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The National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII), established in 1914 as the Elevator Manufactures’ Association, has been instrumental in maintaining a track record of safety and performance for modern elevators. NEII proudly looks back at 12 groundbreaking events in elevator history:

* 1853 – American inventor, Elisha Otis, introduces a freight elevator with a safety device to prevent falling in case a supporting rope breaks.

* 1857 – The first passenger elevator is installed in a New York City department store.

* 1880 – German inventor Werner von Siemens builds the first electric elevator.

* 1917 – Elevator Manufactures’ Association publishes the first model code: “Uniform Regulations for the Construction and Installation of Passenger and Freight Elevators.”

* 1920s – Electromechanical systems or “interlocks” are invented to prevent elevators from moving while their doors are open.

* 1921 – First Safety Code for Elevators, ASME A17.1, is published.

* 1950s – The operator-less elevator becomes the accepted standard for major office buildings. Equipment performance receives increased attention with passengers expecting better service and improved comfort.

* 1970s – Faster elevators are introduced in response to the demand for more speed in taller buildings.

* 1980 – Door restrictors are added, locking elevator doors when the car is more than 18 inches above or below a floor.

* 1992 – A new technology using complex algorithms called destination dispatch is introduced. This decreases passenger wait times and increases elevator efficiency by grouping passengers traveling to similar floors. Passengers access elevators by keypad or card readers, enabling them to designate their floor choice before entering the elevator.

* 2000 – Updated, harmonized U.S. and Canadian elevator safety codes call for a means to detect unintended car movement with the doors open or power loss, and require the installation of a brake that will immediately stop the car.

* 2007 – The first bi-national U.S. and Canadian elevator safety code is published. An emergency phone button replaces the alarm button. This places a call to a party that is trained to take action (i.e. elevator company, alarm company, etc.), giving the exact location of the building and elevator where the call originated. Trained emergency personnel can answer the call for service. The phone also allows for two-way communication between the elevator passenger(s) and emergency personnel.

* 2011 – New RFID card-reader systems are introduced that identify passengers and automatically call an elevator to take them to their desired floor. These systems can be interfaced with building security systems, or, for example, hotel room key systems. These “touch-less” systems also have advantages for the hearing or sight impaired by providing precise visual or aural cues.

NEII member companies remain committed to developing new technology to further strengthen passenger safety in both new and old elevators. As elevator technology evolves, there are stringent codes in place to ensure machinery is maintained and inspected. These codes encourage the efficient adoption of the latest technical developments, resulting in elevator equipment that remains on the leading edge of safety, innovation and reliability.

In addition, following simple elevator safety guidelines can further improve passenger safety and every rider should be familiar with them.

For more information about elevator safety and new technology, visit www.neii.org.

Guys’ appreciation for garages is fairly predictable. They are a place for welcomed solitude that is just steps away from the creature comforts of their home.

Conversely, a garage can be a grown-up clubhouse – a place to hang out with buddies. They, for example, often turn into galleries of keepsake art guys aren’t allowed to hang in their homes (e.g., beer signs and swimsuit calendars).

A garage also is the place where guys keep some of their most prized tools, which help them get things done the right way.

The condition of a guy’s garage reflects his personality as much as the truck he might park there. The only thing worse than a dull or uninspired garage is a messy one.

With that in mind, retailers Northern Tool + Equipment and Kotula’s are offering the following tips for those interested in improving most any garage while not taking away its utility.

Trick it out
Introducing a few new gadgets to a garage will pique owner pride. A revolving Ford Motors sign will bring old-school allure. Cool tools such as the Klutch Heavy Duty Air Impact Wrench also add to a garage’s credibility. It uses 950 ft.-lbs. of torque to remove lug nuts, rusted bolts and more.

Regular maintenance
Like anything in it, a garage needs to be maintained to operate at its best. Be realistic and purge items that are unnecessary or beyond repair. Plan cleaning days in advance and put them on the calendar. A Powerhorse Pressure Washer will help keep things tidy inside and outside the garage.

Be the host with the most
If enhancing a garage’s clubhouse feel is of interest, even small changes will make a big difference. The Harley-Davidson Oil Can Beverage Cart from Kotula’s will add heavy metal thunder to the otherwise ordinary task of making a drink.

