Green Party U.S. – Green Technology, Recycling & Alternative Energy News & Information

The Benefits of Choosing a Portable Air Conditioner

October 30, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

When summer arrives, most of us would want to stay cozy and cool inside an air conditioned room. It is during this season when even electronics and computers are at risk of overheating, which is why it is important that companies should have a server room air conditioner. Due to the continually increasing costs in air conditioning, many people are trying to find solutions that will help them reduce these costs. Now, you can either purchase or call for a rental portable air conditioner to help you beat the summer heat.

What are the advantages of a portable air conditioner? Let’s face it, one of the biggest dilemma we all face are the bills we need to pay for to enjoy these luxuries. However, with a portable air conditioner, you will only need to shoulder your usage costs. There are no installations involved nor neither will you need to bring out any of your “technical skills” to make a portable air conditioner work. It is compact which means that it will not take up too much of your floor space, perfect for small homes and apartments.

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Article submitted by MovinCool. Since 1982, MovinCool has been one of the leading providers of a portable ac both for indoor and outdoor use. The company also provides ceiling mounted portable ac that serves as a great alternative for fan coil units.

The Importance of a Solid, Strong Mattress Foundation

October 24, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

It would make no sense to build a brand-new, beautiful home on shoddy foundation, or to manufacture a car on a weak, rusty frame. No matter how wonderful the components of a product may be, the foundation system will eventually impact every other aspect of an item, no matter what it is. Mattresses and bedding are a perfect example.

The predominant focus in bedding today is on foam comfort layers and toppers. It makes sense, as these are the things we’re in direct contact with, making it seem like it’s the most integral part to a satisfying sleep experience. But while the comfort layer of a mattress is important, the foundation of a bed carries the greatest impact on its long-term functionality and enjoyability, especially when topped with foam mattresses.

The foundation in a foam bed provides a support system to the mattress, as well as the individual sleeping on it. Weak foundations diminish the ability of a bed to support a body in the ways it needs to. An old, worn-out foundation can lead to misalignment and sagging in the comfort layers.

For foam mattress builds, the foundation needs to be the strongest part of the entire bed. A foundation that’s softer or less supportive than the sleep layer will not provide the body with what it needs and will break down quickly. Materials like high-density open-cell foam make outstanding foundations, as do high-quality latex foam bases. A comfort layer will have virtually no effect on the enjoyment of your bed if a shoddy foundation is undermining what it’s trying to do!

Article submitted by The Foam Factory, an online source a for foam bed products, including memory foam, conventional foam, and even contoured pillows.

 

Artificial Grass Lawns Conserve Water and Money

October 21, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Who doesn’t want a lush, beautiful yard? But maintaining natural grass and landscapes takes hard work. It also requires a lot of water — a precious resource that we can’t afford to waste. About 60 percent of a homeowner’s household water goes toward garden and lawn maintenance. And this amount could easily increase if you live in a dessert climate or if you have a pool. So how can you conserve water and still enjoy a beautiful yard? It’s time to change the way we maintain our yards.

There are many ways homeowners can conserve water and tend to their yards. Learning how to create a water-rise landscape is one of the most important ways you can save water and money on your energy bills. The following is a brief guide on how to create a water-wise landscape to save water and money.

Install artificial grass. You don’t have to ditch the idea of having a beautiful emerald green lawn. However, instead of natural grass, consider installing artificial grass. Decades ago, artificial grass wasn’t as nice or realistic as it is today. It also wasn’t healthy for the environment. However, advanced artificial grass products that are available today look and feel just like natural grass. Since fake grass doesn’t need water, you can landscape your yard with fake grass and significantly reduce the amount of water you need to use to maintain your yard. In fact, an artificial grass lawn can save you up to 550 gallons of water per year per square meter.

In addition to saving water, artificial grass lawns save homeowners a lot of time and money on maintenance. Unlike natural grass, an artificial lawn does not have to be mowed, fertilized, or checked for weeds. It also won’t fade or die during the off season. Artificial grass is also healthy for the environment. In addition to conserving water, it eliminates the need to use harmful pesticides. The final result is a lush yard that requires little maintenance if any.

Plant native plants and flowers: Another way to save water in your landscape is to plant local plants and flowers. For example, if you live in the dessert, create a landscape with desert adapted plants. These plants can live longer without being watered and are already accustomed to the environment you live in. Installing an artificial grass lawn from a leading artificial grass supplier along with native and drought-resistant plants and flowers will ensure that you save water and money.

