It is a common practice in Quebec to pour foundations 12 months a year. The snow itself poses no real problems but rather serves as insulation. As for the foundation walls, it is suggested to add a membrane on them in order to avoid frost from sticking to it.

In regards to the footings, they will be exposed to the winter climate. They could be exposed to freezing and thawing which could cause them to be unstable. If the wood floors at ground level are not built upon the foundations, according to the building code, backfill must not be used any higher than 3 ft. 11 in. on foundations with a thickness of 8”. If the wood floor is built, it is permissible to backfill to 7 ft. and 6 in. high.

As for the CMHC, they unfortunately have no technical counsellors regarding this subject.

We also consulted the Canadian Cement Association and like us, they do not recommend pouring foundations in the fall without continuing the construction immediately for the same reasons as mentioned above.

It is therefore preferable to wait until spring to pour the foundation. This way, the expensive machinery will only have to be brought in once and you will avoid any major problems that could occur. Should you decide to go ahead, be sure to follow the correct steps in order to put all chances on your side and hope that nothing moves!

Keep us posted on your decision and invite the professionals in your region to comment on our reply. Some may have tricks of the trade that we do not know about.

We look forward to hearing from you!

First of all, it depends on the type of ground on which the garage is to be built. We can chose independent foundations such as monolithic floating slabs or monolithic floating slabs that reinforce the periphery in order to properly receive exterior walls and any other attachments. Already, a variant in the amount of  1000$ to 2000$ may be applied. In such a case, a monolithic slab would prove to be less expensive.

After this, will the assigned contractor prefer to erect the entire garage, or will he agree with you and do only the structural part to allow you to finalize the rest to save costs? Here, a variation of between 3000$ to 5000$ must be considered for more specialized manpower. (labour)

Will your garage be insulated to enable you to do odd jobs all year round?  Will it be erected with 2 x 4’s or 2 x 6’s? Technical-wise, will you have electricity, heating and plumbing in your garage?  There are other important elements that have considerable influence on construction costs. We can easily say there is a variance of 2000$ to 3000$ if not more. Of course, this is according to the size of the garage.

Finally, many garage plans suggest bonus spaces at the ceiling for additional storage. Will this space be built as planned or will it be eliminated and built with trusses and a window? If you opt to keep this extra space, will it be insulated or only done in plywood?

You will now understand that with all these possibilities, it becomes very difficult to set firm construction costs for a detached garage, but since you have taken the time to read this article, here is an example that could serve as a reference guide.

Let’s say that you are interested in the detached garage no. 2975-16, which is 16’ wide by 24’ deep. You are planning to erect it with 4 vinyl sides on a monolithic foundation with 2 x 4’s, as well as with the bonus space planned on the upper floor but not insulated. A minimum of electrical facilities is included but there is no plumbing or heating. The cement footing, the structure and the roofing (finishing of these steps included), would be done by the contractor whereas you would be responsible for both the interior and exterior finishing. Well, this garage should cost approximately 24500$

Please do not hesitate to share your comments with me!

As it’s usually the custom, when a subject such as air conditioning becomes a hot subject, you usually tend to hear comments of all kinds.  The ones who own an air conditioning device often complain about the performance.  Others wish to purchase one but simply do not know where to start.

Now, if you are anything  like me, you may have no idea of what size to buy or how many BTU’s you need your unit to have in order for it to be profitable.  I honestly thought the term BTU was strictly used in the barbecue business!

I recently found out through Energy Star that many elements can be taken into consideration to help you choose the correct air conditioning.   For instance, did you know that the total square footage of the area you wish to cool is essential?

Also, here are some elements you may need to consider to help you make the smartest choice:

If the room is heavily shaded, reduce capacity by 10 percent.
If the room is very sunny, increase capacity by 10 percent.
If more than two people regularly occupy the room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.
If the unit is used in a kitchen, increase capacity by 4,000 BTUs.
Consider where you install the unit. If you are mounting an air conditioner near the corner of a room, look for a unit that can send the airflow in the right direction. 

I also encourage you to visit the following site in order to view the chart that will give you a better indication of what type of strength your unit should be in order to be effective.
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized

Happy shopping and may your summer be a little less sticky!

