Cool Sustainability Tips

OK so these tips may not be cool as in hip, styling , or happening, but these tips may help you stay cool this summer, especially if (like me) you lack air conditioning in your home.

The simple close line.  Hang your stuff out to dry on a line instead of using the dryer.  You will save on energy and not generate heat running the dryer.  Best location for a close line is out side in area that gets lots of sun (and a breeze would be fantastic).  If you cannot find a space like that no worries.  Just about any place will work, so long as the humidity is not to high (close line in a sauna not so good).

LED light bulbs and LED fixtures.  New LED bulbs are amazing the bulbs last for a long time so you won't be spending money on replacements frequently and fewer replacements mean less waste.  Yes they cost more initially but reports indicate you can recoup the cost in energy saving in two years.  They also produce virtually no heat helping to keep your home cool.

Use a barbecue (grill for my American readers).  Gas cooking is more efficient then electric cooking so you can save energy, and cooking outside won't heat up your home.

Hope these simple sustainability tips help you stay cool this summer, these tips are good all year so try them out.  More sustainability tips and ideas to come so stay tuned.

Cheers
Hans Christopher

Just Breath

Just Breath...Relax...It is going to be ok.  That what I tell people when I see that there stressed out about anything.  So why can I not for the life of me do the same thing when I get frustrated.

Inevitably when working some things go wrong or become difficult to do.  Working as a one man operation installing trim work (especially big crown moulding) can be rather frustrating.  I try and I to do things, that would be so much easier with another person or at least at clearer head,on my own.

On a recent millwork job in which I installed some store bought cabinets, new door casing, baseboard and crown moulding I shamefully admit that I lost my temper while working, packed up for the day and left work early.  Not very professional but with being so frustrated I felt like I was about ready to break something and I figured walking away was much better then damaging the work or my clients home.

So why couldn't I just breath and take a moment to collect my thoughts.

I think that there is so much emphasize in our world about making a quick buck that people rush always to get the job done.  Or (this is at least my case) feeling guilty about displacing people in there own home.  This recent job was a bedroom, and with demolition and painting and trim work it was necessary to ask the home owners to move into another room for a time, so I felt guilty about keeping them out of their own room because of how long the job was taking.

Should I rush to get them back into there room.  Should I take my sweet time to insure that I don't raise my heart rate at all.  Or should I just breath and take the time I needed and work as efficiently as possible. 

Now a few weeks later with a cooler head I can think back on the job and see what I could have done differently.  If I had taken the time to breath and think straight I wouldn't have lost a half day of work.  It seems that the rushing actually cost more time then it saved.

The situation isn't all bad.  The job was completed and looks good and the home owners are happy with the work.  And I learned somethings that I know I can use on future jobs.  Most important is to just breathe.

Cheers
Hans Christopher