Month: September 2022

2022-09-14T01:01:00

(BPT) – You’ve probably experienced this: At the end of a stressful day, you step outside, take a deep breath, maybe sit in your yard and feel the sun and breeze on your face. Before you know it, you’re more relaxed and centered. In fact, scientific research shows that sitting on a patio immersed in nature for just 10-15 minutes can drop stress levels 60%. This is the idea behind biophilic design — incorporating natural elements into design (inside or out) to help satisfy our innate need to connect with nature.

“It’s easier to fully relax surrounded by nature,” said Joe Raboine, director of Residential Hardscapes, Belgard. “More homeowners today are taking full use of their outdoor spaces, making those areas a true extension of their home and a place to just enjoy being outside.”

Basic elements of biophilic design

“Biophilic” means “love of living things,” so biophilic design helps human environments feel more like part of the natural world.

Here are some examples of biophilic principles — and how you can incorporate them into your outdoor space.

Mix and match materials

You can mesh natural materials with made ones to further blur the line between nature and the built environment using mixed materials to embody biophilic design. Entangled design is a popular style in hardscaping that blends the use of pavers into the landscaping, with multiple techniques to choose from, including fading, outcropping and stepping-stones.

For a sustainable, eco-friendly solution, consider using permeable pavers, which allow water to seep back into the ground, filtering runoff of pollutants and controlling soil erosion. A permeable paver system can even be designed to harvest and recycle rainwater.

Prospect and refuge

Harkening back to ancient times when humans lived in caves, this idea is about feeling safe and secure while still being able to look out and view the landscape. You can recreate this feeling by making a semi-sheltered living space outdoors.

For example, you could design an outdoor refuge like a garden room, dining room, kitchen or living room. Belgard Rooms offers templated outdoor living design plans, so homeowners can customize their space to fit their needs and design style. Homeowners can also test different designs with Augmented Reality, instantly bringing various rooms to life in their own backyard. Belgard’s collection of hardscapes, outdoor appliances and accessories can help build a cozy outdoor space customized to your needs — then add a structure like a pergola or sunshade for that sense of shelter.

Organized complexity

Looking up at a tree canopy, you can see the movement of the branches and leaves as the sun filters through. This kind of organized complexity is beautiful to the human eye. Many architectural designs tap into that response, such as the Eiffel Tower.

One great way to invite organized complexity into your space is using nature itself. For example, create a living wall using climbing vines or other plants with a supporting structure like fencing or a vertical garden. This helps define the space using greenery to give you both privacy and that sense of organized complexity that is so pleasing to the eye.

Modes of mystery

When you’re in nature, you’re always wondering. Walking in a forest, you wonder what’s behind that tree or down that winding path. That sense of awe, wonder and curiosity is a big part of the natural world’s fascination.

You can inspire this sense of mystery using winding walkways throughout your yard or garden. To create your wonder-full design, Belgard offers durable, stylish concrete pavers in a range of patterns and textures for your driveway, walkway, patio and more. All Belgard’s pavers offer multiple laying patterns, including contoured paver patterns, giving you flexibility to create a unique look to complement your style and celebrate your love of the outdoors.

Connect with natural elements

Beyond adding greenery to your outdoor space, you can enhance that connection to the natural world through the elements of water and fire. Water features like a bubbling fountain, small pond or water bowl add soothing sights and sounds to your outdoor oasis, with the added bonus that the sound of water can help reduce noise from neighbors or traffic. Another popular choice is building a cozy fire pit to create a great focal point and gathering space for family and guests.

Inspired to embrace biophilic design in your outdoor space? Visit Belgard Rooms for more ideas on how to incorporate entangled and biophilic design into your backyard to effortlessly flow with the natural landscape.

2022-09-13T08:01:00

(BPT) – Since the real estate market started heating up and as the pandemic lingers, alternative housing options are seriously trending. Remote work has opened possibilities for living almost anywhere, even while traveling, which has led to increased interest in options like tiny houses.

A recent survey by Fidelity National Financial subsidiary IPX1031 found that over half (56%) of survey respondents would consider living in a tiny house. Even more surprising, 86% of people who were not homeowners said they would consider a tiny house as their first home purchase, and 84% said a tiny home was an option they would consider for retirement. Other alternatives like modular homes, trailers and converted vans have emerged as potential options for anyone alarmed by exorbitant home prices, rising mortgage rates and soaring utility costs — and for those seeking a greener lifestyle.

Nontraditional homes offer benefits including economy, mobility (tiny houses with wheels or vans, for example), simplicity and sustainability. But they also present challenges. Beyond learning to de-clutter and simplify, you also have to learn how to meet essential needs, including most importantly: plumbing. Any living situation requiring above-floor plumbing solutions demands extra thought, so whatever space you call home is livable, practical — and comfortable.

Fortunately, implementing plumbing in a nontraditional home or even a portable setting is easier than ever, thanks to the development of user-friendly products that make workable bathrooms, kitchens and laundries possible for almost any setting.

Innovative bathroom solutions

For tiny homes, modular homes or other kinds of nontraditional housing, today’s effective above-floor plumbing technology can also improve water conservation. For example, macerators, grinders and drain pumps specifically designed for small spaces allow you to install efficient plumbing systems virtually anywhere, even for portable bathrooms.

