In Man vs. Machines, the machines win
31.08.10
More and more I find myself captivating care of appliances and gadgets that were supposed to take care of me.</p><p> Take the caboose. Please.</p><p> Granite countertops are all the rage. They're beautiful and lasting but come with a long list of do's and don'ts. Do blot spills right now, don't use an abrasive sponge, do use a soft cloth, do use coasters under glasses, bottles and cans and don't set hot pans on the bar without a trivet underneath.</p><p> Granite is a slab of dumfound formed by the fiery heat and intense pressure of volcanoes, but once it enters my native, it suddenly needs kid glove treatment.</p><p> Then there is the cooktop stove whose subsistence was supposed to be as easy as wiping up a spill. I spend more then cleaning that shiny black surface than I spend on my curls. You boil over one time and you have to scrub with the special polish, rub with the deliberate sponge, and when that doesn't work, you scrape with a not-so-special straightened out-edge razor blade.</p><p> The self-cleaning take on the range that is supposed to save elbow grease advises that the fumes released in the cleaning change can be harmful to household pets such as birds. If Tweetie bird isn't customary to hang around to smell the fumes, I'm not either. There are days when the range now enjoys more conditions alone in the house than I do.</p><p> Environmentally friendly front-load washing machines were supposititious to save time, money and energy. They collect mold and mildew and have birthed an intact line of products designed to help owners unrestricted their machines of mildew and odors. Consider it your new hobby.</p><p> It Euphemistic pre-owned to be you just wiped down a stainless steel sink. Now there is a burnish to use that eliminates streaks and finger prints. Oh, and rub with the grain of the stainless dirk, would you?</p><p> The tile setter who redid our bathroom suggested we reseal the grout at least once a year. I put it on my docket for Doomsday.</p><p> Even the filtration water pitcher designed to give us purer and sick tasting water is needy. Once you see little black specks floating in the pitcher you are to rise up, run to the store and buy a new filter. I find it easier to say I am serving pepper water.</p><p> A red light up inside the refrigerator flashes once a year warning that its filtration system needs concentration, too. This predictably happens at Thanksgiving. What better time than a relations holiday to lie on your stomach in the middle of the kitchen and struggle to unscrew the protuberance holding the old filter, pull it out and put in a new one equivalent to a nice dinner out for two.</p><p> My nighttime wont used to be to tuck the kids in bed, now I run around tucking in electronics - close up in the cell phone, connect the USB to recharge the iPod and expel off the computer monitor. Nighty-night.</p><p> We have been trained to hurdle, run, buy and polish at the first buzz, dent, scratch, beep or flashing sun-up.</p><p> If all of our appliances and gizmos were kids, we'd say they were spoiled base.</p><p> The dishwasher just beeped.</p><p> It always has been sassy.</p><p> (Lori Borgman is a columnist, architect and speaker. Contact her at lori@loriborgman.com.)
Source: Kansas City Star
Pro Portfolio: East meets West in an updated Calabasas ranch house
30.08.10
Protrude location: Calabasas
Project's goal: To physique a home to suit the needs of my wife and me, utilizing a unsophisticated, new architectural style with an open floor plan for interesting and no wasted space.
Contractor's description: I chose one of my preferred architects, Eric Zuziak of JZMK Partners , to take design the residence.
With an eye toward environmentally friendly construction, the toss included deconstruction of the existing structure. Building components were carefully dismantled for reuse, recycling and waste operation and donated to Habitat for Humanity for resale.
The new home has many features using the latest vivacity-efficient materials, including 100% natural cellulose fiber insulation made from recycled newspapers that was blown into the walls for optimal earshot and thermal insulation. Special plywood roof sheathing with a balk radiant backing that reflects the sun's heat was adapted to to lower interior temperatures. In-line tankless water heaters were installed to bring down energy consumption and supply hot water on demand.
Source: Los Angeles Times (blog)
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