Archive for February, 2010
RiskICE (Risk In Controlled Environments) Health and Safety Management Software
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
Watch over Life introduces RiskICE (Risk In Controlled Environments). Now there is a web based Health and Safety software system that can help your organisation efficiently manage all components of operational risk and compliance in an integrated and proactive way. Please see the article ‘business case for RiskICE’ or the article entitled ‘why use RiskICE’.
Efficient management of risk and compliance requires knowledge to be available and shared across all departments within an organisation. The Safeguard Life’s RiskICE platform comprises a number of integrated modules gathering and automatically distributing key operational information to every areas of your establishment ensuring compliance and productivity in today’s increasingly hard legislative environment.
RiskICE’s modules are integrated and easy to use; allowing you to remain on top of your business risk at the touch of a button, using RiskICE’s comprehensive reporting. Each module can function independently or as an integrated solution which all-in-all is web-based customisable health and safety system
RiskICE’s workflow tool is highly configurable allowing companies to automate and control defined organization rules and business process. This means it can be used for more than just a health and safety system.
This health and safety management system can be easily configured to your precise industry requirements and provides a number of options for easily integrating with other third party systems such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics and Oracle.
RiskICE the health and safety management system.
As you may expect RiskICE is a modern easy to use web based software application developed using the latest Microsoft .Net technologies. The platform has recently been redesigned from the territory up based as a Service Orientated Architecture (SOA) providing a flexible and scalable enterprise software solution.
Advanced capabilities such as the built-in workflow designer, configuration manager, company intelligence and reporting and flexible application set-up allow organizations to rapidly implement best-practice for every aspects of H&S compliance.
Shield Life – RiskICE is obtainable as a Serviced hosted offering or can be installed on your corporate Network.
If you would like further information in support of the system, its benefits, integration options and/or the company for RiskICE please send us your requirement (enquiries@protectlife.com) or call us to schedule an informal conversation or presentation/demonstration on +44 (0)871 050 0880 (then select option 1).
Long Term Lets in Javea Spain
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
Long term lets in Javea are a valuabe and rare commodity at the moment. Just about any decent Villa for rent in javea seems to be only for Holiday lets in javea and not for long term rentals in javea.
Some companies in javea specialise in long lets in javea, but most concentrate on the lucrative holiday rental market.
Holiday rentals have some pluses over and above long term rentals in that before and after the main holiday season, the villa is available for use by the owner and his or her friends and family.
The downside to holiday lettings is the management and logistics involved in getting the villas cleaned in between weekly rentals.
The yearly income from both long term rentals and holiday letting is about the same, so it depends whether the extra management hssles and costs are worth having the villa available for the owners own use.
Another advantage of holiday letting is that you can offer the house for sale all year round, whilst long term tenants would most probably object to their home being on the market and having agents wander round with prospective buyers in tow.
However you decide to rent out your villa in Javea, the income is almost guarenteed due to the demand for rental properties at the moment.
While demand for sales properties has declined in recent years in Spain, there soes seem to be an upturn in interest so far this year, with many agents reporting better 2009’s than 2008.
With that in mind, now may be the right time to bag a bargain and then rent it out!
Tips on how to burn fat fast
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
Do we really understand what excess fat does to our health? Only the affected ones can tell. As with all things, there are positive and negative effects. We all need some body fat for our health. Fat plays an important role in the human body such as healthy skin, immune function, reproduction and also body warmth but excessive fat can be harmful to your health also. Therefore, there is a need to lower your body fat but there is no ‘magic bullet’ in being able to achieve this goal.
Reducing body fat requires dedication and perseverance. It doesn’t mean you change your lifestyle as it’s not necessary. If you wish to burn fat fast there are personal commitments you have to make starting with the meals you take. A proper diet plan can be more effective since it builds a foundation on body fat reduction. Though change is always hard to make you need to avoid taking fat melting foods such as oat meal, beans and such like foods.
Taking small meals several times in a day is much better than taking three large meals every day. This break between your meals gives your body time to re-adjust your metabolism thus a higher chance to burn calories. This will help flush out the fat in your body.
