Toilet Retrofit Rebate Program

Do you know that the average American flushes 26% o

f their water down thetoilet? That accounts for more than 9,100 gallons of water per person each year, flushed away! Effective Janurary 1, 2008, the Department of Watershed Management (DWM) began offering a toilet retrofit rebate program to those who qualify.  Homes in Dekalb & Cobb County that were built prior to 1993 and are individually metered can retrofit up the three toilets per home. The rebate program provides two options, a $50.00 rebate for a 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) toilet or a $100.00 rebate for a 1.28 gpf toilet.

The participation for Dekalb residents in the Toilet Retrofit Rebate Program has been tremendous thus far. According to information contained in the Toilet Retrofit Rebate Program applications, at least 5,681 toilets were replaced in DeKalb County. Approximately $428,594.00 in rebates was disbursed. This program continues to be one of the components of the Department’s long term water conservation efforts.

For more information about the program, including the guidelines, the applications, and the lists of approved toilets, please visit the website at http://www.dekalbwatershed.com. If you do not have internet access, please call 770-270-6243 and an application and information packet will be mailed to you.

Inefficient Plumbing Fixtures Replacement Ordinance

On February 26, 2008, the Dekalb County Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance requiring owners of buildings/ structures constructed prior to 1993, to replace all inefficient plumbing fixtures with low-flow water effiicient plumbing fixtures upon resale. Dekalb County is the first County in the state of Georgia to adopt such legislation. We believe it is an essential component of our long term water conservation efforts, and will help to advance the preservation of our limited water resources. This ordinance went into effect on June 1, 2008 for residential properties and January 1, 2009 for commercial properties. For more information on the requirement, exemptions, and penalties, please visit the website at http://www.dekalbwatershed.com.

We moved into a home with glossy ceramic tile on the floor in the kids bathroom. It gets slippery when it’s wet. A friend said we should re-do the floor with something else not so slippery. What do you think? What’s safer, but inexpensive?

Creating your dream kitchen is not as hard as it seems. Do you need to update portions of your current kitchen? Or would you prefer to construct a new one with a better flow for your family’s cooking needs? Follow these simple steps and we’ll show you how.

Addressing your needs – Do you need space to cook large family meals? Are you a multi-tasker who needs to get from your stove-to your oven-to your wok burner with ease?
Would a second sink on your island help with traffic flow?
There new techonolgies out there to make your kitchen easier to manage, energy efficient and safer for the whole family. (see articles below) Would any of these items help your goals?

Creating the most visual impact – Do you just need some updating in order to keep up with the neighborhood? Cabinet doors styles & countertop colors will have the most impact on your new kitchen by making the strongest visual statement.

Starting the process – Getting kitchen remodel ideas is as easy as opening up a magazine. Just flip through some of the kitchen and bath magazines out there and start tearing out pictures of items you like.

These pictures will help you determine these next set of questions.

* What is your style?
* What sizes and shapes you prefer?
* What colors interest you?
* How much you want to spend?
* When you want it to be done?

Be sure to include these 6 basic design elements into your idea planning: 

1) Cabinets – painted or stained? antique faux finish? glass?

2) Appliances – New or the same as you already have? New technologies? Energy saving devices?

3) Countertops – There are many choices: granite, quartz, corian, glass, recycled glass, etc.

4) Sinks & faucets – what price range are you looking for?

5) Flooring – Look at these wonderful choices! Tile, wood, cork, bamboo (see below).

6) Architectural details- A picture is worth a thousand words. And a little detail is worth more value to your home!

To design:
Start with Appliances – where you put them will determine how cook-friendly your layout is.
Next, you’ll want to determine your budget this will help narrow yoru choices for your cabinets and countertops. Check out the tips page of our website for a job cost report to help you prepare a budget.
And finally, top your design off with plumbing fixtures, flooring, and architectural details.

Don’t worry about getting everything to match exactly. You can best give your kitchen a certain feel by making sure everything coordinates but still keeps its own character.

Need help? Our Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler can help lay out the design with the functionality you need. All within your price range!

