-life organized (part one is here). The following is a list of software and web services that has helped me automate daily tasks, clean up some of my home’s clutter and simplify my life all the while reducing stress levels that often accompany disorganization and household chaos.

Simplifying Your Finances
Online banking and bill pay - This will vary from person to person depending on your bank, but using your bank’s online services is a sure way  to rid your house of paper clutter and keep your finances organized. In particular, online bill pay in conjuction with auto-withdrawal can eliminate the need to receive bills in the mail. No bills in the mail means a serious reduction of paper piling up on counters and tables everywhere. Taking advantage of companies that offer paperless statements is another way to cut the paper clutter as well.

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Mint.com – eliminates the need to maintain a ledger or shuffle through your bank statements. With the mobile version you’ll always have easy access to your account balance and budget, which means you’ll know whether the new sneakers you’re anxious to buy will break that budget you work so hard to follow. Understandably, there a lot of folks out there who are apprehensive about inputting their sensitive financial data into a third-party service. I won’t go into the ins and outs of Mint’s privacy and security features but you can read all about them (and even watch a video) on their privacy/security page. Before Mint I was using iBank on my Mac to maintain my family’s personal finances and when I was a PC dude I was a fan of Microsoft Money (which I personally think is the best personal finance software out there). Now I don’t need to maintain anything, I can literally get an overview of all my finances – from checking and savings to investments, to credit cards and any other debt I may be carrying – all in a single place. Oh, and Mint is pretty (borderline sexy, actually) and fun to use which says a lot since the subject is financial management.

Managing Your Media
iTunes - There are things to both love and hate about nearly every piece of media management software on the market. But after trying nearly everything out there from Foobar to Windows Media Player, Winamp, Songbird and loads of others I always come back to iTunes. I know it’s bloated software and that it’s not perfect in every way, but for me it works. It’s simple and 99% of the time it does what I want it to do. It connects and syncs easily with my iPod Touch and AppleTV so I can easily play movies, listen to music and flip through photos anywhere in my home. There was a time when stacks of CDs were impressive to see. I remember owning this massive CD shelf that housed thousands of CDs, many of which only contained one or two songs worth giving a listen. Now I own roughly 10 CDs, and a vast collection of digital music that takes up no additional space outside of a hard drive tucked away in my office. My DVD collection is next in line to be compressed as I’m slowly transitioning to digital video as well. And with no DVDs, CDs or stacks of forgotten photos filling up our home, life is good.

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Boxee – Boxee is great. It pulls a whole slew of content into a single media browser which can be downloaded for Mac or Linux (Windows version is in the works) and played over your monitor or TV. And it can even be installed on the AppleTV with a little tech geek know-how.

For photos it can pull images from your Flickr or Picasa accounts or directly from anywhere on your computer or network. And on a side note, by using photo sites like Flickr or Picasa to store and organize your photos, you eliminate the boxes of pics that pile up in your closet only to be looked at on occasions when you’re feeling nostalgic. And those old photo albums with the puffy, feaux leather covers? Well, you can turn those into professional looking photo books that often take up less space and are attractive enough and compact enough to place on a coffee table or bookshelf.

But back to Boxee. In addition to photos, the program can also pull in video from all over the web. Sites like Netflix (streaming movies), Hulu, CBS, and CNN can be viewed all from a single interface. This is great for folks out there who don’t have cable or satellite or who don’t want to pay for it. By simply connecting your computer to your TV you can get all the yummy video goodness out there and watch it while chillin’ on your couch. Naturally, it will also play nearly any type of video file you have on your computer or network. Again, putting all your media right at your fingertips.

Finally, when it comes to music, Boxee can import your entire music collection or allow you to stream music from popular sites like Pandora or Last.FM. You can also listen to podcasts from notables like NPR and BBC.

Controlling the News
NetNewsWire – this software allows you to get the news you want right on your computer or mobile device. If you don’t yet know about RSS feeds read up, my friend, because once you learn that you don’t have to dance from website to website or blog to blog to see what’s new (if anything at all) you’ll never want to go back to the old way of checking on your favorite sites again. I use NetNewsWire to keep up on all the great home renovation and product blogs as well as other interests I have. One of the coolest features offered in this particular software is the ability to sync across all platforms – mobile, computer and web. When you mark an article as read or add a news feed to your list, the same thing occurs on all other platforms.

With this kind of software at hand, you don’t need to have newspapers or magazines scattered throughout your home or at the very least you can be far more selective in the subscriptions you choose to have delivered. I know there are folks who love the feel of actual paper in their hands but the idea here is that if you really wanted to, you could eliminate all or nearly all of those items and in the process contribute to the green movement by saving some trees.

