“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!

In a neighborhood where the neighbors are paying hundreds in utility costs due to inefficient homes- one of our clients just gave us this feedback on their home:

This is for their power usage…

July – 543 kwh – $60
Aug – 483 Kwh – $56
Sep – 455 kwh -   $53
Oct – 352 kwh -   $43

This was not a new home- it was a renovation!! To find out how you can get these kinds of savings on your home visit Fresh World.  We were able to accomplish this by making the home energy efficient with good insulation, windows and air sealing.  In addition to an efficient design, we were able to add solar thermal and geothermal HVAC.

I was working on a proposal for a client the other day and was trying show show how all of the different efficient options would have multiple benefits. For energy efficient lighting, I was hoping to make the argument that LED’s or compact fluorescents would help reduce the heating and cooling costs as well.

Not so!

I had heard the CFL’s in Canada were actually causing heating bills to go up in the winter so I was aware that lighting might have an negative effect on heating already. I did expect for it to have a greater effect on the cooling load since the HVAC system would not have to cool the house as much since the CFL’s put off less heat than halogen or incandescent bulbs. In Atlanta- we actually have more heating hours than cooling hours. So- if you replace all of your bulbs with energy efficient bulbs that put off less heat your heating and cooling cost might actually go up if you are running your heater more than your AC.

Do not use this example as a reason to not change out your light bulbs. The energy savings in operational costs for the bulbs is still much greater than the minuscule difference in your heating and cooling costs.

If you live in Miami- or any other warm weather climate that does not require that much heating- then you get to save on cooling cost for the house and you get to save on the electrical costs to make light!

Want an even better solution? Then design the house where you can use more indirect natural daylight during the summer or cooling months so you can save on lighting costs.

For more energy saving advice or options visit our parent company at Fresh World.

Some of our neighbors here in GA trying to get out of the water

When I was a kid- I could remember my mom singing” rain, rain, go away- come back another day”  As I was driving to work on Monday and saw the Chattahoochee flooding several local businesses I found myself singing it in my head.

GA was in drought,now we are in a flood. A friend of mine owns a rain harvesting business. Even his green clients are not in the mood to talk about collecting rainwater until their basements and crawlspace stop collecting rain.

Let’s not beat up the rain harvesting guys right now- they are part of the solution. Water is still a huge problem. There is either too much or not enough and we are on watering restrictions. If you manage your own reservoir, you could eliminate the peaks and valleys.

Since my company deals with energy efficiency, we tell people the same thing. You cannot control prices of energy from your provider, but you can control how much you use and will not be affected as much if their is a price swing if you home uses less energy.

All this talk about rain gets me on a rant about basements. As a home performance contractor and owner of a design/ build firm, I cannot see how any contractor would build out a basement without dealing with water. If you had a basement that flooded recently, I am truly sorry. Some of them would have flooded no matter what, but most of them could have avoided flooding it designed and built properly.

Here are some considerations that we do on every basement design:

1. Address bulk water on the outside of the house- most of the water comes from runoff from gutters or improperly sloped yards.   Gutters should discharge at least (if not more than) 5 feet from the house.  Most gutters dump the water on the foundation.  The code for the grade on the house is that for the first 10′ the grade should drop at least 6″.  Gutters can be easily fixed with extensions that you can do yourself, or that you can buy at your local hardware store.  Fixing the grade is not as much fun.
2. Water proofing- not damp proofing. For some reason GA thought that it would be OK to dumb down the building code, and allow damp proofing for many years, instead of water proofing.  The last few days here we did not have “damp” we had “water”.  If your basement flooded- thank the State of GA for not requiring (in the past)- water proofing.  If you are building a new home- insist that your contractor waterproof.  Here are some of the products that we have used in the past: Delta Dry
3. On an existing unfinished basement- water proof from the inside. Water will always find a way in.  Either through humidity or cracks in the foundation.  As a good contractor- I need to give the water an opportunity to “get out.”  On our basement specification, we always insist on water proofing the basement before finishing it.  If we don’t do this and the basement floods- there will be mold, rot and other unpleasantness that will come about.
4. Pre-treat for termites, mold.  Seems obvious, but why not just make the conditions not so friendly for what we don’t want around.  We vaccinate our kids so they don’t get sick.  Why not vaccinate your home to prevent a sick home?  We prefer to use non toxic chemicals that do not make you sick when they “off gas.”
5. Use mold resistant materials. Most of the mold grows on the paper in the drywall.  There is a product call DensArmor Plus that we use that does not have paper- instead it uses a fiberglass covering that is stronger and will not mold since it is not organic.
6. Whole house humidity control. Instead of a stand alone dehumidifier, installing an extra dehumidifier that runs through your HVAC duct work is much more effective.  Not only does it pull more water out, it pulls it out faster since it is able to condition all of the air- not just the air around the machine as a stand alone unit does.  We use the April Air systems in our client’s houses.

