by Elizabeth | Sep 30, 2013
So now the weather is cooling off and you’ve been thinking about doing something to give your home a much-needed facelift. Perhaps now you’re thinking you want to add some seasonal touches. The easiest way to spruce up a home is with a coat of paint. Painting will give the home an updated, refreshed look and the home will immediately seem more defined and welcoming.
Spruce up your house with a fresh coat of paint.
The best time to paint the interior of a home is in the fall or spring. The cooler weather makes working both inside and out much more pleasant. Cooler weather also allows you to ventilate the rooms by opening up windows. When it comes to the job itself with so many paint choices, which one should you choose? Lead-based paints seem to have been eliminated from the US market, however, there are still other issues with paint that need addressing.
According to the Green Builders Coalition, all paint comes in three parts: pigment that gives it color; the binder, or resin, that makes the pigment stick when the paint is applied and forms a solid layer of paint; and the carrier, or solvent, that keeps the paint in liquid form and evaporates once the paint is exposed to air. All of these contain different chemicals. Other substances or chemicals may be added to paint to give it special characteristics, such as mold resistance or moisture resistance.
One additive besides lead that has received much attention recently is volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Why are VOCs in paint in the first place? They are the “glue” that keeps the pigment and the binder or resin in a liquid solution long enough for the paint to be applied, then they conveniently evaporate so the paint can dry. Therefore, VOCs do serve a necessary function in paint.
Why is there a major concern over high-VOC paints? Like anything that produces high vapors, paints that have high-VOCs may cause or trigger respiratory problems. Consumers need to be aware that, although evaporation is greatest during and right after application, it may continue at lower levels for months. The emitted gases mix with the air in the room, exposing occupants to chemicals that can cause short- and long-term respiratory problems.
The solution is not to leave the house unpainted, but to find low- or no-VOC paints, which are now sold side-by-side with conventional high-VOC paints. Most home improvement stores carry these; consumers just have to do their homework. While there are no building code limitations on use of low-VOC paints, it is imperative that consumers find out more about the product before they select it. The EPA website, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html#Health_Effects, offers more information on VOCs in general. The National Association of Home Builders also has posted a guide consumers can use to select low-VOC paint on their website: http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Interior-Partitions-Ceilings/low-voc-paints.
Sprucing up your home can be very exciting and painting your home is a great way to express your individuality and ensure your home reflects your sense of style and personality. For more information on maintaining your home, visit the University of Florida/IFAS Extension publications website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_homes.
by Judy Corbus | Jun 7, 2013
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
Mortgage insurance is required if the down payment is less than 20 percent of the home’s sale price.
If you are shopping for a mortgage, be aware of changes to the Federal Housing Administration’s (FHA) mortgage insurance program. Most lenders typically charge a mortgage insurance premium (MIP) if the borrower puts down less than 20 percent of the appraised value or sale price on a home. Mortgage insurance protects the lender should the borrower default on the payments; the mortgage insurance pays off the loan. Mortgage insurance may be underwritten by private corporations or the federal government through FHA.
Once the borrower has paid down 20 percent of the loan (a loan-to-value ratio of 80 percent), they may discontinue paying the MIP. Federal law requires lenders to tell the buyer at closing how many years and months it will take for them to reach that 80 percent level and cancel the mortgage insurance. Lenders must automatically cancel mortgage insurance when the balance hits 78 percent. Until recently, the mortgage insurance on FHA loans could be dropped at the 78 percent loan-to-value ratio or after five years, whichever was longer.
Effective on FHA case numbers assigned on or after June 3, 2013, mortgages financed with less than a 10 percent down payment will be assessed the MIP until the end of the mortgage term or for the first 30 years of the term, whichever occurs first. In other words, most borrowers will pay mortgage insurance premiums for the life of the loan; they will not be able to drop the MIP at 78 percent loan-to-value. This will add to the overall cost of the loan.
If you are planning to purchase a home, do your homework. Check out the various mortgage options available through different lenders and shop around for the best interest rate. Remember, the larger your down payment, the smaller your mortgage and monthly payment. If you can put 20 percent or more down, mortgage insurance will not be required.
For more information, please contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.
Sources: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/fhahistory
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/documents/huddoc?id=13-04ml.pdf
http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/the-basics-of-private-mortgage-insurance-pmi.aspx
by Kristin Jackson | Apr 3, 2013
Could this be one of the germiest places in your home?
In 2011, NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, conducted a study with 22 families and analyzed 30 items in their homes. One item that disappointingly made NSF International’s list of the “Top Ten Germiest Places in the Home” was the coffee reservoir. This could be sad news for the approximately 239 million individuals, or 83 percent of American adults, who drank coffee in the US in 2012 (National Coffee Association).
