Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Vacuums get a new 1,500-square-foot home
Our Technical department recently unveiled a new lab for vacuum testing, the place where the rubber hits the road—make that bare floors and carpeting—for our continuously updated ratings of canister, upright, and small and handheld vacuums (available to subscribers).
This 1,500-square-foot lab has an additional humidity-controlled chamber that technicians will use to gauge how well vacuums deep-clean carpeting and pick up pet hair. They are also building a new apparatus to measure how hard it is to push and pull vacuums; consumers regularly complain to us about vacuums that are tough to move around. Another device they’re working on will electronically measure clearance beneath couches and other furniture.
The first two uprights tested in the new digs are the Miele S 7210 Twist and the Hoover T-Series WindTunnel Rewind Bagless UH70120.
The 22-pound Miele (shown) costs $550, $250 less than the similar Miele S 7580 Bolero, and stands out as an especially quiet upright vacuum that also scores highly otherwise. It’s a tricky balance not achieved by other fairly quiet models, such as the Dyson Ball DC24 All Floors upright, $400, and the Electrolux Ultra Silencer EL6986A, $300.
The 18-pound Hoover, a bagless model, also scored well. But this model lacks a brush on/off switch, an important device that can help protect finished bare floors. And though its power cord is retractable—most uprights lack this feature—it measures only 16 feet, the shortest of all upright vacuums tested. The short length means you’ll have to unplug and replug the cord more often as you move around your home.
Essential information: If you’re in the market for a new vacuum, use our free buyer’s guide to vacuums and check out our October 2009 report. See others readers’ opinions of dozens of models on our vacuums forum.
Voucher: 50% off at La Tasca
That’s right, a whopping 50% off your bill at La Tasca, YUM!
In order to use you need to follow this link to a printable .PDF voucher. Fill in your details and take it along with you.
The voucher is valid until January 4th (but excludes New Years Eve).
Enjoy!
By the Numbers: Mixed message from U.S. housing market. Is it a good time to buy a home?
7.4 percent
Monthly rise in sales of existing homes from October 2009 to November 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors. The seasonally adjusted sales rate for existing homes reached 6.54 million units last month, up from 6.09 million and 4.54 million a year earlier, says the NAR.
The rise in existing-home sales hasn’t boosted the selling price for these homes, however, as distressed properties are dragging down the sales price, according to the NAR, which noted that these properties made up a third of existing-home sales last month. The national median price for existing homes in November was $172,600 in November, 4.3 percent less than it was in November 2008. (The national median price peaked at $230,100 in July 2006.)
The NAR attributes the jump in existing-home sales to the wave of people looking to take advantage of the federal tax credit for home buyers, which has been extended until the end of April 2010.
Even as sales of existing homes improve, the market for single-family new homes remains weak. The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced on December 23 that new-home sales were 11.3 percent below the October 2009 rate and 9 percent below the figure for November 2008.
If you’ve recently moved into a new home or are planning to in the coming months, you’re probably planning at least some remodeling, even it it’s simply trading the avocado green in the kitchen for Coral, Mineral Grey, or one of the other hues that made the Paint Quality Institute’s list of hottest color trends for 2010.
Use the expert advice in our Kitchen-Planning Guide and Home Improvement Guide interactive and follow the tips here to make the right choices and help your projects go more smoothly:
Get in on the appliance deals while they last. If you’re planning to take advantage of the $300 million State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, check our regularly updated cash for clunkers for appliances hub and refer to our state-by-state map.Focus on performance and style. Built-in refrigerators and pro-style ranges might have some allure when you’re scouting houses or shopping for new appliances, but neither is a star when it comes to performance in our tests. Consider a top-freezer refrigerator for top space efficiency and value, a French-door bottom-freezer model for maximum convenience. Whether you buy an electric or gas range, look for six or more oven-rack positions and elements sized by power. And if it’s a busy kitchen, consider plastic-laminate flooring over real wood for its easy installation and its ability to fend off wear and tear.
