Posts Tagged ‘Home’

Carpentry & Home Improvement Skills : How to Cut Acrylic Plastic

Cutting acrylic plastic requires a fine-tooth handsaw or skill saw, and some cutting may melt the edge of the acrylic as sawing tends to build heat. Sand and refine acrylic plastic after cutting with a fine-tooth saw withinstruction from an experienced builder in this free video on carpentry. Expert: Robert Markey Bio: Robert Markey earned his BS in Physics from MIT in 1969 and his MS in Computer Science from the University of Massachusetts in 1982. Filmmaker: equilibriofilms Erik

Improving the Energy Efficiency of Your New Home With Storm Windows

As the days and nights become cooler with the changing seasons, you might be noticing that your new home has some drafts or that the charming older character home that you’ve purchased with the beautiful original windows is getting a little expensive to heat. One way to cut down on the drafts and the energy costs is to have your new home fitted with storm windows.

Storm windows create a barrier of air between themselves and your windows; this works like a dual-pane window, the two panes hold a dead space of air between them as insulation. Due to this insulating factor, the storm windows also help cut down on condensation and window frame deterioration from water damage. Less condensation can also help with winter mildew and mold problems.

Storm windows can come in an interior or exterior variety; each of these types has its own pros and cons so that your storm window choice should reflect your particular home needs. Interior storm windows come in a variety of types and complexities, ranging from a simple film taped over the inside of the window frame to the more complex magnetic seal acrylic glazed models.

The cheapest and easiest option, though least flexible once you have it up, is the thin plastic film version. This type is installed with double-sided tape to hold the plastic film to the inside of the window and then with a hair dryer you heat shrink the plastic film so that it’s tight across the window so that you can see out more clearly.

The only real problems with this system are that it is possible to damage the paint around the window from when you remove the tape, the film can easily be damaged by small children or pets, and that you can’t open the window at all when the film is up. Plastic film is a good option if you’re looking to replace the drafty windows in your new home in the future but don’t have the time or money to accomplish this before the winter hits this year.

More expensive systems are made from acrylic sheets and installed with magnetic or snap seals to the inside of the window. These are much easier to install than an exterior storm window and more durable than a plastic film. Interior storm windows are easy to install, particularly on upper floors where it can be awkward to install them on the outside of the home.

Exterior storm windows can be temporary or permanently installed. Most commonly they have wood or metal frames with glass or acrylic glazing. While the fact that they don’t change the interior look of your windows can be a desirable trait, they can be a hassle to install on homes with multiple stories.

Whichever option you choose, storm windows can really help cut down on the chill when it gets cold and as a result can significantly cut down on your heating bill this winter!

How To Build A Solar Panel For Your Home- The First 3 Things You Need To Get

If you want to know how to build a solar panel for your home then you need to know what you need. The 3 things you will need are your materials, tools, and a guide. To really know how to build a panel for your home you will need to know what you will need.

How to Build a Solar Panel for Your Home- Materials The materials to make your panels can be very inexpensive. Many people have gotten all of the materials for far under $100. Some of these are copper wires, plexiglass, and plywood. The only things you would need to go to the store to buy are solar cells and UV protective varnish.

How to Build a Solar Panel for Your Home- Tools Having your tools is the most important part of building your own panels and without them the materials would be useless. 3 of these are a drilling machine, cutters, and a screwdriver. To get these tools you can go borrow them from a friend or you can go to a pawn shop for more expensive ones.

How to Build a Solar Panel for Your Home- Guide To really be successful when you are building your own panel you will need a good guide. The best ones will show you how to build one step-by-step using videos. They will also teach you how to make panels that will cost under $100. This will save you thousands of dollars instead of buying one and it will save you money on your electric bill every month.

Building Home Solar Panels

Solar energy produces electricity by converting sunlight into energy using photovoltaic cells.  Since 2002, solar energy has been increasingly used at a rate of 48% each year making it one of the fastest growing energy sources to date.  With the ever-increasing knowledge and study of this source of energy the materials used to produce solar cell arrays has also become easier to come by for home energy use.  Solar heating, solar electric, and solar hot water are the most common ways this power source is being utilized today.  Many home owners are interested in having a green home since an energy efficient home is not only environmentally friendly but the potential savings are substantial.