Body exercise, that works, is another important step in reducing body fat though it seems daunting. With the effort of trying to reduce fat it’s very important to consult a doctor first before beginning any exercise routine to make sure that you are physically fit for exercise. Ideally, selecting a routine that you really like to do and don’t force yourself in doing things that you can’t do just because you need to lower your fat percentage. Many people like simple exercises like jogging, cycling and playing games which requires little effort and have adverse effect. Engage in games like playing where you exercise your body and also the brain.
Exercising at least for twenty minutes in a day helps you burn stomach fat fast. It is more effective when you exercise in the morning as your stomach activities are low. Make sure before you start this routine your stomach is half empty or fully empty. When you start the exercise when your stomach is empty your body will use stored fat thus reducing it.
Experts say “water for life”. You can stay without food but without water you won’t. Also drinking enough water per day is highly recommended by nutrition experts since water reduces there dire need of food as it is a natural appetite suppressant. Drinking water while exercising will reduce dehydration thus creating a cool environment for fat burning. Water also crystallizes fat thus increasing the rate at which it will be burnt.
Stay away from “laziness”. Keep yourself occupied both physically and mentally. It might not make sense but this is a natural way to lose belly fat in your body. Develop a “non-idle” habit regardless of whether it is reading, writing and other activities that can keep your brain busy. Our brain requires large percent of what we consume hence a way this will help reduce body fat.
Interest Rate Predictions for This Week
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
Home loan mortgage rates jumped the most that we’ve seen since last December. It was a rough week dominated by the Federal Reserve and some hotter-than-expected inflation data.
We saw the FOMC minutes move the market mid-week as the Fed expressed continued economic optimism. Separately, they made a surprise change to the discount rate increasing it to 0.75% from 0.50%
Interest Rate Forecasts for This Week
If last week wasn’t enough for you, Fed Chairman Bernanke is back before Congress Wednesday and Thursday of this week. We will also see another whopping set of Treasury auctions of almost $120B. On top of all of this, the news calendar is loaded with reports all week. This week’s calendar is littered with influential reports all week including:
- Case-Shiller Home Price Index
- New Home Sales
- FHFA Home Price Index
- Existing Home Sales
- Consumer Confidence
- Initial Jobless Claims
- Personal Consumption Expenditures
Mortgage rates are at a crossroads where they might tick ever so slightly lower, but they’ll eventually move much higher. In order to get the best rate on your home loan approval, it is best to start soon.
There is very little to suggest that rates are going lower and there is a lot to suggest that rates are going higher. When they do, it is very unlikely that we’ll see rates this low again anytime soon.
The economy is definitely improving and there is no need for the Fed to continue to spend so much money to keep rates this low.
If you want to check back on this week’s mortgage rate predictions, it should be an interesting week. Expect changes to Chicago mortgage rates with a significantly better chance of higher rates rather than lower rates.
Is It Worth Buying Jack Vettriano Signed Prints
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
The art print business has become very popular in the market these days. This is because selling printed copies of art works have been getting the attention of art enthusiasts who would like to collect art works but may not be able to buy the original yet.
If you are to enter this business, the first thing that you have to do is to find the best artists that whose work will be reprinted to gain the best profit for you. For this step, one of the artists to choose from is Jack Vettriano.
But who is Jack Vettriano? He is an artist who was born in 1951 in Fife, Scotland who did not really thought of being an artist at first. He was sixteen years old when he stopped going to school to be a mining engineer. He only started to paint and teach himself how to do it after receiving a set of water color from his a girlfriend when he turned 21 years old.
In the year 1989, he sent two of his works to the Royal Scottish Academy for its yearly exhibition. His two works were immediately accepted and then sold on the opening of the exhibit. For the following year’s exhibit, he sent three works and all received the same treatment as his first two works. This marked his start as an artist.
You will know that anything that is made by artist Jack Vettriano when you see sort of enigmatic movements occurring between a man and a woman. Not to say that it also captivates a dreamy effect. He was able to produce his works by being uncomfortable emotionally. In order to achieve this, he would usually listen to requiems by Leonard Cohen while working.
