Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/96511
4B Daily News – Saturday, December 1, 2012 Country Life garden & home With devices, you can set it and forget it The perfect kitchen By Michael J. Solender The Charlotte Observer (MCT) Turn off the lights, lower the thermostat, and make sure the dishwasher is not leaking. You can run yourself ragged trying to stay on top of those little details. But your morning rush hour doesn't have to start that way. Using automation at home can be convenient. It also might help you cut your power bills and improve your sense of safety. Here is a look at some of the options for relaxing your routine without losing control. LIGHTING No more playing tag with the light switches. Legrand makes a wireless system that uses radio frequencies to control up to five different "scenes," or lighting combinations. Use those scenes to set a mood or for security, which means making the house look as if MCT photo A do-it-yourselfer who wants remote control of their home lighting can choose GreenWave's system. someone is home when you're away. The controls work for table lamps, ceiling fans and even small appliances. A bedside one-touch "panic" controller can make all the lights in the An Invitation Wyntour Wonderland Holiday Open House Saturday, December 1st, 9am to 5pm Join us for Cookies and Hot Apple Cider. Shop our Gift Shop Sale, Enjoy Festive displays of Living Christmas Trees & Holiday Cheer! Stop by and say Hi and have a Goodie! One Day Only! GIFT SHOP SALE 50% Off Most Everything inside the Gift Shop Some Exclusions Apply Always Free Gift Wrapping WYNTOUR GARDENS 365-2256 8026 Airport Road, Redding I-5 North, Exit #673, Rt on Knighton, Rt on Airport Located 1 mile south of the Airport (Next to Kents Mkt) Open Mon-Sat 8-5 & Sunday's 10-4 wyntourgardens.com Facebook inform@wyntourgardens.com home flash on and off. The suggested retail price for the Event Controller and two dimmers is $490. Prices for whole-home packages start at $1,000. www.legrand.us. Do-it-yourselfers might prefer a one-box option such as GreenWave Reality's Connected Lighting Solution. It has four ecofriendly LED light bulbs, a router and remote control for about $200. Instead of going room to room to turn off the lights at bedtime, press the control for "night," and the job is done. There are also settings for "home" and "away." Other optional programs are available. http://www.greenwavereality.com. HVAC Nest is a self-programming thermostat that its maker (same name) claims will lower heating and cooling costs — by up to 20 percent if used correctly. That can be significant given that heating and cooling costs can represent up to 50 percent of the energy use in a home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This device learns your schedule and begins reprogramming itself for more efficiency after about a week. The system senses when the house is empty and makes adjustments. Residents can analyze energy usage and adjust settings through an online account. The thermostat also can be controlled from a smartphone. Retail costs start at $239 per unit. http://www.nest.com. REMOTE MONITORING Devices for remote monitoring can keep you connected to — and often in control of — what's happening at home. Freevolve's housEvolve Flood Prevention Kit has sensors to monitor trouble-prone areas around a washing machine, sump pump, water heater, kitchen sink, refrigerator or any other area of concern. Shut off the valves remotely when there's a problem. Retails for about $500. Freevolve's garage door controller, which sells for about $450 at retail, can tell you the door's position and then open or close it. http://www.freevolve.com/i ndex.htm. With Schlage Link system, having your teenager locked out of the house after school won't be a problem. You get access to the locks from the Internet, using a computer or smartphone. Retail prices for starter kits start around $300. http://link.schlage.com/rem ote_management/Pages/Re moteManagement.aspx CENTRALIZED HOME CONTROL Connecting several of your home's systems to a centralized controller can be costly but also convenient, according to John Morgan, president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Urban Building Group. Some of the systems that can be integrated include security, door locks, heating and cooling, audio visual, blinds and lighting, as well as some appliances. Prices for home evaluation, products and installation can start around $13,000 and go up from there. Not every kitchen is right for everyone. Certain characteristics of my kitchen wouldn't fit your kitchen, and vice versa, with our different ages, lifestyles, family sizes and social obligations. So with that said, what is the perfect kitchen? According to our friends at Consumer Reports magazine, it all depends who you are. If you're young and single, you tend to live in an urban setting (also referred to as a "walkable city"), so