Reliable Remodeler Blog » Green Living

Does your home meet miminum energy codes?

woodrow — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:24:55 +0000

Does your new or remodeled home meet the minimum energy codes for construction and design? If you’re like most consumers, Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) believes that you have no idea. Last fall, the nonprofit agency reported that energy bills in an average new home that doesn’t meet the minimums are consistently higher. In fact, they’re [...]

Does your home meet miminum energy codes? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Daylight harvesting is coming to your town

woodrow — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 02:32:33 +0000

Daylight harvesting, once deployed only in large commercial and industrial settings, is getting lot of airtime with home builders and renovators. The process is just like it sounds: You install a combined window treatment and lighting system that coordinates the amount of heat and light that comes through your windows into living spaces. It’s not [...]

Daylight harvesting is coming to your town is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

What does “green remodeling” really mean?

woodrow — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:43:36 +0000

You’ve heard a lot about green remodeling. Many new homes are constructed with green building materials, appliances, windows and doors. Green, in short, means that the initial builder or homeowner making a sustainable home improvement is concerned with energy efficiency, indoor air quality, the conservation of natural resources and, ultimately, home value. Let’s look at the [...]

What does “green remodeling” really mean? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Green insulation for new homes and additions

woodrow — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:44:18 +0000

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are among the latest green design building systems used for residential construction. SIPs are panels manufactured with a foam insulating core packaged between oriented-strand board skins. The resulting sandwich is durable, high in energy efficiency and may even reduce the scale of the systems used to heat and cool your home. Since [...]

Green insulation for new homes and additions is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Try green insulation for health and energy efficiency

woodrow — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:29:28 +0000

If you’re committed to going green, you’ll be curious about the new generation of efficient, low-impact insulation products on the market. Traditional insulation products can off-gas (at worst) or give off odors in your home. You can swap them out for low or non-VOC emitting insulation products and, at the same time, fill your home [...]

Try green insulation for health and energy efficiency is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements

woodrow — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 04:34:33 +0000

Now that 2011 has passed, many of the Federal tax credits offered by the government for new windows, insulation, doors, and other products for home energy efficiency remodeling have also drawn to an end. Even with these incentives gone, you should still consider evaluating energy efficient materials before making a purchase, or choose other green [...]

Federal tax credits for New Year improvements is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

How to choose the perfect light bulb

woodrow — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:22:21 +0000

Are all light bulb products interchangeable? Not so, according to Consumer Reports. The product evaluator and watchdog recommends that you match the replacement bulb to your lighting fixture. Even if you buy a bulb made for energy efficiency, using it in the wrong environment can shorten its life and negatively affect its performance. Selecting your bulb First, [...]

How to choose the perfect light bulb is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Record utility costs may drive us to energy efficiecy

woodrow — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:22:53 +0000

A new study shows that the price of electricity provided to American homeowners has skyrocketed over the last five years. Energy price research conducted by the USA TODAY shows that we’ve endured the longest consistent stretch of utility bill increases since the 1970s. Today’s average bills represent a $300 annual increase in electric bills over [...]

Record utility costs may drive us to energy efficiecy is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Smart green building devices that promote energy efficiency

woodrow — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:26:14 +0000

Have you heard about smart meters? A smart meter connects homes with the electric grid. It’s a two-way communicator that helps homeowners truly examine their energy use and make decisions about how to operate their appliances, HVAC systems, and lighting. Depending on your utility provider, your smart meter can help you determine the best hours (known [...]

Smart green building devices that promote energy efficiency is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

New windows can curb record-high energy bills

woodrow — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 04:19:22 +0000

If you’ve been watching your electric bills soar, welcome to the club. A new report from USA TODAY finds that we’ve endured five straight years of increases, making it the largest leap since the energy woes of the 1970s. Even if your earnings have stagnated, the cost to consumers for electricity has kept on rising. We [...]

New windows can curb record-high energy bills is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Choosing storm doors for the New Year

woodrow — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 20:15:34 +0000

I’ve become a fan of storm doors. New storm door models are energy efficient and provide a layer of protection between your home and the elements. Moreover, these doors are versatile, allowing you to swap out secure glass inserts with ventilating bug screens when warm weather comes a-calling. Visit any of your local home improvement stores [...]

Choosing storm doors for the New Year is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Holiday decorating that adds value all-year long

woodrow — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:22:12 +0000

With Christmas just around the corner, why not consider making home improvements that decorate for the holidays and last for the entire year? One of my favorite improvements is to add exterior lighting that you can deck with light strings, vines, wreaths or bows. But this year, put in doorway lamps, entry overhangs, walkway lighting, [...]

Holiday decorating that adds value all-year long is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Remodeling with bamboo flooring

woodrow — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:45:54 +0000

I love the look and feel of bamboo flooring. Color tones that resemble caramelized sugar add amazing warmth to a room. Bamboo flooring is known to be durable and kind to your feet. Maintenance, as you’ll see, is relatively simple and straight-forward. If you’re committed to green building and remodeling, you can shop for manufacturers that [...]

Remodeling with bamboo flooring is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Going with the flow in kitchen remodeling

woodrow — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 01:23:45 +0000

If someone gave you a tip for saving water and, consequently, cutting your utility costs would you take it? I was evaluating new water taps for this blog and wandered across the Department of Energy’s regulations on the gallons per minute (GPM) rate allowed on new taps. According to Energy Savers, new faucet flow rates [...]

Going with the flow in kitchen remodeling is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

HVAC home improvements: There’s an app for that

woodrow — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:36:36 +0000

If you’re reading this, you already have a remote means of controlling your HVAC at home as well as monitoring your security. Using a smartphone or computer with web access, today’s homeowner can log into a secure website to check if their doors are locked or to turn on their heat [...]

HVAC home improvements: There’s an app for that is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.