To see one of our case studies where that is used in the green training manual for the National Association of Remodelor visit:  ReGreen Guidelines/ Hoots

To learn more about our parent company where you can get your own water resistant basement and crawlspace visit: The Hoots Group

If you have had flooding in your home, get the water out ASAP!!!

I heard that you cannot find sump pumps at any stores right now so use a shop vac instead.  Take the filter out so the water does not saturate it and start sucking up the water.  Most shop vacs have a drain in them so yours could drain the water out as you are cleaning up if possible.  As soon as you get the bulk of the water up- dry the area out.  If there is mold growing- stop and contact us us for a reference to remediate the mold.  If there is not any mold present- then use fans and also turn down the AC- your AC is a giant dehumidifier and can help get the humidity down so mold does not start growing.

Fresh World is the performance partner for 1/2 off green- a local non profit group that is helping local Atlanta businesses operate more sustainably. Check out their website for more information: Half Off Green

If you have a business that needs a green makeover- give them a call so they can come assist you with you needs as well.

For more information on the Fresh World process visit Fresh World

There are so many new companies out there trying to jump on the green bandwagon by offering green products as a result of the stimulus plan. There are also many established companies that are trying to jump on the bandwagon as well by pretending that they actually care about green now since it is popular.

So how is the consumer to know who to choose?

We get asked this all of the time. We have taken our experience and green leadership for granted and have not made a big deal about it, however in this economy experience and longevity are some of the most important factors in our client decision making process.

Here are some important factors to consider when making a green upgrade on your home or business:

How long has the company been in business?

Our renovation division SawHorse has been “The Sign of Renovation in Your Neighborhood” for over 30 years.

What kind of green experience to they have?

Our team helped start the EarthCraft renovation program and were the first general contractor to be part of the Home Performance with Energy Star program.  We have more EarthCraft renovations and Home Performance audits to our name than any other contractor in the program!

Are they a product or solutions provider?

If they are just an HVAC contractor, insulation contractor, solar contractor or window and door contractor- guess what their solution is going to be?  THEIR Product!  Since we have an HVAC license, do our own energy audits, and design our one solutions- you are guaranteed a solution tailored to your house.  Most other companies are going to tailor their proposal based on just HVAC or insulation.  This will cost you more in the long run especially if there is not a long term plan for additional upgrades.

Recent example:

A contractor friend of our asked us to help him with the solar design on the house.  Unfortunately, solar was not going to work so we suggested geothermal HVAC for the whole house.  With this HVAC solution- we could heat the water for their domestic use as well as the pool!  Not only did we design an efficient HVAC system, we designed an insulation plan to help reduce the cost of the HVAC install and operational cost of the HVAC.

I can guarantee that a solar contractor would have tried to make solar work regardless if it was not the best solution.  What about an HVAC contractor?  They would not have offered to upgrade the insulation so the HVAC system could be designed to be smaller- saving the consumer money on the upfront costs.

Since we offer solutions as a home performance contractor with experience- Fresh World is the obvious choice.

Please do not throw them away and contaminate out water supply with toxic chemicals.  If you live in the ATL area- here is an event near downtown:

Hi all – this coming Saturday Aug 15 take your old electronic equipment junk to Grady High School (Charles Allen Dr @ 8th St parking lot) for recycling. They’ll take almost anything computer-esque including printers and stereo equipment.

A friend of The Hoots Group sent me over a message about a new warehouse that they have:

We (Atlanta Fuller Center) now have our 16000SF warehouse to start receiving donations of new & used building materials and other items such as cabinets, doors, light fixtures, good appliances, ect. We can give a tax letter to the contractor or the contractor’s client. We plan on using some of the items for inventory for our home repairs and also resell to generate revenue to purchase other needed building materials.

For more information contact:

Mark Galey- 678.583.5599

The Hoots Group and SawHorse will be donating any leftover materials from our clients projects so they can be reused on The Fuller Center’s projects.  The majority of the houses that they work on are for people that are on a fixed income and need help maintaining their homes.

A few days ago I posted “Show me the (more please) money“.  Here is the result of that effort.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SOLAR INDUSTRY APPLAUDS GEORGIA PSC VOTE
Georgia Power Green Energy Program expanded to include more solar

(ATLANTA) – On Tuesday, August 4th, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted unanimously to expand Georgia Power’s Green Energy Program. In June, Georgia Power notified the PSC, the current green power program and tariff had exceeded the original cap of 500kW. In an effort to address the issue, Georgia Power filed an amended tariff proposing a 200kW increase above and beyond the 500kW and limited project participation to solar projects 10kW in size or smaller. Walter Brown, Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA) Chair, commented “our concern with the amended filing was the chilling effect it would have and perhaps even completely discouraging commercial-scale solar projects from moving forward.”

