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Home Improvement Blog - On the Level is a home remodeling & repair blog to keep you informed on the products and trends that we see in the field.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and QVC has announced a recall of about 82,000 Tomato Planters. The legs on the bottom of the planter can detach when the planter is moved or becomes unbalanced. To date, 155 consumers have reported injuries including lacerations, broken toes and bruises. The recall affects the Topsy-Turvy Deluxe Tomato Planter with Stand (Item Numbers M16702 and M17499), an upright planter. The planter consists of a 16-inch X 15-inch bag that holds up to 30 pounds of soil and is attached to the top of a 6-foot tall adjustable pole. Three legs are inserted into the pole to form a 36-inch wide base. It was sold through QVC and retail stores from March 2008 through April 2008 for about $30. Consumers who have already set up the planter should immediately take it down by having two adults carefully tip it over on its side. Customers can contact QVC about obtaining a refund at (800) 367-9444.
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Home is a place where a family should feel completely comfortable and secure. Unfortunately, the home is often a dangerous place. The Home Safety Council (HSC), a national organization created for the sole purpose of helping people make their home safer, estimates home-related injuries result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. The organization's Web site offers an extensive guide and teaching tool for the safety-conscious homeowner. There is information on building a safe nursery, childproofing your home, creating a safe environment for the elderly and more. The Virtual Home Safety Tour takes you room by room, exposing every possible hazardous situation in and around the home.
Even if you’re like me and you just can’t help being a “wild and crazy guy (or gal),” you probably still agree that you would like a sense of safety in your own home. All that is left for you to do is let the Home Safety Council help you achieve that feeling.
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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons with permission under the Creative Commons license. |
What's your favorite house style? Arts and Crafts, Victorian, Federal, Greek Revival, Queen Anne or something else? If you're like me and dream of buying an old house with original details, you may want to act now in this buyer's market. This Old House looks at 17 great neighborhoods to find one of these beauties in "Best Places to Get a Bargain on an Old House." The photos alone are worth checking out. Just try not to drool on the keyboard.
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Plasma TVs are powerful technology but consume massive amounts of energy. Photo courtesy of johannesfreund. |
Summer is here with a vengeance in New England! And now with the air conditioning blasting on high, I'm thinking of ways to cut my energy bill. According to a recent study by an Australian consumer agency, video game consoles and plasma flat screen televisions are major energy hogs, even when left on stand-by. The Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and plasma television sets consumed the most power of 16 electronic devices tested. The Playstation 3, while not in use, costs five times as much as running a refrigerator. Ouch. To get the most benefit, cut your electronics power supply off at the source. Turning them off by remote just puts them in stand-by mode.
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Reduce your energy bill this summer by keeping your window treatments closed to keep out the heat. |
With the rising cost of living, having an energy-efficient home is becoming more and more important. Saving energy can begin with some very simple steps. Energy Star’s Online Home Tutorial estimates that a typical family could save up to $140 annually by properly sealing leaks in the home’s duct system. Turning your water heater down to 120 degrees F and cleaning your refrigerator coils can also help. In the summer, reducing your energy bill can be as easy as closing the window curtains to reduce sun heat and opening windows on the shaded side. Following these easy steps and remembering to use water and electricity sparingly will help maximize your home’s energy efficiency. Any more ideas? Add them to the "Comments" section below.
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Hire your contractor carefully to avoid being the victim of a scam. |
If you’re thinking about doing a home improvement project, beware of scam artists who are more than ready to take advantage of you. That is a scary number that calls for some added attention to who you hire. Remember to find and research your own licensed contractor. Don’t let a stranger knock on your door and give you his own ideas about what’s wrong with your house and how he can fix it, especially if the price does not seem right. Also, avoid contractors who will “take care of the details” such as financing. Most importantly, don’t allow yourself to be pressured into signing a contract that you aren’t 100 percent sure is legitimate. You are not wasting time by checking backgrounds and being cautious. Hiring with care will only help you accomplish your home improvement goals more quickly and efficiently.
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The unique Hobbit House we profiled yesterday actually won two awards, one for the best small project and the other for the innovative 'butterfly window' specially designed for the home. The window was based on Tolkien's sketches and writings. It was built out of solid mahogany with custom-designed forged iron hardware. The center hinged sashes are designed to resemble butterfly wings. The American Institute of Architects praised the window with "elegant design with extraordinary detailing" when they presented the award to Archer & Buchanan.
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