Having a comfortable home is necessary. After all, this is the place where restoration of the energy lost during work should take place. And one of the most helpful ways to ensure that the home will really be a comfortable place to live in is properly insulating it. How insulation works and where the R Value comes in will be explained in the succeeding paragraphs.
Under normal circumstances, heat transfers from warmer place to a cooler one. Consider one winter day as an example. Since the temperatures will really be freezing during this time, you will really have to start a fire and the heating inside your home should be in full blast. But because of how nature works, all this will just be put to waste since heat will just travel from your home where it is warm to the outside where it is really cold. Hence, there is a need to insulate your home.
Insulation works by countering the directions of the heat flow. So, when it is winter, insulation inside your home should counter the flow of heat from the inside to the outside so that you will still be comfortable. When it is summer time, the insulation should work to counter the flow of heat from the very hot outside to the relatively cooler inside of your home. Now, how will you determine that the insulator that you are using is actually a good insulator?
You just have to look at the material’s R Value. This value in technical terms represents the material’s resistance to the heat flow. Logically, the higher the material’s R Value, the higher is its insulating powers. Some of the materials that could pass as good insulators are Polyurethane, polystyrene, and perlite which all have an R Value of at least 2.5 per square inch.
Now that you know what materials are of good R Value, the questions would be where these materials should be placed around your home to get the best out of them. Oftentimes, people miss out on this because of its apparent remoteness from where the actual household activities take place. Another good place would be on exterior walls. This may seem logical since this part of the house is the one which has direct contact with the outside environment.
Foundations could also be a good place insulate. Most house designs have these on places of that surround the whole perimeter and they are also of equal intervals from each other. From this, insulation can really be considered to be of relatively complete coverage of the living spaces. So, it is important that the materials of the highest R Values should be put on them.
2011年11月1日星期二
Habitat blesses new Leavenworth house
Saturday had been a long time coming for Patricia Johnson.
The Leavenworth resident said she had been looking for a house for herself for about a year. But, frustrating as the search for a home sometimes was, she said the right house never seemed to present itself. Another opportunity did — when she was directed by a pastor toward an item on the bulletin board at her church, Faith Evangelistic Center, about Heartland Habitat for Humanity’s newest house.
“It had been hanging there on the wall for about two months and nobody checked it out,” she said.
Heartland Habitat serves Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties in Kansas. Like its national counterpart, the organization serves to provide “simple, decent” homes for low-income families.
Johnson’s house, at 1524 Shawnee Street in the city, was already mostly finished when she learned about it. Johnson said she turned in an application to be the owner and in the meantime did some more waiting.
“I came here one night and I saw it,” she said of the house. “I laid my hands on it and I claimed it. I said ‘if it is your will lord, this is my home.’ Maybe, I’d say a week or two after that, they called.”
Johnson said since then she has worked to complete paperwork and perform the needed 350 hours of “sweat equity,” which included both physical improvements like painting and homeowner education courses in Kansas City. With a full-time job at Walmart — the overnight shift — Johnson said meeting those requirements was sometimes difficult.
“Some days you think you’re not going to make it,” she said.
Some days, Johnson said she slept in her car outside of the house for an hour to gather the strength to work that day. The culmination of all of that work came during a house blessing Saturday.
Brenda Mortell, family services coordinator for Heartland Habitat, said Patricia never missed a beat when it came to the required paperwork — frequently, she did it with a smile on her face.
“She has been a blessing to us all,” she said.
Tom Lally, executive director for Heartland Habitat, said the process of homeowner education and “sweat equity” help the owners of Habitat houses make the transition to “homeowner.”
“Living in a structure, renting is so much different than owning a house because you are the responsible party” he said. “That gives you that sense of ownership and pride.”
David Bryant, the project manager for Leavenworth’s Habitat homes, said he and four volunteer crew members — John Morris, Donley Brothers, Bill Wood and Forrest Holdeman — worked three and a half to four hours a day four days a week for the last nine months in order to finish the home.
Lally said the approach of the Leavenworth operations — using a small group of volunteers — is a unique one within the organization.