Other top notch RSS readers:
Feedly (cross-platform) – a Firefox extension that allows you to customize a magazine-like start page. I’m quickly falling in love with Feedly and all of its extra features that you’ll have to read about on your own…this isn’t a tech blog you know.
Google Reader (cross-platform) – another well-developed product from Google

Organizing Mundane Tasks
Google Calendar (with notifications turned on) – With Google calendar I can sync my personal and work calendars with my iPod Touch. I can sync with my wife’s calendar. And I can get notifications of meetings and dates however long before the event I choose. I can set up multiple calendars and turn each on or off depending on what I want to view. I have a work, personal and birthday/anniversary calendar that keep me completely on schedule when combined with the cell phone notification feature.

Hallmark or Photoworks – I’m not a card kind of guy. By that I mean I’m too lazy to take the time to write in them and send them out in a timely fashion. Not to mention the fact that I never seem to have cards or stamps on hand when I need them. I just find the whole process completely inconvenient. So a while ago I went out looking for a service that would do most of the work for me. On Hallmark or Photoworks I can hop on their site, find a card I like, customize it with my own text and photos and have it sent directly to the recipient. Some of you may argue that a handwritten card is more sentimental and there may be some truth to that but if you can wax your words well enough then even a typewritten note can have a Niagara Falls-like impact.

A couple of distinguishing points between the two services is that Photoworks has more creative card designs and since it’s a photo site, there are many oppportunities to integrate your own photos into their cards. Hallmark, on the other hand offers an extremely useful notification service where you submit important dates such as birthdays, anniversaries, etc. that you want to be reminded of and they’ll send you an email X number of days before the event giving you the time needed to get a card out to your friend or loved one. You could certainly setup Google Calendar to do the same thing but for some this service may be more convenient or effective.

Postful – This service is slightly related to what you can get with Hallmark and Photoworks. Posful allows you send full color postcards and letters using the web. Again, the beauty here is that it reduces my need for envelopes, stamps, and having to drop off any mail. The cost is $.59 for a single postcard and $.99 for a one-page letter. When composing a post card you have the option to upload a photo which would great if you were traveling or on vacation and you wanted to drop a note to family or friends.

With this service you can send full color PDFs, office documents, newsletters, photo images…whatever you need. They print it, put it in an envelope and deliver it to the post office for you. For me, that’s convenient and worth the money.

Get a Tighter Handle on Food and Meal Planning
This is a tough category for me because although I’ve written about how to organize meal planning before, I still think this is an area that could be much improved in the digital world and I’m surprised that with the technology available there are so few advances in simplifying such an integral part in everyone’s lives. Since my last post on this I’ve added one additional tool to my meal planning arsenal and that is Shopper, an iPhone application that makes setting up shopping lists a breeze. You can create and add to your shopping lists at any time and as you’re shopping you can check of the items on your list as you go. A few key features found in this app are:

• Your lists can be organized to match the layout of your store.
• You can save a list that contains all the standard food items you purchase regularly and use it as a template each time you start a new list, saving you the time it would take to start a new list from scratch each week.
• There is a recipe function that allows you to associate specific ingredients with a particular recipe, that way if I want the ingredients for lasagna I don’t need to add them individually, I can simply add “lasagna” to my list, which will automatically add all the ingredients contained in the recipe to my grocery list.

I know there are other elements in our lives that could use simplifying and de-cluttering so if there is a particular area in yours that you’d like some help with, let me know, because I believe there’s a digital solution for nearly everything. Also, if you have other good ideas on how to organize the above-mentioned areas in you life, I’d love to hear your thought in the comments below.

I have driven through some newer neighborhoods and consistently noticed that there was a missing element from the backyards that I could see into.  Majority of them had no decks of any kind. A small cement pad is mostly what I have seen.  Who wants to try to host a dinner on a stoop? How blah and boring!  There is just something about having a deck that makes things feel warm and inviting while entertaining family and friends. Not just anything can be used in building one though. You will want to make sure that your decking material is right for your climate and weather conditions to make it last for many years of enjoyment.  The following 7 types of decking materials will give you a better idea of what is available and how to go about choosing what will work best for your needs and budget.

Type 1 – Pressure Treated
Pressure treated wood can last for up to 30 years, but you have to be very diligent in its upkeep. Pine that has been preserved with Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) has been phased out by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). There are alternative treatments that are used which include copper azole(CBA) or alkaline copper quatenary(ACQ).  When chemicals are forced into the wood, they  become more insect and fungus-resistant.  This kind of decking needs to be maintained regularly, so it should be washed at least once a year using a power washer or deck wash and then finish it off with a preservative sealer. If you are not big into all of the chemical aspect of this type of decking, you may be interested in one of the other types of material. This is one of the least expensive ways of building a deck, but also seems to require the most chemicals for production and maintenance. Cost is also a huge plus or minus when buying materials.  Because of the change in chemicals, this results in a price increase of 10-20%.   but you can guess-timate that pressure-treated wood will be anywhere between$1.20-$2* per square foot, uninstalled.