The 20% of Canadians suffering from a pulmonary illness are certainly more aware than others on the question:  carpeting, rugs and other similar floor coverings, as with upholstering materials, are collectors of dust and other allergen carrying micro organisms, not to mention irritating chemical emanations.

According to Don Fugler, main researcher at the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the quantity of dust removed from carpeting is many times superior to that of a hard floor.  And, if a broom can remove up to 95% of undesirable particles on a hard floor, passing the vacuum only removes, on average, 40% of dust on carpeting.  “In fact, there are three types of elements which lodge in carpets and are real sponges.” Explains the researcher: “They can be of a biological nature (skin, hair, food, mites…) or mineral (earth, sand, lead…) or even chemical which notably comes from materials used during construction, particularly paint vapours.

To limit this interior pollution it is recommended, among other things, to remove shoes before entering the house, to vacuum carpets more than once a week, and to cover carpeting and furniture well during renovations.

So much for the ABC’s of regular maintenance.  But the choice of having carpeting at home also has its risks when it comes to deeper cleaning.  The two principal ones are mould and chemical products.

Give me Air!

The number one rule when comes time for cleaning is to take advantage of the best possible ventilation to allow for evacuation of toxic emanations of certain cleaning products, and a faster drying if we use liquid products.  We should therefore choose a warm and dry period for this type of household activity because the danger of carpeting which stays humid too long resides in the formation of microscopic mushrooms known as mould.  The 270 recognized species in Canadian homes all have the particularity of releasing chemical substances and spores which, according to Don Fugler, may have “at best, negligible effects on our health, or at worst, cause allergies and serious illnesses.”  Other than persons already suffering from respiratory troubles, individuals having a weak immune system are at risk, as are pregnant women, children and older persons as well.  Also, knowing that certain moulds are invisible, we will work harder to dry our carpeting and we will privilege rugs and carpets which we can take outside to fresh air, rather than carpeting and other unmoveable floor coverings.  Another good reason for proceeding with cleaning carpeting in a well ventilated environment: the chemical agents contained in certain cleaning products.  Other than pesticides, whose noxious effects we need not be reminded of, stain removers and protectors are the most dangerous because they often contain chemical solvents which give off toxic emanations.  And to complete the difficulty chart, the composition of synthetic carpeting poses a problem due to substances contained in certain glues and various treatments administered at the time of manufacture (fungicide, pesticide, waterproofing, stain repellents and colour fixatives) can be activated by chlorine contained in cleaning water or in reaction to other products.  In passing it is interesting to note that many carpets contain volatile organic elements (VOE), such as benzene, toluene, formaldehyde, who have the sad characteristic of releasing gas and vapours up to five years after installation, and solidify before re-depositing themselves on any surface of the house.  Some of these are cancer-causing; others affect the nervous and endocrinal systems.

We can then understand very well that the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) would sanction the acquisition of coverings in non-treated natural fibres and suggests asking the manufacturer of your future carpeting to air it out for three days before delivery and to leave our windows open for at least the same amount of time after installation.

Gray Zones

On the CMHC Internet site, many articles relate to perfluorooctyle sulfonate (PFOS), a substance appreciated for its hydrophobal and lipophobal properties, which is to repel water and oils.  PFOS was the main ingredient in the Scotchgard® line of products, manufactured by 3M Corporation and distributed for 40 years before being removed this year from the ingredients of these products.  Long thought totally inoffensive, PFOS has revealed itself to be a persistent organic pollutant (POP) of which traces have been found almost everywhere in the animal world, including humans, whose body takes an average of four years to be able to totally eliminate (the highest concentrations were found in children).

Illnesses attributable to PFOS are numerous; according to the Environmental Working Group, an ecological research group based in Washington, these are various irritations (eyes, nose, lungs), headaches, fatigue, nausea… We haven’t yet studied the cancerous effects in humans, but according to the conclusions of the most recent studies, doses measured in children and adults are sometimes even higher than those causing cellular, thyroidal and reproductive disturbances as well as malformations and cancers of the pancreas, breast, testicles, prostate and liver in laboratory animals.  For its part, the Cooperation and Economic Development Organization (CEDC is an international organization grouping together thirty or so countries, including Canada) are even studying the possibility of the occurrence of PFOS in the development of bladder cancers, but research has barely begun and we are still incapable of measuring the real effects of this substance on the environment and the human being.

