How to Turn Must-Do Home Improvements into Things of Beauty

    FORT MILL, SC, August 03, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- When it comes to home improvement, you can spend money in two basic ways: on things that make your home look better and things that make it function better. Under the first category, you'll find all the things you want to do, like replacing narrow casement windows with a lovely bay window. Under the second, fall all the things you must do, like replacing drafty windows with something more energy-efficient.

When "want to" and "have to" meet, they create the opportunity to make a smart buying decision - and choose an upgrade that will look good and improve the livability of your home. The key to making smart home improvement decisions is to recognize these opportunities and take full advantage of them.

Here are a few "have to" improvements that have the potential to turn into a good-looking, energy-efficient, enjoyment enhancing "want to."

Replacing the hot water heater
You probably don't care what a new hot water heater looks like sitting in your garage or basement - or wherever it resides in your home. But the right replacement water heater can help your house achieve a lovely shade of green. High energy-efficiency water heaters can help reduce energy usage, thereby trimming your energy bills and your home's environmental impact. Solar water heating systems http://solar.veluxusa.com/solar/products take the beauty a step further by using the power of the sun, collected through roof-top low-profile solar panels from Velux America, to heat water - at a monthly savings that's about 80 percent less than the cost of traditional water heaters.

Getting some light in here
Do you really need a scientific study to tell you that a home filled with natural light just feels better? Probably not. Brightening your home with natural light is a smart buying decision on multiple levels. First, you don't pay to power the sun. Second, natural light delivers a host of mood-enhancing benefits. If you have the wall space, you can consider adding windows, but the ceiling is an open pallet just waiting to be utilized.

But for rooms where a window is impossible (like a powder room) or where you don't want to sacrifice privacy (like a master bathroom or a bedroom) a tubular skylight is a good alternative. Some, like Velux's Sun Tunnel products, can be easily installed in a couple of hours. They cost less than traditional skylights and bring natural light to hard-to-light areas like closets, hallways and other small spaces. Add a light kit, and you have a 24/7 light source.

Getting some air in here
Just as sunlight is good for your mood, fresh air and natural light are good for your health. An Energy Star-qualified no leak solar powered fresh air skylight (visit www.veluxusa.com) is a great way to passively vent stale, moist air from your home, especially from baths and kitchens, while bringing in fresh air. They operate by remote control and close automatically in case of rain. Adding solar powered blinds - controlled by the same remote unit - allows you to fine-tune the amount of sunlight your skylight admits. And blinds are not just functional and energy efficient - they are available in designer colors and patterns to complement your decor. No leak solar powered fresh air skylights and solar powered blinds, as well as installation costs, are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit. Compared to other venting solutions, a skylight is a relatively low-cost, great-looking way to enjoy more fresh air and natural light while adding drama to a space. Visit www.veluxusa.com to learn more.

When one door opens ...
Beat up, weathered garage and front doors not only look bad, they can be a source of air leaks that make your heating, ventilation and cooling system work harder. Exterior doors aren't something you buy every day, but they can have a big impact on how your home looks and on its energy efficiency. They can definitely be a smart buying decision if you opt for doors that not only look good, but also are highly rated for energy efficiency. If you're not sure how to choose, search online, where you'll find lots of guides for buying garage doors and front doors.

Media Contact:
Keith Hobbs - Business Services Associates, Inc. - 9413 Greenfield Drive -
Raleigh, NC 27615-2306 - Phone - 919.844.0064 - E-mail - khobbs@nc.rr.com

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Top Kitchen Upgrades That Blend Beauty and Value

    FORT MILL, SC, August 03, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Nowhere else in the home must design and function marry as harmoniously as in the kitchen. The most-used room in the house is also the one where we spend the most work and leisure time, the one that gets the most scrutiny from potential buyers and the spot where most renovation dollars are spent.

A minor kitchen remodel costs around $21,000 and has the potential to recoup nearly 73 percent of that expense at the time of resale, according to Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report. A major job averages around $58,000 and can recoup about 68 percent of the renovation costs.

"When you're spending that kind of money on a remodel, you want to choose upgrades that accomplish multiple objectives, including improving efficiency, functionality and beauty," says Ross Vandermark, national product manager with skylight manufacturer Velux America (www.veluxusa.com). "Sometimes that type of upgrade will warrant a greater expenditure, but others are easy and relatively low-cost to make."

So what are some of the top kitchen upgrades that provide the most beauty and functionality for your investment? Here are five:

1. Countertops
In any kitchen, the countertops are both a significant design element and a functional necessity. Countertops act as work and storage areas, provide staging and serving space, and have a major impact on the overall look of the room. Replacing lower-cost countertops such as laminate with higher-end materials like granite can enhance the usability and look of your work surface. Even if you opt to replace older laminate with the same material, your kitchen can benefit from a fresh face and improved material quality.

2. Lighting and ventilation
Illumination and fresh air in a kitchen not only allow you to appreciate the beauty of the room, it ensures a safer, more comfortable work environment. Under-cabinet task lighting, pendants over a breakfast bar and upgrading an old box-style florescent with a more attractive, energy-efficient style can enhance the usability and look of a kitchen.

