Buzzword: Life-Cycle Assessment

What it means. If you’re aware of the age-old plastic-versus-paper debate, then you’re at least indirectly familiar with the concept of life-cycle assessment, or LCA. An LCA is a technique used to analyze or compare products, processes, or services to identify ways to minimize human and environmental impacts. (The life-cycle graphic shown is from the Environment Protection Authority of Victoria, Australia.)

Often referred to as a cradle-to-grave approach, an LCA is typically carried out using software to analyze the cumulative environmental impacts from all stages of a product’s life cycle, including raw-material extraction, product transportation and use and, ultimately, its disposal, reuse, or recycling.

Why the buzz? Although the LCA technique dates back to the 1960s, when awareness of energy and natural-resources depletion was starting to grow, the concept is gaining new ground during these increasingly environmentally conscious times. But even so, don’t expect to see life-cycle assessments spelled out on too many products or services.

That’s because much of the work using LCA tools happens behind the scenes, often using confidential data sets and complex calculations to measure and compare things like greenhouse-gas emissions, natural-resource use, and solid- or hazardous-waste generation, Annual reports from companies like Unilever and Procter & Gamble tout the use of LCAs to evaluate and reduce the impacts of the products they make.

Another increasingly common use of LCAs is to measure and certify improvements in the green-building industry. The National Association of Home Builders and the U.S. Green Building Council are beginning to accept the use of LCAs to help determine whether certain building materials qualify for their certification programs. The U.S. Green Building Council expects to begin offering life-cycle credits toward its LEED certification beginning this summer.

The government is also taking an LCA approach to research products, prioritize, and create better environmental policies. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses a “life-cycle perspective” to help identify products with minimal environmental impacts through its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program.

While LCA tools can offer valuable information, it’s important to note that the results are only as good as the data and analytical models they use, and their results may not be relevant for every situation.

As for that plastic-versus-paper issue? The Sierra Club, a nonprofit environmental organization, points out that the life cycle of each has pros and cons depending on where and how they are made. The better option, says the group, is to use reusable bags instead.—Kristi Wiedemann, Science and Policy Analyst, GreenerChoices.org

GE Appliances unit up for sale

The ad shown here is obviously a spoof, but it appears that the venerable GE Appliances business is up for sale. Fairfield, Connecticut-based General Electric Co., is looking to offload the century-old appliances unit in a move to invigorate the parent company, which has more than $170 billion in annual revenue, according to news reports on May 14, 2008.

GE has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs to run the auction for the appliances group, which is based in Louisville, Kentucky. Possible buyers, according to The Wall Street Journal, include Germany’s BSH Bosch, Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH, Mexico’s Controladora Mabe SA (GE’s partner in that country), China’s Haier Group, and private-equity firms.

Whether you are on the short list of potential GE Appliances buyers or just in the market for new appliances for your kitchen or laundry room, read how GE products stack up against the competition in a few key appliance categories:

GE’s top-loading WJRE5500G[WW] washer earned a CR Best Buy in our latest report on washers and dryers, thanks to its performance and $480 price tag. But top-loaders from Maytag, Whirlpool, and Fisher & Paykel all ranked ahead of GE in the Ratings. GE does better in the dryer department. Its DBVH512EF[WW] and Profile DPSE810EG[WT] electric dryers are CR Best Buys, and only LG and Kenmore are ahead in the Ratings.

For gas ranges, four GE models cracked the top 10 in our current Ratings. In electric ranges, GE has five of the top 10 models, including a pair of innovative double ovens, the PB970SM[SS] and PB975SM[SS].

When it comes to refrigerators, the GE GSH25JFT[WW] side-by-side sits fourth in our latest Ratings and with a reasonable $1,000 sticker price is a CR Best Buy. Among bottom-freezers, GE slips to the fifth spot, with its Profile PFSF6PKW[WW].

A major concern with all appliances is reliability, and GE products tend to do well in our Brand Repair History assessments, which are based on thousands of responses to the Annual Product Reliability Survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

Here at the Home & Garden blog, one of our jobs is to help you find the best appliances for your home. As for whether it’s a smart move for a company to buy the GE appliances division, we’ll leave that decision to the titans of Wall Street.—Daniel DiClerico and Steven H. Saltzman

Q&A: Are prices for exterior paints going up?

We’re planning to paint our house in the coming weeks, and I’ve noticed that paint prices seem higher. Have they risen? If yes, why?

As we reported in our June 2008 report, rising petroleum prices could cause a jump of several dollars per gallon for exterior paints and stains. The higher prices might tempt you to pick a cheaper coating, but our tests show that penny-pinching by buying a lower-quality finish could cost you more money over time.

Our latest Ratings of more than 40 exterior paints and stains (available to subscribers) include results for major brands after one to three years of accelerated outdoor testing, equal to about three to nine years on a house. But as the scores show, some initially promising finishes look far less impressive when they're fully tested. (See “A Torture Test for Paints and Stains.”)

Get all the details on exterior paints and stains in “Scrimping Doesn’t Pay.”

Rebates and tax credits can lower appliance costs

While you might have back-burnered your plans for a kitchen remodel or a new laundry room, you can’t ignore an ailing dishwasher, a struggling refrigerator, or a washed-up clothes washer.

Fixing these appliances could be an option—see our repair-or-replace-it guide (available to subscribers)—but when you decide to replace appliances, consider more-energy-efficient models. This is one way to spend your federal economic-stimulus payment. And, as unlikely as it might seem, you can also turn to your utility company and the state and local government for some financial relief.