Perk up, coffee drinkers. The good news is the solution is easy: simply clean your coffee maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions and then sanitize. Cleaning will wash/wipe away many bacteria, but sanitizing, according to the National Restaurant Association, is the process of reducing the number of microorganisms that are on a properly cleaned surface to a safe level.
You can sanitize your coffee maker using vinegar. Vinegar can be an effective sanitizing agent for your coffee maker if:
- you use white distilled vinegar (at least 5% acidity).
- the vinegar remains undiluted.
- you heat the vinegar to 130 degrees Fahrenheit or 55 degrees Celsius.
- you leave the heated vinegar on the surface for at least one minute.
Once the vinegar has remained in the coffee reservoir for at least one minute, you can run the vinegar through the coffee maker. In order to remove the vinegar odor and taste, you may want to follow with a few cycles of clean water. Remember, the water must be clean and you should air dry the reservoir or use a clean paper towel to dry.
Now that you know how simple the process is, you are probably wondering how frequently you should take on the task. According to the National Restaurant Association, you should you sanitize:
- after each use
- anytime as necessary
- after 4 hours in use
So now you see how simple it is to keep the coffee maker from being one of the germiest places in your home. To find out other ways to clean and sanitize your kitchen, visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY128000.pdf and read Cleaning and Sanitizing the Kitchen: Using Inexpensive Household Food-safe Products. If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can contact your local Family and Consumer Sciences Agent (http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/ ).
References:
NSF International (2004). Top Ten Germiest Places in the Home. Retrieved 26 March 2013 from http://www.nsf.org/consumer/newsroom/fact_top10_germiest_places.asp
ServSafe Essentials 6th Edition. 2011. ISBN-13: 978-0133075687
Janet Buffer, Lydia Medeiros, Mary Schroeder, Patricia Kendall, Jeff LeJeune, and John Sofos; adapted by Amy Simonne for use in Florida with permission. FCS8 OH 2010. Cleaning and Sanitizing the Kitchen: Using Inexpensive Household Food-safe Products. Retrieved 26 March 2013 from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY128000.pdf
Yang, H., Kendall, P., Medeiros, L., Sofos, J. (2009) Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Typhimurium with compounds available in households. J. Food Prot. 72(6); 1201-1208
by Shelley Swenson | Jul 23, 2012
Photo by Les Harrison, Wakulla County Extension Director
Welcome to the Florida summer!!! Feeling the heat? No pool to cool off in? Running your air conditioner and then feeling blue when the bill arrives? Let’s review some basics in energy-efficient use of your air conditioner. Perhaps you and your family could make some small changes that could result in money being saved. Quick Facts: Did you know that…..
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) account for more than 40% of your utility bill?
- For every degree setting below 78˚F, you spend up to 8% more in cooling costs?
- Upgrading your system can reduce your air conditioning costs by a significant amount. Is it time to consider doing so?
Short-term solutions to improve the efficiency of your existing system include…..
- Set your thermostat at 78˚ F or higher.
- Use bath and kitchen fans sparingly when the air conditioner is operating.
- Inspect and clean both the indoor and outdoor coils. The indoor coil in your air conditioner acts as a magnet for dust because it is constantly wetted during the cooling season. Dirt build-up on the indoor coil is the single most common cause of poor efficiency. The outdoor coil also must be checked periodically for dirt build-up and cleaned if necessary.
- Shade east and west windows.
- Delay heat-generating activities, such as dishwashing and drying clothes in a clothes dryer, until the evening on hot days.
- During most of the cooling season, keep the house closed tight during the day.
- Try not to use a dehumidifier at the same time your air conditioner is operating. It increases the cooling load and forces the air conditioner to work harder.
- Consider installing ceiling fans to circulate the air more effectively. The improved circulation will make you feel cooler.
- Install a programmable thermostat. You can then schedule the time blocks during which your heating or air-conditioning system operates. As a result, you can set the equipment to more economical settings—such as lower temperatures in winter while you are asleep or when you are away from home. Choose one that can store and repeat multiple daily settings, so that you can have both a workday and a weekend heating/cooling timetable.
We have such great resources from our UF/IFAS Specialists available to you. This article was adapted from Factsheet FCS 3262 Energy Efficient Homes: Air Conditioning This publication includes information on understanding terms used in the industry, how to purchase a new unit, and questions you should be prepared to ask and answer when working with a HVAC representative. Contact your County Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Agent with further questions or for a copy of this factsheet. For additional factsheets on energy efficiency and other topics, visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Author: Shelley Swenson, Family and Consumer Sciences/EFNEP Agent, UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension
Shelley Swenson
UF/IFAS Extension Wakulla County
Family and Consumer Sciences/EFNEP Agent
