Some benefits of having a control and automation system installed in your home are:

• All equipment can be in an out-of-sight and central location and routed to many different rooms.
• The Prodigy system by Crestron allows you to have one, easy-to-use remote for audio and video controls (and others, as mentioned) in each room.
• You can check the status and adjust the settings of your HVAC, lighting and security systems, from any room or from your mobile device, if you’re away from home.
• Conserve energy and lower electricity bill by programming lights to dim or turn off when room is vacant.
• Affordability: systems are much more affordable than in the past, starting at $1000 and up.

For more information on whole house control and automation systems, audio, video, media room, security and any other low-voltage needs, please contact us.

Jesse Korsban
Stafford Home Service
Click here to contact Stafford Home Service

Letting Stafford Home Services choose the right furnace for you is not only easy, it’s green as well! –We’re talking environmentally conscious, 90-95% AFUE Bryant units that lower utility bills, and are so technologically advanced that they use computer generated algorithms to know how long to run and how much heat to produce. Many of us consider the environment when making renovation decisions, and choosing a furnace is no exception. According to bryant.com, one of the best ways to protect the environment is to purchase energy efficient products that require fewer energy resources to operate. Not only will you make a difference to the environment, you’ll also save on operating costs. Make sure your heating and cooling products have high energy efficiency ratings such as SEER and AFUE.

Another great way is by using Energy Star products.  Stafford Home Service use many Energy Star products in their work. “ENERGY STAR promotes energy efficiency among residential appliances, because household appliances have the potential to contribute a great deal to air pollution. ENERGY STAR promotes energy efficient furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioners, and thermostats, among other products.” (source: www.bryant.com)

The 80% rating that used to be a great is now a thing of the past. Now units can be rated 90-95%. AFUE means Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency. Your furnace’s AFUE tells you how much energy is being converted to heat.  For example, AFUE of 90 means that 90% of the fuel is being used to warm your home, while the other 10% escapes as exhaust with the combustion gases.

We all want lower bills, right?  Having Stafford Home Service install a Bryant gas furnace in your home you could lower you utility bill by 50%?  By knowing when to turn on and how much heat to produce Bryant Brand furnaces can reduce the amount of heat and energy you use. Dan from Stafford Home Service will help chose the right model for you.

These Bryant brand furnaces are so advanced they use computer generated algorithms to know how long to run and how much heat to produce. Older model furnaces used to run for a set amount of time even if the house was warm enough. These energy efficient furnaces are also multi-stage and are able to tell how long they should run, in order to be most efficient.  Let’s say it’s a sunny day in December, your furnace might never reach its highest heat stage, it can tell that it only needs to stay in stage one, the lowest amount of heat. However, as the sun goes down it will also be able to tell if it is more efficient to jump to stage three, the highest amount heat, rather than going through all three stages.

Rain Water Cistern detail

Landscape Architecture, Inc. Residential Rainwater Collection Cistern Detail

This section drawing shown is from a project we designed in Edina, MN.  This project collects all the water from the downspouts of the roof and discharges them directly and via overland flow to the rain garden shown above the cistern.  Once 6 inches or more of storm water pools in the rain garden it then is captured by the inlet shown and enters the cistern where it is stored for another day.

Cistern Installation at Eco Builders Site

This project is currently enrolled in two green certification programs and is on track to achieve both (MN Greenstar and LEED for Homes accreditation).  In this project we were able to collect enough water from the roof of the house and landscape areas utilizing this 2,500 gallon cistern (which is locally manufactured) to irrigate the entire greenspace on the property and operate the water feature represented in section without the use of potable water.  As for this project and any other project where you are proposing to install a cistern on-site consult with your local building official during design and complete the permit process prior to installation if required.

With increased awareness in the both the residential and commercial markets we are finding that the use of both natural water impoundments and cisterns are becoming a norm on most of our projects as a way to conserve this valuable resource.  Also, as we all learn more about best management practices with stormwater it has been found that these practices will help prevent flooding down stream in spring snow melts and large stormwater events by storing this extra water on-site for a not-so-rainy day.