But even when it comes to home renovations, it is important to be smart about how you spend your money, as the value of many large-scale home improvement projects is also questionable in today’s economy. Homeowners who made improvements in 2011 picked up only 58 cents in home equity on their remodeling dollar (on average), according to the Cost versus Value report released by Remodeling Magazine. Compared to figures in 2005, when home improvement projects provided a 76 percent cost return, the current data is hardly a motivator to proceed with that long-dreamed total kitchen renovation.

Less expensive home replacement projects are a much better bet in terms of recouping your costs, garnering about 64 percent back in resale value versus the 57 percent that remodeling projects earn back, on average. Some good ideas for relatively low-budget yet fruitful home improvement projects are adding an attractive front entry door, getting energy-efficient windows, installing new siding or, perhaps the most effective and rewarding option, replacing your garage door.

A new garage door is one of the best ways to improve your home with the confidence of receiving a solid return on your investment (ROI) when it’s time to sell. Replacing a garage door offers the second-highest ROI at 83.9 percent, out of 35 midrange improvement projects listed on the 24th annual Cost versus Value report. In some cities, like Charleston, W. Va., Honolulu, Providence, R.I., and San Francisco, the ROI is 100 percent. Even upscale garage doors are a smart investment, offering a 69.8 ROI and ranking fourth among the upscale projects listed in this report. There’s no doubt that a new garage door is an affordable replacement option that improves your house’s curb appeal while also offering higher energy efficiency, safety and security to both you and future homeowners.

Knowing that every dollar you invest in your house needs to be spent wisely to offer the greatest possible return, it’s best to make home improvement decisions that you’ll be able to enjoy now and that will improve your resale value down the road. Replacing a garage door is the perfect residential project because it’s an attractive and cost-effective way to achieve these goals. But with so many styles and materials available on the market, selecting the right garage door for your house can be a bit overwhelming. If you’re not sure where to begin, check out the “How to Buy a Garage Door” guide on amarr.com or at www.YouTube.com/amarrgaragedoors. The guide is a helpful tool to get you started, offering great tips on the benefits of different materials and how to match a door with your home’s architecture and character.

In a residential real estate market that’s anything but certain, it’s comforting to know that there are some home improvement investments that continue to be a sure bet. A new garage door not only offers a solid return at resale, but also beauty and functionality that help you to enjoy your home today.

“Daylighting” improvements that boost your home’s brightness and energy efficiency offer substantial return on investment for both home sellers and those who will be staying in their homes for the foreseeable future.

Bringing the daylighting concept home

Industrial and office designers have long used daylighting – the concept of illuminating interior spaces with natural light from above – to improve energy efficiency, healthfulness and functionality of rooms. The slower housing market and sluggish economy have raised homeowner interest in the concept.

“Daylighting improvements not only elevate a home’s visual appeal for potential buyers, they can enhance homeowners’ enjoyment of their living space, and reduce energy costs,” says Ross Vandermark, national product manager with skylight manufacturer VELUX America.

Homeowners who want to apply the principles of daylighting to their home have many options: They can add windows or roof windows or install any number of types of traditional skylights or Sun Tunnel tubular skylights.

The easiest daylighting upgrade

While adding a window in the wall of your home may raise practical and design issues, adding a roof window or skylight can be much easier. Roofs are, for the most part, a blank slate, allowing you to install skylights wherever they are needed most. And daylighting from above doesn’t just add functionality; it offers room-changing drama and decorating flair.

Roof windows are hinged, venting units designed to be installed in easily accessible areas, such as the angled walls in attic bonus rooms, and are operated by hand. A double-sash roof window is available that opens from both bottom and top to form a balcony on your roof. These units are often used in place of, or to replace, dormers.

Skylights are usually positioned higher on the ceiling, out of reach. Venting models can be opened or closed manually with a control rod or by remote control.

Skylights are popular with daylighting designers for several reasons. First, they easily fulfill the primary goal of daylighting by admitting more natural light into a room than similar sized vertical windows – thereby reducing the need for energy to power artificial lights. But they also work to enhance the healthfulness of a home.

If you opt to install a manual or electric venting skylight, it can be a natural, low-energy way to vent humidity, fumes and stale air from your home. Electric venting models open and close by remote control and have rain sensors to close them automatically.

Energy efficiency, high-tech and decorating in one package

Another important similarity among windows, roof windows and skylights is in the glazing, or how the glass is manufactured. Since the units are mounted facing directly at the sun, skylight glazing technology has to be among the best in the industry. Quality Energy Star-qualified units feature double-pane, gas-filled construction to control heat gain or loss, and filter the sun’s fade-causing rays.