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This article was sponsored by CCGrass Landscapes, a professional artificial grass manufacturer, designer, and innovator. The company provides worldwide installation in more than 72 countries. Visit CCGrass Landscapes to purchase synthetic grass. 

Types of Bamboo Flooring

October 21, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Bamboo flooring can be found in different types, styles and colors deriving their distinctions from their grain, color and finishing. With respect to the grain, we have horizontal grain which is achieved when the bamboo stalk is laid flat and cut into strips showing the nodes. The canes are first cut into narrow strips and hard pressed together vertically to create the vertical grain thus no nodes. Strand grain comprise of strips of compressed bamboo under extreme heat and pressure with adhesives.

According to color, the flooring can be described as blonde which is the natural bamboo flooring color of bamboo or carbonized, usually brown to dark brown, achieved by heating the canes in a kiln to caramelizing the natural sugars in the plant.

One type when considering the finishing is solid bamboo flooring which comprise of the whole bamboo. It’s divided into even parts and then milled and pressed into planks. Another type is the Engineered bamboo flooring which has a 1/8″ thick “wear-level” or top layer that is solid. The core consist of compressed layers of other types of wood or fiberboard. Distressed bamboo flooring has a ruffled or wavy effect across the planks to creating a more antique look and core is solid bamboo.

Simple Ways To Clean Bedding

October 20, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

In bedding stores, you will find a variety of bed sheets with different materials, styles and sizes. Cleaning these bed sheets can be quite tricky especially if it is made with a mixture of different fabrics. Proper cleaning of designer bedding is important as these sheets do not often come cheap. Here are a few fool-proof techniques that you can apply to clean bedding with materials that are common among households.

Most cotton bedding can be washed in a washing machine unless it comes with a label or warning that it can only be dry-cleaned. To dry clean bedding, you can use your old and trusty vacuum cleaner. Use the small brush attachment and gently brush it over your sheets at the lowest setting. New sheets easily bleed. To prevent this, you can soak the bedding inside a tub of cold water mixed with at least three cups of regular salt or washing soda which can be bought in a grocery store. Leave it soaked for 2 to 3 hours and allow it to dry by laying it flat outdoors. If you see any stains on white sheets, create a paste out of fabric bleach and cream of tartar and dab it onto the stubborn stain.

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Article submitted by BeddingStyle. BeddingStyle is one of the leading suppliers of high quality and branded bedding since 2004. Aside from bedding, they also offer shower curtains, towels, bed in a bag, comforters and a whole lot more.

Three Important Qualifications for a Roofing Contractor

October 19, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

If you’re in need or roof repair, it can feel as though you’re at the mercy of a contractor. But keep in mind it’s still a buyer’s market and you have plenty of roofing contractors to choose from. Below are some things you should consider when interviewing potential contractors.

Before you entertain anyone’s bid, make sure they prove they are licensed to work in your state. Furthermore, they should have the correct insurance for roofing. Lacking either qualification should eliminate a company from the competition. Not being licensed means it’s illegal for them to work; you could get in trouble for hiring them. It could also mean they aren’t up on the many codes involved. Not having the right insurance could land you on the wrong side of a lawsuit if anything goes wrong.

Don’t take the lowest bid because it’s the lowest. Take a moment to analyze the bid and make sure everything makes sense. It could be low because the contractor has no idea what they’re doing. Saving money won’t do much if you have to spend it to fix their work.

Check to see how long your potential roofing contractors have been in business and give credit to those who have been working the longest. You can’t teach experience.

Keep the above three pieces of advice in mind the next time you find yourself looking for a contractor.

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Article submitted by Chicago Remodeling Solutions. They are a roofing company in Chicago that has developed a reputation for dependable service and quality work.

FIVE COLORS TO PAINT YOUR FRONT DOOR

October 16, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

1. SHINY BLACK: Black can enhance most any exterior home design, but will do best with homes that have a more modern design, which would include a craftsman style, mid-century modern, and contemporary homes. Black can look dirty quickly, so pick a paint that makes cleaning easy. If your home’s exterior is already a darker shade,you may wish to reconsider shiny black; the rest of the colors listed below are great options no matter your home’s color palette.

2. BRIGHT RED: Make your door standout with a shiny apple red. Red works best on earthy tones, and is absolutely perfect for brick homes and brownstones in the city, but can work just as well for suburban homes and subdivisions. Ask your local home improvement company for a few samples of red for a front door and be sure to include a primer if you’re painting over a darker color to make sure the red stays red.

