The right home improvement products, techniques, and services:
Contractors, home improvement stores, and specialty shops in your area may not yet have a complete familiarity with the ‘green’ opportunities, products, system integration, and overall savings potential. So, you may get some resistance, since people in general are typically more comfortable recommending something that they are already familiar with rather than something new. To help break the inertia, use the information across this website like our Return on Investment Master ROI Table. Also feel free to post a question in our forum on the message board about a particular need for your home relative to your area. Our team has spent multiple years aggregating research from public and private sector performance reports and from manufacturers and homeowners across the country in order to provide you with the perspective you may need to see the initial payback and long term advantages. Environmental enthusiasts and leading institutions like the American Institute of Architects and the National Association of Realtors, see the value and link into our resources to support their members.
The Green Home:
For your overall home improvement, you can save money, improve your family’s health, and save the planet. Find out for free how much it will cost to do different types of home improvement in your home from a qualified and member approved contractor in your area. Get a FREE Quote . Plus, regardless of the size and scope of your home improvement project, save money and keep your home clean with the top rated chemical free and concentrated Green Home Cleaning Products .
Category Checklist:
Make sure to consider the latest Home Improvement products and services. If you are doing the work yourself or planning on working with a home improvement contractor use this checklist below as a guide to review and ask questions about the preferred products, details, and installation techniques related to:
- HVAC Supporting Equipment and Maintenance: Thermostats & Digital Controls, Programmable Thermostats, Wireless and Remote Thermostats, Multi-zone HVAC Systems, and Dehumidifying Heat Pipes, Meter Reading, and HVAC Air Filters and Seasonal Tune-ups.
- Air Conditioning: Air Conditioning Filters, Central Air Conditioning, Window Air Conditioning Units, Other Technologies and Cooling Systems, Evaporative Coolers, Energy Star Cooling Equipment, and Geothermal Cooling.
- Ventilation: House Ventilation, Energy Star Mechanical Ventilation, Attic Ventilation, Basement Ventilation, Bathroom Ventilation, Duct Work, Cleaning Duct Work Specifications, Energy Star Duct Systems, Dryer Ventilation, Radon Ventilation, and Natural Ventilation.
- House Fans: Attic Fans, Solar Attic Fans, Bathroom Exhaust Fans, Kitchen Hood Fans, Whole House Fans, and Through Wall Fans.
- Heating Systems: Energy Star Heating Systems, Solar Heating, Oil and Gas Heating Furnaces, Electric Resistance Heating, Furnaces & Boilers, Furnace Filters, Wood & Pellet Heating, Heat Distribution Systems, Radiant Heating, In Floor Heating, Ceiling Fans, Under Floor Heating, Humidifiers and Dehumidifiers, Geothermal Heating, Heat Pump Options, and Garage Heaters.
- Fireplaces: Wood Fireplace, Electric Fireplace, Fireplace Inserts, Gas Fireplaces, Fireplace Mantles, and Fireplace Screens.
- Heat Pumps: Electric Heat Pumps, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Air-Source Heat Pumps, Ductless & Mini-Split Heat Pumps, Absorption Heat Pumps, Operating & Maintaining Heat Pumps, and Advanced Features for Heat Pumps.
- HVAC System Selection: Space Heating and Cooling, HVAC Selection and Replacement, Fuel & System Types, Sizing Systems, HVAC Inspection and Testing, HVAC and Mechanical Contractors, and Mini Duct Heating and Air Conditioning.
Tips on Heating and Air Conditioning:
- Check all duct works for insulation and good seal at the joints. Check for dirt streaks along the duct work, especially near seams. This will indicate air leaks and they should be sealed with a duct tape. Insulate any ducts where pipes travel through unheated spaces. R-6 is the recommended minimum insulation level.
- If you have a forced air heater\furnace check filters and replaced them as needed, they should be changed about once every two months. Check seating of the filters so that there is not a gap for unfiltered air to travel through.
- Heating and cooling system should be inspected and serviced every year to maximize the performance and save you money.
- If the furnace unit is over 12 years old, you should consider replacing it. An energy-efficient unit will greatly reduce your utility bills.
- Electric heat pumps are worth considering because the technology has dramatically improved and they can push about 400 to 500 ft.³ per minute airflow for each ton of the heat pump air conditioning capacity.
- You can decrease the use of the air-conditioning system by placing cooling fans by doorways and rooms and using ceiling fans.
- Consider radiant floors and on demand hot water systems as a way to support your existing heating system or serve as the new primary source of heat.
- Clean air conditioner fins on the outside unit. Make sure filters are cleaned every month or every other.
- Make sure that window air conditioners are covered with a tight blanket during the winter.
- Have a professional cleaning the evaporative coil or increase the fan speed, but often some modification of the duct work is needed to check the refrigerant and the charge.
- Consider supplementing the efficiency of your air-conditioning system with window units, or split systems from companies like Sanyo, that when used effectively cool house the house for a lot less than replacing larger system.
- Consider a whole house fan and make sure that ceiling fans are placed and operating in the correct modes to reduce cooling costs.
- Bonus Tip: Go for an On-Demand hot water heater when you are ready to replace your current tank. Americans spend hundreds of dollars a year heating water, but the cost is often embedded in the utility bill so that you cannot see it. On-Demand systems may cost several hundred dollars more than the traditional tank, but they can reduce your water heating bill by 50% or more. You can invest a little now to save thousands over the life of the system. You may also want to get a free quote from an Energy Auditor in your area to see how much you can save by taking a few cost-effective steps this season. A few hundred dollars invested now could save your thousands.
Home Improvement Basics:
When it comes to home improvement basics, look for interior home improvements like creating a clean, safe, and healthy home through sustainable ‘green’ furniture, home décor, zero VOC and Interior Paint, plus ENERGY STAR Appliances and Electronics. For energy and utility savings you can focus on insulation and air sealing, windows, doors, lighting and skylights, water saving plumbing opportunities, and high efficiency heating and air conditioning systems. On the outside of your house, look for exterior home improvement opportunities through landscape design and gardening plus solar energy, wind and other power sources. If you are undertaking a major home renovation, an additions, or building a new home, then take the lead to ‘go green’ in as many ways as possible to save money and the environment.
