Right now, everyone is feeling the pinch. Whether you have lost your job, had your hours cut back, or just can't get as much overtime as you used to get, no one has as much money as they used to.
Even if this were not the case, no one wants to throw away money when they can get the same results and spend less. That's where this blog entry was born: is it better to repair it or replace it?
If you are talking about a very expensive item - a car, for example - you would obviously want to look at repairing it first. It may cost thousands to make the repair, but it will cost tens of thousands to buy a new one!
What about plumbing? Do you spend the money to repair that toilet, or just replace it with a new one and get the warranty and the other benefits of new?
I recently got a call from someone who had broken the lid on their toilet. The toilet was more than 10 years old, and of a very obscure brand. We looked it up on the internet, and replacing just the lid on his tank cost as much as $200.00!!! For a toilet tank lid!!!
When we discussed replacing the toilet, we determined that he could go buy a toilet at Home Depot and have us put it in for about $250.00. With the price he paid for the toilet, he gets a brand new toilet - that does not have 10 year old parts in it - for about $350.00. it will have a warranty and be professionally installed for less than twice what he would have paid just for the lid.
This seemed a no-brainer to him (and to me) and we set the appointment. But what about other problems?
It all comes down to weighing the cost versus the benefits. Is it worth the money to have the problem solved for less money, or pay a little more and get a warranty and all new parts? If you make this cheaper repair now, will you be making another repair next week, and the week after that? Will you end up paying more for multiple repairs that you would have if you had replaced it in the first place? It's hard to say.
You can always call us here at AB&R Plumbing, to run something like this by us. Check out our coupon page and see if you can't save a little bit of money off our already affordable prices.
Can we discuss the baseball All-Star game now? How did I miss it? When did this become only a popularity contest?
It was always favorite players, but they used to be favorites because they were good, not just because they played for your team! I mean, even if you hate the Yankees, you have to like Derek Jeeter! Don't like the Red Sox? Well, you have to be impressed with David Ortiz!
And why would anyone want Manny Ramirez at the All-Star game? he was suspended for 50 games for using a banned substance! Not only is that not All-Star behavior, but he hasn't even played enough games to be considered an All-Star this year! Let's get real!
Just my opinion. What do you think?
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Semiya Upma(Vermicelli Noodles)
Serves 2
Ingredients:
Oil-1.5 tbsp
Finely Chopped Mixed Vegetables(onion, carrot, capsicum, peas)-1 cup
Garlic chopped-1 pod
Vermicelli(Semiya)-1.5 cups
Salt
Turmeric powder(optional)- a pinch
Water-2 3/4 cups
Lime juice-1 tsp
Coriander leaves- to garnish
Seasoning:
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds-1 tsp
Curry leaves- a few
Urud dal-1 tsp
Green chilli chopped
Ginger chopped-1 tsp
Hing-a dash
Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add ingredients listed under "seasoning".
When mustard seeds crackle, add onion and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add rest of the veggies and sprinkle salt and turmeric powder.
Saute for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.
In the same pan, roast vermicelli on low flame. At the same time, bring water to boil.
When vermicelli turns golden brown, pour boiling water and mix well. Sprinkle salt. Cook till it absorbs all the water. Add the veggies, lime juice and coriander leaves and mix well.
Serve with pickle/yogurt or sugar.
This goes to Show me your Breakfast! - July 10th event!
Comments on Green (Kitchen) Remodeling
Here in the San Francisco Bay Area we do a lot more remodeling of existing homes than building new ones. This is because we are "built-out" in cities and suburbs that line the Bay. Remaining building lots in these areas are few and far between and usually on steep slopes requiring expensive engineering to build a house.
Developers pounce eagerly on flat sites such as the closed Alameda Naval Air Station, or Hunter's Point shipyard in San Francisco; even though toxic cleanup is required, because homes in the immediate Bay Area bring such premium prices. That's not going to change no matter what happens with the economy.
Extensive remodeling of existing homes has been going on here since the 80's, and I'm sure it will continue into the foreseeable future.
Some people actually buy obsolete homes in desirable areas (for millions of dollars) and tear them down to build a dream home.
What does this have to do with "green remodeling" you say? Well, a lot.
Green building is really a lot easier than green remodeling because you start with nothing when you build. So building with green materials and methods will result in a green home. How green depends on the materials and methods, but green.
When you remodel, you are starting with a structure that is obsolete. And in many cases, the remodel will only target part of the structure - for instance, the kitchen. So, even though you might choose bamboo cabinetry, cork flooring, Energy Star appliances, and all the other accouterments of a truly green kitchen; your green kitchen will still be mired in a not-so-green house.
What to do?
I suggest starting your planning for a remodel, any remodel of your obsolete home, with an Energy Audit and report.