By continuously putting his emotion to his works, art enthusiasts find his works very worthy of high amounts of money. To top the list of his most expensive artwork, The Singing Butler was his work made in 2004 that has been sold around £750,000. His other work named “Dance Me To The End Of Love” reached an auction amount of around £350,000. Henceforth, you can say that his artworks are really something for these enthusiasts to spend this amount of money for it.
So if you will get Jack Vettriano prints, you have to know that the sales of his prints have already overthrown the sales of other prominent artists like Van Gogh and Monet. His unique way of painting never failed to catch the attention of every art aficionados to buy them in the process.
In conclusion, getting Jack Vettriano prints for your business is a very worthwhile investment. This means that Jack Vettriano is an artist that will ensure you of continuous income in your business venture. With all the success he is getting these days, you are assured that it will last for a longer time to be one of your major income-generating assets in your art prints business. And with the help of people who are learning the importance and beauty of art, you will definitely sell these Jack Vettriano prints to a larger market and make your business successful.
Vegetable Garden Pests
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
Among the worst vegetable garden pests are aphids. Aphids are small green bugs (only about 1 mm long), and they will kill your plants. They like nice young plants. They like soft green plants. They like plants that have grown quickly and have lots of new, tender leaves. Everywhere they bite your plant they leave behind poison that doesn’t just kill the plants where they bite. It kills future growth as well. They are hardy little water suckers, and they need lots of water from your plants to survive.
Aphids especially like tomatoes and squash, particularly juicy varieties. Some of them also have wings so that when they are attacked, that is when you try to wash them away, they can fly away to another plant. So washing them off of the plants can be somewhat futile. They also secrete a chemical when threatened that causes the next generation of aphids to create a larger population with wings. When more of them have wings they can spread all around your garden more easily and are quite happy to attack your neighbor’s plants, as well.
Aphids reproduce quickly and can cover your plants in just a couple of days. Every adult aphid is capable of reproducing at a rate of 10 or more live baby aphids every day. You may find it interesting to know that aphids don’t need males for reproduction. The females only use the male aphids when they’re ready to produce eggs that will lie dormant for the winter, thereby creating a whole new batch of aphids for next year.
So if you can’t wash them off and they fly away when you attack them, how do you fight off these nasty little bugs?
Well, one natural enemy of aphids is the ladybug. If you have a healthy population of ladybugs or lacewings, they will certainly help to keep the aphid population down. The other side of the coin is to be less negative and find a positive way to encourage the aphids to stay away from your vegetables.
Aphids love nasturtiums. Nasturtiums have bright orange flowers and look lovely planted around and among your vegetables. The nasturtium plant has lots of leaves, and the aphids will flock to the nasturtiums restaurant rather than hang out at the fast food tomato joint. Seriously, just a couple of nasturtiums planted a in the middle of your garden will go a long way toward keeping the aphids off of your vegetables, not to mention creating a beautiful, colorful centerpiece for your garden. And one last plus from nasturtiums: they’re edible for humans. Try some in your salad. Just be sure to leave plenty for those aggravating vegetable garden pests — aphids.
A guy has celery sticking out of one ear, lettuce out of the other, and a zucchini up his nose. He goes to the doctor and asks him what’s wrong. The doctor tells him, “Well, for one thing, you’re not eating right.”
I love that joke! If you like it too, you’ll love the information we have on sites ranging from Vegetable Garden Planning to Fun Board Games to our Mobile Alabama Business Directory.
Come and visit!
A Guide To HD Video Cameras
Monday, February 22nd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
HD, or high def, is creating quite a lot of buzz, due to some very high spirited campaigning done by the cable networks wanting you to buy HD boxes to watch HD on television. What you may not be aware of, is the fact that HD is delivered in a widescreen format of 16:9 instead of the normal television format of 4:3.
The average everyday customer has every right to be confused as to what HD really and truly is, as most companies involved with it can’t agree on one simple standard. The standard getting the most support with HD is 1080i, which means a resolution of 1080
interlaced lines or 720 progressive lines. The television signals in general will give you 525 lines so the increasing quality is dramatic, if you have the HD gear to watch the video the way it was meant to be.