Water!

In its overview on the dangers of carpeting maintenance, the CMHC also raises the question of shampoos (dry, liquid or powder) and mousses which generally contain solvents and detergents such as perchloroethylene which threaten our health if its application surpasses a certain time limit.  Even the most performing vacuums cannot eliminate all the residues, which means that a child can very well ingest them by bringing his hands to his mouth after joyously rolling on a “very clean” carpet.  Don Fugler of the CMHC recommends the use of central vacuums which can eliminate all the particles, or a HEPA type vacuum; both procure a slight advantage over other vacuums.

Unless carpeting is extremely dirty, water with a mild soap added, a good rinsing and quick drying is the simplest and surest method of cleaning carpeting.  As such, distributors of Oriental and Kilim carpets recommend a traditional washing with plenty of water, once every three or five years in order to extend the life of these costly floor coverings.  When it comes to the cleaning professionals, certain have kept up with environmental changes and have developed ecological procedures.  This is the case with the Steamatic Company, who uses a hot water dirt extractor.  “Whenever possible, we use nothing but a water softener, a phosphate-free emulsifier, to avoid any reactions with products potentially contained in the carpeting, comments Jules Piché, director of the Montreal based company.  Water temperature is controlled in a way which frees dirt (dust and oils) and maintains it in suspense before extracting.  With our procedure, carpeting dries in seven hours and 96% of bacteria and allergenic agents are eliminated.  Of course, when necessary we use more aggressive products, all of which are biodegradable and anti-allergen.  Besides, they are endorsed by the 22 countries where they are distributed, Sweden being among them.”

In other respects, the Polti Canada Company carried off the prize for air quality, awarded by an independent jury in a contest organized in 1998 by La Maison du 21e Siècle for the Vaporetto steam cleaner which it manufactures and distributes.

Practical Advice

Clearly it is better to reduce interior textile surfaces inside a home and to protect them from dirt by following basic precautions and by regular maintenance.  This being said and to be able to continue to appreciate the beauty of carpeting and the comfort they provide, following is some ecological advice for choosing and for cleaning:

• When purchasing, avoid synthetic materials such as butadiene styrene backing; opt for natural, non-treated vegetable or animal fibres.
• Don’t wait until carpeting looks dirty before cleaning.
• Proceed with a water or steam cleaning once every two years.  Ensure you do not saturate and that it dries within 24 hours.
• For regular cleaning, vacuum carefully, sprinkle with cornstarch or baking soda, let work one hour then vacuum again with great care.
• In case of accidents, sponge up spilled liquids with a white or light coloured cloth, without scrubbing, so as not to damage the fibres.  If needed, delicately scrape with a spatula or spoon.  If the stain is oil-based, sprinkle with baking soda or cornstarch or corn flour.
• Dab rebel stains with hot soapy water (dishwashing liquid or mild soap) and rinse with a few spoonfuls of white vinegar in a cup of water before sponging with a clean cloth.
• Salt, borax, club soda and boiling water are other good natural cleaners.
• If you use the services of a professional cleaner, insist he not use chemical products.  If he answers that this is impossible, talk to him about the Biomor products, manufactured by the Avmor Company of Laval, which are composed of bacterial solutions which disintegrate organic matters lodged in carpeting by jointly acting with the bacteria of these same organic matters.  A chemical reaction caused by biological elements.  Interesting…

Avmor:  (450-629-8074
CHEC: www.Checnet.org (Virtual House)
CMHC: 1-800-668-2642
www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/ (enter Healthy Housing in search box)
Don Fugler (of the CMHC): dfugler@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
Polti Canada: (514) 685-8770 or 1-888-697-6584 (www.polti.ca)
Health Canada: Pierre Roousseau (418) 649-6416 (www.hc.sc.gc.ca)
Steamatic: Jules Piché, (514) 351-1234

How about buying a Christmas tree in August?  Or an inflatable pool in January?

I could go through a list of hundreds of items that we purchase without planning.  And don’t get me wrong, we don’t see many people buying shovels in July just because they’re on special.  I know I wouldn’t! Not after the winter we just had.  I don’t want to see a shovel before new years!

