The Truth About Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL’s)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s just dive right in to some facts about CFL’s:

According to ENERGYSTAR.gov, an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL bulb:

• Can save up to $40 in electrical costs over its lifetime.
• Uses 75 percent less energy than a standard bulb and lasts 6 times longer.
• Produces 75 percent less heat than a standard bulb, and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.

Have you ever noticed how much heat your standard light bulbs are giving off?  Isn’t it crazy that with incandescents you’re paying for electricity for high-energy usage bulbs AND you’re paying for additional electricity for making your HVAC system work harder? It’s time to change those bulbs!

BEWARE! The quality of CFL’s varies by brand. You definitely want to pay a little more for brand name, ENERGY STAR certified bulbs, and you’ll get your money’s worth in longevity and energy savings.

By the way, CFL’s  should not be turned on and off within short time periods (3 minutes or less), as the resulting electrical surges will shorten the lifespan of the bulb. If you are leaving a room for only a few minutes and then coming back, leave the light on.  CFL’s are also more energy efficient when they operate for 2 hours or more at a time.

Are  you ready to run out and buy a bunch of CFL’s right now? (I hope so!) Before you do, make sure you get the right type of bulb for the right job. You want to consider wattage, indoor/outdoor use, and color balance.  Check out the Buying Guide at the ENERGYSTAR.gov web site.

P.S. I changed all of the bulbs in my home to CFL’s 3 years ago. I noted an immediate decrease in my electric bill, about 6 dollars per month. That’s $216 I didn’t have to pay the electric company over the past three years! Well worth my initial 30-dollar investment in CFL’s to light my whole home!

Stage Your Home – Even If You Aren’t Selling!

Home staging is a great marketing strategy , but you can enjoy the results of a nicely staged home for yourself, even if you aren’t planning to sell. The same staging techniques that create appeal for prospective buyers can also be used to give your home a fresh look that you can enjoy, and it’s a great way to show off your home to guests during the fast approaching holiday season!

 Professional home staging goes beyond cleaning, tidying, and decluttering.  Staging also involves rearranging furniture, art, accessories, arrangement of items on bookshelves and in china cabinets, and giving rooms a cozy, pulled-together look with the way colors, fabrics, rugs, window treatments, etc. are combined. Professional stagers have the interior design training necessary to create balanced, functional, aesthetically pleasing spaces.

Subtle faux finishing painting technique and the right accessories make this bathroom sparkle with glamour - for a much lower price tag than a full remodel!

Staging can save you tons of money because while you might think that you need to buy new stuff to create a new look, a professional stager can look at the items you already own with a fresh perspective.  Chances are, you actually already have plenty of furniture and accessories to make your home look great. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a new sofa, a couple of hours of furniture arranging time with a stager could give you amazing results! Ditto for bathrooms and kitchens, where a professional color consultation and fresh coat of paint can totally transform the area without spending thousands on remodeling.

 One of my previous clients insisted she had no knick-knacks or artwork that would go together. But in scouring her home, I found she had lovely violet-colored glass items ranging from vases to bowls, wine glasses and paperweights.  She also had two paintings in separate rooms with an abstract style floral motif with strong accents of violet. When hung on the wall on each side of her mantel, with the glass items arranged on the mantel itself, the effect was stunning!

Don’t wait until your home is up for sale to make it look its best.  Treat yourself to a home makeover for autumn and love the space you live in!

The Lady Contractor’s company, Chelsea Custom Contracting, provides superior home staging, painting, remodeling and new home construction services throughout Hampton Roads. Contact us at (757) 407-2653 for a consultation.