As of mid-May, the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, maintained by North Carolina State University’s Solar Center with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, lists 732 utility rebate and loan programs for consumers who buy energy-efficient appliances or other home systems. (The DSIRE's map is shown.) The site also includes details on 35 state rebate and loan programs and 13 personal-income-tax-credit or tax-holiday plans.

You’ll also fund information on rebate and tax-credit programs from utilities, states, and partners at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Partner Activities search; if you don’t see a program listed for your area, look on your utility bill for more information or contact your state taxation office.

These programs can offset the short-term acquisition and long-term operating costs of new appliances. Here’s how to take advantage of these opportunities:

Plug into utility companies’ rebates. To benefit from rebates and tax credits, you have to buy an appliance that falls into either Tier 1 or Tier 2 of the federal government’s Energy Star standards. For example, a Tier 1 rated-dishwasher with an Energy Factor (the number of loads that can be washed per kilowatt-hour) of 0.65 will use 339 kWh per year, while a Tier 2 model will have an EF of 0.68 and use 325 kWh annually.

In California, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District is offering a $25 rebate on a Tier 1 dishwasher and $75 on a Tier 2 model, provided you’re using an electric water heater in your home. In Oregon, the Columbia River Public Utility District ups the ante to a $100 rebate for a Tier 2 clothes washer that uses water from an electric heater, and $50 for one with water heated by gas, oil, or propane.

Brian Lips, a policy analyst at the North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State, notes that even if they don’t offer a rebate, many utilities will offer free pickup of an old refrigerator, saving you the disposal fee. 

CPSC recall of Cabot deck cleaner

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued a recall of about 24,000 containers of Cabot Composite Deck Cleaner #3502 because of an inhalation and fire hazard.

The cleaner, made by Cabot Stains of Newburyport, Massachusetts, contains an ingredient that can react with metal foil residue on the packaging, releasing heat and chlorine gas, according to the CPSC.

If you bought any of the cleaner, which comes in a 2-pound plastic container (shown), do not use it and return the product to the store where you bought it for a refund. If the container appears misshapen or feels hot, call Cabot (877-755-3336, 24 hours a day) to arrange for the safe handling of the cleaner.

For more details on the recall, read the CPSC’s notice or download a PDF from the Cabot Web site.

Essential information: Look for our report on deck materials and deck stains in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports. And follow these tips to get a great-looking deck.

Home & Garden blog readers debate DirectBuy

Since mid-September, readers of the Home & Garden blog have been engaged in a heated debate about DirectBuy, specifically this buying club’s sales tactics, membership fees, and product prices.

The folks commenting—some of them DirectBuy members, many people who went to a DirectBuy open house, others who are just interested in the club—have flooded the blog with tales of their own experiences with and opinions of the direct-buying service with the ubiquitous TV and print ads.

Some commenters are fans of DirectBuy and view it favorably. Many have expressed adverse opinions about the club. Still others have taken a measured view and revealed their reasons for not joining or their experiences after paying the membership fee.

If you’re looking for more telling anecdotes about and user-generated analyses of buying clubs like DirectBuy and other retailers as well as general shopping tips, check out our Home Shopping forum.—Gian Trotta

As food prices rise, consider a stand-alone freezer

Interesting article in today’s edition of The Wall Street Journal on how rising food prices have prompted U.S. consumers to buy in bulk and stockpile food (“As Food Prices Rise, Shoppers Stock Up,” by Gary McWilliams and David Kesmodel).

A chart accompanying the article details a 6 percent jump in the overall cost of food for home consumption from 2005 through 2007, ranging from hikes of 3.1 percent for fats and oils and 3.3 percent for poultry to 9.5 percent for fish and seafood and 35.5 percent for eggs. The authors note that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting a 4 to 5 percent climb in food prices for 2008, double the level of 2005.

If you’re considering buying a separate freezer to store certain foods you buy in quantity, read our buyer’s guide to and review of freezers, which features Ratings (available to subscribers) of manual-defrost chest and upright models and self-defrost uprights.

Follow this advice when shopping for a stand-alone freezer:

Figure the capacity you need. The freezer size you need will depend on the size of your family and their fondness for frozen foods. Freezers are available in compact (5 cubic feet), small (6 to 9 cubic feet), medium (12 to 18 cubic feet), and large (more than 18 cubic feet) capacities. Except for their hanging baskets, chest freezers are wide open so that almost all of the claimed space is usable. Upright freezers have shelves and pullout bins, which make it easier to organize and reach contents but reduce usable space by up to 20 percent.

Weigh manual vs. self-defrost. Manual-defrost freezers, whether chest or upright, are generally quieter and more energy efficient than self-defrosting models of the same type. But manually defrosting a freezer can be a lot of work and take up to 24 hours.

Consider local power problems. If the area where you live is prone to brownouts or power failures, a chest freezer will be the better choice.

Check the controls and lights. Easy-to-reach controls make adjusting the temperature simple. An interior light makes it easier to find foods, especially if the freezer is in a dimly lighted area. A power-on light on the outside of the freezer lets you see at a glance that the freezer is on. That way you don't have to open the unit to check, letting cold air out. Most of the models we tested have that feature. We think all should have it.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: Find out which warehouse shopping club is the best to join—and the best spot to save money.

Grilling America’s grillers

With 17,431,500 gas, charcoal, and electric grills shipped in North America in 2007, according to the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, it’s clear that Americans love to cook outdoors.

