Going Green—From Top to Bottom
Energy-efficient Upgrades that Save Money and Offer Tax Credits
These days, the word “green” is everywhere, but homeowners really need to know: What exactly does it mean to go green?
According to Building Design & Construction magazine’s White Paper Survey, “55 percent [of building industry professionals] said they had trouble sourcing green products, and out of those, 81 percent said ‘green’ was not always clearly defined.” Why all the confusion?
At one time, green products were considered anything manufactured with at least 30 percent recycled material, but now, there are several other factors that determine sustainability. Every material has energy output; the question is how much and what type. Currently, green products are ranked by their Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), which takes into consideration manufacturing practices, installation, use, and eventual disposal.
With all of these factors, going green is not as clear cut as homeowners may have thought. So here are a couple items to keep in mind before beginning a green investment of your own.
Sustainable Surfaces
Surfaces in your home include countertops in kitchens and bathrooms and flooring.
For homeowners with a modern, industrial streak in them, concrete has made its debut as a sustainable surface option that can easily be reused, recycled, or locally supplied. Another sleek option is stainless steel, which is known for high durability, another green attribute in that it outlasts other materials.
“If you’re considering concrete, be sure to check what kind of content is in it,” says Ben Thompson, owner of Thompson Remodeling Inc. in Grand Rapids, Mich., and a National Association of Home Builders’ Certified Green Professional (CGP).
Another option is terrazzo surfaces, which are a combination of glass or stone chips and binders. For the greenest option, choose terrazzo bound with cement that does not contain volatile organic compounds and chips that are sourced from recycled glass.
“My clients have increasingly been choosing a combination of these greener countertops,” says CGP Judy Mozen, of Handcrafted Homes Inc. in Roswell, Ga.
Wood flooring remains one of the most desirable options in the U.S. today, but instead of installing exotic wood from the world’s greatest rainforests, purchase wood that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). An FSC certification ensures that the wood originated from a fast-growth tree, meaning the forest is sustainable.
The poster children for green flooring are cork and bamboo. Although these are great green options, there are some downsides to installing them.
Cork flooring is made from the bark of cork-oak trees and approximately every decade, the cork is stripped off the trunk and branches. The bark grows back, and its removal does not disturb the growth of the tree. However, it may not be the best material to install where moisture is present, as cork will deteriorate over time if it comes into contact with water.
Bamboo is a natural material that is harvested every three to seven years. The downside is that most bamboo is not locally harvested, and the amount of energy it takes to transport bamboo from China may offset its sustainability.
Still, Thompson adds, bamboo and cork are the most appealing option for most of his clients because of the look and price.
Greening from Inside to Out
Most homeowners want to know about energy tax credits and how to lower their utility bills. There are ways to reduce your bills and make your home more efficient by upgrading areas both inside and outside of your home.
One of the most effective energy upgrades a homeowner can make is to upgrade the insulation. Homes require a large amount of energy to generate heat and air conditioning. Over the years, building professionals discovered that regular-sized homes were consuming more energy than necessary because of leaking air associated with poor insulation.
Insulation
The first place a homeowner should increase insulation is in the attic. An attic is where people typically store things they’ll never need, which is why the lack of insulation goes unnoticed. Up until the mid-1990s, builders under-insulated the attic to reduce building costs. However, today’s contractors know that ignoring the attic can lead to costly energy consumption.
The other major insulation problem area is the basement, especially if it is unfinished. By insulating the ceiling above the basement and above the crawl space, you can save a large amount of money on your heating bills.
“Here in Michigan, our standard insulation is spray-foam insulation because it insulates and air seals at the same time,” Thompson says. “It is slightly higher in cost and it requires professional installation.”
Air leakage also commonly occurs in more obvious places, like window and door openings. Everyone notices the large draft that flows inside the home when they open their doors in the winter. But these problems don’t only occur when the door opens, they also occur when the doors or windows are closed.
Leaks happen in older windows that may have loosened up over the years, but they also occur in new windows that were not properly installed. Or, it can be because of the type of window. According to ENERGY STAR, energy-efficient windows have low-e glass with special coatings to reflect infrared light and keep heat inside during the winter. They also have multiple panes of glass with argon or krypton gases in between each pane and spacers to keep window panes apart.
“When it comes to windows, keep this in mind: Northern climates should look at the U factor [which measures how well a product prevents heat from escaping]—the lower the U factor, the better,” Mozen says.
Energy-efficient doors have weather stripping around the edges to seal leaks. Weather stripping supplies and installation techniques can range from simple to technical, so it is important to read the instructions on the package first. Doors made from fiberglass or steel with polyurethane foam cores are some of the best-quality materials in today’s market.
One of the myths of air sealing is that it is possible to seal a home too tightly, to the point that it collects moisture. “You can never seal a house too tightly, only under-ventilate it,” Thompson says. He says the key to air sealing is to control how a building breathes by installing a mechanical ventilation system.
Roofing
Most people consider a roof over their heads and food on the table to be the most important concerns in life, but what happens when the roof over your head is costing you major money?
Your main option for a green roof is one that’s made from recycled content or from recycling existing roof structures that are being replaced. There are many asphalt roofing collection facilities nationwide that welcome old roofing materials.
Rubber and plastics from other industries, like the automotive industry, have been reformulated into a rubber slate roofing material, which has the ENERGY STAR approval rating.
For those in cooler climates, roof insulation is beneficial. Depending on the type of roof, or how pitched it is, attic insulation is all you need. The most common way to insulate your roof is by blowing cellulose or closed-cell foam into the roof cavities.
For flat roofs, adding insulation may be a larger task that requires a professional to lift the roof. Some contractors pitch flat roofs during this process to better control insulation and attic efficiency in the future.
There is a common theme in all of this when it comes to green: A green investment is not about vanity; it’s about saving money, improving a home’s performance, and conserving natural resources.—Morgan Zenner; article information courtesy of Georgia Magazine
Morgan Zenner is a marketing and communications coordinator with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) based in Des Plaines, Ill. For membership information, or to locate a local NARI chapter or a remodeling professional, visit www.remodeltoday.com or call (800) 611-NARI. For tips on remodeling using green techniques and materials, visit www.greenremodeling.org.
Green tips from the federal government, 2010
- The federal government is providing homeowners with up to $1,500 in tax credits for making energy-efficient upgrades.
- In addition to the increased credit, the certification standards on products considered energy-efficient have also increased, so it is important to double-check what your contractor is installing.
- Homeowners who install qualified, residential alternative-energy equipment, such as solar water heaters or wind turbines, are eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of property.
- The EPA implemented the Repair, Renovation and Paint (RRP) rule on April 22, 2010, requiring remodelers working in homes built before 1978 to be certified and follow practices designed to minimize the exposure of residents to lead hazards.
Easy weekend repairs
Mozen’s 15-minute inspection of your home can reveal some things (you can do) that will help improve energy efficiency:
- Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
- Replace weather stripping on doors.
- Put rubber gaskets on all exterior receptacles and switches.
- Install a programmable, set-back thermostat.
- Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees, and buy appliances that boost water temperature as needed.
- If renovating, make sure joints of floors and walls are caulked before installing drywall.
- Install shading on south-facing windows—inside or outside.
Plant deciduous trees near windows that have southern exposure. |