Cameras that offer HD are simply the best you can buy. They are obviously more expensive than digital cameras, with some models reaching upwards towards $60,000! These types of cameras are normally for professionals, as the average working man would never be able to afford such an expensive type of HD video camera.
The average HD video cameras can run up to $400. Pure Flip HD cameras offer you the chance to shoot high definition picures and videos, and send them to friends or family. You can also save your shoots to disk or memory card, then take them with you everywhere you go.
If you’ve yet to see a pure digital Flip Ultra HD video camera, you’ll probably find yourself amazed. The zoom offered with these cameras are amazing, as many can get above 100X! Shooting up close and personal is never a problem with Flip HD video cameras.
How to control Data Transfer across your Network
Monday, February 22nd, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
Introduction
The degree to which computing has become a part of normal life and everyday commerce has prompted a change in the way management approaches how they manage the money, the tasks and the systems within a business. IT is becoming an increasing factor in business.
As computing becomes more widely used within a company and takes a more prominent critical within the critical processes of that organisation, it is necessary to make sure that an appropriate level of attention is applied to this computing.
Technology have come a long way over the past few years and are now seen as critical parts of any business. As such, they are allocated greater budgets but must also be able to manage a larger amount of work.
But once you have spent a substantial amount of your budget on developing an IT infrastructure and seen the requirements of your business change, how do you make sure that the IT you are using can keep up with demand?
This is the function by IT management software and procedures.
Every organisation and every situation will have different needs and will offer unique problems. To meet these requirements there are a range of different technologies and approaches that can be implemented to help manage the IT assets of your business.One of these solutions is discussed below.
Software Asset Management
Software Asset Management (SAM) is built to do exactly what it says on the tin - monitoring and managing the deployment and usage of software programs within your company. It is a business process rather than a distinct area of expertise and is becoming a more critical part of the modern commercial environment, particularly for businesses operating in the field of IT.
SAM is not simply a tool for technicians rolling out software across a large corporate network, but can be a critical tool to help improve performance at multiple levels of a organisation. The aims of SAM include controlling of the IT infrastructure within a business, negating legal threats associated with incorrect software license usage and preserving high levels of productivity by making sure software is up to date and fit for its purpose. As IT usage in a company grows, so do the potential benefits of SAM.
The practice of software asset management is often viewed as an unnecessary evil due to the abstract nature of what it is designed to deal with, and the commercial case for employing a SAM solution is not always obvious until a broad inspection of the software infrastructure of a company has been carried out.
Financial benefits are still the most driving commercial factor when deciding to use software asset management software within an organisation. Every business needs to make money after all and revenue is a very measurable metric. The financial benefits of SAM do certainly exist however.
An increasingly large percentage of a business’ IT bank roll is spent on software licensing so there is a real need to invest to correctly manage this spending. As companies expand and spread, their software requirements can change greatly and equipment and software can swiftly become outdated. There is no requirement to spend money to maintain the licenses on this outdated software, which is where SAM really delivers an advantage.
SAM is not restricted to simply the technology of your business either. As a management process it will often include many of the departments within a company, including Finance Human Resources, to make sure that it runs as efficiently as possible. It is a process that does not need to follow standard.
Some of the most experienced SAM technicians work for Centennial specialists where their skills are put to good use.
Why follow a SAM Strategy?
Having heard the various advantages of employing a software asset management solution, how do you know that it would be right for your business? Each company is different and has its own separate set of problems and advantages, so any strategy you will undertake needs to be catered to these specific traits.
There are more than just cost benefits that can be achieved through the control of licensing and maintenance agreements across a companies IT network. Productivity can be hugely improved by ensuring that employees have the newest editions of software available under current licenses held, and communication within the company is aided when support staff know exactly what is installed on every workstation under their control. The benefits of SAM are not confined to the technological hardware of your organisation.
Financial Savings
As discussed before, perhaps the most persuading reason to utilise software asset management within your company is the potential cost savings that can be made. The profitability of your business is always going to be the bottom line so any plan that can help to increase this profitability by descreasing costs is one that should be considered.
