Monday, January 02, 2012

KHI Quarterly V2 Q4

FEATURED PROJECT: THE MILLER’S MASTER BATH

When I met Ron and Dorothy Miller a year ago regarding the renovation of their master bathroom, I immediately took note of the large size of the bathroom and was excited by the possibilities it offered. The bathroom was an original to the home and had a typical 48” acrylic, one-piece shower, as well as a large Jacuzzi tub that had been turned into an expensive laundry basket.

In planning the details of this project, the Millers and I decided to allow as much natural light into the room as possible as there was only one, welded double hung window in the room facing to the east. We removed the partition wall that had separated the shower alcove from the rest of the bathroom and fabricated a large walk-in shower with a solid glass block wall. This not only created an attractive barrier for the shower but allowed the light to permeate throughout the entire room as well.

Another interesting feature of this job (which is becoming more and more popular) was the installation of electric radiant heat floors that were installed under the tile. The product is manufactured by a company called Nuheat and allows consistent even heat in an area with no cold spots. Each system is specifically designed to fit any room and disperse the appropriate amount of heat for that space in which it is to be installed. The heating is controlled thermostatically and will regulate the ambient heat in the room. A great advantage to the Nuheat heating is less dependence on additional heat sources, as well as reduced energy costs associated with heating.

For the cabinetry selection, the Millers wanted simple shaker style door panels which were made from Cherry and stained a dark espresso color. We kept with the size of the original double vanity and added a floor-to-ceiling hutch, as well as custom fabricated medicine cabinets and mirror frame, all matching the vanity style and color. The dark color of the cabinetry complemented the light natural tones of the tile and wall color, making everything in the room shine beautifully. The cabinets and custom woodwork were built by Marc Pompei of Pompei Carpentry Services in Plainville.

In addition to the work in the bathroom, we also renovated the master closet. One of the goals was to open up the entire space as one large room. This was done by removing the existing fluorescent lighting and the closet partition. We then installed new 5” LED recessed lights which provided maximum visibility throughout the space.

A custom built closet system was fabricated and mounted using the same materials and finish as the bathroom cabinetry. The three walls of the room were surrounded with a combination of drawers, adjustable shelves and hanging rods to accommodate all forms of attire. Once again we had Marc Pompei build all of the custom woodwork in the closet.

We are really proud of the way this job turned out and we had a great time working with Ron and Dorothy throughout the process. We have already done several other projects for the Millers and look forward to seeing them again soon. Thanks Ron and Dorothy for the opportunity!

NUHEAT ELECTRIC FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM

Nuheat Floor Heating Systems are clean soundless systems that provide radiant zone heating to various types of flooring surfaces including tile, stone, granite, laminate and engineered wood. Heat radiates from the entire floor surface as opposed to a single vent or baseboard heater. They are very energy efficient and allow you to heat room by room, use by use, where you want and when you want it. It is controlled by a thermostat which ensures that it is only in use when needed. As a result, energy consumption is greatly reduced. For example, a 30 square foot heated area of Nuheat will only use the same electricity as three 100-watt light bulbs. Nuheat does not generate any dust or airborne pollutants. The system itself has no particle or material decomposition and once installed is 100% maintenance free and will last the lifetime of your floors.

source: http://www.nuheat.com/
The actual cost of operating Nuheat Floor Heating Systems will depend on the size of the floor area, cost of electricity in your area and length of time the Nuheat system will be turned on. Traditionally, electric baseboard heaters are installed according to the rule of thumb that each room should be heated by 34 BTU (British Thermal Units) per square foot (given average insulation). Nuheat produces over 41 BTU per square foot. The table to the right shows a comparison of the BTU output at various square footages for Nuheat and electric baseboard heaters. BTU Sample Output BTU Sample Output BTU Sample Output.

To determine how much it will cost to operate Nuheat Floor Heating Systems in your home, use the Operating Cost Calculator found at http://www.nuheat.com/.

All Nuheat Floor Heating Systems are covered by a 25-year warranty.

WHY GLASS BLOCK?

One of the most attractive showers you can install in your home is a glass block shower. The shower is constructed of thick glass “bricks”. The glass allows light to penetrate from the rest of bathroom and through any outdoor windows reducing the need for artificial lighting. They are opaque and give a hint of only the slightest silhouette behind the glass. The end result is a light and open feeling shower but one that still gives you the privacy you desire.

Glass block wall designed and installed by KHI
 Although glass block is very popular in showers, many people are choosing glass block windows to reduce their home energy costs. A standard glass-block window has an insulating value about equal to a standard double-pane thermal window and because they are much thicker than most glass, they are the most durable type of window available. Since glass block is air tight, replacing your existing basement windows with glass block windows will result in the basement being warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. No more cold air drafts in the winter; warm air stays inside your home.

