February 22nd, 2012 | 
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source: http://ow.ly/94iXy
Perhaps you just purchased a new Bay Area home or condominium. Or maybe you are remodeling or “reinventing” your space. In the back of the mind, you know you need to do something about your old HVAC system. But is it really necessary? What happens if you just let this project linger on your To Do list for a little longer?
In short, bad things. Consider:
1. Damage to the environment
The current refrigerant that your HVAC system uses may have a bad environmental impact. And if you want to cut costs (and who doesn’t, these days?), you need high quality refrigerants.
2. Stale air
An inadequate HVAC system will allow airborne germs, dust, mites, mildew and mold and other gunk to contaminate your space. Less than fresh indoor air can lead to both short-term and long-term respiratory and immune system ailments, including but not limited to asthma, emphysema,
allergies, weakened overall immune system, and more.
Consider: the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimates that most air inside buildings and homes is MORE polluted than outdoor air. Also, most people spend 9 our of every 10 hours indoors. In short: the risks of continuing to use your outmoded HVAC system are pretty clear.
3. Poor humidity control
A poorly designed, installed, maintained, or corrupted HVAC can lead to problems with humidifying and/or dehumidifying. If the air inside your home gets too moist – if humidity is not controlled – allergens, mold spores, etc can grow and flourish.
Too much humidity can damage sensitive pieces of equipment, such as medical equipment or musical instruments, such as your grand piano. Likewise, if air gets too dry, a spate of problems can be created, ranging from dry blistery skin to sore dry throats to general discomfort.
4. Inefficiencies you can’t see
Your central heating system (forced air system) and central AC system should be engineered to maximize ventilation, humidity control, heating/cooling, and filtering. If your components are well matched, well maintained – if all your duct work is sealed and effective – you can save not only on energy costs but also on long term repair costs.
If, on the other hand, you allow your HVAC to continue to “degrade,” you’ll pay both short term energy and efficiency costs as well as long term costs, when you’re forced, ultimately, to invest in a new HVAC system.
You can preempt all these hassles by researching and installing a new HVAC system!Let the experts here at B.A. Morrison help you develop the perfect HVAC solution. Since 1990, our family owned business has helped consumers and businesses in the Bay Area with all their general construction and HVAC needs. Call us at 510-538-9817 or visit us online at www.bamorrison.com.
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Posted in Heat & Air | 
Tags: air, air conditioning, bay area, castro valley, hayward, heat, home improvement, hvac, installation, Remodeling | 
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image source: http://bit.ly/wLX0Eh
You feel a primordial urge to remodel the kitchen in your Bay Area home, condo, or apartment. Perhaps you’re just sick of the sticky cabinet drawers, dreary Feng Shui, poor layout, and ancient appliances. Perhaps you’re considering a larger remodeling job, and you realize that “doing the kitchen” transforms your home into a far more valuable asset. Perhaps you’re just facing pressure from your spouse to “make the place look nice” so that it’s less of an embarrassment when guests or in-laws visit.
But you’re balking. What’s holding you back? And should you pull the trigger or listen to the “cautious voices” in your head telling you to delay the remodeling?
To summarize your objections:
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• You’re worried about the cost.
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• You’re worried about how long it’s going to take to get the job done.
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• You don’t know any great company that will do the job for you.
What’s at the root of these obstacles to your remodeling success?
1. Cost.
If you do a proper, effective, and strategic kitchen remodeling, it will boost the value of your home. Whether you’re planning to sell or rent in the near term, or you want to hold onto your property for years, if not decades, remodeling can add to your bottom line instead of detracting from it. Think about it from a buyer’s perspective, for a second. Wouldn’t you want to buy a place with an awesome, well-built, nicely appointed kitchen? Wouldn’t that sweeten the deal for you?
2. Time.
In some ways, time is more valuable than money. After all, at least theoretically, you can make more money. You can’t make more time. But you’re going to be spending a ton of time in your kitchen, no matter what. Think about it. Depending on how often you cook dinner and where your dinner table is located, you may spend as much as three hours a day in the kitchen, on average. That’s one-eighth of your entire life! Don’t you want to spend your life in a beautiful, comfortable environment?
3. Finding the right company.
The team at B.A. Morrison is highly qualified. We’ve earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. We’ve been serving the region since 1990. Find out more about us at www.bamorrison.com, or call us to schedule a remodeling quote at (510) 538-9817.
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Posted in Construction and Remodeling |
Tags: bay area, construction, granite, home, home improvement, kitchen, marbel, Remodeling, renovation, restoration |
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Perhaps you’re remodeling your condo’s kitchen, and you crave cutting-edge tips from the pros about how to reshape your aesthetic or save money/time/energy on your project. Or maybe you’re building a new home from scratch, and you’d like to stay innovative and energy-efficient. In either case, consider these breaking trends for 2012 kitchen design:
1. The Kitchen Is a Simple Space (a.k.a. Keep It Simple, Stupid, a.k.a. KISS)
Baroque ornamentations and detailing have dominated cutting edge aesthetic for years. Industry analysts believe that we’re getting tired of all the fuss, and we want to move away from the panel doors and thick moldings to simpler, less “Old World” conceptions. For instance, bamboo cabinets might replace more classical ornamented cabinetry.