Having to connect to a septic system 100 feet away, which was too far for conventional drainage, tiny home builders Mario and Ciarra Soto chose an option that offered the convenience of a traditional flushing toilet. Because tiny homes like theirs aren’t usually connected to a municipal sewer system, the Sotos had to figure out how to connect to their nearby property’s septic tank. The solution? The Saniaccess 2 macerating toilet system from Saniflo fit right behind their toilet, taking up little space. Meanwhile, its half-horsepower pump and macerator blades rotating at 3,600 RPM handled their drainage needs efficiently and quietly — and they even installed the Saniaccess 2 themselves.

Kitchen options for tiny houses, food trucks or basements

In settings ranging from tiny houses to food trucks or even in modular homes, optimizing limited space is key to a successful kitchen setup. Ideally, you’ll want to install a drain pump unit that not only handles drainage of gray water (water used for purposes other than sewage) from your sink and dishwasher, but also fits inside a kitchen cabinet.

One great choice is the Sanivite, about one-third the size of a standard drain pump, which can discharge gray water away from a variety of fixtures up to 16 feet vertically and/or 150 feet horizontally to the drain line. The Sanivite offers quiet performance by emitting less noise and vibration. This solution was ideal for Dane Perkins, project manager and co-owner of GMH Construction. His clients wanted to add a basement bar to their lakefront home — which would have involved breaking through their basement’s concrete floor. Instead, this new unit could drain water easily to meet their clients’ needs for far less cost.

Laundry solutions for smaller spaces

While the ability to do laundry is crucial to daily living, adding laundry facilities often seems impossible in modular settings. With a more compact profile than other drain pumps, the Saniswift Pro is a heavy-duty drain pump made for hard-to-reach, tight spaces common in modular settings — such as beneath a bathroom or kitchen sink. Even better, this unit can handle gray water from up to three fixtures (such as a shower, dishwasher and/or washing machine) and doesn’t store waste, but uses a short-cycle motor to begin draining immediately. The result? More efficient, effective drainage with no unpleasant odors.

If you’re considering a nontraditional housing option or need solutions to above-ground plumbing problems, visit saniflo.com to explore a wide variety of products that can make a difference, no matter what kind of housing you choose.

2022-09-13T07:01:00

(BPT) – “Expect the unexpected” is a common mantra when preparing for emergencies. However, with severe weather becoming more frequent in recent years, nearly everyone can expect to encounter a natural disaster within their lifetime. This uptick means storm-related property damage costs have also been on the rise, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reporting more than $145 billion in damages from weather-related disasters in 2021 alone.

Home emergencies, unfortunately, are not only caused by the weather. The National Fire Protection Association reported that roughly 346,800 home fires occur per year, most often from everyday activities like cooking, resulting in $7.3 billion in total property damage. Knowing how vulnerable many homes are to catastrophe, it’s now more important than ever to plan ahead and invest in dependable solutions.

In recognition of National Preparedness Month, The Master Lock Company, a trusted name in security and safety for over 100 years, is partnering with the American Red Cross of Wisconsin by donating 1,000 SentrySafe Fire Bags to at-risk communities in its home state as part of the nonprofit’s Home Fire Campaign. The security company is also sharing advice on preparing for emergencies to help safeguard everything worth protecting.

1. Know the types of disasters in your area. Different types of severe weather require different types of preparation, making it imperative to find out which disasters you are most at-risk for and plan accordingly. For example, earthquakes can happen in all states at any time of year, while wildfires are more concentrated in forested areas with low rainfall, such as Southern California.

2. Prep your home – and those who live in it. If you know a storm is coming, store lawn furniture or other loose items in a secure location and check if nearby trees should be trimmed to reduce post-storm debris. For added security, consider locking sheds using Master Lock’s Weather Resistant Padlocks and installing hurricane windows if you live in a vulnerable coastal region.

To prepare for non-weather emergencies like house fires, check that your home contains the right number of smoke alarms and that the batteries function properly. Ensure all household members — especially children — know what a smoke alarm sounds like, what to do when they hear it, how to escape from every room and where the family meeting spot is once outside.

3. Pack a “go kit” and secure hard-to-replace items. In case you need to leave your home in a hurry, prepare an emergency “go kit” containing medical supplies, food, water and other essentials. For personal documents and valuables like passports, birth certificates, photos and jewelry, consider storing them in a portable fire- and water-resistant container like the SentrySafe Fire Bag. For a more permanent solution to withstand fires and floods, consider a fire- and water-protected safe like the SentrySafe Combination Fire/Water Safe.

4. Invest in reliable security. Though smart home security systems are now the norm, it’s recommended to keep traditional solutions as backup options. For a compact, portable solution, the Master Lock Folding Door Bar is strong enough to prevent forced entry on hinged, patio and sliding doors, but can also be folded to fit inside your go kit. Lock boxes are also helpful, should friends or family require access into the home to check on a loved one. Consider battery-powered options like the Master Lock Portable Bluetooth^® Lock Box, which can function via smartphone or personal code.

Though there’s much uncertainty when emergencies arise, these precautions are the first steps toward peace of mind. No matter the crisis, households can depend on The Master Lock Company for durable, reliable solutions to protect both the people and the belongings that mean the most to you. For more information, visit insights.masterlock.com.