Call us to get started today!

For those of our clients who want to go very green, here are a few ideas:
• Take a bucket of water (2 gallons or more) that you have caught when warming up your shower (see Easy Water Conservation Tips article above) and dump it into the bowl of your toilet the next time instead of flushing. The force of the added water will make the toilet flush completely by using water that you would have wasted.

• Install a cistern – a very large water tank that is normally submerged underground which catches rainwater runoff from the roofs of homes to irrigate your lawn & garden. With special filters, you can use the water for your shower supply or even as drinking water. (Ask Attention to Detail if you are interested in installing a cistern system for your house!)

• Replace your old toilet with a waterless composting toilet which uses no water. Take a look at this odd looking toilet!
o http://www.envirolet.com/enwatsel.html

Replacing your old toilets (which used 3.2+ gallons per flush) with new toilets (which use 1.6 gallons per flush or less) will significantly decrease your water bill. There are any number of new water saving toilets. A few examples are:
• A high efficiency toilet, which uses less than 1.3 gallons per flush.
• A flapper-less toilet, which uses 1.6 gallons per flush and guarantees no leaks, because the parts are not submerged in water, so they will not wear out.
• A dual flush toilet. Different flushes for your different everyday needs…

You may or may not know this, but in a previous life David Sturm was a gourmet chef at some of Atlanta’s leading restaurants. Digging up his old chef’s hat, David gave a client a cooking lesson in a kitchen which Attention to Detail was in the process of remodeling.

Knowing how difficult it is to live without a kitchen, Attention to Detail Home Remodeling strives to install the major appliances quickly and with end-of-the-day clean-up so that your kitchen is still usable during the remodeling process.

In an effort to show how to use all the new kitchen appliances and proving how clean his craftsman are, David demonstrated by giving the client a cooking lesson for a lovely gourmet meal during the remodeling process! How’s that for cleanliness in the workplace!

For those curious about cuisine, the meal was a Chicken Francaise with herbs. Arranged on the plate with a medley roasted vegetables and garlic mashed potatoes. Yum! David said he would be happy to do the same for the next person who has their kitchen remodeled with Attention to Detail Home Remodeling.

Did you know your favorite remodeling company (Attention to Detail Home Remodeling, of course!) believes in trees? We believe development must be sustainable. There Attention to Detail donates money to plant trees in the rainforest through Heifer International (www.heifer.org).

Heifer International believes in caring for the earth on which we live. By helping families raise their animals in harmony with nature, and keeping their land healthy, we can can fight poverty and hunger while ensuring a healthy, productive future for us all.

Granite counters have come a long way over the last few years in price.  Granite is beautiful and durable, as is quartz.  But if you feel that you want something different for your kitchen, an accent piece, something lovely that no one else has…

(Click on the link for each type of countertop for a website with more samples.)

* Bamboo is renewable and durable

* Solid Glass is modern and easy to clean

* Recycled Glass (glass mixed with concrete)

* Paper looks and feels like stone

* Scrap Metal is polished or honed & made from aluminum

Bamboo or Cork Floors for Your Kitchen?!

Bamboo.  Isn’t that what the Panda bears eat?  Why do you want it for your kitchen floor? Dark or light in color, it’s beautiful.  The clip shows dark bamboo.

Bamboo is 16% harder than maple wood, 1/3 lighter in weight than oak, yet in some instances as strong as steel. Bamboo is sustainable and cost effective.  Unlike most other hardwoods, it absorbs very little moisture and consequently does not shrink or swell.  Best of all, it looks beautiful.

Cork.  What good would a wine stopper do on your floor?  Cork is truly lovely.  It comes in all colors, can make amazing patterns, or plain solid.  It’s durable, water resistant, provides cushion for your feet, reduces sound and vibration, gives thermal insulation, anti-allergenic & insect resistant, anti-static, and elastic.

Yes, these types of floors are trendy, but at least these trends makes sense.  Why not have a floor that’s durable, long-lasting, & environmentally friendly!

I just had some natural stone countertops installed in my kitchen.  How do I clean them?