Show Notes: Customize Your Closet – On the House
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Show Notes: Customize Your Closet

By on February 1, 2020
closet

“Customize my closet?” you ask.

You might wonder, how much will that set me back?

Customizing and organizing closet space doesn’t have to be as expensive as you’d think. Listen to our radio show or read our show notes to find out why!

You’ll also learn about anti-solar panels, some recalls, and how house sizes are going to change in 2020!

Missed our live show? Don’t worry! Because we have a podcast of the show. It’s the same thing we aired on the radio, but ready for you whenever and wherever you are! Check it out here. 

The Anti-Solar Panel – A Device That Generates Electricity From Darkness! 

There are different kinds of solar panels. The one most typically used is a type that generates electricity from the sun through a physical process called the photo-voltaic (PV) effect – when light exposure on certain materials generates an electric current. Another type generates electricity from heat through thermal processes – when the sun is hotter and Earth is cooler, and the difference in temperature can be converted into usable energy. 

 That second kind of solar panel is the one that inspired a team of researchers at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California to develop a new system that can harness energy in darkness. It’s based on the concept of using heat to generate energy but an inverse version of the solar panel. While the solar panel uses the heat difference between the sun and Earth with the Earth being the cooler side – their system makes use of the heat difference between the coolness of the night atmosphere and the Earth with the Earth being the hotter side 

 Dubbed an “anti-solar panel” by some, the device has the potential to bridge the gap left by solar energy, collecting energy from the night sky. The thermoelectric generator-based device harnesses the variance in temperature between Earth and outer space by using “a passive cooling mechanism known as radiative sky cooling to maintain the cold side of a thermoelectric generator several degrees below ambient.” 

 Once they are able to refine the system to produce anywhere close to as much energy as a standard solar panel, it could completely transform the renewable energy sector. It’s cheaper to make and can provide a way to generate electricity at a time that solar panels can’t. 

 

Stihl Recalls Pressure Washers Due to Injury Hazard  

The STIHL RE 90 Pressure Washers have been recalled because the pressure washer nozzle can disconnect from the spray wand when under pressure during use, posing an injury hazard.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled pressure washers and contact STIHL or an authorized STIHL servicing dealer to receive a free replacement spray wand.

 

The Thompson’s Company Recalls Aerosol Waterproofing Wood and Masonry Protectors Due to Fire Hazard  

The Thompson’s® WaterSeal® Waterproofing Wood Protector and Masonry Protector in Aerosol Cans  has been recalled because the contents of the cans can react with the package, causing rust to form along the can seam, which could spread to other areas of the can and create pinhole leaks.  Leaking propellant poses a fire hazard when it comes into contact with sources of ignition.  Leaking sealer can also result in property damage. 

Consumers should immediately stop using Thompson’s WaterSeal Waterproofing Wood Protector and Masonry Protector in aerosol cans, discard the products in accordance with local requirements and contact The Thompson’s Company for a full refund. 

This product was sold at Lowe’s Home Improvement, Walmart, Menards, Home Depot and other stores nationwide from February 2014 through September 2019 for about $8. 

 

Here’s How Home Sizes Will Change In 2020 

Although the real estate market can feel like a mystery you can never truly predict, we appreciate some insights wherever we can get them. Whether it’s information on how much it really costs to buy a house, or what floor layouts are losing popularity, we figure you can never have too much data. 

Zillow recently released its predictions for 2020 and one trend piqued our interest in particular. According to the company’s research, the average single family home has been getting smaller and smaller since 2015. 

 

Zillow clarifies that while it’s technically “one-third bigger than 30 years ago,” the single family home will most likely keep seeing this reduction in square footage. This, of course, applies to new homes being built — and Zillow includes a few theories for the downsizing. 

First off, “millennial home buyers have expressed a preference for denser, more urban homes.” In addition, many people in younger demographics are “struggling to afford large homes built in prior decades.” Other concerns include eco-conscious choices, less maintenance, and “a shortage of buildable land.” 

 There are several 50,000-foot reasons why we expect this gentle downsizing to continue: 

  • Many of today’s younger, millennial home buyers have expressed a preference for denser, more urban homes that are more walkable to shared amenities. 
  • Younger buyers are struggling to afford large homes built in prior decades 
  • Eco-consciousness is also growing broadly. 
  • Today’s older homeowners are expressing a desire for smaller, less maintenance-heavy and more accessible (read: fewer stairs) homes as they age and move into newer homes. In 2019, 56% of new construction home buyers were 40 or older, according to the 2019 Zillow Group Consumer Housing Trends Report. 
  • Home builders are constrained by a shortage of buildable land in desirable areas. Prices on key building materials including lumber and steel are increasingly volatile. And competition for skilled construction labor is fierce, pushing wages up. 