Indeed, 68 percent of U.S. consumers live in a household that grills outdoors, according to a recent nationwide survey* conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center. Their primary reasons for grilling? Survey respondents say they enjoy spending time outside (88 percent), prefer the taste of grilled food (86 percent), grill when entertaining (72 percent), and want to keep the kitchen cooler and lighten the clean-up load (both 62 percent). Here's what else the survey revealed:

Holidays like Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and the 4th of July are popular grilling events, but Americans who grill fire up their cookers on more than just those occasions. Forty-one percent grill year-round, half do so more than once a week during the grilling season, and a highly dedicated 15 percent grill four or more times per week.

Weather can’t deter these fire-cooking fiends. Sixty-eight have grilled while it was raining, 32 percent have grilled in temperatures below freezing, and 26 percent have used their outdoor cooker while it was snowing, sleeting, or hailing. (Do they still drink beer in that nasty weather?)

Given this propensity to flip burgers, sear fish, and grill vegetables, it stands to reason the biggest problem people face is running out of fuel (36 percent). Other issues they encounter are flare-ups (32 percent), losing food between grates (29 percent), overcooking/burning items (27 percent); only 11 percent deal with undercooked food or drop what they’re cooking on the ground (15 percent). I wonder if they eat it. . . .

Grilling safety is always a concern. (Just take a look at the Broil King Signet 90 grill we tested.) Fortunately only 9 percent of grillers admit to grilling in their garage, though we think that number should be 0. Twelve percent of consumers admit to having burned themselves and 2 percent indicate they have burned others. Two percent have started a fire in which they needed a fire extinguisher, and 1 percent caused a fire for which they had to call the fire department.

It’s likely that men are the ones dealing with grilling problems and safety matters. Among married households, 78 percent of men are the primary grillers—though less than a quarter of them handle the indoor cooking. Still, 40 percent of women say they are the person in their household responsible for the outdoor cooking.

Kitchen remodeling remains a popular project

My 84-year-old father told us a joke at the dinner table last Sunday (remember, this is a joke): “A guy cutting down a tree with a chain saw accidentally severs his left pinkie. His wife rushes him to the local hospital, where the emergency-room doctor explains to him, ‘You have two choices. We can replace the finger using expensive experimental microsurgery—it’ll cost $75,000—or you can live a perfectly normal life without the digit. Which would you prefer?’

“The guy tells the doctor he needs to quickly talk it over with his wife. The wife comes in, and her husband asks her what he should do. She ponders the question for a moment and replies: ‘I’d rather have a new kitchen.’”

There’s a raunchy version of that joke, but its point is the same: People love to remodel their kitchens, and some are willing to give up a lot to do so. And even in the midst of the economic slump we’re in, kitchen remodeling remains popular in the United States. In fact, kitchen projects are estimated to be the biggest source of remodeling spending in 2008, garnering 18 percent of the total home- improvement dollars American consumers will shell out, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute’s 2007 Project Decision Study. (Adding a bathroom accounts for 7 percent of spending; replacing a roof, 8 percent.) The average kitchen remodel in 2007 cost $6,800, according to HIRI.

Some other interesting findings from the HIRI study:

• 46 percent of U.S. kitchen remodels were completely do-it-yourself, while 62 percent were at least partially DIY.

• “Buy-it-yourself,” or BIY, remodels—in which the consumer buys the products and has a contractor install them—account for 21 percent of kitchen remodels.

• Women initiate most kitchen-remodeling projects. Still, men initiated 31 percent of kitchen remodels, up from 18 percent in 2003.

• The use of built-in appliances in remodeled kitchens is growing. (Read our recent Q&A on the repair history of built-in refrigerators.)

• Average spending on kitchen remodeling projects has not increased much over the last two years.

With inflation on the rise, how have consumers managed not to spend more on their kitchen projects even as prices are increasing? The answer might lie in the BIY trend: Savvy homeowners who shop around for materials and appliances are making wise choices in the products they use and are getting good deals.—Karin Weisburgh, Senior Research Analyst

Essential information: Be a smart shopper yourself and read our report on where to buy appliances.

Product certifications are meant to enlighten, not confuse

Ever wonder what the symbols, seals, or sets of letters like "UL" or "CSA" on the back of your smoke detector, microwave oven, hair dryer, or air conditioner mean? Known as certification marks, these logos and acronyms indicate that a consumer product has been tested by this third-party laboratory and that it is certified to meet nationally recognized standards for that type of product. Certification laboratories, like Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL, shown)) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), must prove that they have the technology and ability to test a product to the applicable standards.

Read "Product Certifications: On the Mark" and refer to the chart on that page to learn more about the certifying organizations and the certification marks for common household goods.

                                                                                                                                             

LawnBott LB3200 robotic mower recall

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on April 25 announced the recall of the LawnBott LB2000, LB2100, LB3000, and LB3200 robotic lawn mowers, all made by Zucchetti Centro Sistemi S.p.A., of Italy.

Read more about the LB3200 Evolution mower in this story from the May 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, learn about the recall in this post from our Safety blog, and watch our video (right).

Tip of the Day: How to spend your federal economic stimulus payment

The economic stimulus payments from the federal government will start hitting mailboxes throughout the country the first week of May. Approximately 130 million Americans will receive $300 to $600 per individual or $600 to $1,200 per married couple, plus $300 for each qualifying child. Checks will go out in order based on the last two digits of Social Security numbers and will be issued through July 11. Check out the Internal Revenue Service Web site to calculate the size of your check and its issue date.

The prudent move might be to pay down any debt you have or save or invest the money for the future. (Read this entry from our Money blog for details on investing or using your check.) But since Uncle Sam really wants you to stimulate the economy with your windfall, you might consider spending the money on your home, if you can swing financially.

