Splurge on a scarf and check the chimney

Winter’s on its way — whether you like it or not. The best defence against winter is a good offense (and maybe a gorgeous scarf - don't you love Jenne Giles' rose scarf, which I found at The Artful Home?) On a more sensible note, there's excellent advice from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. They suggest you:

Have the furnace or heating system serviced (every two years for a gas furnace, and every year for an oil furnace.)

Clean or replace furnace air filters monthly until the Spring. (If you’re looking at replacing or upgrading an HVAC system, now is the time to do it. You can still benefit from the HRTC grant, you may qualify for energy retrofit grants (ask your supplier) and you’ll avoid the additional costs that the Harmonized Sales Tax will add to the installation next year.)

Check bathroom exhaust fans and range hoods to see that they are operating properly.

Vacuum electric baseboard heaters to remove dust.

Clean portable humidifiers.

Replace window screens with storm windows and remove interior insect screens to let air from the heating system keep condensation off the glass and allow more solar heat in.

Check that exterior doors close tightly.

Make sure windows and skylights close tightly; if they don't, repair or replace weatherstripping.    

Cover outside air-conditioning units, and shut off power.

Check chimneys for obstructions, such as nests.

Drain and store outdoor hoses.

Get more great advice about year-round home maintenance from the CMCH.

A sleek and sexy - kitchen?

I saw some pretty sexy stuff at the recent Jenn-Air showcase in the Distillery District. And I’m not talking about Jenn-Air designer William MacDonald and MC Arren Williams – although they both cleaned up nicely too. Check out the Jenn-Air kitchen in the pic at left - all sleek clean lines and floating black glass surfaces. One of the things that had the normally hard-to-impress audience enthralled was the new duct-free downdraft cooktop, which can be used in any space where ductwork can’t be run to the outside (think high-rises). The system vents to an under- the-counter unit that uses a powerful blower to push steam and smoke through a filter (which needs to be changed every three months or so). The theory sounds good — rather than a mixing odours with the air by fanning them, smells are immediately captured and forced through the filter.

The system is also supposed to be super quiet, although it was hard to tell with the crowd ooh-ing and ahh-ing the way they were. The duct-free design means the range can be placed virtually anywhere in the room. It also has tap touch controls, and comes in stainless steel, floating glass and oiled bronze (this is not the same oiled bronze Jenn-Air came out with a few years ago  and which I found a little too yellow – it’s deeper and richer and, to my mind, much more attractive.) Available in 30-inch and 36-inch configurations in both gas and electric, prices start at about $2,150. Jenn-Air also boasts that this baby has the most powerful burner on a downdraft cooktop and electronic ignition. I also loved the built-in wall oven (more on that later).

Still a gas guzzler? That’s SO not cool.

Canadians who waste energy will soon be regarded with the same disdain as those who continue to smoke in the face of evidence of the damage it does to the individual and those around them, according to a new poll conducted by Leger Marketing. The survey, sponsored by appliance manufacturer Bosch, indicates that seven out of ten Canadians say it’s socially unacceptable to be environmentally irresponsible.

“We’re seeing changing sensibilities around the environment and sustainability,” says Dr. David Bell, former Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Studies at York University and a spokesperson for Bosch, which is pushing its own green credentials. “Today, it’s simply unacceptable to smoke in someone’s house. Our ecoculture is growing leaps and bounds in the same way today, and soon people who blatantly disregard the environment will be treated as outcasts.”

According to the survey, 85 per cent of Canadians are committed to greener living, while 29 per cent self-identify as “green crusaders” or “green ambassadors”. But almost all Canadians report having take some steps to be greener, whether it be using re-usable shopping bags (78 per cent), switching to energy-efficient light bulbs ones (68 per cent), choosing earth-friendly household products (53 per cent) or purchasing energy-efficient kitchen or laundry appliances (50 per cent).

Bell predicts that companies will only succeed if they have a strong commitment to green production.  “In the very near future," he says, "the assumption will be: if you want to have a successful business, you must operate it a sustainable basis.”

Get cracking for credit

It’s time to get cracking if you want to take advantage of the $1,350 Home Renovation Tax Credit. You have until February 1, 2010, and the credit applies to a variety of home improvement tasks. They include the unsexy stuff like replacing windows and doors (or roof window – see pic above — which is actually kinda sexy, IMHO!), installing a permanent home ventilation or central air conditioning system, digging a well or changing electrical service. Then there are the tasks that are more fun: interior or exterior painting, landscaping with perennial shrubs and flowers, adding permanent garden lighting or a water fountain, or adding new flooring. For a full list go to www.cra-arc.gc.ca.  