your kitchen could be on the smaller side. You prefer to maximize space and storage, which translates into minimal counter clutter. The younger population also Sean tends to be eco-minded with their recycling, but they'll also tend to ask for it by name when outfitting their home, like recycled glass countertops and recycled copper kitchen sinks. Space for your refrigerator may come at a premium, so you may look for something to squeeze into a tighter area without sacrificing interior storage space. Younger folks who aren't too experienced in the kitchen may look for something easy and intuitive to cook on, and an induction range could be the ticket for them. This type of cooktop generates heat in the pan and not on the cooking surface. You just need to have magnetic cookware to take advantage of this technology. A lot of us fall into the middle category of life: those in their 30s and 40s raising a family. Many of us live in two-income households, maintain a hectic schedule and need a kitchen that's as flexible and hard working as we are. Our fridge is opened and closed often (and probably left open more than we'd like), so it should be efficient and offer drawers and features at child levels. This group might feel like it's constantly cooking and cleaning up after meals, so the surfaces we use should be durable and resilient. Laminate countertops are ideal for families. In fact, Consumer Reports' testing found that laminate "is better than stone at resisting impacts." A busy kitchen needs an industrious oven, and a double oven range is ideal. Convection ovens have massive appeal and let you cook your meals completely and thoroughly, while cutting cooking time significantly. If your children are grown and out of the house, you may not necessarily need dozens of gadgets for your kitchens. Baby boomers have unique needs, and their kitchens express the essentials. The most popular items in your refrigerator will probably be right around eye level. A French door fridge helps you keep your favorite foods most accessible. Low maintenance is music to your ears, and quartz countertops are certainly a solid option. They're beautiful, quite resistant to heat, abrasions and stains, and don't have to be sealed. Finally, when you're cooking, a wall oven and cooktop combo provides the versatility, flexibility and efficiency you'll need to feed the visiting troops. So whether you find yourself fitting squarely into one of these categories or you share qualities with all of them, creating the right kitchen space is purely a personal choice. And be sure to have fun doing it. Until next time, Happy Home Improving! Murphy Project Home Blinds In Print Every Tuesday - Thursday- Saturday $ 109 Print and Online Per Month Online: Publishes 24/7 www.redbluffdailynews.com Three additional online locations at no extra cost! No early cancellation, non-refundable Construction Advertisement Grandpa's Clocks Burrows Construction If this was your Service Directory ad customers would be reading it right now!! Call us at Jim Paul 20910 Pebblestone Dr. Red Bluff 530-736-7079 Mechanical, Battery and Electrical clocks Call for appt. Residential • Commerical PATIOS • DECKS Remodel, New Additions, Siding Repair and Replacement, Water and Dryrot Damage Specialist, New Construction Foundation to Finish REFRENCES Lic#824770 Member NAWCC Flooring 527-2151 For more information Ph: (530) 515-9779 Fencing Installation & Repair Free Estimates Alle Construction ns Constructi on House Remodel / Specialist Rental Turnovers / Repairs Bathroom Remodels / Tile Painting • Electrical • Plumbing • Drywall Repairs • Fences • Decks • Concrete • Garages Quality at a reasonable price FREE ESTIMATES 530 949-6162 CA LIC#914460 Landscape/Fence • Carpet • Vinyl • Laminate •Subfloor Installation • Install and/or Repair • Re-stretch (530) 33 years experience 736-6570 Tim (530) 200-2371 Cont. Lic#515214 When you want it done right ... HIRE A LICENSED CONTRACTOR! Complete directory of Tehama County contractors online, listed by specialty on www.RedBluffDailyNews.com Click on 2011 Contractors Guide under "Special Sections" Plumbing/Handyman Jim the Plumber and & Landscape Service Commercial ~ Residential North State Blinds & Draperies www.nsbd.biz Contractor Steve's Tractor • Wood Fence • Field Fence • Chainlink Fence Paul Stubbs 527-0842 Lic.#906022 Clock Repair Your Clock Repair Shop Need Blinds? C P A A L U L L • Fence Building • Landscaping • Trenching • Rototilling • Disking • Mowing • Ridging • Post Hole Digging • Blade Work • Sprinkler Installation • Concrete Work Cont. Lic. #703511 Steve Dyke 385-1783 Storage Handyman Services 25 years experience Free Estimates Free Travel Time See Angie's List No Job to small Quality work ...cheaper! Local References (530) 366-6033 24 hour service Lic#11003 Save on all units 10x15 10x20 55.00 per mo. $ 70.00 per mo. $ Prices good for 6 months Exp. 12-01-12 BAKER ROAD STORAGE 528-1456