After the amendment was filed with the PSC, GSEA partnered with the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) which led the effort to educate PSC commissioners and staff about solar energy and the many benefits Georgia could realize if the proper policies were established. “Energy efficiency and solar energy are two ways monthly utility bills can be reduced,” said Ben Taube, SEEA Executive Director. “The decision by the GA PSC Commissioners in coordination with the industry and GA Power will provide the opportunity to encourage more solar in the State as well as provide a framework for larger, commercial-scale projects to move forward. SEEA applauds the leadership of each of the Commissioners that voted on the amendment and the willingness of Georgia Power to assist the solar industry.”

The PSC amendment that was unanimously supported will provide the following within the Georgia Power service territory: first increase the cap for solar electricity by 1.0 MW to a total of 1.5 MW and include both residential and commercial applications of the solar technology; and secondly the program will be reviewed in 6 months to ensure 80% of the premium being paid for by subscribers is going towards purchasing solar electricity.
“The leadership and vision demonstrated by Commissioners will encourage additional economic development, job creation, and financial investment by the solar industry here in Georgia. We will work diligently to get more customers involved in Georgia Power’s Green Energy program with the goal of making the program one of our countries most successful,” said Walter Brown.” Both GSEA and SEEA will continue working with the PSC Commissioners, Staff and Georgia Power to move solar forward in Georgia.

About the Georgia Solar Energy Association
The Georgia Solar Energy Association (GSEA) leads the statewide effort to promote the economic and environmental benefits of solar energy through education, advocacy and industry support. GSEA, a non-profit affiliated with the American Solar Energy Society, is supported by more than 140 members across the state (energy professionals and grassroots supporters) who are working together to help create a sustainable energy economy for Georgia. For more information, visit www.gasolar.org. Find GSEA on Facebook or follow on Twitter @GASolar.

About the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance (SEEA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that brings together businesses, utilities, governments, public utility commissions, energy service companies, manufacturers, retailers, energy and environmental organizations, low-income energy advocates, large energy consumers, and universities to promote energy-efficient policies and practices.

I think that “twitterpated” was first used by Thumper in the movie Bambi.  I have seen all different ages get onto twitter and update us on events and eating habits etc- most of which I have no interest in.

However- we have found it to be a useful tool when it comes to business.  Our company is on Twitter now so you can see what we are working on or get last minute updates.  Many of our trade partners follow us on twitter and I have seen them at events based on our reminders of what is going on in ATL.

If you want to get our green updates- click here to get real time green updates.  If you have a twitter account- then just start to follow us.  If not- sign up first.  Happy twittering!

I was asked to answer a list of questions for a green business promotion that we are to be a part of so I thought that I would share my answers with you all as well.  How would your business answer these same questions?

Q. What are your environmental values and commitments?

As a builder and remodelor we make sure that we employ a holistic approach to building so that our clients homes are more energy efficient, healthy and comfortable.  One way that we are able to do this is through green certifications.  The majority of our projects are eligible for a green certification since we are able to offer ones that fit most situations.

Q. How are they stated, measured, and enforced?

All of the green certifications that we offer are 3rd party verified for quality control.

Q. How does your company express its environmental values and commitment to employees, customers, and others?

Not only do we have green job sites, but our sustainable message is also embedded into our website, client communication and public speaking.

Q. What efforts have been made to offer products/services with the environment in mind?

We have gone through our whole design build process and have made sure that all of the processes and products that we offer are environmentally friendly.  All of the products that we offer are either good for indoor air quality, good for the environment, or energy efficient.

Q. What efforts have been made to efficiently use resources, materials, and energy, as well as recycle and prevent pollution?

Since all of our projects are energy efficient, they help reduce the amount of pollution that was created in order to produce the energy used.  We also believe in cradle to cradle construction where many of the products that we use were either re purposed or can be used again.

Q. Do you do anything to reclaim your products or packaging at the end of their useful lives and/or do you encourage customers to recycle or reuse products?

Yes- we recycle on all of our job sites and we build in recycling bins into our clients houses to encourage them to not put as much material into the waste stream.

Q. Do you currently receive any state or federal tax rebates or other financial incentives for any of your environmental efforts (for example, clean energy tax credit, water heater rebate program, etc.)?  If yes, which ones?

All of our projects are eligible for federal and state tax incentives because of the green services that we provide.  For a full list of green incentives visit Why It Pays to Go Green.

Q. Are you certified by any environmental business organizations? If yes, which ones?

Southface Energy Institute, Building Performance Institute, United States Green Building Council

Q. Are you in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental laws?

Yes!