Independent research done in Denmark shows that skylights admit 30 percent more light than vertical windows in dormers, and provide the drama of a sky view that can’t be achieved with vertical windows.

In addition to high-tech features such as remote control and automatic rain sensors, skylight blinds are available in a varied palette of colors and patterns. Homeowners can utilize blinds as another decorating option while achieving as much as a 37 percent increase in energy efficiency, according to VELUX America.

They recommend closing the blinds on high heat/sun days in the summer to reduce potential solar heat gain and, on cold winter nights, to provide an extra layer of thermal insulation to keep warm air indoors.

Skylights also address important health considerations. One in five Americans suffers varying degrees of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a condition in which the symptoms can include depression and fatigue due to lack of sufficient daylight. Skylights can help by admitting abundant daylight while visually expanding rooms in any style or size home.

Modern, low-profile skylights are unobtrusive and as dependable as vertical windows. Information about units with a 10-year, no-leak installation warranty, plus an installer locator, is available at veluxusa.com. There’s also a free mobile phone app available to help homeowners see how skylights and blinds would look in rooms in their own homes. The Velux Skylight Planner App is available for iPhones, iPods, iPads and Android phones.

For government information on window and skylight energy efficiency, visit energystar.gov, and for independent agency information, visit nfrc.org or efficientwindows.org. For remodeling information visit nahb.org/remodel or greenhomeguide.org.

“Homeowners are getting back to basics,” says Rebecca Kolls, senior director, consumer strategist of home and garden, Iconoculture, a leading consumer trends advisory firm which presented at Moen Incorporated’s INSPIRE Design Seminar. “They are putting roots down and investing in items to increase their quality of life.”

How are homeowners making their spaces more practical and livable for the long term? What exactly are the hot trends for 2012? Kolls points to several distinct ideas, including: practicality, rightsizing, style-telling and universal design.

Practical and perfectly sized homes
Today’s average new home is smaller than those from recent years at 2,135 square feet. It emphasizes inviting, livable spaces, and downplays the formal, untouched rooms of yesterday. Despite a decrease in overall square footage, kitchens are growing, homeowners are adding more porches, ditching the conventional living room concept and embracing fewer – yet larger – rooms.

To fill those rooms, homeowners are looking for products that provide function, as well as fashion. They are no longer buying for the sake of buying. “The first question consumers are asking is, ‘Do I need this or do I want this?’” says Kolls. They’re looking for more practical solutions for everyday life, like items that promote health and overall well-being, versus over-the-top indulgences.

Instead of one purely decorative element, homeowners are springing for more affordable luxuries with experiential benefits. In the bedroom, these purchases include new mattresses for increased comfort and a better night’s sleep, plus items like improved lighting and window coverings that facilitate a gentle transition from sleeping to waking. Bathroom remodels include items like towel warmers, steam showers and multiple body spray outlets that promote relaxation and spa-like indulgence. Moen Flushmount Body Sprays are especially appealing to the remodeling consumer looking for added wellness benefits: Each body spray is equipped with an adjustable spray face, allowing the user to position the water sprays exactly where he or she desires by pivoting up to 20 degrees in any direction, for the ultimate in customized relaxation and rejuvenation.

Style-telling solutions
Gone are the days of perfectly-matched rooms and pristine homes. Today’s homeowners are looking to tell a story through their decorating, with pieces that put a personal stamp on their spaces. People are stylizing the most-used room in the home – the kitchen – by adding workstations, artwork, photography and more furniture-like cabinetry enhanced by decorative cabinet knobs and pulls, like those offered by Moen.

Homeowners mix-and-match more now than ever before, complementing a great-grandmother’s antique dining room table with modern, geometric dinnerware; putting vintage photos into new stainless steel frames; storing K-cup coffee pods in antique coffee bins. “Homeowners are adding pieces that make sense: items that enhance their experience and put a personal stamp on a room,” Kolls says.

Flexible design
Baby boomers are the first generation to collectively fight aging. These individuals are caring for their parents, their children, and even their grandchildren, all while making plans for their own future. Boomers want to spend the rest of their lives in their own home and they’re looking for universally designed products to help them do just that. In the bath, boomers are incorporating ADA-compliant products, like new Weymouth lever-handle faucets and custom showering options from Moen. The Weymouth collection brings elaborate, traditional styling to the bath, plus reliable, nearly effortless operation for individuals of all ages and abilities.

