Renovation with Green, Efficiency and budget in mind

I was asked recently what one of the easiest ways to go green. Dimmer light switches are right there at the top.

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.

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This is a question that comes up quite often with our clients at Stafford Home Service electrical. Many people are concerned about safety or are interested in upgrading the mechanicals in their home. Here’s a quick list to help you make your decision. As always, we at Stafford Home Service are available to answer your questions and support your needs. Give us a call today and allow us to help you. [Read more →]

Once again Phillip, the architect from Architron, saves the day. I needed to figure out what I want to do in a few months time with some windows. In a few short minutes he was able to advise me on my options and give me renewed insight into the lay of the land and how I want to use the space. A good architect is Cyrano Debergarac whispering in your ear. Well, maybe not that, but I guess my point is that a great architect helps you find the solutions that are already in yourself, that reflect your vision, likes and lifestyle needs. They do this through working with you, working with your ideas and helping you visualize your options. It’s hard to explain, but it is something that is pretty amazing. Something that I could never do without the right help. Thanks, Phillip!

I think the Stafford Home Service guys are the best HVAC installer in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They have been so helpful and patient with this crazy process. They have found very creative ways to work around the old framing and our need to pack things in tightly to maximize usable space. Many contractors would just go the direct, and easy, route and take up a lot of space. –It maximizes their profits but minimizes your usable space. [Read more →]

Kris from Stafford Home Services’ Minneapolis electricians suggested a miniature recessed light for the tight space above the basement landing. The unit he suggested, and has installed before, is the Gimbal Ring – HR-1137 from W.A.C Lighting. It’s a slick little unit at a mere 3″ high and 2 3/4″ wide. I also noticed that uses an easy to find MR11 bulb which even has LED options out there. Nice!

I had a great meeting today with Jesse Korsban from Stafford Home Services’ low voltage and audio/video department. We discussed the location of TV screens (can we even call them that anymore? I guess I should have said, Flat Panels), the speakers and the consolidation of the hardware. Stafford will be consolidating all of my equipment (receiver, Cable box, Sony PS3, Nintendo Wii, OPPO DVD player, DVD recorder, iPod station, and Mac Mini) to a single location under the basement stair. [Read more →]

The Stafford team descended on Desonyer this week like an parachute brigade. A particularly effective and talented brigade at that. The week started with George from Stafford HVAC laying out the ducts and discussing placement of ducts as well as the placement of the new furnace and AC unit. He was very patient and helpful, offering many options and their benefits. These guys don’t just know how to do things one way, they are full of ideas and are flexible as heck. That’s a good thing in my book. [Read more →]

I decided to add a bathroom to the basement to better utilize the space. Stinson Builders of Minneapolis came in today and put in the framing. It looks fantastic. [Read more →]

In going through this process, I am amazed at the difficulty of making decisions on floorplans and architectural details based on lines on paper. I think the thing that really gets me is the finality of those decisions. Give me the digital world and I can make decisions in a heartbeat, and stick to them. Give me a choice on a placement of a physical wall and I go blank. [Read more →]

We dug up a 49′ x 2′ trench along two walls last weekend for the plumber. This weekend we patched it. It was way more work then I thought it would be. Here’s what I learned: [Read more →]