Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete combustion produced when fuel like oil and gas or coal burn. It can be produced by cars, stoves, fire places, and water heaters. In short, it can occur anywhere in your house. Exposure to carbon monoxide produces flu-like symptoms such as nausea, dizzy spells, and fatigue. In many cases, it causes death. In 2006, 88 Michigan residents died of CO poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is a bigger health risk than you may think. Consider the facts:
- An estimated 1,000 people die from accidental CO poisoning every year.
- Several thousand people are admitted to hospital emergency rooms every year for treatment of CO poisoning.
- Poison control centers receive more calls for exposure to CO than to any other gas, fume or vapor.
- Of the estimated incidents of CO poisoning between 1992 – 1996, 74% were attributed to heating systems, 10% to charcoal grills, 5% to camp stoves/lanterns, 4% to gas ranges/ovens, 3% to gas water heaters and 3% to other appliances.

Working with the lobbying firm GCSI in Lansing, and Representative Gary McDowell (D- Petoskey District), Town & Country Cedar Homes is promoting the Overbeck Bill which asks for a change in the Michigan Residential Building Code to require CO detectors outside each sleeping area or bedroom. This initiative has grown out of the fact that high quality construction standards of today are creating tight, leak-proof homes without the typical infiltration found in lesser quality or older homes. This quality standard now creates a safety issue that must be addressed by CO detectors being mandated in all homes.

Town & Country encourages all luxury homeowners to protect themselves against the dangers of possible carbon monoxide poisoning through the Overbeck Foundation. This foundation displays additional information throughout the state at fairs, building association meetings, and fire department open houses. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends every home have at least one carbon monoxide alarm installed near the sleeping area. The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends alarms are located on every level of the home for additional protection. Homeowners should remember not to install carbon monoxide detectors directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, or within fifteen feet of heating or cooking appliances, or in or near very humid areas such as bathrooms. When considering where to place a carbon monoxide detector, keep in mind that although carbon monoxide is roughly the same weight as air (carbon monoxide's specific gravity is 0.9657, as stated by the EPA; the National Resource Council lists the specific gravity of air as one), it may be contained in warm air coming from combustion appliances such as home heating equipment. If this is the case, carbon monoxide will rise with the warmer air.A typical plug in or battery operated carbon monoxide detectors is readily available at most hardware stores in the $20 - $30 range.

You can read more on Carbon Monoxide at the following links:

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/carbon_monoxide_poisoning/article_em.htm
Topic

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/Carbon-Monoxide-Poisoning-

 WHAT DOES "LUXURY HANDCRAFTED" HOMES vs MANUFACTURED HOMES REALLY MEAN?

How do you define "MANUFACTURED HOMES VS. LUXURY HANDCRAFTED HOMES”?

Luxury handcrafted log homes are one of the fastest growing segments of the building industry, with more than 25,000 built every year. Today, modern luxury handcrafted log homes incorporate many different styles and can follow almost any floor plan. And many of those floor plans are custom designs; log homes now represent about 7 percent of custom homes in the Unites States.

What is the primary difference between manufactured log homes and luxury, handcrafted log homes or timber homes?

Quality is the primary difference in manufactured vs. handcrafted log or timber homes. And there are other differences as well, a close second being the time and cost to build a manufactured homes vs. a handcrafted log or timber home. Manufactured housing is typically less expensive and takes less time; but you do get what you pay for. So be cautious when jumping to select manufactured homes over custom homes.  Properly engineered and designed custom luxury dream homes, such as the quality homes built by Town & Country Cedar Homes, will last for generations with virtually no structural concerns. In addition, handcrafted homes can be customized for your budget and resources, giving you the refinement you deserve, while maintaining your costs. While there are many good manufactured housing providers, there really isn't any comparison to the quality of a custom, hand crafted log home.