In addition to more accessible everyday items, homes with several generations under one roof are also utilizing technology to help keep all members of the family safe and well. In fact, according to Kolls, wireless home health monitoring technologies are expected to grow by $4.4 billion by the year 2013. Smart mirrors that can monitor day-to-day health, including changes in appearance, plus alerts that report whether an aging parent has commenced his or her daily routine, are just a couple of examples of how technology is bringing additional security and flexibility to the lives of caregivers.

Today’s home may have a smaller footprint, but it is much more personal and memorable than houses of the past. Families are spending more time in the home and incorporating multiple generations under one roof, which makes for richer design – and even richer experiences – than ever before.

Appeal-adding updates could be as simple as the quick installation of two pairs of shutters and window headers for a smaller home, or a door surround and five or six pairs of shutters and sunbursts for a larger home.

Accessories like these make a significant difference and help transform the facade and complete feel of a home. Other products include dentil trim, specialty siding shapes and decorative gable vents.

“If your siding is 10 or 12 years old and still in good shape, one way to really give yourself a quick transformation is by simply adding color and dimension with some siding decor,” says Jonathan Wierengo, vice president of marketing for The Tapco Group, maker of Mid-America Siding Components.

“We’ve had a number of contractors tell us about curb appeal makeovers that people are doing for $1,000 or $1,200, where you can have five or six pairs of shutters and something like a door surround,” says Wierengo.

While installing these exterior accents is accomplished in a matter of hours, their
beauty benefits last for decades. With Mid-America’s SolidThru color technology and limited lifetime warranty, no painting, staining or sealing are ever required.

The vinyl shutters from Mid-America offer virtually limitless ways to bring excitement, and make a colorful starting point for one of these affordable multi-faceted makeovers. Whether shutters are for two windows or a set of five, the difference with charismatic color and depth is dramatic. Standard shutter styles include Cathedral Open Louver, Williamsburg Raised Panel, and spaced or joined Board-N-Batten Shutters. Customizable louvered shutters allow offset mullions, extra panels and optional shutter tops for added elegance. Available decorative S-hooks can further distinguish with a romantic touch.

Shutters can combine with sunbursts or window headers to frame a window with robust style. Elliptical and half-round sunbursts bring a brighter feel, while sunburst kits pair half-round designs with either flat-panel or classic-dentil headers for added flair.

The timeless style of window headers projects a refined look. For a front door, a header is combined with twin pilasters to create a door surround conveying subtle strength. The pilasters’ crisp vertical lines deliver a grander entryway. The eye-pleasing dimension of a door surround can also be used to uniquely frame a garage door.

For an expressive combination, a door surround can be paired with the lively contrast of specialty siding shapes. Mid-America’s popular Round specialty shapes provide textured accents for gables and contrasting color around a home’s second story. Five other shapes are offered in white, including Half Cove and Mitered Corner profiles, lending contrast to shingle-style siding or combining with colorful Round shapes for uniquely elaborate exteriors.

Dentil trim is another accent available for upper exteriors, delivering timeless elegance and immediate architectural distinction. Square Tooth and Scalloped Tooth Dentil Trim create substance all the way around a home with harmonious interplays of light and shadow.

Decorative Gable Vents (non-functional) are simple yet impactful. Combining with shutters, window headers or other accents, they help unify a home’s appearance. Available in Round, Octagon, Square and Rectangle profiles, these ornaments can complement or contrast existing trim or siding.

Smaller details also do their part to generate serenity and a more finished look. Cost-effective, color-coordinated mount blocks and vents deliver crisper, cleaner appearances for light fixtures, electrical outlets, exhaust vents and more. Blocks and vents come in the industry’s widest color spectrum, matching vinyl and fiber cement siding makers’ color availability. With innovative trim rings that snap on in a flash, they hide imperfections like heavy caulking and unseemly cut ends.

Mid-America Siding Components enhance various architecture styles and can be directly installed on exteriors ranging from brick, fiber cement and vinyl to wood, stone veneer and stucco. From modest homes to those in luxurious neighborhoods, a selection of these decorative accents can reinvent a home’s exterior with captivating new appeal.