3. EMERALD GREEN: A color that makes the rain beautiful! Select an emerald green for your entryway if you want to add a little bit of color, but you’re not quite ready to commit to a red or orange as we have mentioned in this Article. Emerald looks best as a semi-gloss, but if done with the right color palette could be used in a matte finish for an ultra-modern take on the cabin-in-the-forest feel.

4. ORANGE: Okay, it sounds a bit extreme, but a pleasant citrus orange can brighten your day and your door step. Tropical colors are popular in cities like Miami, Rio, and LA, but the color is just as appropriate for Minneapolis as it is for Honolulu. In fact, in the cold winter months in Minnesota, an orange door will remind passersby of the coming spring.

5. NAVY BLUE: Not quite blue, not quite black, this nautical color scheme is perfect for a beach home, or for a home whose inhabitants love boats and beaches. A navy front door looks practical (not quite as extreme as orange), but is easily identifiable as a purposeful design choice, rather than the default white or wood stain color often found in homes across the street.

The Future of Clean Clothes

October 14, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

Washing machines and dryers became a staple of modern living decades ago. Their existence provided families with cleaner clothes, quicker and with less work. Since the first commercial machines started showing up in homes, though, little has changed. Certainly washing machines have been designed to hold bigger load and work on multiple settings. Your clothes dryer can offer more options in terms of the amount of heat it uses. But overall, the actual model used for these two machine has remained relatively constant.

As it turns out, though, there has been an alternative for quite some time. Environmentally friendly options, for example, have been around since the late nineties. They hold a smaller amount of laundry at once, but they also use far less electricity. Spin dryers, as they’re called, simply spin the clothes so quickly that the water is drained out of them. There are also similar versions of washers. These provide a great alternative to traditional washing machines. As they’re much smaller, they can handle smaller loads, quicker and with less water used. This is great for people who just need one shirt washed for tomorrow’s meeting or people who use cloth diapers.

Despite their long history, traditional washers and dryers may be replaced sooner rather than later. Environmentally friendly options make it easier and cheaper to wash and dry clothes.

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Article submitted by The Laundry Alternative. The company has gained a reputation for providing the public with an alternative to traditional washers and dryers, such as their mini washer.

The Doors are Open

October 13, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

In the hustle and bustle of the modern metropolis, you need a place to store your precious vehicle. Whether a simple four-door that brings you and your family to work, to your exquisite Italian supercar, your vehicle is not safe when parked outdoors. From the scorching heat of the sun, to the cold and damp air in a rainstorm, your vehicle takes care of you; you too should care for your vehicle.

The easiest way of reducing your vehicles exposure to the elements is to park it indoors, preferably inside a gated garage with either a sliding or overhead garage door. Not only does a quality gated garage keep your car shielded from the elements, but it also adds a second layer of defense against theft by covering up the identity of your vehicle, whether it may be a Japanese station wagon, or an Italian exotic. You are not alone in this fight against theft and the elements, look at all the other Los Angeles garage doors belonging to owners who want to do the same for their precious investments. Keep your vehicle and your belongings safe by keeping them shielded in a closed garage and you can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying life.

Be safe, and smart, and choose to hide your vehicle from the prying eyes of the public and shield it from Mother Nature’s harsh elements with a quality closed garage. You will sleep sounder at night knowing your vehicle is safe and hidden, ready for your next adventure.

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Article submitted by Main Garage Doors; your source for affordable quality Wood Garage Doors for your home or office garage.

Burning waste to make steam and electricity

October 8, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

The U.S. Congress sends approximately 5,000 tons of garbage a year to Covanta Energy’s plant located ten miles outside Washington D.C. This generates enough power for about 250 homes. The U.S. generates about 250 million tons of waste a year and only about 87 million tons of it recycled. Imagine how many homes this can be powered by the rest of the waste?

Burning waste will be a better alternative than sending it to landfills that are filling up faster. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also says that burning waste can combat climate change by reducing carbon emissions by offsetting resources such as burning coal needed to generate energy. It also reduces methane gas production that is associated with landfills. Generating energy from waste face a problem of how to find adequate and reliable sources of waste material flow needed.

However, some environmentalists still claims that burning waste produce pollutants such as mercury and lead compared to coal-fired plants. One way to address the issue is to create smaller waste burning plants instead of constructing large coal-fired plants. Whatever it is the battle for cleaner energy sources will dominate the U.S. for years to come.