The result of the group’s efforts, Bryant said, will be a home for Johnson, her daughter Bianca and her children — built on a concrete slab with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is built with concrete walls, formed with rebar reinforcement and styrofoam on the inside and outside. This style of construction was used in two previous Habitat homes in Leavenworth and Bryant said it’s an efficient insulator.
While the four walls are no doubt solid, Lally said perhaps one of the most important pieces to completing the process is still to come.
“I do think that home is the family, the love, the traditions, the holidays, the faith,” he said. “And that becomes ingrained in the very fabric of the structure.”
Bryant said the economy has made it somewhat difficult to embark on a new project and Heartland Habitat is still looking for land donations for another home. In the meantime, Lally said the organization is preparing for a new program — the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, which will provide funds for homeowners to make minor repairs to their homes, sponsor clean up efforts and weatherization.
The Leavenworth resident said she had been looking for a house for herself for about a year. But, frustrating as the search for a home sometimes was, she said the right house never seemed to present itself. Another opportunity did — when she was directed by a pastor toward an item on the bulletin board at her church, Faith Evangelistic Center, about Heartland Habitat for Humanity’s newest house.
“It had been hanging there on the wall for about two months and nobody checked it out,” she said.
Heartland Habitat serves Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties in Kansas. Like its national counterpart, the organization serves to provide “simple, decent” homes for low-income families.
Johnson’s house, at 1524 Shawnee Street in the city, was already mostly finished when she learned about it. Johnson said she turned in an application to be the owner and in the meantime did some more waiting.
“I came here one night and I saw it,” she said of the house. “I laid my hands on it and I claimed it. I said ‘if it is your will lord, this is my home.’ Maybe, I’d say a week or two after that, they called.”
Johnson said since then she has worked to complete paperwork and perform the needed 350 hours of “sweat equity,” which included both physical improvements like painting and homeowner education courses in Kansas City. With a full-time job at Walmart — the overnight shift — Johnson said meeting those requirements was sometimes difficult.
“Some days you think you’re not going to make it,” she said.
Some days, Johnson said she slept in her car outside of the house for an hour to gather the strength to work that day. The culmination of all of that work came during a house blessing Saturday.
Brenda Mortell, family services coordinator for Heartland Habitat, said Patricia never missed a beat when it came to the required paperwork — frequently, she did it with a smile on her face.
“She has been a blessing to us all,” she said.
Tom Lally, executive director for Heartland Habitat, said the process of homeowner education and “sweat equity” help the owners of Habitat houses make the transition to “homeowner.”
“Living in a structure, renting is so much different than owning a house because you are the responsible party” he said. “That gives you that sense of ownership and pride.”
David Bryant, the project manager for Leavenworth’s Habitat homes, said he and four volunteer crew members — John Morris, Donley Brothers, Bill Wood and Forrest Holdeman — worked three and a half to four hours a day four days a week for the last nine months in order to finish the home.
Lally said the approach of the Leavenworth operations — using a small group of volunteers — is a unique one within the organization.
The result of the group’s efforts, Bryant said, will be a home for Johnson, her daughter Bianca and her children — built on a concrete slab with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is built with concrete walls, formed with rebar reinforcement and styrofoam on the inside and outside. This style of construction was used in two previous Habitat homes in Leavenworth and Bryant said it’s an efficient insulator.
While the four walls are no doubt solid, Lally said perhaps one of the most important pieces to completing the process is still to come.
“I do think that home is the family, the love, the traditions, the holidays, the faith,” he said. “And that becomes ingrained in the very fabric of the structure.”
Bryant said the economy has made it somewhat difficult to embark on a new project and Heartland Habitat is still looking for land donations for another home. In the meantime, Lally said the organization is preparing for a new program — the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, which will provide funds for homeowners to make minor repairs to their homes, sponsor clean up efforts and weatherization.
2011年5月15日星期日
Limiting, not eliminating fat
“FAT-free,” “low-fat” and “high fat” seem to have an overbearing presence in our world. People are fat obsessed. It’s impossible to try to maintain a “fat-free” lifestyle.