SturdiMount fiber cement mounts are the pre-flashed, pre-assembled mounts that are manufactured of fiber cement with an ABS flange. Easily installed, they offer the versatility to mount everything from dryer vents and coach lights to hose bibs and receptacle outlets. SturdiMount products are the first fiber cement mount blocks and the only ones to carry the “Recommended by James Hardie” logo.

Mid-America Siding Components is a division of The Tapco Group, a U.S. Green Building Council member. For more information, visit www.MidAmericaComponents.com or call 800-521-8486.

“It’s cheaper to grow your own produce than buy it – one $3 tomato plant will yield pounds of produce all season long,” Jimerson says. “Plus, the produce you grow just tastes better than even your grocer’s best. And while it’s healthy to eat and grow your own, gardening is rapidly gaining popularity as a great way to get some exercise, relieve stress and spend healthful family bonding time.”

Eating foods grown in your own backyard means you won’t be contributing to the carbon footprint left behind by the “food miles” it takes to bring imported produce to your local grocers – so you’re helping the environment, too.

Growing vegetables is easier than you think. Plan it properly, and you can enjoy a healthy, homegrown harvest from the fruits of your labor – without having to spend hours tending it.

Gardening 101

Sunshine is sustenance – Vegetables need at least six hours of full sun per day. The easiest thing to do is to place your garden in full sunlight. Make sure it’s easily accessible for watering; if the garden is too far from your house it could get neglected. Check the last frost date in your region and wait until threat of frost is past before you begin planting.

No yard necessary – Gardening doesn’t require a lot of room – although if you have the space and time to go large, go for it!. Many popular vegetables and herbs grow just fine in containers, making them a great option for those with limited space. For smaller yards, raised beds are an easy, low-maintenance option. If your garden is going right into the ground, just turn the earth with a shovel, toss out roots and rocks, mix in a soil amendment for healthy soil, and plant.

Water relief – Water regularly, but avoid doing so during the heat of the day when evaporation will diminish the effectiveness of irrigation. Water to wet the soil about 8 inches deep, but don’t over-water.

Feed your food – All edible plants draw nutrients from the ground, and can quickly exhaust the soil without the help of a fertilizer. Always follow label directions.

Growing for it

Now that you’ve got an idea of the basics, it’s time to pick your plants.

Start with transplants – seedlings are way easier to get growing than seeds, so you’ll save loads of time and enjoy improved success. Fortunately, national purveyors like Bonnie Plants make it easy to find hardy, high-quality, regionally appropriate plants at your local garden retailers. Bonnie offers time-tested vegetable and herb favorites, as well as new varieties, in eco-friendly, biodegradable pots that not only reduce plastic waste in landfills, they reduce transplant shock. Simply tear off the bottom of the pot and set the whole thing – plant in pot – directly into the ground. Be sure to pay close attention to plant tags, they’re packed with facts and details to help you successfully grow your plants.

Here are some favorites to consider for your garden:

* Tomatoes – The most popular, most-grown vegetable, tomatoes are always a best bet. Disease-resistant Bonnie Original is a hardy, flavorful addition to any backyard garden. For containers or small spots, try Sweet n’ Neat, a prolific plant that sets fruit in grape-like clusters.

* Basil – The perfect complement to tomatoes, basil works well in gardens and containers. New Greek Columnar Basil is particularly bountiful, as it grows high, leafs out densely and rarely flowers. The flavor blends traditional basil with spicy overtones of cinnamon, allspice and cloves.

* Bell peppers – Versatile, flavorful and nutritious, bell peppers are great raw snacks and make an awesome ingredient for a variety of cuisines. Harvest peppers when they’re green or red when the vitamin levels are higher.

* Eggplant – Black Beauty is the quintessential eggplant with a deep purple, glossy skin and meaty texture, and thrives in hot weather. White-skinned varieties like Cloud Nine offer a sweeter, bitter-free flesh.

* Mints – Easy-to-grow mints are available in traditional spearmint and peppermint and in more exotic flavors like Bonnie Plant’s new apple mint, orange mint and even chocolate mint, which has a flavor that echoes the classic Girl Scout cookie.

Hefty harvest – The general rule: If it looks good enough to eat, it probably is. With many vegetables, the more you pick, the more the plant will produce. For more gardening tips, ideas and advice, visit www.bonnieplants.com.

“In the early part of the 20th century, the deer population in the U.S. was less than half a million animals,” says Greg Ecsedy, owner of Bobbex Inc., which manufactures deer repellent. “Today, estimates place the deer population at between 15 million and 20 million animals that cause about $1 billion a year in damage to farms, gardens, yards and timber.”