If flooring is on your mind and you live in the GTA, check out Home Depot’s three-day guaranteed basic installation package. It’s available on 12 special order carpets that retail for between $1.11 and $2.44 per square foot. They also have a basic package in all stores; for $199, you can get basic installation any number of rooms of in-stock or special order carpet when installed by their own service people. The prices includes labour, but not underpad, moving furniture, removing existing carpet or flooring, or installing carpet on steps.

This is also a great time to tackle those painting jobs you’ve been putting off. If you do, consider one of the great greens that are popping up these days. I like the new shades from CIL (see pic above) and Behr (see pic below).

Energy saving sparkle

Toronto Hydro is making sure Christmas comes early this year. Under their Festival Light Exchange (c’mon, they mean Christmas) program, they’ll give homeowners a free string of LEDs (which use about 95 per cent less than conventional lights) for every two strings of energy-guzzling incandescents brought into designated locations They also have cute green decorating ideas on their website. Very merry indeed.

Cooking with gas - not

A few weeks ago, I decided to ignore a deadline, set off in intrepid pursuit of important information for my readers. The event? Samsung had invited me to take a peek at its new Induction Range, which it’s touting as the first national brand, freestanding range with an induction cooktop. So I ventured downtown to watch celebrity chef Massimo Capra demonstrate the features and benefits of the stand-alone induction cooktop, which has just hit stores, and sells for about $2,800. The folks at Samsung happened to have a video cam at the event, so you can see Chef Capra work his culinary magic with what he clearly thinks is a clever new cooking toy.

To coincide with the product launch, the company commissioned Leger Marketing to survey consumer cooking preferences. The results indicate that Canadians may be really ready to embrace induction cook technology, which has already been popular in Europe for a few decades.

More than half (54 per cent) of those surveyed say they’d like to cook with gas, but have concerns about safety. Induction is considered safer than gas because heat is transmitted directly to the pan and the cooktop surface remains cool to the touch. Samsung’s induction range won’t turn on unless a pan at least five inches in diameter is placed on the cooktop and it turns off automatically if no cookware is put on the cooking circle within 30 seconds.

Four out of five Canadians say they make a mess when they cook. (This is news? My guess is that the fifth person only boils water, coz where I come from, if you ain't making a mess, you ain’t cooking, baby.) We mucky pups will like the fact that the cooler induction cooktop is easier to wipe up before spills get set (one of the reasons I’m not a fan of ceramic!)

I’m looking at other induction options for an upcoming Hot Home Products column, so keep buying The Toronto Star on Saturdays.

I want curtains for Christmas

You know you want new drapes in the living room before Christmas. And you know you’ve been totally uninspired by the facial-tissue-thin, ready-made products in anaemic colours and deathly dull designs you’ve seen out there so far. Okay, okay, I’m projecting — it’s ME who wants new drapes. Fortunately, I’m self actualized enough to admit it. Also fortunately, and fortuitously, I just heard that InVu Drapery Company has a special on that could get me – and you — suitable draped before the Jolly Guy comes looking for cookies.

I'm pretty excited — I visited InVu’s North Toronto store in the spring and saw both ready-made draperies and fabrics for custom curtains that could make a grown woman weep. So pretty, and such lovely trims and hardware.

Here’s the deal. Go in and buy ready-made panels and have them embellished with trim and extra fabric for a custom look, and get 20 per cent off the cost of the panels and the labour and materials. (Don’t you love the way the panels shown above and the blind below have been customized?) Order custom-made drapes and you get 20 per cent off the fabric and the labour. The same applies for headboards and upholstery. And no, it doesn’t apply to drapery hardware (don’t be greedy!).

Order by November 15, and the company guarantees delivery and installation by December 24.Order by November 25, and they guarantee delivery by December 24. So move quickly – you know you don’t to be hanging drapes on Christmas Eve – (or am I projecting again?)

The house that soy built

Need another reason to get excited about the Royal Winter Fair (besides the adorable moo-moos, bunnies and piggies)? When you’ve had your fill of livestock (if that's possible), check out the model home that contains a variety of products made from soy.

This 1,200 square foot home (the pic at left shows the living room), a joint project by Ontario’s soybean farmers, Quality Engineered Homes, and Habitat for Humanity Halton, demonstrates how soy can be used as an environmentally-friendly, sustainable replacement to petroleum oil in the home. It was designed by style star Janette Ewen.

Everything from no-VOC paints and varnishes, adhesives, household insulation, kitchen cabinets, carpet backing, bathroom fixtures, sofas, mattresses, bedding, clothing, food, candles, soaps, and cosmetics can now feature soy, says Dale Petrie, a director for Grain Farmers of Ontario.

"It may sound space age, but in fact, it’s been around for a long time,” he says. “Even before WWII, Henry Ford was making some car parts out of soya oil." That was before the oil industry took over, and petroleum began seeping into all kinds of consumer products, from plastic wrap to lipstick. Gradually, manufacturers looking for green alternatives are “re-awakening to the possibilities of soya oil, and realizing that almost anything you can make with petroleum, you can make with soya oil,”  adds Petrie.

