Reliable Remodeler Blog » energy efficency

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.

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.

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.

Safe bets for remodeling: energy efficiency upgrades

woodrow — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:44:19 +0000

The housing remodeling market is poised for a rebound, according to researchers at Harvard University. In the next few years, spending on home improvements is expected to increase at a 3.5 percent annual average rate. Harvard’s researchers also predict that trends wherein “deferred maintenance” and remodeling plans over the recession years will finally get back [...]

Safe bets for remodeling: energy efficiency upgrades is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Winterizing for everyone: Insulation tips

woodrow — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:10:22 +0000

Come winter, consumers and homeowners have questions about the kind of insulation that works best in their homes. Of course, the answer varies based on your location, existing insulation, how much space you have to insulate and whether the area to insulate is accessible (for hand installation) or inaccessible (requiring spray-on products). Before you even begin, [...]

Winterizing for everyone: Insulation tips is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Building trends 2012-2015: expect smaller, greener homes

woodrow — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 18:59:31 +0000

The American trend toward buying smaller homes – currently driven by the economy – will likely extend out to the near future. A builders’ survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), found that new homes will average 2,152 square feet in size by 2015, some 10 percent smaller than single-family homes built [...]

Building trends 2012-2015: expect smaller, greener homes is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

The Thermal Envelope and energy efficiency

woodrow — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:20:11 +0000

No matter where you live, one of the best ways to improve energy efficiency in your home is to secure or re-enforce your Thermal Envelope. The Thermal Envelope is the combined effect of your existing windows and doors, wall and roof assembly, weather-stripping, insulation and air retarders. In short, every component of your home interior and [...]

The Thermal Envelope 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.

Is it time to solar heat your swimming pool?

woodrow — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:10:28 +0000

Decks and fences make for fine summertime home improvement projects. If you want to add a pool, why not evaluate energy efficiency and home improvement ideas that offer returns on your investment at the same time? Take a second look at pool solar heaters. If you live in a climate warm enough to [...]

Is it time to solar heat your swimming pool? is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

Greywater systems help green your home

woodrow — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 16:43:08 +0000

Imagine installing a garden hose that comes right off of your home washing machine. The soapy, soiled water from your last load of whites or permanent press clothing runs straight to your summer vegetable patch, cutting your water bills for the year by 30 percent. Today’s household greywater recycling systems help you turn your home [...]

Greywater systems help green your home is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.

New Phillips LED bulb excels in energy efficiency

woodrow — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:51:10 +0000

Energy efficiency in household lighting continues to advance in the green commercial marketplace. Royal Philips Electronics has launched sales of the world’s first light-emitting diode (LED) product designed to replace the conventional 75-watt incandescent bulb. The manufacturer claims that, in using only 17 watts of electricity, the Philips AmbientLED 17 produces 1,100 lumens of light. The [...]

New Phillips LED bulb excels in energy efficiency is brought to you by the home remodeling pros at Reliable Remodeler. Get more of your questions answered at Ask the Contractor.