Newsletter July 2009

Hints, Tips And Ideas If Building A New (Or Old) Home Is An Option For You Some Day

This month (July 2009):

• This month; carrying on with part 2 of ‘A few tips on how to be more energy efficient’ – Water heating. Last newsletter I said this article would be 6 parts over 2 newsletters. Sorry, I made a typo. There are 6 parts and it will be over 6 additions.
• As promised I have included Doreena Edwards’s thoughts on colours and interior design. Doreena is responsible for the stunning results seen in the Waikanae show-home.
• I’d like to discuss the Government’s insulation initiative. I think they forgot that warm air rises? Maybe that’s why most of the Politician’s are on the upper most floors of the Beehive?
• Love him or hate him he’s a clever man – A few comments from Bill Gates for our kids
• Brand new (surplus to requirements) SMEG combo front loading washer/dryer for sale.
• Moss Brothers built a 1880s cottage (part of our period and heritage series) for Mr and Mrs Cardno in West Street – Greytown, about 4 years ago. It’s a really sweet wee place. They don’t live there but use it as a home-stay and weekend retreat. Greytown was first settled by Europeans about 150 years ago and is where I got a lot of inspiration for the period replica homes and homesteads we design and build today. When you visit Greytown it’s like walking back in time. There are also fabulous bars, cafes and restaurants within just a few hundred meters of the cottage and Martinborough (famous for its boutique wines) is just 15 minutes drive away. So do visit the Roses On West website www.rosesonwest.co.nz and make a get-away booking on bookings@rosesonwest.co.nz

A few tips on how to be more energy efficient

Part 2

TWO – Water Heating

Water heating takes up 30% of your energy bill so it’s worth considering, or at least being aware of your best options. Obviously (usually rural) if you are using a wood burner for space heating it pays to attach a wetback to heat the hot water as well

Things have changed hugely these days with wood burners and wetbacks. It wasn’t that long ago when, if you had a wood burner +wetback arrangement, your water pressure had to be very low. Now a days, high pressure systems are not only available they are demanded by the ‘informed’ client. However the best combination by far is combining the wood burner/wetback with a solar panel on the roof.

What options are available for the urban dweller? Well, Greg says that generally a solar system combined with electricity is the most efficient and cost effective. This can save 75% of your energy costs. The next most cost effective is the ‘heat pump’ hot water cylinder (HWC) which will save 60 to 70% on running costs compared to the standard electric HWC (this is very new and to find out more why not give Greg a call – 0274-475-117). After this, instantaneous gas would be the next most cost effective option i.e. no HWC at all.

Greg Hoskins of Hoskins Energy really knows and understands his stuff on this subject. If you wish to speak to him directly about any point he raises here he can be contacted (sometimes) on 0274-475-117 or after hours on 06-379-7904.

Doreena on colours and internal design

In designing décor for a dwelling it is possible to use any desired colours, textures and accessories, though occasionally a developer may inflict certain restrictions on the exterior by means of a covenant. Apart from this there is really no “wrong” scheme as long as the owners like it! Unlike plumbing, electrical and heating etc., there are virtually no regulations so an infinite choice is available with few rules.

The choice of colour and placement of furniture, accessories such as cushions, lamps, tassels, and pictures are just as important in a room, and outdoors the same applies to fittings, landscape, fencing and planting. It is vital that a designer knows about the owner’s taste, and also what existing furniture, appliances and accessories may need to be accommodated.

Doreena Edwards has been involved over some years with indoor and outdoor colour, layout and furnishing for houses and commercial premises, some for herself and her husband, but many by request of others who have seen the results of her efforts.

Doreena is retired, and works part-time from home in Greytown, and will be happy to chat with prospective customers on the ‘phone to see whether a meeting would be mutually desirable. Early consultation can be an advantage, even before building work commences, so that choice of some materials and fittings may be made to fit the eventual scheme.