In addition to being energy efficient, another advantage of having glass block windows is to increase the
security of your home. One of the easiest ways for an intruder to enter your house is through a basement window, especially if it is damaged or doesn't lock properly. These windows are nearly impossible to break through and because it offers privacy, a would-be thief won't be able to see inside.

Glass Block is one of the more cutting edge building materials on the market today. It can enhance a bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, entryway or other living area. If you’re looking for ways to cut energy costs yet add design flair to your home, you may want to consider adding glass blocks to your next project.


  

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Basic White Bread







Baking with yeast is something which I didn't like initially, but now I feel that I am addicted to it. Initially, without anyone's help(obviously with only Internet) I baked pizza crust, which was my first baking experience with yeast. The result was not as expected and they ended up in bin. However, after continuous efforts involving wastage of some ingredients, I have now gained some level of mastery and now I'm brave enough to post this baking recipe with yeast.



Yes! After baking this white bread and seeing the final outcome, I couldn't believe myself that it was me who baked it!!! I was pleased and excited!



It is simple white bread with stepwise kneading instructions (If you own a kneading machine, kindly skip) for beginners who are absolutely new to yeast baking. Please refer here about yeast before you step into the recipe. I referred Rachel Allen's Baking for the kneading instructions and I have blogged the same here.









Basic Information:
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Idle Time: 2 hours
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes
Makes: 1 loaf




Ingredients:

All purpose flour/ Plain flour/ Maida - 2 cups + extra for dusting

Warm water - 1/2 cup + extra to make soft dough

Active dry yeast - 1 envelope (7g)

Sugar - 2 teaspoons

Olive Oil/ Butter - 1 tablespoon + extra for greasing

Salt -  1/8 teaspoon







Method:



1) In a small bowl, mix sugar, yeast, 1/2 cup warm water and keep aside for 5-7 minutes till the water is frothy.


 



2) Meanwhile, sift the all purpose flour and add salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour olive oil or butter. Start mixing using your hand which results flour mixture similar to breadcrumbs.



3) Add proved yeast to the flour mixture little at a time till you make a soft dough. Add extra warm water if required.


 



 4) Now the kneading part. Knead it for 10 minutes by pushing the front of the dough away with the heel of your hand while holding the back of the dough as shown in picture.



5) Then, fold the stretched part back on itself. Give a quarter turn and repeat the steps. If you own an electric mixer, you just require 3-5 minutes to do this job.



6) At the end, you get a smooth and soft elastic dough ball.



7) Coat it with oil and keep in a bowl greased with oil. Cover using a damp cloth/ cling wrap for an hour until the dough has doubled in its size. (Keep near warm stove/preheated oven/ inside the switched off the oven with turning the light on).


 



 8) When the dough has risen, punch it back using your fist. Transfer the dough to the lightly floured surface.



9) Knead it for 2-3 minutes then allow to rest again for 10 minutes. Use cling wrap to cover this.



10) Preheat the oven for 220C(425F).

11) Shape the dough into oval and place inside the loaf tin(2lb, 25CM X 12CM). Cover using the damp cloth/cling wrap and keep near the warm place.


 



12) Allow it for final raising say about for 30-40 minutes. (It might differ based on the place where you keep the loaf tin for rising. Most of the time, it is less than an hour. but make sure not to over prove, otherwise the bread will deflate.)



13) Slightly touch the bread surface using your finger. It should be soft and spring back slowly.If so, the dough is ready for baking.

14) Dust the top with flour or give a light coating of butter/oil/milk.

15) Bake it for 20-25 minutes or until the bread is well risen. After 15 minutes from the starting time, turn the oven temperature down to 200C(400F).





16) Turn out immediately after cooking. Otherwise the base part will be soggy.

17) Cool on a wire rock. Once done, cover using a clean towel and store it.

18) Serve with butter or jam or nutella.





Note:

1) Use tray with water/ ice cubes to provide steaming for breads to get soft brown outside crust.

2) The raising time might differ and depends on the temperature on the room.

3) Yeast proofing is optional for active dry yeast. However spending an extra 5 minutes will help you to avoid using old/expired yeast in bread baking.


Happy New Year With Custard Powder Fudge


CUSTARD POWDER FUDGE

Here is a short Sweet recipe on the first day of the happy New Year.


INGREDIENTS

Vanilla Custard Powder - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 cups
Water - 4 1/2 cups
Juice of 1 lime = 4 tbsps
ghee - 2 tbsps

GARNISH

Nuts roasted in another 2 tbsps of ghee

METHOD







Mix all the INGREDIENTS together without lumps and cook on medium flame stirring continuously till the translucent mass leaves the sides of the pan, mix in the GARNISH and then pour on to a greased plate. 


SET ! CUT ! ENJOY !

WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY, PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.