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Solar Power Rocks
Solar Power-hot Power From Roof
The hot topic nowadays around the globe is “scarcity of power”. As a country moves towards the peak of development, so is the demand of power. Reports show that there are many homes using electricity more than that used by a small industry! It is because, in the modern, digital lifestyle, each and every appliance like television, computers etc demands huge amount of electricity. However we live in a modern world and hence the usage of these power hungry appliances are inevitable.
The fact is that every positive improvement in the society will have a negative impact on natural resources. But in case of power, there are many alternate sources available in nature. Solar energy is a very good substitute for conventional power generation. The reason being, solar energy is clean, has no pollution effects and doesn't use any fossil fuels. The most interesting aspect being solar energy can be generated in home.
How about having your own power station on your roof? It is quite simple and beneficial by using solar power. To start with, solar water heaters can be used in homes instead of old conventional methods, thereby reducing your utility bills and also conserving natural resources like fossil fuels. The solar panels called the photovoltaic cells which can be conveniently placed on the roofs of homes converts sunlight directly into electricity. This electricity obtained by the conversion of sunlight meets all the home's electricity needs. “Hence it acts as your own power station. “Cool power from hot sun”.
A lot of people have tried the usage of solar power at home and found it beneficial and safe. The hot fact is that more than 10,000 homes in United States completely use solar energy to power up their homes. The ill fact is that enough sunlight falls on the Earth's surface every hour to meet the globe's energy demand for an entire year, but the same is not utilized and is wasted.
Still not convinced about the positive effects of solar power in home? By replacing conventional electric water heaters with solar water heaters, one can cut water bills up to 50 percent. And the important fact is, the price of photovoltaic cells, according to the department of energy has fallen by 200 percent in last 30 years. Don’t worry if your solar power unit generates more power than need for you. There are many utility power grids ready to buy the clean power for a higher price.
The bottom-line is, by installing a solar power generating unit in home, the home owner will never have to pay an electricity bill; instead he can become the supplier of clean electricity to the country and “save the Earth from energy crisis”
About the Author
The author writes articles on Pflugerville Real Estate. For more information about Cedar Park Real Estate and Round Rock Real Estate visit our site at www.affinityproperties.com.
Do you need new steps or are you replacing old steps to your house? Or perhaps you have a sloping property that needs terracing or stepped access up the slope. For both circumstances you should consider using flat rocks as a solution.
Why would you use rock to build steps?
Very economical. Bush rocks that are just collected from a field, lying on the surface are virtually free. Of course the machine time and transport are the costly parts. Nevertheless, there is very little processing, if any, involved and if machine access is suitable the time to install is minimal.
Durable. Your stone steps will still be standing long after you and your house are gone.
Interesting. Large rocks always grab peoples attention. They make good seats at a party. Kids absolutely love them. Since no two are the same in shape and depth children find them fun to explore. They are excellent for coordination. You can grow plants between them or attach epiphytes such as orchids to them.
They allow movement and approach from all sides whereas timber or concrete steps are geometric and linear, restricting movement.
Where would you use rock steps?
Home entrances.
- For a house built on a suspended wooden floor large, flat stones with a depth of between 180 and 220 mm are perfect.Using a machine to place them they need to be free-standing and not in contact with wood anywhere so that termites cannot invade the house (see photos). Generally it works best to lay them in a semi-circular pattern with a pyramid form, creating a 180 degree fan for easy access. It is necessary to use brick or stone wedges to level and stabilize the stones. Gaps can be filled with 20mm white cobble for a beautiful finish.
- For houses on a concrete slab with a sloping approach, medium to large stones are stacked on each other and on plenty of quarried gravel to level them and lock in place in the same pyramid fashion. It is easier to constuct this way than free-standing because the rocks need only be used as the steps and not as the support platforms because of the supporting rear wall. Basically it is just building semi-circular platforms, smaller as they rise, using step rocks to retain gravel. This design drains well and is very stable.
Terrace steps (photos). When stepping up a hill the easiest way to place large rocks is to shape a soil incline with a machine and stack the stones, again using plenty of gravel. I use white gravel with dark basalt stone both because it's very cheap where I live and for the contrast it gives to the dark stone and red soil. The gravel helps to keeps water and mud away from the steps.
With both of these methods plenty of machine access is required in front of the steps to allow machine access. A bobcat is the most manueverable machine strong enough to place large rocks but a small excavator with a rock grab arm may work better if access is poor.
What kind of stone is the best to use?
Obviously, it depends on what is available. Landscape supply yards usually only stock whatever your local geology provides, as do quarries, although if you're willing to pay the transport cost you can always get stone shipped in from afar. I like to use local stone because it blends into the surrounding landscape but nothing beats sandstone for simple beauty.
Sandstone and limestone. These are best for consistent because they are sedimentary rock, laid down and consolidated in layers. They are easy to stack and stable. Most sandstone will have excellent grip but limestone is more likely to be slippery.. All sizes can be found to suit whatever purpose the steps serve. Most large sandstone and limestone blocks are either quarried or gathered from river beds. Hopefully their acquisition involves little disturbance.
Basalt. This is what I use because I live in a volcanic region and loose basalt boulders are easy to scavange in fields. The stone is very dense and heavy and can be found in all sizes but uniform rocks flat on both top and bottom are not as easy to find as in sandstone. Time must be spent searching for the right sizes and flat faces. Basalt, on the other hand has predictable angles and can be arranged in amazing patterns.
How do you prevent snakes and toads from living in them?
Depending where you live, of course, the fear of stacked stone steps is that they encourage snake and toad habitat. When building free-standing steps this isn't so much of an issue and small gaps are easily filled with gravel. When building in-ground steps it's best to use enough gravel, packed into all gaps tightly to eliminate nesting places.
What if they get slippery?
All steps will get slippery if they are in constant shade they suffer a lot of leaf llitter. When rocks are first installed it is a good idea to brush them hard with a wire brush to clean off dirt and loose particles, particularlly if they are highly weathered. Weathered surfaces will absorb more moisture and encourage moss, lichens and mold. These can be an added attraction on the faces of the rocks and even encouraged but on the treads they're a nuisance.
When the treads become slippery the simplest solution is to use pool chlorine pellets to renew the surface.
Conclusion
These suggestions are only a guide and there exist many other ways to build more formally with stone using mortar. No matter how well you plan stone steps the outcome is always a surprise because no two stones are exactly the same. That is the attraction to this method, it's just a rearrangement of the natural world without too much formality. Stacked, rock steps will outlast both you and your house. On the other hand you can simply remove them at any point, rearrange them or create something new.
About The Author:
Val Ockert lives in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia and has for many years operated a landscaping business specialising in brick paving. Recognising the bewildering array of daily decisions we all make he is keen to simplify his own area of expertise. He can be contacted at val@landscapingconnections.com