My main point is,  if you have an idea of what your needs will be for the fall season, it’s always a good thing, financially speaking, to plan ahead.  If you plan to buy a new television for example, summer’s one of the best moments to purchase one.   Come october, month when we all start getting the “I just want to cuddle up” mood, many businesses will be waiting to sell you the same television you saw on sale 2 months before now full price!  We all know this of course but rarely do we plan these types of purchases.

A good item to plan a purchase for, at this time of year, is a wood stove.  The best time to buy something is when it’s out of season.  You’ll be happy you have it when the “mood” I was refering starts settling in…

As for me, I still can’t get around to purchasing a Christmas tree on Boxing day!  Someone’s bound to be happy to see me pay full price for it in december!

I wish you all a good laugh and unfortunaltly, the author of the following is unknow but I wish to thank homeimprovementsdepot.com for uplifting my spirits.  I feel much lighter!

Ten Signs That You Might Be Obsessed with Your Lawn

Last weekend I found myself standing outside in the pouring rain at 10 o’clock at night while I was trying to spread down some grass seed in hopes of taking advantage of the wet weather in a desperate attempt to give my lawn a jump start for the spring.I realized as I stood out there that maybe, just maybe, I’m going a little too far with trying to get my lawn to be green and thick this year. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to my lawn, I just want it to be green and thick and lush and nicer than all my immediate neighbors’ lawns. Is that too much to ask?

And while I don’t consider myself to be obsessed with my lawn (even though I was planting grass seed on a rainy weekend evening), I started thinking about what you might do if you were just a tad over excited about growing grass. Here, then is my list of signs that you might be obsessed with your lawn:

1. When no one is looking you try to eat off your lawn…just because you can.

2. You wish say “Good night, sleep tight!” to your lawn every evening and check it through the window each morning before you get your coffee.

3. You time your planting and fertilizing with lunar cycles, sun spot activity and astrological calendars.

4. When you mow your lawn you use a level.

5. For vacation you visit dozen different golf courses and take hundreds of photos, but you don’t play yourself because you can’t stand the idea of walking on something so beautiful.

6. You weed your lawn with a magnifying glass and tweezers.

7. Your mower blades are so sharp you’ve accidentally cut atoms in half.

8. You have 12 different cans of green paint in the garage that you use to paint the few blades of grass that aren’t completely uniform in color.

9. You can shoot the head off a dandelion with a .45 Automatic pistol from 100 yards away…and you know this from experience.

10. You’ve seriously considered knocking down your house just so you have a little more room to grow your lawn.

Wishing you all a Happy Spring and Healthy Lawn this year!

www.homeimprovementsdepot.com/you-can-use-your-christmas-lights-all-year/

And lets face it, we are hundreds who don’t know what to do with them after Christmas and we all seem to come face to face with some “extra ones” during our spring cleaning…
And if you can’t find or don’t have any Christmas lights at home, you will be sure to find something decorative at your local hardware store. 

Enjoy!

This labour health doctor was reacting to the fact that certain of these heating systems, composed of an electric wire typically installed under a ceramic floor, emit a magnetic field measuring up to 100 milli gauss (mG0) at ground level.  According to nine epidemiological studies, a chronic exposure to an average field of more than 4 mG doubles the risk of child leukemia.  In 2002, this is what incited the International Center for Cancer Research, along with the World Health Organization, to class magnetic fields of 50-60 Hertz in Group 2B as ‘potentially cancer-causing’.  The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation in its Mechanical Equipment Guide for a Clean Interior Environment, that radiant electric floors <<can emit significant electrical and magnetic fields.>>

Four Cancers Targeted

The most solid proofs of noxious effects of electromagnetic fields come from epidemiological studies, explains Health Canada: <<The studies have led to suppositions of the existence of a weak positive association between being exposed to fields of 50-60Hz and leukemia, brain cancer, breast cancer and lung cancer.>> But we cannot exclude that other statistical, environmental or socio-economic factors may be responsible.

Also a researcher at the McGill Faculty of Medicine, Jan Erik Deadman is co-author of a historical study published last July.  It concluded that female workers, whose average weekly exposure was at least 4mG during or within two years preceding their pregnancy, doubled their risk of having a child who will develop this type of blood cancer.  Other studies concluded that chronic exposure to a field of 2mG doubled the risk in children.