If you are considering this or any other type of rainwater storage technique, please contact us. –we would be excited to share our passion and experience to ensure success on your project!

Stephen Mastey, ASLA, CLARB, LEED AP

Landscape Architecture, Inc.
856 Raymond Avenue, Suite C
St. Paul, MN 55114
651.646.1020 office
651.246.1151 mobile

www.landarcinc.com

stephen@landarcinc.com

Three quick advantages with using dimmer switches:

• Reduced Energy Consumption, Dim your lights by quarter & save up to 20 percent Dim by half and save up to 40 percent.
• Increased Bulb Life, If you are dimming the light by just 10 percent it more than doubles the life of the bulb.
• Mood, A softer light is more comforting and sets a relaxing atmosphere.

We can install many different kinds of dimmer light switches. 3-way dimmable light switches are also available.

Call Stafford for more information on going green in your home.

Kris Thompson
Stafford Home Service
Office:   952.927.7194
Fax:      952.927.7192
Direct:   612.328.3989

1. If your home has a outdated circuit breaker panel or fuse box (usually located in your basement) –e.g. Federal Pacific circuit breaker panel.
   1. How does one identify an outdated panel? –Because there are so many brands/styles its probably best to contact us for a evaluation.
2. If your circuit breaker panel or fuse box does not have a main fused shut off switch.
3. If you are planning significant lifestyle changes in your home that will put added demand to your electrical system.
4. If you have a 60 amp service. Typically you can have only one 220 volt appliance on a 60 amp service. A demand load calculation should be used to determine this.
   1. How can someone easily identify their “amp service”? –Typically there is a listed label on the  panel
5. If your main fuses blow or main circuit breaker shuts off.
6. If you are planning on having your wires buried from your local power company you will need to change your meter socket and usually this is a good time to upgrade your circuit breaker panel or fuse box to a more modern and safer system.If you do not have adequate room for additional circuits, Such as adding air conditioning, electric water heaters, electric clothes dryers, electric heat, hot tubs, ect.

Kris Thompson
Stafford Home Service
Office:   952.927.7194
Fax:      952.927.7192
Direct:   612.328.3989

In looking for an HVAC contractor, I recommend finding one that will give you many options and thoroughly discuss the pros and cons. Since renovation projects require so much on the fly changes and so many compromises, you want to know that your HVAC contractor can think creatively as well as aggressively protect your interests. In the case of Stafford Home Service’s HVAC installation, they have went to the trouble of splitting ducts to get around a beam, tucking things in hard to reach areas and placed the returns in the attic to give more headroom in the basement. Now that’s some great HVAC service.

Add to all that, just the other day I come in late, just to check up on the place and Stafford is still there, working overtime to get the furnace in. Nice!

How to control all of this you ask? Well, my dear, with my iPhone of course! Yes, I said my iPhone. Or maybe a iPod touch if I want to let visitors have fun too. The Buletooth controllers on the PS3 and the Wii only five bout 30′ of distance so they will ne installing a Bluetooth repeater in the kitchen (the basement media room is abutted to the stair, so that is not an issue. The Wii controllers also use a control bar which emits light, so another remote bar will be installed in the 1st floor. Sick, isn’t it? One can walk from the basement to the 1st floor, Guitar Hero “guitar” in hand, jamming all the time. Now that’s class my friends. Or some kind of digital excess yet to be named.

One great advantage to this madness (or brilliance, depending on your Luddite or Jobs tendencies) is that fan noise is greatly reduced or eliminated. The PS3 is still screaming out billions of cycles and driving it’s fans like rented mules, but it is safely ensconced in a separate room, in a tidy rack. Ahhh, peace and quiet. Now, when I am watching a classic film, with plenty of moody silence, like The Third Man I won’t be distracted by the steady roar of the PS3′s insane fans.

Another advantage is the savings of not having to have duplicate hardware;  in space, cash, and energy (I guess that’s kind of a Geen Renovation thing as well. Nice!)

