Ceiling fan
Meanwhile, electric ceiling fans became very popular in other countries, particularly those with hot climates, such as India and the Middle East, where a lack of infrastructure and/or financial resources made energy-hungry and complex freon-based air conditioning equipment impractical. In 1973, Texas entrepreneur H. W. (Hub) Markwardt began importing highly efficient ceiling fans to the United States that were manufactured in India by Crompton Greaves, Ltd. Crompton Greaves had been manufacturing ceiling fans since 1937 through a joint venture formed by Greaves Cotton of India and Crompton Parkinson of England, and had perfected the world's most energy efficient ceiling fans thanks to its patented 20 pole induction motor with a highly efficient heat-dissipating cast aluminum rotor. These Indian manufactured ceiling fans caught on slowly at first, but Markwardt's Encon Industries branded ceiling fans (which stood for ENergy CONservation) eventually found great success during the energy crisis of the late 1970s and early 1980s, since they consumed far less energy (under 70 watts of electricity) than the antiquated shaded pole motors used in most other American made fans. The fans became very effective energy saving appliances for residential and commercial use by supplementing expensive air conditioning with a cooling wind-chill effect. Fans used for comfort create a wind chill by increasing the heat transfer coefficient, but do not lower temperatures directly.
Due to this renewed commercial success using ceiling fans effectively as an energy conservation application, many American manufacturers also started to produce, or significantly increase production of, ceiling fans. In addition to the imported Encon ceiling fans, the Casablanca Fan Company was founded in 1974. Other American manufacturers of the time included the Hunter Fan Co. (which was then a division of Robbins & Myers, Inc), FASCO (F. A. Smith Co.), and Emerson Electric; which was often branded as Sears-Roebuck.
Popcorn ceiling
Since the mid-2000s, the popularity for textured popcorn ceilings has diminished significantly across North America. A movement towards more modern, clean lined design features has influenced home imporvement professionals to provide popcorn ceiling removal services. This feature has a multitude of benefits over the textured ceiling, such as its association with a high-end asthetic, it multiplies natural light throughout the space, it does not harbor dust and allergens (only to be re-introduced into the air), easier patching and touching up after a drywall repair, etc. The process can be difficult to execute for the average do-it-yourself home owner, as it requires skim-coating techniques often only mastered by experienced plasterers. Several coats should be adminstered to achieve a level smooth surface ready to be sealed and painted. The final cost is usually quite high, thus being less favorable to new construction builders, and sourced by homeowners looking to add value to their properties.