To help you make smart purchases for the home, here are our suggestions of top-performing home-related products you might consider buying. They’re listed in alphabetical order within each product.

If you’ve already decided how you’ll spend your stimulus check, please share what you’re doing with the money by leaving a comment at the end of this post.—Daniel DiClerico

Air Conditioners (check back for updated information in early May)
Frigidaire FAA067P7A (Lowe’s), $150
Frigidaire FAC107P1A (Lowe’s), $240
GE ASM05LK, $180
GE ASM06LK, $200
GE ASM08LK, $260
Haier ESA3105, $250
Kenmore (Sears) 76081, $200
LG GL6000ER, $230

Cordless Drills
Black & Decker FS14PSK, $65
Bosch 32614-2G, $160
Bosch 33618-2G, $190
Craftsman (Sears) 11561, $90
Hitachi DS12DVF3, $80
Hitachi DS18DMR, $200
Hitachi DS18DVF3, $150
Makita 6347DWDE, $200
Makita 6390DWPE, $140
Makita 6980FDWDE, $200
Makita BDF451, $280
Makita BDF452HW, $200
Milwaukee 0824-24, $300
Panasonic EY6432GQKW, $200
Ryobi P230C, $130
Ryobi P813, $170

Dishwashers
Kenmore (Sears) 1374[2] , $650
Bosch SHE33M0[2]UC, $540
Whirlpool DU1055XTS[Q] , $350
Kenmore (Sears) 1373[2], $500
Whirlpool DU1100XTP[Q], $450

Dryers
GE DBVH512EF[WW], $650
GE Profile DPSE810EG[WT]s, $500

Gas Grills
Blue Ember by Fiesta FG50069-U401 (Home Depot), $450
Char-Broil Commercial Series 463268008 (Lowe’s), $300
Kenmore (Sears) 16233, $400
Weber Genesis E320, $700

10 Questions for . . . Don Ferrier, Green Builder

In this first installment of a new feature on the Home & Garden blog, we put 10 questions to Don Ferrier, president of Ferrier Custom Homes in Fort Worth, Texas. Ferrier (shown below) is at the forefront of the green-building movement in this country.

Q. You’ve been called one of the godfathers of green building. When did you first become interested in energy-efficient practices?

A. In 1881 my Scottish grandfather immigrated to the U.S. because the state of Texas needed masons to build its new capital. He settled in north Texas and had 12 kids, one of whom started a structural concrete business building bridges. I eventually joined the family business and in 1982 a couple approached us about building an earth-sheltered, underground home.
    Imagine a bunker with concrete on three sides and the fourth, which typically faces south for passive solar orientation, made of glass. The result was an extremely energy-efficient structure that’s also storm-resistant and easy to maintain. That’s how I got started in green construction, although we didn’t call it that at the time.

Q. Nowadays you’re building more-conventional homes, although the emphasis is still on energy efficiency. What major developments have taken place in the ensuing quarter century?

A. There’s been a tidal wave of change. To give you just one example, in 1985 I built my first home out of structural insulated panels, or SIPs. Today, 95 percent of the homes we build are made of the material. (Editor's note: Only 0.5 percent of U.S. homes built in 2005 were made with SIPs,
according to the Structural Insulation Panel Association; 70 percent were built with conventional framing techniques.) The amount of knowledge about this sort of construction is no longer obscure. Public education is the other development. I’m a big fan of the LEED for Homes and the NAHB Green Building programs. Both organizations do a phenomenal amount of good and are tremendous resources for builders as well as homeowners.

Q. Can you describe the greenest house you’ve ever built?

A. That would be Heather’s Home (shown above) a prototype home that we started in September 2005 for LEED and the NAHB near Fort Worth. It’s named after Heather, my then 25-year old daughter, who came to me saying she wanted to build a very green home and wanted to do it on a tight budget. That was more a less our mission statement. It’s not the cheapest house out there but it’s far from the most expensive.

Q. What are some energy-efficient features of Heather’s home?

A. It starts with orientation. In our climate, that means controlling the sun to keep the house from getting too hot. A combination of trees, porches, and overhangs shields the glass portions of the house. They’re angled in such a way that during the summer, when the sun is high in the sky, solar heat gain isn’t an issue. But come winter, when the sun is lower in the sky, it warms the house. The house is built with SIPs, which make for an extremely tight, well-insulated house. Then there’s a high-efficiency air-conditioner unit and water heater. The lighting and appliances all have Energy Star ratings. And the outside of the house is a combination of stucco and low-maintenance fiber cement.

Q. What about indoor air quality? How does this relate to green building?

A. Here’s the dilemma. The average home is leaky. That makes it inefficient, but it lets enough outdoor air into the home that you don’t have to worry about indoor air quality. An energy-efficient home is very tightly constructed. But if you’re not careful about what you put inside, you’ll be left with polluted indoor air. So you have to watch what products you introduce into the home. For example, you have to watch out for the VOCs that are in many materials, including cabinets, countertops, carpets, stains, and paints.

Buzzword: Biometrics

What does it mean? Biometrics is a science that has developed methods of using one or more unique physical characteristics—fingerprints, irises, voices, facial features—to identify and recognize people. The characteristics are recognized by a sensor and converted into digital form. In the case of iris recognition, the sensor might be a digital camera, whereas with fingerprints, a touchpad scanner would be the sensor.

Biometrics represents a brave new world in personal identification and security. While PINs and passwords are based on what you know, and keys and smart cards are based on what you have, biometrics is all about who you are. This genetic basis makes biometrics a highly secure and convenient way for people to protect their possessions, right down to their personal identities.

