Does Granite Pose a Radon Danger?

Granite Counter

Radon is back in the news. Radio personality Paul Harvey, the New York Times, and other news outlets reported recently that granite countertops pose a threat of emitting radon gas. Radon gas has been purportedly linked to risk of lung cancer. The Marble Institute of America has responded with a scholarly report essentially saying that the…

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The Ceiling Fan Strobe Light Effect

Ceiling Fan

Here’s a small, but important tip for placement of recessed lights in ceilings.     If you are placing a ceiling fan in the ceiling of a room and you plan on using recessed lights in the ceiling, make sure to keep the lights well away from the blades of the fan. If you don’t do this,…

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A Bright Look at Dimmers, Light Switches and Plate Colors

Light Switch

I had a client ask me about light switch type, color and what I thought about dimmers. One question was whether or not the Decora style switches, those are the ones with a wider, flatter, rocker type of switch, were “expected” in a high-end house. I told them that I have some clients who like the…

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Design Your Dream House with a Purpose

Dream House Purpose

If you asked me what the single most important quality a good house design should have, I would have to say that there must to be a “purposefulness” to the plan. A key to this purposefulness is to be sure your house design has an understandable concept. There are many good and effective organizing concepts,…

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Electrical Outlets in Baseboards Might Make Sense

Electrical Outlet

Some parts of a house never seem to be in a good place. Electrical outlets (the place where you plug in the cord) are often in obtrusive and clumsy places. Many times you don’t have a choice because the National Electric Code requires outlets where you don’t think you really want one. But the Code…

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Some Solar Energy Is Unwelcomed in Summer

Stone Heart Room

Yikes! It’s nearly 100 degrees here in North Carolina and the humidity nearly matches it. It was still over 90 degrees at dinnertime! I, for one, don’t find solar energy all that welcome this time of year. Maybe if I was generating electricity from it I would feel differently. But the solar energy I’m talking about makes…

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Kitchen Design – The Big Boxes

Kitchen Design Purpose

There are lots of books about kitchen design that are full of many useful tips. But sometimes, the essentials of laying out a kitchen are overlooked. Here’s one i like to point out to my clients. I like to think of the kitchen not so much in terms of work triangles, but in terms of…

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Iron Railings Versus Wood Railings

Metal Railings

I’m often asked about what kind of exterior railings are best, wooden or metal. Like most questions, the answer depends on what your objectives are. If you are simply looking for the least expensive railing, then wood is the answer. Most any carpenter can build it and wood is considerably cheaper than metal. Wood might…

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Designing a Jewelbox

Jewel Box

Have you ever noticed how great athletes make the difficult things they do look so easy? This is what you want to achieve in your house design. I have often said that designing a house well is much more difficult than designing an office building, even though a house is much smaller.Designing an office building…

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Make Your Safe In Your Home Safe

Home Safe

You don’t have to be rich to need a home safe. Lots of people want and need a small safe at home to keep important documents, cherished jewelry, and other valuables safe from theft and fire. Theft doesn’t just happen when a burglar breaks into you house. Unfortunately, a repairman or a maid service can be a…

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