Expert Advice on Home Improvement TV Host of Today's Homeowner® and home expert for The Weather Channel
This poll is brought to you by:
Out With The Old, In With New Windows: As the season for home remodeling and DIY projects gets underway, evaluating a home's list of needs and repairs becomes top priority. Read More
Heating and Cooling, Today's Homeowner, Green Living Published 11/20/2006 by Danny Lipford
In this episode we head to Atlanta, Georgia to take a look at a new level of construction…green building. In fact, the entire community we visited, right down to the streets and sidewalks, was built “green” or eco-friendly.
These homes are quieter and more energy efficient because they use materials that are going to last longer and improve indoor air quality such as energy efficient windows, open cell foam insulation (serves as insulation and an air sealant), solar panels, compact floursecent light bulbs, Energy Star appliances, programmable thermostats, tankless water heaters and even rain water collection systems to name a few.
Keep in mind if you’re looking to go green with your remodel or new home construction you’ll pay 10 to15% more for the materials.
I used to drive through Atlanta during my days in college when traveling from Mobile to Greenville, SC. Even back in those days, it was always bustling with activity and I think they are constantly working on the interstate. This trip was a real eye opener as to how big the city has grown in the past twenty-plus years. With all the growth and the industrial sites everywhere, it was almost a culture shock to drive into Glenwood Park. Tucked away right in the heart of the city is this little time capsule, yet with a plethora of 21st century features. Of course, it does come with a hefty price tag, but most people will agree that the overall cost is worth it, especially if you live there. After this one visit, I would understand why, too. What I do have a hard time understanding, though, is why it has to cost so much more to embrace the green building standards. I took a little time to research this and discovered that the 15% average cost increase could be reduced significantly if only the builders would go directly to the source for green products instead of relying on their usual suppliers. It’s one of the simplest laws of retail. Eliminate the middle man and you reduce your overhead. This is where it takes educating the consumers. If you are planning to incorporate green building practices into your next home or remodeling job — make sure you talk to your contractor about purchasing the green products directly from the manufacturer as opposed to the big box retailers. Prices could drop down to only 5% more than standard construction costs, which is far better than 15%.
It was amazing that we were only a stone’s throw from the interstate. While taping some of the segments in the park, we often had to stop and wait for a large truck to rumble past. It was obvious that work was still going on just by the decibel output. Yet, walk inside the house and shut the door and not a sound. This is the sign of a well-sealed house. If you get the chance to view the show again, look carefully at the close up shot of the programmable thermostat. You’ll see that the setting was on 62 degrees, and you’ll also see that the house was a comfortable 68 degrees inside. This was after the temperature dropped into the mid to low 30’s the night before and the heater never kicked on – not even once!
At this point, however, I think it’s important to bring up a very important issue. With a house sealed as tightly as this one in Atlanta, the indoor air quality could be a major concern. This is where the concept of green building really shines. By eliminating the types of materials that use formaldehyde treatment and eliminating paints chock full of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), you have less worry of a poor indoor air quality. This home goes even an extra step by incorporating HEPA air filters and an ultraviolet air cleaner.
After my visit to Atlanta’s Glenwood Park, I’m a believer. I would encourage all our viewers to take some time and find out how you can incorporate some green into your own homes. A great resource is to check out the information at www.greenbuildermag.com.
If you’re going to paint – buy the best paint brush you can afford. It may be expensive but if you take care of it, it’ll last you a life time. The first rule to taking care of a paint brush is you need to clean it thoroughly after each and every use. To make clean-up even easier you can actually prepare the brush. Take some masking tape or painters’ tape about 1 1/2 –inches thick and wrap it around the metal band, or Ferrell, that joins the handle to the bristles. Overlap the bristles by about ¼-inch. This will prevent paint from getting stuck in that joint between Ferrell and bristles, which typically makes it hard to clean. After you’ve painted, and thoroughly cleaned the brush either put the brush back in its original packaging and lay it flat so it keeps its shape or wrap the brush in brown paper to accomplish the same thing.
If you’re tired of the re-mulching hassle, you might consider RubberStuff Mulch. The colored rubber landscape mulch is made from recycled tire chips and makes a great alternative to replenishing and replacing the typical cypress or pine wood mulches, or even pea-gravel and lava rocks that seem to always sink. Rubber mulch is “permanent” because it doesn’t decompose, blow away or float away in a heavy rainfall so when everyone else is spending time and money mulching again, the mulch in your yard will look great. The product is non-toxic and safe for both pets and plants but you’ll pay a little more for it up front. A 26 lb. bag is almost $10 so that’s somewhere in the neighborhood of three times more.
Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford® is brought to you by:
November 2nd, 2007 at 3:38 pm
One important note about a super tight home.
The trade off for a tight home is that we need mechanical systems to bring in and remove air.We exhaust air in bathrooms and kitchen hoods which remove odors or fresh air for gas appliances and are important,so any air removed from the home has to be made up.If the home is in a negative pressure then the air will be brought in through any leaks in the building envelope.If that air isn’t conditioned we loose the energy rating we are trying to accomplish.The mechanical systems need to be maintained to the nth degree.The home will be very cheap to operate,but will need more attention to maintance on the mechanical equipment.But just because the home is very efficiant doesn’t mean its worry free.In fact it may be the opposite.The overall payback is well worth the effort for all of us.
Thanks for the site Danny and Allen .
John Cannamela
www.infraredsurvey.com
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:02 am
Where can I find low cost closed cell foam? I’m a contractor and very willing to do it myself. So far, when looking at closed cell foam, I’ve been unable to come close to the cost of fiberglass ($0.30 for walls and $0.75 for ceilings).
Thanks,
Don