Why the buzz? Biometrics used to be the stuff of science fiction (think of Captain Kirk using voice recognition to control the Star Trek Enterprise), but the technology is in wide use today, frequently with personal electronic devices. A growing number of laptop computers, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Y510, are already equipped with biometric sensors. And, you can buy fingerprint sensors by themselves or in portable flash drives to add to any PC. In Europe and Asia, fingerprint-recognition is practically standard on cell phones. It should be huge in North America too, but not until mobile banking, whereby you'll use your cell phone to pay for items at the register, goes mainstream.

Similarly, door locks of the future might rely more on biometrics than conventional keys or security codes. At the 2008 International Builders' Show, my colleagues and I encountered many companies displaying keyless locksets. We haven't tested the devices, but the KwikSet SmartScan (shown being programmed; watch the product-preview video to see how the SmartScan works) and the New Biometric Solutions Biolock are two that caught our eye.

Even the government is keen on biometrics. In a 2006 speech on immigration reform, President Bush told a crowd at the Yuma Sector Border Control Headquarters in Arizona, "We need a tamper-proof ID card [for all temporary workers] based upon modern biometrics."€ Elsewhere, biometric-driven security measures are already in place. For example, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security takes a photograph and fingerprint image of most foreign visitors entering the country, and the Transportation Security Administration is testing out retinal scans and fingerprint identification at airports.

We're not sure if biometrics can make the country safer, but the technology could be a boon to home or computer security.—Daniel DiClerico

Essential information: Read our list of essential steps to avoid identity theft. If you're not ready to invest in biometric locks for your home, our coverage of door locks has plenty of information on the traditional kind.

Kitchen/Bath Industry Show Product Preview: Vinotemp Eco-Series wine chillers

Refrigerators rely on a compressor to operate, but the Vinotemp Eco-Series wine chillers use thermoelectric technology. This approach, claims the manufacturer, is better for the wine and for the environment.

The main advantage of this technology, says Vinotemp, is that no chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons are used. These gases, commonly referred to as freons, can damage the ozone layer. (Note that the types of gas used in today’s refrigerator compressors, hydrofluorocarbons, do not affect the ozone layer.) Other claimed benefits of this technology include less vibration—a “merciless killer” of wine, says Vinotemp—and better temperature accuracy, +/- 0.1°C.

The Eco-Series lineup includes 18- or 28-bottle single-zone units, $229 to $314, and a 21-bottle dual-zone model and 32- and 48-bottle dual-zone units, $314 to $599. (The 32-bottle unit is shown. Smaller countertop models are available, too.) These freestanding wine chillers come in black with stainless-steel doors, trim, and handles and double-pane glass. You’ll find them online and in stores, including Costco, Home Depot, and Lowe’s.—Kimberly Janeway

Essential information: Read our advice on choosing a wine chiller and see the Ratings of wine-storage units (available to subscribers). Also, find out which wines to buy to fill up your chiller, and discover the proper serving temperatures for reds and whites.

Live From the 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show!

The Consumer Reports Home & Garden team has been in Chicago this week to cover the 2008 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show & Conference (K/BIS), the biggest annual event for kitchen- and bath-industry professionals. Our editors and market analysts have been scoping out the latest trends and the hottest products from more than 1,000 exhibitors.

Learn more about K/BIS at the official show site, and be sure to visit the Home & Garden blog over the next several days to read show coverage (you'll find the posts below), watch our exclusive product-preview videos, and stay abreast of what’s headed your way for the kitchen and bathroom.

Black & Decker’s CMM1200 electric mower gets Energy Star nod

Electric walk-behind mowers have become popular among homeowners who don’t want to set another gas-guzzling device loose on the planet. These mowers also eliminate tune-ups and trips to the gas station.

Generally, cordless electric mowers offer easy starting, though they’re suitable only if your lawn is on the small side and you don’t cut down too much grass at a time. A corded-electric model is another choice for a small property, though consider one only if you can deal with the inconvenience of a cord and won’t have to mow too far from an outlet.

Communities in California and Ohio are promoting electric mowers in a big way, with offers of heavy discounts on Neuton cordless mowers for residents who trade in a gas mower. And now the push mower that topped our Ratings of electric models (available to subscribers), the cordless Black & Decker CMM1200, $400, our top-rated electric mower, has picked up some federal bona fides.

The Energy Star program, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, has listed the charger the 24-volt, 19-inch CMM1200 (shown) uses as an Energy Star-qualified device. On average, qualified battery chargers use 35 percent less energy, the program claims, than conventional models. The charger for the CMM1200’s sealed-lead-acid battery joins a list of other Energy Star chargers for cordless power tools, handheld vacuums, and a few portable printers.

In our latest review of lawn mowers, the CMM1200 proved very good at side-discharge cutting, mulching, and handling, and its wheel-height adjustment uses a single lever. Black & Decker claims the mower can handle up to one third of an acre on a single charge, but that might be pushing it—our tests revealed a 40-minute cutting time for a nine-hour charge.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: Read our recent tip of the day to get your lawn mower in shape for spring and summer cutting. And use the expert yard-care advice in our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide to keep your lawn looking its best.

Protect Your Investment: Avoid shoddy home construction

A few years back, a Consumer Reports investigation found that 15 percent of new homes had serious problems and defects, requiring homeowners to spend millions of dollars on repairs. During that building boom, the fast pace of construction was a major cause of shoddy construction, according to experts interviewed for the story.

While today’s real-estate market has weakened significantly compared with the robust market of recent years, you still need to be on the lookout to avoid buying a flawed home. (Our exclusive interactive illustrates the problems to be wary of.)