Fat in food does do your body some good. It is a necessary nutrient. Fat provides essential fatty acids, from which your body makes molecules it needs to function properly. It acts as a wall of protection around. Your vital organs like your heart and kidneys. It also acts as an insulator for the body. Fat carries essentials (fat-soluble) vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins cannot be absorbed into your body without fat. Although a diet high in fat is unhealthy, fat is the ingredient that makes most foods taste better, because flavor adheres to fat. Fat can offer a concentrated source of energy because fats have a tendency to pack together if they're not in water, so they become a source for greater energy storage. Fat protects your internal organs from going into shock. It insulates the body in extreme temperature conditions. It also acts as an emergency fuel supply in times of illness. Extremely low-fat diets suck the oil right out of your skin. You need a certain amount of fat in your diet for skin to look healthy.
So, which fats are okay to eat and which ones are not? For nutritional purposes, fats can be divided into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which is based on the amount of hydrogen each one carries. Saturated fats have no more room for any additional hydrogen. An easy way to remember what’s a saturated fat is to think of animals. All animal fats, such as those found in meat, poultry, dairy products and eggs are saturated. Chocolate, coconut oil and products made with lard are also saturated fats. These are considered the least healthy forms of fat because they are the highest in cholesterol. Saturated fats can also cause the body itself to produce higher levels of cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats have a little extra room for hydrogen (one more atom) and are somewhat better for you than saturated fats. They are oils like olive, peanut and canola. Peanut butter and avocados are also monounsaturated fats. People usually think avocados are so fattening, but they’re not as bad as you think. They’re better than eating a saturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats have room for many more hydrogen atoms and are the healthiest form of fat. Corn oil is an example of polyunsaturated fat. Fish, soy, corn, sunflower and safflower oils are all polyunsaturated fats.
Eating too much fat results in some really harmful consequences. The obvious one is that fat makes you fat. Gram for gram, fat delivers more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. One gram of fat is equal to nine calories. You have to be really careful with fat-free foods, though, because they tend to be very fattening. Taking the fat out
loses the flavor, so food manufacturers compensate by adding other ingredients, like artificial flavorings, sugar and syrups, all of which are high in calories. Some fats are definitely easier to spot than others are. Butter, cream cheese, salad dressings, mayonnaise and cheese are all obvious fat foods. Meats like sausage, pepperoni, bologna, bacon, corned beef and hot dogs, are aren’t so obvious but they’re all high in fat. ice creams, coleslaw, pasta salads and potato salad are also high fat. Watching the fat in your diet is important and balancing your intake among fats, protein and carbohydrates is the best combination of good health.
Trying to eliminate fat from your diet is hardly the answer to better health. As I said earlier, fat is essential to your health. The key is to successfully replace the bad fat with good fat. If you let your fat intake fall below 20 percent of your calories from fat a day, you may start eating more volume of food because you’ll have a harder time getting full. Fats digest really slowly and they take the longest to exit your body. Every time you put on weight, your body makes new fat cells. Once these fat cells just hang out in your body waiting to get plumped up again. That’s why so many people who lose weight on a diet and go back to their old eating habits put on the weight so easily again.
Moderation is the key to success. You have to consciously make an effort to reduce your fat intake, but it’s not impossible. If you’re still eating dairy, choose low-fat dairy products whenever you can. Remove the skin from chicken and avoid eating the fried version. Trimming the fat around the meat you eat will help cut down on your fat. If you do eat meat, try eating lower fat selections. Try substituting turkey for any of your meat needs. It’s much lower in fat. Fish is an excellent source of protein and there are so many varieties you won’t get bored. Use caution when eating pasta, because the sauces can be major culprits of fat. If you eat eggs, go for egg whites. The yolk is loaded with cholesterol.
Most experts agree that limiting your daily fat intake to less than 30 percent of total calories consumed is the best approach to eating a healthy diet. Living a low fat lifestyle will pave the road for your total health.