Design wisely. Sure, a shiny stainless SUV of a fridge can be sexy, but it’ll quickly lose its appeal if you can’t open its door without hitting the counter opposite it. Before picking products, consult the planning guidelines from the National Kitchen & Bath Association for tips on designing a functional layout.
In the bathroom, choose good looks that last. Choose a model with physical vapor deposition, or PVD, finish for the faucet; this super-tough plating process can mimic a variety of finishes and resists wear well. (In the kitchen, save on stainless-steel sink by choosing thinner stainless, which can resist dents and damage as well as the thicker stuff.)
Using a low-flow showerhead can save water and save you money. One American Standard model we tested for our latest report on showerheads delivered a stimulating shower and uses only 2 gallons per minute. And several toilets we tested for our August 2009 report on toilets provided powerful flushes while meeting the 1.28-gallon-per-fllush limit set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program.
When painting, save work and money—and the planet. Manufacturers have longed struggled to make paints cover better and last longer with fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which have been linked to air pollution and respiratory issues. In our March 2009 report on interior paints, several covered well in one coat while meeting or exceeding federal VOC limits. For our upcoming March 2010 report on interior paints, all top-scoring finishes meet those limits and provide impressive one-coat hiding in our tests.
For roofing, 3-D shingles are the better buy. Also called architectural shingles, laminated asphalt shingles look much more like real slate than flatter three-tab shingles, outperformed them overall in the tests for our June 2009 report on shingles, and often cost less.
With siding, vinyl gets stylish. Stiffer construction and deeper profiles that cast wider shadows help the best vinyl products we tested for our June 2009 report on siding look more like wood for as little as $125 per 100 square feet.
Fiber-cement siding looks even more realistic but our weathering and abuse tests found that some fiber cement can be fragile. This blend of cement, sand, and cellulose is insect-proof and comes primed or prepainted.
Tip: Read the Craigslist Handbook
Most people these days know of and have used ebay, either as a buyer or seller – but it still amazes me how many have never even heard of Craigslist and these are people who claim to be seasoned bargain hunters, pah! It’s like ebay, but without all the crippling feesm rules and being forced [...]
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year: Let the yule log warm your spirits on December 25
Here's an update of the post we published on Christmas Day 2008.
If you're of a certain age and grew up in the New York City metropolitan area, you probably remember watching the Yule Log on WPIX on Christmas Day. Channel 11 used to show a fireplace aglow for hours on end, a goofy yet—if not literally—warming looping log. This year, it's on from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Some of us used to look for the spot where the loop ended and
started again—perhaps not the most exciting thing to do on a holiday
but if the bowl games were boring or the weather too nasty to go
outside, this detective work did provide a diversion. Read this press release for details on the digitally enhanced Yule Log 2.0, which viewers of several Tribune Broadcasting stations can watch today.
While most wood- and pellet-burning stoves won't allow you to watch
the burning logs, they clearly have grabbed the interest of many
consumers who are looking for less-expensive ways to heat their homes.
If you're considering adding one of these devices to your home, read
our October 2009 report on pellet stoves (available to subscribers) and use these tips to lower your heating bill this winter.
Tip: Find the cheapest mobile deals
I just spent the last week or so trying to find a new mobile phone for my fiance. Back in the summer when we were on holiday his phone, that he loved and had had for around 3 years, got drowned when we got stuck out at sea on a little boat in a storm [...]
Planning to take advantage of cash for clunkers for appliances?
Get information on this $300 million appliance-rebate program by clicking on your state below. For more details on cash for clunkers for appliances, read our FAQ.
On December 22, 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy approved the rebate plan for Virginia (we’ll add the link to the map below), leaving Hawaii as the only state whose plan had not been okayed. Also, plan details are available for Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
And before you head out to shop, find the best places to buy appliances. Click on “See the full article” below the map to find the projected start dates for the rebate program in each state.