This excerpt is from Green Building Advisor's page on Green Remodeling Projects
"An Energy Audit includes inspections and tests to assess moisture flow, combustion safety, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and durability.
An energy audit becomes a roadmap for smart repairs and helps organize improvements into sensible order. When renovations are to take place in stages, as the budget allows, an energy audit ensures the most pressing problems are taken care of first."
Never before has the technology or knowledge been available to assess your home as a "system". It's here now.
My husband and I recently contracted with Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces), of San Francisco, for an Energy Audit.
We were planning to replace our furnace and attic ductwork. So it seemed to be a logical move. But I highly recommend an Energy Audit before undertaking ANY remodeling work on your home, because the roadmap that the report provides should be incorporated in everything you do on your house from now forward.
In our case, Recurve gave us a very different picture than the furnace guys who gave us estimates a couple of years ago. Our new furnace is quite a bit smaller than the ones they were quoting, and our ductwork is different too. Yet we are far more comfortable than we have ever been in our home. That's because our Energy Audit told us that our home needed some major sealing attention, and we did that as part of the furnace and ductwork project.
No more drafts! And in chilly foggy South San Francisco, that's AMAZING!
Recurve also suggested our Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System. A product of which I was entirely unaware. I LOVE it and it saves a whole lot of water. I will also specify it for all of my clients henceforth. I gush about it in a previous post.
With an Energy Audit in hand you will be prepared to make your home truly green over a period of years, with every remodel you undertake.
You will also be cutting your impact on the environment in manageable steps.
It is so worth the small cost.
Do it today.
To see some green remodels on the Green Building Advisor site click here.
For a view on "Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Cut Your Utility Bill", as well as a treatise on "greenwashing", from Matt Golden, President of Recurve and a member of the advisory team at Green Building Advisor, click here.
Peggy
Developers pounce eagerly on flat sites such as the closed Alameda Naval Air Station, or Hunter's Point shipyard in San Francisco; even though toxic cleanup is required, because homes in the immediate Bay Area bring such premium prices. That's not going to change no matter what happens with the economy.
Extensive remodeling of existing homes has been going on here since the 80's, and I'm sure it will continue into the foreseeable future.
Some people actually buy obsolete homes in desirable areas (for millions of dollars) and tear them down to build a dream home.
What does this have to do with "green remodeling" you say? Well, a lot.
Green building is really a lot easier than green remodeling because you start with nothing when you build. So building with green materials and methods will result in a green home. How green depends on the materials and methods, but green.
When you remodel, you are starting with a structure that is obsolete. And in many cases, the remodel will only target part of the structure - for instance, the kitchen. So, even though you might choose bamboo cabinetry, cork flooring, Energy Star appliances, and all the other accouterments of a truly green kitchen; your green kitchen will still be mired in a not-so-green house.
What to do?
I suggest starting your planning for a remodel, any remodel of your obsolete home, with an Energy Audit and report.
This excerpt is from Green Building Advisor's page on Green Remodeling Projects
"An Energy Audit includes inspections and tests to assess moisture flow, combustion safety, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and durability.
An energy audit becomes a roadmap for smart repairs and helps organize improvements into sensible order. When renovations are to take place in stages, as the budget allows, an energy audit ensures the most pressing problems are taken care of first."
Never before has the technology or knowledge been available to assess your home as a "system". It's here now.
My husband and I recently contracted with Recurve (formerly Sustainable Spaces), of San Francisco, for an Energy Audit.
We were planning to replace our furnace and attic ductwork. So it seemed to be a logical move. But I highly recommend an Energy Audit before undertaking ANY remodeling work on your home, because the roadmap that the report provides should be incorporated in everything you do on your house from now forward.
In our case, Recurve gave us a very different picture than the furnace guys who gave us estimates a couple of years ago. Our new furnace is quite a bit smaller than the ones they were quoting, and our ductwork is different too. Yet we are far more comfortable than we have ever been in our home. That's because our Energy Audit told us that our home needed some major sealing attention, and we did that as part of the furnace and ductwork project.
No more drafts! And in chilly foggy South San Francisco, that's AMAZING!
Recurve also suggested our Metlund Hot Water D'MAND System. A product of which I was entirely unaware. I LOVE it and it saves a whole lot of water. I will also specify it for all of my clients henceforth. I gush about it in a previous post.
With an Energy Audit in hand you will be prepared to make your home truly green over a period of years, with every remodel you undertake.
You will also be cutting your impact on the environment in manageable steps.
It is so worth the small cost.
Do it today.
To see some green remodels on the Green Building Advisor site click here.
For a view on "Five Things You Can Do Right Now to Cut Your Utility Bill", as well as a treatise on "greenwashing", from Matt Golden, President of Recurve and a member of the advisory team at Green Building Advisor, click here.
Peggy
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