That will be good news to Ontario's 23,000 soy farmers, who last year planted a record 2.4 million acres. About 80 per cent of the plant is used for animal feed, while the other 20 per cent is squeezed out in the form of oil, which becomes a key ingredient in the consumer products shown in the display home. This display will also include prototypes for the next generation of soya oil products, including shingles and a urinal (?!!)

And how’s this for a happy ending? After the Fair, which runs until November 16 in the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place, the Soy House will become a Habitat for Humanity Halton home in Acton, where a team of dedicated volunteers Ontario soybean farmers and Quality Homes staff are working alongside the Habitat partner family to prepare the site.

Prime design

This week’s Hot Home Products column looks at the new generation of paints that are supposed to function — under some circumstances — as paint and primer in one. That’s the claim of CIL’s Smart paint, which is shown in the pic at left (love those gorgeous pinks and purples.) The pic below shows Behr’s Ultra Premium paint/primer line used to stunning effect.

But some paint companies insist that a separate primer is often essential. Sarah Cole, director of Farrow & Ball, says poor priming or surface preparation is the most common reason for painting failures. Farrow & Ball primers and undercoats come in a range of colours to enhance the colour intensity of the top coat. The correct undercoat colour is denoted on the back of each colour card.  Beauti-Tone doesn’t market its paints as paint/primer, but its Designer and Natura series in suede and matte finishes can be painted directly o drywall or low-sheen paints.

Literature from CIL suggests that the higher the sheen, the greater the durability of the painted surface will typically be. That’s why semi-gloss and gloss finishes are a good choice for high-traffic areas. The sheen also helps sunlight bounce off and highlight architectural features. Flat, non-reflective paints are good at hiding imperfections. Of course, tools matter, so look for good-quality synthetic brushes that can be used with latex or oil paints. Roller should spin easily; choose a 15 mm pile for dark colours or 10 mm pile for light colours.  Try “conditioning” the roller by moistening it slightly with water and then running your hand up and down it.

Speaking of tools, the Green Toad Pivoting brush, which won the Retailers’ Choice Award for best new product at the National Hardware Show, will be on sale this Sunday (Nov. 8) on The Shopping Channel. It has a rotating head system that locks in eight different positions, and handles that come in two different grips — standard or extra contoured.

Lean, green, clean machines

I recently got the chance to visit the Bosch home appliance facility in New Bern, North Carolina, (check out the clever mural of one of the buildings at left) and learn about some of the green initiatives it has taken in both the design and manufacture of its products. Why should we care? Because, according to Bosch, the typical Canadian family creates more than 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually through its use of electricity, much of which comes from inefficient home appliances.

The tour was fascinating, and not just because New Bern is nestled in lovely countryside (and yes, there was a visit to a Target store). Bosch has been touting its green credentials. So I eager to see if the company also walks the walk. Here’s what I learned.

Bosch was the first manufacturer in the world to discontinue the use of CFCs in the production of refrigerators. It identifies itself as the only Canadian home appliance manufacturer with Energy Star qualifications on its full line of the washers, refrigerators and dishwashers. Typically, the company manufactures in the area in which products are sold — that reduces emissions from transportation. The majority of product manufactured in New Bern goes to Mexico, the U.S. and Canada (although a small number get shipped overseas to the tiny market across the pond that wants North American-sized – read ginormo ­ — appliances).

The New Bern plant has International Organization for Standardization certification, meaning it meets a global standard for minimizing pollution. It uses reusable and recyclable materials, recycles all wood, glass, and paper and insists suppliers adhere to similar environmental policies. Product is shipped to and from retailers in reusable crates. There are clever touches in the manufacturing process; waste energy from furnaces is recycled to provide about 99 per cent of the heat required to dry products.

To me, one of the most striking examples was the replacement of an 18,000 pound metal die-cast —used to stamp out range tops, ­with a laser-cut process that resulted in a 36 per cent reduction in waste.

This led to an interesting discussion with a couple of Bosch engineers. Currently, the process works because the company is producing a premium product in smaller runs. If Bosch’s volume grows significantly, the company will have to decide whether to stick with the more environmentally correct process or switch to one that’s more cost-efficient but less eco-friendly. Given that the scenario is hypothetical, I did not ask for an official response, but I got the sense that there’s no turning back on sustainability for Bosch.

In terms of design, Bosch’s new Vision washers and dryers (both Energy Star) are good examples of energy efficiency. The washers have sensors that analyze the wash cycle and automatically adjust water, temperature and suds level. According to Bosch, the washers use 70 per cent less water per load than the industry average. Vision dryers also sense moisture throughout the cycle to lower the energy usage. Plus, they’re pretty (see pic below).