Here is a plug for one of our clients. We made their home more comfortable and energy efficient.

I’m Randy Merrill, the owner of Cartridge World Atlanta and I’d like to share with you an idea to help save you money, help the community and save the planet with no inconvenience to you. We are currently saving Mount Vernon Presbyterian, Pace Academy and The Lovett School thousands of dollars a year on their ink and toner and we would like to do the same for you.

Our business is simple and successful. We take the empty casings of ink and toner cartridges and completely remanufacture them in our Vinings workshop. Through this process, we have a higher success rate vs. original manufacturer for a new cartridge or toner off the shelf. As a result, we are able to provide a savings of 25%-40% on each piece. Importantly, the dollars spent by you and your school go directly into our local economy, not overseas, which helps our community.

Finally, we recycle to reduce landfill waste. One toner casing requires 1 gallon of oil to make, produces 3.5 pounds of waste and remains in the landfill for 450 years. Our remanufacturing process reuses your casing and reduces waste.

We also offer free delivery for orders over $100.

We can save you money, put your printing dollars back into your community, help save the planet and our delivery (orders > $100) is free.

It would be our pleasure to provide you with a quote and you can compare the savings for you and the benefits for our community and planet.

For a short time only….

From the manufacturer:

“I’m sure you are aware of the Energy Star Appliance rebate going into effect in GA, but I wanted to forward this just in case. Energy Star certified Solar Water Heating systems do apply, and our systems are Energy Star  …rebate is in place until the funds are exhausted, which could easily move quickly.

GA:
GA’s is going into effect on Feb. 12, 2010. GA’s pays $199 until the $9.3M runs out (all appliance rebates).
GA Rebate

Contact us today to get a free quote on your house  Fresh World Contact.

Here is a previous post updated with this rebate: more…

Want to learn more about the business of green building?  Come here me talk at the joint session of the Green Building Council and Remodeler’s Council.  If the current title does not work for you- Try “Making Green Sustainable.”

See you there.

Thanks to everyone that help us have a successful year in 2009 and we look forward to starting some fun projects in 2010 as well.  I know the economy is rough, however deferred maintenance on your house will cost you if you leave repairs exposed to the elements.  A crack in the paint today is rotten trim tomorrow if not addressed.   Weatherization not addressed today leads to high energy bills tomorrow.

Duct tape is a Southern tradition for home repair, however will not save you money in the long run.

The next segment in the My Design Partner series is water heating.

All water heaters are created equally correct?  I wish. Unfortunately they are not, and making a bad choice in a water heater can cost you a lot in operating costs.  The water heater is the second largest consumer of energy on most residences. more…

We are a Velux Solar Hot Water dealer and installer. On one of the installations that we completed this year we accidentally heated the water with the sun for 4 months!  The intent was to heat the water with the sun with an electrical backup, however this was not the case for that period of time.  There was a disconnect attached to the water heater that was not working, however we did not realize this until we got several days of overcast and the sun could not heat up the water. The whole time they did not have to pay a dime to heat up their water.  Here is post from my homeowner about their experience- Lake Claire LEED

On average- in Atlanta you will save around 85% on water heating using a Velux system because the sun can preheat the water so the secondary heat source rarely has to kick on!  According the DOE the average payback is between 3-7 years.   Solar thermal is 5-10 times as efficient as tankless water heater in most cases and the payback is faster as a result.

To see how Solar Thermal works visit Fresh World.

The next segment in the My Design Partner series is roofing.

Remember your parents being proud by giving you the basic essentials to include “a roof over you head?”   Well- not are roofs are created equal.  Some roofs are good enough to pass code and last a few years and others are designed to last for several generations. more…

The next segment in the My Design Partner series is flooring.

In any type of renovation or new home build you will have to pick out or refinish the flooring in your home. There are many options to choose from along with some new and exciting new options that have just come on the market.  Flooring can add warmth and beauty to the home and in many cases makes or breaks the overall design.  Sometimes all you need is a fresh coat of paint and a new floor and the room will look new again.

more…

As part of the My Design Partner series we are going to discuss HVAC.

Choosing the best HVAC for your house is not always any easy thing to decide upon.  Especially, when you are forced to make a decision quickly when it breaks when there are extreme temperatures outside!  It is best to have a plan in place (better yet a quote) before your system breaks.

