High energy bills got you down? Check into buying a new home in Balmoral. Balmoral builders use the latest building technology and materials to craft energy-efficient homes that help lower heating and cooling bills. How do they do it? We break it down.
Start With the Roof
Radiant heat pours through the roof of older homes into the attic, then disperses that heat throughout your home. Builders like Colina Homes shield your attic from that heat by installing durable aluminum overlays. Doing so can reduce attic temperatures by up to 30º F and lower monthly air conditioning costs by up to 17 percent.
Reduce Leaks and Drafts
Older homes leak. Heat seeps out the cracks in the winter. Cold air escapes in the summer. Your response is to turn up the heat or crank up the air conditioning. Ashton Woods uses special framing techniques that reduce leaks and drafts so your home stays at a steady and comfortable temperature no matter what the season.
What About Windows?
Windows can suck the energy out of your home in two ways. Small windows let in less light, tempting you to turn on lamps even during the day. Westin Homes is known for their walls of floor-to-ceiling bay windows. In addition to being gorgeous, they flood your home with natural light, so you keep the lights off. Gehan Homes uses low E3 glazed windows that block heat during the summer and help retain heat in the winter.
Look for the Energy Star Label
Most new home builders like Lennar and Chesmar Homes, choose ENERGY STAR® appliances. Appliances with the ENERGY STAR® label utilize up to 50 percent less energy, saving you money even if you leave the toaster plugged in.
Insulation is Everything
Over the years, insulation materials have improved exponentially. All Balmoral builders use high quality insulation to help maintain internal temperature and improve your HVAC performance. If you really want to get into the nitty-gritty, ask your builder’s sales representative about the R-value of the insulation they use. The larger the number, the better.
Ask About HERS
The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores homes based on how energy efficient they are. The lower the HERS score, the more efficiently your home uses energy. The average home score is 100. Balmoral homes usually score in the low 60s.
Trust Third-party Inspectors
Trustworthy builders like Gehan Homes ask third-party inspectors to test that their homes are up to state and national energy standards. These outside inspection firms are neutral parties. They will certify a builder’s home so you know your home will save you money for years to come.
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples. There are many fun-filled family celebrations happening around the Houston area. Here are a few to get you started:
The Woodlands Mall
12:30-9 p.m. Saturdays & 12:30-7 p.m. Sundays
$20 per hour
Float down The Woodlands Waterway in a beautiful swan boat after a day of shopping with your loved ones.
Play Street Museum
6-7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10
$25 per person
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with cookie decorating and fun.
Igneous Brewing Company
Noon- 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11
Free admission
Kick off Valentine’s Day and pick up gifts for loved ones at this special market featuring 30 vendors, raffle drawings and food by GastroCraft.
Houston Botanic Garden
1-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 11
$30
All ages can learn the art of paper-making. Dried flowers and wildflower seeds will be provided to make your valentines bloom. Class fee includes admission to the garden.
Valentine’s Celebration with Queen Elsa
The Learning Zoo
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12
Free
Schedule time to visit with Snow Queen Elsa and her friendly water horse then enjoy the tortoise feeding garden, petting zoo, reptile encounters, a card craft and more.
Boogie Bash-Valentine Songs and Games
The Woodlands Children’s Museum
11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14
$8
Bring your little one out to the museum for a Valentine’s Day celebration featuring themed songs, games and dances.
Discovery Green
6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14
Free
Enjoy Valentine’s Day-themed music and a spectacular fire show by Will Brandon of America’s Got Talent.
Ready to change up your workout routine? Step outside the gym for a breath of fresh air, circuit training and a dose of Vitamin D at an outdoor fitness park. Fitness parks are popping up everywhere, including Balmoral. Fitness Hub Park offers an easy, targeted workout residents can do anytime. Take a look at what you might find and how you can get into shape at a fitness park:
8-Foot Climbing Wall
Want to work every muscle in your body while getting a great cardio workout? Scale a wall. There’s no need to worry about form or remember different exercises. You just climb. While you do, you’ll be burning calories, improving balance and coordination and having fun. There are also mental benefits to wall climbing as you must engage in problem-solving and feel a sense of accomplishment once you reach the top.
Rope-Up
If climbing walls aren’t your thing or you feel the need for a more challenging climbing experience, the rope-up station may be just the thing. Rope climbing exercises your core, strengthens muscles in your arms and back and builds endurance.
Bamboo Jungle
Parkour your way across the bamboo jungle. Basically, a series of poles with foot holds, bamboo jungles increase balance, dexterity and core strength. Your goal is to traverse from pole to pole without falling off.
Cargo Net
Inspired by military boot camp climbing equipment, cargo nets use your body weight to help strengthen arms, legs and core. Start slow, embrace the resistance and build muscle. Once you’ve got a feel for it, try scampering to the top. Either way, you get a full-body workout.
Traverse Station
If you loved the monkey bars as a kid, you’ll love challenging yourself on this grown-up version. Traverse stations ask you to swing from one end to another. You’ll build arm, core and even grip strength. Stop in the middle to add a few pull-ups to your workout routine.
AB Ladder/Dip Station
Who doesn’t want to develop a six-pack? You can get an intense core workout at the AB Ladder/Dip Station. All you need to do is raise and lower your body. Your body weight provides all the resistance you need to build those muscles.