Should owners of electrically heated floors disable their system or turn it off before entering a room?  <<The risk is considered too weak and too uncertain to change heated floors in houses and daycares, analyzes Denis Gauvin, biologist at the Institut nationale de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) Must the population be informed?  Yes.  If people have the possibility of choosing a floor which exposes them less, all the better.>> Electromagnetic fields are composed of electrical fields produced by voltage (live wires) and magnetic fields from amperage (power consumed)  They are measured with a multi meter which frequently acts as a voltmeter, gauss meter and radio frequency and microwave reader.  The intensity of the field and the degree of human exposure diminish rapidly when moving away from the source, easy if the radiant system is in a ceiling but impossible in the case of a floor.

At one foot from a floor emitting 100mG at ground level, the field can measure 16mG, a level at which very brief daily exposures are, according to a recent California study (Li, 2002), associated with an increased risk of false labour.  These fields are weaker in a house where electrical consumption is lower and if the wires are close together and laid out in parallel, their fields have a tendency to mutually cancel themselves out.

Quebecers Overexposed

According to Andrew Michrowski, a Canadian specialist in the matter, besides Hydro-Québec lines, the principal sources of long term domestic exposure are wiring errors and residual power generated by the grounding of metallic main water entries of houses.  Quebecers, of which 70% of homes are heated by electricity, are the ones who are the most exposed to magnetic fields of 50-60 Hz.  According to another study by Dr. Deadman, 7% of Quebecers, compared to an average of 0.7% in other countries, are constantly exposed to fields of at least 4mG.

Quebec also has the highest rate of infant cancer in the country: around 165 per million, with some 225 cases diagnosed annually.  In 70% of the cases it is leukemia, of which the causes are unknown.  Many are suspected:  viruses, food, medication and other pollutants (car emissions, farms, industries, tobacco smoke - of which we are the Canadian champions, etc.)

Finally, Quebecers show mortality records of causes which were associated to a professional exposure to magnetic fields.  The INSPQ recently compared our mortality rates to those of 20 industrialized countries:  Quebecers were ranked 1st for lung cancer, 2nd for malignant tumours, 3rd for suicide; Quebec women are ranked 3rd for lung cancer, 5th for tumours and 6th for breast cancer and suicide.

CIRC:  http://monographs.iarc.fr/htdocs/accouncements/frvol80.htm
INSPQ :  www.inspq.qc.ca/bulletin//bise/2002/bise_13_4.asp?Annee =2002
TriField Meter:  Essentia, 1-888-639-7730 www.essentia.ca
Protection against CEMs and radiofrequencies:  Magnepur, 1-888-557-1110 www.magnepur.com
 

It’s during winter that energy inefficiency is most obvious.  In fact, the enormous icicles and ice barrages that accumulate on roofs are flagrant proof of heat loss and an inefficient use of energy.  I am always surprised to hear intelligent people say that this is typically normal for our Quebec winters – just like apple pie is American.  What nonsense!

At the beginning of winter, heat loss through the eaves or the attic keeps the roof surface warm.  As snow starts to accumulate, it stays, even on slanted roofs.  After awhile, snow becomes the insulation and traps the air. The colder it gets, the more we heat the house and the more heat we lose, the more the eaves and roof surface warm up.

Monster Icicles

One day, the roof surface temperature reaches 0 degrees Celsius and the snow next to it softens and melts.  This melting snow transforms into water which slides down towards the edges.  As water accumulates at the roof edges and rain gutters, the water freezes as it contacts outside air which is colder than the roof surface.  Over time, the result is the formation of spectacular icicles – some reach one storey and more!  The greater the heat loss is, the greater the thickness of the ice barrages behind the icicles and the greater the length of the icicles.

When there’s a major thaw and rain with temperatures reaching at least +6 degrees Celsius, even in the Laurentians, infiltrations begin.  Frequently though, these do not come from the roof as such, they occur horizontally, from the edges.

In fact, the weight of the accumulated ice in the gutters opens up a joint on the edge of the roof, on the ledge or in the soffit, and the water leaking under the accumulated snow and ice in the roof penetrates to the ceilings.  To the greatest surprise of homeowners, even when ceilings have a slight slope, infiltrations can manifest themselves a good distance from the exterior wall.

