Florida Granite Blog's

What’s change

For instance, it required that half of new lighting fixtures be hard-wired high-efficacy fixtures (LED or CFLs), and added specific requirement for sealing HVAC ducts as well as the building envelope. ” in the past, code was relatively ambiguous on how to air seal the building envelope. Now it tells you how to seal and where.

The 2012 code will raise insulation levels, set even stricter sealing requirement, to 75% and disallow the use of building plenums to move air from the HVAC system, among many other news requirements.

The Best part is the Building will become more efficient.

The New code would add $4,000 in construction cost, but save over $700 per year in energy cost.

Although homeowners typically spend much more on energy than on property taxes or insurance, few banks include energy cost as a factor in mortgage eligibility.

When the 2012 IECC goes into effect next year, builders in jurisdictions tha adopt it will face following changes.

• the new code requires mandatory building tightness(blower door) testing.
• Blower door test requirements in climate zones 3-8
• Permissible duct leakage to the outdoors has been tightened from 8 cfm per 100 sq.ft of conditioned floorspace to 4 cfm per 100sq.Ft.
• building cavities can no longer be used as supply of return air ducts
• Wall insulation requirement in climate zones 3,4 increase from R-13 to R-20
• Wall insulation for zones 6-8 are now R-20 cavity insulation + R-5foam exterior insulation.
• hot water pipes must be insulated to a minimum of R-3
• Attic insulation zones 4&5 increase from R-38 to R-49
• Basement and crawl space insulation Zone 5 increase from R-10 to R-15
• The requirement for window Solar Heat gain Coefficient in Zone 1-4 is more stringent. this also decrease the amount of daylight that passes throught the window.
• the window U-factor in Zone 2-8 is also more stringent.
• The percentage of high-efficient light fixtures increases from 50% to 75%.

Whether homeowners work on it before a meal or gather around it afterward, the countertop is arguably the most visible item in a kitchen. And according to a 2010 Remodeling Reader Panel survey, homeowners are choosing granite countertops by a margin of about 3 to 1 over the next most popular materials (see chart).

Credit: REMODELING Reader Panel, April 2010

Porous granite also requires sealing against moisture, adds Paulo from Florida Granite, and the consistency of quartz means the material can be seamed more easily than granite where fabricators may need to work with or around veining and inclusions in the stone. To that end, Thompson says he often finds that quartz installations require more seaming, while granite installations result in more waste.

Price It
For customers concerned about cost, Paulo says that quartz does tend to cost more than base-level granite. However, “granite price has nothing to do with quality and everything to do with availability of that stone in the world,” he says. “If they’re quarrying 10 blocks and nine of them are usable, we would put that granite at a level-one or -two price point. But if only one of the 10 is usable, it would likely come in at a premium pricing category.

As consumers, we really want to be environmentally friendly and have the best intentions, but are these being pushed aside by the fact that the “green” products are more expensive than just buying the normal brands?

Yes the Toxic Substance Control Act requires all contractors and

EPA approved training info.

remodelers MUST be EPA certified, and agree to follow Lead safe Work Practices when working in houses 1978 and earlier.
The Act goes into effect on April 22, 2010 and fines for non-compliance can e as high as $37,500.00 per day, per violation!
Every state is different, check your before you start painting any house from 1978 and earlier.
Company needs to:
-Become EPA Certified
-Use Certified Renovators who have completed EPA
-Provide worker/installers with on the job training and supervision by Certified renovator
-Adhere to all record-keeping requirements
-Provide homeowners with the Renovate Right pamphlet
Check with your city town to find training courses to how become a Certified Renovator an EPA approved training provider.

You know that dry washing cloth outside you can save money and energy?

Special in these times of a poor economy and low, but very low income reduced.

Yes, Florida Statute FS 163.04 on energy devices based on renewable resources says:

“No deed restrictions, covenants or similar binding agreements running with the land shall prohibit or have the effect  of prohibiting solar collectors, clotheslines or other energy devices”.

But the statute does say that the Association [board] can establish certain rules for the use of clothesline and other energy-saving devices. Yes the board can establish rules or policies, such as: only removable clothesline or folding racks can be used on Monday through Friday and never on the weekends, or such.

Clothesline enthusiasts will tell you that hanging laundry saves electricity, reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, and leaves laundry with a fresh scent that fabric softeners and dryer sheets can’t match. Note that your savings won’t be great­­—the average electric clothes dryer costs about $80 to run a year—but the cumulative effect would be significant. (You’ll find any number of sites with instructions for setting up a clothesline, including these from Instructables.com and eHow.com.)

How do you feel about the right-to-dry? Post a comment below.

Good

featured at 2009 International Building show
**Kitchen and Bathroom new features
**2009 Building Show

**Cool Products for your Kitchen and home

Friends,

In the last two years, FloridaGranite has become the leader in granite Fabrication in south Florida.  In doing so, we’ve been very fortunate in many ways.  In light of the dark news coming out of Haiti, I’ve decided to try and extend a helping hand to the millions affected.

This tragedy has hit very close to home with some of our own team members and their family.

Many of you know that our headquarters Office and Supplier facility is in Miami, FL and merely 650 miles away from Port Au Prince.

For every purchase you make, effective January 26, 2010 through February 4, 2010, I will be donating 5% of the profits from our Miami Office to Red Cross Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts.

In times like these, we realize that no matter how bad the economic situation can be or how dark times may appear we should be grateful for the fortunes bestowed upon us.

Thank you for being a great customer and friend of the company, you’re business is always appreciated.

Florida the foreclosure crisis continues to be very real Problem.

Statistics from the third quarter of 2009 indicate that foreclosure filings hit a record high, with Florida Being one of the states most affected(by Florida Consumer Services).

Florida Granite Blog are dedicated to informing consumers who are confronted with foreclosure about their rights and responsibilities, especially when dealing with companies that offer foreclosure rescue or loan modification services. Remember… consumer education is the best defense against fraud and deception!

Partners respond with first shipment of supplies for affected families.

Donate now »
Donate now » All storiesUNICEF and partners respond with first shipment of supplies for affected families.                  UNICEF rushing supplies to quake-stricken Haiti

Qualified homeowner voluntary transfer the deed to his property back to the lender, and signing a lease to the property.
The individual or Family becomes a tenant rather than an owner. But they remain in the home and escape the trauma and inconvenience of relocating.
This program help eliminate some of the uncertainties of foreclosure, keeps families and tenant in their homes during the transition period and helps stabilize neighborhoods and communities.
To participate, borrowers must live in the home as their primary residence and must be released from any subordinate liens on the property. Tenants of borrowers may also be eligible under the program. Borrowers and tenants interest in a lease must be able to document that the current rental rate is no more than 31 percent of their gross income.
Lease may be up to 12 months, with the possibility of a term renewal or month-to-month extension after that period.
Well like many things this such programs, it involves a lot of paperwork which is almost impossible to get this program with lost of jobs nationwide.
For more details, consult with your lender.