The most direct way that software asset management can help to lower costs is by targeting any applications running on your corporate network that is no longer necessary. The software might not be being used anymore, it may be too outdated to be of use or it may be duplicated on your system.
By removing these items of software that are no longer a help to the running of your business you are streamlining a large portion of your IT network. Paying for unneeded software licenses and maintenance contracts means that more finance can be spent on the critical parts of your IT system.
Mitigate Risk
A surprising amount of software that is currently used in the business environment is either licensed incorrectly or not licensed at all. Running any amount of uncontrolled software on your IT system is ill advised, because when left unchecked it can become very unpredictable.
Rogue software applications can be introduced into an uncontrolled IT system in a number of ways. Software may have been bundled when your IT hardware was first purchased although the original software licenses may have expired. Without the correct access policies in place, users may also be able to install their own software onto the system.
The danger of running unlicensed software on your network is clear. When anything goes wrong with the hardware or software platform behind your vital processes, how do you handle the situation? Operating a complicated software system without the proper support can create a metaphorical minefield when it comes to disaster recovery and can seriously inhibit your responsiveness to unforeseen events. The cost of recovery will forever outweigh the cost of mitigation when it comes to data systems.
Many businesses have reported increases in efficiency after Centennial consultants worked alongside their current IT support staff.
Implementing Software Asset Management in your Organisation
As previously mentioned, there are numerous potential advantages to using a good software asset management strategy within your organisation, both financial and otherwise. It is therefore important to determine which parts of SAM you should deploy first since some benefits will be achieved more quickly than others. Some may take a period of years to be fully felt.
The discovery process can be seen as three primary stages that have to be undertaken to really develop an accurate picture of the deployment of IT assets within your business.
Inventory
Inventory is the most basic stage of the discovery process. It is vital that an accurate audit of IT assets within your organisation is created to help your IT department to maintain baselines regarding your IT system.
Thankfully, this process can now be made automatic and even the largest of networks can be searched and analysed in a relatively short period. Inventory should be able to identify your software assets regardless of their geographical location or computing characteristics.
Capture
The next step in the discovery cycle is the capture of the license entitlements that cover the software programs discovered in the inventory. The capture stage should collect entitlements regarding all of the software that exists on your system, even if the software is not currently in use.
The factor of human error can be mitigated by using automated tools that are specifically created to build a library of license entitlements. Packages that are currently available are very efficient at gathering accurate data. These tools will also maintain databases containing up to date information from software vendors.
Identification & Validation
The next process is to match up your software audit to the repository of licensing information that were built in the last two stages. Errors may have occurred anywhere from the original paperwork for software to the latest audits performed on your IT system. These errors can now be rectified.
One crucial factor in the validation stage is the ability to associate the license entitlements within your network to your organisation’s proof of entitlement. This will be vital if any disputes with software resellers arise as a consequence of the discovery cycle.
Once these steps have been undertaken you will have created an incredibly detailed image of how your IT network is serving software assets to its users. It will be a lot easier to identify any trouble areas on your network, or sections of software use that are no longer of any practical benefit to your operations.
You can now commence a period of reconciliation on your network. You can compare the software programs that are actually used on your network against the licensing and support contracts that you are paying for and bridge any gaps between the two.
The software distribution in your system may include many hundreds or perhaps thousands of individual instances, and there are any number of rules that may be involved with the licensing agreements you have in place. It is therefore essential to automate the reconciliation process, using one or more programs to apply intelligent rules to the process.
There is a growing respect in the computing industry for Centennial vendors since they can provide critical services for a modern business.
Compliancy and Flexibility with SAM
Many of the fundamental principles of a successful SAM strategy are based upon the principles set out in the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, or ITIL. This library details a number of ideas and best practices that should be adopted for successful control of IT functions.
This library is a changing publication and is often updated with new concepts and policies that cater to the ever changing IT environment of modern business. A good SAM strategy should be flexible enough to follow the guidelines laid out in the ITIL whilst meeting the changing needs of the business within which it is actively used. This is an essential requirement of successful software asset management
The International Standard Organisation (ISO) has created a standard that applies directly to SAM practices. This standard, ISO 19770-1, is an exceptionally comprehensive set of suggestions that are built to ensure that software asset management is used in such a way as to “satisfy corporate governance requirements”.