Projected start date for each state and territory
Alabama, April 2010
Alaska, February 2010
Arizona, March 2010
Arkansas, March 2010
California, March 2010
Colorado, March 2010
Connecticut, January 2010
Delaware, December 2009
District of Columbia, April 2010
Florida, April 2010
Georgia, February 2010
Hawaii, TBD as of 12/24/09
Idaho, February 2010
Illinois, January 2010 and April 2010
Indiana, February 2010
Iowa, March 2010
Kansas, December 2009
Kentucky, March 2010
Louisiana, February 2010
Maine, February 2010
Maryland, March 2010
Massachusetts, March 2010
Michigan, Late spring 2010
Minnesota, March 2010
Mississippi, April 2010
Missouri, April 2010
Montana, April 2010
Nebraska, April 2010
Nevada, April 2010
New Hampshire, March 2010
New Jersey, January 2010 and April 2010
New Mexico, April 2010
New York, February 2010
North Carolina, April 2010 and June 2010
North Dakota, April 2010
Ohio, March 2010
Oklahoma, March 2010
Oregon, December 2009
Pennsylvania, April 2010
Rhode Island, March 2010
South Carolina, March 2010
South Dakota, March 2010
Tennessee, April 2010
Texas, April 2010
Utah, February 2010
Vermont, January 2010 and March 2010
Virginia, April 2010
Washington, April 2010
West Virginia, April 2010
Wisconsin, January 2010
Wyoming, March 2010
American Samoa, February 2010
Guam, April 2010
Northern Marianas Island, March 2010
Puerto Rico, January 2010
U.S. Virgin Islands, February 2010
Free Screening: It’s Complicated
If you’d like to see It’s Complicated before it comes out at the cinema then you can thanks to Tell Ten. The screening takes place on January 4th at the following cinemas:
Aberdeen Union Square, Cineworld
Birmingham Broad Street, Cineworld
Boldon Tyne & Wear, Cineworld
Bolton, Cineworld Information
Bristol, Cineworld Information
Cardiff, Cineworld
Cheltenham, Cineworld
Chichester, Cineworld
Didsbury, Cineworld
Dublin, Cineworld
Edinburgh, Cineworld
Fulham Road, Cineworld
Glasgow Renfrew [...]
Tip of the Day: Removing standing water from your deck can help decking and stain last longer
As I found out last summer, refinishing a wood deck isn’t a fun project and is certainly one you don’t want to do more than absolutely necessary.
One way to protect your wood deck and its finish is to keep standing water and, at this time of year, snow off the deck as best you can. Moisture can settle into the pores of even treated wood and damage it, especially boards with a cupped top surface, where water can puddle.
After a rainstorm, I use my gas-powered leaf blower to rid the deck of water, taking about five or 10 minutes to thin out accumulations of water, leaving the rest to evaporate. I also make sure to get to spots most prone to mildew growth, so I use the blower on the vertical and horizontal surfaces of rails, steps, and the deck skirt. There’s no need to dry the deck completely; that would take a lot more time and create more emissions from the gas-powered blower.
“The better you can keep water from puddling up on your deck, the longer you can extend the life of the finish and probably even the decking itself,” says Rico De Paz, the Consumer Reports project leader who’s testing paints and exterior stains for our 2010 reports on those finishes.
After a snowstorm, like the one that hit the New York City area last weekend, my wife and I usually clear snow from the deck before using the leaf blower. De Paz warns that rough treatment with even a plastic shovel can be detrimental to the finish. “You’re better off, if possible, avoiding shoveling altogether by sweeping the snow off the deck with a broom,” he adds. If you do shovel off the snow, don’t use a metal or metal-bladed shovel.
Essential information: Before you refinish your deck next spring, read our latest report on exterior stains and refer to the ratings of exterior stains and deck treatments (available to subscribers). And if you’re in the market for a new power blower, check out our buyer’s guide to leaf blowers.
Free Screening: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll
If you’d like to see Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll before it comes out at the cinema you can thanks to SeeFilmFirst, the screening takes place on Wednesday January 6th at 6.30pm at the following cinemas:
Belfast (Dublin Road), Movie House
Bradford, Cineworld
Brighton, ODEON
Bristol, Cineworld
Cardiff, Cineworld
Covent Garden, London, ODEON
Edinburgh, Cineworld
Electric Birmingham, Independent
Gateshead, Newcastle, ODEON
Liverpool, Picturehouse
Manchester [...]