[thechat] Your dream house: what tech stuff?

Luther, Ron Ron.Luther at hp.com
Wed Oct 25 11:26:06 CDT 2006


Martin Burns noted:

>>heat-reflecting glass is pretty common these days:

Yup.  Although I think in my neighborhood the solar screen treatments
are still 
a bit less expensive.  (For installation anyway.  I have not worked up
any long 
term economic measures of relative effectiveness - so they may be a
better deal 
over the longer term.) I have the simple exterior solar screens that
cover the 
whole window [and don't move] on the West side to mitigate late
afternoon sun.  
The fancier ones shown here:
http://www.alutech.com/products/solarscreen.htm make 
much more of a cool design statement.

{There is also a similar exterior 'roll up' window cover made of more
durable metal 
that is sold as hurricane protection and a more fashionable alternative
to 
plywood sheets for your tropical ocean front manse. It's a _lot_ like
the industrial 
security screens you see on some shoppes - only in a wider variety of
colours and 
without the local gang graffiti and aromatic influences.}


>>Yep - you have a wee boiler under the sink. Hideously expensive to
run, and 
>>a no-no if you have young kids...

Hmmmm.  Makes sense.  Okay, I'll have to look into that more carefully
then.  
Thanks for the heads up!


>>Incidentally, Ron, we liked the layout of your house a *lot*, and it's
one 
>>of the influences we have in mind...

<Blush! /> Thank you, Sir!  You'll have to come back again when we move
into the 
'retirement' house!  {Of course I expect that you (and everyone else
here) 
realize(s) that any accolades for housing layout are solely due to my
wife having 
very clear and precise ideas about houses and proper 'traffic flow' and
all that.}  
No. Given my druthers I'd probably wind up with something having lots of
turrets 
... Mmmmm turrets <drool /> ... and and really high walls ... Oooooo!
Crenelated 
walls!! High enough to watch the parade of peasants ... The ones with
the torches 
and pitchforks making their way to my front door! ... "Avast, ye scurvy
lot! ..."  
Heh.   ;-)


>>Also electrical outlets generally in the garden - for music at the
barbie, 
>>or just lawnmowing, it's excellent.

Well, I've usually had outlets on the exterior walls at the front and
rear porches.  
Good for some portable music players, power tools, searchlights, etc.
Haven't 
really had any extended out to the garden. Hmmm ... Interesting idea.  I
like that!


>>Or a mud room on the way in - just simply cement finished with a drain
in the 
>>floor so you can hose people/animals/boots/etc down on the way in!

The 'mud rooms' I've seen up north were mostly places to stow your snowy
mittens / 
coats / boots before entering and messing up and dripping over the rest
of the house.  
No floor drains (which _would_ be pretty cool) - usually lots of soggy
used newspapers 
covering the floor to soak up the melting snow.  Some of the basements
up North have 
floor drains in locations that could be used for hosing down hazardous
items like 
muddy shoes, used paint brushes, small children, etc.  I've yet to see
anything 
comparable 'in the city' down South. <shrug /> Guess we don't have any
mud heah.

<minirant />It *is* annoying as hell down here when you have a used
paint brush or 
roller to rinse out.  It feels pretty damn ghetto to me to have to stoop
in the 
driveway apron with a garden hose just to rinse out a dang paint brush.
Grrrr!


Random: I think I'd also be willing to spend more money on a quieter
dishwasher 
next time. ("So *that's* what the sillyass timer function is for!  So
you can run 
the noisy bugger while you are out of the house! Ah!")



RonL.

Ooops!  I Forgot one major item!  My next house WILL have a kick-ass hot
tub!  
Wifey and I have already been out shopping and comparison pricing ...
checking 
out the different models and accessories and whatnots. I'm looking
forward to 
that. <sniffle /> I miss my hot tub!



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