In the Southeastern US there are several options that are readily available.  Standard heat pumps (heating and cooling), Furnaces (heating) with AC (cooling) , and Geothermal (heating and cooling)  are the most popular. more…

Forward:

When designing a building a house or remodeling a home, how are you to know that you are getting the best options from your contractor?  Their goal is not only to make money, but to keep you on budget as well.  Unfortunately, in doing so you are not given the option to choose from the best categories when your house is being designed for you.

Our company, Fresh World, is a partner is a group called My Design Partners.  What is a “My Design Partner”?

“My Design Partners is a select association of the most innovative manufacturing and service providers in the custom residential, remodeling and construction industry. Through this premiere network, independent businesses collaborate to offer remodelers, builders and their clients a comprehensive, concierge level service that streamlines and enhances the design and building process with unsurpassed results.”

Fresh World will be hosting a discussion with the rest of the partners on Good, Better, Best design tips as they apply to designing various components of your home.  From Heating and Air and water heaters to Counter-tops and Flooring, we will discuss the various levels on the options that are currently available in the marketplace.  These options will help you better make good decisions when you are faced with either budget constraints or if you want the best on available and are not sure what that is!

I will will put my 2 cents worth in based on my design/ build experience and my partners will comment on my posts and offer even more information.  Check back often or RSS to the post and comments so you do not miss any thing in the series.  The category will be “Good, Better, Best”  AND “My Design Partners” on the sidebar.

Other posts in the “Good Better Best” series:

Introduction to My Design Partners

Flooring

HVAC

Roofing

Water Heating

“They” say that ‘it takes 21 straight days to start or break a habit.’ Attempting to start a new resolution at the beginning of the year is always a bit of a challenge because of all of the distractions.  Thus year, I tried mine at the beginning of December to give myself a head start.

Many years ago I was in the Marine Corps and was in excellent shape. I also trained the Marines under me and helped them meet the requirements of the physical fitness test. If they saw me at the beginning of December- they would wonder 2 things- 1. What happened to Matt’s hair? AND 2. Why is he not in peak shape?

Since I started back to the gym (my 2010 resolution), I feel much better. Exercise has been a great outlet to burn off the stress of running a business and dealing with year end “fun stuff.”

Why am I sharing this? No- it is not to brag- I have only been going for a few weeks now. It is to encourage you to start a routine or create a space that is yours to clear your head and get in shape so you can feel better.

I am stressed at the end of the day, but I would not compare my role as a business owner to the intensity of other professions. An air traffic controller or ER doctor is probably a little more intense than what I deal with on a day to day basis. When figuring out your routine- consider a few factors:

1. Do you have the energy to get through the day? If not- consider going to the gym in the morning to jump start your day.
2. Do you come home stressed out and unpleasant to be around? If yes- consider a quick trip to the gym after work to burn off the stress to come home refreshed.
3. Do you experience both? If yes- mix up your routine- cardio in the morning and strength in the evening.

Trying to save $$ and the gym is not in your 2010 budget? When I was in the Marine Corps, I was able achieve peak fitness with a pair of running shows and a pull up bar. Most public parks have a pull up and dip bar and along with cardio, you can get into great shape quickly while enjoying the outdoors!

Hope that you achieve your 2010 New Year’s Resolution whatever it might be. Go ahead and give is a practice run starting today to get the momentum that you need going into the 2010.

I think we might have spend less than 10 bucks on decorations this year. One year ago I posted some info on recycling your Christmas tree. This year we reused the trimming off of the tree to create a decoration for the front door.  My boys used the smaller pieces and created a “baby” Christmas tree.  The good thing is that it kept my 4 year old busy for hours, around the time he typically runs around the house like the Tasmanian devil.

December 2008- I think that this time last year the world had stopped!!  The stock market was at an all time low.  The banks were all frozen and consumers had no confidence in the economy.  We were not officially in a recession, however we all knew it to be true.

Over the next few days- I am going to revisit some of the post that I made 1 year ago that are still relevant in December of 2009.

One year ago, over 90% of my clients put their projects on hold so I was prompted to write this piece:

If the Rich are Hurting

What is different now?  People know that we are in a recession, however homes still need to be built and houses still need improvement.  I can only imagine how much work has been generated out of the flooding that occurred.  We are still an economy based on consumption, however people and spending their money with more care and not relying on banks as much anymore.  We are seeing more spending now over this time last year, however it is not dependent upon banks as much.