TOWN & COUNTRY LUXURY HANDCRAFTED HOMES:  Our handcrafted luxury dream log homes are professionally constructed and precisely built to the luxury demands and personal desires of our customers. Each construction reflects a distinct personality. We combine custom designs and architectural challenges to create Town & Country homes elegant significance. Our log products are dried in a kiln, heating chamber to the lowest level in the industry: 8 - 11%, which means that the logs fit together much tighter than homes manufactured. Since we harvest our own logs, mill the wood products, design the luxury dream home for structural integrity, build the home and guarantee this structure for 20 years, we have complete quality control.

 

WHY NORTHERN WHITE CEDAR IS THE NATURALLY PROVEN BEST WOOD HOME BUILDING PRODUCT!

Northern White Cedar Requires No Chemicals and

No Chemical Maintenance Programs

 

Unlike many pine log companies that “dip treat” their logs in chemical preservatives and insecticide, Town & Country Cedar Product’s logs are not treated with any chemicals. Cedar is naturally resistant to insects as well as nature’s elements. After your log home is built and closed up nice and tight for the winter, Town & Country clients fortunately do not have to live with treated log chemical that literally come out of the walls and into your living environment. The scientific term for this is called “out gassing” and this is what can happen when a log is dip treated in chemicals.

 

You may be told that these chemicals are harmless. But what may be considered safe today may be causing health problems that will only show up later on, just as so many harmful chemical products have done in the past. The point is, why live with chemicals if you don’t have to? Not to mention the costly, time consuming, chemical maintenance program that your pine or other wood product log home warranty will force you to follow. 

 

THE FACTS: Northern White Cedar versus other wood building products!

 

~ Pine requires chemical treatments, and Cedar does not.

~ Any outdoor items that are made of pine such as a mailbox, birdhouse picnic table, fence or outdoor furniture must be treated with chemicals if they are expected to hold up to exposure to the weather and insects.

~ Cedar has a closed cell molecular structure. Pine does not. Cedar’s molecular structure, as well as natural resins in this species, makes northern white cedar “naturally” resistant to insects. Its’ ‘closed cells’ will not absorb water and become ‘water logged’ as do pine and other wood species.

 ~The decay resistance of Northern White Cedar does not require treatment with chemicals.

~ Northern White Cedar also has the highest insulating R-Value of all wood species!

Think about it. People put their better things in a cedar chest or a cedar closet. This is because cedar keeps the bugs away. Did you know that the shavings from cedar mills are often used to make bedding for pets and animals because it keeps the fleas away? Have you ever gone into a sauna or steam bath that was constructed with pine paneling and pine benches? Never! It is always going to be cedar or redwood because of their outstanding durability and natural resistance to dampness and mildew.

 

THINK GREEN

With concern over global climate change and personal, environmental health, going green has attracted many homebuilders and homeowners. Most people think that green building is just about cutting energy use, but it encompasses a whole lot more. Green building is aimed at making homes more resource-efficient and healthier for people and the planet.

How to begin?

Start when you begin designing your home and evaluate the different greenness of materials. A new kitchen is the perfect spot to go green. Choose energy saving appliances and lighting, select non-toxic finished for floors, walls and cabinets, and provide plenty of nature lighting with windows.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) http://www.nahb.org/ is providing local builders with the knowledge they need to build green. Model Green Building Guidelines have been issued to provide a practical, nationally recognized baseline for home building. The NAHB guidelines focus on: reducing the impact on natural features and vegetation during building site preparation; choosing environmentally friendly components for sub flooring, trusses and other conventional materials; choosing energy-efficient appliances; conserving water with low-flow plumbing fixtures; and protecting indoor environment quality.

What is the Cost?

Going green does not have to become costly. While it may not look any different, it should be cheaper to operate, healthier to live in and easier to maintain. Green building often means nothing more than building well and perhaps substituting one material for another. Therefore green building doesn’t have to be any more expensive than typical good quality construction. Eventually you will reduce any additional cost of going green through reduced maintenance or operating costs. It’s about careful selection and an intelligent use of resources.

Tips to Go a Little Greener:

 

 Use energy from the sun

* Southern exposure to the family room and kitchen

*Plant to preserve existing deciduous trees along the south and east elevations for the summer shade. When the trees lose their leaves in the fall season, there will be plenty of sunlight and warmth coming into the house in the winter.