There really are no secrets; it is simply a matter of having an eye for colour and texture, that can “see” a finished result before the first bit of concrete is poured. A good knowledge of currently available materials is also a benefit. To see one of the results of Doreena’s endeavor, go and visit the Moss Brothers Waikanae show home.

Doreena may be contacted through Julian Moss, at manddedwards@xtra.co.nz, or 06-304 7130.

The Government’s insulation initiative

I personally believe this is a lot of money for very little result. Regardless of ceiling height or how much insulation is installed (if there is any at all) where does all the heat sit? The heat is in the top third of the room – close to the ceiling. What good is it up there? Where are our toes? Where do we sit or live? We sit in the bottom third of the room, or at or close to floor level. We spend all this money using energy to generate heat only to have it sit up at the ceiling. How crazy is that?

I believe the humble ceiling fan is by far a better investment. The fact is there simply is no other means to effectively and efficiently get all of the heat from the ceiling area down to the floor (where we live) or create an even temperature throughout the room and house. And, how much would a ceiling fan cost to supply and install - between $200 and $400 – and all for just a few cents per hour to run.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not for one moment suggesting that you shouldn’t insulate your home. What I am saying is retro fitting insulation is a more expensive and less efficient and effective way to fully utilise the heat that is being generated and retained from the use of insulation. With a ceiling fan you simply do not need to use anywhere near the same amount of energy to keep warm.

Which direction should they blow – or suck, and why? The ceiling fan has blades that are slightly tilted. What this means is when the fan rotates in one direction the air movement goes in one direction and when the fan is switched to reverse the air movement goes in the opposite direction. Blowing down is for summer use and sucking up is for winter use – why? When the fan blows down is creates a wind chill which is great for summer. But when the fan sucks up the air is drawn up quickly, hits the ceiling, spreads out in all directions, hits the walls and is then forced down – down the walls to the floor. This continual action means the whole room ends up very quickly being the same temperature without feeling any air movement.

When I talk to people about ceiling fans there is an overwhelming negative towards them. Why – because they don’t like the look of them. All I can say is; there is a fabulous range of fans available, not as limited as it used to be.

In my view to get the best result a combination of 3 actions is required:

1. Effective insulation to help restrict heat loss.
2. A ceiling fan to fully utilise the heat that is generated by getting it to where it’s needed.
3. A heat recovery and ventilation system that removes dampness to the outside.

Proof of application; in the ‘open plan’ areas of the Kapiti Coast show home (including Kitchen, Dining and living) is a built-in gas Rinnai Timberflame. On some of our very cold winter days I set the fire on the lowest setting, 16 dec c, and turned the fan on. Within an hour the entire room was 21 dec c at 600mm above floor level. Why, because with the fan going all of the heat that is generated is used.

By Julian Moss – Moss Brothers - I’m the visionary or driving force behind reproduction of our period replica homes – 04-293-8039 or 0274-575-373 or 0800-266-772.

A message from Bill Gates

Never a truer word spoken........This should be posted in all schools and work places .

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this! Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

• Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!
• Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
• Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
• Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
• Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
• Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
• Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
• Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
• Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
• Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
• Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

If you agree, pass it on.

If you can read this - Thank a teacher!

For Sale

We like to slowly rotate show home appliances andnot have them here too long. The benefit to you is we buy them at warehouseprices and only sell them at cost–i.e. no margin.

This SMEG Washer/Dryer is only $729.00 incl GST- as is where is.

Next month:

• I’ll include part 3 from Greg – Lighting. If you didn’t get part 1 (Space Heating) drop me an email and I’ll forward it to you.
• And why I suggest that warm air should be pumped outside.
• How to train your dog to clean up its own mess.

Oh, and by the way, if you have any questions you’d like me to answer and maybe even include in my e-newsletter just drop me an email or call on 0800-266-772 or one of the other numbers below for a chat.

Kind Regards

Julian Moss
For Moss Brothers Ltd.
Franchisor
Call us free - 0800-MOSS-BROS (66-77-27)
Visit our website: www.moss-brothers.co.nz

PS: If you wish to unsubscribe please notify us by reply email.