I’m often surprised when homeowners think of weatherstripping as a winter-only project. With some 30 percent of your energy costs pegged to heat–and cold air–leaks at home, you’d think more people would consider adding or replacing weatherstripping to preserve that valuable cool air in your home come summertime.
The U.S. Department of Energy has an excellent [...]
You never know where you’re going to find great ideas. This week, I saw a newspaper article in a Pennsylvania newspaper that suggests some solid home remodeling ideas for people reluctant to spend money in a struggling economy. The article cites a study from the Pella Corporation that claims this is actually a good time [...]
A lot of the world is already plugged into the sun for heating its water. I first saw entire communities with solar panels on the roof when I toured Israel. Of course, you can’t beat the Middle East or the Mediterranean for long sunny days. I thought by now a lot of the American Southwest, [...]
Preservationists, ecologists, and homeowners of architectural era homes trying to meet their utility bills wonder if the costs of retrofitting a tired lady outstrip the value of completing the project. In response, the government provides subsidies for restoration, tax and financial incentives, and Property Assessed Clean Energy bonds. Maintaining aesthetics without gutting the architecture—and [...]
Want to reduce your carbon footprint? If you’re remodeling, adding rooms, or improving your home for a future sale, remember that many green homes are drawing higher prices. The National Trust for Historic Preservation—the nonprofit that helps to preserve historic American homes and neighborhoods—now offers simple tips for cutting energy use and curbing household emissions.
It’s [...]
I was excited to hear that this month The International Code Council released the public version of its International Green Construction Code (IGCC)—the first baseline regulatory tool to help governments and communities regulate green building. The green codes are open for public comment and are available for viewing at the IGCC website. The code is [...]
For those of us who think “green,” there are energy-efficient products for constructing walls and roofs that reduce valuable wood usage and provide overall reductions in heating and cooling costs. For a while now, builders have found that roofs of recycled steel or aluminum provide energy efficiency and durability. And engineered lumber with low formaldehyde [...]
It’s Earth Day today, and in fact, it’s the 40th Earth Day to be celebrated since its inception.
In the past forty years we’ve come a long way in changing our ways to protect the earth, but as much progress as we’ve made we still have a lot of work ahead of us. Remember Al Gore [...]
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