* Keep tree branches from hanging over the roof.

It prevents fire hazards.

 

Make enlightened choices

* Install fluorescent fixtures and use compact fluorescent bulbs that cut energy by 70 percent.

*Start by using flourescent lights in utility areas like the laundry room and basement, this will allow you to get used to them.

* Balance compact fluorescents with incandescent in bedrooms, home offices and living areas.

 

Heat Pumps

* For climates with moderate heating and cooling needs, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and air conditioners.

* Because they move rather than generate heat, heat pumps can deliver up to four times the amount of energy they consume.

Add a Fan

* Ceiling fans circulate warm air in the winter and make homeowners feel cooler in the summer. 

 

HYBRID CUSTOM LOG OR TIMBER HOMES: 

A growing trend in luxury, personally designed luxury dream homes is finding log home builders that can combine the tranquil, inviting ambience of a traditional log home with the style, elegance and amenities that are highly valued in a custom residence. With a Town & Country mixed media or hybrid luxury dream home design,  you don't have to wonder if your builder is capable of drafting house plans that combine log construction, traditional frame building techniques, and natural stone and brick into a stunning mixed media luxury log or timber home design that is for you and your family alone. 

Looking for a trendy dream log home that brings rustic chic to the city? Don't hesitate to consider a log or timber design for an urban environment. We offer lavishly finished interiors, multiple activity and family areas, diverse dining area designs, expansive private bedroom areas, and landscaping that invites outdoor living -- all designed and engineered with a hybrid integration of log, timber, stone, tile, brick, custom joinery, metals, and standard construction methods.  Your home will definitely be unique. 

Begin the journey to your custom log home with our Premiere Floor Plans, now at DESIGN ONLINE.

All Town & Country Cedar Homes begin with a luxurious mix of hand hewn cedar log siding and cedar paneling products.  Check out our unique luxury dream home product offering at www.michigancedarproducts.com to find just the right finishes for your interior cedar paneling and exterior cedar siding or custom timber products.

 

"WattWatchers"

 

 

For John and Shanna Stordahl, saving the heating costs doesn't require lowering the thermostat and wearing bulky sweaters around the house all winter. The Stordahl's who spent a mere $750 to heat their 2,700 square foot home in 2006, are "WattWatchers" through a program offered by their local electric company.

 

Through the program, they purchase electricity for their in-floor heating system only during off-peak hours- primarily in the afternoons and overnight. The furnace is set on a timer to draw electricity during these times. The heat is stored in a thermal storage boiler, a unit that is filled "with a ton of bricks," John says. These bricks retain the heat of the water that circulates through coils underneath the floor, keeping the house warm all the time. Overall, John estimates the system saves about 70% more than heating with propane.

Geothermal

As temperatures above ground change a lot from day to day, temperatures in the upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface hold nearly constant between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. For most areas, this means that soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. Geothermal heat pumps use the Earth's constant temperatures to heat and cool buildings. They transport heat from the ground (or water) into buildings in the winter and reverse the process in the summer.

Geothermal heat pumps are energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for temperature control. Although, most homes still use traditional furnaces and air conditioners, geothermal heat pumps are becoming more popular.

 Heat from within the earth carries many economic, environmental and aesthetic advantages. The energy makes use of the fairly constant temperature maintained a few feet underground, which can be absorbed, concentrated and circulated through standard ductwork to heat and cool interior space. A ground source heat pump taps into stored energy right under your yard. To cool, the process is reversed; removing heat like your refrigerator does, except the excess heat from the house is carried back to the earth.

Pros & Cons

Disadvantages
     * Steep cost of installation
     * Professionals are required to lay the piping and heat installation
     * Existing homes will need to remove gas and fuel oil equipment

Advantages
     * Low energy bills
       * Efficient, comfortable and quiet
     * Heat is consistent
     *  Preserves natural resources and decreases greenhouse gases

 

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