Enjoy our latest cold snap? When it is below freezing out the first thing that we notice is how uncomfortable our homes if they have not been built or tuned up. You will see many commercials telling you to either upgrade your insulation, fix your HVAC or change out your windows. The claim is that if you make any of these improvements you will see 50% or more off of your energy bill.

This could be the case, however each home or building is different and these types of savings are based on how bad the house is in the first place.

Confused? Well- you should be. Most contractors don’t even know where to start.

If you are talking to and HVAC contractor (that only does HVAC- not home performance) they will sell you on the latest and greatest equipment.

If you got one of those “free audits” for you home- you will get sold some insulation.

If you call a window replacement company- you will get sold some super insulated vinyl windows that will be 25% less if you sign now!

Not that these products do not work (this was an intentional “double negative”), however if they applied in the wrong order, you will end having to spend the money twice or may not get the full benefit of the improvement immediately.

What is the solution? The best thing to do is do everything at once with a home performance contractor. They will do full diagnostic assessment to see where the problems are on your home and will give you a prioritized list based on safety concerns and return on investment.

Typically, you will see the ROI in this order.

1. Fix the holes Any holes in the exterior of your home is costing you money every day.  Whether it is an actual home where air or water is coming in/ going out or if it is inadequate insulation allowing for heat to be lost in the winter or gained in the summer.  This applies to foaming holes around the windows, air sealing around outlets, adding insulation to areas that do not have it (after you seal the holes), replacing windows that leak, and fixing duct work that leaks.
2. Upgrade the HVAC This needs to happen after the house is weatherized.  If not, the HVAC will be sized according an inefficient house.  Once you make it efficient, then the HVAC will be over-sized for that house.  Over-sized HVAC systems do not run long enough to pull the moisture out of the air and this can cause indoor air quality issues.  If you are going to upgrade the insulation and windows (just not now) then size the HVAC for the more efficient house.  It will just have to run longer to condition the house, but it will condition it.  Also, make sure that you fix your ductwork at the same time.  If not, you just spend tens of thousands on a system that is 10-30% more efficient that you old one (unless you are going with geothermal) and your duct system could be leaking 50% of the air to the outside.  Fixing the ductwork is a fraction of the cost and yields a faster ROI.
3. Renewable Energy-
   1. Geothermal HVAC should be considered whenever you are looking to replace or add HVAC.  Since geothermal costs more,, you need to make your house as efficient as possible by upgrading your insulation to spray foam and adding good windows.  This will decrease the size of the geothermal unit and saze you on installation and operational costs.
   2. Solar Thermal- I like heating water with the sun since the sun’s energy is currently free.  Solar Thermal is also not dependent on insulation, windows etc.  You can upgrade to solar thermal at any time as long as you plan currently for the number for bathrooms that you have in your house and how many people will be using the water at once.

PS- Whatever you do for the winter will help lower your summer bills as well!!

For more examples on Building Performance Solutions visit Fresh World

We have had the opportunity to be apart of many great TV programs on good networks in the past and are especially proud to be part of HGTV’s hit show Curb Appeal 2010 season.  No- HGTV does not stand for Hoots Group TV….

We were part of several episodes set to air early next year and we were able to add a layer of green to each episode. John Gidding the principle designer and show host had this to say about our team:

“I just wanted to express my deep gratitude at the incredible work you guys did for the Avery project. In every way, you exceeded everyone’s expectations – even mine. Thank you so much for everything.

Of the many companies I’ve worked with for HGTV projects, and for my own design firm, you are among a tiny group of leaders; head and shoulders above the rest.”

I would like to attribute the success of these episodes to our VP of production- Justin McAusland, who was able to manage each project around the cameras and keep them on schedule!

Here is picture of a before and after of the last project that Justin managed.

Courtesy of John Gidding

The material that you see is a thermally modified decking and fencing material supplied by: 




Via Viridis, LLC,  131-A Bells Ferry Lane, Marietta, GA 30066, 770-345-4000 Office




Some of our fellow renovation contractors saw these picture and stated, ‘these pictures look good,  but I thought that the Hoots Group was a green contractor- these don’t look green!’

Seriously?  Why does building green not imply good design and craftsmanship?  That is too funny.  I guess that they were expecting to see an Earthship made out of tires and powered by a wind turbine!