Type 2 – Redwood/Cedar
Both of these are a beautiful addition to any home and the smell of the Cedar is wonderful. They are both very dense woods and naturally resist insects and decay. To boost its durability, apply a mildewcide and an ultraviolet inhibitor.   Redwood can be expensive, at around $2-$4* per square foot, uninstalled.  It is fire-resistant and can take paint and stains well. Cedar weathers to a very nice silvery gray color and both woods are soft, which makes them very prone to denting and marring. Decks made of these two materials have a life of up to 20 years or more, depending on how well they are maintained.  Just like a pressure treated deck, these need to be washed at least once a year using a pressure washer or deck wash and sealed with a preservative sealer.

Type 3 – Wood/Plastic Composite
These are made by mixing plastic resin or polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with wood flour (or sawdust) and extruded into planks in various colors and textures. The darker colors may start showing signs of weathering if you compare new to aged samples.  One of the great things about composites is that they cut like wood but they don’t rot, shrink, splinter or warp. Sound to good to be true, right? Well, it’s not. These decks give you freedom from an aching back and sore hands. They don’t need to be painted or stained yearly, which eliminates the need for harsh chemicals. All that is needed for maintenance is soap and water, household detergent or a deck cleaner.  The one thing this material cannot be used for is a structural support (beams or joists). The price on this is fairly competitive at around $1.75-$4.75* per square foot, uninstalled. I think this price is great, considering these decks are nearly maintenance free. The lifespan of these decks is anywhere from 10 years to life.

Type 4 – Vinyl
Vinyl is another decking material that should last a lifetime. The vinyl cap products need to be replaced about every 30 years. Vinyl does not require any staining or sealing and can be cleaned with a power washer. To remove any mildew, just use a mild bleach solution. Extruded vinyl comes in white, gray, or tan.  Some brands are simply a vinyl cap over wood boards and others have blind fastening systems. If you are building any type of deck that needs support beams, these cannot be used as such. Wood structural supports must be used in place of. They have interlocking planks which channel water and help to keep your decks puddle-free.  Slip-resistance is added by diamond-grid and other types of tread designs. The price of this material runs anywhere from $4-$7* per square foot, uninstalled.

Type 5 – Rubber Composite
The colors are few, but nice to look at. Being offered in terra-cotta, gray and black, they make a rich contrast to the house colors. These planks are made by mixing polyethylene resins and recycled tires. This heavy manufactured board was first used in commercial projects and has slowly made its way into the residential side of building. The downside of rubber composite is that it is not widely available, which means you may have to look long and hard to locate it.  The lifespan on this type of material is about 25 years. The only cleaning and maintenance  is with water and you don’t even need to schedule it once a year, just clean it  when it gets too dirty for your liking.  This decking can run you anywhere from $1.50-$4* per linear foot, uninstalled.

Type 6 – Plastic
With several colors to choose from, this decking comes in your standard dimensional lumber sizes. If you plan on building an elevated deck, this material must have wood structural supports. Plastic is almost as durable and high quality as the wood/plastic composite. The only difference is that it cannot take extreme cold or heat. With its make-up being  some recycled Polystyrene, it is then extruded into plastic decking. The Redwood and cedar colors available look much warmer than the wood/plastic composite shades. The cost on this decking is between $2-$6* per linear foot, uninstalled. Being plastic, it should last you up to about 50 years and needs only periodic cleaning with water.

Type 7 – Metal
The final type of decking material is metal. These planks are made of aluminum alloy and are manufactured in lengths of up to 28 feet.  Manufacturers offer up to four colors. If you are choosing to do an upper level deck or balcony, this material works well due to the interlocking planks which form a watertight seal. Aluminum alloy is very strong, and because of this, it allows joists 24-30 inches on center, which is far from the usual 16 inches. The only downside is that it is susceptible to temperature extremes and is, like the rubber composite, not widely available. If you do come across metal planks, it should last you a lifetime with very little effort needed in the maintenance department. Only occasional cleaning with water is required.  Price on this is around $3.50-$4* per linear foot, uninstalled.

All in all, adding a deck to your property will essentially add value to your home, and will be a wonderful place that you will want to spend much of your time.  One last tip- With my husband being quite the seasoned builder he is, and the fact that he has worked in the construction industry for almost 20 years, he has worked with many types of building materials. By his experience in the decking division, he would highly recommend anyone to build with the wood/plastic composite decking.  It can be used in all climates and is durable in every extreme kind of temperature. It also looks great and is probably the best buy for your buck.

I have listed some great resources for more detailed decking information to help you on your journey to making the best of your backyard.

*All prices vary by grade, region and season

http://www.ideas-for-deck-designs.com/index.html

http://www.decks.com/

http://www.bearcreeklumber.com/index.html

http://www.american-plasticlumber.com/decks.html