2. Eco-Conscious Variety
A decade or so ago, if you told someone you were going to “green” your home or kitchen, the person would implicitly assume that you were constraining your aesthetic. Today, “green” can mean tens of thousands of things, depending on the designer, the materials used, et cetera. Kitchens in 2012 will use “diversely green” materials, such as granite, marble, quartz, wood, glass, bamboo and engineered quartz-like materials. You may see kitchen counter tops inspired by Asian-glass minimalism, bucolic country flavors, and everything in between. 2012, in some ways, will be the Age of Everything Green.
3. Efficiency Will Reign.
Hit hard by the ongoing financial crisis in California and elsewhere, penny-pressed consumers are pushing for efficiency. Innovators are listening. Expect new materials, design ideas, and other creative workarounds. For instance: CFL bulbs. These bulbs save energy, look great, and reduce costs.
If you want help designing, constructing, or remodeling your Bay Area kitchen, connect with the team here at B.A. Morrison. Since 1990, our fully insured and bonded and highly respected team has been helping consumers like you discover amazing solutions and efficiencies. Connect with us at 510-538-9817 or www.bamorrison.com.
image source: interior-factors.com
Posted in Construction and Remodeling, News |
Tags: bay area, design, Green, kitchen, Remodeling, trend |
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The holidays are already upon us. Guests are coming in from out of town. Your living room is a pig pile.
What to do???
First of all, take a breath. Although we’re about to dole out useful tips, remember that the
holidays are not about perfection. Rather, they are about homey-ness and cozyness – time for
reflection and gratitude as opposed to stress and anguish. Indeed, the best holiday dining room
remodeling lesson is this: Be compassionate with yourself, and do what you can do.
Nevertheless, the Martha Stuart in you still needs the brass tacks. Here are some tips for her: Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Construction and Remodeling, Other tips, info, & tricks |
Tags: design, dining room, holidays, remodel, seasonal, tips |
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Everyone knows windows are “energy sucks.”
In other words, if you want to control your building’s heating and cooling costs, you should worry a lot about the inefficiencies created by your windows. During the hot summer months, windows naturally let in heat. The only way to combat that heat (unless you want to roast or walk around in your skivvies) is to turn on the air-conditioning, which wastes resources and burns a hole in your pocketbook. In the winter time, however, the sunlight that pours into your house could be useful. Free heat! Mind you this will not be effective if your allowing the heat to escape due to pour seals and old single pain windows. (More info on home efficentcy on one of our last blogs: Simple, Basic Winter Home Maintenance 101) Read the rest of this entry »
The air we breathe plays a vital a role in shaping our health, well-being, attitude and capacity to function effectively. When air quality in a home degrades, enormous health problems can arise, including emphysema, asthma, bronchial conditions, etc.
We have tremendous motivation to breathe clean, fresh air. So how can we make that happen?
First of all, remember that there really is no good substitute for fresh, clean, outdoor air. Proper ventilation can freshen a space and also remove potentially hazardous materials, ranging from allergens, to pet dander, to dust and debris, to itty-bitty, mashed up, dried up insect parts.
Posted in Heat & Air, News, Other tips, info, & tricks, Property Maintenance |
Tags: air, fresh air, heat, home air pollution, home air quality, home maintenance |
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Can It Massively Lower Your Winter Heating Bill?
Old Man Winter doth approach. In fact, our friends in the northeastern states got a taste of his menace the week before Halloween, when a Nor’easter dumped a surprising “early snow” over unsuspecting would-be trick-or-treaters.
Even if you live here in the Bay Area, you are still in northern hemisphere, and you still can face significant heating costs, if you don’t prepare effectively for the cold weather. Indeed, the Alliance to Save Energy estimates that some homeowners can spend $5,000 or more every year to keep their indoors comfy and cozy.
Posted in Heat & Air, Other tips, info, & tricks |
Tags: diy, furnace, Heating, home care, home maintenace, hvac, save energy, save money, tips, winter |
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Burrr. It was feeling pretty chilly this morning in Castro Valley, CA. We all want to keep our homes warm, cozy and safe this winter.
Call B.A. Morrison the Hayward, Castro Valley, and San Leandro communities most trusted HVAC service to service or inspect your furnace.
Please do not hesitate to give us a call for a free estimate! 510-538-9817
Posted in Heat & Air |
Tags: air, castro valley, furnace, hayward, heat, hvac, install, maintenance, san leandro, service |
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The #1 reason to have your furnace inspected annually is to verify the heat exchanger is not cracked.
A cracked heat exchanger will omit Carbon Monoxide, a odorless and colorless gas that is deadly and only found by a Carbon Monoxide Detector if installed in the correct areas.
A complete maintenance inspection of your furnace will also insure that the equipment is functioning efficiently. We will inspect the filter, belt, motor, heat exchanger, and all other components of the system in order to help us address any issue there may be before you are actually without heat.
We all want to keep our homes warm and safe, especially with the Winter season right around the corner.
Would you like us to service or inspect your furnace? Please do not hesitate to give us a call!
510-538-9817