Carson Valley Real Estate - Carson City Homes - Lake Tahoe Real Estate

It's not easy being 'Green'...but it's a choice my family and I have decided to make.

We used to live in a very large house, and when we moved to the Carson Valley, we moved into a smaller home. We decided that we'd rather have more land than house, and do more living than paying for a large house, if you get my drift!

Along those lines, we have visions of a substantial garden we hope to plant this year, and we are planning a 'green' landscape plan that does not use a great deal of water, consisting of dozens of shrubs.

But when I say green, I don't mean the landscaping. That just explains the "Nevadascape" in the picture! We're going 'green' inside, too. We are in the process of having an energy audit on the home - but some changes didn't even need to be detailed in any report to make sense.

We counted the light fixtures and bulbs in our home. We have 26 floodlights and 40 regular bulbs! Omigosh! That's a lot of lights, especially in our little house! So - last night we replaced all the can lights - with Philips EnergySaver Reflector Floodlights, warrantied for 9 years! We are in the process of replacing all the regular bulbs, and it's not an inexpensive endeavor. The floodlights cost us $288. I am going to buy the regular bulbs tonight, and it will likely be at least $200. I'm hoping it will increase our energy efficiency. Doing the same  may be a pricey endeavor for you. If so, I would recommend you buy one bulb a week, or whatever your budget can afford. Over time, you'll have replaced all your bulbs and thus improved your utility, too.

At the end of the day, I know I did something good for our environment, and I am looking forward to further improving the utility of our home. It's something we all can do and selfishly, I did it because I'm looking forward to lower energy bills!

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About The Author

Christianne Gordon, REALTOR®, CDPE, SFR is a Northern Nevada Real Estate Specialist that can assist you with the purchase or sale of real estate in Gardnerville, Minden, Genoa, Carson City, Dayton, and Reno/Sparks. 

To search all available homes for sale in the Northern Nevada area, please visit GreatNevadaHomes.com or contact us for a FREE ListingBook account!

Fall Back Into Bed With An Extra Hour's Sleep - And Charge Your Batteries!

Daylight Savings Time Ends this Saturday October 31st, so be sure to set your clocks back before you go to bed. (It technically ends Sunday, November 1st at 2am, but don't feel obligated to get out of bed to change your clock - setting it back before bed is my preferred and recommended method!)

When you get up fully rested Sunday, November 1st, your first order of business is: CHANGE (OR RECHARGE) YOUR SMOKE ALARM AND CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM BATTERIES!

Did you know that fire deaths in homes tend to occur between 10PM and 6AM when most families are sleeping? By changing your batteries - and testing your alarms - twice a year when you change your clocks, you can ensure your alarms are in good working order and do your best to prevent fires and deaths in your home.

Have A Great Halloween, Enjoy an Extra Hour's Sleep, and Change Your Alarm Batteries.

Posted By: Christianne Gordon - Northern Nevada Real Estate Agent - REALTOR®
with RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, specializing in Carson Valley Real Estate.

Breast Cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women today, aside from non-melanoma skin cancer. We are committed to doing our part to help find a cure by showing our support for Cleavage Creek wines. Cleavage Creek donates 10% of the GROSS (not NET) proceeds of all wine sales to breast cancer research and programs.

Not only are Cleavage Creek wines reasonably priced, their quality and flavor are just incredible! Even more engaging are the labels. Each bottle has a photograph of a breast cancer survivor emblazoned on the front, and you can visit Cleavage Creek online to read each courageous survivor’s story.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cleavage Creek is releasing six new wines. Featured on ABC’s Money Matters, Good Morning America, and The Today Show, owner Budge Brown and Cleavage Creek are dedicated to making exceptional wines and to fighting breast cancer.  Enjoy the fine wines of Cleavage Creek and be a part of the effort to beat breast cancer – one glass of fine wine at a time.

We have found Cleavage Creek Wines to be a wonderful closing (or thank you for the referral) gift, and allows to help increase the awareness level of the company. The Bastyr Integrative Oncology Research Center (BIORC) was made possible with a grant from Cleavage Creek. They have a wonderful wine club that ships you 2 bottles of wine three times per year and 3 bottles the forth time. Wine club membership is free. You also receive a club discount on their already low prices and free shipping.

Posted By: Christianne Gordon - Northern Nevada Real Estate Agent - REALTOR®
with RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, specializing in Carson Valley Real Estate.

Repair Your Screen Door - Enjoy a Northern Nevada Breeze!

Northern Nevada is breezy! We have breezes in morning and late evening through spring, summer and fall. It is the perfect place to have a screen door. They let in cool Northern Nevada breezes and fresh air in, while keeping out bugs and insects. In Northern Nevada, we often have 40 degree swings during summer and fall. We can be in the low 40's in the mornings and in the high 80's in the afternoons. Once the sun goes behind the Sierra Nevada mountain range, we cool right back down very quickly. If you have a screen door, you can maximize your natural airflow and cool your house down in the evenings. It's a nice way to cool your home down from the heat of the day and save on energy costs.

Unfortunately, screen doors can easily be torn and bent out of shape, which is a hazard to anyone who uses them, particularly dogs, cats, and kids. Replacing screen doors can be expensive and time consuming. Plus, you will have a really hard time finding hardware stores that carry screens to fit your door, especially if the door is older. Your initial attempt and lowest cost and hassle repair will be to patch any small tears. If your screen only has a small hole, try using an all-weather or waterproof adhesive to close it up. A screen patch can be sewn over a small tear. However, patching and mending screens only goes so far. You get to a point where you know the whole screen simply needs to be replaced. Trying to find the make and model of your screen door, in order to have the company replace the screen, is a lot of work, let alone extremely expensive. Replacing the screen yourself will save you a lot of time and money. This process is likely not as difficult as you think. Here are the simple steps to replacing the screen easily and quickly.

Steps To Repairing A Screen Door

1. Depending on the damage, you will need some tools and supplies to repair your screen. Before you start, you will need: screen material (either fiberglass or aluminum mesh will work), aluminum or wooden framing, a utility knife, a flat-head screwdriver, and a splining roller. Luckily, all these items are easily obtained at a hardware store.

2. Begin by removing the old spline and screen from the frame. You will need to pry the spline with a screwdriver. If the spline is still flexible, you can reuse the screen and save some money. Otherwise, find the right replacement. What is the spline? It's the weatherstripping 'stuff' in the groove between the frame and the mesh.

3. After you remove the old spline, examine the frame. If it is undamaged, start replacing the material. If not, get a hacksaw and begin cutting. Measure the aluminum framing material to coordinate with the former frame.

4. Then, connect the framing pieces into the corner brackets, which also only need to be replaced if damaged. You may then begin replacing the screen by first unrolling the screen material. Pull the material taut over the frame, but allow an inch or so of material to hang over the edges. There are two types if mesh available: aluminum and fiberglass. If you can find fiberglass, you may want to use it since it is more forgiving and can be stretched more easily than aluminum.

5. Place the spline over the taut screening material and push it into the frame grooves. Use the roller to fill the grooves evenly. Then, cut away the extra screen material with a utility knife or scissors.

5. Reassemble the screen door frame and reattach to your door. It's just that simple!

Now you can enjoy the pleasant flow of lazy Northern Nevada breeze, without the bugs trying to invade your home, while keeping your beloved pets and children inside.

(Photos courtesy of kissyplusr, freckspecks, and NazZMedia - Flickr.com)

Posted By: Christianne Gordon - Northern Nevada Real Estate Agent - RE/MAX Realty Affiliates, specializing in Carson Valley Real Estate and Northern Nevada Real Estate.