Row Station
Row, row, row your muscles into great shape on the rowing machine. Just grip the handles, lean back and engage your upper body muscles. Try one-handed and two-handed exercises to work different muscles.
All of this is available at Fitness Hub Park, one of the many exciting amenities you’ll fall in love with when you make your home in Balmoral. Visit us today and see for yourself.
You may be ready to make the move to Balmoral. Your old refrigerator? Not so much. If you’re ready to upgrade, we’ve got some tips and trends to help you get the perfect fridge.
How Big?
Before you shop, decide how much space you have and need. Measure several times to ensure you pick a refrigerator that will fit in its allotted space. You should be able to easily swing the doors open. Leave a minimum of 1-inch clearance around the sides and the back of the refrigerator for adequate airflow. How many people live in your house? In general, you need 4 to 6 cubic feet of refrigerator space per adult in your home (maybe a little more if you have teen boys). That works out to 18 to 20 cubic feet for a family of four.
French Door or Side by Side?
The two most popular design choices are French door and side-by-side. Both are similar in that they have two doors on top and a freezer underneath. French door refrigerators are narrower, making them great for smaller kitchen spaces. They tend to be a little more energy efficient as the small-swing doors ensure cold air stays. Side-by-side models are wider but also offer more segmented storage space. If you store a lot of frozen dinners, this model might be ideal.
Top or Bottom?
Do you want the freezer on the top or the bottom? Models with the freezer on top are good for small spaces and make great overflow refrigerators. Models with bottom freezers usually have drawers that slide out, so you don’t have to worry about doors banging nearby cupboards. The refrigerator section is easily accessible and usually has wider doors so you can store more.
Glass Door or Solid?
The latest trend in refrigerators is transparent food storage. This can be a glass door or an in-fridge camera and touchscreen. Either allows you to see what’s in the fridge without opening the door and letting the cold air out. This keeps your food fresher longer. If you don’t want anyone (including you) seeing what the inside of your refrigerator looks like, opt for a solid door. In 2023, refrigerators are expected to be more colorful so you can add a splash of color to your kitchen décor.
Ice Maker?
Most refrigerators come with built-in ice makers, but 2023 is the year most will get an upgrade. Instead of oval-shaped cubes, many are making ice “pebbles.” These round cubes look great in cocktails and melt more slowly than other shapes. Many newer models make more ice than before and do it much faster.
To Filter or Not to Filter?
Have you ever wondered why there are separate drawers for your fruits and vegetables? Ethylene. It’s a natural plant hormone given off by fruits to encourage ripening. It also causes vegetables to rot. Some manufacturers have begun offering refrigerators with filters that remove ethylene and other unwanted gasses. Your food stays fresher. As a side benefit, the filters also prevent pungent odors from seeping into other food stuffs.
A Smarter Refrigerator?
Coming soon to a fridge near you is artificial intelligence. AI-powered models will be able to keep inventory of what’s in the fridge and alert you when you are running out. It can alert you when food is going bad, suggest recipes and generate shopping lists. It will also be able to notify you when something needs to be fixed.
We think our residents would agree that Balmoral is the perfect place to be on New Year’s Eve. Our builder’s gorgeous open-concept homes are perfect for ringing in 2023 with family and friends. What should you serve? How about these elegant appetizers:
Fabulous Finger Food
Nothing says elegance like caviar, so wow your guests with these caviar and crème fraiche tartlets. Fire up the grill and serve up some grilled beef tenderloin mini sandwiches. Who doesn’t love bacon and scallops? Vegetarians shouldn’t have to subsist on the relish tray. Serve them vegetarian buffalo meatballs instead.
Wings and Things
Can wings be elegant? These rosemary honey mustard ones can. Add a little spice to your wings with lemon and pepper. Of course, some guests like adding little more spice to their celebrations. Get a head start on your resolution to eat healthier with these crispy baked wings.
Take a Dip
Add smoked salmon to upscale your party dip. Trade in the onions for this caramelized fennel and leek dip. Chili crab dip warms up any party. We think your guests will feel lucky if you serve up black-eyed peas in a dip.
Choose Your Cheese
There’s nothing more elegant than baked brie. It takes a little time, but your guests will rave all night about your marinated goat cheese. Figs, bleu cheese and toasted baguette? Yes, please. Fondue is just another name for fun.
Check Out the Crackers
These seasoned crackers are the perfect foundation for your cheese selections. Crown polenta crostini with your favorite topping. Make a bunch of these bacon bow tie crackers because your guests will be snacking on them until the ball drops. A truly elegant cracker can only be made with phyllo.
Delightful Desserts
Champagne isn’t just for drinking (hint, put out spoons). Have some fun creating and serving these “cone-oli” desserts. These resolution cookies are a treat for the eyes. These grown-up cupcakes will disappear like 2022 at midnight.
Cocktails and Mocktails
Don’t just pop the cork and fill the flute. Serve a French 75 instead. Bubbly goes big in this delicious champagne punch. Guests will love crafting their own cocktails at a bellini bar. If some of your guests don’t imbibe, these virgin pomegranate and cranberry bellinis are just the ticket. Serve the kids these chocolate martini mocktails to make them feel part of the party.