Stay tuned for updates and photos.

One thing he explained is how he was going to mount the basement ducts a couple inches lower then I had first assumed. He said these critical few inches would make the ducts that much more quiet, as they would better isolate the vibrations of ducts and movement of floor. Brilliant! He was also very concerned with the placement of vents for cosmetic and functional reasons. He explained many situations where ducts would be a problem. If it were up to me I would have ended up choosing locations that would have essentially heated the outside and the furniture. Nothing like a great HVAC contractor to save the day!

Next was the Stafford Electric team. Kris came in on Thursday and walked through the entire space with me and Jason from Stinson Builders. Even though we had blueprints (do they still call them that?) and had previously discussed many of the options, Kris insisted on walking through every detail again and making sure we were all on the same page and that we were moving forward in the best possible way. As we walked through, Kris proposed new options that were better then the old, like recessed lighting in the basement guest bedroom and workout/craft area. Jason and Kris pointed out that those spaces would benefit by having finished ceilings. I am so happy that I began this process with Stinson Builders; Jason’s subcontractors are friendly, committed to the job and my satisfaction, and unbelievably helpful.

One exciting idea Kris cooked up, for the rest of the basement was to put in conduit and cage lights, in between the floor rafters Something like this (but cheaper, more industrial, and steel instead of brass):

This is perfect for the industrial look I am going for. I had the ceiling spray painted with BIN paint which has shellac in it (the only thing sure to lock out the lingering dog and cigarette smoke odors.) which I tinted a light blue-grey. I think it’s going to look great. Thanks Kris!

As we walked around the space I got a glimpse at the complexity of a good electrician‘s job. The melding of practicality, ease of use, efficiency, code compliancy, cosmetics and the like creates for a difficult terrain. Make sure you have a great firm like Stafford Home Services’ electric department to navigate the landscape or you may find yourself pulling things out later (at much higher expense), and being disappointed with the results.

One simple, electrical Green Renovation solution that Stafford is installing is dimmer switches at all locations. (there are even 3-way, adjustable light switches!) Did you know light dimmer switches were Green? Well they are. Kris and Dan told me about a Green Home workshop they attended that trained electricians and home services on going Green. Evidently the human eye only needs about 80% of a room’s full lighting. They were shown a demo and said they could not tell the difference, once their eyes adjusted. I assume that’s a 20% savings in lighting bills! Nice!

As we walked through the space, Kris stopped one of his electricians and had him move a flush, floor-mounted electrical outlet. It was just a rotation of a outlet that already had been installed. The electrician did not look happy but Kris insisted. I went back later and saw why: to rotate the box, there had to be new framing to support each unit. To think, here they are making more work for themselves, work that I would not have thought of until another contractor was done and gone, and they doing it just to make sure the aesthetics are just right. That’s the kind of electrician I want!

All said and done, this has been a good week. Stay tuned next week for updates on the Green electrical and Green HVAC installations.

-M

I’m very glad I have such a good team to work with and to help me work through these crippling decisions. Phillip Broussard, the St Paul based architect from Architron, is (and I’ve said this before, so forgive me) a saint. He has such an amazing way pf presenting options and discussing them, from so many angles. Things like, how sight-lines will be effected, traffic patterns, efficiency and green (environmental) impacts, etc… There are so many factors to any decision, you will do well to find yourself a top-notch architect like Architron. Don’t take chances here, and don’t skimp!

Now I can’t just stop here because my builder, Jason Stinson, from Minneapolis’ Stinson Builders, Inc., has been a lifeline and a great construction consiglieri. He has such an easy way about him and has been a great resource on design and layout as well as environmental building and renovating on a budget. He always gives me a easy to understand and well-thought out perspective. I can’t say enough about his support and design and building talents.

Anyway, I guess the gist of this post is to make sure you have a great architect and builder (general contractor) for your renovation project, as you will use them, and never underestimate the difficulty in making renovation decisions.