 

Reasons To Customize Your Closets 

Here are eleven reasons you should invest in customized closets in your home. 

1. Lowers Stress 

Organization lowers stress levels, which we all need today. You can waste a lot of time looking for something you need, and you know you have located somewhere in your home. Clutter creates chaos and stress. When you design an organized closet for all of your items, you’ll remember where your things are and add back more time to your day. 

2. Increases Productivity 

Customized master closets look great, and make your life a lot easier. Just by opening the doors to your customized closet, you can see everything you own neatly placed in an organized location. By knowing exactly where everything is, it is easier to put things away when you’re done with them. There is a system in place that makes life easier and adds to higher productivity levels. By knowing where your favorite shirt is, you won’t be late to work. Instead, you’ll find it immediately and get on with your day. Organizing means you get more done in less time because you’re not wasting time looking for items. 

3. Personalized Style 

A customized closet reflects your own personal style and blends well with your home decor. When customizing the closets in your home, a professional closet consultant works with you to create the perfect custom closet designs, storage cabinets, shelving, and other accessories for your style, budget, and home décor. 

4. Maximized Space 

In Florida, there are older homes which standard smaller closets that did not consider closet space as valuable or functional to fit today’s needs. Keeping an older style closet reduces the amount of space you have to store all your items. One of the top goals of a customized closet is to maximize the space you have for your items. 

5. Increases Resale Value 

If you are thinking about selling your home, custom closets throughout your home will add value to any potential buyer seeing their items fitting neatly inside the master closet, linen closets, kitchen pantry, game room, garage, etc. 

6. Holds All of Your Items 

Depending on your clothing needs, a customized closet can fit your items. If you have an impressive shoe collection, large tie selection, a ton of longer dresses, a t-shirt lover, a massive amount of jeans, etc., a closet expert can set up your closet to showcase and hold all of these particular items. 

7. Luxury 

Want to feel luxurious and pampered every day? A customized closet is affordable and allows you to feel fantastic each time you walk into the space. 

8. Saves Money 

It is a one-time investment that keeps paying every day. Most people’s closets are so disorganized or overfull that people cannot even find all the outfits they own. By organizing your clothing in a new custom closet, it’s like having an entirely new wardrobe where you can see all of your outfits and wear more variety. You can even showcase your shoes, belts, purses, etc. in such a way, they last longer. 

9. Dressing Better and More Variety 

With an organized closet and being able to see all of your items, you will be dressing better and wear a larger variety of clothing. 

10. Tax Write-Off 

When you start working with a closet expert to design your new closets, you will be evaluating all of your “stuff,” and the items you don’t want to keep you will either discard it or donate it. By donating the items, you get a tax write-off. Go to the IRS website to find out the specifics of how to be eligible for the tax write-off. 

11. Professionals Save Time and Money 

People love DIY and Pinterest for home ideas. Designing a customized closet requires working with a closet professional to create the perfect closet for your specific needs and budget. But working with a professional designer, you will eliminate errors commonly made by an inexperienced person, which will save you time and money. Exact measurements in tight areas are crucial for the design to work. 

 

things to do around the bay

 

It’s Lunar New Year and there are parades and celebrations all around the bay!

 Gong Hay Fat Choy! 

 REDWOOD CITY AT COURTHOUSE SQUARE,  SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1, ALL DAY – FREE 

 BERKELEY ON 4TH STREET, SATURDAY FEBRUARY 1, 12:00 PM  – 4:00 PM FREE 

Mentioned Links 

~ Thank you~ 

A very special thank you to all of our callers! We live to answer your questions, so keep them coming! 

Thank you to our Technical Support: 

  • Danny Bringer – Chief Engineer  
  • Carol “Remodeling Babe” Carey – Executive Producer  
  • Sam Reed – Associate Producer  
  • Rico Figliolini – Digital Master 

 

Thank you for tuning in to find out why you should customize your closet! And check in next week for more cool tips! 

“Customizing Your Closet” Show Notes for On The House with the Carey Brothers aired February 01, 2020. 

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