It’s Raining in my Bed

To my greatest disappointment, this is what my family lived through at the summer cottage of my in-laws in the Laurentians, following a successful surprise party given for André Fauteux, editor of La maison du 21ième siècle.  Water started dripping from the ceiling onto our beds in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately in such cases many homeowners mistakenly blame their roof while the origin of the problem is the house’s heat loss.

Roofers are called in by panicking homeowners, and repairs are scheduled, even if no one has determined what the real cause of the problem is.  Redoing a roof when it is not necessary is a very costly additional energy loss.

Certain customers have told me that they have had their roof completely redone two or three times in 10 years but the problem has not disappeared.  This is outright robbery by the roofers!

In fact, as unbelievable as it may seem, many Montreal eaves contain only from 0 to 4 inches of insulation.  (Note:  It is generally more advantageous to install from 12 to 14 inches for a thermal resistance of R-42 to R-49, if cellulose is used, it being the most economical insulation for attics.)

Fungus and Baseboard Heaters

Another very visible sign of energy inefficiency is the accumulation of mould in the form of dark stains on the ceilings and corners of walls of houses heated by electric baseboard heaters.  A great many Montreal rental properties – in Rosemount, the Mount Royal Plateau, in Ville LaSalle and in Ahuntsic were not designed or built to be heated in this fashion, but with radiators or other types of central heating offering a more even heat distribution.

When these were replaced by electric baseboard heaters, each with their own individual thermostat so that tenants could pay for their energy consumption and the addition of insulation in the ceilings was forgotten or neglected for financial reasons.

That’s a shame because today tenants turn down or even turn off heating in some rooms in order to reduce their electric bill.  The problem is that these rental properties have a relatively high humidity rate because, typically, bathrooms and kitchens are not ventilated towards the exterior.

When the temperature of a room falls, the relative humidity goes up, not because the absolute humidity has changed but because cold air cannot hold as much steam as the warmer air.  Results: humidity condensates on badly insulated walls, ceilings and junctions (joists, corners, etc.) and which allow air to infiltrate.  This is when mould and mildew start to proliferate.

As winter advances, the problem worsens.  Wet insulation loses its insulating capacity.  If windows have been replaced and do not permit air to infiltrate (condensation will often freeze them shut as well), the level of carbon bioxyde (CO2) easily surpasses 1000 parts per million – and more than 2000 ppm if people smoke.

Symptoms of the Sick House

Headaches, dizziness and other illnesses follow.  If we let the situation degenerate, the elevated concentration of toxic mould will sooner or later take its toll on the health of the occupants – at the immunity, neurological levels…

What started as a search for a way of saving energy has transformed into a disaster for the health of the occupants.  Moreover, a building shell which condenses and retains humidity is even more difficult and costly to heat.  Know that the presence of mould and mildew is due to a lack of energy efficiency and of ventilation.

Unfortunately, mouldy walls are also a part of Quebec folklore, just like the act of placing a towel at the foot of the entrance door, instead of weather stripping, in order to prevent an exchange of air, which is ironically necessary.

To sum up, the essential is to insulate the roof if we want to change the heating system in favour of electric baseboards and, to save energy, although this type of heating loses much more heat through ascending convection than a radiant heating system.

This problem would not exist if our homes were better designed and built, particularly with regards to insulation, water-tightness and ventilation.

Morris Charney inspects all types of buildings full time now for more than 25 years.  With a diploma from prestigious Harvard University, he founded and for a long time gave a Building Inspection course at McGill University and the Architects’ Guild of Quebec (Ordre des Architectes du Québec) Moreover, he has also accomplished, as architect, over 1000 renovation designs.

But what are the colour trends this year? Is there any pizzazz to look forward to? Perhaps the following can help you to get started in some choices you may want to make should you have chosen to remodel.

 Benjamin Moore has a nice way of presenting the 2008 trends on their website naming them Modern Tranquility, Organic Comfort and Pure Opulence.  Of course, it’s not because it’s trendy that it’s necessarily tasteful…

Sico on the other hand speaks of Mysterious, dark looks, Punch colours, Sico’s mushroom collection, and also Sico neutrals.  I particularly like Sico’s website for all the other sections.  For example, they have a Feng Shui colours section with precious information and other links.  Some of you will also delight with their  Colour Fan Club.  

There is much out there to give good ideas and uplift the spirits.  I for one am seriously looking forward to giving a little red touch to my kitchen!

Enjoy!