Serious construction defects often present themselves in telltale ways, such as the deep cracks in a floor and an exterior brick wall shown here. (The owners of that home in Edmond, Oklahoma, ended up spending $60,000 to repair their new home.) If you see one or more of the following problems when you’re looking for a home or after you move in, hire a structural engineer to investigate.

Deep cracks in the foundation or basement walls can be signs that the foundation was laid on a poorly compacted base or improperly graded soil.

Sagging floors or leaning walls might be caused by a shifting foundation or structural problems with support beams. Sometimes problems can be associated with a poorly done renovation or addition that compromised key structural members.

Windows and doors that don’t sit well in frames or close properly could be the result of house-framing problems or even trace back to uneven settling of the foundation. If the beams, studs, and joists weren’t correctly sized or assembled, the whole house might not hang together well.

Wide cracks in interior walls could signal a foundation problem. Generally, though, fine cracks are cosmetic, the result of normal wood shrinkage when drying or even minor settling.

Water damage warning signs include mold, rot, and insect infestation in exterior walls; staining, swelling and discoloration on interior walls; and a musty odor. There are a number of possible causes, including improperly installed roofing; missing flashing around penetrations and joints; no moisture barrier in a climate that requires it; lack of a drainage space behind brick or siding; poorly installed windows and doors; holes in siding; plumbing leaks and trapped water-vapor condensation from moist air contacting cold surfaces.

Flooding and sewer and drain backups might result from poorly graded land or faulty sewer and water-main connections.

Switched hot and cold spigots could signal improperly installed plumbing.

Excessive heating or cooling bills might be a sign that air ducts are leaky or improperly connected. Be on the lookout if rooms don’t get cool enough or warm enough.

Electrical shorts that cause blown fuses or tripped breakers could point to an incorrectly installed electrical system. Other signs of electrical problems are outlets and switches that don’t work or are unexpectedly controlled or affected by electrical devices in other parts of the home.

Missing required permits indicates that building authorities have not performed the required inspections.

Take these steps if you think you have a serious problem with substandard home construction.

1. Hire a licensed engineer. The National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers can make a referral for a visual inspection. For a structural analysis, expect to pay $100 to $150 an hour.

2. Give the company a chance to fix the problem. You may have no choice anyway in states with “right to cure” laws. But don’t let warranties or statutes expire while you wait. Document your complaints with photographs, copies of written agreements and warranties, and a home inspection.

3. File complaints. Send your complaints to building and regulatory authorities in your state, such as a contractor-licensing board; your state and local consumer-affairs departments; and, if you suspect fraud or corruption, your state attorney general. Also contact the Federal Trade Commission.

4. Network. Contact Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellings or Homeowners for Better Building to contact other aggrieved homeowners.

5. Get legal help. As a last resort, contact a lawyer who specializes in construction-defect lawsuits. Your local bar association can help you find one.

Protect Your Investment: Don't be a bump key victim

A Google search of the term “bump keys” provides 50,200 results, a lot for a term many of you might not be aware of but a minute number in a world where “Britney Spears” generates 99,300,000 results and “Barack Obama" nets 29,600,000.

But that doesn't mean bump keys aren't big. Depending on whom you talk to, this illegal activity is on the rise. In a nutshell, a bump key (shown) allows a burglar to modify a key and use it, along with a “bumping” tool like a mallet or hammer, to open a lock.

What’s disturbing about the Google results for bump keys is that the search links you to video tutorials on how to pick locks and sites that sells bump-keys sets that, as one puts it, “Easily open doors and locks.”

Read “Unlocking the truth behind bump keys” to learn how to avoid break-ins at your home. And follow our advice below to prevent a break-in at your home.

What’s new in small appliances: 2008 Housewares Show wrap-up

The 2008 International Home & Housewares Show (IHHS) recently took place in Chicago. Michael DiLauro, a product-information specialist for Consumer Reports, describes some interesting products and trends.

Smaller appliances are taking on multiple personalities, as manufacturers are incorporating multiple functions into their products. Makers are also adding enhanced programmability to their wares, allowing you to fine-tune the process, say setting the brew strength on a coffeemakers. Some of these countertop devices are also getting bigger screens and brighter displays with backlit LCDs.

Technology continues to reign, as appliances add electronic controls that prevent temperature spikes, keeping the heat consistent over the cooking process. (Learn what's behind this technology.)

Manufacturers are also trying to blend some of their smaller appliances seamless into home décor. Consumers don’t want their room air purifiers and cordless handheld vacuums, for example, to stand out when they’re plugged in.

With consumers expected to spend less this year, small-appliance makers were touting the cost-saving aspects of their products. Slow cookers, claimed one company, use about 3 cents per hour compared with 25 cents per hour for a wall oven. Vacuum sealers were also being pitched as way to lower food costs.

Pod-style coffeemakers continue to grow in popularity with Nespresso and Tassimo poised to take the lion’s share of both the coffee-pod and -maker market. Learn more about espresso makers.

Speaking of coffee, I knew the IHHS was trendy when I found myself drinking an espresso alongside celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck at the booth hosted by Illy, known for its espresso machines and coffee. The Italian company’s booth (shown) was actually the coolest part of all, since it’s a fully functional sustainable home built within a shipping container. Called the Push Button House (shown), it takes about 90 seconds to fully open and transform into a home with a kitchen, dining room, bedroom, bathroom, living room, and library.