“We know that deer will eat more than 500 different types of plants, so there’s a good chance that something you’ve planted will appeal to them, and you can bet they’ll eat it,” Ecsedy says.

Since deer need to consume a high volume of calories to survive – bucks weighing 125 to 250 pounds need 4,000 to 6,000 calories per day – their foraging can cause significant damage to suburban landscapes. Deer seldom travel alone, so a small herd can devastate a neighborhood quickly. Deer’s close proximity to people over the course of time has dulled their natural fear, so it’s quite common to see multiple deer nonchalantly noshing away – right outside your window.

Deer’s adaptability stems from their capacity to learn. Homeowners can defend their landscape by putting deer’s natural learning ability to good use. Deterrents that convince the deer your yard is no longer a desirable dining destination can successfully protect your home environment from these foraging foes.

Several methods can be effective in deterring deer, including the use of repellents like all-natural Bobbex Deer Repellent. Common solutions include:

* Deer Repellent – Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell to assess the desirability of an area for feeding, and to alert them to danger. Disrupting their sense of smell can disrupt their sense of security, which is why scent-based repellents often prove effective. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station gave Bobbex a 93 percent protection index – second only to a fence, at 100 percent, for effectiveness. The repellent uses ingredients that blend the scents of putrescent eggs, garlic, fish, clove oil and other proteins, so it smells and tastes awful to deer. It’s environmentally friendly and safe for animals and your family.

Apply it in almost any weather, it dries clear, won’t wash off after heavy rain or burn plants and grass. Bobbex Deer Repellent is available online at www.homedepot.com and in garden retail stores. To learn more, visit www.bobbex.com.

* Deer Deterrent Devices – Motion-activated noise makers and lights can scare deer off for a short time. Deer’s movement in the yard can activate motion lights at night, scaring them away, during the day you can use motion-activated sound. It’s likely, however, that deer will become acclimated to both tactics over time, and the sound and motion might not have an effect on them.

* Deer Fence – Fencing is considered the only surefire way to keep deer out of a garden, but keep in mind that deer have been known to jump 10-foot fences, and many communities restrict the height of fencing. You may not be able to put up a fence high enough to keep deer away – plus, fencing might not be practical and can be costly.

* Deer Resistant Flowers – Another option is to grow plants that deer don’t like. A hungry deer will eat just about anything, but you may have some success by planting deer-resistant flowers and plants like catmint, hellebore, yarrow, fuzzy lamb’s ear, and cleome near the plants you want to protect.

“Gardening on a rural acreage with a large deer population proved challenging in all seasons until we discovered Bobbex Deer Repellent,” says garden writer Jan Patrick. “We like that the same product we used to protect our shrubs and dwarf conifers in winter also effectively protects the summer garden. The fertilizer value of Bobbex is an extra plus.”

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 take the beauty a step further by using the power of the sun, collected through low-profile solar panels on the roof, to heat water – at a monthly savings that’s about 80 percent less than the cost of traditional heaters.

Getting some light in here.

Do you really need a bunch of scientific studies to tell you that a home filled with natural light just feels better? Probably not. Illuminating 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, by all means add some windows.

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) a tubular skylight is a good alternative. Some, like Velux’s Sun Tunnel products, are easy enough to install that a seasoned do-it-yourselfer could accomplish the task. They cost less than traditional skylights and bring natural light to hard-to-light areas like closets, hallways and other small spaces.

Getting some air in here.

Just as natural sun is good for your mood, ventilation can be good for your health. An Energy Star qualified venting skylight is a great way to passively vent stale, moist air from inside your home, especially from baths and kitchens. While some skylights are “fixed,” those that do open can be controlled by a remote to open when you want fresh air and close when you want to retain warmth. They can also close automatically in case of rain. In addition, they introduce free light into your home. Adding blinds – also remote-controlled – can help you better control the amount of sun a skylight admits into your home. And blinds are not just functional – you can get them in colors and patterns to complement your decor while increasing energy efficiency. Compared to other venting solutions, a skylight is a relatively low-cost, great-looking way to address ventilation issues while adding drama to a space. Log on to www.veluxusa.com to learn more about skylights.

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 are also highly rated for energy efficiency. If you’re not sure how to choose, look online, where you’ll find guides for buying garage doors and front doors.