Imagine waking up to the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, just feet away from your bed, or grabbing an ice-cold beverage and a late-night snack without ever leaving the comfort of your bedroom.
Forget the walk-in closet and the master bath; the morning bar is one of the hottest new home amenities. The typical morning bar includes a sink and faucet, small refrigerator, drawer dishwasher and small counter to hold appliances such as a coffee maker, espresso machine or even a microwave oven.

In December 2004, a fire destroyed three townhouses and damaged a fourth in Lorton, Va., just south of the nation’s capital. Investigators later determined that faulty wiring had sparked the blaze.
Raul Castillo, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department, said that fire marshals digging through the rubble uncovered an anomaly in the internal wiring at the back of one of the townhouses.

When it comes to saving energy, it pays to conserve. American consumers pay about $25 billion annually to heat and cool air that eventually leaks to the outdoors. The collective cost for this wasted energy is enormous, an amount equivalent to the value of the oil produced by the Alaska Pipeline.

Fences are built for many reasons. Fences keep children or animals in the yard and define property lines. Fences also provide security and privacy, and complement other backyard amenities, like pools, spas and decks.

Many Americans send energy - and their hard-earned money - right out the window. Poorly insulated windows make heating and cooling systems work harder to keep homes comfortable. Homeowners not only feel uncomfortable but also waste hundreds of dollars.

How A Forest Products Company is Making a Real Environmental Impact
With the growing popularity of green building practices, more companies are incorporating environmental and sustainability policies. These are all positive steps toward reducing the impact of global warming and caring for our earth. But what do you really know about a product you buy that is labeled green? Is it really environmentally friendly, or is it just a marketing scheme? And how much of a difference is it actually making?

Natural wood once reigned as the product of choice when it came to selecting an attractive flooring material that would impart a warm, homey and upscale appearance. Today, with many new laminate flooring options available, homeowners are taking a closer look at what appears to be authentic wood, but delivers the beauty at a much lower cost with far more benefits.