Roll Out the Barrel
Metal Roofs Hit the Beach
Friday, June 29, 2007
If you love metal roofs but didn’t think your oceanfront home was a candidate, there’s good news from Follansbee. Their TCS II coated stainless steel is armored with a patented alloy, an electrochemically bonded coating of tin and zinc applied to both sides of stainless steel.
According to the company, TCS II exposed for five years at an oceanside test stand showed no signs of red rust. Researchers at California State University exposed samples to a 5% salt spray for over 12,500 hours with no evidence of corrosion. Other metal roof materials showed signs of corrosion in less than 1,200 hours, and no other has reached anywhere close to the 5,000-hour mark.
The metal develops a soft patina after exposure to the elements but is not degraded by heat or UV light and never needs to be painted. TCS II can be adapted to use in barrel roof applications, as shingles, and as specially constructed sections in flat or spherical shapes.
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Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House
Bringing Your Home into Harmony with Nature
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Have you thought about making your next home safer, healthier, greener?
No need to wait! “Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House” makes clear that you don’t have to build new in order to enjoy a green home. You can reap many of the benefits through a remodel.
Carol Venolia and Kelly Lerner balance the philosophical underpinnings of green construction with the technical information required to implement the concept. It’s packed with great ideas, gorgeous photography and, you’ll love this, resource lists. No matter the extent of your remodel or the size of your budget, you’ll find something useful here.
The book is a finalist for the 2007 Nautilus Book Awards, which recognize literary works that embrace spiritual and ecological values such as compassion, sustainability and simplicity.
Basket Case
Rwandan Women Weave for Peace and Prosperity
Monday, June 25, 2007
Rwandan genocide widows are helping rebuild their lives and their country’s economy through their ancient tradition of basket weaving. Sold through Macy’s, the baskets provide income to rural women who had never before earned money. Each basket is woven using ancient techniques and traditional materials.
Each Kivu basket takes a month to make. First, men gather bamboo from the forest and weave sturdy inner frames to give the basket its distinct shape. Women then weave the outer basket using exquisitely fine stitches.
Crafted of sisal and sweetgrass that grow in the Rwandan plains, the Treasures basket, with its tight lid, has traditionally been used to safeguard cherished belongings.
The pagoda-shaped Night Peace basket—so unique to Rwanda that it is included on the national seal—has been woven for centuries. Crafted from naturally dyed papyrus and banana leaf, the zigzag design tells an ancient story of friends walking together, visiting neighboring villages along the way.
Order online only from macys.com.
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The Black Hole
Is No More with New Shower Flooring
Friday, June 22, 2007
No matter how gorgeous your shower, well, there’s still that ugly drain. If only there were a better way. Oh, wait, there is.
A system by Lacava Design called Tatami Brick offers an alternative. The ceramic bricks are set in a resin container with a drainage system that wicks away the water. The non-slip bricks snap into place and their ridges channel water away from your feet so you feel secure standing on them. You even get a little foot massage at the same time.
Measuring just over two inches thick, the bricks are easily removed for cleaning. The system is manufactured by Ceramica Flaminia in Italy and imported by Lacava Design.
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Super Tuscan
The Basics of Tuscan Style
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Our love for all things Italian replenished from a recent trip to Italy, we’d like to share with you one of our favorite Italian design books. “Tuscan Elements,” by Alexandra Black and Simon McBride, is a beautifully written and sumptuously illustrated guide to Tuscan style from the ground up.
Author Black deconstructs the archetypal Tuscan house into four components: stone, wood, earth and water. It is these elements that give the Tuscan house, whether rustic farmhouse or elegant villa, its unique character. Delving into the history of each of these elements, Black shows how they are used today in everything from stone walls and terracotta tile roofs to oak furniture and water features.
You’ll be checking the immobili listings before you’re halfway through!
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Rest Easy
Sheets That Are Soft On You -- And The Environment
Monday, June 18, 2007
You can sleep peacefully in Coyuchi linens knowing that you’re nestled in organically grown cotton. The Point Reyes Station company produces a full line of luxurious and comfortable cotton bed linens, throws, blankets, baby bedding, towels and robes.
We particularly love the damask and sateen sheets that get softer with each washing. And you’re not limited to white and cream anymore: you can now punch up the color and still stay organic. The wisteria jacquard pattern comes in lavender, nearly the exact color of the flowers themselves. Complete the ensemble with a slightly darker lavender blanket, and add crisp contrast with white sateen lavender marrow stitched cases, flat sheets and shams. You’re stylish and safe.
Coyuchi is fussy about their cotton: they pay premium prices to small-scale growers for their organic cotton fiber to encourage practices that protect not only the environment, but the farmers, their families, and their communities from exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals. Cotton uses 25% of the world’s insecticides. Now, wouldn’t you rather slip into organic cotton sheets?
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