Induction burners are becoming more common, though you might not need or want to buy a new cooktop just to take advantage of this emerging technology, which has performed highly in our tests, excelling at cooking speed and energy efficiency. The new portable induction cooktop from European appliance maker Fagor might make sense for you as a complement to an existing range or standard gas or electric cooktop. (Note that induction cooktops require cookware made of cast iron or enameled steel. Some stainless-steel cookware will work but aluminum or copper products will not.)

The $200 unit (shown), which measures 12x14 inches and weighs 8 pounds, includes many of the standard features found in a built-in induction cooktop at a fraction of the cost, around $1,700 for a four-burner model.—Michael DiLauro, Product-Information Specialist

Mowing their way to decreased air pollution

Aiming to reduce emissions from lawn mowers in their state, some California agencies are offering residents a good deal on an electric lawn mower.

As part of the annual Mow Down Air Pollution program, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD; logo shown below), among others governmental entities in the state, will provide residents a new Neuton rechargeable cordless lawn mower at a heavy discount when they trade in a working gas-powered mower. (Prices differ statewide. The AQMD is charging $100; the SMUD, $189.) The 24-volt Neuton electric mower, with a retail price of $400, is a lot quieter than a typical standard mower and will run for 45 to 60 minutes on a 12-hour charge, according to officials with the AQMD. We’ve tested the 24-volt Neuton EM 5.1 (shown), $350. It earned an overall good in our Ratings.

The AQMD effort, now in its sixth year, is the largest in the state, according to spokesman Sam Atwood. Southern California residents have exchanged about 4,000 mowers per year through the AQMD, says Atwood, who adds that by the end of 2008, the program will have kept 116 tons smog-forming hydrocarbons out of the air. “In one year, a single older mower will pollute as much as 43 new cars each driven 12,000 miles per year,” notes Atwood. As part of the SMUD’s program, now in its 12th year, residents have bought almost 10,000 electric mowers and emissions have been reduced by 99.5 tons.

Each California agency funds its program differently. The AQMD, for instance, pays for the Mow Down Air Pollution efforts through its Air Quality Investment Program. Find out whether a mower exchange is being offered in your area by checking with the department of environmental protection in your state or a county or local agency.

The AQMD will run seven mower pickups throughout Southern California this spring. People who have preregistered to buy a mower online or by phone drive up to the location with their old mower; someone removes it from their car; and a new boxed Neuton mower is loaded in. “They never have to leave their car and the whole things takes about 10 minutes,” says Atwood.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: If you’re considering an electric mower, remember that a higher-voltage machine doesn’t guarantee better cutting performance. We recently tested the 48-volt Craftsman 37048 cordless mower, $400, and the 60-volt/12-amp Remington MPS6017A, $450 (you can use it with or without a cord). But the top-rated 24-volt Black & Decker CMM1200 cordless electric outcut both models. Get more information about electric and gas mowers and lawn tractors, and use the expert advice in our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide to help your lawn look its best.

Tip of the Day: How to use a pressure washer

A recent news story out of Orange County, Florida—a woman was charged with felony child abuse after being accused of having pointed a commercial pressure washer at her 2-year-old daughter—can serve as a reminder that even consumer pressure washers are dangerous when not used properly.

Typical mishaps with pressure washers include chemical burns to the eyes and skin abrasions, and you can also be injured by material shot back at you.

Watch our safety alert video (right) and follow these guidelines when using a pressure washer this spring and summer to protect yourself and your belongings:

• Wear safety glasses or goggles, shoes, and hearing protection.

• Set the nozzle to the widest spray angle that removes the stain.

• Start with the nozzle 2 feet away from the cleaning surface and move closer as needed, but no closer than 6 inches. Practice first by cleaning a hidden area.

• Point the nozzle away from your legs and feet, other people, and pets, as well as lights, air conditioners, and other electrical devices.

• Be wary of using a solid-stream nozzle and setting, which can cause the most harm.

Essential information: If you’re in the market for a new pressure washer, check out “Quicker Cleaning for Less.” And read our Spring-Cleaning Guide for advice on tidying up your home, your car, and your life.

Best fabric softeners

Conventional wisdom suggests that you should use fabric-softener sheets in the dryer to lessen static cling, but we found that liquids you use in the washing machine reduced the static charge in a load of synthetic clothing slightly better than sheets did.

Our tests of 12 liquids, eight sheets, a dryer ball, and a reusable dryer cloth revealed one excellent product, Ultra Gain Joyful Expressions liquid, and debunked the belief that fabric softeners, especially liquids, leave towels far less absorbent. (See our Ratings of fabric softeners, available to subscribers only.)

The loss of absorbency was very noticeable with only Snuggle Concentrate and liquid Snuggle Exhilarations. (More laundry detergents are being formulated with a softener. But in past tests, we found that they left clothes less soft than those laundered with separate detergent and softener.)

Other findings from our tests:

• Products differed mainly in their ability to soften clothes. Some liquids were very good; the dryer sheets were so-so at best.

• The reusable Method Softener Infused Dryer Cloth and the Dryer Max Dryer Balls scored just fair overall. Testers said that laundry dried with them felt more scratchy or stiff than most.

• Costs range from 2 cents per use to 26 cents; we rated some of the lower-priced products very good.

• Past tests have shown that even the best fabric softeners can build up over time, especially on fleece and flannel, which can reduce the flame resistance. Most products warn against use on flame-resistant clothes or kids' sleepwear.

The Consumer Reports take. The best overall softener was Ultra Gain Joyful Expressions liquid (9 cents per load). The manufacturer claims that its package has recycled content and that its ingredients are biodegradable. If you prefer dryer sheets, consider Bounce (5 cents), Gain, (4 cents), or Kirkland Signature (Costco), just 2 cents per load in the 492-sheet pack.