The ISO standard should certainly be followed when planning a SAM strategy for your own organisation, although the level of detail included within can quickly become a daunting challenge. It is vital to remember that no matter what recommendations you follow when planning a SAM strategy, whatever you decide to implement needs to aid your organisation rather than stifle it. Industry standards cannot simply be copied when it comes to applying them to your organisation.
Creating a complete and comprehensive SAM strategy for your own company may actually never come to fruition. Your plan must be flexible enough to change and grow as your business does, and it should allow for modifications to your daily tasks, no matter how small or fundamental they might be.
Conclusion
It is easy to see that as the scope and importance of IT systems within your organisation grow, so does the need for correct and effective management of these systems. Gone are the times when an IT department was a luxury that would occasionally progress the business. IT networks are now critical to the modern company. Critical systems need to be monitored to an appropriate standard.
As with other branches of any organisation, a number of separate plans should be evaluated and used in order to ensure the smooth running of day to day activities. software asset management should not be the only tactic used to manage technological resources within your organisation, but rather one of a multitude of complimentary techniques used to control the system as a unit.
So if you think that your organisation is currently suffering from a lack of planned monitoring and management over its IT infrastructure, or that the potential benefits described in this article could manufacture a critical market advantage over your competitors, then it would be well worth researching how SAM could be used within your business.
Best Dark Chocolate - Reward Yourself to a Sumptuous Adventure
Sunday, February 21st, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
What is the finest type of chocolate? Best dark chocolate, of course.
Extra dark chocolate has the richest flavor of any other chocolate products. The reason is actually quite simple. As the name implies, “dark” chocolate does have a darker look than regular chocolate. The difference in appearance is due to the higher concentration of cocoa that it contains. The extra amount of cocoa is what gives gourmet dark chocolate its extra rich taste and flavor.
Gourmet dark chocolate has a harder texture compared to regular chocolate, but it is still smooth. A characteristic that gourmet dark chocolate is known for is snapping when you break it instead of bending or crumbling, which often happens with non-gourmet chocolates.
Bars are the most popular gourmet dark chocolate items, but other products are available as well. Gourmet boxed chocolates, truffles, clusters, and hot cocoa mixes are all made in dark chocolate varieties. Many gourmet gift sets include also dark chocolate items.
Gourmet dark chocolate has recently become more popular due to the health benefits that have been found to be associated with it. Medical studies have found that small servings may have beneficial effects on blood pressure and prevention of heart disease. These same effects are not found with milk chocolate or white chocolate, only the dark variety.
So if you are looking for the finest type of chocolate around, look no further than gourmet dark chocolate. For it’s rich and smooth flavor and potential health benefits, it is the finest choice in gourmet chocolates.
Learn how to inexpensively find the extra dark chocolate from a 25-year connoisseur in the field at John Wayne Marshall’s dark chocolate website.
About The Author
John Wayne Marshall, a long time resident of Naples, Florida and the Florida Keys, has spent much of his adult life tasting and cooking with countless chocolate brands that come from all over the world. Visit his site now and discover which extra dark chocolate bars, chocolate recipes, and chocolate ingredients he recommends for all your discriminating tastes. –> Dark chocolate gifts online, go to http://www.bestdarkchocolate.org/dark-chocolate-recipes/
Is It Best To heat your crawl space or insulate it?
Sunday, February 21st, 2010 | Great Sites | Comments Off
We’ve had a number of extremely frigid nights in the northeastern US and Canada the last few weeks. Those of us who have a crawl space vapor under our home won’t be surprised to feel cold floors underfoot and cold air on our ankles.
You might guess that placing a space heater under your living areas will cut the drafts and cold. But it turns out that properly sealing and insulating your crawl space will not only address your indoor problems with cold, drafty floors, it will also prevent problems such as mildew and rot in the crawl space itself, and will improve the health of your home overall.
First, let’s clear up a common error about the air flows in a crawl space. For many years, homeowners, builders, and building inspectors have believed that a crawl space needs to have exterior openings on opposite walls, so that air can flow from one vent to the other, drawing out any excess humidity from the enclosed crawl space. But the most recent research shows that vents in a crawl space create a very different effect, known as the stack effect.