Adding Energy Star-qualified Velux no leak solar powered fresh air skylights can also boost the appearance, appeal and efficiency of a kitchen.

When you choose no leak solar powered fresh air skylights, their natural "chimney or stack effect" aids in air exchange, helping to vent hot air, moisture and odors while admitting additional natural light and fresh air. Accessories like solar powered decorator blinds, which work with the same remote control as the skylights, ensure you can adjust the amount of light that enters your kitchen from a skylight while dressing up your decor with designer colors and patterns. And both the skylights and blinds, as well as installation costs, are eligible for a 30 percent federal tax credit.

If a traditional skylight isn't right for your needs, you can still enhance the room with natural light; tubular models like Velux's Sun Tunnel skylights use reflective tunnels to deliver light from above and are less expensive to purchase and install. Add an optional light kit and the units provide light at night as well as during the day.

Visit www.veluxusa.com for an app that will enable you to see how skylights will look in your own home plus a tax credit calculator that will show you how much you can save on a replacement skylight or new unit installation.

3. Cabinets
Improving cabinets can be a costly prospect, but one worth the investment since they are not only a major design element in the kitchen, but essential to the room's efficiency and usability. You can find a range of options for upgrading cabinets, from total replacement with custom-made cabinetry to simply resurfacing or repainting existing cabinets.

4. Hardware and fixtures
Think of cabinet hardware and faucets as the jewelry of your kitchen. Swapping out dated or worn hardware - including knobs, handles and hinges - is a fast, easy and cost-effective way to change the look of the entire room. Plus, you can improve functionality by choosing larger handles that are easier to grasp and replacing old-style hinges with modern varieties that close silently and smoothly or are completely hidden behind the cabinet door. Replacing the kitchen faucet is also an easy, relatively low-cost upgrade. Opt for a pullout spray head or touch-free model and you can also enhance the usability of this key kitchen feature.

5. Appliances
Your car couldn't function without tires and a steering wheel and no kitchen can serve its purpose without the right appliances. If your appliances are more than 10 years old, chances are they're starting to look worn and dated. They're also likely less energy efficient than newer models, many of which are now made to meet Energy Star standards (visit www.energystar.gov). Appliances account for nearly 20 percent of the energy consumed by an average home, according to Energystar.gov.

Upgrading a kitchen is a great way to enhance the value and your enjoyment of the most-used room in your house. Choosing improvements that add beauty and efficiency can help ensure you get the most for your renovation dollars.

Media Contact:
Keith Hobbs - Business Services Associates, Inc. - 9413 Greenfield Drive -
Raleigh, NC 27615-2306 - Phone - 919.844.0064 - E-mail - khobbs@nc.rr.com

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Glam Slam: Makeup Mondays – Lady Gaga’s Beauty Drink!

First Published: July 22, 2013 11:07 AM EDT Credit: Getty Premium

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Caption Lady Gaga attends the launch of Fame by Lady Gaga at Harrods on October 7, 2012 in LondonWe all know there are lots of “magic” potions on the market promising to make us look younger and more beautiful.

The latest trend is not what you put on your face, but rather what you drink. Celebrities, like Lady Gaga, Drew Barrymore and the Kardashians, are all indulging in nutrient-rich beauty drinks to improve the health of their skin, hair and nails.

“There is growing clinical data showing that consuming concentrated doses of certain antioxidants do in fact help protect the skin from the effects of damaging free radicals (accelerators in skin aging), which are produced in the skin when exposed to the sun or other pollutants, for example,” reveals celebrity nutrii-cosmetics expert, Paula Simpson.

These beauty elixirs work best when combined with a balanced whole food diet. “Beauty beverages are a convenient way to boost antioxidants or nutrients when we fail to consume the right foods every day. The targeted formulations are usually antioxidant rich and because antioxidants are typically neutralized quickly in the body, this is a great way to get a nutrient boost mid-afternoon or during your hectic day,” adds Paula.

These beauty drinks can be found in tinctures, sticks packs or standard water form. A few of the popular ones on the market to lookout for and suggested by Paula are The Bliss Glow Sticks, Taut Collagen shots and Activate waters.

But, if you want to try and make an at-home beauty drink, Paula shares her favorite beauty breakfast smoothie. It is packed with high-quality protein to support healthy collagen production, is rich in omegas to bring out skin’s radiance and is also a natural detoxifier.

Paula’s Breakfast Smoothie:

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut water1/2cup water (or almond, rice, or soya milk)1/2 scoop hemp or pea protein (vanilla flavor)1/2 cup frozen raspberries1/2 cup blueberries2 tbsp. probiotic active yogurt1 tsp. Chia seeds1 tbsp. wheat or barley grass1 tsp. cocoa powder1 tsp. flax oilBlend all the ingredients together.

For more natural beauty tips, check out www.paulasimpson.com

-- Terri MacLeod

(Glam Slam’s Ryan Patterson is on maternity leave. Terri MacLeod is filling in while she’s away.)

Copyright 2013 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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