Among the best fabric softeners we tested, many liquids do one load per ounce; Touch Liquid weighs 64 ounces but delivers just 21 loads. The Ultra Gain Joyful Expressions, Ultra Downy with Febreze, and Ultra Downy concentrated liquids give you a few more loads than regular products for the same weight.

If scent bothers you, try Ultra Downy liquid or Bounce sheets, the only conventional products we tested that come in an unscented version.

Essential information: Visit our washing machine page for expert advice on buying and using this appliance. See the full list (in alphabetical order) of tested fabric softeners below.

Greener cleaners go mainstream

In January, the Clorox Company launched Green Works (shown), a line of what it claims are “natural” cleaners. Days later, SC Johnson announced that a new Greenlist label would appear on its familiar blue Windex glass cleaner. Both products are now being rolled out into retailers nationwide. You know the green bandwagon is getting crowded when two behemoths of the household-cleaning industry climb aboard.

No sooner had the companies launched the products than some in the green blogosphere began questioning the safety of the ingredients used in these cleaners and whether they really are just more examples of greenwashing. So we decided to take a closer look.

Clorox Green Works
Clorox says that its Green Works products, which include all-purpose, bathroom, dilutable, glass-and-surface, and toilet-bowl cleaners, are at least 99 percent “natural.” But without a nationally accepted standard definition for that term, the company is using its own. Natural cleaners, Clorox says, are defined as having ingredients that come from primarily plant and mineral materials and contain less than 1 percent petrochemicals. But keep in mind, natural doesn’t necessarily mean nontoxic or nonirritating.

Unlike with many other cleaners, including some from Clorox, you will find a complete list of ingredients on Green Works packaging. That’s significant, since full disclosure is not required by federal law. At the same time, since it can be difficult to judge the potential harmful effects of ingredients you might be unfamiliar with, if you’re concerned about your health and safety, check for warning labels; they are required when a product contains ingredients that are known to cause harm to humans. Four out of five Green Works products carry “caution” labels, which indicate relatively less hazard than “danger” or “poison” labels would.

Four Green Works products carry the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment, or DfE, label (shown). The presence of the label means that the EPA evaluated the ingredients for health and environmental impacts. But it doesn’t signify that the ingredients are harmless; rather the label indicates that they are considered to be the least harmful in their chemical class. Also, since ingredients are judged individually, there is not one clear standard that all products with a DfE label must meet. Consumer Reports is in the process of evaluating the DfE label.

In April, a Sierra Club label will also appear on all the Green Works products. The label will indicate that the products have been reviewed by the club and are environmentally preferable to conventional products. However, the label is not free from conflict-of-interest, as the Sierra Club will receive financial support from Clorox as part of this partnership.

SC Johnson Greenlist
SC Johnson’s Windex Original blue glass cleaner is the first product to carry the company’s Greenlist label. However, the manufacturer claims it has been reformulating several of its products in accordance with the Greenlist process since 2001. Since the company defined the process, it decides what’s green. Basically, with Greenlist, ingredients are ranked on a more-to-less impact scale from 0 to 3. That information is then used to improve the “environmental and health profile” of products by reformulating them with ingredients considered by the company to be less harmful.

For the Windex, SC Johnson says it replaced a 0-rated solvent with a more environmentally responsible material and reduced the levels of volatile organic compounds in the cleaner. VOCs, chemicals found in many household products, can cause dizziness, headaches, and other acute symptoms.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find a complete list of ingredients on Greenlist products since the company is not required by federal law to disclose all the ingredients used. Without this information, it’s impossible for us to tell whether the green or any other claims are true.

SC Johnson also carries cleaning products with the DfE label, indicating they have gone through the government’s screening process for health and environmental impacts. Those products include Shout Trigger laundry stain remover and Citrus Action, Scrubbing Bubbles Soap Scum Remover with Orange Action, Shower Shine Daily Shower Cleaner, and Fantastik Oxy Power multipurpose cleaner.

In the end, the best way to find eco-friendly cleaners—from Clorox, SC Johnson, or any other manufacturer—is to look for products with labels that have been independently verified as green in the Eco-labels Center on GreenerChoices.org. Also read our report on greener cleaners and use the cleaner recipes there at home.—Kristi Wiedemann, Science and Policy Analyst, GreenerChoices.org

Essential information: For information on Earth Day and greener living, visit our Earth Day Guide.  

March 22 is World Water Day

March 22 is designated as National Goof-off Day, but that date also signifies a more significant event: World Water Day.

While water conservation and quality have been a concern in many parts of the world for years, it wasn’t a mainstream issue in this country when the United Nations General Assembly designated the day during its 1992 Conference on Environment and Development.

But today large swaths of the United States are mired in drought conditions, the water infrastructure is in bad shape in some areas, and according to an Associated Press investigation earlier this month, traces of pharmaceuticals have been found in the drinking-water supplies of 41 million Americans.

The goal of World Water Day is to bring global water issues to the fore. This year’s theme is sanitation, which covers matters like hygiene promotion, sanitary facilities, water quality, and wastewater management. In 2006, the theme was water culture; in 2007, water scarcity.

What can you do about your own water? Start by assessing the quality of your water. Your community water system is required to provide you with an annual Consumer Confidence Report, or CCR, a detailed statement on the quality of the water in your area.

If you’re concerned about water quality and want to buy a water filter, read our latest report. The article covers the different types of filters, which range from carafes that you store in the refrigerator to whole-house systems; the Ratings (available to subscribers) include more than two dozen products.