Fat in food does do your body some good. It is a necessary nutrient. Fat provides essential fatty acids, from which your body makes molecules it needs to function properly. It acts as a wall of protection around. Your vital organs like your heart and kidneys. It also acts as an insulator for the body. Fat carries essentials (fat-soluble) vitamins A, D, E and K. These vitamins cannot be absorbed into your body without fat. Although a diet high in fat is unhealthy, fat is the ingredient that makes most foods taste better, because flavor adheres to fat. Fat can offer a concentrated source of energy because fats have a tendency to pack together if they're not in water, so they become a source for greater energy storage. Fat protects your internal organs from going into shock. It insulates the body in extreme temperature conditions. It also acts as an emergency fuel supply in times of illness. Extremely low-fat diets suck the oil right out of your skin. You need a certain amount of fat in your diet for skin to look healthy.
So, which fats are okay to eat and which ones are not? For nutritional purposes, fats can be divided into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which is based on the amount of hydrogen each one carries. Saturated fats have no more room for any additional hydrogen. An easy way to remember what’s a saturated fat is to think of animals. All animal fats, such as those found in meat, poultry, dairy products and eggs are saturated. Chocolate, coconut oil and products made with lard are also saturated fats. These are considered the least healthy forms of fat because they are the highest in cholesterol. Saturated fats can also cause the body itself to produce higher levels of cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats have a little extra room for hydrogen (one more atom) and are somewhat better for you than saturated fats. They are oils like olive, peanut and canola. Peanut butter and avocados are also monounsaturated fats. People usually think avocados are so fattening, but they’re not as bad as you think. They’re better than eating a saturated fat. Polyunsaturated fats have room for many more hydrogen atoms and are the healthiest form of fat. Corn oil is an example of polyunsaturated fat. Fish, soy, corn, sunflower and safflower oils are all polyunsaturated fats.
Eating too much fat results in some really harmful consequences. The obvious one is that fat makes you fat. Gram for gram, fat delivers more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. One gram of fat is equal to nine calories. You have to be really careful with fat-free foods, though, because they tend to be very fattening. Taking the fat out
loses the flavor, so food manufacturers compensate by adding other ingredients, like artificial flavorings, sugar and syrups, all of which are high in calories. Some fats are definitely easier to spot than others are. Butter, cream cheese, salad dressings, mayonnaise and cheese are all obvious fat foods. Meats like sausage, pepperoni, bologna, bacon, corned beef and hot dogs, are aren’t so obvious but they’re all high in fat. ice creams, coleslaw, pasta salads and potato salad are also high fat. Watching the fat in your diet is important and balancing your intake among fats, protein and carbohydrates is the best combination of good health.
Trying to eliminate fat from your diet is hardly the answer to better health. As I said earlier, fat is essential to your health. The key is to successfully replace the bad fat with good fat. If you let your fat intake fall below 20 percent of your calories from fat a day, you may start eating more volume of food because you’ll have a harder time getting full. Fats digest really slowly and they take the longest to exit your body. Every time you put on weight, your body makes new fat cells. Once these fat cells just hang out in your body waiting to get plumped up again. That’s why so many people who lose weight on a diet and go back to their old eating habits put on the weight so easily again.
Moderation is the key to success. You have to consciously make an effort to reduce your fat intake, but it’s not impossible. If you’re still eating dairy, choose low-fat dairy products whenever you can. Remove the skin from chicken and avoid eating the fried version. Trimming the fat around the meat you eat will help cut down on your fat. If you do eat meat, try eating lower fat selections. Try substituting turkey for any of your meat needs. It’s much lower in fat. Fish is an excellent source of protein and there are so many varieties you won’t get bored. Use caution when eating pasta, because the sauces can be major culprits of fat. If you eat eggs, go for egg whites. The yolk is loaded with cholesterol.
Most experts agree that limiting your daily fat intake to less than 30 percent of total calories consumed is the best approach to eating a healthy diet. Living a low fat lifestyle will pave the road for your total health.
订阅：
博文 (Atom)