Basically, with a good supply of outside air coming from your crawl space, all it takes is a few cracks or hair’s width openings between the crawl space and the upstairs, and a few drafts at the top of the house, such as old windows or cracks in the upstairs ceiling, and your house starts acting like a giant chimney stack. Hot air rises, so the warm, heated air inside your house works its way out the top openings, drawing cold outdoor air up from the crawl space.
As a result, the humidity and cold crawl space mold and dust from the crawl space get sucked into your home, increasing your heating costs and risking your well being. Ironically, the better you ventilate your crawl space, the more heat gets drawn out of your home through upstairs cracks. What You will need is vapor barrier crawl space.
Even in summer time, when there is no stack effect from a crawl space, ventilating both ends of the crawl space doesn’t actually do much to solve problems of airflow or dampness. There is no effect of rising heat to draw the air through the vents, if they are both at the same level. And this approach basically amounts to addressing the symptoms and not very well at that instead of curing the illness. The illness, in this case, is excessive moisture and air entering the crawl space, and excess transfer of heat during colder months between the crawl space and the outdoors.
You may find that your builder scoffs at the idea of insulating and sealing a crawl space. It defies conventional wisdom and it also breaks many municipal building codes that were developed from that conventional wisdom. But you’ll improve your indoor air quality, cut heat loss, and resolve any problems with humidity, mold, or rotting wood down below, if you set conventional wisdom aside and do what the research shows is most effective.
To properly seal and insulate your crawl space, begin by getting rid of any sharp objects such as old nails, broken glass, or sharp pebbles from the floor of the crawl space, so you don’t hurt your hands or knees as you work (why did you think it was called a crawl space, anyway?). Also, you’ll be installing a plastic vapor barrier on the floor and you don’t want any sharp objects to pierce through the liner and cut it as you are installing it.
Purchase a liner made specifically for the task - or buy a suitable, thick polyethylene plastic. You’ll need thicker than the 6 mil usually used for a vapor barrier - you need to go to 15 or 20 mil thickness if you want a liner that will last. The liner should be big enough to cover the entire floor as well as the walls - preferably without cutting extra pieces for the walls. The best way to figure out the size is to add twice the wall height to both the width and length of the floor, and then add 10% extra to account for slopes. So if you have walls two feet high around the crawl space and a 15 x 20 foot space, you’ll need a 21 x 29 foot liner. It’s better to waste a little extra liner than to find yourself having to cut and tape on small pieces when you find out you didn’t buy enough!
Seal any ventilation openings, and for crawl space windows, either replace them with energy efficient ones, or at least ensure that they are not cracked or drafty. You may want to cut out rectangular pieces of foam insulation to fill in the window areas, as this will add an extra level of insulation to windows as well as cut down on drafts. Also check that any doors to the outside are also well weatherstripped.
If part or all of the walls are wood framed, place batt insulation between the studs; for masonry walls, use foam board. Be sure that any large openings in the walls are patched first wherever you can see sunlight shining in from the outside.
Place the poly over the floor of the crawl space, and up the walls. Trim the excess folded triangular pieces off where the wall corners meet. Staple the vapor barrier to the studs, and seal all staple holes and any cuts or tears in the barrier with mastic tape.
Don’t skip part of this job. If you seal the vents without installing the liner, or you put in the liner without insulating, you will run into trouble later on. And do it all within a couple of weeks - don’t make this one of those home renovations that drags on for months or years. Just get it done!
Once you have well sealed and insulated your crawl space, you should find your home much more comfortable in winter. Your floors will be warmer and less drafty, and your home will be safe from the ill impacts of crawl space mold and mildew. In fact, so will the crawl space itself.
And remember the idea we started with, that a crawl space heater might cut the cold on your floors during this cold spell? Well, if you follow the advice above, you’ll have no need for such a heater. We sealed the crawl space beneath our kitchen extension a while back, and the room became so much more comfortable, we were able to remove the baseboard heaters that had been added to the kitchen extension when it was built.