Green home remodeling in California
Homeowners interested in remodeling their homes in California should check out www.greenremodelforum.com. This locally managed website specializes in showcasing homeowners in California that are remodeling responsibly and with a conscience. Green Remodel Forum is quickly becoming a go to resource for useful information about green building methods as well as products and services to support your green remodeling project.
It’s free to join the forum. Some of the benefits of becoming a member of the Green Remodel Forum include:
• Connecting yourself with like minded people and affiliating yourself with known local experts.
• Collapse time and research by seeing what your neighbors have accomplished through the question and answer discussion forum.
• Easily locate green professionals in the building and energy management industry.
• Become savvy and knowledgeable about energy efficiency and how you can work towards a Zero Net Energy Home.
• Learn useful green tips of the day.
For most of us our belts are tightened due to the economy. We need to spend our money wisely. Usually our home is the biggest financial investment we make. Therefore, it is important to realize we are empowered to make positive changes in our purchasing power by supporting green building methods. As homeowners in this current market there are so many financial incentives to do the right thing such as focusing on significant energy efficiency rebates through PG & E, and leasing solar panels through Sungevity.
Green remodeling is a positive step that should be part of your decision making process. I challenge you to put more thought into what materials you buy for your next remodeling project and who is going to do the work. Your final objective is to remodel responsibly so that your home is not only visually pleasing but also a healthier and more energy efficient place to live.
Go to their Website Greenremodelforum.com
The Benefits of Installing a Radiant Barrier in Your Attic
October 15, 2010 by Diana
Filed under Do It Yourself, Reviews
Radiant Barriers are a cost effective way of reducing energy cost in your home by reflecting the heat away from your attic space therefore making your air conditioning run more efficiently. The radiant barriers also helps keep the second story floor of your house maintain a closer temperature to the first floor temperature.
The radiant barrier is to reduce cooling loads in warmer or hot climates, It is primarily a thin but extremely durable thin sheet of highly reflective material usually aluminum applied to one or two sides of a substrate material.
There are two different types of radiant barriers installation a rafter installation, which is when the radiant barrier is attached to the faces or bottoms of the rafters or top chords of the roof trusses. It is important during this installation that air can flow at the roof peak about 6″ and 3″ at the bottom of the rafter.
The second type of installation is a floor installation where the barrier is laid across the floor of the attic on top of the existing insulation. The effectiveness of this type of installation depends on two variables. One, if it is reflective on only one side it needs to be facing up towards the roof. The second variable is a long term accumulation of dust may reduce the effectiveness of the method of installation.
In my opinion it makes sense to attach the radiant barrier to the rafters because if you have duct work and piping up in the attic you are going to be providing additional temperature control and “insulation” instead of leaving them exposed to the outside elements of extreme heat and cold.
If you want to “Do it Yourself” click here
3 Steps to Save Money, Save Energy, and Reduce CO2, Doing Your Laundry
I’ve been pondering ways to save money and reduce my energy consumption around the house and I stumbled upon interesting ways to save money doing my laundry.
First a few facts:
1) According to a laundry article I found on the City of Concord’s website, doing your laundry has a significant impact on our environment. Did you know that over the lifetime of a T-shirt up to 9 lbs of carbon dioxide can be release in the air just through washing and drying?
These are general usage cost for a family of 4 for a washer and dryer
Clothes washer (with hot water) -
Electricity kWh/yr - 1,080
Cost /Year - $86
CO2 emitted/yr 1,544
Clothes washer (minus hot water)
Electricity kWh/yr - 99
Cost /Year $8
CO2 emitted/yr 142
Clothes dryer
Electricity kWh/yr - 1,060 -
Cost /Year $85 -
CO2 emitted/yr- 1,516
Surprising huh?
So what is my plan? Well, I have a few obstacles but I can still make a difference. First the simple fix……
1) Wash my clothes in cold water. I had no idea that the hot water consumed 90 percent of a washers energy usage.
Second fix a little more challenging but doable……
2) Line dry my clothes. This is FREE SOLAR ENERGY and another big way to save on energy, laundry supplies and to preserve the longevity of your clothing. Have you ever smelled line dried sheets and towels? They are the best! Did you know the sun is a natural whitener as well as a natural antibacterial? A couple of challenges are living in a community that doesn’t let you hang your laundry as mine doesn’t allow you to hand your laundry outside. I’m thinking about hanging my laundry in the garage or you can watch this funny video clip that is trying to get a petition signed so it is a right to hang your laundry. Check it out here.
Another advantage to line drying is you don’t need to use bleach or fabric softener, just shake, snap and hang your clothes upside down. If you really don’t like the stiffness of your jeans just toss them in the dryer for a couple of minute on wrinkle release.
3) Finally, use a really good biodegradable phosphate free laundry soap.
Here’s a link to some laundry soap options