Building home solar panels is actually not as difficult as one would think, provided you have the materials needed.  One such material that is probably the biggest stumbling block when it comes to building your own solar panels is the solar cells themselves.  Its not the sources of the panels you need to worry about, it’s the pricing and the quality that you must be sure of before deciding to buy.  The best source for finding solar cells is eBay but you must be aware of who you are buying from.  New cells are available but you will pay dearly to get them.

Therefore, the best option for getting your hands on suitable solar cells is to buy a set of broken or chipped cells that come bundled together.  Buying broken cells may not sound like much fun but as long as you thoroughly research the seller as best you can you should be able to get a good idea of the quality you can expect when buying solar cells.  The most commonly used cells are 3×6 mono-crystalline; make sure the panels you buy are tabbed cells.  The cells will more then likely come to you covered in wax, they are dipped in wax in an effort to better secure them for shipment since the cells themselves are very fragile and thin.

Once you have the solar cells the next step is to create a shallow box to house them.  Typically, a solar cell is comprised of 36 cells, which come out to needing roughly a 46” x 24” box structure to be built.  Using simple materials like plywood and 1” slats will more then suffice for this.  Your overall design for the structure of the box is entirely up to you, basically the function of this piece is to just hold the cells in place and allow them to soak up the sun’s energy so don’t get to worried over the minor details.

Once you have your shallow box built its time to begin soldering the cells together.  This is done with a string of ribbon wire usually.  Simply attach two 10” sections of ribbon wire to each cell with the excess wire hanging off the bottom of the cell.  Once you have all the cells soldered with at least an extra 5 inches of ribbon wire hanging off them, you simply turn the cells over and connect the ribbon wire to the tabs on the back of each cell accordingly down the line until you have a string of 6.  Make six of these cell strings to complete the basic structure of your panel.

Now that you have 6 cell strings, next step is to attach them to a panel that will fit into the shallow box you made earlier, best is to use a white panel to attach three of them to and make two half panels.  Run a copper braided wire across the bottom of each panel and attach each string.  Include an at least 3.3 amp blocking diode in series to prevent the panel from discharging your batteries overnight.  Using a good silicone to secure the wires and cells is a good tip, make sure you allow it to thoroughly set in before you complete the project by covering and sealing the enclosure with plexiglass.  Place your panel in direct sunlight and let it begin charging a few 12-volt batteries.  Building your own solar panels is not only much cheaper but a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Renewable Solar Power – 3 Top Tips To Solar Power Your Home

An increasing number of people these days are turning to alternative sources of energy. It does not come as a surprise, what with fossil fuel prices going up by the day and the rising levels of environmental pollution. Renewable solar power has emerged as the frontrunner among all alternative sources of energy. The power of the sun can be harnessed to generate cheap, clean and renewable energy. If you are a homeowner looking to reduce energy bills, then renewable solar power could be the right option for you. Making a solar power system for your home too is not that difficult a proposition. These days there are many useful guides available, which come with detailed step by step instructions, using which you, can the system yourself. In fact, the entire process could be weekend fun for the entire family. Let us take a look at some proven tips that can help you produce renewable solar power in your backyard.

Create Free Electricity & Generate Solar Power at Home Today

Tip#1: You will first of all need to have a detailed plan about how you are going to set up the system that is going to produce renewable solar power for your home. Once you have got the plan, then you must get ready all the materials to make up for the various components that will go into making one. Plexiglass sheet, wires, solar cells, plywood and silicon sealant are some of the things that you will need.

Tip#2: You should choose the right location for placing the solar panels in your home. The place should be such which receives plenty of sunlight throughout the year. Ideally a terrace, balcony or a sprawling lawn are good places to place solar panels.

Tip#3: Make sure that using renewable solar power is allowed in your area. The rules generally differ between cities and it is always better that you check with the local authorities.