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Programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home's temperature settings, allowing you to save energy while you're away or sleeping.

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.

When considering Stenciling, you may also want to look into: Chalkboard Paint, Door Painting, Faux Finishing and Painting, General Painting Technique, Indoor Painting Projects, Interior and Airless Paint Sprayers, Magnetic Paint, Paint Applicator Overview, Paint Contractors, Painting Kitchen Cabinets, Painting Various Surfaces, Prepping Interior Surfaces, Texturizing, Wall Murals and Zero VOC Paint.

Even with stenciling look into the low or Zero VOC paint to help ensure the health of your family and the environment.

Take a look into the range of options like: Driveway Paving Materials, Driveway Sealers, Driveway Gates, Driveway Pavers, Asphalt Paving, Repairing a Driveway, and Concrete and Gravel Driveways. If you are considering widening a driveway, extending, a driveway, or putting in a new driveway all together, your contractor will use some form of gravel underneath the surface that your choose. Gravel is typically quarried and instead of buying it as ‘virgin’ material, you can save money and the environment by using construction demolition debris that is slated for a landfill.

Properly installed and maintained gutters not only protect the landscaping right around your home from getting pounded by heavy rainfall, but they also protect your home from getting water damage at the eave point where the roof meets the wall. Look into: Gutters DIY, Gutter Cleaning, Seamless Gutters, Copper Gutters, Gutter Guards, and Home Drainage Systems. Consider storm water management systems that pipe the downspouts into an underground drainage area. Also consider the Rain Barrels as a way to collect and store rain water from your downspouts.

Start at the top to protect your home from the elements. In addition to considering the aesthetics, longevity, and cost, you should also review the impact of a roofing material relative to ongoing energy costs. Different roofs have different thermal and reflective properties that can impact your heating and cooling bills. Since most roof materials last for decades, these energy impact factors are increasingly important given the rising energy costs. As an example, lighter colored materials reflect rather than absorb sunlight in the summer and then reduce your Air conditioning bills.

Beyond the lawn and garden, outdoor living may involve a whole range of options in addition to patios and walkways. When it comes to decks and porches, take the time to integrate your outdoor space and consider: Deck Plans, Deck Building, Deck Lighting, Deck Materials and Maintenance, Deck Stairs and Railings, Waterproofing a Deck, and Porch Design and Building. For deck and porch construction material, go for composite materials to save on maintenance repair and also save the environment.

The right type of controls can help automate operations, and proper maintenance can help promote efficiency. Both controls and maintenance collectively help you save money on Heating and Cooling bills. HVAC typically accounts for over 40% of a home’s energy use, so look carefully at new: Thermostats & Digital Controls, Programmable Thermostats, Wireless and Remote Thermostats, Multi-zone HVAC Systems, Dehumidifying Heat Pipes, ‘Smart’ Meter Reading, and HVAC Air Filters and Seasonal Tune-ups. “Measurement is the key to Management”.

Consider: Air Conditioning Filters, Central Air Conditioning, Window Air Conditioning Units, Other Technologies and Cooling Systems, Evaporative Coolers, Energy Star Cooling Equipment, and Geothermal Cooling.

High efficiency central air conditioning is second only to natural ventilation and passive cooling systems. Individual room air conditioners are an option worth considering to keep cool this summer and have come a long way in the past several years.

Consider: 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.

For centuries if not millennia, natural ventilation used to be the most common ventilation method of allowing fresh outdoor air to replace indoor air in a home. Today it is just one of the many options, since homes that are properly air sealed for energy efficiency benefit from mechanical ventilation.